Debatra
2016-12-05, 12:21 AM
Master of the Mind
A Homebrew Collaboration between JustToBrowse and Debatra
No mind is impenetrable.
Prerequisites:
Capable of casting 2nd-level illusion and enchantment spells
Spellcraft 8 ranks
Spell Focus (Illusion) or Spell Focus (Enchantment)
Special: If you are a Wizard or other class that can specialize in schools of magic, you must be either an Enchanter or an Illusionist, and neither of those schools may be forbidden to you.
HD: d6
LevelBABFortRefWillSpecialSpellcasting
1+0+0+0+2Restricted Casting, Mental Mage, bonus feat+1 level of existing class
2+1+0+0+3Once a Fool+1 level of existing class
3+1+1+1+3Susceptible Mind+1 level of existing class
4+2+1+1+4Creeping Vulnerability+1 level of existing class
5+2+1+1+4Crack the Mind+1 level of existing class
Skills: 4 + Intelligence modifier per level. All skills are considered Class Skills for the Master of the Mind.
Proficiencies: The Master of the Mind does not gain any new proficiencies.
Spellcasting: At every level, a Master of the Mind gains spells as though he had taken a level in a spellcasting class he already possessed. If he has more than one such class, he must choose one.
Restricted casting: Magic of the mind forces its users to specialize. The classes advanced by this class's spellcasting must use enchantment and illusion spells. If the class is a prepared caster (like wizard or cleric), one spell of each spell level that is prepared must be an illusion spell and one spell of each spell level that is prepared must be an enchantment spell. If the class is a spontaneous caster (like sorcerer or favored soul), one spell known of each spell level must be an illusion spell and one spell known of each spell level must be an enchantment spell. Only then can the Master of the Mind learn or prepare any other spells. If the class being advanced is not a prepared or spontaneous caster, talk to your DM to work out an acceptable substitute.
Mental Mage: If a Master of the Mind is a Wizard or other class that can specialize in schools of magic, he now counts as both an Enchanter and an Illusionist for all purposes when it would be beneficial to do so. This includes being able to prepare spells of either school is your specialization slots, as well as being able to mix-and-match the benefits granted by the Master Specialist prestige class. (Or, only with your DM's explicit permission, gain all the benefits of both schools.)
Bonus Feat: The Master of the Mind gains his choice of Spell Focus (Enchantment) or Spell Focus (Illusion) as a bonus feat. If he already has both of these feats before taking his first level in Master of the Mind, he instead gains Spell Focus (Mind-Affecting) (see "New Feats" below).
Once a Fool (Ex): By probing the minds of his targets, a Master of the Mind can cast his spells to greater effect. Any creature affected by one of his illusion spells has a -2 to saves against enchantment spells cast by him or his allies, and vice versa. This effect lasts for the duration of the spell, or for one round per caster level, whichever would be longer at the time of casting. A duration of Concentration is considered to be less than one round per caster level for the purpose of this ability. If it is based on the duration of a spell that ends prematurely (such as by being dispelled), this effect ends when the spell does. The Master of the Mind may dismiss this effect on his turn as a free action.
Susceptible Mind (Su): Those who are under the effects of a Master of the Mind's spells are connected to his magic. Whenever a creature would suffer a save penalty from Once a Fool, they can be affected with any spell of the appropriate school in addition to any of the spell's normal targets. This can only be done with spells one level lower than the Master of the Mind's maximum.
For example, if you affect a target with crushing despair, you can cast phantasmal killer on them and one other creature.
Creeping Vulnerability (Ex): The probing magic of a Master of the Mind grows stronger, allowing him to make even the weakest offense circumvent defenses. If a Master of the Mind fails to affect a creature with an enchantment or illusion spell, they still suffer the appropriate effects of Once a Fool for one round per caster level.
