We just houseruled DB away. It didn't feel very Conan-esque, and made it more sensible to pepper enemy scholars with arrows than to run up and chop off their heads. That's just wrong. *smirk*
Wanting to give low-level sorcerers something, I offerred the following as a replacement:
Inflict Suffering
1 target
Requires a magical attack roll
Maximum range 30'
1d6 damage per power point expended
Pain grips the target's entire being as his blood boils and his
flesh crawls.
The other didn't dig it, so we didn't do it. I think it's pretty cool.
If you're determined to keep DB, I think making it a full-round action and leaving the scholar flat-footed eliminates many of the problems. If you don't kill the heroes with it, you're in for a world of pain. And no more master thieves with one level of scholar tumbling into a group of Picts and exploding...:roll:
Harley