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7 months ago ::
Oct 31, 2012 - 2:52AM
#1
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Date Joined:
Jul 23, 2010
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Well, I saw no discussions about words of power, and yet I think they are a big deal! For those who don't know what I'm talking about, words of power are a new mechanic attached to the cleric class. They allow them to cast some spells as part of another action. Several spells can be casted as words of power, but most notably, cure spells can be casted like this!
To me, this is an enormous step in the right direction for the cleric class. Clerics no longer need to spend their entire turn healing, they can attack at the same time (4e style), which is fun! The fact that cure spells are now ranged makes this even better.
What do you think about words of power?
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7 months ago ::
Oct 31, 2012 - 3:13AM
#2
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Date Joined:
May 12, 2009
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I really like this new mechanic and think its a huge step in the right direction. Allowing Cleric to cast supportive spells and attack or do some other non-verbal acrtion that isn't a Spell is one of the best thing that happened to the Cleric IMO.
Its definitly one of the best improvements of Packet 102912
Yan
Montréal, Canada
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7 months ago ::
Oct 31, 2012 - 5:07AM
#3
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Date Joined:
Jul 16, 2012
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Yes they've got that aspect of the cleric right, it should make the class more appealing in general.
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7 months ago ::
Oct 31, 2012 - 6:55AM
#4
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Very nice mechanic... most importantly it makes perfect sense that non-somatic spells require no action.
+1 for this new rule.
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7 months ago ::
Oct 31, 2012 - 7:21AM
#5
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Date Joined:
Dec 21, 2011
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I agree with all of the above. I love this alteration. Like some have mentioned in other threads, it also paves the way for Bard Songs or Warlord spells.
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7 months ago ::
Oct 31, 2012 - 9:08AM
#6
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Date Joined:
Jun 15, 2012
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When I read this I said "Thank you ToB and 4e" I see the "Word of Power" as a change on some Crusader manuevers and Cleric prayers started. :D
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7 months ago ::
Oct 31, 2012 - 9:11AM
#7
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Date Joined:
Jun 25, 2011
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The mechanic existed, in part, in the previous packet. It was in the wording "When casting this spell, the character can also make a weapon attack as part of the same action."
Now, just attaching the keyword "Word of Power" to a spell, you describe that rule. And the new rule is expanded to allow almost any action that doesn't require you to speak. Pretty clever.
My only concern is that the tiny keyword is going to be overlooked on many spells....and 3 rounds later a cleric PC will say "Oh! That cure spell was a Word of Power spell and I didn't take my extra action!" I know the burden is on the player to be aware of his own spells, but it's not incredibly obvious either. The whole rule is just 4 sentences long and hidden inside the Cleric's Divine Magic feature description. I think it needs to be displayed more prominently.
Otherwise, it's a really awesome new mechanic!
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7 months ago ::
Oct 31, 2012 - 3:41PM
#8
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Date Joined:
May 24, 2012
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I loved this mechanic in iterations before this one. I loved the Healing Word spell the cleric of Moradin had in the first playtest iteration. I loved the mechanic being shoved on to Channel Divinity for a War Domain cleric in the one after.
It was pretty big, flavourful, and it allowed people who felt their party needs a healer to still fulfill that role somewhat. Without being overly specialised in it, and while still playing a character that loves to kick ass and is good at it.
I hate the mechanic now.
On pretty much every spell that works like this, it's just fine, except for the largest category of all: healing spells.
Where is that most excelent distinction previous iterations made between clerics of differing philosophies, domains, deities, you name it? Just in domain spells? So clerics who choose to focus on healing get a free healing spell to toss around while, well, kicking ass regardless? Without ever having to make that choice between getting more damage out, or keeping their party on their feet?
Of course, there's also just the matter of the flavour of the spell itself. Healing people should be a physical thing. It's a matter of life and death, after all. Something that has a huge implication on both the game world and the person being healed. Before the paladins got their grubby gauntlets on the term, this is what laying on hands meant. Forgive me, but someone saying a few words from 50 feet away doesn't carry that image for me, doesn't carry the same gravitas.
Don't get me wrong, I'm absolutely fine with the mechanic existing for clerics who specialise in kicking ass first, and healing as a kind of second thought. It shouldn't exist -in my opinion- for just any cleric though. It just doesn't sit right.
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7 months ago ::
Oct 31, 2012 - 4:06PM
#9
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Date Joined:
May 27, 2012
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I'm a big fan of requiring cure spells to actually take your turn. I like spending my turn on doing something to help everyone else, without also needing to make an attack.
This implementation makes it feel as though the only way to contribute to the fight is to hurt people. It really increases the level of homogeneity among all classes.
The metagame is not the game.
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7 months ago ::
Oct 31, 2012 - 4:17PM
#10
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Date Joined:
Apr 15, 2001
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I like it the way has also been added to cleric buff spells such as divine power and divine favour. Decent spells to use, buff and attack but concentration required which rules out stacking them with other buff spells.
Cleric is probably the best class ATM not in terms of poer but how it feels. Its almost a complete class IMHO.
Reducing a character to a list of dice rolls and modifiers is not role playing*
*pg 30, AD&D 2nd Ed DMG, 1989.
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