Arcane Mercenary (version 2, Spell list done)

[Blade-Bearer_Ian]

I have created this base class with the Class Construction System. I've already done some playtesting and it seems to work rather well. Just wondering what your opinions are.

Arcane Mercenary
HD d8 BAB as fighter Fort good Ref & will decent
Alignment Restriction: Cannot be chaotic
Proficient with all simple and martial weapons, as well as light armour and shields.
Class Skills are: Climb (str), Concentration (con),Craft (int), Decipher Script (int), Gather Information (cha), Intimidate (str or cha), Jump (str), Knowledge (Arcana, Geography, History & The Planes) (int), Listen (wis), Profession (wis), Ride (dex), Sense Motive (wis), Spellcraft (int), Spot (wis), Use Rope (dex)
Skill points at first level are (4 + int modifier)x4, or 4 + int modifier per level
Note: Must have Draconic as a language in order to progress in this class (for spells)

1 bonus feat
2
3 bonus feat
4 pocket plane
5 Reduce Spell failure 5%
6 Spell Resistance 10
7
8 Bonus Feat
9
10Reduce spell failure 10%
11
12 Spell Resistance 15
13
14
15 Reduce Spell failure 15%
16
17
18 Spell Resistance 20
19
20 Reduce Spell failure 20%

Spells per day: as bard

Bonus Feat~ At first level, an Arcane Mercenary may choose between either Eschew Materials or Combat Casting as a bonus feat. At third level, an Arcane Mercenary may choose between Scribe Scroll and Brew Potion. At level 8 they gain Spell Mastery or Arcane Strike (CW pg 96) as a bonus feat.

Pocket Plane~ An Arcane Mercenary can turn any one pocket, pouch ect he possesses into a small pocket plane that is 5 feet cubed to store his equipment. The pocket plane is considered extra dimensional space. If the pocket or pouch that contains the pocket plane is lost, stolen, damaged or destroyed, The Arcane Mercenary can revert it to a normal pocket or pouch as a standard action (at the risk of losing everything inside the pocket plane). He can create a new one 24 hours later. The process costs 100 exp and takes 1 hour. Note: the creation of the original pocket plane does not cost any exp. An Arcane Mercenary cannot have more than one pocket plane in existence at once.

Reduce Spell failure~ At level 5, it gets reduced by 5%, at 10 it's 10%, 15 15% and at 20 its 20%

Arcane Mercenary Spell List (draft 3, CAd, CAr, CW, RD, RW, HoB & PHB)

0
Arcane Mark, Dancing Lights, Daze, Flare, Ghost Sound, Mending, Message, Prestidigitation, Read Magic, Resistance,

1st
Accelerated Movement, Accuracy, Alarm, Animate Rope, Arrow Mind, Backbiter, Bands of Steel, Burning Hands, Critical Strike, Distract Assailant, Endure Elements, Enlarge Person,, Expeditious Retreat (swift), Feather Fall, Fist of Stone, Grease, Guided Shot, Jump, Mage Armour, Magic Weapon, Master’s Touch, Mount, Phantom Threat, Reduce Person, Shield, Shocking Grasp, True Strike,

2nd
Battlemagic Perception, Bear’s Endurance, Blades of Fire, Bladeweave, Blur, Cat’s Grace, City Lights, Darkness, Darkvision, Eagle’s Splendour, Fire Shuriken, Fox’s Cunning, Gust of Wind, Invisibility, Knock, Leomund’s Trap, Levitate, Mindless Rage, Mirror Image, Owl’s Wisdom, Protection from Arrows, Resist Energy, Returning Weapon, See Invisibility, Shatter, Sonic Weapon, Spider Climb, Swim, Tasha’s Hideous Laughter, Web, Whirling Blade, Whispering Wind, Wraithstrike,

3rd
Displacement, Explosive Runes, Flame Arrow, Fly (swift), Gaseous Form, Haste, Heroism, Hold Person, Invisibility Sphere, Keen Edge, Leomund’s Tiny Hut, Mage Armour (greater), Magic Weapon (greater), Phantom Steed, Protection from Energy, Rage, Ring of Blades, Shadow Binding, Slow, Spectral Weapon, Wind Wall,

4th
Battlefield Fortification, Cursed Blade, Dancing Blade, Enlarge Person (mass), Entangling Staff, Fire Shield, Fire Trap, Invisibility (greater), Leomund’s Secure Shelter, Polymorph, Reduce Person (mass), Resist Energy (mass), Stoneskin, Wall of Fire, Wall of Ice, War Cry,

