The Dweomancer [4e Base Class] PEACH!

[Shadow_Elf]

Dweomancer
“Impenetrable, but impossible to ignore. That's me.”



Role: Defender. Your wards and enchantments draw attention from your enemies and your magic hampers their ability to attack. Secondarily, you are either a controller or a striker, though either way you use these assets to make yourself a better defender.
Power Source: Arcane. Your powers stem from arcane study, and powerful magic enchantments.
Key Abilities: Intelligence, Constitution, Wisdom

Armor Proficiencies: Cloth
Weapon Proficiencies: Simple Melee
Implements: Wands, Staves, Tomes
Bonus to Defense: +2 Reflex
Hit Points at First Level: 14 + constitution score
Hit Points per Level Gained: 5
Healing Surges per Day: 8 + constitution modifier

Trained Skills: Arcana. From the class skills list below, chose three more trained skills at first level: Arcana (INT), Diplomacy (CHA), Dungeoneering (WIS), Endurance (CON), History (INT), Insight (WIS), Nature (WIS), Religion (INT).

Build Options: Military Caster, Wandering Spellslinger
Class Features: Counterspell, Defensive Dweomers, Dweomancer’s Sigil, Enchanter, Talent Arcana

Dweomancy was first used in the Dawn War, when primordials and the lesser elementals they spawned clashed with the gods of the Astral Sea and their exarchs. Wizards in service to Ioun and Corellon wove spells of negation regularly to protect allies from the elementals, but this was inefficient. Wards were straining on a wizard’s energy and their use involved careful prediction to near prescience amid the storm of elemental forces.
The first dweomancer revolutionized the combat of that ancient war. By using magic to draw attention, rather than weave spells of sweeping protection, the dweomancer could then use reflexes, rather that prediction, to block incoming attacks directed at their persons. This combination of magical attention-getting and self-defense proved extremely effective. The dweomancers’ reflexes eventually became so well-tuned that they could swiftly punish those that ignored them with their simplest spells cast with alarming rapidity.
To this day, the art of dweomancy has survived. Military campaigns are almost incomplete without dweomancers - in concert with cadre mages, military dweomancers can extend the lifespan of squads by months, even years. Not all who practice this arcane art seek organized military, however - others wander with small adventuring groups, protecting a small set of allies and mastering their self-defense foremost.

Creating a Dweomancer

Dweomancers rely on Intelligence for attack and damage, as well as their Armor Class and Reflex defense, all things that help them do their job, so it gets top priority. After that, you should take Constitution or Wisdom, depending on your build and powers.

Military Caster
You have or have had an illustrious military career, either as a squad mage or as the protector of a powerful mage cadre or command relay. You focus on harming those who ignore your magical compulsions even more, making your magic nearly as devastating as the magic of your more offense-oriented peers in the magical world. Intelligence ought to be you highest stat, since it determines your attack, damage and two of your defenses, as well as the bonus hitpoints from Force Shield. Constitution should get second billing; it improves the effects of your War Magus Talent, and governs the secondary effects of many of your most signature spells, as well as improving hitpoints and surges. Wisdom or Charisma should be your third choice; they each help a different skill set, and also contribute to your third defense, Will.

Talent Arcana: War Magus
Suggested Feat: Soldier's Spell Style
Suggested At-Will Powers: Rimebolt, Stormbolt
Suggested Encounter Power: Cirrus Strike
Suggested Daily Power: Pronged Flame Jet
Suggested Skills: Arcana, History, Diplomacy, Endurance.

Wandering Spellslinger
Not a military type, you aren’t used to having cutters and healers at the ready to repair your wounds. As such, rather than focusing on the devastation your spells cause, you focus more on reducing harm to your own person, an inevitability in your line of work. Intelligence, like with the Military Caster, takes priority, for the same reasons. You should, however, prioritize Wisdom after that; it determines the damage reduction provided by your Mage Errant Talent, and at the same time improves your Will, and the effects of many of your powers. Constitution should be the statistic you focus on third; it will give you more hitpoints, and surges, which means more and more durable Force Shields, not to mention that it helps your Fortitude defense.

