Short answer: Yes.
Long answer: There is no maximum or specified number of targets for Stormbolts; it's omnidirectional Gtfo Lightning that comes forth from your own body and hits everything in your immediate area except for plants and creatures that you actually like. And it would cause +50% damage because Swarms are specifically vulnerable to AoE effects.
That was my reading of it too. GM claimed because friendlies were excluded it became a "targetted" spell, and not an AoE spell. :-(
Welp, he is sorely wrong my friend. AoE spells are specifically meant to counter swarms, and Stormbolts is a level 8 spell that would require Selective Spell Metamagic to practically be even usable at all, therefore they included the verbiage that the caster can exclude creatures and plants.
It's an 8th level spell for a reason.
I agree with Ryze.
As a general rulez the part tyat's relevant for swarms is usually whether it targets an area (eg Fireball) or targets a number of enemies within an area (eg. Slow). I'm sure there are some corner cases, but if it doesn't have a line marked "Targets" you're probably fine.
A spell can be AoE and Targeted and still affect swarms. Just look at controlled fireball.
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A spell can be AoE and Targeted and still affect swarms. Just look at controlled fireball.
Controlled fireball isn't targeted, as you don't select the targets you want to affect, you select the targets squares you want to affect less.
If you had a spell that generates 100,000 fire bursts/level, with each single fire burst targetting a single creature you couldn't use it on a swarm, as it goes against the limitation on targetting swarms.
I would say that even an unlimited number of single targets wouldn't work (if any similar spell exists), as people would be unable to select and target that many creatures.
But the effect of controlled fireball and other spells that exclude some target or volume in their area of effect work perfectly on swarms.
Yeah Fireball, Controlled Fireball, Lightning Bolt etc aren't targeted spells because they don't have targets. They just hit an area ...
School evocation [fire]; Level arcanist 3, bloodrager 3, magus 3, occultist 3, sorcerer 3, wizard 3
CASTING
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S, M (a ball of bat guano and sulfur)
EFFECT
Range long (400 ft. + 40 ft./level)
Area 20-ft.-radius spread
Duration instantaneous
Saving Throw Reflex half; Spell Resistance yes
DESCRIPTION
A fireball spell generates a searing explosion of flame that detonates with a low roar and deals 1d6 points of fire damage per caster level (maximum 10d6) to every creature within the area. Unattended objects also take this damage. The explosion creates almost no pressure.You point your finger and determine the range (distance and height) at which the fireball is to burst. A glowing, pea-sized bead streaks from the pointing digit and, unless it impacts upon a material body or solid barrier prior to attaining the prescribed range, blossoms into the fireball at that point. An early impact results in an early detonation. If you attempt to send the bead through a narrow passage, such as through an arrow slit, you must “hit” the opening with a ranged touch attack, or else the bead strikes the barrier and detonates prematurely.
The fireball sets fire to combustibles and damages objects in the area. It can melt metals with low melting points, such as lead, gold, copper, silver, and bronze. If the damage caused to an interposing barrier shatters or breaks through it, the fireball may continue beyond the barrier if the area permits; otherwise it stops at the barrier just as any other spell effect does.
... while other spells have a line about targets ...
School transmutation; Level arcanist 3, bard 3, bloodrager 3, magus 3, medium 2, occultist 3, psychic 3, redmantisassassin 3, skald 3, sorcerer 3, spiritualist 3, summoner 2, summoner (unchained) 3, wizard 3
CASTING
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S, M (a drop of molasses)
EFFECT
Range close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Targets one creature/level, no two of which can be more than 30 ft. apart
Duration 1 round/level
Saving Throw Will negates; Spell Resistance yes
DESCRIPTION
An affected creature moves and attacks at a drastically slowed rate. Creatures affected by this spell are staggered and can take only a single move action or standard action each turn, but not both (nor may it take full-round actions). Additionally, it takes a –1 penalty on attack rolls, AC, and Reflex saves. A slowed creature moves at half its normal speed (round down to the next 5-foot increment), which affects the creature's jumping distance as normal for decreased speed.Multiple slow effects don't stack. Slow counters and dispels haste.
I'm sure there are one or two spells that would muddle the lines here, but Stormbolts isn't one of them, and neither is Controlled Fireball ...
Area a 30-ft.-radius spread, centered on you
Area 20-foot-radius spread
A spell can be AoE and Targeted and still affect swarms. Just look at controlled fireball.Controlled fireball isn't targeted, as you don't select the targets you want to affect, you select the targets squares you want to affect less.
If you had a spell that generates 100,000 fire bursts/level, with each single fire burst targetting a single creature you couldn't use it on a swarm, as it goes against the limitation on targetting swarms.
I would say that even an unlimited number of single targets wouldn't work (if any similar spell exists), as people would be unable to select and target that many creatures.
But the effect of controlled fireball and other spells that exclude some target or volume in their area of effect work perfectly on swarms.
Except selecting said lesser affected squares follows the same rules for targeted spells. If you cant see an ally to know theyre there, then you can't target them out.
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Except selecting said lesser affected squares follows the same rules for targeted spells. If you cant see an ally to know theyre there, then you can't target them out.
Not exactly. With controlled fireball you are choosing a square, not a creature in that square, to get the lower effect. Even if you say that "the affected squares follows the same rules for targeted spells" (which would be a house rule, since controlled fireball doesn't say that) it would just mean you have to see the square, not the contents of the square.
I played a very smart mindchemist (with precise bombs) and what I almost always did was to choose "all the squares without visible enemies in them" to not be affected by my splash. Both to avoid invisible allies and to avoid potentially setting useful stuff on fire. Now, no one has enough intelligence to do that with all the squares in a fireball, so it would be a bit tricky to avoid metagaming.