Well, where do I start...
I am working or a rather large scale project (a setting in fact), with pretty much the entire magic system reworked, and the chosen is one of the three basic caster types of the system (aka-base classes. one per each casting attribute) focused mainly on damage and crowd control. but he also pack a some self-empower spells, mainly for defense and maneuverability.
A few important things to notice:
1-there is no "arcane" and "divine" in the setting, magic is magic, so its irrelevant. ASF apply to all magic. (chosen can cast in light armor)
2-The balance should be compared to NON-CASTERS, not to tier 1 and 2, but to tier 3 and 4. as the entire list of tiers 1, 2 and 3 is wiped out, and replaced by other tier 3's. (all lower-type casters also erased)
So, in the setting tier 3 are the best, tier 4 are good, and tier 5 are still playable.
So, compare the chosen to be a tier 3 balance. not very high, not very low. not going into flavor here, but by the name and abilities you can learn a little.
Specific ideas for balance changes (for a given spell, or the system as a whole) are welcomed. "its crap/broken" posts, are not. if you thinks something is weak/broken then say what and why, and possibly suggest and upgrade/downgrade. ideas to more elemental spells are also welcomed, I want to make 4 more elemental at least.
Chosen hit die d8
{table=head]Level|Base Attack[br]Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special
1st|+0
|+0
|+0
|+2
|Spellcasting
2nd|+1
|+0
|+0
|+3
|
3rd|+2
|+1
|+1
|+3
|
4th|+3
|+1
|+1
|+4
|Elemental Attachment
5th|+3
|+1
|+1
|+4
|
6th|+4
|+2
|+2
|+5
|
7th|+5
|+2
|+2
|+5
|
8th|+6
|+2
|+2
|+6
|Lesser Attachment
9th|+6
|+3
|+3
|+6
|
10th|+7
|+3
|+3
|+7
|
11th|+8
|+3
|+3
|+7
|
12th|+9
|+4
|+4
|+8
|Elemental Attachment
13th|+9
|+4
|+4
|+8
|
14th|+10
|+4
|+4
|+9
|
15th|+11
|+5
|+5
|+9
|
16th|+12
|+5
|+5
|+10
|Greater Attachment
17th|+12
|+5
|+5
|+10
|
18th|+13
|+6
|+6
|+11
|
19th|+14
|+6
|+6
|+11
|
20th|+15
|+6
|+6
|+12
|Essence Ritual[/table]
Spellcasting
The chosen uses spells in his own, unique way. instead of learning spells every levels, or gaining spell slots or such he gains "Essence" each level that can be distributed amongst his known spells, or be used to learn additional spells. the essence gained is equal to your natural Charisma modifier (no magic items, if it improved this level you gain the improved value.) and three times that much at level one. also, at level six to ten you gain 1 additional essence, at 11 to 15 you gain 2 additional essence, and at levels 16 to 20 you gain 3 additional essence. you may "reserve" your essence and not spend it, saving it for later. however it can only be distributed while leveling.
When investing essence to spells the chosen cannot have a single spell have more essence then his caster level, and investing essence in spells can give multiple bonuses based on the spell, from faster cooldown, to more daily casting, more damage or duration, or bonus effects.
A spell entry may have, in addition to normal spell entries the following:
Cost-the essence needed to learn the spell, and the required "attachment" to learn it. (attachments are learned by levels.)
Essence Stack-bonuses you gain by the number of invested essence.
Essence Cap-bonuses you gain once you reach certain essence invested.
Essence Limit-maximum amount of essence that can be invested in the spell.
A single spell CAN be learned twice, each learning has its own essence invested, and act as an independent spell.
The save DC for the Chosen's spells is equal to 10+half the essence invested+Charisma modifier.
Cooldown-how often can you use the spell, comes in to variations, timed recharge, or daily uses.
If entering a PrC that advances casting then you keep gaining essence and investing it every level a new casting level is gained, but not the bonus essence for higher levels, nor do you gain new attachments.
The chosen can cast spells in light armor and not risk failure, however medium and heavy armor take normal spell failure chance.
Elemental Attachment
at 4th level you choose fire, ice, electricity or acid. you gain may learn spells that require that attachment (some spells allow you to choose from any elemental attachment you know.)
