I'm surprised you don't like the idea of surface or target because if I remember correctly, both of us were in line on the matter when Larian implemented Chromatic Orb.
Dunno ... maybe i was and noticed this flaw a little later, but since i did, im completely against any automatization ... i believe that player should have full control over their actions.
When i want to attack an enemy, i want to make sure i will attack enemy, not create surface around him/her/them/it ... maybe im just super clumsy, but it happens to me often enough to be anoying.
Whatever, I first tried to create a container (like chromatic orb/command/...) for an attack on target and an attack on the ground but I wasn't able to make it work correctly.
I didnt even try to watch technical side ...
But yeah, such dedicated bar where you pick "surface" / "target" would be great! :3
I personnaly think that as suggested, it increase the tactical possibilities and the role play options rather than just giving one option (sure, you can target ground or target but it currently have the same effects).
I agree with this part ...
All i dislike is that auto change depending on where you mouse is curently aiming, especialy since i know there are situations where difference would be fragment of millimeter. :-/
What you suggested abowe (that picking ... "container"? :D) would solve this for me and this idea would get straight insignificant +1 from me.
I mostly see "force damage" as the Force in Star Wars.
This sounds about right ... as long as you remember that Force is much more than just Telekinesis.
Yes, it allows to move objects with your mind ... but its the same energy that allows you to read other people feelings, see glimpses of future, supernaturaly affect their way of thinking, force your own will on them, or create energy blasts that looks like lightning.
And much, much more.
The arrow of detonnation VFX perfectly match with that kind of "detonnation" in my opinion.
Its just Bomb on a stick, i know.
I just ... i dunno, it simply feels wrong ...
Pure Force damage should be pure magical energy, i think we should be somehow able to condensate magical energy for later uses ...
(and i probably should not describe how, even tho i have some ideas, bcs i just dont know how they fit into DnD ... but usualy magical power is stored within crystals in fantasy ... break a crystal > release magic ... if you know what i mean)
But this? O_o
Smokepowder Satchel ...
Or Bomb ... (wich for some reason have no entry on wiki so far) ...
There is nothing magical on theese things ... they are regular, mechanical, explosives, just as we have in real world ...
Sure, people will say something like "
but black powder in Forgotten Realms is infused with magic" ... and i say fine, make it infused, no problem 1d4 Force + 2d4 Fire + 9 Thunder ... instead 3d4 + 9 Force ... that simply dont make sense, bcs that item is not pure magic. :-/
The only explosive that i can understand having more Force damage is Runepowder ...
Still i would like it much more to be superpowerfull not bcs it have much bigger numbers, but bcs its formula is turned around to 1d4 Fire + 2d4 Force + 9 Thunder ... like, you know "much more magic, much less technology, but still technological"!
Seems more interesting to me than "big magic boom" and "much biger magic boom".
But that's already how it works in the game so I don't understand why this changes would require to change anything else.
Bcs i dont like it and would like much more if it would all work the same ...
Besides, i didnt say that cantrips are "creating" surface ... they are "interacting" with surfaces allready existing ... and i feel it would be much better, if they wouldnt.
