[Class] The Battlemage, a Gish Class

[Bobbis]

Battlemage
Alignment:
Any

Hit Die:
d8

Class Skills:
The Battlemage’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Climb (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/skills/climb.htm) (Str), Concentration (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/skills/concentration.htm) (Con), Craft (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/skills/craft.htm) (Int), Diplomacy (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/skills/diplomacy.htm) (Cha), Intimidate (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/skills/intimidate.htm) (Cha), Jump (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/skills/jump.htm) (Str), Knowledge (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/skills/knowledge.htm) (Arcana) (Int), Ride (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/skills/ride.htm) (Dex), Spellcraft (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/skills/spellcraft.htm) (Int), and Swim (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/skills/swim.htm) (Str).

Skill Points at First Level:
(2+Int Modifier) x 4

Skill Points at Each Additional Level:
2+Int Modifier




Table: The Battlemage
{table=head]Level|Base Attack[br]Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special |0lvl|1st|2nd|3rd|4th|5th|6th|0lvl|1st|2nd|3rd|4th |5th|6th|
1ed|
+0|
+2|
+0|
+2| Spells |2|-|-|-|-|-|-|4|-|-|-|-|-|-|
2ed|
+1|
+3|
+0|
+3| Channel Spell 1/day |3|0|-|-|-|-|-|5|2|-|-|-|-|-|
3ed|
+2|
+3|
+1|
+3| Bonus Feat |3|1|-|-|-|-|-|6|3|-|-|-|-|-|
4th|
+3 |
+6|
+1|
+4|Channel Spell 2/day |3|2|0|-|-|-|-|6|3|2|-|-|-|-|
5th|
+3 |
+4|
+1|
+4| Ignore Spell Failure 10% |3|3|1|-|-|-|-|6|4|3|-|-|-|-|
6th|
+4 |
+5|
+2|
+5|Channel Spell 3/day |3|3|2|-|-|-|-|6|4|3|-|-|-|-|
7th|
+5 |
+5|
+2|
+5|Weakening Strike -1 |3|3|3|0|-|-|-|6|4|3|2|-|-|-|
8th|
+6/+1 |
+6|
+2|
+6|Channel Spell 4/day |3|3|3|1|-|-|-|6|4|4|3|-|-|-|
9th|
+7/+2 |
+6|
+3|
+6| Combat Knowledge +1|3|3|3|2|-|-|-|6|4|4|3|-|-|-|
10th|
+8/+9 |
+7|
+3|
+7| Ignore Spell Failure 20%, Channel Spell 5/day |3|3|3|2|0|-|-|6|4|4|4|2|-|-|
11th|
+9/+4|
+7|
+3|
+7| Weakening Strike -2 |3|3|3|3|1|-|-|6|4|4|4|3|-|-|
12th|
+10/+5|
+8|
+4|
+8| Channel Spell 6/day |3|3|3|3|2|-|-|6|4|4|4||3|-|
13th|
+10/+5|
+8|
+4|
+8| Multiple Channel Spell |3|3|3|3|2|0|-|6|4|4|4|4|0|-|
14th|
+11/+6/+1|
+9|
+4|
+9| Channel Spell 7/day |4|3|3|3|3|1|-|6|4|4|4|4|3|-|
15th|
+12/+7/+3 |
+9|
+5|
+9| Ignore Spell Failure 30% |4|4|3|3|3|2|6|4|4|4|4|4|3|-|
16th|
+12/+7/+3 |
+10|
+5|
+10| Channel Spell 8/day |4|4|4|3|3|2|0|6|5|4|4|4|4|1|
17th|
+13/+8/+3|
+10|
+5|
+10| Weakening Strike -3 |4|4|4|4|3|3|1|6|5|5|4|4|4|3|
18th|
+14/+9/+4|
+11|
+6|
+11| Channel Spell 9/day |4|4|4|4|4|3|2|6|5|5|5|4|4|3|
19th|
+16/+11/+6/+5 |
+11|
+6|
+12| Combat Knowledge +2|4|4|4|4|4|4|3|6|5|5|5|5|4|4|
20th|
+17/+12/+7/+2|
+12|
+6|
+12| Channel Spell 10/day, Ignore Spell Failure 40% |4|4|4|4|4|4|4|6|5|5|5|5|5|4| [/table]

(The right-hand column is spells known; the left-hand spells per day; in order to know spells the battlemage must have the requisite ability score.)
Weapon and Armor Proficiency:
A battlemage is proficient (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/combat/combatModifiers.htm#weaponArmorAndShieldProficienc y) with all simple and martial weapons (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/equipment/weapons.htm#simpleMartialandExoticWeapons) and with all armor (heavy, medium, and light) and shields (including tower shields).

