When Beta arrived, I hashed out a Shadow Bloodline for Sorcerers so that I could easily convert a character for one of my players. Now that the final rules are here I see the class now also gets a "Bloodline Arcana" ability - something I don't have yet.
I was hoping people could let me know what they think of giving it this ability:
Bloodline Arcana: When creature who gains information that an illusion spell cast by you is not real makes their saving throw, they do not gain the +4 bonus.
Just wondering how this stacks up against the other abilities in people's minds.
Thanks :D
How about a +2 to DC against saves against illusionary magic because it is formed through shadow?
I think that's a really cool power. It evokes the image of one fighter screaming "Dude, it's an illusion! DUDE, listen to me, it's an ILLUSION!", while the other fighter simply blinks dazedly, not seeming to hear him.
On the other hand, as others have hinted, it is far too circumstantial to measure up with other bloodline powers.
If I were writing a "shadow" bloodline (presumably tied to shadow creatures/shadowstuff/the plane of shadow), then +2 to Illusion[shadow] DCs would be a very easy and obvious choice, but that doesn't mean you have to go that route. Many of the bloodline powers do other, more interesting things (then again, that may be because they don't have thematically-related subschools).
Or you could go the opposite direction and give the Shadow bloodline a crippling vulnerability to light. Mean!
There are very few Illusion [shadow] spells at lower levels, mostly glamor and figment. It's a good power for mid-high level casters but for 1-7th level it's not very useful.
Giving +2 to the entire subschool is a bit much also. What about "Illusions with a duration of concentration last for a number of rounds equal to your 1/2 caster level after you stop concentrating"
Looks like a solid power to me.
Unless of course someone writes an extremely powerful persistent offensive illusion and balances it out with a duration of "concentration". Might want to specify illusion (figment) or illusion (glammor).
Looks like a solid power to me.
Unless of course someone writes an extremely powerful persistent offensive illusion and balances it out with a duration of "concentration". Might want to specify illusion (figment) or illusion (glammor).
Just noticed a couple things... first the low level illusion spells have had their durations alters (I think) to concentration + X rounds for minor image and major image. Second... there are only three illusion spell that have a duration of concentration, Silent, Minor, and Major image spells. So while I like it, it suffers from the opposite issue, it's only useful for low level spells.
Giving +2 to the entire subschool is a bit much also. What about "Illusions with a duration of concentration last for a number of rounds equal to your 1/2 caster level after you stop concentrating"
For reference, Fey get +2 to enchantment (compulsion)...which is every single sorcerer/wizard enchantment spell except for charm person, charm monster, symbol of persuasion, and mass charm monster. +2 to illusion (shadow) doesn't seem out of line.
Y'know, one of the main ideas behind the shadow subschool is "partially real" illusions. What about giving them the ability to ADD shadow to an illusion spell? Clearly has the potential to be too strong an ability, but it seems to me to be more in line with the idea of shadow.
Note, I am not suggesting any specific rules here, just a general idea.
Giving +2 to the entire subschool is a bit much also. What about "Illusions with a duration of concentration last for a number of rounds equal to your 1/2 caster level after you stop concentrating"For reference, Fey get +2 to enchantment (compulsion)...which is every single sorcerer/wizard enchantment spell except for charm person, charm monster, symbol of persuasion, and mass charm monster. +2 to illusion (shadow) doesn't seem out of line.
Urm... you are correct. I meant giving it to the entire school is a bit much. If you read my previous sentence that's my issue with Illusion(shadow)... there are no 1-3 level Illusion (shadow) spells. So a caster wouldn't benefit from this ability until she reached 8th level.
Sorry about the confusion.
Hmm
Lot of good feedback here, thanks everyone.
So, I was wondering - since people think just the removal of the +4 bonus on the second save is too weak, what if we just removed it completely?
So the ability read more like: Even if told your illusions aren't real, those that failed their initial save do not get another. Only when faced with proof of your illusion do they see through it.
Heck, we could even say that once they get proof, then they get a second save with a bonus.