Planeswalkers [Yes, the MtG thing, 3.5 PrC, please comment]

[qwertyu63]

The Planeswalker

Requirements
To qualify to become an planeswalker, a character must fulfill all the following criteria.

Skills:
Knowledge (The Planes) 10 ranks

Special:
Must have been to at least 3 planes.


LevelBase Attack BonusFort SaveRef SaveWill SaveSpecialMax Bonds
1st
+0
+0
+2
+2Ageless, Mana Bonds2
2nd
+1
+0
+3
+3Planeswalk 1/day, Casting2
3rd
+2
+1
+3
+3Sustaining3
4th
+3
+1
+4
+4Bonded Gaze3
5th
+3
+1
+4
+4Planeswalk 2/day4
6th
+4
+2
+5
+5Truly Ageless4
7th
+5
+2
+5
+55
8th
+6/+1
+2
+6
+6Planeswalk 3/day5
9th
+6/+1
+3
+6
+66
10th
+7/+2
+3
+7
+7Planeswalk at will6


Hit Dice: d6

Class Skills
The planeswalkers’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Decipher Script (Int), Knowledge (all skills, taken individually) (Int), Profession (Wis), and Spellcraft (Int).

Skill Points at Each Level
2 + Int modifier.

Ageless (Ex):
A planeswalker no longer takes penalties to her ability scores for aging and cannot be magically aged. Any such penalties that she has already taken, however, remain in place. Bonuses still accrue, and the planeswalker still dies of old age when her time is up.

Mana Bonds (Su):
A planeswalker can create connections with locations, in order to use the mana located there. This is known as a Mana Bond. A planeswalker must spend 10 minutes to bond with a location. Once bonded, the connection can not be broken, except by the planeswalker themselves (which they can do as a free action). A planeswalker can only have so many bonds at once, as shown on the table. The types of bonds, and the mana they make, are listed later. See Mana and Spells

Planeswalk (Sp):
A planeswalker of at least level 2 can use Plane Shift and Greater Teleport as a spell-like ability once each per day. This increases to twice each per day at level 5, and thrice each per day at level 8. At level 10, the planeswalker can use this ability at will.

Casting (Su):
A planeswalker of at least level 2 can call upon his Mana Bonds to cast spells. See Mana and Spells.

Sustaining (Ex):
A planeswalker of at least level 3 no longer needs to eat food, drink or sleep.

Bonded Gaze (Su):
As a standard action, a planeswalker of at least level 4 can perceive everything within a radius of one mile around any of its Mana Bonds.

Truly Ageless (Ex):
A planeswalker of at least level 6 no longer need fear the march of time. They no longer die of old age.

[qwertyu63]

Mana and Spells:
There are 5 types of mana. Red, Blue, Green, Black and White. By calling upon these five colors of mana, a planeswalker can call powerful creatures into being, and preform powerful feats of magic. In addition, to cast a spell requires one mote, a unit of magic power. A planeswalker can hold up to 7 motes at once, unless a spell says otherwise.

To obtain mana, a planeswalker calls upon their Mana Bonds. Calling upon a bond is a free action and give the planeswalker one point of mana to use. A bond can only be used once before it needs to be refreshed. A planeswalker can refresh all of their bonds as a full-round action, which also gives another mote.

The types of bonds, and the mana they generate are as follows:

Bond types are listed like this:
Name: The name of the bond type.
To create: The conditions that must be true of a place to make this type of bond. If these conditions later go away, the bond breaks.
Mana color: The color of mana created by calling upon the bond.

Mountain (basic):
To create: The elevation must exceed 3000 feet above sea level and the temperature must be above 20 degrees Celsius (68 Fahrenheit).
Mana Color: Red

Island (basic):
To create: An ocean must be within sight and you must be standing on sand.
Mana Color: Blue

Forest (basic):
To create: You must be able to see at least 10 trees and there may not be any building within sight.
Mana Color: Green

Swamp (basic):
To create: You must be standing in mud or muddy water, which must spread out 10 feet.
Mana Color: Black

Plains (basic):
To create: The elevation must be within 5 feet of the spot you are standing on everywhere within 15 feet.
Mana Color: White

Twin Bond:
To create: Meet the requirements of two types of basic bonds at once. The two met are referred to as fused.
Mana Color: The colors of both bonds being fused. When calling this bond, you get one mana of one of the colors.

Upon calling on a bond, the planeswalker must use the mana immediately or it is lost. All of these spells are free actions, and cost one mote, in addition to the mana cost. They can use this mana on spells, like these:

Format:

Name: The name of the spell.
Cost: The mana you must spend.
Interrupt?: Whether you can use it during someone else's turn. (If you can, you can also do it in reaction to something else.)
Effect: What it does.

