cheezewizz2000
2009-12-18, 04:36 AM
While this has mainly been adressed by pathfinder, a long long (not very long) time ago, Sorcerers didn't have much to look forward to when levelling. A friend of mine addressed this with Talent points, you may know him as Sneakabout if you've ever spoken to him online, and he's never posted this for some reason, so I thought I'd overstep my bounds and post his creation here, without any permission from him what so ever.
Hell, I may even claim it as my own, if I'm going that far.
Anyway, here's how this thing that I came up with, on my own without so much as a word of help from Sneakabout, works. I'm posting it as I plan on using it in an upcoming game. It has been play tested, and the results have been generally positive from people that have played it.
WALL OF TEXT
Slight (relevant) changes to the sorcerer class
Class skills: Bluff (Cha), Concentration (Con), Diplomacy (Cha), Craft (Int) and Profession (Wis)
Spellcraft (int) is also a class skill, but can only be used to identify spells from schools that the sorcerer has the Awareness rank or higher in.
Requirments: Must either be taking your first character level, or able to cast spells spontaneously. Sorcerery is rare and not anyone can become one.
Bonus Feat: The sorcerer gets craft wonderous item as a bonus feat at level 1.
Natural Talent: At level 1 a Sorcerer starts with 6 Talent points. He must spend at least one of these, though they can be saved for spending later.
Improved Talent: At level 5 and every 5th level thereafter (10, 15 etc) the Sorcerer gains another 2 Talent Points.
Talent points and ranks
Talent points represent a Sorcerer’s ability to cast magic, however some school take more talent to master than others. With this in mind, a Sorcerer can place talent points into each of the 8 schools of magic.
Buying ranks in Conjuration, Illusion or Transmutation cost 3 Talent Points per rank. When buying the 0th rank, Ability, a Sorcerer can spend 1, 2 or 3 Talent points. Each point gives him the ability to cast spells of levels 1-3, 4-6 and 7-9 respectively. The Sorcerer cannot advance onto awareness before he has bought the whole of the ability rank for that school. He may not buy partial ranks in any rank apart from the 0th.
In the same way, Necromancy, Abjuration and Divination cost 2 Talent Points per rank. Each point buys spell levels 1-4 and 5-9 respectively.
Evocation and Enchantment cost 1 Talent Point per rank.
All Sorcerers may select all spells from the Universal School and the pool of 0th level spells of any school from the Sorcerer/Wizard spell list. For the sake of filling requirements, a Universal spell counts as being from all schools, however when casting a spell from the Universal school his caster level is considered equal to his Sorcerer level. This includes all spells cast using Wish and Lesser Wish (but not Miracle, for you Evokers, all spells cast using Miracle count as having come from the school of Evocation.)
ranks
The Sorcerer gains a +1 to his caster level for spells of that school per rank (+0 at ability, +1 at awareness, to a maximum of +5 at Transcendence).
0. Ability: This grants the Sorcerer the ability to know and cast spells of that school.
1. Awareness: This allows the Sorcerer to make Spellcraft checks relating to spells of that school, as well as giving a +2 competence bonus to all saves against that school and spellcraft rolls relating to that school. You also gain a skill as a class skill according to this list: Abjuration – Spellcraft (all schools); Conjuration – Knowledge (The Planes); Divination – Knowledge (Local); Enchantment - Sense Motive; Evocation – Intimidate; Illusion – Hide; Necromancy – Knowledge (Religion); Transmutation – Disguise.
Requirements: Charisma 11 and at least one spell of that school known.
2. Knowledge: This gives the Sorcerer one more spell known per level in which he can cast spells in each school in which he has this rank. These must be noted separately, can be drawn from a spell the Sorcerer already knows (in which case, choose another spell to fill the now empty slot) and can be changed each level if necessary. If there are not enough spells of a school, Sorcerers do not need a lab to research new spells.
Requirements: Charisma 13 and four spells of that school already known.
3. Power: The spells marked out from the Knowledge Rank may be cast as a spell-like ability 1/day, with one of the maximise spell, enlarge spell or empower spell metamagic feats added with no level cost, caster's choice which. Knowledge of the relevant metamagic feat is not required.
Requirements: Charisma 15 and a minor magical item personally constructed (see the DMG about what items count as minor).
