Just realized an alchemist can now take their first Arcane Trickster level at 5! If you're into that sorta thing, it's an interesting earlier and less painful than usual entry. Haven't looked over the alchemist's list well enough to see if that's useful at all though.
Alchemists can't qualify for Arcane Trickster I don't think, since they don't cast spells.
There is an alchemist discovery called Doppleganger simulacrum. Basically it creates a double of you that you can bounce your consciousness between at any time. If your copy gets killed you bounce back to your original. If your original dies, you're screwed. It's not available till level 10, but it effectively makes you immortal.....as long as you can hide your real body extremely well. Either way the survivability drastically increases for you.....not that alchemists had a problem with that anyway.
Smiley
There is an alchemist discovery called Doppleganger simulacrum. Basically it creates a double of you that you can bounce your consciousness between at any time. If your copy gets killed you bounce back to your original. If your original dies, you're screwed. It's not available till level 10, but it effectively makes you immortal.....as long as you can hide your real body extremely well. Either way the survivability drastically increases for you.....not that alchemists had a problem with that anyway.
Smiley
Not really calling that a problem, because your gear doesn't go with you. And if you're the only one left in a TPK... well that's going to be a problem for you. And once dead, you are out of the combat, unless you have Leadership and your followers hauling your body along behind you.
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I'm also looking at the Sound Striker bard. Lets a caster-bard deal more than his usual damage amount, though still less than an archer.The Sound Striker underwhelmed me with its utterly weak-assed first ability. Luckily it's Inspire Competence rather than Courage that's replaced. I can see more use in the second ability, but even that is not dangerous by a long stretch. Those are some tiny, tiny damage numbers.
At least he can deal that damage every round while performing and continue to fire his bow and cast spells, right? That makes it quite worthwhile, then.
I'm actually having trouble figuring out the attacks/round/duration relationship for the weird words ability. It seems possible to interpret it as granting you (bard level) attacks/round as long as you maintain your performance, which would be not just good but holycrap awesome. Since I doubt that's the case, though, can someone walk me through how it is supposed to work, and why?
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Sacred Summons is not very different than Animal Shamans from the APG, though. And Animal Shamans don't even need to spend a feat for that. So I'm not sure it's unbalanced. Sacred Summons and Superior Summons are good, but not obviously much more than Augment Summoning itself, I think.
It was an extremely powerful ability for Druids already, but it was rather specific in scope. Now it's open to Clerics as well, and with more versatiliy. Overall, I think this is a considerable power boost for clerics. I would probably rate it higher than Augment Summoning (which requires two feats). AS makes your summons incrementally stronger, whereas SS may very well allow you to summon in the first place. I've played a druid before, and my DM's intelligent foes invariably attacked me as soon as I started to chant. A full round of casting is a huge liability.
Of course, nothing prevents you from getting AS, SS, and Superior Summoning all together.
I'm curious, what do Sacred Summons and Superior Summons do?
I think that Superior Summons lets you conjure more creatures, but what about Sacred? Does it provide a template or the like for your summoned monsters?
I'm curious, what do Sacred Summons and Superior Summons do?
I think that Superior Summons lets you conjure more creatures, but what about Sacred? Does it provide a template or the like for your summoned monsters?
If the summon exactly matches your alignment, you can summon it/them as a standard action instead of as a full round.
Thank you, RD. Nice to see something official to speed up Summoning spells, though I do also like what KQ did with the Summoner in that one PDF of theirs.
Thank you, RD. Nice to see something official to speed up Summoning spells, though I do also like what KQ did with the Summoner in that one PDF of theirs.
Which PDF was that and what did they do?
If the summon exactly matches your alignment, you can summon it/them as a standard action instead of as a full round.I'm curious, what do Sacred Summons and Superior Summons do?
I think that Superior Summons lets you conjure more creatures, but what about Sacred? Does it provide a template or the like for your summoned monsters?
you need an aura so is no good for my oracles
you need an aura so is no good for my oraclesIf the summon exactly matches your alignment, you can summon it/them as a standard action instead of as a full round.I'm curious, what do Sacred Summons and Superior Summons do?