5th
Baleful Polymorph, Fire Shield (mass), Leomund’s Billet, Leomund’s Hidden Lodge, Nightstalker’s Transformation, Shadow Form, Sword of Deception, Wall of Force, Wall of Stone,

6th
Arrow of Bone, Bear’s Endurance (mass), Brilliant Blade, Bull’s Strength (mass), Cat’s Grace (mass), Eagle’s Splendour (mass), Fiendform, Fox’s Cunning (mass), Heroism (greater), Illusory Pit, Move Earth, Owl’s Wisdom (mass), Repulsion, Wall of Iron,

[squishycube]

I was planning to make something like this, but this seems a bit, I don't know.
I just doesn't make me jump up and down because of its coolness.

What about the free bag of holding (that effectively can't get stolen.) Such a bag would cost about 500 - 600 GP + some for the extra feature. That's not too bad I guess.

I think you should impose some limit on Switch Spell. Giving acces to every spell in the omgniverse might be dangerous.

I don't see the point of the familiar at that point.

Why would I take the last 5 levels.

[Maxymiuk]

I'm worried about the vagueness of the phrase "at the risk of losing everything in the pocket plane."

Throw out the lvl 10 switch spells and give him a reduced spell failure due to wearing armor.

Maybe magic resistance as a lvl 20 ability? Though that really depends on the history you want to put behind arcane mercenaries.

[Karellen]

I can't help but notice the obvious fact that this class is simply better than the Bard in every way. I mean, d10 HD, full BAB, extra feats, similar casting ability except with ability to learn all spells, 6 skill points per day, never mind that the class is brutally frontloaded. It's also so much better than the Hexblade, it's not even funny. Actually, the only weakness of this class is the inability to wear armour while casting, which isn't enough to balance it out, but a weakness that breaks the flavour and makes it not fun to play.

Of course, that the class is clearly overpowered isn't such a bad thing, as personally, I've always found fighter/mage classes weak and uninspiring to play as they tend to lack the fun stuff about both fighters and mages and are always worse than Clerics. That said, this isn't exactly the solution, because it's kind of uneven and uninteresting, what with

What I'd do is... I'd make this a d8 HD class from the start, albeit with full BAB, and with the ability wear light armour while casting arcane magic, and then I'd come up with a specialized spell list from which they can add spells to a spellbook, which consists largerly of powerful buffing spells from both Cleric and Wizard, some utility spells, and maybe one or two basic curative spells a la Bard too, but basically no real hard-hitting offense spells. That way, this character would be a high-INT front-line fighter, who knows spells that make him better at it. Kind of like the Hexblade, really, except without the curse mumbojumbo and general suckdom. ;)

[Blade-Bearer_Ian]

Kind of like the Hexblade, really, except without the curse mumbojumbo and general suckdom. ;)

But I liked that curse mumbo-jumbo...

and yeh, everyone's pointing out stuff I've been tossing around to potentially change, but at the moment, my DM has OKed it and we really need an overpowered class... damn underdark... (my group has been killed by kobolds for crying out loud! mind you, there were 27 of them and only 3 of us...)

Also, how big should his spell list be? Bard sized?

[SolusTempus]

I only have oen question: why can a mercenary not be chaotic?

[Blade-Bearer_Ian]

I only have oen question: why can a mercenary not be chaotic?

I didn't bother including the characteristics, race, religion, alignment ect part to cut down on text, but the arcane mercenary is supposed to be a rather disciplined class. Not as much as monks, but enough that chaotic need not apply.

[SilverElf4]

How about spell list as bard, but only allow access to spell levels 1-4 as other partial casters like paladin/ranger/hexblade/spellthief.

[Blade-Bearer_Ian]

How about spell list as bard, but only allow access to spell levels 1-4 as other partial casters like paladin/ranger/hexblade/spellthief.

Before I edited it out, he had spells per day as a bard, and his max spell level is 6. He still learns spells as a wizard. I'll be repairing that section as soon as I complete his spell list.

I personally have never had much oppertunity to use any of the spells a ranger or hexblade gets because by the time I get access to any of them (level 6 knowing my crappy stats), I either have better equipment or the party caster pwns everything before I can bring them to bear..

[OzymandiasVolt]

Isn't 'mercenary' more of an occupation than a class? I mean, unless it's a particular mercenary GROUP that has standardized training...

[Blade-Bearer_Ian]

Isn't 'mercenary' more of an occupation than a class? I mean, unless it's a particular mercenary GROUP that has standardized training...

