My brother, who plays the mage Ranthir in the In the Shadow of the Spire campaign, requested a D20-statting of the spell seen in this video from Guild Wars 2:
FLAME OF THE PHOENIX
Evocation [Fire]
Level: Drd 2, Sor/Wiz 2
Components: V, S, M/DF
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Medium (100 feet + 10 feet/level)
Effect: Medium size phoenix of flame
Duration: 1 round (see text)
Saving Throw: Reflex half or negates (see text)
Spell Resistance: Yes
A bright flame in the shape of a winged phoenix appears before you. With a screeching caw you can command it to attack any creature within range. The flame phoenix will fly in a straight line to that target. If it passes through the space of any other creature in its flight, that creature must make a Reflex saving throw or suffer 1d4 points of fire damage per every two caster levels (maximum 5d4).
Once the flame phoenix reaches its target, it stops moving for the round. In a burst of flaming feathers, the flame phoenix deals 1d6/level points of fire damage to the target (Reflex save for half damage, maximum of 10d6). If the target creature moves, the flame phoenix will follow it up to the limit of the spell’s range.
At the end of your next turn, the flame phoenix flies back to you in a straight line. If it passes through the space of any other creature in its flight, that creature must make a Reflex saving throw or suffer 1d4 points of fire damage per every two caster levels (maximum 5d4).
ARCHIVED HALOSCAN COMMENTS
Justin Alexander
@Leland: Very good points. My intention was that the phoenix would be “scraped off” at the range limit of the spell, but you’ve definitely hit some corner-cases I hadn’t given any thought to.
As far as “with a screeching caw”, I actually did intend for the caster to do the screeching. I have a general habit of giving interesting verbal components to my spells (particularly components which could actually be intoned at the table), which I think dates all the way back to elementary school when the verbal component for our teleport spells was *BAMF*.
Wednesday, May 05, 2010, 12:11:35 AM
fliprushman
I too felt, at first glance, that this spell was a little powerful for it’s level, but your logic is sound. Leland does raise a few good points though about targeting and distance though. Otherwise I’m going to look for a way to incorporate this fun little gem into my games now. Thank you.
Monday, May 03, 2010, 12:42:59 PM
Leland J. Tankersley
1. “With a screeching caw you can command it…” sounds like the caster has to do the screeching, which I’m not sure is the intent. Wink
2. “If the target creature moves, the flame phoenix will follow it…” should maybe be “… will move with it…” (I assume you mean the phoenix just basically sits on the victim’s head until your next turn, unless it moves out of the spell’s range.) A couple of questions here. First, if the victim does move out of range, does the phoenix just get “scraped off” at that point? What if the victim moves out of range then back into range? What if he is teleported elsewhere within the spell’s range? And, where exactly is the spell’s range measured from? Current position of the caster, or the caster’s position at the moment the spell was cast? (I’m thinking of a caster that casts the spell, then does a move action.) And finally, what happens if the victim moves into a space with another creature (or vice-versa), whether due to size differential or e.g. a grapple? Same 1d4/2CL, Reflex negates for all such?
Second level looks right to me for this. Maybe not the most powerful option on that list, but it makes up for that with some nice flash, and an interesting mechanic (although as I note above there are some grey areas on that mechanic’s borders).
Saturday, May 01, 2010, 4:23:45 PM
Guest
Acid Arrow ignoring SR is probably the reason it’s less powerful damage-wise than its fellow 2nd Level evocations, rather than any range advantage it may have.
Friday, April 30, 2010, 8:46:53 AM
Justin Alexander
Scorching ray and flaming sphere were the spells I used to calibrate the power level.
Compared to scorching ray, this spell deals a little less damage to the primary target — but it also allows a Reflex save for half damage (whereas scorching ray gives no saving throw). And although scorching ray requires a touch attack, it also gives you more flexibility with the damage (since you can split it up into three rays). Flaming sphere deals less damage, but has the flexibility of a 1 round/level duration. You’re right about acid arrow being less powerful; but, as you also note, it appears to be less powerful than the other options, too. The only advantage it seems to have over scorching ray, for example, is the range (as it deals less damage and takes longer to deal it).
The other way I thought of it was that flame of the phoenix is basically a weaker version of fireball: It deals fireball-type damage to a single target and considerably less damage (and less reliable damage) to a number of creatures who are far more difficult to target. So there’s no way I’d take it for a 3rd-level spell slot, and it feels appropriate as a 2nd-level spell.
That’s my thinking, anyway.
Thursday, April 29, 2010, 11:55:19 PM
Lior
My original reaction was that this is quite powerful for a 2nd level spell, but it’s not unreasonable as a once-a-day effect for a 3rd level character. I was comparing it in my mind to Melf’s Acid Arrow, which is weaker, but it seems the v3.5 SRD has some more powerful comparable spells, “Flaming Sphere” and “Scorching Ray”.
Thursday, April 29, 2010, 6:25:42 PM