4. Mastery: Grants the ability to use other spell lists when choosing spells, except spells from the Universal school. One spell per level can be "swapped" in this way when the Sorcerer levels up. Gaps left over (if any) can be filled with a new spell of the appropriate school and level from the Sorcerer/Wizard spell list. He also gains another spell per level which may be used with the Power ability, though the ability can still only be used 1/day; you just have two spells to chose from when using it.
Requirements: Charisma 17 and at least one medium magical item personally constructed (see the DMG about what items count as medium). Your DM may require additional steps before you may master some schools.
5. Transcendence: The Sorcerer gains spell resistance 20 + his caster level in this school against all spells from this school, even those that don’t allow for spell resistance (a caster must pass spell resistance to affect the Sorcerer, though the spell is still cast). Metamagic feats cost one less to apply (minimum of +1 per metamagic feat applied).
Requirements: Charisma 19, at least one major magical item personally constructed (see the DMG about what items count as major) and any DM's Requirement for the school.
New Feats
Tainted Birth
You were born under exceptional circumstances. Perhaps an ancestor was a celestial or dragon, or you were the 7th son of a 7th son, or were born at the stroke of midnight on the night of a full moon.
Prerequisites: The character must be a sorcerer and must be character level 1st (cannot be taken at any other time)
Benefit: The character starts with an extra 2 talent points
Normal: A sorcerer starts with 6 Talent Points.
Tainted Blood
You feel a stronger connection to the Arcane.
Prerequisites: The character must have tainted his blood in some way, for instance; ingesting the raw meat from a magical beast; powdering and inhaling the dust left over from a Spectre or infecting his blood with that of a Dragon's.
Benefit: The character gains an extra 2 talent points if a Sorcerer. If not a Sorcerer, the character counts as being able to cast spells spontaneously for the sake of meeting prerequisites. If the character takes this feat to become a sorcerer, he does not get any extra talent points for doing so. He only starts with the 6 that a Sorcerer starts with at level 1. He must take this feat again if he wants another 2.
Normal: A Sorcerer must reach level 5, 10, 15, etc before gaining any more talent points. A Fighter must have levels in Sorcerer or Bard before taking the Dragon Deciple prestige class.
Special: A Character may take this feat multiple times. Its effects stack. A fighter may select this as one of his fighter bonus feats.
There is no appreciable difference between the above two feats, except in terms of fluff. A sorcerer could quite happily take tainted blood at level 1 if he wanted, but then he wouldn't have a feat to prove that he ws born under a blue moon while his mother was being sacrificed to the god of cliched backstories.
Hell, I may even claim it as my own, if I'm going that far.
Anyway, here's how this thing that I came up with, on my own without so much as a word of help from Sneakabout, works. I'm posting it as I plan on using it in an upcoming game. It has been play tested, and the results have been generally positive from people that have played it.
WALL OF TEXT
Slight (relevant) changes to the sorcerer class
Class skills: Bluff (Cha), Concentration (Con), Diplomacy (Cha), Craft (Int) and Profession (Wis)
Spellcraft (int) is also a class skill, but can only be used to identify spells from schools that the sorcerer has the Awareness rank or higher in.
Requirments: Must either be taking your first character level, or able to cast spells spontaneously. Sorcerery is rare and not anyone can become one.
Bonus Feat: The sorcerer gets craft wonderous item as a bonus feat at level 1.
Natural Talent: At level 1 a Sorcerer starts with 6 Talent points. He must spend at least one of these, though they can be saved for spending later.
Improved Talent: At level 5 and every 5th level thereafter (10, 15 etc) the Sorcerer gains another 2 Talent Points.
Talent points and ranks
Talent points represent a Sorcerer’s ability to cast magic, however some school take more talent to master than others. With this in mind, a Sorcerer can place talent points into each of the 8 schools of magic.
Buying ranks in Conjuration, Illusion or Transmutation cost 3 Talent Points per rank. When buying the 0th rank, Ability, a Sorcerer can spend 1, 2 or 3 Talent points. Each point gives him the ability to cast spells of levels 1-3, 4-6 and 7-9 respectively. The Sorcerer cannot advance onto awareness before he has bought the whole of the ability rank for that school. He may not buy partial ranks in any rank apart from the 0th.
In the same way, Necromancy, Abjuration and Divination cost 2 Talent Points per rank. Each point buys spell levels 1-4 and 5-9 respectively.
Evocation and Enchantment cost 1 Talent Point per rank.
