Biscuit
2022-09-27, 03:12 PM
D&D 3.5 - Force Missile Mage
(Dragon Compendium, p. 78)
Mages of this class focus on missiles of force and push such spells beyond their normal limits. With dedication and sheer 'force' of will, they turn ordinary low-level combat spells into weapons even seasoned warriors fear.
Requirements
Feats: Combat Casting
Skills: Concentration 8 ranks, Spellcraft 8 ranks
Spells: Having cast Magic Missile before via their own spell, a scroll, a wand, or by any other means.
Hit die d4
Skill Points: 2 + Int
The Force Missile Mage’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Knowledge - Arcana (Int), Listen (Wis), Profession (Wis), Spellcraft (Int), and Spot (Wis).
LevelBABFortReflexWillClass FeaturesSpells Per Day[/tr]
1+0+0+0+2Specialist Spells, Bonus Missile, Swift Shield--
2+1+0+0+3Energy Missile, Specialist Still Spells+1 Level of Existing Spellcasting Class
3+1+1+1+3Bonus Missile, Overpowering Missile+1 Level of Existing Spellcasting Class
4+2+1+1+4Reflective Shield, Specialist Silent Spells+1 Level of Existing Spellcasting Class
5+2+1+1+4Bonus Missile, Missile Reserves+1 Level of Existing Spellcasting Class
Class Features
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Force missile mages gain no new weapon or armor proficiencies.
Spells: A force missile mage continues training in magic as they gain levels. At each level after 1st, the force missile mage gains new spells per day (and spells known, if applicable) as if they had also gained a level in an spellcasting class you belonged to before they added the prestige class. They do not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained. If the character has levels in more than one spellcasting class before becoming a force missile mage, they must decide to which class they add each level of force missile mage for the purposes of determining spells per day.
Bonus Missile: At 1st level, a force missile mage gains increased mastery over his spell of choice. Every time you casts magic missile, you create an addition missile, even if this extra missile exceeds the normal maximum of five missiles that the spell normally allows. Thus, a 1st-levelforce missile mage/6th-level wizard creates five magic missiles, while a 1st-level force missile mage/8th- level wizard produces six missiles. At 3rd level, the force missile mage benefits from an additional bonus missile. At 5th level, the force missile mage benefits from an additional bonus missile. This means that a high-level force missile mage can create up to eight missiles with a single casting of magic missile.
Specialist Spells: A force missile mage spends much of their career researching and experimenting with force missile spells, how they function, how they can be improved, and how they can be defended against. They gain access to a selection of related spells listed below. You cast these spells like any other spell you can cast (if you are a caster who prepares spells, you can prepare all the listed spells without referring to a spellbook, as if you had the Spell Mastery feat for each such spell - If you cast spells spontaneously, they are simply added to your Spells Known list at the level you qualify to cast them).
1st Level: Arcane Bolt (https://web.archive.org/web/20161101222018/http://archive.wizards.com/dnd/article.asp?x=dnd/sb/sb20030504x), Magic Missile (https://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/magicMissile.htm), Shield (https://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/shield.htm)
3rd Level: Chain Missile (https://web.archive.org/web/20130531112244/http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/iw/20051104a) (Spell Compendium, p. 44)
4th Level: Force Missiles (Spell Compendium, p. 98)
A Force Missile Mage's Caster Level is always considered to be two levels higher than it really is when casting these specific spells, or spells that replicate the effects of these spells (such as using Shadow Evocation, Limited Wish, etc to replicate a lower level spell on this list), or utilize these spells as part of another spell (such as Spell Matrix or Arcane Fusion, etc).
As a side-effect of their addiction and devotion to force missiles, all of a Force Missile Mage's spells with visual components always end up looking like missiles. Summoned Monsters appear as the result of exploding missiles where the creatures appear, Fireballs look like missiles of fire, Dancing Lights look like tiny colored missiles zooming about, etc. Due to the unusual appearance of your spells, the DC of any Spellcraft check made to identify a spell you have cast increases by +4.
Specialist Still Spells (Ex): At level 2, the Force Missile Mage's Specialist Spells now lack a somatic component. They their Specialist Spells as if using the Still Spell feat but without an increase in spell level and casting time.
Energy Missile (Ex): A force missile mage becomes intimately attuned to the energies that compose their force missile spells and may alter them in significant ways. Starting at 2nd level, a force missile mage may add either the acid, cold, electricity, or fire descriptor to any Magic Missile, Chain Missile, and Force Missiles spell they casts. The energy descriptor added to the spell is chosen at the time of casting, and you can choose a different type of energy each time you cast an applicable spell. This altered descriptor affects all missiles created by a single casting of the spell. Although still a Force spell that does force damage, any missile spell altered in this way deals additional damage against vulnerable creatures and less damage against creatures with related resistances and immunities.
