| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Words of Power, from Ultimate Magic is an interesting system, with a cool concept - flexible casting, putting together your own spells. And there is some interesting flexibility in the system, some real benefits for using it. But overall, it feels considerably weaker than the base casting system, only taking if you're absolutely in love with its flexibility, or want a challenge.
This fix is not going to entirely fix that; to do so would require more utility effects and a rebalancing of some effects. What it should do, however, is make it a bit more powerful, and a noticeable chunk more flexible.
It essentially comes from me getting annoyed at quite a few words being limited to emulating their non-WoP equivalents more than they need to - why is detect magic limited to a cone (and a 10ft one if I want it to remain a cantrip, rather than the 60ft everyone else gets).
The flexibility of word magic should allow me to use it with the Selected target word, letting me look at a specific enemy a bit further away, a reasonable recompense for having a sixth of the range of a 'normal' caster's detect magic. And that's the principle of this fix; loosening target word restrictions where they seem too harsh. I understand that some things need to be single target, but I think most area/multitarget attacks can be any of the areas. Generally I'll be loosening them to anything if I think that'd not cause a problem, occasionally it'll require a boost or extra levels if I think it'd be too powerful otherwise.
At the moment, these are just my initial thoughts; I'm very much after feedback on what seems over/underpowered amongst 'em, though I'll note I'm not trying to totally fix WoP, just make them a bit better.
Stuff I'm especially unsure of, and would appreciate feedback on is in italics.
Corrosive Bolt
Boost: This effect word may be used with any target word. Boosting this word this way raises its level by two. If any target word other than Selected is used, the ranged touch attack is replaced by a reflex save for half damage. The initial effect is instantanous - there is no lasting AoE (even if used with the Wall target word), the later damage comes from acid on each individual affected.
Additionally, any target that makes this save does not take any damage from the later round(s) of effect of this spell OR The damage dealt in later rounds is also halved if the targets make their save.
Caustic Cloud
This effect word may use the Barrier, Burst, Cone, or Line target words.
Winters Wrath
This effect word may use the Barrier, Burst, Cone, or Line target words.
Boost: This effect word may use the 'selected' target word, at which point a small but intense blizzard will stay on the target for the duration, affecting them and anyone in their space.
Complex Order
Boost: This effect word may use any target word. Boosting this word this way raises its level by three.
Crushing Will
Boost: This effect word may use any target word. Boosting this word this way raises its level by three.
Rumble
This effect word may use the Barrier, Burst, Cone, or Line target words.
Catastrophe
This effect word may use the Barrier, Burst, Cone, or Line target words.
Detect Magic
This effect word may any effect word.
Sense Alignment
This effect word may any effect word.
Sense Thoughts
This effect word may use the Selected, Barrier, Burst, Cone, or Line target words.
Sense Hidden
This effect word may use the Selected, Barrier, Burst, Cone, or Line target words.
Negation
This effect word may use the Barrier, Burst, Cone, or Line target words.
Ball Lightning:
Boost: This effect word may use the Barrier, Burst, Cone, or Line target words. Boosting this word this way raises its level by two OR three.
Spook
Boost: This effect word may use the Barrier, Burst, Cone, or Line target words. Boosting this word this way raises its level by one.
Horror
Boost: This effect word may use the Barrier, Burst, Cone, or Line target words. Boosting this word this way raises its level by two.
Force Bolt
Boost: This effect word may use the Barrier, Burst, Cone, or Line target words. Boosting this word this way raises its level by two. If any target word other than Selected is used, the ranged touch attack is replaced by a reflex save for half damage.
Glimmering
This effect word may use the Barrier, Burst, Cone, or Line target words.
Radiance
This effect word may use the Barrier, Burst, Cone, or Line target words.
Gloom
This effect word may use the Barrier, Burst, Cone, or Line target words.
Sunshine
This effect word may use the Barrier, Burst, Cone, or Line target words.
Destructive Vibration
This effect word may use the Barrier, Burst, Cone, or Line target words.
