Mind Spike is a 2nd level Divination spell that does 3d8 damage. Mind you it's the only offensive Divination spell!
Combining that with the Expert Divination subclass feature at level 6, you can do a good deal of damage for VERY low spell cost.
In theory, if you can cast 5th level spells, that means you can cast this 4 times(5th lvl, 4th lvl, 3rd lvl, 2nd lvl) for the effective cost of one 5th level spell!
This seems like an extremely potent combat option. Am I understanding this right?
What Tim said, plus you can't maintain concentration on any spell if you cast Mind Spike. This cost is non-negligible; concentration spells are Important.
If you want to Blaster Caster with a Divination Wizard, this could work, but you have to do your spells in a specific order. It's not going to be great damage though! Evocations are going to be better damage. It does get you more spell slots per day. Add this ontop of the Wizard's ability to recover spell slots and you'd have more slots then a Sorcerer. Also keep in mind you can use the initial slots on other things.
It's only 3d8 damage (half on a save) +1d8 per increased slot.
Let's say you're 11th lvl so you have 6th lvl slots. Use a 1st lvl Use a 2nd lvl Use a 3rd lvl Use a 4th lvl Use a 5th lvl Mind Spike at 6th lvl for 7d8 damage and +1 5th lvl slot Mind Spike at 5th lvl for 6d8 damage and +1 4th lvl slot Mind Spike at 4th lvl for 5d8 damage and +1 3th lvl slot Mind Spike at 3th lvl for 4d8 damage and +1 2th lvl slot Mind Spike at 2th lvl for 3d8 damage and +1 1th lvl slot
You will have cast 10 spells, but only used up 5 spell slots.
Say hello to a Shadow Priest from wow. MIND SPIKES FOR DAYS! But really, this looks to be pretty potent at least until the DM starts making everything resistant to psychic damage. Mind Spike would make for some interesting mechanics that you constantly play around.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
"Where words fail, swords prevail. Where blood is spilled, my cup is filled" -Cartaphilus
"I have found the answer to the meaning of life. You ask me what the answer is? You already know what the answer to life is. You fear it more than the strike of a viper, the ravages of disease, the ire of a lover. The answer is always death. But death is a gentle mistress with a sweet embrace, and you owe her a debt of restitution. Life is not a gift, it is a loan."
very well said, bravo, but if i get spell mastery (level 18) i can cast mind spike at will?
Yes if you use Spell Mastery to learn Mind Spike you can cast it at will as often as you want. However - you will no longer benefit from Expert Divination when casting Mind Spike via Spell Mastery. This is because Expert Divination requires you to spend a spell slot in order to get a lower level spell slot back.
Expert Divination
Beginning at 6th level, casting divination spells comes so easily to you that it expends only a fraction of your spellcasting efforts. When you cast a divination spell of 2nd level or higher using a spell slot, you regain one expended spell slot. The slot you regain must be of a level lower than the spell you cast and can’t be higher than 5th level.
Another great thing about this spell that doesn't seem to get mentioned is the fact that it is a pure somatic spell. It has no verbal component and is thus not stopped by silence spells while also being basically silent in it's casting. This is a really good spell. It is also terrifying in its ability to silently kill without leaving a mark.
Expert divination was somewhat underpowered, it sounded good until you realized that the wizard only got like, 6 divination spells above level one, and most of them were 2nd level with no benefit to upcasting. It was to say "hey look divination wizards, your divination spells are not a total waste of time, learn them and you get to regain spell slots when you use them!". Divination is one of if not the most situational school of magic to use in a game, and there is an annoying lack of high level divination spells. Mind Spike changed the game, and for good reason.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
To post a comment, please login or register a new account.
I just discovered this for my Divination Wizard.
Mind Spike is a 2nd level Divination spell that does 3d8 damage. Mind you it's the only offensive Divination spell!
Combining that with the Expert Divination subclass feature at level 6, you can do a good deal of damage for VERY low spell cost.
