It's so nice to see that Lem has finally fond an audience that appreciates his music. Does this mean that from now on when we see Lem in art he'll be getting followed around by undead groupies like some necromantic Pied Piper?
This is all great stuff here; I'm eagerly looking forward to getting my grubby paws on the actual book.
What timeframe are we looking at having this month's releases added to the PFS Approved materials list?
I recall Mark saying they'd be added on the street date (and non-subscriber PDF release date) - the 18th.
Eldritch heritage... Or how to get a familar without being Wizard, Arcane Sorcerer or Witch?
Also. At first snapdragon fireworks looked as nice flavorful but otherwise of little use. Until occured to me that it is fired as move action allowing to cast it and in the following rounds cast one standard action spell per round AND send one firework snapdragon as a move action.
What timeframe are we looking at having this month's releases added to the PFS Approved materials list?I recall Mark saying they'd be added on the street date (and non-subscriber PDF release date) - the 18th.
Yep, that is what Mark posted over in the PFS sub-forums. The Additional Resources list will be updated on May 18th and material from the book cannot be used before then and all playtest Magus characters must be updated on the 18th to remain legal for play.
Good stuff and almost here, can't wait to dive into this one. It's got me really starting to anticipate the ultimate combat book more as well.
Eldritch heritage... Or how to get a familar without being Wizard, Arcane Sorcerer or Witch?
I'd rather think about what happens when a caster of some other class takes the arcane bloodline and chooses a bonded item. A cleric with access to his complete spell list and one spontaneous free cast per day? I doubt it'll work but it would be great for all those "what-if" spells (like the various remove spells).
Anyway, skill focus and Cha 13 will probably prevent too many characters from taking the feat.
Eldritch heritage... Or how to get a familar without being Wizard, Arcane Sorcerer or Witch?I'd rather think about what happens when a caster of some other class takes the arcane bloodline and chooses a bonded item. A cleric with access to his complete spell list and one spontaneous free cast per day? I doubt it'll work but it would be great for all those "what-if" spells (like the various remove spells).
Anyway, skill focus and Cha 13 will probably prevent too many characters from taking the feat.
But think about the roleplaying opportunities of a paladin taking Eldritch Heritage and picking one of the darker bloodlines. :)
I literally cheered at the mention of an Extra Evolution feat for Summoners. That class is seriously lacking in good feats and playing one now has made me twice as eager for this book.
Snapdragon Fireworks seems like it could be a decent spell, if only it had a move action casting time!
Awesome stuff. Can't wait. ^^
Guess I have to ask the cheesy question:
If you're a Wizard with a familiar and you select Eldritch Heritage (Arcane Bloodline) Does your character level - 2 stack with your wizard levels? (A 10th level wizard would have an 18th level familiar?)
Arcane Bond (Su): At 1st level, you gain an arcane bond, as a wizard equal to your sorcerer level. Your sorcerer levels stack with any wizard levels you possess when determining the powers of your familiar or bonded object. This ability does not allow you to have both a familiar and a bonded item.
Awesome stuff. Can't wait. ^^
Guess I have to ask the cheesy question:
If you're a Wizard with a familiar and you select Eldritch Heritage (Arcane Bloodline) Does your character level - 2 stack with your wizard levels? (A 10th level wizard would have an 18th level familiar?)
Arcane Bond (Su): At 1st level, you gain an arcane bond, as a wizard equal to your sorcerer level. Your sorcerer levels stack with any wizard levels you possess when determining the powers of your familiar or bonded object. This ability does not allow you to have both a familiar and a bonded item.
Or worse, two familiars? I'm sure the answer to both questions would be "no."
Awesome stuff. Can't wait. ^^
Guess I have to ask the cheesy question:
If you're a Wizard with a familiar and you select Eldritch Heritage (Arcane Bloodline) Does your character level - 2 stack with your wizard levels? (A 10th level wizard would have an 18th level familiar?