Talent Arcana: Mage Errant
Suggested Feat: Wise Man's Magic
Suggested At-Will Powers: Chancebolt, Mindbolt
Suggested Encounter Power: Thoughtmire
Suggested Daily Power: Peripheral Phantasms
Suggested Skills: Arcana, Insight, Dungeoneering, Nature

Dweomancer Class Features

Counterspell
All Dweomancers gain the counterspell at-will power.

Counterspell
An enemy chooses to ignore you. Mistake.
At-Will * Arcane
Opportunity Action Close Burst 10
Trigger: An enemy within the burst who is marked by your Dweomancer’s Sigil makes an attack which does not include you as a target.
Target: The triggering enemy.

Effect: Make a ranged basic attack with the Arcane keyword against the target. This attack does not provoke attacks of opportunity.

Dweomancer’s Sigil
All Dweomancers gain the Dweomancer’s sigil at-will power.

Dweomancer’s Sigil
You place your arcane brand upon a foe
At-Will * Arcane
Minor Action Close Burst 10
Target: One enemy in the burst

Effect: The target is marked until you hit it with an attack granted by counterspell.
Special: You can only have a number of enemies marked by this power at a time equal to your Intelligence modifier. If you mark an enemy and you already have the maximum number of enemies marked, the first mark you placed with this power chronologically disappears. You can only use this power once per round.

Defensive Dweomers
While wielding an implement with which you are proficient and wearing cloth or no armour, you gain a +4 bonus to your AC. You also gain the force shield encounter power.

Force Shield
You funnel your life energy into a physical shield around your person
Encounter * Arcane, Healing, Force
Minor Action Personal

Effect: Spend a healing surge, but regain no hitpoints. Instead, gain temporary hitpoints equal to your surge value plus your intelligence modifier. In addition, until you run out of temporary hitpoints, you can slide 1 square any enemy that hits you with a melee or ranged attack.

Enchanter
You can master and perform rituals of the Creation and Warding categories as if you had the ritual caster feat. In addition, you gain a spellbook for storing the rituals you have mastered, and this spellbook includes both Enchant Magic Item and Disenchant Magic Item. Once per day, you can cast a ritual of the Creation or Warding categories without expending components, except Enchant Magic Item.

Talent Arcana
Choose one of the following build options:

War Magus:
You gain a bonus to the damage rolls of your ranged basic attacks against marked enemies. This bonus to damage rolls equals your constitution modifier. In addition, you gain a +2 bonus to your will defense while wielding an implement with which you are proficient. This bonus increases to +3 at level 11, and to +4 at level 21.

Mage Errant:
When a marked enemy hits you with an attack that targets only you, reduce the damage by your wisdom modifier. In addition, you gain a +2 bonus to your fortitude defense while wielding an implement with which you are proficient. This bonus increases to +3 at level 11, and to +4 at level 21.

Author's Notes and Edit Log:

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Ever since 4e came out, I have wanted to work on an Arcane Defender class. When the swordmage came out so early in the going, however, I got kind of discouraged and abandoned the idea for quite some time. But I think that the Dweomancer conveys a spin on the defender role that the Swordmage, or any other defender, including the Swashbuckler I have created (see my sig) can sport. I have gone through many a name for this class, none of which seemed to fit the way I wanted. This is the best I have come up with, but I welcome your suggestions. PEACH and Enjoy!

Edit Log:
06/04/2011: Added all level 1 powers for the class.
07/04/2011: Fixed an issue with Mindbolt and limited Dweomancer's Sigil to be 1/round. Glyphbolt changed to reflect this change. Typo in Peripheral Phantasms fixed.
18/06/2011: Added level 2 utility powers and three feats that support the Force Shield class feature. Considering upgrading Venombolt.
19/06/2011: Added level 3 encounter powers and level 5 daily powers, and three racial feats; gnomes, elves and devas.
20/06/2011: Added racial feats for humans, warforged, githzerai and genasi.

