The traditional game of Witch Hat Toss is a thrilling and entertaining activity that can be enjoyed by children and adults alike. It involves tossing witch hats onto a designated target, usually a post or a structure, in order to score points. The game typically consists of a number of witch hats, which are lightweight and easy to throw. These hats are usually made of foam or fabric and are designed to resemble the iconic pointed hats worn by witches. The target is set up at a certain distance from the players, and they take turns trying to throw their hats onto it. The objective of the game is to score as many points as possible by successfully landing the hats on the target.
Remastered Wizard reveals and speculation
The Remastered panel at Paizo Con today was really enlightening about SO many things that trying to jam them all in one thread feels impossible. One of the most interesting and exciting changes that the remastery is introducing (by necessity) is the elimination of what I will call the old-schools of magic, replacing them with actual "schools of magic," meaning that your school of magic as a wizard is the actual school you attended to learn your wizardry and it will determine your starting spells in your spell book and possibly some additional elements of the class, probably along the lines of focus spells, if focus spells are still a part of the class at all anymore.
This means that Golarion Wizards really are going to look a lot different than other game's wizards as there are nearly a limitless number of potential schools of magic across Golarion. The one's mentioned in the panel today (that I remember) include a school of battle wizardry that is going to include a lot of evocation options, but also martial battlefield control options like Earthbind, which would be "must learn spells" for any wizard that is going to be casting spells alongside an army. I think this means that you are likely to have some higher level spells in your starting spellbook right from the start, as they are resources your school gives you as you graduate. The other two that I remember being talked about is a school of universal something (which is like the generic wizardy wizard school) and a school with a really cool name that I don't remember that is about bodily transformation and nature magic that i think will respond well to the "this game doesn't support a good transmuter" line of criticism.
I can't imagine we won't get an illusionist school of mirages and misdirection as well as a cheliaxian school of devil summoning. But eventually we could get lots of different options which could include feats as well as spells.
One hypothetical example of how this will let them really break the old molds in the future is something like a Ustalav school of wizardry that combines spirit magic (necromancy type spells) and Electricity for a Frankenstein vibe. We also might see one or more Magaambya schools of wizardry in the future that also break the mold of past "schools of magic."
Personally, I am a huge fan of this decision and can't wait to see how it gets incorporated into the player core. Even as a fan of PF2 wizards, I am excited to see the wizard break away from what feels like a bland and restrictive arcane magic tradition defined by legacy elements that don't fit in Golarion, and see what kinds of stuff we get that will feel centered in the game world around them. I think this will also really help PF2 be a better system for homebrewers because it lets you have schools of wizardry that actually make sense to your game world, whatever that might look like.
The next several months are going to be challenging, just because so much more flavorful options are coming through the pipe line. I have a Magic Warrior Wizard in PFS that I basically want to completely rework once I see what new options are going to be available. I can't wait!
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The schools I recall the names of:
School of Battle Magic
School of Civic [Engineering?]
School of the Protean Form
School of Unified Magical Theory
I partly wonder if any of these schools are going to be tied to actual physical locations in the world, or if for example the Korvosan Academae will have within it several schools of magic taught, while maybe omitting others. It seems like a School of Battle Magic is something that could be taught at any military college around the world since everyone has utility for blowing stuff up, while maybe certain other schools are more unique to certain regions.
I used to be so in love with the schools of magic that I can't help but be a little disappointed to see them leave. not the least of which reason being that I finally got my pet peeve immortalized--healing and undeath are both necromancy alike! But even as I reflect on that nostalgia, I've kind of grown away from seeing these categories of magic as hard-coded into the world and more in-universe classifications which don't really apply to most types of magic anymore. Besides, the in-universe explanation for why there were schools of magic in the first place still exists. The Runelords of Thassilon founded schools of magic based on certain powerful arcane runes they discovered/invented and named them after virtues (which became vices). A Thassilonian rune mage might still think of summoning undead as being part of the school of Gluttony but a druid who channels the living energy of the world to heal wounds doesn't really care about a 10,000 year old dead wizard's categories--unless maybe they get training in arcane magical theory.
So, that said, I'm really in love with these new and incredibly more flavourful schools. This is seriously something wizards have been missing to spark my imagination.
Arcane Schools
A wizard can choose to specialize in one school of magic, gaining additional spells and powers based on that school. This choice must be made at 1st level, and once made, it cannot be changed. A wizard that does not select a school receives the universalist school instead.
A wizard that chooses to specialize in one school of magic must select two other schools as his opposition schools, representing knowledge sacrificed in one area of arcane lore to gain mastery in another. A wizard who prepares spells from his opposition schools must use two spell slots of that level to prepare the spell. For example, a wizard with evocation as an opposition school must expend two of his available 3rd-level spell slots to prepare a fireball. In addition, a specialist takes a –4 penalty on any skill checks made when crafting a magic item that has a spell from one of his opposition schools as a prerequisite. A universalist wizard can prepare spells from any school without restriction.
