onthetown
2010-02-27, 09:59 PM
This may be overpowered or it may be underpowered; but I'm a huge fan of gaining bonuses to spellcasting, and I was in a creative mood, so I wanted to make a prestige class that reflected that. :smallwink: PEACH is always appreciated, because I am dreadful with numbers and statting and whatnot. So, without further adieu...
The Scholar
Magic-users gather at some of the most impressive lyceums known to the world to share their knowledge, research, and skills; to have seminars on the workings of magic and to teach young proteges the arcane craft. Some of these institutions provide years-long courses to hone casting into an intricate art, and some magic-users stay for those years, trading experience for studied, precise, specific power.
Scholars may not have as much practical experience as other mages who have been out adventuring, but when they finally get out into the world they gain more control and finesse than any mage could ever hope for. By studying each and every school they cast, they come to understand the exact weaving and formula of each spell. To aid in their studies they will often give long lectures or seminars about the school or spell they might currently be researching; doing this can attract other mages to the institution they attend (or attended), boost their studies, or help the studies of other scholars.
Bards, wizards, and sorcerers all have the potential to become scholars; however, specialist wizards have already devoted themselves to a school and can't benefit from the extra study. The idea of years of involved, thorough analyzing does tend to appeal more to wizards, though.
Adaptation: Any setting with some sort of arcane university can potentially benefit from the scholar prestige class, no matter how small or large it may be. In a setting with less focus on large groups of magic-users, all scholars may need is a place where they can study their spells in peace. For an adventuring mage, becoming a scholar could be as simple as casting spells with the intent of studying them in-depth after the battle is finished.
Hit Die: d6
Requirements
Skills: Knowledge (arcana) 8 ranks, Spellcraft 8 ranks
Feats: Empower Spell, Extend Spell, Heighten Spell.
Spells: Caster level 8th.
Special: Must be a general caster; the character can't have specialized in any school of magic.
Class Skills
The scholar's class skills and the key ability for each skill are: Craft (INT), Diplomacy (CHA), Knowledge (arcana) (INT), Spellcraft (INT), Use Magic Device (CHA)
Skill Ranks at Each Level: 4 + Cha modifier.
The Scholar
{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special|Spells
1st|
+0|
+0|
+0|
+2|Homework, Lecture|+1 level of existing spellcasting class
2nd|
+1|
+0|
+0|
+3|Research (Abjuration), School Power|+1 level of existing spellcasting class
3rd|
+1|
+1|
+1|
+3|Research (Conjuration)|+1 level of existing spellcasting class
4th|
+2|
+1|
+1|
+4|Research (Divination), School Power|+1 level of existing spellcasting class
5th|
+2|
+1|
+1|
+4|Research (Enchantment)|+1 level of existing spellcasting class
6th|
+3|
+2|
+2|
+5|Research (Evocation), School Power|+1 level of existing spellcasting class
7th|
+3|
+2|
+2|
+5|Research (Illusion)|+1 level of existing spellcasting class
8th|
+4|
+2|
+2|
+6|Research (Necromancy), School Power|+1 level of existing spellcasting class
9th|
+4|
+3|
+3|
+6|Research (Transmutation)|+1 level of existing spellcasting class
10th|
+5|
+3|
+3|
+7|Thesis, School Power|+1 level of existing spellcasting class [/table]
Class Features
Weapon and Armour Proficiency: Scholars gain no weapon or armour proficiencies.
Homework: At 1st level, a wizard scholar can choose to prepare their spells in the evening before the next day. Bard and sorcerer scholars who use this ability gain a bonus on Diplomacy checks equal to their scholar level for the next day.
Lecture: At 1st level, the scholar gains a caster level bonus by rambling on about their research. For every uninterrupted hour of talking, the scholar makes a Diplomacy check against her audience; if she succeeds, she gains a +1 to her caster level. The scholar can talk for up to a maximum of four hours, and the effects of Lecture last only twice as long as she talked -- a scholar who uses Lecture successfully for two hours will have a +2 caster level for four hours. If the scholar fails the Diplomacy roll at any time she has to stop talking as the audience becomes uninterested. Lecture can only be used once per day.
Research: Starting at 2nd level, the scholar researches the schools of magic separately and gains bonuses from her studies. Research grants a permanent +1 to the Difficulty Class when the scholar casts from the schools that she has studied up until that point, including the level she's currently taking.
School Power: Starting at 2nd level and every second level after that, the scholar can choose one school power from the schools that she has studied up until that point, including the level she's currently taking, as per the wizard school powers.
Thesis: At 10th level, the scholar finishes her studies of the schools of magic and is considered to be an expert in spellcasting. On top of the Difficulty Class bonuses from Research, the scholar recieves an extra +2 Difficulty Class bonus to each school individually. Additionally, she gains the feats Spell Mastery and Spell Penetration, even if she does not meet the prerequisites, and can cast 1 bonus spell from each school once per day.