Swift Shield (Sp): A force missile mage realizes the need to defend himself against the force missiles of other spell casters. A 2nd-level Force Missile Mage can cast Shield as an immediate action instead of a standard action a number of times per day equal to their force missile mage class level. (An immediate action is like a free action, but only once can be made per round.) This spell is cast in addition to the force missile mage's usual number of spells per day and at the Force Missile Mage's caster level for their Specialist Spells.
Overpowering Missiles: At 3rd level, the force missile mage's missile-related Specialist Spells become especially potent, breaking through spell resistance more readily than normal. They gain a bonus on Caster Level Checks made to overcome a target's spell resistance with their missile-related Specialist Spells equal to their Force Missile Mage level (this stacks with the already increased caster level for Specialist Spells). This benefit only applies to spells they cast themselves, and not through other means like scrolls or wands. In addition, these spells might penetrate Shield spells as well as Brooches of Shielding. Against such protections, the force missile mage makes a caster level check with a DC equal to the caster level, in the case of Shield, or DC 20, in the case of a brooch.
Also, when utilizing Metamagic feats with your missile-related Specialist Spells, the feat's level increase upon the spell is reduced by one (this can't reduce an increase to less than one level, or less than zero levels if the increase is already +0)
Reflective Shield (Sp): At 4th level, a force missile mage can reflect the missile-related Specialist Spells cast at them by others. For the purposes of being affected by these spells, a force missile mage is constantly treated as being under the effect of the spell Spell Turning, thus reflecting offensive Specialist Spells back at the caster. If that caster is protected by a Shield spell or a Brooches of Shielding, these reflected missiles are negated as normal (and do not benefit from the Overpowering Missiles class feature). Missiles reflected back against a caster who also has Spell Turning in effect require the Force Missile mage to roll on the Spell Turning mishap chart.
Specialist Silent Spells (Ex): At level 4, the Force Missile Mage's Specialist Spells now lack a verbal component. They their Specialist Spells as if using the Silent Spell feat but without an increase in spell level and casting time.
Missile Reserves (Su): A Force Missile Mage has spent so long attuning themselves to their chosen spells that their magic has forever changed them. A Force Missile Mage of 5th level can use a standard action to hurl three missile-shaped projectiles created from pure force. These missiles strike unerringly, even if the target is in melee combat or has less than total cover or total concealment, and the missiles have a maximum range of 100 feet. Each missile deals 1d4+5 points of force damage. Because they are composed of force, the missile can strike incorporeal creatures. You can choose to target a single creature with all three missiles or choose separate targets for each within range. Specific parts of a creature can not be singled out. Inanimate objects are not damaged by the ability.
This ability is treated as a Magic Missile Spell for the purposes of all of the Force Missile Mage's class abilities that pertain to Magic Missile, except that it does not gain additional Bonus Missiles (the ability itself is the three bonus missiles the mage gains through class abilities, made manifest by their sheer will and determination to master the art of force missiles).
Made Swift Shield usable 1/day per class level instead of 1/Day.
Swapped the levels you get swift shield and still spell effects so you get something slightly more tangibly useful at the level you lose a caster level.
Granted the effects of the Spell Thematics feat so that all spells look missile-related and the Spellcraft DC to identify them is +4 due to the odd visual manifestations. Because it's hilarious.
Added bonus Spells Known to include other, higher-level force missile spells that also work with other class features to make the class more viable than relying on a single 1st level spell for all of its class benefits, and renamed them Specialist Spells for ease-of-reference in other class abilities.
Increased CL bonus for Overpowering Missile from +2 to +4.
Added a -1 spell level effect for Metamagic feats to Overpowering Missile for missile-related Specialist Spells.
Added another bonus missile at 3rd level for a total of +3 missiles at level 5.
Eased entry requirements from skills at rank 9 to skills at rank 8 to allow for normal 6th level entry.
Added Silent Specialist Spells to continue to theme of mastering the Specialist Spells, making them a purely mental action at level 4.
I've added a capstone ability to use a magic-missile like ability. The average damage is equitable to the Invisible Needle reserve feat, but as the class loses a caster level for most spells and has a feat tax, this was added to make the class 'worth it'. The damage is less than most ranged martial classes would normally do in a round at this level, and much less than most spells being using at this level (even less than a Force Missile Mage's level 1 magic missile), so I deem it a small but thematic Capstone ability that adds more flavor than mechanical benefit, but is much better than nothing if you run out of spell slots on a long dungeon slog.
That's it. Now the class is actually worth taking as a filler class, even with a loss of a caster level. Enjoy!
