Circle of death---uses? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Circle of death---uses? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Kratilim Valqui
05-25-04, 02:56 AM I can think of only a few uses that cricle of death has.... But I can't see it worthy of a 6th level spell, it gets worse due to the material component. Could anyone tell me some good uses for the spell? What am I missing? Don't get me wrong, I love the flavor of the spell but i want to know more uses... Any thoughts?
BigAlzBub
05-25-04, 06:11 AM Well, you could use Innate spell on it, to make it a spell like ability useable 3/day plus it doesn't use components, and if you really like that, there is a feat in savage species that converts a spell like ability to a supernatural ability (so it would then bypass SR), other than that its a pretty lousy spell.
Kratilim Valqui
05-25-04, 09:37 AM There has to be a good reson or some good combo's for this spell to be a lvl 6 spell... Anyone?
Kratilim Valqui
05-25-04, 09:41 AM :bump: .... Changed to bump, formerly a dubble post...:mad:
cwslyclgh
05-25-04, 11:06 AM its main use is to take out mobs of lower Cr creatures... for example if your 12th level sorcerer or 11th level wizard and his groiup encounter like twenty 3rd level orc barbarians this spell will take a nice chunk of them out. also in a more realistic campaign the lower CR monster do not simply vanish when your character raises a level, although you w3ill not be encountering them as often, they are still there... and a good DM will have you encounter them from time to time (though the encounters are rather pointless as far as XP is concerned)... a circle of death is a real time saver in those situations.
DungeonMaster
05-25-04, 11:10 AM Hit your opponents with enervation and then circle of death.
StevenO
05-26-04, 12:11 AM Circle of Death used to be a 2ed spell called Death Spell. That was a nasty spell that killed like the Circle does but allowed NO save. It also destroyed souls and if I recall allowed the corpses to be reanimated as fairly powerful undead. That is why the 500 gp black gem is required for this very evil spell.

So the material component is just a legacy effect carried over on this weaker version of the old Death Spell.
wdarkk
05-26-04, 01:12 AM Wait, what? How was that balanced at all? Didn't you get a save vs death or something?
Veneficus
05-26-04, 06:17 AM Nope. Death Spell had no save. 6th level Necromancy spell, with a 10 yard/level range, 30-ft. cube/level area, instant death, no save, ro raising, no resurrection. It would instantly kill 4d20 creatures of 2 HD or less, 2d20 of 2 to 4 HD, 2d4 of up to 6+3 HD, or 1d4 of up to 8+3 HD. Anything above that was immune. It was a nasty spell, but only useful when you encountered massive groups of creatures that were way below your CR.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Kratilim Valqui 05-25-04, 02:56 AM	I can think of only a few uses that cricle of death has.... But I can't see it worthy of a 6th level spell, it gets worse due to the material component. Could anyone tell me some good uses for the spell? What am I missing? Don't get me wrong, I love the flavor of the spell but i want to know more uses... Any thoughts?
BigAlzBub 05-25-04, 06:11 AM	Well, you could use Innate spell on it, to make it a spell like ability useable 3/day plus it doesn't use components, and if you really like that, there is a feat in savage species that converts a spell like ability to a supernatural ability (so it would then bypass SR), other than that its a pretty lousy spell.
Kratilim Valqui 05-25-04, 09:37 AM	There has to be a good reson or some good combo's for this spell to be a lvl 6 spell... Anyone?
Kratilim Valqui 05-25-04, 09:41 AM	:bump: .... Changed to bump, formerly a dubble post...:mad:
cwslyclgh 05-25-04, 11:06 AM	its main use is to take out mobs of lower Cr creatures... for example if your 12th level sorcerer or 11th level wizard and his groiup encounter like twenty 3rd level orc barbarians this spell will take a nice chunk of them out. also in a more realistic campaign the lower CR monster do not simply vanish when your character raises a level, although you w3ill not be encountering them as often, they are still there... and a good DM will have you encounter them from time to time (though the encounters are rather pointless as far as XP is concerned)... a circle of death is a real time saver in those situations.
DungeonMaster 05-25-04, 11:10 AM	Hit your opponents with enervation and then circle of death.
StevenO 05-26-04, 12:11 AM	Circle of Death used to be a 2ed spell called Death Spell. That was a nasty spell that killed like the Circle does but allowed NO save. It also destroyed souls and if I recall allowed the corpses to be reanimated as fairly powerful undead. That is why the 500 gp black gem is required for this very evil spell. So the material component is just a legacy effect carried over on this weaker version of the old Death Spell.
wdarkk 05-26-04, 01:12 AM	Wait, what? How was that balanced at all? Didn't you get a save vs death or something?
Veneficus 05-26-04, 06:17 AM	Nope. Death Spell had no save. 6th level Necromancy spell, with a 10 yard/level range, 30-ft. cube/level area, instant death, no save, ro raising, no resurrection. It would instantly kill 4d20 creatures of 2 HD or less, 2d20 of 2 to 4 HD, 2d4 of up to 6+3 HD, or 1d4 of up to 8+3 HD. Anything above that was immune. It was a nasty spell, but only useful when you encountered massive groups of creatures that were way below your CR.