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Realms of Chaos
2009-04-01, 01:38 PM
Blaster
“The best defense is a good offense. The best offense is a good explosion. The more explosions, the better the offense. My defenses must be impenetrable.”-The logic of Feld Marquo, Blaster

On battlefields, spellcasters have always been the perfect tactical support. They can fly and teleport around, undermining enemy efforts, bolstering the troops, and taking down the greatest threats in battle. Sometimes, however, a battlefield demands raw firepower. In come the blasters, masters of evocation. Though utterly incapable of turning invisible, flying about, or turning enemies to stone, no one is better at reducing foes to ash as they are. They have become adept at fighting in the battlefield, using every chance that they get to launch another evocation. They defend themselves by killing any who get too close. They are the masters of their art, feared by many for good cause. Though their spellcasting may look wild, they approach it with a scholarly eye that rivals that of a wizard.

Game Rule Information
Blasters have the following game statistics.
Abilities: Blasters are utterly reliant on their Intelligence score for their spellcasting. Lacking any form of armor, proficiency, they benefit from a high Dexterity and Constitution score.
Alignment: Any
Hit Die: d6

Class Skills
The blaster’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Knowledge (architecture and engineering) (Int), Profession (Wis), and Spellcraft (Int)
Skill Points at 1st level: (2+ Int modifier) x 4
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 2 + Int modifier



Base Fort Ref Will ------------------Spells per day--------------
Level Attack Bonus Save Save Save Special 0 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th 9th
1 +0 +0 +0 +2 Sharpest Edge, Respite’s Reward 6 4 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
2 +1 +0 +0 +3 Boost Evocation (+1), Heat of Battle 7 5 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
3 +1 +1 +1 +3 Arcane Aim (+1), Arcane Opportunist 7 6 4 -- -- -- -- -- -- --
4 +2 +1 +1 +4 Contingent Burst, Pierce Resistance 8 7 5 -- -- -- -- -- -- --
5 +2 +1 +1 +4 Last Word, Piercing Evocation (+2) 8 8 6 4 -- -- -- -- -- --
6 +3 +2 +2 +5 Boost Evocation (+2), Expanded Knowledge 8 8 7 5 -- -- -- -- -- --
7 +3 +2 +2 +5 Arcane Aim (+2), Outmaneuver 8 8 8 6 4 -- -- -- -- --
8 +4 +2 +2 +6 Contingent Burst, Battle Caster 8 8 8 7 5 -- -- -- -- --
9 +4 +3 +3 +6 Piercing Evocation (+4), Expanded Knowledge 8 8 8 8 6 4 -- -- -- --
10 +5 +3 +3 +7 Boost Evocation (+3), Rapid Opportunist 8 8 8 8 7 5 -- -- -- --
11 +5 +3 +3 +7 Arcane Aim (+3), Energy Field 8 8 8 8 8 6 4 -- -- --
12 +6/+1 +4 +4 +8 Contingent Burst, Expanded Knowledge 8 8 8 8 8 7 5 -- -- --
13 +6/+1 +4 +4 +8 Piercing Evocation (+6), Pierce Wards 8 8 8 8 8 8 6 4 -- --
14 +7/+2 +4 +4 +9 Boost Evocation (+4), Pierce Immunity 8 8 8 8 8 8 7 5 -- --
15 +7/+2 +5 +5 +9 Arcane Aim (+4), Expanded Knowledge 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 6 4 --
16 +8/+3 +5 +5 +10 Contingent Burst, Arcane Wounds 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 7 5 --
17 +8/+3 +5 +5 +10 Piercing Spell, Blaster’s Gambit 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 6 4
18 +9/+4 +6 +6 +11 Arcane Doom, Expanded Knowledge 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 7 5
19 +9/+4 +6 +6 +11 Perfect Aim, Improved Energy Field 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 6
20 +10/+5 +6 +6 +12 Contingent Burst, Final Blast 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8



Class Features:
All the following are class features of the blaster.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Blasters are proficient with all simple weapons but with no form of armor or shield.

