[3.5] New Base Class - The Pagan

[TSED]

I've been sitting on this one for a while, because I KNOW it's overpowered. I'm trying to think of a way to balance it out enough that a PC could use it without sacrificing the main goal for the class.

What is that main niche it's trying to hit? Why, infinite wizard spells, warlock-style. Small list, but unlimited uses. But unlike the warlock, the ability to change them. Not without cost, of course... But that the option is there.

Also, please don't bother throwing any disagreements with the class name. It's in the same vein as my Heathen class.


The Pagan



Alignment: Any. Pagans in well-populated areas tend towards EITHER evil due to the relative ease of power or chaotic as they are hiding their faith, where as pagans in rural areas tend towards good alignments as they are fulfilling the role of holy man and seer.
HD: D4
BAB: 1/2
Saves: Fort good, will good
Class Skills: Bluff, Concentration, Craft, Diplomacy, Decipher Script, Disguise, Forgery, Knowledge (Arcana, Dungeoneering, History, Local, Nature, Religion, The Planes), Profession, Spellcraft, Use Magic Device
Skill Points: 2 + int.
Proficiencies: Pagans are not proficient in any armour, but are proficient with simple weapons.

Level	Base Attack Bonus	Fort	Reflex	Will	Special Abilities
1	+0	+2	+0	+2	Spell Point, Rituals, Familiar
2	+1	+3	+0	+3	A Pagan's Word
3	+1	+3	+1	+3	+1 Spell Point
4	+2	+4	+1	+4	Chanting, Ill Omen
5	+2	+4	+1	+4	+1 Spell Point
6	+3	+5	+2	+5	Motile Dance
7	+3	+5	+2	+5	+1 Spell Point
8	+4	+6	+2	+6	Blood Offering x1 / Day
9	+4	+6	+3	+6	+1 Spell Point
10	+5	+7	+3	+7	Craft Fetish
11	+5	+7	+3	+7	+1 Spell Point
12	+6/+1	+8	+4	+8	Paid For In Blood
13	+6/+1	+8	+4	+8	+1 Spell Point
14	+7/+2	+9	+4	+9	Spirit Specialization
15	+7/+2	+9	+5	+9	+1 Spell Point
16	+8/+3	+10	+5	+10	Blood Offering 2x / Day
17	+8/+3	+10	+5	+10	+1 Spell Point
18	+9/+4	+11	+6	+11	Macabre Dance
19	+9/+4	+11	+6	+11	+1 Spell Point
20	+10/+5	+12	+6	+12	Worship Dance

Class Features:


Spell points and Rituals:

Spoiler

A first level pagan gets 1 spell for free.
A pagan does not cast the arcane spells himself. He makes pacts with the spirits - some benevolent, some malevolent - by offering them prayer and expensive incenses. A pagan has a pool of spell points that they use to memorize spells instead. After performing a ritual (detailed later) they invest a number of spell points equal to the spell's level. A pagan can't cast a spell unless a sorcerer of their level +1 could cast a spell equal to that spell level.
On the other hand, a Pagan can apply metamagic to high level spells much easier than a wizard or sorcerer. If a pagan is capable of casting a spell, has the requisite metamagic feat and enough spell points to put into it, he can do it. The points invested in metamagic stick to that one spell and that one spell only. Investing metamagic to a spell does not increase the cost of the ritual.

A Pagan has a spell pool equal to 1 at level 1, +1 every odd level, +int mod (note that enhancement bonuses do not increase the number of spell points). Once a spell is prepared, it can be cast freely with impunity. All level 0 spells are treated as level 1 for all purposes for a Pagan. Pagans have (almost) the same spell list as Sorcerers, and spells cast by a Pagan use charisma to determine their DC. A pagan cannot prepare any spell that has an experience cost component. They can, however, prepare warlock invocations. If the warlock invocation was a blast shape or essence, the eldritch blast component is supplied and the pagan is treated as a warlock of the same level while determining DCs and damage.

Spells require a meditative trance to 'acquire' from the spirits, this trance requires one hour per spell level of uninterrupted meditation / ritual / etc. (the customs are different in different pagan cults) and incense, spices, rare woods, and the like to be burned equal to the level of the spell being acquired * 1/2 the level of the spell being acquired (rounded up) * 100. In addition, the cost of material components are added on top of this incense price. For example, a 5th level spell would be (5 * 3) * 100 = 1500. If it required a material component worth at least 125 gp, it would now cost 1625 to perform the ritual. Additionally, a fetish must be present at the ritual. It does not have to be a fully functional magical fetish; any fetish will do. This is the pagan's focus for casting that spell.