Crack the Mind (Su): Those who devote themselves can conquer any mental bastion. As a swift action, a Master of the Mind can expend a spell slot and force a target to make a Will Save (DC 10 + level of expended slot + ability modifier that would affect that spell slot). A creature that fails this save loses any immunity to Enchantments, Illusions and [Mind-Affecting] effects, but gains a +5 competence bonus on saves against them. If the creature instead has a bonus against Enchantments, Illusions, [Mind-Affecting] effects or all spells (whichever is highest); that bonus is reduced by 5 or changed to +5, whichever is less. This effect lasts two rounds per caster level. While multiple uses of this ability stack with each other and can turn a low bonus into a penalty, it can not be used on a creature whose current bonus is +0 or less. The Master of the Mind knows whether or not his use of this ability was successful, and may dismiss the effect on his turn as a free action.
When this effect expires, and the target regains its immunity, any relevant effects are not suppressed or removed and instead remain for their normal duration.
.
New Feats
Spell Focus (Mind-Affecting)
Benefit: Add +1 to the Difficulty Class for all spells you cast with the Mind-Affecting descriptor.
Epic Spell Focus (Mind-Affecting) [Epic]
Prerequisite: Spell Focus (Mind-Affecting), ability to cast at least one 9th-level spell with the Mind-Affecting descriptor.
Benefit: Add an additional +1 to the Difficulty Class for all spells you cast with the Mind-Affecting descriptor.
Greater Crack the Mind
Prerequisite: Crack the Mind, ability to cast at least one 9th-level spell from each of the Enchantment and Illusion schools.
Benefit: You may target any number of creatures, no two of which can be more than 30' apart, with a single use of your Crack the Mind ability. If you instead target only a single creature, increase the DC of Crack the Mind by 2. This bonus stacks with Ability Focus and similar abilities.
DBA: Unless JustToBrowse wants to chime in (and if you're reading this, please feel free to), you're just going to be hearing from Debatra.
Prerequisites and general progression: When in doubt, let the players qualify for your PrC by fifth-level. I don't think this is too soon, especially given that Crack the Mind is never guaranteed. Also, I hate 3.5e's class skill system. I greatly prefer Pathfinder's. I always take even the tiniest excuse to give my 3.5e classes everything as a class skill to minimize the headache for people. If you use this thing in a Pathfinder game, I'd recommend just using the PF Wizard skill list, plus Bluff, Diplomacy, Intimidate, and Sense Motive. And Sleight of Hand if your DM lets you conceal your casting a la Races of Stone.
Mental Mage letting you mix-and-match your specialization spell slots appears to be redundant at first glance, given Restricted Casting, and it normally is. But it could come in handy if you somehow have multiple school-restricted spell slots per level. A Focused Specialist, for example. As for that last note about Master Specialists, I feel like that's just being safe. The School Esotericas probably aren't so powerful that you really need to worry about having two sets of them. (Or at least not those two. Whoever wrote that class didn't seem to like Illusionists. At least Races of Stone exists.)
The original bonus feat wording technically let you Dark Chaos Feat Shuffle away whichever you used as a prerequisite while still getting both Spell Focus feats as part of the class. Not that I've ever been in a game where any form of DCFS would fly, but I was on that section because of the new feat anyway.
Extra targeting is always nice. Susceptible Mind one was all JTB's idea. Ask him if you really want insights on it, because I don't think I ever really touched that ability beyond cleaning up the wording a little.
Same with Creeping Vulnerability. I have no idea what JTB was thinking when he wrote an "even if you lose, you win" ability, but I love it. It keeps your low-level spells useful, letting you at least get a little something out of a Color Spray or what-have-you.
Crack the Mind. Fun Fact: There is no way to beat immunity to mind-affecting in 3.5. If you know one that doesn't need homebrew, please let me know. That said, the existence of various charm and compulsion effects means that's for a good reason, but still. Illusion at least has some things that don't care about True Seeing, but immunity to mind-affecting basically shuts down Enchantment and a large chunk of Illusion. Maybe those specialists shouldn't prepare those spells to near-exclusivity. Or maybe we should let people have fun doing what they want to do in the game. Crack the Mind seems like a fair way to let them do the latter.
