4th E homebrew WIP: Chaos Mage.

[Dryad]

Hey, all! So this is my fourth edition homebrew WIP: The Chaos Mage. Now; I'm a bit stuck on this because of the powers past lvl 1 (the vast multitude in options would be a bit overwhelming, and it's easy to run out of ideas) so my question to you peeps is:

Is this concept worth finishing/tuning?

Thanks in advance if you took the time reading.

Chaos Mage:

Hit points: at first level: 12+constitution score.
Hit points per level gained: 5
Healing Surges per day: 6+constitution modifier.
Power Source: Chaos. You wield chaos as if it were magic, but magic effects do not affect Chaos, unless otherwise noted.
Implement: Choose any one item type capable of having an enhancement bonus. You can use items with that type as implements. If you choose a weapon, also choose a weapon type.

Background packages:
Chaos Magic is seen as a curse in most civilizations. Most Chaos Mages try their luck in a normal occupation, but Chaos will inevitably catch up on them. To make this even more visible, when creating your chaos mage, you have to take a background package.

Martial Package:
You gain proficiency with cloth, leather, hide and chain armor, light and heavy shields, simple weapons, and one martial weapon of choice. You may select feats as if you were a fighter.
You replace Charisma as the attack and damage modifier with your Strength score.
Class skills: Acrobatics, Arcana, Athletics, Endurance, Heal, Intimidate.
Class save bonus: +2 fortitude.

Divine Package:
You gain proficiency with all maces, cloth, leather and light and heavy shields.
You replace Charisma as the attack and damage modifier with your Wisdom score.
You may add your wisdom bonus to any spell difficulty check. If you do, the spell cannot deal damage.
Class Skills: Arcana, Religion, Insight, Diplomacy, Heal, History.
Class save bonus: +1 fortitude, +1 will.

Arcane Package:
You gain proficiency with cloth, dagger and quarterstaff, and can cast Cantrips as if you were a wizard. In addition, you know one wizard at-will power. You can overchannel when using this power.
Class Skills: Arcana, Religion, History, Nobility, Dungeoneering, Diplomacy, insight, Perception.
Class save bonus: +2 will.

Chaos Package:
You gain proficiency with cloth and one weapon of your choice.
If a spell you create has effects with a numeric component, you may choose one of the numeric effects, and increase it by 1.
In addition, you gain a +2 bonus to spell difficulty checks. This bonus increases to +4 at 11st lvl, and +6 at 21st lvl.
Class Skills: Arcana, Bluff, Diplomacy, Intimidate, Streetwise, Insight, Perception, Religion, thievery.
Class saves: +2 will.

Creating a spell:
You may choose any number of effects for any spell you cast. Any effect that grants a benefit to an ally may be targeted separately.
All spells you can cast allow for a number of power point value, for which you can choose effects at your leisure. (Effects listed below)
For each power you use, you have to roll an intelligence check (int+half lvl) with a difficulty class 10.
Overchanneling: You can cast more powerful spells than you can normally deal with. For each power point you spend more than the spell would normally allow, the difficulty of the intelligence check increases by 4.
Failure to cast a spell: You still cast the spell normally, but one random effect is added for each effect you chose for the spell. You also take damage equal to 1d6+implement bonus for each point you overchannelled.
Critical Miss: If you roll a natural 1 on the spell’s difficulty check, you have critically failed it. You do not cast the spell normally, but instead, only the random effects apply. You also take damage equal to 1d6+implement bonus for each point spent in the spell.

Chaos: Spells with the Chaos Keyword also have one more keyword of your choice. This keyword must be an elemental keyword, like fire, lightning, cold, thunder, necrotic, healing, or radiant.

