DragoonWraith
2010-02-05, 05:54 PM
OK, so this is a Cha-based prepared spellcaster. And yeah, it's about Wizard-level power; I'd like to create a new Spell List that might reduce this somewhat, but I doubt I actually will. Anyway, the "specialization" mechanic is quite interesting, I think, and should throttle the Weaver somewhat.
I gave the class 4 + Int mod skill points, because I believe that any non-Int-based-fullcaster with 2 + Int mod skill points is just insulting. If I DMed a game, Sorcerers, Clerics, and Fighters, along with whoever else, would get 4+Int skills. However, if you disagree with me on this, 2+Int mod skills will probably work about as well as it generally does.
Other than that, the Masterpiece is problematic because creating new spells is problematic. But I really feel like that's what needs to happen there.
Also, I feel like Magnum Opus is a little anti-climactic. It's powerful, no doubt, but it also does not involve a singular "great work", which it should. Suggestions on that are very welcome.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v238/DragoonWraith/Dungeons%20and%20Dragons/Homebrew/SpellWeaver.png
The Spell Weaver is an artist, and his medium is arcane magic. For a Spell Weaver, spells are less tools to be used, and more art forms to be learned. Though most Wizards will tell you that the Schools of Magic are based on the use of the spells, or the power of the spells, or the effect of the spells, anyone who has paid much attention to the actual spells in each grouping can realize easily enough that none of these are really the case, and plenty of oddly placed spells can be found all over. To Spell Weavers, this is hardly surprising, however, because in truth the Schools of Magic are actually each their own artistic style, and always the oldest spells are in fact the works of Spell Weavers, not Wizards. Wizardry may be effective, but Spell Weavers know the true way Arcana works.
HIT DIE
d4.
SKILLS
Skill Points at First Level: (4 + Int modifier) x 4.
Skill Points at Each Level Thereafter: 4 + Int modifier
Class Skills: Appraise (Int), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Decipher Script (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Forgery (Int), Gather Information (Cha), Knowledge (Arcana) (Int), Perform (Cha), Profession (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), and Spellcraft (Int).
CLASS FEATURES
Each of the following are class features of the Spell Weaver:
{table=head]Level | BAB | Fort | Ref | Will | Special | 0th | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th | 7th | 8th | 9th
1st | +0 | +0 | +0 | +2 | Spell Weaving, Novice | 4 | 2
2nd | +1 | +0 | +0 | +3 | | 5 | 3
3rd | +1 | +1 | +1 | +3 | Apprentice | 5 | 3 | 2
4th | +2 | +1 | +1 | +4 | | 5 | 4 | 3
5th | +2 | +1 | +1 | +4 | Original Work | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2
6th | +3 | +2 | +2 | +5 | | 5 | 5 | 4 | 3
7th | +3 | +2 | +2 | +5 | Journeyman | 5 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2
8th | +4 | +2 | +2 | +6 | | 6 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 3
9th | +4 | +3 | +3 | +6 | | 6 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2
10th | +5 | +3 | +3 | +7 | Original Work, Improvisation | 6 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 3
11th | +5 | +3 | +3 | +7 | | 6 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2
12th | +6/+1 | +4 | +4 | +8 | | 6 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 3
13th | +6/+1 | +4 | +4 | +8 | Master, Masterpiece | 6 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2
14th | +7/+2 | +4 | +4 | +9 | | 6 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 3
15th | +7/+2 | +5 | +5 | +9 | Original Work | 6 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2
16th | +8/+3 | +5 | +5 | +10 | | 6 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 3
17th | +8/+3 | +5 | +5 | +10 | | 6 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2
18th | +9/+4 | +6 | +6 | +11 | | 6 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 3
19th | +9/+4 | +6 | +6 | +11 | | 6 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 3
20th | +10/+5 | +6 | +6 | +12 | Magnum Opus | 6 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4[/table]
Armor and Weapon Proficiency
A Spell Weaver is proficient in the use of Clubs, Daggers, Heavy and Light Crossbows, and Quarterstaves. They are not proficient in any armor or shields, and using any armor may interfere with their ability to cast their spells.
Spellcasting
A Spell Weaver casts arcane spells which are drawn from the Sorcerer/Wizard spell list. A Spell Weaver must choose and prepare her spells ahead of time (see below).
