Zacchaeus
December 17th, 2015, 20:37
This is the second of the 'mini tutorials' this time showing how to create the effects for the Cleric class. The file attached to this post contains a level 20 Cleric with all of the effects in the actions tab. In order to get the best out of the characters you should have access to the Player's Handbook or Core Class Pack to view the links. I have broken down the effects into effects common to most Clerics, Channel Divinity abilities and those which are unique to certain domains. I've included a couple of healing spells to demonstrate certain Life Domain abilities. The notes below are meant to compliment the character. In order to keep things reasonably short I have not commented on many of the abilities where either no effect is needed or cannot be created.
A word on Spells: At the time of writing virtually every spell can be dragged and dropped into the actions tab and will create a suitable effect. The only things you will want to check are that the correct ability score is entered into the spell Power Group so that Saving throw DCs and attack rolls are correctly computed, and that the duration of spells has been correctly updated in the effect.
Channel Divinity – Turn Undead: Drag/Drop should set this one up correctly
Divine Strike – Drag/Drop to create the effect; edit damage at level 14 to include extra dice. To use, drop the effect on character just before making damage roll.
Potent Spellcasting – No effect since there isn’t a way to limit a DMG: modifier to just Cantrips. Edit each affected Cantrip to add Cha to the ‘Stat’ box in the damage dialog.
Knowledge Domain
Read thoughts – Drag/Drop should set up this effect
Arcana Domain (Sword Coast Adventure Guide)
Arcane Abjuration – Drag/Drop will create the effect (Note since IFT can only test for conditions and conditional modifiers and SAVE is not one of those we can’t test for the creature type before forcing the save)
Life Domain
Disciple of Life – We can’t use an effect since we can’t use spell level as a modifier so you will have to edit each healing spell to add in the additional points healed.
Preserve Life – Drag/dropping will create an effect, but not an efficient one. It is suggested that the heal be broken into manageable chunks (1hp , 5hp, 10hp etc) depending on level and a number of uses per day be used to mark off the healing.
Blessed Healer – Drag/Drop but then you’ll need to edit the amount healed to include the spells level (since there’s no modifier that will pick that out). You’ll also need to have additional lines here to handle different spell levels. To use apply the effect to the character any time you heal another character.
Supreme Healing – there isn’t a way to automate this other than edit each healing spell to show the highest possible roll
Light Domain
Warding Flare – place the effect on the attacking creature before the attack roll is made. Don’t forget to edit uses for WIS modifier.
Radiance of the Dawn – drag/drop will create the effect
Improved Flare – No need for another effect; use Warding Flare effect but you use it when an ally is getting attacked instead of you.
Corona of Light – We can’t test for an incoming spell effect so place the effect for this ability on the creature(s) just before they make the specified save.
Nature Domain
Dampen Elements – Place on ally just before damage is rolled.
Tempest Domain
Destructive Wrath – no effect can automate this. You could add a new damage line to each spell which has lightning or thunder damage using max damage instead of dice.
Trickery Domain
Cloak of Shadows – Note DM needs to change the initiative turn that the effect ends on to something just after your initiative so that the effect doesn’t expire until your next turn ends. (e.g. you are on initiative count 15, change to 14.9).
War Domain
Guided Strike and War God’s Blessing– because of the timing deal with these manually
A word on Spells: At the time of writing virtually every spell can be dragged and dropped into the actions tab and will create a suitable effect. The only things you will want to check are that the correct ability score is entered into the spell Power Group so that Saving throw DCs and attack rolls are correctly computed, and that the duration of spells has been correctly updated in the effect.
Channel Divinity – Turn Undead: Drag/Drop should set this one up correctly
Divine Strike – Drag/Drop to create the effect; edit damage at level 14 to include extra dice. To use, drop the effect on character just before making damage roll.
Potent Spellcasting – No effect since there isn’t a way to limit a DMG: modifier to just Cantrips. Edit each affected Cantrip to add Cha to the ‘Stat’ box in the damage dialog.
Knowledge Domain
Read thoughts – Drag/Drop should set up this effect
Arcana Domain (Sword Coast Adventure Guide)
Arcane Abjuration – Drag/Drop will create the effect (Note since IFT can only test for conditions and conditional modifiers and SAVE is not one of those we can’t test for the creature type before forcing the save)
Life Domain
Disciple of Life – We can’t use an effect since we can’t use spell level as a modifier so you will have to edit each healing spell to add in the additional points healed.
Preserve Life – Drag/dropping will create an effect, but not an efficient one. It is suggested that the heal be broken into manageable chunks (1hp , 5hp, 10hp etc) depending on level and a number of uses per day be used to mark off the healing.
Blessed Healer – Drag/Drop but then you’ll need to edit the amount healed to include the spells level (since there’s no modifier that will pick that out). You’ll also need to have additional lines here to handle different spell levels. To use apply the effect to the character any time you heal another character.
Supreme Healing – there isn’t a way to automate this other than edit each healing spell to show the highest possible roll
Light Domain
Warding Flare – place the effect on the attacking creature before the attack roll is made. Don’t forget to edit uses for WIS modifier.
Radiance of the Dawn – drag/drop will create the effect
Improved Flare – No need for another effect; use Warding Flare effect but you use it when an ally is getting attacked instead of you.
Corona of Light – We can’t test for an incoming spell effect so place the effect for this ability on the creature(s) just before they make the specified save.
Nature Domain
Dampen Elements – Place on ally just before damage is rolled.
Tempest Domain
Destructive Wrath – no effect can automate this. You could add a new damage line to each spell which has lightning or thunder damage using max damage instead of dice.
Trickery Domain
Cloak of Shadows – Note DM needs to change the initiative turn that the effect ends on to something just after your initiative so that the effect doesn’t expire until your next turn ends. (e.g. you are on initiative count 15, change to 14.9).
War Domain
Guided Strike and War God’s Blessing– because of the timing deal with these manually