Novawurmson
2013-09-07, 06:31 PM
Hello! I've been thinking about how to bring the Warmage into PF while giving it a little of its own thing. Note that unless the information is freely available from the authors such as here (https://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/cwc/20051018a) and here (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ex/20030906a), I will simply write "As written in Minitatures Handbook and Complete Arcane."
Base abilities
d6 HD, Poor BAB, Good Will, 2+Int skills/level
Class skills: Remove Concentration (as it no longer exists as a skill). Add Bluff and Diplomacy as class skills, otherwise class skills as written in MH/CA.
Weapon and armor proficiency: As written in MH/CA.
Spellcasting: As written in MH/CA.
Class Features
Armored Mage: As written in MH/CA, except Armored Mage (Medium) comes at level 7 instead of level 8.
Warmage Edge: As written in MH/CA, except the warmage adds his Charisma modifier to damage instead of Intelligence.
Arcane Shot (Su): As a standard action, the warmage can make a ranged touch attack with a range of 30 ft. If successful, the warmage deals 1d6 damage plus his Warmage Edge. The warmage chooses whether to do acid, cold, electricity or fire damage when he uses this ability. This ability can be used a number of times per day equal to 3+the warmage's Charisma modifier.
Advanced Learning: As written in MH/CA, with the following changes: The warmage gains this ability at level 2 and every even level afterwards.
At level 4, the warmage can choose to learn a conjuration or necromancy spell from the wizard spell list of up to one level lower than his maximum warmage spell level whenever he gains advanced learning.
At level 6, the warmage can choose to learn an illusion or abjuration spell from the wizard spell list of up to two levels lower than his maximum warmage spell level whenever he gains advanced learning.
At level 20, the warmage chooses a number of spells from the wizard spell list equal to double his Charisma modifier and adds them to his warmage spell list. These spells can be of any level if they are evocation spells, of up to one spell level lower than his maximum level if conjuration or necromancy spells, or of up to two spell levels lower if illusion or abjuration spells.
Veteran (Focused Mind) (Su): A warmage who survives a few battles begins to learn lessons that only experience can teach. At level 3, the warmage can reroll a failed concentration check he has just rolled with a +2 bonus. He must take the second result, even if it is worse. This is a swift action that can be used once per day.
Rapid Spell Control: An trained warmage is skilled at modifying his spells on the fly to suit the situation. At 5th, 9th, 13th and 17th level, the warmage gains access to a sudden metamagic feat of his choice as a bonus feat. He must meet all prerequisites of this feat.
Alternatively, he can choose one sudden metamagic feat he already possesses and gain an additional daily use of that feat. He can only gain one addition use per feat, and cannot gain an addition use of Sudden Quicken, Sudden Daze, or Sudden Echo (see below). He cannot use the same sudden metamagic feat twice in the same casting of the spell (i.e. he could cast sudden empowered fireball and sudden quickened sudden empowered fireball in the same round, but not sudden empowered sudden empowered fireball.
Veteran (Crucial Blow) (Su): A warmage is sometimes forced to attack a foe with a weapon or weapon-like spell, and the warmages who survive are the ones with the luck and skill to land them at vital moments. At level 7, a warmage can reroll an attack roll he has just made with a +2 bonus. He must take the second result, even if it is worse. Using this ability is a swift action that must be taken before the result of the attack (success or failure) is known. In addition, the warmage gains an additional daily use of his veteran class feature, which may be used for Crucial Blow or Focused Mind (a total of two times per day).
Improved Warmage Edge (Ex): At level 10, the warmage adds his warmage edge to every creature hit by a spell that benefits from his warmage edge.
Veteran (Swift Victory) (Su): Despite sayings to the contrary, the battle is often to the swift; a warmage understand the importance gaining and maintaining momentum in combat. At level 11, the warmage can reroll an initiative check he has just made as a free action with a +2 bonus. He must take the second result, even if it is worse. In addition, the warmage gains an additional daily use of his veteran class feature, which may be used for any of his veteran abilities (a total of three times per day).
Veteran (Cunning Spellweave) (Su): The warmage's prodigious spellcasting ability can be turned meaningless by foes with the proper protections. A prepared warmage may find a way to overpower or bypass those obstacles. At level 15, the warmage can reroll a caster level check made to overcome spell resistance as a switch action with a +2 bonus. He must take the second result, even if it is worse. In addition, the warmage also gains an additional daily use of his veteran class feature, which may be used for any of his veteran abilities (a total of four times per day).
