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Ladies and gentlemen, The Boz proudly presents...
A full arcane caster that is barely in control of his own powers, the Wild Mage does not study magic like a Wizard, nor does he awaken ancient powers from within like a Sorcerer. Wild Mages are people that have just had magic happen to them. Wild magic. An old and forgotten source of arcane power that was not used for hundreds, if not thousands of years, and for good reason.
Role: Wild mages are potent, if somewhat unpredictable or undependable, spellcasters. Saying they learn spells at a slow rate is not exactly accurate, as they have new spells just... happen to them, with almost no study, concentration, effort or control on their part. However, wild magic draws power from one of the most potent of arcane sources, and wild mages, living conduits to these unknown sources, benefit greatly from this. They can unload an impressive torrent of arcane energies before being exhausted.
Alignment: Any. Wild mages of different alignments or character traits view their... talents in different ways.
Hit Die: d6
Starting Wealth: 1d20 × 1d20 gp. Wild mages come from all walks of life, and commoner and lord alike has no control of where and when the "talent" will take root. Additionally, each character begins play with an outfit worth 10 gp or less.
Armor & Shield Proficiencies: None. When wearing armor or using a shield, the wild mage experiences more extensive penalties than other arcane spellcaster. In the case of spells with somatic components, in addition to the spell failure chance, an armor or shield also increases the Wild Manifestation chance by an equal amount.
Weapon Proficiencies: All simple weapons.
Class Skills: Appraise (Int), Bluff (Cha), Craft (Int), Fly (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Profession (Wis), Spellcraft (Int), and Use Magic Device (Cha).
Skill Ranks per Level: 2 + Int modifier.
Spells: A wild mage casts arcane spells drawn primarily from the sorcerer/wizard spell list. He can cast any spell he knows without preparing it ahead of time. To learn or cast a spell, a wild mage must have a Charisma score equal to at least 10 + the spell level. The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against a wild mage's spell is 10 + the spell level + the wild mage's Charisma modifier.
The wild mage needs no special meditation, preparation or prayer to gain his spells per day; a racially appropriate full rest is enough. He also ignores the requirement for all focuses and material components with a value of 1 gold piece or less. He ignores the requirement for all focuses and material components with a value of 100 gold or less, but his wild manifestation chance increases by a value equal to the gold value of components or focuses required. The wild mage can never learn to cast a spell that has a focus or material component with a value of over 100 gold.
Like other spellcasters, a wild mage can cast only a certain number of spells of each spell level per day. His base daily spell allotment is given on the table below. In addition, he receives bonus spells per day if he has a high Charisma score.
Wild Spell: A wild mage's selection of spells is both extremely limited and not fully in his control. To learn a spell of a level that he could cast, a wild mage needs to use his Spell Set and Wild Spell. A Spell Set is a list of three spells of the same level. To learn a spell from that list, the wild mage must gain a Wild Spell of the appropriate level, and then roll a d3 to determine the spell he learns from the Spell Set. Once he learns a spell, he removes the spell from the set and adds another spell to that Spell Set.
Even though the wild mage has no spellbook, and learns a fairly small number of spells to cast, the wild mage player should always keep a list of all his spells and Spell Sets, even if he can no longer roll to learn from them.
The wild mage begins play knowing four 0-level spells and one 1st-level spell. All of these spells must be rolled for by using the four 0-level and one 1st level Spell Sets that he gains at 1st level. At each new wild mage level, he gains one or more new spells, as indicated on table The Wild Mage. Unlike spells per day, the number of spells a wild mage knows is not affected by his Charisma score; the spells he knows for each level are fixed. These new spells can be common spells chosen from the sorcerer/wizard spell list, or they can be unusual spells that the wild mage has stumbled upon through some unknown arcane process.
Wild Manifestation: Even learned wizards have difficulty understanding wild magic, to say nothing of using it. The fact that a wild mage can tap into this arcane source is a small miracle in itself. But this power does not come without cost. With each spell cast, the wild mage risks a surge of arcane power that can have terrible consequences. With each casting, a wild mage has a 30% chance of causing a Wild Manifestation of the appropriate level. If a manifestation occurs, roll a d10 to determine the effect using the appropriate table from the ones below. Unless a manifestation result specifically notes otherwise, it does not interrupt the wild mage's spellcasting.
0 and 1st level Wild Manifestation Table
2nd and 3rd level Wild Manifestation Table
4th and 5th level Wild Manifestation Table
6th and 7th level Wild Manifestation Table
8th and 9th level Wild Manifestation Table
The mere act of trying to cast a spell is often enough to manifest this chaos on the material plane; the spell doesn't have to be completed to have a chance of manifesting the random effect. Note that all effects that could cause the Wild Manifestation chance to increase are cumulative. If the chance exceeds 100%, a manifestation is guaranteed to happen, and there is a chance equal to the manifestation chance minus 100 that the effect will be automatically escalated.
