Author Topic: [3.5 Book] ToB-Style Casters - The Spellshapers (Criticism Wanted)  (Read 22501 times)

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DonQuixote

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Re: [3.5 Book] ToB-Style Casters - The Spellshapers (Criticism Wanted)
« Reply #60 on: May 02, 2011, 06:40:15 PM »
Yeah, if there's one thing that I learned from the elemental adept, it's the the most important thing is getting a draft and then stepping back to look at it.  Normally, I wouldn't make you guys deal with roughs, but I don't know gishes as well, so I wanted any insight I could get.

You're right, the exact duplication of warblade abilities feels a bit uncouth.  However, I'm not just going to flat-out remove them--I want something in place to encourage you to engage foes in melee combat.  Instead, it's replacement time!  I'll pour over different gish classes to get a feel for what's valuable, then put something new together.

In terms of ranged, I'm trying to figure out a way to deal with that.  The problem is that the system technically requires you to have access to a spellshape attack in order to learn a formula that modifies that attack.  While I could change that, I'd prefer not to--I'm sure there's some slightly more elegant solution.  Maybe something where you incur an armor check penalty on attack rolls with your spellshape attacks, even if you have proficiency and the appropriate level of armored shaper?

I am going to slow down the armored shaper progression, but I'm not sure about limiting circle access.  Thing is, with the way that prerequisites work, you'll only be able to get two ninth-level formulae, assuming that you're focusing in two circles.  Even if you take Formula Study three times--eating up three of your feats--you can't get more than that.  I kind of like the choice between specializing and getting some powerful attacks versus generalizing and picking up a wider variety of weaker options.  If that's too easily broken, of course, it can easily be restricted to three circles of your choice.

Finally, I need to figure out what to do with spell resistance.  As written, shaping with a melee attack lets you avoid spell resistance completely.  That might be a bit over the top, though it might also be enough to convince you to choose sword over spellshape attack.  However, it completely neutralizes the point of the Spellshaping Prowess ability.  Thoughts/suggestions?

Amechra

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Re: [3.5 Book] ToB-Style Casters - The Spellshapers (Criticism Wanted)
« Reply #61 on: May 02, 2011, 09:58:25 PM »
Have them gain a melee version of the spellshape attacks?
[spoiler]Fighter: "I can kill a guy in one turn."
Cleric: "I can kill a guy in half a turn."
Wizard: "I can kill a guy before my turn."
Bard: "I can get three idiots to kill guys for me."

On a strange note, would anyone be put out if we had a post about people or events we can spare a thought for, or if its within their creed, a prayer for? Just a random thought, but ... hells I wouldn't have known about either Archangels daughter or Saeomons niece if I didn't happen to be on these threads.
Sounds fine to me.
probably over on "Off-topic".
might want to put a little disclaimer in the first post.

This is the Min/Max board. We should be able to figure out a way to optimize the POWER OF PRAYER(TM) that doesn't involve "Pazuzu, Pazuzu, Pazuzu".
[/spoiler]

My final project for my film independent study course. It could do with a watching and critiquing

DonQuixote

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Re: [3.5 Book] ToB-Style Casters - The Spellshapers (Criticism Wanted)
« Reply #62 on: May 02, 2011, 11:47:46 PM »
Yeah, I think we're going to go with that.  Which means that the spellshape attack feature will change to:


   Spellshape Channeling (Sp): As a spellshape champion, you have the ability to shape magical energy into attacks: lashing zephyr, sunfire, rockslam, caustic spray, withering hand, moonflare, thornspike, frostray, surging jet, fireblast, galvanic arc, and kinetic blast.  However, unlike other spellshapers, you cannot simply blast foes from afar.  Instead, you channel this energy into your weapon and shape your formulae from the front lines.
   During your turn, you can channel one of your spellshape attacks into a melee weapon that you hold as a free action that does not provoke attacks of opportunity.  Until the end of your turn, your melee attacks deal their damage as the damage type of the spellshape attack of your choice.  This damage is equal to your normal melee damage, and you still gain all the normal benefits from a high Strength score, feats, and other effects that increase your melee damage.  For example, an attack with a longsword that normally deals 1d8+4 points of slashing damage would instead deal 1d8+4 points of cold damage if you were channeling frostray through your weapon.  If the spellshape attack you are channeling normally allows spell resistance, you much succeed on a shaper level check in order to damage a creature with spell resistance with your attack.  You otherwise attack with your weapon as normal.
   When channeling a spellshape attack through a melee weapon, you may treat attacks with that melee weapon as the spellshape attack for the purpose of shaping major and minor formulae.  Shaping a formula in this way does not provoke attacks of opportunity.


