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PairO'Dice Lost
2009-02-26, 10:16 PM
After reading a thread on the Wizards forums about how one could possibly make an abjurer or diviner caster class like the Beguiler, Warmage, or Dread Necromancer worthwhile, I thought I'd try my hand at making a divination/abjuration specialist. The Oracle is the result of that--its basic premise is "Anything you can do, I've seen it before, and I can probably counter it." It's a support caster out of combat and a dedicated counter-mage in combat, but it does get directly several offensive spells that fit with the theme to ensure it always has something to do.

Design notes:
The oracle gets quite a few more spells in his list at each level in comparison to the other three; since most of his power is in utility and pre-battle buffing, I wanted him to have more options than "Well, I've cast all the buffs for the day; now I sit and use my class abilities."
For the divination portion of the class, the oracle gets quite a few abilities representing being very prepared for any scenario, and counterspelling and dispelling is a big point of the class (to mimic a standard counterspell wizard who always have the perfect spell prepared).
For the abjuration portion of the class, many of the class features involve retributive effects and/or denying enemy actions, and of course there are some standard abjuration-boosting abilities as well.

So without further ado, the Oracle. Any and all critiques appreciated.


The Oracle

http://i208.photobucket.com/albums/bb176/psychictheurge10/Oracle.png

Alignment: Any

Hit Die: d6

Class Skills
The oracle’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Appraise (Int), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Decipher Script (Int), Knowledge (all skills, taken individually) (Int), Profession (Wis), Speak Language (None), Spellcraft (Int), and Use Magic Device (Cha).

Skill Points at 1st Level
(6 + Int modifier) ×4.

Skill Points at Each Additional Level
6 + Int modifier.

Table: The Oracle
{table=head]Level|BAB|Fort|Ref|Will|Special|0|1|2|3|4|5|6|7|8| 9
1st|+0|+0|+2|+2|Armored Mage, Abjurant Defense|5|3||||||||
2nd|+1|+0|+3|+3|Instant Counterspell|6|4||||||||
3rd|+1|+1|+3|+3|Combat Prescience|6|5||||||||
4th|+2|+1|+4|+4|Advanced Learning|6|6|3|||||||
5th|+2|+1|+4|+4|Versatile Defense|6|6|4|||||||
6th|+3|+2|+5|+5|Countermagic|6|6|5|3||||||
7th|+3|+2|+5|+5|Transfer Dweomer|6|6|6|4||||||
8th|+4|+2|+6|+6|Advanced Learning|6|6|6|5|3||||
9th|+4|+3|+6|+6|Fate Link|6|6|6|6|4||||
10th|+5|+3|+7|+7|—|6|6|6|6|5|3|||
11th|+5|+3|+7|+7|Prescient Interference|6|6|6|6|6|4|||
12th|+6/+1|+4|+8|+8|Advanced Learning|6|6|6|6|6|5|3||
13th|+6/+1|+4|+8|+8|Perfect Sight|6|6|6|6|6|6|4|||
14th|+7/+2|+4|+9|+9|—|6|6|6|6|6|6|5|3|
15th|+7/+2|+5|+9|+9|Constant Vigilance|6|6|6|6|6|6|6|4|
16th|+8/+3|+5|+10|+10|Advanced Learning|6|6|6|6|6|6|6|5|3|
17th|+8/+3|+5|+10|+10|—|6|6|6|6|6|6|6|6|4|
18th|+9/+4|+6|+11|+11|Always Prepared|6|6|6|6|6|6|6|6|5|3
19th|+9/+4|+6|+11|+11|Advanced Learning|6|6|6|6|6|6|6|6|6|4
20th|+10/+5|+6|+12|+12|Retroactive Protection|6|6|6|6|6|6|6|6|6|5
[/table]

Class Features
All of the following are class features of the oracle. Unless otherwise noted, all abilities affecting the oracle's spells or those requiring sacrifice of spell slots must use spells the oracle casts as an oracle, and not those he may have by virtue of levels in any other spellcasting class.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency
Oracles are proficient with all simple weapons, light armor, and light shields.