To learn, prepare, or cast a spell, the Spell Weaver must have a Charisma score equal to at least 10 + the spell level. The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against a Spell Weaver’s spell is 10 + the spell level + the Spell Weaver’s Charisma modifier.
Like other spellcasters, a Spell Weaver can cast only a certain number of spells of each spell level per day. Her base daily spell allotment is given in the table above. In addition, she receives bonus spells per day if she has a high Charisma score.
Unlike a Bard or Sorcerer, a Spell Weaver may know any number of spells. She must choose and prepare her spells ahead of time by getting a good night’s sleep and spending 1 hour studying her Weaves. While studying, the Spell Weaver decides which spells to prepare.
Like Wizards, Spell Weavers specialize. Unlike Wizards, however, specialization is not optional, and the restrictions on which schools a Spell Weaver has access to are more significant. The rules for these are detailed in the Mastery of the Art class feature, but in brief, a Spell Weaver may cast 0th through 3rd level spells from all schools, 4th through 6th level spells from only five of the schools, and 7th through 9th level spells from only three of those five schools (they may also cast Universal spells of any level).
Spell Weaving
A Spell Weaver does not write down spells as a Wizard does. Instead, they use mundane string or thread to visually illustrate how magic power ought to be woven together in order to produce a spell. This form of storing spell information is quite different from the arcane writing used by Wizards, and therefore Wizards cannot 'read' a Spell Weaver's spells, nor can a Spell Weaver read a Wizard's spellbook. Nonetheless, the Read Magic spell works as well on the Spell Weaver's weaves as it does on any other form of storing spell information.
A Spell Weaver starts with weaves for each of the cantrips, as well as the weaves for three 1st level spells. She gains two new weaves for spells of a level she can cast at each level thereafter.
She may also create new weaves in exactly the same manner as a Wizard scribes new spells into his spellbook, but weaves need not be carried all together as one 'book'; they may be kept separate from each other (typically in a bag or the like), and each one weighs one hundredth of a pound (0.01 lbs) per spell level. Alternatively, a tapestry or other form of weaving can have spells woven into it, and typically weighs about 3 lbs and can store 200 spell levels in it. However, whatever weaving the spell is formed into, it must be capable of being laid flat if the Spell Weaver is to prepare spells from it.
For any Effects, Feats, or Prestige Classes that require spells to be prepared "from a spellbook", the Spell Weaver's weaves would typically qualify.
Because Spell Weaving is an art more than it is a science, a lot of a Spell Weaver's ability with Spellcraft comes more from their artistic talents rather than their study of Arcana. A Spell Weaver may replace his Intelligence modifier on Spellcraft checks with Charisma, if he desires. Spell weaving can also be a performance art; Perform (Spell Weave) would be the associated skill, displaying brightly lit patterns and shapes of pure magic for the delight or consideration of the audience.
Finally, a Spell Weave need not necessarily be merely an illustration of a spell; it may actually be magic itself, and used as if it were a Scroll. Such weaves are more difficult and more expensive to make; treat the process as exactly like Scribing a Scroll. For the sake of prerequisites for Feats, Prestige Classes, and the like, treat the Spell Weaver as having the Scribe Scroll feat.
Mastery of the Art
Spell Weavers recognize four levels of skill in the weaving of spells: Novice, Apprentice, Journeyman, and Master. The first three historically have referred to actual positions in a Master's employ, though these days it is not at all uncommon for "Apprentice" level Spell Weavers to not actually be anyone's apprentice; it simply refers to their level of ability. Each of these features are triggered by the Spell Weaver's ability to cast spells of a certain level, rather than by having a certain number of levels in the Spell Weaver class. The levels listed in the table above are the levels when these features appear for a single classed Spell Weaver, but Prestige Classes may change these levels.
Novice
Novices learn the basic forms of spells from all of the Schools of Magic. It is very rare for a Novice to do any original work, but instead they simply learn the craft by mimicking others' work. As Novices cannot master the power of higher arcana, all spells above 3rd level are effectively treated as not actually being on his spell list - without advancing to Apprentice and then Journeyman, he cannot cast them, nor can he use spell completion or spell trigger items that require them.
