Bonus Types, Spell Levels

[The Spectrum Rider]

(1) Consider the following ability: once per day (or a certain number of times per day) you can draw upon raw supernatural energy (say, from the Positive Energy Plane or the Plane of Fire) to briefly increase your physical and mental abilities. You receive a +1 bonus to all attack rolls, damage rolls, skill checks, saving throws, and ability checks (including modified ability checks such as bardic knowledge) for 1 round.

Question: what type would you assign to this bonus? Competence, enhancement, luck?

If there was a spell that let you do that once (assume free-action casting time, like feather fall, then good for 1 round), what level would it be?

(2) Consider the following spell: as guidance, but casting time is 1 free action (like feather fall) and you receive a +2 bonus to a single roll of your choice - attack roll, damage roll, skill check, saving throw, or ability check (including modified ability checks such as bardic knowledge) - made within 1 round. You must choose the roll to be affected when the spell is cast.

Question: what level is that spell? Oth or 1st?

Thanks.

The Spectrum Rider

 

[The Spectrum Rider]

bump

 

[Lord Pendragon]

(1) How much do you want the ability to stack with others? This will impact what type of bonus to make it, which will in turn impact what level spell it should be.

(2) 1st-level. The reason that Guidance is 0th-level is that you have to cast it in advance, then it's only good for 10 rounds. Because your spell can be cast as a free action, it's basically 1 use/day, whenever. It will never be wasted.

 

[Voadam]

(2) Consider the following spell: as guidance, but casting time is 1 free action (like feather fall) and you receive a +2 bonus to a single roll of your choice - attack roll, damage roll, skill check, saving throw, or ability check (including modified ability checks such as bardic knowledge) - made within 1 round. You must choose the roll to be affected when the spell is cast.

Question: what level is that spell? Oth or 1st?



Thanks.

The Spectrum Rider

You mean exactly like a guidance spell with the quicken feat applied and double the bonus plus applicable to ability checks or damage rolls? I'm afraid the free action bumps it higher than 1st, even if you keep the bonus +1 and limit it to the ones available in guidance (attack roll, saving throw, or skill check).

As a general rule of thumb a feat plus a spell of a total modified spell level should be a little more powerful than a single spell of that level because it takes more resources (spell plus feat versus just a spell).

 

[Victim]

You mean exactly like a guidance spell with the quicken feat applied and double the bonus plus applicable to ability checks or damage rolls? I'm afraid the free action bumps it higher than 1st, even if you keep the bonus +1 and limit it to the ones available in guidance (attack roll, saving throw, or skill check).

As a general rule of thumb a feat plus a spell of a total modified spell level should be a little more powerful than a single spell of that level because it takes more resources (spell plus feat versus just a spell).

Yes, that is why Featherfall is 4th level too.