Creating a spell:
As a chaos mage, you have to create spells on the fly, by choosing from a list of spell effects, and applying them to your template at will, encounter and daily powers. The effects listed below are effects you can choose from.
Any offensive spell effect, i.e. affecting an enemy target in a negative way, is an on-hit effect. Any non-offensive spell effect will activate regardless of hit or miss.
All spells you cast have a default range of 10.
Chosen Effects:
[1]Push/pull one square/half lvl(minimum 1): 1 point value.
[2]Slide one square/half lvl(Minimum 1): 2 point value.
[3]Teleport self/ally one square/half lvl (Minimum 1): 1 point value.
[4]Teleport enemy one square/half lvl (Minimum `1): 3 point value.
[5]Weaken until end of next turn: 1 point value.
[6]Weaken: Save ends: 2 point value.
[7]Sicken: Save Ends: 1 point value.
[8]Daze until end of next turn: 1 point value.
[9]Damage: +1d8 (pick one type): 1 point value.
[10]Speed (Standard action->move action->minor action->free action): 2 point value per step
[11]Slow until end of turn: 1 point value.
[12]Zone: (close) Burst 1: 1 point value.
[13]Zone: (close) Burst 2: 3 point value.
[14]Zone: (close) Burst 3: 5 point value.
[15]Zone: (close) Burst 4: 7 point value.
[16]Zone: (close) Burst 5: 9 point value.
[17]Zone: Enemies only: 1 point value.
[18]Zone: Allies only: 1 point value.
[19]Concealment until end of next turn: Light: 1 point value.
[20]Concealment until end of next turn: Heavy: 2 point value.
[21]Concealment until end of next turn: Total: 3 point value.
[22]Create Chaos Construct: 1 point value/construct’s lvl/kilogram. *
(Creates either a companion similar to the Beast Companion from the Martial Power compendium, or up to one kilogram of any kind of matter in any shape per power point value spent. Weapon or armour parts can be made with this ability, but it would still require a crafter to assemble them. Any item created with this power is non-magical. Any material made with this power will hold all of the normal qualities of the natural material. However, vendors, merchant and other traders will recognize the material as a fake, and it will be effectively worthless, whatever the material is.)
A Chaos Construct lasts until the end of your next turn.
[23]Sustain Chaos Construct: 1 point value/half construct’s lvl/kilograms. (minimum 1)
[24]Precision: +2 on to hit roll: 1 point value.
[25]Guarding: target ally gains +2 on one defense score until the end of your next turn: 1 point value.
[26]Healing: You spend a healing surge. Your target regains hit points equal to your surge value. 3 points value.
[27] Flight speed 1 square/half lvl (Max flight speed: normal speed.)Perfect until end of next turn: 3 point value.
[28] Water Breathing until end of next turn: 2 point value.
[29] Warp Flesh. Target effectively loses one limb of your choice. Healing received repairs this effect. 10 point value.
Other uses:
*Warp Flesh can also be used to grant physical advantages. You can warp someone’s flesh to grant a +1 bonus to any physical ability score. However, doing so causes the target to lose one hit point per level per point of improvement, and four hit points for first level. Each level gained after this effect is applied also grants one hit point per level less for each point of improvement. This hit point loss cannot be repaired in any way. This is a permanent effect.
**Natural Weapons: Warp Flesh can also be used to craft natural weapons. Natural weapons use the wielder’s ability score of choice for to hit and damage rolls, and always roll against reflex. The damage die is 1d10, and a natural weapon strike counts as a basic melee attack. Creating a natural weapon costs the target one healing surge per day. This effect is permanent. Creating magical quality natural weapons cost the target two healing surges per day per point of enhancement bonus. These healing surges cannot be regained in any way. This is a permanent effect. If the target has any natural or primal shape-shifting abilities, the power point value is reduced by two.
[30] Warp Matter: 1 point value/stack.
Warp Matter alters the shape and qualities of non-living materials. (Living Constructs and undead creatures are not affected by this power.)
You can completely change the qualities of any kind of matter for one kilogram per point value spent in the power, which lasts until the end of your next turn. However, for equipment, different rules apply. For each point spent in this power, the target’s held weapon takes a -2 penalty to damage roll, or armour takes a -2 penalty to AC. If you reduce the damage or AC bonus to 0 with this power, you can designate any property to the item. Character bonuses to damage do not apply for the maximum reach of a weapon. For example; a dagger has a damage die of 1d4. If you spend two power point value on this power, you effectively change the maximum damage your target can roll on that die to 0. If you do, you may, for example, designate the dagger to be a beautiful flower until the end of your next turn. Alternatively, you could also turn it into a greatsword, granting it the normal properties of a greatsword. Any enhancement bonuses still apply to the item.
[31]Permanency: The effects of Warp Flesh, Water Breathing and Create Chaos Construct become permanent. Choose one of these effects. You cannot have more than one permanent Chaos Construct Companion under your control. Any effect that dispels magic can remove Permanency.
For all these effects, permanency has a 10 point value. However, if you use Create Chaos Construct in order to create matter, Permanency is a 2-point value per kilogram.
[32]Weapon Strike: The power is added to a basic weapon attack. The attack no longer counts as a basic attack. You change the normally required ability score to your casting ability score, add your weapon’s proficiency bonus to the attack roll, and roll versus AC instead of will. Point value: 1.


