Feat of Magic

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Due to hit subscribers and store shelves in just a few days, we are continuing our look into Ultimate Magic. This week we are diving into the feats chapter, with a bonus look at spells.

At 20 pages long, the feats chapter is by no means huge, but it does feature a little something for just about every spellcaster in the game, with a few options for nonspellcasters thrown in for good measure. While a number of these feats are here to complement one of the new archetypes, some fill out some holes left by the APG. For example, Extra Evolution gives the summoner more points to use when building his eidolon. Looking through the feat lists, though, I am drawn to the feats that allow characters to explore the game in new and interesting ways. Take a look at this one.

Eldritch Heritage
You are descended from a long line of sorcerers, and some portion of their power flows in your veins.
Prerequisites: Cha 13, Skill Focus with the class skill of bloodline selected for this feat (see below), character level 3rd.
Benefit: Select one sorcerer bloodline. You must have Skill focus in the class skill that bloodline grants to a sorcerer at 1st level (for example, Heal for the celestial bloodline). This bloodline cannot be a bloodline you already have. You gain the first-level bloodline power for the selected bloodline. For purposes of using that power, treat your sorcerer level as equal to your character level – 2, even if you have levels in sorcerer. You do not gain any of the other bloodline abilities.

Bloodlines—they're not just for sorcerers anymore.

Moving on, this book has a number of metamagic feats, as well, for every spellcaster to play with. While a number of these add effects to spells that deal a specific kind of energy damage, my personal favorite (due to some recent frustrating encounters) has to be this one.

Piercing Spell (Metamagic)
Your studies have helped you develop methods to overcome spell resistance.
Benefit: When you cast a piercing spell against a target with spell resistance, it treats the spell resistance of the target as 5 lower than its actual SR. A piercing spell uses up a spell slot one level higher than the spell's actual level.

Not surprisingly, this book also includes a sizable number of new spells for every spellcaster in the game. There are new symbol spells, new spells for the polymorph subschool (undead anatomy has been long awaited), and plenty of unique spells for some of the newer spellcasting classes (like witch and inquisitor). In addition, there are a lot spells designed specifically to add a bit of interesting flavor to the spellcaster's arsenal. Looking to flesh out your evil bard? Take a look at this spell.

Illustration by Tyler Walpole

Haunting Choir
School necromancy [mind-affecting, pain]; Level bard 3
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S
Range close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Area 30-ft.-radius emanation
Duration concentration + 2 rounds
Saving Throw Will negates; Spell Resistance yes
You create a spectral choir and conduct its tortured, ghostly moans, deluding listeners into believing they are suffering the torments of the dead. The transparent singers occupy a 10-foot cube, but they are intangible and do not interfere with creatures in any physical way, nor can they be attacked. Creatures within 30 feet of the choir experience wracking pain that causes them to take a –2 penalty on attack rolls, skill checks, and ability checks. Individuals who exit the area of effect take these penalties for an additional 2 rounds before the delusion wears off.

I was about to wrap up the blog right there, but then I remember seeing this spell. I will end with this festive magic. Next week, we will wrap up our previews with one last look at the words of power alternative spellcasting system. Enjoy.

Snapdragon Fireworks
School transmutation [fire, light]; Level bard 2, sorcerer/wizard 1
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components S, V, M (a bundle of sulfur wrapped in cloth)
Range long (400 ft. + 40 ft./level)
Effect dragon-shaped fireworks
Duration 1 round/level
Saving Throw Reflex negates; Spell Resistance yes
A favorite display at halfling midsummer festivals, this spell lets you create fireworks in the shape of tiny dragons. Once per round, as a move action, you may designate a target 5-foot-square within range and launch a pyrotechnic in that direction. The pyrotechnic takes a zigzag path from you to that square, always missing creatures and objects in its path, and detonates in that square with a bang and a colorful burst of fire and light. Creatures in the target square take 1d4 points of fire damage and are dazzled for 1 round (Reflex half, a successful save negates the dazzled condition). Normally when this spell is used as part of a festival, the chosen target is high in the sky to increase visibility and protect observers.

Jason Bulmahn
Lead Designer

More Paizo Blog.
Tags: Bards Design Tuesdays Halflings Iconics Lem Monsters Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Tyler Walpole Undead
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RPG Superstar 2010 Top 32

Souphin wrote:
And on that note, can a Palidin use "Corrupting Touch" on a foe and treat that foe as an evil outsider?

I think that only evil outsiders are evil outsiders, and that causing a creature to detect as an evil outsider wouldn't cause it to function as one in other respects. Additionally, I think a lot of DMs would houserule this ability to have the [evil] descriptor (even though it isn't a spell and doesn't have a field for descriptors).

That's an awesome idea, though, especially for any of those LN, Cuthbert-esque "too righteous for my own [Good]" paladin variants.