Spells
An oracle casts arcane spells, which are drawn from the oracle spell list (given after the class description). When you gain access to a new level of spells, you automatically know all the spells for that level on the oracle spell list. You can cast any spell you know without preparing it ahead of time. Essentially, your spell list is the same as your spells known list. You also have the option of adding to your existing spell list through your advanced learning class feature (see below) as you increase in level.

To cast a spell, you must have an Intelligence score equal to at least 10 + the spell level. The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against an oracle’s spell is 10 + the spell level + the oracle’s Intelligence modifier. Like other spellcasters, an oracle can cast only a certain number of spells of each spell level per day. The base daily spell allotment is given on Table: The oracle. In addition, you receive bonus spells per day if you have a high Intelligence score.

Armored Mage (Ex)
Normally, armor of any type interferes with an arcane spellcaster's gestures, which can cause their spells to fail if those spells have somatic components. An oracle's limited focus and specialized training, however, allow you to avoid any chance of arcane spell failure as long as you restrict yourself to light armor and shields. This training does not extend to any other form of armor or shield, nor does this ability apply to spells gained from other spellcasting classes.

Abjurant Defense (Ex)
Oracles are especially gifted with abjuration, and can cast stronger defensive spells than other arcane spellcasters. Whenever you cast a spell that grants an armor, shield, or enhancement bonus to AC, the bonus granted is increased by your Intelligence modifier. For instance, if you have a 14 Intelligence and cast a mage armor spell, you grant a +6 armor bonus to AC rather than a +4 armor bonus.

Instant Counterspell (Ex)
An oracle's repeated use of divinations increases his sensitivity to the spellcasting of others. Once per round, you can counterspell an opponent's spell as an immediate action without having to ready an action to do so. This ability follows all of the normal rules for immediate actions and counterspelling.

Combat Prescience (Sp)
Starting at 3rd level, oracles can use their expertise with divinations to speed their reaction to danger. As a free action when you roll initiative, you can expend a divination spell to grant yourself or an adjacent ally a bonus on initiative for the current encounter equal to the level of the spell expended plus your Wisdom modifier. If the target does not make an initiative check within 1 round, the spell is expended to no effect.

Advanced Learning (Ex)
At 4th level, you can add a new spell to your list, representing the results of personal talent, study, or experimentation. The spell must be of the divination or abjuration schools, and must be of a level no higher than that of the highest-level spell you can cast. Once a new spell is selected, it is forever added to your spell list and can be cast like any other of your spells.

You gain another new spell at 8th, 12th, 16th, and 19th level.

Versatile Defense (Ex)
As an oracle grows in experience, he becomes better able to manipulate the defensive energy in his spells. Whenever you cast a spell that grants an armor, shield, or enhancement bonus to AC, you can choose to change the type of bonus granted to a deflection bonus instead. If you use this ability on a spell, it cannot also benefit from your Abjurant Defense ability, and you cannot cast the same spell on a single target twice to take advantage of both abilities (for instance, casting mage armor with this ability for a +4 deflection bonus and then casting it again with Abjurant Defense for a +6 armor bonus).

Enhanced Countermagic (Ex)
At 6th level, you add your Intelligence modifier to your dispel check when casting dispel magic or any variation of it (greater dispel magic, reaving dispel, etc.).

Transfer Dweomer (Sp)
Most often, many of an oracle's spells can only affect him when they would better benefit his allies, so oracles have developed the ability to transfer these spells to others. As a full-round action, you can transfer any ongoing spell which you control or any spell currently active on yourself (including personal-range spells) to a willing target with a melee touch. Any effects of the spell that would be determined by the caster on a round-by-round basis (such as the form taken with a shapechange spell or the movement of an arcane eye) are determined by the new target once the spell is transferred, but in all other respects the spell acts as if still in effect on or controlled by you.

