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  1. - Top - End - #1
    Dwarf in the Playground
     
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    Default [Base Class, Psionic] The Blue Mage, Redux

    You might have seen this post before. A long while ago, I posted this class, and kinda...abandoned it. But it has returned! And I have incorporated your ideas! Yes, I remember what those ideas were, I promise.

    I've blatantly ripped the Archivist's Dark Knowledge ability for Assay, with minor changes.

    Thanks to Kyace for the Ranger-like 1/2 caster psionics.

    Changes!
    • A lot of cleaning up.
    • Moved some abilities around, added 3: Energy Subs., Intuitive Knowledge, and Blue Mystic.
    • Changed power progression a weeny bit; start with 2 instead of 1 powers.
    • Added a not-eating way to learn passive abilities.
    • Renamed some Assay abilities, because moxie is the best word ever.
    • Changed some (Su) Assay to (Ex) Assay.


    Need to Do:
    • Rename this! Maybe something like... Monster Mystic or something. I dunno.
    • Install some fluff; I plan to write new fluff.
    • Some delicious feats :9
    • Example blue mage


    ---

    The Blue Mage
    Alignment: Any.
    HD: D6
    Class Skills: The blue mage's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Autohypnosis(Wis), Climb(Str), Concentration(Con), Craft(Int), Handle Animal(Cha), Jump(Str), Knowledge (all skills, taken individually)(Int), Listen(Wis), Psycraft(Int), Ride(Dex), Survival(Wis) and Swim(Str)
    Skill Points at 1st Level: (4+int mod.) x4
    Skill Points onwards: 4 + Int mod.

    Table: The Blue Mage
    {table=head]Level|BAB|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Class Abilities|PPs|Powers Known|Highest Power known|Blue Arts Known
    1st|
    +0
    |
    +0
    |
    +0
    |
    +2
    |Assay(Lucubrate) 3/day, Intuitive Knowledge, Blue Arts|2|-|-|1

    2nd|
    +1
    |
    +0
    |
    +0
    |
    +3
    |Track|6|-|-|2

    3rd|
    +2
    |
    +1
    |
    +1
    |
    +3
    |Assay 4/day|11|-|-|3

    4th|
    +3
    |
    +1
    |
    +1
    |
    +4
    |Psionics|17|2|1|4

    5th|
    +3
    |
    +1
    |
    +1
    |
    +4
    |Augmentation (Die up 1), Assay(Moxie)|25|2|1|5

    6th|
    +4
    |
    +2
    |
    +2
    |
    +5
    |Assay 5/day|35|2|1|6

    7th|
    +5
    |
    +2
    |
    +2
    |
    +5
    |Passive Arts(x2)|46|3|1|7

    8th|
    +6
    |
    +2
    |
    +2
    |
    +6
    |Assay(Puissance)|58|3|2|8

    9th|
    +6
    |
    +3
    |
    +3
    |
    +6
    |Assay 6/day|72|4|2|9

    10th|
    +7
    |
    +3
    |
    +3
    |
    +7
    |Augmentation (Die up 2, Increase DC)|88|4|2|10

    11th|
    +8
    |
    +3
    |
    +3
    |
    +7
    |Assay(Flummox)|106|5|3|11

    12th|
    +9
    |
    +4
    |
    +4
    |
    +8
    |Assay 7/day, Passive Arts (x3)|126|5|3|12

    13th|
    +9
    |
    +4
    |
    +4
    |
    +8
    |Swift Tracker|147|6|3|13

    14th|
    +10
    |
    +4
    |
    +4
    |
    +9
    |Assay(Foreknowledge)|170|6|4|14

    15th|
    +11
    |
    +5
    |
    +5
    |
    +9
    |Greater Blue Arts, Assay 8/day|195|7|4|15

    16th|
    +12
    |
    +5
    |
    +5
    |
    +10
    |Augmentation (Energy Substitution)|221|7|4|16

    17th|
    +12
    |
    +5
    |
    +5
    |
    +10
    |Passive Arts(x4)|250|8|4|17

    18th|
    +13
    |
    +6
    |
    +6
    |
    +11
    |Assay 9/day|280|8|4|18

    19th|
    +14
    |
    +6
    |
    +6
    |
    +11
    |Blue Mystic|311|9|4|19

    20th|
    +15
    |
    +6
    |
    +6
    |
    +12
    |Superior Blue Arts|343|9|4|20[/table]

    Class Features:
    Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Blue mages are proficient with the club, dagger, heavy crossbow, light crossbow, quarterstaff, shortspear, kukri, scimitar, and saber. They are proficient with light armor, but not shields.

