Remarkably simple fix to nuke spells

[Essence]

If the problem with nuke spells is that people suddenly gained Conmod*level in HP come 3rd edition, why not make nuke spells scale in exactly the same way: Any nuke spell that targets a single creature deals the caster's Primary Spell Casting StatMod*level in damage, and any nuke spell that splits the damage between targets splits that amount evenly between it's victims (round down, of course.) Finally, any area spell adds the caster's PSCSM*level/3 to the amount of damage it deals to everyone in it's area.

Presto-chango!

A Fireball cast by an 8th level wizard with a 20 Int deals 8d6+(5*8=40/3=13) damage (average 41) to a bunch of creatures that have something like 8d8+24 HP (average 64) each.

Suddenly damage spells will kill you in two spells if you fail one of the two saves, and evoker wizards are back where they belong: in the race, somewhere behind Summoners and in front of Diviners.

Why not do this?

[Username17]

If the problem with nuke spells is that people suddenly gained Conmod*level in HP come 3rd edition, why not make nuke spells scale in exactly the same way: Any nuke spell that targets a single creature deals the caster's Primary Spell Casting StatMod*level in damage, and any nuke spell that splits the damage between targets splits that amount evenly between it's victims (round down, of course.) Finally, any area spell adds the caster's PSCSM*level/3 to the amount of damage it deals to everyone in it's area.

Because when Fireball was a save or die to everyone in the area it was broken. The problem is that they were too good when they killed everyone all the time, and they suck too hard now that they don't do any damage that you feel like bothering to write down.

Sure, you could work it around until the evoker ended up doing a comparable amount of damage to the Fighter, but isn't he just a Fighter at that point?

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The original Evoker was made during a time when we played a radically different game than we do now. Monsters didn't have stat lines, or ability options, or really much of anything except an attack form or two. They also came in hugetaneous numbers. Goblins didn't use specific weapons, they just dished out a d6-1, and didn't hit that often. They came by the hundreds, and players were expected to wade through literal armies of the dumb bastards.

In 3rd edition, the goblin is a humanoid, not a military unit. The result is that they have a lot of options available to them. They use equipment, they take actions just like PCs. Some of them have character classes.

This means that the old standby of having 300 enemies coming in waves is simply impractical. There are no real uses for the crowd control evoker, because the 1st edition crowds that you needed to control simply don't happen anymore.

Now adays you fight like one to eight opponents, so there's no real difference in "feel" between a guy tossing fireballs and a guy who happens to have a spiked chain - the tactical role is exactly the same.

-Username17

[Essence]

...except that it's not a save or die as I outlined it. It's lots of damage -- enough to put the hurt on -- but not enough to kill an average opponent.

Combine that with the fact that, in general, 2/3s of the population has either more HP than you can do in two spells, or has huge Reflex saves and/or Evasion, and you've got a spell that, at least as far as I can see, does exactly what it's intended to: hurt things bad, but not bad enough to dominate the game.

[User3]

How about this as an even simpler fix:

Change the name and flavor text on some instant death spells, and then add them into Evocation.

Flesh to Stone can easily be Ice Tomb, a spell that encases dudes in ice.

Phantasmal Killer can be Heartburn, a spell that shoots fire at your heart and kills you.

Pick a spell, think Evocation, and run with it.

Web as Icy Trap.

Sleep as Winter's Rest or Heat Stroke or Stunning Shock.

You may need to add in a thing where people with reistance equal to twice the level of the spell are immune to the effects of a different school spell as an Evocation, or they get a save bonus on some scale.

Sonic can be handled in that deafened people are immune to it as spell(you can stuff your ear with wax to get this), its very loud, and it can be Countersonged.

Acid will be a type that cannot duplicate spells from other schools.
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Also, if you allow the "Use this metamagic feat 3 times a day" feat, and you have powerful Evokers.

[MrWaeseL]

1086719618[/unixtime]]Sonic can be handled in that deafened people are immune to it as spell(you can stuff your ear with wax to get this),

Not against sonic damage.

[User3]

Right.

Sonic death attacks will be handled differently.