Yakk
2008-05-26, 10:43 PM
These classes produce a means for the world to have access to relatively high level spells. An 18th level Mage or Priest can cast a 9th level spell, but at the same time they are exceedingly crippled magically.
To either of these classes, what a PC class can do with magic is simply astonishing. What takes these classes grueling prayer and study, the PC classes can do without effort or sweat.
Mage [NPC Class] and Priest [NPC Class]
Skill Points: 4/level (*4 at level 1)
HD: 1d6+Con Bonus, only on odd levels. Can gain 0 HP from a level that isn't 1st.
BaB: +1/2 spells, +1/4 non-spells
Saves: +1/4 Fort/Reflex, 1+1/3 Will.
Skills [Mage]: Concentration, Craft, Knowledge[Arcana], Profession[Mage], Spellcraft, Decipher Script
Skills [Priest]: Concentration, Craft, Knowledge[Religion], Knowledge[Specific Religion], Profession[Priest], Heal
"Max" spell level:
0th at level 1
1st at level 3
2nd at level 5
3rd at level 7
4th at level 9
5th at level 11
6th at level 13
7th at level 15
8th at level 18
Note it is possible for a Mage/Priest to cast a spell 1 level higher than the above.
Spell List:
Mages and Priests can master (Class level - spell level) spells of each given level from the Wizard and Cleric spell lists respectively. These spells form a personal spell list.
The character gets to add 1 single spell to this spell list, free of charge, every level. The level of this spell can be up to 1/2 of their class level.
They can change or add a spells on their spell list through intense study and research, or prayer and sacrifice. This requires and consumes either a scroll of the appropriate spell or an instructor working with them full time, 1 week plus 1 week per spell level, and 100 gp plus 300 gp per spell level in materials to be sacrificed or consumed in research.
A large research library or lab, or a holy relic or shrine, can be used to reduce this cost. The cost is reduced by 1 gp for every 100 gp that the infrastructure costs, at best halving the cost, and cuts the research time in half (round days down). Usually third party "rent" of such facilities brings the cost back up to the full cost, leaving you with half research time.
Spells/day:
Class level/2 (round up) + int bonus per day. (mage)
Class level/2 (round up) + wis bonus per day. (priest)
Casting the highest level spell you can, by the above chart, costs 2 spells/day and an extra full-round action.
Replacing a single spell cast requires making a full-day (16 hour) DC 20 check against Spellcraft or Profession[Priest] respectively, presuming full 8 hours of bed rest the night before. For every day that you haven't slept for the full 8 hours prior to attempting this, the DC increases by 5.
You may attempt to get back more than 1 spell in a 16 hour period. Each additional spell you attempt to get back increases the DC by 10, and on failure you get back 0.
You may not "take 10" on this roll, but you may "take 20" if you spend 20 well-rested days.
Spells Known:
The Mage may have up to (Cha+Int -- not bonus) spells levels memorized at a given time, but no more than the Class Level in total spells.
Other spells must be read out of a spellbook, which adds an extra full-round action to the casting time (assuming it is already in hand or on a support), which is an action that provokes an attack of opportunity. If damaged, a concentration check must be made (as if damaged during casting a spell), or the preparations fail.
The extra full-round action to prepare a given spell can be done before casting, if the Mage has a means to arrange tools and books, prop them open, and prepare. This is lost if the Mage casts any other spell, or attempts to prepare any other spell.
The Priest may have up to (Wiz+Cha stat -- not bonus) spell levels memorized at a given time, but no more than the Class level in total spells.
Other spells may be Prayed for at an altar to the God in question. This may only be done at an altar consecrated to the God in question.
One can "memorize" a spell up to 1 level higher than they can nominally cast, to provide for overcasting.
Mages can only memorize from their Spellbook. Priests must have access to a non-portable consecrated Altar of their God (which are not portable) to change spells memorized.
Overcasting:
The Mage or Priest can cast a spell higher in level than normal. They can stretch over their nominal by 1 level by burning a spell/day and making full-round class-level checks against a DC of 15+spell level*2. The spell can be cast (with it's normal casting time) after the Mage or Priest makes 2 successful checks. Failed checks still consume the spell/day. If the Mage or Priest fails to continue the attempt for a round, the accumulated spells/day and successes are wasted. These actions provoke attacks of opportunity, and if damaged the Mage or Priest must make a concentration check as if they where damaged while casting the spell, or the Overcast attempt (spells/day and successes accumulated) are wasted.