    Power Points/Day: A blue mage's ability to manifest powers and use his Blue Arts is limited by the power points he has available. His base daily allotment of power points is given on Table: The Blue Mage. In addition, he receives bonus power points per day if he has a high Wisdom score (see Table: Ability Modifiers and Bonus Power Points). His race may also provide bonus power points per day, as may certain feats and items.

    Blue Arts (Su): At first level, a blue mage learns her signature ability; manifesting a creature's Supernatural abilities after learning them. A dragon's breath attack, a gorgon's gaze, even a devil's terrible aura of fear, all of these are potential abilities.

    To learn a Blue Art, a blue mage has a number of routes open to him. He may be struck by the ability, which is the most common. He may ingest the creature, taking it's power unto himself. He may endure in it's aura, learning how to project it through suffering. Thirdly, he may use his Assay's Foreknowledge ability, learning it instantly if he pays enough attention. He may even learn new abilities from his fellow blue mages. However, he must be struck by the ability in that case; for a Blue Art's memorization and manifestation is unique from blue mage to blue mage.

    If he decides to learn through pain, the Blue Mage must take at least one point of damage or otherwise be affected through the special ability. She learns the blue art immediently after taking the damage. If he chooses to eat the creature, she must first know the Blue Art he wishes to learn. Then, she must ingest either the heart, brain, or one half of the creature's total mass. It must be the only thing the blue mage eats, and he may only drink water. If he can't manage to consume the creature in one meal, he may spread it out over a number of meals, so long as it is the only thing he eats. Upon completion of the meal, she then makes a Fortitude check, DC 20 plus the creature's CR. This check is unaffected by any magical or otherwise unnatural enhancements placed on the blue mage. If she passes it, she learns the art.

    If a creature has a Supernatural reactive ability, such as an allip's madness or a babau's slime, then the blue mage must expose himself to and be affected by the ability a number of times equal to 1/3 of the creature's CR, rounded up. These exposures are cumulative; they do not need to be from the same creature, so long as they are the same race. If the passive ability deals no damage but causes a penalty, like an archon's aura of menace or an avoral's fear aura, then the blue mage must instead expose himself and be affected by to the effect for a number of rounds equal to 1/2 the CR. For the purposes of bookkeeping, a templated creature counts as if he wasn't templated. The passive ability he learns from the templated creature is identical to a normal version of the creature. An icy baubau gives up the normal, acid-based slime.

    In any case, the blue mage cannot learn abilities from a creature whose HD is higher than his blue mage levels plus 1/2 his wisdom. In the case of learning from other blue mages, the student cannot learn abilities from the teacher that he could not otherwise learn normally (in other words, a level 4 blue mage cannot learn a wyrm red dragon's breath in any way, not even from another blue mage).

    When he so chooses, a blue mage may unlearn any blue arts he knows by completing a ritual that lasts 8 hours, at the end of which he may discard any number of arts he wishes to forget. When an art is forgotten, he must re-learn it the hard way; a blue mage has no spellbook or other similar device to record his unused arts in. It is common for a blue mage to leave himself some leeway in learning arts, in case he comes across a rare or powerful creature. There is one caveat; a blue mage may instantly replace a blue art with a directly better version of itself if he learns it through taking damage. For example, a blue mage who has mastered a Wyrmling red dragon's breath attack could instantly replace it with a Young Adult red dragon's breath attack, but only if he takes damage from it, and only from a red dragon.

    These have no set names, and blue mages are prone to naming their abilities extravagantly or quirkily, maintaining their mystique and uniqueness. A blue mage who learns an art from one of his fellows almost always uses his teacher's name for the art. In this way, an exceptional blue mage's abilities are self-perpetuated.


    Manifesting Blue Arts: To manifest a blue art, the blue mage's Wisdom must be at or above the source creature's CR +3. The cost of an ability is exactly equal to the creature's CR. One learned from a blue mage costs exactly as much as the teacher's version of the ability.

    Furthermore, all abilities are set to certain rules. All damage die are dropped, if higher than a d6, to d6. All saves are changed to DC 10 + 1/2 blue mage levels + Wisdom modifier. If the Art inflicts a disease, the infection DC is dropped by 5, to a minimum of 5. If an ability was affected by Spell Resistance, it is instead subject to Power Resistance. Otherwise, the Art is identical to the creature it came from. A blue mage's Wyrmling Red Dragon's breath will always deal 2d6 fire damage, but the save will climb as he levels up.

