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I have updated my Spell Guide for the remaster.
I continue to update my other guides. I have been fairly heavily medicated this week so doubtless there will be some mistakes.
Comments and suggestions welcome.
Thanks a lot, will give it a read when I find some time. If I find anything I'll post it here.
It's not related to the player core stuff, but mariner's curse has a itsy bitsy niche. See, unlike every other status penalty in the system, this one isn't blocked by mental or disease immunity. Is it common that these show up? No. But, if you're looking to debuff something like treerazer, mariner's curse is really all you've got. Not that I disagree with the rating in general though.
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Some stuff I picked up while reading the arcane section:
- In the cases in which a spell was renamed in PC1 with no mechanical changes, you use one of the names for the entry and the other you add in the description. Sometimes you use the remastered name for the entry and others you use the old name. Thought you might want to make that consistent later on (if you want examples check Magic Missile and Sure Strike).
- The Wand of Manifold Missiles was renamed to Wand of Shardstorm, you might want to include that under the magic missile entry.
- Acid Grip is a reflex save instead of an attack roll, you might want to have a different entry for it.
- Comprehend Language was renamed to Translate in PC1.
- Obscuring Mist was renamed to just Mist in PC1.
- Dimension Door was renamed to Translocate in PC1.
- Phantasmal Killer was renamed to Visions of Death in PC1, but it comes with a few rule changes.
- Cone of Cold has two "C" at the start.
- Prying Eye was renamed to Scouting Eye in PC1.
- You might want to add that See the Unseen is an straight upgrade to See Invisibility with a few extra abilities and a bonus vs illusions.
- Tonges was renamed to Truespeech in PC1.
- True Seeing was renamed to Truesight in PC1.
- Control Sand has two "F" in the "IF".
- Plane Shift was renamed to Interplanar Teleport in PC1.
- Maze was renamed to Quandary in PC1 with very minor changes.
- Mind Blank was renamed to Hidden Mind in PC1.
- Weird was renamed to Phantasmagoria in PC1, but the spell changes quite a bit.
- Wish (and all the others) was renamed to Manifestation in PC1 and it was somewhat nerfed, might want to add two entries.
Also some stuff I personally disagree or that I would add:
- I think your rating of Schadenfreude is a bit to harsh just because it is a level 1 reaction and that's imo the best way to use level 1 slots past a certain level. It has strong competition in Lose the Path for Occult, but Arcane and Divine don't get access to it, so I find it a decent option at mid to high levels.
- I would mention the value of making Shadow Siphon your level 5 signature spell since despite having 2 extra levels to counteract, it is still a counteract.
- I think Arctic Rift deserves a higher rating. Crit failure somewhat removes a creature from combat for a round or two and it eats an action per target on failure. Damage is considerably lower than rank 8 Chain Lightning but it comes with a lot of crowd control.
- Falling Sky is a great scroll spell (or spellbook spell for Arcane Sorcerers). The important part of the spell has no save and the save effects are very generous to account for the incapacitation trait.
If I find some more time I will go over the others.
Thanks. I'll go back and have a look at all of these. I'll try to be more consistent.
It is my intention to make an entry under both names if the spell was renamed.
Some stuff I picked up while reading the arcane section:
Thanks I am most of the way through these now
- Control Sand has two "F" in the "IF".
IFF has meaning to me. Sorry if that is obscure to you but it was deliberate.
Also some stuff I personally disagree or that I would add:- I think your rating of Schadenfreude is a bit to harsh just because it is a level 1 reaction and that's imo the best way to use level 1 slots past a certain level. It has strong competition in Lose the Path for Occult, but Arcane and Divine don't get access to it,...
I'm going to disagree. I'd rather find something else to do with my reaction that wasn't spell related. Early on you don't have enough spells slots. Later on you at least have Blood Vendetta as competition.
The effect is not strong and useless against a lot of enemies. It only triggers on a critical failure. I don't even want to waste the space to learn it. I can't bring myself to raise it above 1 star. We will have to continue to disagree about that one. But I will note your objection.I agree with you on Falling Sky and Arctic Rift.
