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blelliot
2013-12-09, 07:56 AM
The Arcanist
{table=shead]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special

1st|
+0|
+0|
+0|
+2| Summon Familiar, Arcane Sight, Arcane Bolt 1d6
2nd|
+1|
+0|
+0|
+3| Spellgrace
3rd|
+1|
+1|
+1|
+3| Bonus Feat
4th|
+2|
+1|
+1|
+4| Arcane Presence
5th|
+2|
+1|
+1|
+4| Shape Bolt
6th|
+3|
+2|
+2|
+5| Arcane Bolt 3d6
7th|
+3|
+2|
+2|
+5| Bonus Feat
8th|
+4|
+2|
+2|
+6| Arcane Senses
9th|
+4|
+3|
+3|
+6| Empower Bolt
10th|
+5|
+3|
+3|
+7|
11th|
+5|
+3|
+3|
+7| Arcane Bolt 5d6, Bonus Feat
12th|
+6/+1|
+4|
+4|
+8| Arcane Attunement
13th|
+6/+1|
+4|
+4|
+8| Maximise Bolt
14th|
+7/+2|
+4|
+4|
+9|
15th|
+7/+2|
+5|
+5|
+9| Arcane Bolt 7d6, Bonus Feat
16th|
+8/+3|
+5|
+5|
+10| Arcane Armor
17th|
+8/+3|
+5|
+5|
+10| Quicken Bolt
18th|
+9/+4|
+6|
+6|
+11|
19th|
+9/+4|
+6|
+6|
+11| Bonus Feat
20th|
+10/+5|
+6|
+6|
+12|Arcane Sustenance, Arcane Bolt 9d6[/table]

GAME RULE INFORMATION
Arcanists have the following game statistics.
Abilities: The arcanist uses Intelligence for spellcasting . Constitution helps with staying alive and focusing on her
spells. Charisma determines how powerful her Arcane Bolt ability is.
Alignment: Any.
Hit Die: d4
Starting Age: As sorcerer.
Starting Gold: As sorcerer.

Arcanist Skills
The arcanist's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Bluff (Cha), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Decipher Script (Int), Diplomacy, Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Profession (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), Spellcraft (Int),
Use Magic Device (Cha)

Skill Points at First Level: (2 + Int modifier) x 4
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 2 + Int modifier

Class Features
All of the following are class features of the arcanist.
Weapon and Armor Proficiencies: the arcanist is proficient with all simple weapons. the arcanist is not proficient
with any armor nor with shields.
Spells
An arcanist casts arcane spells which are drawn from the arcanist spell list. She can cast any spell she knows without
preparing it ahead of time. To learn or cast a spell, a arcanist must have an Intelligence score equal to
at least 10 + the spell level (Int 10 for 0-level spells, Int 11 for 1st level
1st level spells, and so forth). The Difficulty Class for a saving throw
against an arcanist’s spell is 10 + the spell level + the arcanist’s Intelligence
modifier. Like other spellcasters, an arcanist can cast only a certain number of
spells of each spell level per day. His base daily spell allotment is
given below. In addition, he receives bonus spells
per day if he has a high Intelligence score (see Table 1–1: Ability
Modifiers and Bonus Spells, page 8 of the Player's Handbook). The Arcanist’s selection of spells is extremely limited. An
arcanist begins play knowing four 0-level spells (also called cantrips) of your choice. At most new arcanist levels, he
gains one or more new spells, as indicated below. (Unlike spells per day,
the number of spells a arcanist knows is not affected by his Intelligence
score; the numbers on that table are fixed.)
Upon reaching 5th level, and at every third arcanist level after that
(8th, 11th, and so on), a arcanist can choose to learn a new spell in place
of one he already knows. In effect, the arcanist “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 arcanist spell the arcanist can cast. For
instance, upon reaching 5th level, an arcanist could trade a single 0-level
spell (two spell levels below the highest-level arcanist spell he can cast,
which is 2nd) for a different 0-level spell. At 8th level, he could trade
in a single 0-level or 1st-level spell (since he now can cast 3rd-level
arcanist spells) for a different spell of the same level. A arcanist 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 arcanist 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.