Apply to all:
This effect word may use the Barrier, Burst, Cone, or Line target words. However, its area of effect must be in contact with the ground under the same rules as apply to the Barrier target word. (The height of these effect words is also only 10 foot)
Fog Bank
This effect word may use the Barrier, Burst, Cone, or Line target words.
Wind Blast
This effect word may use the Barrier, Burst, Cone, or Line target words. For the purposes of knockback, if the Cone or Line target word is used, the knockback is relative to the caster, if the Burst target word is used, it is relative to the centre of the burst, and if the Barrier targe word is used it is relative to the centre of the wall; a creature standing in a 5 foot wide wall has an equal chance of being thrown either direction.
Blizzard
This effect word may use the Barrier, Burst, Cone, or Line target words.
-----------------
The one place I'm a bit unsure is with the Wall effect words; whether they need the 'must stay in contact with the ground' rule, and if their AoE should be treated as their 2D shape, 10 foot high.
Another change that may be worth making is removing the need to use a Boost meta word to access the larger AoEs for the Burst, Cone, and Line target words. It does seem a little weak to have your level 9 spell only affecting a 10ft radius/cone unless you use a meta word on it. OTOH, some of the other meta word effects are pretty handy, so that limitation may be needed as a 'tax' on meta words so you don't have too many.
It's almost bed time, so I'm dotting this for reading in the office tomorrow. This is of great interest to me.
An important part of my love for the WoP concept is how it feels like an older magic system, so I had no problem with a 10-ft cone for the Detect Magic equivalent. But I agree, Selected could be a target word, in any revision or growth of the system.
You don't raise this point, but you're working in the room, so let me just say that the local interpretation is that the Metaword limit is charged against once per spell. That once you are speaking Metawords in a spell, speaking more is not more draining of that capacity.
BTW, you have a couple places above where you say "This effect word may any effect word." I think you intended "This effect word may use any target word."
An important part of my love for the WoP concept is how it feels like an older magic system, so I had no problem with a 10-ft cone for the Detect Magic equivalent. But I agree, Selected could be a target word, in any revision or growth of the system.
I think part of the reason it annoys me so much is you're losing the area (because larger cones are higher level and require the boost word), and you're not gaining flexibility.
A 10 foot cone is still a fairly good way to detect magic, when you're doing a search. But the ability to go 'You. What have you got active.' feels useful, thematic, and not overpowered.
You don't raise this point, but you're working in the room, so let me just say that the local interpretation is that the Metaword limit is charged against once per spell. That once you are speaking Metawords in a spell, speaking more is not more draining of that capacity.
Interesting. Reduces the cost, whilst promoting doing all the boosts at once. Had a look at the wording and I can see where you're coming from; it can be interpreted either way. And since WoP is a bit underpowered, interpreting it the slightly more powerful way shouldn't cause problems.
BTW, you have a couple places above where you say "This effect word may any effect word." I think you intended "This effect word may use any target word."
D'oh. Thanks, and yes, I did.
My biggest problem with wordcasting was that there's no way to replicate light which is a 0 level spell, even as a 1st or 2nd level wordspell.
I really want to play a wordcaster who adds illumination effects to all of his force spells (magic missile, shield, wall of force, etc), but that's just not going to happen. :(
In theory (i.e., if this were going to be published as an official errata) you should be careful about changing Selected-only spells to area spells and vice versa because of the wording in the spell body. For instance, Complex Order refers to "the target of a wordspell with this effect word" whereas area effect spells don't have targets, per se.
On a more serious note, allowing a Selected-only spell to affect an area is a straight-up power boost. E.g. a boosted Burst Complex Order is a level 5 wizard spell that can affect more creatures than a level 6 boosted Selected Complex Order, and allowing a non-boosted Burst Complex Order is essentially making Mass Suggestion a level 3 spell. EDIT: Oops, I missed that it increases the level by 3. In that case, I'm not sure you'd ever use the area version of Complex Order as written.
