Seriously though, this is a spell made for one class and given to another.
On the one hand it's hardcore, could actually be really effective at giving an unarmed attacker a ranged option, and metal as f*%k. On the other hand, unarmed strikes are really weak for a cleric or an oracle to my knowledge (someone feel free to prove me wrong though). It seems custom designed for a Quingong monk, but other than that I don't see anyone doing anything with it.
What is the best way someone could make use of this spell?
Qinggong monks can make use of it as a ki power. That's the reason it actually exists. Since any monk (excluding unchained) can make use of the qinggong archetype, literally every monk can use it if they want.
Outside of that, there isn't a good reason to use that spell.
Qinggong monks can make use of it as a ki power. That's the reason it actually exists.
So a spell was tacked onto one class for another? Instead of just adding it as a Ki power?
Pretty much. But they decided it did actually needed to be on somebody's spell list since they made the spell.
Why they didn't just make it a ki power...somebody had a brain fart that day? They want to let you make a weird monk/cleric combo?
Well it can work. You go 10 Monk, 10 Cleric, take Monastic Legacy, and then wear a Monk's Robe.
But yeah, its pretty silly outside of Warpriest/Quigong Monk
Unchained monks can still get Quiggong Power as a Ki Power, you know.
Qinggong monks can make use of it as a ki power. That's the reason it actually exists. Since any monk (excluding unchained) can make use of the qinggong archetype, literally every monk can use it if they want.
And the Unchained Monk can take Qinggong powers as Ki Powers so yes every Monk can access it
They made it a spell because no martial character should be able to do anything a spellcaster can't do.
Also, the game sometimes thinks people will play really bizarre and terrible builds, like Cleric 10/Monk 10 or whatever.
Oh, and yeah, no, Sacred Fist Warpriests love it.
Because the spell might be based on a d&d 3.5 spell "Blood Wind" that let you attack at range with unarmed attacks and natural weapons?
Pretty much. But they decided it did actually needed to be on somebody's spell list since they made the spell.
Why they didn't just make it a ki power...somebody had a brain fart that day? They want to let you make a weird monk/cleric combo?
They needed it on a spell list, so they gave it to the... Cleric... because... reasons.
Probably because the Cleric could at least gain IUS if they worshiped the right Deity.
And then the Warpriest came out, which is a Fighter/Cleric. And with it so did the Sacred Fist, which is a Monk/Cleric.
And suddenly the spell went from players going "ugh, god, no, not that one" to enemies going "OH GOD NO, NOT THAT ONE!!!"
BCS was made for the Monk, but the Sacred Fist and even the base Warpriest turn it into a Kamhehame-Hadouken when they combine it with Pummeling Style.
It's probably the single most powerful tool in the Sacred Fists' arsenal, and one of the craziest tricks even a base Warpriest can pull out.
So, sacred fist warpriest is the best option then? That means it's doable at 10th level. Not too bad for that then, but the Quinggong monk has to wait until 14th? And spend two ki to do it. That seems excessive on the price and level requirement.
Welcome to the world of being a Monk. Have an ability/spell specifically written for your class? Let's make sure someone else can do it better, for cheaper, for longer.
My guess for why it was added to a spell list- the various 'monk' spells like this, ki arrow, and ki leech were too complicated to just list under qinggong entry.
They wanted to use the mechanics associated with spells- range, target, duration, casting time, presence of a saving throw or whether it triggers spell resistance, as well as the general effect. Basically, they wanted to make a spell like ability (with all the mechanical advantages and disadvantages of SLAs)....out of something that wasn't a spell.
So they made it a spell. But putting a series of spells in the middle of an archetype seemed to messy, so they just threw it onto a random list and just said 'go look at the list'.
A cleric with the Plant domain can make a pretty fearsome unarmed striker. You get +1/2 level to damage with your unarmed strikes for a lot of rounds per day. Blood Crow Strike, like most spells, can be Quickened, with a rod, Staff of the Master Necromancer, or Spell Perfection. As a cleric, you have access to powerful size increasers such as Divine Power; you also have a lot more spells at your disposal than a Warpriest.
It's not like the warpriest is OP though. Even the sacred fist, while being over budget, still isn't the DPR monster that a ranger or barbarian is.
Add in Pummeling Charge and hit them with one big kameham- um.. big crow.
Well, I think it's at least "OKAY" for Clerics/Oracles,
given that I could see both of them possibly taking Stunning Fist as a Feat (high WIS scores to boost DC),
and also being able to use it as Ranged (with Flurry) just makes that even sweeter.
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It's not like the warpriest is OP though.
It really isn't. It's also not weak. And likely the BIGGEST DPR version of the Warpriest is the base Warpriest focusing on Natural Attacks, for the simple fact that it can get off more attacks than even the Sacred Fist, with realistically the same accuracy. It takes some effort, but it'll get there.
Even the sacred fist, while being over budget, still isn't the DPR monster that a ranger or barbarian is.
Again, no, but it's still very solid.
