Wednesday, November 15, 2023

Pathfinder Remaster: Expanded Spell Schools

The Pathfinder Remaster is here! It's got a lot of exciting changes, but one thing that I've seen a lot of folks be less excited about is that, as a consequence of Paizo removing the 8 traditional spell schools (evocation, conjuration, etc.) to move away from the OGL, the extra school spell slots are a lot more limited. While the book does say "Your GM might allow you to swap or add other spells to your curriculum if they strongly fit the theme" (PC 198), a lot of GMs might want more guidance. Plus, there are so many cool spells from SoM, DA, and RoE that deserve a chance to shine!

So, that's what we're doing today! We'll be going through each of the new Curriculums and giving suggestions for what spells (both from the remaster and previously existing material) GMs might want to add to each, with a focus on low-rank spells that will stay useful at higher levels (spell-blending wizards don't mind this, but everyone else does). Each list should end with 5 cantrips, 6 rank 1 spells, 2 rank 9 spells, and 4 of each other rank.

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Each section includes a summary of changes (as well as my reasoning) as well as a final curriculum spell list. Spells that are new (not in the original curriculums) are bolded. I hyperlinked all spells that are currently on AoN, and usually included the old version if its drastically changed in the remaster. Uncommon spells are marked (U), and Rare spells are marked (R). Again, GM discretion advised.

It is 100% up to you how much of this you want to adopt! You can adopt all of it immediately (more options more better), ignore it entirely (dead slots are fine, and situational spells force players to be creative), or pick and choose what you want to include or not. As always, the GM has the final say in what is or isn't allowed, especially with the Rare or Uncommon options. You may want to pair this with my revised damage cantrips, especially for the school of Mentalism since Daze sucks as written.

School of Ars Grammatica

Runes and wards, numbers and letters ... lacing your words with magic to compel others, casting wards around your workshop, or destabilizing the very structure of an opponent’s spell (PC 198)

Pros: 1st rank spells are decent! Command is always useful (it's not the best spell, but when it goes off it's great!), disguise magic is situational but potentially neat, the others don't scale well (in a rank 1 slot) but that's ok. There are lots of great counteract spells that are awesome in your highest 2 slots, repulsion and spellwrack are very cool, and there are some fun situational spells like sending and translate that will feel awesome when they come up.

Cons: the cantrips are underwhelming (message is decent but situational, sigil is flavor), a lot of the other low rank spells don't scale great (dispel magic, veil of privacy, and dispelling globe are all counteract checks, meaning they want to be heightened), and a lot of the spells are very situational (translate, enthrall since fascinated kinda sucks, sending is only good in certain campaigns, truespeech, planar seal, and unrelenting observation).

So, the biggest goal is to introduce more lower rank spells that fit the theme, as the higher rank spells can become dispel magic/etc. and it'd probably be fine, but this list also only has 1 8th rank spell (the others have 2) so we'll be adding at least one of those as well. I'm assuming true name shit isn't being used, but if it is it fits in nicely here as well.