This means that the existing instances of spellshape channeling will have to be changed and replaced, along with the lifted Warblade abilities.  I'll get on that later tonight.

bkdubs123

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Re: [3.5 Book] ToB-Style Casters - The Spellshapers (Criticism Wanted)
« Reply #63 on: May 03, 2011, 12:44:44 AM »
An interesting idea would be to design melee spellshape attacks unique to the Champion (or even available to the other shapers if they are so inclined, though likely they would be inferior for those classes).

Possible spellshape attacks:

Blustering Gale - Cyclone Lash, a whip-like weapon shaped from wind that slashes and entangles.

Brilliant Dawn - Radiant Star, a glorious morningstar forged of light that can blind foes.

Crushing Stone - Seismic Hammer, an oversized stone hammer able to send foes crashing to the earth.

Deteriorating Corrosion - Virulent Blade, a caustic, venomous dagger able to sap foes' defenses and vitality.

Devouring Shadow - Blackblade, a longsword of utterdark whose cuts steal foes' very souls.

Glimmering Moon - Glimmershrike, a glittering scimitar whose dull glow can slip between dimensions.

Natural Balance - Greenbriar, a rough-hewn quarterstaff able to fend off multiple foes with ease.

Perfect Freeze - Arctic Tooth, a deadly pick made from a permafrost ice sickle that bites and freezes to the bone.

Roaring Tide - Crashing Wave, a bludgeoning battleaxe whose blows flow like a rushing river.

Searing Flame - Pyre Flail, a dire flail with a fireball at each end able to spread fire across an area.

Shocking Current - Thunderlance, a halberd shaped from lightning that strikes with equal speed and power.

Unseen Impetus - Bigby's Hands, powerful force gauntlets able to crush, intercept, or push foes.
« Last Edit: May 03, 2011, 06:36:30 AM by bkdubs123 »

DonQuixote

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Re: [3.5 Book] ToB-Style Casters - The Spellshapers (Criticism Wanted)
« Reply #64 on: May 03, 2011, 02:06:28 AM »
Updated the spellshape champion to (hopefully) be more balanced.  Less warblade, more champion.  (Edit: Changed Daunting Presence and Champion's Threat so that you actually have control over them.)

bkdubs, while I think those weapon ideas are awesome, they feel more to me like they should be actual weapons that grant bonuses when you use them to shape formulae.  I'm not sure that rapid-fire conjuring of weapons is something that I'm prepared to deal with, though I'll keep it in mind as a possibility.

Either way, though, it's an awesome idea and the weapons might show up in the future as either magic weapons or class features.

Edit: Also posted a slightly updated version of Corrosive Blade.  While I'm not entirely sure if I'm done with it, the current form at least doesn't force you to wait forever before being able to shape formulae with your sneak attack.

Edit the Second: Also posted an updated version of Unseen Master.  It now actually has abilities!

Edit the Third: Flamedancer has been altered to no longer be able to do 11d6 points of fire damage with a single melee attack.  Hooray!

Edit the Fourth: Slightly changed Spellshape Channeling so that Spellshape Champion benefits from the Spellshape Focus feats and anything similar that might be implemented later.  Also, clarified how it interacts with some of the prestige classes that refer to the amount of damage that a spellshape attack would deal.
« Last Edit: May 07, 2011, 08:40:40 PM by DonQuixote »

DonQuixote

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Re: [3.5 Book] ToB-Style Casters - The Spellshapers (Criticism Wanted)
« Reply #65 on: May 10, 2011, 05:26:09 PM »
All right, looking the system over, I think I'm done adding new stuff.  While the circle-specific weapons were an interesting idea, I really don't feel able to 'brew them very well.  Specific magic weapons are not my strong point.  They might show up if playtesting of the spellshape champion shows them to be necessary, but I honestly think I shouldn't be adding more until the existing material has been tested.

As mentioned in the Status section of the first post, I will be playtesting some of this material this summer, and will be posting changes according to my experiences.  I will also test a great deal of the material in a series of weekly one-shots I will be running at my college next year.  I would love it if anyone else could test some of this and post feedback, but understand that playtesting isn't everyone's idea of fun.  However, if you find any glaring errors or obvious gaps in the material, please point them out!  This system was cobbled together over several months, and I wouldn't be surprised if some of the newer additions clashed with the original material.

