Spell templates

glass · Oct 9, 2003

Hi there folks.

I just (finally) got AU, and in general I am very impressed. However there was one thing that struck me as a little odd, and I wondered if I was missing something.

What is the point of spell templates? What do they do that could not be done with standard feats, with less refering to different parts of the book and taking up less space.

glass.

Alejandro · Oct 9, 2003

You'd get a more detailed answer on the Malhavoc forums, but the first thing that appealed to me about spell templates is the balance of power and flexibility. Unlike wizards and metamagic, you can choose to apply spell templates when you cast the spell. Unlike standard feats, spell templates invariably require an additional cost (in spell slots, in material components, in specific circumstance) to unlock their full potential.

IMO, AU could have indeed saved space, but spells and spell templates would not have been my first area to cut.

glass · Oct 9, 2003

Alejandro said:
You'd get a more detailed answer on the Malhavoc forums, but the first thing that appealed to me about spell templates is the balance of power and flexibility. Unlike wizards and metamagic, you can choose to apply spell templates when you cast the spell. Unlike standard feats, spell templates invariably require an additional cost (in spell slots, in material components, in specific circumstance) to unlock their full potential.

IMO, AU could have indeed saved space, but spells and spell templates would not have been my first area to cut.

Sorry, I didn't quite make myself clear. Perhaps and example would help:

IIRC (I am at work) there is a feat called blessed mage which allows you to apply the blessed template to spells. Why not just put the description in the template in the feat instead?

glass.

EricNoah · Oct 9, 2003

I'd guess so you can look up the spell templates all in one area.

BTW if you're interested, I have a spreadsheet of all sorts of spell modification info summarized, including the spell templates, on my website: http://webpages.charter.net/ericnoah/noahrpg/au/auspellmod.zip

Tarrasque Wrangler · Oct 10, 2003

Also, while the feat generally gives you some bennie on top of access to the template, some class abilities (some witch abilities spring to mind) give you access to the template without giving you the feat.

Rybaer · Oct 10, 2003

At least one feat (Creator Mage) grants access to more than one template as well.

Macbeth · Oct 10, 2003

Also, A DM might want to apply a template not as the result of a feat, but to represent the effects of a specific area, so for example all spells in an ancient temple get the Blessed template.

Isida Kep'Tukari · Oct 10, 2003

Macbeth said:
Also, A DM might want to apply a template not as the result of a feat, but to represent the effects of a specific area, so for example all spells in an ancient temple get the Blessed template.

YOINKing that for my campaign, thanks Macbeth.

Hardhead · Oct 10, 2003

I like the idea of Spell Templates, though some have serious balance issues. I think electricity might be too strong, and Earth is amazingly weak. Although I took it for flavor reasons in a one-shot pbp I'm playing in, it was clearly the wrong choice from a balance standpoint. I've got a 5th level character, and there's not a single spell I'd want to apply the Earth template to.

Varianor Abroad · Oct 10, 2003

Hardhead said:
I like the idea of Spell Templates, though some have serious balance issues. I think electricity might be too strong, and Earth is amazingly weak. Although I took it for flavor reasons in a one-shot pbp I'm playing in, it was clearly the wrong choice from a balance standpoint. I've got a 5th level character, and there's not a single spell I'd want to apply the Earth template to.

Heh. We have a whole thread going on Earth template at Monte's boards. If you look at it from the "Four Fights per Game Session" perspective, it might be considered week. But, if you are in a game where your magister can do other things, it's a lot more interesting. Imagine building a wall over a tunnel to stop some huge horde of evil from getting out? Earth template makes it stronger.

I'm convinced that due to all the "it's not balanced" arguments I've seen that the templates are balanced. It's like all the arguments in 3.#. Sure, a few may get modified slightly for individual games, but they add great flavor. 8)