Director of Games
|
Welcome to the tenth stage of the playtest for the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game. We have now wrapped up the first nine stages of the playtest, which took a look at the Ability Scores, Races, Skills, Feats, Prestige Classes Equipment, Combat, and all of the base classes. Next up on the slate is a look at the magic and spells chapters of the book (chapters 10 and 11). During this two week portion, I would like to iron out any rules that seem unclear concerning spells and the mechanics behind spell casting. Although I do not expect the system to change (sorry spell point system fans), there are some areas that could probably use some clarification. As a general note, if the rules would not be placed in this chapter, then it should probably wait (so discussing fireball is perfectly relevant here, but the utility of a ring of blinking is not). When discussing topics in this playtest, start your thread title out with the general topic, followed by the issue you want to discuss. For example, if you wanted to talk about the power of the entangle spell, your thread subject might read: Entangle - Is it too good?
Here are a few thoughts to kick off the discussion.
- What spells are clearly too good? Which ones are clearly inferior? Note that I do not believe that all spells should be equal, as many serve different functions, but I am looking at those on the extremes.
- Are there any core spells that you ban from your game? If so, why?
- Is there any uncertainty with the spells system itself, including dispelling, counterspelling, preparation, and learning new spells?
- Save or die spells have mostly been changed into a damage dealing spell. What are your thoughts on this decision?
The previous playtests were quite useful and I expect this one to be the same.
Jason Bulmahn
Lead Designer
Paizo Publishing
|
Save or Die spells change, hate it, if PFRPG stays with it, it will be house-ruled back in my game.
See this thread.
RPG Superstar 2008 Top 32, 2011 Top 16
|
As for save or die, I'd rather see them work close to how they did in 3.0/3.5, but become save or dying, where they knock you to negative hp, thus giving several rounds to save the target. This also allows higher level save or die spells to put their target to lower and lower negative numbers.
For example:
Phantasmal killer would put you to -1 hp
Slay living to -3
Death Spell to -5
Destruction to -7
Implosion to -9
Special effects tied to the spell would still apply if the target dies before being healed, such as the destruction of the body, and inability to be raised. Also, these spells should then not allow stabilization checks.
I have some questions regarding some Domain Powers and Arcane schools powers: the text says (for both of them) that "Unless otherwise noted, these abilities are activated by using a standard action.".
- Is it correct to assume that you do not need to spend a standard action EVERY round in order to keep them active ?
- If keeping them active does not require an action, do you have to decide what is the duration of the power itself during the activating round (for example, stating 'three rounds' to the GM)?
- If you decide for a duration, can you end the power prematurely? If this is the case, what is the action involved to do so ? A standard, a move, a swift, or a free action ?
I have some questions regarding some Domain Powers and Arcane schools powers...
I think it's pretty safe to assume it doesn't take a standard action to keep them active. Going off similar effects from magic items I would say it is a free action to end the effect, but you're right it could use clarification.
- Save or die spells have mostly been changed into a damage dealing spell. What are your thoughts on this decision?
I don't like the decision at all. It may make the game more balanced, but at the cost of huge loss of flavor of death effects, which are now nothing more than damage-dealing effects. Mechanics don't determine flavor, but mechanics do influence flavor...
If you are looking for alternatives, there was a huge thread on the topic back in Alpha 3 and the best solution seemed to be to have death effects deal constitution damage. The thread can be found here: Link
(Note, there was some disagreement on whether other save or die/suck effects [rather than only death effects] should also cause ability damage - such as Petrification causing dexterity damage until the character turns to stone.)
I will start a thread on the matter on this board to have an updated discussion of the matter.
If you are not looking for alternatives, than just revert back to 3.5E way of doing things, perhaps softening it by making it similar to power word spells in terms of only working if the creature has less than a certain amount of hit points.
Regarding spells
We've had a request in our PFRPG Beta game that shillelagh have higher-level version that improve the enhancement bonuses. It's a great spell that grants a lot of distinctiveness to Druids.
Dispel Magic - nightmare beyond belief; particularly when trying to use it with the Thassilonian dust items that target specific schools of magic - enormous amounts of rule-book flipping. I am seriously considering just removing this spell on the grounds of time-consuming mechanics.
As pointed in this thread, what is the mechanics of the natural armor bonus granted by the various spells of the Polymorphing subschool? Is this a bonus that stacks with that of existing natural armor, or it changes it altogether (resulting in a massive loss, for a Lizardfolk Druid who Wildshapes into a wolf, for example - from a +5 natural armor for being a Lizardfolk to a measy +2 natural armor for changing form to that of a Medium Animal)?