blackmage
2010-06-29, 12:17 PM
"There is power in such contradiction." -Neilas Arcor, antipodean mage.
An antipodean mage is a spellcaster that is greatly practiced with damaging spells, with a particular fondness for fire and cold. They eventually have the revelation that if fire and cold are the best elements, they must be even better when mashed together! This leads them down the path of the antipodean mage.
Wizards and sorcerers are the most common antipodean mages, but a very wide variety of spellcasters can find themselves drawn to this path, or one like it. Even divine spellcasters such as the cleric could conceivably choose this path. While it is possible to learn the antipodean arts from a master, it is just as common if not more so that antipodean mages are self-taught.
NOTE: It is intended that this class can be modified to use any two energy types, not just fire and cold. Rename the class and class abilities, change all mentions of fire and cold, and you've got yourself a sonic/acid mage, or electricity/fire mage, or whatever you want.
The Antipodean Mage
Requirements:
Spellcasting: 3 or more spells with fire descriptor and 3 or more spells with cold descriptor, including at least 1 level 3 spell of each type.
Feats: Energy Substitution(fire), Energy Substitution(cold)
{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special|Spells
1st|
+0|
+0|
+0|
+2|Antipodean Substitution|+1 level of existing spellcasting class
2nd|
+1|
+0|
+0|
+3|Shield of Crystal Flame|+1 level of existing spellcasting class
3rd|
+1|
+1|
+1|
+3|Icefire Blast|+1 level of existing spellcasting class
4th|
+2|
+1|
+1|
+4|Piercing Elements|+1 level of existing spellcasting class
5th|
+2|
+1|
+1|
+4|Antipodean Admixture|+1 level of existing spellcasting class[/table]
Hit Dice: d4
Class Skills(2+Int modifier per level): Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Knowledge(arcana) (Int), Knowledge(the planes) (Int), Profession (Wis), Spellcraft (Int)
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: An antipodean mage gains no armor or weapon proficiencies.
Spells per Day/Spells Known: At each level an antipodean mage gains new spells per day and spells known as if he had also gained a level in a spellcasting class to which he belonged before becoming an antipodean mage. He does not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained. If he had more than one spellcasting class before becoming an antipodean mage, he must decide which class to gain new spells per day and spells known in.
Antipodean Substitution: Whenever you cast a spell that deals fire or cold damage, including spells altered with Energy Substitution, you can determine the exact amount of fire and cold damage it deals. After damage dice have been rolled, you can split the total damage between fire and cold damage as you choose. This does not function with spells that deal damage of an energy type other than fire or cold.
Shield of Crystal Flame(Su): You gain energy resistance fire and cold equal to your antipodean mage class level * 5. Does not stack with other sources of energy resistance.
Icefire Blast(Su): Your knowledge of flame and frost allows you to gain power from the tension they generate. As long as you have a fire spell and a cold spell of 3rd level or higher available to cast, you can spend a standard action to create a 10 ft radius burst of fire and ice at a range of 100 ft. The burst deals 1d4 fire damage and 1d4 cold damage per level of the highest spell level at which you have both a fire spell and a cold spell available to cast.
For a caster that must prepare spells, available to cast means that you prepared appropriate spells and have not cast them yet. If you cast spontaneously, you must have a spell slot available that could be used to cast an appropriate spell. Spontaneous casters must have two spell slots of a given level available to be able to use Icefire Blast.
Piercing Elements(Su): Whenever you modify a spell with Antipodean Substitution, you may convert 1 damage for each die of damage dealt by the spell to untyped damage to which energy resistance and immunity do not apply.
Antipodean Admixture: You may use the Energy Admixture metamagic feat, with several changes. You can only apply this feat to spells with the fire or cold descriptor, you can add only fire or cold damage with this feat, and a spell that has this applied to it takes a slot three levels higher than normal. You may alter the extra damage from Antipodean Admixture with Antipodean Substituation.
Work on this class has been completed, barring further suggestions from the playground. Thank you to those who made suggestions. Notes on changes made are in the spoiler.
-Is antipodean metamagic too powerful? You don't get spellcasting at that level to balance, but do I also need to remove spellcasting from a lower level?
Removed this ability, made admixture the capstone with level cost reduction and restored full spellcasting progression as suggested.
-What should go at level 3?
Added Icefire Blast, which functions similar to a reserve feat.
-What should go at level 2?
Moved the energy resistance ability to level 2.
-Overall balance/wording check, this is my first homebrew anything so I'm expecting some newbie mistakes.
