Rapidghoul
2012-01-05, 06:11 PM
Since the last homebrew I posted was my take on the Black Mage (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=226942), I figured the logical next step would be the other side of the spectrum, the White Mage (http://finalfantasy.wikia.com/wiki/White_Mage).
When thinking of how to make a white mage in d&d, one could say "cloistered cleric" and be done with it. Others would say "healer" and then promptly get smacked. However, I'd like to go beyond that and create something that incorporates all the themes of the final fantasy staple job and brings something new to a high tier 2ish class with the cleric spell-list.
How do you create a cleric-based class that keeps the cleric spell-list and make it lower than tier 1? Start with d6 hit die, low BAB, poor fortitude saves, no medium or heavy armor proficiency... and no turn undead.
While anti-undead stuff isn't out of the question for white mages, it's not a focus. Turn Undead also fuels DMM cheese and a long list of other abilities that keep clerics in tier 1. If you want to be an undead-killer, there are plenty of spells a cleric has access to that can do that. I used Turn as a curative ability instead (see Esuna).
Starting with this stripped down cleric, the only really defining class features left are healing and domains. I take this concept and run with it, creating a versatile caster that can heal copious amounts and still specialize as they please. I see this as a focused specialist wizard with a different spell-list and domains in place of spell-schools.
I will be taking aspects from cleric, healer, dragon shaman, and a few Complete Divine prestige classes to make this class. However, this is meant to be distinct from these classes, able to heal supremely well while keeping a lot of potential for individualization. This is not just a reworked Healer. An absolutely fantastic retool of the Healer (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=133118) has already been done, and I want to congradulate T.G.Oskar on the great class. I've looked at his homebrew quite a bit for inspiration for the White Mage, and a couple abilities (namely Esuna) have borrowed a couple ideas straight from it.
Now, for my White Mage, a domain focused healbot.
http://images2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20080828215246/finalfantasy/images/archive/1/1e/20100216234212!Garnet_White_Mage.jpg
The White 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|Domain secret, esuna, healer's heart, white magic|3|0+1|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-
2nd|+1|+0|+0|+3|Skill focus (heal), summon familiar|4|1+1|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-
3rd|+1|+1|+1|+3|Esuna, ivory health, touch of healing|4|1+1|0+1|-|-|-|-|-|-|-
4th|+2|+1|+1|+4|Heal focus, medic's favor|5|2+1|1+1|-|-|-|-|-|-|-
5th|+2|+1|+1|+4|Domain secret, esuna|5|2+1|1+1|0+1|-|-|-|-|-|-
6th|+3|+2|+2|+5|Deeper devotion, healing echoes 1/day|5|2+2|2+2|1+2|-|-|-|-|-|-
7th|+3|+2|+2|+5|Bonus domain, esuna|6|3+2|2+2|1+2|0+2|-|-|-|-|-
8th|+4|+2|+2|+6|Improved touch of healing, medic's insight|6|3+2|2+2|2+2|1+2|-|-|-|-|-
9th|+4|+3|+3|+6|Esuna, healing echoes 2/day|6|3+2|3+2|2+2|1+2|0+2|-|-|-|-
10th|+5|+3|+3|+7|Domain secret|6|3+2|3+2|2+2|2+2|1+2|-|-|-|-
11th|+5|+3|+3|+7|Ivory tongue|6|3+2|3+2|3+2|2+2|1+2|0+2|-|-|-
12th|+6/+1|+4|+4|+8|Healing echoes 3/day, improved medic's favor|6|3+2|3+2|3+2|2+2|2+2|1+2|-|-|-
13th|+6/+1|+4|+4|+8|Deeper devotion, reach of healing|6|3+3|3+3|3+3|3+3|2+3|1+3|0+3|-|-
14th|+7/+2|+4|+4|+9|Bonus domain, overheal|6|3+3|3+3|3+3|3+3|2+3|2+3|1+3|-|-
15th|+7/+2|+5|+5|+9|Domain secret, healing echoes 4/day, ivory body|6|3+3|3+3|3+3|3+3|3+3|2+3|1+3|0+3|-
16th|+8/+3|+5|+5|+10|Bonus feat|6|3+3|3+3|3+3|3+3|3+3|2+3|2+3|1+3|-
17th|+8/+3|+5|+5|+10|Ivory soul|6|3+3|3+3|3+3|3+3|3+3|3+3|2+3|1+3|0+3
18th|+9/+4|+6|+6|+11|Greater touch of healing, healing echoes 5/day|6|3+3|3+3|3+3|3+3|3+3|3+3|2+3|2+3|1+3
19th|+9/+4|+6|+6|+11|Ivory whisper|6|3+3|3+3|3+3|3+3|3+3|3+3|3+3|2+3|2+3
20th|+10/+5|+6|+6|+12|Domain secret, ivory perfection, ultimate blessing|6|3+3|3+3|3+3|3+3|3+3|3+3|3+3|3+3|3+3
[/table]
Abilities: Wisdom determines how many spells per day you can cast as well as how hard those spells are to resist. Charisma strengthens your healing powers and many class abilities. Constitution helps for your relatively low hit die, and Dexterity helps make up for only having light armor proficiency.
Alignment: Any good. Your alignment must also be within one step of your deity's.
