[3.5 PrC PEACH] - The Divergent Elementalist

[ironwizard]

So I was trying to build a blaster caster focused on the fire/ice duality, and found no PrCs centered on fire spells (ice exists), so I figured I'd cut out the multiple PrCs and write one that does both jobs. Presenting...

The Divergent Elementalist

Hit Die: d4

Requirements:
Skills: Spellcraft 8 ranks, Knowledge (Arcana) 8 ranks, Knowledge (the Planes) 8 ranks
Feats: Energy Substitution (Fire), Energy Substitution (Cold)
Spells: Able to cast 3rd level spells

The Divergent Elementalist
{table=head]Level|BAB|Fort|Ref|Will|Special |

Spellcasting

1st|+0|+0|+0|+2|Elemental Spell Power +1|

+1 of Existing Arcane Casting Class

2nd|+1|+0|+0|+3|Elemental Spell Potency I|

+1 of Existing Arcane Casting Class

3rd|+1|+1|+1|+3|Sudden Cooling, Sculpt Spell|

+1 of Existing Arcane Casting Class

4th|+2|+1|+1|+4|Elemental Spell Power +2|

+1 of Existing Arcane Casting Class

5th|+2|+1|+1|+4|Elemental Spell Potency II|

+1 of Existing Arcane Casting Class

6th|+3|+2|+2|+5|Sudden Heat, Twin Spell|

+1 of Existing Arcane Casting Class

7th|+3|+2|+2|+5|Elemental Spell Power +3|

+1 of Existing Arcane Casting Class

8th|+4|+2|+2|+6|Elemental Spell Potency III|

+1 of Existing Arcane Casting Class

9th|+4|+3|+3|+6|Elemental Spell Power +4|

+1 of Existing Arcane Casting Class

10th|+5|+3|+3|+7|Union of Opposites|

+1 of Existing Arcane Casting Class

[/table]
Alignment: Any
Hit Die: d4

Class Skills:
Concentration, Decipher Script, Knowledge (Arcana), Knowledge (the Planes), Spellcraft
Skill Points at Each Level: 2 + Int modifier

Throughout this class, the terms Fire Spell and Cold Spell will be used as a form of shorthand. They refer to any spell that has the fire or cold descriptor, or that deals fire or cold damage.

Class Features:
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Divergent Elementalists gain no new weapon or armor proficiencies.
Spellcasting: At each new level, a Divergent Elementalist gains new spells per day, spells known (if applicable), and an increased caster level as if he had gained a level of his existing arcane casting class. He does not gain any other benefits from that class, such as metamagic feats or familiar advancement.
Elemental Spell Power: The Divergent Elementalist's casting level increases by 1 when casting fire or cold spells.
This bonus increases to +2, +3, and +4 at levels 4, 7, and 9 respectively.
Elemental Spell Potency: The Divergent Elementalist's fire and cold spells are more powerful than for a normal caster. He increases the damage die type of any fire or cold spells he casts. If a spell does multiple types of damage, only the fire and cold dice are improved. Other dice types are unaffected. The damage die type improves a second step at 5th level, and a third step at 8th level by this pattern: d4 → d6 → d8 → d10 → 2d6 → 2d8 → 2d10
Sudden Cooling: At 3rd level, a Divergent Elementalist may make use of the tactical maneuver: Sudden Cooling. If a Divergent Elementalist affects a target with a fire spell followed by a cold spell before the end of his next turn he may activate the Sudden Cooling trigger, causing the target to become brittle and fragile. Any hardness the target has is reduced by the Divergent Elementalist's Class Level for a number of rounds equal to half the Divergent Elementalist's Caster Level. The target may attempt a Fortitude Saving Throw to resist this effect, DC = 10 + half the Divergent Elementalist's Caster Level plus his Casting Modifier.
Sculpt Spell: At 3rd level, the Divergent Elementalist gains the Sculpt Spell metamagic feat. If he already had the feat, he may instead select another metamagic feat for which he meets the prerequisites.
Sudden Heat: At 6rd level, a Divergent Elementalist may make use of the tactical maneuver: Sudden Heat. If a Divergent Elementalist affects a target with a cold spell followed by a fire spell before the end of his next turn he may activate the Sudden Heat trigger, causing the target to become pliable and weak. Any Damage reduction the target has (except Damage reduction overcome by epic unless the caster himself is also epic level) is reduced by the Divergent Elementalist's Class Level for a number of rounds equal to half the Divergent Elementalist's Caster Level. The target may attempt a Fortitude Saving Throw to resist this effect, DC = 10 + half the Divergent Elementalist's Caster Level plus his Casting Modifier.
Twin Spell: At 3rd level, the Divergent Elementalist gains the Twin Spell metamagic feat. If he already had the feat, he may instead select another metamagic feat for which he meets the prerequisites.
Union of Opposites: At 10th level, the Divergent Elementalist has reached the epitome of his craft, and learned to perfectly marry the two opposing tools of his trade. Any spell he casts that has the fire descriptor gains the cold descriptor, and any spell he casts that has the cold descriptor gains the fire descriptor. In addition, any spell he casts that does fire damage also counts as dealing cold damage, and vice versa. Against creatures with resistances, immunities, or vulnerabilities to either of these two damage types, use the type that is most favorable to the Divergent Elementalist. For example: a red dragon has immunity to fire and vulnerability to cold. If a 10th level Divergent Elementalist cast a Fireball at such a dragon, he would treat the spell as doing cold damage, thus dealing double damage to the dragon, even though Fireball normally does fire damage, to which the dragon is immune. (assuming he could overcome it's spell resistance that is!).