Spellcasting: A blaster casts arcane spells, which are drawn from the wizard/sorcerer list. He can cast any spell he knows without preparing it ahead of time the way a cleric or wizard must. When a blaster gains access to a new level of spells, he automatically knows all evocation spells for that level listed on the sorcerer/wizard spell list (except for dual-school spells). Essentially, his spell list is the same as his spells known list. Blasters also have the option of adding to their existing spell list through their advanced learning ability as they increase in level.
To cast a spell, a blaster must have an Intelligence score of 10 + the spell’s level. The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against a blaster’s spell is 10 + the spell’s level + the blaster’s Intelligence modifier. Like other spellcasters, a blaster can only ready a certain number of spell slots at a given time. The base allotment is given on the table above. In addition, he receives bonus spells for a high Intelligence score.
Unlike other casters, a blaster is accustomed to constant battles and can access their spells without rest or meditation. Blasters do not need eight hours of sleep to regain their spells. Instead, if eight hours pass without the blaster casting a single spell, he can start reclaiming his spell slots at a rate of one per round. This takes a full-round action. Like other spellcasters, a blaster can only regain any given spell slot once per day.
Unlike a cleric or wizard, a blaster need not prepare his spells in advance. He can cast any spell he knows at any time, assuming he has not yet used up his spells per day for that spell’s level.

Stern Dedication: A blaster can only cast spells of the evocation school. This included spellcasting gained from levels in other spellcasting classes and the use of spell-completion items. The blaster automatically fails all use magic device checks made to use an scroll, wand, or staff cast a spell of a school other than evocation.

Sharpest Edge (Ex): A blaster specialized in dealing damage with his spells. All evocations that they cast deal extra damage equal to the blaster’s Intelligence modifier. Furthermore, at the beginning of each turn, the blaster may choose a single creature within their line of sight. Until the blaster changes their target, that creature takes additional damage from the blaster’s evocations spells equal to half of their blaster level (minimum +1).
These bonuses are added to the total damage dealt to each creature by the evocation spell. Therefore, when a 3rd level blaster casts magic missile, a single target takes the same amount of extra damage whether they are hit by one or both of the missiles. If a spell deals damage for more than 1 round, this extra damage is delivered each round.
Scrolls scribed by the blaster do not gain any benefit from sharpest edge. Scrolls activated by the blaster, however, do. The same is true for most other magic items, such as wands and staffs.

Respite’s Reward (Ex): Although they need no rest to regain their spells, blasters can use rest to their advantage. After 8 hours of rest or sleep, blasters gain either eschew materials, versatile spellcaster (RotD), or Spell Rehearsal (RotD) as a bonus feat for the next 24 hours. This benefit does not stack with itself (resting for 16 hours gains no further benefit).

Boost Evocation (Ex): With a bit of focus, a blaster can make their spells harder to resist. Starting at 2nd level, when a blaster concentrates as a swift action, the next evocation they cast within the next round has its save DC increased by +1. This bonus increases by +1 at 6th, 10th, and 14th level
This ability may be used together with piercing evocation or arcane aim as a move action (the remaining option can still be used as a swift action).

Heat of Battle (Ex): Though hardly a hearty combatant, a blaster learns how to focus on spells even when in terrible pain. Starting at 2nd level, whenever a blaster takes damage while casting a spell, they subtract their class level from the DC of the concentration check. Furthermore, taking damage equal to or less than their class level doesn’t provoke a concentration check.

Arcane Aim (Ex): With a bit of focus, a blaster can better aim their evocations. Starting at 3rd level, when a blaster concentrates as a swift action, the next evocation they cast within the next round gains a +1 bonus to its attack roll (if any). This bonus increases by +1 at 7th, 11th, and 15th level.
This ability may be used together with piercing evocation or boost evocation as a move action (the remaining option can still be used as a swift action).

Arcane Opportunist (Ex): A blaster can threaten the area around them with their spells. Starting at 3rd level, a blaster can make attacks of opportunity using their spells, threatening a 10-foot radius around them. Only targeted spells with a casting time of 1 standard action or less can be cast as an attack of opportunity. The blaster must target the creature who provoked the attack of opportunity (targeted spells with multiple targets, like chain lightning, may not be used).

