| Azothath |
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this is a tweaking and better description of the spell Twilight Knife:K3. I think it's a reasonable spell that needs a little improvement and clarification.
Twilight Knife (TwlgtKnf) (replacement)
School: evoc[frc]; Domain: magic(arcane), trickery, void;
Level: arcanist 2, bloodrager 2, magus 2, uc-summoner 2, sorcerer 2, witch 2, wizard 2, occultist 2, psychic 2, spiritualist 2.
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Components: V, S, F(knife, dagger, or kukri)
Range: Close(25 +5*↓[CstrLvl/2])ft
Effect: floating weapon(dagger) of force (see description)
Duration: CstrLvl r (Đ)
Save: none; SR: Yes
DESCRIPTION
You create a transparent floating dagger-like object of dusk force which nebulously blurs and then focuses sharply as it attempts to flank and attack the same creature as you within range each round. If you choose not to attack a single creature, or you make an attack that affects multiple opponents, the knife makes no attack during that round (unlike Spiritual Weapon).
The twilight knife makes a full round melee attack attempting to flank using your CstrLvl as BAB and SAS(Spellcasting Ability Score) bonus as Strength or Dexterity(see Weapon Finesse) as +(CstrLvl +SAS) (1d4 P|S +SAS, crit 19+ *2)[force] dmg & ↓[CstrLvl/4]d6[force] precision dmg (like a rogue) with flank or against foes that are denied their dexterity bonus to AC. The dagger may attack multiple times using its BAB in the usual manner but may only gain precision damage on the first attack as it comes into focus. The twilight knife does not provide flanking although it can take advantage of it, cannot make an AoO or Combat Maneuvers, gains the effect of blur, counts as magic for purposes of DR, and can move within the caster’s range adjacent to its target after the caster attacks a single target (otherwise it stays in the last square it was in but does not impede movement). While a force effect it can gain P or S damage which is a spell option set during the casting. If the caster attacks an illusion, phantasm, or phantom then the twilight knife also attempts to attack that target.
As a full round action the caster may transfer a touch spell with a standard action or less casting time and a single effect (such as Shocking Grasp but not Chill Touch) onto the twilight knife which it will attempt to discharge at the first opportunity, the transferred spell is a held touch spell.
A twilight knife cannot be harmed by physical attacks, but burning hands(spells doing energy damage that could affect (worn) objects), (greater) dispel magic, disintegrate, (minor) globe of invulnerability, obscuring mist(provides concealment), shield(provides AC), a sphere of annihilation, or a rod of cancellation affects it. A twilight knife’s AC against touch attacks is 12 (10 + size bonus for Tiny object) plus your Dexterity modifier, blur grants it a 20% miss chance from concealment.
| DungeonmasterCal |
hmmm... must be good as is
I just saw this for the first time. It's gooood!
| Pizza Lord |
To me, it just seems better in almost every way (which might be the point) at what looks like lower spell levels.
It now seems to make full attacks, rather than the original, which attacked a creature when the caster attacked the creature.
It can be used to deliver (certain) touch spells. The restriction on multiple ability touch spells is there, but it tends to lead to more confusion, requiring GM adjudication in a lot of cases. Chill touch damage and Strength effect counts as more than a single effect, so presumably ghoul touch paralyzing is one, and the stench it causes is another, so that's out. Then a GM has to determine if touch of idiocy's penalty to Int, Wis, and Cha are one effect, or three effects (not debating it here, just saying it's reasonable that someone will need this clarified). It adds a lot of work for an ability that requires a full-round action from the caster (meaning they do nothing) and takes the knife's attack (the original spell wouldn't do anything since there was no attack), to then make one. Making this basically either a poor spectral hand or usurping that spell's role in some ways.
It has a blur effect making it harder to hit and it's already hard to damage.
I guess you added in some energy vulnerability, but there's no hit points or anything I can determine (as opposed to a dispel or disintegrate just destroying it). And I don't see the need for adding shield to the list of things that affect it. What does that mean? It stops it automatically like magic missile or that shield grants its +4 shield bonus to AC against it (which I think it already does). Does this imply that normal shield bonuses don't apply?
I don't see the need for choosing Piercing or Slashing, I get that there may be certain instances, but as a force effect and spell, I would assume the rubric is having it deal damage as a spell, like spiritual weapon (or twilight knife.
What I do like is that is specifies the dagger does not provide flanking (though it benefits), which the original spell left kind of ambiguous.
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Not trying to poo-poo everything, just looking at it from a designer or editor frame of mind. You wanted the spell to be better, and it is at lower spell level. If we knew exactly what you felt the OG spell was deficient in (other than making it a 'dusky, twilight force'), maybe I could rejigger it around, but if I was balancing this version (and editing the wording, like the damage calculation to make it simple and easy to read :p), I would have some tweaks. And if I'm way off and mistaken, that might be because of the wording and phrasing as written.
| Azothath |
details!
Melee: +CL+BAB (1d4+CL c 19+ *2). The real factor here is CL. At 11th level it's about +16 (1d4+5 c19+ *2)[force] << 5d4+5[force] at range, so clearly limited utility and damage.
The twilight knife is confined to full attack actions to limit it to doing just that, attacking. Does not help with flanking. Just a low damage attack spell that's probably better than the caster but okay to harass wraiths and such.
The attack is the redirect(compare to Spiritual Weapon). So in that way it is better. You also have to think of the Magus with an additional dagger attack without his usual perks.
It does gain a 20% miss chance to AC 12 if attacked, no biggie. As a spell effect it moves about. Review break:T1 spell.
Full round to transfer touch attack, so worse than a familiar and an action economy black hole.
It does pose a threat and that may delay foes a bit so it's main purpose is PR. Its only a threat with a touch spell every other round and the caster is busy enspelling it every other round... that's a serious action economy deficit.
How the original spell is a 3rd level spell is beyond me. Most spells are decent but the original is a klunker.
Spiritual Weapon:K2 is still better than Twilight Knife:K2 above damage wise and they operate differently... that's important.
| Pizza Lord |
...
Its only a threat with a touch spell every other round and the caster is busy enspelling it every other round... that's a serious action economy deficit. ... Full round to transfer touch attack, so worse than a familiar and an action economy black hole.
...
If that's the intent, the wording doesn't match that. Your version seems to make the knife attack on its own (like a spiritual weapon, but I don't think this needs redirecting, always attacking some target and flanking when possible, but that could be an oversight too) rather than getting an attack when the caster attacks. If that was the case you would be correct. However, a reasonable reader can assume the caster uses their full-round action to transfer a touch spell and then the twilight knife takes its attacks (presumably they could have it attack before their action), making the touch attack instead of its normal attack. Which would mean there is no every other round.
If you intended 'full round melee' attack to just mean it only gets one attack regardless of its BAB, then the wording should just be 'it makes one melee attack', but I have to admit the wording is loose. (and could just be my misreading it, and that probably means the wording needs a bit of tightening up.)
| Azothath |
above 'CstrLvl as BAB' ... so my goof for not doing the iterative at 11th, +16, +11, +6 (1d4+5...) {sheesh}
as the caster enspells the knife he's not attacking, thus the knife does not attack that round (AoO may change that). At the start of the next round the caster attacks a target and the knife attacks that target and attempts to deliver the touch spell (touch or melee attack, I don't think I'm clear on that point but that line says held touch. I think both work until it discharges then we're back to melee attacks.). It is important that the caster has to make an attack attempt (which would end invisibility but interact with illusion of calm differently).
hopefully I dropped that rod of rambling...