Ball Lightning change suggestion

[Coldburn]

While weak before, with only 1d6/ level damage, I think most of us can agree that it is pretty obscenely powerful now, with 2d6/ level. No need to crunch numbers here, but most of us hopefully realize that this spell is almost sure to drop 95% of the server's population in 1 round, when hasted.

My suggestion; make it as Firebrand, which remains to be a very useful spell, though not grossly overpowered. The elemental theme perk might make it pretty useful there, too, especially vs. PvE, and not the next death-spell in PVP.

[One_With_Nature]

I think it is better with the changes. Afterall it is a 5th circle spell and considering that is likely the highest a PC will ever achieve they need some nice powerful spells. Also there are many ways to protect against this spell.

[AfroMullet]

Just because you can protect from something does not mean incredible power is justified.

Nor should the spell be much more powerful than the other fifth circle spells. 2d6 per level is crazy. <_<

[The Crimson Magician]

Not to mention that builds w/o evasion would take the same amount of damage as a fireball or scintilliating sphere of the same level, even WITH making every single saving throw.

[DollarPhil]

I'm not sure Coldburn realises how this works. The IG description is wrong, and it does NOT hit a single target for 2d6/level. Bioware screwed up.

The damage is in packets of 2d6 damage. It works like Missile storm in that a L9 caster will fire off 9 missiles, each doing 2d6 dmg, with its own reflex save and ele resistance check, split evenly between all hostile creatures in the area. Emp Lightning Bolt or sphere kicks its ass for all but precision sniping of 1 PC. I'd rather do 9d6 * 1.5 on everything in Bolt range than 18d6/no. of targets.
 If you're worried about an elecric mage that much, wear the Fickler helm off trogs or get hold of a 5/- resist item off Corals from a seller. Average damage is 7 per ball. 5 resist makes it a pathetic two a ball. Insulation will always prevent the maximum it can too. This spell is still The Suck on anything but a single totally unprotected foe. Even then I'd prefer missilestorm as only  mage PCs can have Shield up all the time.
I'd love to see it work like firebrand, to make it more powerful than now, not less. Especially considering the setting has a lot of fire resistant foes and no alternative spell like it.

[Ordeal]

This is a spell available from items, summons, and even a familiar. You don't need to be a high level wizard to get it. Call Lightning is 1d10/level damage, but reliant on a situation (rain) that the player cannot dictate. Ball Lightning is not reliant on any such condition. The ability to do a minimum of 18d6 damage (twice in a round with haste) is a major problem for a low-magic server. There are many other ways to fix this spell without making it an elementally-dependent death spell for a single target.

I would agree with the suggestion that the Ball Lightning changes be changed to something besides 2d6/level damage. An alternate form of Firebrand would be just fine, considering that it will remain a very different spell due to its elemental type and its relevant perk affect.

[Mort]

An alternate version of firebrand is boring. Much like scintillating sphere and fireball.

Having this spell in a specific niche is interesting by being dangerous so long as there arent that many foes around.

Is 2d6 too much? Maybe. We'll see about tweaking it.

[One_With_Nature]

Well i just got into a mage fight where it took three ball lightnings for me to go down. I was alone as well so it all hit me. I think its a simple matter of spreading the pain.

[lolmagics]

It's strong, but due to the multiple ( nine ) independent saves and small bursts of damage, it really is still less effective than an empowered lightning bolt on a single target if you average it out. People are quite simply going to make some of those saves and the damage range is rather spread out.

You're looking at 18-108 damage. The average of that being only slightly higher than empowered sphere or bolt yet with multiple saves to further reduce it. If someone has 5/- resistance, which is very common from low levels to high levels, it pretty much destroys the spell's damage.

As one with Nature said, we just had a fight and he is a low HP wizard that was very difficult to take down since he naturally made a lot of the saves!

[Dealers Choice]

Considering half the server has evasion and reflex saves. Plus eleresist is easy to keep up 24/7 if you choose. It's not acutally that obscenely powerful. hasted missle storms can easily drop someone and they have -no- save and you cant walk around perma shielded.

For a lvl 5 spell its actually a worthwhile choice now.

[The Crimson Magician]

Just saw one person I presumed was pretty tough and hard to beat go down after a single casting of this spell. Not sure of the mechanics, but with the wind focus of casting, does this spell give the bolt for EACH ball of lightning?

[Drakill Tannan]

It does. When Kaida casted ball lighting in a small room, she killed half the PCs and left very wounded the tohers, so it can be very powerfull with the perk.

[Pup]

I personally faced this in PvP and it wasn't that bad.  I think it's just fine as it is.

[Udenbur]

Pish.

[Udenbur]

There's 5/- items, but unless you walk around that,  40/- elemental protection or insane reflex PLUS evasion, you will drop at 1 or max 2 [hasted] casts, even if you make most the saves [against a DC26 for Evokers] you will at least go to Badly Injured/near dead when you are around the same level in a lot of situations.

It can't be so that people have to equip for 5/- to stand a slight chance at living through this out of the loop damage if you ask me.

I don't find the spell rediculously overpowered; but I do feel that it's the strongest spell by long shot, which requires absolutely no "skill", orientation or fashion to guarantee a PvP kill.

No disrespect to you VP! You keep rockin' on. ;)

Perhaps we could look into 1d8 damage?