Rapidghoul
2011-12-27, 02:30 AM
I'm back with more Final Fantasy homebrew. This time, I bring you my take on everyone's favorite guy who makes the peoples fall down (http://images.wikia.com/finalfantasy/images/8/85/Blackmage-ff1-nes.png), the Black Mage (http://finalfantasy.wikia.com/wiki/Black_Mage_(Job)).
Black mages are almost entirely limited to damage spells. There are a few exceptions to this, but the flavor and theme of the class is damage. Lots of it. Thus, the class concept is basically a wizard who can only cast from the conjuration and evocation schools, but doing so better than any wizard could normally do.
http://images.wikia.com/finalfantasy/images/2/2d/Vivi_Ornitier_character.jpg
The Black Mage
{table=head]Level|BAB|Fort|Ref|Will|Special|0 Lvl|1st Lvl|2nd Lvl|3rd Lvl|4th Lvl|5th Lvl|6th Lvl|7th Lvl|8th Lvl|9th Lvl
1st|+0|+0|+0|+2|1st favored energy, black magic, ebon eye, summon familiar|3|1|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-
2nd|+1|+0|+0|+3|Counter blast, ebon hand|4|2|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-
3rd|+1|+1|+1|+3|Blast sense +1, ebon word|4|2|1|-|-|-|-|-|-|-
4th|+2|+1|+1|+4|Eclectic learning|4|3|2|-|-|-|-|-|-|-
5th|+2|+1|+1|+4|2nd favored energy, blast sense +2, ebon blast|4|3|2|1|-|-|-|-|-|-
6th|+3|+2|+2|+5|Lasting damage 1/day|4|3|3|2|-|-|-|-|-|-
7th|+3|+2|+2|+5|Blast sense +3|4|4|3|2|1|-|-|-|-|-
8th|+4|+2|+2|+6|Eclectic learning|4|4|3|3|2|-|-|-|-|-
9th|+4|+3|+3|+6|Blast sense +4, lasting damage 2/day|4|4|4|3|2|1|-|-|-|-
10th|+5|+3|+3|+7|3rd favored energy, overwhelming energy|4|4|4|3|3|2|-|-|-|-
11th|+5|+3|+3|+7|Blast sense +5|4|4|4|4|3|2|1|-|-|-
12th|+6/+1|+4|+4|+8|Eclectic learning, lasting damage 3/day|4|4|4|4|3|3|2|-|-|-
13th|+6/+1|+4|+4|+8|Blast sense +6|4|4|4|4|4|3|2|1|-|-
14th|+7/+2|+4|+4|+9|Return magic|4|4|4|4|4|3|3|2|-|-
15th|+7/+2|+5|+5|+9|4th favored energy, blast sense +7, lasting damage 4/day|4|4|4|4|4|4|3|2|1|-
16th|+8/+3|+5|+5|+10|Eclectic learning|4|4|4|4|4|4|3|3|2|-
17th|+8/+3|+5|+5|+10|Blast sense +8|4|4|4|4|4|4|4|3|2|1
18th|+9/+4|+6|+6|+11|Lasting damage 5/day|4|4|4|4|4|4|4|3|3|2
19th|+9/+4|+6|+6|+11|Blast sense +9, opportunistic casting|4|4|4|4|4|4|4|4|3|3
20th|+10/+5|+6|+6|+12|5th favored energy, ultimate cosmic power|4|4|4|4|4|4|4|4|4|4
[/table]
Alignment: Any.
Hit Die: d4.
Class Skills: Concentration, Craft, Decipher Script, Forgery, Intimidate, Knowledge (all), Profession, and Spellcraft.
Skill Points at 1st level: (2 + Int modifier) x 4.
Skill Points at each additional level: 2 + Int modifier.
Black Mage Features:
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Black Mages are proficient with the club, dagger, heavy crossbow, light crossbow, and quarterstaff, but not with any type of armor or shield.
Spells: A Black Mage casts arcane spells which are drawn from the Conjuration and Evocation schools of the sorcerer/wizard spell list. You must choose and prepare you spells ahead of time.