[Shadow_Elf]

Dweomancer Heroic Spells:

Level 1 At-Will Spells:

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Acribolt
This all-devouring acid attack is not real - all that matters is that the foe thinks so.
At-Will * Arcane, Acid, Illusion, Implement
Standard Action Ranged 10
Target: One creature

Attack: Intelligence vs. Will
Hit: 1d8 + intelligence modifier acid damage, and the target takes a -2 penalty to attacks until the end of your next turn. Increase damage to 2d8 + intelligence modifier at level 21.
Special: You can use this power as a ranged basic attack.

Chancebolt
Once this attack hits home, the target cannot help but trip up and strike an ally.
At-Will * Arcane, Implement
Standard Action Ranged 10
Target: One creature

Attack: Intelligence vs. Will
Hit: The target makes a basic attack against a target of your choice within range with a power bonus to the attack roll equal to your wisdom modifier.
Special: You can use this power as a ranged basic attack.

Firebolt
When arson is the question, the answer is always yes
At-Will * Arcane, Fire, Implement
Standard Action Ranged 10
Target: One creature

Attack: Intelligence vs. Reflex
Hit: 1d10 + intelligence modifier fire damage. Increase damage to 2d10 + intelligence modifier at level 21.
Special: You can use this power as a ranged basic attack.

Mindbolt
This spell will set afire your target’s mind, making their attacks weaker
At-Will * Arcane, Psychic, Charm, Implement
Standard Action Ranged 10
Target: One creature

Attack: Intelligence vs. Will
Hit: 1d6 + intelligence modifier psychic damage, and the target takes a penalty to damage rolls on attacks that do not include you as a target equal to your wisdom modifier until the end of your next turn. Increase damage to 2d6 + intelligence modifier at level 21.
Special: You can use this power as a ranged basic attack.

Rimebolt
Help your enemies chill out with this glacial attack
At-Will * Arcane, Cold, Implement
Standard Action Ranged 10
Target: One creature

Attack: Intelligence vs. Fortitude
Hit: 1d8+ intelligence modifier cold damage, and the target takes a penalty to their speed equal to your constitution modifier until the end of your next turn. Increase damage to 2d8 + intelligence modifier at level 21.
Special: You can use this power as a ranged basic attack.

Stormbolt
A bolt of lightning that will jump to another enemy when it is done.
At-Will * Arcane, Lightning, Implement
Standard Action Ranged 10
Target: One creature

Attack: Intelligence vs. Reflex
Hit: 1d6 + intelligence modifier lightning damage, and one enemy within 3 squares of the target takes lightning damage equal to your constitution modifier. Increase damage to 2d6 + intelligence modifier at level 21.
Special: You can use this power as a ranged basic attack.

Sunbolt
A spear of radiant energy to dive for your enemy’s chest
At-Will * Arcane, Radiant, Implement
Standard Action Ranged 10
Target: One creature

Attack: Intelligence vs. Reflex
Hit: 1d8 + intelligence modifier radiant damage, and the target is pushed 2 squares. Increase damage to 2d8 + intelligence modifier at level 21.
Special: You can use this power as a ranged basic attack.

Venombolt
A sphere of poison that will seep through skin and armour to harm your foe.
At-Will * Arcane, Poison, Implement
Standard Action Ranged 10
Target: One creature

Attack: Intelligence vs. Fortitude
Hit: Ongoing poison damage equal to 2 + your intelligence modifier (save ends). Increase ongoing damage to 5 + your intelligence modifier at level 21.
Special: You can use this power as a ranged basic attack.

Level 1 Encounter Spells:

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Thoughtmire
The thoughts of your targets seem to flow out, bogging them down
Encounter * Arcane, Charm, Psychic, Implement
Standard Action Area Burst 1 within 10
Target: Each enemy in burst

Attack: Intelligence vs. Will
Hit: 1d6 + intelligence modifier psychic damage and the target is slowed and cannot shift until the end of your next turn.

Mage Errant: Allies in the burst also gain a bonus to opportunity attacks until the end of your next turn. This bonus equals your wisdom modifier.

