Changelings get a trait based on what type of hag their mother is. Has anyone written one for winter hags?
Ice Climber (Winter Hag): The changeling gains a +5 racial bonus on Climb checks on icy or slippery surfaces.
isn't compelling for me.
I'm thinking of the following:
(2 RP) Cold-Affinity A changeling possesses a trait based on what type of hag her mother is; for winter hags, it’s
Cold Affinity —she gains +1 to the caster level of any spells with the cold descriptor that she casts, and +1 to the DC of any saving throws against such spells.
What do you think?
Seems much better than the other hag options. I'd probably go with either one or the other, especially when you start looking at how it would stack for optimization.
1st Level Changeling (Hagborn) Witch Winter Witch with Int 19.
Traits:
Gifted Adept (Magic, Snowball at +1 caster level)
Precocious Spellcaster (Regional, +1 caster level for snowball & stabilize)
Feat: Spell Focus (+1 DC)
Snowball (Caster level 4, 4d6 damage, DC 17 Fort Save or be staggered)
Base DC 10+Int Bonus (14, 15 after 4th)
+1 DC for Winter Witch
+1 DC for Proposed Cold Affinity
+1 DC for Spell Focus
------------------------------------------
3rd L Feat: Spell Specialization
5th L Feat: Intensify Spell
@ 5th Level:
1st L Snowball Spell (5d6 Snowball, DC 18 or be staggered)
2nd L Intensified Snowball Spell (10d6, DC 19 or be staggered)
Actually ... I'd probably go with something more akin to the Pyrophile from the Cheliax book, but make it cold instead of fire. +1 damage (which scales again at 4th+) is way less potentially abusive than +1 DC, +1 caster level or both.
Seems much better than the other hag options. I'd probably go with either one or the other, especially when you start looking at how it would stack for optimization.
** spoiler omitted **
Actually ... I'd probably go with something more akin to the Pyrophile from the Cheliax book, but make it cold instead of fire. +1 damage (which scales again at 4th+) is way less potentially abusive than +1 DC, +1 caster level or both.
Obviously, I should have mentioned that I was generous because cold spells are so uncommon and weak at low levels. :) I only use spells in the Paizo PRD index, you see. And just traits from Ultimate Campaign, and other components only from Core, the Advanced line, and the Ultimate line.
So you freaked out because you were looking at a spell that I didn't know about or use. And a regional trait that I didn't know about or use. And, come to think of it, an archetype that I knew of and really, really wish I could use, but can't out of a hobgoblin sense of consistency (and forgot about).
So when I extract all of that, I get:
Racial Trait: Cold Affinity (cold spells at +1 CL & +1 DC)
Trait: Gifted Adept (Magic, ?? at +1 CL)
Feat: Spell Focus (Evocation, +1 DC)
So +1 CL & +2 DC get applied to the likes of Ray of Frost, Icicle Dagger (conj.), Frigid Touch, Frost Fall, Ice Slick, Sleet Storm (conj.), and Ice Storm...
The going gets better, I'll admit, with Cone of Cold, Icy Prison, and Cold Ice Strike, but you've waited a looooong time for the payoff.
And that's rather than take +1 to all melee damage (annis hag).
I don't know which of those spells you'd want for Gifted Adept's extra +1 DC, and actually, I'm quite curious about it. But mostly I'm wondering whether the restrictions on character building I'm belatedly explaining make the racial trait more acceptable.
If not, can you quote me the text of Pyrophile?
I mostly play PFS, so I'm used to looking for / at crazy combos.
That's my excuse and I'm stickin' to it! :)
I got it from the Archives of Nethys site area about changelings, but have copy/pasted it below for your reference.
Replaces Hag Trait
Pyrophile
Source Cheliax, the Infernal Empire pg. 57
The changelings who result from ash hags’ wicked work often have one distinctly gray eye; alternatively, they may have perpetually dry, almost desiccated skin and chronic psoriasis. The daughter of an ash hag can take the following as her hag racial trait.
Pyrophile: The changeling gains a +1 racial bonus on damage rolls when using spells with the fire descriptor. This bonus increases by 1 for every 4 levels the changeling has beyond 1st.
While Hulking Changeling is pretty much the best of the other options, I was also looking at Sea Lungs and Green Widow to compare to your +1 DC and +1 CL to.
I mostly play PFS, so I'm used to looking for / at crazy combos.
That's my excuse and I'm stickin' to it! :)I got it from the Archives of Nethys site area about changelings, but have copy/pasted it below for your reference.
** spoiler omitted **
While Hulking Changeling is pretty much the best of the other options, I was also looking at Sea Lungs and Green Widow to compare to your +1 DC and +1 CL to.
I can go with Cryophile, and thanks!
"The changeling gains a +1 racial bonus on damage rolls when using spells with the cold descriptor. This bonus increases by 1 for every 4 levels the changeling has beyond 1st (so +2 at 5th, +3 at 9th, and so on to a maximum of +5 at 17th level)."
I can go with Cryophile, and thanks!
"The changeling gains a +1 racial bonus on damage rolls when using spells with the cold descriptor. This bonus increases by 1 for every 4 levels the changeling has beyond 1st (so +2 at 5th, +3 at 9th, and so on to a maximum of +5 at 17th level)."
I've thought about it, and I'm adjusting it a tad:
"The changeling gains a +1 racial bonus on damage rolls when using spells that do cold damage. This bonus increases by 1 for every 4 levels the changeling has beyond 1st (so +2 at 5th, +3 at 9th, and so on to a maximum of +5 at 17th level). In addition, if the changeling receives bonus feats as a class feature for a spell-casting class, Elemental Spell (cold) is added to the changeling's list of potential bonus feats."I had to consider Elemental Spell metamagic, and I realized that an Iceball (Fireball converted to cold damage) should get the bonus, while Cone of Fire (Cone of Cold converted to fire damage) should not. And with the bonus feat, I believe I've got something worthy of the other Changeling traits.
Certainly, if you compare the Pyrophile itself to the Half-Orc racial FCB, you can see that it's only half as good:
Favored Class Options Instead of receiving an additional skill rank or hit point whenever they gain a level in a favored class, half-orcs have the option of choosing from a number of other bonuses, depending upon their favored class. [...]
Sorcerer: Add +1/2 to fire spell damage.
Welcome :)
Also, FCBs are a bit different than the base racial abilities. They're all over the place in terms of usefulness and often take some time to "come online" (especially after the ARG NerfAgeddon™).
Say what?
The twice-as-good FCB was from the ARG.
Some of the FCBs were changed when the ARG was reprinted. Most bonuses that previously read 1 / 2 levels were nerfed to 1 / 6 levels.
Example:
Aasimar Paladin (1st printing): Add +1/2 to the morale bonus on saving throws provided by the paladin's auras.
Aasimar Paladin (2nd printing): Add +1/6 to the morale bonus on saving throws provided by the paladin's auras.
So you now get no bonus until 6 levels in AND they changed the FCB from it's original example in the APG where you could begin to increase the bonus for an ability you don't yet have to state that you have to have the ability before you can attempt to increase it with FCBs. (So for the example aasimar paladin you start at 3rd level at get no benefit until 9th.)
For "all over the place" example, you can look to the Oread Paladins, who get +1/4 for what is effectively the same ability, save that it doesn't specify morale bonuses and specifies only aura of courage and aura of resolve (so no bonus to the 17th level aura of righteousness.
Yeah, 1/6 of anything isn't worth waiting for. I guess they thought you could use the morale bonus on saving throws provided by the paladin's auras more than a bonus on just one energy type. I dunno.