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Celebrochan
2010-06-07, 02:37 PM
The Magus is my attempt at recapturing the feel of the Magister from Arcana Evolved with my Kingdom of Virtue homebrew setting. There is no practical difference in how arcane and divine magic work in the setting, which is why both cleric and divine spells are available. Let me know what you think, let me know which bits you think are the most broken, possible fixes, etc. Enjoy!

I'm having problems with the tables, their BAB, Saves and Spells per day are as wizards, with their specials being = Cantrips, Elemental Bond, Elemental Familiar all at first level.

Magus

Alignment
Any

Hit Die
d6

Starting Wealth
150 gp

Class Skills
The magus's class skills are Appraise (Int), Craft (Int), Fly (Dex), Heal (Wis), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (all) (Int), Linguistics (Int), Profession (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis) and Spellcraft (Int).

Skill Ranks per Level:
2 + Int modifier.

Class Features
The following are the class features of the magus.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency
Maguss are proficient with all simple weapons, but not with any type of armor or shield. Armor interferes with a magus's movements, which can cause his spells with somatic components to fail.

Spells
A magus casts arcane spells drawn from both the magus and cleric spell list. A magus must choose and prepare his spells ahead of time.

To learn, prepare, or cast a spell, the magus must have an Intelligence score equal to at least 10 + the spell level. The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against a magus's spell is 10 + the spell level + the magus's Intelligence modifier.

A magus can cast only a certain number of spells of each spell level per day. His base daily spell allotment is given on Table: Magus. In addition, he receives bonus spells per day if he has a high Intelligence score (see Table: Ability Modifiers and Bonus Spells).

A magus may know any number of spells. He must choose and prepare his spells ahead of time by getting 8 hours of sleep and spending 1 hour studying his library or consulting with his familiar. While studying, the magus decides which spells to prepare.

Spontaneous Casting
A magus can channel stored spell energy into healing spells that she did not prepare ahead of time. The magus can “lose” any prepared spell that is not an orison or domain spell in order to cast any cure spell of the same spell level or lower (a cure spell is any spell with “cure” in its name).

Cantrips
Magi can prepare a number of cantrips, or 0-level spells, each day, as noted on Table: Magus under “Spells per Day.” These spells are cast like any other spell, but they are not expended when cast and may be used again.

Bonus Languages
A magus gains the native language of their familiar as a free bonus language.
A Magus may substitute Draconic for one of the bonus languages available to the character because of his race.

Familiar
A familiar is a small elemental bound to a spellcaster to aid him in the study of magic.

The magus must choose either a earth, air, water or fire elemental and they may not change this choice later on. The familiar forms a link with the summoner, who, forever after, summons an aspect of the same creature. An familiar has the same alignment as the summoner that calls it. Familiars are treated as summoned creatures, except that they are not sent back to their home plane until reduced to a number of negative hit points equal to or greater than their Constitution score.In addition, due to its tie to its summoner, an familiar can touch and attack creatures warded by protection from evil and similar effects that prevent contact with summoned creatures.

A summoner can summon his familiar once per day in a ritual that takes 1 minute to perform. When summoned in this way, the familiar hit points are unchanged from the last time it was summoned. The only exception to this is if the familiar was slain, in which case it returns with half its normal hit points. The familiar remains until dismissed by the summoner (a standard action). If the familiar is sent back to its home plane due to damage, it cannot be summoned again until the following day. The familiar cannot be sent back to its home plane by means of dispel magic, but spells such as dismissal and banishment work normally.

In addition, the familiar and the summoner must remain within 100 feet of one another for the familiar to remain at full strength. If the familiar is beyond 100 feet but closer than 1,000 feet, its current and maximum hit point totals are reduced by 50%. If the familiar is more than 1,000 feet away but closer than 10,000 feet, its current and maximum hit point totals are reduced by 75%. If the familiar is more than 10,000 feet away, it is immediately returned to its home plane. Current hit points lost in this way are not restored when the familiar gets closer to its summoner, but its maximum hit point total does return to normal.

