I can't help but want to like this spell, I'm just not sure how I feel about it. It looks like it does a lot! Massive damage, single target (VERY rare for higher level wizard spells, there needs to be more of them, if you ask me), light control (incapacitated removes the biggest action they get, but they can still move and use bonus actions to get away for the turn). It's pretty much a death sentence for anyone hit by it, and it's pretty free to cast if you're targeting someone who's name you know.
But who's going to be casting the spell and targeting a name outside of anything other then known combat, your character would seem paranoid otherwise!
And the gamble you pay for it is intense, because if the target saves vs. the spell, it does nothing! Not even half damage! This would be all well and good, I understand there are a ton of spells out there that when you save, nothing happens, feels bad when it does, but that's just it, when comparing it to other spells of it's level... It... Kinda falls short? When you break it down at least.
What does this spell do differently then others in the same slot? It does damage on par to blight (More min, less max), so I guess it's single target damage, So it brings that to the table at least. It's damage type isn't easily resisted, and it's an Intelligence saving throw, which ALSO isn't well resisted by monsters, plus it negates the targets Action for the next turn. It's also got a nice flavor, and fits well for psionic characters, at the very least.
What niche does it fill, though? If it's control, this is the level when the four classes that can get this spell (Wizards, Sorcerers, Warlocks, and Bards) get at least one of the two best, single target, "Save or suck" control spells at this level, Banishment or Polymorph. If you really need a target out of a fight, and think you can win this gamble, then these two spells are probably better in the long run. Damage? Blight does as much damage, there are plenty of AoE damage or damage per turn spells at this level that each class can get, other than bards. It adds to the damage repertoire of bards, I guess, who don't get any damaging spells when they can get this, but should a bard really be looking at their spells for damage? I mean, I can't say no, you play your bard how you wanna play!
Maybe it's the fact that it does both control and damage well enough? It's an option for when you need a little bit of control on the big bad, and a decent chunck of his HP gone. I guess it also doesn't have an evil feel to it, like blight does, so if you're trying to play a character that isn't about sucking the life out of people, it gives an option. I don't know, the spell seems really powerful but doesn't exactly have a place. Is it really just for the flavor of it? To give a nice, new, flavorful spell in the 4th level spell slot?
when would you use Raulothim’s Psychic Lance over another spell? give me your reasons, or, if you have game experience, when you used it and to what effect it had! I'm super willing to hear your interpretations of this spell, because, again, I can't help but LIKE this spell, if for the flavor alone (a Psionic lance that launches from your mind? kinda BA, if you ask me), but I feel it doesn't have a place, or fit real well, you know?
light control (incapacitated removes the biggest action they get, but they can still move and use bonus actions to get away for the turn)
I don't have a full answer for you, but incapacitated is quite good control. Creatures that can't take actions can't take bonus actions either (otherwise you could still take bonus actions while unconscious), and anything worth doing big single target damage on is doing something very significant with its action every round. Note this also covers reactions and legendary actions which are often significant for BBEGs.
On the flipside because it's such a powerful effect, "important" enemies are often immune to it.
It's powerful for it's level... unless it misses. Great if you like that kind of thing, not so great if you get really upset about spending a slot for potentially zero effect. I actually think it's balanced pretty well. The only thing I'd change is the part where you can continuously cast it blindly and if the named target is not in reach, you don't expend the slot. It just feels like it's encouraging some kind of weird corner-case exploit when the spell would be just as cool without it.
light control (incapacitated removes the biggest action they get, but they can still move and use bonus actions to get away for the turn)
I don't have a full answer for you, but incapacitated is quite good control. Creatures that can't take actions can't take bonus actions either (otherwise you could still take bonus actions while unconscious)
Oh, huh... didn't know that. Figured since it wasn't mentioned, it wasn't a thing (so many cases in other games where this is the case. It didn't say "... and bonus actions" so it doesn't negate them). Kinda good to know. When it comes to the hot it miss style of the spell, though, it just feels like there are better "all or nothing" spells at the level. I'm not saying it's bad, doing as much damage as blight and adding control on top of that is really good, it just feels like it's trying to do two things when it doesn't have to.
I'm just trying to find out why I'd take this on a level up over something like Wall of Fire, Blight, or Banishment. If I found out as a scroll (of I'm a wizard), I'd be happy and definitely use it at least once or twice.
Then again, it might not be for wizards. Gotta remember sorcerers, warlocks and bards...
