Area of effect-smaller? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Area of effect-smaller? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Walnut
09-01-04, 11:06 AM What do you do when you want a smaller area of effect? I haven't seen any published rules on it, so I'm curious about peoples' thoughts on this.

I'm not talking about changing the area of effect to the extent that the Sculpt Spell feat does; just making is smaller. A 10' fireball, or 40' lightning bolt. Things that I don't mind requiring a feat for, but shouldn't really require a higher slot since the effect is less, not greater.

What do you think?
Deaths-Warden
09-01-04, 11:22 AM The thing about making a smaller area of effect is that it has benificial uses as well.
Your not frying your comrades for one, so I don't know how the balance would go.
Drachasor
09-01-04, 11:26 AM The thing about making a smaller area of effect is that it has benificial uses as well.
Your not frying your comrades for one, so I don't know how the balance would go.

Woah, don't be silly. A 10' Fireball is almost (but not quite) a second level spell, with a small adjustment to damage caps and perhaps increasing rates of damage, it would be.

A spell that affects a smaller area is always weaker than its larger area effecting counterpart. Just because sometimes you'd rather have that smaller area-effecting spell doesn't mean it is as strong as its larger cousin. No one would think an area-effecting Magic Missle would be as strong as magic missle (it is much, much stronger), nor would a single-target "fireball" be as strong as Fireball. Those are two extremes on the spectrum.

Hmm, a Feat that allowed you to trim down the size to whatever you wanted, so long as you chose the size at the time of spell preparation, would work just fine. It wouldn't change the spell level either.

-Drachasor
tarkin
09-01-04, 12:28 PM While I agree that smaller radius = less powerfull, that almost NEVER translates into a level less powerfull. TO make Fireball a 2nd level spell it would have to be a 5ft radius, (not 10ft) with the lower damage cap.

One of the things is that a small radius allows you to do is use the spell in a small room without affecting yourself.

They do have a feat that lets you change the area of effect, called Shape Spell. (3.0)
It is a +0 metamagic feat.
Walnut
09-01-04, 01:41 PM Where's that from? T&B has Sculpt spell, changes type (cone to sphere cubes, etc) for a +1 adjustment.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Walnut 09-01-04, 11:06 AM	What do you do when you want a smaller area of effect? I haven't seen any published rules on it, so I'm curious about peoples' thoughts on this. I'm not talking about changing the area of effect to the extent that the Sculpt Spell feat does; just making is smaller. A 10' fireball, or 40' lightning bolt. Things that I don't mind requiring a feat for, but shouldn't really require a higher slot since the effect is less, not greater. What do you think?
Deaths-Warden 09-01-04, 11:22 AM	The thing about making a smaller area of effect is that it has benificial uses as well. Your not frying your comrades for one, so I don't know how the balance would go.
Drachasor 09-01-04, 11:26 AM	The thing about making a smaller area of effect is that it has benificial uses as well. Your not frying your comrades for one, so I don't know how the balance would go. Woah, don't be silly. A 10' Fireball is almost (but not quite) a second level spell, with a small adjustment to damage caps and perhaps increasing rates of damage, it would be. A spell that affects a smaller area is always weaker than its larger area effecting counterpart. Just because sometimes you'd rather have that smaller area-effecting spell doesn't mean it is as strong as its larger cousin. No one would think an area-effecting Magic Missle would be as strong as magic missle (it is much, much stronger), nor would a single-target "fireball" be as strong as Fireball. Those are two extremes on the spectrum. Hmm, a Feat that allowed you to trim down the size to whatever you wanted, so long as you chose the size at the time of spell preparation, would work just fine. It wouldn't change the spell level either. -Drachasor
tarkin 09-01-04, 12:28 PM	While I agree that smaller radius = less powerfull, that almost NEVER translates into a level less powerfull. TO make Fireball a 2nd level spell it would have to be a 5ft radius, (not 10ft) with the lower damage cap. One of the things is that a small radius allows you to do is use the spell in a small room without affecting yourself. They do have a feat that lets you change the area of effect, called Shape Spell. (3.0) It is a +0 metamagic feat.
Walnut 09-01-04, 01:41 PM	Where's that from? T&B has Sculpt spell, changes type (cone to sphere cubes, etc) for a +1 adjustment.