The Magician (3.5 Base Class, WIP, Post At Will)

[Bulwer]

The Magician
{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special|0lvl|1st|2nd|3rd|4th|5th|6th|7th|8th|9th

1st|

+0

|

+0

|

+2

|

+2

|Spontaneous Preparation|5|3|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-

2nd|

+1

|

+0

|

+3

|

+3

|Misdirection|6|4|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-

3rd|

+1

|

+1

|

+3

|

+3

|Small Wonders|6|5|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-

4th|

+2

|

+1

|

+4

|

+4

|Augmented Performance +1|6|6|3|-|-|-|-|-|-|-

5th|

+2

|

+1

|

+4

|

+4

|Not My Trick...|6|6|4|-|-|-|-|-|-|-

6th|

+3

|

+2

|

+5

|

+5

|Eclectic Trick|6|6|5|3|-|-|-|-|-|-

7th|

+3

|

+2

|

+5

|

+5

|Up-Close Magic|6|6|6|4|-|-|-|-|-|-

8th|

+4

|

+2

|

+6

|

+6

|Augmented Performance +2|6|6|6|5|3|-|-|-|-|-

9th|

+4

|

+3

|

+6

|

+6

|Devastating Performance|6|6|6|6|4|-|-|-|-|-

10th|

+5

|

+3

|

+7

|

+7

|Eclectic Trick|6|6|6|6|5|3|-|-|-|-

11th|

+5

|

+3

|

+7

|

+7

|Larger Wonders|6|6|6|6|6|4|-|-|-|-

12th|

+6/+1

|

+4

|

+8

|

+8

|Augmented Performance +3|6|6|6|6|6|5|3|-|-|-

13th|

+6/+1

|

+4

|

+8

|

+8

|...My ILLUSION|6|6|6|6|6|6|4|-|-|-

14th|

+7/+2

|

+4

|

+9

|

+9

|My Lovely Assistant|6|6|6|6|6|6|5|3|-|-

15th|

+7/+2

|

+5

|

+9

|

+9

|Eclectic Trick|6|6|6|6|6|6|6|4|-|-

16th|

+8/+3

|

+5

|

+10

|

+10

|Augmented Performance +4|6|6|6|6|6|6|6|5|3|-

17th|

+8/+3

|

+5

|

+10

|

+10

|Trick Guillotine|6|6|6|6|6|6|6|6|4|-

18th|

+9/+4

|

+6

|

+11

|

+11

|Master of Misdirection|6|6|6|6|6|6|6|6|5|3

19th|

+9/+4

|

+6

|

+11

|

+11

|Great Wonders|6|6|6|6|6|6|6|6|6|4

20th|

+10/+5

|

+6

|

+12

|

+12

|Augmented Performance +5, Eclectic Trick, Grand Finale|6|6|6|6|6|6|6|6|6|6[/table]


Alignment: Any

Hit Die: d4

Class Skills: Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Knowledge (geography) (Int), Knowledge (planes) (Int), Perform (Cha), Profession (Wis), Spellcraft (Int), Survival (Wis), Use Magic Device (Cha)

Skill Points Per Level: 2 + Int modifier (x4 at first level)

Starting Gold: 3d4 x 10 (75 gp)

Starting Age: As sorcerer (PHB 109)

Class Features

Weapon and Armour Proficiency: Magicians are proficient with the .... Magicians are not proficient with any kind of armour or shield. Armour of any type interferes with a magician's gestures, which can cause his spells with somatic components to fail.

Spells: Spells: A magician casts arcane spells which are drawn from the sorcerer/wizard spell list. A magician prepares spells in sets that she can switch between throughout the day (see Spontaneous Preparation, below).

To learn, prepare, or cast a spell, the magician must have a Charisma score equal to at least 10 + the spell level. The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against a magician's spell is 10 + the spell level + the magician's Charisma modifier.

Like other spellcasters, a magician can cast only a certain number of spells of each spell level per day. Her base daily spell allotment is given on Table: The Magician. In addition, she receives bonus spells per day if she has a high Charisma score.

Like a Sorcerer or Bard, a Magician knows a limited number of spells.

Spontaneous Preparation: A Magician cannot cast any spell she knows at any time. Before being able to cast spells, they must spend 30 minutes of uninterrupted meditation to draw the spells to mind. They may prepare a number of spells equal to input needed: a formula for the number of spells at a time that scales with level. Until they spend another 30 minutes in preparation, those spells are the only ones that the Magician may cast.

