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Ezren in all his Vancian glory.
Counting the Kobold Quarterly's PrC we have almost a baker's's dozen Iconics.
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We also changed the way that wizards with an arcane school interact with their prohibited schools. They can now learn and cast these spells just like any other wizard; however, when they prepare them, spells from a wizard's prohibited school take up two slots instead of one. For example, a 6th-level wizard with three 3rd-level spell spots could use two of them to prepare a dispel magic spell, even if abjuration was one of his prohibited schools.
Wow. Some thought went into that and while it will take some gettng used to, I *think* I like it.
I really like the changes to the generalist... very nice. Overall it is a little power bump but mostly just bringing it in line with the specialists. The fixes to both Hand of the Apprentice and Metamagic Mastery were great balance changes to those two powers.
Looks like specialists will be nearly unchanged from 3.5. It's a little vague here but likely they will have a power at 1st and 8th (and 15th?) level similar to Ezren and specialist bonus spells as well.
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Always trust for the Baron, vigilant as ever, to start the preview thread.
Anyway... nice ray of enfeeblement change, this spell was too good !
Wait is this a preview thread ? Of a Wizard ?
... runs to his AT-AT and orders the Imperial technicians to load the new anti-snowspeeder defense turret
SITREP: "casters are nerfed, kthnxbai" forces advancing from the left ! "melee feats on a caster wtf, Paizo = fael" units on the right flank ! We're surrounded !
IT'S A TRAP !
Always trust for the Baron, vigilant as ever, to start the preview thread.
Anyway... nice ray of enfeeblement change, this spell was too good !
Wait is this a preview thread ? Of a Wizard ?
... runs to his AT-AT and orders the Imperial technicians to load the new anti-snowspeeder defense turret
SITREP: "casters are nerfed, kthnxbai" forces advancing from the left ! "melee feats on a caster wtf, Paizo = fael" units on the right flank ! We're surrounded !
IT'S A TRAP !
They just posted that because they wanted to give fuel to the people who will inevitably start complaining about how even with mediocre feat selection the wizard still kicks the martial characters butts with one wand tied behind his back.
Seltyiel is going to be a really interesting preview...
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Always trust for the Baron, vigilant as ever, to start the preview thread.
... runs to his AT-AT and orders the Imperial technicians to load the new anti-snowspeeder defense turret
SITREP: "casters are nerfed, kthnxbai" forces advancing from the left ! "melee feats on a caster wtf, Paizo = fael" units on the right flank ! We're surrounded !
IT'S A TRAP !
These are traps.
Actually after shoehorning everything from Madcats to AT - AT on this weekly thread Gorbacz is my hero, if your going to Gencon your first and last drink is on me sir !
BACK TO THE PREVIEW !
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Actually after shoehorning everything from Madcats to AT - AT on this weekly thread Gorbacz is my hero, if your going to Gencon your first and last drink is on me sir !
BACK TO THE PREVIEW !
Dear Sir Baron, sadly due to me living on the other side of that wee little lake called "Atlantic Ocean" I won't be present at this year's GenCon. And it makes me sad and I cry at night because of it.
However there's next years PaizoCon (me wants !)...GenCon (me likes !)...and we will always have Paris ... London ... Berlin ... Birmingham ... Hogglepotsmellfartshire (home of R. Pett) ... Saarbrucken ... or hell, Poznan - wherever PaizoCon Europe will be !
Back on the topic, lest they flog us for derailing, I mean wtf, Jason, are you stoopid or what ? Nerfing scry'n'port tactic ? It's an ICONIC SACRED COW of the 3rd ed ! Even Xykon gets that once in a while ! :)
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Xykon for the win !
Gorbacz
See you at Paizocon !
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I think that's the "yes you get skill points for Int items, but you need to declare which skill it goes into when making the item" shtick.
I don't miss the old wall. I had Mokmurian telekinesis the party's healer out of the room and then wall of force him shut away from comrades. That wasn't fun. For the players that is.
Hmmm though I liked alomost all of the previews I am not sure of this one.
The metamagic mastery seems kinda weak, but well thought of.
And my major beef is that combat casting and defensive combat training will be no brainers for wizards. And for the most part no brainer feats shouldn't exist.
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That wasn't fun. For the players that is.
