The Failed Apprentice [feat]

[mabriss lethe]

Failed Apprentice [General]
Prerequisites: int 11+, spellcraft 1 rank, Must be taken at first level, non-wizard.

The character is the failed student of a wizard, and starts play with a spell book containing three 0 level cantrips from the sorceror/wizard list. he has a single 0 level spell slot in which to prepare one of these spells. Other 0 level cantrips can be added to the character's spellbook as per the standard rules, though his total number of spells per day from this feat is always frozen at the single 0 level slot. The character must provide any verbal, somatic, or material components and suffers %ASF for wearing any armor. The character can use scrolls, wands and other magic devices with spell completion or spell trigger as a 1st level wizard. Should the character ever take a level in the wizard class, he loses all benefits from this feat.

Tell me what you think.

[Assasinater]

Heh, nice one. While not powerful, it's a great possible addition to a character's background. It has roleplaying potential.

[Matthew]

I rather like this, especially as it fits in well with Characters who play Class X and then later Multi Class to Wizard.

[TheOOB]

It's a good idea, but I think it would be functionally more sound if the cantrips took the form of spell-like abilities each usable once per day. Spellbooks are annoying to keep track of, and you get into a whole bunch of problums if the character losses his spellbook, can he rewrite the spells in the book from memory(in which case why does he need a book), or does he need to find scrolls of it to write in the book, in which case why cant he just find scrolls of other 0 level spells.

Heres how I'd do it

Novice Arcanist
While not a full arcanist, you have gained some familiarity with the arcane arts
Prerequisites: Cha 13+ or Int 13+
Benefit: Choose any three level 0 spells from the Sorcerer/Wizard or Bard spell lists. You may cast each of these spells once per a day as a spell-like ability with a caster level equal to half your character level(rounded down, minimum 1). Upon choosing thise feat you decide if the save DCs of these spell-like abilities are based off of Intellegance or Charisma.

And for you divine folks out there.


Novice Adept
While not a full adept, you have gained some familiarity with the divine arts
Prerequisites: Cha 13+ or Wis 13+
Benefit: Choose any three level 0 spells from the Cleric or Druid spell lists. You may cast each of these spells once per a day as a spell-like ability with a caster level equal to half your character level(rounded down, minimum 1). Upon choosing thise feat you decide if the save DCs of these spell-like abilities are based off of Wisdom or Charisma.

[Fizban]

TheOOB hit it right on the nose. Another iteration of the the "pick some cantrips to cast with a feat" feat.

[TheOOB]

It's just that theres so much rules baggage that associated with spellcasting that it's a waste of time and effort for a couple cantrips. Spell-like abilities are much cleaner, establish what spell, times per day, caster level, and save DC attribute and you're done.

With spells you have to have spell slots, arcane or divine, preparation method, learning method, ect, ect, ect.

[mabriss lethe]

Basically, it's a flavor variant. and yeah, I used the SLA feats from Complete Arcane as a benchmark for this. Everywhere I made a change, I found some way to hamper it to keep it balanced. I started with a greater number of choices and the ability to grow in versitility. (the character, with time and a little luck, could eventually gain access to all the cantrips on the list.) So, in the usual fashion, more spell choices means less spells per day.

So now you have a character who can (gasp-sarcasm) cast one measily 0 level spell a day. Sure, it can be any number of spells that he knows...but... Not worth blowing a feat on. Get necropolis born or one of those nifty spifty ones and be done with it. that way you get two 0's and a 1st each as SLAs once per day. much nicer.

All of that... is just flavor. The meat and potatoes, at least to me, is the second part of the feat.


The character can use scrolls, wands and other magic devices with spell completion or spell trigger as a 1st level wizard.

Again, not a huge deal, but being able to use a minor scroll or wand without having to rely on Use Magic Device in a pinch is pretty useful, no?

The two together seem a bit much for an entry level feat, so I added some restrictions, again more for the feel than anything else. A few token prereqs to match the flavor of a washout from a wizard college, Then ensuring that the spells are cast in the same manner as they would have been taught to the character before catching a boot to the back gate. He's a failed wizard why should he cast SLAs? He bit it in school, why should he suddenly have access to an easier form of magic?

Sure, it adds some complexity. That's usually something I'm loathe to add to a game. I'll make an exception, though, when it means giving a little more depth to a character or story.

[Icewalker]

I love the idea. You should make them mutually exclusive, so you can't take both and get 3 of each type and have 6 easy cantrips to choose from off of from 2 feats. Some of those things can be useful.

I think it is a little overpowered, but I'm not good at measuring that. Just comparing it to dodge....+1 AC towards 1 person who you have to declare vs 3 free cantrips / day? I dunno.

[Eighth_Seraph]

Honestly, Dodge is just meant to be a gateway feat and primarily for pre-req purposes, so that wasn't really the best example IMO. However, the ability to run, hold your breath or perform manual labor for twice the usual time before becoming fatigued AND the ability to sleep in medium or heavy armor quite comfortably vs. three cantrips...I'd say it's pretty balanced.

[TheOOB]

It's hard to make someone overpowered through cantrips, most of them have very minor, if any, numerical benefit to them. Sure a rogue could get a lot of milage out of say, mage hand, ghost sound, and prestidigitation, but honestly their not that big of a deal, at first level a spellcaster can allready likely cast cantrips better then you, plus they have spells that acually do numerical effects on top of it.

Hey, if someone wants to spend all 7 of their feats on gaining 21 cantrips, let them, meanwhile I'll be over here using those feats for power attack, combat expertise, improved trip, stand still, karmic strike, metamagic, ect.

[Peregrine]

Wow. It's uncanny how close to my Novice Mage (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=1860878&postcount=24) feat this is. Since the prevailing opinion seems to be that your feat is okay balance-wise, I take this as a good sign that mine is too. :smallsmile:

(Don't worry, I don't consider our feats to be in competition at all. Mine is part of a complete system for pre-1st level training, yours is just a kind of retroactive one given at 1st level.)

[mabriss lethe]

Wow. It's uncanny how close to my Novice Mage (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=1860878&postcount=24) feat this is. Since the prevailing opinion seems to be that your feat is okay balance-wise, I take this as a good sign that mine is too. :smallsmile:

(Don't worry, I don't consider our feats to be in competition at all. Mine is part of a complete system for pre-1st level training, yours is just a kind of retroactive one given at 1st level.)

Dang, I wish I'd read that post before. I kept seeing it and skipping over it. Maybe I just picked it up via digital osmosis or something.

[Magi_Ring_O]

Could a bard take the arcane feat and say that s/he had a wizard past? I'm not sure how somthing like that would fit in.

[mabriss lethe]

I had it in mind that, yes, a spontaneous caster could take the feat, since spontaneous casting has more to do with possessing an innate gift for magic than it does the strenuous study of a wizard.

It really wouldn't do as much good for a bard or sorceror as it would for virtually any other class, IMO. Both classes would be better off with something akin to the spell-like ability feats from Complete Arcane. You'd really just be taking the feat for flavor and storyline hooks. But, hey, if that's what you want and your DM lets you do it? Go hog wild!