Misdirection: A Magician can make a Bluff or Perform(Magic) check instead of a Concentration check when casting a spell in a threatened square.

Small Wonders: Starting at 3rd level, a Magician may cast any cantrips that they know as spell-like abilities at will.

Augmented Performance: At 4th level, the Magician may apply metamagic to a spell and have it consume a slot 1 lower than usual. This improves to 2 spell levels at 8th level, 3 at 12th level, 4 at 16th level, and 5 at 20th level. Casting a spell in this way requires a Perform(Magic) check at a DC of 15+the spell's level after both metamagic and the Augmented Performance ability are taken into account. This ability functions 1/day for every 2 class levels. Augmented spells take a full-round action to cast. An augmented spell can never have a lower spell level than its original level.

Not My Trick...: Starting at 5th level, a Magician casts all Illusion spells at +1 CL.

Eclectic Trick: At 6th level, and again at 10th, 15th, and 20th level, a Magician may add one spell from any class's spell list to their spells known as a spell of a level one higher than its original level. They also gain new spells known as normal on those levels.

Up-Close Magic: Starting at 7th level, the DC of a Magician's spells increases by 1 if the target is in a square the Magician threatens.

Devastating Performance: At 9th level, a Magician can make a Perform(Magic) check once per day while casting a spell. If this check succeeds against a DC of 20+the spell's level, treat the spell as though it is affected by the Heighten spell feat up to the highest level spell the Magician can cast. This does not increase the spell slot it takes up.

Larger Wonders: Starting at 11th level, a Magician may cast any 1st-level spell they know as a spell-like ability 2/day.

...My ILLUSION: At 13th level, a Magician receives Spell Focus (Illusion) as a bonus feat.

My Lovely Assistant: Starting at 14th level, a Magician may change the target of any spell that targets herself to any ally within 10 feet. They can also deliver touch spells through their allies, as though they were a familiar.

Trick Guillotine: Something.

Master of Misdirection: At 18th level, a magician never provokes attacks of opportunity for casting a spell.

Great Wonders: At 19th level, a Magician may cast any 1st or 2nd-level spell they know at will as a spell-like ability.

Grand Finale: At 20th level, a Magician may cast two spells simultaneously as a full-round action. This ability functions once per day.

[Bulwer]

This post is for things and/or stuff.

[Bulwer]

TODO:

Mess with spells/day, spells known, and Spontaneous Preparation until it makes sense

17th level ability

This is my first big homebrew project. Input is greatly appreciated. I'm aiming for Tier 1, competitive with the Sorcerer, but with some of the versatility of the Wizard.

[Magicyop]

Looks excellent so far. Sounds like a lot of fun. I mean, I'd play one!

[ForzaFiori]

with the easily changed spell list, Do they prepare x number of spells, and when the cast it, they can't cast it any more until they use 30 more minutes, or is it a recharge type thing, or what?

Also, with Augmented performance, you may wanna put a clause that it cannot make a spell's level lower than it's original level or at level 20, people will put a +1 level metamagic on wish and cast it as a 5th level spell.

[Bulwer]

with the easily changed spell list, Do they prepare x number of spells, and when the cast it, they can't cast it any more until they use 30 more minutes, or is it a recharge type thing, or what?

Also, with Augmented performance, you may wanna put a clause that it cannot make a spell's level lower than it's original level or at level 20, people will put a +1 level metamagic on wish and cast it as a 5th level spell.

Say they know X spells. They can prepare Y of them at once with 30 minutes peace and quiet, and they can cast those Y spontaneously as a sorcerer.

Y should be less than the sorcerer's known spells at a given level.

I added the clause to augmented performance.

[Zaydos]

So it's supposed to be Tier 1, but competitive with the sorcerer? Well that's going to be difficult. Currently they're sorcerers with actual class features, but not the versatility required of tier 1s. I'd go with X being greater than sorcerer's spells known by 2 or 3 at every level and Y being less by 1 or 2. Still going to be better than sorcerer. That might make them comparable with wizards.

[Bulwer]

So it's supposed to be Tier 1, but competitive with the sorcerer? Well that's going to be difficult. Currently they're sorcerers with actual class features, but not the versatility required of tier 1s. I'd go with X being greater than sorcerer's spells known by 2 or 3 at every level and Y being less by 1 or 2. Still going to be better than sorcerer. That might make them comparable with wizards.

That's the aim, I suppose. Spells/day should probably be equal to sorcerer, with X and Y as you suggest.