Hit Die: d6.
Class Skills: Concentration, Craft, Decipher Script, Diplomacy, Handle Animal, Heal, Knowledge (Arcana), Knowledge (History), Knowledge (Nobility and Royalty), Knowledge (Religion), Knowledge (The Planes), Profession, Sense Motive, and Spellcraft.
Skill Points at 1st level: (4 + Int modifier) x 4.
Skill Points at each additional level: 4 + Int modifier.
White Mage Features:
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: White Mages are proficient with simple weapons, light armor, and shields (but not tower shields).
Spells: A White Mage casts divine spells which are drawn from the cleric spell list. You must choose and prepare their spells ahead of time. However, your alignment may restrict you from casting certain spells opposed to your moral or ethical beliefs; you cannot cast spells of an alignment opposed to your own or your deity's.
To learn, prepare, or cast a spell, you must have an Wis score of at least 10 + the spell level. The DC for a saving throw against your spells is 10 + the spell level + your Wis modifier.
Like other spellcasters, a White Mage can only cast a certain number of spells of each level per day. You receive bonus spells per day if they have a high Wisdom score.
Bonus Language: A White Mage's bonus language options include Abyssal, Celestial, and Infernal.
Deities and Domains: A White Mage receives the majority of their powers from the deity which they worship. You must choose a non-evil deity to worship as your patron deity.
You begin play with two domains from among those belonging to your deity. You can select an alignment domain only if your alignment matches that domain, and you may never choose the Death, Destruction, War, or Wrath domains even if they belong to your deity.
Each domain grants a number of domain powers dependent on your White Mage level as well as a number of bonus spells. At 1st level, you gain one domain spell slot for each level of White Mage spell you can cast. Each day, you can prepare one of the spells from your domains in that slot.
In addition, you gain the listed powers from all of your domains. Unless otherwise noted, activating a domain power is a standard action.
Domain Secret (Ex): At 1st, 5th, 10th, 15th, and 20th level, you choose one of your domains to have its spells be permanently modified as though affected by one of the following metamagic feats whenever applicable: Consecrate Spell, Enlarge Spell, Extend Spell, Still Spell, or Silent Spell.
The spells' levels and casting times do not change, and once the choices of domain and modification are made, they cannot be changed. You can choose the same domain to be modified in different ways with multiple domain secrets. You do not need to know the feat you apply to these spells. The chosen domain secret applies only to spells cast as domain spells, even if those spells appear on your spell list.
Esuna (Su): A White Mage is so connected with the healing arts that they are able remove harmful conditions simply by touch. As a standard action that provokes an attack of opportunity, you can remove a status ailment from a creature you touch by making a Heal check. Each status ailment has a minimum White Mage level you must attain and a specific Heal DC you must pass in order to remove it.
{table=head]Status Ailment|Class Level|Heal DC
Daze|1|10
Fatigue|1|10
Sicken|1|10
Fear|1|15
Paralysis|1|15
Blind|3|20
Deaf|3|20
Stun|3|20
Ability Damage|3|25
Disease|3|25
Curse|5|30
Exhaustion|5|30
Nausea|5|30
Poison|5|30
Ability Drain|5|35
Energy Drain|5|35
Negative Level|7|40
Insanity|9|45
Petrification|9|45[/table]
Each use of Esuna can only remove a single status ailment at a time. You may use Esuna a number of times per day equal to 3 + your Cha modifier.
Healer's Heart (Ex): Your dedication to healing the sick and injured grants you additional prowess with curative spells. You can spontaneously cast cure spells as a cleric of a good deity can.
Additionally, you gain the Healing domain as a bonus domain, even if it is not a domain normally offered by your deity.
Finally, whenever you cast a Conjuration (Healing) spell, you add an amount equal to your charisma modifier times the spell level to the amount of damage healed (treat 0-level spells as 1/2 level for this purpose). This bonus applies to any Conjuration (Healing) spell you cast as a White Mage, not just cure spells or spells cast with your domain spell slots.
Your dedication to healing is so extreme that your ability to deal damage with your spells is hindered. You cannot cast any inflict or harm spells as White Mage spells. Any time one of your White Mage spells would deal damage, the damage is halved. This does not affect damage taken from positive-energy spells by creatures powered by negative-energy such as undead.
White Magic: A White Mage is particularly devoted to their spiritual domains, gaining special talents with the spells they grant. You gain +1 caster level for spells associated with your domains, and you can cast spells from your domains without provoking attacks of opportunity.
Skill Focus (Heal): At 2nd level, you gain Skill Focus (Heal) as a bonus feat. If you already have that feat, you may choose a different one to gain at this level.
Summon Familiar: At 2nd level, you can obtain a familiar. This ability functions like the sorcerer or wizard ability of the same name (see PHB page 52), except that you treat your arcane caster level as half your White Mage level.
Ivory Health (Ex): At 3rd level, you gain a +4 bonus on saves against poison and disease.
Touch of Healing: At 3rd level, you gain Touch of Healing as a bonus feat.
Heal Focus (Ex): Beginning at 4th level, you may treat a creature as receiving long-term care by passing a Heal check (DC 15 + the creature's hit dice) as a full-round action. The creature must still rest for regular amount of time to receive this benefit.