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Maybe just state "if and only if." Not sure how many people have the background for that abbreviation.
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I think even single target slow should be purple myself. Works for 1 round even on a save. No incap save. A critical failure is perhaps the most brutal encounter destroying spell in the game. Almost nothing is immune. Not oozes, not dragons, not undead, almost nothing. Only magic immunity or immune to slow works.
Combines well with other abilities like trip or grapple. Makes spellcasting especially hard if you have to move or do anything else. Eliminates 3 action abilities which can be very powerful and includes summoning spells and walls.
I've never seen a spell short circuit more encounters than slow, even the single target version.
IFF has meaning to me. Sorry if that is obscure to you but it was deliberate.
I'm curious, where does that come from and what does it mean? Never seen it before.
I'm going to disagree. I'd rather find something else to do with my reaction that wasn't spell related. Early on you don't have enough spells slots. Later on you at least have Blood Vendetta as competition.
The effect is not strong and useless against a lot of enemies. It only triggers on a critical failure. I don't even want to waste the space to learn it. I can't bring myself to raise it above 1 star. We will have to continue to disagree about that one.
Thing is, past level 10, what are you using your rank 1 slots for anyway? I can barely find an excuse to spend the actions they take to cast in combat. It is really niche, in that we agree, but for boss encounters it is a good reaction when it triggers (one I would probably prioritize over other reactions when facing a boss). I'm completely fine with agreeing to disagree, though. It is your guide afterall.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/If_and_only_if
Sure Strike, Illusionary Object, Lose the path, Summon Animal, Lock, Pet Cache, Grease, Gentle Landing, shove then into a staff.
First level heals or soothes can be nice for topping people off too. 1d8+8 not a great combat heal, but not bad to top someone up. A 1st level AoE heal also not bad.
Sure Strike definitely the top use of level 1 spell. Maybe fleet step as well for boosting movement. Bless good now too with 15 foot range.
I wouldn't even take schadenfreude myself.
Oh, don't get me wrong, I don't think it is an amazing spell, just that it is alright and that a 1/5 is too harsh.
Among those I would only bother with Sure Strike and Lose the Path, though. Only Occult has both too.
Also, in my defense, I tend to forget Sure Strike is an actual spell and not a perk of having a staff of divination, which I usually end up buying with all my casters.
Illusory Object I love, but generally I'd rather learn it at rank 2, I'm not willing to spend a signature on that.
The rest I either don't think too highly of them for mid to high level play or I would just get some scrolls with the spells on them.
Also, thanks for the link, didn't know English had an abbreviation for that.
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Gortle,
I love your spell guide and have used it extensively as my baseline.
I have noticed a few things missing or still-to-be-added.
Missing entries under Arcane:
Summon Instrument C A/O/D
Mindlink 1 A/O
Shape Wood 2 A/P