To learn, prepare, or cast a spell, you must have an Int score of at least 10 + the spell level. The DC for a saving throw against your spells is 10 + the spell level + your Int modifier.
Bonus Languages: A Black Mage's bonus language options include Draconic.
Spellbook: A Black Mage must study their spellbook each day to prepare spells. You cannot prepare any spell not recorded in your spellbook.
You begin play with a spellbook containing all 0-level Conjuration and Evocation spells from the sorcerer/wizard spell list plus three 1st-level spells of your choice. For each point of Intelligence bonus you have, your spellbook holds one additional 1st-level spell. At each new Black Mage level, you gain two new spells of any spell level or levels that you can cast (based on your new Black Mage level) for your spellbook.
Black Magic (Su): A Black Mage has particular talent to damaging spells. Whenever you cast a spell or use a spell-like ability that deals hit point damage, you extra damage equal to your Int modifier up to your caster level. A single spell only gains this extra damage once per casting. For instance, a fireball deals the extra damage to all creatures in the area it affects. However, if a 3rd-level Black Mage casts magic missile and produces two missiles, only one of them (of the Black Mage's choice) gains the extra damage. If a spell deals damage for more than 1 round, it deals this extra damage in each round.
You are treated as having a base attack bonus equal to your caster level for purposes of attack rolls for delivering spells and spell-like abilities, and you can substitute your Int modifier for your Str or Dex modifier for these attack rolls. For example, a 5th-level Black Mage with 14 Dex and 20 Int casting lesser orb of acid would add +10 to their ranged touch attack roll rather than +4, and the spell would deal 3d8+5 damage. This only applies to spells cast as a Black Mage.
Favored Energy (Ex): At 1st level, you may select an energy type (acid, cold, electricity, fire, or sonic). Your extensive training grants you several bonuses to this energy type. You gain a +1 bonus to your caster level when casting spells with this energy descriptor, and the DC for these spells' saves is increased by 1. You can prepare one additional spell with this energy descriptor per spell level each day. Finally, you apply the bonus damage from Black Magic an extra time on spells that deal damage with your favored energy descriptor, effectively adding damage equal to your Int modifier up to your (now improved) caster level, doubled.
At 5th level and every five levels thereafter, you may select an additional favored energy from the list, granting a +1 bonus to your caster level, +1 bonus to the DC, extra damage equal to your Int modifier, and an additional prepared spell per level per day with spells with its energy descriptor. In addition, at each such interval, you improve the bonuses to any one favored energy. The bonus to your caster level and DC increases by an additional +1, and you add your Int modifier as bonus damage another time.
For example, a 5th-level Black Mage has two favored energies; with one they gain a +2 bonus to their caster level, +2 to the spells' DCs, and triple their Int modifier to damaging spells, while with the other energy type they gain a +1 bonus to their caster level, +1 to the spells' DCs, and double their Int modifier to damaging spells. They may prepare one additional spell per spell level each day of each favored energy. At 10th level, they have three favored energies, and they gain an additional bonus to one of their favored energies, which they can allocate to the bonus against any one of the three. Thus, the bonuses could be either +2, +2, +1 or +3, +1, +1.
Ebon Eye (Sp): You can use detect magic and read magic as the spells at will. Your caster level equals your class level.
Summon Familiar: A Black Mage can obtain a familiar in exactly the same manner as a sorcerer or wizard can. See the sorcerer description and the accompanying Familiars sidebar (PHB 52) for details.
Counter Blast (Su): Beginning at 2nd level, you can counter any conjuration or evocation spell that deals damage using any spell you've prepared that is one or more spell levels higher than the target spell.
Ebon Hand (Sp): Beginning at 2nd level, you can use mage hand and open/close as the spells at will. Your caster level equals your class level.
Blast Sense (Ex): At 3rd level, you gain a +1 bonus on Spellcraft checks to identify spells from the conjuration and evocation schools. This bonus increases by +1 every odd level.
Ebon Word (Sp): Beginning at 3rd level, you can use arcane mark and message as the spells at will. Your caster level equals your class level.
