3.5 class concept - X-Mancer

[Malapterus]

I had an idea for a casting class that is one class but also five classes but still one class, ugh.

It breaks down to:

Pyromancer
Cryomancer
Sonomacer
Caustomancer
Electromancer

It would be a spontaneous spellcasting class with a very limited spell list; a very blasty high-energy low-substance sort of aggressive caster.

The key ability would be one of the following;
They pick an energy type any spell they cast that does basic energy damage does their type instead
OR
they pick an energy type and any spell that does that energy type -can- do that damage instead.

Like, with the first one the Pyromancer, who has chosen Fire, can learn Fireball, Cone of Cold, and Call Lightning, but they all do Fire damage, he can't cast the second two normally.

The second one would mean he could cast fireball as a Fire spell (probably with some inherent bonus) and he could freely cast the other two as their given element or as fire.

I am leaning toward the second one.

The problem I am running into is that fire & cold have this distinct relationship and the other three have no such logical relationship. I'd like to have something special for pyromancers and cryomancers, but then what do I do for sonic, acid, and lightning?

[noob]

Oppose everything to cold including cold?

[Nifft]

One fairly major problem is that having only one damage type available means you will face a lot of enemies which are immune to your damage.

What's a Pyromancer supposed to do when the adventure takes her party through the Caldera of Only Fire Subtype Encounters?


Another related issue is that some spells are balanced by the common-ness or rarity of the damage type. Fireball has amazing distance, a great area, and a good number of dice -- and one of the most commonly resisted damage types. Changing the damage type to Sonic or Acid would remove a weakness while retaining all the strengths.

Compare Melf's Acid Arrow vs. Scorching Ray for an example of how Core spells value damage type between effects of the same level.


Instead of making a bland mono-damage guy who is going to fail at damage when that one damage type gets ignored, my advice would be to look at themes which cover more than just damage type.