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Apprentice
A Spell Weaver who can cast 2nd level spells may be considered an Apprentice. An Apprentice has some mastery of the basic spells, and has demonstrated some ability with weaving. Like the Novice, an Apprentice does not consider any spells above 3rd level to be on his spell list; not until he becomes a Journeyman does he gain access to these spells.
An Apprentice must begin to find his own style. At this point, they are still welcome to try all types of magic, but they must choose three Schools of Magic to focus on for each level; each of these receives a +1 bonus to Caster Level when cast. However, each the spells from the other Schools receive a -1 penalty to Caster Level.
In neither case does this change in Caster Level affect the Spell Weaver's ability to cast the spell (even if the new effective Caster Level would be high enough to cast a spell of a level he normally could not, or not high enough to cast a spell he normally could). As an exception to the rule that effects are always applied in the order that is most beneficial to the character, this modification to Caster Level is always applied last.
A Spell Weaver may change any or all of his favored Schools each level, until he becomes a Journeyman (see below).
Universal spells are never penalized or improved by this feature.
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Journeyman
For a Spell Weaver to learn to weave 4th level spells, he must define his own style. When he would otherwise gain 4th level spells, he must choose three of the Schools of Magic, and each that he chooses must have been one that he had as a favored School during his Apprenticeship. This is identical to the favored Schools feature of an Apprentice, except that once chosen, they cannot be changed - that is, the Spell Weaver gains a +1 bonus to the Caster Level of all spells from those three Schools, and a -1 penalty to the Caster Level of all spells from the remaining Schools. As before, Universal spells are not affected one way or the other.
A Journeyman also adds the spells from the Sorcerer/Wizard list of 4th and higher levels from these three schools to his spell list. In addition, he may select two of the other five Schools, and also add to his spell list those Sorcerer/Wizard spells that are at least 4th level and no greater than 6th level.
The spells from the remaining three Schools do not add any spells to the Spell Weaver's spell list - no spells greater than 3rd level is available to him from these schools, as they are not on his spell list. These three Schools may be referred to as his "banned" Schools, though he retains those spells of level no greater than 3rd, and can continue to learn more of the lower level spells from those Schools, if desired. He can even cast spells from the "banned" Schools in spell slots higher than 3rd, if he likes - for example, to use them with Metamagic.
In addition, Universal spells above 3rd level from the Sorcerer/Wizard spell list are added to his spell list, regardless of his choices of Favored or "banned" Schools.
For the Sorcerer/Wizard spells that are not on his spell list - that is, 7th or higher spell from any but his Favored Schools, and 4th or higher spells from those three "banned" Schools, he cannot learn them, create weaves for them, or use spell completion or spell trigger items that require them unless he succeeds on the appropriate Use Magic Device check. In other words, they are treated exactly like any other spells not on his spell list. No effect may add Spells of a level higher than the highest level Spell on his list for the given School, even if the Spells were never Sorcerer/Wizard spells to begin with.
Neither the favored nor the banned Schools may be changed after the Journeyman Spell Weaver has chosen them.
A Spell Weaver who would otherwise be able to cast 4th level spells may delay his initiation into being a Journeyman if they would like to experiment with more schools. However, if they do so, they cannot use 4th or higher level spells until they do; a Spell Weaver who decides to do this will get a new chance to define his style at each level after this decision. Spells per day for lower level spells may continue to be gained, and as soon as the Spell Weaver decides upon his style, he also gains the spells per day of the higher level spells as usual for a Spell Weaver of his level.
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Master
In order to be recognized as a Master, a Spell Weaver must be otherwise capable of casting 7th level spells, and must complete a Masterpiece (see below). Only Master Spell Weavers can cast spells of 7th level or higher, and then only from their very specialized field. The School in which the Master Spell Weaver completes his Masterpiece retains the +1 bonus to Caster Level for 7th and higher level spells, but the other two favored Schools now take a -1 penalty to Caster Level instead of the +1 bonus for spells of 7th or higher level. As mentioned previously, all 7th level or higher spells that are not from these three favored Schools (or are Universal) are not on his spell list at all.
The Master may also prepare his Masterpiece as a 6th level spell, and additionally may expend any other spell prepared as a 7th level spell in order to cast his Masterpiece instead.
