Caltrop Mage Help

[purplearcanist]

This is my first attempt at homebrew design, a prestiege class called the caltrop mage. The caltrop mage uses caltrops to hamper enemies with the caltrops while devistating them with spells.

Requirements:Able to cast invisibility, mage hand, and one arcane spell of 3rd level or higher.

Class Skills: Craft(Int), Knowledge(arcana)(Int),Spellcraft(Int),???????

Skill Points: (2 + Int Modifier)

Hit die: d4

CALTROP MAGE
{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special|Spells

1st|
+0
|
+0
|
+0
|
+2
|Moving Caltrops(Su),Call the Caltrops(Sp)|+1 level of existing spellcasting class

2nd|
+1
|
+1
|
+1
|
+3
|Hidden Caltrops(Su)(Cloaking)|+1 level of existing spellcasting class

3rd|
+1
|
+1
|
+1
|
+3
|????????|+1 level of existing spellcasting class

4th|
+2
|
+1
|
+1
|
+4
|????????|+1 level of existing spellcasting class

5th|
+2
|
+2
|
+2
|
+4
|Hidden Caltrops(Su)(invisibility)|+1 level of existing spellcasting class

6th|
+3
|
+2
|
+2
|
+5
|????????|+1 level of existing spellcasting class

7th|
+3
|
+2
|
+2
|
+5
|????????|+1 level of existing spellcasting class

8th|
+4
|
+3
|
+3
|
+6
|????????|+1 level of existing spellcasting class

9th|
+4
|
+3
|
+3
|
+6
|????????|+1 level of existing spellcasting class

10th|
+5
|
+4
|
+4
|
+7
|???????|+1 level of existing spellcasting class [/table]

Moving Caltrops(Su): The caltrop mage's caltrops seem to anticipate where the opponent is going to step, and move to where the opponent's foot is. Any bag of caltrops that is placed by the caltrop mage as mundane caltrops, or through the Call the Caltrops ability gains an enchancement bonus on attack rolls equal to the caltrop mage's level.

Call the Caltrops(Sp): At will, as a standard action, a caltrop mage can conjure caltrops to fill a 5 foot square anywhere within 30 ft. of him. These caltrops last for 1 minute per Caltrop Mage level or until picked up by another character.

Hidden Caltrops(Su): The caltrops placed by a 2nd level caltrop mage are cloaked. Any bag of caltrop that a caltrop mage places requires a DC 20 spot or search check to notice the caltrops, as they blend into the surroundings. Any character who doesn't notice the caltrops is denied his dexterity bonus against an attack made by the caltrops, and the caltrops gain a +2 bonus on attack rolls against the character.
At 5th level, any bag of caltrops that is placed by the caltrop mage is invisible, like the invisibility spell, but as soon as someone steps on one, the invisibility spell ends on that particular square of caltrops, but the cloaking effect remains.
At 8th level, the invisibility effect on a caltrop does not end when someone steps on it.





Any suggestions?

[Indon]

Are these magically enhanced caltrops?

If so, you might require the Create Magic Weapons and Armor feat and craft(Weaponsmith) for making your caltrops.

Hmm... Caltrops of Entangle...

[purplearcanist]

Are these magically enhanced caltrops?

If so, you might require the Create Magic Weapons and Armor feat and craft(Weaponsmith) for making your caltrops.

Hmm... Caltrops of Entangle...

Good Suggestion, I was planning on giving the caltrops a bonus on attack rolls.

More Abilities Coming soon, such as invisible caltrops, caltrops that channel touch spells, and easier placement of caltrops

[Neek]

Perhaps being able to cast up to 3rd level spells through the caltops would make it worth while, much like a Spellsword?

[edit] Perhaps that's too general. I mean, when placing caltrops, you can store an area of caltrops with a spell that is triggered by stepping on them.

[Fax Celestis]

See also: the Earthbound Spell metamagic feat and the Smiting Spell metamagic feat in the PHB-II. Having those as bonus feats (or class features) would be terrific.

[mikeejimbo]

One of the abilities should be to summon caltrops, at least once/day, maybe improving as you level.

[Holocron Coder]

An easy-to-toss-in class cap could be the ability to create caltrops in large amounts or at will. Not sure about the balance of such, but that could be useful. perhaps a limit on how long they last before fading away could be used for balance (and also so you can't set up a caltrops-r-us)

[mikeejimbo]

Why do they have to be able to cast invisibility, though? Invisible caltrops?

[Triaxx]

To hide the Caltrops from enemies who are searching, and increase the difficulty of seeing them in a spot check. Why not use a caltrop as an anchor? Imbue the caltrop with a single casting of the spell, and set it down. It's an instant land mine with fireball, or a popup guard with Mordenkainen's sword. Even exploding a magic missile up at a foe would be deadly.

[purplearcanist]

To hide the Caltrops from enemies who are searching, and increase the difficulty of seeing them in a spot check. Why not use a caltrop as an anchor? Imbue the caltrop with a single casting of the spell, and set it down. It's an instant land mine with fireball, or a popup guard with Mordenkainen's sword. Even exploding a magic missile up at a foe would be deadly.

Great Idea!:smallsmile: I really like the idea of tieing many types of spell effects to the step of a caltrop. Thus, it would turn the caltrop mage into an effective trap setter, especially with abilities to hide the caltrop.

[Eighth_Seraph]

you don't have to re-post the table, you can simply edit the one you placed in the opening post. In any case, I really like this idea, though more as an NPC dungeon specialist kind of thing than as a character class (adventurers are more likely the ones watching out for caltrops as they enter dungeons). I'm tempted to suggest Contigency as a pre-req, but that would place the requirements far too high.

[Triaxx]

True. As for the table, you have to edit it off page anyway, because every time you edit in the post, even if you don't touch the table, it screws it up.

[Spacefrog]

Some ability to place caltrops at range?

And then (just for flavour really) make them all jump back into your caltrop bag when you've finished with them.

[Thomar_of_Uointer]

Cool.

Okay... First off, it needs a caster level cut. You're replacing two bonus feats and ten levels of spellcasting, remember?

Imbue with spell ability: Spell storing caltrops! Might want to impose a spell level cap on it that scales with levels in the prestige class, but it's really not that powerful unless combined with something else.
Distance scatter: Should be the level 1 ability, use the mage hand spell as a full-round action to scatter caltrops within its range.
Woundning spell: Some kind of metamagic or /day effect that makes a spell inflict a caltrop wound on a failed save.
Aggressive Caltrops: Caltrops attack characters on your action, regardless of shuffling or not moving or not even being in their square.
Piercing substitution: Substitute piercing damage for any energy type, and ignore spell resistance. Requires a bag of caltrops as a spell component and increases the spell level by one or requires you to burn a level 1 or higher spell slot.

You could also fuel abilities by burning spell slots.

[Neek]

It's better if you store a range of caltrops. I say this because, what if the enemy doesn't step on the caltrop imbued with Darkness out of the 12 you set down? It'd better than when he strikes ONE of those 12 cantrips, it triggers the spell to be cast. Not that stepping on the others'd cause recasting. Just that that handful of caltrops weren't imbued with a spell.

[Triaxx]

Why not the ability to enchant the bag of caltrops with a single spell? So that tripping any of them, trips the single spell for the whole batch, then the others are merely normal caltrops.

[Peregrine]

I'm going to go start another thread for my new class, the Ten-Foot Pole Mage. :smallbiggrin:

In other matters, this is an awesome idea and I love it. The many fiendish possibilities that could come from invisible caltrops triggering spells are dancing through my head.