Attempt at a 3.5 Wild Mage base class

[Zedicius]

A friend of mine is starting a new forgotten realms campaign and I was thinking about pulling out some nostalgia and use an old class I used to play in 2nd edition. Though, upon finding the Wild Mage prestige class I was rather disappointed. Some of the other prestige classes gain so much in their 10 levels, while the Wild Mage gains a bunch of strange quirks that have little or nothing to do with Wild Magic itself. Thinking back about better times and Surge charts with 600+ random possibilities I went to work.

Though honestly, it probably needs a lot of balancing work.


Wild Mage as a 3.5 base class, work in progress

HD: d4

20 LEVEL SPELLCASTING BASE CLASS
{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special|0lvl|1st|2nd|3rd|4th|5th|6th|7th|8th|9th

1st|

+0

|

+0

|

+0

|

+2

|Wild magic, Metamagic instability, Access to wild magic spells|3|1

2nd|

+1

|

+0

|

+0

|

+3

|Wild magic affinity 1|4|2

3rd|

+1

|

+1

|

+1

|

+3

|Enforce wild magic surge|4|2|1

4th|

+2

|

+1

|

+1

|

+4

|Wild magic affinity 2|4|3|2

5th|

+2

|

+1

|

+1

|

+4

||4|3|2|1

6th|

+3

|

+2

|

+2

|

+5

|Apply wild magic|4|3|3|2

7th|

+3

|

+2

|

+2

|

+5

||4|4|3|2|1

8th|

+4

|

+2

|

+2

|

+6

|Wild magic affinity 3|4|4|3|3|2

9th|

+4

|

+3

|

+3

|

+6

||4|4|4|3|2|1

10th|

+5

|

+3

|

+3

|

+7

|Generate wild magic field|4|4|4|3|3|1

11th|

+5

|

+3

|

+3

|

+7

||4|4|4|4|3|2|1

12th|

+6/+1

|

+4

|

+4

|

+8

|Wild magic affinity 4|4|4|4|4|3|3|2

13th|

+6/+1

|

+4

|

+4

|

+8

||4|4|4|4|4|3|2|1

14th|

+7/+2

|

+4

|

+4

|

+9

|Enforce greater wild surge|4|4|4|4|4|3|3|1

15th|

+7/+2

|

+5

|

+5

|

+9

||4|4|4|4|4|4|3|2|1

16th|

+8/+3

|

+5

|

+5

|

+10

|Infinite improbability, Warped brain (optional, feat?)|4|4|4|4|4|4|3|3|2

17th|

+8/+3

|

+5

|

+5

|

+10

||4|4|4|4|4|4|4|3|2|1

18th|

+9/+4

|

+6

|

+6

|

+11

|Wild magic affinity 5|4|4|4|4|4|4|4|3|3|2

19th|

+9/+4

|

+6

|

+6

|

+11

||4|4|4|4|4|4|4|4|3|3

20th|

+10/+5

|

+6

|

+6

|

+12

|Wild magic mastery|4|4|4|4|4|4|4|4|4|4[/table]

Skills: as wizard 2+Int

Abilities:

Wild Magic:
The Caster level of the character fluctuates, making each spell, or spell-like ability he casts possibly more powerful, or weaker then what the actual caster level is.
(Both the new 3d edition (d6 roll), as the old 2nd edition (d20 roll) can be used.)
When he or she casts a spell, there is a random chance it will trigger a wild surge. Wild Surges are completely random effects that happen at random moments, so the percentage chance of a Surge effect should be determined by the DM.
E.g. It's possible the chance on a Surge increases when the Wild Mage casts a spell in a Wild Magic Zone.
Surges can also happen when casting counter-spells. This ability can not be 'switched off', not even by taking ordinary wizard levels. Once a Wild Mage, always a Wild Mage.

Metamagic instability:
Using Wild Magic is risky to begin with, though changing magic even further to gain meta magical effects is simply suicidal. The chance to trigger a Wild Surge lies much higher and any d% Surge roll that is made receives a -10 penalty, increasing the chance of a negative effect.

Wild magic affinity:
As the wild mage uses wild magic more and more, he or she becomes more adept at using it, especially when inside wild magic areas.

At second level, the Wild Mage's limited experimentations with wild magic give him or her an automatic +4 bonus to the skills Knowledge(arcana) & spellcraft when dealing with Wild Magic. Additionally, When a wild mage enters a wild magic zone, he or she immediately senses this.

