Rational for Second Printing changes.

[SilvercatMoonpaw]

Since this isn't actually errata for the Second Printing (at least I don't think it is) I decided to create a new thread where we could ask about the rational for changes.

Mine is in "Special Construction: Clay": what's the rational for clay have a vulnerability to fire damage?

[blackheart]

I would think intense heat would dry out clay and thus make it more brittle and easier to damage.
Of course, if you want to get your unborn clay golem glazed, well, that's a whole 'nuther feat. 

[SilvercatMoonpaw]

Yes, but then that should make it Achilles heel (heat), since heat is now a distinct damage type.

[pawsplay]

Heat and fire are not the same damage types.

[SilvercatMoonpaw]

Yeah, fire is burning, heat is heating.  How does clay burn?

[Gentry]

Of course, if you want to get your unborn clay golem glazed, well, that's a whole 'nuther feat. 

Or a voyage into the dark corners of golem porn. 

[Blankbeard]

Heat does subdual damage, which constructs are immune to.  Making it fire avoids having to have a special exemption in either the subdual rules or the feat.   Oven level heat probably deserves to be fire damage anyway.

[Doublebond]

Heat does subdual damage, which constructs are immune to.  Making it fire avoids having to have a special exemption in either the subdual rules or the feat.   Oven level heat probably deserves to be fire damage anyway.

Why is it that, whenever I read your posts, I get the impression of some wise old sensei who is giving out nuggets of wisdom to weary travelers who have come a long way just to ask him their questions?

[Agent 333]

Heat does subdual damage, which constructs are immune to.  Making it fire avoids having to have a special exemption in either the subdual rules or the feat.   Oven level heat probably deserves to be fire damage anyway.

Why is it that, whenever I read your posts, I get the impression of some wise old sensei who is giving out nuggets of wisdom to weary travelers who have come a long way just to ask him their questions?

Because he is. Despite his low post count Blankbeard is consistently helpful.

[Desertpuma]

Anyone else understand the rationale for nerfing Martial Arts and Master's Art? ... they were fine as is.

[Mister Andersen]

There's been a noticeable attempt to keep unarmed damage fairly consistantly small (hence size not affecting it). But against that, these feats work better with natural attacks (which are classed as unarmed attacks), enhancing any natural increase in their threat ranges (old version gave a 19-20 thr range, which didn't stack with the 19-20 of natural attack II; this feat does stack), and doing increased guaranteed damage instead of increasing speculative maximums.

They're basically better than the 1st printing versions

[Desertpuma]

One wonders if the Martial Artist and Monk will be adjusted to compensate since they tend to rely more on Unarmed attacks than most characters.

[tenebrae]

When we were creating characters for an upcoming campaign, the fact that all 6 characters wanted to take the pre-errata Martial Arts showed that, if not broken, it was still significantly more powerful than it should have been. I think the errataed version did a great job of balancing things between Martial Arts and Master's Art.

[Desertpuma]

When we were creating characters for an upcoming campaign, the fact that all 6 characters wanted to take the pre-errata Martial Arts showed that, if not broken, it was still significantly more powerful than it should have been. I think the errataed version did a great job of balancing things between Martial Arts and Master's Art.

Well no one wants to be ineffective when unarmed, especially in a Fantasy game where more often than not blackpowder weapons are not available. It was solved in SC when the damage code was downgraded so that melee weapons would be on par. Now, the damage code is basically lowered even further hampering 2 classes. 

[Deral]

Anyone else understand the rationale for nerfing Martial Arts and Master's Art? ... they were fine as is.

Actually, I don't think they were nerfed at all- just rebalanced. In fact, while Martial Arts got a tad weaker, Master's Art got stronger. 1d4+2 and 1d4+4 are better, on average, than 1d6 and 1d10. (4.5 vs 3.5 and 6.5 vs 5.5), so once you've taken both feats, you actually wind up a little stronger, with no real loss except a 2 lower maximum damage (compensated by the 4 higher minimum).