Ommadawn suggests the duration of clarity be lengthened, and I think it's threadworthy.

Clarity is a third level spell, and it only lasts one turn. Perhaps that means you are supposed to use it on someone AFTER they get smacked with something?

That's not very practical, and the short duration makes what should be a nice spell passed over for flame blade, magic vestment and so on.

Seconded, of course.

I wouldn't mind it being two or so rounds, to be honest. But It stills makes for an extremely handy potion. its just a bit overshadowed by its Protection verse counterparts.

I think they made clarity a third circle spell because it is able to strip -all- mind affecting effects at once without any DC rolls vs the hostile casters levels and confer one turn of continued mind protection from all mind affecting spells. That in itself is huge IMO, a ton of very powerful features rolled into one spell. I don't think it needs an adjustment. (just my opinion though)

I'd have to agree with the Beggar, it is already quite powerful, especially for Potion Brewers. I can't see it as a spell that is cast for a defence, more as a cure, for example, similar to the remove disease spell. I understand it might not be something you have often in your spell book, but many clerics have crafting skills that enable them to benefit from this spell heavily. I think it might become a tad overpowered if it was made to last any longer than it already does.

Beggar,

If you are stunned or have these other effects nail you, you can't drink a clarity potion and get rid of it, correct? You stand there and drool. Once these effects happen to a character, you are screwed unless someone ELSE casts it on you? Am I wrong?

So...what's the point of a clarity potion unless you KNOW you are going to get hit with a mind-control spell or effect in the next ten rounds?

And if you do, aren't you metagaming?

Maybe I need someone to tell my a practical use of this spell - and - I'm interested in how many clerics actually memorize this "quite powerful" spell, or find it impractical. It's way too expensive to chug these throughout a quest of any length.

I really don't see how a defensive spell with such a minimal duration can be "overpowered".

How many clerics routinely have this in their spellbook?

Maybe make clarity scrolls more available, cheaper, drop more often than potions? That way others could use the scrolls on those who have been affected, leading to a greater use of the spell.

It's more of a potion-spell then a cleric-prep spell... similar to many other spells of this class.

lesser Mind-blank is the big daddy, a level 5 spell, that has a turn/level duration.. conferring similar effect.

Clarity gives a temporary immunity to all mind-effects which is extremely good, but shouldnt be used as a ... "Let's buff at the start with all clarity and roll Clownz."

It's very useful for many things: - Removes daze effect from Stink-cloud, choking powder, etc. - Removes daze effect from hammer of god. - Removes daze/ dominate effects from Mind flayers, brain dogs or umber-hulks..

+ it confers immunities which are extremely useful, but isn't a godsend like the level 5 spell lesser mind-blank.

That said-- I thought clarity lasted for.. 2 turns, but I could be wrong. A minor tweak like that could be good, but I wouldnt expect clarity to bevomr turn/level ... maybe turn/3 levels?

Clarity removes daze, which you can drink potions through. So if you get Hammer of the Gods land on you for example, you can pop one to clear your head.

It also lasts 5 rounds plus caster level, despite what the spell description says, so if it doesn't come out of a can it can last slightly longer than a turn.

As a cleric I always had this spell memorized (along with a host of others) and usually had atleast two scrolls of clarity handy. Saved many parties many times when the only tank gets feared or confused, or dominated, or charmed, or whatever. That's when the spell shines, when it is cast in battle to negate another spell, and that's what makes a well played and well equiped spellcaster so valuable to a team. Not to damage the enemy so much but to pull your collective asses out of the fire and keep you in the fight. (But then again, I made regular use of remove paralysis and remove fear too, which you really don't see used a whole lot). What it boils down to is the caster wanting to do something cool like cast a fireball and do piddly damage to a lot of enemies once rather than holding onto a spell in reserve incase it's needed.

