|
1 person marked this as a favorite.
|
Hello, I'm the Angry Wizard. I've lurked around these forums with my general newbness for a number of years, but now I finally feel confident enough in my abilities to share my opinion on a number of spells for the Wizard class that I have yet to find any real review or guide for. Mainly these are the ACG spells, but also include other misc. spells.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1dmU9QF12NMfx_6Tzt1HsqltuYEq3FBdyuEiVPVl kMSY/edit?usp=sharing
This is my first guide, done in the traditional format, inspired by Treantmonk and the dozens of other guide writers I hope to live up to.
If there are any mistakes, if you perhaps disagree on a certain spell's rating, if you want to call me a pleb and tell me to go back the way I came, please comment. I'm just a human being, I can be wrong (according to my wife I'm always wrong) and I'm will to adjust the contents to fit the evidence. Who knows, perhaps Spellcrash will turn out to be not a crap spell..... unlikely though.
|
1 person marked this as a favorite.
|
Hey, figured I'd check this, but I'm getting an error message when I look for it. You might need to check and see that you've allowed others permission to view it.
N. Jolly wrote: Hey, figured I'd check this, but I'm getting an error message when I look for it. You might need to check and see that you've allowed others permission to view it. Troubleshooting, try this. *EDITED THRICE* okay, this one has tested pretty well. *crosses fingers*
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1dmU9QF12NMfx_6Tzt1HsqltuYEq3FBdyuEiVPVl kMSY/edit?usp=sharing
I am getting the share link copy and pasted. When I enter it on my URL bar it goes right to it, but as soon as I post it, it doesn't link up even though it's the same URL.
Nope, still nothing. Although once you do figure it out, I'd suggest editing your first post so that people can get to the link ASAP. Looking forward to seeing it though, I know how exhausting it can be to review spells.
Edit: Here's what the link to my Alch guide looks like
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1hChbcEsEfQsR7NkwKlzO-GLYtrOtxlkGHpRQgKK Z5gc/edit?usp=sharing
So it should be 'sharing', although BZ's advice in the G to the G thread should be all you need, just make sure you get the 'sharing' link.
|
2 people marked this as a favorite.
|
Linkified.
Paizo's forums don't like outside links. They're automatically edited to put in spaces or %20% so that C+P often breaks the formatting.
Put them in the following format to work: "["url = the link "]" The text you want to show the link as "[" /url "]"
My first impression is that it's a great guide. I like the brown rating very much.
Ipslore the Red wrote: Linkified.
Paizo's forums don't like outside links. Put them in the following format to work: "["url = the link "]" The text you want to show the link as "[" /url "]"
I love you, thank you so much! *edit* You now have a dedication. Thanks again bro.
Ipslore the Red wrote: Linkified.
Paizo's forums don't like outside links. They're automatically edited to put in spaces or %20% so that C+P often breaks the formatting.
Put them in the following format to work: "["url = the link "]" The text you want to show the link as "[" /url "]"
Good on ya, Ipslore. It's working now, checking it out finally. Also how am I not in this dedication?
N. Jolly wrote: Ipslore the Red wrote: Linkified.
Paizo's forums don't like outside links. They're automatically edited to put in spaces or %20% so that C+P often breaks the formatting.
Put them in the following format to work: "["url = the link "]" The text you want to show the link as "[" /url "]"
Good on ya, Ipslore. It's working now, checking it out finally. Also how am I not in this dedication? You know what? Sure, why not? Your guides are great and you were my first responder. You are now a named dedication.
Pathfinder PF Special Edition, Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber
If I'm not mistaken, you have to be an aasimar to cast the angelic aspect spells.
Hey, I'm quite glad to see this. It will help me digest the ACG.
I do like Adhesive Spittle more than you, though, I think - only spell I've really noticed in the ACG so far. Two points
-no need for a ranged touch attack
-much cheaper as a wand (or scroll) than a real tanglefoot bag
make it much better than buying a bag, I think. Even if you are using it from a wand, getting rid of the attack roll probably more than makes up for the lower DC given 1/2 BAB, and if you're casting it directly, it's a straight upgrade.
