Ride the Lightning question...


Advice


From the Stormborn bloodline, Ride the Lightning states;

Ride the Lightning (Sp): At 15th level, as a full-round action you can become a living lightning bolt and move in a straight line up to 10 times your speed. You do not provoke attacks of opportunity while moving in this way. Creatures or objects in your path are affected as by your thunderbolt power. Creatures do not block your movement but solid barriers do unless they are reduced to 0 hit points. You can use this power once per day for a number of rounds equal to your sorcerer level.

I am confused, slightly. You can use this once a day only, but a number of rounds equal to your level. Do you stay in energy form the entire time, effectively removing you from combat? Or do you transform back and forth? Can you change directions between rounds? Or is it a straight line, set when you initiate the ability?

As a 15th level power, moving at 10 times your speed, you are effectively traveling (up to) 300+ times your speed in 15 minutes ... if for nothing else, this is an amazing travel power. But moving one or two squares a round, dealing the damage of your thunderbolt power to any creature you move through, and effectively becoming immune to attack... that is fairly amazing too. IF you can change directions each round, I would also then assume you resume your natural form each round, but could then zip back and forth through the battlefield for 15 rounds... none of these interpretations seems like it should be correct.


That IS worded kind of confusingly. The way I read it is : Full round action - transform + move until something stops you. then the next round you can pick a different straight line, etc. I don't see anything about resuming your form or even CHANGING form. It says it's a (Sp) ability, so what spell is it mimicking?


You're right there too; while it has the flavor, "become a living lightning bolt", it never states you change form...


Accidentally double posted, please delete this.


Nuclearsunburn wrote:
That IS worded kind of confusingly. The way I read it is : Full round action - transform + move until something stops you. then the next round you can pick a different straight line, etc. I don't see anything about resuming your form or even CHANGING form. It says it's a (Sp) ability, so what spell is it mimicking?

It is actually mimicking a spell by the same name.

http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG/prd/ultimateMagic/spells/rideTheLightning.ht ml


Okay, nice, so you do transform and you do transform back. With the option to transform or cast a spell as long as the spell's duration holds.


did not realize that. but still, based on, but not mimicking.

the distance traveled for one, (10x speed vs. 120 feet);
damage done (based on a previous separate bloodline power);
being stopped by a barrier (bloodline power allows you to continue if you destroy it, the spell does not)

- those are enough in the way of differences, that I would hesitate to make any assumptions based on the spell.

but, that is the best method I could see of making a determination, so... lacking anything better I would rely on that (even if hesitantly).


When a rule is in doubt, refer to a similar rule. Except where stated it works like the spell.


Its a line spell.
The once/twice/thrice per day for X number of rounds is if you, the stormborn, choose to maintain that form or end it.

Which has two usages.
The first is to use this spell as a (1/2/3)/DAY transportation trick.
The second is to use this as an offensive tactic as long as you can travel in a straight line.

A straight line can be a part of the X or Y axis of the board or to move diagonally so long as you have enough movement to permit it... which you should when using this bloodline power.

A good example is think of a queen on a chess board. She can move just like a bishop diagonally or on a X/Y axis like a rook.


I would say like a queen, so long as no turns, then you are groovy.

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