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View Full Version : [3.5] Some Duskblade Help



RMS Oceanic
2009-05-12, 10:38 AM
I've fallen in love with Duskblades recently, which is why it's such a shame Wizards never gave them much support after PHBII. Let's see if I can fix that:

Quick Cast Metamagic
Prerequisites: 5th level Duskblade, Quick Cast ability 1/day, one Metamagic Feat other than Highten spell.
Benefits: When you select this feat, choose a Metamagic Feat you know other than Highten Spell. You can apply the benefits of that Feat to a Duskblade spell you cast without increasing its level or casting time. Using this ability uses up one use of your Quick Cast ability.
You gain one additional use of Quick Cast per day.
Special: You can take this feat multiple times. Its effects do not stack. Each time you take this feat, apply it to another metamagic feat you know.

Syphon Channelling
Prerequisites: Arcane Channelling, Knowledge (Arcana) 9 Ranks, Spellcraft 9 Ranks
Benefits: When you successfully deliver a touch spell through your Arcane Channelling Ability to a spellcasting target, you may force that target to make a will save (DC 15 + channelled spell's level + int) as a free action. If they fail the save, they lose a spell slot of the highest level they can cast, and you retain the slot you used to channel the spell. In the case of casters who prepare their spells (Wizard, Cleric etc), the lost spell is determined at random.
You can do this a number of times a day equal to your Int modifier (minimum 2).

Silence
2009-05-12, 10:42 AM
There's a problem with the first one. If you get one quick cast slot per day, then if an adventurer retires for a month or so, he'll have a helluva a lot of quick casts.

Maybe you should max it out at 3 points tops.

Pramxnim
2009-05-12, 10:55 AM
I'm afraid you're mistaken there. You get one quick cast slot per day that resets every single day. The same is true for every other X/day abilities.

So no, you may not retire for a few months and store up quick cast slots. No matter how long you are inactive for, you may only use quick cast 1/day if that's how many times you're allowed to normally.

On topic, lemme see about these feats:

Quick Cast Metamagic
This one's really nice, as free metamagic use is often very nice. The only problem that might happen is someone stacking the feat to get a lot of free metamagics per day (and you've covered that by saying the feat does not stack). That's really not that abusable either, considering the low amount of feats a PC gets (not to mention they still have to know the metamagic feats needed for this feat to work. Nice and balanced (even if you allow the additional Quick Casts/day to stack). I like it.

Syphon Channeling
The wording is VERY wonky and makes for a confusing read.

If they don't have enough spell slots of that level or lower to make it up, they lose all their remaining spells, and you gain a bonus spell slot of the level that forms (rounded down)

That's the part I'm talking about. It's unnecessarily complicated and a bit too punitive to the poor caster if he somehow used up all his lower level spell slots that day. I'd say remove this sentence altogether and just say that they can sacrifice a higher level spell slot instead if they so choose. You would also need to remove the sentence saying you cannot cause them to lose spell slots higher than level 5.

You can do this a number of times a day equal to your Int modifier (minimum 2), whichever is higher.

There is no other condition mentioned here, so the phrase "whichever is higher" is unneeded and confusing. Did you intend to put another limit here? If so, you should include it (though I don't think it's quite necessary, as this ability is quite specific already that it probably won't see much use.

One last thing, the ability is currently underpowered due to the saving type. Most (if not all) casters have high Will saves, and you're going to be hard-pressed trying to make them fail the save with a maximum DC of 15+Int. Make it 15+Spell Level+Int and it'll be fine (it's not that bad to lose 1st or 2nd level spell slots anyways).

Also, you should specify if the player gets to choose which spell slot the target caster will lose, in the case of prepared casters. If the player doesn't get a choice, specify that the DM decides, or the spell slot is lost at random.

Pramxnim
2009-05-12, 11:47 PM
Do you mind if I yoink Quick Cast Metamagic for a PrC that I'm making?

RMS Oceanic
2009-05-13, 02:55 AM
Not at all, go ahead.

I've reduced Syphon Channelling's complexity, and have a few more things:

Channel Focus
Prerequisites: Arcane Channelling ability
Benefits: When you channel a spell through your weapon, you gain a +1 bonus on your attack roll. The DC of a spell you channel through your weapon increases by 1.

Extra Channelling Spells
Prerequisites: Arcane Channelling ability, caster level 9th.
Benefits: Choose up to two spells you know that have a range other than Touch. These spells can be up to one level lower than the highest level you can cast. You can channel these spells through your weapon as though they were touch spells. If they usually have an area effect, they only affect the target of your attack.

Divine Inspiration
Prerequisites: Arcane Channelling Ability, Wisdom 13, Caster Level 12th
Benefits: Choose a spell from the Cleric List with a range of touch and a casting time of one standard action or less. You learn that spell as a Duskblade spell, and treat it as on your class spell list. For the most part, the cleric level of the spell you choose will equal the Duskblade level, but you can also choose 6th level cleric spells and treat them as 5th level Duskblade spells.

JoshuaZ
2009-05-13, 11:18 AM
Should Divine Inspiration maybe require some ranks in knowledge(religion)?

Also, you may want to allow Extra Channelling Spells and Divine Inspiration to be able to be taken multiple times.