You receive a bonus to Heal checks equal to your White Mage level. Additionally, you may sacrifice one of your spells for the day to gain a competence bonus equal to three times the spell's level on your Heal checks made for the next three rounds.
Medic's Favor (Su): Beginning at 4th level, whenever you cast a White Mage spell, you can choose any one ally affected by that spell (including yourself) to gain temporary hit points equal to three times the spell's level. These temporary hit points last for up to 1 minute per level of the spell.
If you use this ability on a creature that is still under the effect of a previous use, the new temporary hit points overlap (do not stack with) the temporary hit points the creature had remaining.
Deeper Devotion (Ex): At 6th level and again at 13th level, you gain an additional domain spell slot per level per day, and your caster level bonus to your domain spells increases by +1. You can prepare any domain spell of the appropriate level in any number of domain spell slots you have available.
Healing Echoes (Ex): At 6th level, once per day as a swift action, you may cause any creature that you heal with a Conjuration (Healing) spell to heal a number of hit points equal to half the amount healed 1 round later.
At 9th, 12th, 15th, and 18th level, you gain one additional use of Healing Echoes per day.
Bonus Domain: At 7th level and again at 14th level, you gain a bonus domain belonging to your deity.
Medic's Insight (Su): Beginning at 8th level, whenever you cast a Conjuration (Healing) spell on an ally, you heal yourself a number of hit points equal to twice the spell's level.
Improved Touch of Healing (Ex): Beginning at 8th level, your Touch of Healing heals 6 hit points per level of the highest Conjuration (Healing) spell you have available to you instead of 3. You are still restricted from healing above half the target's normal maximum hit points.
Ivory Tongue (Ex): At 11th level, you can speak with any creature that has a language.
Improved Medic's Favor (Su): Beginning at 12th level, you can choose any number of allies you target with a White Mage spell to gain temporary hit points from your medic's favor ability.
Reach of Healing (Ex): Beginning at 13th level, you may use Touch of Healing on any ally within 30ft.
Overheal (Su): Beginning at 14th level, any time you cast a White Mage spell that would heal a number of hit points greater than the number the target is currently missing from its normal maximum hit points, it gains temporary hit points equal to the remaining points the spell would heal.
This ability cannot give more than half the creature's normal maximum number of hit points as temporary hit points at any one time. These temporary hit points last a number of rounds equal to twice your Charisma modifier. They overlap (do not stack with) any temporary hit points the creature already had.
For example, a 14th level White Mage with 20 Charisma casts Heal (caster level 17th) on a Bard with normal maximum hit points of 100, healing 180 hit points (10/caster level, max 15 levels, from Heal, and 30 from Healer's Heart). The Bard would heal to their full 100 hit points as well as gain 50 temporary hit points for up to 10 rounds.
Ivory Body (Ex): Beginning at 15th level, you gain immunity to disease, petrification, and poison.
Bonus Feat: At 16th level, you can choose Empower Esuna, Extra Esuna, or Quicken Esuna as a bonus feat (see below).
Ivory Soul (Ex): At 17th level, you no longer take ability score penalties for aging and cannot be magically aged. Any penalties you may have already incurred remain in place. You can still die of old age when your time is up.
Greater Touch of Healing (Ex): Beginning at 18th level, you are able to use your Touch of Healing to heal up to 3/4 of a creature's maximum hit points rather than half.
Ivory Whisper (Sp): At 19th level, you learn how to perform a special rite that guards you from death. Performing the rite requires 8 hours, and you must expend 1,000 experience points. The rite's effect lasts until it is dismissed or discharged.
While under protection of this rite, you instantly receive the benefit of a heal spell (caster level equal to your own) if you are reduced to 0 hit points or lower or have any ability score reduced to 0. You receive the spell's effect immediately, even if reduced to -10 points or lower by an enemy attack, and thus may survive a blow that otherwise would have killed you. The rite's protection is discharged once it is triggered, and you must perform a new rite to use this ability again.
Ivory Perfection: At 20th level, your devotion to healing reaches its ultimate form. Your type becomes Outsider (native). You gain fast healing equal to half your Charisma modifier. This fast healing does not provide you temporary hit points from medic's insight or overheal.
Additionally, you project a protective aura, providing a +4 deflection bonus to AC and a +4 resistance bonus on saving throws to allies within 20 feet of you. This aura functions as a magic circle against evil and a lesser globe of invulnerability, both with a radius of 20 feet (caster level 20). This aura is a supernatural ability.
Ultimate Blessing (Sp): At 20th level, once per day, you may bless an ally, preventing any harm that might befall them and yourself for a short duration. As a standard action, you and a single willing target become immune to hit point damage, ability damage or drain, and death effects for a number of rounds equal to your Charisma modifier. The target must have its maximum number of hit points in order for you to target them, and they must stay within 20ft. of you or the effect ends immediately. While under this protection, you cannot cast any spells or use any other spell-like abilities.
Ex-White Mages: If you grossly violate the code of contact required by your god, you lose all spells and class features, except for armor and shield proficiencies and proficiency with simple weapons. You cannot thereafter gain levels as a White Mage of that god until you atone for your deeds (see the atonement spell description).
