| Stafir |
Been so long since I've posted, but I've been in the playtest and figured I should give some feedback. Some of it has already been mentioned.
The transmutation Physical Enhancement thing, for instance. I've only just now found this thread (I don't check the forums often..none of the other players bothered to do so). So after some discussion, we figured the wording either needed to have 'prereq level 5', or to say additional +2 for every 5 levels. The DM decided to go with the latter (so +2 at lvl 1, +4 at 5, to a maximum of +10 at level 20). I have seen the previous mention in the thread to go with 'prereq level 5' interpretation instead (it only starts working at level 5).
We also had the issue with 'how many items can have resonance powers in them' question. The wording as written is too ambiguous, and I saw it re-written later (on page 8 for me). It still took me 4 or 5 readings, and to see other peoples reactions to it for me to finally get that, as a level 3 occultist, I have the following.
3 'picks' for implement groups (transmutation, transmutation, conjuration).
I pick 2 transmutation implements, and 1 conjuration implement a day. I cannot, for any reason, choose to have 3 transmutation implements if I so felt like it. Or 2 conjuration implements and 2 transmutation. I MUST have exactly 2 transmutation and 1 conjuration.
I then may shove focus into those 3 chosen implements as I wish.
If that is correct, then please change the wording, and spell out, explicitly, that you cannot choose more implements than you have picked for that group.
Finally a question I've recently developed. If you have transmutation, and you have a double weapon. How does it work as an implement? The simple ruling (and we played it this way) is that it is a single implement, and a single use of legacy weapon affects both heads at once. However given that normally the heads are enchanted separately when actually enchanting an item, it could be argued that technically each head of a double weapon should be a separate implement pick, and therefore choosing legacy weapon affects only 1 head. Though the corollary to that is that you may choose each head of the weapon as an implement, and stuff enough focus into each head to give each their own legacy weapon effect. One could even rule that the occultist is somehow able to choose how this works on a day by day basis.
On my end I could see it going any of the ways mentioned, and it being 1 item or 2, both have advantages and drawbacks. As a personal thing, I'd prefer each head being its own object for the sake of implement picks for the day. Though the occultist being able to choose how to handle this is the most powerful choice for the class.
With that said, my take on the class and my suggestions.
Overall I enjoyed it. I ran in pathfinder society playtests for this. We had 3 players and a DM (unable to drum up a 4'th player). All players had occult members. I've gone with different classes at my side. In all cases we all had Kira as the DMPC (because really..nobody is good at psychic healing).
But I've been with a Psychic, A mesmerist, and an earth Kineticist. (One was always pulled out, as they ran the mod, Kira was put in their place).
Being that NONE of the occultists classes are really much of a melee class, I chose to go a more melee route. Reach weapon, usually resonance to have merciful, four mirror armor, belt for the +2 enhancement to str. 16 bumped to 18 int as a half-elf.
I wound up, at level 1, with 16 str when wearing my belt. Giving me +3 to hit, 1d10+1d6+4 (two handing it) sub-duel damage. Which then sucked if I met something immune to sub-duel. But I had 8 focus in all, 3 in belt, 5 in weapon. So I'd pull a focus out of the weapon for psychic weapon which helped..slightly. Given that I had that armor on, and ok hitpoints, I did well enough as a tank, and when I hit something it went down, as long as it was capable of taking sub-duel damage.
When I hit level 2 I had finally gotten an idea for what I wanted, and the original character was just a modification of a build one of the other players was toying with. So I altered it to be more in line with what I wanted.
Still a half elf, his CHA has gone down to up his con a little more. Traded out half-elf skill focus to get weapon proficiency. He now uses a meteor hammer (thus the double headed weapon question), got a cloak of resistance to make up for some loss of resistances due to another choice, made my armor +1 armor for tanking reasons. Went Tranx2, conjuration, for my picks.
The conjuration came in good use in the very next mod we played, we played some gameday thing I can't remember the name of right now. I couldn't hit a thing, needed an 18 to hit, we knew going in it was a tomb so I had chosen 'ghost touch' just in case for my weapon enchant. Never came in use (nothing was a ghost, bad choice in my case), I had managed to finally cast a spell..as I spent most of my time not casting usually. I chose to enlarge myself..and pretty much became a living wall to keep the others alive. Kira turned undead which helped a ton, but was a big sack of meat boss. The mesmerist was there, did some sort of buffed evil eye he got as a special feature pick for mesmerist, and lowered the enemies to hit and damage due to that, he otherwise used aid another to my defense. The Kineticist was the one actually able to do damage for the longest.