Spells (Su)
A battlemage casts arcane spells, which are drawn from the battlemage spell list. He can cast any spell he knows without preparing it ahead of time. To learn or cast a spell, a battlemage must have an intelligence score equal to at least 10 + the spell level. The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against a battlemage’s spell is 10 + the spell level + the battlemage’s Charisma modifier.

Like other spellcasters, a battlemage can cast only a certain number of spells of each spell level per day. His base daily spell allotment is given on Table: The Battlemage. In addition, he receives bonus spells per day if he has a high Intelligence score. When Table: The Battlemage indicates that the battlemage gets 0 spells per day of a given spell level, he gains only the bonus spells he would be entitled to based on his Intelligence score for that spell level.

The battlemage’s selection of spells is extremely limited. A battlemage begins play knowing four 0-level spells of your choice. At most new battlemage levels, he gains one or more new spells, as indicated on Table: The Battlemage. (Unlike spells per day, the number of spells a battlemage knows is not affected by his Charisma score; the numbers on Table: The Battlemage are fixed.)

Upon reaching 5th level, and at every third battlemage level after that (8th, 11th, and so on), a battlemage can choose to learn a new spell in place of one he already knows. In effect, the battlemage "loses" the old spell in exchange for the new one. The new spell’s level must be the same as that of the spell being exchanged, and it must be at least two levels lower than the highest-level battlemage spell the battlemage can cast. A battlemage may swap only a single spell at any given level, and must choose whether or not to swap the spell at the same time that he gains new spells known for the level.

As noted above, a battlemage need not prepare his spells in advance. He can cast any spell he knows at any time, assuming he has not yet used up his allotment of spells per day for the spell’s level.

Channel Spell (Sp): At 2ed level, a battlemage can channel any spell he can cast into his melee weapon. Using this ability requires a move action, and the battlemage uses up the prepared spell or spell sot as if he had cast the spell. The channeled spell affects the next target that the spellsword successfully attacks with his weapon (saving throws and spell resistance still apply). Even if the spell normally affects an area or is a ray, it affects only the target. The spell is discharged from the weapon, which can then hold another spell. A battlemage can channel his spells into only one weapon at a time. Spells channeled into a weapon are lost if not used.



Bonus Feat:
At 3ed level, a battlemage advances his art, gaining a bonus feat. This bonus feat must be either a metamagic feat or one drawn from the list of bonus feats allowed to a fighter (see Table 5-1 on page 90 of the Player’s Handbook)

Ignore Spell Failure (Ex): Beginning at 5th level, a battlemage’s hard work and practice at merging spellcraft with weaponplay starts to pay off. As an extraordinary abilitiy, he ignores a portion of the arcane spell failure chance associeated with using armor, this reduction starts at 10% and gradually increases to 40%, as shown on the class table. A battlemage subtracts the given percentage value from his total spell failure chance, if any. For instance a character wearing scale mail and carrying a small shield normally has a spell failure chance of 30%, but this drops to only 10% for a 10th level battlemage.

Weakening Strike (Ex):
At 6th level a battlemage’s can lower an enemy’s resistance to his spells, lowering all its saves by 1 against spells cast by the battlemage for the next 24 hours. The battlemage must successfully do damage to the target in melee combat for this to take effect, At 11th level the battlemage can hit the enemy twice and lower its saves by 2, or three times at level 17 to lower it’s saves by 3. If channel spell is used the penalty to saves is applied before the spell effect.

Combat Knowledge (Ex):
At 9th level the Battlemage has gained considerable martial prowess, granting him +1 to his base attack bonus, this increases to +2 at level 19.

