(Also posted in the Warpriest discussion thread, but moved to a separate topic as this may be more productive.)
After extensive playtesting of the warpriest (mostly in the form of running mock combat scenarios myself), I've come to a couple of conclusions about the blessings.
1. Standard action blessings have too short of a duration and too small of an effect to be worth using in combat, and most of them have no out-of-combat utility.
2. Swift actions should be used as a way to effectively augment the warpriest's combat abilities after the initial swift action has been used on sacred weapon. Many of the swift action blessings can't fulfill this purpose.
3. Passive abilities are the most powerful benefit you can get from a blessing, as the warpriest is starved for actions already.
I spent about 6 hours going through all of the blessings and modifying (in some cases totally rewriting) them in order to address these concerns. Most of the blessings now have one swift action power and one passive power, with only a few exceptions. I'm pretty happy with all of the results, with 3 exceptions:
- Rune and Nobility I'm honestly not sure what to do with, as the current abilities don't work all that well and I don't have any ideas as to what abilities you could give to the warpriest that would be both effective and thematically appropriate. Suggestions are welcome.
- It's unfortunate that the Death blessing is totally inappropriate thematically for worshippers of Pharasma. Then again, the original death blessing in the playtest has the same problem.
When reading the modified blessings note that a power that doesn't specifically state what type of action it uses is an always-on, passive ability. I also recommend using these modified blessings with some rule that allows the warpriest to use their daily blessing uses to create some other effect, as it's totally possible to pick two blessings that have a minor passive power and thus have no way to actually go through that resource. (I've been playtesting with spending a blessing usage as a way to get 1/4 class level * d8 temporary hit points.)
Deities: Gozreh, Shelyn
Zephyr's Gift (Minor): Any ranged weapon the warpriest holds gains the quality of air. Making ranged attacks with this weapon never provokes an attack of opportunity, and the range increment of the weapon increases by 5 feet per class level.
Soaring Assault (Major): The Warpriest gains a fly speed of 60 feet with average maneuverability, and a bonus on fly skill checks equal to his class level. Whenever you succeed at a charge attack while flying, that attack deals additional electricity damage equal to your class level. This is a supernatural ability.
Animal
Deities: Erastil, Gozreh
Animal Fury (Minor): The Warpriest gains 2 claw attacks or 1 bite attack (the decision is made when the ability is gained). These attacks deal appropriate damage for the warpriest's size. These are primary natural attacks that replace any similar primary natural attacks the warpriest may already have.
Call of the Wild (Major): The Warpriest gains Scent, Low-Light Vision, and Darkvision out to 60 feet (if he already possessed Darkvision, its range extends by 60 ft.). As a swift action, the Warpriest gains a +2 morale bonus to Strength or Dexterity (warpriest's choice) until the end of his turn. This bonus increases to +4 at 15th level, and +6 at 20th level.
Artifice
Deities: Torag
Crafter's Wrath (Minor): The Warpriest gains a +4 morale bonus to damage rolls against constructs and objects (including damage rolls for sunder combat maneuvers). The warpriest also gains Improved Sunder as a bonus feat.
Enhance Magic (Major): As a swift action, you may activate your Sacred Weapon or Sacred Armor ability, gaining an enhancement bonus on your armor or weapon 2 points greater than otherwise. These points may be used to grant the item magic properties, as normal.
Chaos
Deities: Calistria, Cayden Cailean, Desna, Gorum, Lamashtu, Rovagug
Anarchic Strike (Minor): Any weapon you hold deals an extra 1d6 points of damage against lawful creatures. This bonus damage doesn't stack with the anarchic weapon special ability. The weapon is considered chaotic for the purposes of overcoming damage reduction.
Strike of Limitless Chaos (Major): As a swift action, the next attack you make with your weapon stuns a lawful creature it strikes, unless that creature succeeds at a will save. A Lawful Outsider takes a -4 penalty to this save. If the creature it strikes isn't Lawful, or misses, this ability does nothing and is wasted.
Charm
Deities: Calistra, Cayden Cailean, Norgorber, Shelyn
Forceful Domination (Minor): As a swift action, you can issue a Command (as the spell) to 1 enemy within 30 feet. It must succeed at a will saving throw or submit for 1 round.
Charming Presence (Major): The warpriest becomes strangely mesmerizing, as the effects of a Sanctuary spell, save that if the warpriest attacks an enemy the effect is only broken towards that enemy. This is a mind-affecting effect.
Community
Deities: Erastil
Communal Aid (Minor): Whenever the Warpriest uses the Aid Another action, the bonus is increased to +4.
