| 5 people marked this as FAQ candidate. |
New archetype from Horror Adventures. I realize not everyone will have this book since it's only been out for three days, but I have some nagging questions that it would be nice to get answered.
1. Does the hallowed necromancer have spell restrictions?
A hallowed necromancer's arcane school option reads as follows:
A hallowed necromancer must specialize in the school of necromancy and swears to never create undead.
This alters arcane school and spells.
Supposedly the archetype alters your spells by saying that you vow to never create undead, but nowhere does it actually say that you either get punished for making/raising undead (Much like how the undead master archetype requires you to be evil), or that the archetype removes animate dead, create undead, and other spells on the wizard list that can potentially bring about undead. Was there not enough word space to spell out that you don't get those spells or get punished for using them?
2. How does Positive Touch work?
... A number of times per day equal to 3 + his Intelligence modifier, when he spontaneously casts a cure spell, he can either turn the effect into a ray and increase the range to close or choose to remove the Will save but deal half the normal amount of damage.
Emphasis mine.
So, wait, either I increase the range on my normally touch-based cure spells... Or I can remove the Will save and deal half damage...? Considering that the H.N. only gets standard cure spells and no other kind of positive energy spell, what's the point of removing the save and dealing half damage if the spell will deal half damage anyway on a successful save?
1 sounds like an oversight. I'd probably use the atonement rules for this. As for 2, it would only be useful if the target has an ability to negate all damage on a successful save. There may also be some special rider effect on some spells that don't work if the target saves.
1 sounds like an oversight. I'd probably use the atonement rules for this. As for 2, it would only be useful if the target has an ability to negate all damage on a successful save. There may also be some special rider effect on some spells that don't work if the target saves.
On #2, I suppose that might work if you spont-cast a cure and add a metamagic feat that bestows a rider effect.
As a side note, as a GM and player, I'd personally prefer the other option on #1: Just remove any spell that deals with animating or creating undead.
#2 is rather disappointing. The only use, as Ashram said, is if you have a rider effect that is negated on a save. I can't think of any that would apply though.
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I was surprised to see that with positive touch, as the ability left us saying (to quote the older file) "or remove the Will save for half damage." I'm guessing somewhere down the line the "for" was misunderstood to mean "in exchange for dealing" and altered accordingly, but this is a mistake.
I was surprised to see that with positive touch, as the ability left us saying (to quote the older file) "or remove the Will save for half damage." I'm guessing somewhere down the line the "for" was misunderstood to mean "in exchange for dealing" and altered accordingly, but this is a mistake.
Any chance for a "bonus" FAQ addressing this? A reprint of Horror Adventures seems unlikely in the near future given it was released not-too-long ago, so an FAQ is the best place to get the info out there. Since your post makes it seem like the PDT was already all on board with the change (due to that being the original turnover), it could be a bonus/rider in addition to the regular FAQ slot for the week without too much extra work :)
I was surprised to see that with positive touch, as the ability left us saying (to quote the older file) "or remove the Will save for half damage." I'm guessing somewhere down the line the "for" was misunderstood to mean "in exchange for dealing" and altered accordingly, but this is a mistake.Any chance for a "bonus" FAQ addressing this? A reprint of Horror Adventures seems unlikely in the near future given it was released not-too-long ago, so an FAQ is the best place to get the info out there. Since your post makes it seem like the PDT was already all on board with the change (due to that being the original turnover), it could be a bonus/rider in addition to the regular FAQ slot for the week without too much extra work :)
If some time soon we do a big list of smaller FAQs to inaugurate the FAQ page for Horror, like the last few books, I'd want this to be one of them.
If some time soon we do a big list of smaller FAQs to inaugurate the FAQ page for Horror, like the last few books, I'd want this to be one of them.I was surprised to see that with positive touch, as the ability left us saying (to quote the older file) "or remove the Will save for half damage." I'm guessing somewhere down the line the "for" was misunderstood to mean "in exchange for dealing" and altered accordingly, but this is a mistake.Any chance for a "bonus" FAQ addressing this? A reprint of Horror Adventures seems unlikely in the near future given it was released not-too-long ago, so an FAQ is the best place to get the info out there. Since your post makes it seem like the PDT was already all on board with the change (due to that being the original turnover), it could be a bonus/rider in addition to the regular FAQ slot for the week without too much extra work :)
That'd be great. If anything, could I get a weigh-in on #1 in my OP?
For #1 I'd personally rule it as you lose your spellcasting until you seek out an atonement. Simply removing the spells from the Sorc/Wizard list doesn't prevent them from casting it from a scroll/wand via UMD. That said, I FAQ-clicked it to get an actual answer because why not.
