Sueki Suezo |
Here are some of the spells from the Pathfinder RPG Beta Playtest Book that my gaming group believes need to be modified. We'd like you to take a look at them and see how these rules work in your own games. We'll be looking at the downloadable content and the entire Illusion school in future posts as time permits. Many of these spells just need to have their descriptions changed to clarify how the spells work in order to either bring them into line with similar effects or to eliminate old mechanics that are no longer valid under the existing system (such as making opposed CHA checks instead of making skill checks with the appropriate social or performance skills). There are some spells that we feel might need to be changed, but we haven't come to a consensus amongst ourselves on how to fix them, and I have excluded them here.
My gaming group and I have also been discussing how to best address the lack of game balance between spellcasters and non-spellcasters at the higher levels of gameplay (levels 10+) in the Pathfinder RPG. We do not believe that additional revisions to the class abilities of the non-spellcasting classes are the solution to this problem. We also do not believe that the introduction of Feats that grant re-rolls on Saving Throws are sufficient to resolve the issue. We believe that the only mechanic that can help resolve this issue is...
Recovery Saves have been discussed in a quite a few threads on this Forum, and we feel it is absolutely essential to reducing the amount of battlefiend control and overall power that spellcasters currently wield with their "Save-Or-Suck" spells. As it stands right now, it is very easy to take characters out of combat for the entire duration of an encounter by using a "Save-Or-Suck" spell of the proper type against a character. Giving these characters the chance to eventually recover from these "Save-Or-Suck" spells helps mitigate the "all-or-nothing" nature of these effects and gives them the chance to eventually rejoin the combat. It may take some time for a character to accomplish this if they are attempting to make Recovery Saves against one of their weak Saving Throws, but it is a preferable alternative to simply writing off a character as being disabled for the remainder of the encounter. We also believe that it is a better mechanic then modifying the existing Saving Throw progressions of the base Pathfinder RPG classes (as it does not allow characters to multi-class to stack their saving throws as easily), and it reduces the overall reliance on the Big Six magical items.
Therefore, we suggest adding an additional value for spell descriptions under the Saving Throws field called Recovery. If a spell is flagged with the Recovery tag in the Saving Throw field of its description, this means that on every round after the first that the spell is in effect, the target is allowed to make another Saving Throw against the spell at the beginning of their turn to end the effect. Making this Recovery Save is a free action that does not provoke attacks of opportunity.
I address other mechanic changes in the text of some of these spells - we simply felt that since Recovery Saves need to be introduced in so many spells, it's best to just explain the concept and implementation up front and note the spells to be changed accordingly.
Without further ado, here are the spells that we believe need to be changed. I've divided them up with spoiler tags to keep you from being slammed by the Wall of Text.
Animal Trance
Fascination: A Fascination spell causes all those affected by it to become fascinated with either the caster or an illusionary sensory effect created by the caster. The affected creatures remain where they are for the duration of the spell and do not attack or flee. However, they are not helpless and will defend themselves normally if attacked. Any threatening actions taken towards the affected creatures immediately ends the spell.
This spell should therefore be marked as an Enchantment (Fascination) [mind-affecting, sonic] effect.
Antilife Shell
Any creature that is vulnerable to being hedged out by the Antilife Shell that is enclosed within or attempts to enter the Antilife Shell must make a Saving Throw against the effect. If the creature fails its Saving Throw, it is unable to move towards you for that round. Affected creatures may only make one Saving Throw per round to resist this effect. However, their actions are not otherwise restricted, and they can fight other creatures, cast spells, and freely attack you from range. If you move closer to an affected creature, the creature is not forced back. The creature is free to make melee attacks against you if you come within reach.
These changes bring the spell closer into line with the Repulsion spell and clear up some of the issues regarding its deployment whenever you use it whenever you're adjacent to creatures that would otherwise be hedged out by the effect.
Antiplant Shell
Any plant creature or animated plant that is vulnerable to being hedged out by the Antiplant Shell that is enclosed within or attempts to enter the Antiplant Shell must make a Saving Throw against the effect. If the creature fails its Saving Throw, it is unable to move towards you for that round. Affected creatures may only make one Saving Throw per round to resist this effect. However, their actions are not otherwise restricted, and they can fight other creatures, cast spells, and freely attack you from range. If you move closer to an affected creature, the creature is not forced back. The creature is free to make melee attacks against you if you come within reach.
These changes bring the spell closer into line with the Repulsion spell and clear up some of the issues regarding its deployment whenever you use it whenever you're adjacent to creatures that would otherwise be hedged out by the effect.
