New Prestige Class. Arch-Warmagus 3.5

[Thrygor]

ARCH-WARMAGUS
Prerequisite:
Spellcraft 10 ranks
Knowledge (Arcana) 10 ranks
Craft (Alchemy) 10 ranks
Feat: Practiced Spellcaster (Warmage)
Feat: Magical Aptitude
Feat: Skill Focus (Spellcraft)

Class skills:
Craft (Alchemy)
Concentration
Knowledge (Arcana)
Knowledge (Alchemy)
Spellcraft
Use Magic Device

Hit Dice: d6
Skill Points at new levels: 4+ Int Bonus

Practiced Spell Power / +1 of existing arcane class
Practiced Spell Power / +1 of existing arcane class
Practiced Spell Power / +1 of existing arcane class
Practiced Spell Power / +1 of existing arcane class
Eclectic Learning / +1 of existing arcane class
Alchemical Augmentation / +1 of existing arcane class
High Arcana: Mastery of Shaping / +1 of existing arcane class
High Arcana: Mastery of Counterspelling / +1 of existing arcane class
Bonus Feat: Energy Adamixture / +1 of existing arcane class
Supernatural Evocation / +1 of existing arcane class



Practiced Spell Power:
This ability increases the caster level of spells cast by the Warmage. At levels 1-4 of this class, the caster level is increased by 1, in addition to the normal progression. The Warmage is extremely specialized at this point that he's infused his trainind, focus, discipline, and knowledge that he can use the benefit of the Practiced Spellcaster Feat, without the multi-class restrictions.

Eclectic Learning:
At 5th level, an Arch-warmagus can add one spell of 5th level or lower to her spell list. This spell can be from any school.

Alchemical Augmentation:
Due to long, specialized study and knowledge of the relationship between arcana and alchemy, the Arch-Warmagus can augment the power of the spells she casts. With her simple spell components, she can make a Craft (Alchemy) check to reduce the cost of a Metamagic Feat applied to a spell. A DC of 20 would decrease the Metamagic cost by 1, a DC of 25, would decrease the cost by 2, a DC of 30 would decrease the cost by 3, etc. For example, if an Arch-Warmagus wanted to cast an Empowered Scorching Ray, the normal Metamagic cost would be a 4th level spell (2nd level scorching ray, 2 level metamagic cost). The Arch-Warmagus wants to alchemically augment the spell to reduce the cost of the Metamagic feat. She makes a Craft Alchemy check of 21. This reduces the cost of the Empower Spell feat to 1, therefore the Empowered Scorching Ray costs a 3rd level slot (not a 4th level). The Arch-Warmagus cannot use this special ability without having the prerequisite feat.

High Arcana
Mastery of Shaping
The arch-warmagus can alter area and effect spells that use one of the following shapes: burst, cone, cylinder, emanation, or spread. The alteration consists of creating spaces within the spell’s area or effect that are not subject to the spell. The minimum dimension for these spaces is a 5-foot cube. Furthermore, any shapeable spells have a minimum dimension of 5 feet instead of 10 feet. This ability costs one 6th-level spell slot.

Mastery of Counterspelling
When the arch-warmagus counterspells a spell, it is turned back upon the caster as if it were fully affected by a spell turning spell. If the spell cannot be affected by spell turning (for example, if it is a spell that affects an area), then it is merely counterspelled. This ability costs one 7th-level spell slot.

Bonus Feat: Energy Adamixture
At 9th level, the Arch-Warmagus gains the feat Energy Adamixture, regardless of the ordinary prerequisites. She needs to the pick the energy type to "admixture" (fire, electric, cold, acid, or sonic) at the time of this feat. This choice cannot be changed once it has been made.


Supernatural Evocation
At 10th level, the Arch-Warmagus has mastered the intricate arts of evocation arcana. Spells cast from the evocation school are now treated as Supernatural (no longer subject to spell resistance or saving throws).


This class can be super powerful by the end of the prestige class, assuming that the player is alive long enough to earn it. Being a war-focused caster has its dangers.

Please let me know what you think.

Too powerful?
Too weak?
Balanced, given the prerequisite vs. payoff?
Why bother?

Please help me out.

[LordErebus12]

This class can be super powerful by the end of the prestige class, assuming that the player is alive long enough to earn it. Being a war-focused caster has its dangers.

Please let me know what you think.

