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View Full Version : D&D 3.x Class Thaumaturgist: The Miracle Worker



Climowitz
2018-01-25, 05:41 PM
Hello everyone, i have a bit of a challenge and a bit of a cry for help. I'm looking for a class that represents better the thaumaturgy, who is also called the worker of miracles. So the idea is that this class works around miracles, not spells, and without falling into a Wish class. I'm not looking it to do anything in particular, it just shouldn't have fighting prowess and should not have spellcasting nor psionics. Do you have any suggestions to an existing class of some sort, or do you have any ideas flowing in your minds that could fit the class. Don't be afraid to spill them out, as vague as you want, no need to deliver a precise work.

ShiningStarling
2018-01-25, 08:41 PM
It sounds like your main issue is fluff, in that you need a good definition of a miracle.

For instance, in a world where technological civilization has fallen, someone who can engineer remnants of that civilization for whatever more primitive societies re-emerged would likely be considered a miracle worker. In a world with low magic, someone who can raise the dead or cure major disabilities would be a miracle worker. These examples form story elements of Horizon Zero Dawn and The Princess Bride respectively, two vastly different worlds with two vastly different stories and two vastly different needs of miracles.

In D&D, well, the highest level spellcaster any given individual has seen can very easily be considered as such. A child might think a pyrotechnic display is a miracle, whereas a grizzled soldier might find that one of his opponents being resurrected as if nothing happened to be a miracle, and of course that begs the question, who is perceiving it as a miracle.

Now if you were to ask me to make a miracle worker, I would tell you to have a low magic setting, then introduce a few rituals or spell like abilititles to key individual's, and boom, there's your miracle workers. Now if you were to ask me what the closest D&D analogue is, I would say the Warlock. Unfortunately, the Warlock suffers from a profound lack of breadth. You would need to add many different invocations, and personally I think to pull off the flavor of a miracle worker, you would rip out all the eldritch blast stuff and focus much more heavily on Invocations.

Hope I helped :3

Morphic tide
2018-01-26, 09:01 AM
It sounds like your main issue is fluff, in that you need a good definition of a miracle.

For instance, in a world where technological civilization has fallen, someone who can engineer remnants of that civilization for whatever more primitive societies re-emerged would likely be considered a miracle worker. In a world with low magic, someone who can raise the dead or cure major disabilities would be a miracle worker. These examples form story elements of Horizon Zero Dawn and The Princess Bride respectively, two vastly different worlds with two vastly different stories and two vastly different needs of miracles.

In D&D, well, the highest level spellcaster any given individual has seen can very easily be considered as such. A child might think a pyrotechnic display is a miracle, whereas a grizzled soldier might find that one of his opponents being resurrected as if nothing happened to be a miracle, and of course that begs the question, who is perceiving it as a miracle.

Now if you were to ask me to make a miracle worker, I would tell you to have a low magic setting, then introduce a few rituals or spell like abilititles to key individual's, and boom, there's your miracle workers. Now if you were to ask me what the closest D&D analogue is, I would say the Warlock. Unfortunately, the Warlock suffers from a profound lack of breadth. You would need to add many different invocations, and personally I think to pull off the flavor of a miracle worker, you would rip out all the eldritch blast stuff and focus much more heavily on Invocations.

Hope I helped :3

Taking this into account, the probable best way to crunch it is access to reliable means of overleveled effects, like a 13th level character using a 9th level spell. It would have to be pretty harshly restricted in uses, but the point is having access to above-curve effects. Maybe a fixed list caster with mostly open-ended and "miraculous" spells, like Raise Dead and the Shadow Illusions, then a touch of Artificer mechanics for more utility effects from discounted crafted items. If you do a 3.PF version, then an Archetype for a more tech-based version of the class, using Extracts and Discoveries instead of Spells and Metamagic(-based things) and getting tech crafting instead of magic crafting can work out for lower-magic, higher-tech settings.