White Mage feats:
EMPOWER ESUNA
Prerequisite: Esuna.
Benefit: You may use a single Esuna check to remove multiple status ailments from a single target by taking a -5 penalty for each status ailment beyond the first. You must roll a Heal check for each status ailment you attempt to remove.
For example, a 10th level White Mage attempts to use Esuna to remove a negative level (DC 40), ability damage (DC 25), and poison (DC 30) from an ally. They must roll three Heal checks at a -10 penalty to do so.
Normal: You may only remove a single status ailment with any Esuna attempt.
Special: If you would gain Empower Turning as a feat, you can choose to instead take Empower Esuna.
EXTRA ESUNA
Prerequisite: Esuna.
Benefit: You can use your Esuna ability four more times per day than normal.
Normal: You can only use Esuna a number of times per day equal to 3 + your Charisma modifier.
Special: If you would gain Extra Turning as a feat, you can choose to instead take Extra Esuna.
You can gain Extra Esuna multiple times. Its effects stack. Each time you take the feat, you can use your Esuna ability four additional times per day.
QUICKEN ESUNA
Prerequisite: Esuna.
Benefit: You can make an Esuna attempt as a swift action that does not provoke attacks of opportunity.
Normal: Making an Esuna attempt is a standard action that provokes attacks of opportunity.
Special: If you would gain Quicken Turning as a feat, you can choose to instead take Quicken Esuna.
Special notes about class abilities:
Turn Undead and Esuna: To get rid of Turn Undead and promote the healing aspect of White Mage, I turned it into a touch-of-vitality-like ability. It makes a normally useless skill (Heal) suddenly pretty useful (something I like to see a class do). It keeps the essence of turn, focuses it into healing, and removes cheese.
It does create a few problems though. Since the class lacks an ability to turn undead, it's improper for domains that grant turn-related powers such as the Air domain or the Sun domain. As an alternative, a White Mage gains a use as described by the domain once per day. For example, a White Mage that takes the Air domain can turn or rebuke creatures with the earth subtype once per day. These uses do not count as normal turn attempts and as such cannot be used for divine feats.
For all other purposes which would raise your Turn check or provide additional Turns per day, it applies to your Esuna check or uses per day.
Healer's Heart: To start the class being a healbot and make it a little more worth while. All of it is meant to make healing a strong option for your action-economy to remain balanced, possibly strong enough to free up further actions. Lowering damage weakens the class's offensive options quite a bit, ensuring they stay healing.
White Magic and Domain abilities: In designing the class, I really wanted to focus on making it a tier 2-ish class that still really feels like a cleric without all the turning cheese.
Domains seem to get overlooked a lot, or they're seen as tiny additions to make cleric even more ridiculous. The hope was to make a Focused Specialist-like situation, giving a ton of extra options to the class at the cost of a little versatility. Domain Secret is an homage to Wu Jen to make it feel like you really manage to specialize in your domains, while deeper devotion makes the focus even more apparent.
Skill Focus (Heal) and Heal Focus: It's somewhat ironic that the healbot classes all get Heal as a class skill but are the LEAST likely to use the damn thing. Esuna helps make it necessary, and this makes it easier to pass the outrageous checks. The long-term care clause is mostly fluff.
Summon Familiar: While familiars are normally an arcane only thing, there are exceptions (Druid ACF, Unearthed Arcana's Spellcaster class, etc.). Having playtested a White Mage a bit, it works out fine. Delivering touch spells helps quite a bit, but not so much so that it becomes overpowered. Speed-bumping it with half-progression helps quite a bit.
Touch of Healing abilities: If a true blaster is never to run out of damage, a true healer should never run out of heals, right? And while Touch of Healing is nice and all, a true healbot should be able to do it better. Increasing the rate, giving it range, and increasing the max turn the reserve feat into a viable option.
Medic's abilities: A couple of these are taken from the Favored Soul ACF from PHB2, the other is to just continue the super-healbot feel of the class.
Healing Echoes: Mostly, this is to be a healing counterpart to Damage Echoes (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=226942). In big fights that are certain to keep dishing out extreme amounts of damage, this allows you to basically Empower a heal spell for free and let you focus on another meat-shield for the next turn.
Overheal and Ultimate Blessing: Yeah, Medic (http://wiki.teamfortress.com/wiki/Medic) references. It was a bit of a guilty pleasure, but the abilities still make sense with White Mage. My hope is that the mechanics reflect the Medic while still being a cool, balanced healing ability.
Ivory Abilities: I personally love classes that add templates and the like over the course of the class, but I didn't want to go overboard with it this time. Captones that change your type are flavorful, and adding some of the Angel subtype's abilities without making it a full-fledged angel makes the class powerful without making it something White Mage is not. Immune to disease, petrification, poison, and aging effects are all decent little abilities. Ivory Tongue is mostly for fluff, but it does have its place. Ivory Whisper emulates Spirit Shaman's level 19 ability and the Angel Whisper (http://finalfantasy.wikia.com/wiki/Angel_Whisper_(Ability)) ability. As for the name, the idea was to be a White Mage opposite of Black Mage's ebon abilities.