The New Feats
First off, I intentionally didn't make a non-Epic "Greater Spell Focus (Mind-Affecting)", just like the other descriptor-specific SF feats in regular 3.5 don't have Greater versions. If you want to throw one into your game, have a blast with it.
Greater Crack the Mind may be a little too powerful. It was originally meant to be an Epic feat, and I'm admittedly still trying to figure out how to properly balance it. Same with Quickened. As for the number of targets; realistically speaking, limiting it to your caster level or even half-level would still just mean everyone you want within the AoE more often than not by the time you're throwing around 9th-level spells anyway. The +2 for keeping a single target is gravy that I'm not really married to. If nothing else, Ability Focus is available much earlier than 9ths.
Quickened Crack the Mind is what I'm really uncertain about. Messing with action economy is always a risky business. Maybe if it had a penalty to the DC (to reflect using a higher-level spell slot for a Quickened spell) instead of a daily limit? A -4 to the DC is quite a bit much though. Maybe -2? I also considered limiting it to once per round or once per target per round; but given the fact that you're still using resources for it, that would be like saying you can't cast a Quickened spell and the same non-Quickened spell in the same round.
5/20/2022 - And now, having played a Master of the Mind in a high-level game, I see that this wasn't something I really needed to worry about. Maybe the group just had too much Rocket Tag flying around, but my Wizard could never spare the Standard Action to Crack something's Mind when the thing I'd want to aim it at would be dead in a round or two anyway. That character even resorted to blasting a few times, for lack of anything better to do. By changing it to a Swift Action, the MotM can now Crack the Mind and then actually do something that will have an impact on the battle. If this change makes the ability a little too powerful at your table, feel free to swap back to a Standard.
Quickened Crack the Mind
Prerequisite: Crack the Mind, Quicken Spell, ability to cast at least one 9th-level spell from each of the Enchantment and Illusion schools.
Benefit: You may use Crack the Mind as a swift action three times per day. If you have some ability to cast multiple Quickened spells in a single round, such as the Multispell Epic feat, using this feat may count as one such spell.
A Homebrew Collaboration between JustToBrowse and Debatra
No mind is impenetrable.
Prerequisites:
Capable of casting 2nd-level illusion and enchantment spells
Spellcraft 8 ranks
Spell Focus (Illusion) or Spell Focus (Enchantment)
Special: If you are a Wizard or other class that can specialize in schools of magic, you must be either an Enchanter or an Illusionist, and neither of those schools may be forbidden to you.
HD: d6
LevelBABFortRefWillSpecialSpellcasting
1+0+0+0+2Restricted Casting, Mental Mage, bonus feat+1 level of existing class
2+1+0+0+3Once a Fool+1 level of existing class
3+1+1+1+3Susceptible Mind+1 level of existing class
4+2+1+1+4Creeping Vulnerability+1 level of existing class
5+2+1+1+4Crack the Mind+1 level of existing class
Skills: 4 + Intelligence modifier per level. All skills are considered Class Skills for the Master of the Mind.
Proficiencies: The Master of the Mind does not gain any new proficiencies.
Spellcasting: At every level, a Master of the Mind gains spells as though he had taken a level in a spellcasting class he already possessed. If he has more than one such class, he must choose one.
Restricted casting: Magic of the mind forces its users to specialize. The classes advanced by this class's spellcasting must use enchantment and illusion spells. If the class is a prepared caster (like wizard or cleric), one spell of each spell level that is prepared must be an illusion spell and one spell of each spell level that is prepared must be an enchantment spell. If the class is a spontaneous caster (like sorcerer or favored soul), one spell known of each spell level must be an illusion spell and one spell known of each spell level must be an enchantment spell. Only then can the Master of the Mind learn or prepare any other spells. If the class being advanced is not a prepared or spontaneous caster, talk to your DM to work out an acceptable substitute.