(Like a tanglefoot bag, the entanglement is no-save effect; Reflex only saves you from being stuck in place)
LazarX wrote: If I'm not mistaken, you have to be an aasimar to cast the angelic aspect spells. Just checked Champions of Purity, anyone can use them. Although anyone limited by moral sources (such as a cleric) who are opposed to the good alignment cannot cast. Not a problem for evil wizards though. At least mechanically.
Worth noting casting times. Accursed Glare has a 1 round casting time which will often make it a bad idea. Monstrous Extremities has a 1 minute casting time and is no use at all as a combat debuff.
Blood Money is broken good, not red unless your GM refuses to let you buy stuff. Money is power.
Discern Next of Kin is one of those which are amazing when there are hidden plots around. Spam it then and write down notes! Also great for beating disguises etc.
Hey that was cool, while I was reading it you (or someone) was doing edits in real time! this who "in-ter-net" thing is really amazing.
Also liking the guide so far.
Coriat wrote: Hey, I'm quite glad to see this. It will help me digest the ACG.
I do like Adhesive Spittle more than you, though, I think - only spell I've really noticed in the ACG so far. Two points
-no need for a ranged touch attack
-much cheaper as a wand (or scroll) than a real tanglefoot bag
make it much better than buying a bag, I think. Even if you are using it from a wand, getting rid of the attack roll probably more than makes up for the lower DC given 1/2 BAB, and if you're casting it directly, it's a straight upgrade.
(Like a tanglefoot bag, the entanglement is no-save effect; Reflex only saves you from being stuck in place)
Hmm, I had not considered that. Edited to suit you argument and the rating has gone up.
While I agree with and enjoy the Spellcrash rating wholeheartedly, I should note that they have a use. Making counterspelling look less terrible, especially now that arcanists can almost make it workable.
|
1 person marked this as a favorite.
|
Thanks for the consideration.
As for the guide, I do think you should avoid the use of the 'f' word in a guide (feels weird to say that), since it kind of breaks the sense of levity you've got going for the rest of the guide.
|
1 person marked this as a favorite.
|
N. Jolly wrote: Thanks for the consideration.
As for the guide, I do think you should avoid the use of the 'f' word in a guide (feels weird to say that), since it kind of breaks the sense of levity you've got going for the rest of the guide.
On consideration, perhaps my Angry got the better of my Wizard. Editing now.
avr wrote: Worth noting casting times. Accursed Glare has a 1 round casting time which will often make it a bad idea. Monstrous Extremities has a 1 minute casting time and is no use at all as a combat debuff.
Blood Money is broken good, not red unless your GM refuses to let you buy stuff. Money is power.
Discern Next of Kin is one of those which are amazing when there are hidden plots around. Spam it then and write down notes! Also great for beating disguises etc.
Accursed Glare and Monstrous Extremities: Agree and good lord how did I miss that!?
Blood Money: I suppose you're right in terms of the spell's raw potential, but I feel most GMs wouldn't be that cruel to an 8 STR wizard trying to cast stoneskin to force him to resort to that. But still, the greedy will greed.
Discern Next of Kin: On that suggestion I feel it's a bit cheap, like using discern location for every little thing. I dunno, maybe it's the GM side of me.
Ipslore the Red wrote: While I agree with and enjoy the Spellcrash rating wholeheartedly, I should note that they have a use. Making counterspelling look less terrible, especially now that arcanists can almost make it workable. I suppose, but it still feels like a waste of a spell slot to me.
Angry Wizard wrote: avr wrote: Worth noting casting times. Accursed Glare has a 1 round casting time which will often make it a bad idea. Monstrous Extremities has a 1 minute casting time and is no use at all as a combat debuff.
Blood Money is broken good, not red unless your GM refuses to let you buy stuff. Money is power.
Discern Next of Kin is one of those which are amazing when there are hidden plots around. Spam it then and write down notes! Also great for beating disguises etc.
