JWebbGarrett's page

I doubt Paizo would make such drastic changes this late in the game though. The system they have now isn't bad either - especially since there is stuff like the Wizard's ability to swap a prepared spell (Quick Preparation).

"This late?" I understand what you mean, but I hope they are not so locked into their ideas this early in the playtest as to discount any major changes that may need to come up. We're still early in the playtest, so changes like this can still be made should they see it as necessary, and I don't think the basic changes would take all that much work.

Remove the rule about spontaneous casters only being able to heighten a few of their spells and rewrite how preparing spells work. Done.

Sure, the work that the Sorcerer needs will take a bit more, but that can be a major focus of the playtest going forward. I think the Bard is otherwise fine, though am certain others will disagree and argue for giving them something more, which I would not be opposed to.

I like alignments.

Please keep it in the game.

Zon-kuthon is LE btw, not CE.

I also really like the alignment system and have used it in many games not to demand my players act a certain way, but to provide a way of thinking about how characters might think. I'm not strict with alignments and allow them to change should characters find an alignment not to their liking.

I'm presently playing a martial artist monk in PF 1.0 right now and part of that character thrives on the idea that monks are lawful while she is one of the more chaotic characters I've ever played. Does it do anything for her mechanically? No. It's just a fun part of the story.

I would like it if they kept it around, but added something like "unaligned" for creatures that run almost purely on instinct, such as animals and more bestial monsters.

JWebbGarrett wrote:

This is essentially what I was asking for in my other post;

THREAD

Obviously, I am all for Arcanist style casting for prepared casters. Especially with having fewer spells per day (3 per spell level max) I cannot imagine wanting to play a character who has to decide "how many magic missiles do I want to prepare?" or "do I want a 3rd level magic missile or three fireballs?" Honestly, this has been a problem for me ever since I was introduced to the alternative casting method as I first discovered in 5e.

I feel that sorcerers do need a bit of an overhaul as presented. I have no specifics in mind, as none of my players have shown any interest in the sorcerer as is, which in itself can be seen as a problem. One of their strengths, as is, is that they can choose which type of magic to use via their bloodline, but there has to be a reason to want to play Sorcerer vs Wizard for arcane spells, Sorcerer vs Cleric for divine, vs Druid for primal, and vs Bard for occult, otherwise there is no point of a sorcerer. I think bloodline based abilities and bloodline powers that use Spell Points will be the answer to this (as long as each bloodline gets some neat powers to make use of that are both interesting and viable for regular use in game). I feel that sorcerers should get more powers as opposed to other full casters, but that's only my own opinion and I have no real playtest data to back that up.

In the end, all options need to be fun and interesting while still being distinct from one another. This is a tall order, but I feel that it is well within the scope of what Paizo can do.

Your thread reminded me to ask this. This thread is more of a poll style thread. Would you like this or not

Short answer: Yes.

This is essentially what I was asking for in my other post;

THREAD

Obviously, I am all for Arcanist style casting for prepared casters. Especially with having fewer spells per day (3 per spell level max) I cannot imagine wanting to play a character who has to decide "how many magic missiles do I want to prepare?" or "do I want a 3rd level magic missile or three fireballs?" Honestly, this has been a problem for me ever since I was introduced to the alternative casting method as I first discovered in 5e.

I feel that sorcerers do need a bit of an overhaul as presented. I have no specifics in mind, as none of my players have shown any interest in the sorcerer as is, which in itself can be seen as a problem. One of their strengths, as is, is that they can choose which type of magic to use via their bloodline, but there has to be a reason to want to play Sorcerer vs Wizard for arcane spells, Sorcerer vs Cleric for divine, vs Druid for primal, and vs Bard for occult, otherwise there is no point of a sorcerer. I think bloodline based abilities and bloodline powers that use Spell Points will be the answer to this (as long as each bloodline gets some neat powers to make use of that are both interesting and viable for regular use in game). I feel that sorcerers should get more powers as opposed to other full casters, but that's only my own opinion and I have no real playtest data to back that up.

In the end, all options need to be fun and interesting while still being distinct from one another. This is a tall order, but I feel that it is well within the scope of what Paizo can do.

I'm going to start of praising the present idea of how magic works now. I enjoy the system that is in place for how spells work based on what level they are cast at and I feel that this is a great starting point for Pathfinder 2.0. However, I do have a few issues and suggestions for improving this implementation.

Starting with Spontaneous casters such as Bards and Sorcerers, I find the limitation placed on what spells they are able to heighten very restrictive, to the point that I and my groups don't enjoy playing them. Only being able to use Heightened spells learned at a heightened level, replacing options for learning higher level spells, and getting to select 2 (or 4 with a Bard feat) spells known to freely heighten feels punishing.

My solution to this problem is a simple one: get rid of that restriction and let spontaneous casters heighten any and all spells they know.

I understand that this may seem a bit extreme and favoring of the spontaneous casters, but in my own experience it hasn't been at all game breaking. As the casters are still limited by the number of spells they are able to cast per level per day, giving them a bit more versatility in the power they are able to cast their spells at has only improved player experience with the system.

Next, a look at prepared casters such as clerics, druids, and wizards. Given my suggestion, it may look to favor spontaneous casters over prepared casters, and it would if nothing were to change for prepared casters. Given the existing rules for preparing spells and the reduced number of spells per day of all casters (maxing now at 3 per spell level) I have found there to be a distinct lack of interest in these classes (save for the cleric which is seen as "needed"). Having to prepare specific spells to specific spell slots, and choosing to heighten spells when preparing them, is a very restrictive system. I understand this is how vancian casting as always worked, but I feel that this is a great opportunity to change the system to make it more fun and intuitive for players.

For this, I look both to D&D 5th Edition and to your own Arcanist class, in which a character prepares a number of spells per day, in essence creating a spell list which they can then cast from spontaneously. The Arcanist is a great class, and I have found players enjoying them a great deal more than traditional wizards. The system is flexible, but still gives those who take time to research and prepare the right spells a distinct advantage, as has always been one of the strengths of the system.

I even feel there is a great system in place for determining how many spells a prepared caster gets to cast each day: proficiency. In my testing of the system, prepared casters could prepare a number of spells per day equal to their Proficiency with spellcasting + their Primary Attribute modifier (INT for Wizards, WIS for Clerics, etc.) regardless of the spell level, leaving it to the player to determine if they want to prepare more higher or lower level spells as lower level spells provide them more diversity vs higher level spells offering more powerful results. As with spontaneous casters, prepared casters could then heighten their spells as they wished when casting them, selecting whatever spell slot they wished to use.

I've shopped this alternative to both my own players, fellow DMs, and to a Pathfinder FB group to get any feedback on it before posting it here. I hope you find it useful in some way.

Best regards and keep up the great work.