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View Full Version : Everyone (that matters) is an Artificer! [3.5]



Duke of URL
2008-08-28, 10:55 AM
I hate paying XP costs for spells and crafting. Most likely so do you. The Artificer from the Eberron campaign setting certainly has the abilities to cover item crafting, so we'll just steal that concept and expand on it, shall we?

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XP Reserve For Casters

All spellcasting classes (plus Warlocks) gain an XP Reserve feature that works identically to the Artificer's Craft Reserve feature, except that the reserve XP may be used either for item crafting or for XP component costs for spells.


XP Reserve: The character receives a pool of points he can spend instead of experience points when crafting a magic item or casting a spell with a experience point component. Each time the character gains a new class level, he receives a new XP reserve; leftover points from the previous level do not carry over. If the points are not spent, they are lost. The character can also use his XP reserve to supplement the XP cost of the item he is making or spell he is casting, taking a portion of the cost from his XP reserve and a portion from his own XP.

Classes that grant spellcasting at a level higher than 1st only gain this feature at the level where they gain spellcasting ability.

If the character has an XP reserve from more than one class, he may only draw on the reserve granted by each specific class for spell component XP when csting spells from that class. For item crafting, he may draw on multiple XP reserves simultaneously. Prestige classes that advance a spellcasting class are treated as gaining a level in the original class for determining XP reserve (only on levels that advance the spellcasting class); prestige classes that advance multiple spellcasting classes must choose one class to advance XP reserve progression.

(Use the values in Table: The Artificer for the amount of XP reserve granted at each class level.)

All well and good, but eventually the reserve runs out, right? Unless, of course, we steal another Artificer feature and turn it into a feat:


Retain Essence [Item Creation]
Prerequisite: XP reserve class feature, at least one other item creation feat
Benefit: You gain the ability to salvage the XP from a magic item and add those XP to your XP reserve. You must spend a day with the item, and must also have the appropriate item creation feat for the item you are salvaging. After one day, the item is destroyed and you add the XP it took to create the item to your XP reserve. Like all XP reserve points, these points are lost if you do not use them before gaining your next level in that class.
Special: When salvaging charged items, the XP salvaged equals the XP per charge times the number of charges remaining.
Special: If you have more than one XP reserve, you must choose which XP reserve to which to add the salvaged XP.

Yakk
2008-08-28, 12:24 PM
Hmm. What about a signature item mechanic that gives non-spellcasters free XP that can be used to power upgrades in their magic items?

You'd still have to find the components and a skilled crafter to pull off the upgrade, but the "upmagicing" component would be paid for out of your signature item pool... (As in, Roy's sword)

Zeta Kai
2008-08-28, 12:27 PM
How about everyone is a Bio-Mage (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=2487790#post2487790)? They don't pay XP for spells or magic items, either. :smallwink:

Kiren
2008-08-28, 12:54 PM
How about everyone is a Bio-Mage (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=2487790#post2487790)? They don't pay XP for spells or magic items, either. :smallwink:


Then what about cleric spells?

Duke of URL
2008-08-28, 01:51 PM
How about everyone is a Bio-Mage (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=2487790#post2487790)? They don't pay XP for spells or magic items, either. :smallwink:

True, that. However, this is a fix/change that can be applied to any existing spellcaster with minimal hassle.