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fireinthedust
2007-03-01, 05:59 AM
Let's say I was going to let Circle magic be a bigger part of my campaign; like any wizard who's a member of their guild can get together with guild members (and only guild members) and use the Red Wizard abilty from that PrC. Another alternative would be to divide magic along the lines of red, blue, white, black and green, like from magic: the gathering; or something along those lines. Black would be necromancers, dread necromancers, animators, corpsecrafter feat tree, etc. Red could be war mages or wild mages. White could access certain cleric spells. Etc.
Everyone would have the ability of the Tattoo for all wizards (not just specialists), and let any wizard who wanted take a Feat that let them lead circles, but only of their Guild (political association) or color (specific magic personality, or alignment).


What effect would this have on game play? Would it throw off game balance? Has anyone actually used Circle Magic in game-play?

I'm thinking of a number of ways to make wizards more interesting in a game; this is just one alternate rule.

any recommendations?

Collin152
2007-03-06, 07:19 PM
Well, rather than strip the uniqueness from the prestigeclass, just take Cooperative spell from COmplete Arcane. It works in a similar manner, buf differnatly enough that they are distinctly different mean to do a similar thing.
...
Yeah, me too. I love magic circles.

MeklorIlavator
2007-03-06, 07:24 PM
The dragonlance campaign setting has something like that, so you might want to look into it. And I heard that circle magic was ineffective

Ramza00
2007-03-06, 08:42 PM
The dragonlance campaign setting has something like that, so you might want to look into it. And I heard that circle magic was ineffective
What pile of **** are those people smoking?

Sure circle magic isn't that useful for blasting due to damage caps, but it is very useful for certain spells.

For example a Wizard 5/Red Wizard 5 with Greater Dispel Magic. He also has Arcane Mastery (CArcane can take 10 for caster level checks). Thus he gets 1d20+20 or 10(arcane mastery)+20 for the dispel check, thus he can dispel anything with a caster level of 19 and lower at lvl 10.

Or big monsters with spell resistance, well a normal wizard won't be able to bring down a dragon of greatly higher cr due to the high spell resistance and/or hitpoints. Even shivering touch+spectral hand won't work due to the dragon's high spell resistance, well circle magic fixes this.

Or you can use circle magic to boosting your dcs, maximize spells, or empower them.

Circle Magic is great. Sure it isn't as powerful as an incantatrix is, but it is still good. Also Red Wizard (Instead of Hathran or Halruathan Elder who also get circle magic) forces you to lose 3 schools or 2 if diviner. Remember though if you are doing circle magic, you will still have 2 more allies who can easily choose schools you gave up (other PCs or Cohorts through leadership)

BCOVertigo
2007-03-07, 12:31 AM
What pile of **** are those people smoking?

Sure circle magic isn't that useful for blasting due to damage caps, but it is very useful for certain spells.

For example a Wizard 5/Red Wizard 5 with Greater Dispel Magic. He also has Arcane Mastery (CArcane can take 10 for caster level checks). Thus he gets 1d20+20 or 10(arcane mastery)+20 for the dispel check, thus he can dispel anything with a caster level of 19 and lower at lvl 10.

Or big monsters with spell resistance, well a normal wizard won't be able to bring down a dragon of greatly higher cr due to the high spell resistance and/or hitpoints. Even shivering touch+spectral hand won't work due to the dragon's high spell resistance, well circle magic fixes this.

Or you can use circle magic to boosting your dcs, maximize spells, or empower them.

Circle Magic is great. Sure it isn't as powerful as an incantatrix is, but it is still good. Also Red Wizard (Instead of Hathran or Halruathan Elder who also get circle magic) forces you to lose 3 schools or 2 if diviner. Remember though if you are doing circle magic, you will still have 2 more allies who can easily choose schools you gave up (other PCs or Cohorts through leadership)

I agree, there are certain spells I wouldn't mind siphoning all my leadership-minion's power to give a boost to.

On a completely unrelated note, does anyone else instinctively try to click underlined text just in case it's a link to an example?

Dhavaer
2007-03-07, 12:44 AM
On a completely unrelated note, does anyone else instinctively try to click underlined text just in case it's a link to an example?

Yes. char limit

Fizban
2007-03-07, 12:48 AM
Haha.

I think it was the Ethran PrC, something from Forgotten Realms anyway, gets circle magic as well. Female only though, and doesn't get greater circle magic, so there's that.

Why not just homebrew a feat that lets you lead circle magic, with the prerequisite of a feat that lets you merely participate?

Edit: okay, after actually reading the OP, you've already thought of that. That's all you need.

Cooperative spell is way different, it boosts CL and DC of a spell if two casters do it at the same time. So instead of two fireballs at different times, you ready actions to cast at the same time and get a boost to CL and save DC. Circle magic involves sacrificing spell slots to give the leader various bonuses. Very different IMO.

Redwizard26
2007-03-07, 12:58 AM
Especially considering that all three of the PRCs mentioned are FRCS flavor specific. Maybee a five level PRC that is less specific might be an order, so that it limits the cheese a little (so that not every Wizard/Archmage/incantrix/mage of the order can get it).

MeklorIlavator
2007-03-07, 04:44 PM
What pile of **** are those people smoking?

Sure circle magic isn't that useful for blasting due to damage caps, but it is very useful for certain spells.

For example a Wizard 5/Red Wizard 5 with Greater Dispel Magic. He also has Arcane Mastery (CArcane can take 10 for caster level checks). Thus he gets 1d20+20 or 10(arcane mastery)+20 for the dispel check, thus he can dispel anything with a caster level of 19 and lower at lvl 10.

Or big monsters with spell resistance, well a normal wizard won't be able to bring down a dragon of greatly higher cr due to the high spell resistance and/or hitpoints. Even shivering touch+spectral hand won't work due to the dragon's high spell resistance, well circle magic fixes this.

Or you can use circle magic to boosting your dcs, maximize spells, or empower them.

Circle Magic is great. Sure it isn't as powerful as an incantatrix is, but it is still good. Also Red Wizard (Instead of Hathran or Halruathan Elder who also get circle magic) forces you to lose 3 schools or 2 if diviner. Remember though if you are doing circle magic, you will still have 2 more allies who can easily choose schools you gave up (other PCs or Cohorts through leadership)
Opps, I meant Cooperative spell(the feat). I know circle magic is good. Stupid sleep deprivation.

Ramza00
2007-03-07, 04:46 PM
Opps, I meant Cooperative spell(the feat). I know circle magic is good. Stupid sleep deprivation.

Agreed, cooperative is junk. It is better to just cause a monster to save twice against two spells.

Collin152
2007-03-07, 05:00 PM
Usually, unless you have more casters, and this thing couldn't fai la save against the standard thing regardless.