Mental Mage: If a Master of the Mind is a Wizard or other class that can specialize in schools of magic, he now counts as both an Enchanter and an Illusionist for all purposes when it would be beneficial to do so. This includes being able to prepare spells of either school is your specialization slots, as well as being able to mix-and-match the benefits granted by the Master Specialist prestige class. (Or, only with your DM's explicit permission, gain all the benefits of both schools.)
Bonus Feat: The Master of the Mind gains his choice of Spell Focus (Enchantment) or Spell Focus (Illusion) as a bonus feat. If he already has both of these feats before taking his first level in Master of the Mind, he instead gains Spell Focus (Mind-Affecting) (see "New Feats" below).
Once a Fool (Ex): By probing the minds of his targets, a Master of the Mind can cast his spells to greater effect. Any creature affected by one of his illusion spells has a -2 to saves against enchantment spells cast by him or his allies, and vice versa. This effect lasts for the duration of the spell, or for one round per caster level, whichever would be longer at the time of casting. A duration of Concentration is considered to be less than one round per caster level for the purpose of this ability. If it is based on the duration of a spell that ends prematurely (such as by being dispelled), this effect ends when the spell does. The Master of the Mind may dismiss this effect on his turn as a free action.
Susceptible Mind (Su): Those who are under the effects of a Master of the Mind's spells are connected to his magic. Whenever a creature would suffer a save penalty from Once a Fool, they can be affected with any spell of the appropriate school in addition to any of the spell's normal targets. This can only be done with spells one level lower than the Master of the Mind's maximum.
For example, if you affect a target with crushing despair, you can cast phantasmal killer on them and one other creature.
Creeping Vulnerability (Ex): The probing magic of a Master of the Mind grows stronger, allowing him to make even the weakest offense circumvent defenses. If a Master of the Mind fails to affect a creature with an enchantment or illusion spell, they still suffer the appropriate effects of Once a Fool for one round per caster level.
Crack the Mind (Su): Those who devote themselves can conquer any mental bastion. As a swift action, a Master of the Mind can expend a spell slot and force a target to make a Will Save (DC 10 + level of expended slot + ability modifier that would affect that spell slot). A creature that fails this save loses any immunity to Enchantments, Illusions and [Mind-Affecting] effects, but gains a +5 competence bonus on saves against them. If the creature instead has a bonus against Enchantments, Illusions, [Mind-Affecting] effects or all spells (whichever is highest); that bonus is reduced by 5 or changed to +5, whichever is less. This effect lasts two rounds per caster level. While multiple uses of this ability stack with each other and can turn a low bonus into a penalty, it can not be used on a creature whose current bonus is +0 or less. The Master of the Mind knows whether or not his use of this ability was successful, and may dismiss the effect on his turn as a free action.
When this effect expires, and the target regains its immunity, any relevant effects are not suppressed or removed and instead remain for their normal duration.
.
New Feats
Spell Focus (Mind-Affecting)
Benefit: Add +1 to the Difficulty Class for all spells you cast with the Mind-Affecting descriptor.
Epic Spell Focus (Mind-Affecting) [Epic]
Prerequisite: Spell Focus (Mind-Affecting), ability to cast at least one 9th-level spell with the Mind-Affecting descriptor.
Benefit: Add an additional +1 to the Difficulty Class for all spells you cast with the Mind-Affecting descriptor.
Greater Crack the Mind
Prerequisite: Crack the Mind, ability to cast at least one 9th-level spell from each of the Enchantment and Illusion schools.
Benefit: You may target any number of creatures, no two of which can be more than 30' apart, with a single use of your Crack the Mind ability. If you instead target only a single creature, increase the DC of Crack the Mind by 2. This bonus stacks with Ability Focus and similar abilities.
DBA: Unless JustToBrowse wants to chime in (and if you're reading this, please feel free to), you're just going to be hearing from Debatra.
Prerequisites and general progression: When in doubt, let the players qualify for your PrC by fifth-level. I don't think this is too soon, especially given that Crack the Mind is never guaranteed. Also, I hate 3.5e's class skill system. I greatly prefer Pathfinder's. I always take even the tiniest excuse to give my 3.5e classes everything as a class skill to minimize the headache for people. If you use this thing in a Pathfinder game, I'd recommend just using the PF Wizard skill list, plus Bluff, Diplomacy, Intimidate, and Sense Motive. And Sleight of Hand if your DM lets you conceal your casting a la Races of Stone.
