Remathilis
Legend
This is a bit of a musing on the revision of spell-focus as it (seems) to relate to the rest of 3.5.
Why is spell focus nerfed? Is it really that much worse than before? Here out my arguments and rebuttals (yes, I'm playing both sides) to see which side you think you fall under. Enter only with a open mind (yes, that means you too Psion.
)
The Pro's.
* Symmentry. Weapon Focus is a feat that grants +1 to hit with a chosen weapon. Spell Focus is a feat that grants +1 to DCs of a chosen school. Symmentry. Greater X Focus grants a stacking +1 to each of the appropriate base feats. These feats now are more aligned in base power. (Actually, Spell Focus has the advantage of affecting only 1 of 8 possible choices, as opposed the countless weapons in the game.)
* Its a Base Feat. Few "base feats" or feats that start chains are a great as other feats with more pre-reqs. Compare it to weapon focus, dodge, or point blank shot, and you see they grant the same bonus, +1 to their appropriate ability.
* There are still the traditional ways to boost DCs, Heighten Spell, Animal Buffer Spells (even with shorter durations), Stat Booster Magic Items, PrC's (even if their aren't many the core, there are PLENTY in outside sources and surly more to come), even more in books like Tome in Blood (Co-Op Spell?).
* It makes the Save Booster Feats (Iron Will, etc.) More valuable because your beating the caster's 2-1. Many less charmed fighters at high levels!
* It reigns in some very powerful high level wizards (I personally saw a wizard with a base DC to saves of 25! + Caster Level Prismatic Spray and Disintergrate an entire module without breaking a sweat. Next level, he would have taken a level of Archmage had a dracolich not dropped him and all his stuff into a pool of acid.)
* As an added bonus, it adds another reign on the Mystic Theurge!
* Its still a useful feat. Even if its not a good as it was in 3e (see harm, haste, hold), that doesn't mean its not a useful feat to have. Less useful true, but useful nonetheless.
THE CONS.
* Why 2 for 1. Simply not making GSF core and leaving DM's to incorporate it in would not have made SF broken.
* Ditto with nerfling Archmage.
* Its absolutley pointless for non-dedicated casters. (Rangers, Bards, multi-classes)
* It makes it harder to beat monsters of equal CR*
* It foils backwards compatiblity.
* It weakens casters yet again, esp. those without uber scores.
* Thanks to the shorter animal buffs, its going to be hard to get descent spell DCs.
Well, I'm sure you can think of more than I have, but I personally don't think the change will result in any major loss of power, and maybe a few less uber transmuters/evokers and thier 20something + spell level DCs.
EDIT: * note on CR in cons, I, of course, haven't played the revised, so this is pure speculation and not rhe result of actual play-testing.
Why is spell focus nerfed? Is it really that much worse than before? Here out my arguments and rebuttals (yes, I'm playing both sides) to see which side you think you fall under. Enter only with a open mind (yes, that means you too Psion.
)The Pro's.
* Symmentry. Weapon Focus is a feat that grants +1 to hit with a chosen weapon. Spell Focus is a feat that grants +1 to DCs of a chosen school. Symmentry. Greater X Focus grants a stacking +1 to each of the appropriate base feats. These feats now are more aligned in base power. (Actually, Spell Focus has the advantage of affecting only 1 of 8 possible choices, as opposed the countless weapons in the game.)
* Its a Base Feat. Few "base feats" or feats that start chains are a great as other feats with more pre-reqs. Compare it to weapon focus, dodge, or point blank shot, and you see they grant the same bonus, +1 to their appropriate ability.
* There are still the traditional ways to boost DCs, Heighten Spell, Animal Buffer Spells (even with shorter durations), Stat Booster Magic Items, PrC's (even if their aren't many the core, there are PLENTY in outside sources and surly more to come), even more in books like Tome in Blood (Co-Op Spell?).
* It makes the Save Booster Feats (Iron Will, etc.) More valuable because your beating the caster's 2-1. Many less charmed fighters at high levels!
* It reigns in some very powerful high level wizards (I personally saw a wizard with a base DC to saves of 25! + Caster Level Prismatic Spray and Disintergrate an entire module without breaking a sweat. Next level, he would have taken a level of Archmage had a dracolich not dropped him and all his stuff into a pool of acid.)
* As an added bonus, it adds another reign on the Mystic Theurge!
* Its still a useful feat. Even if its not a good as it was in 3e (see harm, haste, hold), that doesn't mean its not a useful feat to have. Less useful true, but useful nonetheless.
THE CONS.
* Why 2 for 1. Simply not making GSF core and leaving DM's to incorporate it in would not have made SF broken.
* Ditto with nerfling Archmage.
* Its absolutley pointless for non-dedicated casters. (Rangers, Bards, multi-classes)
* It makes it harder to beat monsters of equal CR*
* It foils backwards compatiblity.
* It weakens casters yet again, esp. those without uber scores.
* Thanks to the shorter animal buffs, its going to be hard to get descent spell DCs.
Well, I'm sure you can think of more than I have, but I personally don't think the change will result in any major loss of power, and maybe a few less uber transmuters/evokers and thier 20something + spell level DCs.
EDIT: * note on CR in cons, I, of course, haven't played the revised, so this is pure speculation and not rhe result of actual play-testing.
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