That's what I have so far. I had a lot of fun designing the class. Now I just hope other people think it's fun / interesting / balanced. If anyone has suggestions (particularly about Esuna and Ultimate Blessing as those are the most complicated class abilities), please let me know. I'd love to hear any feedback.
When thinking of how to make a white mage in d&d, one could say "cloistered cleric" and be done with it. Others would say "healer" and then promptly get smacked. However, I'd like to go beyond that and create something that incorporates all the themes of the final fantasy staple job and brings something new to a high tier 2ish class with the cleric spell-list.
How do you create a cleric-based class that keeps the cleric spell-list and make it lower than tier 1? Start with d6 hit die, low BAB, poor fortitude saves, no medium or heavy armor proficiency... and no turn undead.
While anti-undead stuff isn't out of the question for white mages, it's not a focus. Turn Undead also fuels DMM cheese and a long list of other abilities that keep clerics in tier 1. If you want to be an undead-killer, there are plenty of spells a cleric has access to that can do that. I used Turn as a curative ability instead (see Esuna).
Starting with this stripped down cleric, the only really defining class features left are healing and domains. I take this concept and run with it, creating a versatile caster that can heal copious amounts and still specialize as they please. I see this as a focused specialist wizard with a different spell-list and domains in place of spell-schools.
I will be taking aspects from cleric, healer, dragon shaman, and a few Complete Divine prestige classes to make this class. However, this is meant to be distinct from these classes, able to heal supremely well while keeping a lot of potential for individualization. This is not just a reworked Healer. An absolutely fantastic retool of the Healer (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=133118) has already been done, and I want to congradulate T.G.Oskar on the great class. I've looked at his homebrew quite a bit for inspiration for the White Mage, and a couple abilities (namely Esuna) have borrowed a couple ideas straight from it.
Now, for my White Mage, a domain focused healbot.
http://images2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20080828215246/finalfantasy/images/archive/1/1e/20100216234212!Garnet_White_Mage.jpg
The White 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|Domain secret, esuna, healer's heart, white magic|3|0+1|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-
2nd|+1|+0|+0|+3|Skill focus (heal), summon familiar|4|1+1|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-
3rd|+1|+1|+1|+3|Esuna, ivory health, touch of healing|4|1+1|0+1|-|-|-|-|-|-|-
4th|+2|+1|+1|+4|Heal focus, medic's favor|5|2+1|1+1|-|-|-|-|-|-|-
5th|+2|+1|+1|+4|Domain secret, esuna|5|2+1|1+1|0+1|-|-|-|-|-|-
6th|+3|+2|+2|+5|Deeper devotion, healing echoes 1/day|5|2+2|2+2|1+2|-|-|-|-|-|-
7th|+3|+2|+2|+5|Bonus domain, esuna|6|3+2|2+2|1+2|0+2|-|-|-|-|-
8th|+4|+2|+2|+6|Improved touch of healing, medic's insight|6|3+2|2+2|2+2|1+2|-|-|-|-|-
9th|+4|+3|+3|+6|Esuna, healing echoes 2/day|6|3+2|3+2|2+2|1+2|0+2|-|-|-|-
10th|+5|+3|+3|+7|Domain secret|6|3+2|3+2|2+2|2+2|1+2|-|-|-|-
11th|+5|+3|+3|+7|Ivory tongue|6|3+2|3+2|3+2|2+2|1+2|0+2|-|-|-
12th|+6/+1|+4|+4|+8|Healing echoes 3/day, improved medic's favor|6|3+2|3+2|3+2|2+2|2+2|1+2|-|-|-
13th|+6/+1|+4|+4|+8|Deeper devotion, reach of healing|6|3+3|3+3|3+3|3+3|2+3|1+3|0+3|-|-
14th|+7/+2|+4|+4|+9|Bonus domain, overheal|6|3+3|3+3|3+3|3+3|2+3|2+3|1+3|-|-
15th|+7/+2|+5|+5|+9|Domain secret, healing echoes 4/day, ivory body|6|3+3|3+3|3+3|3+3|3+3|2+3|1+3|0+3|-
16th|+8/+3|+5|+5|+10|Bonus feat|6|3+3|3+3|3+3|3+3|3+3|2+3|2+3|1+3|-
17th|+8/+3|+5|+5|+10|Ivory soul|6|3+3|3+3|3+3|3+3|3+3|3+3|2+3|1+3|0+3
18th|+9/+4|+6|+6|+11|Greater touch of healing, healing echoes 5/day|6|3+3|3+3|3+3|3+3|3+3|3+3|2+3|2+3|1+3
19th|+9/+4|+6|+6|+11|Ivory whisper|6|3+3|3+3|3+3|3+3|3+3|3+3|3+3|2+3|2+3
20th|+10/+5|+6|+6|+12|Domain secret, ivory perfection, ultimate blessing|6|3+3|3+3|3+3|3+3|3+3|3+3|3+3|3+3|3+3
[/table]
Abilities: Wisdom determines how many spells per day you can cast as well as how hard those spells are to resist. Charisma strengthens your healing powers and many class abilities. Constitution helps for your relatively low hit die, and Dexterity helps make up for only having light armor proficiency.
Alignment: Any good. Your alignment must also be within one step of your deity's.
Hit Die: d6.