In more detail, a Bard-type slot progression (a spell level every three levels) makes Extracts less problematic to swap to (there's got to be somewhere Extracts above 6th level become problematic, and none have been printed above 6th level to use as examples) and "buys room" for the overlevel effects by having the general power be below the normal access to those effects. The extra slots could be tied to a drain effect, either costing the casting score, Wisdom or Constitution as a limiter that is hugely reduced at high levels with access to fixing the resultant ability damage, though working the numbers to prevent it from going infinite past 2nd or 3rd level spells would be a bit hard.

For items, the ability to use spell slots instead of/in addition to(metamagic cost covering) item charges, including for scrolls, can be a starting point for gadgetry and getting expanded versatility off of items without the Artificer's obscene gold costs for the good stuff. Drawing charges from items in place of using spell slots also works, and fits a more classic staff/wand using spellcaster. For crafting, bypassing or mitigating spell requirements in a consistent fashion (so not the spellcraft-obligating Artificer way of doing it) covers some of the needs (excess spell slots to gate crafting to higher levels?), while having some form of XP cost covering that is more time limited than use limited makes it so that e6 is not quite so painful and makes the downtime needs that make me want Artificer be t2 even more of a limit on higher level effects.

A very important thing to do is have them be able to access 5th level spells in e6, which is technically possible with the right builds anyways, but in a setting that's mostly limited to 3rd level spells, the plot magic of 5th level houses damn fine miracles. Raise Dead, Permanency, Teleport, Cure/Inflict Mass Light Wounds, Heal, Planar Binding (Lesser), Mark of Justice... Some very good miracle material indeed.

Deepbluediver
2018-01-27, 11:57 AM
I'm not looking it to do anything in particular, it just shouldn't have fighting prowess and should not have spellcasting nor psionics.
If you're looking for a different model than the standard systems, why not look at the Tome of Magic? For all it's problems, there are some inspiring ideas there. A reflavored Truenamer or Shadowcaster (mysteriers, miracles, almost the same thing, right?) might be what you are looking for.

Goaty14
2018-01-28, 12:44 PM
I would personally just suggest spellcasting just because of the sheer amount of support spells get... If you feel like making a subsystem, then I'd suggest a series of incantations (UA) that manipulate powerful things that spells do.

If I made a class like this, then I'd have two sections:

Levels 1-10 gives the class a fast progression on spells (see: Ur-Priest), but tacks on a mechanic that makes optimizing it/using it too often hard to do. I.e gold/XP costs (tiny, but stacking), time used to cast, physical affections (status effects, ability dmg/drain, etc), etc.

Levels 11-20 takes the aforementioned mechanic and then starts to grind it down to a minor inconvenience at it's capstone.

This way, low-level miracle workers can still do really cool things, but they don't get to be awesome until higher levels.

Alternatively, if you don't like the sectioned progression, then you could split it into even levels | odd levels.

Climowitz
2018-01-28, 05:17 PM
What i finally did was use spellcasting, but as ritual. What does it means to cast a ritual, well the casting time is now 10 times normal, minimum 1 minute. It's effects are usually doubled, persisted or improved in dice size etc, dm calls it. The Thaumaturgist can cast ritual spells of 3 levels higher a sorcerer could cast plus 1 level, meaning he get's to cast ritual spells of 9th level at level 13. This casting time, makes the thaumaturgist less proficient for battle than other casters, but far more powerfull when time is abundant. I filled the rest of the levels with the ability to mimic another class feature for a time, and getting a free wish spell once a week to three times a weak when hits level 19. On the 20th level, each time he makes a miracle worth reminding, the place or the objects affected by it, become sacred relics. The class looks to be little to none limiting allowing too much cheese, but a good DM won't let it happen like that. Divine forces implied.

If you want i can put it here, but since i'm from Argentina it's in spanish. If anyone want's i will put it here as a comment.

aimlessPolymath
2018-01-29, 01:39 AM
I can read... a little bit of Spanish.
No harm in putting it up, anyway.


What you have sounds like the definition of T1, of course.

To clarify- does it run off the cleric spell list?

Some thoughts on progression-
I would sharply limit spells per day. A miracle isn't something you spam everywhere.
To somewhat make up for that, I'd make duration upgrades fairly easy- a spell that lasts for only three rounds, but takes a minute to cast, is a total flop.