Additionally, I have begun to format this material into a clean-looking PDFAs soon as I come up with a good cover page and get a few other details out of the way, I'll see if I can post it for mass consumption.  Derp, PDF exists.  I'll be reposting it and updating links every time I change something.  Hopefully, it will be of use to someone.

Finally, I'd like to thank all the posters who supplied feedback, advice, and suggestions.  From pointing out when something was too weak (elemental adept) to pointing out niches that remained unfilled (spellshape champion), you guys have been there to help make this system the best that it can be.  Thank you for all of your help!
« Last Edit: June 20, 2011, 11:11:17 PM by DonQuixote »

DonQuixote

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Re: [3.5 Book] ToB-Style Casters - The Spellshapers (Criticism Wanted)
« Reply #66 on: May 29, 2011, 02:08:47 AM »
Through the character creation process, I noticed a few loopholes that allowed a fire-devoted Elemental Adept to deal ridiculous levels of damage.  Over the next two weeks, I gave a lot of the material a glance-over as a prospective player, rather than as the designer.  A handful of changes have resulted, all of which are documented in the new Changelog in the first post.

bkdubs123

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Re: [3.5 Book] ToB-Style Casters - The Spellshapers (Criticism Wanted)
« Reply #67 on: May 29, 2011, 04:14:23 AM »
Status
With that, I believe this project has reached the point at which it just needs testing, proofreading, and minor editing.  I will be playtesting an elemental adept/lavamancer in a campaign this summer and will be posting my findings.  If anyone else tries any of this, please post with your experiences so that I can improve the system.

Give us a play log! :)

Quote
Changelog
[spoiler]
May 16th - Removed "+1 per shaper level" from Scorching Blast, Searing Blast, and Incinerating Blast.  In addition, removed "+3d6 fire damage" from Inflaming Blast and changed Greater Spellshape Focus to require shaper level 10th.  These changes are to prevent a 6th-level elemental adept from being able to deal an average of 12d6 damage per turn.  Also removed the Dextrous Hand feat due to redundancy--as defined in Complete Arcane, Weapon Finesse applies to touch attacks with spells and spell-like abilities.

I'm not seeing how it would be possible for an Elemental Adept to deal that much damage at 6th level... maybe I'm missing something, but it looks like max damage (with medium BAB) is 8d6 fire damage per round with a 1 round set up and three formulae. That doesn't sound scary at all.

Quote
May 28th - Dropped Elemental Adept down to 1/2 BAB to fix a slight oversight that allowed a 2nd-level formula (Firestorm) to deal ludicrous damage when combined with Scorching/Searing/Incinerating Blast and Brilliant/Blinding/Solar Radiance.  In compensation, Elemental Adepts can now shape formulae in light armor.

Again, even at 8th level, with medium BAB, you're spending 1 round setting up your full attack, and the next round making your full attack, with three attacks at +4/+4/-1 (before bonuses) and after using three formulae you're dealing 6d6 fire damage with each attack to a maximum of 18d6, which is an average of 63 fire damage if all attacks hit and a max of 108. That seems more than fair to me, considering that hitting with all three attacks is still a big if AND it takes two turns and three formulae to set up.

I also think that Adepts should have always gotten light armor, but that's just me.
« Last Edit: May 29, 2011, 04:35:00 AM by bkdubs123 »

DonQuixote

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Re: [3.5 Book] ToB-Style Casters - The Spellshapers (Criticism Wanted)
« Reply #68 on: May 29, 2011, 05:01:30 AM »
Under the previous system, you could have both Spellshape Focus and Greater Spellshape Focus by level six, meaning that your fireblast dealt 4d6+Cha.  We'll call the Charisma bonus roughly equivalent to 1d6 for this, as your Charisma modifier at level 6 isn't going to be any higher than 6, but might be lower.

First round: Brilliant Radiance
Second round: Inflaming Blast
Third round: Scorching Blast + Firestorm
Fourth round: Simple fireblast, recover formulae

On your first round, you would deal no damage.
On your second round, you would deal 9d6 (5d6+1d6+3d6) and possibly make them vulnerable to fire.
On your third round, you would deal 14d6+12 ([5d6+1d6+1d6+6]x2), possibly 21d6+18 if they were vulnerable to fire.
On your fourth round, you would deal 6d6 (5d6+1d6), possibly 9d6 if they were vulnerable to fire.