Original Work
At 5th level, a Spell Weaver may select any spell of the second highest level he can cast (so, assuming no Prestige Classes, a 2nd level spell), and from then on may prepare that spell as a spell of a single level lower (so if a 2nd level spell, it may be prepared as a 1st level spell). Further, the Spell Weaver may, at any time, choose to expend any spell prepared as the chosen spell's original level, in order to cast the chosen spell instead. This small degree of spontaneity does not qualify the Spell Weaver as a "spontaneous" casting class, however.
At 10th level and again at 15th level, the Spell Weaver may choose new spells, again of the second highest level they may cast. Recall that a Spell Weaver must be a Journeyman to cast spells above 4th level, and must be a Master to cast spells above 7th level; if a Spell Weaver has delayed their becoming a Journeyman, or has yet to complete his Masterpiece, he may be forced to choose spells of a level lower than a Spell Weaver of his level would normally be able to cast.
In all cases, the spell chosen by a Journeyman or Master must be one of those that is receiving a +1 bonus to Caster Level from Mastery of the Art; those spells that receive a -1 penalty, or Universal spells, are not eligible. Apprentices do not face this restriction in choosing their spell. Novices cannot gain the Original Work feature at all; normally it should be impossible to still be a Novice and somehow gain the Original Work feature, but if it should happen, they cannot take its benefit at all.
Masterpiece
When the Spell Weaver would otherwise gain the ability to cast 7th level spells, he must first complete his Masterpiece. To do so, the Spell Weaver must create a completely unique spell, never before seen, of 7th level. It may be from any of the Spell Weaver's favored Schools. See pg. 35 of the Dungeon Master's Guide for information on making new spells.
Actually weaving the Masterpiece requires 21,000 gp worth of materials, 21 days (spending 8 hours a day on the weave), and a DC 30 Spellcraft check at the end of each day (failure by 5 or less means no progress was made; failure by more than 5 means the Spell Weaver has actually regressed by one day for every 5 less than 30 that the check reads). The Spell Weaver may take 10 on this check, provided he hasn't been harried during the creation time.
Variant: Advancing the Art
For a variety of reasons (which really should be pretty obvious), making a new spell is complicated. A Spell Weaver coming up on 13th level (or the equivalent if they've lost caster levels) should have been ready for this, and discussed their masterpiece ahead of time with their DM, but some times that cannot happen, or the player or the DM simply do not have the time or inclination to do so. Nonetheless, a Master Spell Weaver needs a Masterpiece.
Therefore, it may be acceptable for a Spell Weaver's Masterpiece to create an existing spell, in a never before seen way. Namely, to create a 7th level version of an 8th level spell, similar to the Original Work class feature. This has obvious problems of its own; the difference in power between a 7th level spell and an 8th level spell is rather large. Nevertheless, in situations where creating a new spell is problematic, and a Spell Weaver's player can be trusted not to abuse this ability, this may work well as a quick fix.
Note that they should not get to prepare it as a 6th level spell! Let them prepare it as a 7th level spell, and then when they get 8th level spells let them spontaneously cast it as they have with previous levels.
Improvisation
At 10th level, a Spell Weaver who is at least a Journeyman may apply metamagic to his spells without preparing them as such before hand. To do so, he must expend another spell prepared as the appropriate higher level, in order to cast a spell prepared without metamagic with a metamagic effect (or to cast a spell prepared with some metamagic with more metamagic). The spell actually cast with the metamagic, however, must be from one of his favored Schools, and he may only do this a number of times per day equal to his Intelligence modifier. The lower level spell slot is not used, but is considered as if it were left unprepared; a Spell Weaver may prepare another spell in that slot when he gets a chance as normal.
For example, if a 10th level Journeyman Spell Weaver has prepared Fireball, a 3rd level Evocation spell, and Dismissal, a 5th level Abjuration spell, has the Empower Spell feat, and has Evocation as one of his favored Schools, he may choose to lose the slot in which he has prepared Dismissal in order to cast Empowered Fireball from that slot. He now has an unprepared 3rd level spell slot. Whether or not he has Abjuration as a favored School does not affect his ability to do so.
