Trickery domain's "copy cat" ability: should be standard action?

[azhrei_fje]

I've got a rogue in my group that plans on taking one level of cleric (or maybe three) and choosing the Trickery domain. The 1st level power is:

Copy Cat (Su): You can create an illusory double of yourself as a move action. This double functions as a single mirror image and lasts for a number of rounds equal to your caster level (unless dispelled or destroyed). You can have no more than one copy cat at a time. This ability does not stack with mirror image.

My question is whether this should be a standard action? Most of the PF domains specify standard actions for their 1st level powers (or they specify some kind of attack, which amounts to the same thing).

My concern is that this allows the cleric to activate the copy cat and attack in the same round. At 1st level, the effect only lasts 1 round but this is an at-will ability so it can be reactivated every round.

Does that seem reasonable to you? Why or why not?

We play again on Tuesday, so if you have an opinion on this, or some experience with using this power in your game, I'd love to hear about it. Thanks!

 

[azhrei_fje]

*Bump*

Maybe this should be in a different forum? Moderators, if so, please move it...

 

[freyar]

Maybe no one has had this come up yet?

Looking at it, I'd guess it's ok as a move action. If they want to keep activating copy cat and attacking, they lose their move. The 5 foot step doesn't necessarily get them where they need to be.

 

[timbannock]

From d20SRD.org:

Using a supernatural ability is a standard action unless noted otherwise.

 

[Set]

My question is whether this should be a standard action? Most of the PF domains specify standard actions for their 1st level powers (or they specify some kind of attack, which amounts to the same thing).

My concern is that this allows the cleric to activate the copy cat and attack in the same round. At 1st level, the effect only lasts 1 round but this is an at-will ability so it can be reactivated every round.

If it were a standard action, with a one round duration, the power would be a fairly awful choice, IMO, as the character would essentially be condemned to spend the entire combat activating and re-activating the power *and doing nothing else* for a 50% chance of avoiding a single attack per round...

Even if used every round as a move action, eating up the characters move actions and leaving them unable to take multiple attacks (important for a TWF Rogue, to maximize their Sneak Attack), all it ends up doing is giving them a 50% chance of avoiding a single physical attack each round. It's really not that big a deal, IMO, although I have yet to playtest that one in particular (I have a Cleric with Trickery, but she hasn't been in combat yet).

Hand of the Acolyte, OTOH, is scary good at low levels, and, quite likely, a complete waste of time at mid to higher levels...

 

[timbannock]

Yeah, my post shows that I didn't read this clearly!

I agree though...this is great at 1st level...and probably not so great after that.

A swift action would be too good, and a move action is really good if you want to make it something that gets used when a character is locked down...but only at low levels.

I haven't looked at PF's other powers, but this is really not the greatest design choice. To be fair, I don't really care for any spells/powers that become useless after a few levels, which happens a lot in 3e.

 

[azhrei_fje]

Interesting viewpoint about it being useless at higher levels.

While it only lasts 5 rounds say (at 5th level), that 5 rounds of 50% miss chance. Of course, once it gets hit, you have to create it again... Maybe that's not so bad. At low levels it would let you survive a little longer if you were running away, but that's about it.

Thanks for the input everyone. I'm not going to worry about it unless/until it becomes a problem.

 

[Set]

While it only lasts 5 rounds say (at 5th level), that 5 rounds of 50% miss chance. Of course, once it gets hit, you have to create it again... Maybe that's not so bad. At low levels it would let you survive a little longer if you were running away, but that's about it.

Since Clerics don't get an iterative attack until 6th or 7th level, the move action thing is pretty awesome. They can stand in the thick of it, make a 5 ft. adjustment as needed, take their normal standard action to heal, spellcast or attack, and still use their movement action to keep that free mirror image active.

It's a *nice* power, on par with some of the old school Domain powers that let you Command Fire Creatures or whatever and have a posse of Thoqqua to burninate your foes.