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View Full Version : D&D 3.x Class The Dweomerreader - A 3.5 PrC



lbuttitta
2017-03-08, 06:11 PM
Here is my new homebrew prestige class, the dweomerreader. Any comments or constructive criticism is appreciated.

Dweomerreader
The dweomerreader understands that magic and language are inextricably linked. Their extensive studies grant them the ability to see and manipulate magical runes around sources of magic.

Hit Die: d4.


Level
BAB
Fort
Ref
Will
Special
Spells per Day


1st
+0
+0
+0
+2
Rune sight (detect magic)
+1 to level of existing class


2nd
+1
+0
+0
+3
Read spellbooks, bonus language
+1 to level of existing class


3rd
+1
+1
+1
+3
Analyze magic, scribing savant
+1 to level of existing class


4th
+2
+1
+1
+4
Rune sight (identify), bonus language
+1 to level of existing class


5th
+2
+1
+1
+4
-
+1 to level of existing class


6th
+3
+2
+2
+5
Counterrunes, bonus language
+1 to level of existing class


7th
+3
+2
+2
+5
Rune sight (arcane sight)
+1 to level of existing class


8th
+4
+2
+2
+6
Symbol, bonus language
+1 to level of existing class


9th
+4
+3
+3
+6
-
+1 to level of existing class


10th
+5
+3
+3
+7
Rune sight (analyze dweomer), bonus language, rewrite magic
-



Prerequisites
To qualify to become a dweomerreader, a character must fulfill all the following criteria:

Language: Must know Draconic and any other four languages.
Spellcasting: Ability to cast 3rd-level spells.
Feat: Must have Scribe Scroll.

CLASS SKILLS
Alchemy (Int), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Decipher Script (Int), Knowledge (all, taken separately, Int), Profession (Wis), Scry (Int), Speak Language (Int), Spellcraft (Int), Use Magic Device (Cha).
Skill Points per Level: 2 + Int modifier.
CLASS FEATURES
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: As the wizard.
Rune Sight (Sp): A dweomerreader, by their attunement to runes, constantly sees fuzzy symbols flying around magic. As they gain levels, these letters come into focus. At 1st level, a dweomerreader can duplicate detect magic with this ability; at 4th level, they can duplicate identify; at 7th level, they can duplicate arcane sight; and at 10th level, they can duplicate analyze dweomer. These abilities are always active as long as the dweomerreader is not blinded.
Read Spellbooks (Ex): At 2nd level, a dweomerreader can read spellbooks and scrolls, as read magic.
Bonus Language: At 2nd level, and again at 4th, 6th, 8th, and 10th level, the dweomerreader learns a bonus language.
Analyze Magic (Su): At 3rd level, a dweomerreader may, as a move action, attempt to deduce from the symbols encircling an active spell the gestures and phrases that triggered it. Analyzing an active spell requires a Spellcraft check (DC 15 + 2 x the spell's level). This allows a dweomerreader to swap the spell so analyzed for a prepared spell of equal or higher level. The dweomerreader may not apply metamagic to the spell as it is cast. After 1 minute, the dweomerreader's knowledge of the spell fades, and they can no longer cast the spell in this way without re-analyzing it.
Scribing Savant (Ex): The cost for a 3rd-level dweomerreader to scribe spells into their spellbook is halved. The dweomerreader also gets a +4 untyped bonus to Spellcraft and Use Magic Device checks related to scrolls and dweomerreader class abilities.
Counterrunes: A 6th-level dweomerreader sees the language of magic surrounding spells being cast, allowing them to counterspell more easily. They get a +4 bonus to identify spells being cast, and takes no penalty for not being able to see or hear the components, as long as they have line of sight to the caster.
Symbol: An 8th-level dweomerreader adds symbol to his spellbook (if an arcane prepared caster), his spells known (if an arcane spontaneous caster), or adds it to his list of preparable spells (if a divine caster).
Rewrite Magic (Sp): A 10th-level dweomerreader, by tracing back the many languages they have learned to their etymological source, learns a sliver of the apocrypha known as the Language Primeval, the tongue in which the first epic spells were cast. This grants the ability to, when they identify a spell being cast, spend an immediate action and a spell slot to do one of the following:

Apply any metamagic feat either the dweomerreader or the caster knows (level equal to the level adjustment of the metamagic feat)
Increase or decrease the caster level of the spell by 1-9, (level equal to the caster level adjustment)
Dispel the spell, with no opposed caster level check. (level equal to the spell's level + 1)

Rewrite magic can be applied to the dweomerreader's own spell. Using it on the spell of an unwilling target grants a Will save (DC 10 + dweomerreader level + primary casting modifier) to negate.
The dweomerreader can use this ability a number of times per day equal to his primary casting modifier (minimum 1/day).

Darth Ultron
2017-03-09, 01:01 PM
Well, if feels a little bland. It's just a couple spells and abilities. The cap ability is the only new one. What is the idea for the class, just a ''guy that does magic''? How are ''runes'' related to this class?

Rune Sight..is a bit odd, how does seeing runes identify a magic item (are you saying magic items are covered in runes?) And how are ''runes'' part of the other divination spells...seems like a bit of a stretch. There are much better ''rune'' related spells too.

Symbol is nice....but how about the other rune spells?

And three dead levels?

lbuttitta
2017-03-09, 01:11 PM
One of the dead levels (10th) was a mistake in typing, fixed that in the table.