Fate Link (Sp)
Sometimes the best defense is a strong offense, so oracles learn to combine the two as part of their training. As a standard action, you may expend a single abjuration spell and designate two targets within close range to be affected by this ability, one ally and one enemy; a Will save by either target (DC 10 + ½ class level + Intelligence modifier) negates the effect. For a number of rounds equal to the level of the expended spell, any harmful effect (hit point damage, negative levels, etc.) experienced by the target ally is halved and the other half is experienced by the target enemy. If the harmful effect cannot be halved evenly, the remainder goes to the target enemy; if the effect is one that cannot be numerically halved (such as a status effect or the like), the targets make an opposed Wisdom check, and the target with the lower result is subject to the effect.

Prescient Interference (Su)
Skilled oracles are capable of countering almost any occurrence or effect, even nonmagical ones, by looking slightly into the future to give themselves enough time to interfere with it. As an immediate action, you can expend a divination spell to attempt to counter an opponent's action; the level of spell required depends on the type of action with which you are trying to interfere—1st level or higher for a move action, 3rd level or higher for a swift or immediate action, 5th level or higher for a standard action, and 7th level or higher for a full-round action. Make a ranged touch attack against your target; the target must succeed on a Fortitude or Will save (target's choice) with a DC equal to your attack roll result, or the action fails. Any limited-use abilities are expended as if successfully used, and the target loses the action required to use the ability.

Perfect Sight (Su)
After working with divinations for so long, an oracle begins to gain the benefits of some divinations even when he has no divination spells active on himself. At 13th level, you gain the benefits of the arcane sight and true seeing spells constantly; in addition, for a total of 10 minutes per day (broken up as desired, minimum 1 round per use) you may see through solid objects as a supernatural ability as if using a ring of X-ray vision.

Constant Vigilance (Ex)
A 15th-level oracle has seen everything, and is never taken by surprise. You are no longer able to be caught flat-footed, and always act in a surprise round.

Always Prepared (Ex)
An experienced oracle always has right spell cast for the situation ahead of time...even when he didn't. By expending one or more abjuration spells, you can cast a number of spells as an immediate action. For each spell you wish to cast, you must expend an abjuration spell of equal or higher level; for instance, if you weren't expecting combat and want to cast mage armor and shield immediately, you must spend 2 additional abjuration spells of 1st level or higher to do so. You may only use this ability to cast oracle spells, even if you have levels in another spellcasting class, though the extra abjuration spells expended to power the ability may be any abjuration spells to which you have access.

Retroactive Protection (Su)
20th-level oracles will go to any length to protect their companions—if they can't prevent something from happening, they can undo it instead. As a standard action a number of times per day equal to 3 + your Intelligence modifier, you can undo a single creature's last turn's worth of actions. Any creatures killed by the target are revived, damage dealt by the target is healed, spells cast are uncast (and the spell slots returned to the target), etc. You may activate multiple uses of this ability as a full-round action if you wish to undo multiple creatures' turns in a single round (for instance, if three wizards teleport near you and kill your companions with death spells, you could expend three uses of this ability as a full-round action to undo all three turns' worth of spells). You may only reach one round back into the past, so if more than one of your turns has gone by since an action occurred, you are unable to undo it through this ability.

Oracle Spell List

Spells marked with an asterisk (*) are from the Spell Compendium, those marked with two asterisks (**) are from Complete Mage; all others are from the Player's Handbook.

0 Level: detect magic, read magic, dancing lights, mage hand, message, resistance, prestidigitation, alarm, identify, amanuensis*

1st Level: shield, mage armor, true strike, magic missile, silent image, ventriloquism, ray of enfeeblement, reduce person, ectoplasmic armor*, nightshield*, benign transposition*, guided shot*, master's touch*, spontaneous search*, targeting ray*, cheat*

2nd Level: arcane lock, obscure object, protection from arrows, continual flame, magic mouth, detect thoughts, locate object, knock, summon monster II, web, daze monster, aiming at the target*, dissonant chant*, distracting ray*, scintillating scales*, low-light vision*, dispel ward**, karmic aura**, true casting**, vigilant slumber**

3rd Level: dispel magic, nondetection, protection from energy, magic circle, arcane sight, clairaudience/clairvoyance, tongues, haste, explosive runes, hold person, vampiric touch, anticipate teleportation*, sign of sealing*, mass mage armor*, servant horde*, baleful transposition*, chain of eyes*, death armor*, shroud of undeath*, ghost touch armor*, arcane turmoil**, allied footsteps**, crystalline memories**

4th Level: dimensional anchor, lesser globe of invulnerability, stoneskin, arcane eye, detect scrying, locate creature, scrying, Evard's black tentacles, confusion, resilient sphere, break enchantment, dismissal, Leomund's private sanctum, contact other plane, dispelling screen*, forceward*, unluck*, spell vulnerability*, tenacious dispelling**, enduring scrutiny**, spellcaster's bane**, ghost lantern**

5th Level: prying eyes, telepathic bond, dream, Mordenkainen's faithful hound, feeblemind, telekinesis, duelward*, ray deflection*, greater resistance*, mass resist energy*, wall of chaos/evil/good/law*, know vulnerabilities*, battle hymn*, sensory deprivation*, backlash*, mass darkvision*, ruin delver's fortune*, Otiluke's suppressing field**, rebirth of iron**

6th Level: antimagic field, greater dispel magic, guards and wards, repulsion, analyze dweomer, legend lore, true seeing, contingency, Tenser's transformation, wall of iron, eyebite, indomitability*, reciprocal gyre*, refusal*, zone of respite*, shadow hand*

7th Level: sequester, spell turning, Drawmij's instant summons, greater arcane sight, vision, forcecage, Mordenkainen's sword, antimagic ray*, energy immunity*, ironguard*, ruby ray of reversal*, greater sign of sealing*, transcribe symbol*, probe thoughts*, make manifest*, graymantle*, lesser spell matrix*, dimension jumper**, retributive image**

8th Level: dimensional lock, mind blank, protection from spells, discern location, moment of prescience, screen, temporal stasis, maze, Bigby's clenched fist, energy transformation field*, synostodweomer*, ghostform**, energy absorption**, arcane fusion**, prismatic aura**, steal summoning**

9th Level: freedom, imprisonment, Mordenkainen's disjunction, foresight, mass hold monster, soul bind, time stop, absorption*, Elminster's effulgent epuration*, magic miasma*, reaving dispel*, unbinding*, eye of power*, hindsight*, replicate casting*, genius loci**, transcend mortality**

arguskos
2009-02-26, 10:20 PM
I like it. It's fun, functional, and well-put-together.

Also, not to toot my own horn over much or anything, but did you see my project to do similar things some time ago? You can find it here (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=95336), if you're interested.

PairO'Dice Lost
2009-02-26, 11:37 PM
I like it. It's fun, functional, and well-put-together.

Thanks!


Also, not to toot my own horn over much or anything, but did you see my project to do similar things some time ago? You can find it here (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=95336), if you're interested.

As a matter of fact, I didn't, though I like what you've done with them as well now that I see them. Looking at the links in that thread, it appears that this is a fairly common idea; I might just have to try to round out the rest of them, just to say that I have. :smallbiggrin:

belboz
2009-02-27, 03:44 AM
Sort of an obscure case, but just for fun (and in case it comes up), can Retroactive Protection work on itself? That is, if two Oracles face each other, and Orace A uses Retroactive protection to undo some actions, can Oracle B then use it to effectively "redo" those actions? And how exactly does this work temporally?

Say, in round 1, creature X is killed.
In round 2, Oracle A undoes the killing of Creature X. Later that round, Creature X kills Creature Y.
In round 3, Oracle B redoes the action that killed Creature X.

