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View Full Version : [3.5] Elementalist (Base Class) (WIP, PEACH)



Malachei
2012-04-29, 09:20 AM
Elementalist

Some say the world will end in fire,

Some say in ice.
From what I’ve tasted of desire
I hold with those who favor fire.

But if it had to perish twice,
I think I know enough of hate
To say that for destruction
ice
Is also great
And would suffice.

(Robert Frost)









A base class for 3.5 D&D, the Elementalist is a master of fire and air, earth and water. He commands the primal energies, which make up the very existence of our world, and all of its creatures. Beware his rage, for it is the Elementalist who brings the thunderstorm, and the flood.

Abilities: In order to control the raw elemental powers, the Elementalist relies on her force of will. Wisdom determines the DC of the Elementalist's spells, her bonus spells and the maximum spell level she can cast. Constitution is important, because it helps her keep her Concentration.

Races: Elementalists are found among all races, but especially Genasi and other descendants from the elemental planes are naturally drawn to the profession.

Alignment: Elementalists can be of any alignment. Those focusing on earth seem to have a tendency towards lawful alignments, and those of air often are more chaotic.

Starting Gold: 6d4*10 gp (150 gp).

Starting Age: As wizard (PH 109).


Table 1: The Elementalist
{table=head] Level | BAB | Fort | Ref | Will | Special
1 | +0 | +0 | +0 | +2 | Control Elemental, Armored Spellcasting
2 | +1 | +0 | +0 | +3 |
3 | +1 | +1 | +1 | +3 | Elemental Focus
4 | +2 | +1 | +1 | +4 | Advanced Learning
5 | +2 | +1 | +1 | +4 | Elemental Resistance I
6 | +3 | +2 | +2 | +5 | Rapid Focus
7 | +3 | +2 | +2 | +5 | Summon Familiar
8 | +4 | +2 | +2 | +6 | Advanced Learning
9 | +4 | +3 | +3 | +6 | Elemental Ward (tbd)
10 | +5 | +3 | +3 | +7 | Elemental Resistance II
11 | +5 | +3 | +3 | +7 |
12 | +6/+1 | +4 | +4 | +8 | Advanced Learning
13 | +6/+1 | +4 | +4 | +8 |
14 | +7/+2 | +4 | +4 | +9 |
15 | +7/+2 | +5 | +5 | +9 | Elemental Resistance III
16 | +8/+3 | +5 | +5 | +10 | Advanced Learning
17 | +8/+3 | +5 | +5 | +10 |
18 | +9/+4 | +6 | +6 | +11 |
19 | +9/+4 | +6 | +6 | +11 |
20 | +10/+5 | +6 | +6 | +12 | Advanced Learning, Elemental Form
[/table]

Table 2: Spellcasting
{table=head] Level | 0 | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th | 7th | 8th | 9th
1 | 5 | 3 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | -
2 | 6 | 4 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | -
3 | 6 | 5 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | -
4 | 6 | 6 | 3 | - | - | - | - | - | - | -
5 | 6 | 6 | 4 | - | - | - | - | - | - | -
6 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 3 | - | - | - | - | - | -
7 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 4 | - | - | - | - | - | -
8 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 3 | - | - | - | - | -
9 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 4 | - | - | - | - | -
10 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 3 | - | - | - | -
11 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 4 | - | - | - | -
12 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 3 | - | - | -
13 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 4 | - | - | -
14 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 3 | - | -
15 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 4 | - | -
16 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 3 | -
17 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 4 | -
18 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 3
19 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 4
20 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 5
[/table]


Hit Die: 1d6
Skills (4 + Int): Concentration, Knowledge (arcana), Knowledge (nature), Knowledge (the planes), Spellcraft, Survival
Spellcasting: An Elementalist casts arcane spells from the Elementalist spell list. When she gains a new level that grants spell slots of a new spell level as per table 2, an Elementalist knows all spells of that level on his list. Like a sorcerer, she can cast any spell she knows without preparation. An Elementalist's spell list is the same as the spells she knows. Through the advanced learning class feature, an Elementalist can add new spells to her repertoire.
To cast a spell, an Elementalist must have a Wisdom score of 10 + the spell’s level. The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against an Elementalist's spell is 10 + the spell’s level + her Wisdom modifier. The number of spells per level an Elementalist can cast per day are given in table 2. These are adjusted by high Wisdom (see the SRD).

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: An Elementalist is proficient with all simple weapons and light armor, but not with shields.

Control Elemental (Su): Three times per day, plus one time per Charisma modifier, the Elementalist can try to gain control over an elemental. This is a supernatural ability that works much like the rebuke undead ability of a cleric.

Armored Casting: The Elementalist can cast her spells while wearing light armor with no chance of spell failure. This does not apply to spells gained from other spellcasting classes.

