Re: High Circle Preview: Elementalist
Posted: Wed Feb 15, 2017 4:01 am
As above, looks like my concerns about Spliced Weave have been thoroughly resolved. However, I still have a lot of heartache over Plant Talk:
- It's a ED3 Circle 1 spell that is now a Warden Talent; that's a huge increase in cost, and I don't think the effect really justifies it
- Elementalists already have access to this effect via Summoning, just at a slower speed; forcing this as a Discipline Talent has the result of both double-charging the Discipline for an effect while also diminishing their previous investment
- Elementalists are not investigators/navigators as a primary feature, only as a secondary (i.e., Option) feature; this effect really belongs as an Option just like the other investigation (Astral Sight, Evidence Analysis, Item History) and orienteering (Navigation, Safe Path, Tracking, Wilderness Survival) Talents
- This effect is best served as a Knack of Elemental Tongues
- If it must remain a Talent, swapping it for Perfect Focus as the better Discipline Talent makes far more sense
- Supports existing abilities, like Summoning, which are core features of the Discipline
- Supports the Karma ability found at the same Circle
- The upper-tiers of Elementalist already have plenty of Elemental-themed Discipline Talents (Elemental Mastery, Vine Armor, Elemental Walk, Stone Skin - that's 4 out of 7), shoehorning Plant Talk in to further support the Elemental theme isn't necessary
- Elementalists can already sense nearby Elemental spirits as half-magic, which should work nearly without fail against the extremely low strength of these plant spirits, which feeds into the next point
- Elementalists can already talk to nearby Elemental spirits via Elemental tongues
- Although it takes significantly longer, Elementalists have access to MUCH better information-gathering abilities via Summon, with benefits including a much larger area and different perspectives (different Elemental spirits notice different things)
- Summon guarantees a service, which can be used to provide information, so a special purpose Talent guaranteed to provide information isn't necessary
- Value of Standard Action speed for this information gathering versus Summon ritual Sustained Action speed is highly debatable and best left as a choice (i.e., Option) for the Elementalist