Accursed Glare and Monstrous Extremities: Agree and good lord how did I miss that!?
Blood Money: I suppose you're right in terms of the spell's raw potential, but I feel most GMs wouldn't be that cruel to an 8 STR wizard trying to cast stoneskin to force him to resort to that. But still, the greedy will greed.
Discern Next of Kin: On that suggestion I feel it's a bit cheap, like using discern location for every little thing. I dunno, maybe it's the GM side of me. 8 STR is more then enough to completely wreck material component component cost all the way up to level 9. At that point, between buff spells or the the ever-wonderful Marionette Possession/Magic Jar, you'll be easily cranking enough STR to cast virtually anything. Get to higher levels and you can throw around 50 points of STR damage for free Wish spells without even being close to unconsciousness.
It's a must have, always take if available.
|
1 person marked this as FAQ candidate.
|
8 STR is more then enough to completely wreck material component component cost all the way up to level 9. At that point, between buff spells or the the ever-wonderful Marionette Possession/Magic Jar, you'll be easily cranking enough STR to cast virtually anything. Get to higher levels and you can throw around 50 points of STR damage for free Wish spells without even being close to unconsciousness.
It's a must have, always take if available. After looking further into the forums on Blood Money, I have made what I feel are some proper edits....
Nice guide, this will be useful for my arcanist. Some of those spells are quite busted (Charitable Impulse, Antithetical Constraint). And it's good to be reminded of fun spells like Ice Spears, Euphoric Cloud and Air Geyser. I'm starting to see a theme develop around my wayang with faerie dragon familiar..
I found one small error: Keep Watch isn't from the ACG but from Knights of the Inner Sea.
|
2 people marked this as a favorite.
|
You misunderstand Silent Table. It's completely useless for its putative purpose because it's a 5' diameter (probably a misprint for radius, but what is written is what is written) which means one square, but it can target an object. Your hat is an object. That makes it a mobile +20 on hearing based perception checks. Since hearing is a component to perception versus stealth opposed checks it's almost as powerful a sneaking enhancer as invisibility, which it stacks with. Most blindsight and blindsense are sound based and it will give a -20 penalty to those as well. That -20 to hear your audible spell components makes the invisible wizard gambit even stronger and may impact spellcraft rolls to identify your spells.
Chains of light is an S tier spell, not yellow. Targets reflex, sr no, and it is a save or die. At least Blue
Pathfinder PF Special Edition, Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber
Angry Wizard wrote: 8 STR is more then enough to completely wreck material component component cost all the way up to level 9. At that point, between buff spells or the the ever-wonderful Marionette Possession/Magic Jar, you'll be easily cranking enough STR to cast virtually anything. Get to higher levels and you can throw around 50 points of STR damage for free Wish spells without even being close to unconsciousness.
It's a must have, always take if available. After looking further into the forums on Blood Money, I have made what I feel are some proper edits.... Save that there is no way to take 50 STR damage. You can't burn STR that comes from spell effects or items, nor would I let you take it from someone or something's body you're occupying. The only STR I'd allow casters to burn is their own unaugmented STR, and if they burn that down to zero, they suffer the standard effects.
Chains of Light is ridiculous. A monster that fails the initial save is probably getting a CdG from a barbarian next.
LazarX wrote: Angry Wizard wrote: Anzyr wrote: 8 STR is more then enough to completely wreck material component component cost all the way up to level 9. At that point, between buff spells or the the ever-wonderful Marionette Possession/Magic Jar, you'll be easily cranking enough STR to cast virtually anything. Get to higher levels and you can throw around 50 points of STR damage for free Wish spells without even being close to unconsciousness.
It's a must have, always take if available.
After looking further into the forums on Blood Money, I have made what I feel are some proper edits.... Save that there is no way to take 50 STR damage. You can't burn STR that comes from spell effects or items, nor would I let you take it from someone or something's body you're occupying. The only STR I'd allow casters to burn is their own unaugmented STR, and if they burn that down to zero, they suffer the standard effects. What you would allow is irrelevant to RAW. Magic jar means you use the possessed body's stats.