And just when I thought my bonded item idea was cheesy... ^^
Really looking forward to this, mostly for inquisitor archetypes and spells.
The haunting choir is strange though. It 'deludes' them into thinking they are being tormented by the dead, but its actually a necromancy, not an illusion.
So why not have them be actually tormented by the dead?
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Eldritch heritage... Or how to get a familar without being Wizard, Arcane Sorcerer or Witch?Sweet, now I can finally make a straight rogue with a monkey familiar to share my sleight of hand ranks... :)
I remember asking a friend if he knew of anyway to get a monkey familiar for an alchemist back during the playtest... now we just need a teamwork feat that let's someone else throw the alchemist's bombs!
Snapdragon fireworks is interesting, but underpowered as a 2nd level bard spell, as well as somewhat overlapping with pyrotechnics at the level. Will discuss with DM on changing it to 1st.
Everything else is pretty cool.
Haunting Choir
School necromancy [mind-affecting, pain]
Someone else notice the new spell descriptor? I don't think I've ever seen a pain spell before.
Someone else notice the new spell descriptor? I don't think I've ever seen a pain spell before.Haunting Choir
School necromancy [mind-affecting, pain]
Yeah, they must be taking a hint from later 3.5, especially the darker books. :P
But anyway, Eldritch Heritage is pretty cool. Sure, it only gives you a weak first level ability that if you're a fighter you're going to be able to use only around three times a day (3 + Cha), AND there's a feat tax for it (Skill Focus), because the ability to have magic on a non-magic character is serious business.
Now, out of curiosity, does using Robes of Arcane Heritage (Advanced Player's Guide) toss that -2 on your effective sorcerer level right out the window?
I remember asking a friend if he knew of anyway to get a monkey familiar for an alchemist back during the playtest... now we just need a teamwork feat that let's someone else throw the alchemist's bombs!
Maybe the equipment section will have syringes or similar extract/potion delivery systems so that literal monkey on your back can be doping you up while you bomb your enemies into oblivion.
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I remember asking a friend if he knew of anyway to get a monkey familiar for an alchemist back during the playtest... now we just need a teamwork feat that let's someone else throw the alchemist's bombs!Maybe the equipment section will have syringes or similar extract/potion delivery systems so that literal monkey on your back can be doping you up while you bomb your enemies into oblivion.
You could always have a bunch of tiny syringe spears be made for him.
In the description for snapdragon fireworks it says the spell zigzags to miss objects and creatures in it's path. does that mean it can ignore cover?
I would imagine that every Half-Elf with Cha 13 is going to have Edritch Heritage. Most of the class skills are not that bad and the ability is farely useful. A Monk who causes you to be shaken w/a touch, a rogue who can trip/steal from across the room. I love this feat.
I would imagine that every Half-Elf with Cha 13 is going to have Edritch Heritage. Most of the class skills are not that bad and the ability is farely useful. A Monk who causes you to be shaken w/a touch, a rogue who can trip/steal from across the room. I love this feat.
It is a 2 feat-investment as well as needing a 13 charisma.
I would imagine that every Half-Elf with Cha 13 is going to have Edritch Heritage. Most of the class skills are not that bad and the ability is farely useful. A Monk who causes you to be shaken w/a touch, a rogue who can trip/steal from across the room. I love this feat.It is a 2 feat-investment as well as needing a 13 charisma.
A half-elf already has one of those feats (Skill Focus) by default.
Having said that, most of the abilities aren't that great. Sure, your rogue can trip/steal from across the room...with a CMB of +1.
I would imagine that every Half-Elf with Cha 13 is going to have Edritch Heritage. Most of the class skills are not that bad and the ability is farely useful. A Monk who causes you to be shaken w/a touch, a rogue who can trip/steal from across the room. I love this feat.It is a 2 feat-investment as well as needing a 13 charisma.
Half elves get Skill Focus for free. It's a one feat investment for them. This feat is a (probably) unintentional buff for them.
edit: damnit, Hogarth beat me by 58 seconds.
