Iron Sorcerer (D&D 3.5 PEACH)

[Frog Dragon]

Iron Sorcerer

"We face battle daily. Who would be foolish enough to be slain by a single sword?" An Iron Sorcerer

Iron Sorcerers are mages who think they should upgrade a bit on the "taking hits" department. They have noticed that, if they cannot prepare for a battle to boost their survival capability, they have none. They see this sort of reliance to magic as a weakness that they cannot afford to have. Thus, they have sought ways to fix it.

HD: d10

Prerequisites
BAB +5
Feats: Toughness
Base Saves: Fort +3
Spellcasting: Able to cast third level arcane spells

IRON SORCERER
{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special|Spells

1st|

+1

|

+2

|

+0

|

+2

|Arcane Residue, Arcane Touch Armoured Spellcasting -10%|

2nd|

+2

|

+3

|

+0

|

+3

|Arcane Resistance|+1 level of existing arcane spellcasting class

3rd|

+3

|

+3

|

+1

|

+3

|Arcane Arrow|+1 level of existing arcane spellcasting class

4th|

+4

|

+4

|

+1

|

+4

|Armoured Spellcasting -20%|+1 level of existing arcane spellcasting class

5th|

+5

|

+4

|

+1

|

+4

|Energizer|+1 level of existing arcane spellcasting class

6th|

+6

|

+5

|

+2

|

+5

|Spell Recovery|

7th|

+7

|

+5

|

+2

|

+5

|Arcane Evasion ,Armoured Spellcasting -30%|+1 level of existing arcane spellcasting class

8th|

+8

|

+6

|

+2

|

+6

|Arcane Ruin|+1 level of existing arcane spellcasting class

9th|

+9

|

+6

|

+3

|

+6

|Magic Defense|+1 level of existing arcane spellcasting class

10th|

+10

|

+7

|

+3

|

+7

|Arcane Invulnerability, Armoured Spellcasting -40%|+1 level of existing arcane spellcasting class [/table]

Skill Points: An Iron Sorcerer gains 2+Int Modifier skill points per level.
Class Skills: The class skills for an Iron Sorcerer are as follows: Climb, Concentration, Craft, Jump, Knowledge: Arcana, Profession, Spellcraft, Tumble

Weapon&Armor Proficiency: An Iron Sorcerer gains proficiency with all light and medium armor and all simple weapons

Arcane Recovery (SU)
The Iron Sorcerer may lose a spell slot or residue points to gain fast healing of equal amount to the level of spell slot (or number of residue points.) he lost for a number of rounds equal to 5+1/2class level. This is a swift action.

Armoured Spellcasting
The amount indicated from the table is reduced from spell failure chances due to armor, to a minimum of 0%.

Energizer (EX)
The Iron Sorcerer may expend reserved magical energy inside him as a nonmagical boost, allowing him a non-negatable augment.
An Iron Sorcerer may use a spell slot or residue points to gain temporary hit points equal to 5x the level of the spell slot (or amount of residue points used) used. In addition 1-3 level spells (or residue points) grant a +2 increase to constitution and dexterity. 4-6 level spells (or residue points grant a +4 and 7-9 level spells (or residue points grant a +6 increase.
This ability lasts for rounds equal to 5+1/2 class level. This is a swiftaction.

Arcane Residue
An Iron Sorcerer has learned to conserve his spell energy. Each time he casts a spell, he adds an equal amount of points to his residue pool as the level of the spell. These points may be used to fuel other abilities, but the Iron Sorcerer may not use more points at a time than the maximum spell level he can cast. These points fade away when the caster regains spell slots.

Arcane Touch (SU)
By using 2 residue points or a second level spell slot, the Iron sorcerer may add 1d4 Force damage/2 caster levels to any melee attack or melee touch attack, including spells

Spell Recovery
An Iron Sorcerer may use Residue Points to gain back spell slots. It is a full round action to recover one spell and costs 2 residue points per the level of the spell that is being recovered.

Arcane Resistance (SU)
The Iron Sorcerer may lose a spell slot or residue points to gain Damage Reduction x/- of equal amount to the level of spell slot (or number of residue points.) he lost for a number of rounds equal to 5+1/2class level. This is a swift action.

