Pieces-Kai's page

I will say never felt like Alkenstar gave off Arcane vibes but do feel the mechanics of the game (Gunslinger, Inventor and Fire arms stuff like that) don't really back up what it is trying to go for that well

Pieces-Kai wrote:

I think I find myself liking the idea of the 4 traditions than how they've actually been implemented and while I don't think we should go back to specific class lists but I do think we need something better than just 4 lists.

I think it would be best if we had the four lists, but they get tightened up a lot such as in this post to really trim down on what they're good at and have access to, then give individual casters features, feats and focus spells that expand their horizons, double down on a theme, or create nuance. So for instance a clerics and druids might want a way to get some martial prowess with things like the war priest and the wild shape. Wizards might get access to spells outside their tradition to be that little swiss army knife, sorcerers would get class abilities that would double up on the flavor and thematics of their bloodline and so on

I think a Shadow of the Demon Lord style approach would probably work better where the traditions are mostly much more simpler where they usually are just a simple concept like Fire spells and by having subclasses determine which of these traditions they have access to like for example Cleric has access to like Divine and Healing/Life by default but lets say you are a follower of Sarenrae so you also get access to the Fire Tradition.

I think I find myself liking the idea of the 4 traditions than how they've actually been implemented and while I don't think we should go back to specific class lists but I do think we need something better than just 4 lists.

Love the Leshy art and how vicious it looks. I still really don't like the name Nephilim just seems way too angelic of a name that encompasses so many varied outsiders

Sanityfaerie wrote:

If it helps, a true dedicated pyromancer would be filling a role in the party that would be a lot more like, say, a Bow ranger than like a standard wizard. Heavy focus on generating ranged DPR, with relatively low flexibility or utility. It's just that the pyro would be doing it with fire spells, rather than arrows. Also, they'd almost certainly be an entirely different class that's built around being a single-theme specialist, rather than some sort of weird crippled wizard/sorcerer/whatever.

I would actually love that, I just don't know how slotted blasters and all-day blasters could be balanced with each other.

If you make slotted blasts stronger because they are limited, then as long as you're not chaining many encounters the slotted blaster is strictly better than the kineticist. And if you make the slotted blasts equal to the all-day blasts then the slotted blaster becomes a kineticist that can run out of fuel, thus strictly worse.

I feel because this is an idea proposed for PF3e imagine if you were to reintroduce the Kineticist is to have it resemble 1e version a bit more with a heavier focus on the Elemental Blast feature as opposed to the 2e's version which leans much more into a slotless caster would help that feeling a bit more different

This reads a lot more like Shadow of the Demon Lord than Spheres of Power I feel.

In regards to doing spells through feats seems kind of unnecessary because what is actually gained from making them feats compared to just adding a trait to a spell where it accomplishes the same thing except it is less confusing.

For 1 I think the being confined to themes probably makes it easier like lets say it works like this (ignore the theme names they are the most generic names I could think to get the point across)

-wizard as a base class gets access to the Arcane theme
-destruction subclass gets access to the Fire, Cold and Lightning Themes

like it immediately narrows down the list a new player would have to choose from a lot.

My honest opinion of Druid is that it should be part of Cleric and that Mystic with its Connections is actually just the superior version of Cleric/Druid.

I have to say I don't really like Bard how it is a full caster and uses the Occult list. I also for PF2e it feels as it leans much harder into the music guy theme like I will give it to 5e the subclasses they have for Bard at least from a flavor perspective are much more interesting than what PF2e has.

So I don't know exactly how this should be represented mechanically but so far neither 5e or PF2e really nails this concept but I like the idea of caster who is kind of like person who studies the world around them and then that knowledge effects how they use their magic. A universalist/generalist also fits in this idea for me where they learn a little bit of everything but aren't better than someone who specialized

I don't really find the old schools of magic that compelling because most of them feel a lot more defined by mechanics than actual theme except for Necromancy and Illusionist.

Should mention I have very little history with DnD stuff apart from 5e and PF2e so my opinion is less rooted in the traditions of DnD/pathfinder

You know if you want to just like directly pull from Naruto a 3 element composite impulse could legit just be the Dust Release jutsu which in the show is a combo Fire, Earth and Air. Pretty sure when used it supposed to just atomize people so I'm unsure on the balance on that

This might sound a bit excessive but I feel 30-40 is probably a lot more reasonable than 12-20 because I feel you might end up just grouping some themes together which would work much better as separate themes such as Air and Lightning or Water and Ice

First I think we need to be clear if we classify spells according to what they do (heal, buff, debuff, damage, polymorph ...) or how they do it (plant, fire, electricity, animal, mind ...), and maybe also for hostile spells what defence they target.

Or is it a kind of melting pot of all the above ?

And how do we classify spells that do several things ?

I think a mix of two might work best but I don't think damage or types of defenses you target should actually be in consideration for how you classify spells.