Is Creature Y still dead? Or does redoing X's death mean that all actions taken by Creature X (such as killing Creature Y) since that death are negated?

Probably it would be easiest to say that Retroactive Protection *doesn't* work on other uses of Retroactive Protection.

PairO'Dice Lost
2009-02-27, 08:31 AM
Sort of an obscure case, but just for fun (and in case it comes up), can Retroactive Protection work on itself? That is, if two Oracles face each other, and Orace A uses Retroactive protection to undo some actions, can Oracle B then use it to effectively "redo" those actions?

By all means, go ahead; if you have two 20th-level Oracles duking it out, why wouldn't they do just that? :smallwink:


And how exactly does this work temporally?

Mechanically, just as you'd expect undoing and redoing something to work. Flavor-wise, the Oracle reverses his Sight into the past and unravels it, so not only are the events undone but no one else even remembers that the events happened unless they too have some way to alter the time stream.


Say, in round 1, creature X is killed.
In round 2, Oracle A undoes the killing of Creature X. Later that round, Creature X kills Creature Y.
In round 3, Oracle B redoes the action that killed Creature X.

Is Creature Y still dead? Or does redoing X's death mean that all actions taken by Creature X (such as killing Creature Y) since that death are negated?

As the text says, all actions are undone, including reviving any creatures killed by the target. So no, creature Y isn't dead and yes, creature X's actions are all undone.


Probably it would be easiest to say that Retroactive Protection *doesn't* work on other uses of Retroactive Protection.

I don't know about that; honestly, if you want to blow your 3 + Int uses on a back-and-forth with another Oracle, I'd be perfectly willing to allow you to do it, but there are probably better uses for them than that.

Baron Corm
2009-02-27, 10:40 AM
On the table, Perfect Sight is 13th level, but in the text, it's 7th level. 7th level is way too early so hopefully the table's right. Also, I would make it a (Su) ability, not an (Ex) ability, unless you can give some pretty damn good flavor explanation. And if you can, I would bump it up in level. You could possibly progress this ability, starting with arcane sight as a (Su) ability, eventually gaining true seeing as an (Ex) ability, to fill in dead levels.

Level 10: AS (Su)
Level 13: AS (Ex)
Level 14: TS (Su)
Level 17: TS (Ex)

RMS Oceanic
2009-02-27, 10:45 AM
This and the other three remind me of the five colours of magic.

Warmage: Evocation/Damage Dealing (Red)
Beguiler: Illusion/Enchantment/Control (Blue)
Dread Necromancer: Necromancy/Undeath (Black)
Oracle: Abjuration/Divination/Magical Insight and Protection (White)

What we need now is a conjurer/transmuter class to complete the cycle.

Fax Celestis
2009-02-27, 11:13 AM
Abjurant Defense is crazy powerful at low levels. I'd recommend making it "plus your Intelligence modifier or your Oracle class level, whichever is lower".

Thane of Fife
2009-02-27, 11:27 AM
Retroactive Protection could be terribly awkward. For example, if a wizard casts Mage Armor on himself, then a Fighter attacks him and misses by 1, and then you undo the Mage Armor, what happens?

Or worse, the Wizard kills the Fighter with a Finger of Death, then a Necromancer animates him, then you undo the Finger of Death. Now what?

Or a simple one, fighter A walks out of a square, fighter B walks into that square, you undo fighter A's move. ?

EDIT: using it on another Oracle could also be bad. Say both I and my opponent have one use left. I use it to undo something. He uses it to redo that thing, restoring my use of it. I use it to undo his undoing, which in turn means that I already used it this turn.

TIME PARADOX

PairO'Dice Lost
2009-02-27, 02:16 PM
On the table, Perfect Sight is 13th level, but in the text, it's 7th level. 7th level is way too early so hopefully the table's right. Also, I would make it a (Su) ability, not an (Ex) ability, unless you can give some pretty damn good flavor explanation.