A note that all sane GMs ban blood money abuse is appropriate, though.
Dot for angry arcane justice
I have to say, your rating is way off on Whip of crepy-crawly-things. This is a 1/rd a level ranged touch with 15 foot range, that does damage + poison and distraction.
Distraction is great crowd control.
CWheezy wrote: Chains of Light is ridiculous. A monster that fails the initial save is probably getting a CdG from a barbarian next. Atarlost wrote: You misunderstand Silent Table. Imbicatus wrote: ...your rating is way off on Whip of crepy-crawly-things... These and all other comments up to this point have been taken into account and updates have been made based on their suggestions and secondary reviews. (Because hey, I'm human, I miss stuff. Stuff like Chains of Light rendering a target helpless.)
|
2 people marked this as a favorite.
|
Pathfinder Adventure, Rulebook Subscriber
Excellent . . . more ideas for making my GM cry . . .
Although I was told recently that I'm banned from playing wizards for a little while. Sorcerers and Arcanists aren't wizards . . .
Looks fairly good. Some minor points
Invisibility Alarm is something for GMs to tie magic traps set in the middle of the hallway to (if you don't employ invisible stalkers or pixies the invisible guy walking through your hallway is absolutely an intruder).
Detect Metal, unlike other detect spells, lacks the clause that "1 foot of stone, 1 inch of common metal, a thin sheet of lead, or 3 feet of wood or dirt blocks it.". Most walls are less than 60 feet thick and most enemies on the other side are carrying metal weapons/armor or gold coins. You can also find buried treasure with it.
Thunderstomp says you CAN use your caster level and spell casting modifer, not that you have to. This can be useful for a gish (though that may be outside the scope of the guide).
Touch of Mercy's real use is that the creature has to take a -4 penalty on all attack rolls (notice it's a compulsion effect, not transmutation) which is actually passable. Healing also heals double if something is doing lethal damage, but in combat healing...
Discern Value isn't instantaneous, so it has use in downtime if you have secured a hoard with lots of lot value items not worth dragging back to town (a library is the obvious one. Anyone who has shipped books internationally will tell you paper is pretty heavy).
Energy Assessor's damage barely tops fireball (an area spell half its level) on a single target and will do LESS if the target has any energy resistance 5s.
my views for the lvl1-2 spells:
glue seal is nowhere near blue:
for starters it basically effect only one square, as opposed to the 4 of grease, so battlefield control with only one square is kinda hard
also, entagled is way worse than prone, epsecially at low levels.
and ofc, the dc to jump over it during a charge is 5...
at most a green imo
heigtened awareness is a solid blue.
even if not sacrificed, it is long lasting, and it offers a bonus on all knowledges AND perception, all of which are quite important spells, and the masterwork equipment for knowledges is unusable for combat situations
longarm (and along list of other similar martial buff spells):
red for wizard, i agree, solid blue for like every single gish though, just as a mention
fleshcurdle is red
i mean, it is single target. the options are
a)useless, unless you plan on using it on monsters with 9+bab and imp critical on their naturals, by that point, you should be using something else
b)max -4 to ac. Or you know, you can lvl1 grease them for prone, which again is -4 to ac +more, and area affecting
c)slow them by half. guess what else slows them by half, grease.
and you get to pick only ONE of those mediocre conditions, for only ONE creature, with FORT save? pass
lastly:
adhesive spittle.
this is more blue than gree, but for other reasons as the ones you posted. For starters, it's a no save entagle, that is at minimum -2att -2ac, half movement no save debuff. can be better vs dex hitters (-4att -2ac and etc)
secondly, it glues stuff to the floor with a save (they need to like break it next round which usually takes a full round of attacks, maybe more)
thirdly, it gets flyers DOWN.
as a lvl1 spell, it is simply AMAZING.
the reason is say mostly blue, and no 100% blue. is actually the 2 rounds activation issue (one to cast, one to spit), but still, even with that, it is worth it a lot of times.