At higher levels, as suggested, some degree of lessening the casting time limit should come up, for times when the miracle maker is caught off guard- casting at regular speed, contingent effects, or permanent effects, for example.

For some more feature effects, maybe look at my sig?

Climowitz
2018-01-29, 03:06 PM
The Thaumaturge
https://i.pinimg.com/736x/66/7d/fe/667dfe99f6fd2f47deb5c622b70cc60c--rpg-druid-druid-art.jpg
In addition to the great powers granted by the arcane arts, the divine forces and the abilities of the mind, there are miracles, high works that break the magnitude of the possible and provoke the impossible, from the very void. The thaumaturge is the worker of miracles, the one who carries in his hand the power to make the impossible possible.
The thaumaturge is not a person who is expected to change the flow of a combat, in fact normally a thaumaturge is inefficient in any combat, their abilities are not suitable for tight times. Instead its power lies in patience, and the ability to transform an impossible situation into a reality. The thaumaturgists are always venerated and that is why they are very much appreciated. They should always be guarded since they would not survive a physical or magical combat, although they could prepare to avoid a tragic end.
The thaumaturge carries in his hand the divine strength of the gods, the very arcane energy and the most sacred potential of the mind's power, however they are not considered religious missionaries who travel to expand the scope of the faith, or the number of devotees to a god. The thaumaturge is a good being by nature, and as such seeks to make the world a better place with his gifts. In this way, he travels the world pursuing an ideal.
The thaumaturgists are very respectful of all the deities, their followers or representatives, and even sometimes they are devotees of some deity in particular. But since his gift does not come from a particular god, religion is not a fundamental habit for the worker of miracles.
Anyone can be a thaumaturge, since the gift of performing a miracle does not require more than the gift itself. In this way, those who perform miracles may be scattered around the world and may not be representative of any race or region. The thaumaturge was chosen by a sacred force that is unknown, and was given a gift such that it should not be wasted. It is said that only the most pure of heart are reached by that sacred touch, which grants them the title of thaumaturges, also known as the miracle workers.

"[
Level
BAB
Fort
Ref
Vol
Special Abilities
"
"[
1
0
2
0
2
Wonder
"
"[
2
1
3
0
3
Restitute
"
"[
3
1
3
1
3
Wonder I
"
"[
4
2
4
1
4
Divine Grace
"
"[
5
2
4
1
4
Wonder II
"
"[
6
3
5
2
5
Divine Phenomenon
"
"[
7
3
5
2
5
Wonder III
"
"[
8
4
6
2
6
Restitute I
"
"[
9
4
6
3
6
Wonder IV
"
"[
10
5
7
3
7
Immortal
"
"[
11
5
7
3
7
Wonder V
"
"[
12
6 / 1
8
4
8
Return
"
"[
13
6 / 1
8
4
8
Wonder VI
"
"[
14
7 / 2
9
4
9
Divine Phenomenon
"
"[
15
7 / 2
9
5
9
Resurrection
"
"[
16
8 / 3
10
5
10
Blessings
"
"[
17
8 / 3
10
5
10
Miracle
"
"[
18
9 / 4
11
6
11
Miracle I
"
"[
19
9 / 4
11
6
11
Miracle II
"
"[
20
10 / 5
12
6
12
I'm a Believer
"


Main Attribute: Wisdom
Alignment: Good
Hit Die: 1d4
Weapons Proficiency: Simple
Armor Proficiency: None
Fame: Maximum
Initial Gold: 10 + 4d12 GP
Honor: 3
Skill Points per Level: 4 + Int
Class Skills: Spellcraft, Concentration, Arcane Knowledge, Knowledge Geography, Knowledge History, Local Knowledge, Knowledge Nobility, Knowledge Plans, Knowledge Religion, Craft, Diplomacy, Perform, Sense Motive, Ride, Swim, Profession, Heal, Survival, Handle Animal, Use Magic Device