Eclectic Learning (Ex): At 4th level, you can choose to add a new spell to your spellbook that would normally be outside your area of expertise. The spell must be a sorcerer/wizard spell, but it can be from any school. The spell is treated as being one level higher than normal (for example, invisbility, a 2nd-level sorcerer/wizard spell, would be treated as a 3rd-level Black Mage spell for you). You must be capable of casting spells of the new spell's adjusted level in order to learn it.
You gain an additional new spell at 8th, 12th, 16th, and 20th level. The spells learned in this way cannot be prepared in the extra spell slots granted by Favored Energy, even if the new spells learned have the appropriate energy descriptor, nor can they be used for Counter Blast.
Ebon Blast (Sp): Beginning at 5th level, as long as you have a spell that deals damage available to cast, you can use a standard action to fire an orb of baleful energy at your enemies. This attack requires a successful ranged touch attack with a range of 25ft + 5ft / 2 Black Mage levels. It affects a single target, allowing no saving throw and ignoring spell resistance. The orb deals 1d8 points of untyped damage per level of the highest-level spell that deals damage that you have available. This ability benefits from Black Magic's attack bonus and extra damage, but since its damage is untyped it does not benefit from Favored Energy.
Lasting Damage (Ex): At 6th level, once per day as a swift action, you may cause any creature that fails its save against one of your conjuration or evocation spells that deals damage to again take damage 1 round later equal to half the damage from the original casting of the spell.
Since this damage is not actually from a spell, it does not receive bonus damage from Black Magic. However, you do include any bonus damage applied from Black Magic when calculating the damage dealt in the next round.
At 9th, 12th, 15th, and 18th level, you gain one additional use of Lasting Damage per day.
Overwhelming Energy (Ex): At 10th level, you are able to augment your spells to damage enemies normally resistant to your favored energies. As a free action, the next spell you cast with one of your favored energies as its energy descriptor ignores any energy resistance of creatures affected by the spell, and affected creatures with energy immunity still take half damage.
This ability can be applied only to spells with energy descriptors of your favored energies. If a spell has multiple energy descriptors (such as a spell augmented by the Energy Admixture metamagic feat), the spell only bypasses energy resistance and immunity for your favored energies. You may use this ability a number of times for each of your favored energies equal to your favored energy bonus. For example, an 10th level Black Mage with favored energies acid (+1), cold (+2), and fire (+2) may use this ability on one acid spell, two cold spells, and two fire spells per day.
Additionally, the damage of your Ebon Blast ability improves to 1d10 damage per level of the highest level damaging spell available to you.
Return Magic (Sp): Beginning at 14th level, whenever you use Counter Blast to successfully counter a conjuration or evocation spell that deals damage which targets you, you may turn the spell back on the caster as an immediate action. Treat this ability as if using Spell Turning on the spell, but do not roll for the number of spell levels turned; the ability turns 100% of the target spell with no left over levels.
Opportunistic Casting (Ex): Beginning at level 19, whenever you are allowed an attack of opportunity, you may cast (and attack with) a touch spell with a casting time of a standard action or less as your attack of opportunity. This incurs attacks of opportunity just as if you had cast the spell normally.
Ultimate Cosmic Power (Ex): At 20th level, you become so skilled at using damaging spells, you are able to surpass the normal limits of such magic. Any spell augmented by your Overwhelming Energy ability deals normal damage even to creatures normally immune to that spell's energy type.
Additionally, the damage of your Ebon Blast ability improves to 1d12 damage per level of the highest level damaging spell available to you.
Finally any spell that deals damage with a max number of damage dice raises the cap by your Int modifier, up to half the normal max. For example, a 20th-level Black Mage with at least 20 Int rolls 15d6 when casting a Fireball even though the normal max is 10d6. Spells that deal damage but do not use dice or do not have a maximum number of dice are unaffected by this ability.