100% agree on this but I will say Spell Attact vs AC is something I wouldn't really consider a theme of spell it is something that is purely mechanical like to make it a theme I'd imagine you'd align it with something like a Metal theme for spells where most of the damaging spells from the Metal theme target AC where is something like the Electrity/Lightning theme would be better at reflex saves.

Personally I don't think Sorcerers role should be the themed caster class because all casters should be able to play into a theme

For full options I'd love Aether and Void.

Maybe not full options but I'd love some kind of alternate class feature where you could change one of the base elements to an element closely associated with it like Air to Lighting or Water to Ice. They wouldn't be like full on elements but they'd change Junctions and such

You don't even need to make a new class to make thematic casters work like legit the most simple way to do this would be like this

-sort every spell into their group of themes
-base classes get access to a limited amount of themes that apply to the core of the class
-subclasses for the class then get access to more themes that aren't core to the class
-then just give meatier class features to said subclass to reinforce theme

like thematic casters are perfectly doable with pretty much what we already have like we don't need a whole new class for its thing to be "thematic caster"

Temperans wrote:

Sorrei wrote:

I mentioned that in a other thread aswell, the Vancian System is strongly associated with DnD but then again so is the Armor Class to hit system.

Its also strongly associated with Pathfinder. Despite how many people want to ignore it.

Pathfinder 1E is also know as continuation from Pathfinder 3.5 with tweaks the Term DnD 3.75 comes to mind.

But with the System wanting to distance Pathfinder from there DnD Roots those two mechanics points are still a factor.

I'd say Armor Class to hit is a bit of a different case than Vancian like there are a lot more people talking about how they wished PF2e used something other than Vancian compared to people talking about Armor Class to hit. Will say I personally say throw away the 6 stats they seem like a thing that purely exists because it was PF1e and would probably solve a lot issues have with certain stats being stronger than others

I mean I think unique and weird spells are fun (I do think the spells should be whittled down a bit) which is something I like about Pathfinder/DnD.

I have been thinking about this but it is actually pretty hard to even think of a triple composition and maintaining the identity of elements without it turning into element soup or 2 elements massively overshadowing the 3rd to the point you'd even wonder why it is a 3 element impulse. I feel 6 would be easiest tbh it would be called something like "Elemental Assault" or "Overwhelming Elements" and it would just be this big blast that can hit most damage types

The real step towards balancing spells would be to move further away from Vancian magic like I'm not someone who is super against Vancian magic but I personally think it doesn't suit a system like PF2e

I'd say the Apparitions seem to make it pretty mechanically distinct from the Cleric or at least give it the feeling of being distinctive

This seems more like a problem with the Cleric than the Animist

I'd have to say Psychic, Thaumaturge and Kineticist stand out as the most interesting to me and are probably my favorites

Xenocrat wrote:

>looking for new class

>ask a Paizo developer if Animist is a new class or a rehash of the Shaman
>she doesn't undersand >|pull out PF1 Shaman class and explain its core features
>she laughs and says "it's a new class sir"
>play animist
>it's a Shaman rehash

Explain the Shaman’s core features, like… a pet, something the Animist doesn’t have?

I appreciate the “creepy and wet” callback as much as anyone, but it doesn’t sound like the Animist mechanically has anything inherited from the old Shaman. I assume that was a big part of driving the rename.

I'd assume the driving force behind them not using Shaman is a term that has been criticized for its use in how it lumps different cultures together in a weird way

Man the build up to War of the Immortals is increasing anxiety to me x'D I want to know which of the named gods we know die so I can stop fretting about it

People have theorized Pharasma might be the one to bite it because they mentioned something about immortality in live stream

I kinda feel Animist does a lot of what people wanted from the Witch just from the description

I mean you don't have it so it forces people to attack just incentivizes attacking the creature of disincentives attacking the creatures ally over it

were Druids historically animists didn't the cultures they belong to have their own gods and such to where Druids are probably closer to clerics than anything?

Also the class with the buff iconic will be like Flex Mentallo from Doom Patrol and be a spellcasters that uses Strength as their casting modifier (they cast by flexing)

So the 5th finger does kind of look like a prosthetic but that would mean the finger next to it would be a pinky finger but it looks a bit too big for that. Will probably just have to wait for colour version to see what the answer is

At least in the Maori stories about Maui the focus is never really strength but intelligence and a notable thing he could is shapeshift like even his greatest feat of strength fishing up an island he made a magic fishing line to give it strength so you could even argue that isn't a sign of his strength but more him using magic

I mean I don't think they'd use the word demigod but it is probably just the most helpful word to use at this point in time to get across the idea of a class that has direct connections to the divine

Demigod I can see making sense with subclasses being your own domain and you can grant boons to allies and curses to enemies but on a minor level like a god would

I did get some polynesian vibes from one of the pics so good to see someone else is thinking that. So with that my first thought the jumps into my head is Maui so maybe some kind of legendary hero class like in the vein of people like Beowulf, Maui and Hercules would explain the Rare tag.