Mental Mage letting you mix-and-match your specialization spell slots appears to be redundant at first glance, given Restricted Casting, and it normally is. But it could come in handy if you somehow have multiple school-restricted spell slots per level. A Focused Specialist, for example. As for that last note about Master Specialists, I feel like that's just being safe. The School Esotericas probably aren't so powerful that you really need to worry about having two sets of them. (Or at least not those two. Whoever wrote that class didn't seem to like Illusionists. At least Races of Stone exists.)
The original bonus feat wording technically let you Dark Chaos Feat Shuffle away whichever you used as a prerequisite while still getting both Spell Focus feats as part of the class. Not that I've ever been in a game where any form of DCFS would fly, but I was on that section because of the new feat anyway.
Extra targeting is always nice. Susceptible Mind one was all JTB's idea. Ask him if you really want insights on it, because I don't think I ever really touched that ability beyond cleaning up the wording a little.
Same with Creeping Vulnerability. I have no idea what JTB was thinking when he wrote an "even if you lose, you win" ability, but I love it. It keeps your low-level spells useful, letting you at least get a little something out of a Color Spray or what-have-you.
Crack the Mind. Fun Fact: There is no way to beat immunity to mind-affecting in 3.5. If you know one that doesn't need homebrew, please let me know. That said, the existence of various charm and compulsion effects means that's for a good reason, but still. Illusion at least has some things that don't care about True Seeing, but immunity to mind-affecting basically shuts down Enchantment and a large chunk of Illusion. Maybe those specialists shouldn't prepare those spells to near-exclusivity. Or maybe we should let people have fun doing what they want to do in the game. Crack the Mind seems like a fair way to let them do the latter.
The New Feats
First off, I intentionally didn't make a non-Epic "Greater Spell Focus (Mind-Affecting)", just like the other descriptor-specific SF feats in regular 3.5 don't have Greater versions. If you want to throw one into your game, have a blast with it.
Greater Crack the Mind may be a little too powerful. It was originally meant to be an Epic feat, and I'm admittedly still trying to figure out how to properly balance it. Same with Quickened. As for the number of targets; realistically speaking, limiting it to your caster level or even half-level would still just mean everyone you want within the AoE more often than not by the time you're throwing around 9th-level spells anyway. The +2 for keeping a single target is gravy that I'm not really married to. If nothing else, Ability Focus is available much earlier than 9ths.
Quickened Crack the Mind is what I'm really uncertain about. Messing with action economy is always a risky business. Maybe if it had a penalty to the DC (to reflect using a higher-level spell slot for a Quickened spell) instead of a daily limit? A -4 to the DC is quite a bit much though. Maybe -2? I also considered limiting it to once per round or once per target per round; but given the fact that you're still using resources for it, that would be like saying you can't cast a Quickened spell and the same non-Quickened spell in the same round.
5/20/2022 - And now, having played a Master of the Mind in a high-level game, I see that this wasn't something I really needed to worry about. Maybe the group just had too much Rocket Tag flying around, but my Wizard could never spare the Standard Action to Crack something's Mind when the thing I'd want to aim it at would be dead in a round or two anyway. That character even resorted to blasting a few times, for lack of anything better to do. By changing it to a Swift Action, the MotM can now Crack the Mind and then actually do something that will have an impact on the battle. If this change makes the ability a little too powerful at your table, feel free to swap back to a Standard.
Quickened Crack the Mind
Prerequisite: Crack the Mind, Quicken Spell, ability to cast at least one 9th-level spell from each of the Enchantment and Illusion schools.
Benefit: You may use Crack the Mind as a swift action three times per day. If you have some ability to cast multiple Quickened spells in a single round, such as the Multispell Epic feat, using this feat may count as one such spell.