Additional Ars Grammatica Spells

  • Cantrips: To keep the theme of "destabilizing the very structure of an opponent’s spell", we will add elemental counter. To continue the theme of "lacing your words with magic", we will add musical accompaniment (for more talky wizards) and infectious enthusiasm as a more combat-focused buff spell.
  • 1st rank: We already have command, so we don't need to go too crazy here. Pocket library is extremely on theme. Hell yes. Charm works with the compelling theme as well, though it's incap. Finally, I think gust of wind is very fun as a like breath spell. I imagine it as whispering words into wind! If you don't think it fits though, feel free to do alarm instead
  • 2nd rank: The most obvious one is voice on the breeze, which is very situational but also pretty cool! For a more consistently useful option, I went with laughing fit, which I think we can flavor as lacing your words with magic hilarity
  • 3rd rank: glyph of warding is a perfect fit for "casting wards"! And distracting chatter works well for "lacing words with magic". Secret page could also be fun, but it's too niche.
  • 4th rank: telepathy is a safe bet I think, and private sanctum (U) fits well since it's basically better veil of privacy.
  • 5th rank: shadow siphon is a truly perfect fit for "destabilizing the very structure of an opponent’s spell", in this case by making it partially an illusion! I like subconscious suggestion too, since suggestion is already on the list. Honorable mention to flames of ego - stoking their ego with your words?
  • 6th rank: While uncommon, dominate fits the "lacing your words with magic to compel others" to a tea. I honestly don't know what to do for a second, however. The only thing I can think of is word of revision, which is both RARE and from Kingmaker so GM discretion is advised even more so than the rest of my suggestions.
  • 7th rank: All the power word spells feel extremely on brand for the Words school of magic, so we're going with power word blind. For the second spell, spell turning is absolutely perfect! Return to essence is also on theme, but since it's rare and from Strength of Thousands, and we've already got better fits, we'll leave it off.
  • 8th rank: An even better power word: power word stun! Love it. My best bet for a second one is antimagic field, on the "destabilizing... spell(s)" front - keep in mind that this is a RARE spell, so GMs should feel even more free to say no. I'm also going to include summon archmage, because it is hilarious (pulling out a spectral contract and making them sign it >>>), and the original list only had 1 8th rank spells to the other schools' 2.
  • 9th rank: The ultimate power word: power word kill!

Ars Grammatica Curriculum Spell List

School of Battle Magic

Magic is power, and there are always those who will use power for the art of battle ... summon whirling energies ... arcane countermeasures for common tactical complications ... shields and defenses (PC 199).

Pros: Solid cantrips, consistent high-rank damage spells!

Cons: Most of these spells deal damage (or otherwise scale, like mystic armor and resist energy), meaning that lower rank slots are useless at high levels.

So! We want to give some useful non-damage options, but without making them as good as the other schools at utility.  

Additional Battle Magic Spells

  • Cantrips: These are solid, so could honestly leave it alone, but I do think adding some more elemental options (eat fire, ignition, frostbite) would be on theme, and I would probably let a player replace those with basically any elemental cantrip
  • 1st rank: definitely needs some love - kinetic ram is solid combat utility still dealing with energy/force! Same with shockwave. Finally, signal skyrocket seems like a really fun utility spell - having a good cheap way to signal allies is huge in the military!
  • 2nd rank: better, but we'll add protection as even resist energy kinda wants to scale. Also cauterize wounds seems on brand for wartime!
  • 3rd rank: My two favorites are cloud dragon's cloak, which helps you evade ranged attacks (arcane countermeasures), and blazing dive, which helps you get around the battlefield. You could also go with bracing tendrils, blastback, or dive and breach.
  • 4th rank: I went with solid fog, since it's basically a better mist, and resilient sphere because to fit "arcane countermeasures... shields and defenses". For a gish option, I could see call the lightning, and fire shield could work as well!
  • 5th rank: I went with flammable fumes, since a no save delayed fireball seems perfect both for actually hurting people in the chaos of battle and for controlling movement, and blink charge (teleport and strike) because I think having that versatility is useful. Honorable mention to blazing fissure, but that felt too druid-y to me.
  • 6th rank: blade barrier is a solid battlefield control spell (though you might prefer field of razors), and scintillating safeguard seems like an extremely useful "arcane countermeasure" in a warzone!
  • 7th rank: prismatic armor, the essential protection spell for all your survival needs! And of course, the ultimate arcane contingency.
  • 8th rank: In the same vein as earhbind, falling sky seems like an essential anti-flying spell for battle mages. I also like prismatic wall as a defensive/control option, and it fits the theme of wielding powerful energies.
  • 9th rank: How could we not go with summon draconic legion for the War school! So on brand. I could see an argument for prismatic sphere as well, but we only get 1!

Battle Magic Curriculum Spell List

School of the Boundary

You’ve turned your magic past the Universe to the forces beyond, summoning spirits and shades, manipulating dimensions and planes, and treading in a place not meant for mortals (PC 199).

Pros: Decent utility at all levels! Especially spells like unseen servant phantasmal minion and translocate.

