3.5 class: Enchanted Savant

[Mystify]

Some people posses magical abilities and use them to cast powerful spells. Other's lack it, and come by their skills through their own efforts.
Then there are the Enchanted Savants, whose magical talents are never properly developed, and they never really learn how to fight properly. However, they learn to use magic items much more effectively, and through this crutch stand alongside their peers as an equal. They are often looked down upon by martial characters, seeing them as weak and overly reliant on magic items. Spellcasters pity them, able to see their potential, but knowing it was never properly fostered. They do respect their ability to control the flow of magic in their own body, and realize that it takes as much skill, if not more, than learning how to swing a sword. They get along extremely well with artificers, who also recognize the value of magic items, and they often form lucrative relationships.
Most Enchanted Savants come from rich families, and learned to fight using magical gear. This early association with magic items, coupled with their innate magical ability, is the typical way this skillset is formed. Due to this relative rarity, enchanted savants are very rare and not well known.

HD: d8
BaB 3/4
Good will saves
{table=head]{colsp=6}
Enchanted Savant |{colsp=9} Extra charges
Levels |BaB|fort|will|ref|
Features | 1 | 2| 3| 4| 5| 6| 7| 8| 9
1|0|2|0|0|innate magic |
2|1|3|0|0|empower 1 |1
3|2|3|1|1||1
4|3|4|1|1|empower 2, extra face slot |1|1
5|3|4|1|1| dispel guard |1|1
6|4|5|2|2|empower 3 |1|1|1
7|5|5|2|2|extra throat slot |2|1|1
8|6|6|2|2| empower 4 |2|1|1|1
9|6|6|3|3| |2|2|1|1
10|7|7|3|3|extra shoulder slot, maximize 5 |2|2|1|1|1
11|8|7|3|3| |2|2|2|1|1
12|9|8|4|4|maximize 6 |2|2|2|1|1|1
13|9|8|4|4|extra ring slot |2|2|2|2|1|1
14|10|9|4|4|maximize 7 |2|2|2|2|1|1|1
15|11|9|5|5| |2|2|2|2|2|1|1
16|12|10|5|5|extra waist slot,maximize 8 |2|2|2|2|2|1|1|1
17|12|10|5|5|disjunction sheild |2|2|2|2|2|2|1|1
18|13|11|6|6| maximize 9|2|2|2|2|2|2|1|1|1
19|14|11|6|6| extra body slot|2|2|2|2|2|2|2|1|1
20|15|12|6|6| maximize 10, fuse items|2|2|2|2|2|2|2|2|1
[/table]

Proficiency: all martial weapons, light,medium,heavy armour, all sheilds, including tower sheilds.

skill points: 4+int
class skills: appraise, concentration,craft, decipher script,disable device, escape artist, forgery, knowledge(any),open lock, spellcraft, Use magic device

Extra charges:
If an item has a limited number of charges per day, A Enchanted Savant can use their own magical energy to recharge it. The number of times they can do this per day is dependant on their level, as is the power of the item they can recharge. To determine the level of charge needed to recharge an item, determine the level of the highest level spell required to make the item. The charge used must be at least that level. The charge must be spent immediately, and they can only spend 1 such charge per round.

innate magic:
at 1st level, an Enchanted Savant's innate control of magic allows them to treat any weapon, shield, or armor they wield as a having a +1 enchantment.

Empower Enchantment:
starting at second level, a Enchanted Savant may use their magical ability to bolster the effect of their magic items. They may increase the enchantment bonus granted by their magic items by up to 50% of the items normal bonus. The total of all such enchantments cannot exceed 1/2 the Enchanted Savant's level. For purposes of this limit, an enchanment bonus to an ability score counts for 1/2 (so a +4 str belt being empowered to a +6 only counts as a +1 increase).Each 10ft of movement speed increased counts as +1.
A Enchanted Savant can re-allocate these bonuses as a standard action.

Extra slots:
As an Enchanted Savant progresses in level, they gain better control over the flow of magic within their own body. This allows them to gain the benefit of multiple items on the same part of the body. At certain levels, the enchanted savant gets new slots.
Both items must still be able to physically be worn together.
level 4: extra face slot
level 7: extra throat slot
level 10: extra shoulder slot
level 13: extra ring slot
level 16: extra waist slot
level 19: extra body slot

Dispell guard:
At level 5, an enchanted savant learns how to shield their items from the effects of dispel magic. They may use their enchanted savant level in place of the magic item's caster level, if higher, for the checks made with dispel magic or any similar abilities.