Contingent Burst (Ex): Though they lack the skills to protect themselves with wards, blasters use contingent bursts of evocation instead. At 4th level and every four levels afterwards (8th, 12th, 16th, 20th), a blaster chooses a single spell known and a trigger to activate it (as the contingency spell). Whenever the trigger is met, the blaster may cast the selected spell if they possess a spell slot of an appropriate spell level. Only spells with casting times of 1 standard action or less may be chosen in this way. The same spell and/or the same trigger may be used more than once. Once a spell or trigger has been selected, they may not be changed.
Each contingent burst can be used a number of times per day equal to the blaster’s Intelligence modifier. Casting a spell in this way takes no action at all and a single spell may be cast multiple times in one round. Multiple contingent triggers may be triggered in a single round or by a single action. Spells altered with metamagic feats may not be designated and may not be cast in this way.

Pierce Resistance (Ex): Blasters are adept at piercing through the energy resistances of others. Starting at 4th level, all evocations that they cast ignore 5 points to energy resistance/spell level. They may not ignore energy immunity in this way. If a creature possesses resistance to more than one type of elemental damage dealt by a single spell, only one resistance is overcome.

Last Word (Ex): Blasters are adapt at getting in a last-moment spell. Starting at 5th level, whenever a blaster becomes dead, unconscious, stunned, or paralyzed, they may first cast a single evocation spell. This ability may only be used if the blaster was capable of casting spells before obtaining the condition (an unconscious blaster being killed doesn’t get a spell, for example).
Furthermore, whenever a blaster’s evocation is counterspelled, the blaster may cast another evocation of at least two spell levels lower.
When using either of these abilities, the blaster can only cast evocations spells with casting times of 1 standard action or less. Casting spells in this way takes no action.

Piercing Evocation (Ex): With a bit of focus, a blaster can pierce their opponent’s defenses. Starting at 5th level, when a blaster concentrates as a swift action, the next evocation they cast within the next round gains a +2 bonus to all spell penetration rolls (if any). This bonus increases by +2 at 9th and 14t levels.
This ability may be used together with arcane aim or boost evocation as a move action (the remaining option can still be used as a swift action).

Expanded Knowledge: At 6th level and every 3 levels afterwards (9th, 12th, 15th, 18th), a blaster may select one evocation spell from another spell list and add it to their list of spells known. Spells belonging to two schools of magic may not be chosen in this way. Even if a spell is taken from a divine spell list, the blaster casts it as an arcane spell.

Outmaneuver (Ex): A blaster’s evocations eventually overcome even the most agile of foes. Starting at 7th level, evasion no longer functions against a blaster’s evocations and improved evasion functions as evasion. If a creatures’s hit dice exceed the blaster’s caster level +4, their evasion/improved evasion abilities function normally.

Battle Caster (Ex): Blasters are so adept with their evocations that they can cast them without creating openings. Starting at 8th level, blasters no longer provoke attacks of opportunity for casting evocation spells.

Rapid Opportunist (Ex): Blasters can adapt to situations far faster than most others, using each opening that opponents give them. At 10th level, Blasters add their intelligence modifier to the number of attacks of opportunity that they may make in a single round. This stacks with the effects of the combat reflexes feat.

Energy Field: When blasters let loose massive blasts of energy, they may let some of this energy fill the area around them. Starting at 11th level, whenever a blaster casts an evocation spell, they may also have the spell deal 1d4 damage/spell level to all creatures within 5 feet/spell level of you.
This damage comes from raw arcane energy and thus overcomes all energy resistances and immunities. A successful reflex save (spell’s DC) halves the damage. If the spell allows for spell resistance, so does this damage. For all purposes, this is considered part of the evocation spell (thus getting extra damage from sharpest edge, for example).

Pierce Wards (Ex): A blaster can bypass the strongest of magical wards with their evocations. Starting at 13th level, all miss chances, save bonuses, AC bonuses, energy resistances/immunities, spell resistance, and/or immunities to magic gained through spells and/or spell-like abilities are ignored by a blaster’s evocations, so long as the blaster has access to spells of at least that spell’s level. Similarly, benefits gained from magic items are ignored if the blaster highest spell level exceeds the highest spell level used to create that item.
Lastly, a blaster may cast their evocation spells into (but not from) antimagic zones (dead magic zones affect them normally).

Pierce Immunity (Ex): Starting at 14th level, a blaster’s evocations can finally overcome immunities to specific energy types. A blaster’s evocations now ignore 10 points of energy resistance/spell level and deal 5 points of energy damage/spell level to creatures with immunity to that energy type.