Summon Familiar (Su)
A arcanist can obtain a familiar. Doing so takes 24 hours and uses up magical materials that cost 100 gp. A familiar is a
magical beast that resembles a small animal and is unusually tough and intelligent. The creature serves as a companion and
servant. The arcanist chooses the kind of familiar he gets. As the arcanist advances in level, his familiar also increases
in power. If the familiar dies or is dismissed by the arcanist, the arcanist must attempt a DC 15 Fortitude saving throw.
Failure means he loses 200 experience points per arcanist level; success reduces the loss to one-half that amount. However,
a arcanist's experience point total can never go below 0 as the result of a familiar's demise or dismissal.


Arcane Sight (Su)
As the arcanist has magic flowing in their blood, it becomes easy for them to see and understand magic.Beginning at 1st level
, an arcanist can use detect magic and read magic as the spells at will. His caster level equals his class level.
Arcane Bolt (Su)
The first ability an arcanist learns is arcane bolt. An arcanist attacks his foes with arcane power, using inherent magical
energy to deal damage to his enemies in the form of a bolt of raw force. An arcane bolt is a ray with a range of 60 feet.
It is a ranged touch attack that affects a single target, allowing no saving throw. An eldritch blast deals 1d6 plus the arcanist's Charisma modifier points of
damage at 1st level and increases in power as the arcanist rises in level, at the rate of an extra 2d6 every four levels, for a maximum of 9d6 at level 20. An arcane bolt is the equivalent of a 1st-level
spell. An arcane bolt is subject to spell resistance, although the Spell Penetration feat and other effects that improve
caster level checks to overcome spell resistance also apply to arcane bolt. An arcane bolt deals half damage to objects.
Since it is a bolt of raw force, it will damage creatures on the ethereal plane and incorporeal creatures. Metamagic feats
cannot improve a arcanist's arcane bolt(because it is a spell-like ability, not a spell). This ability is useable at will. It provokes attacks of opportunity.

Spellgrace (Su)
Because of the inherent knowledge of spells and how they work, an arcanist of 2nd level or higher gains a +2 competence
bonus on his saves against spells.


Bonus Feat (Ex)
An arcanist gains a bonus feat at 3rd, 7th, 11th, 15th, and 19th level, representing her magical studies. The feats she may choose from is are as follows: Spell Penetration, Greater Spell Penetration, Spell Focus, Greater Spell Focus, Communicator, Insightful, Necropolis Born, Night Haunt, Soul of the North, or Spell Hand

Arcane Presence (Ex)
As the magic in their blood grows stronger, so does it affect the personality of the arcanist. At 4th level, the arcanist
recieves a competance bonus on all Bluff, Diplomacy, and Intimidate checks equal to one half her caster level (rounded down).

Shape Bolt (Su)
At 5th level, the arcanist learns to shape her arcane bolt. Once per day, she may choose to use one of the following shapes: a 15ft. Cone, a 30ft. Line, a 20ft. Radius burst that can be thrown 100ft., or a 10ft. Radius burst centered on herself.

Arcane Senses (Ex)
At 8th level, the arcane power the arcanist has control of makes them more aware of their surroundings and quicker to act on
them. She gains a competance bonus on initiative checks equal to one quarter her caster level
(rounded down).

Empower Bolt (Su)
Once per day, stating at 9th level, the arcanist can choose to take a damage roll from her Arcane Bolt and multiply it by
1.5. Doing so requires no extra action aside from using the blast, but the arcanist must declare its use before firing
the Arcane Bolt. Doing so exerts a great physical strain on the arcanist, however. Once the bolt is fired, she must make a
Fortitude save at DC of 5 plus half damage dealt or be dazed for 1 round. Her spellgrace ability does not apply to this
save.

Arcane Attunement (Ex)
Her knowledge of the arcane is so great that at 12th level, she may take ten on Use Magic Device checks even if threatened.

Maximise Bolt (Su)
Once per day, starting at 13th level, the arcanist can show a sliver of her true power. She can maximise the damage from her
arcane bolt. Doing so works just like her empower bolt ability, but instead damage is maximised. She must still make the same
Fortitude save after firing the bolt, however. She can, at her option, empower and maximise the Arcane Bolt, but the DC
becomes 10 plus half damage dealt, and if she fails this save, she becomes stunned for one round.
Her spellgrace ability does not apply to this save.

