Director of Game Design
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There seems to be some confusion about how this exactly works, so let me spell it out just so that it can be properly evaluated.
The feat allows you to sacrifice one spell slot each day to gain some floating points to add to other spells, allowing them to contain words whose total cost exceeds the normal limit for a spell of that level. There are some restrictions to how this works.
1. The spells that you add the points to must be of a level lower than the sacrificed spell.
2. This does not allow these spells to exceed the normal level restrictions.
Basically, it lets you get more bang out of a lower level slot or slots by burning a higher level spell.
Here is an example:
You are a 7th level wordcasting wizard with Word Burning. In the morning, you decide to sacrifice one of your 3rd level spell slots, giving you an extra 10 points to add to other spells. You could add all 10 to any o lv, 1st, or 2nd level word of power spell you prepare that morning, or you could break them up among all of your 0 lv, 1st, and 2nd level spells. Let say you go for raw power and put them all into one 2nd level spell slot (you cannot add them to any of your 3rd or 4th level spells). This gives you a 2nd level spell slot with a total of 17 point to spend. Note that you cannot add any target or effect word to this spell whose level is higher than 2, but you could add multiple 2nd level words to get a rather powerful combination. That said, all of the variables based off the spell's level (such as Save DCs) still treat the spell as 2nd level, despite it having more points. As a wizard you have to make these choices when you prepare the spells, but as a sorcerer with Word Burning, you could add the points on the fly, up to your total of 10 for the day.
Does that clear things up?
Jason Bulmahn
Lead Designer
Paizo Publishing
This is exactly how I read the feat. This feat really is rather cool.
Does that clear things up?
Immensely. Thank you.
-Ben.
| 1 person marked this as FAQ candidate. |
Does that clear things up?
Immensely. Thank you.
-Ben.
When applying word burning you apply it to a slot, correct? Say you burned a 9th level slot and applied it entirely to an 8th level slot. If you then took a 4th level spell and added +4 levels of metamagic feats and put it in the word burned slot, you would have 13+32 points, so a 45 point spell with a 4th level word cap, correct?
The other possible interperetation is you apply it to the spell in question, meaning you could apply a 9th level spell to a 4th level spell and get 45 points and then shift the slot up as needed via metamagic?
The first has options for abuse but is much more restrictive. It means that you can't metamagic a 4th level spell with 8th level slots more than +3 levels (As the burning means that the metamagic feats can only bring it up to 7th level before you go above the slots allowed to have 8th level burns applied to them).
If you use the second interperetation, then you could burn a 4th level slot and apply to a 3rd level spell then metamagic a spell well into the 8th and 9th level slots if you found a reason to do so. This one I could abuse blindfolded.
When applying word burning you apply it to a slot, correct? Say you burned a 9th level slot and applied it entirely to an 8th level slot. If you then took a 4th level spell and added +4 levels of metamagic feats and put it in the word burned slot, you would have 13+32 points, so a 45 point spell with a 4th level word cap, correct?
Word burning is applied to the spell not the slot. Otherwise your example is correct.
In fact if you burned a 9th level spell you could do the same exact thing even without the metamagic. The metamagic would just be gravy.
Technically, as long as you did not Heighten the spell to 9th level, you could even use another 9th level slot for the base spell+metamagic and then use Word Burning to give it an additional 32 points of effects.
Even using a 9th slot to boost that 4th level spell with 5 metamagic levels, RAW your still only casting a level 4 spell and as such your legal to boost it with your 9th level Word Burned spell.
I'm not so certain. The Word Burning feat mentions both spells and spell slots.
Benefit: Each day, when you prepare your words of power
spells or regain your spell slots, you can choose to expend any
one spell slot you possess. You gain a number of points from
that slot equal to its total word cost (see Table 1–1). You can
apply the points from that spell slot to any other spell that you
prepare or cast that day, increasing the total word cost limit.
You can split these points up among any number of other spell
slots, but none of the spell slots can have a level equal to or
higher than the expended spell slot. This does not increase
the maximum word level of these slots, but it does allow more
expensive words to be combined in lower-level spell slots.
The wording actually says it both ways, and I'm inclined to take the more restrictive wording as what's actually supposed to happen.
You are a 7th level wordcasting wizard with Word Burning. In the morning, you decide to sacrifice one of your 3rd level spell slots, giving you an extra 10 points to add to other spells. You could add all 10 to any o lv, 1st, or 2nd level word of power spell you prepare that morning, or you could break them up among all of your 0 lv, 1st, and 2nd level spells. Let say you go for raw power and put them all into one 2nd level spell slot (you cannot add them to any of your 3rd or 4th level spells). This gives you a 2nd level spell slot with a total of 17 point to spend. Note that you cannot add any target or effect word to this spell whose level is higher than 2, but you could add multiple 2nd level words to get a rather powerful combination. That said, all of the variables based off the spell's level (such as Save DCs) still treat the spell as 2nd level, despite it having more points. As a wizard you have to make these choices when you prepare the spells, but as a sorcerer with Word Burning, you could add the points on the fly, up to your total of 10 for the day.
Say I have a 10th-level caster, and I use this feat to sacrifice a 5th-level spell.
I can apply the points to any 4th-level or lower spell(s).
Could I put them onto a 2nd-level spell, say, and tack on a bunch of 3rd and 4th-level power words while still only using a 2nd-level slot (since it's the points from Word Burning that's paying for them)? After all, I'm not manipulating any power words above 4th-level when doing this, so it might abide by your post, depending on what you meant by your phrasing.
Say I have a 10th-level caster, and I use this feat to sacrifice a 5th-level spell.
I can apply the points to any 4th-level or lower spell(s).Could I put them onto a 2nd-level spell, say, and tack on a bunch of 3rd and 4th-level power words while still only using a 2nd-level slot (since it's the points from Word Burning that's paying for them)? After all, I'm not manipulating any power words above 4th-level when doing this, so it might abide by your post, depending on what you meant by your phrasing.
if your using a 2nd level spell you cant use 3rd or 4th level words...
...This gives you a 2nd level spell slot with a total of 17 point to spend. Note that you cannot add any target or effect word to this spell whose level is higher than 2, but you could add multiple 2nd level words to get a rather powerful combination...
so, disfortunately, you cant do that
Say I have a 10th-level caster, and I use this feat to sacrifice a 5th-level spell.
I can apply the points to any 4th-level or lower spell(s).
Could I put them onto a 2nd-level spell, say, and tack on a bunch of 3rd and 4th-level power words while still only using a 2nd-level slot (since it's the points from Word Burning that's paying for them)? After all, I'm not manipulating any power words above 4th-level when doing this, so it might abide by your post, depending on what you meant by your phrasing.
This gives you a 2nd level spell slot with a total of 17 point to spend. Note that you cannot add any target or effect word to this spell whose level is higher than 2, but you could add multiple 2nd level words to get a rather powerful combination.
So no, you can never use words of a higher level than the slot the spell is going into.
EDIT: Beaten to the punch. And in an almost identical way. :P
so, disfortunately, you cant do that
He can't do that because he sacrificed a 3rd-level spell. I sacrificed a 5th-level spell, so shouldn't I be able to toy around with 4th-level and lower effects?
Or am I misunderstanding you Jason?
This still seems broken with wizards and cantrips, since those aren't expended from spell slots. I'll admit it depends on what 0-level stuff makes it through playtesting, but the ability to give up a limited pool of points in one area to make it unlimited in another just seems wrong. The drawback to a cantrip is that it just isn't as powerful, but with this system you can create a cantrip that is almost as potent as a 1st level spell, but never used up. Sure, that may not matter after a certain point, but between 5th and 10th level I could see it being broken.
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I am cool with how it works but I figured this is as good a place as any to put this.
This feat needs a new name, "Word Burning" tells us right off the bat what it does but it is just too flavorless and mechanically derived off the system and meta-game terminology. May be a nit-pick but it's like creating a feat for monks that is intended to relieve MAD and naming it MAD Stance.
Aren't most feats flavourless? Just what it says on the box. And as it should be, I think. As numbers of feats increase, it helps to have an idea what they're for or related to at a glance when skimming the lists.
Would you know what it was for if it was called "Rite of Distributed Sigils'?
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so, disfortunately, you cant do thatHe can't do that because he sacrificed a 3rd-level spell. I sacrificed a 5th-level spell, so shouldn't I be able to toy around with 4th-level and lower effects?
Or am I misunderstanding you Jason?
The level of the slot that you are burning is not important. It is the level of the slot to which you are adding the words that is important. If you are adding a word to a second level spell, then the word's level can't be greater than 2.
so, disfortunately, you cant do thatHe can't do that because he sacrificed a 3rd-level spell. I sacrificed a 5th-level spell, so shouldn't I be able to toy around with 4th-level and lower effects?
Or am I misunderstanding you Jason?
The level of the slot that you are burning is not important. It is the level of the slot to which you are adding the words that is important. If you are adding a word to a second level spell, then the word's level can't be greater than 2.
Unfortunately, due to Jason's choice of phrasing, there is no evidence to support that (at least, not any more than there is to support my interpretation). Hopefully, Jason will come back to bring some clarity to this little bit of ambiguity.
Let me see if I understand the common interpretation though: Word burning essentially allows you to bypass level limitations where the point system is concerned, but NOT the level limitation where the power word levels are concerned. Is that right?