Red:
Name: Shock
Cost: One red mana
Interrupt?: Yes
Effect: Target creature takes 10 damage.

Name: Arsonist
Cost: One red mana
Interrupt?: No
Effect: Summon a creature (Power 2, Toughness 1, when it dies target creature takes 5 damage)

Name: Frenzied Attacker
Cost: One red mana, and one mana of any color
Interrupt?: No
Effect: Summon a creature (Power 2, Toughness 1)

Name: Lightning Sprite
Cost: Two red mana
Interrupt?: Yes
Effect: Summon a creature (Power 3, Toughness 1, Lasts only 1 round)

Name: Flame Drake
Cost: One red mana, and two mana of any color
Interrupt?: No
Effect: Summon a creature (Power 1, Toughness 2, you can spend one red mana to increase its power by one for one round)

Name: Rend
Cost: Two red mana, and two mana of any color
Interrupt?: No
Effect: Target Mana Bond can not be called for 5 minutes.

Blue
Name: Mana Spike
Cost: One blue mana
Interrupt?: Yes
Effect: Counter one spell, unless its caster expends a spell slot or one mana.

Name: Brain Storm
Cost: One blue mana
Interrupt?: Yes
Effect: Gain two motes (net gain one mote).

Name: Daze
Cost: One blue mana, and one mana of any color
Interrupt?: Yes
Effect: Target creature is dazed until the start of their next turn.

Name: Counterspell
Cost: Two blue mana
Interrupt?: Yes
Effect: Counter one spell.

Name: Magic Sprite
Cost: One blue mana, and two mana of any color
Interrupt?: No
Effect: Summon a creature (Power 2, Toughness 2, it has a fly speed of 20 feet [Perfect])

Name: Hoverguard
Cost: 2 blue mana, and two mana of any color
Interrupt?: No
Effect: Summon a creature (Power 2, Toughness 2, it has a fly speed of 20 feet [Perfect], you can spend one blue mana to give it Magic Immunity for one round)

Green:
Name: Giant Growth
Cost: One green mana
Interrupt?: Yes
Effect: Target creature gains +6 Constitution and Strength OR gains +3 Power and Toughness. Lasts one round.

Name: Path Finder
Cost: One green mana
Interrupt?: No
Effect: Summon a creature (Power 2, Toughness 2, can as a full round action restore one of your Forest bonds)

Name: Mana Flow
Cost: One green mana, and one mana of any color
Interrupt?: Yes
Effect: Create one mana of any color. Must use immediately.

Name: Fury Bear
Cost: Two green mana
Interrupt?: No
Effect: Summon a creature (Power 3, Toughness 2, has the feat Cleave)

Name: Nature's Avenger
Cost: One green mana, and two mana of any color
Interrupt?: No
Effect: Summon a creature (Power 5, Toughness 3, has the feat Cleave)

Name: Treefolk Striker
Cost: Two green mana, and two mana of any color
Interrupt?: No
Effect: Summon a creature (Power 3, Toughness 4, has 10 ft. reach)

White (Which I will show as yellow silver, due to the background):
Name: Ready Protector
Cost: One white mana
Interrupt?: No
Effect: Summon a creature (Power 1, Toughness 1, you can spend one white mana to increase its toughness by one for one round)

Name: Healing Salve
Cost: One white mana
Interrupt?: Yes
Effect: Target is healed for 15 hp OR gains 15 temporary hp for one round.

Name: Armor Master
Cost: One white mana, and one mana of any color
Interrupt?: No
Effect: Summon a creature (Power 2, Toughness 2, gives all your other creatures +1 toughness)

Name: Sky Keeper
Cost: Two white mana
Interrupt?: No
Effect: Summon a creature (Power 2, Toughness 2, it has a fly speed of 20 feet [Perfect])

Name: Honor Call
Cost: One white mana, and two mana of any color
Interrupt?: Yes
Effect: All of your allies gain +2 Constitution and Strength and all creatures you control gains +1 Power and Toughness. Lasts one round.

Name: Light's Mercy
Cost: Two white mana, and two mana of any color
Interrupt?: Yes
Effect: The caster is healed for 35 hp

Black (Which I will show as this grey, due to the default color):
Name: Weaken
Cost: One black mana
Interrupt?: Yes
Effect: Target creature loses +4 Constitution and Strength OR loses +2 Power and Toughness. Lasts one round.

