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View Full Version : Help me reinvent the Geomancer.



mummy162
2010-02-06, 07:44 AM
I like the drift ability, but is there any prestige class that uses drift, but doesn't need to cast both arcane and divine spells? Maybe a druid-leaning prestige class that doesn't need arcane casting, but gets drift.

JeminiZero
2010-02-06, 08:10 AM
If yo are running a druid, stick with pure druid. Your wildshape and animal companion are tied to the class. You don't really need drift if you can transform into a T-Rex. Spellcasting, while strong, is only one part of a Druid's immense power.

If you really want to PrC, there a few that progress all Druid class features. The uber broken Planar Shephard comes to mind.

mummy162
2010-02-06, 08:28 AM
If yo are running a druid, stick with pure druid. Your wildshape and animal companion are tied to the class. You don't really need drift if you can transform into a T-Rex. Spellcasting, while strong, is only one part of a Druid's immense power.

Is there a way you could give up a druid class feature and gain Drift, then? Let's say I gave up my Animal Companion to get drift at levels 5-14 or around that area. Would that still be balanced?

Baron Malkar
2010-02-06, 09:05 AM
Drift
Drift is a gradual devolution into some other natural form.
Those who experience this phenomenon gain attributes of
animals and plants as time goes by. Geomancers experience
drift at every level. As a variant rule, high-level druids who
spend all their lives away from civilization may also experience
drift at the Dungeon Master’s discretion—perhaps
once every ten years.

Just be a OLD druid.:smalltongue:

JeminiZero
2010-02-06, 09:19 AM
Is there a way you could give up a druid class feature and gain Drift, then? Let's say I gave up my Animal Companion to get drift at levels 5-14 or around that area. Would that still be balanced?

Homebrew. Talk to your DM, he may allow it.

Balance is relative. A full Druid is strong, but won't necessarily be overpowering in a group with Batman Wizards and Kings of Smack.

However, if you just want casting and drift (no wildshape or animal companion), I would think it would not be too unreasonable to have drift start from level 1-10. Past level 11, try and make up advanced drifts like small stat bonuses to attributes/saves/AC, blindsight, increased movement speeds, more natural weapons that grant extra attacks etc.


Just be a OLD druid.:smalltongue:

You would need to pick a race that is essentially immortal, and if you lose wildshape, you will NOT want to accrue aging penalties. So Necropolitans, Warforged and Dragonwrought Kobolds.

Starbuck_II
2010-02-06, 09:22 AM
You would need to pick a race that is essentially immortal, and if you lose wildshape, you will NOT want to accrue aging penalties. So Necropolitans, Warforged and Dragonwrought Kobolds.

Elan Druid FTW.

Dusk Eclipse
2010-02-06, 09:47 AM
Or of you are starting at high level any race. Druid get immunity to age at level 16 IIRC

mummy162
2010-02-06, 09:55 AM
Homebrew. Talk to your DM, he may allow it.

Balance is relative. A full Druid is strong, but won't necessarily be overpowering in a group with Batman Wizards and Kings of Smack.

However, if you just want casting and drift (no wildshape or animal companion), I would think it would not be too unreasonable to have drift start from level 1-10. Past level 11, try and make up advanced drifts like small stat bonuses to attributes/saves/AC, blindsight, increased movement speeds, more natural weapons that grant extra attacks etc.

Yeah, I could see making a druid variant with higher level drift, maybe even drifts that can be used to do something similar to wildshape at higher levels. If I went up to drift 10, I could make awesome abilities like tree stride at will.

ScionoftheVoid
2010-02-06, 10:24 AM
I like this idea. A lot. But for the two spellcasting classes as requirements and the advancement of only one, it would be one of my favourite PrC's. Maybe add some reach-granting drifts, drifts to increase and/or decrease size and similar things at later levels. (A base class using drift as a main feature may not be a bad idea, and a new PrC with the leylines and other casting abilities and progression of arcane and divine magic would be excellent. I'll be thinking on this even if no-one else does).

GenPol
2010-02-06, 10:46 AM
Or of you are starting at high level any race. Druid get immunity to age at level 16 IIRC

Druids get Timeless Body (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/classes/druid.htm#druidTimelessBody) at level 15, and while it prevents all aging penalties, it doesn't extend your lifespan.

EDIT: Provided a link.

JeminiZero
2010-02-06, 10:53 AM
I like this idea. A lot. But for the two spellcasting classes as requirements and the advancement of only one, it would be one of my favourite PrC's.


Just use an early entry method of choice. If you want to be primarily Divine, splash an Arcane class with precocious apprentice. Works best with human/Changeling, then you can take Able Learner, and splash in a skill granting arcane class (Spellthief, Bard, Beguiler). Combine with Cloister Cleric or Archivist, and you can be a near-full-divine skill monkey.

If you want to be primarily arcane it gets a bit trickier. Only Alternate Source Spell works by RAW, and its from a Dragon Magazine. But splashing Cleric nets you a bunch of stuff:
-Heavy Armor proficiency. Because Geomancer Spell Versatility lets you ignore Arcane Spell Failure
-Turn Undead, usable with DMM cheese. Yes it only works with divine spells. But remember that Alternate Source Spell lets you memorize your arcane spells as divine spells.

elonin
2010-02-06, 11:10 AM
Is geomancer the prc that allows you to compress the spells in your book to 1 page per spell not one page per spell level?