Sacred Fist really is the DragonBall Z class.
Fervor lets you swift-cast buff spells every single turn, meaning you're Power Level is rising the longer you fight, without once having to break your tempo.
On top of this, you're Flurrying like a classic Monk, with a Ki Pool, you have all lv1-6 Cleric spells AND you have access to THE ultimate technique for unarmed fighters as a result.
At the end of it all, though, the Monk and Warpriest make the enemies Dead+, while the Ranger and Barbarian make them Dead++.
So, yeah - there's gonna be ludicrous gibs regardless.
Welcome to the world of being a Monk. Have an ability/spell specifically written for your class? Let's make sure someone else can do it better, for cheaper, for longer.
To be fair, the Cleric alone isn't nearly as good with it as the Monk. The increased damage dice and greater number of attacks made the Monk superior when it used it
But... then the Sacred Fist came out.
And the following exchange probably happened well after the book had already gone to print:
Warpriest/Sacred Fist Designer: Well, that's a cool class all ready to see the world!
Intern: Uh, sir? Remember how Pummeling Style was added as a Feat in there?
Designer: Yeah, so?
Intern: And... you know how the Warpriest & Sacred Fist use the Cleric spell list?
Designer: ... where are you going with this?
(Intern hands Designer a copy of Ultimate Magic, opened to the page containing Blood Crow Strike)
Designer:... wait, you meant that isn't a wizard's... ... ... FFFFFFFUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU-
So, yeah, I'd imagine the whole "Warpriest + Blood Crow Strike + Pummeling Style = LOUD NOISES!" was more a happy accident than an intended thing.
Unless it was, in which case someone at Paizo has been watching FAR too much anime (which is entirely possible, considering that two of the mountains in Golarion are named LANGLEY and SORYU).
Lol level 4 spell? with 1 roud casting time? The old Blood Strike was a swift action first level spell, and I never found it overpowered.
Lol level 4 spell? with 1 roud casting time? The old Blood Strike was a swift action first level spell, and I never found it overpowered.
Range: 25ft + 5ft/2 levels
The subject can take a full attack action to use all of its natural weapons or unarmed strikes as if they were thrown weapons with a 20-foot range increment. The subject gestures as if making a melee attack, but the result of the attack affects a target within range. This spell does not actually grant reach, and so does not help provide a flanking bonus or allow the subject to make attacks of opportunity at any range greater than normal. The subject uses its normal melee attack bonuses and deals damage normally if it hits, though the target of the attacks can benefit from cover or concealment.
That's because it isn't - it's not even nearly as good as Blood Crow Strike:
Range:100ft+10ft/lv
Your unarmed strikes release blasts of energy in the form of bolts of fire or glowing red crows, which fly instantaneously to strike your target. You can make unarmed strike or flurry of blows attacks against the target as if it were in your threatened area; each successful attack deals damage as if you had hit it with your unarmed strike, except half the damage is fire and half is negative energy (this negative energy does not heal undead).
Blood Wind: Has a maximum Range at lv20 of 75ft, deals normal damage, has a Range Increment of 20ft so anything farther than that is going to incur a cumulative -2 to hit, and Concealment also messes you up.
Blood Crow Strike: Has a maximum range of 300 ft. at lv20, deal Energy damage thus bypassing DR AND qualifying for abilities which up damage on spells with a Descriptor (double damage vs Trolls and White Dragons is fuuuuuuun), has no range increments at all AND simply requires line-of-sight, meaning no Concealment except for Total is going to prevent you from doing your damage normally.
There's also the cute nonsense that BCS may allow for things such as Combat Maneuvers to be made at range due to how it's worded (if your Flurry of Blows allows you to make a Flurry of Maneuvers, that is).
BCS beats out Blood Wind hands-down - THAT'S why it's a 4th level spell.
huh question..
this is a 1 round spell.Does that mean you cast it and can't do anything else, but attack right then.
or you start casting it, and have to wait till next round for it to go off. hoping they don't leave your range or run up and make you fail a concentration check.?'
Highlighted is how it works. You cast it on your turn, but that's all you can do - you're basically Chargin' Yo Lazar!.
And then you fire off next round IF they're still within the range of your spell (which is generally a 200+ft dome centered on you)
also it targets others so only way to make it a swift action, is via metamagic or metamagic rod right? No fervor
Rod of Quicken will do it, though the best way is to build up Heighten Spell + Quicken Spell + [Metamagic Feat] + Preferred Spell + Spell Perfection.
I prefer Elemental Spell for the fill-in-the-blank Feat slot, so that you can change BCS's type from Fire to something else (Electricity is really fun).
It takes quite a bit of wrangling, but the total effect is that you never, ever, EVER prepare Blood Crow Strike.
Instead, you burn a Prepared slot for BCS via Preferred Spell, cast it as a Swift Action via Quicken Spell, and you never raise its level by +4 from Quicken via Spell Perfection.
You basically, then, can spam Pummeling Blood Crow Strikes for as long as you have lv4, lv5, and lv6 spells.