Someone else notice the new spell descriptor? I don't think I've ever seen a pain spell before.Haunting Choir
School necromancy [mind-affecting, pain]Yeah, they must be taking a hint from later 3.5, especially the darker books. :P
But anyway, Eldritch Heritage is pretty cool. Sure, it only gives you a weak first level ability that if you're a fighter you're going to be able to use only around three times a day (3 + Cha), AND there's a feat tax for it (Skill Focus), because the ability to have magic on a non-magic character is serious business.
Now, out of curiosity, does using Robes of Arcane Heritage (Advanced Player's Guide) toss that -2 on your effective sorcerer level right out the window?
Furthermore, would a Sorcerer with Eldritch Heritage and a Robe of Arcane Heritage apply the bonus to both of his bloodlines?
I like the move action for snapdragons -- I kind of wish that just having them flying around gave you a circumstance bonus to something -- but this isn't a horrible spell -- it beats the pants off of burning gaze.
The fact you can either use snaps twice in a round or use snaps and cast a spell is nice.
I would like to see more feats for sorcerer's with the eldritch heritage that allows them to choose spells known off of their alternate heritage or abilities for leveling up.
The fact you can either use snaps twice in a round or use snaps and cast a spell is nice.
You can't.
Once per round, as a move action, you may designate a target 5-foot-square within range and launch a pyrotechnic in that direction.
Awesome stuff. I like all of it.
Does the eldritch heritage feat also grant you the bloodline arcana? Technically, it's gained at first level.
I would imagine that every Half-Elf with Cha 13 is going to have Edritch Heritage. Most of the class skills are not that bad and the ability is farely useful. A Monk who causes you to be shaken w/a touch, a rogue who can trip/steal from across the room. I love this feat.It is a 2 feat-investment as well as needing a 13 charisma.Half elves get Skill Focus for free. It's a one feat investment for them. This feat is a (probably) unintentional buff for them.
edit: damnit, Hogarth beat me by 58 seconds.
Thanks for the notice on that. I think it's pretty obvious I never even consider playing half-elves :p
I agree with Hogarth that it's still not a real huge issue, aside from possibly some of the confusing/possibly abusive uses already being bandied about.
The fact you can either use snaps twice in a round or use snaps and cast a spell is nice.You can't.
Once per round, as a move action, you may designate a target 5-foot-square within range and launch a pyrotechnic in that direction.
Well isn't that annoying -- still can cast another spell though.
Once per round, as a move action, you may designate a target 5-foot-square within range and launch a pyrotechnic in that direction.
5-ft wide pit + fancy trap to push rest of the part into it and heap them on single 5-ft square + Kobold sorcerer...
Mildly burned adventurer's shank anyone?
I like the move action for snapdragons -- I kind of wish that just having them flying around gave you a circumstance bonus to something -- but this isn't a horrible spell -- it beats the pants off of burning gaze.
The fact you can either use snaps twice in a round or use snaps and cast a spell is nice.
I would like to see more feats for sorcerer's with the eldritch heritage that allows them to choose spells known off of their alternate heritage or abilities for leveling up.
Hrmm... Dazing Snapdragon Fireworks, anyone? D:
Gah, my mind is reeling from the possibilities of Eldritch Heritage (Arcane) Now any character can craft their own magical weapon, by 7th level. But would any Arcane Bond allow you to cast a free spell? If you did have a casting class, could you spontaneously cast one of those? I guess it would have to be Arcane, at least...? Bah. Confusing. <.<
EDIT: Arcane Bonded Item was confusing enough when it was given to Sorcerers... (Do they get the free spell?) But when given to everyone? *le sigh*
The fact you can either use snaps twice in a round or use snaps and cast a spell is nice.
Precisely. I really like the idea of Spell + Snaps. the only problem is that I'm not sure it's useful enough to really spend the standard action casting it in the first place at the beginning of a combat.
