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Is there a guide on how to use wordcasting with the new classes in Advanced Class Guide? I would like to see one for the Occult classes too.
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I'm pretty sure word casting died before it's book cooled from the press. It's a shame too I really like word casting. Baring any 3pp words I'd say just open all words to all casters no lists, this makes it an interesting choice.
In-game, we call it "runecasting" and the regular magic system is "chanting." Casters can choose which one they will use at level 1. It works out very well.
I would appreciate an article or a little PDF update on wordcasting.
I'm with Onyxlion; I highly doubt we will ever see any official mention, much less support, of wordcasting from Paizo.
My biggest problem with Wordcasting is that it's not very well balanced. The system works out of the box just fine for Sorcerers and Oracles, but the other classes just don't work well.
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I'm with Onyxlion; I highly doubt we will ever see any official mention, much less support, of wordcasting from Paizo.
My biggest problem with Wordcasting is that it's not very well balanced. The system works out of the box just fine for Sorcerers and Oracles, but the other classes just don't work well.
Actually I think it works pretty good for all casters. Spontaneous casters do get extra benefit from the system, I feel it balances out with the slower spell progression of spontaneous casters. I'm playing a wordcaster wizard ATM and while I'm low level I'm not having much difficulty.
Actually I think it works pretty good for all casters. Spontaneous casters do get extra benefit from the system, I feel it balances out with the slower spell progression of spontaneous casters. I'm playing a wordcaster wizard ATM and while I'm low level I'm not having much difficulty.
I was more speaking about the 6-level caster classes, like the bard, magus, alchemist, or inquisitor. These guys just suffer under the wordcasting system and I would never mandate it on those classes.
Wizards (and Clerics) are definitely workable with words of power, not because they have any particular affinity for the system but because the classes are so good normally that they can take a big hit and still be awesome. They still have their advantage of faster progression, which is particularly notable at low levels. However, this is less significant with wordcasters than for regular casters and other factors favor the spontaneous casters. Personally, I think the Wordcaster Sorcerer overshadows the Wordcaster Wizard in the same way that the regular Wizard overshadows the regular Sorcerer. Not enough to make the latter unviable, but a definitive advantage nonetheless.
I can understand that about the 4/6 level casters.
Over all it's really a shame though I think that the system has real promise to it. I like the baseline feel to it.
I do think it makes the best undead creators thought that necromancer wizard uses it to create unique undead by combined words.
I'd like to think that if I ever got a chance to playing that Spellslinger Wizard, he'd be a Wordcaster that uses a blunderbuss or a rifle of some kind. Of course, I'd then switch at second level to a Wordcasting Sorcerer because of strict mechanical advantage in versatility for that specific build. Sure, he may be a full spell level behind a conventional Wizard, but he'd be a heck of a blaster.
Well, since the War Priest, Skald, Investigator, and Hunter all draw from their respective lists without changes I see no problem in allowing word casting for those classes.
The only class that has an issue is the Bloodrager and Shaman thanks to having entirely new lists.
I'd like to think that if I ever got a chance to playing that Spellslinger Wizard, he'd be a Wordcaster that uses a blunderbuss or a rifle of some kind.
I would not do this! The default blast size of the cone and line target words is incredibly small, requiring your "gun mage" to pretty much stand in melee all the time if he wants to use any area of effect targeting. There are rules to increase the range of the spells, but they're so ludicrously overpriced as to be unviable. What's worse, pretty much every word that has a touch attack component (and would be legal with the gun) also has a saving throw, so you've just doubled your chance of an overload in addition to reducing your damage output.
Honestly, your Spellslinger/Sorcerer idea could actually work (it sidesteps the absolutely draconian limits written into the spellslinger archetype), but words of power seems like a total mismatch for that build.
I let players choose between regular spellcasting or wordcasting when taking a caster class. They naturally pick the kind that best fits their concept.
We had one player playing a fire elementalist wordcasting wizard and she was awesome. Other people just want the simplicity of the regular system.