Level 7-8 Ice spell: Flash freeze

[Hurkyl]

Flash Freeze is a lvl 7 or 8 pure Ice spell that is an upgrade to freeze; it can only target monsters in melee range, always hits, ignores AC, delays enemy actions, does damage comparable to LCS, and is 50% irresistible.

The main reason for the spell is to start filling in the very gap in blasting magic between the level 6 and level 9 spells. While trying to think of spells to fill the gap, it struck me that it might be interesting have some melee range spells in higher level blasting magic.

Doing LCS damage at lvl 7 seems appropriate; it needs to be stronger than the lvl 6 blasts, and being melee range and resistible is probably enough to justify being a level lower, and being 100% resistible is probably too much of a limitation, although I really don't know what the right amount should be.

[duvessa]

Flash Freeze is a lvl 7 or 8 pure Ice spell that is an upgrade to freeze; it can only target monsters in melee range, always hits, ignores AC, delays enemy actions, does damage comparable to LCS, and is 50% irresistible.

So it's better than LCS in every important regard, but easier to cast?

The main reason for the spell is to start filling in the very gap in blasting magic between the level 6 and level 9 spells. While trying to think of spells to fill the gap, it struck me that it might be interesting have some melee range spells in higher level blasting magic.

Chain lightning? Glaciate? (Well, okay, glaciate is an unusable joke, but still, seems better to make it not insultingly terrible instead of adding new spells that are "existing spell but better")

[Hurkyl]

Flash Freeze is a lvl 7 or 8 pure Ice spell that is an upgrade to freeze; it can only target monsters in melee range, always hits, ignores AC, delays enemy actions, does damage comparable to LCS, and is 50% irresistible.

So it's better than LCS in every important regard, but easier to cast?

Nope; it's also partially resistible and limited to melee range.

The numbers and schools are always adjustable, of course, but you don't have that much room to dial down the damage; it doesn't take too much before anyone who isn't planning on casting Glaciate would be better off branching into Earth magic for Iron Shot than training more Ice magic to get this spell.

[Quazifuji]

Flash Freeze is already the name of a spell that Antaeus casts.

[Hurkyl]

Flash Freeze is already the name of a spell that Antaeus casts.

Ah drat. And I'm out of good names. I had been thinking things like "chilling touch" or "icy grasp", but those invoke thoughts of confusing touch, and I didn't want this to act like that.

[Sandman25]

Shock cooling.

[Hurkyl]

Oh, "deep freeze". It took me far too long to think of that.

[bel]

Irradiate is basically an iron shot in melee range. It ignores EV (not sure about AC) and applies debuffs.

I do not like this spell, LCS range is already extremely short, making it melee range is not enough to offset the other advantages.

[Hurkyl]

Irradiate is basically an iron shot in melee range. It ignores EV (not sure about AC) and applies debuffs.

I do not like this spell, LCS range is already extremely short, making it melee range is not enough to offset the other advantages.

You don't like the spell, or you just think its too strong? Like any new spell the particulars can be tweaked for balance, although I really think y'all are underestimating the drawback of being partially resistible. (and also underestimating the value of being able to kill something before it reaches you)

[bel]

To clarify, I am saying that this overlaps too much with Irradiate and LCS. My feeling is that there is not a lot of need for 7-8 level damage spells other than what already exists (OoD, LCS, Chain lightning). This is of course subjective.

[Berder]

icy words:
hoarfrost
rime
verglas

[Hurkyl]

I should add that I don't consider the slowing the enemy an essential part of my proposal; that part was mainly thinking that a spell that is like freeze should be like freeze. And it is thematic anyways, since Ice magic has a lot effects that slow enemies.

[Blobbo]

Would be interesting if the cooling effect does moderate 100% resistable damage but irresistably greatly reduces AC and EV (to negative levels, i.e., negative 20 AC gives like a +20 slaying bonus). I can't see an iron golem being hurt from just getting really cold, but potentially it would be easier to shatter on a hit.

[KittenInMyCerealz]

oops
i shouldnt post when i've had something to drink