I think that Superior Summons lets you conjure more creatures, but what about Sacred? Does it provide a template or the like for your summoned monsters?
A one level dip into cleric will snag you an aura. I might do that if I ever make a conjuration specialist.
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For me the most attractive power creep ability in there is the new Witch/Hexcrafter feat Spell-Hex
You can transform a 1st-level spell into a hex.
Prerequisite: Major hex class feature.
Benefit: Select one 1st-level spell in the class that
grants you the major hex class feature. You can learn
that spell as a hex, and can use that hex three times per
day. This is a spell-like ability. You use your class level
in the major-hex-granting class as your caster level for
the spell hex. The spell hex uses your hex DC instead of
its original spell DC.
As an int based caster I can technically have any first level spell in the game and being able to rattle it off for giggles is cool.
The broken part comes to whether or not we can maintain it with Cackle.
Combine something basic like Bungle hex + Split Hex + Cackle to totally shut down your opponents melee ability.
Or better yet Beguiling Gift Hex + Split Hex + Poison Steep + Cackle = 2 opponents fighting each other to their own death.
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Antagonize is so powerful, not only does it force an enemy to attack, it can make the GM sitting across the table from you reach out and slap you!Antagonize is probably the worst thing I've seen about this book so far.
I guess you haven't noticed Borrow Future yet, Sorcerers casting all their level 5-9 spells in a single round, magi getting twenty full attacks in a row, etc.
Compared to that, Antagonize is pretty tame.
Antagonize is probably the worst thing I've seen about this book so far.I guess you haven't noticed Borrow Future yet, Sorcerers casting all their level 5-9 spells in a single round, magi getting twenty full attacks in a row, etc.
Compared to that, Antagonize is pretty tame.
To me, it's pretty easy to patch up Borrow Future in a reasonable fashion (i.e. don't allow someone to skip their next turn twice). I have no idea how you're supposed to patch up Antagonize to make it a sensible feat.
To me, it's pretty easy to patch up Borrow Future in a reasonable fashion (i.e. don't allow someone to skip their next turn twice). I have no idea how you're supposed to patch up Antagonize to make it a sensible feat.Antagonize is probably the worst thing I've seen about this book so far.I guess you haven't noticed Borrow Future yet, Sorcerers casting all their level 5-9 spells in a single round, magi getting twenty full attacks in a row, etc.
Compared to that, Antagonize is pretty tame.
In case anyone wants to respond to hogarth on how to fix Antagonize, I believe a better place would be here, in the thread about Antagonize.
I'd personally love it if we could keep this thread about what's good in UM, rather than have it devolve into another Antagonize thread :)
For me the most attractive power creep ability in there is the new Witch/Hexcrafter feat Spell-Hex
** spoiler omitted **
As an int based caster I can technically have any first level spell in the game and being able to rattle it off for giggles is cool.
The broken part comes to whether or not we can maintain it with Cackle.Combine something basic like Bungle hex + Split Hex + Cackle to totally shut down your opponents melee ability.
Or better yet Beguiling Gift Hex + Split Hex + Poison Steep + Cackle = 2 opponents fighting each other to their own death.
Cackle (Su): A witch can cackle madly as a move action. Any creature that is within 30 feet that is under the effects of an agony hex, charm hex, evil eye hex, fortune hex, or misfortune hex caused by the witch has the duration of that hex extended by 1 round.
Sorry.
Thank you, RD. Nice to see something official to speed up Summoning spells, though I do also like what KQ did with the Summoner in that one PDF of theirs.Which PDF was that and what did they do?
It was from Open Design, with a link here:Advanced Feats: The Summoner's Circle
It's chock full of Summoner-related goodness, but the main one I'm thinking of would be the "Fast Spell" metamagic feat, which allows you to take a spell with a casting time of 1 round (like Summon Monster) or longer and cast it more quickly.
The PDF is a great buy for the price, especially for Summoner characters.
