Unless you're using the Vitriolic Blast Eldritch Essence invocation. Then it's a spell-like ability that ignores SR.
An eldritch blast is subject to spell resistance, although the spell penetration and other feats to help caster level checks also apply to it. An eldritch blast deals half dam....
Thank you for updating the book so quickly. :)
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An eldritch blast is subject to spell resistance, although the spell penetration and other feats to help caster level checks also apply to it. An eldritch blast deals half dam....
A vitriolic blast deals acid damage and it is formed from conjured acid, making it different from other eldritch essences because it ignores spell resistance.
I don't think I know what we're debating anymore. In any case, Tome of Secrets, Ooooooo!
So I printed the Alchemical section out for my players.
At first they said "eew, potions?" After they read the section they said "oooh, can I?". I guess that's a +1 approval. :)
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Most glaring in this book is the constant use of the word "their" to indicate a singular possessive.
Using "their" as a singular pronoun is perfectly acceptable (according to the 14th edition of the Chicago Manual of Style, as well as other institutions that escape my immediate memory).
As to everything else: I find myself agreeing with this review to the utmost.
I have this on pre-order with Amazon. Sounds like it could be good. But I'll wait till I have the dead tree version in my grubby paws to pass judgment.
I'm sorry if I missed something, but was anything mentioned about when the book will be shipped? I haven't gotten mine yet, and I've been waiting for weeks now.
I'm sorry if I missed something, but was anything mentioned about when the book will be shipped? I haven't gotten mine yet, and I've been waiting for weeks now.
Yeah, although being in NZ I expect to wait!, when is the shipping expected to start? Is there a delay to get the errata in?
Yeah, although being in NZ I expect to wait!, when is the shipping expected to start? Is there a delay to get the errata in?
If thats the case, I don't mind the waiting then. I'd love to have a fully finished and good-looking product.
I have a some questions on the warlock Arcane Bolt ability.
1) The damage is listed as 1d6 points of damage, +1d6 for every two warlock levels. Does this mean he does 2d6 at second level or did you mean every two levels after first?
2) The warlock may choose whether the damage is acid, cold, electricity, or fire. Is that chosen when the power is taken or whenever the power is used?
3) As a ranged touch attack does the warlock get to use it more than once a round like a ranged attack or is it limited to once per round?
I think I'm going to house rule it in my game to allow the warlock to have this power as a freebee, to make it more similar to the original.
One of my favorite things about Complete Arcane's Warlock is that it has access to lots of support invocations, some of them really useful, from the lower tiered abilities. It makes the class fun for single classed and level-dipped PCs, as dipping a level or two can net you some handy features that provide a decent enough benefit.
That said, how does the ToS Warlock do in utility/support abilities, especially insofar as providing multiclassed characters extra usefulness. The Wizard specialist abilities don't seem like they'd be something that useful from a simple dip.
RPG Superstar 2009 Top 32, 2010 Top 8
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Just wondering if anyone who pre-ordered has gotten their book yet.
Mine arrived yesterday. Warlock makes more sense now that I've read it on dead tree for some reason. I just noticed some of the alchemical items use the 3.x rules rather than the pathfinder mechanic.
Just wondering if anyone who pre-ordered has gotten their book yet.
No word on mine yet.
Hmmm, this is what I have on the Amazon web site where I have mine pre-ordered from: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/190720427X/ref=ox_ya_oh_product
So, how utility friendly is the new Warlock compared to the Complete Arcane Warlock?
So, how utility friendly is the new Warlock compared to the Complete Arcane Warlock?
Poor.
So, how utility friendly is the new Warlock compared to the Complete Arcane Warlock?Poor.
Thanks. That's what I was figuring based on the school powers available to wizards, but I was hoping to hear it from someone who'd read it.
I just got my copy today! It's a nice solid softcover book (not a hardcover). :( But that's alright. there is a lot of good stuff in here. Just the chase rules alone is worth the money.
thanks, Mike.
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Got my copy as well. One thing I noticed missing... the Spellblade has zero-level spells listed as known, but no slots for them or the cantrips class ability listed. I'm assuming the cantrips bit's a typo, but wanted to make sure!
