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View Full Version : D&D 3.x Class The Elemental Savant – fixed using your feedback



fikoantunes
2016-03-27, 03:41 PM
First of all, thanks for everybody who contributed to this, via the other thread I posted here a while ago.

This is an attempt to bring some usefulness to the poor designed, yet praised by blaster players, Elemental Savant prestige class.

Regarding flavor, I did what I wanted to suit the style of my campaign (basically removing the mandatory transformation of the caster into an alien, I mean, an outsider). For the hard part (mechanics) I researched lots of 3.5 material – both what I was already familiar with and others that many of you pointed out here. The game information for the class changed so much that I even changed its name: now it is the Elemental Specialist.

Below is the game rule information for it. I put all my thoughts on each class feature in blue, so it's easy for you guys provide any feedback :smallwink:

Without further ado, here it is:

http://s13.postimg.org/dwwljb92v/elemental_specialist_menor.png

(I removed the “Special” requirement of the original Elemental Savant, where would be mandatory “making peaceful contact with an elemental or outsider”. This new class is about a spellcaster who wants to devote it’s focus towards a single energy type, much like a specialized caster does with a school of magic, despite meeting an elemental/outsider or not).

Specialized Casting (Ex): Upon entering the class, the Elemental Specialist must select an element and its associated energy type (air = electricity, earth = acid, fire = fire, or water = cold). This choice must match the Energy Substitution feat that the she selected to gain entry to the prestige class.
The dedication towards harnessing one specific type of elemental energy yields benefits that will increase with her level. From now on, add your class level as a competence bonus to any Spellcraft or Concentration check that involves your chosen kind of energy.

(This is a minor, roleplaying-flavored buff, to make the PrC more coherent with it’s one-kind-of-energy attachment. And also it’s something not 100% related to combat. Overall, it’s best than the “your spells are now obligated to match your chosen energy” class feature the Elemental Savant gains at first level).

Energy Mastery (Su): the mastery into the chosen element gives the spellcaster a permanent offensive and defensive supernatural ability. You apply this number as a resistance bonus to yourself against your chosen kind of energy (an effect similar to the resist energy spell). You also use the same value to reduce a target’s energy resistance (if any) from spells you cast that rely in that same type of energy. For instance, a 4th level Fire Elemental Specialist has Energy Mastery 10. It ignores the first 10 points of damage of any fire-based damage per round, and any spells she casts ignores 10 points of fire resistance.

(I took some time to analyze the Winterhaunt of Iborighu PrC that was mentioned on this thread, as it has an ability to overcome a target’s resistance to cold. I felt it was mechanically too flat: the PC can’t bypass energy resistance at all, then goes up from level 5 to 6 on that PrC and suddenly BAM, he can bypass it completely. I took the original Elemental Savant resistance to energy as a starting point, making it function both defensively and offensively. Also the steady progressing is better because it makes the player really feel the class is getting better at each new level. It’s an overall more solid way of of dealing with the weak point of this Prc [energy resistance], don’t you think?)

Energy Penetration (Ex): Beginning at 3rd level, an Elemental Specialist further refines her ability to wield energy associated with her chosen element. When she casts a spell using that type of energy, she gains a +2 competence bonus on caster level checks to overcome a creature’s spell resistance. At 7th level, this bonus increases to +4. These bonuses stack with those granted by the Spell Penetration and Greater Spell Penetration feats.

(this is identical to the Elemental Savant class feature of the same name).

Elemental Metamagic (Ex): an Elemental Specialist has so much affinity with her chosen kind of energy she becomes skilled at modifying the effects of metamagic in spells that rely on it. You can reduce by one level the cost of a metamagic feat applied to a spell of your chosen energy (minimum zero). If you prepare spells, you can have a number up to 1+ half your class level such reduced cost spells prepared at any time. This ability can be used a number of times per day equal to 1 + half your class level.

(This would work exactly as the Metamagic School Focus feat, only better because it’s limited to the PrC level progression instead of a fixed 3 times a day. It’s an attractive way of dealing with metamagic in this class, tying it to the chosen energy type, as many of you pointed out it would be mechanically interesting without losing the flavor or the PrC).

Energy Focus (Ex): The focus of the Elemental Specialist is so intense that she is better able to manipulate the energy associated with her chosen element. At 5th level the save DC for any spell with that energy descriptor increases by 1. This increase is cumulative with those granted by the Spell Focus and Greater Spell Focus feats. Such specialized focus has its drawback: any other spell with a energy type that’s different from the chosen one will permanently be cast at a -1 Caster Level. At 10th level the save DCs increase by 1 again (total increase of 2), and the penalty for other energy spells also worsen by 1 (total -2 Caster Level).