The fluff for Rune Sight is that, in the sight of a dweomerreader, occurences of magic (magic items, spells, etc.) are surrounded by magical letters, and that a dweomerreader gets better at reading these symbols as he or she gains levels. If this doesn't make sense, by all means, please tell me an alternative.
And I wanted this PrC to be core-compatible; are there any other core "rune" spells that I could add?

lbuttitta
2017-03-09, 01:24 PM
Alternatively, should I skip the core-only requirement? Because if so, I could probably think of a number of spells:

Ghoul Glyph (SpC)
Transcribe Symbol (SpC)
Know Opponent? (SpC)

etc.
Then I could add abilities adding those spells to the caster's list of spells at the (currently) dead levels.

Great Velocity
2017-03-09, 02:50 PM
Is this meant to progress casting? At the moment it does not. Maybe drop casting at 10th, that ability is quite powerful.

lbuttitta
2017-03-09, 07:04 PM
Is this meant to progress casting? At the moment it does not. Maybe drop casting at 10th, that ability is quite powerful.

What do you mean? The rightmost column of the top table lists the casting progression (which, incidentally, is full casting, except at 10th level.)

Bohandas
2018-01-13, 11:57 AM
One of the dead levels (10th) was a mistake in typing, fixed that in the table.

The fluff for Rune Sight is that, in the sight of a dweomerreader, occurences of magic (magic items, spells, etc.) are surrounded by magical letters, and that a dweomerreader gets better at reading these symbols as he or she gains levels.

Cool! So they're like fantasy Neo.

Amechra
2018-01-13, 06:00 PM
Rewrite Magic is pretty broken, thanks to the unrestricted free metamagic. The other two possibilities might as well not even be there - I'm happy with just Heightening a spell by an arbitrarily high number of levels. Who cares that I can only do it ten times a day? I can cast a level 9001 Fireball!

Honestly, I'd suggest spreading it out through the earlier levels. As it stands, the class has really cool flavor but doesn't get any really unique abilities until 6th level. I'd give some thought to refocusing the class around identifying spells - that's probably the closest you can mechanically get to "reading" magic.

A random idea? A couple times per day, they can read a spell effect and cast it themselves as if it were a scroll (without ending the spell effect, of course). So if the party Cleric casts Protection from Evil on themselves, you could study them and then cast it on yourself.

Goaty14
2018-01-14, 10:44 PM
Scry and Alchemy aren't skills in 3.5 (scry is removed, alchemy is changed to craft (alchemy) which can only be taken by casters). Change symbol to seperate prepared casters and spontaneous casters; a wizards preparable spells IS her spellbook. Also give the class spell mastery (symbol) if they qualify (which will allow wizards to prepare it without a spellbook).

Rewrite Magic (even if not using Amechra's interpetation) can still make the class better than a standard T1 by adding free persist.

lbuttitta
2018-08-27, 08:20 PM
I haven't checked back on this thread for a while, but it seems as though the flow of ideas hasn't lessened for it!


Scry and Alchemy aren't skills in 3.5 (scry is removed, alchemy is changed to craft (alchemy) which can only be taken by casters). Change symbol to seperate prepared casters and spontaneous casters; a wizards preparable spells IS her spellbook. Also give the class spell mastery (symbol) if they qualify (which will allow wizards to prepare it without a spellbook).

Rewrite Magic (even if not using Amechra's interpetation) can still make the class better than a standard T1 by adding free persist.
My mistake! I use a 3.0 copy of the Player's Handbook, and sometimes the minor skill system changes trip me up a bit. Thanks for calling attention to the mistake.


Rewrite Magic is pretty broken, thanks to the unrestricted free metamagic. The other two possibilities might as well not even be there - I'm happy with just Heightening a spell by an arbitrarily high number of levels. Who cares that I can only do it ten times a day? I can cast a level 9001 Fireball!

Honestly, I'd suggest spreading it out through the earlier levels. As it stands, the class has really cool flavor but doesn't get any really unique abilities until 6th level. I'd give some thought to refocusing the class around identifying spells - that's probably the closest you can mechanically get to "reading" magic.

A random idea? A couple times per day, they can read a spell effect and cast it themselves as if it were a scroll (without ending the spell effect, of course). So if the party Cleric casts Protection from Evil on themselves, you could study them and then cast it on yourself.
...I should have noticed that before now... but I'll change it to make it not broken by adding a spell slot requirement. And I do like the idea about identifying spells - that's actually pretty neat! I'll add a similar effect at 3rd level.

Glimbur
2018-08-30, 04:07 PM
Does this class progress spell-casting? It seems like it really should but I can't find it in the class description.

Goaty14
2018-08-30, 07:17 PM
Does this class progress spell-casting? It seems like it really should but I can't find it in the class description.

The table says it does, and the text doesn't contradict that *cough* RainbowServant *cough*.

Cosi
2018-08-30, 08:02 PM
This does not need to lose a caster level at 10th level. You're a 15th level character. You could just be casting polymorph any object or greater planar binding. You could take Incantatrix and still get full casting, while getting your free metamagic at 9th level. It's not like the rest of the abilities are super amazing either. Honestly, you'd probably be better off rewriting the whole thing to have less of a power spike at 10th level. Going "bonus language, bonus language, extra spells, free metamagic" is not a smooth power curve.

noob
2018-08-31, 03:48 AM
this prc looks like someone who takes the five levels in geometer then thinks "oh I am going to chain in incantatrix"