At 12th level you choose another attachment.
Lesser Attachment
At 8th level you can learn spells that require lesser attachment.
Greater Attachment
At 16th level you can learn spells that require greater attachment.
Essence Ritual
At level 20 you learn how to perfom a special ritual that takes 1 hour, and requires sacrificing treasure of a value of 10,000 or more gp, and taking 1d6 damage per each time you used the ritual, in exchange you gain 1 more essence, to be invested immediately.
Spell List:
Eldric Bolt
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Cost: 2 essence
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Cooldown: 5 rounds
Range: 100 ft.
Duration: Instantaneous
Target: one creature
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No
A bolt of pure eldric sprouts out of your hard, dealing 1d4 damage with a ranged touch attack.
Essence Stack: at odd essence cooldown is reduced by 1 round, at even Essence the bolt deals 1d4 more damage.
Essence Cap: at 8 essence the bolt knows the struck creature 5 ft. backwards and prone.
Essence Limit:8
Mindbend
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Cost: 4 essence
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Cooldown: 1/day
Range: 50 ft.
Target: One Humanoid Creature
Duration: 1 hour
Saving Throw: Will Negate
Spell Resistance: Yes
On a failed will save the target it under the effects of charm, as the spell.
Essence Stack: for every essence invested the duration increases by 1 hour
Essence Cap: at 4 essence cooldown 2/day, at 8 essence you can use it as suggestion effect, at 12 essence 3/day, at 16 essence you can use dominate effect.
Essence Limit: 16
Antigravity
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Cost: 3 essence
Components:V
Casting Time: 1 immediate action
Cooldown: 2/day
Range: Personal
Duration: 1 minute
You are under the effect of feather fall, as the spell.
Essence Stack: Duration increase by 1 minute for every essence.
Essence Cap: at 4 essence you can use levitate effect, at 8 essence 3/day at 12 essence you can use fly effect.
Essence Limit: 12
Destructive Touch (take into account that undead are rare and none are intelligent in the setting. so no free healing to undead PC's)
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Cost: 3 essence
Components:
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Cooldown: 3 rounds
Range: Touch
Duration: Instantaneous, 1d6+2, on 7 essence.
Saving Throw: Fortitude Partial
Spell Resistance: Yes
Deals 1d4 negative energy damage to target creature.
Essence Stack: 1d4 additional damage per essence invested.
Essence Cap: At 7 essence the target is also under the effect of ghoul's touch, as the spell.
Essence Limit: 7
Elemental Ray
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Cost: 3 essence, Elemental Attachment
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Cooldown: 8 rounds
Range: 250 ft.
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: Yes
As you learn this spell choose an element you have attachment for, the spell gain the appropriate descriptor
Send a beam of 3d6 damage of the chosen element at the target of the spell, as a ranged touch attack.
Essence Stack: you each essence invested the damage increases by 1d6.
Essence Cap: At 4 essence reduce the cooldown to 6 rounds, at 8 essence to 4 rounds and at 12 essence to 2 rounds.
Essence Limit: 12
Detonate
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Cost 4 essence, Fire Elemental Attachment [Fire]
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Cooldown: 10 rounds
Range: 400 ft.
Area: 20-ft.-radius spread
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Reflex half
Spell Resistance: Yes
An explosion of flame that detonates with a low roar and deals 1d6 points of fire damage to every creature within the area. Unattended objects also take this damage.
You point your finger and determine the range (distance and height) at which the burst will occur. a read glowing bead appears in the location, and then suddenly detonates violently.
The detonation sets fire to combustibles and damages objects in the area. It can melt metals with low melting points, such as lead, gold, copper, silver, and bronze. If the damage caused to an interposing barrier shatters or breaks through it, the explosion may continue beyond the barrier if the area permits; otherwise it stops at the barrier just as any other spell effect does.
Essence Stack: 1d6 additional damage for every essence invested.
Essence Cap: At 6 essence all creature in the area and all unattended objects are also knocked out of the area, to the nearest direction, taking 1d6 damage and falling prone. at 11 essence they take instead 1d6 damage for every 5 ft. traveled this way.
