Meat Shield AND Wizard? Blasphemy! (3.5 PrC, PEACH)

[Kane0]

This is not a gish. This is a sort of alternate Warmage that focuses on controlling and locking down the battle while also providng protection for the other 'squishies' and being a flanking buddy.

Prerequisites:
Arcane Spellcasting: 4th level or higher
Constitution 16+
Any two of: Combat Casting; Combat Expertise or Dodge

Hit Die: d8
Skills per level: 2 + Int
Proficiencies: Light and Medium Armor, Shields (but not tower shields)

Skills: Concentration, Craft, Know (Arcana, Planes, Engineering), Profession, Spellcraft

The Fontline Mage
{table=head] Level | BAB | Fort | Ref | Will | Special | Spell Progression
1st | +0 | +0 | +0 | +2 | Armored Mage: Light | +1 level of existing spellcasting class
2nd | +1 | +0 | +0 | +3 | Battlefield Control +1 |
3rd | +1 | +1 | +1 | +3 | Spell Buffer | +1 level of existing spellcasting class
4th | +2 | +1 | +1 | +4 | Battlefield Control +2 | +1 level of existing spellcasting class
5th | +2 | +1 | +1 | +4 | Reflexive Spell | +1 level of existing spellcasting class
6th | +3 | +2 | +2 | +5 | Battlefield Control +3 |
7th | +3 | +2 | +2 | +5 | Armored Mage: Medium | +1 level of existing spellcasting class
8th | +4 | +2 | +2 | +6 | Battlefield Control +4 | +1 level of existing spellcasting class
9th | +4 | +3 | +3 | +6 | Arcane Defence | +1 level of existing spellcasting class
10th | +5 | +3 | +3 | +7 | Frontline Casting | +1 level of existing spellcasting class
[/Table]

Armored Mage: Light: You can cast in light armor with no Arcane Spell Failure. This also applies to light shields
Battlefield Control: All spells that you cast that alter the battlefield or bestow negative conditions upon your opponents have the save DCs increased for those effects.
Spell Buffer: Each round you gain damage reduction /- for one round equal to 2 x the highest spell level you cast in that round.
Reflexive Spell: When threatened in melee, you can attempt a reflex save to cast a Battlefield Control, Debuff or Debilitating (Save or Suck/Lose) spell on your opponent outside of your turn. The DC is equal to 10 + 2 x the level of the spell you are attempting to cast. If you fail you lose the spell and provoke an attack of opportunity. If you succeed you sucessfully cast the spell and lose the action you took to cast the spell in your next turn.
Armored Mage: Medium: You can cast in Medium armor with no Arcane Spell Failure. This also applies to heavy shields.
Arcane Defence: You gain a permanent bonus of +2 to your Fortitude and Reflex saves, dodge AC and Initiative.
Frontline Casting: You no longer provoke AoOs for casting when threatened, and once per round you can cast a spell with a range of touch in place of an attack when making AoOs.


As always, feel free to leave comments and/or point out any mistakes I made.:smalltongue:

[Yitzi]

So you're giving the class full casting, plus a DC boost for some of the most powerful spells out there? That alone would make this powerful even for a tier 1 game; then giving substantial DR and concentration boosts (thereby negating most anticaster tactics) just makes this way over-the-top.

[Noctis Vigil]

A.) You have no class skills listed.

B.) You need to make Reflexive Spell's DC higher. By level 15 or 20, they will always be able to hit DC15. I'd suggest something along the lines of 15+2 per level of the spell you're attempting to cast. This will make low-level debuffs pretty easy to nail, but a level 9 save-or-die still a challenge.

C.) I agree with Yitzi:drop at least one level of spellcasting here, preferably two. This is just too over the top as is.

[Kane0]

OK then, toned it down a bit and working on skills now. Thanks for the input!

[Yitzi]

I'd advise having the first "missed" spellcasting level be level 1 or 2 (probably 1), to avoid level dips to get substantial benefits at no cost.

[Noctis Vigil]

I just realize you forgot something big.


Spell Buffer: Each round you gain damage reduction /- for one round equal to 2 x the highest spell level you cast in that round.

Emphasis is on what needs adding. As it reads now, any time a spell gets cast you get DR/-.

[Kane0]

Yeah that would be bad :smalleek:. Fixed, and thankyou :smallsmile:

[Dracon.AO]

Assuming this is 3.5, look at the duskblade in the players handbookII. It has most of this description.