Class Skills: Concentration, Craft, Decipher Script, Diplomacy, Handle Animal, Heal, Knowledge (Arcana), Knowledge (History), Knowledge (Nobility and Royalty), Knowledge (Religion), Knowledge (The Planes), Profession, Sense Motive, and Spellcraft.
Skill Points at 1st level: (4 + Int modifier) x 4.
Skill Points at each additional level: 4 + Int modifier.
White Mage Features:
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: White Mages are proficient with simple weapons, light armor, and shields (but not tower shields).
Spells: A White Mage casts divine spells which are drawn from the cleric spell list. You must choose and prepare their spells ahead of time. However, your alignment may restrict you from casting certain spells opposed to your moral or ethical beliefs; you cannot cast spells of an alignment opposed to your own or your deity's.
To learn, prepare, or cast a spell, you must have an Wis score of at least 10 + the spell level. The DC for a saving throw against your spells is 10 + the spell level + your Wis modifier.
Like other spellcasters, a White Mage can only cast a certain number of spells of each level per day. You receive bonus spells per day if they have a high Wisdom score.
Bonus Language: A White Mage's bonus language options include Abyssal, Celestial, and Infernal.
Deities and Domains: A White Mage receives the majority of their powers from the deity which they worship. You must choose a non-evil deity to worship as your patron deity.
You begin play with two domains from among those belonging to your deity. You can select an alignment domain only if your alignment matches that domain, and you may never choose the Death, Destruction, War, or Wrath domains even if they belong to your deity.
Each domain grants a number of domain powers dependent on your White Mage level as well as a number of bonus spells. At 1st level, you gain one domain spell slot for each level of White Mage spell you can cast. Each day, you can prepare one of the spells from your domains in that slot.
In addition, you gain the listed powers from all of your domains. Unless otherwise noted, activating a domain power is a standard action.
Domain Secret (Ex): At 1st, 5th, 10th, 15th, and 20th level, you choose one of your domains to have its spells be permanently modified as though affected by one of the following metamagic feats whenever applicable: Consecrate Spell, Enlarge Spell, Extend Spell, Still Spell, or Silent Spell.
The spells' levels and casting times do not change, and once the choices of domain and modification are made, they cannot be changed. You can choose the same domain to be modified in different ways with multiple domain secrets. You do not need to know the feat you apply to these spells. The chosen domain secret applies only to spells cast as domain spells, even if those spells appear on your spell list.
Esuna (Su): A White Mage is so connected with the healing arts that they are able remove harmful conditions simply by touch. As a standard action that provokes an attack of opportunity, you can remove a status ailment from a creature you touch by making a Heal check. Each status ailment has a minimum White Mage level you must attain and a specific Heal DC you must pass in order to remove it.
{table=head]Status Ailment|Class Level|Heal DC
Daze|1|10
Fatigue|1|10
Sicken|1|10
Fear|1|15
Paralysis|1|15
Blind|3|20
Deaf|3|20
Stun|3|20
Ability Damage|3|25
Disease|3|25
Curse|5|30
Exhaustion|5|30
Nausea|5|30
Poison|5|30
Ability Drain|5|35
Energy Drain|5|35
Negative Level|7|40
Insanity|9|45
Petrification|9|45[/table]
Each use of Esuna can only remove a single status ailment at a time. You may use Esuna a number of times per day equal to 3 + your Cha modifier.
Healer's Heart (Ex): Your dedication to healing the sick and injured grants you additional prowess with curative spells. You can spontaneously cast cure spells as a cleric of a good deity can.
Additionally, you gain the Healing domain as a bonus domain, even if it is not a domain normally offered by your deity.
Finally, whenever you cast a Conjuration (Healing) spell, you add an amount equal to your charisma modifier times the spell level to the amount of damage healed (treat 0-level spells as 1/2 level for this purpose). This bonus applies to any Conjuration (Healing) spell you cast as a White Mage, not just cure spells or spells cast with your domain spell slots.
Your dedication to healing is so extreme that your ability to deal damage with your spells is hindered. You cannot cast any inflict or harm spells as White Mage spells. Any time one of your White Mage spells would deal damage, the damage is halved. This does not affect damage taken from positive-energy spells by creatures powered by negative-energy such as undead.
White Magic: A White Mage is particularly devoted to their spiritual domains, gaining special talents with the spells they grant. You gain +1 caster level for spells associated with your domains, and you can cast spells from your domains without provoking attacks of opportunity.
Skill Focus (Heal): At 2nd level, you gain Skill Focus (Heal) as a bonus feat. If you already have that feat, you may choose a different one to gain at this level.
Summon Familiar: At 2nd level, you can obtain a familiar. This ability functions like the sorcerer or wizard ability of the same name (see PHB page 52), except that you treat your arcane caster level as half your White Mage level.
Ivory Health (Ex): At 3rd level, you gain a +4 bonus on saves against poison and disease.
Touch of Healing: At 3rd level, you gain Touch of Healing as a bonus feat.
Heal Focus (Ex): Beginning at 4th level, you may treat a creature as receiving long-term care by passing a Heal check (DC 15 + the creature's hit dice) as a full-round action. The creature must still rest for regular amount of time to receive this benefit.