Magnum Opus
A 20th level Spell Weaver may choose one spell from the same school as his Masterpiece from each spell level (excepting 0th). From now on, he may prepare each of these spells as one level lower, and may expend any spell of the same level as the spell originally occupied to instead cast each spell. This is in addition to those spells he chose for his Original Works.
I gave the class 4 + Int mod skill points, because I believe that any non-Int-based-fullcaster with 2 + Int mod skill points is just insulting. If I DMed a game, Sorcerers, Clerics, and Fighters, along with whoever else, would get 4+Int skills. However, if you disagree with me on this, 2+Int mod skills will probably work about as well as it generally does.
Other than that, the Masterpiece is problematic because creating new spells is problematic. But I really feel like that's what needs to happen there.
Also, I feel like Magnum Opus is a little anti-climactic. It's powerful, no doubt, but it also does not involve a singular "great work", which it should. Suggestions on that are very welcome.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v238/DragoonWraith/Dungeons%20and%20Dragons/Homebrew/SpellWeaver.png
The Spell Weaver is an artist, and his medium is arcane magic. For a Spell Weaver, spells are less tools to be used, and more art forms to be learned. Though most Wizards will tell you that the Schools of Magic are based on the use of the spells, or the power of the spells, or the effect of the spells, anyone who has paid much attention to the actual spells in each grouping can realize easily enough that none of these are really the case, and plenty of oddly placed spells can be found all over. To Spell Weavers, this is hardly surprising, however, because in truth the Schools of Magic are actually each their own artistic style, and always the oldest spells are in fact the works of Spell Weavers, not Wizards. Wizardry may be effective, but Spell Weavers know the true way Arcana works.
HIT DIE
d4.
SKILLS
Skill Points at First Level: (4 + Int modifier) x 4.
Skill Points at Each Level Thereafter: 4 + Int modifier
Class Skills: Appraise (Int), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Decipher Script (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Forgery (Int), Gather Information (Cha), Knowledge (Arcana) (Int), Perform (Cha), Profession (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), and Spellcraft (Int).
CLASS FEATURES
Each of the following are class features of the Spell Weaver:
{table=head]Level | BAB | Fort | Ref | Will | Special | 0th | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th | 7th | 8th | 9th
1st | +0 | +0 | +0 | +2 | Spell Weaving, Novice | 4 | 2
2nd | +1 | +0 | +0 | +3 | | 5 | 3
3rd | +1 | +1 | +1 | +3 | Apprentice | 5 | 3 | 2
4th | +2 | +1 | +1 | +4 | | 5 | 4 | 3
5th | +2 | +1 | +1 | +4 | Original Work | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2
6th | +3 | +2 | +2 | +5 | | 5 | 5 | 4 | 3
7th | +3 | +2 | +2 | +5 | Journeyman | 5 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2
8th | +4 | +2 | +2 | +6 | | 6 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 3
9th | +4 | +3 | +3 | +6 | | 6 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2
10th | +5 | +3 | +3 | +7 | Original Work, Improvisation | 6 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 3
11th | +5 | +3 | +3 | +7 | | 6 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2
12th | +6/+1 | +4 | +4 | +8 | | 6 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 3
13th | +6/+1 | +4 | +4 | +8 | Master, Masterpiece | 6 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2
14th | +7/+2 | +4 | +4 | +9 | | 6 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 3
15th | +7/+2 | +5 | +5 | +9 | Original Work | 6 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2
16th | +8/+3 | +5 | +5 | +10 | | 6 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 3
17th | +8/+3 | +5 | +5 | +10 | | 6 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2
18th | +9/+4 | +6 | +6 | +11 | | 6 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 3
19th | +9/+4 | +6 | +6 | +11 | | 6 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 3
20th | +10/+5 | +6 | +6 | +12 | Magnum Opus | 6 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4[/table]
Armor and Weapon Proficiency
A Spell Weaver is proficient in the use of Clubs, Daggers, Heavy and Light Crossbows, and Quarterstaves. They are not proficient in any armor or shields, and using any armor may interfere with their ability to cast their spells.
Spellcasting
A Spell Weaver casts arcane spells which are drawn from the Sorcerer/Wizard spell list. A Spell Weaver must choose and prepare her spells ahead of time (see below).
To learn, prepare, or cast a spell, the Spell Weaver must have a Charisma score equal to at least 10 + the spell level. The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against a Spell Weaver’s spell is 10 + the spell level + the Spell Weaver’s Charisma modifier.
