The Value of Obsession [BC]

[Quellian-dyrae]

The Magus

The magus is an arcane spell caster who specializes intently in certain schools of magic. They look upon specialist wizards as merely mages with a degree of focus on their chosen schools. Magi, on the other hand, pursue their chosen schools to the exclusion of all others.

Even among spell casters, magi are a proud lot. They frequently boast about the superior powers of their school and belittle the others. This doesn’t always make them unsociable braggarts, but they can become annoying rather quickly, particularly to other arcane spell casters. They are always insisting that their wizard friends stop wasting their time with the lesser schools, while with sorcerers they do what they can (through demonstration, discussion, cheering them on, and even praying) to coax the “best spells” to come out. When they meet a specialist wizard with their school prohibited, they express sincere pity. In battle, when faced with spells of their own school, they offer respect and view the caster as a greater threat. Faced with spells of other schools, they call out belittling taunts.

Magi often look at members of other classes as “less-gifted” extensions of practitioners of their favored schools. They sometimes unintentionally belittle these fellows, but tend to get along well enough with those whose roles are similar to their own. An enchanter magus is likely to get along well with a bard, for example, but dismiss a barbarian's skills.

Magi are often called by the titles of a specialist wizard of their chosen schools, so an enchantment and divination magus might be referred to as an enchanter or diviner. Many magi also invent titles for themselves based on the synthesis of their classes, often outrageous ones. An evoker/necromancer might call itself an eradicator, for example.

Magi can be of any alignment, and their personalities run the gamut. Of course, certain schools tend to attract certain types of people to stronger degrees than others. You rarely meet a lawful good evoker/necromancer magus with a sunny disposition.

HD: d4.
Skill Points: 4 + Int Mod per level.
Class Skills: Concentration, Craft, Intimidate, Knowledge, Profession, Speak Language, Spellcraft. Also see School Skills under the School Specialties class feature.
Proficiencies: Simple weapons, light armor, light shields. A magus knows spells of its school so thoroughly that it can cast them in light armor without a spell failure chance.

The Magus
{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special|0lvl|1st|2nd|3rd|4th|5th|6th|7th|8th| 9th

1st|
+0|
+0|
+0|
+2|School Specialties, Bonus Feat|5|3|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-

2nd|
+1|
+0|
+0|
+3| |6|4|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-

3rd|
+1|
+1|
+1|
+3| |6|5|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-

4th|
+2|
+1|
+1|
+4| |6|6|3|-|-|-|-|-|-|-

5th|
+2|
+1|
+1|
+4|Bonus Feat|6|6|4|-|-|-|-|-|-|-

6th|
+3|
+2|
+2|
+5| |6|6|5|3|-|-|-|-|-|-

7th|
+3|
+2|
+2|
+5| |6|6|6|4|-|-|-|-|-|-

8th|
+4|
+2|
+2|
+6| |6|6|6|5|3|-|-|-|-|-

9th|
+4|
+3|
+3|
+6| |6|6|6|6|4|-|-|-|-|-

10th|
+5|
+3|
+3|
+7|Bonus Feat|6|6|6|6|5|3|-|-|-|-

11th|
+5|
+3|
+3|
+7| |6|6|6|6|6|4|-|-|-|-

12th|
+6|
+4|
+4|
+8| |6|6|6|6|6|5|3|-|-|-

13th|
+6|
+4|
+4|
+8| |6|6|6|6|6|6|4|-|-|-

14th|
+7|
+4|
+4|
+9| |6|6|6|6|6|6|5|3|-|-

15th|
+7|
+5|
+5|
+9|Bonus Feat|6|6|6|6|6|6|6|4|-|-

16th|
+8|
+5|
+5|
+10| |6|6|6|6|6|6|6|5|3|-

17th|
+8|
+5|
+5|
+10| |6|6|6|6|6|6|6|6|4|-

18th|
+9|
+6|
+6|
+11| |6|6|6|6|6|6|6|6|5|3

19th|
+9|
+6|
+6|
+11| |6|6|6|6|6|6|6|6|6|4

20th|
+10|
+6|
+6|
+12|Bonus Feat|6|6|6|6|6|6|6|6|6|5[/table]

Bonus Feats: At 1st level, and at every level evenly divisible by 5, the magus gains a bonus feat. They may choose from the same list of feats available to wizards. The magus must meet all prerequisites for its bonus feats.

School Specialties: Each magus may select two schools to specialize in. Each school has a number of effects on the magus’s capabilities.

School Spells: A magus is a dedicated student of its chosen schools. The magus knows all spells of its chosen schools (plus the Universal school) drawn from the Sorcerer/Wizard spell list of every spell level that it is capable of casting. Its spells known list is essentially equal to its class spell list. The magus can spontaneously cast any spell it knows, much like a sorcerer. Intelligence is the magus’s primary spellcasting ability score.