[Zaydos]

Wizards get 4 spells known of each level, plus scrolls, or 8 of each level with collegiate wizard (best wizard feat ever); sorcerers get 5 to 3 of each level. So you'll probably want 8 to 6 of each level to keep them comparable to a wizard. When they first get a new spell level they should probably have only 2 known but they should gain spells known faster than a sorcerer. Y should probably end up equaling 3 to 2 of each level.

[Morph Bark]

If you want to combine Wizard and Sorcerer casting (prepared and spontaneous), take a look at the Spirit Shaman from Complete Divine for inspiration.

[Bulwer]

Spells aside, how does this look as far as class features? Anything that's got obvious exploits, or that would put the Magician ahead of the Wizard in power?

[Morph Bark]

Why do they specifically get Spell Focus (illusion) as a bonus feat at level 13? They don't seem particularly illusion-aimed, especially with the broad spell list. It has one other feature for illusion things in particular, but that's it. If the class is meant to be like a real-world illusionist magician of sorts, limit their spell list to illusion spells plus one spell per level from the sor/wiz list.

Also the capstone is too strong, as the way it is worded they could cast two spells with casting times longer than a full-round action at once.

Augmented Performance is too strong for the level they gain it at. Consider switching with MY ILLUSION or whatever will replace MY ILLUSION.

[blackmage]

Weapon and armor proficiency: What're his weapon proficiencies?

Various 'Wonders' Abilities: Might remove the numbers on the table after they become at-will spell-like abilities, or something. Currently the progression is a little funky, should Great Wonders by 1st-level at will and 2nd-level 2/day? I do like the idea of a high-level magic user being able to use their minor spells as often as they want...i mean, they're trivial to them now, right?

Larger Wonders: Wording may need some clarity. Can they cast EACH 1st-level spell they know 2/day? Do these take up a spontaneous preparation slot?

Augmented Performance: So...this is a metamagic reducer? If so, its worded differently than most and it definitely confused me. Is the intent to reduce the total metamagic cost by X? I think the 1/day per 2 levels is a good limit to start at, something that scales reasonably. This is the most powerful class feature you have, if it does what I think it does. Keep an eye on it.


Is this class supposed to be a 'trickster' caster, or illusion-focused caster? There are a few class features in that direction (Not My Trick... ...My Illusion and Misdirection). But...something seems missing.

[Violet Octopus]

I can't really comment on the class features in general without knowing the intent of the class. As blackmage said, is this an illusionist or a trickster? I'd definitely prefer something closer to the arcane trickster (minus the stabbing) than the beguiler. Ranged Legerdemain or something like it would be a good fit. A master of misdirection rather than blatant illusion/enchantment or surprise like a beguiler.

Skills: No Bluff? I assume that's an error, as it gets referred to in class features. Also, why Knowledge (geography)?

My Lovely Assistant: as a name for an ability, this made me giggle. It's also a rather nifty feature.

Trick Guillotine: Suggestion - when someone attacks you with a weapon, sacrifice a spell as an immediate action to force a Will save (DC 10+Cha bonus+spell level)or they fail to hit you. Fluff it so that it appears that the Magician is hit, but a second later is revealed to be perfectly fine. Potentially overpowered, trying to think of ways to make it less so.

If nothing else, this has inspired me to make a Bard that wears a top hat/portable hole and has a rabbit familiar. For that I am grateful.

[Bulwer]

I can't really comment on the class features in general without knowing the intent of the class. As blackmage said, is this an illusionist or a trickster? I'd definitely prefer something closer to the arcane trickster (minus the stabbing) than the beguiler. Ranged Legerdemain or something like it would be a good fit. A master of misdirection rather than blatant illusion/enchantment or surprise like a beguiler.

Skills: No Bluff? I assume that's an error, as it gets referred to in class features. Also, why Knowledge (geography)?

My Lovely Assistant: as a name for an ability, this made me giggle. It's also a rather nifty feature.

Trick Guillotine: Suggestion - when someone attacks you with a weapon, sacrifice a spell as an immediate action to force a Will save (DC 10+Cha bonus+spell level)or they fail to hit you. Fluff it so that it appears that the Magician is hit, but a second later is revealed to be perfectly fine. Potentially overpowered, trying to think of ways to make it less so.

If nothing else, this has inspired me to make a Bard that wears a top hat/portable hole and has a rabbit familiar. For that I am grateful.

I'm not worried about My Lovely Assistant and other close-range things simply because using them means assuming more risk than casters usually like to. MLA, especially, encourages the Magician to follow his tank around like a puppy.