Otherwise, I've already said in depth how much I love this product! Great work to everyone on the design team!
Ok,
Got my copy and a few comments.
First, Pro's.
Alchemical Items
I really like the alchemical items. None seemed overpowered, all were minorly useful, and all cheap and makeable at low levels. Kudos on this. I will be using it in my campaigns.
Firearms
Again, I really like this. None of the weapons appear to be overbalanced on first look (except the 5 shot magic hand cannon which is way too cheap I think for a 6d8 250ft five time use weapon at 4,000gp). But the ranger alternate class abilities, and the fluff, and the guns themselves are nice. Kudos. I'll use this in my campaigns.
Classes
Overall, pretty good. Not all classes I would like, but I haven't found anything game breaking so far (haven't done a detail walkthrough on them either though, and haven't had any in my game). So far, looks good, kudos again. I do like the swashbuckler, much better than the previous version in splatbook. Knight seems ok, but I'll probably use the one from the splatbook with this one's skills.
Races
Again, nothing seems over the top. I'll probably use all three in my campaigns. The saurians are particularly good for me as desert dwelling cousins to lizardfolk.
Modification to Monsters
I like this, but I need to be careful using it. And have to do it ahead of time, not at the table. There are some roll combinations that can seriously affect game balance.
And now to the Cons...
Chases
Not a huge con, small one. I just don't think I'll ever use it. I'm sure others will, not me though.
Magic Items
I love the concept of this, and will probably copy/paste it out and redo it, but my god did anyone actually playtest this stuff? Here's a few examples :
Prefix 10 : Class's Gives a +1 per character level bonus to class skills for the specific class! So... a level 10 character get's a +10 bonus to all class skills?!?!
Suffix 19 : Of Slaying kills any creature of the specified type if they fail a DC 20 check (and works on every hit!) even if they are immune to these types of attacks?!?. ?!
Suffix 20 : Of Command, may charm up to 14HD of creatures... with no reference to the level of the wielder?!? I can see a 1st level wanting this. :) "All you lot in my party, you all love me and want to give me all the treasure!"
All the 'Of the <element>' entries are ungodly powerful. Sheesh.
And finally, nothing was done to try to generate items that are in line with the character levels. So... a 5th level person could end up with an item that lets them kill gods on one hit. Uhm, no. Whoever came up with the tables and abilities needs to sit down and have a serious think about what they did, and why it was wrong. I think I'll take the tables and fix them so they are not game breaking and use them, cause it's a good idea that was implemented HORRIBLY wrongly. It feels like something stuck in at the last minute in an attempt to add some more bullet points to the sales.
This may have been asked/answered already, but my mind is slow this morning and not up to reading 125 posts to find out...
In regards to the Artificer:
1) What Ability is used to determine the DC of spells that he incorporates into his Weird Science Inventions?
2) Is an Artificer able to craft additional Weird Science Inventions due to a high Ability score?
3) I am assuming that the table indicating the number of Inventions also determines the number of spell abilities that can be incorporated into an invention. For example, a 3rd level Artificer could have two first level and one second level spells incorporated into between one to three Inventions. Is this correct?
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I've got my copy, and I can't say that I like the new Spellblade. I know my DM likes it because it's not as powerful as it was before. I just looked at it a different take on the Duskblade, but now it's actually weaker. I mean, just a Fort save? Really? No Fort and Will? No full BAB? Only -20 on ASF when wearing armour? And the HD is the same as the Duskblade. Granted you get level six spells now and any Wiz/Sor spell, but you still can't use them quickened X/day, nor do you get bonuses to get past SR, and they even get less spells at lower levels compared to the Duskblade. So I guess it's an arcane version of the Psychic Warrior with Soul Blade infusions? The infusions are nice as a one-trick pony ability, but that's about it. It's not worth going all 20 levels for.
