paddyfool
2011-10-01, 11:14 AM
Just as a rough idea, how would this work as a prepared spellcaster balanced to fit with a Tier 3 party for a mid-magic (magic as something new, and still being learned about by trial and error) setting:
- Spell progression, skills, saves, HP, BAB etc. similar to a Bard (spell progression obviously reskinned for being prepared)
- Can specialise in the same way as a Wizard, but not in Conjuration or Transmutation (treated as "more advanced" in this setting), and if specialising, has to ban one of these two schools. Maybe gets access to level 7 spells of the specialist school at level 20.
- Only very lightweight class abilities (e.g. familiar and bonus feats as Wizard, or something a little more characterful but no more powerful)
- More limited/expensive access to learning new spells.
The idea would be like a Bard with a broader range of spells, and greater spell flexibility, but with little else in the way of class abilities. A lot of the time, it'd play as a skill-monkey, but with the ability to prepare spells to boost it for whatever specific challenge might be anticipated. The standard fluff would be a scholarly type investigating and learning how to use this strange new phenomenon.
There is an alternative which is a little less harsh and returns to something I've discussed here before: would it work better to have levels available in Wizard or Sorceror, but only as a prestige class and requiring 6 or 5 ranks in Knowledge (Arcana) respectively? You'd get up to 9th level spells at 20, if you started as Bard, Factotum, or a few others, but generally have access to less spells and have a lower caster level. (The most natural builds being Bard 2/Sorceror 18, or Factotum 3/Wizard 17). Some small consolation could also be given to these classes for their spellcasting nerf; perhaps a slightly longer skill list and 4+Int skills per level, for instance.
- Spell progression, skills, saves, HP, BAB etc. similar to a Bard (spell progression obviously reskinned for being prepared)
- Can specialise in the same way as a Wizard, but not in Conjuration or Transmutation (treated as "more advanced" in this setting), and if specialising, has to ban one of these two schools. Maybe gets access to level 7 spells of the specialist school at level 20.
- Only very lightweight class abilities (e.g. familiar and bonus feats as Wizard, or something a little more characterful but no more powerful)
- More limited/expensive access to learning new spells.
The idea would be like a Bard with a broader range of spells, and greater spell flexibility, but with little else in the way of class abilities. A lot of the time, it'd play as a skill-monkey, but with the ability to prepare spells to boost it for whatever specific challenge might be anticipated. The standard fluff would be a scholarly type investigating and learning how to use this strange new phenomenon.
There is an alternative which is a little less harsh and returns to something I've discussed here before: would it work better to have levels available in Wizard or Sorceror, but only as a prestige class and requiring 6 or 5 ranks in Knowledge (Arcana) respectively? You'd get up to 9th level spells at 20, if you started as Bard, Factotum, or a few others, but generally have access to less spells and have a lower caster level. (The most natural builds being Bard 2/Sorceror 18, or Factotum 3/Wizard 17). Some small consolation could also be given to these classes for their spellcasting nerf; perhaps a slightly longer skill list and 4+Int skills per level, for instance.