Veteran (Living Artillery) (Su): The veteran who has survived countless battlefields knows exactly how to get the results he needs, when he needs them. At level 19, the warmage can spend additional uses of his veteran class feature when he uses it, gaining an additional +2 bonus for each additional use spent, to a maximum of +10. In addition, the warmage also gains an additional daily use of his veteran class feature which may be used for any of his veteran abilities (a total of five times per day).
On a table, it looks like this:
1 - Armored Mage (light), Warmage Edge, Arcane Shot
2 - Advanced Learning (Evocation)
3 - Veteran (Focused Mind) 1/day
4 - Advanced Learning (Conjuration and Necromancy)
5 - Rapid Spell Control (1st)
6 - Advanced Learning (Abjuration and Illusion)
7 - Armored Mage (Medium), Veteran (Crucial Blow) 2/day
8 - Advanced Learning
9 - Rapid Spell Control (2nd)
10 - Advanced Learning, Improved Warmage Edge
11 - Veteran (Swift Victory) 3/day
12 - Advanced Learning
13 - Rapid Spell Control (3rd)
14 - Advanced Learning
15 - Veteran (Cunning Spellweave) 4/day
16 - Advanced Learning
17 - Rapid Spell Control (4th)
18 - Advanced Learning
19 - Veteran (Living Artillery) 5/day
20 - Advanced Learning (Master)
Also, regarding sudden metamagic:
There are a very limited number of published sudden metamagic feats available. Pathfinder has plenty of metamagic feats, many of which are suitable to be converted to sudden metamagic feats.
Unfortunately, I cannot find the exact paragraph explaining sudden metamagic feats on page 25 of the Miniatures Handbook explicitly posted by WotC, so I will refrain from posting it. Those unfamiliar with the concept should look at Sudden Empower (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ex/20030906a)
The following metamagic feats can be converted to sudden metamagic feats with no changes: Bouncing, Disruptive, Ectoplasmic, Elemental, Flaring, Focused, Intensified, Lingering, Merciful, Piercing, Rime, and Toppling.
The following metamagic feats should have the prerequisite "one metamagic feat": Burning, Concussion, Dazing, Echoing, Persistent, Sickening, and Thundering.
Sudden Reach (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/metamagic-feats/reach-spell-metamagic) should specify that it can only increase range by one category.
Sudden Selection (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/metamagic-feats/selective-spell-metamagic) should have a prerequisite of 10 ranks.
Sudden Thanatopic and Sudden Threnodoic should both have the prerequisites "Knowledge (Religion) 6 ranks, Spell Focus (Necromancy), one metamagic feat."
Other things I was considering:
1. What about upping its HD/BAB to d8/ 3/4 BAB? I feel it might suit the "armored, toughened spellcaster" theme better. In PF, the Summoner, Magus and the Alchemist are all lightly armored spellcasters with d8 HD. Of course, none of them have 9th level spellcasting, either.
2. I added Bluff and Diplomacy to make it easier to "party-face." I considered adding UMD or even more. Should bluff and diplomacy go? Should more skills come in?
3. The change on warmage edge I'm fairly satisfied with, but I feel like there should be an archetype that switches spellcasting AND warmage edge to Intelligence.
4. I'm adamant about giving the warmage conjuration and necromancy spells (as they get so many already), and I like the idea of some warmages learning anti-caster and illusion magic to supplement their abilities (and they do get illusion spells!). Sure, a low-level warmage is a fireball-thrower churned out by an academy, but their personal choices (their advanced learning) might be to find a few tricks up their sleeves. I understand that this decision alone could potentially bump them up to tier 3, and I'm fine with that.
There are a lot of different ways this could be tweaked, but I'm interested in people's thoughts.
5. I'm considering cutting some of the metamagic feats from the "sudden" party. Sudden Daze and Sudden Persist (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/metamagic-feats/persistent-spell-metamagic) especially seem powerful. Maybe there just needs to be a limit on the number of sudden metamagic feats that can be used on a single spell? Actually, I think Persistent Spell may just be too powerful for sudden metamagic. Also, I think Sudden Selection (Selective Spell) should maybe lose the 10 spellcraft ranks; it's so perfect for the warmage.