This spell is then 'prepared' until the Pagan decides to remove it from his memory by his own choice. Breaking the bonds with the spirits he has made is not easy, however, and requires at least one hour of quiet rest with only light interruptions allowed. The pagan's caster level is equal to his pagan level.

Spells with [evil] descriptors require live sacrifices with HD equal to or exceeding the spell level instead of the incense. Spells with [evil] descriptors over level 6 require sentient beings sacrificed with a number of HD equal to spell level. In either case, metamagic increases also increase the demand of HD of the sacrifice.

Additionally, spells cast by a pagan do not resemble arcane spells cast by others. The pagan instead dances around and chants in a much different manner, usually calling and praising the spirits that granted him this power. This manifests in certain other ways - a small list of spells have been removed from their spells known list. These include anything that has an experience point component, Leomund's Trap, Explosive Runes, Phantom Steed, Sepia Snake Sigil, Illusory Script, Secret Page, Fire Trap, Leomund's Secret Chest, Magic Jar, Symbol of Pain, Symbol of Persuasion, Contingency, Symbol of Fear, Tensor's Transformation, Symbol of Stunning, Simulacrum, Trap the Soul, Moment of Prescience, Symbol of Insanity, Clone, Symbol of Death, Temporal Stasis, Gate, Timestop. In addition, a Pagan can only have active creatures from one summoning spell at a time.

Other Class Features:

Spoiler

Familiar:
A pagan gains a familiar exactly the same way sorcerers do.

A Pagan's Word:
A pagan is either one of the most terrible beings imaginable, or one of the most respected people in hundreds if not thousands of miles. A pagan gets +2 to intimidate checks against people who are in another religion, and a +2 to reaction rolls from people who have a similar paganistic / heathen religion.

Chanting:
Due to strenuous breathing exercises, the pagan gains a +2 bonus to fortitude saving throws made against holding one's breath. On top of that, because of his very unusual method of spellcasting, other arcane magic users receive a -4 penalty to identify his spells with spellcraft. After spending a full round action to study the chants and dances, the penalty reduces to a 'mere' -2.

Ill Omen:
While the spell fetishes of a pagan are very important, it does happen that they get lost. A pagan may imbue his/her fetishes with minor spells to ease their return. Common effects include a -1 Luck penalty to all rolls for others carrying a fetish, a Charm (geas) effect to return it, or a simple mental messenge to return the fetish. For non-magical fetishes, the cost is a mere 10 gold. For magical fetishes, the cost is much greater - 100 * spell level being imbued on the item, with an additional investment of 10 xp / level.

Motile Dance:
If a spell the pagan is casting has a somatic component, he is able to make a free 5' step (in addition to the regular 5' step he gets) as part of the somatic action. The spell is cast after the 5' step. This movement is lost if in armour, and does not work with quickened or stilled spells.

Blood Offering:
Bartering desparately with spirits can sometimes save a pagan's life despite the steep price they will suddenly command. The pagan can instantly drop any number of currently prepared spells (receiving 1 point of damage per spell level), and suddenly prepare any one spell. In exchange, the spirits force 1 point of con drain (not damage) for every 2 levels of the spell (round up) and additionally takes twice the number of the spell level in damage. At 16th level, the pagan can do this twice in the same day if he is particularly desparate and hearty. No matter what, a large and unremovable scar appears on some place where bloodletting occurred, usually the torso but any where from the face to the fingers is possible.

Craft Fetish:
A fetish is a physical link to the spirits a pagan now relies on. They are deep wells of personal power, and immensely important to a Pagan. The object being crafted into a fetish does not have to be precious in worth, but it does have to be precious empathically to the user. It costs the Pagan's level * 200 worth of experience points to craft a fetish. A pagan cannot have more than one fetish at a time. Stationary communities tend to develop sturdier, heavier fetishes like well polished stones with a story carved in - there are rumours of some pagans carving entire trees into stories and making that their totem! Nomadic communities tend to use lighter materials like carved wood or bone as weight is much more of a hindrance. It is possible for a pagan to subvert another church's religious icon into their fetish, but this is considered an evil act and anyone granted divine spells by that diety will immediately know what you have done by looking at it.
Fetish: Craft at level 10 or higher. If the fetish is destroyed or is separated from it for a month, the pagan suffers as if a familiar was killed. If it was lost and somehow returned, he regains the experience points lost as long as he didn't craft a new fetish.
Can choose between 4 different fetishes:
1) Upon creation, the Pagan imbues the fetish with a spell he is currently capable of casting. The Pagan can now use the fetish to cast the spell at will, at his own caster level. No one else can use the fetish (with the exception of a successful UMD of 30 + the Pagan's caster level). The fetish retains the spell even if the pagan changes his spells prepared and can no longer cast it.
2) An addition of spell points equal to the Pagan's wisdom modifier.
3) An enhancement bonus to all stats equal to 1/4 the Pagan's caster level.
4) The pagan chooses a metamagic feat he has. When using the fetish, spells prepared with that feat cost 1 less spell point.
It is possible to change the effect of a fetish. Undergoing a ritual that costs 10,000 gp allows the Pagan to reimbue his fetish.
If a fetish was lost or destroyed, the cost to make a new one is double the original experience cost, and cannot be done until the Pagan successfully undergoes an Atonement spell. A Pagan cannot have more than one personal fetish at a time.