    A passive blue art's cost is also equal to the source's CR. The abilities gain a Duration of Wisdom modifier/Rounds. At 7th, 12th, and 17th level, the number of rounds is multiplied by the indicated number (2x Wisdom modifier/rounds at 7th, etc.). If it has a range, that range is reduced by 5', minimum 5'. Otherwise, it is subject to the rules for all other Blue Arts.

    The blue mage must be able to mimic the original creature's mode of delivery. He must have at least one eye for a gorgon's gaze, a mouth for breath attacks, and he must use a heavy mace to use an astral deva's stun ability. However, if a Blue Art requires any natural attack, he may use a bite or claw attacks to deliver them (such as in the case of a supernatural poison sting. A blue mage may use a bite or a claw attack to deliver the poison instead). He still has to figure out how to get such natural attacks, however.

    The Psicraft check to recognize a Blue Art is made with a +5 penalty; Blue Arts are strikingly unique and difficult to identify, as they differ from mage to mage. For the purposes of spells and powers, a blue mage's manifestation level for his blue arts is the same as his levels in blue mage.

    Assay(Ex/Su): Three times per day, a blue mage can draw upon his intuitive ability to read a creature's essense, granting him and his allies benefits against the creatures they face. Doing this counts as a move action. Assay's effects pertain only to aberrations, animals, dragons, elementals, magical beasts, outsiders, or undead. A blue mage unlocks new assay abilities as his level increases and can also call upon his assay more often, gaining one additional daily use for every three levels.

    Using assay requires a Knowledge check of a type appropriate to the creature faced. A Knowledge (arcana) check reveals secrets of magical beasts and dragons, Knowledge (dungeoneering) pertains to aberrations, Knowledge (nature) is for animals, Knowledge (religion) covers undead, and Knowledge (the planes) applies to outsiders and elementals. The check is DC 15. Assay can only be used once against any given creature per encounter.

    The blue mage's assay can affect a single creature or all creatures of the same race, depending on the effect used. A target creature must be within 60 feet, and the blue mage must be aware of the creature's presence, although he need not have a line of sight to it. The effects of assay last for 1 minute, unless stated otherwise. To affect his allies, they must be within 30' of the blue mage.

    Assay Abilities
    Spoiler
    Show
    Lucubrate(Ex): The blue mage learns the general combat behaviors of creatures of that race, granting his allies a +1 bonus on attack rolls made against them. For example, a blue mage confronted by Illithids who succeeded on his Knowledge (dungeoneering) check would grant his allies the attack bonus against all the mind flayers they fought in that encounter. If the blue mage succeeds on his Knowledge check by 10 or more, then this bonus increases to +2. If the blue mage succeeds on his Knowledge check by 20 or more, then this bonus increases to +3.

    Moxie(Ex): Starting at 5th level, the blue mage can use his assay to help his allies fight off the dangerous influence of other creatures. Allies within 60 feet of the blue mage gain a +1 bonus on saving throws against the affected creature's abilities. If the blue mage succeeds on his Knowledge check by 10 or more, this bonus increases to +2. If the blue mage succeeds on his Knowledge check by 20 or more, this bonus increases to +3.

    Puissance(Ex): Starting at 8th level, a blue mage can direct his allies to attack vital spots of his enemies. On a successful Knowledge check, he grants them a bonus to weapon damage rolls made against the target creatures equal to 1d6 points of damage. If the blue mage succeeds on his Knowledge check by 10 or more, then this bonus increases to 2d6. If the blue mage succeeds on his Knowledge check by 20 or more, then this bonus increases to 3d6.

    Flummox(Su): By raking the essence of the target creature, a blue mage of 11th level or higher can dazzle a target creature for 1 round. Unlike other assay abilities, flummox can be used only against a single creature. If the blue mage succeeds on his Knowledge check by 10 or more, then the target is dazed for 1 round. If the blue mage succeeds on his Knowledge check by 20 or more, then the target is stunned for 1 round (if the target is immune to being stunned but not immune to being dazed, such as most undead, then the blue mage can choose to daze the target instead of stunning it).

    Foreknowledge(Su): Starting at 14th level, a blue mage can supernaturally learn new Blue Arts from the target creature. Unlike other assay, this ability can be used only against a single creature, and the DC is 15 + the creature's CR. This is also a full round action, as the blue mage must focus completely on the target. If the blue mage succeeds on his Knowledge check by 10 or more, then he grants all allies within 30' a +2 AC bonus against the ability he learned from this. If the blue mage succeeds on his Knowledge check by 20 or more, then this bonus increases to +3 AC.


    Intuitive Knowledge: A blue mage may use his Wisdom instead of Intelligence for Knowledge checks.

    Track: A blue mage gains Track as a bonus feat at 2nd level.