Players don't always get what they want, and sometimes, when they are foolish enough, they do. Muwahahahaha.
Ahem.
I do like that the Fly spell has built in bonus to ... um fly now, and I like the CMD Feat, now Ezren can go all Sean Connery on any monks who get touchy feely.
lol, I wonder if my proposal about evokers and the electric engine had any influence in the nerfing of at-will powers... if that's the case then yay! Now I can say I had influence in the game LMAO.
Do I like it? Hell no, but I saw this coming soooo long ago that I'm not the least bit surprised. I had some time already to make my peace with the fact that I don't have to -like- PFRPG to use in my games the few things I'll be taking from it (namely the skills system, (beta) combat mechanics, and campaign setting).
Hmmm though I liked alomost all of the previews I am not sure of this one.
The metamagic mastery seems kinda weak, but well thought of.
And my major beef is that combat casting and defensive combat training will be no brainers for wizards. And for the most part no brainer feats shouldn't exist.
Combat Casting seems like a huge no brainier, not sure on defensive combat training, guess it depends on how often the DM uses CMB.
Loved the change to metamagic mastery. Powerful but prevent going to far like DMM and metamagic reducing feat/class features.
I like it! :)
I admit I was a bit worried for wizard class.
The beta version had still many big issues, but it seems that Jason has addressed 'em all.
-Generalist and specialist powers fixed. UP!
-Necromancers are not evil! and now they turn/rebuke undead without being fucckin priests? UPPER!
-Fly grant a Fly bonus. very well.
-Combat casting isnt't a must have, it's a VERY useful feat for melee mages. A strong improving from 3.5, that kills also the concentration tax. UP!
-Overall bits of spell revision? I appreciate them.
Very good job Jason. I can't wait for reading all specialists's powers! :)
I admit I was a bit skeptical of the wizard, but I must say, I likes what I sees.
Though I'm thinking "Sod the Eldritch knight, show us the Assassin! I want my half-orc iconic lovin'"
I am rather pleased with the new Wizard. I particularly like the ability of specialists to use two spell slots to memorize a single spell from a prohibited school. During the playtest, I tried suggesting my on-off house rule of allowing specialists to memorize spells from prohibited schools using higher-level spell slots, but the new mechanic devised by Jason works just as well and perhaps even better.
Another change I am fond of is the return of bonus spells for specialist wizards and ensuring that universalists don't get something similar.
The one thing that worries me a bit is the two feats - these may be a little too poweful for my taste. Still, I will have to wait to try them in practice before I am sure.
Are the 0 level spells usable 'at will' ala 4E
Or is my mind mixing editions (again)
EDIT: like sorcerer and bard, I guess
Are the 0 level spells usable 'at will' ala 4E
Or is my mind mixing editions (again)
EDIT: like sorcerer and bard, I guess
Well, Sorcerers can.
Clerics can.
Bards can.
Druids and Wizards have a different text format (it isn't written in the previews if they can or not), but I guess they can, too.
Are the 0 level spells usable 'at will' ala 4E
Or is my mind mixing editions (again)
EDIT: like sorcerer and bard, I guess
I'd say yes. The ability "cantrips" is still there in his build.
I liked the 1 day/2 caster level spells, too bad those are gone.
I also liked a basic power you could use all day. I think I'll put them back in. A basic eldritch bolt or something like that. Maybe a bunch of feats for that.
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Though I'm thinking "Sod the Eldritch knight, show us the Assassin! I want my half-orc iconic lovin'"
Since my very first D&D character was an Elf (both for race and class, which was technically the great grandfather of the Eldrich Knight) and followed by my first AD&D character was a half elf Fighter/Magic-User I can't wait for the iconic Eldritch Knight to complete the circle.
That being said I'll bet my bottom dollar that the last iconic will indeed be the half orc !
Ezren has both Knowledge (arcana) and Spellcraft, so the two were not combined. Presumably Spellcraft remains an Int skill that covers both arcane and divine spells. I suppose Charisma-based casting made it awkward to separate arcane and divine spellcraft, or maybe a single Spellcraft just keeps things simpler.
I really like the idea of assigning a skill to a magic item that boosts Intelligence. I wonder how that will work exactly. I thought the fix for scry and teleport was especially good. The specialist and universalist rules sound great, so I'm eager to see the details.
