So a couple members of my group and I did a playtest of the new classes.
We just ran a bunch of encounters with the new classes and 2 standard classes. We ran a bunch of encounters at level 1, 3 and 6
The party was 1 oracle with the bone focus, 1 cavalier of the dragon order, a paladin, and a monk.
First off a question from the guy who ran the oracle, what action is it to conjure armor of bones? It isnt listed, we ruled swift for the moment but it will need to be cleared up I think.
Also, what kind of action is it to take an oath? Is a long speech required (several rounds)? Is a simple statement enough? This matters for thinks like vengeance and justice (if an oath is not already active).
The haunted curse seems a little light on the penalty part compared to say clouded vision. I mean how often does a primary caster have to worry about dropping something? It does however provide amusing role play. But i think the disadvantage as written can only really apply through creative dming, which probably isn't a good way to handle it.
First encounter: level 1 party
4 goblins. This was a pretty easy fight, after all they are goblins. My Cavalier was able to get the Vengeance oath pretty quickly, and did rather well. It was an outdoor encounter, and I was able to ride in on the goblins fast. My horse was able to also take out a gobbo when it got close enough. The oracle took out one with an inflict light wounds (he was definately going for the darker side of the bone focus, thats for sure).
Second Encounter: level 1 party
1 Ogre.
So this fight we decided was indoors, and I was without my mount. Here I expected, and saw the cavaleer get outshone by the paladin, after all single big bads are what they do, but I was able to get in my Dragon Order Bonus at all. What we realized here was the oracle does not make a good primary healer. He cant really afford to take too many cure spells, or risk being impotent in other areas, and of course lacks the healing capacity of things like channel and spontaneously cast cures. I'd say its better then the druid in the capacity, but you will need aditional healing in a typical party.
Third encoutner: level 3 party 2 ogres and 3 goblins.
This was another indoor encounter, and I was again without my mount. I again seemed unable to get my bonus from challenge for order of the dragon since the ogre hit me before i could get in on him. The oracle did ok, but I think the player needed better spell selection, I think you have to take alot of care with oracle spells as without the flexibility of the prepared casters, you have to make sure you get alot of impact from what you pick. More so then with a sorc, because of the difference in the kind of spells.
Fourth encounter: level 6 party, 3 grizzly bears.
Here the cavalier really shown. It was outdoors, I had the mount and I was able to get in a whole bunch of ride by attacks using a lance where the bears (with out reach) couldnt hit be back. With vital strike and power attack i put on some serious hurt, and made it difficult with using my mounts full move for the bears to get me back. It also helped that the paladin wasnt doing as much since he couldnt smit.
Final encounter. young red dragon.
This was our big fight. Once again the oracle proved he wasnt a primary healer. I actually ended up using the cavalier to pour a potion down the paladins throat to get him up instead. Here the cavalier couldnt really use his mount to great effect because the dragon was much more mobile. And the oracle couldnt do alot because his spells were being saved against, or required touch(caster getting close to a dragon is a poor idea most of the time). The paladin and monk did most of the heavy lifting here.
Impressions. I think the mechanic for the order of the dragon needs to be changed. I did not get a single challenge bonus in all 5 encounters, either they hit me, or there was another ally there or what have you. It really becomes pretty frustrating. I also feel that with the mount the cavalier performs pretty well compared to the other classes, but in situations where he cant really use it, he significanlty under performes. The mount in and of itself can be a pretty good combatant, but again its pretty situational, I was thinking maybe next time i might try a small sized cavalier, because a medium mount might not have size issues, but that isnt a great answer. I also think that getting the oath bonuses is really complicated. Often by the time you get it, it really doens't apply anymore and you should probably start on a new one. The protection oath for instance seems like a dont bother for me, unless its an npc protecting a noble or something.