In theory, if you can cast 5th level spells, that means you can cast this 4 times(5th lvl, 4th lvl, 3rd lvl, 2nd lvl) for the effective cost of one 5th level spell!
This seems like an extremely potent combat option. Am I understanding this right?
Yes, it is. But you’ll lose the secondary effect because you can only maintain concentration on one spell at a time.
Professional computer geek
What Tim said, plus you can't maintain concentration on any spell if you cast Mind Spike. This cost is non-negligible; concentration spells are Important.
That said, it's a good trick. :)
I never thought of this before.
If you want to Blaster Caster with a Divination Wizard, this could work, but you have to do your spells in a specific order. It's not going to be great damage though! Evocations are going to be better damage. It does get you more spell slots per day. Add this ontop of the Wizard's ability to recover spell slots and you'd have more slots then a Sorcerer.
Also keep in mind you can use the initial slots on other things.
It's only 3d8 damage (half on a save) +1d8 per increased slot.
Let's say you're 11th lvl so you have 6th lvl slots.
Use a 1st lvl
Use a 2nd lvl
Use a 3rd lvl
Use a 4th lvl
Use a 5th lvl
Mind Spike at 6th lvl for 7d8 damage and +1 5th lvl slot
Mind Spike at 5th lvl for 6d8 damage and +1 4th lvl slot
Mind Spike at 4th lvl for 5d8 damage and +1 3th lvl slot
Mind Spike at 3th lvl for 4d8 damage and +1 2th lvl slot
Mind Spike at 2th lvl for 3d8 damage and +1 1th lvl slot
You will have cast 10 spells, but only used up 5 spell slots.
Since I like divination wizards I think that this is brilliant! It’s creative and within the rules! I’m going to use it!
Professional computer geek
Those first castings can be more of the same if you really want to go for it...
Cast 1st level
Cast Mind Spike 2nd
Cast 1st level
Cast Mind Spike 3rd
Cast Mind Spike 2nd
Cast 1st level
...It grows quickly
Say hello to a Shadow Priest from wow. MIND SPIKES FOR DAYS! But really, this looks to be pretty potent at least until the DM starts making everything resistant to psychic damage. Mind Spike would make for some interesting mechanics that you constantly play around.
"Where words fail, swords prevail. Where blood is spilled, my cup is filled" -Cartaphilus
"I have found the answer to the meaning of life. You ask me what the answer is? You already know what the answer to life is. You fear it more than the strike of a viper, the ravages of disease, the ire of a lover. The answer is always death. But death is a gentle mistress with a sweet embrace, and you owe her a debt of restitution. Life is not a gift, it is a loan."
Great idea, well said, but if you add spell mastery (level 18) you can cast mind spike at will. yes?
very well said, bravo, but if i get spell mastery (level 18) i can cast mind spike at will?
Yes if you use Spell Mastery to learn Mind Spike you can cast it at will as often as you want. However - you will no longer benefit from Expert Divination when casting Mind Spike via Spell Mastery. This is because Expert Divination requires you to spend a spell slot in order to get a lower level spell slot back.
Mega Yahtzee Thread:
Highest 41: brocker2001 (#11,285).
Yahtzee of 2's: Emmber (#36,161).
Lowest 9: JoeltheWalrus (#312), Emmber (#12,505) and Dertinus (#20,953).
Another great thing about this spell that doesn't seem to get mentioned is the fact that it is a pure somatic spell. It has no verbal component and is thus not stopped by silence spells while also being basically silent in it's casting. This is a really good spell. It is also terrifying in its ability to silently kill without leaving a mark.
Expert divination was somewhat underpowered, it sounded good until you realized that the wizard only got like, 6 divination spells above level one, and most of them were 2nd level with no benefit to upcasting. It was to say "hey look divination wizards, your divination spells are not a total waste of time, learn them and you get to regain spell slots when you use them!". Divination is one of if not the most situational school of magic to use in a game, and there is an annoying lack of high level divination spells. Mind Spike changed the game, and for good reason.