That'd be great. If anything, could I get a weigh-in on #1 in my OP?If some time soon we do a big list of smaller FAQs to inaugurate the FAQ page for Horror, like the last few books, I'd want this to be one of them.I was surprised to see that with positive touch, as the ability left us saying (to quote the older file) "or remove the Will save for half damage." I'm guessing somewhere down the line the "for" was misunderstood to mean "in exchange for dealing" and altered accordingly, but this is a mistake.Any chance for a "bonus" FAQ addressing this? A reprint of Horror Adventures seems unlikely in the near future given it was released not-too-long ago, so an FAQ is the best place to get the info out there. Since your post makes it seem like the PDT was already all on board with the change (due to that being the original turnover), it could be a bonus/rider in addition to the regular FAQ slot for the week without too much extra work :)
Should be can't use them. If they try something to make one anyway using a magic item or the like, you could probably do something like losing access to the special abilities from the archetype until atoning (but keep basic wizard casting and other wizard stuff).
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New archetype from Horror Adventures. I realize not everyone will have this book since it's only been out for three days, but I have some nagging questions that it would be nice to get answered.
1. Does the hallowed necromancer have spell restrictions?
A hallowed necromancer's arcane school option reads as follows:
A hallowed necromancer must specialize in the school of necromancy and swears to never create undead.
This alters arcane school and spells.
Supposedly the archetype alters your spells by saying that you vow to never create undead, but nowhere does it actually say that you either get punished for making/raising undead (Much like how the undead master archetype requires you to be evil), or that the archetype removes animate dead, create undead, and other spells on the wizard list that can potentially bring about undead. Was there not enough word space to spell out that you don't get those spells or get punished for using them?
There's no actual class requirement to not create undead. It doesn't say you can't, just that you've sworn not to. So depending on how much your character adhere's to promises, you might still create undead.
That said, entire class seems designed around the idea of allowing necromancers to not have their traditional negative reactions from other players and NPCs. I'd only take this archetype if I really intended to not create undead.
New archetype from Horror Adventures. I realize not everyone will have this book since it's only been out for three days, but I have some nagging questions that it would be nice to get answered.
1. Does the hallowed necromancer have spell restrictions?
A hallowed necromancer's arcane school option reads as follows:
A hallowed necromancer must specialize in the school of necromancy and swears to never create undead.
This alters arcane school and spells.
Supposedly the archetype alters your spells by saying that you vow to never create undead, but nowhere does it actually say that you either get punished for making/raising undead (Much like how the undead master archetype requires you to be evil), or that the archetype removes animate dead, create undead, and other spells on the wizard list that can potentially bring about undead. Was there not enough word space to spell out that you don't get those spells or get punished for using them?
There's no actual class requirement to not create undead. It doesn't say you can't, just that you've sworn not to. So depending on how much your character adhere's to promises, you might still create undead.
That said, entire class seems designed around the idea of allowing necromancers to not have their traditional negative reactions from other players and NPCs. I'd only take this archetype if I really intended to not create undead.
See Mark Seifter's post above. The intention was that a hallowed necromancer cannot prepare or cast spells that create or animate undead, and if they tried to circumvent that with wands or scrolls, they lose their archetype features (But not spells) until they receive an atonement.
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Read my posts next time....
There's no actual class requirement to not create undead. It doesn't say you can't, just that you've sworn not to. So depending on how much your character adhere's to promises, you might still create undead.
That said, entire class seems designed around the idea of allowing necromancers to not have their traditional negative reactions from other players and NPCs. I'd only take this archetype if I really intended to not create undead.
I see Mark's post, and it's very much agrees with my stance. I don't think the actual text says you can't create undead, but as a player or the GM I would definitely not allow a player to create undead with this archetype.
I know this has been inactive for a while, but there is a case for #2:
That undead creature over there has an awfully high Will save for whatever reason (template, boosts from something/someone else)… and even half damage is damage… especially if the party is having a hard time with killing the creature and has another means for healing available.
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I know this has been inactive for a while, but there is a case for #2:
That undead creature over there has an awfully high Will save for whatever reason (template, boosts from something/someone else)… and even half damage is damage… especially if the party is having a hard time with killing the creature and has another means for healing available.
...and if it makes the Will save it takes half damage... ??
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As already linked above. This one is FAQed.I know this has been inactive for a while, but there is a case for #2:
That undead creature over there has an awfully high Will save for whatever reason (template, boosts from something/someone else) and even half damage is damage especially if the party is having a hard time with killing the creature and has another means for healing available.
Postive Touch FaQed
Though regarding Positive Touch (Su) questions, I've got one. If I spontaneously cast a Cure Spell from another class (like if I have levels in Bard or Oracle), can I make use of Positive Touch (Su) uses to deny will saves or allow the Cure spell to have Range of close?