My biggest problem with wordcasting was that there's no way to replicate light which is a 0 level spell, even as a 1st or 2nd level wordspell.
I really want to play a wordcaster who adds illumination effects to all of his force spells (magic missile, shield, wall of force, etc), but that's just not going to happen. :(
Well, you could create a 0th level effect word for it.
In theory (i.e., if this were going to be published as an official errata) you should be careful about changing Selected-only spells to area spells and vice versa because of the wording in the spell body. For instance, Complex Order refers to "the target of a wordspell with this effect word" whereas area effect spells don't have targets, per se.
At that point, the wording may need adjusting/suggestions for how to deal with edge cases, but I don't think that in and of itself is a reason not to do this sort of fix.
On a more serious note, allowing a Selected-only spell to affect an area is a straight-up power boost. E.g. a boosted Burst Complex Order is a level 5 wizard spell that can affect more creatures than a level 6 boosted Selected Complex Order, and allowing a non-boosted Burst Complex Order is essentially making Mass Suggestion a level 3 spell. EDIT: Oops, I missed that it increases the level by 3. In that case, I'm not sure you'd ever use the area version of Complex Order as written.
At level 6, with the boosted selected target word, you can affect 11-12 at the minimum caster level to be able to do it. You can fit more than a dozen people in a 40 foot burst. Yes, it's niche and requires your opponents to be pretty tightly packed, but there's definitely moments when it'd be handy. And the advantage of Wordcasting is that niche uses are more viable to have.
You can also combine it with the Barrier target word, for 110-220 feet worth of barrier, which will stick around for a couple of hours, applying the spell to everyone that walks through.
I considered making the level rise for the command words be only 2 rather than 3, but there seemed enough situations were it'd be better than multi-target selected to make it worth leaving at that.
I'd appreciate feedback on whether the bits below are balanced; they were the areas I was most unsure of on this.
And any suggestions for other relatively simple fixes/buffs/adjustments that could be made to Words of Power to go with this.
Corrosive Bolt
Boost: This effect word may be used with any target word. Boosting this word this way raises its level by two. If any target word other than Selected is used, the ranged touch attack is replaced by a reflex save for half damage. The initial effect is instantanous - there is no lasting AoE (even if used with the Wall target word), the later damage comes from acid on each individual affected.Additionally, any target that makes this save does not take any damage from the later round(s) of effect of this spell
OR
The damage dealt in later rounds is also halved if the targets make their save.
Winters Wrath
This effect word may use the Barrier, Burst, Cone, or Line target words.
Boost: This effect word may use the 'selected' target word, at which point a small but intense blizzard will stay on the target for the duration, affecting them and anyone in their space.
Horror
Boost: This effect word may use the Barrier, Burst, Cone, or Line target words. Boosting this word this way raises its level by two.
I'm also wondering if there's any balance issues inherent in allowing someone to use one of the Wall effect words as a burst suspended in midair, or similar.
So, I never really looked over words of power too much, so it took me awhile to educate myself on them. Now that I have though, I will say, I like most of the changes you've got here.
^ In regards to the questions above, I think the first idea of Corrosive Bolt works better (if they make their save, no damage in later rounds). It's more in line with how most of the acid effects I've seen on spells tend to work, not just with Words, but overall (such as with Acidic Spray and Caustic Eruption).
Personally, I like the Winter's Wrath boost. At first I thought it seemed slightly overpowered, with the fact that they can't get away from it, but honestly, for an 8th level effect word, and boosted, that seems fair.
Horror sounds... pretty good, I think... It's basically a finger of death, at the same level, but I can totally see afflicting an entire area of enemies with a burst of fear or something similar. It seems really powerful, but for a boosted 9th level, that does seem like an appropriate strength, though I could be wrong.
As for making Wall effects suspended in the air, I think that could be pretty neat, but it could introduce some weird mechanics, so I'm not entirely sure.
Of course, as I said, I haven't really seen or used words of power in play. I only just learned the basics of them after reading this, so take my opinion with a grain of salt. Overall though, I like what you've got here.