Too powerful?
Too weak?
Balanced, given the prerequisite vs. payoff?
Why bother?

Please help me out.

First off, here is the proper table layout. Personally, I think the new formatting on this site is garbage and annoying.




Level
Base Attack Bonus
Fort Save
Ref Save
Will Save
Special
Spellcasting


1st
+0
+0
+0
+2
Class Ability
+1 level of existing spellcasting class


2nd
+1
+0
+0
+3
Class Ability
+1 level of existing spellcasting class


3rd
+1
+1
+1
+3
Class Ability
+1 level of existing spellcasting class


4th
+2
+1
+1
+4
Class Ability
+1 level of existing spellcasting class


5th
+2
+1
+1
+4
Class Ability
+1 level of existing spellcasting class


6th
+3
+2
+2
+5
Class Ability
+1 level of existing spellcasting class


7th
+3
+2
+2
+5
Class Ability
+1 level of existing spellcasting class


8th
+4
+2
+2
+6
Class Ability
+1 level of existing spellcasting class


9th
+4
+3
+3
+6
Class Ability
+1 level of existing spellcasting class


10th
+5
+3
+3
+7
Class Ability
+1 level of existing spellcasting class



Practiced Spellcaster (Warmage) seems completely worthless as a prerequisite feat, unless you HAVE to multiclass into another class along side the warmage. Furthermore, it does not actually grant you access to higher level spells, so if you are pure warmage, it does absolutely nothing.

Also, remember that magic is extremely powerful and broken at the highest levels... advancing it beyond the usual progression will make it extremely broken and will guarantee that the PrC will never be used.

Id suggest an "overcast or overchannel" ability, similar the the wilder's class ability. Perhaps it allows you to take some damage in return for increasing the caster level of the spell (or even the damage cap of the spell) beyond the norm.

Edit: If you give me a few minutes, I'll come up with a version of this class of my own. This has me thinking about what I'd do with the class.

[Thrygor]

First off, here is the proper table layout. Personally, I think the new formatting on this site is garbage and annoying.




Level
Base Attack Bonus
Fort Save
Ref Save
Will Save
Special
Spellcasting


1st
+0
+0
+0
+2
Class Ability
+1 level of existing spellcasting class


2nd
+1
+0
+0
+3
Class Ability
+1 level of existing spellcasting class


3rd
+1
+1
+1
+3
Class Ability
+1 level of existing spellcasting class


4th
+2
+1
+1
+4
Class Ability
+1 level of existing spellcasting class


5th
+2
+1
+1
+4
Class Ability
+1 level of existing spellcasting class


6th
+3
+2
+2
+5
Class Ability
+1 level of existing spellcasting class


7th
+3
+2
+2
+5
Class Ability
+1 level of existing spellcasting class


8th
+4
+2
+2
+6
Class Ability
+1 level of existing spellcasting class


9th
+4
+3
+3
+6
Class Ability
+1 level of existing spellcasting class


10th
+5
+3
+3
+7
Class Ability
+1 level of existing spellcasting class



Practiced Spellcaster (Warmage) seems completely worthless as a prerequisite feat, unless you HAVE to multiclass into another class along side the warmage. Furthermore, it does not actually grant you access to higher level spells, so if you are pure warmage, it does absolutely nothing.

Also, remember that magic is extremely powerful and broken at the highest levels... advancing it beyond the usual progression will make it extremely broken and will guarantee that the PrC will never be used.

Id suggest an "overcast or overchannel" ability, similar the the wilder's class ability. Perhaps it allows you to take some damage in return for increasing the caster level of the spell (or even the damage cap of the spell) beyond the norm.

Edit: If you give me a few minutes, I'll come up with a version of this class of my own. This has me thinking about what I'd do with the class.



Yes, magic does get broken at the high levels, doesn't it? The idea behind this class would be that he's, more or less, a walking atomic bomb.

I would love to hear your suggestions regarding this class.

[LordErebus12]

Yes, magic does get broken at the high levels, doesn't it? The idea behind this class would be that he's, more or less, a walking atomic bomb.

I would love to hear your suggestions regarding this class.

define what you mean by walking atomic bomb? Do you mean the size and space of spells or extremely over the top damage?

[Thrygor]

define what you mean by walking atomic bomb? Do you mean the size and space of spells or extremely over the top damage?

Extremely over the top damage.