Baleful Polymorph
Bestow Curse
Blindness/Deafness
Cause Fear
Creatures that successfully make their Recovery Save and are no longer Frightened are still Shaken for the remaining duration of the spell.
Charm Person
This spell shifts a humanoid creature's attitude towards you to Friendly just as if you made a successful Diplomacy check to improve their attitude towards you. Targets that are currently being threatened by the caster or his apparent allies automatically make their saving throws to resist the spell. You cannot use Diplomacy to further improve the creature's attitude towards you while they are under the influence of this spell. Any act by you or your apparent allies that threatens the charmed person immediately breaks the spell.
Color Spray
2 HD or less: The creature is blinded and stunned for 2D4 rounds.
3 or 4 HD: The creature is stunned for 1D4 rounds.
5 or more HD: The creature is stunned for 1 round.
Command, Greater
Command Undead
When cast upon an undead creature, this spell shifts its attitude towards you to Friendly just as if you made a successful Diplomacy check to improve their attitude towards you. Targets that are currently being threatened by the caster or his apparent allies automatically make their saving throws to resist the spell. You cannot use Diplomacy to further improve the creature's attitude towards you while they are under the influence of this spell.
Skeletons and Zombies do not receive a saving throw against this spell. You can issue basic orders to Skeletons and Zombies such as "Come Here", "Go There", "Fight", "Stand Still" and so on. They will not resist suicidal or obviously suicidal orders. Your commands are not telepathic - you must verbally give these creatures orders.
Any act by you or your apparent allies that threatens a commanded undead creature immediately breaks the spell.
Comprehend Languages
Confusion
Contingency
The spell to be brough into effect by the contingency must be one that affects your person and be a spell level no higher then one-fourth your caster level (rounded down, maximum 5th level).
No more Contingency Heals!
Control Undead
Darkness
Deep Slumber
Deeper Darkness
Demand
Dominate Animal
You control the actions of an animal through a telepathic link that you establish with the subject's mind.
You can only direct it with simple commands such as "Come Here", "Go There", "Fight", and "Stand Still". You know what the subject is experiencing, but you do not receive direct sensory input from it, nor can it communicate with you telepathically.
Once you have given a dominated animal a command, it continues to attempt to carry out the command to the exclusion of all other activities. Because of this limited range of activity, a Sense Motive check against DC 15 (rather then DC 25) can determine that the subject's behavior is being influenced by an enchantment effect (see the Sense Motive spell description).
By concentrating fully on the spell (a standard action), you can receive full sensory input as interpreted by the mind of the subject. It still cannot communicate with you. You cannot see through the subject's eyes, so it's not as good as being there yourself, but you still get a good idea of what's going on.
Subjects resist this control, and suicidal or self-destructive commands (including an order to attack a creature two or more size categories larger then the dominated animal) are simply ignored. Once control is established, the range at which it can be exercised is unlimited as long as you and the subject are on the same plane. You need not see the creature to control it.
The language regarding Protection From Evil temporarily suspending the efficacy of Domination effects should be removed.
Dominate Monster
Dominate Person
You control the actions of a humanoid creature through a telepathic link that you establish with the subject's mind.
If you and the subject share a common language, you can generally force the subject to perform as you desire within the limits of its abilities. If no common language exists, you can only direct it with simple commands such as "Come Here", "Go There", "Fight", and "Stand Still". You know what the subject is experiencing, but you do not receive direct sensory input from it, nor can it communicate with you telepathically.
Once you have given a dominated humanoid a command, it continues to attempt to carry out the command to the exclusion of all other activities. Because of this limited range of activity, a Sense Motive check against DC 15 (rather then DC 25) can determine that the subject's behavior is being influenced by an enchantment effect (see the Sense Motive spell description).
By concentrating fully on the spell (a standard action), you can receive full sensory input as interpreted by the mind of the subject. It still cannot communicate with you. You cannot see through the subject's eyes, so it's not as good as being there yourself, but you still get a good idea of what's going on.
Subjects resist this control, and suicidal or self-destructive commands are simply ignored. Once control is established, the range at which it can be exercised is unlimited as long as you and the subject are on the same plane. You need not see the creature to control it.
The language regarding Protection From Evil temporarily suspending the efficacy of Domination effects should be removed.
Enthrall
If you have the attention of a group of creatures, you can use this spell to hold them spellbound. To cast the spell, you must use a Perform skill without interruption for one full round. Thereafter, those affected give you their undivided attention, ignoring their surroundings. They are considered to have an attitude of Friendly while under the effect of the spell. Targets that are currently being threatened by the caster or his apparent allies automatically make their saving throws to resist the spell.
