MagFlare
2006-06-29, 05:47 PM
I'm not a huge Final Fantasy fan, but I am a huge 8-Bit Theater fan, so...
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http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/6/62/Red_Mage.gif
"Many are content to merely live by the rules. To go through the entirety of their lives without understanding them. Not those such as we. We have begun to uncover the systems, the machinery that works our world. For centuries we have catalogued and researched and cross-indexed the rules in order to seek a greater understanding of them so that we too may become as gods. So that we may transcend from mere playthings into the players." - an unnamed Red Mage (http://www.nuklearpower.com/daily.php?date=011010)
The Red Mages are a cabal of philosopher-wizards who prize their versatility and seek to discover the hidden "rules" by which the universe operates. Jacks of all trades but masters of none, their abilities are a boon to any party - even though their obsession with mysterious items like "experience points" and "hit dice" may confuse their teammates.
Alignment: Any, but their drive for self-perfection above all else means they're often True Neutral.
Hit Die: d6.
BAB: ¾.
Saves: Poor Fort, good Ref and Will.
Class Skills: The Red Mage’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Appraise (Int), Balance (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Decipher Script (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Disguise (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Gather Information (Cha), Hide (Dex), Jump (Str), Knowledge (all skills, taken individually) (Int), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Perform (Cha), Profession (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), Sleight of Hand (Dex), Speak Language (None), Spellcraft (Int), Swim (Str), Tumble (Dex), and Use Magic Device (Cha).
Skill Points at First Level: (4 + Int mod) x 4.
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 4 + Int mod.
Proficiencies: A Red Mage is proficient with all simple weapons, plus the longsword, rapier, sap, short sword, shortbow, and whip. Red Mages are proficient with light armor, but not shields. A Red Mage can cast spells while wearing light armor without incurring the normal arcane spell failure chance.
Spells: A Red Mage casts arcane spells which are drawn from both the wizard/sorcerer and cleric spell lists. The Red Mage learns and prepares spells as a wizard does, using his Character Sheet (see below) instead of a spellbook. Spells per day are as a bard. The Red Mage’s Int score is used to determine bonus spells per day, save DCs, and whether he can learn a new spell.
Class Features:
Character Sheet: At first level, the Red Mage receives a Character Sheet which details his talents. If he loses the Character Sheet, he will be unable to learn or regain spells, use many of his class abilities, or level up as a Red Mage again until he creates a new one (which costs 100 x his current Red Mage level in XP and takes an hour); if the Character Sheet is destroyed, he must make a Will save (DC 15) or gain a negative level until he can create a new one. Whenever the character gains a new level in the Red Mage class, he must spend ten minutes updating his Character Sheet.
Mulligan: Starting at first level, the Red Mage may reroll a number of dice per day equal to his Cha bonus. (For example: a fifth-level Red Mage with a Cha score of 16 casts a fireball and rolls a 1, a 1, a 2, a 3, and a 6 for damage. The Red Mage would be able to reroll the three lowest dice; alternately, he could reroll the two lowest dice and save one Mulligan die for an important attack roll later.) Whether or not the new result is higher than the original roll, the Red Mage must keep it unless he’s willing to spend another Mulligan die to reroll it again.
Knowledge (decorative cake frosting): (http://www.giantitp.com/GuestStrips.html) Starting at first level, the Red Mage may begin putting skill points into Knowledge (decorative cake frosting). This knowledge skill is treated as a class skill for Red Mages but unavailable to members of any other class. While this skill is of somewhat limited use on its own, the Red Mage can, once per day as a free action, add all ranks spent in that skill to any single skill check. This ability increases to twice per day at level 5, three times per day at level 10, and so on. The Red Mage must have an intact and current Character Sheet in order to use this ability.
Stat Swap: Starting at fourth level and every four levels thereafter, the Red Mage may swap any two of his ability scores once per day as a free action. This lasts for a number of rounds equal to his Red Mage levels/2 + his (pre-swap) Cha bonus. At the end of the duration the ability scores revert to normal. The Red Mage must have an intact and current Character Sheet in order to use this ability.
Min/Max: At sixth level and every six levels thereafter, the Red Mage may begin to paradoxically improve himself by gaining flaws at level-up. The Red Mage may select a trait from this list. (http://d20srd.org/srd/variant/buildingCharacters/characterTraits.htm) The Red Mage may not choose the same trait more than once. The Red Mage must have an intact and current Character Sheet in order to make use of traits; if the Character Sheet is lost or destroyed, the Red Mage loses the effects of the traits until he once again has a Character Sheet in his possession.
Frost Affinity: At seventh level, the Red Mage casts spells with the [cold] descriptor as though he were two levels higher.
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What do you think? Sorry about the formatting - didn't want to invest the effort to make a nice chart for it if it doesn't look like the idea deserves that kind of treatment.