6. Arcane shot was kind of a last-minute addition for something to do at level 1 when the spells have gone try (to avoid needing to haul out the old crossbow).
What do you think? Completely off track? A step in the right direction?
Base abilities
d6 HD, Poor BAB, Good Will, 2+Int skills/level
Class skills: Remove Concentration (as it no longer exists as a skill). Add Bluff and Diplomacy as class skills, otherwise class skills as written in MH/CA.
Weapon and armor proficiency: As written in MH/CA.
Spellcasting: As written in MH/CA.
Class Features
Armored Mage: As written in MH/CA, except Armored Mage (Medium) comes at level 7 instead of level 8.
Warmage Edge: As written in MH/CA, except the warmage adds his Charisma modifier to damage instead of Intelligence.
Arcane Shot (Su): As a standard action, the warmage can make a ranged touch attack with a range of 30 ft. If successful, the warmage deals 1d6 damage plus his Warmage Edge. The warmage chooses whether to do acid, cold, electricity or fire damage when he uses this ability. This ability can be used a number of times per day equal to 3+the warmage's Charisma modifier.
Advanced Learning: As written in MH/CA, with the following changes: The warmage gains this ability at level 2 and every even level afterwards.
At level 4, the warmage can choose to learn a conjuration or necromancy spell from the wizard spell list of up to one level lower than his maximum warmage spell level whenever he gains advanced learning.
At level 6, the warmage can choose to learn an illusion or abjuration spell from the wizard spell list of up to two levels lower than his maximum warmage spell level whenever he gains advanced learning.
At level 20, the warmage chooses a number of spells from the wizard spell list equal to double his Charisma modifier and adds them to his warmage spell list. These spells can be of any level if they are evocation spells, of up to one spell level lower than his maximum level if conjuration or necromancy spells, or of up to two spell levels lower if illusion or abjuration spells.
Veteran (Focused Mind) (Su): A warmage who survives a few battles begins to learn lessons that only experience can teach. At level 3, the warmage can reroll a failed concentration check he has just rolled with a +2 bonus. He must take the second result, even if it is worse. This is a swift action that can be used once per day.
Rapid Spell Control: An trained warmage is skilled at modifying his spells on the fly to suit the situation. At 5th, 9th, 13th and 17th level, the warmage gains access to a sudden metamagic feat of his choice as a bonus feat. He must meet all prerequisites of this feat.
Alternatively, he can choose one sudden metamagic feat he already possesses and gain an additional daily use of that feat. He can only gain one addition use per feat, and cannot gain an addition use of Sudden Quicken, Sudden Daze, or Sudden Echo (see below). He cannot use the same sudden metamagic feat twice in the same casting of the spell (i.e. he could cast sudden empowered fireball and sudden quickened sudden empowered fireball in the same round, but not sudden empowered sudden empowered fireball.
Veteran (Crucial Blow) (Su): A warmage is sometimes forced to attack a foe with a weapon or weapon-like spell, and the warmages who survive are the ones with the luck and skill to land them at vital moments. At level 7, a warmage can reroll an attack roll he has just made with a +2 bonus. He must take the second result, even if it is worse. Using this ability is a swift action that must be taken before the result of the attack (success or failure) is known. In addition, the warmage gains an additional daily use of his veteran class feature, which may be used for Crucial Blow or Focused Mind (a total of two times per day).
Improved Warmage Edge (Ex): At level 10, the warmage adds his warmage edge to every creature hit by a spell that benefits from his warmage edge.
Veteran (Swift Victory) (Su): Despite sayings to the contrary, the battle is often to the swift; a warmage understand the importance gaining and maintaining momentum in combat. At level 11, the warmage can reroll an initiative check he has just made as a free action with a +2 bonus. He must take the second result, even if it is worse. In addition, the warmage gains an additional daily use of his veteran class feature, which may be used for any of his veteran abilities (a total of three times per day).
Veteran (Cunning Spellweave) (Su): The warmage's prodigious spellcasting ability can be turned meaningless by foes with the proper protections. A prepared warmage may find a way to overpower or bypass those obstacles. At level 15, the warmage can reroll a caster level check made to overcome spell resistance as a switch action with a +2 bonus. He must take the second result, even if it is worse. In addition, the warmage also gains an additional daily use of his veteran class feature, which may be used for any of his veteran abilities (a total of four times per day).
