Let'sd get this out of the way first, I love Paizo, I love Golarion and for the most part I love 3.5. So I'm going to a little biased in my opinion.
The conjurer wizard's school powers etc. aren't very conjurer-ey. I mean I'm not going to go in to a rules debacle over the +2-+6 AC, but simply ask why? Why would they get that, I would have much rathered a free augment summoning feat. One that scales would have been awesome. Te first two and the last power are fairly alright, and web is a handy spell, but I expected more conjuratio of beings and trafficking with outsiders from the rest of the ability set.
In fairness I know that this is alpha, but some new spells and abilities need to be conceived off, imported or changed around here to make the school powers more thematic.
I'm not offering all criticism here. I have a suggestion.
In my games I've introduced a game mechanic called 'Pact feats' whereby a wizard signs his name in blood on a menhir of a specific family of beings with his right hand for celestial and his left hand for fiendish. This must be done at twilight.
It means that a wizard/sorcerer who signs a pact with lets say stags (I have a tendency to try and make the pact families 'uncool' animals like frogs and ferrets, and try to make them cool and impressive.) At every spell level he adds a stag creature to that levels summon monster, this creature is stronger than other creatures on the list, ( and can talk to the summoner, I often have them have distinct personalities and names but thats not for everyone.) This would work even better as a school power as it could scale.
The biggest problem with it is space. But you could easily fit three-five families in the monster book I assume you guys will release, their stats won't be all that complicated, more thematic than anything, the higher level creatures perhaps having a special ability representative of their family.
Just a suggestion, but please make the conjurer more of a summoner, and the same goes for other wizard schools (i.e. enchanter). Make their theme count.
A humble request from Ireland,
-Eoin
I agree I would have preferred to see more of the variant Conjurer mechanics from the SRD utilized particularly the augment summoning vice the AC.
This makes sense, I get the AC bonus for an abjurer who specializes in protection magic, but not for the conjurer. I really like your suggestion of a "augment summoning" ability.
If I have my characters specialize in a school, I want them to be SUPER at what they do, I think making the abilities even more thematic would be an improvement.
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While I agree that summoning monsters and trafficking with outsiders are both core components of conjuration magic, I disagree that the rest of the spells and powers on the conjuration list are somehow not valid. The conjuration specialist I play uses walls and area-of-effect spells like web to affect combat, as well as calling forth outsiders and monsters to fight for him; the game needs to reflect the idea that conjuration is about bringing forth all sorts of stuff, not just monsters and beasties.
Conjuration epitomizes the nature of magic to me, making something out of nothing, and I think it's important for the game to illustrate the fact that that something can take on many forms, rather than simply being another combatant or a dark dalliance with otherworldly influences. I like the suite of powers offered to conjurers, with the exception of the armor bonus (which to me feels much more like an abjurer's thing), and think that straying from these to more fully embrace the monster-summoning element of conjuration is a mistake.
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Because Mage Armor is a Conj spell maybe?
But Mage Armor is also better than the Conjurer Specialist Bonus till level 9. Most of the other schools have bonuses that complement their spells (more damage on evocations, longer illusions). The Conjuration power is overlapped by a level 1 spell. The Transmutation Power has a similar problem, but in its case it's a level 2 spell with a much shorter duration and the power is also more versatile.
A possibility of maintaining the armor bonus would be a bonus on mage armor, i.e. mage armor giving a +5 armor bonus on first level +6 on 5th and an additional +1 for every 5 levels thereafter. But even that would seem rather limited.
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I sorta like the Armor Idea. It may be less than a mage armor spell at low levels but it is always up as opposed to the 1hr/per level the spell is. I can also see the benefit for swapping it out for the Augment summons feat. Remember a conjuror is much more than his summon monster spells. So giving them a range of abilities from their field is much more beneficial to the class as a whole.
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Conjuration epitomizes the nature of magic to me, making something out of nothing, and I think it's important for the game to illustrate the fact that that something can take on many forms, rather than simply being another combatant or a dark dalliance with otherworldly influences.
I'd prefer if the Conjurer ability was the power to conjure up some sort of material goods. Said goods couldn't be sold, or used as costly material components, or even eaten (and would vanish after a time, perhaps the next time the Conjuror uses this power, allowing him to have one 'thing' out at a time), and there would be some sort of weight limit, but when the party realizes that they could really use 50 ft. of silk rope and a grappling hook, or a crowbar, or a saddle, or a longspear, it would be the Conjurer who would reach into his robe and produce the very thing needed.
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The conjurer wizard's school powers etc. aren't very conjurer-ey. I mean I'm not going to go in to a rules debacle over the +2-+6 AC, but simply ask why? Why would they get that, I would have much rathered a free augment summoning feat. One that scales would have been awesome. Te first two and the last power are fairly alright, and web is a handy spell, but I expected more conjuratio of beings and trafficking with outsiders from the rest of the ability set.
This is particularly weak in light of the fact that it's an hours/ day ability, by 5th level or so it's the first thing my wizard does in the morning and almost never has it run out.
Some people suggest Augment Summoning that scales... except Augment Summoning scales by default. As you summon more powerful creatures they have more hit dice and benefit more from the spell.
Personally... I would rather the power be something similar to sculpt spell than augment summoning. That would help out with grease, glitterdust and all of the cloud spells. Our group is rather large and having a bunch of summoned creatures really bogs things down so I don't summon much.
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I suggest the bonus power be conjuration spells last +1 round, and an extra +1 per 5 caster levels, to max out at +5 rounds at 20th level.
As the 1st level supernatural bonus, allow a conjurer to summon any object weighing up to caster level in lbs to his hand, up to 30 feet away, with a save if another creature has it.
I suggest the bonus power be conjuration spells last +1 round, and an extra +1 per 5 caster levels, to max out at +5 rounds at 20th level.
Good idea. Or... the wizard's level is increased by +1 for the duration of conjuration spells ? and an extra +1 per 5 casters levels, of course.
I'd also like to see the conjurer getting an ability more conjury - being able to pull JUST the thing you need out of your pocket would be great. Perhaps they can conjure a mundane, non-alchemical item of a certain GP value that goes up as they level?
Very good idea ! With a maximum price as... 50 GP ?
(and sorry for my very poor english, i am a uneducated frenchman)
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I'd also like to see the conjurer getting an ability more conjury - being able to pull JUST the thing you need out of your pocket would be great. Perhaps they can conjure a mundane, non-alchemical item of a certain GP value that goes up as they level?
As long as the item is non-permanant and obviously fake (can't be sold), price isn't even much of an issue. Want to conjure up a set of nobleman's garb? Go for it.
But I'd rule that the conjurer could only have one 'thing' conjured up at a time, and that a DC 5 Appraise or Craft check will reveal it's magical / fake nature. If he needs a crowbar, the noble garb goes bye-bye, and if he tries to sell it, he's gonna half to find one *really* clueless buyer...