For example, a 6th level evocation/abjuration magus knows all sorcerer/wizard spells of levels 0-3 from the evocation and abjuration schools, and may spontaneously cast those spells according to its spells per day as given above.

School Skills: Each school adds three additional class skills to the character’s list.

Abjuration: Disable Device, Open Locks, Search.
Conjuration: Handle Animal, Ride, Survival.
Divination: Listen, Sense Motive, Spot.
Enchantment: Diplomacy, Gather Information, Perform.
Evocation: Climb, Jump, Swim.
Illusion: Bluff, Disguise, Sleight of Hand.
Necromancy: Heal, Hide, Move Silently.
Transmutation: Balance, Escape Artist, Tumble.

School Ability: Each school provides a special ability to the character:

Abjuration: Trapfinding (as rogue).
Conjuration: Summon Familiar (as wizard).
Divination: Diviner’s Knowledge (as Bardic Knowledge).
Enchantment: Empathy (as Wild Empathy, but affects any creature with an Intelligence score).
Evocation: Evoker’s Edge (as Warmage Edge, see Complete Arcane).
Illusion: Cloaked Casting (as Beguiler, see the PH2).
Necromancy: Rebuke Undead (as cleric).
Transmutation: Bonus Feat (this may be any feat that the magus meets the prerequisites for).

[magic8BALL]

hah HA! Awesome!


I take it, this is a class that can cross class with itself? the evocer/necromancer you speak of in the description...
If so... can we see prestige classes?
somthing like:

pre-req: cast 2nd (or 3rd) level spells as two magi class subsets, spell focus both schools.
benefit: +1 spellcasting one subset/ +1 spellcasting other subset


reading on...

...so you take two schools, hey?

...I love reading...

Well, I can't fault it, appart from the unusually high skills for a caster.
The only thing I would do is have them cast as a wizard, but only of the chosen schools, and three free spells a level. (all cantrips of schools, and six plus int mod free spells at first). But thats just a campaign thing.

Well done.

[Iituem]

Am I correct in thinking that the magus can cast only spells from his selected schools and thus all other schools are prohibited to him (save Universal spells)?

[Khantalas]

[B]Enchantment: Empathy (as Wild Empathy, but affects any creature with an Intelligence score).

You mean, like, diplomacy?

You could just give Wild Empathy.

[icke]

Many things.

1) Where does the armor proficiency come from? The Magus is, as I read it, not a combat-oriented class and should not per se gain usage of armor or shields. Also, in what way does an enchanter/divinator need armor, for example?

2) You've been rather generous with assigning skill points. That may be alright if skill usage was a major goodie of the class, but since it's a casting specialist(emphasis on specialist), such a number of skill points is unjustified. If the Magus is such a spell nerd that he knows "his" spells by heart, he should at best get 2+Int skill points.

3) If the Magus casts his spells spontaneously, make charisma his spellcasting ability, just to stay in line with the preparatory/spontaneous caster concepts.

4) I like the idea of assigning skills and special abilities to spell schools. However, the array of specials You propose is too wide and breaks too far into the territory of other classes. Example: Warmage Edge is THE goodie of the warmage class, the one thing that makes them special and that no other caster class can get. If You assign it to Your class as well, why should anyone want to play a warmage any more?
Also, some of Your assignments are unbalanced or rather difficult to comprehend. Your abjuring Magus gains both Trap Sense and Trapfinding, some strong abilities available to two or three classes only. And You enchanting Magus' Empathy ability should only work against creatures of low intelligence, since every creature clever enough to develop a language is a) able to see through attempts to influence it by body language and vocalization and can b) be influenced by the Diplomacy skill to the same effect.
The skill selection for the schools are fine to me, except for the necromancer's ability to hide and move silently. Where does that come from? Alternatively, what about the Heal skill? If he's so much into dead bodies he should have some knowledge about bones and vital organs.

To sum up, Your Magus gets too many goodies from other classes to be balanced, I'd advise to scale him down a bit. I don't even attempt to compare him to the Sorcerer, the weakest primary caster available, but since he's even more powerfull than the Warmage(overpowered itsself if You ask me), he should deserve a downgrade.

[Quellian-dyrae]

Iituem: That is correct. It casts spells as a warmage does, with its spells known list equal to its class spell list, and its class spell list equal to all Sor/Wiz spells from the two chosen schools (plus Universal spells, which I forgot to put in--will edit that).

Icke, you're probably right on several of these points, but since I don't have anything better to do at the moment, I'm going to type up a long-winded post of my theories on the matter. Because I like discussing balance theories.