Non-Core Spells mentioned in this Class Fix:
Force Missiles (Spell Compendium, p. 98)
Chain Missile (Spell Compendium, p. 44)
(Dragon Compendium, p. 78)
Mages of this class focus on missiles of force and push such spells beyond their normal limits. With dedication and sheer 'force' of will, they turn ordinary low-level combat spells into weapons even seasoned warriors fear.
Requirements
Feats: Combat Casting
Skills: Concentration 8 ranks, Spellcraft 8 ranks
Spells: Having cast Magic Missile before via their own spell, a scroll, a wand, or by any other means.
Hit die d4
Skill Points: 2 + Int
The Force Missile Mage’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Knowledge - Arcana (Int), Listen (Wis), Profession (Wis), Spellcraft (Int), and Spot (Wis).
LevelBABFortReflexWillClass FeaturesSpells Per Day[/tr]
1+0+0+0+2Specialist Spells, Bonus Missile, Swift Shield--
2+1+0+0+3Energy Missile, Specialist Still Spells+1 Level of Existing Spellcasting Class
3+1+1+1+3Bonus Missile, Overpowering Missile+1 Level of Existing Spellcasting Class
4+2+1+1+4Reflective Shield, Specialist Silent Spells+1 Level of Existing Spellcasting Class
5+2+1+1+4Bonus Missile, Missile Reserves+1 Level of Existing Spellcasting Class
Class Features
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Force missile mages gain no new weapon or armor proficiencies.
Spells: A force missile mage continues training in magic as they gain levels. At each level after 1st, the force missile mage gains new spells per day (and spells known, if applicable) as if they had also gained a level in an spellcasting class you belonged to before they added the prestige class. They do not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained. If the character has levels in more than one spellcasting class before becoming a force missile mage, they must decide to which class they add each level of force missile mage for the purposes of determining spells per day.
Bonus Missile: At 1st level, a force missile mage gains increased mastery over his spell of choice. Every time you casts magic missile, you create an addition missile, even if this extra missile exceeds the normal maximum of five missiles that the spell normally allows. Thus, a 1st-levelforce missile mage/6th-level wizard creates five magic missiles, while a 1st-level force missile mage/8th- level wizard produces six missiles. At 3rd level, the force missile mage benefits from an additional bonus missile. At 5th level, the force missile mage benefits from an additional bonus missile. This means that a high-level force missile mage can create up to eight missiles with a single casting of magic missile.
Specialist Spells: A force missile mage spends much of their career researching and experimenting with force missile spells, how they function, how they can be improved, and how they can be defended against. They gain access to a selection of related spells listed below. You cast these spells like any other spell you can cast (if you are a caster who prepares spells, you can prepare all the listed spells without referring to a spellbook, as if you had the Spell Mastery feat for each such spell - If you cast spells spontaneously, they are simply added to your Spells Known list at the level you qualify to cast them).
1st Level: Arcane Bolt (https://web.archive.org/web/20161101222018/http://archive.wizards.com/dnd/article.asp?x=dnd/sb/sb20030504x), Magic Missile (https://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/magicMissile.htm), Shield (https://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/shield.htm)
3rd Level: Chain Missile (https://web.archive.org/web/20130531112244/http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/iw/20051104a) (Spell Compendium, p. 44)
4th Level: Force Missiles (Spell Compendium, p. 98)
A Force Missile Mage's Caster Level is always considered to be two levels higher than it really is when casting these specific spells, or spells that replicate the effects of these spells (such as using Shadow Evocation, Limited Wish, etc to replicate a lower level spell on this list), or utilize these spells as part of another spell (such as Spell Matrix or Arcane Fusion, etc).
As a side-effect of their addiction and devotion to force missiles, all of a Force Missile Mage's spells with visual components always end up looking like missiles. Summoned Monsters appear as the result of exploding missiles where the creatures appear, Fireballs look like missiles of fire, Dancing Lights look like tiny colored missiles zooming about, etc. Due to the unusual appearance of your spells, the DC of any Spellcraft check made to identify a spell you have cast increases by +4.
Specialist Still Spells (Ex): At level 2, the Force Missile Mage's Specialist Spells now lack a somatic component. They their Specialist Spells as if using the Still Spell feat but without an increase in spell level and casting time.
Energy Missile (Ex): A force missile mage becomes intimately attuned to the energies that compose their force missile spells and may alter them in significant ways. Starting at 2nd level, a force missile mage may add either the acid, cold, electricity, or fire descriptor to any Magic Missile, Chain Missile, and Force Missiles spell they casts. The energy descriptor added to the spell is chosen at the time of casting, and you can choose a different type of energy each time you cast an applicable spell. This altered descriptor affects all missiles created by a single casting of the spell. Although still a Force spell that does force damage, any missile spell altered in this way deals additional damage against vulnerable creatures and less damage against creatures with related resistances and immunities.
