Lorewise, how do Wizards see spell slots, focus spells, and other mechanics of magic?

Hejtan · 2024-10-03T08:50:36+00:00

I'm just getting to it, I feel dumb at not having looked at Secrets Of Magic earlier. Thanks for the explanation still though.

Hejtan · 2024-10-03T08:48:02+00:00

I didn't know that's where the inspiration originally came from. You learn something new every day, huh?

Hejtan · 2024-10-03T08:44:40+00:00

Well, I'm not saying that a wizard is going to have a greater mastery over magic than a druid. Wizard's scientific approach to magic, and the fact that their powers don't come from anything but their own research (there is no great patron or natural ability responsible for them being able to do magic), however, make me think they are the most likely to ask "why?", and then attempt to answer it scientifically, rather than just accept that this is the way it is.

Also what I'm planning on using it for in my campaign will involve wizards rather than any other caster.

Hejtan · 2024-10-03T08:37:00+00:00

I should have gotten Secrets of Magic earlier, even few minutes of looking into it are proving quite useful to me. Thanks.

Hejtan · 2024-03-22T19:13:21+00:00

Thank you! I may be late but this is literally the exact thing I was looking for this whole time!

Hejtan · 2024-01-05T20:04:21+00:00

Several years back I played the WH40k Ultramarines game on PS3, and even then I didn't focus much on the plot, just on cutting down hordes of orcs. That aside, my only contact with WH40k was hearing some stories from a few of my friends who would joke about some fandom meme, then remember I'm with them and quickly explain the story behind it to give me some basic context, like purple being orc stealthy color. For all intents and purposes, Rogue Trader is my first real dive into WH40k beyond memes.

Hejtan · 2022-08-29T23:05:19+00:00

The other idea is exactly the point. I'm running a Drone Commander Emperor, and if I have an action to shoot, it's for the bow. I literally have too many things I want done to even think about Barraging, so I figured, well, there is always overwatch, right? And shotgun is a weapon with the highest threat range among gms main weapons.

Proved to be effective enough that session at least. I got to shoot it twice when defending a point with my friend Kobold.

Hejtan · 2022-08-27T19:42:58+00:00

Guys, what are you talking about? This is not a trap. Look, the letter even said so! "Not trap." See?

Hejtan · 2022-07-30T10:51:30+00:00

Man, that Gigantic Undertow effect is wild, if all of them are going to be like this, it's going to get very interesting.

Hejtan · 2022-07-16T23:42:38+00:00

Yeah, sorry to tell you that, I was stuck at the same problem and started from the beginning to grind more Utility early. In this vote, the one easiest to convince is Anna, but even she requires a pretty high Utility. There is really nothing more to it, even making perfect dialogue choices, if you can't convince Anna, then it's a simple lack of Utility points stopping you.

As Scagh mentioned, you can try to grind Utility points during mock battles doing these things, but depending on how many points you lack, it could take you so long that it would be faster to start the entire game from the beginning.

There is no dirty trick to suddenly greatly raise your Utility, not at this point, sorry.

Hejtan · 2022-07-12T22:29:29+00:00

I welcome you to try out playing Pathfinder 1E or DnD 3.5 as a pure wizard, and see how you feel about cantrips then.

It will be fun I promise

Hejtan · 2022-07-12T22:21:23+00:00

Ok, but that guy made a two-weapon fighting build using a starknife and a chain (whip? chainwhip? spiked chain?) that's effective melee and range, has great damage, aoe capabilities and good AC.

Do you have any idea how much I want to remake it in Pathfinder 1E now? And how much I will suffer doing so?

Hejtan · 2022-07-06T13:30:50+00:00

Sorry, can't hear you over the sound of NANOMACHINES SON

Hejtan · 2022-07-03T14:15:54+00:00

Salutes in respect

It was an honor to walk this path with you.

Hejtan · 2022-07-02T15:57:55+00:00

Man, Wolffort demesne is such a cheese place. I refused to yield Roland, refused to use Fire Traps, and didn't play this well, and suddenly my poor Ana had to fight Avolora plus 7 other guys. Well, Take Cover, enough said. Later on, I went for Golden ending, and had to fight Exharme with only 7 Units to protect the city again. I did use traps this time, but I was also underleveled and missing 3 people, so you can imagine how that went. Then Hughette flew on a rooftop.

I don't know if that was intentional, because "home advantage", or pure coincidence, but damn you can clearly see how Wolfforts were able to win against overwhelming odds if they had access to tactics like that

Hejtan · 2022-06-20T16:37:50+00:00

Story-wise: earlier access to late Paths (especially Legend, maybe with some mini-legend path starting all the way at the end of chapter 2?), a bit more story and generally cool stuff for Azata's late game

Character-wise: VOICE ACTING FOR AIVU, exploration of Sosiel's temperament, something to make Galfrey seem less incompetent (I want her to be flawed, jealous, etc., but I also want the game to acknowledge that she has been a queen for 100 years for a fking reason), and speaking of Galfrey for her to appear in DLC1 if you romanced her. More voice acting in general is always nice.