(This takes the same base of the Elemental Savant class feature of the same name. However, we use it to bring the restriction of the PrC – which is by far lighter then the total lack of versatility of the original Elemental Savant. By this time this new PrC still offers the PC other energy types, albeit at a lower power, so you do not suck against enemies that are immune to your chosen type of energy. And also offers the steady progression in overcoming everyone else’s energy resistance.)

Improved Elemental Metamagic (Ex): the number of times you can use this ability can be now be arranged freely to reduce the cost of a metamagic feat applied to spells of your chosen type of energy, even to stack metamagic into one or more spells. For instance, a 9th level Fire Elemental Specialist can use this ability five times per day. He can either use it normally, to reduce by one the cost of a metamagic of five different spells, or he can use two to cast an Empowered Fireball without increasing its level plus three to cast a Quickened Flame Arrow like a 4th level spell, or he can stack all the five uses to prepare one Maximized Empowered Fireball without level increasing.

(This should bring more fun and uniqueness to the class. It’s still not an Incantatrix or an Archamage – as one of you pointed out, these classes are for people not interested in blasting. But it is something the PC belonging to this energy-based PrC can be proud of, sanctioning it as a solid PrC for blaster casters :smallwink: )

Energy Perfection (Ex): By 10th level the Elemental Specialist reaches the pinnacle of her energy mastery. She becomes immune to her chosen type of energy, and now the ability is extraordinary, not supernatural (so it can’t be suppressed by magical means). Spells she casts that rely on the chosen element ignore all the appropriate energy resistance of a target. Creatures that have immunity to the Elemental Specialist’s chosen energy receive half damage.

(This would be the mechanic of a Searing Spell Feat for free and at will. If the PC had a Feat like that, it can easily retrain it, probably to grab a metamagic one. Now there’s no weakness on the PrC’s blasting power, so a full 10-level PC on this class can really be feared as a powerful elemental-based mage. I’m only in doubt if I should restrict the spellcasting progression by this point, making it 9/10 – that’s why I stroked the sentence there. What you guys say?)

KillingAScarab
2016-03-28, 03:31 AM
Specialized Casting (Ex): Upon entering the class, the Elemental Specialist must select an element and its associated energy type (air = electricity, earth = acid, fire = fire, or water = cold). This choice must match the Energy Substitution feat that the she selected to gain entry to the prestige class.
The dedication towards harnessing one specific type of elemental energy yields benefits that will increase with her level. From now on, add your class level to any Spellcraft or Concentration check that involves your chosen kind of energy.

(This is a minor, roleplaying-flavored buff, to make the PrC more coherent with it’s one-kind-of-energy attachment. And also it’s something not 100% related to combat. Overall, it’s best than the “your spells are now obligated to match your chosen energy” class feature the Elemental Savant gains at first level).The effect of this would be greater than flavor text. With the current wording, adding an untyped bonus as large as +10 to concentration (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/skills/concentration.htm) checks would have a significant impact on the failure rate of any actions taken while taking damage of the chosen energy type. When combined with the energy resistance granted later in the prestige class (but before gaining immunity at level 10), this could result in someone who has chosen the acid energy type and 0 ranks of concentration being capable of casting a spell without interruption (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicOverview/castingSpells.htm#concentration) while naked and totally immersed in acid (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/environment.htm#acidEffects). It would not be guaranteed to succeed, but no resources must be expended to achieve this... other than hit points. :smallsmile:

fikoantunes
2016-03-28, 08:28 AM
The effect of this would be greater than flavor text. With the current wording, adding an untyped bonus as large as +10 to concentration (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/skills/concentration.htm) checks would have a significant impact on the failure rate of any actions taken while taking damage of the chosen energy type. When combined with the energy resistance granted later in the prestige class (but before gaining immunity at level 10), this could result in someone who has chosen the acid energy type and 0 ranks of concentration being capable of casting a spell without interruption (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicOverview/castingSpells.htm#concentration) while naked and totally immersed in acid (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/environment.htm#acidEffects). It would not be guaranteed to succeed, but no resources must be expended to achieve this... other than hit points. :smallsmile:

Indeed you'rd right about the untyped bonus. This kind of bonus usually makes me think the person that made a feature/spell/PrC forgot to state the kind of bonus rather then intentionally wanted to be untyped...:smallbiggrin:

I changed the sentence to "add your class level as a competence bonus". Thanks for pointing it out.

About your example, even if you are right that would be a rare (an awkward) situation. It would be too strange a caster character with a PrC without zero ranks in Concentration... The acid immersion is 10d6 damage/round, so even with the PrC's benefit it would be hard to be successful at that check (although not impossible, as you correctly said) But I know you used to demonstrate a way of better balancing the feature – thanks again :smallwink: