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Reyyn
2015-07-15, 10:38 AM
Recently I've begun work on a campaign which I really want to flesh out with some homebrew content to better match somethings to the world concepts. One of these ideas has to do with magic. I've been frequenting these boards for a while and decided to get some feedback from the people here.

First some info on the concept in the world I want to work around. The world (so far unammed) does not have a distinction between divine and arcane magic. All magic is stemmed from one source and is treated as arcane magic. Along with this concept I decided I wanted to scrap the standard base spellcasting classes. So no more druid, cleric, sorcerer, or wizard. I wanted to then have a single class which is then "specialized" towards what I feel the concept of each class should be.

This is what I have so far.

All classes have a magic rating (as per UA variant pg.135) which is defined by their level. Full casters magic rating is equal to their class level. Partial casters magic rating is equal to half their class level. Total magic rating is determined individually per class and then totaled. Thus a level 5 mage/4 bard would have a magic rating of 5 from wizard and 2 from bard for a total of 7.

All spells are treated as arcane spells, and thus are affected by ASF%. Casters require both a spellbook and a focus. The focus can be a symbol tied to their deity, a personal item (e.g. heirloom, trinket, trinket, etc.). The focus cannot be a weapon or armor and cannot be initially magical in nature (although later the focus may gain some magical properties).

Prestige classes with a requirement of divine or arcane casting have the requirement waived. The same is true of spontaneous casting.

All casters utilize this basic progression (referred to as mage)


Level
BaB
Will
Fort/Ref
Special
Spells/Day
Spells Known


1
+0
+2
+0
Specialization, focus, spellbook, scribe scroll
4/2
3/1


2
+1
+3
+0

5/3
4/2


3
+1
+3
+1

5/4
4/3


4
+2
+4
+1

6/5/2
4/2/1


5
+2
+4
+1
Specialization
6/5/3
4/3/2


6
+3
+5
+2

6/6/4/2
4/4/2/1


7
+3
+5
+2

6/6/5/3
4/4/3/2


8
+4
+6
+2

6/6/5/4/2
4/4/4/2/1


9
+4
+6
+3

6/6/6/5/3
4/4/4/3/2


10
+5
+7
+3
Specialization
6/6/6/5/4/2
4/4/4/4/2/1


11
+5
+7
+3

6/6/6/6/5/3
4/4/4/4/3/2


12
+6/+1
+8
+4

6/6/6/6/5/4/2
4/4/4/4/4/2/1


13
+6/+1
+8
+4

6/6/6/6/6/5/3
4/4/4/4/4/3/2


14
+7/+2
+9
+4

6/6/6/6/6/5/4/2
4/4/4/4/4/4/2/1


15
+7/+2
+9
+5
Specialization
6/6/6/6/6/6/5/3
4/4/4/4/4/4/3/2


16
+8/+3
+10
+5

6/6/6/6/6/6/5/4/2
4/4/4/4/4/4/4/2/1


17
+8/+3
+10
+5

6/6/6/6/6/6/6/5/3
4/4/4/4/4/4/4/3/2


18
+9/+4
+11
+6

6/6/6/6/6/6/6/5/4/2
4/4/4/4/4/4/4/4/2/1


19
+9/+4
+11
+6

6/6/6/6/6/6/6/6/5/4
4/4/4/4/4/4/4/4/3/2


20
+10/+5
+12
+6
Specialization
6/6/6/6/6/6/6/6/6/5
4/4/4/4/4/4/4/4/4/4



Class skills 2 + Int modifier

Spellcasting: All mages utilize Charisma as their stat for determining save DCs and Bonus Spells per day. A mage can only cast a spell if they have a charisma score equal to 10 + the level of the spell. Additionally if a mage would be eligible to gain bonus spells per day of a level which they cannot yet cast they cannot.
At each level a mage learns 2 spells which they can scribe into their spellbook. A mage can also scribe new spells into their spellbook from scrolls, other spellbooks, or that they are taught by another mage. To scribe a spell in this manner follow the rules on page 179 of the Player’s Handbook.
A mage has a number of spells known per level which they have available to cast. While they can scribe any number of spells into their spellbook, they can only memorize so many to have available to cast on hand.
Metamagic is applied to spells by memorizing the spell with the appropriate spell memorized with metamagic applied.
Focus: All spells require a focus to cast, or you must make a caster check of D20 + your Magic Rating versus DC 15 + the level of the spell. This causes the spell to require a minimum of a full-round action to cast.
Spellbook: Every mage has a spellbook in which they scribe their spells. They can spend 4 hours studying their spellbooks to switch their spells known. They can do this as often as they want, but must spend 4 hours each time they choose to do so. If they are interrupted while doing they do not swap any spells and must again spend 4 hours to change their spells known.
A mage beings play with all 0th level spells scribed in their spell book and 2 1st level spells of their choice.
Specialization: at 1st level the player choses one of the following specializations: Priest, Sage, Sorcerer, Druid. Depending on the choice the character gains various benefits.