Maximize Enchantments:
starting at 10th level, an enchanted savant's ability to empower enchantment items increases. They can now gain up to twice the enchantment bonus from an item.

Disjunction sheild:
at 17th level, Enchanted Savants become particularly wary of disjunction effects, which are very debilitating. An enchanted savant's items become immune to mage's disjunction.

Fuse items:
at 20th level, an Enchanted Savant gains the ability to fuse 2 magic items for a short time to gain the magical benefit of both. The two items must take up the same body slot, and will take the physical form of either of the base items, at the Enchanted Savant's choice. Bonus's overlap, so a +5 flaming longsword and a +5 collision bow could be combined to be either a +5 flaming collision longsword or a +5 flaming collision bow. This fusion will last for 1 round/5 class levels. To fuse the items, the items must either be held or worn by the adept.

-----------------------
I'm sure this class will need further refinement, but what do you think? Is it an interesting concept? Does it need a power boost? Any concerns you would have about it?

[Frog Dragon]

Well, for starters, I suggest grabbing a table from here (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=205677).

Also, use bold for ability names and such, makes it much more readable.

What would this guy be doing at first level? This basically requires magic items to function, has no way of making his own and has a mediocre chassis otherwise. I just don't see anything very interesting this class could do on first level.

Innate Magic... that's going to work out to about +1 damage. Meh ability either way.

What kind of action does "Extra Charges" take?

Empower and Maximise Enchantment look like they might go out of control pretty easily.

Extra Slots seems kind of silly. Fear my double-capes!

In general, this class is hugely reliant on the type of captain of DM for power level. The more items you have, the more powerful this is going to be. However, if the DM likes to run low-item campaigns, or prefers to hand out items that don't have charges or static bonuses, this class is not going to be able to do much. If you do get your wands, this could have some serious nova potential. It's a bit like an artificer, except that an artificer can create their own stuff.

[Mystify]

Well, for starters, I suggest grabbing a table from here (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=205677).

Also, use bold for ability names and such, makes it much more readable.

What would this guy be doing at first level? This basically requires magic items to function, has no way of making his own and has a mediocre chassis otherwise. I just don't see anything very interesting this class could do on first level.

Innate Magic... that's going to work out to about +1 damage. Meh ability either way.

What kind of action does "Extra Charges" take?

Empower and Maximise Enchantment look like they might go out of control pretty easily.

Extra Slots seems kind of silly. Fear my double-capes!

In general, this class is hugely reliant on the type of captain of DM for power level. The more items you have, the more powerful this is going to be. However, if the DM likes to run low-item campaigns, or prefers to hand out items that don't have charges or static bonuses, this class is not going to be able to do much. If you do get your wands, this could have some serious nova potential. It's a bit like an artificer, except that an artificer can create their own stuff.
Ah, thanks for the tables. I will update it.

Yeah, it starts out really weak. I was trying to make it so it wasn't an obvious dip, but it needed to do something at 1st level, and most characters won't have nay magic items yet. Maybe they should automatically start with some magic items?

Extra charges takes the same action as activating the item normally

empower and maximize enchantment are capped at a total increase of 1/2 their level. So by level 20, you would have a total of an extra +10 to distribute among your enchantment bonuses. How do you think this will get out of control? This is also meant to be one of their core combat boosts.

The explanation for why you can only have 1 magic item pr slot is that it relates to the flow of magic in your body. Hence, someone who specializes in controlling that should be able to benefit from multiple magic items. Now they can wear a cloak of resistance and a cloak of displacement.

If the campaign is a low-magic setting, then this is not appropriate. Just like having an artificer in a campaign where magic items are rare. However, I specifically designed it to not scale uncontrollably with arbitrary levels of wealth. They have a limit on how much they can boost enchantments, on how many extra charges they can use per day, etc.
Also, their only special thing with wands is UMD, which a basic rogue could be using. Their extra charges don't work for them, since it specifies items with a daily charge. They could utilize eternal wands, but I don't see that giving them any particular nova potential. Artificers get a hug bag of tricks to apply to wands to go nova with, this doesn't really have anything.

[Frog Dragon]

It enables a lot of stat-stacking. Who else gets to have +12 enchantment bonuses in the low teens in levels? It's a rather hefty bonus.

And if they can't use them for wands, yeah that reduces it by a lot.

As for the extra slot silliness, I was referring to the fact that double-capes look silly. :smalltongue:

As for the wealth, after a certain point, how much you can use at once becomes less important than the options you actually have, and maximised items and such ensure that what is the most appropriate item for the situation is also the most powerful one. More wealth = Many more options for this guy. I guess my point is that the power of this class fluctuates wildly depending on how conductive the items available to you are to your class abilities.

