The ability that governs bonus spells depends on what type of spellcaster your character is: Intelligence for wizards; Wisdom for clerics, druids, and rangers; and Charisma for bards, paladins, and sorcerers. In addition to having a high ability score, a spellcaster must be of a high enough class level to be able to cast spells of a given spell level. See the class descriptions in Classes for details.
Tarik is right. You can't circumvent level requirements with something as tiny as a favorite class bonus. Your friend's PC is ridiculous overpowered because 3rd level spells are only intended to come online at level 5 or 6.
It is actually a Really good FCB.
I tend to take +1 HP for the first 3 levels but at 4 you now can pick up extra 1st level spells.
Honestly I tend to prefer Prepared casters BUT this FCB makes playing spontaneous not nearly as bad since you can pick a few more spells and add a little more to what you can do. Grab quality of life spells or spells that are more for fun.
For some reason, it hadnt dawned on me that my fcb would only be giving me cantrips until level 4 comes around so when I first made the character, i took the bonus cantrip thinking it might be helpful. Well it wasnt of course, ive decided now im 2nd level ill take hp for this and the next level as even with 14 con more hp is always preferable with only 1d6 hp per level. I hate wasting it but maybe my gm will let me trade out at some point.It is actually a Really good FCB.
I tend to take +1 HP for the first 3 levels but at 4 you now can pick up extra 1st level spells.
Honestly I tend to prefer Prepared casters BUT this FCB makes playing spontaneous not nearly as bad since you can pick a few more spells and add a little more to what you can do. Grab quality of life spells or spells that are more for fun.
Well in all honesty It sort of is a waste for cantrips. +1 HP is worth a lot more in the first few levels. You can buy scrolls and wands of 0 level spells if they are that important. But I find not many are. If you use the retraining feature you can simple train out of your Ray of Frost (or Acid splash) into something more useful like Breeze or Message. Some cantrips will never be used after the first few levels anyways so retraining out of them is a smart move.
Well as i understand it, as a witch, he gets spells instantly, as long as he has a spell slot to use it, boom he can use it if its in that slot prepped.
Not exactly. So what I think the confusion here is is because of the phrasing of "bonus spells". So technically, yes, you and your friend with the witch do have bonus spell slots of levels 2-4, but because your characters aren't at the appropriate level for those spell slots, they are locked. The easiest way to look at this would be to take the chart for your character class, and look at the spells per day section. If there's a number in a column for your character level (so for example, at level 1, there are numbers in the 0th & 1st level spells columns), you can cast spells of that level. If there is a dash (not a 0, but a dash), then that spell level is locked to you until such a level as there is a number in that column. So for example, as a sorcerer, you can start casting 2nd level spells at 4th level, and add your bonus 2nd level spells-per-day from your charisma at that point, while your witch friend can start doing so at 3rd level.
What this means for the Favor Class Bonus is that your highest level is determined by that same chart of spells-per-day under your class features not your bonus spells from your charisma modifier. Therefore, until you reach level 4 and can start casting 2nd level spells, you can only use that Favored Class Bonus to learn additional 0th level spells.
I hope this helps clear up any confusion.
No you don't have a bonus 2nd level spell slot until you have 2nd level spells, so you can't use the spell slot at all. Same for 3rd and 4th
You only get access to the bonus spell slot when you are high enough to cast that level spell. At first level you only get your bonus 1st level spells. You gain your 2nd level bonus spells when you gain the ability to cast 2nd level spells and so on. So say you had a 20 INT you would gain 2 1st level bonus spell slots at 1st level, but you would not gain any bonus spells of level 2nd or higher. If the chart for your spells says 0 you only gain your bonus spells. A dash on the chart is not the same as a 0. The only classes that get a 0 on the chart are paladins and rangers.
Until your class gives you a spell slot you don’t have the ability to cast spells of that level so nothing can increase them. If you are familiar with computer programing think of a dash as being a null. You don’t have the ability so nothing can improve it.
You can not use those slots at all until you reach the required level. As a sorcerer for example you can't use those 2nd level bonus spell slots gained from a high stat for anything until you have a 4th level sorcerer.
Your friend is wrong.
Ok, i think i finally get it. Im so sorry. A bonus spell slot isnt available until one can cast a spell of that level through natural progression, only then can you use a bonus spell slot. Wow, we have been playing this game for over a year and no one has figured this all out? This is kind of shocking to me as we have just built so many characters.
