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Hi all, I wanted to share something that bothered me when I tried to build an Air Elementalist wizard using wordspells :
- When you take the Elementalist wizard option, you get "one bonus spell slot of each level the wizard can cast, from 1st on up. This bonus spell slot must be used to prepare a spell from the elemental school’s spell list." ;
- The Words of Power rules state that "a wizard who belongs to an arcane school receives an additional spell slot of each level to prepare a wordspell of his chosen school. Such wordspells may only contain effect words from his chosen school."
So, with words of power, you use your normal school bonus spell slot to prepare instead a school wordspell.
The problem is, the Words of power seem to have only one (two with an eventual errata on Stone Wall) spell with the Earth descriptor. There are some Air wordspells (3 or 4, I think), but far from one/level.
What would you do for the purpose of school bonus spell slots and opposite elemental school ? Make [earth] AND [acid] wordspells the opposite of [air] AND [electricity], and thus taking two slots to cast ? Just take this bonus spell slot to cast ye olde spell from the elemental school’s spell list, in addition to your wordspellcasting ? This seems to contradict the concept of a caster using raw elements instead of damaging energies, even though I know WoP are an alternate and experimental system.
Bump. :3
Well, it sounds reasonable to me. I get the feeling that there is going to a lot of house ruling with this system. At least until a few errata's get published.
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Why not "Sound" ? This element gets a word at levels 4 and 7, and without Air, no sound !
So, Air Elementalist Wizard :
With Electricity (0,1,3,5,8), Flight (1,2,3), Air subtype (3,9 with Catastrophe from the cleric spellword list) and Sound (4,7), you get a nice wizard master of raw air effects from level 0 to 9.
Opposite element, Earth Elementalist Wizard :
Acid (0,2,4,7), Armor (1,3,6), Earth subtype (5,8 with Rumble from Druid spell list), Time (2,9).
Fire Elementalist Wizard :
Fire & Fire subtype (0,1,2,3,4,5,8,9), Illumination (1,2,3), Servitor (fire elementals only).
Water Elementalist Wizard :
Cold & Cold subtype (0,2,4,8), Weather (1,3,7), Dispelling (2,3,5,6), Servitor (9 only).
(These are just suggestions, but by adopting these spell lists you get at least one thematic wordspell of each level.)
""How could opposite elements do so much of a difference between two equally learned wizards", you ask ? Listen and learn well, young Wording apprentice.
Air is all about the impetuous flow of wind. Twisting the natural blow of the sky in the palm of your hand. Ordering to the clouds, flying to bring death from above, feeling the sparks from natural energies crackle between your fingers and the smell of ionized air filling your lungs, using the wind as a wall or a fist ; and thunder like a holy smite - your smite. Wind gnaws even through the stronger rocks given enough time, and the most shrilling sounds could shatter eons old cristals to powder.
But don't fool yourself, because no Air master would underestimate an Earth specialist. There aren't more potent and horrendous acids than under the soil to whoever knows how to extract this power. There is no equal to the protective nature of stone and sheer force to whoever needs to manipulate the ground, where often lies the true battlefield of simple-minded adventurers unable to fly but grateful of any tactical or defensive advantage ! And despite all this, the most terrifying ability of Earth masters isn't to be inebranlable, or able to melt you to the bone... what strikes respect into any wizard is their inate ability to understand and manipulate the raw flow of Time itself.
Where Air moves, shatters, deafens ; Earth is patience, composure, and quiet brutality."
The young apprentice, lost in his thoughts and dreams, remembered the cantrips he had difficulties to cast yet. All these pretty words about power, and shiny magical chimeras looked like the ranting of some bard - and he would probably have been less appreciative, if he didn't assist to some demonstrations from the elder students during the wordspellcasting duels that sometimes happened if a senior didn't kept his wand inside his pants in regard of someone else's lover.
"But, master, what about Water and Fire ?" asked intensely the young boy, who only knew a bit more than little about the concept of Elemental schools and wordspells.
The old man smiled. "This, young one, will be tomorrow's lesson... but I get the burning feeling that only half the story will find grip to your ears."