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almightyk
2011-10-16, 08:13 PM
This is my second fix of my semiotician class :)
let me know what you think


Semiotician

(INSERT CLASS DESCRIPTION HERE)

Adventures: To be filled

Characteristics: To be filled

Table X-XX: The Semiotician

Base Fort Ref Will ——––————————— Spells per Day ———————————
Level Attack Bonus Save Save Save Special 0th 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th 9th
1st +0 +0 +0 +2 1,2,3,4,15 0 0
2nd +1 +0 +0 +3 12, 5 0 0
3rd +1 +1 +1 +3 0 0
4th +2 +1 +1 +4 7,13,16 0 0 0
5th +2 +1 +1 +4 8,9.1 0 0 0
6th +3 +2 +2 +5 6,17 0 0 0 0
7th +3 +2 +2 +5 14 0 0 0 0
8th +4 +2 +2 +6 18 0 0 0 0 0
9th +4 +3 +3 +6 0 0 0 0 0
10th +5 +3 +3 +7 8,9.2,10,19 0 0 0 0 0 0
11th +5 +3 +3 +7 0 0 0 0 0 0
12th +6/+1 +4 +4 +8 20 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
13th +6/+1 +4 +4 +8 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
14th +7/+2 +4 +4 +9 21 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
15th +7/+2 +5 +5 +9 8,9.3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
16th +8/+3 +5 +5 +10 22 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
17th +8/+3 +5 +5 +10 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
18th +9/+4 +6 +6 +11 23 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
19th +9/+4 +6 +6 +11 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
20th +10/+5 +6 +6 +12 8,9.4,11 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
53
Semioticians have devoted their studies to the written word itself. Unlike wizards, who have learnt to cast spells from preparation, semioticians have learnt to understand the writing of the spell in depth. Due to this, semioticians will occasionally cast a spell in an unknown way, as displayed with their scroll casting ability.

Alignment: For a semiotician, true magic is something that comes from the secrets behind the text. Being something which takes many years of learning to understand, they generally do not care to what is going on around them. In general they are neutral but can be of any alignment.

Religion: To be filled

Background: To be filled

Races: Semioticians require many years of study, therefore they’re usually found in the more patient and long-living races such as elves, or versatile races like humans.

Other Classes: To be filled

Role: To be filled

GAME RULE INFORMATION
Semioticians have the following game statistics.

Abilities: Charisma determines how powerful an arcane spell a semiotician can cast, how many arcane spells he can cast per day, and how hard those spells are to resist.
Wisdom determines how powerful a divine spell a semiotician can cast, how many divine spells he can cast per day, and how hard those spells are to resist.
Like a wizard, a semiotician benefits from high Dexterity and Constitution scores.
Alignment: Any.
Hit Die: d4.



Class Skills
To be decided.
Skill Points at 1st Level: (6 + Int modifier) × 4.
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 6 + Int modifier.

Class Features
All of the following are class features of the semiotician.

Weapon and Armour Proficiency: Semioticians are proficient with all simple weapons. They are only proficient with light armour and basic shields (not tower shields). Armour of any type heavier then light interferes with a semiotician’s arcane gestures, which can cause his spells with somatic components to fail.

Spells: A semiotician can only cast spells through the use of scrolls (read scroll casting). The standard rules for spell completion items apply, with a few exceptions. The attribute score required for arcane scrolls is Cha 10+spell level. The attribute score required for divine scrolls is Wis 10+spell level.
From 4th level onwards, the caster level of the spell in the scroll is the same as your semiotician caster level, if it’s a spell level you have access to.
Unlike other spellcasters, a semiotician does not cast spells directly. Instead, his spells per day are used to gain automatic success with his scroll casting ability.
In addition, he receives bonus arcane spells per day if he has a high Charisma score, he also receives bonus divine spells per day if he has a high Wisdom score.
A semiotician has a spell list with no spells, with an exception for scrolls.

Armoured Casting: The semioticia n is able to cast spells while wearing light armour and/or wielding a shield without chance of spell failure. Penalties still apply to heavier armour.

Spellbook Schema: A semiotician is able to cast spells directly from a wizards spellbook. Each spell in the book used in this way counts as a scroll, except that it is usable 1/day. A move action is required to find a spell in the book before it can be cast. This changes to a swift action at 7th level. You must have access to the level of spell to be able to cast it in this way.

Su: At 2nd level, a semiotician can constantly read magic as the spell. This ability can be refreshed as a free action.
At 1st level, a semiotician gains Erase as the spell once per day.
At 4th level, a semiotician gains Secret Page as the spell once per day.
At 6th level, a semiotician gains Glyph of Warding as the spell once per day.
At 8th level, a semiotician gains Explosive Runes as the spell once per day.
At 10th level, a semiotician gains Symbol of Sleep as the spell once per day.
At 12th level, a semiotician gains Greater Glyph of Warding as the spell once per day.
At 14th level, a semiotician gains Symbol of Weakness as the spell once per day.
At 16th level, a semiotician gains Symbol of Death as the spell once per day.
At 18th level, a semiotician gains Teleportation Circle as the spell once per day.

Scroll Casting: When a semiotician casts a spell from a scroll, make a caster level check (DC 20+spell level). If this check succeeds, the spell in the scroll’s charge is not used up and the scroll may be used again. This still requires the normal action for casting from a scroll. Using a spell per day of the appropriate level can make this check automatically succeed. You can choose to use this after the caster level check. You must have access to the level of spell to be able to use this ability. At 10th level, a semiotician applies half of his appropriate modifier to the caster level check. This bonus increases to the full modifier at 20th level.

Scroll AoO: A semiotician does not provoke an attack of opportunity when using a scroll of a spell level he has access to.