The Swashbuckler is nice though. Don't care for the Knight whatsoever because of all that Mounted Combat taking up spaces where other things should be. The Knight is obviously very campaign oriented, and that's just wrong. If I want to suddenly become one, I should allowed that. They don't even get a free horse. And if you're in a dungeon, it's gotta wait outside. The Arificer I'm okay with because I've played the Eberron one, and that was pretty balanced with 3/4 progression, and I'm able to accept this without too much hassle.
I agree that the Priest is nothing more than an upgraded Cloistered Cleric from UA, but it's still got its uses for campaigns that don't allow clerics, or if you want an NPC. The Shaman and Warlock are pretty good in their own right, but the Warlock looks like it could still use a little tweaking for explanations. The Warlord is in the same boat with that. They seem pretty good with their full BAB and two good saves, and kind of even remind me of the Marshal.
Probably the main thing I like is all the character drawbacks, reminisent of the flaws in 3.5, and the long list of magic items. These are nice.
However, I still think the Spellblade isn't up to snuff anymore.
And before anyone says "use the old one if you're unhappy", that's not my decision. It's the DM's, and he's all about "Take it as how it's written."
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Well, my interest just went down a few notches more. I already have the duskblade, and use it in my campaign (although I despise the name -- "dusk," for goodness' sakes? -- and call it the "blademage"), and since it sounds better than this version, I can't see why I shouldn't stick with it. Same with the PHBII Knight.
The Priest sounds like the only thing still piquing my interest, since my campaigns feature religions pretty prominently. Can someone please share some information about it? Anything to make it stand out? I've never owned a copy of Unearthed Arcana, so hearing that it's similar to the cloistered cleric from that book, as so many have said in this thread, doesn't convey much to my mind, unfortunately.
Yeah, I'm none too impressed with the Spellblade either. Even the Bard looks more powerful than it, and it has less decent spells. I'd be happier if it at least had a strong Will like the Duskblade.
Anyways, the Priest is alot like your standard Cleric except that it has 1/2 BAB instead of 3/4, but has 6+INT skills and all Knowledges, and gains the martial weapon profienciency of their deity (much like the Favored Soul). The main thing is that their spells can only be taken if their alignment matches, and instead of 1 spell per day based on the domains, they get 2. Unlike the Cleric which can "lose" a spell for a Cure spell, a Priest can "lose" a spell for a domain spell. By no means are they terrible. They're just not your back-up melee character. They're more like your main healer that stays in the back.
Here's a revised spell blade concept. It's a touch more powerful.
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Here's a revised spell blade concept. It's a touch more powerful.
Yeah, saw it and commented on it last night. It's pretty good.
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RPG Superstar 2009 Top 32, 2010 Top 8
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As I've noted elsewhere I've serious reservations about the priest, with the upgunned channelling, ability to spontaniously cast domain and healing spells and getting an extra domain spell a level.
I don't think the (fixed) spellblade is that bad. Indeed, having the entire wizard spell list means he's going to be a master of wands. The thing to remember, it's not a replacement for the duckblade. If anything he's going to be more diverse as any new sorcerer/wizard spell is automatically added to his arsenal. I think my own arcane legionary is similar, not to toot my own horn.
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I don't think the (fixed) spellblade is that bad. Indeed, having the entire wizard spell list means he's going to be a master of wands. The thing to remember, it's not a replacement for the duskblade. If anything he's going to be more diverse as any new sorcerer/wizard spell is automatically added to his arsenal. I think my own arcane legionary is similar, not to toot my own horn.
Yours looks pretty good too, but just like what I pointed out earlier, as do others, yours has a strong Will save as well. About the only reason you'd choose this kind of class though would be the same reason you'd have taken the Vow of Poverty feat, or the Soul Blade. You want free +weapon abilities. Which is fine, but no DM is THAT cheap. Not even mine, and that's saying something. But at least with Soul Blade they had other abilities too. This class doesn't, and that's part of my beef too.
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RPG Superstar 2009 Top 32, 2010 Top 8
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I understand your concerns about the will save. OTOH, the Psychic Warrior (and I think the Hexblade), the Paladin, the Blackguard and the Eldrich knight all had poor will saves in 3.x.
The 'dial a blade' effect is the spellblade's schtick. I don't see it as 'free stuff' anymore than the soul knife's mind blade or the wizard having magic weapon or mage armour. YMMV though, of course.