Random Effect:
Whenever you fail a spell difficulty check, you must roll a d8 for each effect you created in your spell.
1: The target regains hit points equal to your healing surge value.
2: The target regains hit points equal to your healing surge value.
3: Every creature adjacent to you gains an additional standard action during their next turn.
4: You are weakened until the end of your next turn.
5: You are weakened and sickened until the end of your next turn.
6: You create a chaos construct five squares away from you. The construct cannot be placed under your control, and will attack the closest target. The DM decides where the construct is placed.
The construct will last a number of rounds equal to your charisma modifier, or until killed.
7: Every creature in a burst: 2 falls prone. This includes you.
8: Every creature in a burst 10 gains a flight speed equal to their normal speed until the end of your next turn. Sustain minor: The effect persists. The effect cannot last beyond the end of the encounter.


Casting a spell:
Before making your hit role, you have to note the point value you are going to put into your spell, and tell your DM. You then roll your to hit, followed directly by your difficulty check on another die. (With another color.)
After resolving this, you may apply the effects of your choice. (If able.)
All chaos spells you cast use Charisma as their hit and damage score, unless your background notes otherwise.
All spells that have an ally as primary target automatically hit.

Paths:
When you create a Chaos Mage, you have to pick a path to follow. Your path determines the kind of character you want to play.
Deterioration: Chaos Mages play with raw chaos, and that is an unpredictable power. Whenever you roll a critical miss on the spell’s difficulty check or to hit roll, you go further down the Path of Chaos. The paths are described below.

Shadow:
You can spend one additional power point value on any spell. If you do so, the spell loses any ability to deal damage. This ability does not count as overchanneling.
Path of Shadow:
Step 1: You gain light concealment. All the time.
Step 2: You gain immunity to disease and poison, and your strength drops by four points, to a minimum of 1. You can still carry your clothing and implement without restriction.
Step 3: You gain Darkvision, and do not need to eat, sleep or breathe. Your strength drops by four points, to a minimum of 1. You can still carry your clothing and implement without restriction.
Step 4: You can move through solid obstacles at half your normal speed. Your strength drops to zero, but the loss of this ability score does not kill you. Your chosen implement becomes insubstantial, and deals either radiant or necrotic damage (your choice). You can no longer physically manipulate your surroundings, but you can still carry your own weight, and cloth armour.
Step 5: You become insubstantial, and gain a fly speed:6. (perfect) You lose all other types of movement. Spending an hour with any item you are proficient with allows you to wear/wield it. While wearing or wielding it, it also becomes insubstantial.
Step 6: You are considered undead for all purposes, and gain vulnerability: 10 radiant.

Fire:
Whenever you cast a spell that deals damage, you may add your strength bonus as fire damage to the damage dealt.
Path of Fire:
Step 1: You radiate light as a torch. The radius is equal to your strength modifier.
Step 2: You gain immunity to disease and poison, and vulnerability 10: Cold.
Step 3: You gain immunity to fire damage, and deal fire damage equal to your strength modifier to everything you touch. (Your chosen implement is immune to this effect.) You also gain your strength modifier as a bonus to all damaging spells you cast. This bonus stacks with the normal Fire class feature.
Step 4: You no longer need to eat or sleep. Potions deal damage to you equal to your healing surge value.
Step 5: You gain a bonus to all defenses against non-cold melee attacks equal to your strength modifier, and every target of your spells, be it friend or foe, is marked by you until the end of your next turn.
Step 6: You are considered a Fire Elemental creature for all purposes.

Nature:
Whenever you use a power that grants a benefit to you or an ally, you or an ally regains hit points equal to your wisdom or constitution modifier.
Path of Nature:
Step 1: Whenever you gain the benefit of your Nature class feature, you may deal necrotic damage to one enemy adjacent to you equal to the hit points regained.
Step 2: Whenever you are hit by an effect that causes disease or poison, redirect the disease or poison to the attacker, instead. You are immune to disease or poison.
Step 3: Plant Creatures will not attack you.
Step 4: Each living creature adjacent to you is weakened. You are considered a plant creature for all purposes.
Step 5: Your healing surges are fully replenished after a short rest.
Step 6: You gain regeneration: [wis] or [con]. You can grant this regeneration to an ally adjacent to you, but if you do so, you do not gain the benefit until you cancel the effect on your ally.

*Chaos Construct.
A chaos construct is a creature you create from raw chaos. When you create a construct, you have to choose a template for it, using the same templates as a ranger would for her Beast Companion class feature.
Controlling a Chaos Construct works exactly the same as controlling a Beast Companion.
A Chaos Construct lasts until the end of your next turn. If you use a power with the Sustain Chaos Construct ability, your chaos construct will last an additional turn.
If you use the Chaos Construct power with the Permanency ability, you may choose to make your chaos construct permanent. You cannot have more than one permanent Chaos Construct active at any given time, although you can control a permanent construct and a non-permanent one at the same time.
A permanent Chaos Construct will scale with your level, instead of the level with which you created it.

