[Classes] Dividing Arcane Casters Into Eight Parts

[Fax Celestis]

Due to what has arisen from this thread, Were-Sandwich and I have taken it upon ourselves to create specialist classes for each of the eight schools of arcane magic, in the same vein as the Beguiler, the True Necromancer, etc.

I'll be doing Divination, Evocation, Illusion, and Transmutation, while Were-Sandwich will be doing Conjuration, Necromancy, Abjuration, and Enchantment.

We'll post our results here.

[Golthur]

I'm lurking anxiously

[Draz74]

Will the Necro and Evoc specialists just be re-balances of the True Necromancer and Warmage? Because I was under the impression that those two had their schools covered pretty well.

And I have a hard time thinking I'd want to use the Illusion/Enchantment splitups more than the combined Beguiler. Oh well, I guess I'll wait and see.

[Were-Sandwich]

Possible Names for the Abjurer: Abjurer (duh), spell duelist, dweomer duelist, spellbreaker, shieldmage

[Morty]

Hm. You'd probably have to add some new spells, since magic schools aren't well-balanced compared to each other.

[Macrovore]

making specialist classes for all of them would make some of the classes kind of wierd, because some of the spell schools are so broad in focus.
abjuration: protection. but also has dispelling. could work as a single class
conjuration: this one is hard. healing (which might not be in the arcane version), summoning, acid, battlefield control, summoning, support, and my favorite, teleportation.
divination: this could be done.
enchantment: this, as both this and illusion have their basis in trickery, works well with the beguiler. but separate classes might work.
evocation: already done. and done well, as evocation is a fairly straightfoward school.
illusion: see enchantment
necromancy: see evocation
transmutation: also very broad in focus. support spells, polymorphs, some offensive stuff, battlefield control. this is one of the hardest ones to make a class out of.

[Were-Sandwich]

I have a plan: Should we give each of the classes a weak, thematically sound ability they can use at will? For the Shieldmage (abjuration) I'm giving them an Arcane Counter ability, where they can use an immediate actioon to make a Spellcraft check to identify a spell, then they can expend a spell slot of the same level and make an opposed CL check with the caster to try and counter the spell. They can only use it on spells up to a level they can cast, but they can do it ll day.

For Evocation, a straightforward damage attack would be easy. Necromancy, not so easy. Illusion could have at will X image spells, that get better as he levels. No idea for conjuration.

[Maglor_Grubb]

I am looking forward to the what you'll make of the diviner. That'd need most changes, imho. Have you seen this idea for divinations?

[mikeejimbo]

They can only use it on spells up to a level they can cast, but they can do it ll day.

Well, they can do it as long as they have spells of the same level to burn. I like the idea, though.

[cferejohn]

I would allow them to use a lower level spell slot to counter as well. In general it seems the way to do this is to give each class powers in relation to the power of their spells. The classes with weaker spell selection gets stronger powers. Looking forward to seeing this. I already only allow specialist wizards and I've been toying with the idea of making them even more specialized.

I await with baited breath. Baited with peanut butter.

[Macrovore]

we should also look at the specialist variants in unearthed arcana:
http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/cl...rdVariants.htm

[cferejohn]

Just out of curiosity, is the idea to make classes that can *only* cast their chosen school's spells, or ones that specialize in it (presumably to a greater degree than just choosing a couple of opposed schools)?

[Fax Celestis]

It'll be something akin to the Beguiler, actually.

[cferejohn]

So like a super limited spells list based around the school of magic in question? That's cool. Can't wait to see what they look like!