Multiple Channel Spell (Sp):
A 13th-level battlemage can channel two spells into his melee weapon, using a move action to channel each one. Both channeled spells affect the next target the battlemage successfully attacks with his weapon, in the order the spells were placed into the weapon. As with the channel spell class feature, saving throws and spell resistance apply normally. Each time a battlemage uses multiple channel spell, two of his channel spell uses per day are expended.

Spell List:
0 – Burning Hands, Shocking Grasp, Chill Touch, Magic Missile, Magic Weapon, Ray of Enfeeblement, True Strike
1 – Scorching Ray, Acid Arrow, Death Knell, Sonic Burst, Align Weapon, Poison, Heat Metal, Chill Metal
2 – Searing Light, Fireball, Lightning Bolt, Heroism, Greater Magic Weapon, Haste, Vampiric Touch
3 – Shout, Enervation, Bull’s Strength, Bear’s Endurance, Cat’s Grace, Eagle’s Splendor, Fox’s Cunning, Owl’s Wisdom
4 – Disintegrate, Feeblemind, Cloudkill, Bestow Curse, Chain Lightining, Freezing Sphere, Spell Turning
5 – Greater Heroism, Polar Ray, Greater Shout, Circle of Death, Destruction, Sunbeam, Undeath to Death
6 – Tenser’s Transformation, Energy Drain, Meteor Swarm, Wail of the Banshee, Temporal Stasis, Horrid Wilting, Implosion, Sunburst

Table: The Epic Battlemage
{table=head]Level|Special
21st|
22nd| Channel Spell 11/day
23rd| Bonus Feat
24th| Channel Spell 12/day
25th|
26th|Bonus Feat, Channel Spell 13/day
27th|
28th|Channel Spell 14/day
29th|Bonus Feat
30th| Channel Spell 15/day [/table]

New Epic Feats:
Improved Ignore Spell Failure [Epic]
Requirements: Ignore Spell Failure 40%, Int 21, Con 21
Benefit: You can further ignore 10% more of the spell failure penalty from armor.
Special: You can gain this feat multiple times. Its effects stack.

Epic Channel Spell [Epic]
Requirements: Multiple Channel Spell, Int 25
Benefit: You can channel up to three spells into your melee weapon as a full round action. All channeled spells affect the next target the battlemage successfully attacks with his weapon, in the order the spells were placed into the weapon. As with the channel spell class feature, saving throws and spell resistance apply normally. Each time a battlemage uses Epic Channel Spell, three of his channel spell uses per day are expended.

Epic Battlemage Bonus Feat List

Armor Skin (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/epic/feats.htm#armorSkin), Damage Reduction (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/epic/feats.htm#damageReduction), Devastating Critical (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/epic/feats.htm#devastatingCritical), Epic Channel Spll, Epic Prowess (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/epic/feats.htm#epicProwess), Energy Resistance (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/epic/feats.htm#energyResistance), Epic Toughness (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/epic/feats.htm#epicToughness), , Improved Combat Casting (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/epic/feats.htm#improvedCombatCasting), Improved Combat Reflexes (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/epic/feats.htm#improvedCombatReflexes), Improved Ignore Spell Failure, Improved Metamagic (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/epic/feats.htm#improvedMetamagic), Improved Spell Capacity (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/epic/feats.htm#improvedSpellCapacity), Improved Whirlwind Attack (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/epic/feats.htm#improvedWhirlwindAttack), Permanent Emanation (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/epic/feats.htm#permanentEmanation), Overwhelming Critical (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/epic/feats.htm#overwhelmingCritical), Penetrate Damage Reduction (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/epic/feats.htm#penetrateDamageReduction), Spellcasting Harrier (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/epic/feats.htm#spellcastingHarrier), Superior Initiative (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/epic/feats.htm#superiorInitiative), Spell Knowledge (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/epic/feats.htm#spellKnowledge), Spell Opportunity (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/epic/feats.htm#spellOpportunity)




Comments?

