Post/Author/DateTime	Post
WilliamPall 12-25-04, 06:37 AM	Greetings to all, I'm working on a wizard for a high level campaign and thinking of taking the ArchMage prestige class from the DMG. I've got a quick question about a combination of two High Arcana abilities. If I were to have Mastery of Elements, and Spell-Like Ability with Otiluke's Freezing Sphere, would I have the option at time of casting my spell-like ability to change the element descriptor? And then, how would the ice creation method of using this spell work in such a situation?
The Simbul 12-25-04, 07:17 AM	Greetings to all, I'm working on a wizard for a high level campaign and thinking of taking the ArchMage prestige class from the DMG. I've got a quick question about a combination of two High Arcana abilities. If I were to have Mastery of Elements, and Spell-Like Ability with Otiluke's Freezing Sphere, would I have the option at time of casting my spell-like ability to change the element descriptor? And then, how would the ice creation method of using this spell work in such a situation?Mastery of Elements only applies to spells, not spell-like abilities. That said, I am not sure how it would interact with the non-damage related elements of the Freezing Sphere. P.S. Take Mastery of Shaping instead of Spell-like Ability as your second High Arcana choice.
WilliamPall 12-25-04, 11:22 AM	Well . . . as it turns out, since the character I'll be making is starting at level 18, I plan to have all five levels of Arch Mage in the character to begin with With Element Mastery, Shape Mastery, Arcane Fire, and Spell Power taken, I'm merely trying to figure out whether to take another selection of Spell Power or a selection of a Spell-Like Ability. So far the characteer is shaping out to be Wiz6, GuildWiz 7, Arch5 . . . I'd ask for opinion of the build, but this isn't the right area of the message board for that.
TyraaloftheFist 12-25-04, 01:48 PM	Eh, you could say that you learned some way to...AHA! A feat could be used to remedy this...No clue what the mechanics would be like, but anyhoo... If you made it into an Otiluke's Blazing Sphere, then it lights stuff on fire/makes it really hot. No problem. If you make it an Otiluke's Electrifying Sphere, static electricity? I dunno, electricity gets complicated in these situations. If it were a Sonic Sphere, then it acts like a thunderstone, I guess...Sonics in D&D are VERY ODD. If it were to be a Vitriolic Sphere of Otilukean Death, then it drips acid and corrodes everything that would normally be iced. I think. Gwerrh...acid is hard to do. Hope it was helpful...Merry Christmas.
sparkster4242 12-25-04, 11:03 PM	changing the elemental descriptor of a spell doesnt affect its other properties - a Fire-substituted Orb of Acid deals fire damage, but still sickens on a failed save rather than dazing, as an Orb of Fire would. this means that a Fire-Substituted Otiluke's Freezing Sphere would deal fire-damage to creatures, deal _more_ fire damage to water-based creatures (d8's instead of d6's), or freeze a body of water for a short period of time. nonsensical? oh yes - but that's what rule 0 is for. that being said, i see no problem with the caster choosing the elemental subtype of the spell at the time the spell-like ability is gained (via Energy Substitution or Master of Elements), but once it is chosen it cannot be changed at a later time. i suppose you could build a feat that allowed you to change the energy type of a spell-like ability, but i know of none that have been published.