You receive a bonus to Heal checks equal to your White Mage level. Additionally, you may sacrifice one of your spells for the day to gain a competence bonus equal to three times the spell's level on your Heal checks made for the next three rounds.
Medic's Favor (Su): Beginning at 4th level, whenever you cast a White Mage spell, you can choose any one ally affected by that spell (including yourself) to gain temporary hit points equal to three times the spell's level. These temporary hit points last for up to 1 minute per level of the spell.
If you use this ability on a creature that is still under the effect of a previous use, the new temporary hit points overlap (do not stack with) the temporary hit points the creature had remaining.
Deeper Devotion (Ex): At 6th level and again at 13th level, you gain an additional domain spell slot per level per day, and your caster level bonus to your domain spells increases by +1. You can prepare any domain spell of the appropriate level in any number of domain spell slots you have available.
Healing Echoes (Ex): At 6th level, once per day as a swift action, you may cause any creature that you heal with a Conjuration (Healing) spell to heal a number of hit points equal to half the amount healed 1 round later.
At 9th, 12th, 15th, and 18th level, you gain one additional use of Healing Echoes per day.
Bonus Domain: At 7th level and again at 14th level, you gain a bonus domain belonging to your deity.
Medic's Insight (Su): Beginning at 8th level, whenever you cast a Conjuration (Healing) spell on an ally, you heal yourself a number of hit points equal to twice the spell's level.
Improved Touch of Healing (Ex): Beginning at 8th level, your Touch of Healing heals 6 hit points per level of the highest Conjuration (Healing) spell you have available to you instead of 3. You are still restricted from healing above half the target's normal maximum hit points.
Ivory Tongue (Ex): At 11th level, you can speak with any creature that has a language.
Improved Medic's Favor (Su): Beginning at 12th level, you can choose any number of allies you target with a White Mage spell to gain temporary hit points from your medic's favor ability.
Reach of Healing (Ex): Beginning at 13th level, you may use Touch of Healing on any ally within 30ft.
Overheal (Su): Beginning at 14th level, any time you cast a White Mage spell that would heal a number of hit points greater than the number the target is currently missing from its normal maximum hit points, it gains temporary hit points equal to the remaining points the spell would heal.
This ability cannot give more than half the creature's normal maximum number of hit points as temporary hit points at any one time. These temporary hit points last a number of rounds equal to twice your Charisma modifier. They overlap (do not stack with) any temporary hit points the creature already had.
For example, a 14th level White Mage with 20 Charisma casts Heal (caster level 17th) on a Bard with normal maximum hit points of 100, healing 180 hit points (10/caster level, max 15 levels, from Heal, and 30 from Healer's Heart). The Bard would heal to their full 100 hit points as well as gain 50 temporary hit points for up to 10 rounds.
Ivory Body (Ex): Beginning at 15th level, you gain immunity to disease, petrification, and poison.
Bonus Feat: At 16th level, you can choose Empower Esuna, Extra Esuna, or Quicken Esuna as a bonus feat (see below).
Ivory Soul (Ex): At 17th level, you no longer take ability score penalties for aging and cannot be magically aged. Any penalties you may have already incurred remain in place. You can still die of old age when your time is up.
Greater Touch of Healing (Ex): Beginning at 18th level, you are able to use your Touch of Healing to heal up to 3/4 of a creature's maximum hit points rather than half.
Ivory Whisper (Sp): At 19th level, you learn how to perform a special rite that guards you from death. Performing the rite requires 8 hours, and you must expend 1,000 experience points. The rite's effect lasts until it is dismissed or discharged.
While under protection of this rite, you instantly receive the benefit of a heal spell (caster level equal to your own) if you are reduced to 0 hit points or lower or have any ability score reduced to 0. You receive the spell's effect immediately, even if reduced to -10 points or lower by an enemy attack, and thus may survive a blow that otherwise would have killed you. The rite's protection is discharged once it is triggered, and you must perform a new rite to use this ability again.
Ivory Perfection: At 20th level, your devotion to healing reaches its ultimate form. Your type becomes Outsider (native). You gain fast healing equal to half your Charisma modifier. This fast healing does not provide you temporary hit points from medic's insight or overheal.
Additionally, you project a protective aura, providing a +4 deflection bonus to AC and a +4 resistance bonus on saving throws to allies within 20 feet of you. This aura functions as a magic circle against evil and a lesser globe of invulnerability, both with a radius of 20 feet (caster level 20). This aura is a supernatural ability.
Ultimate Blessing (Sp): At 20th level, once per day, you may bless an ally, preventing any harm that might befall them and yourself for a short duration. As a standard action, you and a single willing target become immune to hit point damage, ability damage or drain, and death effects for a number of rounds equal to your Charisma modifier. The target must have its maximum number of hit points in order for you to target them, and they must stay within 20ft. of you or the effect ends immediately. While under this protection, you cannot cast any spells or use any other spell-like abilities.
Ex-White Mages: If you grossly violate the code of contact required by your god, you lose all spells and class features, except for armor and shield proficiencies and proficiency with simple weapons. You cannot thereafter gain levels as a White Mage of that god until you atone for your deeds (see the atonement spell description).
White Mage feats:
EMPOWER ESUNA
Prerequisite: Esuna.
