Paizo has done a lot to address the usability of previous editions. As a first time reader though, I see areas where text could be shortened or formatted into neat lists or tables to make it easier to digest or reference.
This is different than addressing typos. It has to do with how information is written or portrayed. It potentially has to do with reducing pagecount, or making material easier to understand.
I'd like to make a thread for posts like these! As first-time readers, we are excellent usability testers!
For example:
Rarity
Rarity expresses how often something is encountered in the game’s world. Rarity commonly applies to equipment and magic items, but spells, feats, and other mechanical aspects of the game also each have a specific rarity.
Common (default, black): The majority of such elements are commonly found within the world, which means that anyone can buy them, in the case of items, or access them, in the case of feats, without any trouble.
Uncommon (red): The uncommon rarity indicates an element available only to those who have been initiated into a special kind of training, grow up in a certain culture, or come from a particular part of the world. A character can’t take these options by default. Specific choices, such as class features or backgrounds, might give access to certain uncommon elements. The GM can grant any character access to uncommon options if she so chooses.
Unknown (orange): Elements that are rare are practically unknown or impossible to find in the game world. These elements appear in the game only if the GM chooses to include them.
Unique (blue): The unique rarity indicates an element that is one of a kind in the game’s world. Artifacts, for example, are often unique.
...what areas could you see cleaned up? I expect most of these changes to be small/cosmetic.
I noticed that I could not find the specific rules for what minimum level you could reach higher proficiencies at (for example, I believe even if you otherwise could you can't attain legendary before level 17 according to the blog? I didn't see that noted in the book, which at the low end means it probably wasn't featured heavily enough.
I went to find that information when determining how easy rituals are to pull off. DC equal to double the ritual level? Control weather requires master proficiency, and it's a level 8 ritual. By the time I hit level 8 if I have a +5 from ability score, +2 from master proficiency, and 8 from level, I have a 15 bonus. DC 16 automatically succeeds (a true natural 1 should cause fail but not critical fail) and 11 or better on the die is a critical success. This is before figuring out if I can even BE master at nature lore by that level. If it requires level 13 to be a master, I basically succeed on a 5 even with a -1 int. That DC can't be correct, so I'm guessing it's just not reading correctly.
There's a force field spell I fail to recall the name of, it mentioned it could survive 'two more dents than normal'. Just say 4 dents, it's lower word count and saves me remembering that normal stuff has 2.
Lots of spells are listed as (a) verbal (a) somatic (a) material, I think it would be easier to say (AAA) verbal, somatic, material unless there is a very specific reason casting a spell is three separate actions and not an activity. In addition, I did not see where it clarified if you could begin casting on your turn and complete the remainder of the spell on the following turn (similarly for any other activities).
Some of this may be me being blind, but it's definitely eluding a casual glance and since the book won't have a search feature I believe most info should be easy to spot.
Some notes:
* I expected Rituals to be under Spells. They aren't bookmarked as being under Spells in the PDF, though they are still located under Spells. This might be why you had to use the Search feature.
* Bolding initial keywords would help. Although they are indented, I'm losing keywords, when trying to read the entries.
* The Ritual Minimum Level is the red box to the right of each ritual entry, I believe.
* Maybe we could remove some of the text, and add in calculations or a step-by-step list? Casting for example, seems like it could be broken into a Step 1, Step 2.
Wrapping my head around this, but there is some streamlining we could do. Usability is not /easy/, but this is the time to take it on!
It would be easier to just list a DC. Though, I suspect one of the reasons they list the calculation behind the DC is to let people make their own rituals, or adjust them on the fly. That section might be best served by breaking it out and adding a "GM Modifiers" to the backend.
Either way? We could make that DC more obvious.
Maybe...
Rituals are lengthy, esoteric, and complicated spells that can have both incredible effects and weighty consequences. They are a downtime activity, and do not require spellcasting levels to cast.
Rarity: Rituals are never common, though chances are if you look hard enough, you’ll be able to find someone who can perform an uncommon ritual for you. However, they may not necessarily be willing to teach you its secrets.
Spell Level: Each ritual has an associated minimum spell level. A ritual’s primary caster must be of a level equal to twice the ritual’s spell level, though they do not need to be a spellcaster. Rituals do not require spell slots to cast.