    Psionics: At 4th level, a blue mage unlocks more powers of his mind, and may now manifest powers. His ability to manifest powers is limited by the power points he has available. His base daily allotment of power points is given on Table: The Blue Mage.

    Powers Known: A blue mage chooses his powers from the psychic warrior list. However, he may never choose powers from the Telepathy, Psychokinesis, or Clarisentience disciplines. This is because a blue mage's mind is split between his Blue Arts and his psionics. At 4th level, a blue mage spontaneously learns 2 psychic warrior powers of your choice. Each time he attains a new level after 4th, a blue mage may gain the ability to master more complex powers. A blue mage simply knows his powers; they are ingrained in his mind. He does not need to prepare them (in the way that some spellcasters prepare their spells), though he must get a good night’s sleep each day to regain all his spent power points. A blue mage's manifestation level is equal to 1/2 his blue mage levels, rounded down, minimum 1.

    The Difficulty Class for saving throws against blue mage powers is 10 + the power’s level + blue mage’s Wisdom modifier. To learn or manifest a power, a blue mage must have a wisdom score of at least 10 + the power's level.

    Almost all blue mages' powers manifest as some shade of blue, no matter the manifester's temperament.

    Augmentation(Su): Beginning at 5th level, a blue mage may augment his abilities. At 5th level, he may increase the damage die in a blue art by one step (d6 to d8) by spending 5 more points. At 10th level, he may increase it another step (D8 to D10) by spending an additional 3 points. He may also, at 10th level, increase the Save DC's base from 10 to 15, making the new save DC 15 + 1/2 blue mage level + wisdom modifier, by spending 8 points. At 15th level, he learns how to modify the energy used in his blue arts. If the Art deals Fire, Acid, Cold, Electric, or Sonic damage, he may spend 3 points to change it from one type to another. There is no change, except when changed to Sonic; Sonic Augmented Arts deal 1 less damage per die. Otherwise, they are identical. A blue mage may use any combination of augmentations on his blue arts he so chooses.

    Swift Tracker(Ex): Beginning at 13th level, a blue mage can move at his normal speed while following tracks without taking the normal -5 penalty. He takes only a -10 penalty (instead of the normal -20) when moving at up to twice normal speed while tracking.

    Greater Blue Arts: At 15th level, the blue mage's knowledge of blue arts becomes strong enough to combine 2 arts together, creating a new one. The new art's cost is equal to the original Arts' costs, added together. The blue mage must use the worse of the two Arts' ranges and shapes. A line is worse than a cone, and a cone is worse than a radius, if the sizes are the same. Finally, the combined cost of this new attack may not be more than the level of the blue mage plus his wisdom modifier, and this art may not be augmented in any way.

    Blue Mystic(Ex): At 19th level, the blue mage's skill with his blue arts and psionics is such that it becomes maddeningly hard to identify and ignore. All Psicraft checks to identify his Blue Arts and Psionics are 5 higher than usual (This stacks with the inherent +5 to psycraft checks for blue arts). In addition, both blue arts and psionic abilities have a +4 bonus on manifester level checks made to overcome a creature’s power resistance.

    Superior Blue Arts: At 20th level, the blue mage's knowledge of blue arts has grown to an amazing depth and breath, enough to combine 3 abilities together, and better combine 2 abilities. He may combine 3 blue arts exactly as the Greater Blue Arts ability, and may now combine two Arts together with a maximum cost equal to his blue mage level plus his wisdom score, and use the better of the two shapes and ranges. He may still not augment any combined Art.
    Last edited by Karma Guard; 2007-11-20 at 08:00 PM.

  2. - Top - End - #2
    Bugbear in the Playground
     
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    Default Re: [Base Class, Psionic] The Blue Mage, Redux

    This is really excellent. It's probably the best adaptation of the blue mage I've yet seen, and I like how it goes beyond simply learning enemy attacks. Assaying abilities and tracking abilities really make it feel like a class which is focused on studying enemies. Very cool.

    My only nitpicks: Survival should probably be a class skill, and your names for the Assay abilities are different between the table and the text.

    Very neat!

  3. - Top - End - #3
    Ogre in the Playground
     
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    Default Re: [Base Class, Psionic] The Blue Mage, Redux

    I wish there was some major input I could give, but this class seems, by and large, complete. I'm sure there's probably room for improvement somewhere, but I sure can't find it. A very faithful representation of the Blue Mage. Excellent work.
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  4. - Top - End - #4
    Dwarf in the Playground
     
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    Default Re: [Base Class, Psionic] The Blue Mage, Redux

    Quote Originally Posted by Kellus View Post
    This is really excellent. It's probably the best adaptation of the blue mage I've yet seen, and I like how it goes beyond simply learning enemy attacks. Assaying abilities and tracking abilities really make it feel like a class which is focused on studying enemies. Very cool.