Arrow Deflection (Major): As a swift action, you can touch a shield to give it the Arrow Deflection ability for 1 minute. In addition, any projectile or thrown weapon aimed at a target within 30 feet of the shield's bearer diverts from its original target and targets the bearer instead.
Darkness
Deities: Zon-Kuthon
Enshrouding Darkness (Minor): The warpriest becomes cloaked in shadows. All attacks against him have a miss chance equal to 5% * half his class level (minimum 5%). This ability does not work in full daylight. Creatures able to see normally in supernatural darkness ignore this miss chance. This miss chance does not stack with miss chance granted from any other source, such as concealment.
Darkened Vision (Major): As a swift action, any successful attack you make with your weapon until the beginning of your next turn blinds the target as blindness/deafness for 1 minute, unless the target succeeds at a will saving throw.
Death
Deities: Norgorber, Pharasma, Urgathoa, Zon-Kuthon
From the Grave (Minor): You gain a corpse-like visage, making you more intimidating and giving you undead-like protection. You gain a +4 bonus to Intimidate checks, and to Disguise checks to resemble an undead creature, as well as a +2 bonus on saving throws against disease, mind-affecting effects, paralysis, poison, and stun.
Death's Touch (Major): As a swift action when you hit an opponent with a melee attack, the target gains 1 temporary negative level for 1 minute. These temporary negative levels stack. You gain 1d6 temporary hit points when you inflict a negative level this way.
Destruction
Deities: Gorum, Nethys, Rovagug, Zon-Kuthon
Destructive Attacks (Minor): As a swift action, all attacks you make with your weapon this turn gain a morale bonus to damage rolls equal to half your level (minimum 1).
Heart of Carnage (Major): The critical threat range of any weapon you hold increases by 1. This benefit is not doubled by effects such as the Improved Critical feat or the Keen weapon property, but it does stack with those effects.
Earth
Deities: Gorum, Nethys
Acid Strike (Minor): As a swift action, all attacks you make with your weapon for 1 minute deals an additional 1d4 points of acid damage with each strike. This bonus damage does not stack with the corrosive weapon special ability.
Armor of Earth (Major): Your skin hardens like stone. You gain DR 3/-. If you already have DR 3/- or greater, this DR increases by 1 point, to a maximum of DR 15/-.
Evil
Deities: Asmodeus, Lamashtu, Norgorber, Rovagug, Urgathoa, Zon-Kuthon
Unholy Strike (Minor): Any weapon you hold deals an extra 1d6 points of damage against good creatures. This bonus damage does not stack with the unholy weapon special ability. The weapon is considered evil for the purposes of overcoming damage reduction.
Strike of Unspeakable Evil (Major): As a swift action, the next attack you make with your weapon stuns a good creature it strikes, unless that creature succeeds at a will save. A Good Outsider takes a -4 penalty to this save. If the creature it strikes isn't Good, or misses, this ability does nothing and is wasted.
Fire
Deities: Asmodeus, Sarenrae
Flaming Strike (Minor): As a swift action, all attacks you make with your weapon for 1 minute deals an additional 1d4 points of fire damage with each strike. This bonus damage does not stack with the flaming or flaming burst weapon special abilities.
Armor of Flame (Major): The warpriest becomes wrapped in flames. You become under the constant effect of a Fire Shield (warm shield only). You may suppress or resume this ability as a free action.
Glory
Deities: Gorum, Iomedae, Sarenrae
Glorious Presence (Minor): The Warpriest gains Intimidate as a class skill, and may add his Wisdom modifier to his Charisma modifier for the purposes of making Diplomacy and Intimidate checks.
Demoralizing Glory (Major): As a swift action when you damage an opponent with an attack, you can attempt to demoralize that opponent with the Intimidate skill, using your Warpriest level in place of your ranks in Intimidate.
Good
Deities: Cayden Cailean, Desna, Erastil, Iomedae, Sarenrae, Shelyn, Torag
Holy Strike (Minor): Any weapon you hold deals an extra 1d6 points of damage against good creatures. This bonus damage does not stack with the unholy weapon special ability. The weapon is considered good for the purposes of overcoming damage reduction.
Strike of Overwhelming Good (Major): As a swift action, the next attack you make with your weapon stuns an evil creature it strikes, unless that creature succeeds at a will save. An Evil Outsider takes a -4 penalty to this save. If the creature it strikes isn't evil, or misses, this ability does nothing and is wasted.
Healing
Deities: Irori, Pharasma, Sarenrae
Close Wounds (Minor): As an immediate action, one ally within 60 feet heals 1d8 points of damage for every 4 warpriest levels you possess (minimum 1d8). If this ability is used in response to that creature taking damage, the damage this ability heals is considered to be prevented. (For example, if you use this ability when an ally would be reduced to below -10 hit points, and this ability heals them above -10 hit points, that ally does not die.)