Arcane Armor (Su)
At 16th level, the arcanist learns to channel arcane enrgy to boost her defense. As a standard action, she may use up one of
her unused spell slots for the day in order to gain either a deflection bonus equal to the spell's level plus her Intelligence
bonus or Damage Reduction X/magic where X is equal to the spell's level for one round per point of Intelligence bonus. She may use two seperate uses of this ability to activate both boons.

Quicken Bolt (Su)
At 17th level, her mastery of the arcane energies within her body and mind allow the arcansit to use her Arcane Bolt as a
free action. Doing so works exactly like her empower bolt ability. She can choose to use this with her Empower bolt and
Maximise bolt abilities. If she uses only two of these abilities at once, the save function just like using an empowered
and maximised bolt (see above). If she uses all three abilities at once, the save becomes 15 plus half damage dealt or the
arcansit becomes unconscious for one round.

Arcane Sustenance (Su)
At 20th level, the arcanist has figured out how to use her arcane energies to heal and sustasian her. As a standard action,
she may channel an unused spell slot and lose it to gain enough nourishment that she does not have to eat or drink for three hours per level of spell used and one of the following boons:
1.) hit points equal to the spell's level times her caster level
2.) Restoration of ability damage points equal to the spell level used
3.) Enough air in her lungs that she need not breathe for one minute per spell level used.
4.) a number of negative levels equal to the spell level -2
She may use multiple uses to reap multiple boons. Each use of this abilty will stack inregards to the need of food or drink, meaning the arcanist could spend 4 third level spells to reap each of the four boons, and not need to eat or drink for 36 hours.

Arcanists's spells per day
{table=head]Spells Per Day
{table=head]Level | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6
1st | 2 | - | - | - | - | - | - |
2nd | 3 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - |
3rd | 3 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - |
4th | 3 | 2 | - | - | - | - | - |
5th | 3 | 3 | - | - | - | - | - |
6th | 3 | 3 | 1 | - | - | - | - |
7th | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | - | - | - |
8th | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | - | - | - |
9th | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | - | - | - |
10th | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | - | - |
11th | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | - | - |
12th | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | - | - |
13th | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | - |
14th | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 1 | - |
15th | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | - |
16th | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
17th | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 |
18th | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 |
19th | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 |
20th | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
[/table][/table]

Arcanists's spells known
{table=head]Spells Known
{table=head]Level | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6
1st | 4 | - | - | - | - | - | - |
2nd | 5 | 2 | - | - | - | - | - |
3rd | 6 | 3 | - | - | - | - | - |
4th | 6 | 3 | - | - | - | - | - |
5th | 6 | 4 | - | - | - | - | - |
6th | 6 | 4 | 2 | - | - | - | - |
7th | 6 | 4 | 3 | 2 | - | - | - |
8th | 6 | 4 | 3 | 3 | - | - | - |
9th | 6 | 4 | 4 | 3 | - | - | - |
10th | 6 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 2 | - | - |
11th | 6 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | - | - |
12th | 6 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | - | - |
13th | 6 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 2 | - |
14th | 6 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | - |
15th | 6 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | - |
16th | 6 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 2 |
17th | 6 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 |
18th | 6 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 |
19th | 6 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 |
20th | 6 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 |
[/table][/table]

Arcanist Spell List
Arcanists choose their spells from the following list.

0 Level
All 0th level sorcerer spells from the following books: Player's Handbook 1, Spell Compendium, Dragon Magic, Draconomicon,
Complete Mage except the following: detect magic, read magic,

1st Level
All 1st level sorcerer spells from the following books: Player's Handbook 1, Spell Compendium, Dragon Magic, Races of the Dragon
Complete Mage except the following: Protection from Evil, Magic Missle

2nd Level
All 2nd level sorcerer spells from the following books: Player's Handbook 1, Spell Compendium, Dragon Magic, Races of the Dragon
Complete Mage except the following: magic circle against chaos/good/evil/law,

3rd Level
All 3rd level sorcerer spells from the following books: Player's Handbook 1, Spell Compendium, Dragon Magic, Races of the Dragon
Complete Mage