A quick class glance at the wikipedia page for Shugendo (don't know if that is the same thing as Shungenja) feels like a really cool fit a class

Ngl I feel like it is a perfect storm for some kind of outer planes book there are at least a decent amount of devils and demons that are OGL that will be need to changed or replaced + a god war that would most likely involved and change the outer planes a bit

I could be wrong but Demons losing the Outer Rifts and Qlippoth taking over would still be Divine because it seems divine magic is heavily tied to it being magic that comes from the Outer Planes and Occult magic is more just "fit the odd one out casters in here"

It really feels like you want a WoW styled boss battle in a TTRPG and I actually think it would be incredibly hard to capture that same type of energy into a game like PF2e that I will say does lean very heavily into the game aspect of TTRPG.

I really think Tar-Baphon who be a much more boring replacement for Urgathoa because all he really has got going on "wow living sucks being undead cool" as opposed to Urgathoa who has the whole hedonism and gluttony thing and become undead so you can do more hedonism and gluttony makes her way more interesting than undead god

I could see the rare class maybe hinting at what the one of the gods died.

Torag I feel the only people it really effects are like dwarves

It would be really weird if Hell didn't have a representative amongst the core pantheon. It would be the only major plane to lack one. Even if Asmodeus buys it, I would assume someone/something would take his place.

For me I found that Asmodeus being the ruler of his plane make him stick out like a sore thumb compared to the other core 20 (except Pharasma but she is the only one that really feels fitting to be like big boss of her own plane) but I do see what you mean and while I hope if the replacement is in Archdevil they don't end up being the big boss of hell (kinda think hell shouldn't have a big boss if big A bites it) so they don't feel so out of place in comparison to the rest of the core 20

I think another good thing about Asmodeus getting taken out while I don't actually want an archdevil to take over his role in the core 20 (I agree on Ydersius taking that spot) it feels like his death would allow the other archdevils get a bit more spotlight

Pieces-Kai wrote:

I feel wouldn't Zon Shelyn/Goth Shelyn in that interpretation feel like she is intruding on Calistria's domain a bit

Emo Goth was never the vibe I got from Calistria. Calistria's more the girlboss gaslight gatekeep type, she's more about hurting everybody that crosses her than dealing with her own darkness through her art.

More thinking about the sex stuff.

I feel wouldn't Zon Shelyn/Goth Shelyn in that interpretation feel like she is intruding on Calistria's domain a bit

I kind of like the idea of Rovagug dying being like that video clip of when that person hits a spider with a broom and just heaps of baby spiders start pouring out of it

I think with Rovagug and Pharasma dying is that one being which is prophesized to end the universe and the other being associated with fate/prophecy is that it creates an even more uncertain future for the future Golarion

Pieces-Kai wrote:

I'm all for killing Asmodeus but I feel nuking the Nine layers of hell and removing all the biblical and mythological devils is kind of like throwing the baby out with water

Nobody is saying that the nine hells would go away with Asmodeus death. Mephistopheles (who is way cooler, anyway) could easily step up to be the next big boss, with someone who already is a bit below Archdevil stepping in to take over his particular part of hell. For example, it'd be really nice if one of the four Queens of the Night would get a bit more recognition by being elevated to the post of Archdevil, like Eiseth.

Deriven did suggest nuking hell and creating their own new hell. I will say I actually think for at least now their should be no Archdevil replacement for Asmodeus

I'm all for killing Asmodeus but I feel nuking the Nine layers of hell and removing all the biblical and mythological devils is kind of like throwing the baby out with water

I don't think Rovagug is safe at all because isn't Rovagug prophesied to end the universe so either prophecy was so strong it just kept it alive or maybe Pharasma convinced the other gods that sealing it was the only way when in reality she was making sure fate would play out like it was meant to but with the death of Aroden the fate of Rovagug might be a lot more up in the air now Age of Lost Omens and all.

An extra note Asmodeus is also mentioned in that prophecy so that his fate is up in the air as well

Can't they have Ydersius be a threat of that capacity because the alternative is Norgorber is replaced the only real difference is now we got an evil snake dude but everything it kinda the same

I think eating Norgorber is the most likely promotion for Ydersius, since one of the main themes of the Sekmin is that they hate humanity and see them as usurpers. It'd be most fitting if he could take out one of the decidedly human gods (so Iomedae, Norgorber, Irori, Nethys, or Cayden).

While it may be fitting I feel losing Norgorber is a lot less interesting than losing Asmodeus or Rovagug

I could Ydersius replacing Asmodeus would be good (or even Rovagug) but the evil gods not so much because I feel they have specific niches that make them hard to replace