The first sentence of the third paragraph should read as follows:
The effect lasts for as long as you continue your performance, to a maximum of one hour.
The fourth paragraph should read as follows:
If those not enthralled have unfriendly or hostile attitudes toward you, they can collectively make an opposed Perform check to try and end the spell by either jeering and heckling or drawing away attention from your performance. For this check, use the skill roll of the creature with the highest skill bonus in the group; others may make skill checks to use the Aid Another action to assist this creature. The heckling only ends the spell if their Perform check is higher then your Perform skill check result. Only one opposed skill check is allowed per use of this spell.
The final paragraph should read as follows:
The affected creatures remain where they are for the duration of the spell and do not attack or flee. However, they are not helpless and will defend themselves normally if attacked. Any threatening actions taken towards the affected creatures immediately ends the spell. The previously enthralled creatures immediately become unfriendly towards you and your apparent allies. Each creature with 4 or more HD or with a Wisdom score of 16 or higher becomes hostile.
Eyebite
If the target has 10 or more HD, they are sickened. If they have less then then 10 HD, they are sickened and panicked.
Remove the table for variable effects from the spell. Change the second sentence of the description of the Sickened effect as follows:
A creature affected by this spell remains sickened for 1 minute per caster level.
Change the description of the Panicked effect as follows:
The subject becomes panicked for 1d4 rounds. The subject may make a Will Recovery Save every round to end this effect. After the panic ends, the creature remains shaken for 1 minute per caster level. If the affected creature comes within sight of the caster after the panic ends, it must make another Recovery Will save to avoid becoming panicked again for another 1d4 rounds, during which time they may make a Will Recovery Save every round to end the effect.
Faerie Fire
Outlined creatures take a -40 penalty on Stealth checks.
Fear
Feeblemind
Floating Disk
Forcecage
Geas, Lesser
The subject of this spell may make a Will save every day to end the effect.
Glibness
Hide From Animals
Hide From Undead
Hold Person
Hold Person, Mass
Hypnotic Pattern
Hypnotism
Imprisonment
Insanity
Maze
The subject may make take a full-round action to make a Will Recovery Save to try and escape the labyrinth. If the subject doesn't escape the maze spell by the time the spell's duration expires, the subject is ejected from the labyrinth.
Nondetection
[spoiler]The first sentence of the spell should be changed as follows:
The warded creature or object becomes impossible to detect via the following spells: [i]clairaudience/clairvoyance, locate object, and detect spells.[/i]
This spell is also an excellent example regarding why the caster level of Paladins and Rangers should be (class level - 3) instead of (class level / 2). A Ranger casting this spell has very little chance of evading scrying of any sort under the current formular for determining caster level - they would at least have a slim chance of evading scrying effects for a time if you changed their caster level to (class level -3).
Get rid of the 50 gp component. Even after making the changes to the spell that I have suggested, the spell isn't good enough to warrant it.
Phantasmal Killer
If that save fails, the phantasm touches the subject, and the subject must succeed on a Fortitude save or take 12d6 points of damage + 1 point per level of the caster.
Plane Shift
You move yourself or some other willing creature to another plane of existence or alternate dimension.
Power Word, Stun
75 or less - 4d4 rounds
76 - 150 - 2d4 rounds
151 - 200 - 1d4 rounds
Prismatic Sphere
Confused, as per Confusion spell (Will negates, Will Recovery)
Prismatic Spray
Confused, as per Confusion spell (Will negates, Will Recovery)
Protection From Evil
In actuality, we should probably be relying upon spells such as Dispel Evil, Dispel Magic, and Break Enchantment to end these effects. Our suggestion: remove the absolute protection against Domination effects. Give characters with this buff a +2 to their Saving Throws against Enchantment [Charm] and Enchantment [Compulsion] effects. Remove the 3rd paragraph and give characters with this buff an additional +2 AC bonus against Evil summoned creatures.
Ray Of Enfeeblement
A coruscating ray springs from your hand. You must succeed on a ranged touch attack to strike a target. The subject takes a -2 penalty to hit and damage rolls plus an additional -1 penalty for every three caster levels you have (maximum -5).
Reincarnate
A reincarnated creature recalls the majority of its former life and form. It retains any class abilities, feats, or skill ranks it formerly possessed. Its class, base attack bonus, base save bonuses, and base hit points remain unchanged. The subject loses all of the Racial Traits and ability score adjustments of its old race (since it is no longer part of its previous race) and gains the Racial Traits and ability score adjustments of the subject's new race. The subject’s level (or Hit Dice) is reduced by 1. If the subject was 1st level, its new Constitution score is reduced by 2. (If this reduction would put its Con at 0 or lower, it can’t be reincarnated). This level/HD loss or Constitution loss cannot be repaired by any means.