That's what I have so far. I think it represents the super-focused-blasty mage without completely gimping the class *coughWarmagecough*. This is meant to be a moderate-tier-2 class that beats a blasting Wizard (Evoker or Conjurer) or even a Sorcerer at dealing damage, but remains inferior in just about every other way. If you have any criticism for the class's balance or flavor, please let me know.
Black mages are almost entirely limited to damage spells. There are a few exceptions to this, but the flavor and theme of the class is damage. Lots of it. Thus, the class concept is basically a wizard who can only cast from the conjuration and evocation schools, but doing so better than any wizard could normally do.
http://images.wikia.com/finalfantasy/images/2/2d/Vivi_Ornitier_character.jpg
The Black Mage
{table=head]Level|BAB|Fort|Ref|Will|Special|0 Lvl|1st Lvl|2nd Lvl|3rd Lvl|4th Lvl|5th Lvl|6th Lvl|7th Lvl|8th Lvl|9th Lvl
1st|+0|+0|+0|+2|1st favored energy, black magic, ebon eye, summon familiar|3|1|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-
2nd|+1|+0|+0|+3|Counter blast, ebon hand|4|2|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-
3rd|+1|+1|+1|+3|Blast sense +1, ebon word|4|2|1|-|-|-|-|-|-|-
4th|+2|+1|+1|+4|Eclectic learning|4|3|2|-|-|-|-|-|-|-
5th|+2|+1|+1|+4|2nd favored energy, blast sense +2, ebon blast|4|3|2|1|-|-|-|-|-|-
6th|+3|+2|+2|+5|Lasting damage 1/day|4|3|3|2|-|-|-|-|-|-
7th|+3|+2|+2|+5|Blast sense +3|4|4|3|2|1|-|-|-|-|-
8th|+4|+2|+2|+6|Eclectic learning|4|4|3|3|2|-|-|-|-|-
9th|+4|+3|+3|+6|Blast sense +4, lasting damage 2/day|4|4|4|3|2|1|-|-|-|-
10th|+5|+3|+3|+7|3rd favored energy, overwhelming energy|4|4|4|3|3|2|-|-|-|-
11th|+5|+3|+3|+7|Blast sense +5|4|4|4|4|3|2|1|-|-|-
12th|+6/+1|+4|+4|+8|Eclectic learning, lasting damage 3/day|4|4|4|4|3|3|2|-|-|-
13th|+6/+1|+4|+4|+8|Blast sense +6|4|4|4|4|4|3|2|1|-|-
14th|+7/+2|+4|+4|+9|Return magic|4|4|4|4|4|3|3|2|-|-
15th|+7/+2|+5|+5|+9|4th favored energy, blast sense +7, lasting damage 4/day|4|4|4|4|4|4|3|2|1|-
16th|+8/+3|+5|+5|+10|Eclectic learning|4|4|4|4|4|4|3|3|2|-
17th|+8/+3|+5|+5|+10|Blast sense +8|4|4|4|4|4|4|4|3|2|1
18th|+9/+4|+6|+6|+11|Lasting damage 5/day|4|4|4|4|4|4|4|3|3|2
19th|+9/+4|+6|+6|+11|Blast sense +9, opportunistic casting|4|4|4|4|4|4|4|4|3|3
20th|+10/+5|+6|+6|+12|5th favored energy, ultimate cosmic power|4|4|4|4|4|4|4|4|4|4
[/table]
Alignment: Any.
Hit Die: d4.
Class Skills: Concentration, Craft, Decipher Script, Forgery, Intimidate, Knowledge (all), Profession, and Spellcraft.
Skill Points at 1st level: (2 + Int modifier) x 4.
Skill Points at each additional level: 2 + Int modifier.
Black Mage Features:
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Black Mages are proficient with the club, dagger, heavy crossbow, light crossbow, and quarterstaff, but not with any type of armor or shield.
Spells: A Black Mage casts arcane spells which are drawn from the Conjuration and Evocation schools of the sorcerer/wizard spell list. You must choose and prepare you spells ahead of time.
To learn, prepare, or cast a spell, you must have an Int score of at least 10 + the spell level. The DC for a saving throw against your spells is 10 + the spell level + your Int modifier.