I don't know about the free magic items, maybe just give them aristocrat-esque levels of starting wealth? The problem kind of is that having the sort of wealth that'd allow you to purchase items will also allow you to do all sorts of nasty things to lower level campaigns. It's a very fine balance.

[Mystify]

It enables a lot of stat-stacking. Who else gets to have +12 enchantment bonuses in the low teens in levels? It's a rather hefty bonus.

eh, its not that huge. They maximize their belt of str to a +12, and get an extra +3 attack/damage, and a couple of skills. This IS their main combat boost after all, its supposed to give them an advantage. Extra con could give them more hp, but they have to balance those boosts against other things they could be doing with it.



And if they can't use them for wands, yeah that reduces it by a lot.

As for the extra slot silliness, I was referring to the fact that double-capes look silly. :smalltongue:

depends on how you do it.


As for the wealth, after a certain point, how much you can use at once becomes less important than the options you actually have, and maximised items and such ensure that what is the most appropriate item for the situation is also the most powerful one. More wealth = Many more options for this guy. I guess my point is that the power of this class fluctuates wildly depending on how conductive the items available to you are to your class abilities.

I would operate under the assumption that any campaign where enchanted savants are allowed would be relatively high magic, and have proper access to the magic items. Under the normal rules, there are specific wealth by level guidelines, as well as clear rules for purchasing items. They may be less effective if you are in a dungeon crawl and can't purchase items, but they should be able to make effective use out of most items they randomly get.

I am aiming for this to be tier 3. They shouldn't be breaking the game just by using magic items more effectively, but the extra boost should make them viable in combat. They get most of their tricks from utilizing magic items properly. get some anklets of translocation, and they can use them whenever needed by supplying extra charges. by a belt of battle, and use it to convert swift actions into movement, and stretch out its high end abilities further than normal. Yet they shouldn't be able to overdo it. You can' just get a bunch of +1 skill items so you can boost them as needed. The boost is limited by the base value of the enchantment so you can't arbitrarily boost any skill by 10. The standard action to reallocate their bonuses helps prevent them from micromanaging their bonus into the most optimal at any given time. They an reconfigure them if needed, but its not an automatic thing,


I don't know about the free magic items, maybe just give them aristocrat-esque levels of starting wealth? The problem kind of is that having the sort of wealth that'd allow you to purchase items will also allow you to do all sorts of nasty things to lower level campaigns. It's a very fine balance.

If we make it so any armor, sheilds, or weapons they use counts as +1 magic, then their weapon would give them +1 attack/damage, their shield+armor would boost their AC by 2, and they will be able to use the wealth they acquire at lower levels on more utilitarian things instead of trying to get basic magic gear first. Would that be reasonable?

[Frog Dragon]

Yeah, allowing them to count their armor and weapons as having a certain bonus would help. Also, maybe "Innate Magic" should scale with level? It's totally useless when you get your first magic weapon right now.

Also, what does "Escape Artist" have to do with this class? It just looks random. :smallconfused:

[Mystify]

Yeah, allowing them to count their armor and weapons as having a certain bonus would help. Also, maybe "Innate Magic" should scale with level? It's totally useless when you get your first magic weapon right now.

Also, what does "Escape Artist" have to do with this class? It just looks random. :smallconfused:

innate magic isn't really meant to matter in the long run, its a early gaem boost to tide them over while their other abilities become relevant.

I'm not sure why I put escape artist on there now. I had made the initial design of this class a year or so ago, and only now got around to posting it, and I forget why I added it.

[Ankhman]

eh, its not that huge. They maximize their belt of str to a +12, and get an extra +3 attack/damage, and a couple of skills. This IS their main combat boost after all, its supposed to give them an advantage. Extra con could give them more hp, but they have to balance those boosts against other things they could be doing with it.


then consider the might of a belt of magnificence ... +2/+4/+6 to every stat

[Mystify]

then consider the might of a belt of magnificence ... +2/+4/+6 to every stat

Then they would have to enhance it several times over, and it would absorb all of their bonuses. It says "The total of all such enchantments", so if you have an extra +4 enchantment bonus to str, +4 enchantment bonus to dex, +4 enchantment bonus to con, +4 enchantment bonus to int, +4 enchantment bonus to wis, +4 enchantment bonus to char , you have a total of +24 enchantment bonuses. Since they are stat increases, you would need a total of +12, which you can't get till level 24.