Dabi wrote:
That comment about running to the kitchen cracked me up.
Id be really interested to know your thoughts on magma.
1. The cast time on the spell is prohibitive. It is roughly two rounds, which is a long time to be locked out of active commands. Just a few bad things that could happen in that two rounds: your elemental is dispelled or killed, you take approximately 10 arrows to the noggin from a scout or mercenary (who might retreat out of the room during your long cast, they continue to do damage while you do none), dirt kick, blindness, or any number of abilities or spells that are faster and more dangerous than the spell you are casting.
2. The spell can only cling one time, which means all further casts do half damage. Unless you are fighting another caster, it creates a scenario where you want the victim to make their saving throw. Otherwise, the burst comes at the start of the fight when it is easier to recover from instead of at the end when it could potentially be a finishing blow. Every other reflex-based spell in the game rewards you for the victim failing their saving throw except for magma spray. It rewards you one time and after that the saving throw is meaningless.
3. Resist elements. Not as common or easy to get these days, but still available (via staves mostly).
4. Elves, deep-elves, sprites, and halflings. This spell is supposed to bypass magical protection, but it is still mitigated by racial magical protection.
5. MR barbarians. It bypasses MR. It should be great against them, right? Wrong. One cling, long cast time versus an opponent with a ton of health that does more damage than you. Even against a target of opportunity, this spell is still just awful.
When comparing magma spray and warlock utility to spells like harm and acid blast and the utility of priests and sorcerers, things start to get really silly. Warlocks have a niche in CRS because of their ranged AoE spells, but in every other aspect of the game they are pretty awful. That niche is not even that important after the last update. Their signature spell which is supposed to be
one of the most powerful combat spells available to any spell-caster isn't even as a good as initiate and apprentice level spell like acid blast, sleep, weaken or curse. As a warlock, I would trade magma spray for any of those spells. In fact, I would trade magma spray for identify. =) It's just that awful.