Assassin89
2010-02-06, 11:17 AM
Is geomancer the prc that allows you to compress the spells in your book to 1 page per spell not one page per spell level?

No, that is a geometer from complete arcane. A geomancer is a arcane-divine prc from complete divine that progresses only one side of spellcasting and gives strange abilities.

ScionoftheVoid
2010-02-06, 11:31 AM
Just use an early entry method of choice. If you want to be primarily Divine, splash an Arcane class with precocious apprentice. Works best with human/Changeling, then you can take Able Learner, and splash in a skill granting arcane class (Spellthief, Bard, Beguiler). Combine with Cloister Cleric or Archivist, and you can be a near-full-divine skill monkey.

If you want to be primarily arcane it gets a bit trickier. Only Alternate Source Spell works by RAW, and its from a Dragon Magazine. But splashing Cleric nets you a bunch of stuff:
-Heavy Armor proficiency. Because Geomancer Spell Versatility lets you ignore Arcane Spell Failure
-Turn Undead, usable with DMM cheese. Yes it only works with divine spells. But remember that Alternate Source Spell lets you memorize your arcane spells as divine spells.

Ur-Priest works for mainly arcane casting as well. A main problem with this is that I tend to use spontaneous casters. Stunted spell progression sucks.

Anyway I could do that, but I've yet to show my group many books yet. We currently have the SRD, Complete Arcane, two third party books and core. Comp. Arcane and the third party stuff have not been looked at much by the other players. I'm trying to obtain and introduce as many books as possible, but it will take time (It's also awkward dragging my laptop to every session). I'll also have to get the DM to allow such things, which my usual DM almost certainly won't (uses the rules as a guide, has not yet been introduced to a CoDzilla though I'm helping my younger brother to get a toned down Batman, is likely to fiat away any rules which are unrealistic). I tend to build characters far more often than I play them, merely because I find it more fun than playing said characters would be in my current group.

I also pointed out this in part because the class does have some great flavour, and it would be terrible if someone got caught up in that and accidentally gimped themselves.

elonin
2010-02-06, 11:31 AM
I've got both of those books and probably just confused the two. Didn't want to derail this thread. I haven't really looked at the geomancer but from your statement I'm guessing that it has the problems of Mystic theurge?

Leon
2010-02-06, 11:56 AM
Is there a way you could give up a druid class feature and gain Drift, then? Let's say I gave up my Animal Companion to get drift at levels 5-14 or around that area. Would that still be balanced?


Talk to your DM, he may allow it.



That is pretty much what i'd suggest.
I was going to make a PC along those lines of getting WS and AC out of the way to negate the Arcane caster side but my current PC has just been given a massive boost so im sticking with him for now

Cieyrin
2010-02-06, 01:02 PM
I've got both of those books and probably just confused the two. Didn't want to derail this thread. I haven't really looked at the geomancer but from your statement I'm guessing that it has the problems of Mystic theurge?

It's technically worse than the Theurge, as it only advances one side of casting at a time, not both, despite the fact that you have to do a Theurge setup to get in. As mentioned above, there are ways around this but it's just not as cool as it should be, which is a shame, as the lack of dual progression quashes an otherwise flavorful and interesting PRC.

Superglucose
2010-02-06, 01:30 PM
You would need to pick a race that is essentially immortal, and if you lose wildshape, you will NOT want to accrue aging penalties. So Necropolitans, Warforged and Dragonwrought Kobolds.
Nah... Elves are "middle aged" at what, 150? Just play a 130-year-old Druid, and pick up your drift :smallwink:

mummy162
2010-02-06, 01:34 PM
It's technically worse than the Theurge, as it only advances one side of casting at a time, not both, despite the fact that you have to do a Theurge setup to get in. As mentioned above, there are ways around this but it's just not as cool as it should be, which is a shame, as the lack of dual progression quashes an otherwise flavorful and interesting PRC.

They're not really worse than the MS, because they get good Hit Dice, 3/4 BAB, two good saves, the cross magic abilities, and Drift.

Demons_eye
2010-02-06, 01:49 PM
So if you did give up wildshape for drift would it be fair to gain a drift per level but require you to have four from the previous level before picking a new one?

mummy162
2010-02-06, 01:54 PM
So if you did give up wildshape for drift would it be fair to gain a drift per level but require you to have four from the previous level before picking a new one?

I think to give up wild shape, new drift levels would have to be created to compensate, at least up to Drift 8. Wild shape improves with HD, and Drift doesn't as much. For this reason, I think Druids should keep some wild shape abilities.

Cieyrin
2010-02-06, 02:06 PM
I think to give up wild shape, new drift levels would have to be created to compensate, at least up to Drift 8. Wild shape improves with HD, and Drift doesn't as much. For this reason, I think Druids should keep some wild shape abilities.

I'd probably combine this with the Aspects of Nature (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/classFeatureVariants.htm#wildShapeVariantAspectOfN ature) variant, which I think Drift would complement nicely.

mummy162
2010-02-06, 02:30 PM
I'd probably combine this with the Aspects of Nature (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/classFeatureVariants.htm#wildShapeVariantAspectOfN ature) variant, which I think Drift would complement nicely.

I honestly don't think they would work too well with each other - Aspect of Nature is too much like Drift.


EDIT: Another idea I just had is that a Ranger could have drift. Also, more than one class could have drift and levels would stack for purposes of determining Drift. You'd probably get Drift at every other level. For example, 1st and 3rd levels are drift 1, 5th and 7th D2, etc.