Both the level and the Ex part are leftovers from an earlier draft; the older spells were much less powerful, so I gave them as Ex, but I forgot to change it when I swapped them for arcane sight and true seeing. Both are fixed.


And if you can, I would bump it up in level. You could possibly progress this ability, starting with arcane sight as a (Su) ability, eventually gaining true seeing as an (Ex) ability, to fill in dead levels.

Level 10: AS (Su)
Level 13: AS (Ex)
Level 14: TS (Su)
Level 17: TS (Ex)

Consider, though, that arcane sight is a 3rd level spell, true seeing is a 6th level spell, and permanency is a 5th level spell; the oracle could already have had those spells permanencied on himself two levels earlier if using his own spells, or earlier than that if buying spellcasting services. Turning them into a supernatural ability (which isn't all that much of an advantage for permanent effects) and making them non-dispellable (which is) is worth two or more levels of delay, I think.


Abjurant Defense is crazy powerful at low levels. I'd recommend making it "plus your Intelligence modifier or your Oracle class level, whichever is lower".

A few mitigating factors:

1) It's for armor, shield, and enhancement bonuses only, so really the only difference it makes is that a 1st-level oracle with 18 Int saves 100gp by not buying studded leather armor...and he can use the extra cash to pick up enough mundane items to be Crazy Prepared. Win-win.

2) There are no spells giving an enhancement bonus to AC of 1st or 2nd level on the oracle's list, so the earliest he could use this ability with armor is 4th with Advanced Learning.

So the only time your change would have an effect would be after 4th level in normal circumstances, or at 4th level if the oracle started with an Int higher than 18 (which is uncommon). I don't really see a need to put that proviso in.


TIME PARADOX

I know! Isn't it wonderful? :smallbiggrin:

I've deliberately left the ability vague to allow for all sorts of interesting interpretations. Also, compare it to the power time regression (9th level Nomad-only power), which states:


You can regress apparent time 1 round into the past. In effect, you “replay” the previous round of activity. The power regresses time to the point along the time stream just prior to your previous turn, undoing the effects of everyone else’s actions in the meantime. Once you have used time regression, only you retain knowledge of what happened during the round that is being replayed; however, you can communicate that knowledge verbally to your companions, if desired. During the round that you live through a second time, you can act on knowledge you previously gained by already living through the immediate future. In all likelihood, you’ll probably not choose to manifest time regression during your second pass through the time stream, instead taking completely new actions, but you pay the XP cost all the same.

Retroactive Protection is less all-encompassing than time regression, as it only affects one person's actions per use; the only advantage it has is a lack of XP cost, but (A) you get it 3 levels later than the psion and (B) it's a class capstone ability, so I'd say it works out about even. Any problems you'd have with Retroactive Protection you'd also have with time regression, and the latter's a published power.

Fax Celestis
2009-02-27, 02:43 PM
A few mitigating factors:

1) It's for armor, shield, and enhancement bonuses only, so really the only difference it makes is that a 1st-level oracle with 18 Int saves 100gp by not buying studded leather armor...and he can use the extra cash to pick up enough mundane items to be Crazy Prepared. Win-win.

2) There are no spells giving an enhancement bonus to AC of 1st or 2nd level on the oracle's list, so the earliest he could use this ability with armor is 4th with Advanced Learning.

So the only time your change would have an effect would be after 4th level in normal circumstances, or at 4th level if the oracle started with an Int higher than 18 (which is uncommon). I don't really see a need to put that proviso in.You might want to qualify that it's "Oracle Spells Only", then. Otherwise you end up with Wiard 1/Oracle 1's who spend one mage armor to get +8 to AC.

PairO'Dice Lost
2009-02-27, 06:45 PM
You might want to qualify that it's "Oracle Spells Only", then. Otherwise you end up with Wiard 1/Oracle 1's who spend one mage armor to get +8 to AC.

...:smallsigh:

*facepalm*

Right. That's what I intended it to be, but I suppose I should make that explicit. Thanks for the catch.