[d20r] Wizard, High Arcana Focus

[Fax Celestis]

High Arcana
1st Level Mystery: You gain Scribe Scroll as a bonus feat.

4th Level Mystery: You add 1/2 your class level (minimum 1) as a bonus on all Knowledge (arcana), Spellcraft, and Use Magic Device checks. You can always take 10 on Knowledge (arcana) and Spellcraft checks, even if distracted or endangered.

8th Level Mystery: You gain the ability to change arcane spell energy into arcane fire, manifesting it as a bolt of raw magical energy. The bolt is a ranged touch attack with long range (400 feet + 40 feet/level) that deals 1d6 points of damage per two caster levels (round down) plus 1d6 points of damage per level of the spell used to create the effect.

12th Level Mystery: You may take 10 on Caster Level checks.

16th Level Mystery: Whenever you cast a spell with an area, you can shape the spell's area so that one creature within the area is unaffected by the spell. You may use this ability a number of times per day equal to your Wisdom modifier.

20th Level Mystery: You add your Wisdom modifier to Caster Level checks made to overcome Spell Resistance, to counter a spell, or to dispel a spell. You also add your Wisdom modifier to your Caster Level to determine a spell's maximum duration. You also increase the DC of identifying one of your spells as it is cast by 5.

Esoterica:
Increase your Caster Level by 1 when determining your effective Caster Level for dispelling or counterspelling.
Increase your Caster Level by 1 when determining your effective Caster Level for overcoming Spell Resistance.
Increase your Caster Level by 1 when determining your effective Caster Level for determining spell durations.

Spells
1st - comprehend languages, identify, ventriloquism

2nd - continual flame, spell scan, shatter

3rd - arcane sight, dispel magic, teleportation trace

4th - dimension door, dimensional anchor, lesser globe of invulnerability

5th - break enchantment, permanency

6th - contingency, greater dispel magic

7th - globe of invulnerability, greater arcane sight

8th - dimensional lock, mind blank

9th - disjunction



Mastery [Arcane, Progressing]: At first level, a wizard chooses a school as his main school of training: this is his Mastery. All spells associated with this Mastery are on the wizard's spell list, and the wizard gains Mysteries associated with his Mastery at 1st level, at 4th level, and at every four levels thereafter (8th, 12th, 16th, and finally at 20th).

Arcana [Arcane]: In addition to his Mastery, a wizard selects two schools as secondary schools of training. He draws spells from these Arcana and may select Esoterica from within them, but he does not gain Mysteries from his Arcana.

Mystery [Lore, Progressing]: A wizard's Mastery grants him unique powers granted at the levels indicated on the class progression. Mysteries are spell-like abilities except where otherwise noted. See the school descriptions for details. Unless otherwise noted, a Mystery's saving throw is 10 + Hero Value + Intelligence modifier.

Esoterica [Lore]: At 2nd level, and every three levels thereafter (5th, 8th, 11th, 14th, 17th, and 20th), a wizard gains a new Esoterica, selected from either his Mastery or from his Arcana. See the school descriptions for details.

I'm having some trouble with this school. It's supposed to be the magic school of magic about magic for magic--the d20r equivalent of being a generalist wizard--but I don't really feel like it's getting across. The spells in the higher levels seem all over the place, and the upper level mysteries seem mediocre--the higher, the worse.

So, dudebros and ladychicas, help me out here: help me make this school less "suck" and more "viable option".

Addendum: time stop and teleport-derivatives don't go in this school. Wish and limited wish are off the table. And please make the assumption that I'm going to fix broken spells (like disjunction and mind blank). I am not averse to making new spells to fit into these slots either.

[Ansem]

Which book is this variant from ?! seems awesome.

[Fax Celestis]

Which book is this variant from ?! seems awesome.

It's a homebrew I'm writing, not done yet. Trying to figure out the fiddly bits before I put it up.

If you're interested, there's some other bits scattered throughout the homebrew forum. Here's a google search (https://www.google.com/search?q=site:giantitp.com+d20r) for it.

[avr]

A spell something like PF's Spell Gauge (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/s/spell-gauge) might be useful and relevant. They might logically be able to trace teleports or detect scrying as well. Analyse Dweomer is another spell that might be appropriate.

