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Right, so here's the setup. The magic system I am putting into place does not allow for a sorcerer, so I'm having to retool my original Incarnate class to adjust for that system. Magic System
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Originally Posted by Strormer
I'm still not certain if I want to limit the A Casters to a spells known list or not. Their versatility is just obnoxious at the moment, which is good and bad, but I'm worried they're getting beefed up when I'm really trying to keep these casters at roughly the same power level as the PHB casters.
When spells are cast, casters gain Strain equal to the strain cost of the spell, found on the tables for each class, plus any relevant modifiers. Spells are cast with no roll as long as the caster’s Strain is lower than their Tolerance score.
If a caster’s Strain score would equal or exceed their Tolerance score then the caster becomes Strained. Strained casters take a -2 penalty on all checks, saves, and action rolls and can only cast by Vialization (see below). If a strained character would become fatigued, he becomes exhausted instead. If a fatigued character becomes strained he also becomes exhausted. Exhausted casters are unable to cast, regardless of Strain score.
Vitalization allows casters to exceed their Tolerance score for the purposes of continued casting. If a Strained caster attempts to cast he must roll for the successful casting of his spell. This roll is a Fortitude save against a DC of 10 + the spell’s level + the number of Strain the caster currently has in excess of his Tolerance score. If the save is successful the spell is cast normally and the caster takes damage equal to the Strain cost of the spell cast, in addition to adding the same amount to his Strain. If the save is a failure the spell is not cast and the caster takes 1 negative level.
Optional: If using the botched roll rules, a natural one results in the same effects as a normal failure and the DM may have the spell backfire.
If a caster’s Strain score ever doubles their Tolerance they immediately become exhausted and cannot cast further. If a caster should ever gain a number of negative levels equal to their class level(s), he is immediately slain and his body immolates in arcane fire. A caster slain in such a way can only be brought back to life by a true resurrection spell cast by a suitable cleric.
A caster recovers from Strain at a rate of half his CL (not to exceed his casting ability score) per hour provided he does not cast, fight, run, or in any other way exert himself and he is not exhausted. Upon completing a full night’s rest, normally 8 hours, he reduces his Strain by an additional amount equal to his casting ability modifier + his Constitution modifier.
and here are my modified strain cost tables to reduce the number of free spells at high levels from what the original had.
C Casters include: well, nothing in my setting. I took away the Paladin (replaced it with the Knight from PHB2 because I was sick of Lawful Stupid players trying to govern the party via Paladin levels. If it’s going to start an argument at the table so often I feel it’s disruptive, I don’t want it.) and my update to the ranger replaces his spellcasting with a full progression animal companion, mostly for flavor. I added the table just to flesh out what I’d done with the others in case someone wanted to make the costs a little harsher than the original did.
Not a lot of changes. Most were either to make casters have a few less spells to toss around at high level (I cannot comprehend free fireballs, even if it is high level play) and fluff related (like using a negative level to show the caster's life-force burning away instead of ability damage). Incidentally, I'm using Warlocks as a replacement for Sorcerer since they would not worry about Strain and I always liked the Warlock class, so the Arcanist is more-or-less a catchall for Wizards and Sorcerers that I'll hammer out once I feel this system is good to go. As of right now, think of them like Wizards.
Thanks so much to Nonsi for the inspiration, and to all of you for your help with this.
The original was merely a spontaneous divine caster with a few more "wrath of god" type spells.
The new one, I'm trying to base on the Warlock (which replaced the sorcerer in my setting), but I don't want to just copy/paste the Warlock into a divine template.
Right now I know that I want to have a form of attack that channels either pure negative or positive energy (based on alignment just like the cleric) that works similarly to the Eldritch Blast and I'm going to have the Turn/Rebuke Undead feature involved like I did for the sorcerer variant.
I've been playing with it, but it always comes out feeling like a white magic Warlock rather than a separate divine caster.
The question I'm putting to the forum is this: does anyone have any ideas to make a more unique divine caster based on the Warlock, or should I just let the fluff be the differentiation and leave the mechanics very similar? The reason I'm concerned is I don't want the setting to be black and white like that, having the Incarnate be good and the Warlock be evil as I've always loved the evil Paladin and good Warlock thing. Not that it should always be that, but that your class choice shouldn't dictate your alignment and attitudes.
Alright, that was a mouthful, so here's what I've got so far.
Divine spell-like abilities
Turn/Rebuke Undead
Cleric BAB/Save progression
Weapon/Armor Training
Wrath of the gods style magic, only minor healing
Thanks for any suggestions.
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Eladrin War-Skald avi by Vrythas Thanks so much! ^_^
You could set up a divine channeling ability sort of like eldritch blast. Maybe make it 'divine' or 'profane' damage (based on your alignment) that deals extra damage against certain types of foes.
You could then add in turn/rebuke undead and allow it to be channeled through your divine blast. On top of this you could grant bonus feats, specifically the ones that modify or use turn/rebuke undead, allowing them to be channeled through the divine blast as well. in this way you could avoid the use of invocations and still retain the 'feel' of the warlock.
You could then add in turn/rebuke undead and allow it to be channeled through your divine blast. On top of this you could grant bonus feats, specifically the ones that modify or use turn/rebuke undead, allowing them to be channeled through the divine blast as well. in this way you could avoid the use of invocations and still retain the 'feel' of the warlock.
How would you channel the turn/rebuke through the blast. Like any undead struck by your Sacred Blast would be turned/rebuked and then alter the blast like Warlock blast shape invocations?
Also, I still want to have powers, but not quite the same as the invocations. I'm thinking of making specific lists for deity-granted powers. Like there are communal powers that all deities grant, and then there are powers that each Incarnate has based on their deity, so it would work like a pool of invocations plus a domain invocation, but they wouldn't need to be selected, each Incarnate just has access to them. The only thing I worry about there is if I make the pool too large of the communal powers, then the Incarnate would be too powerful to balance with a Warlock. Maybe I should step down their combat prowess if I increase their selection of powers, but I feel like that doesn't fit either.
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Eladrin War-Skald avi by Vrythas Thanks so much! ^_^
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[3.5 base class] The Incarnate