Insect Form 3 A/P
Wall of Thorns 3 A/P
Umbral Journey {Shadow Walk} 5 A/O
Tangling Creepers 6 A/P
Retrocognition 7 A/O
Hidden Mind {Mind Blank} 8 A/O
Remastered but not yet present:
Cantrips
Tremor Signs
Void Warp
1st Rank
Phantasmal Minion {Unseen Servant}
Summon Undead {Animate Dead}
2nd Rank
Embed Message {Magic Mouth}
Environmental Endurance {Endure Elements}
Everlight {Continual Flame}
False Vitality {False Life}
Gecko Grip {Spider Climb}
Laughing Fit {Hideous Laughter}
Noise Blast {Sound Burst}
Translate {Comprehend Language}
3rd Rank
Hypnotize {Hypnotic Pattern}
Vampiric Feast {Vampiric Touch}
Veil of Privacy {Nondetection}
4th Rank
Dispelling Globe {Globe of Invulnerability}
Flicker {Blink}
Limnal Doorway {Rope Trick}
Planar Tether {Dimensional Anchor}
Unfettered Movement {Freedom of Movement}
Vision of Death {Phantasmal Killer}
5th Rank
Magic Passage {Passwall}
Subtle Suggestion {Subconscious Suggestion}
Toxic Cloud {Cloudkill}
Wave of Despair {Crushing Despair}
6th Rank
Cursed Metamorphosis {Baleful Polymorph}
Never Mind {Feeble Mind}
7th Rank
Planar Palace {Magnificent Mansion}
8th Rank
Dessicate {Horrid Wilting}
Pinpoint {Discern Location}
9th Rank
Falling Stars {Meteor Swarm}
Metamorphosis {Shapechange}
10th Rank
Freeze Time {Time Stop}
Other (probably mostly from Adventure Paths):
Cantrips
Musical Accompaniment
1st Rank
Aqueous Blast
Elysian Whimsy
Fashionista
Flashy Disappearance
Flense
Forge
Helpful Steps
Overselling Flourish
Scorching Blast
Synchronize Steps
2nd Rank
Blood Duplicate
Confetti Cloud
Dancing Shield
Empathic Link
Empty Pack
Horrifying Blood Loss
Illusory Shroud
Instant Parade
Lock Item
Radiant Field
Shadow Zombie
Swallow Light
Umbral Mindtheft
Vicious Jealousy
3rd Rank
Caster's Imposition
Dividing Trench
Excise Lexicon
Firework Blast
Glass Sand
Lashing Rope
Nothing Up My Sleeve
Percussive Impact
Sparkleskin
Transcribe Conflict
Wall of Virtue
4th Rank
Detect Creator
Enhance Senses
Steal Voice
Vision of Beauty
5th Rank
Belittling Boast
Blind Eye
Blinding Foam
Desperate Repair
Infectious Comedy
Lashunta's Life Bubble
Ritual Obstruction
Scouring Pulse
6th Rank
Bound in Death
Ravenous Darkness
Suffocate
Word of Revision
Thanks I'll review your list today.
A few more things among the Cantrips:
Missing entries under Arcane
Musical Accompaniment C A/O
Missing entries under Divine
Detect Metal C A/O/D/P
Inside Ropes C D/O/P
Vitality Lash C D/P
Missing entries under Occult
Detect Metal C A/O/D/P
Inside Ropes C D/O/P
Void Warp C A/D/O (its under Primal but shouldn't be)
Missing entries under Primal
Elemental Counter C A/P (its under Divine but shouldn't be)
Gouging Claw C A/P
Inside Ropes C D/O/P
Vitality Lash C D/P
Still working on them
Subtle Suggestion is not a spell I can find.
Sorry, I think I made a mistake with that one.
(For some reason wrote down Subtle for Subconscious).
I do like Musical Accompaniment. I don't remember that one for some reason. Not sure when it came in. It's great for bards and roleplay as an entertainer. It's like a spell that acts as a radio or backing band with you at all times.
Done now. Thankyou for your help. There was a lot of very highly specific spells in the adventure paths that only a Wizard could love. But here are 2 strong spells I hadn't taken note of before.
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Almost done :-)
This is everything I found after going through the entire doc.