Casting: Rituals can be cast by any character who knows the ritual, even non-spellcasters, as long as they have high enough proficiency in the relevant skill (see Proficiency, below). Rituals can be heightened to any level up to half the primary caster’s level, as decided when the ritual is initiated.
|Actions| Casting Time |
|M, S, V| 1+ day(s)*|* 1 day assumes 8 hours, plus breaks in between for multi-day rituals to allow for rest. Any one of the casters can maintain the ritual during the breaks. Rituals are downtime activities, though it’s possible, albeit risky, to perform them with enough uninterrupted time in the field.
Cost: The cost entry lists any valuable components or foci; if the ritual doesn’t have material requirements, it won’t have a cost entry. Components are consumed when the primary caster makes the primary skill check for the ritual.
Secondary Casters: Many rituals require additional secondary casters; like the primary caster, secondary casters do not need to be a member of a spellcasting class. A secondary caster entry indicates the minimum number of secondary casters, without which the ritual is impossible.
Often, a ritual requires additional secondary skill checks to represent specific facets of the ritual. To calculate the DC of a secondary skill check:
DC for Ritual Secondary Skill Checks = Ritual Spell Level * 2
Success: Succeeding at a secondary skill check allows the ritual to proceed normally
Critical Success: Critically succeeding gives the primary caster a +2 circumstance bonus to the primary skill checks
Failure: Failing gives the primary caster a –4 circumstance penalty to the primary skill checks
Critical Failure: Critically failing gives the primary caster a –4 circumstance penalty to the primary skill check and also reduces the degree of success of the primary skill check by one stepDifferent secondary casters must attempt each secondary skill check. Secondary skill checks precede the primary skill check.
Proficiency: Rituals require the primary caster to have a certain level of proficiency in Arcana, Nature, Occultism, or Religion, depending on the ritual. Almost all rituals require at least expert rank in the appropriate skill.
Rituals always require a primary skill check for the listed skill that determines the ritual’s outcome. The primary caster must always attempt the primary skill check. To calculate the DC for the primary caster's skill check(s):
DC for Ritual Primary Skill Checks = Ritual Spell Level * 2
Fortune and misfortune effects don’t apply to a ritual’s skill checks, nor do any conditional bonuses or circumstance bonuses other than from a critical success with a secondary skill.
The GM can also adjust the DC of rituals or add or change the skills to fit specific circumstances. For example, a ritual site on a convergence of ley lines might make a normally difficult ritual drastically easier to perform on the night of a new moon, thus allowing lower-level PCs or NPCs to perform the ritual, or make it functioning beyond the normal level requirements, but the skill check might change to Occultism in order to take advantage of ley lines.
Backlash: Some rituals have a backlash: a negative side effect that affects all casters, both primary and secondary, regardless of whether the ritual succeeds or fails.
Effect: A ritual’s effect depends on whether it’s a critical success, a success, a failure, or a critical failure, as determined by the primary skill check.
That's an initial pass. I'd love to break it up into steps like: Know the Ritual, Cast the Ritual, and then Calculate Ritual Effects. I've got to hit the road, though!
So, anyway! Here is how some of the above might look in a document!
I realize these are still rough. I enjoy the tone that Paizo has in the playtest document, and understand how hard it is to craft text.
From the playtest, I would like to not only have a solid foundation from which PF2 leaps forward in terms of rules, but also of the best text and layout that we can achieve.
As new users who are interested in playing the game, I think we are the perfect "testers" for text and usability. :D
I've backtracked, and am slowly working through the Chargen section. I love the tone of it. My main idea so far has been to trim down the overview. Then, focus on providing guidance as they read each section. Obviously, the tone is important here, and that I want to keep.
Who knows. This might end up being a very silly project. :)
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I figure worst case you can fix it up and throw it at them and see how they take it? I just wish they had it in a format where I could get more access to the function of it. PDF is pretty restricted in how easy it is to alter. I use my pdf reader to add highlights and things, and use a night mode that does a black and white invert, but only so much can be done.
I figure worst case you can fix it up and throw it at them and see how they take it? I just wish they had it in a format where I could get more access to the function of it. PDF is pretty restricted in how easy it is to alter. I use my pdf reader to add highlights and things, and use a night mode that does a black and white invert, but only so much can be done.
Thank you! They have taken on a huge project. Addressing the text like this is difficult as h*ck.
If you've suggestions, I would love to hear them. Please pin them here--or even better, drop open a GoogleDoc and post some sketches. :D