I'm in the middle of writing my first guide and I've gotten to Reanimate focus spell when I realize that...this spell is way to bad to be real. Besides the fact that it strips a creature of anything you could want to use from it, sets it on a decaying slint of health, and requires 3 actions, a check, and a thrall to use. It gives the creature you reanimate with it the minion trait. Meaning that it only gains 2 actions and will only take them when commanded. Given that the spell is three actions you will not have the actions to command it the turn you cast it meaning you need to spend an entire round sitting around doing nothing!
I truly believe that the reanimated creature should have at least been given the initial 2 actions that summoned creatures get but even then it wouldn't be a good focus spell. Here is the spell for reference did I miss anything?
No, you're right. I think the inability to immediately command it is an oversight - they likely didn't realize those rules are in the summoned trait, not the minion trait.
I think it's entirely possible for you to focus fire down a bruiser with a strong strike and want to take advantage of its attack (or maybe crazy athletics?) and damage even if doesn't have any special abilities anymore.
It's also pretty dumb that it has a duration of 1 minute or when it goes to 0 HP. It can never last more than seven rounds due to the HP loss rule and its max HP.
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It's also pretty dumb that it has a duration of 1 minute or when it goes to 0 HP. It can never last more than seven rounds due to the HP loss rule and its max HP.
I think that is incorrect.
The HP loss happens, "Each turn after it takes its actions..." (Emphasis added.)
It can only be commanded, at most, for seven turns. Don't issue any commands -- don't make it exert or strain itself -- and it should stand around for the full minute (or until someone kills it).
Thanks, I hadn't considered that.
I get wanting to future proof against hijacking abilities but I dislike how hyperspecific it ends up being. Since you need an enemy to be a heavy bruiser that relies on raw strike damage without critical gimmicks in order to have value.
I get why it's the way it is but I feel like it's going to be easy to end up in a lot of fights where there aren't great targets because you're fighting enemies whose power budgets lean heavily into gimmicks. Especially with how high level it is. Obviously there are a lot of good bruisers at high level too but idk feels like it could end up being annoying for all the wrong reasons.
Also I've seen some arguing over how it works with weapon based effects. Someone argued "don't apply added effects" is meant to be a hard rule while another person thought "the only magic items" and "since the creature doesn't have special abilities" should mean that added effects from weapons still work. I feel like it's pretty obvious but monster stat blocks intentionally don't really respect the gear/character split anyways.
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It looks like Duplicate Foe as a focus spell, to me. It's got some pros over that:
- using Undead Lore instead of a Fort Save (you're very good at Undead Lore at this point).
- no level cap on the targeted creature.
- being a focus spell instead of a slotted spell.
- The reanimated creature gets all weapon/armor runes whereas Duplicate Foe only gets weapon potency runes.
- Duplicate Foe says you can command the duplicate but it's up to the GM if they actually obey you, which isn't a problem with Reanimate.
- Duplicate Foe's duration is Sustained 1 minute, Reanimate is just 1 minute (so you can choose to not spend the action to command it if necessary).
Cons:
- It requires a valid target you've already taken out to use at all, so may not be usable in a bunch of the fight (or at all).
In that sense, it's definitely not "too bad to be true", since it's similar to a spell that has existed the entire life of the system. I'm kind of thinking it's bad, though, much like Duplicate Foe isn't very good. It's 3 actions to maybe get something up that doesn't do anything until the next round, which at level 17 doesn't seem like the best way to use 3 actions.
Thanks, I hadn't considered that.
Indeed. Thanks, I hate it.
Now with that new bit of clarity, I can spend an entire round and a focus point to get something that, if it does literally nothing, then it can last for a longer amount of time.
You'll rethink this after you take out the level 22-24 titan and turn its corpse on the underlings for a few big bonks.
Me *to the rest of the party that just took down a level 23 titan*: OK, hold off on mopping up the rest of those mooks for a round or seven. I've got this.
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- The reanimated creature gets all weapon/armor runes whereas Duplicate Foe only gets weapon potency runes.
A bit off topic but man what does that even mean for Duplicate Foe? How do you even adjudicate 'only potency runes' when monster statistics are so divorced from their gear??
A bit off topic but man what does that even mean for Duplicate Foe? How do you even adjudicate 'only potency runes' when monster statistics are so divorced from their gear??
- The reanimated creature gets all weapon/armor runes whereas Duplicate Foe only gets weapon potency runes.
If they have gear that is a greater striking flaming sword, you'd have to adjust the stats to remove that stuff I guess. For most creatures that clause won't do anything, but if its relevant it generally is something that can be adjusted on the fly.
It makes more sense in the other direction: when an NPC casts Duplicate Foe on a PC. Though the fact that striking runes aren't included makes it into an absolute garbage spell for NPCs. It's a real shame, because the intimidation factor is super high when suddenly there's a second copy of the Fighter on the other team, but they're a lot less threatening with no striking runes.
In that sense, it's definitely not "too bad to be true", since it's similar to a spell that has existed the entire life of the system. I'm kind of thinking it's bad, though, much like Duplicate Foe isn't very good. It's 3 actions to maybe get something up that doesn't do anything until the next round, which at level 17 doesn't seem like the best way to use 3 actions.
THANK you, I knew there had to be something in the system it mapped to even if I still consider it to be a horrible investment of actions.