The Scholar
Magic-users gather at some of the most impressive lyceums known to the world to share their knowledge, research, and skills; to have seminars on the workings of magic and to teach young proteges the arcane craft. Some of these institutions provide years-long courses to hone casting into an intricate art, and some magic-users stay for those years, trading experience for studied, precise, specific power.
Scholars may not have as much practical experience as other mages who have been out adventuring, but when they finally get out into the world they gain more control and finesse than any mage could ever hope for. By studying each and every school they cast, they come to understand the exact weaving and formula of each spell. To aid in their studies they will often give long lectures or seminars about the school or spell they might currently be researching; doing this can attract other mages to the institution they attend (or attended), boost their studies, or help the studies of other scholars.
Bards, wizards, and sorcerers all have the potential to become scholars; however, specialist wizards have already devoted themselves to a school and can't benefit from the extra study. The idea of years of involved, thorough analyzing does tend to appeal more to wizards, though.
Adaptation: Any setting with some sort of arcane university can potentially benefit from the scholar prestige class, no matter how small or large it may be. In a setting with less focus on large groups of magic-users, all scholars may need is a place where they can study their spells in peace. For an adventuring mage, becoming a scholar could be as simple as casting spells with the intent of studying them in-depth after the battle is finished.
Hit Die: d6
Requirements
Skills: Knowledge (arcana) 8 ranks, Spellcraft 8 ranks
Feats: Empower Spell, Extend Spell, Heighten Spell.
Spells: Caster level 8th.
Special: Must be a general caster; the character can't have specialized in any school of magic.
Class Skills
The scholar's class skills and the key ability for each skill are: Craft (INT), Diplomacy (CHA), Knowledge (arcana) (INT), Spellcraft (INT), Use Magic Device (CHA)
Skill Ranks at Each Level: 4 + Cha modifier.
The Scholar
{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special|Spells
1st|
+0|
+0|
+0|
+2|Homework, Lecture|+1 level of existing spellcasting class
2nd|
+1|
+0|
+0|
+3|Research (Abjuration), School Power|+1 level of existing spellcasting class
3rd|
+1|
+1|
+1|
+3|Research (Conjuration)|+1 level of existing spellcasting class
4th|
+2|
+1|
+1|
+4|Research (Divination), School Power|+1 level of existing spellcasting class
5th|
+2|
+1|
+1|
+4|Research (Enchantment)|+1 level of existing spellcasting class
6th|
+3|
+2|
+2|
+5|Research (Evocation), School Power|+1 level of existing spellcasting class
7th|
+3|
+2|
+2|
+5|Research (Illusion)|+1 level of existing spellcasting class
8th|
+4|
+2|
+2|
+6|Research (Necromancy), School Power|+1 level of existing spellcasting class
9th|
+4|
+3|
+3|
+6|Research (Transmutation)|+1 level of existing spellcasting class
10th|
+5|
+3|
+3|
+7|Thesis, School Power|+1 level of existing spellcasting class [/table]
Class Features
Weapon and Armour Proficiency: Scholars gain no weapon or armour proficiencies.
Homework: At 1st level, a wizard scholar can choose to prepare their spells in the evening before the next day. Bard and sorcerer scholars who use this ability gain a bonus on Diplomacy checks equal to their scholar level for the next day.
Lecture: At 1st level, the scholar gains a caster level bonus by rambling on about their research. For every uninterrupted hour of talking, the scholar makes a Diplomacy check against her audience; if she succeeds, she gains a +1 to her caster level. The scholar can talk for up to a maximum of four hours, and the effects of Lecture last only twice as long as she talked -- a scholar who uses Lecture successfully for two hours will have a +2 caster level for four hours. If the scholar fails the Diplomacy roll at any time she has to stop talking as the audience becomes uninterested. Lecture can only be used once per day.
Research: Starting at 2nd level, the scholar researches the schools of magic separately and gains bonuses from her studies. Research grants a permanent +1 to the Difficulty Class when the scholar casts from the schools that she has studied up until that point, including the level she's currently taking.
School Power: Starting at 2nd level and every second level after that, the scholar can choose one school power from the schools that she has studied up until that point, including the level she's currently taking, as per the wizard school powers.
Thesis: At 10th level, the scholar finishes her studies of the schools of magic and is considered to be an expert in spellcasting. On top of the Difficulty Class bonuses from Research, the scholar recieves an extra +2 Difficulty Class bonus to each school individually. Additionally, she gains the feats Spell Mastery and Spell Penetration, even if she does not meet the prerequisites, and can cast 1 bonus spell from each school once per day.