Cons: All the combat stuff is super situational until higher levels, and requires you to use it well. That can be fun, but this school definitely doesn't have a lot of low level raw power.

So! In addition to the normal beefing up options, we'll try to find a few more staple spells at low ranks. Thematically, we will be affecting the physical world more than the text assumes, but it also has telekinetic hand which implies that's ok as long as we do it in a spooky way.

Additional Boundary Spells

  • Cantrips: phase bolt is pretty obvious, though it was in Dark Archives so no shade on Paizo here. I personally think illuminate fits the spooky vibe as well, though it's less obvious. ancient dust is another fun addition, though since it's Uncommon and from from Blood Lords GMs should feel free to say no to this one.
  • 1st rank: gravitational pull is a very fun spooky/ghostly vibe, and fits "manipulating dimensions"! penumbral shroud fits perfectly with shades, and I just love the vibe of synchronize steps for like linking minds and moving together. If you disagree though, maybe thoughtful gift makes more sense.
  • 2nd rank: I went with blur (boundary between worlds) and loose time's arrow (manipulating time isn't technically a plane but feels close), you could go with animated assault if you wanted ghost attack vibes or blood vendetta if you want to lean into the necromancy aspect.
  • 3rd rank: I love gravity well for "manipulating dimensions", and time jump as a mix of time and space manipulation, though I could see shadow projectile for "summoning... shades" working as well!
  • 4th rank: The existing spells are excellent at higher ranks, so I think enervation for a higher rank grim tendrils like damage spell will help! Also vampiric maiden for the summoning a ghost vibes.
  • 5th rank: There were a lot of good options at this rank! Slither (old black tentacles) is a perfect combat option, summoning a shadow snake from beyond reality, and shadow walk is perfect for literally walking between the boundaries of the known universe. Honorable mentions to rewinding step where you get to literally snap back to reality, and blink charge for being a decent teleport option.
  • 6th rank: unexpected transposition is an extremely fun teleport option! You could go for collective transposition instead, but I prefer the reactive nature as it implies you're like, falling through dimensions. For the other spell, I wanted a sustained damage option, and there were three interesting ones! I ultimately went with phantom orchestra, because it's explicitly from another plane (air) and explicitly spirits, where poltergeist's fury is mostly our own rage (why's it called that?) and awaken entropy is about as focused on the Universe as you can get haha, just, speeding it up
  • 7th rank: We haven't had enough ghost shift, so we gotta go with tempest of shades! I went with momentary recovery for the other one, but shadow raid fits in a way similar to tempest.
  • 8th rank:  I don't think there's a better examples of "past the Universe to the forces beyond" than undermine reality! My other pick is the RARE spell all is one, one is all - it fits the vibe of reaching beyond reality into the ephemeral realm to manipulate life essence directly. As with all rare spells, though, GM approval is required.
  • 9th rank: I honestly can't choose between bilocation (LITERALLY 2 places at once, the ultimate boundary) and unspeakable shadow (summoning the creatures OWN SHADOW to fuck them up is the spookiest shit ever), so I'm adding both! Deal haha.

Boundary Curriculum Spell List

School of Civic Wizardry

You’ve learned the humble art of construction, of finding lost people and things, of moving speedily among buildings and moats — yet these same arts can be turned to demolition (PC 199-200).

Pros: Read Aura is a really good cantrip! And there are so fun utility spells at mid ranks (revealing light, water walk, cozy cabin, safe passage, creation, unfettered movement, control water), with some very powerful options at higher ranks (wall of stone/force, earthquake, foresight).

Cons: The rank 1 spells in particular scale badly (summon construct can maybe be used for random utility but that's about it), and a lot of spells are very situational (esp. at ranks 2/3). I do think a lot of these can overall be used creatively, but I could also see a given player wanting a little more choice.

This is mostly about giving options, especially for ranks 1-3 but also just to add a little variety at higher levels.