The philosophy that I had when putting this thing together, was that "whomever hits harder, wins." I've seen the powerhouse builds with Warmage/Wild Mage/Ultimate Magus, which are cool. But I felt that incorporating some of the traits of the Archmage class (intense experimentation and study of arcana, in this case, focused on evocation and conjuration). Such intensity, in my thought process, would ultimately lead to the reward of Supernatural Evocation.
I envisioned (in the end) a caster using something as simple as a fireball (maximized, twinned, and adamixtured with sonic) dealing over the top, unavoidable supernatural damage.

I realize that this spell would be the equivalent of an 14th level spell, and such a character would have to be EXTREMELY tailored (selection of feats, skills) to accomplish this task alone.

That philosophy comes at the cost of an adequate defense.

I've developed some crazy, powerful, broken characters before using book rules. This is my first attempt at a prestige class. I am appreciative of your help.

[LordErebus12]

Arch-Warmagus

*Fluff*

BECOMING AN ARCH-WARMAGUS
To qualify to become an Arch-Warmagus, a character must fulfill all the following criteria.

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
Skills: Concentration 10 ranks or Knowledge (Arcana) 10 ranks, Spellcraft 15 ranks.
Spells: Able to cast 6th-level arcane spells from the warmage spell list.
Feats: Magical Aptitude, Practiced Spellcaster (Warmage), Any three metamagic feats.

Class Skills
The Arch-Warmagus class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Decipher Script (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Gather Information (Cha), Knowledge (all skills, taken individually) (Int), Profession (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), Speak Languages (N/A), and Spellcraft (Int).

Skills Points at Each Level : 4 + int

Hit Dice: d4




Level
Base Attack Bonus
Fort Save
Ref Save
Will Save
Special
Spellcasting


1st
+0
+0
+0
+2
Eclectic Learning
+1 level of warmage class


2nd
+1
+0
+0
+3
Sudden Widen
+1 level of warmage class


3rd
+1
+1
+1
+3
Weaving (+2)
+1 level of warmage class


4th
+2
+1
+1
+4
Sudden Admixture
+1 level of warmage class


5th
+2
+1
+1
+4
Eclectic Learning
+1 level of warmage class


6th
+3
+2
+2
+5
Sudden Maximize
+1 level of warmage class


7th
+3
+2
+2
+5
Weaving (+4)
+1 level of warmage class



1st, 5th - Eclectic Learning:
At 1st level and 5th level, you can choose to add a new spell to your spell list that would normally be outside your area of expertise. The spell must be a sorcerer/wizard spell, but it can be from any school. The spell is treated as being one level higher than normal. You must be capable of casting spells from the new spell's adjusted level.

2nd - Sudden Widen:
At 2nd level, an arch-warmage gains Sudden Widen (described in the miniature's handbook) as a bonus feat. If he already has the feat, he can choose a different metamagic feat.

3rd, 7th - Weaving (Su):
By way of constant experimentation and repetitive use of destructive magics, the Arch-Warmagus discovers how to harness a source of near-limitless power source, the very fabric of the universe. Upon discovering this secret font of power, an Arch-Warmagus has learned to use the world around him to augment his magic. The Arch-Warmagus reaches heights of destructive power once unheard of, but at a steep cost... Despite the near infinite power one can generate through this method, the very essence of the world (including that of the Arch-Warmagus himself) is channeled into the spell, causing it to be consumed in the process.

By expending a swift action, the Arch-Warmagus can choose to weave power into his spells. This boost of power increases the effective damage cap of the spell by two dice at 3rd level (or four dice at 7th level). Furthermore, this also increases the effective caster level cap of the Arch-Warmagus by an equal amount (+2 at 3rd level and +4 at 7th level). However, as mentioned above, there are several side effects...

Firstly, this drains all energy from the surrounding soil, killing all (non-creature) plant life nearby, leaving behind sterile soil and infertile ash behind. Nothing grows within this area of effect. Even decades later the land remains lifeless and barren, refusing to hold even a glimmer of life. This affects a greater area the more powerful the spell is. Depending on the spell level, the radius affected is equal to the spell's effective level x 5 feet, centered on the Arch-Warmagus.

Secondly, all plant creatures within the range suffers from this draining effect, dealing an automatic 1d6 damage plus 1d6 per spell level, with no save. Physically, the creature seems suddenly diminished and sickly in appearance. If this damage is enough to kill the creature, then it disintegrates into a fine ash.