4th Level
All 4th level sorcerer spells from the following books: Player's Handbook 1, Spell Compendium, Dragon Magic, Races of the Dragon
Complete Mage

5th Level
All 5th level sorcerer spells from the following books: Player's Handbook 1, Spell Compendium, Dragon Magic, Races of the Dragon
Complete Mage except the following: lesser planar binding, contact other plane

6th Level
All 6th level sorcerer spells from the following books: Player's Handbook 1, Spell Compendium, Dragon Magic, Races of the Dragon
Complete Mage except the following: legend lore
________________________________________
So if everybody would let me know what they think, i would be appreciative. Thanks! This is the other casting class of a homebrew world I'm working on finishing. :Here (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=318602) is the divine caster of this world. Let me know what you think of it too! Thanks everyone!

blelliot
2013-12-09, 09:32 AM
criticism noted, and modified. Would like to hear something about the capstone, though. Otherwise, thank you for your input. Also, to explain arcane presence, in this world if you cast arcane magic, that means you are descended from dragons. So this ability is to represent the draconic personality.

Rolep
2013-12-09, 01:16 PM
The name might be worth changing, since Arcanist carries connotations of a certain class from an older D&D campaign setting (can't remember it off the top of my head), which has been updated to 3.5 by a user named 'Arcanist'.

ngilop
2013-12-09, 01:52 PM
SO this is what I am getting from this class

You took the chassis of the Warlock, stripped it of Invocations and added in Bard casting.

Pretty fregging solid and nifty idea


3 things though

1) just keep arcane bolt like Eldritch blast 1d6 at every odd level ( 1d6 at first 4d6 at 7th 7d6 at 13th etc)

2) Get rid of Ultimate blast. you already have a great capstone with arcane sustenance, you do nto need a 2nd that is a super powers arcane bolt..

3) yeah.. you either need to give them a shortened list OR let them only pick from the wizard spell list.. otherwise you kinda have a broken class here that gets everyspell.

blelliot
2013-12-09, 02:59 PM
Sorry, I meant that it was only sorcerer/wizard spells. I've noted this above. And I've also done away with the ultimate blast

Arcanist
2013-12-09, 04:52 PM
The name might be worth changing, since Arcanist carries connotations of a certain class from an older D&D campaign setting (can't remember it off the top of my head), which has been updated to 3.5 by a user named 'Arcanist'.

Let him make the class. I'm tired of making that old joke, hell Arcanist is a perfectly fine name to use for a class and I like the idea behind it thusfar, but it could use a little bit more... "continuity"

For example: Arcane bolt's progression makes no sense, some of the class features (such as "Arcane Presence") leads a person to believe that the class would be more focused on skills and the such, but this is not the case, due to a lacking amount of skill points and a lacking amount of class skills, and the damage reduction increase makes no sense what so ever.

Change the Arcane Bolt progression from 1st level and increase every 2 levels thereafter to a maximum of 10d6 at 20th level, make the class more skillful by adding skill points per level and increasing the skill list or remove Arcane Presence, and make the damage reduction a bit more fluid by using the Warlock progression as well.

Arcanist
2013-12-09, 05:15 PM
I'm not sure a class that is intended to be the "best arcane caster" in a setting should have anything but the most basic of skill point availability. Especially consider that since this class is Intelligence-focused anyway, it will have a good supply of skill points regardless.

If that is the case, than I don't understand why it must have a bonus to any skills. It seems like it is sending the wrong message in the end. If this class is supposed to be the best arcane caster in a campaign setting, it doesn't send the message too well :smallconfused:

blelliot
2013-12-10, 12:26 AM
I never said it was the best arcane caster by any means. I havent had a chance to post the setting the two classes I made will be used. The arcanist is given people skills because of the sacred belief of the arcane magic they wield. They are looked at with reverance (or fear, depending on the caster). The arcanist is descended of the gods (dragons). Thats why they could be party faces, and thats why I gave them the skill choices and boosts. and i mistyped the arcane bolt progression. Thats what happens when youre typing without sleep. I've since fixed it above. Thank you all for your input so far! Also, Ive folded the damage reduction in with arcane armor.