The save DC on Inflaming Blast would be 15 + your Charisma modifier, meaning that--at level six--those aren't bad odds for 39d6+18, which averages to 154.5 damage over four rounds, or 38.625 damage per round.  Moreover, the next time through, they'll be vulnerable to fire on the Inflaming Blast, too, which puts you at an average of 42.125 per round--which is the average value of 12d6.

Granted, you weren't always going to hit with every attack and they weren't necessarily going to fail the save.  I still didn't like the fact that, as you leveled, that four-round rotation was still consistently better damage that the higher-level formulae you were gaining access to.

bkdubs123

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Re: [3.5 Book] ToB-Style Casters - The Spellshapers (Criticism Wanted)
« Reply #69 on: May 29, 2011, 06:30:09 AM »
Under the previous system, you could have both Spellshape Focus and Greater Spellshape Focus by level six, meaning that your fireblast dealt 4d6+Cha.  We'll call the Charisma bonus roughly equivalent to 1d6 for this, as your Charisma modifier at level 6 isn't going to be any higher than 6, but might be lower.

First round: Brilliant Radiance
Second round: Inflaming Blast
Third round: Scorching Blast + Firestorm
Fourth round: Simple fireblast, recover formulae

On your first round, you would deal no damage.
On your second round, you would deal 9d6 (5d6+1d6+3d6) and possibly make them vulnerable to fire.
On your third round, you would deal 14d6+12 ([5d6+1d6+1d6+6]x2), possibly 21d6+18 if they were vulnerable to fire.
On your fourth round, you would deal 6d6 (5d6+1d6), possibly 9d6 if they were vulnerable to fire.

The save DC on Inflaming Blast would be 15 + your Charisma modifier, meaning that--at level six--those aren't bad odds for 39d6+18, which averages to 154.5 damage over four rounds, or 38.625 damage per round.  Moreover, the next time through, they'll be vulnerable to fire on the Inflaming Blast, too, which puts you at an average of 42.125 per round--which is the average value of 12d6.

Gotcha. The problem though isn't the medium BAB, I guess is what I'm trying to say. The problem isn't even necessarily the damage dealt. It still takes three rounds to deal any substantial damage whatsoever. Consider a Warblade 6 with a few Martial Studies vs a CR 6 creature.

First round: Activate Punishing Stance, initiate Battle Leader's Charge; deal 3d6+20 damage.
Second round: Initiate Burning Blade, initiate Flashing Sun; deal 12d6+48 damage. In two rounds we've dealt 15d6+64 damage, average of 116.5, or 58.25 per round. This is more damage per round than your scenario above, in half the time, and less likely to be reduced by resistance. He may well kill a weaker CR 6 creature on the first round and you can all but guarantee that he'll kill even the toughest CR 6 monsters on the second round if his attacks hit.

What's my point? While 154.5 damage may well be more damage than any level 6 PC needs to be dishing out against any level appropriate challenge, not only is it reliant on multiple fire attacks against which Fire Resistance applies to each separately, it also doesn't deal enough damage to kill any CR 6 monster until 1 round after any halfheartedly offensive Warblade would have already killed the same monster.
« Last Edit: May 29, 2011, 06:41:28 AM by bkdubs123 »

DonQuixote

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Re: [3.5 Book] ToB-Style Casters - The Spellshapers (Criticism Wanted)
« Reply #70 on: May 29, 2011, 08:55:32 AM »
Hrm, you raise an excellent point.  I honestly don't know where to come down on this one.

Part of the problem is that the BAB made the formula unarguably better for elemental adepts than for spellsages or impulse mages.  And, the way everything was scaling, it was still a dangerously compelling choice at high levels.  Remember, you also have an elemental companion that's going to hit them every round--and its attacks become more powerful when you're shaping one of the Radiance formulae.  On the topic of Radiance formulae, you're buffing the entire party with those, so you're also contributing there--especially given that half of the damage from the Radiance formulae is subject to vulnerability to fire imposed by Inflaming Blast.

I think I'm going to have to see how this one actually maps out in play before I'm able to reach a final decision--I keep waffling back and forth on it.

(Just as a side note, though, the Resistance to Fire you mentioned isn't really a factor in the comparison--an elemental adept of fifth level or higher completely ignores resistance to the damage types of his elemental circles.)