At level 4 when the wild mage is inside a Wild Magic area and a Wild Surge is triggered, he may roll twice on the Wild Surge chart and then choose one of the two results.

At 8th level, The wild mage may now roll twice on the wild surge chart and choose one of the two results anywhere, except, of course, where magic can't be cast such as in dead magic zones.

At 12th level, when casting a spell, the wild mage may add his or her randomly determined caster level to Wild Surge rolls, increasing the chance of a positive effect.

At 18th level, when the wild mage is inside a wild magic area he gains limited power over the field. Whenever any spell, including those of other spell casters is cast in the same Wild Magic zone as the Wild Mage is in, he or she may influence the spells effects by enforcing a Wild Surge. Enforcing a surge in someone else's spell always uses up one of his 'uses per day' in the Enforce Surge ability. The Wild Mage may also use Enforce Greater Surge in the same manner.

Enforce Wild Surge:
Starting from level 3, once per day a Wild Mage can enforce a wild surge effect in one of his spells or spell-like abilities. Roll a d% and match it with a Wild Surge table for the effect. The amount a day increases every odd level. So the Wild Mage can use this ability twice a day at level 5, three times a day at level 7, etc.

Apply Wild Magic:
5th level and onwards, when the Wild Mage creates an item, scribes a scroll or brews a potion (required that he has the needed feats), a Wild Mage automatically applies the wild magic effect on the item or potion. For example, an enchanted 'wild magic' sword has a randomly determined enchantment bonus at every swing plus there is a chance that it causes a wild surge. A fumble always causes a negative surge effect, while a natural 20 always causes a positive surge effect. When armor or clothes enchanted with Wild Magic is struck, there is a chance a Wild Surge will occur. When the Wild Mage uses a 'wild magic' item, all his abilities apply for the item as well. So when a wild mage, having Wild magic affinity 3 uses an item that causes a Wild Magic surge, he gets to roll twice on the surge chart and choose the effect, luck boosts from spells also apply.

Generate Wild Magic Field:
Once reaching 10th level, the wild mage feels so comfortable in wild magic areas that he may use 'Create Wild Magic field' once a day as a spell-like ability. (See Wild Magic spells below)

Enforce Greater Surge:
When enforcing a Wild Magic Surge at level 14, the wild mage may roll twice on the Surge table and apply both effects. This ability can be used once a day and twice a day at level 18.

Infinite Improbability:
At 16th level, the Wild Mage can roughly steer wild surges and may re-roll any Wild Surge roll once. The last made roll counts.

Warped Brain (optional or feat?):
Because of the excessive use of Wild Magic, the Wild Mage's train of thought no longer runs in a normal fashion. At 16th level he becomes immune to all mind affecting spells and abilities, and illusions though he gains a mental disorder, either randomly determined or chosen by the DM. Mental disorders include phobias, schizophrenia, split personalities, etc. This mental disorder can not be cured by any means.

Wild magic mastery:
At level 20 the wild mage may claim mastery over wild magic. When the wild mage is inside a wild Magic area, he may enforce a Wild Surge whenever casting a spell or using a spell-like ability, regardless of how many uses of the Enforce Surge ability he has left. Using the Enforce Surge ability in wild magic areas does not deplete its uses a day.


Additional Wild Magic spells:

Minor Probability Boost
Enchantment (luck) [Wild]
Level: Wild Mage 1
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Target: self
Duration: 1 turn per spell level

When a Magic Surge roll is made, add 1d4 to the d% roll.


Create Minor Wild Magic Field
Alteration [Wild]
Level: Wild Mage 2
Components: V, S, F
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Target: Self
Duration: 1d6 turns + spell level

Creates a Wild Magic area of 20 feet with the caster's location as its center. Can be made permanent with the permanency spell.
Focus: A multicoloured stone disc of aprox. 2 inches in diameter.


Probability Boost
Enchantment (luck) [Wild]
Level: Wild Mage 3
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Target: self
Duration: 1 turn per spell level

When a Magic Surge roll is made, add 1d8 + the spell it's caster level to the d% roll.


Create Wild Magic Field
Alteration [Wild]
Level: Wild mage 4
Components: V, S, F
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Target: Self
Duration: 1d6 turns + caster level

Creates a Wild Magic area of 60 feet with the caster's location as its center. Can be made permanent with the permanency spell.
Focus: A multicoloured stone disc of aprox. 6 inches in diameter.


