I like the idea of this spell
Crushing DespairSpell 5
EmotionEnchantmentMental
Source Core Rulebook pg. 327
Traditions arcane, occult
Cast Two Actions somatic, verbal
Area 30-foot cone
Saving Throw Will; Duration 1 or more rounds
You inflict despair on creatures in the area. The effects for each creature are determined by its Will save.
Critical Success The creature is unaffected.
Success For 1 round, the creature can't use reactions and must attempt another save at the start of its turn; on a failure, it is slowed 1 for that turn as it sobs uncontrollably.
Failure As success, but the slowed 1 duration is 1 minute.
Critical Failure As failure, and the creature is automatically slowed 1 for 1 minute.
Heightened (7th) The area increases to a 60-foot cone
So my one big gripe with this spell and I think it holds it back from being a very good spell is that the enemy basically gets 2 saves. If they fail there first save they still get a second save at the start of there turn to prevent being Slowed 1 for a minute (instead just for 1 round). Also if the initial save is successful it gets another save to prevent being Slowed 1 for the round (being Slowed 1 for just a round isn't that great for a fifth level spell imo). The multiple rolls thing to me is pretty brutal, it's hard enough to fail one save, two saves must be nigh impossible. How do you guys feel about it? I would really like to add this spell to the repertoire since I'm looking for 2 action AoE control spells but I'm just not sure this spells power level is sufficient :S
I kinda misread that spell at first and it's not really good, you can disable reactions with a lower lvl slot with hideous Laughter and make them slowed with only one save.
Ya i think your right it seems weak my friend. Do you have any good suggestions for a Bard who's looking for an aoe control spell (any level)?
Hows Confusion vs a horde of enemies, targeting the enemies in the backline.
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For me, Calm Emotions is a stapple. Save or do nothing, good area, good duration. Until you get Slow 6 or Paralyze 7.
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You typed the Failure effect incorrectly, you replace 1 round with 1 minute. not 1 turn with one minute, so it should read:
Failure: For 1 minute, the creature can't use reactions and must attempt another save at the start of its turn; on a failure, it is slowed 1 for that turn as it sobs uncontrollably.
In other words, for 1 minute, it makes a save every single round to determine whether it's slowed 1 for that round.
So not as bad as you're making out.
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Is Paralyze 7 even that good? Seems to me that spells like Slow 6 would be much better would it not?
It's mostly momentum and number of actions disabled.
Per example let's assume a severe encounter of one lvl 15 boss and 2 lvl 11 lackeys against a lvl 13 party.
Let's assume that the 2 lackeys fails the save and the boss succeed.
Paralyze 7 will take out 6 actions on a single round, as an incapacitation spell the boss would get a crit success.
Slow lvl 6 will take out 3 actions on one round, then 2 on the second then another 2 on the third round.
So it was necessary 2 extra rounds for slow to surpass the paralyze and have a good chance that a lackey was killed on round 2 or 3.
And enemies of the levels that those spells are avaliable usually hurt or have annoying stuff against you even if they are lower level than you, so taking them out an entire round is nice.
Against a group of enemies paralyze 7 usually gives a huge amount of frontloaded action denial and because they are a group, likely they are lower level than you, slow 6 is better against smaller groups of enemies of your level and up like a lvl 15 boss and a lvl 13 lackey against the same previous group.
You typed the Failure effect incorrectly, you replace 1 round with 1 minute. not 1 turn with one minute, so it should read:
Failure: For 1 minute, the creature can't use reactions and must attempt another save at the start of its turn; on a failure, it is slowed 1 for that turn as it sobs uncontrollably.
In other words, for 1 minute, it makes a save every single round to determine whether it's slowed 1 for that round.
So not as bad as you're making out.
This is how I run it. It's not terrible. Not sure it is worth a rep slot though.