Name: Corrupt
Cost: One black mana
Interrupt?: No
Effect: Target creature loses one mote OR loses one spell slot.

Name: Doom Blade
Cost: One black mana, and one mana of any color
Interrupt?: Yes
Effect: Destroy target non-undead creature (Fort DC 15 negates).

Name: Zombie Minion
Cost: Two black mana
Interrupt?: No
Effect: Summon a creature (Power 2, Toughness 2, is also undead)

Name: Vampire Helper
Cost: One black mana, and two mana of any color
Interrupt?: No
Effect: Summon a creature (Power 2, Toughness 2, is also undead, whenever it does damage it heals you for that amount)

Name: Blood Pact
Cost: Two black mana, and two mana of any color
Interrupt?: No
Effect: Caster gains 4 motes (net gain 3) and lose 10 HP

Other Spells:
I will be writing some of these, but know that you can just grab any Magic: the Gathering card (Except Artifacts or Planeswalkers. Can't have those.). Some conversions:

Mana costs stay the same.

1 MtG damage becomes 5 D&D damage.
1 Power becomes 2 Strength
1 Toughness becomes 2 Constitution

Flying becomes "fly speed of 20 feet [Perfect]"
Trample becomes Cleave
Lifelink becomes "whenever it does damage it heals you for that amount"
Hexproof becomes "has immunity to magic, which it can voluntarily lower"
Defender becomes "can only attack using Locked Strikes"

Tapping a creature becomes dazing for one round
Untapping a creature becomes giving another standard action for one round

Instants and cards with flash become Interrupt?: Yes
Everything else becomes Interrupt?: No

Drawing a card gives another mote OR restores a spellslot of the lowest used level
Discarding a card takes a mote OR drains a spellslot
Milling makes it impossible to gain motes for (number of cards milled) / 2 rounds

Destroying a land becomes "Mana Bond can not be called for 5 minutes"

Destroy effects give a DC 15 Fort saving throw
Controlling effects give a DC 10 Will saving throw


Creatures:
Creatures summoned by a planeswalker are somewhat odd. Unless noted in the spell, they exist for only 5 minutes. They all have the following stats:

Creature type: Construct
Size: Medium
AC: Is always hit
HP: 1 (Destroyed if hit zero) (HD: Toughness)
BAB: Always hits (Melee attack for X*5, where X is Power)
Saves: Always fail
Move speed: 30 feet
Str 10+(Power*2), Dex 8, Con -, Int -, Wis 8, Cha 8.
Alignment: Same as controller
Special: Power/Toughness, DR (Toughness*5-1)/-, Chanceless, Locked Strikes

Power/Toughness: A summoned creature has a power score and a toughness score. These scores are defined by the spell that summoned it. These scores effect the creatures combat as shown.

Damage Reduction: A summoned creature has DR equal to its one less then Toughness*5. Nothing can ignore this DR.

Chanceless: Any attack rolls involving a summoned creature automatically hit. This applies regardless of if this creature is attacking or defending.

Locked Strikes: Any attack rolls involving a summoned creature triggers a special AoO. This attack doesn't use up any AoO chances for those involved, and both attacks happen at once. This applies regardless of if this creature is attacking or defending.

[qwertyu63]

Special Items:

These are some items of note to planeswalkers. Some of them call them artifacts, but they are just normal magic items. This is just a small selection of those which exist.

Moxes:
Moxes are necklaces which take up the Neck slot. Each is tied to one of the 5 colors of mana. Once per round as a free action, you can make a Mox give you one mana of the color to which it tied. The names of the items are:
Mox Ruby: Red
Mox Sapphire: Blue
Mox Emerald: Green
Mox Pearl: White
Mox Jet: Black
Slot: Neck
Price: 1000 gp

Helm of Awakening:
This helmet makes spells far easier to cast, once active. To activate the helmet, you must spend 2 mana of any color. When this mana is spent, the helm is active for the next 5 minutes. While it is active, the mana cost of all spells you cast is reduced by one mana, which can only be applied to mana stated as "mana of any color".
Slot: Head
Cost: 2100 gp

Commanding Helmet:
This helmet makes creatures under your control more powerful. To activate the helmet, you must spend 2 mana of any color. When this mana is spent, the helm is active for the next 5 minutes. While it is active, creatures you control gain +1 Power and Toughness.
Slot: Head
Cost: 2100 gp

Walker's Blade:
This sword is rather useful to a planeswalker. A planeswalker owning a copy of this blade can spend three mana of any color to cause it to appear in the hands of their target. So long as they are holding it, they gain 3 power OR 6 strength.
Slot: ---
Cost: 1200 gp

Walker's Shield:
This shield is rather useful to a planeswalker. A planeswalker owning a copy of this shield can spend three mana of any color to cause it to appear in the hands of their target. So long as they are holding it, they gain 3 toughness OR 6 Constitution.
Slot: ---
Cost: 1200 gp

[More to come.]