All Sorcerers may select all spells from the Universal School and the pool of 0th level spells of any school from the Sorcerer/Wizard spell list. For the sake of filling requirements, a Universal spell counts as being from all schools, however when casting a spell from the Universal school his caster level is considered equal to his Sorcerer level. This includes all spells cast using Wish and Lesser Wish (but not Miracle, for you Evokers, all spells cast using Miracle count as having come from the school of Evocation.)
ranks
The Sorcerer gains a +1 to his caster level for spells of that school per rank (+0 at ability, +1 at awareness, to a maximum of +5 at Transcendence).
0. Ability: This grants the Sorcerer the ability to know and cast spells of that school.
1. Awareness: This allows the Sorcerer to make Spellcraft checks relating to spells of that school, as well as giving a +2 competence bonus to all saves against that school and spellcraft rolls relating to that school. You also gain a skill as a class skill according to this list: Abjuration – Spellcraft (all schools); Conjuration – Knowledge (The Planes); Divination – Knowledge (Local); Enchantment - Sense Motive; Evocation – Intimidate; Illusion – Hide; Necromancy – Knowledge (Religion); Transmutation – Disguise.
Requirements: Charisma 11 and at least one spell of that school known.
2. Knowledge: This gives the Sorcerer one more spell known per level in which he can cast spells in each school in which he has this rank. These must be noted separately, can be drawn from a spell the Sorcerer already knows (in which case, choose another spell to fill the now empty slot) and can be changed each level if necessary. If there are not enough spells of a school, Sorcerers do not need a lab to research new spells.
Requirements: Charisma 13 and four spells of that school already known.
3. Power: The spells marked out from the Knowledge Rank may be cast as a spell-like ability 1/day, with one of the maximise spell, enlarge spell or empower spell metamagic feats added with no level cost, caster's choice which. Knowledge of the relevant metamagic feat is not required.
Requirements: Charisma 15 and a minor magical item personally constructed (see the DMG about what items count as minor).
4. Mastery: Grants the ability to use other spell lists when choosing spells, except spells from the Universal school. One spell per level can be "swapped" in this way when the Sorcerer levels up. Gaps left over (if any) can be filled with a new spell of the appropriate school and level from the Sorcerer/Wizard spell list. He also gains another spell per level which may be used with the Power ability, though the ability can still only be used 1/day; you just have two spells to chose from when using it.
Requirements: Charisma 17 and at least one medium magical item personally constructed (see the DMG about what items count as medium). Your DM may require additional steps before you may master some schools.
5. Transcendence: The Sorcerer gains spell resistance 20 + his caster level in this school against all spells from this school, even those that don’t allow for spell resistance (a caster must pass spell resistance to affect the Sorcerer, though the spell is still cast). Metamagic feats cost one less to apply (minimum of +1 per metamagic feat applied).
Requirements: Charisma 19, at least one major magical item personally constructed (see the DMG about what items count as major) and any DM's Requirement for the school.
New Feats
Tainted Birth
You were born under exceptional circumstances. Perhaps an ancestor was a celestial or dragon, or you were the 7th son of a 7th son, or were born at the stroke of midnight on the night of a full moon.
Prerequisites: The character must be a sorcerer and must be character level 1st (cannot be taken at any other time)
Benefit: The character starts with an extra 2 talent points
Normal: A sorcerer starts with 6 Talent Points.
Tainted Blood
You feel a stronger connection to the Arcane.
Prerequisites: The character must have tainted his blood in some way, for instance; ingesting the raw meat from a magical beast; powdering and inhaling the dust left over from a Spectre or infecting his blood with that of a Dragon's.
Benefit: The character gains an extra 2 talent points if a Sorcerer. If not a Sorcerer, the character counts as being able to cast spells spontaneously for the sake of meeting prerequisites. If the character takes this feat to become a sorcerer, he does not get any extra talent points for doing so. He only starts with the 6 that a Sorcerer starts with at level 1. He must take this feat again if he wants another 2.
Normal: A Sorcerer must reach level 5, 10, 15, etc before gaining any more talent points. A Fighter must have levels in Sorcerer or Bard before taking the Dragon Deciple prestige class.
Special: A Character may take this feat multiple times. Its effects stack. A fighter may select this as one of his fighter bonus feats.
There is no appreciable difference between the above two feats, except in terms of fluff. A sorcerer could quite happily take tainted blood at level 1 if he wanted, but then he wouldn't have a feat to prove that he ws born under a blue moon while his mother was being sacrificed to the god of cliched backstories.