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A couple of core questions/things that I feel need some clarification in the rulebook.

What is the purpose of levels for spells? Other than 5th level, which is considered Awakened, I am failing to understand this.

Same thing with groups. If you want the casting times to be set at certain level then just go ahead and set them. Same with reloads. I mean...Every spell reload time is 2 minutes if you have Quicken Spell twice. Most casting times are 10 seconds or zero. Including some powerful offensive spells.

Speaking of that...Does Quicken Spell effect scrolls that a Magus uses?

These spell items need a lot more detail. Do the require attunement? If not does that mean the item has the reload time associated with it?

Oh Essence Blast...I doubt there is a single Magus who is currently using this skill. The cost of one essence for 3 magic is simply too high when there are so many more amazing things we can do with it. It doesn't hit the key number of 5 without an item. I'll take a 10 second charge for 5 magic with the ability to have the item bring it 7 with the Essence Crystal. This is gives us something we can do when we run out of essence.

Spells come next.

I use this spell.

I use it for quick damage when the enemies are spell walling, or blinking, or likey to counter.

I have a focus crystal which makes it better. (i would use it anyway.) If I have 20 essence, and they keep spellwalling, i can use this. it can;t be countered. (this is the only tool like it in the box.)

Kiel Reid wrote:What is the purpose of levels for spells? Other than 5th level, which is considered Awakened, I am failing to understand this.

I think the levels of the spells are more for the staff to balance them. If a spell is level 1 it's going to cost less essence than level 2 and so on. Some spells may be in the wrong level range right now and that's why knowing the spell level is useful for now.

Same thing with groups. If you want the casting times to be set at certain level then just go ahead and set them. Same with reloads. I mean...Every spell reload time is 2 minutes if you have Quicken Spell twice. Most casting times are 10 seconds or zero. Including some powerful offensive spells.

Everyone can cast spells. People who are untrained cast and recover slower though. To be honest I don't even look at the little group chart. I just look at the spell times and reduce them to the next lowest minimum.

Speaking of that...Does Quicken Spell effect scrolls that a Magus uses?

You know what, I never thought to ask that... I just assumed it does since the scrolls are the only way to test the new spells right now. It wouldn't be a very realistic test if skills didn't apply.

These spell items need a lot more detail. Do the require attunement? If not does that mean the item has the reload time associated with it?

You have no idea. For one, the only spells that are spell items right now are the ones from the book and were known before the change or a new player buys with points, which is way too expensive right now. On top of that, there are no tags for them yet. Mine are scrolled in my little note book to remind me what I have. Luckily I can learn them all anyway so I don't have to worry about someone stealing my non tagged spells. As far as attunement goes, no, they are not magic items.

Oh Essence Blast...I doubt there is a single Magus who is currently using this skill. The cost of one essence for 3 magic is simply too high when there are so many more amazing things we can do with it. It doesn't hit the key number of 5 without an item. I'll take a 10 second charge for 5 magic with the ability to have the item bring it 7 with the Essence Crystal. This is gives us something we can do when we run out of essence.

I felt this way at first too, I didn't think 2 magic, it was upped to 3 later, would be worth it. Then I saw that essence crystal added 2 more and I started thinking maybe it was. Then I finished adding up my essence and realized that single target it is way better damage per essence than anything else.

most of magus abilities can be understood if you look at it this way.

a bunch of artificial restrictions were placed on spells, magus removes those restrictions. they don't cast spells better then everyone, everyone just cast spells worse then a magus

this is personally why I don't like magus and preferred the wizard style, because only wizards could do what they did. that said from what I have seen those playing magus seem to enjoy it more then wizard, so I am not going to complain if they are having fun. there are plenty of paths that do play to my enjoyment so its all good.

I'll concede the point on Essence Blast however I do feel that the need to point out that it is only effective when used with an item that almost doubles it's power.

I worry about these "Spell Items" getting passed around quickly in combat to utilize spells quickly. The sheer amount of possible game stops means there is a high potential for combat to slow down to a crawl. This creates a high potential for that.

How come when I get a magic item that let's me do what a Rogue does I am required to attune it but if a Rogue gets an item that allows them to cast a spell they do not? I don't see one time uses of Parry and Gather Essence being thrown around.

I agree with just about everything you say but fear im being led to a conclusion or point I don't quite see yet.

would you be willing to write out what you would want to see from magus or what you want changed so I get good view of your idea allowing me to form a conclusion?

Kiel Reid wrote:I'll concede the point on Essence Blast however I do feel that the need to point out that it is only effective when used with an item that almost doubles it's power.

Sadly, there are a few things in game that are like that. I saw a magic item once that took something like 30 seconds.. or maybe it was 5 seconds of a skill that took 5 minutes.. or maybe 10 minutes. I asked about the reasoning for the item and I was told, "Oh, well, if you have skill X to go with it, and have augment Y with item Z and then use a hero point, that item is pretty powerful." To me, this seems very situational and I don't think many people will build their character around such a magic item. But right now, this is how the minds of our GMs work.

I worry about these "Spell Items" getting passed around quickly in combat to utilize spells quickly. The sheer amount of possible game stops means there is a high potential for combat to slow down to a crawl. This creates a high potential for that.

Swapping of "spell items" hasn't really happened in battle yet. As of now, GMs are not playing with required components that go with scrolls. Magi have durable components, so there's no need. I haven't really seen scrolls themselves being swapped around yet though. I'm not sure how much of an issue it will be in comparison to potions being swapped around in battle (my beef there is people not ripping the tags when they use the potion since they don't want to dig through their bag to find it *twitch*). As for game stops - during the wizard duel (aka - we want to test these scrolls/see them in action), yes game stops were horrid. During a few actual battles, they weren't so bad. A magus would call a game stop, and do their thing, then people would use scrolls during the same game stop. So maybe not more game stops.. but game stops that are a little longer... but there have been back to back game stops too.

How come when I get a magic item that let's me do what a Rogue does I am required to attune it but if a Rogue gets an item that allows them to cast a spell they do not? I don't see one time uses of Parry and Gather Essence being thrown around.

From my understanding, one time use magic items do not require attunement (but PLEASE correct me if I'm wrong on that), which is what scrolls are. They are one time use "skills". You use them, and then you rip up the tag like you would a potion.

That is the general rule, yes, one shot magic items do not require attunement. That rule might be broken by plot level items in which case this would be specifically mentioned.

The new magic/spell rules feel a lot like AD&D, especially with the spell components. (No judgment, just calling what I see.)

If that's the intent, I'd like to see a skill added to Magus in the vein of "Create Spell Scroll." Let mages make spell scrolls for the things they think are really important or helpful or that they want others to be able to use if they're down for the count. Just my thoughts.

(I also wouldn't be opposed to scroll treasure being "unknown until opened" with a chance of the spell being activated when opened. Spell scroll Russian roulette! )