I traded wands with kira for a bit, both of us using a cute light wand to heal myself, and I had to bring Kira back from negatives as she chose to get into melee. After a few rounds I realized 'hey, this undeads AC is high..how hard is he to touch?' and started trying to cure light on him...and that is how I finally started to do damage to the undead in that fight.
It did end with us winning..but my characters main use that entire mod was that I had built him for survival, he couldn't hit a thing, but he could survive being hit decently.
My overall impressions. I love the ideas behind the class...but they feel too limited. I never want to use my focus powers more than twice because if I do I suddenly lose my resonance.
Weapon resonance feels like too broad a category. Same with armor.
The spellcasting feels limited. Or rather too limited. And it feels like I'm losing too much neat stuff elsewhere in order to have spellcasting. I'd rather be able to do more with items, instead of just having spells. Though I'm trying to be the melee for most of my groups, so that does color my perceptions.
The ability to hand off enhanced stuff is nice..but then I lose all my spells for that implement. So I feel encouraged to not do it. Plus I lose the focus abilities for that item.
After I wrote what comes next I sadly realized something.
I think this overall feels too complicated to be put into pathfinder. But I'm leaving all of this here, in hopes that they'll at least spark ideas of what more occultists could do, to have interesting options. And will help improve it overall.
With all of that said, my suggestions.
First..yet another 8 hp, medium bab, class. In a book with nothing higher? On the guy who is fascinated by items of all sorts with grand histories?
Lets just have fun, I'm grabbing ideas from a few classes I've seen..that I think work here.
Implement groups: Being of specific spell groups...as someone else said its underutilized design space. While I'd personally prefer it massively re-written, I'll keep it based on that idea. By the way I hope the current spell list is just a temporary thing and you do plan to add more. With that said I'd suggest taking a few and removing them from specific groups. Wands, staves, scrolls. For every group..with a caveat.
Focus: Up the amount of focus, lower the cost of some resonance abilities, allow any implement within a group you are trained in to be used, as long as it has focus. There is a caveat, but I'm saving it for later. But it has a bit to do with spells.
Weapons: It does not need to be part of a group of implement. Legacy weapon, Psychic weapon. perhaps even Aegis. Need to be something all occultists can do. Instead have what weapons (maybe even armor) they can effect decided on by what implement groups they have chosen. Have necromancy? You know how to resonate scythes, daggers, and other associated weapons. Conjuration? I'd personally go with blunt weapons, just to give a more 'clericy' feel to them.
Do not be afraid to overlap, who cares if necromancy gets scythes, and something else gets all 2 handed weapons...just make sure necromancy's other bonuses make up for it.
Oh yeah, while on the subject of weapons, change BAB to poor (like what a psychic or wizard gets), yes I have a reason. Some of you may have guessed it already.
Ok let me hit the big part..this has a lot to do with resonance, to do with weapons, to do with items. And this is the 'big change' to things in my opinion.
Spell casting ability, still a spells known list, but has no 'spells per day' slot.
Feel free to keep spells known restricted, I have a way around it.
Some resonances the occultist is the only one who has access to them. In fact may take a focus power to gives others access to resonance period.
New resonance for weapons. Gain a BAB progression based on the weapon. Some may give full, other's may give more clerical BAB.
New resonance for wands/staves/scrolls. In order for this to work, the spell on it must be of a type based on your implement group pick. So if it's cure light..you must have a conjuration pick. Also you must have 1 pick of its type for each spell level of the spell. So cure moderate, being a level 2 spell, requires to conjuration picks for this to work.
The holder of the item adds one spell on it, that qualifies for this ability, to their list of spells known.
Add one for rods that gives metamagic somehow.
New item resonance power, no idea what items exactly but...
This resonance power is also a focus power. You spend focus from the item to use this resonance power, you may not spend focus from anywhere else. Cast a known spell of the items impliment group, spell level, and amount of focus spent will probably actually depend on the item.
New item resonance power, like above you spend focus in the item to use it. Add known metamagic feat to spell cast.
And finally I'm running out of steam, but two more focus powers. One that all occultists get by default, and it should have a high focus cost (like 5 focus at cheapest). Spend X focus to cast a known spell. This is meant to be a fallback way to cast, instead of the main form of casting for an occultist. This is why its expensive, you use it when you prepared incorrectly and really need a spell you don't have access to. More focus spent, higher level the spell is.
The other focus power, spend X focus to add a metamagic feat you know, to a spell you cast. Again high cost as a fallback.