Not Present, or partially present, in document:
1st Rank
Buffeting Winds 1 P
Celestial Accord 1 D/O
Concordant Choir 1 D/O (already in O)
Forced Mercy 1 D/O
Inkshot 1 O/P
Purifying Icicle 1 D/P
Putrefy Food & Drink 1 D/P
Vanishing Tracks 1 P
2nd Rank
Advanced Scurvy 2 D/P
Blazing Blade 2 D/P
Bralani Referendum 2 D/P
Calm {Calm Emotions} 2 D/O
Erase Trail 2 P
Impart Empathy 2 O/P (already in P)
Share Life {Shield Other} 2 D
Spy's Mark 2 A/O
Stupefy 2 A/O (already in A)
Sure Footing 2 D/O/P (already in D/P)
Teeth to Terror 2 O
3rd Rank
Consecrate Flesh 3 D
Cyclone Rondo 3 O/P
Holy Light {Searing Light} 3 D/P
Infectious Ennui 3 D/O
Life Pact 3 D/O/P
Martyr's Intervention 3 D/O/P
Moonlight Ray 3 D/P
Ring of Truth 3 D/O (already in D)
Painted Scout 3 O/P (in A/O)
Scrying Ripples 3 A/D/O/P (already in A/P)
Sign of Conviction 3 D
Speak with Plants 3 D/O/P (now rank 3)
Veil of Privacy 3 A/O/P (already in A/O)
4th Rank
Bursting Bloom 4 O/P (already in P)
Dawnflower's Light 4 D/O
Dirge of Remembrance 4 D/O
Fly 4 A/D/O/P (already in A/O/P)
Honeyed Words 4 O
Movanic Glimmer 4 D/P
Phantasmal Protagonist 4 D/O
Phoenix Ward 4 D/P
Radiant Beam 4 D/P
Radiant Heart of Devotion 4 D/P
Rewrite Memory {Modify Memory} 4 O
Ymeri's Mark 4 A/D/P (already in A/P)
5th Rank
Portrait of the Artist 5 O
Rallying Banner 5 D/O
Soulshelter Vessel 5 D/O/P
Speak with Stones {Stone Tell} 5 D/O/P
Spiritual Torrent 5 D/O
Summon Dragon 5 A/D/O/P (already in A)
Summon Monitor {Summon Anarch/Axiom} 5 D
6th Rank
Dragon Form 6 A/D/O/P (already in A/P)
Hag's Fruit 6 O/P
Mantle of Heaven's Slopes 6 D
Rose's Thorns 6 P
7th Rank
Curse of the Spirit Orchestra 7 O
8th Rank
Migration {Wind Walk} 8 P
9th Rank
Bilocation 9 A/O (already in A)
Falling Stars {Meteor Swarm} 9 A/P (already in P)
Seize Soul {Bind Soul} 9 D/O
Undertaker 9 D/O
Wails of the Damned {Wail of the Banshee} 9 D/O
Other:
Scrying Eye is actually Scouting Eye
Oaken Resistance is Oaken Resilience
Spell Comments:
1) I believe Heightened Fear should be rated Purple. It is highly effective in most combats and has practically won encounters by making multiple enemies flee or be debuffed for subsequent party attacks; combine with Dread Runes for an often sustained debuff.
2) I also believe that Howling Blizzard should be Blue. It has the damage of a similarly heightened Fireball but has versatility in the area it affects and slows the enemies down. Certainly better than Pre-Master Cone of Cold.
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Stifling Stillness steals an action and does no save fatigue to those in the area who aren’t ALREADY holding their breath - it doesn’t make them choose to hold their breathe to avoid that and the poison damage.
They probably didn’t intend that, but it’s what the spell does. It’s 4 stars without errata.
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Howling Blizzard is a nice upgrade. That range for 3 actions is great. I hope they build more spells that improved with more actions. I like that mechanic. 500 feet is very worth it for a huge burst for one extra action cost.
Almost done :-)
Got them done.
That was a lot of spells in a short period of time. :)
As far as I can tell, these are the only outstanding:
1 Purifying Icicle D/P (already in P)
1 Putrefy Food & Drink D/P (already in P)
2 Advanced Scurvy D/P (already in D)
2 Blazing Blade D/P
2 Bralani Referendum D/P
2 Erase Trail P
3 Painted Scout O/P (in D/O)
5 Rallying Banner D/O (already in O)
9 Wails of the Damned D/O (already in D)
Gortle works fast.
Thanks.
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Again, this is a much-appreciated document.
The Sorcerer is my favourite class and I appreciate all of the work you have put into your guides.
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Thank you very much for updating it! this guide always helps my players to choose spells, great job.
Re: Energy Aegis-It only lasts until the next time you make your daily preparations. So casting it the night before won't save you a spell slot. I don't know if that will affect its rating or not.
Removed.
I was specifically looking for some kind of spell guide so I could pick stuff rapidly for playtest/pregen characters, so big thanks for this.
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It does seem to get a lot of use. Even on this Monday morning (for me) I can see 5 annoymous animals in it. A few minutes later there is another group of annoymous animals.
