|
With no word from on high about a fix for this busted archetype, I need to come up with something. The suggestion without resorting to homebrew,the Ranged Study feat, doesn't work well if you expect to change guns. Which, as I'll be playing Iron Gods, I do.
I don't think it would be balanced to just change study and strike without cost because it eliminates some of the MAD built in to the class.
I think the simplest solution is to add reduced spellcasting and reduce the number of extracts prepared per day by one and then allow the study and strike abilities to be used at range within 30'.
Thoughts?
I dont think it is a fix you need since the AT dosent seem broken. What you suggest is homebrew.
Generally PF rewards staying with the same weapon. If the campaign you are going in to are throwing all sorts of weapon at the party and you need to switch this is somthing that most classes May have issue with. So take it up with GM and make a good fix for everybody.
And finally i dont think your suggestet fix is overpowered. I dont think you need to reduce extracts pr Day. and if the GM dosent buy it, just get a pistol or a pepperbox and stick to it.
|
|
I definitely think it's broken. There seems to have been more than one instance where changes to a main class ability failed to trickle down to archetypes. I'd be willing to bet that the abilities previously applied to melee and ranged attacks and when that changed the SH didn't get an update. I have made that exact mistake before.
But what is wrong with picking the ranged study feat at level 5? It is feat tax yes but it is hardly as bad as loosing a extract pr level.
What is it that you think is broken. And is it broken, like dosent work, or broken like not exactly optimal?
|
|
Take a look at the Myrmidarch, a magus archetype meant to make the magus spell strike ability functional to some degree at range. The steel hound is similar but lacks the same built in provisions. You wouldn't expect it to be built to do that and not have a clear path for doing so. That's silly design. At a minimum, it should get them as bonus feats if that's how Paizo intended it to work. Right now, it's not clear. There are only a few rules questions on the board about the steel hound and at least two are "how do I make it work?"
If an archetype doesn't function by itself it is bad design.
As for whether the two feat tax is worse than losing an extract, I'd argue that it's immaterial. If you wanted to spend the feats you might as well take the vanilla Investigator.
It is a fair trade for the significant decrease in MAD that exists when you no longer need Str or Con to the same degree. What you save on those attributes can be placed in Int, partially negating the loss of an extract because you can more easily get more bonus extracts.
Take a look at the Myrmidarch, a magus archetype meant to make the magus spell strike ability functional to some degree at range. The steel hound is similar but lacks the same built in provisions. You wouldn't expect it to be built to do that and not have a clear path for doing so. That's silly design. At a minimum, it should get them as bonus feats if that's how Paizo intended it to work. Right now, it's not clear. There are only a few rules questions on the board about the steel hound and at least two are "how do I make it work?"
If an archetype doesn't function by itself it is bad design.
As for whether the two feat tax is worse than losing an extract, I'd argue that it's immaterial. If you wanted to spend the feats you might as well take the vanilla Investigator.
It is a fair trade for the significant decrease in MAD that exists when you no longer need Str or Con to the same degree. What you save on those attributes can be placed in Int, partially negating the loss of an extract because you can more easily get more bonus extracts.
I am not sure how it dosent work. what would you like it to do? And the normal investigator is Lots of feats from what the steel hound can do. You wont be Lucky Luke at level 3 but i dont think that is a bug.
Edit: you lose poison use and swift alchemy and you get 3 feats and a special deed as well as several more options to speed up the build. And at higher levels you will be really powerfull. It dosent start fast but it catches up pretty good IMOP.
It doesn't work because it can't by default use a signature ability of the class with the signature weapon of the archetype. This is akin to if the magus didn't have any weapon proficiency at all. He'd have to sink a feat in just to use spell strike and spell combat.
but you have time to make it work before you gat that signature ability. Unlike the dwarf strangler:(
I think you should just enjoy aiming for touch AC until level 5 and then start dominating the shooting game from level 6 with swift study and ranged study. Giving up 6 extracts is IMOP not a good move.|
|
Look, for what it's worth, I hear and understand your points. Let's agree to disagree. We don't have to agree on the need here because this is homebrew, not the rules forum.
If this was going to be my homebrew would you say that it is balanced? If not, what would you suggest? But I am brewing up a version that can do study and strike at range. That's why I'm here. This is happening.