Additional Civic Wizardry Spells

  • Cantrips: For a damage option, I think scatter scree fits the construction-y vibe of the school the best. Along a similar theme, I quite like take root and tremor signs, though neither is necessarily the most powerful. You could also consider infectious enthusiasm, since this school is about helping people, but I'm trying not to repeat spells so I left it off.
  • 1st rank: interposing earth seems like a really good standard combat/defense spell that fits the theme! And weaken earth is literally perfect for siege builders and demolishers. 
    Last choice should be more situational I think - I went with temporary tool, but I think fold metal could work too. Finally I added message rune because it fits the theme well, even if it's hyper situational
  • 2nd rank: I think tremorsense is extremely fun for this school - being able to sense through the things they are constructing to find claws! And propulsive breeze fits the theme of helping people get around. There are also a bunch of pretty bad spells that fit the theme really well - expeditious excavation, fireproof, waterproof, and magic mouth that you can try if you want!
  • 3rd rank: Locate - "finding lost people and things". Aqueous Orb - used for putting out fires but also battlefield control, love it!
  • 4th rank: I went with airlift ("moving speedily") and shape stone ("construction"). The former is kinda useful in combat for positioning, but neither are offensive by any means - that honestly feels like it fits the school though. You could probably go with sliding blocks if you want something more useful in combat (basically a worse wall of stone).
  • 5th rank: telekinetic haul is literally a heavy machinery replacement (forceful hand is probably better but slightly less on theme, and they've already got Wall of Stone), and passwall seems super useful for getting to the heart of unstable structures to fix things / add supports! Honorable mention to entwined roots, which fits the fortifying vibe.
  • 6th rank: The two listed options are just, so good haha, these can be flavor. I went with stone tell for one of them, therefore - what builder wouldn't want to talk to their buildings? With the talk of waterways, I also went with personal ocean because it's absolutely frickin adorable to think of builder wizard relaxing after a hard day in their own personal pool! If you want something scarier I think awaken entropy could honestly work thematically - you know how to build things, you know how to tear them down.
  • 7th rank: There are honestly so many good ones! I went with telekinetic bombardment, because picking up your own creations as artillery is extremely metal, and dancing fountain, because it makes my soul happy. I could also see an argument for contingency (in the same vein as foresight), heaving earth as another damage option, or the uncommon spell from Agents of Edgewatch maze of locked doors.
  • 8th rank: Whirlpool is basically earthquake with a different flavor, but it fits IMO since the school focuses on waterways as much as buildings. prying survey (U) similarly fills a similar role to discern location, but would be super useful for a builder to see into their construction or search waterways/etc. for the flaw.
  • 9th rank: Foresight is good enough that folks will probably just pick that, but I like resplendent mansion as a less gamey, more fun option for this slot!

Civic Wizardry Curriculum Spell List

School of Mentalism

you know all too well the importance of a sound mind... the arts of befuddling lesser minds with figments and illusions or implanted sensations and memories (PC 200).

Pros: If you use my revised damage cantrips, daze is a solid cantrip! And figment is excellent, so even if you don't you have something to do. Sure Strike is kind of a baffling pick to be here and not in battle magic IMO, but it's pretty good if you like attack spells so any low rank spells can become that if you don't like the other options. 

Cons: Honestly, I'm pretty good with this overall! Granted this school is exactly my shit, but I think it has decent options at every rank, other than the only rank 1 option at high levels being sure strike (which I personally don't like, I think it warps the game and it doesn't feel very on theme IMO).

So! I think we'll honestly just be adding a little more variety in options, but most of our additions will be pretty situational too because I think this school is mostly fine as is.