Each arcane school gives the wizard a number of school powers. In addition, specialist wizards receive an additional spell slot of each spell level he can cast, from 1st on up. Each day, a wizard can prepare a spell from his specialty school in that slot. This spell must be in the wizard’s spellbook. A wizard can select a spell modified by a metamagic feat to prepare in his school slot, but it uses up a higher-level spell slot. Wizards with the universalist school do not receive a school slot.
Bending reality to their will through careful study, wizards are the embodiment of the phrase “mind over matter,” changing whole worlds with nothing but their keen intellects and ancient lore. In their quest to unravel and repurpose the fundamental laws of existence, many wizards come to appreciate the benefits of narrowly focusing their study. Presented below are several new schools of magic to help you customize your wizard’s arcane pursuits.
Focused Arcane Schools (from Advanced Player’s Guide)
Wizards that specialize in one of the schools of magic can instead chose to focus their studies still further. Wizards who choose a focused arcane school retain the bonus spells from their school and must select two prohibited schools as normal, but the focused school changes one or more of the powers granted by their arcane school. A wizard must take all of the replacement powers associated with his focused arcane school. Once a focused arcane school is chosen, it cannot be changed.
Each arcane school listed at right includes links to its associated focused schools.
Pathfinder 2E Wizard Changes in Pathfinder 2e Remaster
Paizo released a preview of the changes coming to the wizard class for the Pathfinder Player Core and GM Core updates to Pathfinder 2nd Edition.
The blog post from Senior Designer James Case discusses the removal of the eight schools of magic. Rather than dividing the wizard class by spell category, the new arcane schools will be based on actual academic study paths in Golarion. Schools previewed in the blog post include the School of Battle Magic, the School of Civic Wizardry, and the School of Mentalism.
A second blog post from Pathfinder Lead Designer Logan Bonner discusses more changes to the wizard class. The term “spell level” is being replaced with “spell rank”, the aforementioned changes to spell schools, and changes to focus spells and the Refocus action.
One of the big changes discussed is the removal of spell components. According to Bonner, the change was made because spell components were highly tied to OGL content, were mostly redundant with traits, had many exceptions for classes (specifically bard, cleric, druid, and sorcerer) to allow those classes to function, and the designers wanted to give more freedom for classes in how they cast spells.
The blog post also goes into detail on changes being made to spell statistics and proficiencies affecting multiclassing, updates to cantrips both for player characters and monsters, and changes to some of the spells.
Full details about changes can be found in the Remaster Core Preview file available in PDF format.
The objective of the game is to score as many points as possible by successfully landing the hats on the target. Different areas of the target may be assigned different point values, with the highest points awarded for hitting the center or bullseye. The player with the highest score at the end of the game is declared the winner.
Witch Hat Toss is a great game for Halloween parties or any festive occasion with a witch or wizard theme. It can be played indoors or outdoors, making it a versatile option for various locations and weather conditions. The game not only provides entertainment but also helps to develop hand-eye coordination and aiming skills. To make the game more challenging and exciting, additional variations or rules can be introduced. For example, players can be required to stand at a certain distance or throw from different angles. Time limits or a limited number of throws can also be imposed to add a sense of urgency and competition. Overall, Witch Hat Toss is a fun and lighthearted game that brings a touch of magic and Halloween spirit to any gathering. Whether played by children at a birthday party or adults at a festive event, it is sure to be a hit and create lasting memories for all participants..
Reviews for "Why the Witch Hat Toss is the Perfect Game for Your Halloween Fundraiser"
1. Tim - 2 stars - I was really excited for "Witch hat toss" since I love Halloween themed games, but I was disappointed with this one. The gameplay was repetitive and boring, and the graphics were subpar. Additionally, I found it really difficult to accurately toss the witch hat onto the target, which made the game frustrating rather than enjoyable. Overall, I don't think "Witch hat toss" lived up to its potential and I wouldn't recommend it.
2. Lisa - 1 star - I did not enjoy "Witch hat toss" at all. The concept seemed interesting, but the execution was poor. The controls were clunky and unresponsive, which made it incredibly frustrating to play. The game lacked any real challenge or excitement, and I quickly grew bored. I also found the graphics to be lackluster and unimpressive. I would not waste my time on "Witch hat toss" again.
3. Mike - 2 stars - "Witch hat toss" was a letdown for me. The game lacked depth and variety, making it feel like a mindless, repetitive task rather than an engaging game. The levels were all very similar and there was little to keep me interested. I also found the overall difficulty level to be too easy, which resulted in a lack of excitement or challenge. Overall, "Witch hat toss" was a forgettable experience for me.