A familiar may not use magical items of any kind.

Familiar Basics
Use the basic statistics for a creature of the familiar's kind, but with the following changes.

Hit Dice: For the purpose of effects related to number of Hit Dice, use the master's character level or the familiar's normal HD total, whichever is higher.

Hit Points: The familiar has half the master's total hit points (not including temporary hit points), rounded down, regardless of its actual Hit Dice.

Attacks: Use the master's base attack bonus, as calculated from all his classes. Use the familiar's Dexterity or Strength modifier, whichever is greater, to calculate the familiar's melee attack bonus with natural weapons. Damage equals that of a normal creature of the familiar's kind.

Saving Throws: For each saving throw, use either the familiar's base save bonus (Fortitude +2, Reflex +2, Will +0) or the master's (as calculated from all his classes), whichever is better. The familiar uses its own ability modifiers to saves, and it doesn't share any of the other bonuses that the master might have on saves.

Skills: A familiar always have ranks in Knowledge (Arcana) and Knowledge (planes) equal to their master’s level. In addition, whenever their master gains a level they gain 4 skill points that may be spent as the magus chooses.

Familiar Ability Descriptions: All familiars have special abilities (or impart abilities to their masters) depending on the master's combined level in classes that grant familiars, as shown on the table below. The abilities are cumulative.

Master Class Level Natural Armor Adj. Feats Special
1st–2nd +3 1 Darkvision 30, Evasion, Linguistic Bond, Magical link
3rd–4th +4 2
5th–6th +5 3 Mind link
7th–8th +6 4
9th–10th +7 5 —
11th–12th +8 6 Spell resistance
13th–14th +9 7 Scry on familiar
15th–16th +10 8 —
17th–18th +11 9 —
19th–20th +12 10 —
Natural Armor Adj.: The number noted here is in place of the familiar's existing natural armor bonus.

Bonus Languages (Su): The elemental learns all languages known by it’s master.

Evasion (Ex): When subjected to an attack that normally allows a Reflex saving throw for half damage, a familiar takes no damage if it makes a successful saving throw.

Magical Link: Whenever casting a spell on themselves the magus may choose to have the spell affect both himself and his familiar. A magus may cast spells on his familiar even if the spells do not normally affect creatures of the familiar's type (Elemental). Any continuous magical item worn by the familiar’s master also bestows it’s effects on the familiar.

Mind Link (Su): The master has an Telepathic link with his familiar and while it is summoned the master can communicate telepathically with the familiar, but cannot see through its eyes. The master has the same connection to an item or place that his familiar does.

Spell Resistance (Ex): If the master is 11th level or higher, a familiar gains spell resistance equal to the master's level + 5. To affect the familiar with a spell, another spellcaster must get a result on a caster level check (1d20 + caster level) that equals or exceeds the familiar's spell resistance.

Scry on Familiar (Sp): If the master is 13th level or higher, he may scry on his familiar (as if casting the scrying spell) once per day.

Elemental Base Statistics
Air
Str 12, Dex 17, Con 12, Int 10, Wis 11, Cha 11
Speed fly 100 ft (perfect)
Class Skills: Acrobatics, Escape Artist, Fly, Knowledge (Arcana), Knowledge (Planes), Perception, Stealth

Earth
Str 16, Dex 8, Con 13, Int 11, Wis 11, Cha 11
Speed 20 ft, Burrow 20 ft, Earth glide
Class Skills: Appraise, Climb, Knowledge (Arcana), Knowledge (Dungeoneering), Knowledge Planes, Perception, Stealth

Fire
Str 10, Dex 13, Con 10, Int 11, Wis 11, Cha 11
Speed 50
Class Skills: Acrobatics, Climb, Escape Artist, Intimidate, Knowledge (Arcana), Knowledge (planes), Perception

Water
Str 14, Dex 10, Con 13, Int 11, Wis 11, Cha 11
Speed 20 ft., swim 90 ft
Class Skills: Acrobatics, Escape Artist, Knowledge (Arcana), Knowledge (planes), Perception, Stealth, Swim


Elemental Bond
Whenever you cast a spell that deals energy damage, you can change the type of that damage to match the type of your elemental. This also changes the spell’s type to match the type of your elemental.