[icke]

Okay, let's put the critics in ascending order of impact:

1) NO arcane spellcaster should be capable of using the same array of weaponry, armor and shields as the fighter, not without multiclassing. The same goes for base attack bonus, there is a reason why only noncasters and tertiary casters have four attacks at level 20.

2) The Channel Spell class feature is too hefty, it actually allows the character to attack and cast a spell at one target in the same round(move action: channel spell, standard action: attack). The Multiple Channel version is even worse. Also, You don't specify how long the spells stored in the weapon, or what happens if they originally have a casting time longer than a standard action.

3) By lowering Meteor Swarm, Wail of the Banshee and other spells you actually built a 9 spell level caster class that looks like a 6 level one. Usually, if a character wants to cast the most dangerous spells, she will have to make compromise in other sectors, like skill versatility or combat prowess, thus balancing with the fighter types. By giving these spells to Your class, with its four attacks and full weapon and armor access, You take away that balance.

Look at other classes that try to do the same thing: The Warmage(Complete Arcane) has weak base attack bonus, full sorcerer spell progression and a spell lost limited to combat(I already consider this class broken, but it's official). The Eldritch Knight prestige class maybe comes as close to Your idea as one can get, but it's a PRESTIGE class, so it should be more powerfull than any base class.

The idea of using the characters weapon to home in spells on a target is a good one, so the Channel Spell class feature should not be dropped. Maybe You could change it along the lines of this:

The feature allows the Battlecaster to store a spell in a weapon. It takes no extra time to store the spell, but the time casting it must still be spent as normal, including any attacks of opportunity that may occur. The spell is stored for 1 round per 4 caster levels(minimum 1) and discharges itsself on a successfull hit. Disregarding of normal range, area of effect or target, the spell has a range of touch, the target is the creature touched and the effect is limited to the target.

[Bobbis]

Because I can't edit the main post without killing all the tables; how do the following changes sound; my purpose here is to make a gish class for one of my PCs without ridiculous ammounts of poorly-RP-justified multiclassing.

Remove all shield proficencies as well as heavy armor proficencies.
Only gain proficency with light and one handed martial/simple weapons.

Channeling one spell is a standard action; channeling two or more spells is a full-round action; spells last for 1 minute per class level, that way it can be used as a sort of pre-combat buff?

All of the battlemage's spells (except for a few combat related buffs), are direct damage; the Bard has a handful of spells in it's 6th level teir that are level 8 spells/

Saves/Spell resistance still apply; and while his casting is Int Based, his saves are charisma based; is that not as balancing as I had thought?

Thank you for the input.

[Khantalas]

I'd like to remind people (read: icke) of the lovely duskblade.

[Bobbis]

Okay; perhaps I should be more clear; this class is coming from someone who doesn't have any splatbooks; the best I can do is "Search Inside" on Amazon.com from which I grabbed a few features from the spellsword, which my friend told me was apparently close to what I was trying to do.

[Valairn]

The balance of this class depends entirely on the difficulty of your campaign, in a normal campaign this class would have vast advantages over choosing just a wizard for instance. You need to make the class have enough drawbacks that the player goes, hmmmmm.... maybe I could play a wizard instead, or while this is good, I could also get what I want from a fighter with 1 or two levels in wizard.

I do want to make one thing clear though, before anyone talks about melee power and armor/weapons not being able to be combined with magical power, look at a cleric.... Some of the spells a cleric has are extremley powerful for being able to walk around in full plate with a shield, some dieties even give you the advantage of wielding a martial weapon and busting skulls almost as good as a fighter while still being able to cast 9th level spells and turn undead.

I would recommend scaling back the bab a little, reducing the number of spells per day that he can cast, and maybe consider exchanging some of high power spells for things a little less how should we say equivelant to a "God slap."

[Bobbis]

In response to playing this over a wizard: not nearly enough versitility; save for the two heroism spells and the animal buffs there's not a single spell that will help in any situation other then combat.

As the logic ninja says; (loose translation) If you want to suck, play a blaster. This character is a blaster-only wizard.

[Valairn]

Fair enough.

[icke]

I'd like to remind people (read: icke) of the lovely duskblade.

Don't need to be reminded, don't know it in the first place...