Fast Healing (Major): The Warpriest gains Fast Healing 1.
Knowledge
Deities: Calistria, Irori, Nethys, Norgorber, Pharasma
Lore Keeper (Minor): Whenever you make a knowledge check to learn a creature's strengths and weaknesses, you may add your Wisdom modifier as a bonus to the check. You gain all Knowledge skills as class skills.
Monster Lore (Major): As a swift action, you may make a check against all creatures present to learn about their strengths and weaknesses (this is considered only one use of the blessing no matter how many creatures there are). You be trained in the appropriate knowledge skill to make this check. Against any creatures for which the check succeeds, you gain a +4 insight bonus on attack rolls, damage rolls, AC, and saving throws for 1 minute.
Law
Deities: Abadar, Asmodeus, Erastil, Iomedae, Irori, Torag, Zon-Kuthon
Axiomatic Strike (Minor): Any weapon you hold deals an extra 1d6 points of damage against chaotic creatures. This bonus damage does not stack with the axiomatic weapon special ability. The weapon is considered lawful for the purposes of overcoming damage reduction.
Strike of Perfect Order (Major): As a swift action, the next attack you make with your weapon stuns a chaotic creature it strikes, unless that creature succeeds at a will save. A Chaotic Outsider takes a -4 penalty to this save. If the creature it strikes isn't Chaotic, or misses, this ability does nothing and is wasted.
Liberation
Deities: Desna
Liberation (Minor): As a swift action you can ignore impediments to your mobility for 1 round, as freedom of movement. You may activate this blessing even if you're unable to take actions, but not if you are unconscious.
Freedom's Call (Major): You emit an aura of freedom. You and all allies within 30 feet become immune to the confused, dazed, grappled, frightened, panicked, paralyzed, pinned, shaken, or stunned conditions.
Luck
Deities: Calistra, Desna, Shelyn
Lucky Surge (Minor): Whenever you roll an attack roll, skill check, or saving throw, as a swift action you can roll twice and take the higher result.
Unlucky Aura (Major): All enemies within 30 feet of you take a -2 luck penalty to attack rolls, skill checks, AC, and saving throws.
Madness
Deities: Lamashtu
Vision of Insanity (Minor): As a swift action, you may confuse a creature within 30 feet for 1 round that fails a will save, as the spell Lesser Confusion. The creature rerolls any result except "Attack Self" or "Babble Incoherently." This is a mind-affecting ability.
Aura of Nightmares (Major): Any creature that comes within 30 feet of you gains the Shaken condition. This bypasses immunity to fear, but does not stack with any other fear effect.
Magic
Deities: Asmodeus, Nethys, Urgathoa
Magical Surge (Minor): Any allied spellcaster within 10 feet of you gains a +1 bonus to their spell's caster level or saving throw DCs; The spellcaster chooses which benefit their spell gets at the time of the casting of the spell. This ability does not work on your own spells.
Eldritch Disruption (Major): As a swift action, you can select 1 creature within 30 feet: That creature loses all ability to cast spells or use its spell-like or supernatural abilities, as if it were in an antimagic field, for 1 round.
Nobility
Deities: Abadar
Inspiring Word (Minor): As a swift action you can speak an inspiring word to a creature within 30 feet. The creature receives a +2 morale bonus to attack rolls, skill checks, ability checks, and saving throws for 1 round. You cannot use this ability on yourself.
Lead By Example (Major): You can inspire allies to follow your lead. If you take an action on your turn, all allies within 30 feet who take the same action on their next turn gain a +4 morale bonus to the attack roll, skill check, ability check, or saving throw to complete that action. For example, if you charge an opponent and make a melee attack, and an ally also charges an opponent and makes a melee attack, she gains a +4 morale bonus on her attack roll.
Plant
Deities: Erastil, Gozreh
Entangling Vines (Minor): As a swift action, you can summon vines to entangle a creature within 60 feet for 1 round (reflex negates).
Tree Guardian (Major): By spending 10 minutes meditating beneath a tree, you can turn that tree into a Treant that serves you absolutely. It lasts for either 24 hours or until it is destroyed. You may only have one Treant at a time created this way: Creating another one turns the old one back into an ordinary tree. Using this ability does not require expending one of your daily blessing uses.
Protection
Deities: Abadar, Nethys, Shelyn, Torag
Increased Defense (Minor): As a swift action, you can give yourself a +1 resistance bonus to all saving throws for 1 minute. This bonus increases to +2 at 5th level, and +1 for every 5 levels after that (to a maximum of +5 at 20th level). This resistance bonus stacks with any resistance bonus to saving throws you already have.