Cirrus Strike
A column of roiling cloud descends from above to smash your opponent
Encounter * Arcane, Implement
Standard Action Ranged 10
Target: One creature

Attack: Intelligence vs. Fortitude
Hit: 1d8 + intelligence modifier damage and the target is knocked prone. Creatures more than 2 squares away from the target have concealment until the end of your next turn.

War Magus: This attack deals additional damage equal to your constitution modifier.

Glyphbolt
This bolt of arcane force leaves your signature brand upon a foe
Encounter * Arcane, Force, Implement
Standard Action Ranged 10
Target: One creature

Attack: Intelligence vs. Reflex
Hit: 1d10 + intelligence modifier force damage and you can use your Dweomancer's Sigil against the target as a free action. This does not count as your use of that power for this round.
Special: You can use this power as a ranged basic attack.

Level 1 Daily Spells:

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Vampiric Bolt
A life-leeching bolt that will bolster your allies.
Daily * Arcane, Necrotic, Implement
Standard Action Ranged 10
Target: One creature

Attack: Intelligence vs. Fortitude
Hit: 2d8 + intelligence modifier necrotic damage, and all your allies adjacent to the target gain temporary hitpoints equal to your intelligence modifier.
Special: You can use this power as a ranged basic attack

Pronged Flame Jet
A stream of fire splits off in three directions to cut a swath through your foes.
Daily * Arcane, Fire, Implement
Standard Action Ranged 10
Target: One, two or three creatures in range

Attack: Intelligence vs. Reflex
Hit: 2d6 + intelligence modifier fire damage and the target is knocked prone.

Peripheral Phantasms
You glamor your foe, causing it to perceive threats in its peripheral vision.
Daily * Arcane, Illusion, Psychic, Implement
Standard Action Ranged 10
Target: One creature

Attack: Intelligence vs. Will
Hit: 2d6 + intelligence modifier psychic damage and the target is affect by your peripheral phantasms (save ends). While under this effect, the target takes a -2 penalty to attack rolls, and allies do not need to be on opposite sides of the target in order to flank it.

Aftereffect: The target takes a -2 penalty to attack rolls (save ends).

Level 2 Utility Spells:

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Simbul's Advanced Conversion
You trade a more advanced spell for added vitality
Daily * Arcane
Standard Action Personal

Effect: Select one of your Dweomancer encounter attack powers. You lose the use of that power for this encounter, or, if you are not in an encounter, you lose the use of that power for your next encounter. Regain a healing surge you have spent.

Warp Shield
A stream of fire splits off in three directions to cut a swath through your foes.
Encounter * Arcane, Teleportation
Immediate Reaction Personal
Trigger: You have temporary hitpoints from the Force Shield power, and an enemy hits you with an attack.

Effect: You can teleport up to 5 squares.

Boltswipe
You perform a quick hastening dweomer to improve your reaction time
Daily * Arcane, Stance
Minor Action Personal

Effect: You enter the boltswipe stance. Until the stance ends, any dweomancer attack power that can be used as a ranged basic attack undergoes the following changes:
- Range is change to "Melee 1 or Ranged 10"
- the "Special" line reads: "This power can be used as a melee or ranged basic attack".

Level 3 Encounter Spells:

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The Pull of Earth
You infuse the ground beneath the target with arcane power, yanking them to the ground.
Encounter * Arcane, Force, Implement
Standard Action Ranged 10
Target: One enemy

Attack: Intelligence vs. Fortitude
Hit: 1d10 + intelligence modifier damage and the target is knocked prone and cannot stand up until the end of your next turn.

Mage Errant: This attack deals additional damage equal to your wisdom modifier.

Scything Forces
You summon a ring of sharp force, launching it at your foes to tear through them
Encounter * Arcane, Force, Implement
Standard Action Close Blast 5
Target: Each creature in blast

Attack: Intelligence vs. Reflex
Hit: 2d6 + intelligence modifier force damage.
Miss: Half damage.

War Magus: This attack deals additional damage equal to your constitution modifier.

