09-24-2013, 09:37 PM
(This post was last modified: 09-25-2013, 10:11 AM by Cycopaethic.)
First of all I'd like to point out I don't play a Necromancer so this has significantly less time put into thinking it through then the Engineer, and secondly the only spells I looked at were ones listed as necromancer spells.
Also if any of the spells I bring up were tweaked in the recent update I've not gone back through and looked.
1. Bone armor refers to itself as Wind armor in the text of the spell.
2. Boneshatter change wording to "This spell has no effect on creatures that lack either skeletons or hard carapaces." otherwise the wording indicates a very limited target selection (those with skeletons and hard carapaces, which are usually mutually exclusive).
3. May wish to change Classic spells versions II and III extra damage per caster level all are maxed at level 5 as written (third level spells are only available starting at level 5) either decrease the bonus per caster level or increase the cap. (preferably decrease the bonus, the spells are more then strong enough already)
4. You may want to switch Grave Touch to being treated like the Cantrips Black/White mages get and give it a will save (as is it's unlimited uses per day and automatic on a sucessful touchattack making it seem a little overpowered), if you do you might add Bleed, Detect, Fatigue, Identify, and a shadow version of "Orb" to the necromancer's Cantrips, or come up with something unique.
5. Graviga says it's a blue mage spell but doesn't list a creature it's learned from, while gravity says it's learned from Bahamut but not listed as a blue mage spell.
6. For Poison you may wish to change the wording to indicate it ends when the spell durration is up or the status effect is cured. As written it might confuse someone.
7. Obscure II and III do not say they are necromancer spells?
8. For Toxify, just like poison, you may wish to change the wording.
9. Consider adding in an Undead creating/summoning spells to the necromancer list (may require adding to the FFd20 bestiary or using the pathfinder bestiary), they fit well with the theme and barring the addition of material components (especially expensive ones) a spell creating undead could require an MP upkeep cost to keep the undead from falling back apart and act as a quick/dirty extended summoning spell of sorts.
10. Could probably use a spell that inflicts the Zombie status on the necromancer spell list (might not hurt to drop Reverse down a couple spell levels), as well as one or two specifically targeted at undead (unless I'm mistaken currently none of the necromancer spells damage undead).
11. Consider replacing Dark Energy Burst with Channel Energy (Negative Only) as a cleric of the character's necromancer level (or some appropriate reduction in level) a number of times per day equal to 1+Charisma modifier (reduced from the cleric's base 3+Cha mod due to necromancers being charisma based, much like the channel energy ability available to a life mystery oracle), this would allow access to the Control Undead Channel Feat though you may need to make a note in the description limiting it to only negative energy and prohibiting feats that modify the type such as alignment channel or elemental channel.
12. Destruction Retribution states that it's a "burst of dark energy" but then says it's a 10' spread, you may wish to alter the text to make it consistent since a 10' burst is mechanically different then a 10' spread.
13. Consider increasing the number of uses per day of Deathly Abeyance to at least 3 (or possibly 1+Charisma modifier) since it is significantly less powerful then the 1MP spell that most other casters get.
14. You might consider improving Final Guide since it emulates only a 6'th level spell (which is on their list) that has no material cost associated with it, while the ability also increases the effective casting time. Especially since as a level 19 ability it pales in comparison to the level 19 abilities available to the other full progression casting classes. If Arise had the associated cost of the Pathfinder spell Raise Dead or Resurrection (5,000 or 10,000gp respectively) it would be more or less useful as is, but since death and resurrections are cheap in the final fantasy universe I'd suggest it be useable 3/day and the limit be reduced to only being applicable once every 24 hours to once per week on any one individual.
15. Bone Commander should probably start off with at least leather armor Proficiency base (as is the case with the Skeleton in the FFd20 bestiary), Possibly also one or two martial melee weapons (such as scimitar, bestiary again). Such would make it more capable of surviving in combat.
16. Bone Commander should Probably also get "Share Spells" at necromancer level one like animal companions do.
17. For Bone Minions (much like with the Bone Commander) they should probably have armor proficiency (Bone Warriors in chain, Archers in Leather and Menders/Mages in cloth). Otherwise they'll be destroyed too quickly to be of much use (AC 13 on the front lines even with DR 5/Bludgeoning is going down quickly).
18. For the Warriors you might wish to specify that they gain proficiency in the weapon they gain the weapon focus in (possibly restricting it to martial melee weapons, unless you want them staying with simple weapons in which case that needs mentioning). Also for the archers specify proficiency with all bows and composite versions (or select one type or another if you wish it to be more restrictive such as only short-bows). Unless they're summoned with weapons already (which are presumably destroyed with them) in which case they'd make slightly sub-par shock-troops as is.