Perhaps with those feats that augment fire damage spells. Isn't there a feat somewhere that causes people to catch fire for Spell Level rounds? Would a rod of sickening spell lesser effect it every round? That could be amazingly useful.
Eldritch heritage... Or how to get a familar without being Wizard, Arcane Sorcerer or Witch?
Yeah, funny how so many people also honed in on that aspect :-)
I forget the exact name of it, but there was already a Feat to gain a Familiar no matter your class, though it required a Figurine of Wondrous Power and didn`t give you much choice in Familiars, while this gives full access, even to Improved Familiars if you so wish.
I'd rather think about what happens when a caster of some other class takes the arcane bloodline and chooses a bonded item. A cleric with access to his complete spell list and one spontaneous free cast per day? I doubt it'll work but it would be great for all those "what-if" spells (like the various remove spells).Yeah, I don`t think that works...
A bonded object can be used once per day to cast any one spell that the wizard has in his spellbook and is capable of casting, even if the spell is not prepared. This spell is treated like any other spell cast by the wizard, including casting time, duration, and other effects dependent on the wizard's level.
´Dependent on wizard`s level` would even seem to exclude other spellbook-using casting classes.
The combo that MAY have potential would be taking the Familiar to deliver Touch Spells,AFAIK there`s no wording preventing it delivering other-class` Touch Spells...???
Anyway, skill focus and Cha 13 will probably prevent too many characters from taking the feat.
I think it actually lines up most conveniently for OTHER SORCEROR BLOODLINES, who all basically get Bonus Feat access to some sort of Skill Focus: Knowledge. I LOVE this change in this context, because it means you can choose non-Arcane Bloodlines and still have full Familiar access. ...But still, it`s not that much Feat tax, and Familiar`s are a huge boon for ANY class, Caster or not, so I definitely see it being useful for alot of characters.
But would any Arcane Bond allow you to cast a free spell? If you did have a casting class, could you spontaneously cast one of those? I guess it would have to be Arcane, at least...? Bah. Confusing. <.<
Well, I don't know the exact answer but since the feat gives you a bloodline and the bloodline give you the ability to cast a sorcerer spell spontaneously*, you can probably not use it - unless you are a non-arcane sorc and use the feat to gain a bonded object, I guess.
*I'm pretty sure that it's limited to the clas that grants the arcane bond. Otherwise, a wizard/cleric could cast his cleric spells through his bond.
As for the Snapdragon spell: It says it affects all creatures in a 5-ft-square. Would that mean it's basically an area effect and able to hurt swarms? I'd say yes.
I`m confused about the Haunting Choir spell,
it seems to introduce a new precedent for spell areas:
Haunting Choir
School necromancy [mind-affecting, pain]; Level bard 3
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S
Range close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Area
Duration concentration + 2 rounds
Saving Throw Will negates; Spell Resistance yes
You create a spectral choir and conduct its tortured, ghostly moans, deluding listeners into believing they are suffering the torments of the dead. , but they are intangible and do not interfere with creatures in any physical way, nor can they be attacked. experience wracking pain that causes them to take a –2 penalty on attack rolls, skill checks, and ability checks.
Isn`t there a discrepancy between this spell and how area spells usually work, e.g. Antimagic Field which centers it`s radius emanantion on an intersection? In this case, it justs says 30-ft. radius emanation in the Area line, but in the Description we learn there is a 10x10 area ocupied by the `choir` and anybody WITHIN 30` feat of the choir, i.e. FROM IT`S BORDERS, is affected, which is 5` further than if we simply relied on the Area line.
Is this a problem? It seems like either the description should be changed to say `25 feet from the choir`, or the Area should be modified to be a 35 foot radius, to be in accord with each other...? The stuff about the choir`s dimensions are mostly just `fluff mechanics`, but when they introduce this non-conformance with the Area description, rather than just re-phrasing it in a more colorful way, that makes me ask questions about this spell.