Scroll Spell List: A semiotician counts as having access to all spells of the spell levels he has access to for the purposes of using scrolls.

Metamagic Scrolls: A semiotician may apply metamagic feats he knows to scrolls he uses. This does not increase the spell level. For every 5 class levels, 1 metamagic can be applied at once to each scroll you use. The total level modifier that can be applied is half the modifier of the appropriate attribute for the scroll. (Cha for Arcane, Wis for Divine) Increase the DC of the Scroll Casting caster level check by 2 for each metamagic applied this way.
Upon reaching 4th level, and at every even-numbered semiotician
level after that (6th, 8th, and so on), a semiotician can choose to learn a
new metamagic feat in place of one he already knows. In effect, the semiotician
“loses” the old metamagic feat in exchange for the new one. The new metamagic’s
level modifier does not have to be the same as that of the metamagic being exchanged.

Copy Scroll to Scroll: From second level, a semiotician is able to copy directly from one scroll to another. This follows the rules for crafting scrolls except for a time and xp reduction of 2.5% per class level.
This can only be used with spells of a level you have access to.
From 4th level, a semiotician is able to copy from a spellbook to a scroll.

Spellbook: A semiotician starts off with a blank spellbook. He can start with spells in the book at a cost of 100gp per page. After creation, a semiotician cannot write into spellbooks and so, must either find spellbooks, or find a wizard to write into it for him.





(Number Key)
1 Armoured Casting
2 Spell Book
3 Scroll Casting
4 Spellbook Schema
5 Read Magic At-Will
6 Scroll AoO
7 Scroll Caster Level Boost
8 Bonus Metamagic
9 Metamagic Scrolls
10 SC bonus x.5
11 SC bonus x1
12 Copy Scroll to Scroll
13 Copy Spellbook to Scroll
14 Spellbook Schema Upgrade
15 Erase
16 Secret Page
17 Glyph of Warding
18 Explosive Runes
19 Symbol of Sleep
20 Greater Glyph of Warding
21 Symbol of Weakness
22 Symbol of Death
23 Teleportation Circle

Noctis Vigil
2011-10-16, 10:04 PM
It didn't lay out right, but it looks pretty good for a class, just from an quick once over. Looks a bit like a PrC I created (and was planning on posting tonight till I saw this). So let me see if I have this right: he gets no spells per day, but qualifies to cast any spell from a scroll or spellbook? Just as a suggestion, drop the number of skill points he gets; caster + tons of skillpoints = somewhat broken. I'd also add a clause about being able to make his own spellbooks ("gets X spells per level in his spellbook") and qualifying to make scrolls himself, or he'll be spending a ton of cash and time getting scrolls and spells for his spellbooks.

Just curious, but how did you come up with the name? I don't recognize the linguistic roots.

All in all, it looks to need polishing, but I'd use one of these, it sounds like a blast to play. I look forward to the finished product.

almightyk
2011-10-17, 10:13 PM
Thanks for that :)
that's right about no spells. He has access to all spells for scroll usage but nothing else. _
UMD is still required for wands and staves and such.

i'll keep in mind what you said about the skill points, i just thought he would mke an interesting skill monkey. :p

not being able to craft scrolls (without taking the feat) or write into a spellbook was part of the balancing. I've said he can cast from a spellbook. I never said he starts with one.

the name comes from semiotics. It's the study of runes and symbology.

what do you think of the item familiar ability? Does it fit? Is it too OP?
It was my own feature so i wasnt too sure on it

Noctis Vigil
2011-10-17, 10:33 PM
Eh? I didn't look at the item familiar ability much, I assumed it simply matched the ability of the same name in Unearthed Arcana, with rules to level it as you go. :smallredface: Upon further inspection, it feels a little out of place with the rest of the class. Maybe make it an intelligent spellbook or something, that would fit better than "any tool".

Seriously, though, give these guys a spellbook early on; they study them as a job, use them heavily, and can't even have their own as a class ability? :smallconfused: That will make these guys totally useless until their wealth reaches a point high enough to buy a good one (or a !@#$ton of scrolls). If you go that route, he'll need those skillpoints, and then some, because it will be all he can do.

almightyk
2011-10-17, 10:41 PM
Ill look at the UA one. :)
and i think starting with a spellbook would make him way OP. We are talking 100 spells here. I'll consider a spell pamphlet. Just 3 pages.

Noctis Vigil
2011-10-17, 10:56 PM
100 spells? A spellbook can hold that many (if they're all first level), but no class ever starts with more than two or three in the book. Keep in mind that sucker is 100GP a page, too. So I'd let him start with the book, and maybe two spells of his choice in it (two spells a day at first level is in no ways overpowered at all). Then maybe 1-2 spells can be added to it each level up, so maybe 40 spells at level 20, if he doesn't spend the cash to transcribe more or the time to hunt down new ones.

As for "spell pamphlet", scrolls can hold up to 6 spells by RAW.

Also, you realize this guy is going to lug like three spellbooks with him everywhere he goes, right? Heck, he honestly could fill one with just low level crap to give him a crapton of spells a day, then carry a few of them with higher level stuff to take out the non-mook enemies your GM throws at you. Give him an enchanted bag of holding and he can bring a whole library with him. This is a powerful caster class. Perhaps limit him to one specific book; make the book require a magical ritual that takes a fair amount of time to perform (at least 8 hours) before he can use spells out of it in this fashion. (For the record, that suggestion is straight out of a PrC I wrote.)

almightyk
2011-10-17, 11:08 PM
I see your point about starting with just 3 spells.
and the thing about having a bunch of high level spells in one spell book and low levels in another is the reason he c an't add to it himself

almightyk
2011-10-22, 07:01 AM
just a bump :)