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So in building a gnome storm druid and looking it over again, I realized I may have made a mistake building my character. My 5th level ancestry feat, Energized Font, requires that I have "at least one innate spell from a gnome heritage or ancestry feat that shares a tradition with at least one of your focus spells"
I had picked Wellspring Gnome as my heritage, so I could learn Shield as a druid, and I must have missed the bolded part above. I really want Energized Font, but I also want Shield for survivability at lower levels. Plus, Druids get Shield Block for free so i might as well utilize that.
So my rules question: While, logically, it makes total sense that a focus power like Tempest Surge shares the Primal tradition, where does it explicitly state that Focus powers share a magic tradition? It's not on the traits of the focus power.
And, while I'm on the topic, a bit of advice: Assuming I can't be a Wellspring Gnome and also take Energized Font for a Primal focus power, is there a way for me to get the Shield cantrip without multiclassing, while still being able to take Energized Font? I'd like to be able to utilize Shield Block at low levels for survivability. And with only 10 str my Bulk isn't super high to be able to carry a shield. I'll be taking Hefty Hauler at 2, which will help at least. I'd just prefer not to wield a shield.
My current ancestry feats are Animal Accomplice, Energized Font, Vivacious Conduit, First World Adepts and Fey Fellowship.
I also want Shield for survivability at lower levels. Plus, Druids get Shield Block for free so i might as well utilize that.
I don't understand the connection here. The shield spell provides the shield block reaction as part of the spell (and only with the spell), having the ability to shield block with real physical shields is neither necessary nor helpful with the shield cantrip.
For the rest, I don't know if it's stated anywhere that focus spells belong to your tradition, but if they don't energized font is a broken feat. You know what they intend in this case.
Only way I see would be to multi-class into any non-primal class that has an easy to grab focus power. Shield is on divine/occult/arcane. Can't seem to find the MC archtypes on Nethys, so not sure how fast you can grab a focus spell (its probably a second feat under the dedication though)... But that could still be before energeized font
Thing is the Shield Spell gives you Shield Block while its active (even if you don't have the feat), so its not like its actually taking advantage of a free feat.
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I was under the impression that the Shield spell only gives you the Shield Block reaction if you actually had the Shield Block feat. I guess I was wrong there. Neat.
Well I guess it'll be a wooden shield for me, teetering on the edge of encumbrance until I get Hefty Hauler. +2 ac vs +1 is pretty good anyway.
Still, Energized Font seems to be unavailable for anyone in this case, because I haven't found anything that indicates a Focus Power is tied to a tradition. I'm still changing my Heritage to something else and picking up a primal innate cantrip, just in case. Until I hear an official ruling stating otherwise I'll just keep planning on taking Energizing Font.
If a focus spell wasn't tied to the base classes tradition, then you wouldn't benefit from any increases to the base classes proficiency with that tradition, plus both champions and monks specify that their focus spells are divine, and divine or occult respectively. Since they are the only focus casters that don't have a preexisting spellcasting tradition, they are the only ones that have to specifically specify what tradition the focus spells are.
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See page 302, "Spellcasters with Focus Spells"
Your focus spells are the same tradition as your normal spells.
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I was under the impression that the Shield spell only gives you the Shield Block reaction if you actually had the Shield Block feat. I guess I was wrong there. Neat.
Well I guess it'll be a wooden shield for me, teetering on the edge of encumbrance until I get Hefty Hauler. +2 ac vs +1 is pretty good anyway.
Still, Energized Font seems to be unavailable for anyone in this case, because I haven't found anything that indicates a Focus Power is tied to a tradition. I'm still changing my Heritage to something else and picking up a primal innate cantrip, just in case. Until I hear an official ruling stating otherwise I'll just keep planning on taking Energizing Font.
You should check out the Backpacks thread for questions about Encumbrance and Bulk. It is my assumption that they forgot to mention the way backpacks, sheaths, bags, and bandoliers help reduce Bulk to manageable levels. Hefty Hauler should be for the rare case of someone who really wants to carry a ton of stuff, not a practical necessity for many starting characters.
To get the shield cantrip, I think this would work:
Take the Adopted Ancestry general feat and select Human. Now you can take the Adapted Cantrip human Ancestry Feat that gives you shield as one of your Druid Cantrips. Unfortunately this takes two feats and doesn't come online until 5th level.
Taking the Wizard, Bard, Sorcerer, or Cleric Dedication is much simpler.