Spell Perfection: Named Bullet


Advice


I was considering making an eldritch archer build for a home campaign (Fighter 1/Wizard 5/EK 10/Wizard 4 since early entry is not allowed) when I came across the Named Bullet spell. With Quicken Spell and Spell Perfection you could full attack with one of those attacks ignoring concealment, hitting touch within 30 feet, adding CL to damage and is automatically a critical threat - assuming you can identify the targets type and overcome spell resistance. Is this too powerful at 15th level?


1 person marked this as a favorite.

You're a non-early-entry Eldritch Knight. I don't think anything you do at level 15 is going to be too powerful.


Probably not, though you are also at the level where the game starts to show its edges. If you had gone with a pure archer fighter you would be able to pull off similiar tricks. I think you could actually pull off something similiar with a Ranger, Hunter, or Inquistor if you do not mind the heavy feat investment.


As a ranger or fighter you will certainly be able to ignore concealment before level 15. The seeking enhancement will have done that long before, or improved precise shot. Hitting touch in 30 ft is nice, but requires you to get close as something that is going to be slightly squishy. Also, a full BAB class like fighter or ranger isn't going to have trouble hitting with their first attack normally. Regardless of whether it's vs touch AC or not. And they don't have to get within 30ft to do it. Needing to go against spell resistance can be a problem at this level if you don't take the feats for it, but will depend on the common enemy types you will be fighting. When you fail, it completely wastes the spell. A normal archer's full attack attack is rarely a waste.

The only parts that are especially good are the automatic critical hit and the extra bonus damage. Which, for a limited resource like spells is a valid bonus. Especially when it's only on one arrow or bullet or thrown weapon. Compared to the damage output of a pure fighter archer or ranger I think this will merely help to compensate, not outshine. The fact that you had to use spell perfection with this specific spell and use it to eliminate the cost of quicken each round means you're doing less stuff like free maximized enervation.


Also, might I suggest Fighter 1/Wizard 5/Eldritch Knight 3/Arcane Archer 2/Eldritch Knight 7.

The ability to imbue your arrows with spell is pretty handy. Mostly being able to cast antimagic and then have your enemy stuck in an antimagic field.

You only lose 1 additional caster level and level of spell progression. The caster level can be made up with magical knack. The spell progression hurts, but it can be very nifty to imbue your arrows with spells.


I used gunslinger instead of fighter, which made Named Bullet work well with x4 damage. However the others are correct, this is not a powerful build.

Real archers are much more effective, and so is a full wizard. On the other hand, it should be a lot of fun.

Scarab Sages

A 15th level zen archer can ignore all concealment and cover on all attacks for a round. At 17 one of those can be delivering a quivering palm.

This is fine.


Well to be fair you do not want to use named bullet on your first attack. You use it on your last attack to make it hit.


Definitely not "too powerful." Useful for making your last attack hit to up your DPR, as David notes. It seems like it could be cool when combined with the "Critical" feats that have some sort of powerful effect on a critical hit.

Scarab Sages

Regardless, you'd be better off with True Strike. Most of the same effects of making sure one attack hits, It also ignores concealment, it can be used on other things than ranged attacks, and is only a first level spell.


True strike is good, but the hitting is not the real goal here. The goal is getting the criticals and extra damage. Honestly what you would be best off with is casting abundant ammunition, and then casting named bullet. However that requires either preperation or a few rounds.


David Neilson wrote:
True strike is good, but the hitting is not the real goal here. The goal is getting the criticals and extra damage. Honestly what you would be best off with is casting abundant ammunition, and then casting named bullet. However that requires either preperation or a few rounds.

I'm not sure that works.

Abundant Ammunition seems to only work with spells that affect multiple pieces of ammunition, not single pieces. Its not exactly clear whether it should or shouldn't but I would lean towards no.


My understanding was it does actually work, but it only effects one of the pieces of ammunition. Much as if you had cast "Bless Weapon" on the ammunition.


Imbicatus wrote:
Regardless, you'd be better off with True Strike. Most of the same effects of making sure one attack hits, It also ignores concealment, it can be used on other things than ranged attacks, and is only a first level spell.

It was the critical + touch AC that made me pause. A critical hit with a bow is essentially two extra attacks a round though I guess that just brings me back up to the zen archer level. It's too bad that this doesn't combo with the Eldritch Knight capstone due to the swift action bottleneck (though it would be funny to also use Borrowed Time).


Using a pre-cast Named Bullet on someone important to trigger the EK capstone is worth while. It lasts quite a long time, so there is no need to cast it as a quickened spell at all.

And you can have 3 or so to do the same thing each round. Full attack plus a spell. That's nice.


One awkward thing about this spell is that it prohibits the use of Deadly Aim, because it's a touch attack without the special rules for firearms.


Avoron wrote:
One awkward thing about this spell is that it prohibits the use of Deadly Aim, because it's a touch attack without the special rules for firearms.

I'd check that with the GM. While it could be read that way, I'd still say that since the actual attack is a normal attack and not a 'touch attack' you can still use Deadly Aim. That restriction, as far as I can tell, is only there to stop you using it with eg Scorching Ray.


I think Avoron is right. It wouldn't work with a bow and deadly aim because the feat specifically restricts it, and it lacks the exemption that firearms have.

The question is whether firearms which have the exception normally, would lose it since the spell regrants it? I think probably not.


Though funnily once outside of the thirty feet deadly aim would work again. Since obviously it is no longer a touch spell.


How would this spell interact with Manyshot?

The Exchange

Quote:
How would this spell interact with Manyshot?

The entire attack hits touch ac within 30 ft but only one projectile will gain the named bullet critical and damage properties.


David Neilson wrote:
Though funnily once outside of the thirty feet deadly aim would work again. Since obviously it is no longer a touch spell.

Which is why I'd allow it to work all the time. Why would you need to be further away in order to do more damage?

I'm not the GM in this case, so I'd ask and abide by whatever he/she said.

Advice forum, so interpretations are allowed. RAW vs RAI. Although trying to apply logic doesn't always work with game rules.

Community / Forums / Pathfinder / Pathfinder First Edition / Advice / Spell Perfection: Named Bullet All Messageboards

Want to post a reply? Sign in.