This rule change means that a Reincarnated character not only loses all of its existing racial ability score adjustments, but it loses ALL of the other Racial Traits that currently carry over in the existing rules while simultaneously gaining the Racial Traits of the character's new race. So you don't have to worry about Humans being Reincarnated as Half-Orcs running around with extra skill points and a Bonus Feat, or Dwarves being reincarnated as Humans while still retaining their Stonecunning and their Defensive Training.
Furthermore, I believe that Bugbears, Gnolls, Lizardfolk, and Troglodytes should be removed from the Incarnation Table and replaced with the following races (assuming they will be balanced or are already balanced for a +0 Level Adjustment): Aasimar, Tiefling, Hobgoblin and Gensai. The "Other" listing should be removed entirely. Other LA +0 races that are released in future releases should be flagged in their Bestiary as such for possible addition to the Incarnation Table by GMs.
Finally, we would like the fifth paragraph to read as follows:
For a humanoid creature, the new incarnation is determined using the following tables. The player can either choose to be reincarnated as a member of the race that they rolled or one of the races adjacent to that result on the incarnation table.
So if you have a player that rolls "Half-Elf" on the Incarnation Table, they could also choose to come back as either a Goblin or a Half-Orc.
Repulsion
An invisible, mobile field surrounds you and prevent creatures from approaching you. You decide how big the field is at the time of casting (to the limit that your level allows).
Any creature that is enclosed within or attempts to enter the repulsion field must make a Saving Throw against the effect. If the creature fails its Saving Throw, it is unable to move towards you for that round. Affected creatures may only make one Saving Throw per round to resist this effect. However, their actions are not otherwise restricted, and they can attack other creatures, cast spells, and freely attack you from range. If you move closer to an affected creature, the creature is not forced back. The creature is free to make melee attacks against you if you come within reach.
Rope Trick
Scare
Scintillating Pattern
12 or less: Stunned for 1d4 rounds, then confused for 1d4 rounds.
13 or more: Confused for 1d4 rounds.
Sculpt Sound
You can change the sounds that creatures or objects make. You can transform sounds into other sounds, but you cannot reduce or increase the volume of the sound that you are sculptuing, nor can you create sounds where none exists or deaden or remove the sounds that the target makes.
Silence
Sleep
Song Of Discord
Sound Burst
Sound Burst may be used to counter or dispel any Silence spell.
Spider Climb
The subject gains a climb speed of 20 feet and a +8 bonus to Climb checks; furthermore, it need not make Climb checks to traverse a vertical or horizontal surface (even upside down).
Suggestion
Targets that are currently being threatened or engaged in combat by the caster or his apparent allies should automatically make their saving throws to resist the spell.
Summon Monster
We felt that there were only two ways to remedy this situation: to either reduce the power of the summoned creatures and create a new table for summoning monsters, or to limit the number of summons that a spell caster can bring into play. In order to ensure backwards compatability, we are opting for the latter option. We believe that the following language needs to be added to the first paragraph of the description of the Summoning subschool:
A spellcaster can only have one Summoning effect active at any given time. If a spellcaster has a Summoning effect in play and casts a Summoning spell of equal or higher level then the one used to generate the current effect, the caster may choose to either end the current effect and summon forth a new monster (or monsters), or they may elect to extend the duration of the current spell for one round per level of the caster.
Summon Nature's Ally
We felt that there were only two ways to remedy this situation: to either reduce the power of the summoned creatures and create a new table for summoning monsters, or to limit the number of summons that a spell caster can bring into play. In order to ensure backwards compatability, we are opting for the latter option. We believe that the following language needs to be added to the first paragraph of the description of the Summoning subschool:
A spellcaster can only have one Summoning effect active at any given time. If a spellcaster has a Summoning effect in play and casts a Summoning spell of equal or higher level then the one used to generate the current effect, the caster may choose to either end the current effect and summon forth a new monster (or monsters), or they may elect to extend the duration of the current spell for one round per level of the caster.
Temporal Stasis
Time Stop
A spellcaster that casts a second Time Stop spell while already under the effect of a Time Stop spell extends the duration of the active spell by another 1d4+1 rounds.
Touch of Idiocy
Wall Of Force
Weird
If a subjects fail their Fortitude saves, they take 10 points of damage per caster level of the person casting the spell.
Wind Wall
Any normal ranged weapon passing through the wall has a 30% miss chance.
We believe that arrows and bolts should be able to get through the Wind Wall, albeit with a miss chance.
Zone of Silence