Divine Power
From NWN2Wiki
| Divine Power | |
| Spell Information | |
| Spell level : | Innate level: 4, Cleric: 4, Other: Strength domain 3 |
|---|---|
| School : | Evocation |
| Components : | Verbal and Somatic |
| Range : | Personal |
| Target/Area : | Caster |
| Duration : | 6 seconds / Level |
| Save : | Harmless |
[edit] Description
You gain the following bonuses: 1 extra hit point per caster level, +6 to Strength, and base attack bonus improves to that of a Fighter of the same level.
[edit] Gameplay Notes
(before 1.06 patch)
To outline the workings, this spell does these calculations:
Attack Bonus = Total Character Levels - Base Attack Bonus Extra Attacks = ( Total Character Levels - 1 ) / 5 - ( ( Base Attack Bonus - 1) / 5)
The extra attacks are made at the staggering full attack bonus, making this brilliant buffing spell. You are a Cleric at level 20, you have +15 attack (Medium level progression). This means your calculation for extra attacks and attack bonus is:
Attack Bonus = 20 - 15
= 5
Extra Attacks = ( 20 - 1) / 5 - ( ( 15 - 1) / 5)
= ( 19 / 5 ) - ( 14 / 5)
= ( 3 ) - ( 2 ) (NOTE: Integer rounding cuts off any decimal points)
= 1
You gain, therefore, a +5 attack bonus, meaning a minimum Base Attack Bonus of +20. Your normal +15/+10/+5 becomes +20/+15/+10. The additional attack makes it +20/+20/+15/+10 (rather then an additional attack at +5). You actually get the maximum effect (+5 attack bonus, +1 attack, as a pure Cleric) from level 17 onwards.
The calculation is more important for less-then-clerical-level "casters". Clerics get this spell at level 7 (or level 5 if using the Strength Domain feat). This provides them with ample chances to multiclass to a lower base attack bonus class and take advantage of this spell.
The main way it'd be over used is use magical device which any class in NWN2 can take cross-class skill points in. A mage or rogue could take it to increase their attack considerably, for instance (even gaining, for the mage, more then one bonus attack at the full base attack bonus allocation).
If a high level mage was able to cast this, it provides a much bigger bonus (if at a much shorter duration! Most scrolls do not have high casting levels on them). For example; the bonuses at level 20 would be a +20/+20/+20/+15 set of attacks (ie: 2 bonus attacks, +10 attack increase), whereas as normal it would be +10/+5! This could prove useful for ranged attacking instead of melee attacks (especially a bow-armed Elf, since crossbows usually only fire once a round), or using the attack bonus for touch attacks, if the caster was so inclined.
The problem is the duration, 6 seconds a level might not even last an entire combat (although with the extra power, you'd expect it to be quicker!). Although a cleric with the strength domain can extend this spell, Divine Power cannot be persisted. The temporary hit points are a nice bonus to help prevent death from damage, as well as the strength hopefully boosting your attack even further (equating at least +3 attack over your base strength bonus).
The attack bonuses from this spell is highest at level 20, meaning it scales well. The disparity between fighter and cleric high and medium base attack bonus levels is still present from level 1, starting out 1 behind, then 2, then 3...up to 5 difference at level 20, meaning it can be used to boost the attack bonus and attacks higher.
You will gain an extra attack at most levels, however some you will not. From the perpective of a level 5 caster onwards (For the Strength domain), and level 7 for normal casters, these are the bonuses and attack increases you will gain:
Full list of bonuses for a pure sub-epic Cleric Level Attack Bonus Bonus Attacks Temporary HP Bonus 5 2 0 5 6 2 1 6 7 2 1 7 8 2 0 8 9 3 0 9 10 3 0 10 11 3 1 11 12 3 1 12 13 4 1 13 14 4 1 14 15 4 0 15 16 4 1 16 17 5 1 17 18 5 1 18 19 5 1 19 20 5 1 20
[edit] 1.06 Patch Notes
As of the 1.06 patch, Divine Power is functioning as per the spell description. That is, the spell script has been re-written to actually increase your BAB to that of a Fighter of the same level. This increase is applied directly to your BAB and so not counted as a magical increase to your AB, therefore also outside the +20 magical AB cap.
Bonus attacks are now applied at their correct AB value as well. That is, the first extra attack (if any) given by the Divine Power spell is applied at -5 AB, second at -10 AB, etc. For example, a level 20 Cleric casting Divine Power under the 1.06 rules would get an attack schedule of 20 / 15 / 10 / 5 from their previous 15 / 10 / 5 attack scedule.
I would say that this is a major empowerment to an already powerful spell. Though the extra attacks are now handled properly the change from being a magical increase to actually affecting BAB is major. This effectively frees up space in the +20 Magical AB cap for all sorts of other buffs. Though Clerics will find it difficult to fill this by themselves, the applicantions for abuse with scroll use are horrendous. For example a 9 BAB character who could cast True Strike & Divine Power could get a massive +31 AB and 2 extra attacks.