Advanced Learning: tbd

Elemental Resistance: The Elementalist gains resistance 5 against her focus element's energy. At 10th level, this resistance improves to 10, and she gains resistance 5 to another element, which cannot be her opposed element. At 15th level, her focus element's resistance improves to 15, and she gains resistance 5 to a third element, which cannot be her opposed element.

Rapid Focus: After 6th level, when the Elementalist applies metamagic to a spell from her focus, the casting time does not increase.

Summon Familiar: At 7th level or later, an Elementalist can gain a familiar, a creature matching her focus element (an elemental creature, list tbd).

Elemental Form: Eventually, an Elementalist truly transforms into a creature infused with her focus element. Her type changes to elemental.

Elementalist Spell List

O Level: acid splash, detect magic, electric jolt (sc), mage hand, message, ray of frost, read magic, resistance

1st Level: (12-14) blades of fire (sc), burning hands, comprehend languages, corrosive grasp (sc), endure elements, feather fall, fist of stone (sc), hail of stone (sc), jet of steam (cm), lesser orb of acid/cold/electricity/fire, obscuring mist, path of frost (dm), raging flame (sc), ray of flame (sc), shocking grasp, summon elemental i, wall of smoke

2nd Level: (12-19) acid arrow, body of the sun (sc), boiling blood (cm), cloud of bewilderment (sc), combust (sc), earthbound (sc), earthen grasp (sc), earth lock (sc), electric vengeance (ph2), fireburst (sc), flaming sphere, frost breath (sc), gust of wind, heart of air (cm), pyrotechnics, ray of ice (sc), resist energy, scorching ray, seeking ray (ph2), snowball swarm (sc), summon elemental ii, swift fly (sc), whispering wind, wings of air (sc)

3rd Level: (8-20) acid breath (sc), caustic smoke (cm), dispel magic, earthen grace (sc), elemental eye (cm), energy aegis (ph2), energy vulnerability (ph2), eradicate earth (sc), explosive runes, fireball, flame arrow, fly, gaseous form, great thunderclap (sc), hailstones (sc), heart of water (cm), icelance (sc), lightning bolt, primal form (sc), protection from energy, scintillating sphere (sc), sleet storm, stony grasp (sc), summon elemental iii, water breathing, weapon of energy (sc), wind wall, wingblast (dm), wreath of flames (dm)

4th Level: (11-13) blast of flame (sc), blistering radiance (sc), call of stone (ph2), caustic mire (cm), channeled pyroburst (ph2), defenestrating sphere (sc), energy spheres (sc), explosive cascade (sc), fire shield, fire trap, fire stride (sc), firestride exhalation (dm), greater wings of air (sc), heart of earth (cm), ice storm, incendiary surge (cm), mass resist energy (sc), orb of acid/cold/electricity/fire (sc), passage of the shifting sands (dm), solid fog, stone shape, stoneskin, stone sphere (sc), summon elemental iv, wall of fire, wall of ice, wall of sand (sc), wall of water (sc)

5th Level: (11-15) arc of lightning (sc), ball lightning (sc), cloudkill, cone of cold, contingent energy resistance (sc), earth reaver (sc), fire and brimstone (cm), firebrand (sc), elemental fusion (*), greater electric vengeance (ph2), greater fireburst (sc), heart of fire (cm), lightning leap (cm), lord of the sky (dm), mass fire shield (sc), overland flight, passwall, resounding thunder (cm), shroud of flame (sc), summon elemental v, thunder field (ph2), transmute mud to rock, transmute rock to mud, wall of stone

6th Level: (8-9) acid fog, acid storm (sc), as the frost (ph2), chain lightning, cloak of the sea (sc), control water, extract water elemental (sc), flesh to stone, freezing sphere, greater dispel magic, haze of smoldering stone (dm), lingering flames (cm), move earth, stone body (sc), stone to flesh, storm of fire and ice (cm), summon elemental vi

7th Level: (7-8) control weather, delayed blast fireball, detonate (ph2), elemental spellsurge (**), elemental body (sc), energy absorption (cm), energy immunity (sc), glorious master of the elements (dm), great worm of the earth (cm), greater stone shape (sc), ice claw (sc), phase door, radiant assault (sc), statue, summon elemental vii

8th Level: (4-7) deadly lahar (cm), field of icy razors (sc), greater elemental fusion (*), incendiary cloud, iron body, lightning ring (sc), polar ray, summon elemental viii, sunburst

9th Level: (5-6) burst of glacial wrath (dm), deadly sunstroke (cm), imprisonment, meteor swarm, summon elemental ix, summon elemental monolith (sc), transmute rock to lava (sc), undermaster (sc)

The numbers indicate the spells beguiler or dread necromancer have at this level.
cm = Complete Mage
dm = Dragon Magic
ph2 = Players Handbook II
sc = Spell Compendium

(*) as arcane fusion, but limited to focus element spells
(***) as arcane spellsurge, but limited to focus element spells


Elemental Focus

An Elementalist chooses a focus element and gains a +1 DC when casting spells whose descriptor includes this focus element. She also casts these spells at +1 caster level.

