| Eoran |
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I am not certain how necessary it is to be able to target Will saves specifically. Though having the option available is more useful than not having it.
The best options that I can think of would be spellcasting archetypes. Preferably ones that have focus spells that target Will saves. A second option would be one that has a spellcasting tradition with plenty of spells that target Will saves.
Psychic archetype would likely be a good choice.
| Theaitetos |
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Primarily there is your class itself, which might offer subclasses or other options that cover a certain weakness. For example, one of the best Sorcerer bloodlines (imho) is the Fey bloodline: it has the primal spell-list (so no Will save spells), but the bloodline grants no less than 7 Will save spells, and a Will save focus spell right at level 1!
If that is not an option, you can spend class feats (or free archetype feats) on archetypes that grant occult casting, as these are a good way of obtaining spells targeting Will, e.g. Psychic, Bard, Sorcerer, Witch, or the Captivator.
There are also options available to certain ancestries, either getting abilities like Goblin Song or feats with innate spells like an Elf's Otherworldly Acumen or a Conrasu's Ceremony of Aeon's Guidance. This requires ancestry feats.
There are also some skill options that target Will saves, like Demoralize or Bon Mot. This requires fairly cheap skill feats, but these abilities aren't spells.
Finally, there's also the option of spending gold ("Pay to Win!"):
One way, though usually inefficient during a combat encounter, is to use the Trick Magic Item feat with a scroll or staff that contain spells you desire from other spell-lists. It's inefficient due to the increased action required to make use of it.
Another option is using a Spellheart. Unlike scrolls & staves, the spells cast from spellhearts aren't restricted to users with the spell on their class' spell-list (or users of Trick Magic Item). The basic spellhearts only grant cantrips (e.g. a Polished Demon Horn grants Daze). If you can spare the gold, consider investing in greater/major Spellhearts to have one or more spells per day available, that target saves you can't easily access from your own class' spell-list:
- Reflex
- Flaming Star
- Perfect Droplet
- Rime Crystal
- Jolt Coil
- Pickled Demon Tongue
- Trinity Geode
- Thorn Triad
- Brightbloom Posy
- Fortitude
- Grim Sandglass
- Spiny Lodestone
- Resonating Fork
- Sanguine Fang
- Judgement Thurible
- Ghostcaller's Planchette
- Will
- Polished Demon Horn
- Phantasmal Doorknob
- Enigma Mirror
- Brightbloom Posy
- Desolation Locket
- Lightweave Scarf
- Ghostcaller's Planchette
- AC
- Warding Statuette
| The Ronyon |
Thank you for the replies.
I see plenty of options here, but now I have new questions.
So,a druid is fine with mostly Reflex/Fortitude save spells?
Are Demorilize and Bon-Mott on a Wisdom centric caster likely to work?
How much Charism investment is needed to be effective?
Bon-mott has no direct combat effect anyways, unlike Demoralize, but I like it as a way to soften up Will saves.
There are so many great spellhearts,I find myself looking at Daze and finding it underwhelmingby comparison.
I guess that leads me back to the first question?
If it's fine to do without Will save spells, I may as well invest in something I'd enjoy more.
| Theaitetos |
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So,a druid is fine with mostly Reflex/Fortitude save spells?
Depends on your party, campaign, and your play-style. For example, when playing together with a Psychic, who can cover the Will save spells, you're fine. Or in an undead-campaign you're fine as well, as mindless undead are immune to mental effects (which most Will save spells are), but your Heal does tons of damage to them (and Vitality Lash is strong too).
Are Demorilize and Bon-Mott on a Wisdom centric caster likely to work?
How much Charism investment is needed to be effective?
Bon-mott has no direct combat effect anyways, unlike Demoralize, but I like it as a way to soften up Will saves.
Well, ofc it works better on CHA-based primal casters, but Bon Mot is spammable/repeatable, lasts for 1 minute (basically entire encounter), and it makes subsequent Demoralize attempts easier.
And if you're strong, you can take Intimidating Prowess to get better at Demoralize.
But how effective it ends up depends on what your party does with it. If nobody uses Will save abilities on the enemy, then even critting a Bon Mot is pretty useless. And if all you want to do is Demoralize, but you already have a Bard with Dirge of Doom, then it's equally worthless. So I'd say it's very party-dependent before you decide how many resources you want to pour into improving it.
If it's fine to do without Will save spells, I may as well invest in something I'd enjoy more.
Yes, absolutely! Pathfinder 2e is first and foremost a party-based game. You don't need to cover everything yourself, but learn how best to work together with your party. Reflex & Fortitude already cover 2/3 of targetable saves and should carry you most of the time; and there's always Fear for the rare times that they don't. And it's not as if there are absolutely no primal spells that target Will save.