Arcane Wounds (Ex): Starting at 16th level, a blaster’s evocations deliver massive amounts of arcane energy into a wound, making it difficult to heal for awhile. Damage dealt by a blaster’s evocations cannot be healed magically or through fast healing for 1 round/spell level. Furthermore, a blaster’s spells overcome all forms of regeneration that can be overcome in some manner.

Blaster’s Gambit (Ex): At 17th level, a blaster can lower their defenses in order to take revenge on any who would attack them. As a free action, the blaster may take a –4 penalty to their AC and all saving throws until the end of their next round. Until the end of that time, whenever the blaster is attacked or targeted by a spell, they may make an attack of opportunity against the attacker/spellcaster. Casting a spell with the blaster in its area also provokes an attack of opportunity. These attacks of opportunity must be made using spells, as the arcane opportunist ability (except that they can attack spellcasters from further than 10 feet away).

Piercing Spell (Ex): Starting at 17th level, a blaster can reliably overcome a target’s resistance to magic. The blaster may take 10 on all spell penetration checks. In addition, a number of times per day equal to their intelligence modifier, a blaster may simply disregard a creature’s spell resistance.

Arcane Doom (Ex): Starting at 18th level, a blaster’s spells become nearly impossible to resist. Whenever a creature rolls higher than a 10 on a saving throw against a blaster’s evocation, the result is lowered to 10. In addition, a number of times per day equal to their intelligence modifier, a blaster can force an opponent to automatically fail a saving throw.

Perfect Aim (Ex): Starting at 19th level, a blaster can reliably hit their opponents with their spells. Whenever an evocation they cast requires an attack roll, they can take 10 on the roll. In addition, a number of times per day equal to their intelligence modifier, a blaster can simply forego the attack roll, automatically hitting the opponent unless they benefit fro total concealment and/or total cover.

Improved Energy Field: At 19th level, a blaster’s energy field increases in strength. Whenever they choose to use it, the area increases to 10 feet/spell level, the damage is increased to 2d4/spell level, and allies are not damaged by the field. Furthermore, all damage dealt is treated as continuous damage for the purpose of concentration.

Final Blast (Sp): At 20th level, a blaster turns themselves into a time bomb of sorts, ready to unleash a final blast if ever they should fall. When a blaster is slain, they may choose to release all of their remaining arcane energy within a 30-foot radius, much like a staff of power or staff of the magi.
All creatures within 2 squares of the blaster take points of damage equal to 5 x the number of unused spell slots they possess (regardless of spell level), those 3 or 4 squares away take 3 x the number of unused spell slots in damage, and those 5 or 6 squares away take damage equal to the number of unused spell slots they possess. All those affected may make a reflex save (DC 19 + Intelligence modifier) for half damage.
After using their final blast, the blaster’s body is utterly destroyed. They may only be brought back to life via a miracle or wish spell, and only if the caster succeeds on a DC 30 caster level check.

Realms of Chaos
2009-04-01, 01:40 PM
Frequently Asked Questions:

None yet.

JoshuaZ
2009-04-01, 02:27 PM
This seems like it is essentially the Warmage class from Complete Arcane but with even heavier emphasis on evocation and more powerful.



When a blaster gains access to a new level of spells, he automatically knows all evocation spells for that level listed on the sorcerer/wizard spell list (except for dual-school spells).

Ok. That's going to be a problem. Evocation may be one of the schools with fewer utility spells, but it still has a fair number. Given someone this level of flexibility is going to be a serious headache and is asking for abuse.

Moreover, without direct access to the Orb line of spells, the Warmage actually might be blasting better than the Blaster anyways...

Baron Corm
2009-04-01, 02:52 PM
Too many class features :smalleek:

If I counted correctly, >20 in 20 levels! Seems like the class needs more focus.

Myou
2009-04-01, 03:04 PM
Too many class features :smalleek:

If I counted correctly, >20 in 20 levels! Seems like the class needs more focus.

Seconded, there are far too many class features, there's no need for any class to have more than about 10.

Godskook
2009-04-01, 03:45 PM
Stern Dedication: A blaster can only cast spells of the evocation school. This included spellcasting gained from levels in other spellcasting classes and the use of spell-completion items. The blaster automatically fails all use magic device checks made to use an scroll, wand, or staff cast a spell of a school other than evocation.

Blasters and Multiclassing: A blaster is free to multiclass but all blaster features referring to evocation spells only refer to those gained by virtue of the blaster class.