Pathfinder Adventure, Rulebook Subscriber
Only about halfway down your list, but here're a few of my observations:
Mirror Polish is pretty niche, true. I just got to Mirror Hideaway, though. Now you don't need to find an appropriate mirror in the dungeon - just shine something up with Mirror Polish and it should work.
Repair Undead says that it works on living creatures if those creatures are normally healed by negative energy, so it does work for Damphir wizards.
I hadn't thought of using Silent Table for an active scouting spell, but that makes great sense. Now I can make life easier with Clanky McThunderpants the dwarf fighter following us around.
Back to reading!
I think some of these spells are there for people like me who like taking general utility spells that don't see much use in games, also useful for world building. Next of kin for example goes well with trace ancestry so you can determine who the heir of the dying king is or alternatively prove that Sir Euromer is not in fact related to the kings family umpty generations ago. Same with gentle breeze endure elements may be good for adventuring but there's just something about a wizard conjuring up a gentle breeze in a hot muggy room that suits so well for flavour. Others like air breathing may be there to help explain the whole a wizard did it. How did that aquatic creature get up here? oh air breathing potions.
I feel like I was tricked to coming into this thread by thinking that the bold text in the subject meant that it was important. I feel especially dooped due to the links still not working for me. I'll have to try it at home though, it might be the websense filter at work blocking them.
|
3 people marked this as a favorite.
|
Updates have been made to the guide based on the suggestions up to this point.
Lune wrote: I feel like I was tricked to coming into this thread by thinking that the bold text in the subject meant that it was important. I apologize for not being important enough, I will try my darn best in the future to be more important. =)
Ipslore the Red wrote: While I agree with and enjoy the Spellcrash rating wholeheartedly, I should note that they have a use. Making counterspelling look less terrible, especially now that arcanists can almost make it workable. I'm not sure how Spellcrash helps with counterspelling...
Spellcrash is especially underpowered when you compare it to the 5th-level feeblemind (which additionally imposes a -4 penalty on saves if targeted against arcane casters).
And to the OP: am I right that you created the Brown category just for one spell? Just made me laugh. :)
The Rot Grub wrote: And to the OP: am I right that you created the Brown category just for one spell? Just made me laugh. :) Originally? Yes, yes I did. But then I found Spellsteal, which was basically the serpentfolk version of the spell. They can f%*!ing keep it. Also, always glad to make strangers laugh. =D
I hope you enjoyed the guide.
typo:
“Let go your earthly teather…”
I think you want 'tether'.
Unless it's an earth elemental infant chewing on a ruby or something.
:)
I wanted to get some opinons on the spell Air Geyser. The spells image is funny as heck, but it seems underpowered at level 3 unless im not getting some ramifications of it.
First, the spell:
Air Geyser
School evocation [air], Level bloodrager 3, druid 3, magus 3, shaman 4, sorcerer/wizard 3, witch 3
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S
Range close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Target one creature or object up to Large size
Duration instantaneous
Saving Throw Reflex partial (see text); Spell Resistance yes
You create a powerful blast of air capable of flinging an opponent upward. If the target fails its Reflex save, the force of the air deals 2d6 points of bludgeoning damage and hurls the target upward a number of feet equal to 5 × your caster level. If a solid object (such as a ceiling) is encountered, the target strikes the object in the same manner as it would during a normal fall. After this blast of air ceases, the target falls down (unless it was flying), taking falling damage as normal. A successful save means the target takes half damage from the air blast but is not moved by it.
They don’t properly deal with the “falling” damage from the upward part of the spell to me. Because this is an instantaneous effect, the person won’t be getting faster as the spell went on, meaning no matter where he hit a celling he should take the entire fall damage i.e. after “falling” 10ft up, he should take damage as though he went the entire spell effect i.e. for me 55ft as a level 11 caster. The falling damage coming back down should only be the actual fall damage. So in the 10ft example, just 1d6.