Wonder (Su): The Wonderworker can as a ritual cast a divine spell or Arcane level 2 + Wonder level. As long as the level of the spell is less than or equal to Mysticism - 10 for Arcane spells, Devotion - 10 for Divine spells and Vigor - 10 for Psionic powers. The DC of them is 1d20 + Spell Level + Wisdom Modifier + ½ * Caster Level or Launcher (The levels of the Thaumaturge count as levels of Arcane Caster, Divine Caster and Psionic Manifest). The Thaumaturge can use as many daily rituals as his Wisdom Modifier, as long as there is a waiting time of 1 Hour between one and the other. Casting times respect the rules of rituals.
Restitute (Su): A Thaumaturge is able to restore life points from him or an ally, the Thaumaturge can heal as many points of impact as (Wisdom Modifier + 1) * Thaumaturge level per day. The Thaumaturge can cure as many targets as they want, as long as they are less than 2 Meters, and do not exceed the limit of maximum impact points. The Thaumaturge can use this ability as many times as his maximum cured impact points allow. Doing this is a standard action. The Thaumaturge may choose to use these points to deal damage to undead creatures instead of healing. At the next level of Restitute the number of impact points that can be healed by the Thaumaturge is doubled.
Divine Grace: A Thaumaturge obtains the favor of his god. The Thaumaturge adds his Charisma Modifier to all his saves.

Divine Phenomenon: Every day the Thaumaturgist can choose a skill or characteristic of another class and acquire it during that day. He can not change it until he has completed a full 8-hour break. The bonuses or effects that the ability would grant permanently or temporarily disappear at the end of the day. In the next level of Divine Phenomenon, the Thaumaturgo can choose two abilities or characteristics. In case a skill uses an attribute as a reference, the Thaumaturge can use his Wisdom or Devotion instead of that attribute.

Immortal: The Thaumaturge no longer ages, through the deity of his deity this achievement to combat the effects of time. The Thaumaturge is immune to age penalties and bonuses and can not die by age.

Return (Su): The Thaumaturge is able to defy death, and return to life a creature that has fallen in combat no more than 1 minute * Thaumaturgo Level. Leaving it in 0 of life, however the revived creature loses 1 level or 3 constitution points, in case the body of the returned creature has been mutilated it suffers extra damage to the attributes. The Thaumaturge can only use this ability once a day and can not target creatures whose body is in a state in which it is impossible for there to be life or who have been the victim of a death spell. A soul must be determined to return to life, in case you do not want it the spell fails.

Resurrection (Su): This spell works as a Return, with the difference that the life of the returned creature is now 50% of the total, the damage is 1 level or 2 Constitution points, and it does not matter the state of the body, as long as no more than 1 hour has passed * Level of Thaumaturgo, since it regenerates completely. Can not be targets of this spell creatures that have been the target of a death spell. The Thaumaturgo pays 1000 of Experience to be able to cast this spell. A soul must be determined to return to life, in case you do not want it the spell fails.
Blessings: When the Thaumaturge overcomes a salvation, it negates all the effects of the spell, power or ability, even if salvation would only reduce the effect.

Miracle: The Wonder Worker is a miracle worker who can perform feats of style. With a ritual that lasts 1 hour, the Thaumaturge is able to imitate the effects of the Wish spell, without cost of gold or experience. The Thaumaturge can choose to make a stronger and more objective effect with a 1-day ritual time. The Thaumaturge must know exactly what effect he wants to obtain with his Miracle, or leave it to an unknown deity. The Wonderworker can use this skill as many times a week as the Miracle Level.

I Am A Believer: Every time the Wonder Worker uses a Miracle or Wonder, objects and places become sacred. When the Wonder Worker performs a Miracle or a Wonder, the place becomes a Sacred Place, granting the same effects as the Consecrate spell, permanently, as long as the place does not undergo transformations. When the Wonderworker performs a Miracle or a Wonder affecting an object, it becomes Sacred and Blessed, like the magical properties of objects. In case it is not a weapon or an armor, it becomes a relic whose power is determined by the DM.


For you to understand the class, no longer i use Charisma, Intelligence or Wisdom as key ability to determine max level of spell avaible to cast, i use Misticism for Arcane Spells, Devotion for Divine Spells and Vigor for Psionics.

Also Casting as a Ritual means ten times the casting time, but improved effects on the spell, making it able to last longer or have a more powerfull effect.