#301 Pyromancy needs a new starter spell or two
Having just recently started a new character that got pyromancy below level 5, it is starting to become apparent that this spell path seems rather imbalanced compared to others with respect to looting in particular, and, secondarily with respect to XP gain losses when looting.
1) The starter spells, burning hands, small fireball, small lightning, all destroy loot. This makes it harder to gain funds when they are most needed to start gearing up. Higher low level spell levels continue this, with a notable exception: searing weapon.
2) At level 3, searing weapon becomes a notable option that does not destroy loot, BUT, no pyromancy XP gain occurs at all when it is used. Not when initially cast, nor when monsters are killed. This continues the dilemma for platinum gain vs. advancing pyromancy.
The above means that, while focusing on advancing magic skills, there is a distinct disadvantage for pyromancers. Either they sacrifice loot, or they sacrifice XP. In comparison, other magic paths are not so incapacitated.
Evocation: While it does have Small snowstorm, it does have Small bullet to offset. Even so, Small snowstorm does not destroy loot, it just makes it harder to get to (i.e. heat source like flint and steel). As level rises, the pattern seems to continue to offer spells that do not hinder looting.
Summoning: There are no spells that destroy loot. Granted, advancing platinum gain with summoning magic is quite slow until Summon Pet Monster is gained.
Sorcery: By some token, this spell path seems quite over-powered with respect to benefits. Magic Bullet, Spark Shower, and Magic Missile, in combination with Detect Magic, make gaining platinum ideal at low levels.
Frankly, it is my feeling that Spark Shower is mis-allocated to Sorcery when it should be packaged with Pyromancy as a non-destructive option. Sorcery appears to have no other spells on the Electricity path, whereas Pyromancers definitely have electricity (Lightning). I really consider this a bug. That said, on IRC, mrbrklyn advocates its being needed by sorcery.
I think that Pyromancy should either, or both:
1) Get spark shower. There is NO reason it should not, seeing that Pyromancy inherently electrical.
2) Get a new spell like Magic Bullet (suggested by Leaf), called Fire Bullet that offers a fire-based attack.
The reason for both is that one might argue that Summoning supports archery in that it has a level one spell to create arrows. Sorcery definitely has two spells directly supporting loot gain. at low levels. Evocation also has two spells at low levels for looting, albeit one that is a bit slower (snowstorm requires unfreezing loot). Additionally, lore-wise, it seems awkward to say believe that a low level caster can cast small lightning, but not an electrical spark shower while sorcery can never advance use of electricity beyond spark shower. Furthermore, creating smaller heat-based projectiles should be trivial for a fire-based magic user.
If Fire Bullet is created as a new spell, on IRC, BentoMon suggested a face would just be a red colored bullet. While it is very "crossfire" to just change the color of faces, it seems a new unique face is not that hard to come up with. For example, the flame from a burning torch face looks very much like a flaming projectile. It even has a "tail". A fact that uses that flame without the torch handle would be unique and easily modified for directional use.
Example below, though file name is incorrect (renamed torch_lit2.base.111.png). It takes the torch flame centered, then also is merged with a vertically flipped flame so it is more evenly shaped along the axis of travel.