Lastly, this also has a negative effect on the Arch-Warmagus. Prolonged use of this ability causes the caster to age rapidly, typically cutting the lifespan of the user in half. In its most extreme cases, when combining potent metamagic with weaving, the caster risks a potentially painful death. When metamagic is applied in conjunction with weaving, the Arch-Warmagus must succeed at a fortitude save (15 + spell's effective level + 1 per additional use) or suffer 1d6+1 points of constitution drain

4th - Sudden Admixture:
At 4th level, an arch-warmage gains Sudden Admixture (described below) as a bonus feat. If he already has the feat, he can choose a different metamagic feat.

6th - Sudden Maximize:
At 6th level, an arch-warmage gains Sudden Maximize (described in the miniature's handbook) as a bonus feat. If he already has the feat, he can choose a different metamagic feat.

----------------

Sudden Widen [Metamagic]

You can infuse a spell with additional energy without special preparation.

Benefit:
Once per day, you can apply the effect of the Energy Admixture feat to any spell you cast without increasing the level of the spell or specially preparing it ahead of time. You can still use Energy Admixture normally if you have it.

[LordErebus12]

I'm a fan of Dark Sun's arcane magic... can you tell? :tongue:

To quote :vaarsuvius: "As the size of an explosion increases, the number of social situations it is incapable of solving approaches zero."

I'm pretty sure you can utterly destroy everything with the above class.

[Thrygor]

I'm a fan of Dark Sun's arcane magic... can you tell? :tongue:

To quote :vaarsuvius: "As the size of an explosion increases, the number of social situations it is incapable of solving approaches zero."

I'm pretty sure you can utterly destroy everything with the above class.

Now that's a class! Very fair cost/benefit. Powerful, but vulnerable.
Druids will hate him for sure. Oddly enough, what you wrote is so similar to a campaign that I DM'd a few years ago. A source of an extreme arcana artifact that gained a consciousness, and was always in search of the person that created him. He couldn't stay too long at one place or there'd be a blight of the land.

I actually had a player play this character for story purposes (the other players didn't know that HE was the artifact they were looking for).

You're good! Thanks for the advice.

[Thrygor]

Now that's a class! Very fair cost/benefit. Powerful, but vulnerable.
Druids will hate him for sure. Oddly enough, what you wrote is so similar to a campaign that I DM'd a few years ago. A source of an extreme arcana artifact that gained a consciousness, and was always in search of the person that created him. He couldn't stay too long at one place or there'd be a blight of the land.

I actually had a player play this character for story purposes (the other players didn't know that HE was the artifact they were looking for).

You're good! Thanks for the advice.

I liked Dark Sun as well. Great source of psionic material.
I played a Psionic in 2nd Edition - Skills and Powers. I used quite a few powers from The Will and the Way. Good stuff.

[LordErebus12]

I liked Dark Sun as well. Great source of psionic material.
I played a Psionic in 2nd Edition - Skills and Powers. I used quite a few powers from The Will and the Way. Good stuff.


Now that's a class! Very fair cost/benefit. Powerful, but vulnerable.
Druids will hate him for sure. Oddly enough, what you wrote is so similar to a campaign that I DM'd a few years ago. A source of an extreme arcana artifact that gained a consciousness, and was always in search of the person that created him. He couldn't stay too long at one place or there'd be a blight of the land.

I actually had a player play this character for story purposes (the other players didn't know that HE was the artifact they were looking for).

You're good! Thanks for the advice.

your welcome. I dont think its perfect, but it could work in a pinch. it also opens up alignment and roleplay concerns.


Suddenly the party's driud starts to regret having within a thousand miles of you.

Every time you attempt to help kill a baddie attacking a farm or city, you lay waste to the farmer's fields/city's shrubs. Suddenly you have the city's military/guards/populous wanting your head.

Your dwindling life force also pushes you to seek various means of immortality, generally via undeath.

[Thrygor]

I liked Dark Sun as well. Great source of psionic material.
I played a Psionic in 2nd Edition - Skills and Powers. I used quite a few powers from The Will and the Way. Good stuff.


So... with regard to the Arch-Warmagus...
The most effective and least risky to one's self would to adopt the Lich template.
Wisest way, of course, would be to do this once you've completed the Prestige Class.

A Lich / Arch-Warmagus would be one powerful mofo to be reckoned with...