Arcane Arrow (SU)
By using 3 residue points or a third level spell slot, the Iron sorcerer may add 1d4 Force damage/2 caster levels to any ranged attack or ranged touch attack, including spells

Arcane Evasion
The Iron Sorcerer may lose a spell slot or residue points to gain a bonus to all saves of equal amount to the level of spell slot (or number of residue points.) he lost for a number of rounds equal to 5+1/2class level. This is a swift action.

Arcane Ruin
By using 4 residue points or a level 4 spell slot, the Iron sorcerer may add 1d4 Force damage/2 caster levels to any area effect ability or spell which affects opponents.

Magic Defense
The Iron Sorcerer may lose a spell slot or residue points to gain spell resistance of equal amount to the 2xlevel of spell slot (or number of residue points.) he lost+15 for a number of rounds equal to 5+1/2class level. This is a swift action.

Arcane Invulnerability
The Iron Sorcerer may activate Arcane Evasion, Arcane Resistance, Arcane Recovery, Magic Defense and Energizer all at the same time with one Full Round Action. He must still pay the full price for each upgrade.

Here we go. Is this overpowered? Underpowered? About right?
I thought the abilities were powerful enough to warrant the loss of two caster levels.

[Frog Dragon]

Nothing? Is there nothing to comment here?

[Kamai]

Questions: Does the residue ever fade? If not, you could have these abilities used far more than you expected.

The boost to Dex seems nearly useless for a class you intend in medium armor and using ranged touch spells. Maybe make it strength instead? Also, are your bonuses meant to be untyped?

Temporary hp does not seem to be worth a standard action, given 3xspell level barely keeps up with +2 con (9 vs reasonably entry (Wiz 5/Fgt 3) at 8, and is worth less at +4 con: 18 vs (Wiz 5/Fgt 3/IS 8) 32hp. If you want it to be useful, drop it to a swift action.

Spell Recovery may want to be pushed back a couple of levels. Otherwise, it may be too worth the 1 level dip to get half of levels worth of spell slots again (though only in low levels of spells, 1/2 your spell levels or less), as well as being able to cast freely in a mithral chain shirt.

What kind of actions do arcane touch, arcane arrow, and arcane blast take, though I assume a standard action for each.

Magic Defense is terrible. When you get it, assuming Wiz 10 to enter, the most SR you could get is 24, at level 19. That's low enough to be meaningless where people bother with spell penetration. This is after throwing out a 9th level spell slot or having the energy from 9 spell levels. Not the most useful thing ever.

As an assessment, if you intend this for a pure caster, they may dip 1 level to get half again his spell levels in spells. These abilities for the most part don't beat having quickened spells and reserve feats, in my opinion. A gish may be more happy with this, but can't power the nice abilities as well (even for a standard action, 7-8d4 (average 18.5) is a very poor use of a standard action, even if they don't have a ghost touch weapon, and the 60ft ray is slightly more helpful than throwing a dagger for adding range options. Maybe I'm missing something, but I don't see this class being used instead of full caster levels.

[Frog Dragon]

This was actually meant more as a gish class.
I've moved Spell Recovery to level 6, so you have to lose 2 cl to get it.
the Arcane Arrow, Touch and Ruin are standard actions. I also lowered their costs.
Energizer buffed to 5x spell level.
Residue fades when spells are regained.
Magic Defense included a maths fail on my part. Now it should be decent.
Maybe I should make the Arcane x attack class features boost other attacks/spells with force damage instead?
Thanks for the EACHing

[Lix Lorn]

It looks cool to me!
Though it'd be way less confusing if Arcane Residue was the first ability described, as there's one that relies upon it BEFORE it...

[Haarkla]

The prerequisites are crappy. By the time you are high enough level to take the class, losing a CL to gain melee is a bad idea. I would change them to:


Prerequisites:
BAB +4
Feats: Toughness
Spellcasting: Able to cast second level arcane spells.

[Frog Dragon]

It's for Gishes, who are meleeing already.