The oracle I love from a role play perspective, but I am underwhelmed from the mechanical angle. I think that there are far less impact spells especially at low levels for the cleric list, where the lack of flexibility and choice really hurts the oracle more then the sorc. I think the class needs a little bit of a push. Perhaps something like the sorc and wizards first level abilities where they have something they can do 3+charisma times per day. I mean even if they take a revelation like fire breath you can do it so infrequently your really left out at low levels. And the class doesnt have the ability of the cleric in that they can usually get in some combat at low levels, or higher levels with buffs, since they probably wont carry the requisite buffs, and have less armor, and lower babs.
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First off a question from the guy who ran the oracle, what action is it to conjure armor of bones? It isnt listed, we ruled swift for the moment but it will need to be cleared up I think.
Bone Armor (Su) This is a supernatural effect. PRPG pg. 183 Table 8-2 shows us that using a supernatural ability is a standard action.
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Perhaps something like the sorc and wizards first level abilities where they have something they can do 3+charisma times per day
Most of the Foci do have a Revelation that gives them this ability. Often it is a touch attack for 1d6 damage + 1/2 oracle levels. Bone Focus has the following:
Death’s Touch (Su): You can cause terrible wounds to appear on a creature with a melee touch attack. This attack deals 1d6 points of negative energy damage +1 point for every two oracle levels you possess. If used against an undead creature, it heals damage and grants a +2 channel resistance for 1 minute. You can use this ability a number of times per day equal to 3 + your Charisma modifier.
Perhaps something like the sorc and wizards first level abilities where they have something they can do 3+charisma times per dayMost of the Foci do have a Revelation that gives them this ability. Often it is a touch attack for 1d6 damage + 1/2 oracle levels. Bone Focus has the following:
Death’s Touch (Su): You can cause terrible wounds to appear on a creature with a melee touch attack. This attack deals 1d6 points of negative energy damage +1 point for every two oracle levels you possess. If used against an undead creature, it heals damage and grants a +2 channel resistance for 1 minute. You can use this ability a number of times per day equal to 3 + your Charisma modifier.
True but you have to choose that revalation. Maybe it was just poor choices on the part of the player but rea didnt seem to have alot to do.
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True but you have to choose that revalation. Maybe it was just poor choices on the part of the player but rea didnt seem to have alot to do.Perhaps something like the sorc and wizards first level abilities where they have something they can do 3+charisma times per dayMost of the Foci do have a Revelation that gives them this ability. Often it is a touch attack for 1d6 damage + 1/2 oracle levels. Bone Focus has the following:
Death’s Touch (Su): You can cause terrible wounds to appear on a creature with a melee touch attack. This attack deals 1d6 points of negative energy damage +1 point for every two oracle levels you possess. If used against an undead creature, it heals damage and grants a +2 channel resistance for 1 minute. You can use this ability a number of times per day equal to 3 + your Charisma modifier.
Honestly, Bone seems to be one of the weaker Foci. Battle and Stone seem to have more "always on" abilities( in the form of free feats or increased capabilities ) than the others. Heck, one of the Battle Revelations gives you 3 feats for free. If Bone were given Negative energy channeling equivalent to the cleric as a revelation, it would be a lot more useful.
Honestly, Bone seems to be one of the weaker Foci. Battle and Stone seem to have more "always on" abilities( in the form of free feats or increased capabilities ) than the others. Heck, one of the Battle Revelations gives you 3 feats for free. If Bone were given Negative energy channeling equivalent to the cleric as a revelation, it would be a lot more useful.True but you have to choose that revalation. Maybe it was just poor choices on the part of the player but rea didnt seem to have alot to do.Perhaps something like the sorc and wizards first level abilities where they have something they can do 3+charisma times per dayMost of the Foci do have a Revelation that gives them this ability. Often it is a touch attack for 1d6 damage + 1/2 oracle levels. Bone Focus has the following:
Death’s Touch (Su): You can cause terrible wounds to appear on a creature with a melee touch attack. This attack deals 1d6 points of negative energy damage +1 point for every two oracle levels you possess. If used against an undead creature, it heals damage and grants a +2 channel resistance for 1 minute. You can use this ability a number of times per day equal to 3 + your Charisma modifier.
I agree, and I think my play test gave a little first hand experience of why it needs a boost of some form or another.