To increase the chance of success, extra components and sacrifices can be made. These must total 100*spell level GP for every +1 modifier on the rolls, and if the spell fails, the goods are wasted. Consuming these components to produce the bonus requires 1 hour of labor on the part of the priest for +1 bonus they produce, after which the priest attempts to overcast the spell.
The exact nature of the components needed are not arbitrary, but should be determined by the DM.
Minor Magics and Miracles:
When casting a spell under 1/3 one's class level, one has a chance to recover the spell. (Ie: 0 or under at level 1, 1 or under at level 4, 2 or under at level 7, 3 or under at level 10, 4 or under at level 13, 5 or under at level 16, 6 or under at level 19).
Make a class-level check against DC (23+2*spell level). If so, the spell/day is not consumed. (DC: 23 for level 0 spells, up to DC 35 for 6th level spells) 20 always succeeds on this roll.
...
What do you think? The idea is that you can have an NPC capable of casting raise dead or the like, but still cannot trivially spam-cast purify food and water.
To these characters, each spell cast is at the least hours of labor, and at the worst multiple days.
An 9th level Priest can try to cast Raise Dead. It is a DC 25 check -- win on a 16+. That means it takes an average of 8 rounds for the 9th level priest to get the spell off. The 9th level priest has 5+wis bonus spells per day -- so if she has 18 wisdom, she can get Raise Dead off about half of the time.
Every 500 gp gives the priest a +1 -- so with 2500 gp in sacrifice and 5 hours in labor consuming the sacrifice, the Priest can usually succeed at a raise dead, only using up 4 spells.
Replacing those 4 spells/day slots takes about 6 days of 16 hour labor and 8 hours of rest for the Priest, during which the Priest cannot (say) cast purify or create food and water to feed the hungry.
In effect, this creates a class that can cast powerful magic, but pays for it more than PC does. The idea is that this is what happens when you aren't a genius at magic, capable of learning new spells nearly instinctively, or a chosen of the gods -- just a regular miracle working Joe.
To either of these classes, what a PC class can do with magic is simply astonishing. What takes these classes grueling prayer and study, the PC classes can do without effort or sweat.
Mage [NPC Class] and Priest [NPC Class]
Skill Points: 4/level (*4 at level 1)
HD: 1d6+Con Bonus, only on odd levels. Can gain 0 HP from a level that isn't 1st.
BaB: +1/2 spells, +1/4 non-spells
Saves: +1/4 Fort/Reflex, 1+1/3 Will.
Skills [Mage]: Concentration, Craft, Knowledge[Arcana], Profession[Mage], Spellcraft, Decipher Script
Skills [Priest]: Concentration, Craft, Knowledge[Religion], Knowledge[Specific Religion], Profession[Priest], Heal
"Max" spell level:
0th at level 1
1st at level 3
2nd at level 5
3rd at level 7
4th at level 9
5th at level 11
6th at level 13
7th at level 15
8th at level 18
Note it is possible for a Mage/Priest to cast a spell 1 level higher than the above.
Spell List:
Mages and Priests can master (Class level - spell level) spells of each given level from the Wizard and Cleric spell lists respectively. These spells form a personal spell list.
The character gets to add 1 single spell to this spell list, free of charge, every level. The level of this spell can be up to 1/2 of their class level.
They can change or add a spells on their spell list through intense study and research, or prayer and sacrifice. This requires and consumes either a scroll of the appropriate spell or an instructor working with them full time, 1 week plus 1 week per spell level, and 100 gp plus 300 gp per spell level in materials to be sacrificed or consumed in research.
A large research library or lab, or a holy relic or shrine, can be used to reduce this cost. The cost is reduced by 1 gp for every 100 gp that the infrastructure costs, at best halving the cost, and cuts the research time in half (round days down). Usually third party "rent" of such facilities brings the cost back up to the full cost, leaving you with half research time.
Spells/day:
Class level/2 (round up) + int bonus per day. (mage)
Class level/2 (round up) + wis bonus per day. (priest)
Casting the highest level spell you can, by the above chart, costs 2 spells/day and an extra full-round action.