1. They need armor proficiency to survive since only Abjurer magi would get the Mage Armor spell. Also, the classes these guys are somewhat based on--the Warmage, Beguiler, and Dread Necromancer--all receive light armor proficiency and armored mage (light).

2. The skill points are more than standard D&D balance allows for, given that my aim was that with 6+Int SP they would have access to all the unique skills of their chosen schools, plus a few of the standard skills. I'll go back and lower it, but given that they have all Knowledge skills, plus their unique skills, I think they need at least 4 SP to be able to utilize a decent number of their class skills. The SP are also in a sense a trade-off with the d6 HD that other full spell knowledge classes receive.

3. The Int was also to help their skills (can you tell that I don't feel like characters get enough SP?::grin::), and because they are studied casters. They don't develop magic through inner strength like a sorcerer, but through intensive, indeed obsessive, study of their schools.

4. My aim with the special abilities was to provide abilities that other classes received at 1st level, that generally either scaled or (in the case of warmage edge or the transmuter's bonus feat) were just good enough that they'd always be useful. My theories on the three examples:

--Warmage edge...yeah, you're right, it probably does make warmages kinda obsolete. Honestly, the warmage is probably the weakest of the three full caster knowledge classes--the warmage, beguiler, and dread necromancer--having less versatility as well as fewer special abilities. That all in mind...I don't know if I can bring myself to take it out!

--The abjurer's trapfinding was due to its role as a defensive character (one more way to protect the party), and its presumed familiarity with magical glyphs. I gave it trap sense because...well, honestly, because I don't use a lot of traps in my games so those abilities seem weak to me and I thought they needed to go together to be competitive. I'll reduce it to trapfinding alone.

--Empathy I wasn't too worried about simply because enchanters get Diplomacy; maxing out Diplomacy is in and of itself +3 above empathy, and might be +5-+9 above it from synergy. I guess in the case of higher intelligence creatures one could say that it is less about body language that sensing the subject's feelings and responding to them.

For the necromancer's skills, I've always seen necromancers as stealthy. I wouldn't mind replacing Intimidate with Heal, moving Intimidate to the primary skills. And yes, I know, Intimidate is not a common caster skill. Which is ludicrous to me. Even a Diviner can be intimidating when you know it can steal your thoughts. Honestly Intimidate seems like a skill that every class should have, like Craft and Profession. But that rant aside...I'd need to replace Heal for conjurers with something. Maybe Survival. It fits with ride and handle animal, a conjurer might study druidic texts for summoning lore, and it would be quite helpful after a botched teleport.

Okay, that should meet my rambling quota for the day. Thanks for the input all!

[Fredderf]

I love the idea! The fluff is great!

You may want to consider allowing them to know a few spells outside of their domains via a feat.
I would also give the Transmuter a better ability than a free feat :)
The class seems overpowered overall though. Giving a mage full acess to an entire school is a bit much. Perhaps you could allow them more spells known than a sorc., but not all of the school?

[Quellian-dyrae]

The main reason I went with entire schools of magic was so that they would have access to some cool spells that, chances are, will normally be ignored in favor of key spells for a given spell level. I mean...fabricate is a really cool spell for a mage to have, but it's competing with Wall of Force, Cone of Cold, Dominate Person, Telekinesis, Teleport, Overland Flight...to say nothing about spells from supplements. Greater Blink. What a spell.

I had been considering having them pay for their improved versatility by lowering their spells per day to those of a wizard. Any thoughts on that idea?

[icke]

Iituem: That is correct. It casts spells as a warmage does, with its spells known list equal to its class spell list, and its class spell list equal to all Sor/Wiz spells from the two chosen schools (plus Universal spells, which I forgot to put in--will edit that).

Icke, you're probably right on several of these points, but since I don't have anything better to do at the moment, I'm going to type up a long-winded post of my theories on the matter. Because I like discussing balance theories.

1. They need armor proficiency to survive since only Abjurer magi would get the Mage Armor spell. Also, the classes these guys are somewhat based on--the Warmage, Beguiler, and Dread Necromancer--all receive light armor proficiency and armored mage (light).

2. The skill points are more than standard D&D balance allows for, given that my aim was that with 6+Int SP they would have access to all the unique skills of their chosen schools, plus a few of the standard skills. I'll go back and lower it, but given that they have all Knowledge skills, plus their unique skills, I think they need at least 4 SP to be able to utilize a decent number of their class skills. The SP are also in a sense a trade-off with the d6 HD that other full spell knowledge classes receive.