I liked the 1 day/2 caster level spells, too bad those are gone.
Well, we actually know that they are gone for Generalist Wizards and Cleric's Domains.
We still don't know for sure if this is the case for Specialist Wizards as well.
I also liked a basic power you could use all day. I think I'll put them back in. A basic eldritch bolt or something like that. Maybe a bunch of feats for that.
The 'ZZOT-ling' at will was a good thing, but we can still 'Ray of Frost/Acid Splash' all day and night long (although the damage is not the same, I admit it... 1d3 vs 1d6+10 at 20th). The Reserve Feats, on the contrary... were even too good (IMHO). Throwing supernatural rays which dealt the same damage of the Eldritch Blast of Warlocks was simply too much (and a nail on the coffin of the Warlock, too - as if the class were not bad enough...) (again, IMHO).
The best Paizo idea for wizard was the Arcane Duellist option out of the Campaign Setting. Too bad it doesn't appear to have made it into the core book.
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He can also enchant his cane as if he had the feats required, so long as he is of the minimum level to get the feat (such as 11th level for a staff using Craft Staff, or 7th level using Forge Ring).
Forge Ring at seventh.
Awesome!
No longer will twelth level casters be chained to a desk slaving away to rpoduce all those Rings of Protection +1 and Rings of Sustenance for the low level adventurers...
the other stuff is shiny, but this is what jumped out.
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Why did Ezren get a +3 club when Arcane Strike grants him a +3 enhancement bonus? It's either poorly worded or a waste of money or a feat.
I like the nerf to Ray of Enfeeblement. And the new Metamagic Mastery looks nice, too, although I'm wondering if the new universalist is now rather weak in comparison to the specialists (although the school powers may have changed, too).
Looks nice. I'm sad to see that Hand of the Apprentice is no longer an at-will power, but it makes sense balance-wise, since it's almost guaranteed to be a better attack than any other non-spell in the wizard's arsenal. Plus, my wizard will still get to bust it out 8 times a day, which should be plenty.
The changes to necromancy also seem pretty cool. And the spell changes look nice, since it's making some of the fringe effects of the game and folding them into a more standardized rules structure.
I have to say that I'm extremely pleased with the changes to the final version of the Wizard - especially Generalist Wizards.
In the Beta version, they had the most powerful abilities (Metamagic Mastery and Master of All Schools) AND the ability to gain bonus spells from every school. Now, they still have good abilities (Hand of the Apprentice has been polished, and Metamagic Mastery doesn't scream 'DIVINE METAMAGIC' anymore - we still don't know about the capstone, but I'm fairly optimistic) but no more bonus spells; meanwhile, Specialist Wizards has still the ability to cast Opposed School spells, although with a fair trade-off (previously, some schools simply had a label which said 'Memorize Me Anyway, Forget The Specialist Bonus' - Evocation, anyone?).
This sentence makes me think:
"Fly, and other spells like it, now grants a built-in bonus to Fly skill checks, to help compensate for characters without any ranks in the skill. "
The bonus was still present in the Beta version; does this last sentence mean that a character can use Fly even Untrained ?
(in the Beta Playtest I had some characters who tried to fight while airborne AND without any ranks in Fly - which meant that they couldn't make any Fly check and so were basically forced to move at least half their movement every round while airborne or 'go splat' like some old Wile E.Coyote's cartoon, and so could make only one attack per round)
and a nail on the coffin of the Warlock, too
Someone pass me a hammer. And a shovel. Let's bury the sucker.
That being said I'll bet my bottom dollar that the last iconic will indeed be the half orc !
Nope. There are no more iconics to go around. There's already 12 of them - none of which are half-orcs.
Hmm, I like the bound item bit. Kind of reminds me of the way Harry has to use his blasting rod or staff in the early books, but the Merlin just kind of wiggles his eyebrows.
He still has to make those checks. At least in Small Favour. Sure, he can do some casting without his foci, but it's easier for him to use his phallic symbols.
Smart money, as always, is on something like a ring.
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Are the 0 level spells usable 'at will' ala 4E
Or is my mind mixing editions (again)
EDIT: like sorcerer and bard, I guess
Actually, the ability to use 0 level spells 'at will' has become a bit of a problem in my game. One of my players believes that the combination of Detect Magic and Detect Poison makes the ability of rogues to find traps almost completely redundant.
