Just looking for some opinions on this spell, is it still a really good spell or is it no longer what it use to be? No dmg on a successful save has me a bit worried.
Doing no damage on a successful save puts it in line with other attack roll spells like Produce Flame or Scorching Ray as far as accuracy goes.
The benefit that it has over those spells is that you can make attacks with it without increasing MAP. Also for lower action cost per attack than Produce Flame and it doesn't require spending another spell slot on subsequent rounds like Scorching Ray or other non-cantrip spells.
So it makes a good option. But certainly isn't going to outshine all other spells available.
It's a decent enough sustained low level damage spell you can cast and spend a single action on to do additional damage while you attack with cantrips.
Ohh, you wouldn't recommend heightening it using it with your other level 3 spells like Fireball or lightning bolt?
Ohh, you wouldn't recommend heightening it using it with your other level 3 spells like Fireball or lightning bolt?
I wouldn't heighten it too much as you'll get better sustained damage spells later unless you're exploiting a weakness. It depends on how many spell slots you have in a day. I think of flaming sphere as more like bonus damage that I can use a single action to cause while using a cantrip or a spell slot to combine with it.
One of the big knocks on casters is a lack of single action options, but they have spells that once you cast them you can use a single action to sustain the spell doing damage or some other effect. That's your single action extra damage option. So consider the fight and if you will get a good number of sustain rounds using the sphere along with some other spell or cantrip to do damage.
It's a consideration as one of your battle combinations in a fight lasting 3 or more rounds at least.
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Doing no damage on a successful save puts it in line with other attack roll spells like Produce Flame or Scorching Ray as far as accuracy goes.
I wouldn't say that. They have their own accuracy issues outside of not doing half damage on a success,
Saves can be targeted. So using a flaming sphere against something you know isn't going to be particularly dexterous / agile is always going to be more accurate.
For instance (vs at level foe)~
level 7
- attack: 45% (vs high ac, +10% if flat-footed, often -5% due to light cover from allies)
- save: 35/50/65/75 % (high, moderate, low, terrible)
level 15
- attack: 40% (vs high ac, +10% if flat-footed, often -5% due to light cover from allies)
- save: 35/50/65/80 % (high, moderate, low, terrible)
level 20
- attack: 45% (vs high ac, +10% if flat-footed, often -5% due to light cover from allies)
- save: 45/60/75/90 % (high, moderate, low, terrible)
So as you can see, barely more accurate than tageting a creature's high save... as accurate in most cases as light cover will apply.
Ofc in the mid levels maintaining flatfooted becomes easier, but hitting dex as a high/extreme save is pretty rare, a moderate or lower save being targeted with basic deductive reasoning is much more realistic.
But yeah, a single action sustain with a save will be notably more accurate/useful than most two action attack spells... and even single action attack spells imo.
Having three heightened flaming spheres out at once and bearing down on a single enemy is pretty amazing if you ask me.
Takes a bit of building towards though, and only really works at high levels unless you're a witch.
Just about anyone can manage two spheres though, which is still pretty sweet.
The only thing I don't like is the limited range, but I've convinced more than one GM that, that only applies to it's point of orgin.