Aura of Protection (Major): You emit a 30-foot aura that fills allies with feelings of warmth and safety. You and your allies within this aura gain a +1 deflection bonus to AC and resistance 5 against acid, cold, electricity, fire, and sonic. The deflection bonus increases to +2 at 15th level and +3 at 20th level. At 15th level, the energy resistance increases to 10.
Repose
Deities: Pharasma
Gentle Rest (Minor): As a swift action, you can fill a creature within 30 feet with lethargy, causing it to be staggered for 1 round. If the creature is already staggered, it instead falls asleep for 1 round. An undead targeted by this ability is staggered for a number of rounds equal to your Wisdom modifier instead (minimum 1).
Back to the Grave (Major): You gain Turn Undead as a bonus feat, even if you don't channel positive energy, and the save DC to resist being turned is increased by your Wisdom modifier. Any undead that fails its will save by 5 or more when you use this ability is destroyed utterly.
Rune
Deities: Irori, Nethys
Blast Rune (Minor): As a swift action, you can create a blast rune in any adjacent square. Any creature entering this square takes points of damage equal to 1d6 + half your class level. This rune deals either acid, cold, electricity, or fire damage, designated when the rune is created. the rune lasts a number of rounds equal to your warpriest level or until discharged. You cannot create a blast rune in a square occupied by another creature. This rune counts as a 1st-level spell for the purposes of dispelling. It can be discovered with a DC 26 perception check, and disarmed with a DC 26 Disable Device check.
Spell-Storing Weapon (Major): As a standard action, you can cast a spell into a weapon as if it had the spell storing special ability. If the stored weapon is not used within 10 minutes, it dissapates.
Strength
Deities: Cayden Cailean, Gorum, Irori, Lamashtu, Urgathoa
Strength Surge (Minor): As a swift action, you gain a morale bonus equal to your class level (minimum +2) to your Strength for 1 round.
Strength of Will (Major): You can ignore the movement penalties from wearing medium and heavy armor (or carrying a medium or heavy load). You may add your Strength bonus on your saving throws against effects that would paralyze, slow, daze, or stun you.
Sun
Deities: Iomedae, Sarenrae
Blinding Strike (Minor): When you strike an opponent with an attack, as a swift action you can make it glow with a flash of sunlight. If the creature struck by the attack fails a reflex saving throw, it is blinded for 1 round; otherwise, it's dazzled for 1 round. This is a light effect. Creatures with light blindness or light sensitivity take a -4 penalty on this saving throw. Sightless creatures are unaffected by this ability.
Bane of Undead (Major): Any weapon you hold gains undead-slaying weapon special ability.
Travel
Deities: Abadar, Cayden Cailean, Desna
Agile Feet (Minor): You ignore all difficult terrain and take no penalties for moving through it.
Dimensional Hop (Major): As a swift action, you can use Dimension Door as a supernatural ability. At 20th level, you can instead use Greater Teleport as a supernatural ability.
Trickery
Deities: Asmodeus, Calistria, Lamashtu, Norgorber
Distraction (Minor): Any foe adjacent to you is considered to be flat-footed for the purposes of all effects except your own.
Greater Invisibility (Major): As a swift action, you can turn invisible, as the spell Greater Invisibility, for 1 round.
War
Deities: Gorum, Iomedae, Rovagug, Urgathoa
War Mind (Minor): You gain a bonus on all initiative checks equal to your Wisdom modifier. At 10th level, when you roll initiative, you may roll twice and take the higher result. At 20th level, you're always treated as if you rolled a natural 20 for your initiative check.
Weapon Master (Major): As a swift action, you can gain the benefits of any combat feat for 1 round, but you must meet the prerequisites of this feat.
Water
Deities: Gozreh, Pharasma
Frost Strike (Minor): As a swift action, all attacks you make with your weapon for 1 minute deals an additional 1d4 points of cold damage with each strike. This bonus damage does not stack with the frost or icy burst weapon special abilities.
Armor of Ice (Major): The warpriest becomes wrapped in freezing mist. You become under the constant effect of a Fire Shield (cold shield only). You may suppress or resume this ability as a free action.
Weather
Deities: Gozreh, Rovagug
Storm Strike (Minor): As a swift action, all attacks you make with your weapon for 1 minute deals an additional 1d4 points of electricity damage with each strike. This bonus damage does not stack with the shock or shocking burst weapon special abilities.
Wind Barrier (Major): The Warpriest is surrounded by a barrier of fast-moving winds. You are constantly protected by the effects of a Feather Fall and a Wind Wall, save that it doesn't interfere with your own ranged attacks.
All suggestions are welcome!