Swift Shield (Sp): A force missile mage realizes the need to defend himself against the force missiles of other spell casters. A 2nd-level Force Missile Mage can cast Shield as an immediate action instead of a standard action a number of times per day equal to their force missile mage class level. (An immediate action is like a free action, but only once can be made per round.) This spell is cast in addition to the force missile mage's usual number of spells per day and at the Force Missile Mage's caster level for their Specialist Spells.
Overpowering Missiles: At 3rd level, the force missile mage's missile-related Specialist Spells become especially potent, breaking through spell resistance more readily than normal. They gain a bonus on Caster Level Checks made to overcome a target's spell resistance with their missile-related Specialist Spells equal to their Force Missile Mage level (this stacks with the already increased caster level for Specialist Spells). This benefit only applies to spells they cast themselves, and not through other means like scrolls or wands. In addition, these spells might penetrate Shield spells as well as Brooches of Shielding. Against such protections, the force missile mage makes a caster level check with a DC equal to the caster level, in the case of Shield, or DC 20, in the case of a brooch.
Also, when utilizing Metamagic feats with your missile-related Specialist Spells, the feat's level increase upon the spell is reduced by one (this can't reduce an increase to less than one level, or less than zero levels if the increase is already +0)
Reflective Shield (Sp): At 4th level, a force missile mage can reflect the missile-related Specialist Spells cast at them by others. For the purposes of being affected by these spells, a force missile mage is constantly treated as being under the effect of the spell Spell Turning, thus reflecting offensive Specialist Spells back at the caster. If that caster is protected by a Shield spell or a Brooches of Shielding, these reflected missiles are negated as normal (and do not benefit from the Overpowering Missiles class feature). Missiles reflected back against a caster who also has Spell Turning in effect require the Force Missile mage to roll on the Spell Turning mishap chart.
Specialist Silent Spells (Ex): At level 4, the Force Missile Mage's Specialist Spells now lack a verbal component. They their Specialist Spells as if using the Silent Spell feat but without an increase in spell level and casting time.
Missile Reserves (Su): A Force Missile Mage has spent so long attuning themselves to their chosen spells that their magic has forever changed them. A Force Missile Mage of 5th level can use a standard action to hurl three missile-shaped projectiles created from pure force. These missiles strike unerringly, even if the target is in melee combat or has less than total cover or total concealment, and the missiles have a maximum range of 100 feet. Each missile deals 1d4+5 points of force damage. Because they are composed of force, the missile can strike incorporeal creatures. You can choose to target a single creature with all three missiles or choose separate targets for each within range. Specific parts of a creature can not be singled out. Inanimate objects are not damaged by the ability.
This ability is treated as a Magic Missile Spell for the purposes of all of the Force Missile Mage's class abilities that pertain to Magic Missile, except that it does not gain additional Bonus Missiles (the ability itself is the three bonus missiles the mage gains through class abilities, made manifest by their sheer will and determination to master the art of force missiles).
Made Swift Shield usable 1/day per class level instead of 1/Day.
Swapped the levels you get swift shield and still spell effects so you get something slightly more tangibly useful at the level you lose a caster level.
Granted the effects of the Spell Thematics feat so that all spells look missile-related and the Spellcraft DC to identify them is +4 due to the odd visual manifestations. Because it's hilarious.
Added bonus Spells Known to include other, higher-level force missile spells that also work with other class features to make the class more viable than relying on a single 1st level spell for all of its class benefits, and renamed them Specialist Spells for ease-of-reference in other class abilities.
Increased CL bonus for Overpowering Missile from +2 to +4.
Added a -1 spell level effect for Metamagic feats to Overpowering Missile for missile-related Specialist Spells.
Added another bonus missile at 3rd level for a total of +3 missiles at level 5.
Eased entry requirements from skills at rank 9 to skills at rank 8 to allow for normal 6th level entry.
Added Silent Specialist Spells to continue to theme of mastering the Specialist Spells, making them a purely mental action at level 4.
I've added a capstone ability to use a magic-missile like ability. The average damage is equitable to the Invisible Needle reserve feat, but as the class loses a caster level for most spells and has a feat tax, this was added to make the class 'worth it'. The damage is less than most ranged martial classes would normally do in a round at this level, and much less than most spells being using at this level (even less than a Force Missile Mage's level 1 magic missile), so I deem it a small but thematic Capstone ability that adds more flavor than mechanical benefit, but is much better than nothing if you run out of spell slots on a long dungeon slog.
That's it. Now the class is actually worth taking as a filler class, even with a loss of a caster level. Enjoy!
Non-Core Spells mentioned in this Class Fix:
Force Missiles (Spell Compendium, p. 98)
Chain Missile (Spell Compendium, p. 44)