    My only nitpicks: Survival should probably be a class skill, and your names for the Assay abilities are different between the table and the text.

    Very neat!
    I knew I forgot something :B

    This started a long time ago as trying to be Arcane, but then my ears started bleeding somewhere in the middle of it and I was trying to use points (I want to say borrowing the Factotum's point progression) and then I realized that OH LAWDY LAWD I'M USING PSIONICS!

    From there it was much easier. The points system just makes it so much easier, but I was trying to make it fit for a Final Fantasy setting that I'm working on; where there would be no spell points.

    So I guess this would work as an Arcane class if someone was using spell-points. There's no way I'm going out there to convert it, but the idea's there.
    Last edited by Karma Guard; 2007-10-26 at 10:06 PM.

  5. - Top - End - #5
    Orc in the Playground
     
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    Default Re: [Base Class, Psionic] The Blue Mage, Redux

    I have to agree with Vadin that this is the best Blue Mage adaptation I've seen. Granted, I've only seen four, but this is still the best!

    One thing that worries me though, is that numerically it is much stronger than the Psion and the Psychic warrior. It has moderate BAB, as many "Blue Arts" as the Psion gets Powers, as well as just as many Power Points as the Psion. Add to that the scaling DCs for its abilities, as well as some really cool class features, and the Psionic classes aren't in the same league...

    However, I have no clue how to fix it... I'm just going off the numbers here. If you say it's balanced, I will agree and show it to a DM who is starting a game soonish...

    If you do want to tone it down, you might want to add restrictions on what armor it can use... but I don't know past that. Toning down the damage die and making augments cost more does help to balance it already, but I don't think it does enough...
    Amazing Abjuration Avatar made by Serpentine.
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  6. - Top - End - #6
    Dwarf in the Playground
     
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    Default Re: [Base Class, Psionic] The Blue Mage, Redux

    Quote Originally Posted by Fako View Post
    I have to agree with Vadin that this is the best Blue Mage adaptation I've seen. Granted, I've only seen four, but this is still the best!

    One thing that worries me though, is that numerically it is much stronger than the Psion and the Psychic warrior. It has moderate BAB, as many "Blue Arts" as the Psion gets Powers, as well as just as many Power Points as the Psion. Add to that the scaling DCs for its abilities, as well as some really cool class features, and the Psionic classes aren't in the same league...

    However, I have no clue how to fix it... I'm just going off the numbers here. If you say it's balanced, I will agree and show it to a DM who is starting a game soonish...

    If you do want to tone it down, you might want to add restrictions on what armor it can use... but I don't know past that. Toning down the damage die and making augments cost more does help to balance it already, but I don't think it does enough...
    Don't tell anyone, but I've never played psionics in my life. Sssh.

    The Blue Mage basically has 3 schools automatically barred, and the only reason it wasn't Psychometabolism is because basically all of the Psychic Warrior Powers are that, not to mention that the 'here have a natural weapon' powers are all Psycheometabolism. Maybe I could just block Psychometabolism and Telepathy (Or Clarisentience, whatever) and leave a note that you can use all the Natural Weapon powers and the augmenting ones.

    there's also that the blue mage'll never be as good as any other psionics class at them. Their manifester level is 1/2 normal; they simply can't burn out a lot of those points they have to augment their abilities. Their psionics are much easier to counter as well for the same reason.

    They have a very limited weapons pool, and no shields. They get only light armor. In-game, Blue Mages get Cloth and Wizard armor, and can only use Scimitars or, depending on game, Sticks, Forks (well, tridents, but--), Whips, Rods, and I want to say daggers. So I basically went 'o hay that kinda looks like a scimitar let's use that!'. The rest of their weaponry is mostly Wizard-based.

    The other huge thing about them is that their Blue Arts are totally dependent on the GM. Without access to a monster, they're s 3/4 BAB class with poor Psionics and a small number of useful abilities. Hell, even with the fact that there are, indeed, prices for dragon hearts (in the BoVD; personally I find the offered prices too cheap. 7gp for a heart? what.) They have to earn their abilities through pain or a very hard fortitude check. It's very hard to learn an ability if you can't go and find good monsters to mimic. FF Blue Mages have the identical problem; without the right monsters, they're pretty useless.

    TL;DR edition: Blue mages have the Favored Enemy problem writ large. They need hard enemies to fight to keep up, and they need to either get hurt or get good Fortitude really quick, or else they're no where near as useful as they could be.

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