Perhaps this has already been discussed, but if it has, I haven't been able to find it. Even though UM's Word Casting system is less powerful than the standard casting system, would implementing it universally in a game bring casters closer to martials in power level?
Accelerate. Spell gives the target an extra move action. For the party fighter this spell is better than haste.
WOP is not less powerful than normal casting. But it is powerful in different ways.
What i found when one player went with a WoP character was that he did blasting really well. WoP seems to remove alto of spells form the game that cant easily be handld with the mix and max system of the setup. So basically making it a universal system for the game puts them at the power level of 'blaster' caster charactrs. wherever youf eel that lies.
I actually mentioned this in one of the caster vs. martial threads, but I don't believe anyone responded.
Wordcasting is on the whole less powerful because it takes out many of the highly specific effects that allow abuse and enable casters to step on the toes of other classes.
Wordcasters do have a few very powerful effects available to them. Accelerate was already mentioned. They make good blasters, with stuff like True Fire. Free access to elemental words allow them to adjust more effectively to enemies' resistances. They have a word that gives energy immunity. From what I can tell, their resurrection spells do not have a cost. In fact, I see no material components listed. A 9th level cleric wordspell can resurrect up to 20 people with a standard action. Meta words allow effects to target alternate saving throws, meaning spells can be tailored to kill whatever happens to be standing in front of you. As far as I can tell, wordspells cannot be quickened. However, wordcasters get a pool of free meta word uses every day.
It's a lot of tit for tat, but the specific effects going away would balance out a game a fair bit.
Standard action summons is HUGE.
Pandora's box is right, there is no expensive material components for any word spell.
A couple 3pp exist for words of power
Could you point to a couple of these, perhaps? Thanks! =)
Both from JBE:
Book of Magic Energy Words Revisited
The book of deep magic (which was a kickstarter) will have some as well when it is released.
Thank you. Thank you very much!
WoP gets a 1d4 15ft cone of fire damage as a cantrip.
I think WoP is better at low low levels.
One comment in regards to Pandora's comment about word spells being unable to be quickened, that is incorrect. Word spells are still spells and still follow all the rules for such, including being able to be effected by metamagic effects like quicken.
Except wordcasting has it's own system for metamagic, and many of the meta words duplicate existing metamagic feats. I assumed that meant only meta words applied to wordspells, but I don't believe that topic has actually received official treatment anywhere.