|
I've recently started a PFRPG playtest game. One of my players is running an Evoker specializing in rays. He asked me a question a few days ago that I'm wondering what people think about.
The question was: Does the Evocation School Specialist Bonus apply to ray of frost?
The Evocation School Specalist Bonus gives a +1 damage bonus when casting Evocation spells. The Cantrips rule in the Wizard class description says that a wizard can cast any cantrip he has prepared as a spell-like ability. It does say that they are "treated like any other spell cast by the wizard in terms of duration and other variables based on level". The evocation damage bonus does increase as your caster level increases, but I'm not sure if this counts as a "variable based on level".
When I started writing this, I was thinking it would not apply, but as I read the passages I've referred to and quoted above, I'm starting to think it should, based on the "like any other spell" statement. Not to mention, as my player commented, it would make cantrips like ray of frost pretty much pointless, especially considering the Evocation School Energy Ray ability. (Even if it did apply, the Energy Ray would still do a fair amount more damage than ray of frost, but the cantrip wouldn't be left behind quite as much.)
I'd be interested in hearing what people think, especially the designer(s). 8^)
Last sentence under cantrips clearly indicates that they are a spell (even if cast as a spell-like ability) and so the school power of the evoker counts.
As to the usefulness of ray of frost vs other higher level spells: it really should not be all that poweerful as it is only a cantrip and usable at will. It's real purpose in life is to make sure low level wizards have something to do in combat after expending their handful of spells.
I really am having issues with alterself now...
I have a PC who has it as a spell like and i think that as it is written takes the place of far too many spells...
any word on how this may get fixed? and if Paizo has a good fix for it?
As to the usefulness of ray of frost vs other higher level spells: it really should not be all that poweerful as it is only a cantrip and usable at will. It's real purpose in life is to make sure low level wizards have something to do in combat after expending their handful of spells.
It is a d3 spell, the evocation bonus makes it, at max, d3+5 at level 20.
The evocation 1st level ability Energy Ray is:*Usable at will
*A supernatural ability
*Does d6 +1/two levels
*deals a variable energy type, the caster can select the type when using.
As to the usefulness of ray of frost vs other higher level spells: it really should not be all that poweerful as it is only a cantrip and usable at will. It's real purpose in life is to make sure low level wizards have something to do in combat after expending their handful of spells.It is a d3 spell, the evocation bonus makes it, at max, d3+5 at level 20.
The evocation 1st level ability Energy Ray is:
*Usable at will
*A supernatural ability
*Does d6 +1/two levels
*deals a variable energy type, the caster can select the type when using.
Prhaps I should have been more specific. I was talking about ray of frost as it applies to all wizards not just evokers. I don't really see a need to improve ray of frost just because the evoker would use Energy Ray instead.
|
I would like to make a post regarding the Evocation Specialist Ability, though not in regard to cantrips specificially.
The specialist ability grants a +1 to damage per spell, not per missile or per ray.
Personally, I think adding +1 per die of damage is a good specialist ability, in part because I find the +1 per spell confusing. If I strike 5 targets with magic missile, do I choose which one gains the +1 damage. Must I decide before I roll damage? Or after?
Per die of damage is easy for me since if someone is hit with a magic missile (1 die) I can add +1 to damage. Likewise if a wizard splits scorching rays.
On a related note, I find I don't like specialist wizards. I think that instead of giving up two schools, we should allow a specialist to give up just one school, permamently. But if they do that, they can get their specialist ability.
The question was: Does the Evocation School Specialist Bonus apply to ray of frost?
This is what it says for the Evoker specialist:
Evocation School
Specialist Bonus: Whenever you cast an evocation spell that deals damage, it deals +1 damage. This bonus only applies once to a spell, not once per missile or ray. This damage is of the same type as the spell. This bonus increases by +1 for every 5 caster levels you possess, to a maximum of +5 at 20th level.
Since Ray of Frost is a evocation spell it should receive the benefit.