Greater Probability boost
Enchantment (Luck) [Wild]
Level: Wild Mage 6
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Target: Self
Duration: 1 turn per spell level

When a Magic Surge roll is made, add 1d10 + the randomly determined caster level of the spell to the d% roll.


Wilding Transformation
Transmutation [Wild]
Level: Wild Mage 6
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Target: Self
Duration: 1 turn per spell level

As the Transformation (or Tenser's Transformation) spell, though any magical weapon or armour you use or wear gains the Wild Magic ability.


Surging Insanity
Illusion (Madness) [Wild]
Level: Wild Mage 7
Components: V, S, F
Casting Time:
Range: Medium
Target: One living creature
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: will negates
Spell Resistance: yes

The affected target will continuously see a series of random Wild Surges in each direction he looks, making it nigh impossible to distinguish what's real and what's illusion. The next 1d4+1 turns, treat the target as if he is affected by a confusion spell. After the target realizes he's seeing nothing but illusions he or she regains their senses and may attempt to make rational actions again. However, since the spell is still in effect, he or she is unable to tell the difference between illusionary surges and real surges. When hit by a real surge that would allows a DEX check or reflex saving throw, it is denied. If a surge causes something to come into existence that isn't actually there, the target is allowed to make a will save, to see if he attacks the illusion or continues act 'rationally'.
Focus: A pair of spectacles with multicoloured glass.


Create Greater Wild Magic Field
Alteration [Wild]
Level: Wild mage 4
Components: V, S, F
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Target: Self
Duration: 1d6 turns + caster level

Creates a Wild Magic area of 200 feet with the caster's location as its center. Can be made permanent with the permanency spell.
Focus: A multicoloured stone disc of aprox. 10 inches in diameter.


Pandemonic Surge
Illusion [Wild]
Level: wild mage 9
Components: V, S, M, F
Casting Time:1 turn
Range: Must be cast inside a wild magic area
Target: Area
Duration: special
Saving Throw: Will save
Spell Resistance: ?

The Wild Mage transforms a Wild Magic field into an area of pure and utter chaos. Duration depends on the size of the Wild Magic area (1 round per 5 feet) where random Wild Surges will occur with randomly determined targets of anyone or anything inside the field. Any magic effect that is triggered, such as casting a spell, drinking a potion, using a magical ability, attacking with a magical sword, etc will cause an additional Wild Surge. Every Wild Surge causes the Wild Magic Zone to shrink 5 feet. After the effects end, the area will have turned into a Dead Magic zone, as every last bit of magic is drained away during the chaotic events.
Components: Crushed glass
Focus: A shard of multi coloured glass


Identifying spells cast by Wild Mages:
A normal spell cast by a Wild Mage has a +5 DC to identify. A Wild Magic spell cast by a Wild Mage has a +10 DC increase. The character opposing the Wild Mage is then allowed a knowledge(arcane) roll at a DC of 20. If both rolls succeed, the identifier knows he or she is dealing with a Wild Mage. Wild Surges are random in every possible way and can not be identified or predicted.

Wild surges:
Wild Surge charts go from negative to positive effects, meaning that at 1, the lowest score is a highly negative effect for the caster (often resulting in an extra Surge Fumble roll) while 99-100 (or higher, depending on how large the chart is) tend to be very positive indeed. They can be found anywhere on the web at the moment. You can also use the rod of wonder table, though the results here are completely random. The 'luck' boosts woudn't matter unless you re-arrange the table from bad to good.

[Lady Tialait]

This is something I must swag, and work on a little bit. After all, there is a person in one of my games who loves the idea of a wild mage...started in 3.5 and never saw it done right. Soooo...i'm steal this fixing it to fit him..and handing him his brand spanking new wild mage!

oh...you get either a gold star or a kiss....choose wisely.

[Zedicius]

Oooh, a star.

Feel free to let me know about any changes you make. This is just the result of a few hours of research and brainstorming, so I'm sure improvements can be made.

Also, re-read the thing... added a few clarifications.

[Lady Tialait]

Yeah, i'm gunna have a few of my freinds assist me on this one.

[Zedicius]

Phew.

Major update. I adjusted the format to the 'Guide To Homebrewing' standard and I tweaked things a bit here and there, moving abilities around and removing a few.

Any thoughts on this? I'd really like know if I'm in the right direction... considering this is the first class I've made

[Zedicius]

I really hate bumping threads... but the pnp game in question is this evening, about 6 hours from now.

If -anyone- could give an opinion or a few suggestions before then, that would be grand...

[Ixil]

Where's Nahal's Reckless Dweomer?