Paid For In Blood:
Sometimes, the spells being flung around really need to connect. Pagans will ritually bloodlet themselves, offering their lifeblood to the spirits in return for more power. If a Pagan deals 1 point of damage per spell level to himself in the casting of a spell, the DC of the spell increases by 2. Motile Dance and Worship Dancing cannot be used in the same round as Paid For In Blood, and a spell that has been altered by Paid For In Blood cannot be quickened or stilled. If wearing armour, this requires a clear place with a vein that can be easily sliced open to achieve. Additionally, a knife or some other similar object must be on the Pagan.

Spirit Specialization:
The Pagan has dealt with the spirits so often in one regard that the spirits cannot trick him out of more than the power is worth. Pick a school to specialize in, in this school, all spells act as if they have a spell level one less than they do when determining cost of preparation. The DC is unchanged.

Macabre Dance:
Due to the chanting and dancing manner of the Pagan's spell casting, any spell with a casting time greater than 1 minute is now considered to be quickened for free.

Worship Dancing:
To a pagan this practiced, calling upon the magic the spirits have invested in him is mere child's play. While casting a spell, he can choose to move up to his full movement rate as a free action. The spell casts from where the Pagan stops moving. This does not work with quickened or stilled spells. Armour of any sort turns this into a 5' step.

[TSED]

Doesn't any one have an opinion?

[UserClone]

I like it, but the Macabre Dance seems pretty strong. I don't know any 1-min casting time spells off the top of my head, but I imagine they would be helped incomprehensibly by being able to be cast, all day, as a swift action.

[TSED]

Originally Posted by FlWiPig

I like it, but the Macabre Dance seems pretty strong. I don't know any 1-min casting time spells off the top of my head, but I imagine they would be helped incomprehensibly by being able to be cast, all day, as a swift action.

That just puts them at the next step down. 1 hour becomes 10 minutes, 10 minutes becomes 1 minute, etc. 1 minute would become 1 full round action, but it cuts off there and so that doesn't happen.


At least, that's my understanding of it. If it turns out I'm wrong I'd be happy to change that effect.

[Tempest Fennac]

Raise Dead takes 1 minute to cast. It sounds interresting, but it doesn't sound particularly powerful (unless you only need to spend resources and 1 hour/spell level to learn the spell once, in which case it's incredibly broken if you can forget low level spells in place of high level spells). Also, I tend to think casters should only need 1 stat to cast spells.

[TSED]

Originally Posted by Tempest Fennac

Raise Dead takes 1 minute to cast. It sounds interresting, but it doesn't sound particularly powerful (unless you only need to spend resources and 1 hour/spell level to learn the spell once, in which case it's incredibly broken if you can forget low level spells in place of high level spells). Also, I tend to think casters should only need 1 stat to cast spells.

Raise dead is a cleric spell and therefor not learnable by pagans. 1 minute spells still take 1 minute to cast, anyways.

How about, oh, quickened fireballs? Swift action to launch one every round. ANY round.

You do indeed only spend the resources and time to learn the spell once, and you can indeed forget high level spells, mid level spells, or low level spells, in exchange for high level spells, mid level spells, or low level spells. This is the problem. I don't want to take away the ability to cast high level spells, but they are substantially more powerful than spending the spell points on lower level spells for some diversity. Maybe I should make the components required at the learning of the spell and every casting there after?

[Tempest Fennac]

That would probably make the class too weak due to the cost of casting things. I'm not too sure what to recommend for this if I'm honest; limiting spells to up to 6th level, for instance, would still allow infinite uses of some powerful spells, but if you lower the maximum spell level too much, you'd end up with a ton of low level abilities which wouldn't be that useful later.

(I know Raise Dead isn't a Wizard spell; it's just the on;y one I can remember which has a 10 minute casting time.)

[UserClone]

Actually, according to my PHB, any spell with a casting time longer than 1 full-round action is not a legal target for the feat.