Also if any of the spells I bring up were tweaked in the recent update I've not gone back through and looked.
1. Bone armor refers to itself as Wind armor in the text of the spell.
2. Boneshatter change wording to "This spell has no effect on creatures that lack either skeletons or hard carapaces." otherwise the wording indicates a very limited target selection (those with skeletons and hard carapaces, which are usually mutually exclusive).
3. May wish to change Classic spells versions II and III extra damage per caster level all are maxed at level 5 as written (third level spells are only available starting at level 5) either decrease the bonus per caster level or increase the cap. (preferably decrease the bonus, the spells are more then strong enough already)
4. You may want to switch Grave Touch to being treated like the Cantrips Black/White mages get and give it a will save (as is it's unlimited uses per day and automatic on a sucessful touchattack making it seem a little overpowered), if you do you might add Bleed, Detect, Fatigue, Identify, and a shadow version of "Orb" to the necromancer's Cantrips, or come up with something unique.
5. Graviga says it's a blue mage spell but doesn't list a creature it's learned from, while gravity says it's learned from Bahamut but not listed as a blue mage spell.
6. For Poison you may wish to change the wording to indicate it ends when the spell durration is up or the status effect is cured. As written it might confuse someone.
7. Obscure II and III do not say they are necromancer spells?
8. For Toxify, just like poison, you may wish to change the wording.
9. Consider adding in an Undead creating/summoning spells to the necromancer list (may require adding to the FFd20 bestiary or using the pathfinder bestiary), they fit well with the theme and barring the addition of material components (especially expensive ones) a spell creating undead could require an MP upkeep cost to keep the undead from falling back apart and act as a quick/dirty extended summoning spell of sorts.
10. Could probably use a spell that inflicts the Zombie status on the necromancer spell list (might not hurt to drop Reverse down a couple spell levels), as well as one or two specifically targeted at undead (unless I'm mistaken currently none of the necromancer spells damage undead).
11. Consider replacing Dark Energy Burst with Channel Energy (Negative Only) as a cleric of the character's necromancer level (or some appropriate reduction in level) a number of times per day equal to 1+Charisma modifier (reduced from the cleric's base 3+Cha mod due to necromancers being charisma based, much like the channel energy ability available to a life mystery oracle), this would allow access to the Control Undead Channel Feat though you may need to make a note in the description limiting it to only negative energy and prohibiting feats that modify the type such as alignment channel or elemental channel.
12. Destruction Retribution states that it's a "burst of dark energy" but then says it's a 10' spread, you may wish to alter the text to make it consistent since a 10' burst is mechanically different then a 10' spread.
13. Consider increasing the number of uses per day of Deathly Abeyance to at least 3 (or possibly 1+Charisma modifier) since it is significantly less powerful then the 1MP spell that most other casters get.
14. You might consider improving Final Guide since it emulates only a 6'th level spell (which is on their list) that has no material cost associated with it, while the ability also increases the effective casting time. Especially since as a level 19 ability it pales in comparison to the level 19 abilities available to the other full progression casting classes. If Arise had the associated cost of the Pathfinder spell Raise Dead or Resurrection (5,000 or 10,000gp respectively) it would be more or less useful as is, but since death and resurrections are cheap in the final fantasy universe I'd suggest it be useable 3/day and the limit be reduced to only being applicable once every 24 hours to once per week on any one individual.
15. Bone Commander should probably start off with at least leather armor Proficiency base (as is the case with the Skeleton in the FFd20 bestiary), Possibly also one or two martial melee weapons (such as scimitar, bestiary again). Such would make it more capable of surviving in combat.
16. Bone Commander should Probably also get "Share Spells" at necromancer level one like animal companions do.
17. For Bone Minions (much like with the Bone Commander) they should probably have armor proficiency (Bone Warriors in chain, Archers in Leather and Menders/Mages in cloth). Otherwise they'll be destroyed too quickly to be of much use (AC 13 on the front lines even with DR 5/Bludgeoning is going down quickly).
18. For the Warriors you might wish to specify that they gain proficiency in the weapon they gain the weapon focus in (possibly restricting it to martial melee weapons, unless you want them staying with simple weapons in which case that needs mentioning). Also for the archers specify proficiency with all bows and composite versions (or select one type or another if you wish it to be more restrictive such as only short-bows). Unless they're summoned with weapons already (which are presumably destroyed with them) in which case they'd make slightly sub-par shock-troops as is.
Got a game to run today and stuff to prepare.