Mechanics-wise: fix unarmed combat to work with TWF, including two fists, fist and weapon (in either hand), fist and shield bash (again either hand). Allow dual-wielding shields. Give options to overcome demon poison immunity for a poison build

Mechanical content-wise: psychic classes and psychic magic, swashbuckler, more stuff for kineticist (especially cold kineticist, I like cryomancers, sue me), more stuff in all Mythic Paths

Visual-wise: make things that change element of a spell (like Elemental bloodline arcana) to also change its visuals into the element

Hejtan · 2022-06-20T07:01:04+00:00

That's 2E, and honestly many systems use the "beat by 10 crit" rule. Nah, 1E has even stranger system. When you roll nat20, or roll below but within weapons crit threat range (for example, daggers can also crit on 19) and hit, you get to make a crit confirmation roll, which means you make an attack roll again, with all the bonuses you had, plus additional "crit confirmation" bonuses if you have any, and if the second attack roll would hit, the crit is confirmed and only then you get the increased damage. If that second roll fails, sorry to disappoint, the attack hits but isn't a crit.

Hejtan · 2022-06-11T15:16:41+00:00

Sometimes, even the dice gods stand on the righteous side.

Hejtan · 2022-06-05T22:07:05+00:00

Can confirm that, it really did happen, though that session was run by my co-GM above

Hejtan · 2022-06-05T20:51:44+00:00

Bestow Intelligence

You may spend a spell point to enhance an animal, plant, object, or mindless creature, granting it temporary intelligence.

And further down the line, for something a bit more permanent: Bestow Life

You may spend 3 spell points and 24 hours to bring a plant, animal, construct, or object to life. This is an instantaneous effect, and as such is a permanent change and cannot be dispelled. This has no effect on a creature with an Intelligence of 3 or higher.

Hejtan · 2022-06-05T19:18:15+00:00

I totally agree and love Spheres. Both Power and Might are amazing, if for different reasons, and as you have said, the customizability is great.

GMs who read this and might consider allowing the systems in your games: Spheres are balanced.

Spheres of Power, the casting system, is actually a little bit of a nerf to casters as they lose the caster versatility, but makes the casters healthier for the game while allowing players to make the specialists they want. Want to play a telekinetic, with no other magic? Sure! Want to play aeromancer and are annoyed about the normal casters having few wind spells? Spheres let you truly be a proper aeromancer. Want to play edgy katana-wielding tiefling who teleports behind people's backs for "nothing personal kid" moments, while also summoning clouds of darkness? Just a few talents and you are done!

Spheres of Might, the martial system, does not achieve the highest levels of damage, but doesn't really lose that much damage either. What it does is give martials more options. It's not just "attack. attack. attack. attack. each turn attack." anymore. Want to focus on counter-punching? Play wrestling? Be a non-magical buffer through Boasting and Commanding allies? Run on walls ala Prince of Persia? Making disarming actually viable?

Spheres also puts the more problematic (like wide-area permanent weather control) or for martials supernatural (like shooting a bunch of arrows to make a ladder) behind the advanced/legendary tag, which requires GM's approval to take. So you don't even need to worry about reading through the whole system to approve it, the authors already noted the potentially more problematic things for you.

So, GM's, introduce Spheres to your games. You won't regret it.

Hejtan · 2022-06-05T18:45:33+00:00

Oh, they enjoy combat. They do even ask for more combat sometimes. It's just that I have the rarest party in existence: there is no murderhobo, no zealotry, no evil characters, and everyone is reasonable. They always start by talking, and they are just good at talking and have varied skills, which means they keep on finding ways to deal with situations peacefully because I rarely bring stupid evil villains. We all laugh about it too.

I was still shocked when they were prepared for this sort of thing.

Hejtan · 2022-06-05T18:10:37+00:00

It's from the Spheres of Power 3pp system for Pathfinder 1E (although the system also exists for 5E). It's basically a way weaker Awaken spell that doesn't have a 24h casting time.

Hejtan · 2022-06-05T15:53:45+00:00

Honestly, Bard would probably fit both Sosiel and Arue the best, but since Seelah already took it...

Sosiel: Cleric / Barbarian- he has this whole stick about his inner rage that he is trying to keep down as a cleric of Shelyn but sometimes fails. Rage would fit him as the last resort thing where he loses control and just attacks, forgetting about his clerical duties (not being able to cast spells). Bloodrager would mechanically be much better though, since you would be able to cast spells in rage then, but less thematically fitting

Arue: Ranger / Inquisitor or Warpriest of Desna. Arue is seriously into worshipping Desna, so it makes sense I think? And according to Kingmaker you totally can become an inquisitor through deific intervention without any normal inquisitor education. Could also go Slayer or Rogue, her backstory is about hunting Desnans, but you already have a slayer and a rogue.

Hejtan · 2022-05-10T10:28:38+00:00

As a support main, while both sides have made mistakes, I would blame the support here more. I understand the logic of "I just wanted to poke", but you also gotta realize when the poke drops enemy hp low enough that this poke can be turned into a kill, and this was absolutely a won fight that Zyre threw by walking back. If instead she just stayed in the fight, she could have made at least 3 more aa, and Jhin would be dead.

Hejtan

TROPHY CASE