Season of Ghosts: No Breath to Cry - Rank of Spirit Powers (Minor Spoilers)

[jakefinderofpaths]

Hi hello,

I am currently running No Breath to Cry. There is a section of the adventure where the players adopt spirit powers. These spirit powers function very similarly to other spells and feats. They do not, however, have ranks. This is relevant because there are spirit powers (notably: duty, which is effectively "suggestion") with the incapacitation trait.

"If a spell has the incapacitation trait, any creature of more than twice the spell’s rank treats the result of their check to prevent being incapacitated by the spell as one degree of success better, or the result of any check the spellcaster made to incapacitate them as one degree of success worse. If any other effect has the incapacitation trait, a creature of higher level than the item, creature, or hazard generating the effect gains the same benefits."

The body of text for spirit powers is below. I'm not sure if it clears this up as it doesn't specifically say the rank (unless the counteract level is the clue?) so I am unsure of which conclusion to draw, as to whether the Spirit Powers should have a rank closest to the spells they're emulating (say, 4, and most combatant NPCs will have an innate defence against the incapacitation trait) or the creature's level, and all combatants save the BBEG of the book will be rolling flat against the spirit powers with the incapacitation trait.

I've run a session and didn't clock this distinction so one character's go to move was trying to use Duty on every combatant at least once to have them leave the fight. Next session, I will likely rule the minor spirit power (duty) as being equivalent to Suggestion and thus not so powerful. I feel as that is what was intended.

"When a spirit power calls for a saving throw, use the higher of that PC’s class DC or spell DC. Any spirit powers calling for attack rolls use this DC – 10. Use the PC’s own level for determining the effects of
any counteract checks."

Interested in anyones interpretation. I am very new to Pathfinder so I am perhaps missing some glaring answer, or maybe this was intended to be powerful -- it's just that its a "minor" spirit power and stealing the thunder a little.

Thanks.

[Sibelius Eos Owm]

Only spells have ranks, and it doesn't sound to me like these abilities are actually spells. You would naturally then use the character level to determine incapacitation, as it says in the trait description. The line about counteract checks is technically unrelated, but since counteract levels tend to be the same number (level or spell rank) as incapacitation, it seems to support this reading.