Ephemeral Bolt and True Ephemeral Bolt

[Telarus_KSC]

I'd like to touch on the spell block for Ephemeral Bolt and True Ephemeral Bolt again.

Ephemeral Bolt deals Wil+4/Mystic Damage, and also has a -2 Willpower debuff that lasts 2 rounds (base duration), +2 per additional success.

True Ephemeral Bolt deals Wil+1/Mystic Damage, and also has a "-2 to next sensing test" debuff. This debuff doesn't affect every test, thus doesn't have a duration and we default back to a duration 1 round for the damage.

The stats are consistent with the other spells in 4E. Note also how well this works as a 1(True)-2(Ephemeral) combo, and how that sets up further actions that target Willpower.

As to the sharing of the spell matrix, I'm cool with that being a in-setting Secret tied up with Illusionism. I really like what that gives Illustionists. There are also a bunch of other Secrets scattered around the setting (the t'skrang Engineer Cult knows how to build steam engines, for Upandil's sake).

Mimicking another spellcaster Discipline was possible for higher circle Illusionists in earlier editions, and they do get "phantom" versions of a few good Elementalist and Wizard spells in 4E. I filled that gap with magic items like the Crystal Spell Box, as I mentioned. There is definitely design space here for 4th edition, and I'd like to look back to the 1st edition material again to see what we can do there. I notice that the Fists of Rage(s) haven't been updated, and in fact the True/Ephemeral Bolt combo is the only one we've seen so far. I've always wanted to make a martial-artist Illusionist because of that unarmed combat buff spell(s).

But I think that's the key for Illusionists. Find a niche with your powers and spells, and it won't look anything like the other 3 spellcaster types. Fixer, face, charlatan, musician, juggler, clown, acrobat, tactician, merchant, spy. Adepts don't walk around with a name-tag that says "Hello, I'm an ___ILLUSIONIST___" (especially the illusionists!), though it may be easy to tell some-one's Discipline sometimes. So, find a secondary skill-set, and play that to the hilt. Be both . Use your magic as a force-multiplier. Don't deny being an Adpet, but don't let them see your whole shtick at once.

[Razan_GM]

I totally agree, one of my players is playing illusionist [ed 3] and all the others really envy the possibilities she have. When shes not playing they always say how easy many tasks would be if she would be around. Illusionist is not about lot of damage spells, they are great if you use them right (that includes GM that let them do what they are best at).

[Utsukushi]

My Illusionists usually cop to being an Illusionist right away. It's whatever else they are that they don't admit to.

Being able to hold similar spells in one Matrix isn't unique to Illusionists -- it's just new to 4th Edition, and very specific.

Purify Water and Purify Earth.
Resist Element in its multiple forms.
Elemental Spear, in its multiple forms.
Ephemeral Bolt and True Ephemeral Bolt.
Illusory Missiles and True Missiles.
Aspect of the Fog Ghost and Summon Fog Ghost.
Aspect of .. and Summon Bone Spirit.

...It looks like Wizards have been left out completely, but the other three all have a couple of linked spells that can comfortably share a one bed/one bath Matrix. (one Thread/one bath? Maybe that's the Enhanced Matrix ad. Um, anyway.) It looks like Elementalists can technically hold five spells in one Matrix if they want to. The idea seems to be a little bit different in each case, though, actually. With the Elemental ones, it seems to be trying to make it more difficult to learn all the different forms of those two spells, but once you learn them, you can cast them interchangeably. With Illusionists, it's to let them make that on-the-fly decision, swapping out truth for illusion, without having to use up all their precious Matrices for only that. For the Nethermancers, it just seems to be different ways of casting the effect -- binding it to someone, or manifesting the Spirit on its own.. which, as with the Elementalists, has to be learned as separate spells, but once you learn them both, you can do it either way.

More deeply, and where I'm a little surprised there aren't more choices for this, I think it's meant to address the sharper limit on how many Matrices you ever get.

I do really like the rule on Disbelieving basic attack illusions now, though it does seem to require some way of working it out between the GM and a player so that both decisions have to be made blind. Face-to-face, it seems easy enough.. just give them both index cards with "True" and "Illusion" and "Disbelieve" and "Resist" and they each make their choices and then turn the cards up. I'm not sure how to do it in Play-by-Post, though, which is, alas, where I play. Hmm.

[Telarus_KSC]

Ah, I forgot about the other spellcaster's "fit in the same matrix" spell. Thanks!