Actually, the ability to use 0 level spells 'at will' has become a bit of a problem in my game. One of my players believes that the combination of Detect Magic and Detect Poison makes the ability of rogues to find traps almost completely redundant.
Well...though that may be the case, knowing there's a trap and bypassing the trap aren't necessarily going to go hand-in-hand.
Well I wrote a whole long post but the boards ate it, so I'll sum up.
Hand of the apprentice is now beyond worthless, I would be embarassed if I ever had to resort to something so weak. Acid splash is better.
Metamagic specialization not only got far worse, you can use it far less.
If you still have to give up two schools, even for Divination, and the new school powers are all this weak maybe I'll just reroll a sorcerer.
I will miss ye old Wall of Force.
To be fair, 30 hardness and a minimum of 180 hit points is nothing to sneeze at, IMO.
I like what I saw in the wizard preview, although the preview didn't make it clear whether the Web spell was changed from the Beta version or not. I guess it's different since moving into the web now triggers a saving throw.
Actually, the ability to use 0 level spells 'at will' has become a bit of a problem in my game. One of my players believes that the combination of Detect Magic and Detect Poison makes the ability of rogues to find traps almost completely redundant.
Doesn't help you against mechanical traps without poison. Or those who know about those spells, how to fool those spells, and build accordingly (I think there is something about a thin sheet of lead somewhere in there).
Not to mention that even if you can cast them at will, casting that stuff over and over again is a real drag. Don't let players get away with "I keep casting this." Let them say they cast it every time. }>
Actually, the ability to use 0 level spells 'at will' has become a bit of a problem in my game. One of my players believes that the combination of Detect Magic and Detect Poison makes the ability of rogues to find traps almost completely redundant.
I just rule that finding a magical trap still requires a normal Search check, even with Detect Magic running. Works for me.
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I'm wondering if the change to the wizard's and cleric's at will powers also mean a change to the ones of the sorcerer.
One of the players in my game has a draconic meleesorcerer built on the usage of his claws, so it would be rather awkward if he suddenly could use those claws a number of times equal to half his level plus his charisma modifier.
Quick notes:
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Man it's awesome when you see playtest feedback that you yourself posited being considered in changes.
I posted the thread complaining about defensive combat training, and it's nice to see the changes he recomended in there make it to the final, now we just need a feat that goes:
Offensive combat training: Pre-reqs BAB +1, when you take this feat select a combat manuever. Whenever you attempt this combat manuever treat your total level as your BAB for the purposes of performing this combat manuever. You may take this feat multiple times its effects do not stack, each time you take it you select a new combat manuever.
In 3.5 I had an indiana jones type wizard that used his whip to trip and grapple etc. It'd be nice to have a feat to make that a viable character in pathfinder which in the beta he wasn't.
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I'm less the keen on the nerf to ray of enfeeblement. I don't like rays with saves, it makes building a ray base caster less effective. Also, as a "warrior stopper" for it to have a fort save is about as effective as trying to charm a elven cleric. I still think a nerf was in order, but perhaps a reduction in the total damage to be about 3/4 of what it was, instead of a save for half that will almost always be made.
Note, my primary PC is a barb and I get nailed with this all the time, I don't like the spell, but its the only way to stop me.
Actually, the ability to use 0 level spells 'at will' has become a bit of a problem in my game. One of my players believes that the combination of Detect Magic and Detect Poison makes the ability of rogues to find traps almost completely redundant.Are the 0 level spells usable 'at will' ala 4E
Or is my mind mixing editions (again)
EDIT: like sorcerer and bard, I guess
Magic Aura solves this.
BTW, I think this spell is one of the most under-utilized tricks in a GM's arsenal… One of my groups has had a minor artifact in their possession for a while now and doesn't even know it . It's Dalt's key from Mad God's Key… a great adventure BTW Mr. Buhlman.
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I don't like the nerfing of the Hand of the Apprentice ability. It had some nice flair to it, and I really enjoyed seeing the wizard have some melee ability other than standing back and casting spells.
So, I think I'll allow Wizards to continue using their Hand of the Apprentice ability after the daily uses are up with successful intelligence checks. (DC 16 + 1 for each use beyond the first extra use).