Under Elemental Bloodline it lists several spells and then says the following:
*These spells always deal a type of damage determined by your element. In addition, the subtype of these spells changes to match the energy type of your element.
Then one of the bloodline features is this:
Bloodline Arcana: Whenever you cast a spell that deals energy damage, you can change the type of damage to match the type of your bloodline. This also changes the spell’s type to match the type of your bloodline.
Spell type? Spell subtype? What are those exactly? These terms are not defined anywhere else. What are they exactly and what's the difference between subtype and type, and why some spells have their subtype changed while others have their type changed?
Also which spells deal energy damage? I searched the PDF and didn't find a single spell that says it deals energy damage, making the Bloodline Arcana feature useless.
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Type would be something like Evocation or Conjuration. The school of the spell that it's under.
It's subtype would be what kind of spell it was of that type. So something like Fireball is a Evocation [Fire] spell. That lets you know that the spell more then likely deals fire damage.
What the elemental bloodline does it let you change that subtype to match your chosen element. So if you chose cold, you could make it so that same Fireball spell deals cold damage now because it becomes an Evocation [Cold] spell.
Type would be something like Evocation or Conjuration. The school of the spell that it's under.
It's subtype would be what kind of spell it was of that type. So something like Fireball is a Evocation [Fire] spell. That lets you know that the spell more then likely deals fire damage.
What the elemental bloodline does it let you change that subtype to match your chosen element. So if you chose cold, you could make it so that same Fireball spell deals cold damage now because it becomes an Evocation [Cold] spell.
Ok, so that's 3 errata pieces:
1. Bloodline Arcana should say: "Whenever you cast a spell that deals damage of a type listed under Energy Type in the table below, you can change the type of damage to match the type of your bloodline."
2. Bloodline Arcana should say "subtype" (and not "type"). Or better, it should say descriptor instead of subtype, and then the footnote (*) of the table above should also say descriptor and not subtype.
3. "subtype" should be defined in the Spell chapter (or you should just use the term "descriptor", which is defined already).
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In this instance "type" should be taken literally and not as a specifically defined game term. Though the use of the word "subtype" is misleading it should be held in the same regard. Generally, there are three ways by which you categorize a spell. These are by school, subschool, and descriptor. These particular references are meant to change a spell's descriptors. For another instance of this see the elemental swarm spell. As for energy types, the protection from energy spell lists the energy types as acid, cold, electricity, fire, and sonic.
In this instance "type" should be taken literally and not as a specifically defined game term. Though the use of the word "subtype" is misleading it should be held in the same regard. Generally, there are three ways by which you categorize a spell. These are by school, subschool, and descriptor. These particular references are meant to change a spell's descriptors. For another instance of this see the elemental swarm spell. As for energy types, the protection from energy spell lists the energy types as acid, cold, electricity, fire, and sonic.
Ok, so to avoid confusion "type" and "subtype" should be both changed to the defined term "descriptor". If you have a game term, you should use it to avoid confusion. I mean, these is what game terms are for; a common vocabulary to make things understandable and unambiguous as much as possible.
Also, according to what you say, you can also change spells causing sonic damage to your elemental damage. Is that so? Anyway, it should be clearly defined what are the different energy types; you shouldn't have to rely on a description in a spell that you might never even use or know about. This is confusing, especially as the table under the elemental bloodline excludes sonic.
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Ok, so to avoid confusion "type" and "subtype" should be both changed to the defined term "descriptor". If you have a game term, you should use it to avoid confusion. I mean, these is what game terms are for; a common vocabulary to make things understandable and unambiguous as much as possible.
Also, according to what you say, you can also change spells causing sonic damage to your elemental damage. Is that so? Anyway, it should be clearly defined what are the different energy types; you shouldn't have to rely on a description in a spell that you might never even use or know about. This is confusing, especially as the table under the elemental bloodline excludes sonic.
Well... RAW in the core seem to suggest this does include sonic. However, some GMs/players may argue against it given the removal of sonic as an energy descriptor applicable to the Energy Substitution feat (Note to those unfamiliar, this references a non-core feat that changed from 3.0 to 3.5). So, sometimes sonic is an energy type and sometimes it isn't.
Arguably, a list of the included "types" with the description of the ability would be better, much like elemental swarm. Referencing descriptors may cause question of whether spells that use positive or negative "energy" are also included.
Sonic is included in the Resist Energy spell now, and the other spells that prevent energy damage. That would suggest to me that it could be changed, especially when the arcana states that you can change any energy type into your energy type. Sonic is an energy type so it can be changed (though I would suggest you generally wouldn't want to!).
There are so few creatures that are immune to sonic damage I'm not sure why you would want to use substitution on sonic damage. Maybe to target a vulnerability?
You are generally best served using the most obvious reading of a rule because the book isn't written to be read by people with law degrees.
Any spell that deals Fire/ Cold/ Electric/ Acid damage you can deal damage of your elemental instead. (suppose sonic too... hell if acid is considered energy why not?)
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Sonic is included in the Resist Energy spell now, and the other spells that prevent energy damage. That would suggest to me that it could be changed, especially when the arcana states that you can change any energy type into your energy type. Sonic is an energy type so it can be changed (though I would suggest you generally wouldn't want to!).
Hehehe... can you guess which energy type I chose for my 3.0 sorcerer with Energy Substitution feat? I think I can't even recall facing any enemies that were resistant or immune to sonic damage in that campaign...
Naturally, sonic doesn't rock as much as Hellfire, though! ;)
Animate Thread!
Now that I've used message board necromancy, I have a question.
Suppose I have an Air Elemental Bloodline sorcerer, and I use my bloodline arcana on a Fireball spell, now doing electrical damage.
The subtype changes one of two ways
- [fire] to [electricity]
- [fire] to [air]
The wording says "match the type of your bloodline" ... and my bloodline is Air. My bloodline is not Electricity.
This is important, because we have an air sorcerer in our party, and we're deciding whether or not a Conduit Rod (+1 ECL for electricity spells) is a good item to strive for.