I mostly love this spell because it seems almost perfect for a more sneaky, espionage, or assassin like caster....Namely with the part about knowing the targets name and how it becomes a psionic seeker missile to the target in case they are hiding within 120ft of you. If anything, if you are hunting down a specific target, it lets you know if they are in the area or not....with a little added bonus beyond "oh hey Fred is over there!".
I mostly love this spell because it seems almost perfect for a more sneaky, espionage, or assassin like caster....Namely with the part about knowing the targets name and how it becomes a psionic seeker missile to the target in case they are hiding within 120ft of you. If anything, if you are hunting down a specific target, it lets you know if they are in the area or not....with a little added bonus beyond "oh hey Fred is over there!".
Ah, good point. I bet a sorcerer with silent spell could cast this without any components while hiding, launching a psychic Lance at a target they need dead. Could be used for a good mystery plot point for the DM, or for the players themselves. Though, I guess the shimmering Lance, launched at a target originating from you gives you away in a crowd, so it wood have to be from hiding
The fact that it ignores cover, invisibility and if the enemy isn't in range then the spell slot isn't wasted makes it too much for me when you also consider that it's a point or two less average damage than blight. Think about it this way - a king learns of a spell that would allow someone to stand outside his castle walls, speak his name and kill him. No amount of guards nor walls could save him. What does the king do? Obviously, the king bans it instantly. Even within criminal organisations, I can easily imagine that any criminal boss that learnt of this would limit it to their most trusted companions and kill anyone else who knew of it. I might allow it as a part of a greater character arc, but I'd still change the "if the enemy isn't in range then spell slot isn't consumed" caveat because no other spell allows it and it allows for someone to walk around a town chanting the name of a person to kill them.
I sort of love this spell while at the same time realizing it only works well in certain contexts.
The combo with control spells like Walls is brutal because if you know their name you can bypass total cover. Which creates an entirely one-sided magical duel. That makes acting like an investigator and finding the names of your enemies suddenly highly valuable. Int saves tend to be pretty bad on wide range of monsters. Psychic is also not the most resisted of damages and you tend to know when it won't work (Constructs in particular) so you don't have that problem of wasting it due to lack of target knowledge so much.
Also unlike many higher level damaging spells you can twin spell it if you have sorcery. Its a lot of points but also its a lot of damage if you pull it off.
So I think its a really worthwhile addition to the spell lists. Not the first one on the list but single target hard hitting spells are fairly rare and this one does have some really nice features. So I'd certainly consider it.
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I can't help but want to like this spell, I'm just not sure how I feel about it. It looks like it does a lot! Massive damage, single target (VERY rare for higher level wizard spells, there needs to be more of them, if you ask me), light control (incapacitated removes the biggest action they get, but they can still move and use bonus actions to get away for the turn). It's pretty much a death sentence for anyone hit by it, and it's pretty free to cast if you're targeting someone who's name you know.
But who's going to be casting the spell and targeting a name outside of anything other then known combat, your character would seem paranoid otherwise!
And the gamble you pay for it is intense, because if the target saves vs. the spell, it does nothing! Not even half damage! This would be all well and good, I understand there are a ton of spells out there that when you save, nothing happens, feels bad when it does, but that's just it, when comparing it to other spells of it's level... It... Kinda falls short? When you break it down at least.
What does this spell do differently then others in the same slot?
It does damage on par to blight (More min, less max), so I guess it's single target damage, So it brings that to the table at least. It's damage type isn't easily resisted, and it's an Intelligence saving throw, which ALSO isn't well resisted by monsters, plus it negates the targets Action for the next turn. It's also got a nice flavor, and fits well for psionic characters, at the very least.
What niche does it fill, though? If it's control, this is the level when the four classes that can get this spell (Wizards, Sorcerers, Warlocks, and Bards) get at least one of the two best, single target, "Save or suck" control spells at this level, Banishment or Polymorph. If you really need a target out of a fight, and think you can win this gamble, then these two spells are probably better in the long run. Damage? Blight does as much damage, there are plenty of AoE damage or damage per turn spells at this level that each class can get, other than bards. It adds to the damage repertoire of bards, I guess, who don't get any damaging spells when they can get this, but should a bard really be looking at their spells for damage? I mean, I can't say no, you play your bard how you wanna play!
