[Tutorial] Making a Creature with Spells Through Effects

Making a Creature with Spells Through Effects
(Pathfinder rules, PFS Pregen character level 4)

Example 1

Ezren
Male human wizard 4
NG Medium humanoid
Init +0; Senses Perception +6

Defense
AC 11, touch 10, flat-footed 11 (+1 armor)
hp 26 (4d6+8)
Fort +5, Ref +2, Will +7

Offense
Speed 30 ft.
Melee cane +2 (1d6)
Ranged light crossbow +2 (1d8/19–20)

Special Attacks
hand of the apprentice (7/day, +6 ranged)

Wizard Spells Prepared (CL 4th)
2nd—glitterdust (DC 16), scorching ray (2, DC 17)
1st—cause fear (DC 15), mage armor, magic missile (2)
0 (at will)—acid splash (DC 14), detect magic, disrupt undead (DC 14), light

Statistics
Str 11, Dex 10, Con 12, Int 19, Wis 15, Cha 10

Base Atk +2; CMB +2; CMD 12

Feats
Combat Casting, Eschew Materials, Great Fortitude, Spell Focus (evocation)

Skills
Diplomacy +1, Knowledge (arcana) +11, Knowledge (geography) +10, Knowledge (history) +11, Knowledge (local) +11, Perception +6, Spellcraft +11

Languages
Common, Draconic, Elven, Giant, Goblin

SQ arcane bond (cane), cantrips, spellbook (contains all PRPG cantrips and prepared spells as well as acid arrow, burning hands, detect undead, obscuring mist, shield, shocking grasp, and web)

Combat Gear
alchemist’s fire (2), scroll of burning hands, wand of magic missile (CL 1st, 50 charges); Other Gear backpack, bracers of armor +1, cane (as club), cloak of resistance +1, dagger, light crossbow and 20 bolts, pearl of power (1st), scroll case, spell component pouch, spellbook, 10 gp


Let's create the character in d20Pro...
(pictorial guide)















Note: The Edit Effect (Save) (Load) "Acid Splash (Successful ranged touch attack)" is the first spell in my effects/spell database. We are creating new effects in this tutorial without saving or loading from the effects/spell database.
































You will notice the spells that use a ranged touch in the Attack and the Ability tabs. I have my pre-generated bad-guys, NPCs, and PCs use the Ability first to keep track of resources, then make the appropriate roll in their attacks window. Ones such as 0 level spells where they can use unlimited amount, I just have them use the attack window first. If one gets a save, then if they are successful with their ranged attack, we will use the ability second (such as the case in Disrupt Undead, gets a Will save for half damage).

 

Spell Function for Spells
Benefit: Accurate count of spells used, both for spontaneous casters and memorized spells.
Limitation: Unable to save pre-defined DC's for Will/Ref/Fort Saves. Unable to save a pre-defined duration. Must pick the effect after choosing the spell from the effects load feature, or enter in the details each time a spell is cast.

Ability Function for Spells
Benefit: Accurate count of spells used for memorized spells. Ability Function saves DC's for Will/Ref/Fort Saves along with a pre-defined duration. Can use the ability and apply the effects to any creature quicker than using the Spell Function.
Limitation: Spontaneous casters must utilize another Ability Function as a counter for remaining spells of each level for proper record keeping. For memorized spell casters there is a lot more modifying the Ability Tab depending what the player memorizes for that particular day (Even if you have all the spells that the memorized spell caster can cast as Abilities, you will have a lot of entries with 0/0 per day - since you can't memorize every single spell)

Create another Ability named: "Level 1 Spell" and "Level 2 Spell" and etc. Give the number of uses per day equal to how many spells that the spontaneous caster can cast for each given spell level. Then all the known spells are listed as 1/will, meaning they can cast these at will, as long as the player uses the level spell counter first.

How it plays in the game:
1) Player uses the Ability "Level 3 Spell", then GM confirms use.
2) Player uses the Ability "Spell(3): Fireball" and selects their targets(either manually, or via the template autofill target feature) and confirms, then GM confirms use and applies damage.
(If Player doesn't use the Ability "Level X Spell" the GM cancels any Spell (X) Ability)

 

First, setup a touch attack with 0 damage.


Second, setup each effect -1 through -6 (since the number depends on a random roll, and half effect if save passes.)


How I handle Ray of Enfeeblement
1) Spend spell slot.
2) Submit touch attack.
3) Save manually (with hotkeys)
4) Roll manually (1d6)
5) Apply effect (full or half).

 

It wasn't an "official" response, since I've joined the team after the original post (I joined the d20Pro team 2nd Quarter of 2012).

And guess what? Here's the official response: This issue has been fixed in v3.3.4 along with many other issues people have reported, and this was a necro thread for a workaround while it was being fixed. This fix was announced when the update was released on social media (and thus our main webpage), however, many people just focused on Fog of War stuff. Perhaps in the future we should also have forum posts so they persist and can help new and existing users alike

I keep close tabs on the forums (and even if I don't post anything, I am still monitoring progress) My goal is to make d20Pro easier to use and require less time for GM's to prep their game - because I run games from d20Pro just like you do. So, I hope I have restored some of your trust with the d20Pro team as we look at how far we have come and where we are headed in the future. Remaker, if you have additional concerns please PM me.