This change would make the spell a bit more viable – for a 3rd level spell it really doesn’t do much. Even with taking “max” falling damage from falling upward, in my 10ft ceiling example he’s taking 2D6 then 5d6 then 1d6 – less than a single target fireball. But the image of the spell is funny as hell so I want to take it lol.
Would you consider them prone after they fall down or anything or do people falling just automatically land on their feet?
Longarm may be pretty terrible for Wizards or Sorcerers but it is great for Magi and Eldritch Knight types.
Your rating for Monkey Fish is also way off. As utility spells go it is great giving both a swim and a climb speed. You probably wont prepare it at low level but having wands or scrolls or it allows you to completely ignore multiple environmental issues. As a utility spell this is Blue.
Burst of Radiance is absolutely blue. Reflex is routinely the worst save for enemies. It allows SR unlike Glitterdust but blinded is one of the most effective conditions to impose and it doesn't allow repeat saves. Acting as an evil detector isn't bad either.
Ice Spears starts out at Green/Orange, the damage is low and the trip wont scale with CMD. However, once Dazing becomes available it is great pin point accurate SR denying battlefield control.
Disable Construct: I am not sure how you rate this Red. Sure it is very niche but when that niche comes up this is utterly brutal. Golem will saves tend to be low single digits. Even a scroll of this has a DC of 14 giving a 50% chance of rendering it helpless.
Wall of Blindness is another pure blue spell. Blindness is one of the best conditions and the wall is large enough it will easily cut most battlefields in half. That means melee enemies have to risk going through it or wait for it to fall wasting previous time and allowing allies to buff. Save or sucks are some of the most potent spells available, especially after the introduction of things such as Persistent Spell.
@Timdog: if you take lethal damage from a fall you go Prone. So yeah, it does drop monsters prone, if they fail the initial Reflex save. That makes the spell decent. It's not the most cutting edge effective spell, but it's not bad and it IS quite funny.
Edits and changes have been made based on the comments and secondary reviews made up to this point.
Can you make the colors better for color blind people? Red/Green/Brown are all basically the same.
Love this guide. Good work, Angry.
Dotting so that I can find this later. :)
Been through 1&2. Transfer Tattoo is very nice to have in your spellbook if you leave an open slot. For utility, you don't memorize this at the start of the day. You memorize this after killing the enemy who has a tattoo you want. It is still niche, but it is great for an open slot.
I think you should consider all the niche spells with an open slot in mind. That open slot opens up versatility big-time. The Arcane Bond(item) also acts like an open slot you don't need to spend time to study for.
Now to continue reading...
EDIT: read 3.
You have not seen Alter Summoned Monster, or you would change the rating for Summon Totem Creature. Getting any SM3 for an hour for the price of a 2nd level spell? Great combo, especially as adding a standard action to the 10 minute cast is not likely an issue.
/cevah
ANGRY WIZARD’S GUIDE TO THE ACG & OTHER Misc. WIZARD SPELLS wrote: Line in the Sand: (ACG) Decent enough for magi and bloodragers who are more dex based, terrible for the wizard’s lowly BAB. Just as in your Long Arm rating, you're discounting Eldritch Knight types. I suspect a lot of these ratings are going to be improved after people sally forth with ways in which the spell is better than you thought... the arcane spell list is pretty dope.
Exguardi wrote: ANGRY WIZARD’S GUIDE TO THE ACG & OTHER Misc. WIZARD SPELLS wrote: Line in the Sand: (ACG) Decent enough for magi and bloodragers who are more dex based, terrible for the wizard’s lowly BAB. Just as in your Long Arm rating, you're discounting Eldritch Knight types. I suspect a lot of these ratings are going to be improved after people sally forth with ways in which the spell is better than you thought... the arcane spell list is pretty dope. It's also quite nice for a Spirit Binder [or other Wizard] who takes a Mauler Familiar. For giving reach to a familiar one's first instinct is Enlarge Person, but Enlarge Person doesn't stack with other actual size increases like the Mauler's Combat Form.
|