Don't feel bad. Just wait for the rest of the "obvious" rules that you've missed -- that you won't find out about for another year! Pathfinder is so rules-dense, it's terribly easy to overlook something. Thankfully, we have the forums here.
As for the human FCB, I love it! I started playing a half-orc sorceress, and felt spell-starved with their FCB. And then I found out that my character had gotten FAQed to qualify for the human FCB! It was a party! (She's only a HALF-orc, after all.)
But yes, based on earlier human sorcerers, I can testify that you'll have cantrips coming out of your ears if you take extra cantrips as FCBs. There just aren't enough useful ones out there. However, while all the votes above for taking HP instead through 3rd level have to be considered, I would personally vote for skill ranks. You can take Toughness if you're getting pummeled, but you can't take a feat to get extra skill ranks. (And you have hopefully designed a blaster to stand back out of melee.) Unless there's someone else in the party who's high-Cha and has ranks to spend, you've got some valuable contributions to make out of combat as well as in, with skills.
In any case, once your GM discovers the error, they may grant you (and your witchy friend) a free retrain. In your case, you'd be transferring the 1st level cantrip to your choice of HP or skill rank. In your friend's case... ouch!
Ok, i think i finally get it. Im so sorry. A bonus spell slot isnt available until one can cast a spell of that level through natural progression, only then can you use a bonus spell slot. Wow, we have been playing this game for over a year and no one has figured this all out? This is kind of shocking to me as we have just built so many characters.
Don't feel bad. If this rule was obvious then it wouldn't be a Frequently Asked Question. ;)
You can take Toughness if you're getting pummeled, but you can't take a feat to get extra skill ranks.
Actually, you can! The Cunning Feat in the Villain Codex gives you one extra skill rank per level.
You can take Toughness if you're getting pummeled, but you can't take a feat to get extra skill ranks.Actually, you can! The Cunning Feat in the Villain Codex gives you one extra skill rank per level.
Hmmm. Maybe I want to look at it. I generally only go with SOME of the books in the PRD, and virtually no splatbook stuff.
Of course, Villain Codex. Hmmmm, Villain Codex. Would I really let my players (or myself as player) get a hold of feats from this book?
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Right cause getting extra skill points is so evil, asking with a martial arts mystery for Oracle. The book had npcs and some chill new feats and abilities. The abilities aren't tied too being a villain
The way I think about it is it's a 'Bonus' as in in addition to what you already have, if you don't have a spell slot of that level you can't have a bonus as it has nothing to function as an addition too.
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But yes, based on earlier human sorcerers, I can testify that you'll have cantrips coming out of your ears if you take extra cantrips as FCBs. There just aren't enough useful ones out there.
Traits like Natural Magic and Two-World Magic allow taking cantrips from other classes. Between the 2 you can pick up 3 useful cantrips like create water, Enhanced Diplomacy, Guidance, Purify Food and Drink, Sift or Detect Poison. So I never have run out of good ones.
That said, I'd be much more likely to buy Cracked Orange Prism Ioun Stones that take the extra cantrip feat. 1000 gp/cantrip is easier, cheaper and overall a better bargain that using a feat.
Of course, Villain Codex. Hmmmm, Villain Codex. Would I really let my players (or myself as player) get a hold of feats from this book?
Really? An AERIALIST’S ROD that helps acrobatics evil? Fortune teller bard evil? Maybe the coolest item ever the home away, a RV for pathfinder is evil? New firearms, firearm feats and magic shots evil? Seasoned Commander (Fighter), a fighter with bard abilities evil?
If I was you, I've give it a good look as there is more non-evil character options than evil ones and there are some really cool things in it. IMO, you're missing out by prejudging it too much.
The reality is that in order to sell a book like "Villain's Codex" you're going to want to have a bunch of new feats, items, etc. that are appropriate for non-villains, but are featured on the new villains in the codex. If it's just villains and villain appropriate stuff, it's sort of a GM-only book.
So take heart, things like Cunning and Two-Weapon Grace are intended to be appropriate options for PCs. I mean, nothing in that book is as much a stretch on a heroic PC as all the alchemists trying to justify "Potion Glutton" before that got FAQ'd to not apply to extracts.