Starbolt
This blast of magical starlight is incredibly dangerous
Encounter * Arcane, Radiant, Implement
Standard Action Ranged 10

Attack: Intelligence vs. Reflex
Hit: 2d12 + intelligence modifier radiant damage.
Special: This power can be used as a ranged basic attack.

Level 5 Daily Spells:

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Ravening Bolt
This magical attack will flit from mind to mind to cause additional harm
Daily * Arcane, Psychic, Implement
Standard Action Ranged 10
Target: One creature

Attack: Intelligence vs. Will
Hit: 2d8 + intelligence modifier psychic damage. Make the attack again against two different enemies within 10 squares of the first.
Miss: Half damage, and you make the attack again against one enemy within 10 squares of the first.
Special: You can use this power as a ranged basic attack.

Incendiary Display
A great show of pyrotechnics never fails to draw attention
Daily * Arcane, Fire, Radiant, Implement
Standard Action Close Burst 5
Target: All enemies in burst

Attack: Intelligence vs. Reflex
Hit: 3d6 + intelligence modifier fire and radiant damage and the target is marked until the end of your next turn.

Swords of the Empire
You conjure a host of disembodied swords to aid in battle
Daily * Arcane, Conjuration, Implement
Standard Action Ranged 10
Target: Four unoccupied squares within range

Effect: You conjure a sword of the empire in the target square. As a move action, you can fly one sword 4 squares or fly all of the swords 2 squares. As a standard action, you can have each sword perform the following attack against an adjacent enemy. No two swords may attack the same enemy on the same turn.

Attack: Intelligence vs. Reflex
Hit: 1d8 + intelligence modifier force damage and the target cannot shift or make opportunity attacks until the end of your next turn.

[Shadow_Elf]

Reserved for Paragon Powers.

[Shadow_Elf]

Reserved for Epic Powers.

[Shadow_Elf]

Paragon Paths

None yet!

Feats

Heroic Feats:

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Action Shield
Prerequisites: Human, Dweomancer, force shield
Benefit: When you use you have temporary hitpoints from your force shield power and you spend an action point, increase your temporary hitpoints by 10; these hitpoints count as being from your force shield. Increase to 15 temporary hitpoints at level 11 and to 20 temporary hitpoints at level 21.

Durable Force Shield
Prerequisites: Dweomancer, Force Shield
Benefit: When you have temporary hitpoints from Force Shield, you gain a +1 bonus to all defenses.

Elemental Metamagic
Prerequisites: Genasi, counterspell
Benefit: When you make an attack granted to you by counterspell, you can change the original power's damage type to acid, cold, fire, lightning, or thunder. Choose between the power's original type or one of the above types each time you use counterspell.

Reliable Retaliation
Prerequisites: Elf, elven accuracy, dweomancer, counterspell
Benefit: When you use your elven accuracy power to reroll the attack roll of a ranged basic attack provided to you by counterspell, and the new roll is still a miss, you do not expend your elven accuracy.

Shield of Iron
Prerequisites: Githzerai, iron mind, dweomancer, force shield
Benefit: When you have temporary hitpoints from force shield and you use your iron mind racial power, and the triggering attack still hits, reduce the damage you take from that attack by 5. Increase damage reduction to 7 at level 11 and to 10 at level 21.

Shield of Resolve
Prerequisites: Warforged, warforged resolve, dweomancer, force shield
Benefit: Your temporary hitpoints from force shield and from warforged resolve are additive; if you use one while you have temporary hitpoints from the other, add the values together. Temporary hitpoints from warforged resolve count as temporary hitpoints from force shield for the purposes of effects that require it.

Shield of Trauma
Prerequisites: Deva, memory of a thousand lifetimes, dweomancer, force shield
Benefit: When you have temporary hitpoints from force shield and an enemy makes an attack against you, you can make a roll for your memory of a thousand lifetimes racial power and add 2 to the result. Subtract that result from the triggering attack's attack roll.

