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View Full Version : How to create a Pastamancer? (Pathfinder)



ClockworkSun
2012-01-10, 10:09 PM
So, since playing Kingdom of Loathing, I've always been amused by the thought of giving a mage some chef-based flavor. However, I think I'd like to do more with the idea than simply describing some magic missiles as frozen raviolis. I've searched around, and found one 3.5 version that's okay, but I'd like to see if I can't figure something out for Pathfinder instead.

I figure that an entirely new base class is probably too much work for what I would want to accomplish, so I think the best option is an alternate class feature, or set of alternate class features.

First off, what class to modify? I'd like to make this a class with full spell-casting, and I think the best options for working off of are the Wizard and Sorcerer, and maybe the Oracle or Witch.

Essentially what I'd like to incorporate is making Profession (chef) a key skill for the class, having spells come from a cook book, as well as giving it various noodly powers, which could either come directly from the Pastamancer's ability in Kingdom of Loathing (and despite the name of Pastamancer, elements from the Saucerer could be incorporated as well), adapting existing abilities with pasta-flavor, or unique new ones. A modified spell list would almost certainly come into play as well.

The easiest way I can see this working is modifying the spell list with some noodle- or sauce-based spells (although this could also occur in changing class features, which I will get in to now). Basically, my ideas for each class base are these:

Wizard: The introduction of the Pasta wizard school. The Wizard's spellbook becomes a cookbook, the arcane bond could be limited to cooking instruments, or maybe a living noodle familiar, or replaced entirely, and the powers gained by this school are all pasta-based, perhaps all spells gain some sort of noodle flavor?
Notes: I'm not a huge fan of this variation, simply because "Pasta" as a school seems weird, since there isn't a "Pasta" type of magic. Maybe it could be a sub-school of something appropriate?

Sorcerer: The Pastamancer/Chef bloodline. This mostly involves coming up with the relevant bloodline bonuses: class skill addition(s), bonus spells, available bonus feats, bloodline arcana and powers.
Notes: This seems like a better option than the Wizard variant, but their are a few things I don't like. It cuts out the cookbook/spellbook idea, which I think adds a nice flair. I'm also unsure of whether prepared on spontaneous casting is better for this type of caster--I'm not particularly torn, I just don't know which would be better. I'm also not sure whether I like the Pastamancer as a Charisma-based caster, but there's only so much you can do about that I suppose.

Oracle: This works similarly to the Sorcerer, with the creation of the Pastamancy Mystery. One simply needs to decide on the class skill addition(s), bonus spells, and available revelations. Perhaps the Oracle's curse would be pasta-specific as well. This one, I think, gets the silliest, since the divine power would most obviously come from the Flying Spaghetti Monster, but other chef-gods, or gods of gluttony, satisfaction, art, fire/the hearth, etc. could be patrons as well.
Notes: See Sorcerer

Witch: I suppose this one could work, too. The familiar could be living pasta, the available Hexes would be pasta-based, and overall I think this could be a much more sinister pasta-poisoner type. This one, as well as the wizard, could also deal in eldritch noodle tentacles.
Notes: No cookbook, but communing with a living pasta familiar is kind of fun as well. The main reason I would shy away from this one is that, unlike the wizard school, sorcerer bloodline, and oracle mystery, the witch's hexes are not a unified progression but rather disparate abilities to be picked from. This sort of cherry-picking ability list would work better if the pastamancer were its own base class.

Besides the issue of how to modify the base class, there's the issue of what constitutes a pastamancer's abilities? Here's a list of ideas for things that could be made into class features or modified spells, some taken directly from the KoL pastamancer and saucerer:
-Cookbook as spellbook
-Using Profession (chef) to satisfy other skills, such as spellcraft, UMD, knowledge (arcana), appraise (food only), perception (to identify potions by taste)
-A bonus against ingested poisons (Probably doesn't happen that often)
-Creation of magical meals with various buffs (healing, morale boosts, magical sustenance, etc.)
-Summoned/crafted noodle weapons/minions
-Entangling noodles (basically the entangle spell, but with noodles)
-Lasagna bandages and/or sauce salves (magical healing)
-Fire/Cold resistance ("If you can't stand the heat/cold, get out of the kitchen/freezer")
-Spell flavoring (turn elemental damage type into a different one)
-Sauce-based evocation blasts (Fireball becomes jalapeno blast, cone of cold becomes cone of gazpacho, etc)
-Magical shields, barriers, and mage armor made of pasta/sauce
-A bonus to potion creation?


I'm not super experienced with tabletop RPGs yet, and I've never cooked up any homebrew before, so any advice and commentary is welcome and much appreciated!

Seerow
2012-01-11, 12:04 AM
I'd start with the sorcerer and just make some new spells that reflect what you want.


I'd also recommend drawing from the Saucerer, KOL classes only get like 10-15 abilities each iirc, so meshing an extra similar class into it should get you enough abilities to be worth using.

I'd also recommend the ability to craft special dishes that act as potions that last for an extended period of time.

ClockworkSun
2012-01-11, 02:16 AM
Thanks for your input.


But what do you think about the cookbook? Would using sorcerer for the base but using the wizard's spell progression w/ prepared spells work?

Waddacku
2012-01-11, 06:37 AM
Giving the Sorcerer a cookbook that allows them to prepare spells in their slots (like the Arcane Preparation feat from Complete Arcane) should work. It means they can prepare a set of spells affected by metamagic without increasing the casting time. A Pastamancer would thus have some prepared, tricked out "dishes" in some of his slots, and another bunch left open for when he needs to improvise things. He can trick out his improvised dishes, too, but it makes the cooking take longer.

ClockworkSun
2012-01-11, 04:23 PM
Giving the Sorcerer a cookbook that allows them to prepare spells in their slots (like the Arcane Preparation feat from Complete Arcane) should work. It means they can prepare a set of spells affected by metamagic without increasing the casting time. A Pastamancer would thus have some prepared, tricked out "dishes" in some of his slots, and another bunch left open for when he needs to improvise things. He can trick out his improvised dishes, too, but it makes the cooking take longer.

That's perfect! It might be nice to also throw in some food-potions, like some cannolis of cure light wounds or something.