Veteran (Living Artillery) (Su): The veteran who has survived countless battlefields knows exactly how to get the results he needs, when he needs them. At level 19, the warmage can spend additional uses of his veteran class feature when he uses it, gaining an additional +2 bonus for each additional use spent, to a maximum of +10. In addition, the warmage also gains an additional daily use of his veteran class feature which may be used for any of his veteran abilities (a total of five times per day).
On a table, it looks like this:
1 - Armored Mage (light), Warmage Edge, Arcane Shot
2 - Advanced Learning (Evocation)
3 - Veteran (Focused Mind) 1/day
4 - Advanced Learning (Conjuration and Necromancy)
5 - Rapid Spell Control (1st)
6 - Advanced Learning (Abjuration and Illusion)
7 - Armored Mage (Medium), Veteran (Crucial Blow) 2/day
8 - Advanced Learning
9 - Rapid Spell Control (2nd)
10 - Advanced Learning, Improved Warmage Edge
11 - Veteran (Swift Victory) 3/day
12 - Advanced Learning
13 - Rapid Spell Control (3rd)
14 - Advanced Learning
15 - Veteran (Cunning Spellweave) 4/day
16 - Advanced Learning
17 - Rapid Spell Control (4th)
18 - Advanced Learning
19 - Veteran (Living Artillery) 5/day
20 - Advanced Learning (Master)
Also, regarding sudden metamagic:
There are a very limited number of published sudden metamagic feats available. Pathfinder has plenty of metamagic feats, many of which are suitable to be converted to sudden metamagic feats.
Unfortunately, I cannot find the exact paragraph explaining sudden metamagic feats on page 25 of the Miniatures Handbook explicitly posted by WotC, so I will refrain from posting it. Those unfamiliar with the concept should look at Sudden Empower (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ex/20030906a)
The following metamagic feats can be converted to sudden metamagic feats with no changes: Bouncing, Disruptive, Ectoplasmic, Elemental, Flaring, Focused, Intensified, Lingering, Merciful, Piercing, Rime, and Toppling.
The following metamagic feats should have the prerequisite "one metamagic feat": Burning, Concussion, Dazing, Echoing, Persistent, Sickening, and Thundering.
Sudden Reach (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/metamagic-feats/reach-spell-metamagic) should specify that it can only increase range by one category.
Sudden Selection (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/metamagic-feats/selective-spell-metamagic) should have a prerequisite of 10 ranks.
Sudden Thanatopic and Sudden Threnodoic should both have the prerequisites "Knowledge (Religion) 6 ranks, Spell Focus (Necromancy), one metamagic feat."
Other things I was considering:
1. What about upping its HD/BAB to d8/ 3/4 BAB? I feel it might suit the "armored, toughened spellcaster" theme better. In PF, the Summoner, Magus and the Alchemist are all lightly armored spellcasters with d8 HD. Of course, none of them have 9th level spellcasting, either.
2. I added Bluff and Diplomacy to make it easier to "party-face." I considered adding UMD or even more. Should bluff and diplomacy go? Should more skills come in?
3. The change on warmage edge I'm fairly satisfied with, but I feel like there should be an archetype that switches spellcasting AND warmage edge to Intelligence.
4. I'm adamant about giving the warmage conjuration and necromancy spells (as they get so many already), and I like the idea of some warmages learning anti-caster and illusion magic to supplement their abilities (and they do get illusion spells!). Sure, a low-level warmage is a fireball-thrower churned out by an academy, but their personal choices (their advanced learning) might be to find a few tricks up their sleeves. I understand that this decision alone could potentially bump them up to tier 3, and I'm fine with that.
There are a lot of different ways this could be tweaked, but I'm interested in people's thoughts.
5. I'm considering cutting some of the metamagic feats from the "sudden" party. Sudden Daze and Sudden Persist (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/metamagic-feats/persistent-spell-metamagic) especially seem powerful. Maybe there just needs to be a limit on the number of sudden metamagic feats that can be used on a single spell? Actually, I think Persistent Spell may just be too powerful for sudden metamagic. Also, I think Sudden Selection (Selective Spell) should maybe lose the 10 spellcraft ranks; it's so perfect for the warmage.
6. Arcane shot was kind of a last-minute addition for something to do at level 1 when the spells have gone try (to avoid needing to haul out the old crossbow).
What do you think? Completely off track? A step in the right direction?