Essence Limit:11
Earth Armor
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Cost:6 essence, Acid Elemental Attachment
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 Standard action
Cooldown: 1/day
Range: Personal
Duration: 10 rounds
You gain DR 1/admantite
Essence Stack: Increase the DR by 1 for each essence invested
Essence Cap: At 5 essence cooldown is 2/day, at 9 essence its 3/day.
Essence Limit: 9
Fog
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Cost: 1 essence, Ice Elemental Attachment [Ice]
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Cooldown: 1 hour
Range: 150 ft.
Effect: Fog spreads in 20-ft. radius, 20 ft. high
Duration: 1 minute
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No
Creates the effect of a Fog Cloud, as the spell.
Essence Stack: increase the duration by 1 minute
Essence Cap: At 7 essence, the fog is Solid Fog, as the spell, at 14 essence creatures withing it also take 1d6 cold damage per round.
Essence Limit: 14
Storm Shied
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Cost: 6 essence, Electricity Elemental Attachment [Electicity]
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Cooldown: 1/day
Range: Personal
Duration: 1 minute
You gain +1 deflection bonus to AC
Essence Stack: deflection bonus increases by 1 for every essence invested, and the duration increases by 1 minute for every essence invested.
Essence Cap: at 5 essence cooldown turns to 2/day, at 9 essence creatures striking you with non-ranged attack also take 2d6 electricity damage.
Essence Limit: 9
Screech
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Cost: 6 essence, Lesser Attachment
Components: V
Casting Time: 1 immediate action
Cooldown: 5 rounds
Range: 30 ft.
Area: Cone
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Will partial
Spell Resistance: No
Creatures and unattended objects in the area take 2d6 sonic damage, creatures who fail the will save are also shaken for 2d4 rounds
Essence Stack: +1 sonic damage for every essence invested
Essence Cap: at 5 essence creatures are frightened instead of shaken, at 9 essence creatures are panicked instead of frightened.
Essence Limit: 9
Blink Step
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Cost: 5 essence, Lesser Attachment
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 full-round action
Cooldown: 10 rounds
Range: 10 ft.
Target: Personal
Duration: Instantaneous
You instantly transfer yourself from your current location to any other spot within range. You always arrive at exactly the spot desired—whether by simply visualizing the area or by stating direction. After using this spell, you can’t take any other actions until your next turn. You can bring along objects as long as their weight doesn’t exceed your maximum load.
If you arrive in a place that is already occupied by a solid body, you take 1d6 points of damage and are shunted to a random open space on a suitable surface within 10 feet of the intended location.
If there is no free space within 10 feet, you take an additional 2d6 points of damage and are shunted to a free space within 100 feet. If there is no free space within 100 feet, you take an additional 4d6 points of damage and the spell simply fails.
Essence Stack: the range increases by 5 ft. for each essence invested.
Essence Cap: at 5 essence to cooldown is reduced to 7 rounds, at 10 essence the cooldown is reduced to 4 round and at 15 essence the cooldown is reduced to 1 round.
Essence Limit: 15
Telekinetic Force
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Cost: 10 essence, Greater Attachment
Components:
Casting Time: 1 move action
Cooldown: 5 round
Range: 100 ft.
Target: see text
Duration: immediate
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: Yes
This spell has multiple applications, all limited to 200 pounds, objects or creatures of greater weigh will no be effected.
Shunt-move an unattended object 20 ft in any direction.
Strike-shoves a creature 20 ft. away from you or draw him 20 ft. closer, dealing him 4d6 damage, and dropping him to the ground. you may choose to gently move the creature, dealing no damage.
A ranged touch attack is required to use the strike option.
Essence Stack: the limit increases by 20 pounds for every essence invested.
Essence Cap: 5 essence reduce to cooldown to 3 rounds, 10 essence redouce it to 1 round
Essence Limit:10
Superspeed
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Cost: 10 essence, Greater Mastery
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 immediate action
Cooldown:
Range: Personal
Duration: 5 rounds
You are under the effects of haste, as the spell.
Essence Stack: Duration increases by 1 round for every essence invested.
Essence Cap: a 10 essence invested you may instead be under the effect of time stop, as the spell for 3 rounds.
Essence Limit: 10