Wow! Great nemesis in a campaign...
The great Arch-Warmagus that became a Lich.... a couple of centuries ago.

I love it!

[LordErebus12]

Potential problem that i've seen is you have to be careful with whether the increase actually allows the full increase. in this example, one mistake you could make is thinking it deals more than it should.

Warmage 13th/Arch-Warmagus 7th
Eclectic Learning (Disintegrate)

Sudden Maximized Weaved Disintegrate.

To you: Fort DC 24 or take 1d6+1 constitution drain.

to them: ranged touch attack with a saving throw. if you hit (and you should), you end up dealing 44d6 maximized to 264 damage if they fail the save... (since it increases the dice maximum by 4 and increases the caster level up to 4, capped at 44d6, not 48d6)

on a successful save they take 5d6 damage (30 damage).

i dont know, there are problems with everything...

oops, that would be a 10th level spell

[LordErebus12]

So... with regard to the Arch-Warmagus...
The most effective and least risky to one's self would to adopt the Lich template.
Wisest way, of course, would be to do this once you've completed the Prestige Class.

A Lich / Arch-Warmagus would be one powerful mofo to be reckoned with...

Wow! Great nemesis in a campaign...
The great Arch-Warmagus that became a Lich.... a couple of centuries ago.

I love it!

hmm. necropolitan would also work for far cheaper... although... it does not have the same overall effect as the lich does. especially if you give it the evolved undead template... no ideas :biggrin:

[Thrygor]

hmm. necropolitan would also work for far cheaper... although... it does not have the same overall effect as the lich does. especially if you give it the evolved undead template... no ideas :biggrin:

Okay, so here's a good damage calculator.

Here I am, a Lich(assuming that I adopted the template right as I hit the 20th character level)
13/7 Arch-warmagus... and I want to fire off a nuke.

Round 1:
Delayed Blast Fireball (Sudden Widen, Sudden Maximized, Sudden Admixtured with Sonic, Sudden Empowered)
- This would only be a 7th level spell. The Sudden Metamagics stack, and don't add spell slots. (That's my understanding anyway)
- Weaved to add +4 to damage cap.
- Delay for 5 rounds
Round 2:
Fireball (Delay Spell - 4 rounds) - Weaved to 14d6
- 6th Level Spell
Round 3:
Fireball (Delay Spell - 3 rounds) - Weaved to 14d6
- 6th Level Spell
Round 4:
Fireball (Delay Spell - 2 rounds) - Weaved to 14d6
- 6th Level Spell
Round 5:
Fireball (Delay Spell - 1 round) - Weaved to 14d6
- 6th Level Spell
Round 6:
Fireball (Quickened) - Weaved to 14d6
- 7th Level Spell
Fireball (Maximized) - Weaved to 14d6
- 6th Level Spell

Damage totaled up:

DBF - 432 (Normal w/weaving 24d6, Admixtured w/Sonic +24d6, Maximized (100%), Empowered (50%))
Maximized, weaved fireball (from round 6) - 84 (14d6)
5 Fireballs, weaved and delayed until same round - 70d6

So, that makes 516 + 70d6 of Supernatural damage.
Total range of damage would be 586 to 936 of supernatural damage in one round.

Yeah, magic is extremely broken at this point, considering that amount of damage could slay an Avatar.
To hell with broken. You're a 20th Level caster, and you've earned the right to blow up everything that you want to. Granted, you're an outlaw, and you've pretty much destroyed the Garden of Eden.

Crazy. I love it!

[LordErebus12]

Okay, so here's a good damage calculator.

Damage totaled up:

DBF - 432 (Normal w/weaving 24d6, Admixtured w/Sonic +24d6, Maximized (100%), Empowered (50%))
Maximized, weaved fireball (from round 6) - 84 (14d6)
5 Fireballs, weaved and delayed until same round - 70d6

So, that makes 516 + 70d6 of Supernatural damage.
Total range of damage would be 586 to 936 of supernatural damage in one round.

Yeah, magic is extremely broken at this point, considering that amount of damage could slay an Avatar.
To hell with broken. You're a 20th Level caster, and you've earned the right to blow up everything that you want to. Granted, you're an outlaw, and you've pretty much destroyed the Garden of Eden.

Crazy. I love it!

Supernatural damage? umm, how? how I stat'd the prc, it doesn't get that ability (mainly because it doesn't need it) to change it to somehow get around Energy Resistance / SR.