Chaos Mage playing tips:
Compose a set of different spells, with different effects, beforehand. Make sure these are spells you will use a lot. Note their to hit bonus, spell difficulty and any effect, so that you always have an easy base to start with. It’s also a good idea to keep a list with Spell Difficulty per point overchanneled.

Example:
1 point overchannel=14 (1d6+implement bonus damage on failure)
2 point overchannel=18 ((2d6+implement bonus damage on failure)
3 point overchannel=22 ((3d6+implement bonus damage on failure)
And so on.

Powers:
Chaos Power Value: You can upgrade this spell by a power value equal to the noted value, choosing from the list of Chosen Effects as shown above, without overchanneling. You can overchannel every spell, as much as you desire.

At Will Powers:

Chaos Surge:
Chaos Mage 1
Standard Action
Keywords: Chaos, Implement.
Target: One creature.
Hit: Cha, Str or Wis vs. Will.
Damage: Cha, Str or Wis damage of the chosen type.
Special: Chaos Power Value 1.

Chaotic Dabble:
Chaos Mage 1
Standard Action.
Keywords: Chaos, Implement.
Target: One Creature.
Hit: Cha, Str or Wis vs. Will.
Damage: 0
Special: Chaos Power Value 2.

Burst of minor chaos.
Chaos mage 1
Standard action
Keywords: Chaos, Implement.
Range: Close Burst 1
Target: All creatures within burst.
Hit: Cha, Str or Wis vs. Will.
Damage: 0
Special: Chaos Power Value 1.


Encounter Powers: 1

Chaotic Meddling:
Chaos Mage 1
Free Action
Keywords: Chaos, Implement.
Immediate Interrupt.
Trigger: You or an ally within 5 squares is attacked.
Target: You or your ally, or the triggering attacker.
Hit: Cha, Str or Wis vs. Will
Special: Chaos Power Value 2

Chaotic Corruption:
Chaos Mage: 1
Standard Action.
Keywords: Chaos, Implement
Target: One creature
Hit: Cha, Str or Wis vs. Will
Until the end of your next turn, whenever the target uses a non-physical ability, the target must roll 1d8 for each effect that ability has. Resolve the results according to the Chaos Mage random effects table.
Chaos Power Value: 0
Sustain: Standard.

Daily Powers: 1

From the Ashes:
Chaos Mage 1
Standard Action
Keywords: Chaos, Implement
Target: One Creature
Hit: Cha, Str or Wis vs. Will
Damage: 1d8+[cha, str or wis]
Power point value: 2
Effect: If you do not have a Chaos Construct active at the moment, you may conjure a permanent Chaos Companion if this power hits. If you do, the power no longer has a power point value.

[Eldest]

It seems like a cool idea, although to be honest the fluff sounds like the sorcorer.
Could you make dailies that play with your basic attack? I mean like a daily that let's your basic spell add on teleport 3 squares for X power points. Make sense?

[Shadow_Elf]

Where does the limit on the points come in? I can't seem to find it. It would be easier to help you refine this into something usable if you could clean it up a bit; right now, it is not only complex but hard to decipher and understand.

[Dryad]

Eldest: You could already do that, if you're willing to take the risk.
Also, I personally would think the fluff is a bit wilder than that of a sorcerer. Usually, those Arcane casters do actually attain control over their powers, and it's arcane magic, and they don't start rotting away (or otherwise become incapacitated). The actual idea for this class came from Sword and Sorcery's Encyclopaedia Arcana: Chaos Magic.
The Chaos Mage is meant to offer more flexibility than the Sorcerer (or, actually, most classes in 4th), while offering less power (unless you specialize in martial package+fire, losing much of that flexibility in some way or form) and adding in random stuff that's still subject to the player's choice in risk-taking.

Shadow_Elf: Thanks for the critique; it's indeed a bit much to chew through, and I can see why it looks complicated. Rather, it's actually just a lot of book-keeping (the biggest weakness of the idea).

The point-limit to a spell is.. Absent. There is no absolute limit. However, you do need to make an intelligence check (DC 10) each time you cast a spell, and if you put in more power points than the power would normally allow (Chaotic Dabble normally allows 2 power point value) the difficulty class of the intelligence check increases by 4. If you fail the intelligence check, unpredictable things happen, and you take damage, potentially killing yourself.
This is all mentioned in the 'Creating a Spell' section, directly below the packages.