Benefit: You may use a single Esuna check to remove multiple status ailments from a single target by taking a -5 penalty for each status ailment beyond the first. You must roll a Heal check for each status ailment you attempt to remove.
For example, a 10th level White Mage attempts to use Esuna to remove a negative level (DC 40), ability damage (DC 25), and poison (DC 30) from an ally. They must roll three Heal checks at a -10 penalty to do so.
Normal: You may only remove a single status ailment with any Esuna attempt.
Special: If you would gain Empower Turning as a feat, you can choose to instead take Empower Esuna.
EXTRA ESUNA
Prerequisite: Esuna.
Benefit: You can use your Esuna ability four more times per day than normal.
Normal: You can only use Esuna a number of times per day equal to 3 + your Charisma modifier.
Special: If you would gain Extra Turning as a feat, you can choose to instead take Extra Esuna.
You can gain Extra Esuna multiple times. Its effects stack. Each time you take the feat, you can use your Esuna ability four additional times per day.
QUICKEN ESUNA
Prerequisite: Esuna.
Benefit: You can make an Esuna attempt as a swift action that does not provoke attacks of opportunity.
Normal: Making an Esuna attempt is a standard action that provokes attacks of opportunity.
Special: If you would gain Quicken Turning as a feat, you can choose to instead take Quicken Esuna.
Special notes about class abilities:
Turn Undead and Esuna: To get rid of Turn Undead and promote the healing aspect of White Mage, I turned it into a touch-of-vitality-like ability. It makes a normally useless skill (Heal) suddenly pretty useful (something I like to see a class do). It keeps the essence of turn, focuses it into healing, and removes cheese.
It does create a few problems though. Since the class lacks an ability to turn undead, it's improper for domains that grant turn-related powers such as the Air domain or the Sun domain. As an alternative, a White Mage gains a use as described by the domain once per day. For example, a White Mage that takes the Air domain can turn or rebuke creatures with the earth subtype once per day. These uses do not count as normal turn attempts and as such cannot be used for divine feats.
For all other purposes which would raise your Turn check or provide additional Turns per day, it applies to your Esuna check or uses per day.
Healer's Heart: To start the class being a healbot and make it a little more worth while. All of it is meant to make healing a strong option for your action-economy to remain balanced, possibly strong enough to free up further actions. Lowering damage weakens the class's offensive options quite a bit, ensuring they stay healing.
White Magic and Domain abilities: In designing the class, I really wanted to focus on making it a tier 2-ish class that still really feels like a cleric without all the turning cheese.
Domains seem to get overlooked a lot, or they're seen as tiny additions to make cleric even more ridiculous. The hope was to make a Focused Specialist-like situation, giving a ton of extra options to the class at the cost of a little versatility. Domain Secret is an homage to Wu Jen to make it feel like you really manage to specialize in your domains, while deeper devotion makes the focus even more apparent.
Skill Focus (Heal) and Heal Focus: It's somewhat ironic that the healbot classes all get Heal as a class skill but are the LEAST likely to use the damn thing. Esuna helps make it necessary, and this makes it easier to pass the outrageous checks. The long-term care clause is mostly fluff.
Summon Familiar: While familiars are normally an arcane only thing, there are exceptions (Druid ACF, Unearthed Arcana's Spellcaster class, etc.). Having playtested a White Mage a bit, it works out fine. Delivering touch spells helps quite a bit, but not so much so that it becomes overpowered. Speed-bumping it with half-progression helps quite a bit.
Touch of Healing abilities: If a true blaster is never to run out of damage, a true healer should never run out of heals, right? And while Touch of Healing is nice and all, a true healbot should be able to do it better. Increasing the rate, giving it range, and increasing the max turn the reserve feat into a viable option.
Medic's abilities: A couple of these are taken from the Favored Soul ACF from PHB2, the other is to just continue the super-healbot feel of the class.
Healing Echoes: Mostly, this is to be a healing counterpart to Damage Echoes (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=226942). In big fights that are certain to keep dishing out extreme amounts of damage, this allows you to basically Empower a heal spell for free and let you focus on another meat-shield for the next turn.
Overheal and Ultimate Blessing: Yeah, Medic (http://wiki.teamfortress.com/wiki/Medic) references. It was a bit of a guilty pleasure, but the abilities still make sense with White Mage. My hope is that the mechanics reflect the Medic while still being a cool, balanced healing ability.
Ivory Abilities: I personally love classes that add templates and the like over the course of the class, but I didn't want to go overboard with it this time. Captones that change your type are flavorful, and adding some of the Angel subtype's abilities without making it a full-fledged angel makes the class powerful without making it something White Mage is not. Immune to disease, petrification, poison, and aging effects are all decent little abilities. Ivory Tongue is mostly for fluff, but it does have its place. Ivory Whisper emulates Spirit Shaman's level 19 ability and the Angel Whisper (http://finalfantasy.wikia.com/wiki/Angel_Whisper_(Ability)) ability. As for the name, the idea was to be a White Mage opposite of Black Mage's ebon abilities.
That's what I have so far. I had a lot of fun designing the class. Now I just hope other people think it's fun / interesting / balanced. If anyone has suggestions (particularly about Esuna and Ultimate Blessing as those are the most complicated class abilities), please let me know. I'd love to hear any feedback.