Maybe it's the fact that it does both control and damage well enough? It's an option for when you need a little bit of control on the big bad, and a decent chunck of his HP gone. I guess it also doesn't have an evil feel to it, like blight does, so if you're trying to play a character that isn't about sucking the life out of people, it gives an option. I don't know, the spell seems really powerful but doesn't exactly have a place. Is it really just for the flavor of it? To give a nice, new, flavorful spell in the 4th level spell slot?
when would you use Raulothim’s Psychic Lance over another spell? give me your reasons, or, if you have game experience, when you used it and to what effect it had! I'm super willing to hear your interpretations of this spell, because, again, I can't help but LIKE this spell, if for the flavor alone (a Psionic lance that launches from your mind? kinda BA, if you ask me), but I feel it doesn't have a place, or fit real well, you know?
I don't have a full answer for you, but incapacitated is quite good control. Creatures that can't take actions can't take bonus actions either (otherwise you could still take bonus actions while unconscious), and anything worth doing big single target damage on is doing something very significant with its action every round. Note this also covers reactions and legendary actions which are often significant for BBEGs.
On the flipside because it's such a powerful effect, "important" enemies are often immune to it.
It's powerful for it's level... unless it misses. Great if you like that kind of thing, not so great if you get really upset about spending a slot for potentially zero effect. I actually think it's balanced pretty well. The only thing I'd change is the part where you can continuously cast it blindly and if the named target is not in reach, you don't expend the slot. It just feels like it's encouraging some kind of weird corner-case exploit when the spell would be just as cool without it.
My homebrew subclasses (full list here)
(Artificer) Swordmage | Glasswright | (Barbarian) Path of the Savage Embrace
(Bard) College of Dance | (Fighter) Warlord | Cannoneer
(Monk) Way of the Elements | (Ranger) Blade Dancer
(Rogue) DaggerMaster | Inquisitor | (Sorcerer) Riftwalker | Spellfist
(Warlock) The Swarm
Oh, huh... didn't know that. Figured since it wasn't mentioned, it wasn't a thing (so many cases in other games where this is the case. It didn't say "... and bonus actions" so it doesn't negate them). Kinda good to know. When it comes to the hot it miss style of the spell, though, it just feels like there are better "all or nothing" spells at the level. I'm not saying it's bad, doing as much damage as blight and adding control on top of that is really good, it just feels like it's trying to do two things when it doesn't have to.
I'm just trying to find out why I'd take this on a level up over something like Wall of Fire, Blight, or Banishment. If I found out as a scroll (of I'm a wizard), I'd be happy and definitely use it at least once or twice.
Then again, it might not be for wizards. Gotta remember sorcerers, warlocks and bards...
I mostly love this spell because it seems almost perfect for a more sneaky, espionage, or assassin like caster....Namely with the part about knowing the targets name and how it becomes a psionic seeker missile to the target in case they are hiding within 120ft of you. If anything, if you are hunting down a specific target, it lets you know if they are in the area or not....with a little added bonus beyond "oh hey Fred is over there!".
Ah, good point. I bet a sorcerer with silent spell could cast this without any components while hiding, launching a psychic Lance at a target they need dead. Could be used for a good mystery plot point for the DM, or for the players themselves. Though, I guess the shimmering Lance, launched at a target originating from you gives you away in a crowd, so it wood have to be from hiding
The fact that it ignores cover, invisibility and if the enemy isn't in range then the spell slot isn't wasted makes it too much for me when you also consider that it's a point or two less average damage than blight. Think about it this way - a king learns of a spell that would allow someone to stand outside his castle walls, speak his name and kill him. No amount of guards nor walls could save him. What does the king do? Obviously, the king bans it instantly. Even within criminal organisations, I can easily imagine that any criminal boss that learnt of this would limit it to their most trusted companions and kill anyone else who knew of it. I might allow it as a part of a greater character arc, but I'd still change the "if the enemy isn't in range then spell slot isn't consumed" caveat because no other spell allows it and it allows for someone to walk around a town chanting the name of a person to kill them.
I sort of love this spell while at the same time realizing it only works well in certain contexts.
The combo with control spells like Walls is brutal because if you know their name you can bypass total cover. Which creates an entirely one-sided magical duel. That makes acting like an investigator and finding the names of your enemies suddenly highly valuable. Int saves tend to be pretty bad on wide range of monsters. Psychic is also not the most resisted of damages and you tend to know when it won't work (Constructs in particular) so you don't have that problem of wasting it due to lack of target knowledge so much.
Also unlike many higher level damaging spells you can twin spell it if you have sorcery. Its a lot of points but also its a lot of damage if you pull it off.
So I think its a really worthwhile addition to the spell lists. Not the first one on the list but single target hard hitting spells are fairly rare and this one does have some really nice features. So I'd certainly consider it.