Like other spellcasters, a Spell Weaver can cast only a certain number of spells of each spell level per day. Her base daily spell allotment is given in the table above. In addition, she receives bonus spells per day if she has a high Charisma score.
Unlike a Bard or Sorcerer, a Spell Weaver may know any number of spells. She must choose and prepare her spells ahead of time by getting a good night’s sleep and spending 1 hour studying her Weaves. While studying, the Spell Weaver decides which spells to prepare.
Like Wizards, Spell Weavers specialize. Unlike Wizards, however, specialization is not optional, and the restrictions on which schools a Spell Weaver has access to are more significant. The rules for these are detailed in the Mastery of the Art class feature, but in brief, a Spell Weaver may cast 0th through 3rd level spells from all schools, 4th through 6th level spells from only five of the schools, and 7th through 9th level spells from only three of those five schools (they may also cast Universal spells of any level).
Spell Weaving
A Spell Weaver does not write down spells as a Wizard does. Instead, they use mundane string or thread to visually illustrate how magic power ought to be woven together in order to produce a spell. This form of storing spell information is quite different from the arcane writing used by Wizards, and therefore Wizards cannot 'read' a Spell Weaver's spells, nor can a Spell Weaver read a Wizard's spellbook. Nonetheless, the Read Magic spell works as well on the Spell Weaver's weaves as it does on any other form of storing spell information.
A Spell Weaver starts with weaves for each of the cantrips, as well as the weaves for three 1st level spells. She gains two new weaves for spells of a level she can cast at each level thereafter.
She may also create new weaves in exactly the same manner as a Wizard scribes new spells into his spellbook, but weaves need not be carried all together as one 'book'; they may be kept separate from each other (typically in a bag or the like), and each one weighs one hundredth of a pound (0.01 lbs) per spell level. Alternatively, a tapestry or other form of weaving can have spells woven into it, and typically weighs about 3 lbs and can store 200 spell levels in it. However, whatever weaving the spell is formed into, it must be capable of being laid flat if the Spell Weaver is to prepare spells from it.
For any Effects, Feats, or Prestige Classes that require spells to be prepared "from a spellbook", the Spell Weaver's weaves would typically qualify.
Because Spell Weaving is an art more than it is a science, a lot of a Spell Weaver's ability with Spellcraft comes more from their artistic talents rather than their study of Arcana. A Spell Weaver may replace his Intelligence modifier on Spellcraft checks with Charisma, if he desires. Spell weaving can also be a performance art; Perform (Spell Weave) would be the associated skill, displaying brightly lit patterns and shapes of pure magic for the delight or consideration of the audience.
Finally, a Spell Weave need not necessarily be merely an illustration of a spell; it may actually be magic itself, and used as if it were a Scroll. Such weaves are more difficult and more expensive to make; treat the process as exactly like Scribing a Scroll. For the sake of prerequisites for Feats, Prestige Classes, and the like, treat the Spell Weaver as having the Scribe Scroll feat.
Mastery of the Art
Spell Weavers recognize four levels of skill in the weaving of spells: Novice, Apprentice, Journeyman, and Master. The first three historically have referred to actual positions in a Master's employ, though these days it is not at all uncommon for "Apprentice" level Spell Weavers to not actually be anyone's apprentice; it simply refers to their level of ability. Each of these features are triggered by the Spell Weaver's ability to cast spells of a certain level, rather than by having a certain number of levels in the Spell Weaver class. The levels listed in the table above are the levels when these features appear for a single classed Spell Weaver, but Prestige Classes may change these levels.
Novice
Novices learn the basic forms of spells from all of the Schools of Magic. It is very rare for a Novice to do any original work, but instead they simply learn the craft by mimicking others' work. As Novices cannot master the power of higher arcana, all spells above 3rd level are effectively treated as not actually being on his spell list - without advancing to Apprentice and then Journeyman, he cannot cast them, nor can he use spell completion or spell trigger items that require them.
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Apprentice
A Spell Weaver who can cast 2nd level spells may be considered an Apprentice. An Apprentice has some mastery of the basic spells, and has demonstrated some ability with weaving. Like the Novice, an Apprentice does not consider any spells above 3rd level to be on his spell list; not until he becomes a Journeyman does he gain access to these spells.