Bonus Languages: A Black Mage's bonus language options include Draconic.
Spellbook: A Black Mage must study their spellbook each day to prepare spells. You cannot prepare any spell not recorded in your spellbook.
You begin play with a spellbook containing all 0-level Conjuration and Evocation spells from the sorcerer/wizard spell list plus three 1st-level spells of your choice. For each point of Intelligence bonus you have, your spellbook holds one additional 1st-level spell. At each new Black Mage level, you gain two new spells of any spell level or levels that you can cast (based on your new Black Mage level) for your spellbook.
Black Magic (Su): A Black Mage has particular talent to damaging spells. Whenever you cast a spell or use a spell-like ability that deals hit point damage, you extra damage equal to your Int modifier up to your caster level. A single spell only gains this extra damage once per casting. For instance, a fireball deals the extra damage to all creatures in the area it affects. However, if a 3rd-level Black Mage casts magic missile and produces two missiles, only one of them (of the Black Mage's choice) gains the extra damage. If a spell deals damage for more than 1 round, it deals this extra damage in each round.
You are treated as having a base attack bonus equal to your caster level for purposes of attack rolls for delivering spells and spell-like abilities, and you can substitute your Int modifier for your Str or Dex modifier for these attack rolls. For example, a 5th-level Black Mage with 14 Dex and 20 Int casting lesser orb of acid would add +10 to their ranged touch attack roll rather than +4, and the spell would deal 3d8+5 damage. This only applies to spells cast as a Black Mage.
Favored Energy (Ex): At 1st level, you may select an energy type (acid, cold, electricity, fire, or sonic). Your extensive training grants you several bonuses to this energy type. You gain a +1 bonus to your caster level when casting spells with this energy descriptor, and the DC for these spells' saves is increased by 1. You can prepare one additional spell with this energy descriptor per spell level each day. Finally, you apply the bonus damage from Black Magic an extra time on spells that deal damage with your favored energy descriptor, effectively adding damage equal to your Int modifier up to your (now improved) caster level, doubled.
At 5th level and every five levels thereafter, you may select an additional favored energy from the list, granting a +1 bonus to your caster level, +1 bonus to the DC, extra damage equal to your Int modifier, and an additional prepared spell per level per day with spells with its energy descriptor. In addition, at each such interval, you improve the bonuses to any one favored energy. The bonus to your caster level and DC increases by an additional +1, and you add your Int modifier as bonus damage another time.
For example, a 5th-level Black Mage has two favored energies; with one they gain a +2 bonus to their caster level, +2 to the spells' DCs, and triple their Int modifier to damaging spells, while with the other energy type they gain a +1 bonus to their caster level, +1 to the spells' DCs, and double their Int modifier to damaging spells. They may prepare one additional spell per spell level each day of each favored energy. At 10th level, they have three favored energies, and they gain an additional bonus to one of their favored energies, which they can allocate to the bonus against any one of the three. Thus, the bonuses could be either +2, +2, +1 or +3, +1, +1.
Ebon Eye (Sp): You can use detect magic and read magic as the spells at will. Your caster level equals your class level.
Summon Familiar: A Black Mage can obtain a familiar in exactly the same manner as a sorcerer or wizard can. See the sorcerer description and the accompanying Familiars sidebar (PHB 52) for details.
Counter Blast (Su): Beginning at 2nd level, you can counter any conjuration or evocation spell that deals damage using any spell you've prepared that is one or more spell levels higher than the target spell.
Ebon Hand (Sp): Beginning at 2nd level, you can use mage hand and open/close as the spells at will. Your caster level equals your class level.
Blast Sense (Ex): At 3rd level, you gain a +1 bonus on Spellcraft checks to identify spells from the conjuration and evocation schools. This bonus increases by +1 every odd level.
Ebon Word (Sp): Beginning at 3rd level, you can use arcane mark and message as the spells at will. Your caster level equals your class level.