Amechra

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Re: [3.5 Book] ToB-Style Casters - The Spellshapers (Criticism Wanted)
« Reply #71 on: June 03, 2011, 04:56:51 AM »
If you don't mind, I'll be using Impulse Mage, focused on Devouring Shadow and Glimmering Moon, going into Darkened One. I'll post results, OK?
[spoiler]Fighter: "I can kill a guy in one turn."
Cleric: "I can kill a guy in half a turn."
Wizard: "I can kill a guy before my turn."
Bard: "I can get three idiots to kill guys for me."

On a strange note, would anyone be put out if we had a post about people or events we can spare a thought for, or if its within their creed, a prayer for? Just a random thought, but ... hells I wouldn't have known about either Archangels daughter or Saeomons niece if I didn't happen to be on these threads.
Sounds fine to me.
probably over on "Off-topic".
might want to put a little disclaimer in the first post.

This is the Min/Max board. We should be able to figure out a way to optimize the POWER OF PRAYER(TM) that doesn't involve "Pazuzu, Pazuzu, Pazuzu".
[/spoiler]

My final project for my film independent study course. It could do with a watching and critiquing

DonQuixote

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Re: [3.5 Book] ToB-Style Casters - The Spellshapers (Criticism Wanted)
« Reply #72 on: June 03, 2011, 11:41:57 AM »
Hooray!  Of course I don't mind you using it--anyone who wants to play with this stuff is free to do so.  I hope it's as fun to play as it was to write.  :D

Your timing is also stunning: just a few moments ago, I updated Darkened One so that, when you lose your mouth at 6th level, you also no longer have to eat.  Dying of starvation is never fun.

Good luck in your game!

DonQuixote

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Re: [3.5 Book] ToB-Style Casters - The Spellshapers (Criticism Wanted)
« Reply #73 on: June 05, 2011, 07:10:26 PM »
Well, yesterday was the first session of the campaign in which I am playtesting Elemental Adept.  Combat didn't turn up too much in terms of balance--we were basically blasting through weak mooks in order to establish our awesomeness--but I did run into a rather glaring oversight.  The Gem of Elemental Retreat was very clear about how to get your elemental INTO the gem, but said nothing about getting it out again.  This has been fixed.

I also realized the Reshape Formula feat only said that formulae shaped as though they belonged to the Crushing Stone circle were bumped up to d8s.  This has been fixed in a slightly less specific wording that will also allow for later circles, if any are ever written.

Darkened One was tweaked again because it was pointed out to me that drinking and eating are not the same thing.

Amechra

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Re: [3.5 Book] ToB-Style Casters - The Spellshapers (Criticism Wanted)
« Reply #74 on: June 05, 2011, 07:22:44 PM »
Alright, I actually ended up building a Spellsage 5, going into Darkened One next level (my DM allowed me to mess with skills so that I could meet the prereqs. Might want to take a look into it because, as written, you would need to be 13th level as a straight ANY of the spellshaping classes before you could enter, if I did my math correctly.)

First session is tomorrow. The data might be a little messed up, since we are using my DM's races, so two members of the party are getting free healing, at the very least.  :D
[spoiler]Fighter: "I can kill a guy in one turn."
Cleric: "I can kill a guy in half a turn."
Wizard: "I can kill a guy before my turn."
Bard: "I can get three idiots to kill guys for me."

On a strange note, would anyone be put out if we had a post about people or events we can spare a thought for, or if its within their creed, a prayer for? Just a random thought, but ... hells I wouldn't have known about either Archangels daughter or Saeomons niece if I didn't happen to be on these threads.
Sounds fine to me.
probably over on "Off-topic".
might want to put a little disclaimer in the first post.

This is the Min/Max board. We should be able to figure out a way to optimize the POWER OF PRAYER(TM) that doesn't involve "Pazuzu, Pazuzu, Pazuzu".
[/spoiler]

My final project for my film independent study course. It could do with a watching and critiquing

DonQuixote

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Re: [3.5 Book] ToB-Style Casters - The Spellshapers (Criticism Wanted)
« Reply #75 on: June 05, 2011, 07:46:27 PM »
Ahh, yeah.  I looked at the skills, then looked at the classes, and was boggled.  Then I checked my source document and realized the problem.  I had given Hide and Intimidate to Impulse Mage, Spellsage, and Spellshape Champion without ever updating them on this thread.  Oops.