Elemental Resistance (Ex): At 3rd level, both you and your familiar gain energy resistance 10 against your familiar’s energy type. At 9th level, this energy resistance increases to 20.

Table: Elemental Energy Types
Element Energy Type
Air Electricity
Earth Acid
Fire Fire
Water Cold

Another_Poet
2010-06-07, 02:44 PM
I would say the class is clearly superior to wizard because of the wider selection of spells. Losing the bonus feats isn't a big deal. If this makes sense in the setting fine, if it's supposed to go alongside normal PF classes I would consider giving it the nerf stick a bit.

Although you don't get school powers... so I guess there is some tradeoff there... but this guy still seems pretty powerful to me. When you're powerful compared to wizards, there's a problem.

Could you bear to give them Sorcerer spell progression?

Also it is a little weird that the only class abilities are at L1. If you do nerf the casting progression it would give you some wiggle room to add lesser class abilities at various levels.

Last, an alignment restriction seems appropriate. Since they are using divine magic they should have the same alignment as their chosen deity, or be within one step of it.

Celebrochan
2010-06-07, 02:59 PM
I would say the class is clearly superior to wizard because of the wider selection of spells. Losing the bonus feats isn't a big deal. If this makes sense in the setting fine, if it's supposed to go alongside normal PF classes I would consider giving it the nerf stick a bit.

Although you don't get school powers... so I guess there is some tradeoff there... but this guy still seems pretty powerful to me. When you're powerful compared to wizards, there's a problem.

Could you bear to give them Sorcerer spell progression?

Also it is a little weird that the only class abilities are at L1. If you do nerf the casting progression it would give you some wiggle room to add lesser class abilities at various levels.

Last, an alignment restriction seems appropriate. Since they are using divine magic they should have the same alignment as their chosen deity, or be within one step of it.

There is no difference between divine and arcane magic in the setting. The Gods don't grant spells, and if they did they would be fundimentally the same as those used by wizards, sorcerers, magisters and magi. Which is why there is no alignment restriction. There are no wizards, clerics or sorcerers in the setting for this reason. All I have to balance it against are barbarians, bards, fighters, paladins, rangers and rogues. I wouldn't mind changing their spell progression if they end up being too powerful when compaired to the other classes.

Another_Poet
2010-06-07, 07:04 PM
There is no difference between divine and arcane magic in the setting. The Gods don't grant spells, and if they did they would be fundimentally the same as those used by wizards, sorcerers, magisters and magi. Which is why there is no alignment restriction. There are no wizards, clerics or sorcerers in the setting for this reason. All I have to balance it against are barbarians, bards, fighters, paladins, rangers and rogues. I wouldn't mind changing their spell progression if they end up being too powerful when compaired to the other classes.

That makes sense and it clarifies a lot.

In that case, the class makes perfect sense as the only full magic user (though offering a wis- or cha- based alternative would be pretty cool...). However now you have something more powerful than a wizard who you are trying to balance against bards and fighters. The magus is definitely the strongest class in the game.

I would consider adding some abilities to the other classes to make up for it. Maybe give them the ability to learn a small number of spells, or to choose a few spell-like abilities. Give them an ability to heal themselves to some extent so that the party magus isn't playing healbot all the time and they are more self sufficient. Or give a full animal companion progression to ranger, monk and barb while giving a free cohort to fighter, rogue and bard. Something like that.

It is a cool class, it seems reasonable, I just always champion helping out the little guys so they can keep up with the full casters.

Starbuck_II
2010-06-07, 08:19 PM
You neede more class features.
Pathfinder attempts to make non-Prestige classsing as chased after as straight base.

It does this by class feature.

After 9th, there is no reason to stay.