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The soundstrikers Weird words could be useful if you can use them all vs the same target. The text is ambiguous about that. It'd be phenomenal if it was treated as a spell. Hellooo toppling spell.
The abilities are supernatural (SU) so no toppling spell. Each word only affects a single target (like scorching ray). You need multiple rolls to have multiple words hit the same target. The damage is nice but below the high dpr folks ala fighters, rangers, etc, plus there is a save.
Other ideas from the book I like were the Qinggong monk. The additional flexibility is very nice. Provides decent ways to improve hitting, ac, and ranged attacks for a monk.
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For me the most attractive power creep ability in there is the new Witch/Hexcrafter feat Spell-Hex
** spoiler omitted **
As an int based caster I can technically have any first level spell in the game and being able to rattle it off for giggles is cool.
The broken part comes to whether or not we can maintain it with Cackle.Combine something basic like Bungle hex + Split Hex + Cackle to totally shut down your opponents melee ability.
Or better yet Beguiling Gift Hex + Split Hex + Poison Steep + Cackle = 2 opponents fighting each other to their own death.Sorry.
Cackle (Su): A witch can cackle madly as a move action. Any creature that is within 30 feet that is under the effects of an agony hex, charm hex, evil eye hex, fortune hex, or misfortune hex caused by the witch has the duration of that hex extended by 1 round.
New book means new rules, hoping for an errata regarding cackle and the new hexes added.
I can dream can't I?
I'm curious, what do Sacred Summons and Superior Summons do?
I think that Superior Summons lets you conjure more creatures, but what about Sacred? Does it provide a template or the like for your summoned monsters?
Additional question on Superior Summons:
The text states that your summon spell needs to conjure more than one creature in order for the feat to take effect. So, if I use Summon Monster V to get me a pack of d3 Fiendish Bison, but get a 1 on my d3 roll, how many Bison show up?
Second question on Versatile Channeler:
Text states "neutral cleric" among the choices. In various places through the book, references are made to "Cleric" when it really means "Cleric/Oracle." If my character is a Neutral Life Oracle with the Channel Revelation (and she is), does she qualify for this feat?
The text states that your summon spell needs to conjure more than one creature in order for the feat to take effect. So, if I use Summon Monster V to get me a pack of d3 Fiendish Bison, but get a 1 on my d3 roll, how many Bison show up?
I figured you would always have a minimum of 2. 1+1=2. At least, that's my interpretation.
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Well, I'm kinda new to the forums, so be kind...
Anyway, I unfortunately didn't quite catch this myself, but a friend pointed it out to me, and because of it may not allow the Magus class until an errata, or his own potential house rules.
Basic problem,
"Spellstrike (Su): At 2nd level, whenever a magus casts a
spell with a range of “touch” from the magus spell list, he
can deliver the spell through any weapon he is wielding as
part of a melee attack. Instead of the free melee touch attack
normally allowed to deliver the spell, a magus can make one
free melee attack with his weapon (at his highest base attack
bonus) as part of casting this spell. If successful, this melee
attack deals its normal damage as well as the effects of the
spell. If the magus makes this attack in concert with spell
combat, this melee attack takes all the penalties accrued by
spell combat melee attacks. This attack uses the weapon’s
critical range (20, 19–20, or 18–20 and modified by the keen
weapon property or similar effects), but the spell effect
only deals ×2 damage on a successful critical hit, while the
weapon damage uses its own critical modifier."
The bold text in particular of Spellstrike. With the current wording, it seems like as you use this ability, in concert with Spell Combat, you gain access to an additional free attack, at your highest base attack bonus, with the -2. This, as well as the fact you can potentially crit with your spells with a proper keened weapon at the 15-20 range, does seem a little intense, especially for an ability you gain at lvl 2. Addmitiadly, there aren't a whole lot of spells with touch in them, but you could also take a magus arcana that can turn a ranged touch, into a melee touch, which could then be used with spellstrike, increasing by quite a bit the number of usable spells.