Replacing a single spell cast requires making a full-day (16 hour) DC 20 check against Spellcraft or Profession[Priest] respectively, presuming full 8 hours of bed rest the night before. For every day that you haven't slept for the full 8 hours prior to attempting this, the DC increases by 5.
You may attempt to get back more than 1 spell in a 16 hour period. Each additional spell you attempt to get back increases the DC by 10, and on failure you get back 0.
You may not "take 10" on this roll, but you may "take 20" if you spend 20 well-rested days.
Spells Known:
The Mage may have up to (Cha+Int -- not bonus) spells levels memorized at a given time, but no more than the Class Level in total spells.
Other spells must be read out of a spellbook, which adds an extra full-round action to the casting time (assuming it is already in hand or on a support), which is an action that provokes an attack of opportunity. If damaged, a concentration check must be made (as if damaged during casting a spell), or the preparations fail.
The extra full-round action to prepare a given spell can be done before casting, if the Mage has a means to arrange tools and books, prop them open, and prepare. This is lost if the Mage casts any other spell, or attempts to prepare any other spell.
The Priest may have up to (Wiz+Cha stat -- not bonus) spell levels memorized at a given time, but no more than the Class level in total spells.
Other spells may be Prayed for at an altar to the God in question. This may only be done at an altar consecrated to the God in question.
One can "memorize" a spell up to 1 level higher than they can nominally cast, to provide for overcasting.
Mages can only memorize from their Spellbook. Priests must have access to a non-portable consecrated Altar of their God (which are not portable) to change spells memorized.
Overcasting:
The Mage or Priest can cast a spell higher in level than normal. They can stretch over their nominal by 1 level by burning a spell/day and making full-round class-level checks against a DC of 15+spell level*2. The spell can be cast (with it's normal casting time) after the Mage or Priest makes 2 successful checks. Failed checks still consume the spell/day. If the Mage or Priest fails to continue the attempt for a round, the accumulated spells/day and successes are wasted. These actions provoke attacks of opportunity, and if damaged the Mage or Priest must make a concentration check as if they where damaged while casting the spell, or the Overcast attempt (spells/day and successes accumulated) are wasted.
To increase the chance of success, extra components and sacrifices can be made. These must total 100*spell level GP for every +1 modifier on the rolls, and if the spell fails, the goods are wasted. Consuming these components to produce the bonus requires 1 hour of labor on the part of the priest for +1 bonus they produce, after which the priest attempts to overcast the spell.
The exact nature of the components needed are not arbitrary, but should be determined by the DM.
Minor Magics and Miracles:
When casting a spell under 1/3 one's class level, one has a chance to recover the spell. (Ie: 0 or under at level 1, 1 or under at level 4, 2 or under at level 7, 3 or under at level 10, 4 or under at level 13, 5 or under at level 16, 6 or under at level 19).
Make a class-level check against DC (23+2*spell level). If so, the spell/day is not consumed. (DC: 23 for level 0 spells, up to DC 35 for 6th level spells) 20 always succeeds on this roll.
...
What do you think? The idea is that you can have an NPC capable of casting raise dead or the like, but still cannot trivially spam-cast purify food and water.
To these characters, each spell cast is at the least hours of labor, and at the worst multiple days.
An 9th level Priest can try to cast Raise Dead. It is a DC 25 check -- win on a 16+. That means it takes an average of 8 rounds for the 9th level priest to get the spell off. The 9th level priest has 5+wis bonus spells per day -- so if she has 18 wisdom, she can get Raise Dead off about half of the time.
Every 500 gp gives the priest a +1 -- so with 2500 gp in sacrifice and 5 hours in labor consuming the sacrifice, the Priest can usually succeed at a raise dead, only using up 4 spells.
Replacing those 4 spells/day slots takes about 6 days of 16 hour labor and 8 hours of rest for the Priest, during which the Priest cannot (say) cast purify or create food and water to feed the hungry.
In effect, this creates a class that can cast powerful magic, but pays for it more than PC does. The idea is that this is what happens when you aren't a genius at magic, capable of learning new spells nearly instinctively, or a chosen of the gods -- just a regular miracle working Joe.