3. The Int was also to help their skills (can you tell that I don't feel like characters get enough SP?::grin::), and because they are studied casters. They don't develop magic through inner strength like a sorcerer, but through intensive, indeed obsessive, study of their schools.

4. My aim with the special abilities was to provide abilities that other classes received at 1st level, that generally either scaled or (in the case of warmage edge or the transmuter's bonus feat) were just good enough that they'd always be useful. My theories on the three examples:

--Warmage edge...yeah, you're right, it probably does make warmages kinda obsolete. Honestly, the warmage is probably the weakest of the three full caster knowledge classes--the warmage, beguiler, and dread necromancer--having less versatility as well as fewer special abilities. That all in mind...I don't know if I can bring myself to take it out!

--The abjurer's trapfinding was due to its role as a defensive character (one more way to protect the party), and its presumed familiarity with magical glyphs. I gave it trap sense because...well, honestly, because I don't use a lot of traps in my games so those abilities seem weak to me and I thought they needed to go together to be competitive. I'll reduce it to trapfinding alone.

--Empathy I wasn't too worried about simply because enchanters get Diplomacy; maxing out Diplomacy is in and of itself +3 above empathy, and might be +5-+9 above it from synergy. I guess in the case of higher intelligence creatures one could say that it is less about body language that sensing the subject's feelings and responding to them.

For the necromancer's skills, I've always seen necromancers as stealthy. I wouldn't mind replacing Intimidate with Heal, moving Intimidate to the primary skills. And yes, I know, Intimidate is not a common caster skill. Which is ludicrous to me. Even a Diviner can be intimidating when you know it can steal your thoughts. Honestly Intimidate seems like a skill that every class should have, like Craft and Profession. But that rant aside...I'd need to replace Heal for conjurers with something. Maybe Survival. It fits with ride and handle animal, a conjurer might study druidic texts for summoning lore, and it would be quite helpful after a botched teleport.

Okay, that should meet my rambling quota for the day. Thanks for the input all!

rambling back:

1) Don't know the Beguiler at all and just had a short clash with a dread necromancer once. Still, if you want armor that bad, meinetwegen.

2) They'll get a lot of skill points from just having a high(and rising) Int, so extra skill points aren't necessary.

3) If they're studied casters, they should work like these: preparatory.

4) If you put in useful abilities, don't ask 'How good are they with my new class?', ask 'How much does my new class take over from another class'. Also, don't just compare Your class with the Beguiler, Dread Necromancer and Warmage, take into account the other classes, too, especially the core classes.

- Warmage Edge might even be kept in, but if You keep it You're saying 'I'm constructing the Universal Mage, part of which is the Warmage'. The d6 hit die just doesn't keep it up.

- Trapfinding is nice and good alone. It IS an essential part of the Rogue class, so any rogue in the same party will be slightly unhappy if he specializes on trap detection and disarming. But it's not too bad.

- So you basically say Empathy is not worth it, since diplomacy does the same, and better?

- Why do You think necromancers are stealthy?
Concerning intimidate: I've got no problem granting it to necromancers, since necromancy generally has a pretty bad reputation, depending on the game world.

[Quellian-dyrae]

Nah, I wouldn't say empathy is useless, since it also works on animals and other low-intelligence creatures. And hey, if you want to save your SP and not take Diplomacy, it's a credible backup, if not a great one.

And necromancer stealth...I don't know, I've always seen them as skulking in the shadows, wielding forces of darkness...the magical equivalent of an assassin, I always thought. Just my way of viewing fantasy, I suppose.

[magic8BALL]

Honestly Intimidate seems like a skill that every class should have, like Craft and Profession.

...but... but... fighters don't get Profession... :smallfrown:

Necromancers...

I find these the ultimate in your face guy. Everyone knows about the local necromancer. Some people even know where his tower is. No one goes there (bar PC's, and the occasional NPC party just so the world seems like the PC's arnt the only adventurers... but thats only in back story anyway). Why? Becouse the ability to such the life out of you, and reanimate your body to slay your companions is intimidating to say the least.

[Iituem]

If you're a powerful necromancer, sure. But if you're only a fair to middling necromancer, putting up a great big tower and calling out your name to the heavens is pretty much a surefire way of inviting the torches and pitchforks. Level 5 necromancer or not, a mob of peasants can still give you some upset.

[icke]

Nah, I wouldn't say empathy is useless, since it also works on animals and other low-intelligence creatures. And hey, if you want to save your SP and not take Diplomacy, it's a credible backup, if not a great one.


So Empathy is actually even more powerfull than Animal Empathy? You're not only playing in the Bard's backyard, but in the Druid's as well?

The way necromancers are seen heavily depends on the game world, I've built several campaign worlds where necromancy is just another school of magic, or even the 'higher art' of magic.