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Thoughts? It might be a bit much. I considered requiring a new school to be banned going in, like the Incantatrix. (With the caveat that it must be a school the caster has access to. No Warmages banning Enchantment for instance)

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Changelog:

v 1.2: Changed Sudden Heat and Sudden Cooling to a more normal save scaling and to reduce the DR/Hardness by class level, not remove it entirely.

[Soliloquy]

Your table says invocation using class.

[ironwizard]

Whoops. I just used a template from a previous PrC. I'll fix that now...

[Soliloquy]

I notice that the only combinations of the elements you have are Sudden Heat and Union of Opposites. I would recommend putting something more in.
Examples:
Fire on Ice: Whenever casting a damage dealing spell with the cold descriptor, and after rolling damage, the Divergent Elementalist does his class level less in cold damage, maximum of 25% of the original damage. He does twice this much in fire damage.
Ice on Fire: Whenever casting a damage dealing spell with the fire descriptor, and after rolling damage, the Divergent Elementalist does his class level more in cold damage, maximum of 25% of the original damage.

I also recommend looking at this one manga, I don't remember the name but the main character was Jio and he controlled fire and ice.

[Passive Pete]

I'm lovin' it! (Ba-da ba da BA!)

I've never really seen anything like this; it's so awesome! I think Sudden Heat might be a little overpowered, but I don't know how to fix it. Possibly just give the target creature some vulnerabilities?

I was thinking. . . it would be pretty neat to have another PrC just like this, but with force and lightning damage or something: The Forceful Evoker.

[ironwizard]

I notice that the only combinations of the elements you have are Sudden Heat and Union of Opposites. I would recommend putting something more in.

There's 3. Also have Sudden cooling. So you've got one to take down Hardness, one to take down DR, and one to bypass resistance/immunity.

Examples:
Fire on Ice: Whenever casting a damage dealing spell with the cold descriptor, and after rolling damage, the Divergent Elementalist does his class level less in cold damage, maximum of 25% of the original damage. He does twice this much in fire damage.
Ice on Fire: Whenever casting a damage dealing spell with the fire descriptor, and after rolling damage, the Divergent Elementalist does his class level more in cold damage, maximum of 25% of the original damage.

</snip>

Hmm... I think I'd replace the two metamagic feats to include this, but I might replace them anyways, they feel kinda vestigial to me atm.

I'm lovin' it! (Ba-da ba da BA!)

I've never really seen anything like this; it's so awesome! I think Sudden Heat might be a little overpowered, but I don't know how to fix it. Possibly just give the target creature some vulnerabilities?

Hmmm... I'm not sure if I'm happy with the save/duration of the effect, so could messing with that make it more reasonable? Or perhaps, instead of removing DR, reduce it instead by some amount?

I was thinking. . . it would be pretty neat to have another PrC just like this, but with force and lightning damage or something: The Forceful Evoker.

Maybe that'll be my next project...

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Thanks for the input!

[Soliloquy]

I think sudden cooling and sudden heat shouldn't necessarily eliminate all DR. Also your half combined dice but multiple dice can count as one die is needlessly confusing.

[ironwizard]

I think sudden cooling and sudden heat shouldn't necessarily eliminate all DR.

Reasonable. How would "Reduces DR by an amount equal to your Class Level" be?

Also your half combined dice but multiple dice can count as one die is needlessly confusing.

Yeah, that's was my fear. The idea is to combat spells like Disintegrate that do 2xd6 where x is caster level. What I would like to do is find a clearer way of expressing that formula.

[Soliloquy]

Well, (2xcasterlevel/2 + casterlevel (from second spell)) /2 = caster level. It seems to me like you designed the equasion to always equal caster level. I agree, reduces DR by DE level for CL rounds works.

[ironwizard]

Well, (2xcasterlevel/2 + casterlevel (from second spell)) /2 = caster level. It seems to me like you designed the equasion to always equal caster level.

Up to a maximum equal to the number of dice rolled. Thanks. That's a much better way to express it. I'll change it in a bit.

I agree, reduces DR by DE level for CL rounds works.

Cool. I'll change it shortly.

[Soliloquy]

Uh, iron wizard?

[ironwizard]

Oh, sorry about that. I responded, and then got called away by something, and completely forgot to return to the class.

Now It's updated. I also just went ahead and simplified the duration and saving throws of Sudden Heat and Sudden Cooling to a more normal scaling (10 + 1/2 Caster Level for duration, 10 + 1/2 caster level + casting mod for save)

[Soliloquy]

Casting modifier?

[ironwizard]

Int for Wizards, CHA for Sorcs, etc...

[asnys]

I like the idea. I dunno how useful Sudden Cooling would be, though - how often do you need to deal with hardness? Of course, they get a lot of other goodies too, so maybe that's okay. But I'd consider replacing that effect with something else - maybe applying a status condition. Something weakish, though; they already get a lot, even if it's all enhancing damage-boosting.

[ironwizard]

I like the idea. I dunno how useful Sudden Cooling would be, though - how often do you need to deal with hardness?

That's why it's the weaker (and hence lower level) class feature.

Of course, they get a lot of other goodies too, so maybe that's okay.

My thoughts.

But I'd consider replacing that effect with something else - maybe applying a status condition. Something weakish, though; they already get a lot, even if it's all enhancing damage-boosting.

Don't think that's needed, and it doesn't really fit the mechanical flavor of the class, which is mailman atm.

Thanks for the input though!