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StarFyre
Acolyte
9 Posts |
 Posted - 28 Dec 2011 : 04:08:51
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hello,
All these strange questions I've been asking i the past few days, are for research for 2 separate campaigns I'm running under 3.5E d20/Pathfinder rules (with a few house rules).
I like to try and keep background, places, etc 'as official as possible' and only change things when they are my own custom settings/locations, etc.
That said: regarding spellfire. Reading over the 3/3.5e spellfire material, it makes it seem like the user can choose to ready themselves to absorb spells.
is this correct?
in 2e and the novels, it appeared like any magic power is absorbed.
I am wondering since a player wants to use it (other players think it's cool cause it's different, and I don't mind) but what I don't know, can that player be magically healed by a cleric or will cleric magic also be absorbed?
When we used it back in 2e many years ago, we played it that the drawback was the user can't be healed by magic.
Was that correct?
Regards,
Sanjay
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Ayrik
Great Reader
Canada
7969 Posts |
Posted - 28 Dec 2011 : 05:44:19
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| I'm unfamiliar with the 3E rules for spellfire ... but the 2E rules allow for incoming spells to be absorbed into spellfire, and spellfire to be expended on self-healing. Incoming spell energy does not convert directly into healing, the process is not instantaneous, there are important limits. |
[/Ayrik] |
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Thauramarth
Senior Scribe
United Kingdom
729 Posts |
Posted - 28 Dec 2011 : 10:07:32
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quote:
Originally posted by StarFyre
hello,
All these strange questions I've been asking i the past few days, are for research for 2 separate campaigns I'm running under 3.5E d20/Pathfinder rules (with a few house rules).
I like to try and keep background, places, etc 'as official as possible' and only change things when they are my own custom settings/locations, etc.
That said: regarding spellfire. Reading over the 3/3.5e spellfire material, it makes it seem like the user can choose to ready themselves to absorb spells.
is this correct?
in 2e and the novels, it appeared like any magic power is absorbed.
I am wondering since a player wants to use it (other players think it's cool cause it's different, and I don't mind) but what I don't know, can that player be magically healed by a cleric or will cleric magic also be absorbed?
When we used it back in 2e many years ago, we played it that the drawback was the user can't be healed by magic.
Was that correct?
Regards,
Sanjay
I am not familiar with 3E/3.5E rules; however, the answer to your questions can be found in Volo's Guide to All Things Magical - a suppressed work that oddly enough used to be available for download as PDF (although I do not remember if it was one of the "free" downloads that might be lurking somewhere in the depths of WotC's discarded webpages).
In summary, only for 1st-level (i.e;, untrained, or close to it), all spell absorption is involuntary. Direct quote (emphasis my own): "At this level of spellfire ability, absorption of magical energy from spells, breath weapons, and magical item discharges is involuntary: The character drains any active magic she or he comes into contact with, including useful magic and healing spells. Only rest or nonmagical healing can restore lost hit points to the character."
As of 2nd level, "Absorption of magic becomes entirely voluntary, but item dweomers and cast-but-not-yet-unleashed spells still remain beyond the wielder's powers of perception and draining." |
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Eldacar
Senior Scribe
438 Posts |
Posted - 29 Dec 2011 : 11:47:29
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Using the 3rd/3.5e rules for spellfire, the character using it will not heal unless they have an action readied to absorb the energy and thereby gain spellfire energy levels (which they can convert into healing spellfire).
Frankly, spellfire in 3rd edition is extremely weak, thanks to the action economy (you have to ready an action to absorb it, and if you want to get some decent damage going, you have to expend most of it). If you're not always fighting spellcasters or have a spellcaster with some magic items on hand to charge you back up, then it's actually rather useless as a feat.
If you can somehow get extra actions per round (a Choker or Chronotyryn is one solution, but doesn't become available for quite some time... and you lose your own supernatural abilities while shapeshifted, of which spellfire is one such), or reduce your current actions so you're only using swift actions or less (there are some methods of doing this, but it's very difficult, and normally requires epic levels), then it becomes a bit more effective, bearing in mind that you never have a whole lot of uses before you need to recharge. Otherwise, I would pass on it.
It's a shame, too, because spellfire is a fascinating concept and should really be something that can upset the balance of a campaign. |
"The Wild Mages I have met exhibit a startling disregard for common sense, and are often meddling with powers far beyond their own control." ~Volo
"Not unlike a certain travelogue author with whom I am unfortunately acquainted." ~Elminster |
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Spellfire - can a spellfire user be healed?