An Apprentice must begin to find his own style. At this point, they are still welcome to try all types of magic, but they must choose three Schools of Magic to focus on for each level; each of these receives a +1 bonus to Caster Level when cast. However, each the spells from the other Schools receive a -1 penalty to Caster Level.
In neither case does this change in Caster Level affect the Spell Weaver's ability to cast the spell (even if the new effective Caster Level would be high enough to cast a spell of a level he normally could not, or not high enough to cast a spell he normally could). As an exception to the rule that effects are always applied in the order that is most beneficial to the character, this modification to Caster Level is always applied last.
A Spell Weaver may change any or all of his favored Schools each level, until he becomes a Journeyman (see below).
Universal spells are never penalized or improved by this feature.
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Journeyman
For a Spell Weaver to learn to weave 4th level spells, he must define his own style. When he would otherwise gain 4th level spells, he must choose three of the Schools of Magic, and each that he chooses must have been one that he had as a favored School during his Apprenticeship. This is identical to the favored Schools feature of an Apprentice, except that once chosen, they cannot be changed - that is, the Spell Weaver gains a +1 bonus to the Caster Level of all spells from those three Schools, and a -1 penalty to the Caster Level of all spells from the remaining Schools. As before, Universal spells are not affected one way or the other.
A Journeyman also adds the spells from the Sorcerer/Wizard list of 4th and higher levels from these three schools to his spell list. In addition, he may select two of the other five Schools, and also add to his spell list those Sorcerer/Wizard spells that are at least 4th level and no greater than 6th level.
The spells from the remaining three Schools do not add any spells to the Spell Weaver's spell list - no spells greater than 3rd level is available to him from these schools, as they are not on his spell list. These three Schools may be referred to as his "banned" Schools, though he retains those spells of level no greater than 3rd, and can continue to learn more of the lower level spells from those Schools, if desired. He can even cast spells from the "banned" Schools in spell slots higher than 3rd, if he likes - for example, to use them with Metamagic.
In addition, Universal spells above 3rd level from the Sorcerer/Wizard spell list are added to his spell list, regardless of his choices of Favored or "banned" Schools.
For the Sorcerer/Wizard spells that are not on his spell list - that is, 7th or higher spell from any but his Favored Schools, and 4th or higher spells from those three "banned" Schools, he cannot learn them, create weaves for them, or use spell completion or spell trigger items that require them unless he succeeds on the appropriate Use Magic Device check. In other words, they are treated exactly like any other spells not on his spell list. No effect may add Spells of a level higher than the highest level Spell on his list for the given School, even if the Spells were never Sorcerer/Wizard spells to begin with.
Neither the favored nor the banned Schools may be changed after the Journeyman Spell Weaver has chosen them.
A Spell Weaver who would otherwise be able to cast 4th level spells may delay his initiation into being a Journeyman if they would like to experiment with more schools. However, if they do so, they cannot use 4th or higher level spells until they do; a Spell Weaver who decides to do this will get a new chance to define his style at each level after this decision. Spells per day for lower level spells may continue to be gained, and as soon as the Spell Weaver decides upon his style, he also gains the spells per day of the higher level spells as usual for a Spell Weaver of his level.
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Master
In order to be recognized as a Master, a Spell Weaver must be otherwise capable of casting 7th level spells, and must complete a Masterpiece (see below). Only Master Spell Weavers can cast spells of 7th level or higher, and then only from their very specialized field. The School in which the Master Spell Weaver completes his Masterpiece retains the +1 bonus to Caster Level for 7th and higher level spells, but the other two favored Schools now take a -1 penalty to Caster Level instead of the +1 bonus for spells of 7th or higher level. As mentioned previously, all 7th level or higher spells that are not from these three favored Schools (or are Universal) are not on his spell list at all.
The Master may also prepare his Masterpiece as a 6th level spell, and additionally may expend any other spell prepared as a 7th level spell in order to cast his Masterpiece instead.