Soldier's Spell Style
Prerequisites: Dweomancer, Military Caster, Force Shield
Benefit: When you use your Force Shield class feature, you can push all enemies adjacent to you a number of squares equal to your constitution modifier. Additionally, if you use Force Shield while bloodied, you can teleport a number of squares equal to one half your constitution modifier (minimum 1) after pushing your adjacent enemies.

Unnerving Disappearance
Prerequisites: Gnome, fade away, Dweomancer, dweomancer's sigil
Benefit: When you use your fade away racial power, you can also use dweomancer's sigil as a free action. This use of the power does not count towards your per-round limit.

Wise Man's Magic
Prerequisites: Dweomancer, Mage Errant, Force Shield
Benefit: When you use your Force Shield class feature, add your wisdom modifier to the number of temporary hitpoints you gain. Additionally, if you use Force Shield while bloodied, you regain hitpoints equal to your wisdom modifier.

[vasharanpaladin]

Ranged Defender! @w@

*bookmarks*

[Nu]

1. Dweomancer’s Sigil should probably have a 1/round restriction.

2. Isn't ongoing damage (save ends) as an at-will a bit much? I do not believe there are other such at-wills in the game available from the first level.

3. One other note I'd like to make is that Mage Errant + Mindbolt will make lower-end heroic enemies unable to damage you at all. This seems to be counter-intuitive to the role of defender, which is supposed to punish enemies for attacking others. I'd suggest to rework either the feature or the power to function exclusively to attacks that don't include you as a target (this seems more of what the defender is about).

[Shadow_Elf]

1. Dweomancer’s Sigil should probably have a 1/round restriction.

2. Isn't ongoing damage (save ends) as an at-will a bit much? I do not believe there are other such at-wills in the game available from the first level.

3. One other note I'd like to make is that Mage Errant + Mindbolt will make lower-end heroic enemies unable to damage you at all. This seems to be counter-intuitive to the role of defender, which is supposed to punish enemies for attacking others. I'd suggest to rework either the feature or the power to function exclusively to attacks that don't include you as a target (this seems more of what the defender is about).

1. Agreed, forgot that.

2. I'm not sure. Ongoing damage is worth about 170% of the OG-value in damage, on average. 2 + Int ongoing, assuming an Int of 5 even, which is unlikely, is by that model worth about 11.9 damage on a hit, and it is otherwise a pure damage power. Compare to Firebolt (and its kin Eldritch Blast, etc. etc.) which, with the same int of 5, deals 10.5 on a hit, and it is not much higher, only 1.4, less when you factor in hit chances. On the other hand, once you get a +1 enhancement weapon, the advantage is only .4 for the ongoing damage; from there on out, save penalties are the only way to augment the damage until epic, whereas Firebolt gets easy access to more damage. Plus, poison is a terrible damage type. Overall, I think it is fair.

3. This is an excellent point. I will change it so that the DR for the power only helps allies, not the caster.

[Shadow_Elf]

Okay, I know I haven't added to this in a while, but with exams done, I am free to work on it again! Level 2 Utilities are up. Expect more to come in the coming days.

[Shadow_Elf]

Level 3 and 5 powers are up, and some racial feats for gnomes, elves and devas.

[LudiDrizzt]

Save end effects on at-wills are a no no. Change it please.

[Shadow_Elf]

2. I'm not sure. Ongoing damage is worth about 170% of the OG-value in damage, on average. 2 + Int ongoing, assuming an Int of 5 even, which is unlikely, is by that model worth about 11.9 damage on a hit, and it is otherwise a pure damage power. Compare to Firebolt (and its kin Eldritch Blast, etc. etc.) which, with the same int of 5, deals 10.5 on a hit, and it is not much higher, only 1.4, less when you factor in hit chances. On the other hand, once you get a +1 enhancement weapon, the advantage is only .4 for the ongoing damage; from there on out, save penalties are the only way to augment the damage until epic, whereas Firebolt gets easy access to more damage. Plus, poison is a terrible damage type. Overall, I think it is fair.

See this explanation, which I gave above. If anything, I am thinking of bumping up the power. Except for tradition, is there any other reason you think that the power needs to be changed?