Phantasmal Killer, Magic Jar, Trap the soul, soul bind and Death Knell are all pretty bloody evil spells that you can find in the Core rule book, just cause a book is about Villains doesn't mean PCs can't have it. PCs do some pretty f*+%ed up shit.
I don't recall a time when it ever worked like that.
The Human FCB for Alchemists, Arcanists, Bards, Inquisitors, Investigators, Oracles, Psychics, Shamans, Skalds, Sorcerers, Witches, and Wizards has always been "add one spell or spell analogue to your set from some list, it must be one level below the highest you can cast or cast analogue."
1/6 of a spell would be a monstrously weak FCB. The FCBs that require six levels of investment to get something are usually the ones that give something that's approximately the power level of a valuable feat.
It has always been 1 spell known per level. Also keep in mind the spell has to be one level lower than the maximum spell level you can cast. That means that you don’t get an extra 1st level spell until 4th level. Before that you can only get cantrips.
The 1/6 of ability are usually things like rogue talents or rage powers that can give you more things that your character can do. Having extra spells known does not actually allow you to cast any more spells than another sorcerer they just give you more choices of the spell you can cast.
Yes, the FCB is for spells known (or spells in your spellbook), not spells you can cast per day.
As for the Villain Codex, all right already! I give! When I feel like I've digested the huge amount of rules on my plate now, I'll definitely go take a good look.
Yes, the FCB is for spells known (or spells in your spellbook), not spells you can cast per day.
As for the Villain Codex, all right already! I give! When I feel like I've digested the huge amount of rules on my plate now, I'll definitely go take a good look.
I was surprised myself how much good player crunch was in the book. They have around 18 groups with 2 pages of player goodies for each and most of it wasn't exclusively for bad guys. This is by far the best NPC book I've seen in a while [and I really liked Monster Codex].
I was surprised myself how much good player crunch was in the book. They have around 18 groups with 2 pages of player goodies for each and most of it wasn't exclusively for bad guys. This is by far the best NPC book I've seen in a while [and I really liked Monster Codex].Yes, the FCB is for spells known (or spells in your spellbook), not spells you can cast per day.
As for the Villain Codex, all right already! I give! When I feel like I've digested the huge amount of rules on my plate now, I'll definitely go take a good look.
My problem is that I don't read through books constructing theoretical builds. In fact, as a player, I didn't dine on a whole rulebook at all; I nibbled at the specific section that I needed at the moment -- or asked my GM. So now, when I've started having the awesome fun of GMing, I've got a huge platter of rules and crunch to consume. But the Villain Codex looks like a tasty splatbook for dessert!
So thanks.
Aside from skills enchantments character progression and combat stuff I didn't really read through the rulebook either like you, just nibbled at things.
If I ever GM which is rare but does happen then I just ask my players to check things with me before they pick stuff if they think I haven't heard of it. Most of the broken stuff is fairly obviously broken when you look at it. >.> Sacred Geometry >.>
Aside from skills enchantments character progression and combat stuff I didn't really read through the either rulebook like you, just nibbled at things.
If I ever GM which is rare but does happen then I just ask my players to check things with me before they pick stuff if they think I haven't heard of it. Most of the broken stuff is fairly obviously broken when you look at it. >.> Sacred Geometry >.>
Do I want to know? LOL, sure I do!
Do you want 2 metamagic feats you can apply to your spells spontaneously without increasing their spell level? Do some basic mental maths and this can all be yours! for the price of one rank, 13int and 2 ranks in knowledge engineering.
And you get to slow down the game at the same time! Hazar!
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Do you want 2 metamagic feats you can apply to your spells spontaneously without increasing their spell level? Do some basic mental maths and this can all be yours! for the price of one rank, 13int and 2 ranks in knowledge engineering.
And you get to slow down the game at the same time! Hazar!
I have an app for that. No slow down here!
Do you want 2 metamagic feats you can apply to your spells spontaneously without increasing their spell level? Do some basic mental maths and this can all be yours! for the price of one rank, 13int and 2 ranks in knowledge engineering.
And you get to slow down the game at the same time! Hazar!
The trick is finding two numbers the same to get a zero. Once that's done, get your number, multiply the rest by zero and you're done ;)
OK, I actually went to the PFSRD to look this puppy up. Noooooooo!