Just added in spells from Wake the Dead #4 Only 4 spells but all very strong Necromancy themed spells
Bonewall Bulwark (perhaps too strong), Carrion Mire, Deathless March, Osseous Cage
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Now updated with Player Core 2.
Nethys still hasn't updated so some of the links are to demiplane.
Biggest call out would be to Spell Riposte aka Spell Turning.
It now appears on the Divine and Occult lists not just Arcane.
Paizo are really generalizing their spell lists.
It looks like you missed that Know Direction wasn't just renamed, it received a buff. Know the Way adds to the original description "...and you can choose a location you were at within the last 24 hours and learn what direction it lies," scaling to within the last week at 3rd and anytime ever at 7th.
So instead of just having a compass in your head, having this known/prepared means you never lose your way, even if you get knocked out and kidnapped or suffer a teleportation mishap. I'd rank it a solid blue, especially at high rank, but green is probably more objective and fair.
It looks like you missed that Know Direction wasn't just renamed, it received a buff. Know the Way adds to the original description "...and you can choose a location you were at within the last 24 hours and learn what direction it lies," scaling to within the last week at 3rd and anytime ever at 7th.
So instead of just having a compass in your head, having this known/prepared means you never lose your way, even if you get knocked out and kidnapped or suffer a teleportation mishap. I'd rank it a solid blue, especially at high rank, but green is probably more objective and fair.
This is exactly the type of feeback I'd like to encourage. But no I didn't miss the change. What you are talking about is campaign value. I am merely ranking for generally adventuring and combat. It could be a useful spell in the right game, but I'd never be casting it except in a puzzle situation.
It is a fun thing you might take for role playing value, maybe at high level when I don't need many cantrips as combat options, and I have a couple of extra. I find something like BullHorn much more useful.
I'll change my wording slightly so I clearly acknowledge the spell has improved but to me it is only 1 star.
This is exactly the type of feeback I'd like to encourage. But no I didn't miss the change. What you are talking about is campaign value. I am merely ranking for generally adventuring and combat. It could be a useful spell in the right game, but I'd never be casting it except in a puzzle situation.
It is a fun thing you might take for role playing value, maybe at high level when I don't need many cantrips as combat options, and I have a couple of extra. I find something like BullHorn much more useful.
I'll change my wording slightly so I clearly acknowledge the spell has improved but to me it is only 1 star.
That's completely fair, and I appreciate the reply. I do see where you're coming from, especially since this is a sorcerer guide. A spontaneous caster probably shouldn't bother with the compass-in-your-head spell even after it gets buffed into the GPS-in-your-head spell. This is definitely going on the list of spells my wizard desperately wishes were on the arcane list, but that's a pretty different situation.
I would point out that Know Location serves basically the same purpose but uses a 1st rank slot, and you ranked that at two stars. Even if you decide to leave the rankings where they stand, that one could maybe use a small wording tweak too? It mentions Know the Way, but the differences between the spells shrunk somewhat with this buff.
Good guide. Cheers.
Situational useful spells are for prepared casters. I've got some comments explaining it at the top of the guide.
RE Know Location maybe I haven't been even handed. But Know Location does everything Know the Way does but in addition it can take you to a place you have never been and only have a loose description of. That seems more useful to me.
Found another thing.
Scorching Blast ★★★★ KM single action attack spell, burns on a critical. Nice way to spend a third action.
Scorching Blast is indeed only one action to cast, but it requires you to spend another action to attack with it, which you could possibly do twice (accruing multiple attack penalty as normal) before the spell ends at the end of your turn.
Found another thing.
Scorching Blast ★★★★ KM single action attack spell, burns on a critical. Nice way to spend a third action.Scorching Blast is indeed only one action to cast, but it requires you to spend another action to attack with it, which you could possibly do twice (accruing multiple attack penalty as normal) before the spell ends at the end of your turn.
I came here for exactly the same thing.... Reading it that way makes the spell a lot less useful, quite sure I'd not rate it blue.
Agreed. What I said was misleading. Changed.
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Just wanted to say a big thank you for creating this resource and keeping it updated! With the huge amount of spells to choose from in PF2E, a guide like this is extremely useful for me and my players.