Cartigan wrote:
Quandary wrote:

I`m confused about the Haunting Choir spell,

it seems to introduce a new precedent for spell areas:

Quote:

Haunting Choir

School necromancy [mind-affecting, pain]; Level bard 3
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S
Range close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Area 30-ft.-radius emanation
Duration concentration + 2 rounds
Saving Throw Will negates; Spell Resistance yes
You create a spectral choir and conduct its tortured, ghostly moans, deluding listeners into believing they are suffering the torments of the dead. The transparent singers occupy a 10-foot cube, but they are intangible and do not interfere with creatures in any physical way, nor can they be attacked. Creatures within 30 feet of the choir experience wracking pain that causes them to take a –2 penalty on attack rolls, skill checks, and ability checks.
Isn`t there a discrepancy between this spell and how area spells usually work, e.g. Antimagic Field which centers it`s radius emanantion on an intersection? In this case, it justs says 30-ft. radius emanation in the Area line, but in the Description we learn there is a 10x10 area ocupied by the `choir` and anybody WITHIN 10` feat of the choir, i.e. FROM IT`S BORDERS, is affected, which is 5` further than if we simply relied on the Area line. Is this a problem?
Editing fail.

The spell clearly says that it creates a ghostly choir. The choir occupies space in a 10ft. cube. Their singing is an emanation effect, which centers on the choir itself at a distance of 30 feet.

RPG Superstar 2010 Top 32

Golden-Esque wrote:
Cartigan wrote:
Quandary wrote:

I`m confused about the Haunting Choir spell,

it seems to introduce a new precedent for spell areas:

Quote:

Haunting Choir

School necromancy [mind-affecting, pain]; Level bard 3
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S
Range close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Area 30-ft.-radius emanation
Duration concentration + 2 rounds
Saving Throw Will negates; Spell Resistance yes
You create a spectral choir and conduct its tortured, ghostly moans, deluding listeners into believing they are suffering the torments of the dead. The transparent singers occupy a 10-foot cube, but they are intangible and do not interfere with creatures in any physical way, nor can they be attacked. Creatures within 30 feet of the choir experience wracking pain that causes them to take a –2 penalty on attack rolls, skill checks, and ability checks.
Isn`t there a discrepancy between this spell and how area spells usually work, e.g. Antimagic Field which centers it`s radius emanantion on an intersection? In this case, it justs says 30-ft. radius emanation in the Area line, but in the Description we learn there is a 10x10 area ocupied by the `choir` and anybody WITHIN 10` feat of the choir, i.e. FROM IT`S BORDERS, is affected, which is 5` further than if we simply relied on the Area line. Is this a problem?
Editing fail.
The spell clearly says that it creates a ghostly choir. The choir occupies space in a 10ft. cube. Their singing is an emanation effect, which centers on the choir itself at a distance of 30 feet.

You mean, it centers on the central intersection of the choir?

I don't think that's clear from the text (though if it were, then yes, the actual choir's area would be a superficial detail and this would be nothing out of the ordinary.


The spell doesn´t even say the choir´s cube is at the center of the emanation.
How you explained it is probably what went thru the writer´s and editor´s heads sub-consciously, but the rules don´t work like that.

You can´t have a Colossal Creature with an aura that instantly kills anybody who approaches within 10´ of the creature, but then claim that only applies from it´s central intersection, and thus doesn´t actually apply to much because the creature itself is occupying that area. This is the exact same relevant wording. ´(Distance) from an area´ means distance between borders of space they occupy in just about all other instances of the rules. Just like in real life, if I say ´stay 1 foot away from me´, if you try and enact your interpretation (and count the distance from my center point thru my non-existent pot belly), thus standing mere centimeters from my ´perimeter´, I´m not going to be amused.

Fundamentally, there isn´t any need to say ´Creatures within 30 feet of the choir´ in the description: The cube containing the choir can still be mentioned for whatever importance it has (perhaps actually stating it is at the center of the effect), but for the effects on the targets, it can just say ´creatures within the effect´ and rely on the Area line AS NORMAL SPELLS DO.

Paizo Employee Director of Game Design

So...

The choir takes up a 10' by 10'. Anyone within 30' of the choir (of their cube) is affected. The area line should probably say "see below" than what it currently does, but it is not terribly off.

Just trying to track down all the fuss.

Jason Bulmahn
Lead Designer
Paizo Publishing

Liberty's Edge

Abraham spalding wrote:
So if you have the spell up twice then you could move action attack with one spell and then move action attack with the other spell. This would leave you with a swift action and five foot step.

Or you could be mounted and have your mount move around while you direct the snapdragons.

I love this spell both for fluff and crunch, it will fit my Halfling Jinx Arcane Sorceress perfectly, as her magic tends to appear as colored light effects.

A 1st-level spell with long range which can target different creatures and which require Reflex saves is just perfect for the Jinxed Spell metamagic feat.

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