Um....that sounds contradictory to me. If I'm a Bard 3/Blaster 10, can I or can I not cast illusion spells as a 3rd level Bard?

If not, isn't that a bit too restrictive?

Realms of Chaos
2009-04-01, 06:33 PM
Thanks, everybody. It's been awhile since I've homebrewed.

JoshuaZ: You caught on to my purpose perfectly. I wanted to create a pure evocation blaster that not only could hope to compete with a regular wizard/sorcerer but who could blast about as well even without disintegrate and orbs. It is indeed stronger than the warmage. This is completely intentional as the warmage is generally considered one of the weaker classes created (about on par with the healer, samurai, and soul knife), though it is fun to play :smallsmile:.
As far as its extensive spell list, I don't see too many problems. Other than contingency, evoke magic (or was it invoke magic, from Lords of Madness), Forcecage, and a couple of rad darkness spells, there is precious little to fear. Then again, if you like, I could easily create a set spell-list to make things easier if you think it is necessary.

flyingpoo/myou: I agree that the raw number of class features is somewhat appalling. However, everything there either seems to add to the modicum of defense that it possesses (blasting you again when you come too close/set off a trigger/knock me unconscious) or seems necessary to make an evocation specialist viable compared to monstrosities such as celerity and timestop.
For the record, yes, I am trying to roughly equal celerity and timestop (to the extent that evocation can). When forming a martial/skill-monkey class, it is insane to compare your class to the benchmark of the wizard. As I am creating an arcane spellcaster with access to some of the wizard's spell-list, however, that is a completely reasonable goal.
90% of the abilities are just there to make evocation look viable again. Overcoming evasion, regeneration, energy resistances/immunities, magical wards, spell resistance, and attack rolls are all needed just so that evocation schools can sit in the same general ballpark as the average death effect.


Godskook: I see no contradiction there. You loose the ability to cast non-evocation spells from any source (including other spellcasting levels) but your class features only benefit spells from this class. As such, you technically could multiclass into another spellcasting class but doing so would be unwise. See my edits below.



In case there is any confusion, allow me to explain Stern Dedication. Once you have taken your first level in blaster, all spells from schools other than evocation are barred from you. You cannot multiclass to get them. The use magic device skill fails to get them for you. A command word item would work but that is pretty much it. In exchange for the many powers of the blaster, you are pretty much sacrificing your ability to cast orb spells, death effects, abjurations, celerity, timestop, wish, and lots of other goodies forever. This is the balancing mechanism of the class.

Edit: Now I see the contradiction :smalltongue:. I'll fix up the language in the multiclassing section.
Edit Edit: I just got rid of the multiclassing thing altogether. The other class will already be suffering from Stern Dedication. No need to rub salt in the wound.



What abilities do you think I should dump, everyone?

Juhn
2009-04-01, 06:49 PM
I'm mostly concerned by the fact that all but one of these are Extraordinary.

Owrtho
2009-04-01, 07:39 PM
I don't actualy see much of a need to lose any abilities. The are all rather focused toward a single goal, and a some could be combine into scaling abilities. The class doesn't get bonus feats, has worst BAB, and bad ref and will. Unlike wizard and sorcerer it doesn't get a familiar and only has access to 1 school. The many abilities make up for the lost schools and familiar in my opinion. I also disagree with there being a problem with >20 abilities in 20 levels (mainly for the reasons above). I made a base class (theres a link in my sig to it) with 19 abilities, and 2 dead levels (and at least 1 of those abilities could have been split into 3 which would have made it 21).

However, if you want to cut down on abilities, you could combine a few of the ones that build on each other (like energy field and improved energy field)

I'd also say in response to Juhns remark that the extrodinary part doesn't seem to be a huge issue. Mainly because most require the casting of a spell in order to work. Thus something like an anti-magic field would still efectively nulify them.

Owrtho

Realms of Chaos
2009-04-01, 07:58 PM
Someone who doesn't think this many abilities is absurd? Awuh? How completely and totally unexpected. *silently passes Owrtho a cookie* :smallwink:

In all seriousness, Owrtho is right about the extraordinary abilities. The thing is that few of these abilities seem spell-like or supernatural in their own right. Instead, they just modify the way that the Blaster casts their other spells (which seems more extraordinary to me).