If you look through artificer infusions there are more effects which might be useful and appropriate as spells or mysteries, depending on exactly where you're setting the boundaries.

[Psyren]

What are Esoterica and Mysteries? Are the spells you listed the only spells available to this wizard? Were any changes made to them?

[Fax Celestis]

A spell something like PF's Spell Gauge (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/s/spell-gauge) might be useful and relevant. They might logically be able to trace teleports or detect scrying as well. Analyse Dweomer is another spell that might be appropriate.

If you look through artificer infusions there are more effects which might be useful and appropriate as spells or mysteries, depending on exactly where you're setting the boundaries.
Good calls.


What are Esoterica and Mysteries? Are the spells you listed the only spells available to this wizard? Were any changes made to them?

Mystery [Lore, Progressing]: A wizard's Mastery (his specialist school --ed.) grants him unique powers granted at the levels indicated on the class progression. Mysteries are spell-like abilities except where otherwise noted. See the school descriptions for details. Unless otherwise noted, a Mystery's saving throw is 10 + Hero Value + Intelligence modifier.

Esoterica [Lore]: At 2nd level, and every three levels thereafter (5th, 8th, 11th, 14th, 17th, and 20th), a wizard gains a new Esoterica, selected from either his Mastery or from his Arcana (so from his specialist school or from one of his two secondary schools. --ed.). See the school descriptions for details.

[Fax Celestis]

Made a few changes per avr's suggestions.

[Fax Celestis]

And another change: swapped in invocation and great invocation.

Invocation [Abjuration]
Level: High Arcana 4
Casting Time: 1 swift action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: 1 round
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No
Spells you cast of third level or lower while under the effect of this spell are unaffected by the effects of antimagic field and similar anti-magic effects for one round. This includes such impediments as a dead magic zone or a monk's Arcane Denial strike.

Invocation may be cast within the area of a magic-impeding effect at no penalty.

Great Invocation [Abjuration]
Level: High Arcana 8
Casting Time: 1 swift action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: 1 round
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No
This spell functions as invocation, except you may cast spells of any level.

Spell Scan [Detection, Eternal]
Level: Eternal 2, High Arcana 2
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Close (25' + 5'/2 levels)
Target: One creature
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: Yes
You learn of a number of spells prepared by the target equal to your Caster Level. You do not learn how many spells remaining the target has, nor do you learn any other defenses or information about the creature. You may specify a number of spells equal to your primary spellcasting ability modifier: if you do so, you may prioritize learning about those spells first. Otherwise, determine which spells you discover randomly. If the target is capable of casting both eternal and prepared magic (such as a wizard or a sorcerer), spell scan will inform you of whether or not the identified spell is readied as an eternal or a prepared spell. Spell scan will inform you if the targeted creature is capable of casting spell-like abilities, but will not inform you of what they are or how often they can be used.
Eternal: This spell functions identically when readied as an eternal spell.

Teleportation Trace [Detection]
Level: Eternal 3, High Arcana 3
Casting Time: 1 minute
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No
Upon completion of this spell, you know the starting and ending points of all [Teleportation] spells that either began or ended within 25', plus 5' per caster level, within the past hour. As an instantaneous effect, this spell does not travel with you; instead, it merely reads the area around you and gives you the appropriate information, dissipating harmlessly afterwards. In addition, you are considered to have "seen the area casually" for the purposes of determining familiarity with the locations involved with the teleports in question (unless you are already more familiar with the area, in which case, use your higher familiarity) for one minute per caster level.
Eternal: As above, but you do not increase the spell's area per caster level.

[Morty]

Would an ability to regain expended spells work for the 20th level ability? Or is that too breakable?

[Fax Celestis]

Would an ability to regain expended spells work for the 20th level ability? Or is that too breakable?

Well, I could co-opt the Promethean Magic 20th level ability and remove the restrictions.


20th Level Mystery: A number of times per day equal to your Intelligence modifier, you may spend a swift action after you cast a [Fire] spell. If you do so, you do not expend the spell slot.

[Morty]

I think something like that would be appropriate for the capstone ability of a 'generalist' wizard. Although the Promethean capstone would probably have to be replaced then. It might be good to restrict the level of the spell you can conserve this way. I'm not sure.