Additional Mentalism Spells

  • Cantrips: A sound mind should surely be able to detect magic and have a good time sense! Bullhorn is decent as an illusion spell, as are message and musical accompaniment if you don't mind doubling up (I'm leaving them off though).
  • 1st rank: I wanted to get some illusions in here, so illusory object and illusory disguise are a must (you could honestly probably add more). For more mental trickery, I went with the extremely on brand schadenfreude over déjà vu, since the latter is incap and scales badly. I intentionally didn't include fear, because it's one of the better rank 1 spells, but in my home game I'll probably be replacing sure strike (which we replace with spell attack runes) with fear.
  • 2nd rank: Illusory creature is so solid at high levels that I think it's okay to go with warrior's regret, which is not. I also really like mind games, though if you're playing Strength of Thousands or don't like uncommon spells maybe better not.
  • 3rd rank: I went with shift blame and mind of menace because they fit the mental muckery really well, and we already have a fair bit of illusion, though agonizing despair could be a good replacement!
  • 4th rank: I think confusion fits perfectly, overwhelming your foes minds! veil also fits the illusion vibe, as does hallucinatory terrain. If you wanted to go the more divinatory route you could go with clairvoyance instead.
  • 5th rank: I went with mirror malefactors for tricksy illusions and glimmer of charm for straight up enchantment, but subconscious suggestion if you don't mind doubling up with Ars Grammatica.
  • 6th rank: I think we're leaning into the duplicity here since the two listed spells are more forceful with mislead and aura of the unremarkable
  • 7th rank: mask of terror and inexhaustible cynicism both fit the vibe excellently! entrancing eyes could also work, but feels sliiiightly less mental and is from an AP so I left it off.
  • 8th rank: Both existing options are very strong, so I went with dream council and mind blank for some fun utility options! You could go scintillating pattern instead of course.
  • 9th rank: telepathic demand is probably less good than phantasmagoria, but is cool, situational, and on theme so we're doing it!

Mentalism Curriculum Spell List

School of Protean Form

Your magic... focuses on the ways that living matter can be convinced into another shape for a time, allowing you to polymorph a seed into a vine, a human into a beast, or a harmless germ into a deadly toxin (PC 200).

Pros: Pretty solid options at most ranks! Jump in particular can just go in any spell slot you don't need.

Cons: No ranged cantrip (you really never want to be in melee as a wizard), and several options are pretty situational.

More just diversifying for diversities sake on this one!

Additional Protean Form Spells

  • Cantrips: For a ranged damage option, I think I like needle darts! It's basically polymorphing coins (or other metal) into weapons, which feels more on theme than tangle vine! I think you can similarly flavor glass shield as your arm transforming, and draw moisture works well enough since we're going for 5 cantrips each (take root might work better, but again, avoiding repeats)
  • Rank 1: shielded arm is the same vibe as glass shield but better (+2 AC). Ant haul mentions reinforcing the musculoskeletal system (basically a mini-enlarge thematically), and tether is a similar vibe to tangle vine but less bad. Honorable mentions to wooden fists, which is on theme but honestly pretty bad for a wizard, and mud pit, which could be spun as transforming the ground, but it felt just slightly too off theme for the main list.
  • 2nd rank: Both gecko grip (spider climb) and shrink are pretty straightforwardly on theme, and offer cool utility! Enlarge is already a solid enough staple.
  • 3rd rank: I absolutely love ooze form for this school - lots of form spells could work, but this one is just so icky I love it. I think meld into stone is the best fit other than form spells.
  • 4th rank: aerial form seems like a solid form spell, and ravenous portal seems hilarious haha - and definitely fits the polymorphing vibe! 
  • 5th rank: mantle of the unwavering heart is a literal metamorphosis, vines and branches surround you and open to reveal your new form. This honestly fucking rules. 10/10 flavor. For a damage option, we'll go grisly growths, where you literally creep everyone out by having arms pop out of a bad guy. How did this end up the gnarliest school?
  • 6th rank: Not everyone likes demons, but everyone wants a dragon form! You could go lignify, which is basically petrify haha, or another battle form. There's been a lot of plant based stuff so far though (albeit only tanglefoot from the original list haha), so I'm going with tangling creepers as you transform small plants into massive tangling ones!
  • 7th rank: corrosive body is perfectly gross! And pollen pods continues on our "making plants bigger" theme.
  • 8th rank: ferrous form! Become rock! And boil blood works well as a targeted "transform your enemy" spell.
  • 9th rank: implosion - you're basically just transforming the insides of people's bodies! Very gnarly to think about

Protean Form Curriculum Spell List

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