This happens to me with Judgement. It comes into my deck when I have too many pips and I am forced to use it, which wastes my mana. I think that instead of using all of the pips, there should be a button where you can select how many pips you use. Mryna Dragoncloud, level 48 and soon to be .
That's a feature of all X spells. Personally my storm wizard would love to be able to pick a specific number of pips for supercharge. If you could pick the number of pips used these spells would all become much more useful, changing the game balance. The schools that have no X spells would rightfully feel left out.
A better solution would be to "fix" Dryad. Keep it the way it is as an X spell, but return unused pips. Let's say a player is down 1000 health. You cast Dryad with full 7 power pips. Instead of healing for 2800 and using all pips, it would heal for 1000 and only use 3 of those pips (or 2 power and 1 white if available). It would make Dryad a much more widely used spell and far more versitile. The spell would always try to heal to full health, but only use enough pips necessary. Higher in/out boosts would also lower the pip use.
A better solution would be to "fix" Dryad. Keep it the way it is as an X spell, but return unused pips. Let's say a player is down 1000 health. You cast Dryad with full 7 power pips. Instead of healing for 2800 and using all pips, it would heal for 1000 and only use 3 of those pips (or 2 power and 1 white if available). It would make Dryad a much more widely used spell and far more versitile. The spell would always try to heal to full health, but only use enough pips necessary. Higher in/out boosts would also lower the pip use.
So are suggestion more of a limit on Dryad?
For example, Myth has Troll Minion and Cyclops Minion spells. Both are X rank spells, but have a limit. They will read "Summon a Minion of for 1-3/4 Pips." You could cast them from anywhere between 1 to 3 or 4 pips but won't use any pips beyond that range. Would something like that work for Dryad?
A better solution would be to "fix" Dryad. Keep it the way it is as an X spell, but return unused pips. Let's say a player is down 1000 health. You cast Dryad with full 7 power pips. Instead of healing for 2800 and using all pips, it would heal for 1000 and only use 3 of those pips (or 2 power and 1 white if available). It would make Dryad a much more widely used spell and far more versitile. The spell would always try to heal to full health, but only use enough pips necessary. Higher in/out boosts would also lower the pip use.
I dont think they should change how X-pip spells work. What if an offensive X-pip spell does more damage than the enemy has? Should they then get back the pips? I think if we're really going to do this right, we could have a spell that caps out at (example) 6 pips. In the case of Life's spell, 200 per pip times 8 pips is 1600 health at max healing, while still leaving other pips left. Leave the current spell alone, add this new spell.
I dont think they should change how X-pip spells work. What if an offensive X-pip spell does more damage than the enemy has? Should they then get back the pips? I think if we're really going to do this right, we could have a spell that caps out at (example) 6 pips. In the case of Life's spell, 200 per pip times 8 pips is 1600 health at max healing, while still leaving other pips left. Leave the current spell alone, add this new spell.
I didn't say anything about attacks. I was talking about Dryad specifically. It's a fairly unused and worthless spell as it stands. Not really a fair comparison to Tempest or Judgement.
For example, Myth has Troll Minion and Cyclops Minion spells. Both are X rank spells, but have a limit. They will read "Summon a Minion of for 1-3/4 Pips." You could cast them from anywhere between 1 to 3 or 4 pips but won't use any pips beyond that range. Would something like that work for Dryad?
Ex:
Dryad Rank: X 200 for 1-6 Pips
I wasn't suggesting a limit like that really at all. If fully healing someone requires 14 pips it would use 14 pips, if it requires 1 it uses 1 or power. It wouldn't weaken the spell in any way like a 6 pip limit would. It would only use what is required.
A better solution would be to "fix" Dryad. Keep it the way it is as an X spell, but return unused pips. Let's say a player is down 1000 health. You cast Dryad with full 7 power pips. Instead of healing for 2800 and using all pips, it would heal for 1000 and only use 3 of those pips (or 2 power and 1 white if available). It would make Dryad a much more widely used spell and far more versitile. The spell would always try to heal to full health, but only use enough pips necessary. Higher in/out boosts would also lower the pip use.
and soon to be 
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for 1-3/4 Pips." You could cast them from anywhere between 1 to 3 or 4 pips but won't use any pips beyond that range. Would something like that work for Dryad?
for 1-6 Pips