Post by desocupado on Mar 5, 2015 4:42:35 GMT
Some might be due the lack of benefits compared to others (like spell schools) or the general feat tightness tanks face.
Regardless of that, it's good to see if there's any idea on how to improve them or a situation when a build could really use for them.
(I'll add any feat suggestion to this first post)
Even if you opt to reduce the amount of schools you can have, defensive feats end-up being more attractive choices for Bards Clerics or Druid, as they benefit for being in close quarters.
Automatic metamagic series
- Automatic Still
- Automatic Silence
- Automatic Quicken spell
All these series require three epic feats, require Spell craft 20-30, the ability to cast level 9 spells and a regular feat.
Automatic quick is outright useless, due haste being prevalent. So it'd need another effect completely unrelated to the original. Ideas:
- Some time stop castings per day (kinda uninteresting)
- The ability to read scrolls as quick action
- The ability to cast any level 1-3 spells as quick action
Automatic Silence would be usable if it cost just 2 feats. Maybe having it on II/III could increase the DC of low level spells (ASP II granting spells I-IV get+1 DC and ASP III grating a cumulative +1 to I-VI spells).
Epic spells
- Dragon Knight
- Mummy Dust
- Epic Mage Armor
- Hell Ball
- Epic Warding
Well, summons have their complex balance issues and party reaction - at least I'd advocate to make them require minimum buffs (max dodge & natural ac, stat bonuses and keen)
EMA and Epic Warding are both pretty interesting, duration and castings per day being their main issue. Maybe another casting at Spellcraft 50, would make both more popular. (EMA requires defensive spell casting to be most useful for casters, but is otherwise very good for battle casters)
Hellball is kinda sad, it deal 4 elementals, and with 4 spell focuses 40d6 * 4 = 160d6 (given a standard immunity of 0%/50% to just two elementals, it becomes 80d6) - while a fireball deals 60d6x2 = 120d6 - so I'd add 3 things
- never heal enemies
- boosted by lore (it does need damage)
- never breaks loot (it is epic)
Metamagic
- (Improved) Combat Casting
- Quicken spell
- Maximize spell (slightly underused)
Well, combat casting is an odd sheep. The effect is pretty relaxing, similarly to defensive awareness. That being said, it doesn't really add power, since you can use defensive casting. Maybe a pandect could improve your combat casting to legendary combat casting (if you have the first feat) - as an alternative form to summon pandect.
Quicken and Maximize spell have a similar flaw, they increase spell level by too much (+4 and +3 respectively). Maximize is usable for some spells (with d12 or d20), but is hardly a good choice compared to extend or empower. Quicken is outright useless.
Maybe Quickened spells could either:
- Considered maximize, empowered and extended if you also know the corresponding feats (or just a combination of 2 of these)
- get a +3 dc modifier (every spell gets DC+1 per spell level, so you are still "losing" DC)
- get additional CL (might break way too many things)
Maximized spells could get a free extend effect or a DC+1.
Craft series
- Brew Potion
- Craft Wand
Combat modes
- Dirty fighting
- Parry mode
- Power Attack
Dirty fighting is pretty sad. It sacrifices too many attacks.
- Ignore concealment & grants AB (like true strike) - for 1 attack
- Deals additional damage (alternatively)
- Give Bluff and Taunt with additional effects - blind or fear respectively - with DC = Base AB (including LL levels) + Dex mod - 2 rounds duration (or str could cause a -1 saves fear effect without DC - not stacking)
Power Attack. Dealing about additional 10/25% multiplicative damage instead of a flat bonus would be nice for both Strength and Dexters. Maybe an additional Str mod /4% would spice up things (indirectly this could be a buff for WM).
Combat Maneuvers
- Called shot
Combat Passives
- Circle Kick
- Cleave / Great Cleave