Looking over the new classes that are coming up I feel like the Arcanist seems to have everything that I've ever wanted in a spell caster and I would like to make one to really get in there and ruin lives in PFS. I was wondering what others think about the class and it's abilities at this point, maybe some possible builds based on the info we have now.
I'm thinking that the counterspell ability is probably the best thing about this class as I feel like it actually functions the way that counterspelling should work. The spell disruption abilities also seem to be where it's at.
I would like to make an Arcanist that just says no to everyone else that wants to use magic around him. Thoughts on this and possible build ideas will be highly appreciated.
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I would like to make one to really get in there and ruin lives in PFS.
I think you should be careful with this kind of position in PFS. Some people will appreciate it and just as many will not.
I have a character that can end encounters with one spell(DC29 Persistent Suffocation up to 3 times per day), while it was nice to know my character had that power I don't believe my tables would have been any fun if I had exercised it at every opportunity.
Ruining encounters is one of the fastest way to find yourself uninvited from tables.
I would like to make one to really get in there and ruin lives in PFS.I think you should be careful with this kind of position in PFS. Some people will appreciate it and just as many will not.
I have a character that can end encounters with one spell(DC29 Persistent Suffocation up to 3 times per day), while it was nice to know my character had that power I don't believe my tables would have been any fun if I had exercised it at every opportunity.
Ruining encounters is one of the fastest way to find yourself uninvited from tables.
Perhaps I misspoke. I intended to ruin the lives of the enemies by not allowing their spells to work. I would personally be really happy if a fireball was going to be cast on the party and some wizened old mage was just like, "casting a spell... that's adorable... but that's my job..."
Additionally with the limited number of times that I could do that it's not like I would deny stuff just because I could. Gotta make good choices.
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Read the counterspelling exploit carefully (and make sure you have the latest version of the PDF). You'll never be able to make meaningful use of it.
I wouldn't say never, however as most enemy spell casters are a higher level then the PCs in PFS, it's really something that would be more useful on the other side of the table.
Read the counterspelling exploit carefully (and make sure you have the latest version of the PDF). You'll never be able to make meaningful use of it.I wouldn't say never, however as most enemy spell casters are a higher level then the PCs in PFS, it's really something that would be more useful on the other side of the table.
Please help me understand why it's not wonderful, I have reread it again and it still seems pretty awesome. Normal counterspelling never happens in the game because it's so situational and so horrible, but doing it this way seems like it's actually practical.
Enemy casts a spell, I get an immediate action to identify it, if I identify it I now have the option to as an immediate action spend an arcane point and a spell slot one level higher to make a dispell check to say no (the dispell check is CL vs the save DC of the spell, correct?). If I have the spell prepared for the day, I instead lose a slot from that level and get +5 to the check.
While if the enemy is casting a higher level spell than me, I obviously won't be able to counter it, but to have the chance and the option to at any point attempt to refuse them a spell, that seems awesome to me. I'll always have fireball at the ready, so anyone attempting to blast the whole party I feel like I should be able to easily refuse them.
Again this ability seems Godlike to me as it totally changes the horrible dynamic of how counterspelling usually works. Ready an action to counter IF someone decides to cast a spell, successfully ID the spell, the IF you have the spell prepared, you throw out that casting to counter it. Beyond situational and a total waste of your turn if nobody casts, AND/OR you can't ID the spell, AND/OR you don't have the spell prepared.
Unless I don't have the most recent PDF (which I believe I do as I downloaded it like two weeks ago) the whole immediate action, and not needing the spell prepared makes this seem wonderful. I feel like this is how counterspelling should work all the time for everyone.
I haven't read the ability, but if what you said is true then it's nonfunctional, as you can only make one immediate action per round.
I worded this incorrectly as identifying a spell with spellcraft requires no action.
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Okay, since you were mentioning having fireball at the ready, let's say you're 6th level. That means the highest level of spell you can cast is 3rd.
Since you have to expend a slot that's higher than what you're countering, that means that the highest level spell you can counter with that ability is 2nd.
In order to counter a 2nd level spell, that means the enemy needed to cast a 2nd level spell. If he's casting a 2nd level spell, then either the fight has dragged on long enough that he ran out of all higher level spells (in which case it's likely you're out of yours as well, so no countering) or 2nd level is his highest available.
If his highest spell level is 2nd, that means he's absolutely no higher than 4th level (if a wizard/cleric) or 5th (if a sorcerer).
When was the last time you were up against an enemy spellcaster who was a full 1-2 character levels LOWER than you? Ever?
I love the idea, but you're simply never going to get to use the ability.
Okay, since you were mentioning having fireball at the ready, let's say you're 6th level. That means the highest level of spell you can cast is 3rd.
Since you have to expend a slot that's higher than what you're countering, that means that the highest level spell you can counter with that ability is 2nd.
If you have the spell being cast prepared then you may spend a slot of that level instead of a level higher, you also get +5 to your dispell check when you do that.
I used fireball as my example because if I can prepare it, you bet your boots I will, and because I think fireball would be a spell an enemy would like to cast that I would say no to.
Additionally there are times when a spell of a lower level would be more useful than one of a higher level.
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Actually, where it would really be handy is going after some of the lower level spells.
For example invisibility. How many BBEG in PFS have a tactics block that "if they go below X hp, they cast invisibility and run away, taking your second prestige point with them."
Just keep one slot of invisibility in reserve.
For example invisibility. How many BBEG in PFS have a tactics block that "if they go below X hp, they cast invisibility and run away, taking your second prestige point with them."
I think exactly 1.
Are we for sure that these Playtests are going to ever become actual classes, because several of them are just elaborations on already playable class archetypes. Such as the swashbuckler and the investigator.
The book is scheduled for release at GenCon this year, I'm sure some of them will look different from how they look now, but I'm pretty sure they've said the names are set.
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Are we for sure that these Playtests are going to ever become actual classes, because several of them are just elaborations on already playable class archetypes. Such as the swashbuckler and the investigator.The book is scheduled for release at GenCon this year, I'm sure some of them will look different from how they look now, but I'm pretty sure they've said the names are set.
So will this remove the class archetypes?
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Okay, since you were mentioning having fireball at the ready, let's say you're 6th level. That means the highest level of spell you can cast is 3rd.
Since you have to expend a slot that's higher than what you're countering, that means that the highest level spell you can counter with that ability is 2nd.
If you have the spell being cast prepared then you may spend a slot of that level instead of a level higher, you also get +5 to your dispell check when you do that.
I used fireball as my example because if I can prepare it, you bet your boots I will, and because I think fireball would be a spell an enemy would like to cast that I would say no to.
Here's hoping you're lucky, then. :)
Remember, though, that if it is a normal dispel magic, I think the check is a d20 + your caster level agsinst the enemy's caster level +11 to set the DC.
Unless if I'm mistaken in what I read, using dispell magic as a counterspell (basically how the counterspell ability works) it's a d20 + CL vs the DC of the spell being cast.
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Remember, though, that if it is a normal dispel magic, I think the check is a d20 + your caster level agsinst the enemy's caster level +11 to set the DC.Unless if I'm mistaken in what I read, using dispell magic as a counterspell (basically how the counterspell ability works) it's a d20 + CL vs the DC of the spell being cast.
Nope, dispel magic says that when using it as a counterspell, you make a "dispel check", and the only place a "dispel check" is defined is further up in the dispel magic text, where it says it's against a DC of 11+CL.