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I understand your concerns about the will save. OTOH, the Psychic Warrior (and I think the Hexblade), the Paladin, the Blackguard and the Eldrich knight all had poor will saves in 3.x.
The 'dial a blade' effect is the spellblade's schtick. I don't see it as 'free stuff' anymore than the soul knife's mind blade or the wizard having magic weapon or mage armour. YMMV though, of course.
I'm still not sold on the Spellblade, but I'd like to point out that only the Eldritch Knight didn't get a Will upgrade, where as the Paladin did. I was very surprised by the EK actually not getting much better. It saddened me really. So with that, I still think a good Will would do it some good.
I'm also not sold on the magic enhancements because it doesn't actually tell you much on how to play with that. Truthfully, I think the Arcane Archer's original bonuses were pretty good for infusing arrows. Not so much happy about what it is not. Let's be honest, if you're 5th or 6th level, and you DON'T have a magic weapon, you're pretty much fodder for the enemies to begin with.
That being said, you're better off going Wizard/Fighter/Eldritch Knight with Arcane Strike than to go with Spellblade. Even a buddy of mine looked at it, laughed, and said that the second I was able to become an EK, take it because the bonuses for the Spellblade were laughable and not worth going the whole 20 levels at 3/4 vs going full.
Adding to this, the second there's a decent Duskblade conversion done up in the other forums, the Spellblade won't even be a memory.
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RPG Superstar 2009 Top 32, 2010 Top 8
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As I've noted elsewhere I've serious reservations about the priest, with the upgunned channelling, ability to spontaniously cast domain and healing spells and getting an extra domain spell a level.
Hoo boy. Well, there went pretty much my last reason to purchase the book for class stuff. The races leave me unimpressed, and the magic item stuff sounds abominable. So that pretty much leaves the flaws -- something that might be nice, but I'm not paying full book price for one chapter.
Looks like this is one to scratch off the list of future purchases. Thanks for the warnings, though, guys!
The swashbuckler, the knight and the ratkin are excellent. The Warlord and Artificer work ok in their niche. The Warlock is interesting if very exploitable.
Summoning level 4 school talent.
At 4th level, you're now an army commander. "Cleric's still praying? Ok, let me summon a dozen wolves." "We need to ride? Let me summon horses all 'round." Even at high levels it's "Misc flanking buddy that dies in one hit, I choose you!"
The spellblade works, for its niche. It's just a niche that other combinations can do at higher levels.
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I still think the Spellblade is about 14 million times better than the Duskblade ever was. More spells, access to the full wizard-sorceror list, and the whole nine yards. It's more of a spellcaster than just a melee combatant, and that's what I wanted to see. Yeah, you could build better with prestige classes, but for low-level play, it simply can't be beat.
See, now, that makes me think that it's probably overpowered. I guess there's just no pleasing some people (me, specifically).
I guarantee you, it's not over powered by anyone's standards.
Before I buy, what can people tell me about the artificer in comparison to the 3.5 e version and what can you tell me about the shaman?
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The Artificer isn't even CLOSE to the same as the 3.5 version. It's a lot closer to the Dragonlance Tinker class than that, and it's still radically different from either. He's a technologist and inventor that can create items that mimic spells. The closest counterpart I see anywhere is Ash from Army of Darkness.
The Shaman treats with spirits for different domains every day, uses the druid spell list, and can channel energy, but only against spirit creatures.
OK, I need to have it out with the postal service, after cancelling the book from Amazon and having FRPGames.com send the book to me via the USPS I find out today that the package was delivered yesterday. Where? I don't know but it wasn't to me where it should have been delivered.
Heh, I bark at them before work and get a phone call that the book has arrived around 9 PM by a room mate. I still have yet to read it through but it looks good so far. The one thing that caught my eye right away was the Musketeer Combat Style for Rangers pg. 185. Good start but the way combat styles work now you need more there. When I finished reading this I'll make a more complete write up to flesh out the style for use with the Pathfinder Ranger. I see a lot of potential here.