It's just a name... can't think of much else that can give someone the impression of melee and arcane abilities.

[SilverElf4]

I personally have never had much oppertunity to use any of the spells a ranger or hexblade gets because by the time I get access to any of them (level 6 knowing my crappy stats), I either have better equipment or the party caster pwns everything before I can bring them to bear..

The spells those classes offer are not really meant to be front line combat spells, but more utilitarian in nature. There is a Dragon magazine Ranger varient that has spells from levels 0-5, and starts his progression at level 1 rather than level 4 - that might give you a better range of spells.

[Gralamin]

whats this Class construction System?

and yes this really outshines the bard.

[Blade-Bearer_Ian]

whats this Class construction System?

and yes this really outshines the bard.

http://www.community3e.com/class.html

It's midway down the page, hilighted in red.

[Jestir256]

I think it's overpowered. Anyone with a spell table better than that held by a paladin AND a full BAB is going to be overpowered.

[SilverElf4]

How many points does the build come to as it stands now Ian?

[Blade-Bearer_Ian]

How many points does the build come to as it stands now Ian?

Before I made the changes, I believe it was around 200, with the changes I've made, probably 175-180 or so

[SilverElf4]

It should be fairly solid then. The system isn't fool-proof, and heaven knows it can be broken, but its a good set of guidelines. I like that you limited the levels 1 and 3 bonus feats. Seems fine powerwise to me.

[Blade-Bearer_Ian]

It should be fairly solid then. The system isn't fool-proof, and heaven knows it can be broken, but its a good set of guidelines. I like that you limited the levels 1 and 3 bonus feats. Seems fine powerwise to me.

despite what people have been saying about it's "overpowered" ness, when I playtested the original (arguably moore powerful) version, it stood up fairly well compared to the cleric, wizard, fighter and dozen or so undead I tested it against.

[SilverElf4]

Since you have the Hut and Shelter at levels 3 and 4, might as well go ahead and give him Lodge at level 5. Also what about Heroism and Heroism, Greater? Poly and Baleful Poly?

[Blade-Bearer_Ian]

Since you have the Hut and Shelter at levels 3 and 4, might as well go ahead and give him Lodge at level 5. Also what about Heroism and Heroism, Greater? Poly and Baleful Poly?

Why? Because I missed them XP. Tweaking a class late at night isn't the best idea (1/2 of the spells were leveled wrong...lol)

[SilverElf4]

Heh, true about the late at night thing. No worries, that probably came off as being inquisitorial, but I was just wracking my brain for suggestions. :)

[Gralamin]

hmm the system is Easily abuseable. I used it to creatd soemthing with two banned school (Thought as medium), spells otherwise as a wizard, evasion, improved evasion, bonus feats ever 2 levels, no familiar, cast spontaneously, rest as wizard. oh and energy resistance 5. came out to 214.

[Blade-Bearer_Ian]

Heh, true about the late at night thing. No worries, that probably came off as being inquisitorial, but I was just wracking my brain for suggestions. :)

thanks, I appreciate it. Spell list is done, with every supplement that has anything to offer. Next thing is to wait for my DM to send my group to the underdark...*shudders*

[SilverElf4]

hmm the system is Easily abuseable. I used it to creatd soemthing with two banned school (Thought as medium), spells otherwise as a wizard, evasion, improved evasion, bonus feats ever 2 levels, no familiar, cast spontaneously, rest as wizard. oh and energy resistance 5. came out to 214.

Well, as I said:

The system isn't fool-proof, and heaven knows it can be broken, but its a good set of guidelines.

But, with that being said, your above build as described actually comes to 265, 305 if the bonus feats are magical rather than vanilla bonus. I think it is generally accepted that when using the system, the suggested 225 ceiling for Prestige Classes should really apply to all classes.

Still, yes the build relies on one of the major breaks in the system, that Fast Casting + Unlimited Arcana only costs 25. In fact, Fast Casting and Unlimited Arcana probably should both be Outstanding Abilities, and the combo of the two should cost no less than 40 points, though I would place its cost significantly higher than that even.

[Blade-Bearer_Ian]

In fact, Fast Casting and Unlimited Arcana probably should both be Outstanding Abilities, and the combo of the two should cost no less than 40 points, though I would place its cost significantly higher than that even.

I guess that's why we have the Open Gaming License, eh?

[SilverElf4]

I guess that's why we have the Open Gaming License, eh?

Of course! It has nothing to do with WotC turing a greater profit! Ha, ha! ::nervous sweat::

;)