Altogether, I love the feel and concept of the class. For the most part, the playtest before the release had a much clearer, definable wording. Admitiadly, the release probably did need to tell us about the crit range of the weapon working, or not working with the spell, but the first statement is very unclear, due to poor wording. Anyway, just my 2 cents, hope i get some kinda response, hehe >.<
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Oh, one more thing: Vivisectionist. It's basically a Rogue with free access to buff spells, poison use, and a Dex-and-AC-boosting mutagen once per day. Beautiful! I'd probably pick that if I had to fill the Rogue role in a group, call it a "Doctor" or "Anatomist" instead, and play it vis a Cherman eccent. :)
Undead Master is rather powerful when combined with spell perfection -- that's an 8 level boost to your caster level with the spells in question.
A elf level 2 mindchemist alchemist / 6th level synthesist summoner can have a +45 to any knowledge skill checks. Is that potent?How does that work exactly?Some of it, at a guess...
Possibly +8 from having a intelligence of 26 (18 starting, +2 elf, +2 levels, +2 item)
+2 more from an Intelligence Cognatogen (+4 mental enhancement potion, equivalent to a mutagen)
Then add that +10 again, as the 'perfect recall' ability of the Mindchemist lets you add it twice
+8 from Eidolon – it's a 1 point evolution to get that on any skill.
+3 from class skill
+3 from skill focus
+8 from 8 levels learning it.
= 8 + 2 + 10 + 8 + 3 + 3 + 8 = 42
So, I'm missing a trick somewhere, but that's still not bad. I assume the trick is somewhere in the five levels of Summoner that I'm not particularly using there. Possibly another +1 from a trait.
Intelligence 20 start +2 level +4 item (half wbl, affordable, but extreme, like the whole build) +4 cognatogen, +4 evolutions = 34 Int
as for skills, +24 int (perfect recall) +8 skilled evolution +8 ranks +3 class skill, +2 breadth of experience (feat) = +45
A lore oracle 1/synthesist 1 could have a +45 to a specific knowledge every day. Granted, not every knowledge all day, but extreme knowledges are pretty easy to twink.Intelligence 20 start +2 level +4 item (half wbl, affordable, but extreme, like the whole build) +4 cognatogen, +4 evolutions = 34 Int
as for skills, +24 int (perfect recall) +8 skilled evolution +8 ranks +3 class skill, +2 breadth of experience (feat) = +45
One could argue that a Synthesist should not be able to use the skill-boosting Evolution, because the Fused Eidolon can get no skills or feats, and has no mental stats to speak of.
Personally, I would argue that because the Summoner and the Eidolon are one creature while fused, that every evolution that refers to "the eidolon" would instead be referring to the fused pair.
PI think that is a compelling case, but it is far from determined.
The Words of Power allows for instantaneous duration transformation effects:
Multiple Effect Words and Duration: If a wordspell has more than one effect word, the shortest of all the effect words’ durations is used for all of the effect words.This allows for fun things like the following
Enhance Form (1 round/level) + Moderate Cure (instantaneous)
For a permanent, non-dispellable
- One-time cure of 1d6 points of damage + 1 point per caster level (maximum +5).
- A +4 enhancement bonus to either Strength, Dexterity, or Constitution (caster's choice).
This is available to an Alchemist for a 4th level spell slot. I'm sure that one could find other fun combinations. This would let the Alchemist to quickly get at +4 enhancement bonus to their Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution after 3 castings.
No... that's not how it works -- the bonus lasts as long as the spell does -- the spell is instantaneous -- so the bonus goes away immediately. The healing is a permanent effect -- the bonus is not.
Interesting theory
Actually you could have asked the same question sticking to the healing spell -- and the answer is no.
Bonuses last as long as the effect that gives them lasts -- magic items for example are there as long as they are used.
Awaken doesn't grant a bonus -- it grants sentience.
It is one of those, "it is there until something is done about it."
Otherwise the damage from a spell would go away too once the duration is over.
Basically put if a spell changes the basic thing (such has HP damage, or sentience) then it will last until something else acts upon the thing.
If the spell instead simply enhances something then the enhancement will end when the spell does.