Depending on her focus element, she has an opposed element. She casts spells whose descriptor includes her opposed element at -1 DC and -1 caster level. In case a spell has both her focus and her opposed element as descriptors, subtract the opposed element's penalty from the focus element's bonus.

In addition, as she rises in level, an Elementalist gains the spells of her focus element's domain as spells known. For example, a fire elementalist would gain knowledge of fire shield when she attains 10th class level.

Greater Elemental Focus

The Elementalist's focus deepens, and her benefits when casting spells whose descriptor includes her focus element increase to +2 DC and +2 caster level, and her opposed element's hindrance increases to -2 DC and -2 caster level (this overlaps, does not stack with Elemental Focus).


{table=head]Focus Element | Opposed Element
Air | Earth
Earth | Air
Fire | Water
Water | Fire
[/table]

{table=head]Element | Associated Energy
Air | Electricity
Eearth | Acid
Fire | Fire
Water | Cold
[/table]

Summon Elemental: tbd




Design Comments

I like the spontaneous set list casters, and while you can build an elementalist concept with a sorcerer or warmage, I found it still lacks flavor and specialization, and the sorcerer's narrow spells known list remains a hindrance. While Wu-Yen have elementalist feel, they also have a distinct eastern flavor, and are prepared casters. Thus, I think there is a niche for a set list caster with an elemental focus. I am aware that an Elementalist base class is not a novel idea and that there probably are more than a dozen homebrew Elementalist classes. Most, however, do not use a set list, or are otherwise different from what I had in mind.

I’ve made it Wisdom-based, because I feel this fits the idea that an Elementalist intuitively understands the elements in her environment, and also because it works well with Druids.

Design Questions

The spell list contains elemental-themed spells from a variety of sources and is pretty big, especially at the lower levels. Which spells should be taken from the list? Note I have not taken spells from Stormwrack, as these seem more naval-themed. I have no added spells from Sandstorm, because very few are high-level, and I feel there already is a large amount of low-level heat-themed spells on the list.
Sources: Spells from the druid list that I should add? Are there spells from other sources that I should add?
I think at higher levels (7-9), the spell list lacks versatility. Do you have ideas to counter this? What additional spells should be included?
Fire is a lot more prominently featured. Of course, many Elementalists will take Energy Substitution, but still: Is this an issue, and if yes, how should I deal with it?
The same applies to the focus element. How can I make air, earth, fire and water balanced options?
For now, I've limited the spells gained through the focus element to the domains. As these are pretty weak, and also overlap with standard spells the Elementalist list includes, I want to create one list for each element, ideally with two spells per spell level. Ideally, these are the most powerful (and perhaps non-core) spells available at each level.
Apart from the elemental-themed spells, are there general spells I should add?
Familiar: What are familiars worth taking in as options?
Skills: Include UMD?

NeoSeraphi
2012-04-29, 09:41 AM
The familiar should be an elemental. See the druid's elemental companion ACF in...I want to say Complete Mage, but it might be Complete Arcane or Unearthed Arcana.

There is absolutely no arcane spellcaster in existence that uses Wisdom as its casting ability score. Wisdom is a divine casting ability score. What is your reasoning for crossing this line?

You give this class light armor proficiency, but not the ability to ignore arcane spell failure for light armor.

You list two spells in the spell list, summon elemental i and summon elemental ii, but do not continue this progression. It might be a good idea to write up spells for summon elemental i-ix.

Ah, wait, I see now.


I’ve made it Wisdom-based, because I feel this fits the idea that an Elementalist intuitively understands the elements in her environment, and also because it works well with Druids.

The problem with this is "elements in her environment" and "works well with druid" are two very strong arguments to make this a divine class, not to make it Wisdom based. Why did you make it arcane in the first place?

You have dead levels. The dread necromancer and the beguiler are both amazing classes because they are full casters with no dead levels and easy spellcasting (IIRC. I know for a fact the dread necro has no dead levels, not too sure about the beguiler).

Some suggested abilities to add in: Wild Shape as an elemental (You have Elemental Form, but that seems to be always active, and it's a good capstone. Wild Shape Elemental could come as early as 7th level and get a Size increase every 3 levels).

Focused Protection- Grant a scaling untyped bonus to all saving throws made against spells, spell-like abilities, and supernatural abilities with the same elemental descriptor as your focused element.

Superior Focus Control- The elementalist may counter any spell being cast with an elemental descriptor by using a spell of the same level or higher with the same elemental descriptor. He may use an immediate action to counter a spell when he has not readied an action.

Backblast- Based on a 3rd level fire spell, and one of my personal favorites (though I never get to use it). At high levels, grant the elementalist an always-active spell turning spell that only affects his chosen element. This should come at 15th or later.