Elsidar Amhransidhe's page

So, thematically, the ability is intended to interact with shelled creatures. That being said, there's no real reason you couldn't petrify a mephit around your arm and reinforce it with akashic energy the same way.

Well, if it's just about using another creature's natural defenses to supplement your own, I guess any old creature would do, yes?

What about the other familiar functions? Can the Pharaoh still meditate for Essence healing/maneuver recovery, and form wrist-slot veils with a not-scarab familiar?

While awesome, he seems... Off. Taking Essence burn to power abilities? Abilities based on how much un-burned Essence you have? It... kind of seems you could replace Essence with Power Points and, after fiddling with the numbers, still come out at the same spot.

I second the concerns that Justin had, though not through preference of power points. With the ever-changing size of the essence pool through burning and regaining points, the Pharaoh is going to have a lot of editing of defenses, temporary hit points, and other elements dependent upon his current Essence from round to round.

The shifting of Essence and the changing of numbers was already a hassle under the old Incarnum system (and caused one DM no end of headaches), so I wonder if there couldn't be a way to represent the same ideas that the Pharaoh has (which sound amazingly fun, don't get me wrong) with simpler mechanics that don't require recalculating as much so often.

By level 20, Temporary Hit Points, Armor Class, Will Saves, and Energy Resistance are all determined by the Essence pool, and burning it reduces everything. That's a lot of things to keep in mind, and I worry that forgotten math will make this class unwelcome at some tables.

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On a separate question, how does the Pharaoh interact with "Improved Familiar?" Say a player doesn't like bugs. What happens if he takes Improved Familiar? Can you have a Mephit cling to your arm and take hits for you?

Spell combat is better than a full attack spellstrike. And it doesn't stop you from using it in a full attack either.

Unless you are saying ALL attacks should hit with the magic.

Good lord, no. The situation I'm trying to understand is this:

Level 3 Magus uses Spell Combat with Shocking Grasp; he gets two attack rolls (one with his sword, one for the touch).

Level 3 Magus uses Spell Combat and channels Shocking Grasp with Spell Strike; he gets one attack (his sword; if he hits, the spell goes off).

What I'm looking for is why the second situation doesn't get an extra sword swing (a normal swing, and a Spell Strike swing). I haven't seen an example that shows me that it's as broken as people say.

Or is it based on precedent? Could a normal, non-monk Wizard use a punch, rather than a touch, to deliver Shocking Grasp on the same round he casts the spell (foolish as it may be)?

Casting a spell is a standard action. Making a melee attack is a standard action. Making more than one melee attack in a round is a full-round action. You can't make two standard actions in one round, you can't make a standard action and a full-round action in one round. Casting a spell with touch range changes the touch attack to a free action, Spellstrike changes the touch attack to a melee attack with your weapon.

This is all true, but I don't quite see what you're getting at. Are you agreeing or disagreeing with me?

I'm pretty sure that Spellstrike never grants an extra attack, it just changes the designated 'touching impliment' from your hand to the thing in your hand.

This is my point exactly (and I'm pretty sure I'm quoting correctly this time... >_0a). This is where my confusion sets in.

Conceptually, too, it makes little sense; why would they let you swing your sword around, cast a spell, then slap someone upside the head, but not let you swing your sword one more time?

I sort of understand the contention with a Flaming, Frost, Corrosive, Shock weapon, but I wonder if the same thing couldn't be done by wearing an Amulet of Mighty Fists with the right enchantments on it?

I think it would be way too much to allow the Magus an extra attack by using Spellstrike. Too much nova power IMO.

If he's not using Spell Combat, Spellstrike lets the Magus use his sword instead of his hand to deliver the spell. How is combining the two such that a sword strike delivering a touch spell followed by a normal full attack be too powerful? I don't see the potential for abuse; where are you seeing it?

To explain my reasoning, it's functioning similarly to a low level monk's Flurry, or a Ranger's dual wielding; it nets the Magus an extra swing of his sword for a -2 to all his attacks this round. The Magus has the potential to hit a lot harder with his extra attack depending on what spell he channels, but he can only do that a number of times per day as touch spells he has available. Without a spell to channel, the Magus gets no extra swing.

Shocking Grasp allows the caster to "delay" taking the free touch attack until after a move action. Spell Strike allows the spell to be "channeled" using a weapon, but doesn't grant an additional weapon attack if used with Spell Combat.

So my question is this:

Magus declares Spell Combat. Casts Shocking Grasp. Can the Magus take the weapon attack (as part of Spell Combat) in order to try and channel the spell through the weapon attack, then, if he/she misses with the weapon, then take the "free" touch attack granted by the spell? Or does the "free" touch attack have to be taken immediately when the spell is cast?

If it works the way I understand it, I guess not.

However, I was under the impression that every touch spell allowed the caster to delay the touch until after a move action, especially since if you miss with that touch attack, the caster holds onto the charge.

What I find unusual is that Spell Channeling seems to imply that an extra smack with a sword is too powerful; if the character is making a full attack action and casting a spell all at once, what's one more sword slash worth of damage? Is it really too strong to let Spell Channeling + Spell Combat grant an extra weapon attack as part of channeling a touch spell?