[demonickin0]

I love it! It is very simple yet it covers all of the basic abilities of a planeswalker. The skill progression is very balanced and I could see this being a very handy plot device. I am a huge fan of the prereqs. Only requiring that makes it possible for almost any class to become a planeswalker which is exactly how it works in MTG. I will definately be trying that out in the campaign I am running when I get back from winter break. The only other way to get successful planewalker is psionics so this makes my job easier.

[qwertyu63]

I love it! It is very simple yet it covers all of the basic abilities of a planeswalker. The skill progression is very balanced and I could see this being a very handy plot device. I am a huge fan of the prereqs. Only requiring that makes it possible for almost any class to become a planeswalker which is exactly how it works in MTG. I will definately be trying that out in the campaign I am running when I get back from winter break. The only other way to get successful planewalker is psionics so this makes my job easier.

Thank you.

I was indeed trying to make it so anyone could get in the class, as the spark doesn't care who you were.

Most of the spells are just Magic cards converted into D&D terms. I'm thinking of giving card draw an effect, but I haven't yet. Which I have now done. It's a bit less simple, but c'est la vie.

When that game runs, let me know how it goes.

[Razanir]

I'd pick a different color for white, like pink (magenta). Yellow's tough to read

Also, a few abilities that you would need to explain how they work:
Swampwalk and similar (can't be blocked if your opponent has that land)
Threshold (gain an effect when you have 7+ cards in the graveyard)
Anything dealing with cards, for that matter
Flying
Fear (can only be blocked by black and artifact)

Specific card that seems overpowered if you directly converted it
Terror– 1B. "Destroy target nonartifact, nonblack creature. It can't be regenerated"
Even if you add a save, it's still a save-or-die effect at level 8.

[qwertyu63]

I'd pick a different color for white, like pink (magenta). Yellow's tough to read

Silver should work. [Pink is from an Un-set anyway]


Also, a few abilities that you would need to explain how they work:
Swampwalk and similar (can't be blocked if your opponent has that land)
Threshold (gain an effect when you have 7+ cards in the graveyard)
Anything dealing with cards, for that matter
Flying
Fear (can only be blocked by black and artifact)

There is no blocking or graveyard, so Landwalk, Threshold and Fear do nothing.
Cards are motes.
Flying was already handled.



Specific card that seems overpowered if you directly converted it
Terror– 1B. "Destroy target nonartifact, nonblack creature. It can't be regenerated"
Even if you add a save, it's still a save-or-die effect at level 8.

Level 9 (Note that you get casting at level 2), but point made. Note that Doom Blade already made the list, with a DC 15 Fort throw, which Terror would get as well.

[Amechra]

Why even bother giving creatures summoned a BAB if they automatically hit?

[qwertyu63]

Why even bother giving creatures summoned a BAB if they automatically hit?

In case something strips away that ability. For all I know there is something lurking out there that would do it. But I'll change it.

[Erik Vale]

You need to state something as to how many spells a planeswalker can know. Otherwise a Planeswalker/Wizard becomes more broken than a pure wizard.
What dammage spels does it know?
All of them...

[qwertyu63]

You need to state something as to how many spells a planeswalker can know. Otherwise a Planeswalker/Wizard becomes more broken than a pure wizard.
What dammage spels does it know?
All of them...

When I'm done, it will know all the spells on it's list and no others. Right now, it knows roughly half of what I plan to make, and any MtG card your DM will let you get away with. Planeswalkers don't have the issue of what spells they know, it's what spells they have the mana for.

It will not be able to cast all of its spells however, as to cast planeswalker spell you need mana of the right color. If you aren't bound to any forests, you can't cast any green spells.

Planeswalker spells can not be used in normal spell slots, and in fact have no spell level. Normal spells can not be cast using mana. It is a separate system.

[Thanatos 51-50]

Hrm... since "counters" aren't so much a thing, how might one handle Infect and/or Wither?
If someone casts Create water in a Forest-type location, and soaks the dirt, making it mud, do they make a Swamp or a Forest? Or a Swamp Forest? What if they do this while they're at 3000 feet Above Sea Level? On a mesa. Overlooking the ocean, with one foot touching some dry sand.

And Ravnica contests your definition of forests.