As a potion, I agree, you have to think ahead, and the cost of the potion to time duration sucks, but it does protect you from -anything- mind affecting. Potions of clarity I usually pack just incase I run into a pesky PC neutral aligned mage, and for little else. PfE against everything else is usually good. I don't think though, that we need to change the duration of a powerful spell just so fighters and other frontliners can pwn more crap. It's just a limit of being a ftr to have sucky will saves and need spell support. Or, alternatively, you could up your Wis and invest in the proper feats and make saves on most stuff that is cast like this (ie colorspray) most the time. Then you don't need a potion at all.

Okay, that clarified things nicely.

* rim shot *

Thanks Beggar!

Beggar,

You raised two points, but I don't think you truly gave a sufficient response to the problems. Those pesky neutrals. If you're fighting evil, pop PfE and you're set. Good? PfG. Players STILL don't have good access to PfN, or Law or Chaos. It's a problem that's been worth addressing (I can't quite locate the thread), and the only solution in the meantime is clarity. Clarity doesn't provide bonuses to AC, doesn't have a neat version of the spell that works on the whole party, or +2 in saving throws! While clarity has its occasionally awesome moments, they are too rare and the spell is designed so that it could be a good fix to aforementioned problem if the duration is extended so that it's actually usable as a moderate length buff.

Second, the pointMany people DO invest in the Plus Saves feats.+2 will isn't amazing enough to negate spells by ANY stretch, though.

I totally support having Clarity last around 5 minutes or so. Nothing like barkskin or bull's, but usable.

All the PfN/L/C spells are available for purchase in potion form, you do have to look about for them though. I've bought them with my more recent character. I just am a player with the opinion that we don't need to extend out a powerful spell because the fixes are in game already. Clarity is a great, powerful spell. It's not designed to be a buff though, nor do I think it should be, as it is way too all encompasing for it to be made a buff.

The aforementioned PfX potions are not only fairly cheap, but have durations of IG hours. They are of benefit to purchase and use.

Clarity's a second level spell and pretty cheap to brew/craft into a wand. It's useful enough that people pack it, always, if they're thinking about PvP, or even against tough monsters in DM quests. Scrolls of clarity are a pretty common drop, as are potions of it. Yes, PfE, PfG, are far better. Yet clarity has a place and is plenty useful, especially in wand/scroll form.

This is branching away from the Clarity issue, but since it's being discussed...

I have very easy access to them (although, technically everyone does, they just don't realize it perhaps), but I'm fairly sure they were not cheap- 125 to 160 or so. It's not getting them, it's the cost and infrequency of drops on quests. PfE, PfG are EASY to get at low costs. PfN is harder to get, and disproportionately more expensive to get. I realize that it does cover two more spaces on the nine boxes Good-Evil, Law-Chaos alignments box, but it's only getting 5 boxes instead of 3 for 2.5 to 3 times the cost, which you can't bypass for a spell that costs peanuts to cast!

You must use potions for these effects (even if you should be able to cast it on your own) and you must buy them, as they cannot be crafted. Unless PfN, PfC, and PfL become suddenly easier to access, I don't see why Clarity can't be extended to take its place as a buff, which is innately more "costly" to cast as it takes the place of an ability buff spell and doesn't provide equivalent benefits to a lower level spell. It's a reasonable mechanical work-around.

One of the three benefits of a similar spell, albeit that effect being notably more comprehensive, at a higher spell level and with a significantly shorter duration. Does the utility of Clarity overpower the flaw, its duration of one minute when quests and PvP conflicts can easily last much longer? I just don't think so.

The NWN description is wrong, Clarity lasts for five rounds + 1round/caster level.

Clarity does not strip bad mind spells, either. It is a bug, I believe, and has been tested by myself multiple times. Unless I was lagging a lot each time!

I have been saved from confusion by the trusty caster casting clarity on me while I was cleaving the party apart many a time.

It's already powerful enough to remove very powerful effects, people shouldn't EVER be having this on all the time like the protection from alignments.