Some wording fixes.
Reduced spells known requirement for entry.
An antipodean mage is a spellcaster that is greatly practiced with damaging spells, with a particular fondness for fire and cold. They eventually have the revelation that if fire and cold are the best elements, they must be even better when mashed together! This leads them down the path of the antipodean mage.
Wizards and sorcerers are the most common antipodean mages, but a very wide variety of spellcasters can find themselves drawn to this path, or one like it. Even divine spellcasters such as the cleric could conceivably choose this path. While it is possible to learn the antipodean arts from a master, it is just as common if not more so that antipodean mages are self-taught.
NOTE: It is intended that this class can be modified to use any two energy types, not just fire and cold. Rename the class and class abilities, change all mentions of fire and cold, and you've got yourself a sonic/acid mage, or electricity/fire mage, or whatever you want.
The Antipodean Mage
Requirements:
Spellcasting: 3 or more spells with fire descriptor and 3 or more spells with cold descriptor, including at least 1 level 3 spell of each type.
Feats: Energy Substitution(fire), Energy Substitution(cold)
{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special|Spells
1st|
+0|
+0|
+0|
+2|Antipodean Substitution|+1 level of existing spellcasting class
2nd|
+1|
+0|
+0|
+3|Shield of Crystal Flame|+1 level of existing spellcasting class
3rd|
+1|
+1|
+1|
+3|Icefire Blast|+1 level of existing spellcasting class
4th|
+2|
+1|
+1|
+4|Piercing Elements|+1 level of existing spellcasting class
5th|
+2|
+1|
+1|
+4|Antipodean Admixture|+1 level of existing spellcasting class[/table]
Hit Dice: d4
Class Skills(2+Int modifier per level): Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Knowledge(arcana) (Int), Knowledge(the planes) (Int), Profession (Wis), Spellcraft (Int)
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: An antipodean mage gains no armor or weapon proficiencies.
Spells per Day/Spells Known: At each level an antipodean mage gains new spells per day and spells known as if he had also gained a level in a spellcasting class to which he belonged before becoming an antipodean mage. He does not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained. If he had more than one spellcasting class before becoming an antipodean mage, he must decide which class to gain new spells per day and spells known in.
Antipodean Substitution: Whenever you cast a spell that deals fire or cold damage, including spells altered with Energy Substitution, you can determine the exact amount of fire and cold damage it deals. After damage dice have been rolled, you can split the total damage between fire and cold damage as you choose. This does not function with spells that deal damage of an energy type other than fire or cold.
Shield of Crystal Flame(Su): You gain energy resistance fire and cold equal to your antipodean mage class level * 5. Does not stack with other sources of energy resistance.
Icefire Blast(Su): Your knowledge of flame and frost allows you to gain power from the tension they generate. As long as you have a fire spell and a cold spell of 3rd level or higher available to cast, you can spend a standard action to create a 10 ft radius burst of fire and ice at a range of 100 ft. The burst deals 1d4 fire damage and 1d4 cold damage per level of the highest spell level at which you have both a fire spell and a cold spell available to cast.
For a caster that must prepare spells, available to cast means that you prepared appropriate spells and have not cast them yet. If you cast spontaneously, you must have a spell slot available that could be used to cast an appropriate spell. Spontaneous casters must have two spell slots of a given level available to be able to use Icefire Blast.
Piercing Elements(Su): Whenever you modify a spell with Antipodean Substitution, you may convert 1 damage for each die of damage dealt by the spell to untyped damage to which energy resistance and immunity do not apply.
Antipodean Admixture: You may use the Energy Admixture metamagic feat, with several changes. You can only apply this feat to spells with the fire or cold descriptor, you can add only fire or cold damage with this feat, and a spell that has this applied to it takes a slot three levels higher than normal. You may alter the extra damage from Antipodean Admixture with Antipodean Substituation.
Work on this class has been completed, barring further suggestions from the playground. Thank you to those who made suggestions. Notes on changes made are in the spoiler.
-Is antipodean metamagic too powerful? You don't get spellcasting at that level to balance, but do I also need to remove spellcasting from a lower level?
Removed this ability, made admixture the capstone with level cost reduction and restored full spellcasting progression as suggested.
-What should go at level 3?
Added Icefire Blast, which functions similar to a reserve feat.
-What should go at level 2?
Moved the energy resistance ability to level 2.
-Overall balance/wording check, this is my first homebrew anything so I'm expecting some newbie mistakes.
Some wording fixes.
Reduced spells known requirement for entry.