[hr]
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/6/62/Red_Mage.gif
"Many are content to merely live by the rules. To go through the entirety of their lives without understanding them. Not those such as we. We have begun to uncover the systems, the machinery that works our world. For centuries we have catalogued and researched and cross-indexed the rules in order to seek a greater understanding of them so that we too may become as gods. So that we may transcend from mere playthings into the players." - an unnamed Red Mage (http://www.nuklearpower.com/daily.php?date=011010)
The Red Mages are a cabal of philosopher-wizards who prize their versatility and seek to discover the hidden "rules" by which the universe operates. Jacks of all trades but masters of none, their abilities are a boon to any party - even though their obsession with mysterious items like "experience points" and "hit dice" may confuse their teammates.
Alignment: Any, but their drive for self-perfection above all else means they're often True Neutral.
Hit Die: d6.
BAB: ¾.
Saves: Poor Fort, good Ref and Will.
Class Skills: The Red Mage’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Appraise (Int), Balance (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Decipher Script (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Disguise (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Gather Information (Cha), Hide (Dex), Jump (Str), Knowledge (all skills, taken individually) (Int), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Perform (Cha), Profession (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), Sleight of Hand (Dex), Speak Language (None), Spellcraft (Int), Swim (Str), Tumble (Dex), and Use Magic Device (Cha).
Skill Points at First Level: (4 + Int mod) x 4.
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 4 + Int mod.
Proficiencies: A Red Mage is proficient with all simple weapons, plus the longsword, rapier, sap, short sword, shortbow, and whip. Red Mages are proficient with light armor, but not shields. A Red Mage can cast spells while wearing light armor without incurring the normal arcane spell failure chance.
Spells: A Red Mage casts arcane spells which are drawn from both the wizard/sorcerer and cleric spell lists. The Red Mage learns and prepares spells as a wizard does, using his Character Sheet (see below) instead of a spellbook. Spells per day are as a bard. The Red Mage’s Int score is used to determine bonus spells per day, save DCs, and whether he can learn a new spell.
Class Features:
Character Sheet: At first level, the Red Mage receives a Character Sheet which details his talents. If he loses the Character Sheet, he will be unable to learn or regain spells, use many of his class abilities, or level up as a Red Mage again until he creates a new one (which costs 100 x his current Red Mage level in XP and takes an hour); if the Character Sheet is destroyed, he must make a Will save (DC 15) or gain a negative level until he can create a new one. Whenever the character gains a new level in the Red Mage class, he must spend ten minutes updating his Character Sheet.
Mulligan: Starting at first level, the Red Mage may reroll a number of dice per day equal to his Cha bonus. (For example: a fifth-level Red Mage with a Cha score of 16 casts a fireball and rolls a 1, a 1, a 2, a 3, and a 6 for damage. The Red Mage would be able to reroll the three lowest dice; alternately, he could reroll the two lowest dice and save one Mulligan die for an important attack roll later.) Whether or not the new result is higher than the original roll, the Red Mage must keep it unless he’s willing to spend another Mulligan die to reroll it again.
Knowledge (decorative cake frosting): (http://www.giantitp.com/GuestStrips.html) Starting at first level, the Red Mage may begin putting skill points into Knowledge (decorative cake frosting). This knowledge skill is treated as a class skill for Red Mages but unavailable to members of any other class. While this skill is of somewhat limited use on its own, the Red Mage can, once per day as a free action, add all ranks spent in that skill to any single skill check. This ability increases to twice per day at level 5, three times per day at level 10, and so on. The Red Mage must have an intact and current Character Sheet in order to use this ability.
Stat Swap: Starting at fourth level and every four levels thereafter, the Red Mage may swap any two of his ability scores once per day as a free action. This lasts for a number of rounds equal to his Red Mage levels/2 + his (pre-swap) Cha bonus. At the end of the duration the ability scores revert to normal. The Red Mage must have an intact and current Character Sheet in order to use this ability.
Min/Max: At sixth level and every six levels thereafter, the Red Mage may begin to paradoxically improve himself by gaining flaws at level-up. The Red Mage may select a trait from this list. (http://d20srd.org/srd/variant/buildingCharacters/characterTraits.htm) The Red Mage may not choose the same trait more than once. The Red Mage must have an intact and current Character Sheet in order to make use of traits; if the Character Sheet is lost or destroyed, the Red Mage loses the effects of the traits until he once again has a Character Sheet in his possession.
Frost Affinity: At seventh level, the Red Mage casts spells with the [cold] descriptor as though he were two levels higher.
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What do you think? Sorry about the formatting - didn't want to invest the effort to make a nice chart for it if it doesn't look like the idea deserves that kind of treatment.