[Forrestfire Studios] Playtest: The Avowed, a 3pp warlock with a psychic bent

[MilleniaAntares]

So I've been doing some thinking on how exactly to make an Excel sheet for DPR calculations, and I'm wondering just exactly which shapes benefit from stuff like Inspire Courage ("+1 to weapon damage rolls")...

The relevant text is:

"Aether pulses count as a type of weapon for the purposes of feats such as Weapon Focus, and such feats apply to all the avowed's shapes (including shapes used through weapons, such as aether channel) as well. Likewise, aether pulses are their own weapon group for the purposes of abilities and effects."

"Weapon Shapes: Aether barrage, aether blade, aether channel, aether rampage, and aether rounds are weapon shapes. A weapon shape's casting time is a free action that does not provoke attacks of opportunity, and every weapon shape has a duration of 1 round. During that round, the avowed can use the shape to make weapon attacks as described in the shape's description."

So the way I understand it, Inspire Courage would apply to barrage, blade, channel, rampage, rounds, and beast, right?

So cascade, grasp, lance, pulse/blow, and retaliation (attack version) don't benefit?

Probably worth mentioning is the FAQ on the magic page about rays:

"Do rays count as weapons for the purpose of spells and effects that affect weapons?

Yes. (See also this FAQ item for a similar question about rays and weapon feats.)

For example, a bard’s inspire courage ability says it affects “weapon damage rolls,” which is worded that way so <you> don’t try to add the bonus to a spell like fireball. However, rays are treated as weapons, whether they’re from spells, a monster ability, a class ability, or some other source, so the inspire courage bonus applies to ray attack rolls and ray damage rolls."

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Also, I think it'd be neat for aether cascade to be able to hit swarms despite being single-target (probably by sacrificing the remaining bounces?).

Aether lance doesn't specify that the +1.5 x str mod portion of its damage comes from being treated as being a two-handed weapon, so is it intended for it to become +1.5 x dex mod with deadly agility?

Aether beast could probably benefit from having all of its user's feats as well, particularly combat and teamwork feats that aren't already included in its calculations.

Otyugh pact could have a neat subpact based around (intelligent) insect/serpent beings or something, and swap trash for swarms, and the diseases for poison...

Edit: Aether Swarm says movement speed is increased to 30 ft at both the second selection and fourth selection.