Eldritch heritage... Or how to get a familar without being Wizard, Arcane Sorcerer or Witch?I'd rather think about what happens when a caster of some other class takes the arcane bloodline and chooses a bonded item. A cleric with access to his complete spell list and one spontaneous free cast per day? I doubt it'll work but it would be great for all those "what-if" spells (like the various remove spells).
Anyway, skill focus and Cha 13 will probably prevent too many characters from taking the feat.
But think about the roleplaying opportunities of a paladin taking Eldritch Heritage and picking one of the darker bloodlines. :) [/QUOTE
Or the practical applications of a Paladin or other secondary/primary Charisma class taking it and picking a bloodline that works well with the class.
I`m confused about the Haunting Choir spell,
it seems to introduce a new precedent for spell areas:Isn`t there a discrepancy between this spell and how area spells usually work, e.g. Antimagic Field which centers it`s radius emanantion on an intersection? In this case, it justs says 30-ft. radius emanation in the Area line, but in the Description we learn there is a 10x10 area ocupied by the `choir` and anybody WITHIN 10` feat of the choir, i.e. FROM IT`S BORDERS, is affected, which is 5` further than if we simply relied on the Area line. Is this a problem?Haunting Choir
School necromancy [mind-affecting, pain]; Level bard 3
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S
Range close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Area
Duration concentration + 2 rounds
Saving Throw Will negates; Spell Resistance yes
You create a spectral choir and conduct its tortured, ghostly moans, deluding listeners into believing they are suffering the torments of the dead. , but they are intangible and do not interfere with creatures in any physical way, nor can they be attacked. experience wracking pain that causes them to take a –2 penalty on attack rolls, skill checks, and ability checks.
Editing fail.
If a wizard can use Eldritch Heritage to boost the level of his familiar the question arises what if anything happens once the familiar level gets to 21. Do we use the epic level handbook rules from 3.5?? If we do, do familiars get familiar spell for free??
Your familiar can't be higher than your HD, no matter what.
Where it would be useful is if you had a Wizard/Fighter who went into Eldritch Knight. His familiar stops growing from his wizards levels. However, it keeps growing if he takes this feat. He could have it at Wizard Level + (Fighter + EK - 2). At least that's how I'd rule it, or one weak familiar and one strong familiar.
As to the bonded weapon. Not sure how that would work for a non-wizard, I would just rule that if they have a wizard's spell book on them, they can cast one spell per day from it, as if a wizard of their level.
If a wizard can use Eldritch Heritage to boost the level of his familiar the question arises what if anything happens once the familiar level gets to 21. Do we use the epic level handbook rules from 3.5?? If we do, do familiars get familiar spell for free??Your familiar can't be higher than your HD, no matter what.
Where it would be useful is if you had a Wizard/Fighter who went into Eldritch Knight. His familiar stops growing from his wizards levels. However, it keeps growing if he takes this feat. He could have it at Wizard Level + (Fighter + EK - 2). At least that's how I'd rule it, or one weak familiar and one strong familiar.
As to the bonded weapon. Not sure how that would work for a non-wizard, I would just rule that if they have a wizard's spell book on them, they can cast one spell per day from it, as if a wizard of their level.
Where does it say that in the rules? All I've found is this:
Familiar Ability Descriptions: All familiars have special abilities (or impart abilities to their masters) depending on the master's combined level in classes that grant familiars, as shown on the table below. The abilities are cumulative.
So by this wording, I would assume a Wizard with Elritch Heritage (Arcane) would be able to stack levels from both classes. I know that's a stupid, cheesy loophole, but where by RAW is it forbidden?
Editing fail.
Yeah... I suppose I`d default to the Area listing, since 30` is kind of the `standard` spells are built around. But even if the description is adjusted to 25`, it STILL doesn`t line up exactly: Because of how diagonal squares are counted, the 10x10 choir cube being counted discretely from the targets´ distance from the choir effectively ignores the first diagonal (if that makes sense).