Eclectic Learning (Ex): At 4th level, you can choose to add a new spell to your spellbook that would normally be outside your area of expertise. The spell must be a sorcerer/wizard spell, but it can be from any school. The spell is treated as being one level higher than normal (for example, invisbility, a 2nd-level sorcerer/wizard spell, would be treated as a 3rd-level Black Mage spell for you). You must be capable of casting spells of the new spell's adjusted level in order to learn it.
You gain an additional new spell at 8th, 12th, 16th, and 20th level. The spells learned in this way cannot be prepared in the extra spell slots granted by Favored Energy, even if the new spells learned have the appropriate energy descriptor, nor can they be used for Counter Blast.
Ebon Blast (Sp): Beginning at 5th level, as long as you have a spell that deals damage available to cast, you can use a standard action to fire an orb of baleful energy at your enemies. This attack requires a successful ranged touch attack with a range of 25ft + 5ft / 2 Black Mage levels. It affects a single target, allowing no saving throw and ignoring spell resistance. The orb deals 1d8 points of untyped damage per level of the highest-level spell that deals damage that you have available. This ability benefits from Black Magic's attack bonus and extra damage, but since its damage is untyped it does not benefit from Favored Energy.
Lasting Damage (Ex): At 6th level, once per day as a swift action, you may cause any creature that fails its save against one of your conjuration or evocation spells that deals damage to again take damage 1 round later equal to half the damage from the original casting of the spell.
Since this damage is not actually from a spell, it does not receive bonus damage from Black Magic. However, you do include any bonus damage applied from Black Magic when calculating the damage dealt in the next round.
At 9th, 12th, 15th, and 18th level, you gain one additional use of Lasting Damage per day.
Overwhelming Energy (Ex): At 10th level, you are able to augment your spells to damage enemies normally resistant to your favored energies. As a free action, the next spell you cast with one of your favored energies as its energy descriptor ignores any energy resistance of creatures affected by the spell, and affected creatures with energy immunity still take half damage.
This ability can be applied only to spells with energy descriptors of your favored energies. If a spell has multiple energy descriptors (such as a spell augmented by the Energy Admixture metamagic feat), the spell only bypasses energy resistance and immunity for your favored energies. You may use this ability a number of times for each of your favored energies equal to your favored energy bonus. For example, an 10th level Black Mage with favored energies acid (+1), cold (+2), and fire (+2) may use this ability on one acid spell, two cold spells, and two fire spells per day.
Additionally, the damage of your Ebon Blast ability improves to 1d10 damage per level of the highest level damaging spell available to you.
Return Magic (Sp): Beginning at 14th level, whenever you use Counter Blast to successfully counter a conjuration or evocation spell that deals damage which targets you, you may turn the spell back on the caster as an immediate action. Treat this ability as if using Spell Turning on the spell, but do not roll for the number of spell levels turned; the ability turns 100% of the target spell with no left over levels.
Opportunistic Casting (Ex): Beginning at level 19, whenever you are allowed an attack of opportunity, you may cast (and attack with) a touch spell with a casting time of a standard action or less as your attack of opportunity. This incurs attacks of opportunity just as if you had cast the spell normally.
Ultimate Cosmic Power (Ex): At 20th level, you become so skilled at using damaging spells, you are able to surpass the normal limits of such magic. Any spell augmented by your Overwhelming Energy ability deals normal damage even to creatures normally immune to that spell's energy type.
Additionally, the damage of your Ebon Blast ability improves to 1d12 damage per level of the highest level damaging spell available to you.
Finally any spell that deals damage with a max number of damage dice raises the cap by your Int modifier, up to half the normal max. For example, a 20th-level Black Mage with at least 20 Int rolls 15d6 when casting a Fireball even though the normal max is 10d6. Spells that deal damage but do not use dice or do not have a maximum number of dice are unaffected by this ability.
That's what I have so far. I think it represents the super-focused-blasty mage without completely gimping the class *coughWarmagecough*. This is meant to be a moderate-tier-2 class that beats a blasting Wizard (Evoker or Conjurer) or even a Sorcerer at dealing damage, but remains inferior in just about every other way. If you have any criticism for the class's balance or flavor, please let me know.