Original Work
At 5th level, a Spell Weaver may select any spell of the second highest level he can cast (so, assuming no Prestige Classes, a 2nd level spell), and from then on may prepare that spell as a spell of a single level lower (so if a 2nd level spell, it may be prepared as a 1st level spell). Further, the Spell Weaver may, at any time, choose to expend any spell prepared as the chosen spell's original level, in order to cast the chosen spell instead. This small degree of spontaneity does not qualify the Spell Weaver as a "spontaneous" casting class, however.
At 10th level and again at 15th level, the Spell Weaver may choose new spells, again of the second highest level they may cast. Recall that a Spell Weaver must be a Journeyman to cast spells above 4th level, and must be a Master to cast spells above 7th level; if a Spell Weaver has delayed their becoming a Journeyman, or has yet to complete his Masterpiece, he may be forced to choose spells of a level lower than a Spell Weaver of his level would normally be able to cast.
In all cases, the spell chosen by a Journeyman or Master must be one of those that is receiving a +1 bonus to Caster Level from Mastery of the Art; those spells that receive a -1 penalty, or Universal spells, are not eligible. Apprentices do not face this restriction in choosing their spell. Novices cannot gain the Original Work feature at all; normally it should be impossible to still be a Novice and somehow gain the Original Work feature, but if it should happen, they cannot take its benefit at all.
Masterpiece
When the Spell Weaver would otherwise gain the ability to cast 7th level spells, he must first complete his Masterpiece. To do so, the Spell Weaver must create a completely unique spell, never before seen, of 7th level. It may be from any of the Spell Weaver's favored Schools. See pg. 35 of the Dungeon Master's Guide for information on making new spells.
Actually weaving the Masterpiece requires 21,000 gp worth of materials, 21 days (spending 8 hours a day on the weave), and a DC 30 Spellcraft check at the end of each day (failure by 5 or less means no progress was made; failure by more than 5 means the Spell Weaver has actually regressed by one day for every 5 less than 30 that the check reads). The Spell Weaver may take 10 on this check, provided he hasn't been harried during the creation time.
Variant: Advancing the Art
For a variety of reasons (which really should be pretty obvious), making a new spell is complicated. A Spell Weaver coming up on 13th level (or the equivalent if they've lost caster levels) should have been ready for this, and discussed their masterpiece ahead of time with their DM, but some times that cannot happen, or the player or the DM simply do not have the time or inclination to do so. Nonetheless, a Master Spell Weaver needs a Masterpiece.
Therefore, it may be acceptable for a Spell Weaver's Masterpiece to create an existing spell, in a never before seen way. Namely, to create a 7th level version of an 8th level spell, similar to the Original Work class feature. This has obvious problems of its own; the difference in power between a 7th level spell and an 8th level spell is rather large. Nevertheless, in situations where creating a new spell is problematic, and a Spell Weaver's player can be trusted not to abuse this ability, this may work well as a quick fix.
Note that they should not get to prepare it as a 6th level spell! Let them prepare it as a 7th level spell, and then when they get 8th level spells let them spontaneously cast it as they have with previous levels.
Improvisation
At 10th level, a Spell Weaver who is at least a Journeyman may apply metamagic to his spells without preparing them as such before hand. To do so, he must expend another spell prepared as the appropriate higher level, in order to cast a spell prepared without metamagic with a metamagic effect (or to cast a spell prepared with some metamagic with more metamagic). The spell actually cast with the metamagic, however, must be from one of his favored Schools, and he may only do this a number of times per day equal to his Intelligence modifier. The lower level spell slot is not used, but is considered as if it were left unprepared; a Spell Weaver may prepare another spell in that slot when he gets a chance as normal.
For example, if a 10th level Journeyman Spell Weaver has prepared Fireball, a 3rd level Evocation spell, and Dismissal, a 5th level Abjuration spell, has the Empower Spell feat, and has Evocation as one of his favored Schools, he may choose to lose the slot in which he has prepared Dismissal in order to cast Empowered Fireball from that slot. He now has an unprepared 3rd level spell slot. Whether or not he has Abjuration as a favored School does not affect his ability to do so.
Magnum Opus
A 20th level Spell Weaver may choose one spell from the same school as his Masterpiece from each spell level (excepting 0th). From now on, he may prepare each of these spells as one level lower, and may expend any spell of the same level as the spell originally occupied to instead cast each spell. This is in addition to those spells he chose for his Original Works.