Priest: at 1st level you must chose a deity to worship and your alignment must be within one step of your deities. You gain the ability to turn or rebuke undead as a cleric dependent upon your deity. Your focus becomes your deities favored weapon and you gain proficiency with it (and can choose fighter specific feats with that weapon only).
At 5th level you can spend a turn attempt to cast a cure spell without having the spell memorized.
At 10th level – you gain the ability to channel divine energy. Any priest can release a wave of energy by channeling the power of her faith through her focus. This energy can be used to cause or heal damage, depending on the type of energy channeled and the creatures targeted. A good priest (or a neutral priest who worships a good deity) channels positive energy and can choose to deal damage to undead creatures or to heal living creatures. An evil priest (or a neutral priest who worships an evil deity) channels negative energy and can choose to deal damage to living creatures or to heal undead creatures. A neutral priest of a neutral deity must choose whether she channels positive or negative energy. Once this choice is made, it cannot be reversed. Channeling energy causes a burst that affects all creatures of one type (either undead or living) in a 30-foot radius centered on the priest. The amount of damage dealt or healed is equal to 3d6 points of damage plus 1d6 points of damage for every two mage levels beyond 5th (4d6 at 7th, 5d6 at 9th, and so on). Creatures that take damage from channeled energy receive a Will save to halve the damage. The DC of this save is equal to 10 + 1/2 the mage's level + the mage's Charisma modifier. Creatures healed by channel energy cannot exceed their maximum hit point total—all excess healing is lost. A priest must spend a turn attempt to use this ability. This is a standard action that does not provoke an attack of opportunity. A priest can choose whether or not to include herself in this effect.
At 15th level –
At 20th level –


Sage: at 1st level you gain a quarterstaff that becomes your focus. Your spellbook is enhanced to enable you to scribe any number spells within it. You can choose to specialize as does a wizard with all the associated rules. You have the option to specialize in a school of magic as a wizard does. However you can scribe spells from any school into your spell book. Scribing a forbidden spell doubles the associated costs and skill check DC’s. To memorize such a spell you must add 1 hour to the time you spend studying your spellbook (though you only add this extra time once per session no matter how many forbidden spells you attempt to memorize). For each forbidden spell you must make a Spellcraft check DC 20 + the level of the spell. To cast a spell from a forbidden school you must make a Spellcraft check DC 25 + the level of the spell.
At 5th level you become faster at memorizing a new set of spells requiring 1 hour to replace your spells known instead of 4 hours.
At 10th level – you become more adept at scribing spells into your spellbook. You only need to spend half a day studying a spell you wish to add to your spell book. A spellcraft check failure no only requires you to wait 1 day before attempting to scribe the spell again.
At 15th level – If you have specialized in a school of magic you can now memorize forbidden spells without spending the additional hour to study, and the DC is reduced by 10. The DC to cast such a spell is also reduced by 5. If you have not specialized you can memorize an additional spell per level that you can cast.
At 20th level – mages who are specialized in a school of magic can chose 1 spell per spell level of that school which they are always considered to have memorized. They can each of these spells once per day without spending a spell slot.

Sorcerer: at 1st level you gain a familiar as a sorcerer. Your focus is not defined by your specialization.
At 5th level and every 5 levels you can chose a metamagic feat you know which you can apply to spells you cast on the fly as long as the level adjustment of the metamagic is no greater than 3
At 10th level – You can now cast 0th level spells at will.
At 15th level – You can now cast 1st level spells at will.
At 20th level – you can now cast 2nd level spells at will.

Druid: at 1st level you gain Nature Sense and Wild Empathy as a druid from the Player’s Handbook.
At 5th level you gain Wild Shape as a Druid from the Player’s Handbook. This ability progresses as you gain levels just as if you were a druid of your level. You also gain Woodland Stride and Trackless Step.
At 10th level you gain the ability to ignore the ASF% of armor if that armor appears in the druid entry of the Player’s Handbook as an armor they can wear. You also gain immunity to poisons.
At 15th level you gain the ability to Wild Shape into a elemental as a druid. This ability then progresses as normal for a druid.
At 20th level – Wild Shape can be used at will

Any suggestions to fill in blank level spots would be appreciated. Also any suggestions for balance (yes I know combining divine and arcane makes casters more unbalanced. Perhaps a way to mitigate this while still achieving the desired affect?). And anything else you can think of.

Suggest/critique/thought away :smalltongue: