In Search of the Transmutationist

[GryffonDurime]

Alright, so let me begin by establishing one thing: I love the Warmage, Beguiler, and Dread Necromancer...though not necessarily in that order. As classes, they help to curb some of the power of full casting by providing a very specific, tasty focus--both for thematics and for mechanics.

I've seen a lot homebrewed content on these boards, and I think I can remember something about an attempt to create a Transmutation specialist in the same vein as the Beguiler and Company. If there is, does anyone know where I can find it?

If, though, there is no such class currently produced, does anyone have any suggestions for abilities for this class, given that all three have fun, flavorful and--some much more so than others--useful abilities to compensate for their focused casting?

[Callix]

There's one in the PHB. It's called the Transmuter. Wizards have so many transmutation spells, specialising isn't too big a reduction in scope. Also, htere are a bunch of different aspects to rework. Buffs? Time effects? Shapeshifting? Battlefield control? Save-or-die that works on objects? Transmutation has them all. A transmuter doesn't give much up permanently, no matter what he blocks off. As such, a transmutation-specialised class makes about much sense as a generalist-specialised class, and it's called the Wizard.

[MeklorIlavator]

I believe that someone was at one point working on making on of the school-focused mages for each of the schools(Maybe Fax Celestis, if memory serves me right), but I think that might have been called off. You might consider sending him a PM, but beyond that I got nothing.

There's one in the PHB. It's called the Transmuter. Wizards have so many transmutation spells, specialising isn't too big a reduction in scope. Also, htere are a bunch of different aspects to rework. Buffs? Time effects? Shapeshifting? Battlefield control? Save-or-die that works on objects? Transmutation has them all. A transmuter doesn't give much up permanently, no matter what he blocks off. As such, a transmutation-specialised class makes about much sense as a generalist-specialised class, and it's called the Wizard.

Well thats helpful. The point is that the school-focused mage, like the Warmage of Dread Necromancer, have an incredible narrow focus, and therefore are as much about the "I win". And the Transmuter would lose many things, as Wizards OF the Coast does seem to leave out some of the most powerful spells in a catagory, or remove spells that conflict with the theme that they picked(so they might leave out all DD, or Battle-field control).

[GryffonDurime]

Yes, I believe it was Fax, along with a partner in crime, I think.

As a theme for such a class--as I am quite taken by the idea--I was thinking of something like a real Alchemist...granted that it only takes a Polymorph Any Object to render lead (or anything else for that matter) into gold.

[Callix]

Sorry about the aggro... I accept that Wizards will pick a theme. My point is that Transmutation covers about 4 or 5 themes to pick from, and so unless you build that many base classes then something will still be left out. Conjuration and Transmutation are something of a too-hard basket case IMO. But if Fax is working on it, then it'll be brilliant. Nothing is too hard for Fax. [/grovel]

[Fax Celestis]

I was working on it (and in fact the Transmogrifer was my preferred one), but I got distracted and couldn't come up with any real class abilities.

[GryffonDurime]

I was working on it (and in fact the Transmogrifer was my preferred one), but I got distracted and couldn't come up with any real class abilities.

It is a fairly vexing concept to come up with abilities for.

"I can turn things into things."

How do you give such a character new capabilities beyond simply emulating the spells he's already focused on to an absurd degree?

[MeklorIlavator]

Maybe using some combination of Master Tranmogerfris[sic] and some way to make their buffs better.