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I think Jason's example shows how the feat works.
Here is an example:You are a 7th level wordcasting wizard with Word Burning. In the morning, you decide to sacrifice one of your 3rd level spell slots, giving you an extra 10 points to add to other spells. You could add all 10 to any o lv, 1st, or 2nd level word of power spell you prepare that morning, or you could break them up among all of your 0 lv, 1st, and 2nd level spells. Let say you go for raw power and put them all into one 2nd level spell slot (you cannot add them to any of your 3rd or 4th level spells). This gives you a 2nd level spell slot with a total of 17 point to spend. Note that you cannot add any target or effect word to this spell whose level is higher than 2, but you could add multiple 2nd level words to get a rather powerful combination. That said, all of the variables based off the spell's level (such as Save DCs) still treat the spell as 2nd level, despite it having more points. As a wizard you have to make these choices when you prepare the spells, but as a sorcerer with Word Burning, you could add the points on the fly, up to your total of 10 for the day.
I think Jason's example shows how the feat works.
Here is an example:You are a 7th level wordcasting wizard with Word Burning. In the morning, you decide to sacrifice one of your 3rd level spell slots, giving you an extra 10 points to add to other spells. You could add all 10 to any o lv, 1st, or 2nd level word of power spell you prepare that morning, or you could break them up among all of your 0 lv, 1st, and 2nd level spells. Let say you go for raw power and put them all into one 2nd level spell slot (you cannot add them to any of your 3rd or 4th level spells). This gives you a 2nd level spell slot with a total of 17 point to spend. Note that you cannot add any target or effect word to this spell whose level is higher than 2, but you could add multiple 2nd level words to get a rather powerful combination. That said, all of the variables based off the spell's level (such as Save DCs) still treat the spell as 2nd level, despite it having more points. As a wizard you have to make these choices when you prepare the spells, but as a sorcerer with Word Burning, you could add the points on the fly, up to your total of 10 for the day.
My question is WHY you can't do that. Is it because it is a 2nd-level spell slot he is using, or because he sacrificed a 3rd-level spell and is thus limited to 2nd-level spells?
The former would support your interpretation, whereas the latter would support mine. However it is currently ambiguous due to his phrasing.
You can split these points up among any number of other spell
slots, but none of the spell slots can have a level equal to or
higher than the expended spell slot. This does not increase
the maximum word level of these slots, but it does allow more
expensive words to be combined in lower-level spell slots.
In my understanding because of both reasons.
Level of spell sacrificed limits to which spells you could apply additional points and level of the spell you apply it limits the level of words used.There is little ambiguity in the text of the feat (maybe except of repeated word level... blame D&D creators for overuse of that term).
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I think Jason's example shows how the feat works.
Here is an example:You are a 7th level wordcasting wizard with Word Burning. In the morning, you decide to sacrifice one of your 3rd level spell slots, giving you an extra 10 points to add to other spells. You could add all 10 to any o lv, 1st, or 2nd level word of power spell you prepare that morning, or you could break them up among all of your 0 lv, 1st, and 2nd level spells. Let say you go for raw power and put them all into one 2nd level spell slot (you cannot add them to any of your 3rd or 4th level spells). This gives you a 2nd level spell slot with a total of 17 point to spend. Note that you cannot add any target or effect word to this spell whose level is higher than 2, but you could add multiple 2nd level words to get a rather powerful combination. That said, all of the variables based off the spell's level (such as Save DCs) still treat the spell as 2nd level, despite it having more points. As a wizard you have to make these choices when you prepare the spells, but as a sorcerer with Word Burning, you could add the points on the fly, up to your total of 10 for the day.
My question is WHY you can't do that. Is it because it is a 2nd-level spell slot he is using, or because he sacrificed a 3rd-level spell and is thus limited to 2nd-level spells?
The former would support your interpretation, whereas the latter would support mine. However it is currently ambiguous due to his phrasing.
It is the 2nd level spell slot that limits the words. You could sacrifice a 9th level spell, but still only be able to add 2nd level words on a 2nd level spell slot.
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You can split these points up among any number of other spell
slots, but none of the spell slots can have a level equal to or
higher than the expended spell slot. This does not increase
the maximum word level of these slots, but it does allow more
expensive words to be combined in lower-level spell slots.
In my understanding because of both reasons.
Level of spell sacrificed limits to which spells you could apply additional points and level of the spell you apply it limits the level of words used.There is little ambiguity in the text of the feat (maybe except of repeated word level... blame D&D creators for overuse of that term).
Well, I find the text of the feat ambiguous too. It was the example in Jason's post that clarified it for me.
#2 is still fuzzy when I read it. "normal level restrictions"...that is vague.