Amechra

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Re: [3.5 Book] ToB-Style Casters - The Spellshapers (Criticism Wanted)
« Reply #76 on: June 05, 2011, 08:05:11 PM »
Oh, there are a couple typos in the PDF as well (the biggest one being that you have Spellshape Champion listed as 'Spellsage' in the table of contents.)
[spoiler]Fighter: "I can kill a guy in one turn."
Cleric: "I can kill a guy in half a turn."
Wizard: "I can kill a guy before my turn."
Bard: "I can get three idiots to kill guys for me."

On a strange note, would anyone be put out if we had a post about people or events we can spare a thought for, or if its within their creed, a prayer for? Just a random thought, but ... hells I wouldn't have known about either Archangels daughter or Saeomons niece if I didn't happen to be on these threads.
Sounds fine to me.
probably over on "Off-topic".
might want to put a little disclaimer in the first post.

This is the Min/Max board. We should be able to figure out a way to optimize the POWER OF PRAYER(TM) that doesn't involve "Pazuzu, Pazuzu, Pazuzu".
[/spoiler]

My final project for my film independent study course. It could do with a watching and critiquing

DonQuixote

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Re: [3.5 Book] ToB-Style Casters - The Spellshapers (Criticism Wanted)
« Reply #77 on: June 05, 2011, 08:39:57 PM »
Well, I fixed the skills on Impulse Mage, Spellsage, and Spellshape Champion.

I'll comb through my current document later and get a cleaned-up PDF posted.  Hopefully tonight, but I have work tomorrow morning, so it may be later.

Amechra

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Re: [3.5 Book] ToB-Style Casters - The Spellshapers (Criticism Wanted)
« Reply #78 on: June 05, 2011, 08:47:11 PM »
Thank you kindly. You have nothing but my respect for undertaking this project, and actually finishing.
[spoiler]Fighter: "I can kill a guy in one turn."
Cleric: "I can kill a guy in half a turn."
Wizard: "I can kill a guy before my turn."
Bard: "I can get three idiots to kill guys for me."

On a strange note, would anyone be put out if we had a post about people or events we can spare a thought for, or if its within their creed, a prayer for? Just a random thought, but ... hells I wouldn't have known about either Archangels daughter or Saeomons niece if I didn't happen to be on these threads.
Sounds fine to me.
probably over on "Off-topic".
might want to put a little disclaimer in the first post.

This is the Min/Max board. We should be able to figure out a way to optimize the POWER OF PRAYER(TM) that doesn't involve "Pazuzu, Pazuzu, Pazuzu".
[/spoiler]

My final project for my film independent study course. It could do with a watching and critiquing

Garryl

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Re: [3.5 Book] ToB-Style Casters - The Spellshapers (Criticism Wanted)
« Reply #79 on: June 05, 2011, 10:17:07 PM »
Could I get a little clarification on the Darkened One's Shadow Tendril, please? When it says that you threaten nearby squares, does that mean those within the spell's 30 foot range, within 30 foot reach (there can, actually, be slight differences on occasion between range and reach, although I think it's only for 10 foot reach; this would also be modified by effects that alter your each, like Form of Madness), within your normal reach (appropriate to your size and miscellaneous reach-modifying effects), adjacent spaces, or something else entirely?

Is Fear Aura a standard action to activate and with a CL equal to your character level or HD (as normal for supernatural abilities)?

Can you use the Darkened One's Hide in Plain Sight to Hide while observed but also while you possess something to hide behind? The wording implies that you can't actually use the ability if you have something to hide behind.

For Grasping Tentacles, do you gain (or suffer) the usual bonuses and penalties to your grapple check due to size and abilities such as Improved Grapple? If you are indeed supposed to gain the usual miscellaneous modifiers, may I suggest changing the wording to simply replacing your BaB with your shaper level and your Strength modifier with your Dexterity modifier for the purpose of determining your grapple modifier.

Can characters with the Spellshape Study feat learn the special spellshapes that PrCs like Darkened One grant access to? Nothing in the text of Spellshape Study or Shadow Tendril (I haven't checked the other special spellshape PrCs) seems to indicate anything special about their potential interactions, and thus nothing that would prevent this.
A Guide to Free D&D - A resource of free, official D&D resources on the web.
General listing of my homebrew.
Links to things I've worked on
[spoiler]
Idiot Crusader, refreshing maneuvers for free every round.
The Opposed Checks Handbook - Under construction.
Adaptations Handbook - Under construction.
[/spoiler]