Broken level 2 spell [Archive] - Wizards Community

Broken level 2 spell [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Xan_Kriegor
11-04-07, 01:45 AM I'm away from my books right now, but I remember in the Spell Compendium, there was a spell called Stolen Breath or something like that. Subject instantly loses all breath. No save, no attack roll, nothing to make it not happen. Now, it's pretty conditional as to when it can be fatal, but that could be arranged. I can think of two situations where you could kill an annoying recurring BBEG fast. Basically, (1) the fighter/barbarian grapples the BBEG. (2) A druid/cleric casts Create Water into a decent-size bucket. (3) F/B moves the BBEG over to the D/C, and shoves his face into the now full bucket of water. (4) The sorcerer/wizard casts Stolen Breath, and the BBEG drowns.

The BBEG starts ranting about how he will pwn the PCs. The sorcerer/wizard then screams, gets fed up with the whole 'recurring villain' thing, and proposes that the PCs and BBEG go on vacation somewhere with a beach, lake, or other body of water (Diplomacy check or something like that probably made here). During a 'swim,' the s/w casts Stolen Breath on the BBEG, drowning him on 'vacation.'
Neutronium_Dragon
11-04-07, 04:55 AM Stolen Breath can never be directly fatal. It causes the subject to become sickened, which imposes a -2 penalty to several things, but otherwise doesn't harm them.
Aleolus
11-04-07, 12:54 PM Ah, but it isn't the Stolen Breath that is harming them. They are being harmed by the fact that they are not capable of taking in air, only water, which will result in them taking drowning damage, which, unlike damage from lack of food or water, can kill you.
Aleolus
11-04-07, 01:00 PM Ah, but it isn't the Stolen Breath that is harming them. They are being harmed by the fact that they are not capable of taking in air, only water, which will result in them taking drowning damage, which, unlike damage from lack of food or water, can kill you.
IceFractal
11-04-07, 03:10 PM Sometimes the flavor text on a spell isn't completely accurate; this is one of those cases.

What the spell actually does is sicken the target. It doesn't cause them to start suffocating, whatever the external conditions are. Now you can extrapolate that it would cause them to suffocate, but that results, as the thread title mentions, in a broken spell. So just stick to the RAW on this spell - problem solved.
Jaxgaret
11-04-07, 03:35 PM Also, if you're in a position to dunk the BBEG's head in a bucket and keep it there - you've won already, you don't need this spell.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Xan_Kriegor 11-04-07, 01:45 AM	I'm away from my books right now, but I remember in the Spell Compendium, there was a spell called Stolen Breath or something like that. Subject instantly loses all breath. No save, no attack roll, nothing to make it not happen. Now, it's pretty conditional as to when it can be fatal, but that could be arranged. I can think of two situations where you could kill an annoying recurring BBEG fast. Basically, (1) the fighter/barbarian grapples the BBEG. (2) A druid/cleric casts Create Water into a decent-size bucket. (3) F/B moves the BBEG over to the D/C, and shoves his face into the now full bucket of water. (4) The sorcerer/wizard casts Stolen Breath, and the BBEG drowns. The BBEG starts ranting about how he will pwn the PCs. The sorcerer/wizard then screams, gets fed up with the whole 'recurring villain' thing, and proposes that the PCs and BBEG go on vacation somewhere with a beach, lake, or other body of water (Diplomacy check or something like that probably made here). During a 'swim,' the s/w casts Stolen Breath on the BBEG, drowning him on 'vacation.'
Neutronium_Dragon 11-04-07, 04:55 AM	Stolen Breath can never be directly fatal. It causes the subject to become sickened, which imposes a -2 penalty to several things, but otherwise doesn't harm them.
Aleolus 11-04-07, 12:54 PM	Ah, but it isn't the Stolen Breath that is harming them. They are being harmed by the fact that they are not capable of taking in air, only water, which will result in them taking drowning damage, which, unlike damage from lack of food or water, can kill you.
Aleolus 11-04-07, 01:00 PM	Ah, but it isn't the Stolen Breath that is harming them. They are being harmed by the fact that they are not capable of taking in air, only water, which will result in them taking drowning damage, which, unlike damage from lack of food or water, can kill you.
IceFractal 11-04-07, 03:10 PM	Sometimes the flavor text on a spell isn't completely accurate; this is one of those cases. What the spell actually does is sicken the target. It doesn't cause them to start suffocating, whatever the external conditions are. Now you can extrapolate that it would cause them to suffocate, but that results, as the thread title mentions, in a broken spell. So just stick to the RAW on this spell - problem solved.
Jaxgaret 11-04-07, 03:35 PM	Also, if you're in a position to dunk the BBEG's head in a bucket and keep it there - you've won already, you don't need this spell.