Prismatic Spray

[Lepus Timidus]

Is anyone else a fan of this spell?

I find it incredibly powerful for a solo sorc. However, the long casting time must be cut down with Robe of Venca and the Amulet of Power if it is to be used a common attack spell.

[Armen]

hmm - i've never used it - lets consult the sources . . .

Spell Reference
Prismatic Spray
The cone will not affect party members. The effects can be pretty damaging, but are too random to use in a strategy. There's also a significant possibility that good loot will be destroyed. Skip this.

Range: 15, though it appears to extend much further. The cone starts at the caster.

Solo Sorcerer Spell List
Prismatic Spray:
Although it may seem nice, it is unpredictable and can destroy loot.

hmm - it's the possibility of disintegrating loot that seems the biggest problem then - other than that it sounds fun

EDIT: oh, and welcome to ironworks btw [img]smile.gif[/img]

[ 11-24-2006, 08:23 AM: Message edited by: Armen ]

[SixOfSpades]

True, but really, what does a solo sorcerer need with loot in the first place?
"Oh man! I just destroyed my only chance of getting Foebane! I had such big plans for that!"

[Lepus Timidus]

Sixxy:

True, but really, what does a solo sorcerer need with loot in the first place? "Oh man! I just destroyed my only chance of getting Foebane! I had such big plans for that!"

Precisely. You are the first person who has ever agreed with my opinion regarding the 'destroy loot' effect.

It might be terrible when you destroy loot as a sorcerer in a party. But a solo sorc has no real need of the loot lost.

Scrolls? No. Items? No (except for perhaps 3-4 throughout BGII and ToB). All you really need is enough gold to buy the Robe of Venca, identify items, and then recharge any wands. Which can be easily obtained.

I find insta-death spells vital when fighting very quickly regenerating opponents (greater wolfweres and spirit trolls in Tactics). Flesh to stone is a god-send.

[Lepus Timidus]

Hah, just been experimenting a little with Prismatic.

As I suspected, this spell just rips through opposition (I wiped out an improved invisible Lich with it. Nuff said). However, it's a little awkward to target, so you really need to experiment with its capabilities in order to determine its maximum range.

This is probably why it's been overlooked. After reading the scant posts about P. Spray in the archives, a lot of people have complained about the rays apparently hitting foes, and not having an effect. This isn't true. The rays will always affect if the opponent, if they hit (unless they make their save, naturally).

It's important to realize that the rays tend to tend miss opponents who are right next to you, but are not directly in front of the spray. This is obviously because of the 'spray' pattern. The 'width' of the spray increases with distance. Hence, the further a group of enemies are away from you, the more that will be caught by the spell. Essentially, the spray resembles a triangle shape, where the point of the triangle is where the spray erupts from the caster, and the base of the triangle is where the spray terminates.

The spray is quite powerful when foes are roughly in a straight line pattern. This way, the Prismatic 'Rays' cut through them all, ripping them to shreds.

I've looked at the spell in editors, but have been unable to fathom how often a foe is hit by two rays. According to the editor, no such thing occurs. But in the game, I find that my targets are often hit by two effects (this is most obvious when they hit by two of the damage rays).

It also blinds critters under 8HD. Very nice!

[Dundee Slaytern]

It's fun to use, but there is more than just the loot destroying part. Note how it is also stated that it is not recommended for soloists because it is too random/unpredictable.

Add the Saving Throws issue, and it simply not viable enough for high-level play. It is bad enough that it is not a sure-hit spell, but random as well?

Cheers.

[Lepus Timidus]

Dundee:

Note how it is also stated that it is not recommended for soloists because it is too random/unpredictable.

What does its randomness matter, if all of the effects are rather severe?

Add the Saving Throws issue, and it simply not viable enough for high-level play.

That's not true. I know this because I've used the spell effectively throughout Shadows of Amn, and the Throne of Bhaal expansion. It remains effective until the end of the game. I've killed Cowled Wizards, demons, invisible critters, and liches with this spell.

I think that most people tend to forget that 'Prismatic Spray' isn't a single target spell. It's an area of effect spell. Aiming Prismatic Spray at a group of individuals guarantees at least one death.

[Illumina Drathiran'ar]

I distrust Prismatic Spray. Some of its effects might be severe, but the severity depends on foe/s failing saving throws. Effects like "20 damage, save for half", "40 damage, save for half", "Save or be turned to stone/feebleminded/disintegrated" aren't that fearsome when you have a high-level enemy that makes its saving throws (and is perhaps immune to the nastiest effects). If you're a solo character, maybe you're going to move directly to firing off your Horrid Wiltings, which *will* hurt, and not waste time with bad things that *might* happen.

Now, if we have more than one mage, and we have someone who casts Greater Malison, things change a bit, but not much, I think.

[Dundee Slaytern]

To Lepus Timidus,

That may be your experience, but it is far more accepted that unless a spell adds a penalty to the enemies' saving throws, most save-or-else(SoE) spells will barely dent the opposition, and considering that it is a Lvl-7 spell that requires aiming, this is hardly favourable.

In my own Spell-List, Emotion:Hopelessness is probably the only SoE & AoE spell that I have with no saving throw penalties, and that is because it is only Lvl-4 but has an extremely devastating effect when successful.

It is also easy to use in Spell Sequencers in conjunction with Greater Malison and Slow. Not to mention the far greater AoE effect.

Prismatic Spray is a Lvl-7 spell that will not guarantee its' effects. It is a SoE spell with no penalties to the enemies' saving throws. The AoE is rather limited and requires the Sorcerer to not only position himself in order to unleash the spell properly, but to be fairly close to the enemy( which can be fatal at times).

Furthermore, we have other spells to contend with in Lvl-7. We have Spell Sequencers that enable you to unleash extremely potent spell combinations. We have Project Image, the pinnacle spell for any solo Sorcerer. We have the Ruby Ray of Reversal, the only non-Abjuration Spell-Protection remover. We have the Mordenkainen's Sword, one of the best summons in the game. We have Limited Wish, one of the most destructive spells if used properly. Etc...

Compared to these spells, why would one want to sacrifice reliability for randomness?

I can understand its' potential when used with Mages who can well afford to tweak their spellbooks as and when they need to; but to a Sorcerer whose spellbook is irreversible, pragmatism has to take centerstage.

Cheers.

[ 12-16-2006, 04:57 AM: Message edited by: Dundee Slaytern ]

[Dundee Slaytern]

ADD] However, let it be known that I DO use Prismatic Spray when playing with a party containing Mages; since if it fails, I can still rely on my other party members for backup. I am just stating that it is not a good spell-pick for solo Sorcerers.

Cheers.