If a Druid uses Control Weather to make it snow around your Mountain, can you no longer draw on it for your precious Red mana? Is the peak of Mt. Everest or Kilamanjaro not a viable Mountain-type mana bond?

If, by the tricks listed above, I get an Island Swamp, can I cast Glimpse the Unthinkable using just that one bond?
Why doesn't milling just make it impossible to gain motes for (number of cards milled) / 2 rounds? You're cutting out the ability of mill decks to effectively translate.

Why Can't I make an Artifact? Especially not any Equipment?

[qwertyu63]

Hrm... since "counters" aren't so much a thing, how might one handle Infect and/or Wither?

Negative energy would be a start, as I left that as a bypass for their restoring.


If someone casts Create water in a Forest-type location, and soaks the dirt, making it mud, do they make a Swamp or a Forest? Or a Swamp Forest? What if they do this while they're at 3000 feet Above Sea Level? On a mesa. Overlooking the ocean, with one foot touching some dry sand.

Take your pick. When creating a bond in a area that fits more than one type, you just pick one [EDIT: or two, but that makes it easier to break].


And Ravnica contests your definition of forests.

Alright, sucks to be those forests.


If a Druid uses Control Weather to make it snow around your Mountain, can you no longer draw on it for your precious Red mana? Is the peak of Mt. Everest or Kilamanjaro not a viable Mountain-type mana bond?

Right on both counts. Spoil a site, and the bonds break. And just try lower on those mountains.


If, by the tricks listed above, I get an Island Swamp, can I cast Glimpse the Unthinkable using just that one bond?

It is like Underground Sea (http://magiccards.info/rv/en/305.html), you would only get one mana, but you get to pick the color.


Why doesn't milling just make it impossible to gain motes for (number of cards milled) / 2 rounds? You're cutting out the ability of mill decks to effectively translate.

I hadn't translated Mill yet. You just did. I will use it. Thank you.


Why Can't I make an Artifact? Especially not any Equipment?

Because I plan to make those items rather than spells. That third post is there for a reason. EDIT: I have now started doing this.

[Erik Vale]

Heres a couple of other planeswalkers you might think of incorperating information from.

http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=189767
http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=49583

[Eldan]

These creatures are a bit problematic, really. At least in many D&D combat situations. They don't have abilities, hit dice, alignments or sizes, so it's very unclear how they handle many kinds of special attacks.

[qwertyu63]

These creatures are a bit problematic, really. At least in many D&D combat situations. They don't have abilities, hit dice, alignments or sizes, so it's very unclear how they handle many kinds of special attacks.

They are also incomplete. Let me just pull stuff out.

Str 10+(Power*2), Dex 8, Con -, Int -, Wis 8, Cha 8.
HD: Toughness
Alignment: Same as controller
Size: Medium

Anything else important?

[Eldan]

If you keep the stats like this, even the strongest creature becomes a pushover after a while. But making them scale better would be hard.

[qwertyu63]

If you keep the stats like this, even the strongest creature becomes a pushover after a while. But making them scale better would be hard.

That I know. After a while they become rather weak. I haven't yet thought of a way to fix this, but I'm working on it.

[Primal Fury]

I've gotta say, I really appreciate you making this. I've been wracking my brain trying to figure out how to make this work, but you've made something that is both simple, AND allows for extreme versatility.

Do you plan on filling in the rest of the dead levels? What about the mechanics that aren't getting much attention from WotC, like Infect? How does the spell progression work?

[qwertyu63]

I've gotta say, I really appreciate you making this. I've been wracking my brain trying to figure out how to make this work, but you've made something that is both simple, AND allows for extreme versatility.

Do you plan on filling in the rest of the dead levels? What about the mechanics that aren't getting much attention from WotC, like Infect? How does the spell progression work?

I am trying to think of various things to fill those levels, but please note that the 2 levels which lack features are levels where you gain the right to a new bond.

Other mechanics and keywords are on the to-do list as well.

The "spell progression" is a bit... odd. A planeswalker has access to all planeswalker spells that they can cast with the mana at their disposal. As you gain more bonds (lands, if you didn't get the metaphor), you can cast more powerful spells, and more spells in general.

A note on the ideas behind this.
Your choices of mana bonds sets what you can cast. Do you want to focus on a color and get at its better spells, or spread out among the colors and gain a variety of effects? Do you want to make Twin Bonds, which act as whichever of their 2 colors you wish, but which are hard to make and can be ruined by breaking either half of them or stick with normal bonds, which can just be found and are harder to destroy? And where will you place them, seeing as you can remotely view them? These are the hard choices.