Wild Crafting: The wild mage's arcane powers are chaotically tainted beyond repair. In addition to spells, this also shows in any equipment the wild mage tries to craft. Wands, scrolls, potions and similar magical items that a wild mage crafts will have a 30% chance of causing a Wild Manifestation, regardless of who uses them. Magical equipment such as armor and weapons has a 30% chance to have one of the effects rolled for using the table below.
Control Pool: The wild mage is not without means of shaping, directing or defending himself from the manifestations of wild magic he causes. He starts with a Control Pool that has several uses and fully replenishes after rest. The pool has a number of points equal to the wild mage's level + his Charisma modifier, rounded up.
The wild mage has two methods of restoring his control points, but they can never go above their maximum. The first method is showing control and discipline when using his magic. If he casts three spells in a row with no wild manifestation occuring, he regains one control point, and one additional control point for each additional spell with no wild manifestation. The second method is completely giving in to the arcane torrents, and allowing wild manifestations to roam freely. Any time the wild mage casts a spell without a wild manifestation, he can voluntarily cause one and regain one control point. In either case, only spells of level 1 or above count; cantrips are too simple to achieve the desired effect.
The first use of the control points is to suppress a wild manifestation after it becomes clear that one is about to happen. This costs a number of points equal to the manifestation's level (1 for 0 and 1st level spells, up to 5 for 8th and 9th level spells).
Control points also allow the wild mage to escalate or deescalate a wild manifestation after it becomes clear that one is about to happen. This costs a number of points equal to the manifestation's intended level. In either case, the wild mage does this after the effect has been determined, and only the table and the effect is exchanged.
Example: if a 4th level spell results in a wild manifestation, and the result of the d10 is 4 (additional wild manifestation chance), the caster has an option to either suppress the effect (so that no manifestation happens) by spending 3 control points, deescalate it (target gains save bonuses) by spending 2 control points, or escalate it (caster is healed for 4d6 hit points) by spending 4 control points.
A manifestation can only be voluntarily escalated or deescalated once. Using the control points is a free action taken during the spellcasting process, and required no extra effort or concentration.
Adapted to Wild Magic: The wild mage has enjoyed the gifts or suffered the consequences of his unique ability for a long enough time to learn how to deal with the phenomenon. Wild Magic Fields not only fail to affect him in a negative way, but they increase the effective caster level and DCs of all his spells by 1.
Wild Power: At level 3, the wild mage has begun to tap into the pool of uncontrollable energies for long enough to become deeply affected by it. His effective caster level is permanently lowered by 1, but when casting spells or crafting, it is increased by 1d2 for that spell or attempt, rolled every time he casts a spell. The effective caster level penalty increases every time the Wild Power increases as well, becoming -2/+1d4 at level 7, -3/+1d6 at level 11, -4/+1d8 at level 15 and finally -5/+1d10 at level 19.
Spell Manifestation: From level 4 onward, the wild mage has learned to open himself up to a powerful flow of uncontrolled arcane energies in order to cast a spell that he doesn't really know how to cast. By using Spell Manifestation, the wild mage can, as a free action, roll a d3 for a chosen Spell Set level and gain the resulting spell temporarily. The wild mage must begin to cast this spell within a minute of gaining it, and the casting of it has an additional 100% wild manifestation chance. Spell Manifestation can not be used to gain spells from his currently active Spell Set, IE the highest level of spells the wild mage can cast.
Wild Metamagic Feat: At 5th, 10th, 15th and 20th level, the wild mage can take any metamagic feat that he has the prerequisites for. Metamagic feats gained this way do not increase the casting time to full-round actions, but instead increase the manifestation chance by 65%. For the purposes of the manifestation tables, the spell's original level is taken into account, and not the spell level modified by a metamagic feat.
Wild Defense: When gaining this ability, the wild mage must select either his AC, Fort, Ref or Will save. After that, any time he needs to, but only once per round, he can gain a 1d6 bonus to his chosen defense. Doing so increases his next spell's wild manifestation chance by 100%. The wild mage can only have one manifestation chance increase from Wild Defense, and he can't use Wild Defense again if he has it.
Redirect Manifestation: With this ability, the wild mage gains another use of his Control Pool. He can change the target or location of any wild manifestation he caused to any other target or location within 60 feet of himself as a free action that costs a number of points equal to the manifestation's level.
Persistent Wild Magic: When entering an antimagic field, the wild mage needs to try hard not to let the arcane energies burst forth into the field like water through a dam. Any antimagic field he enters instead becomes a wild magic field. This effect can be suppressed as a standard action.
Forceful Wild Magic: Whenever the wild mage is a target of a spell, or is inside a spell's target area, the caster is affected as if he was inside a Wild Magic Field. The wild mage is unaffected by this ability, and it can be conciously suppressed by the wild mage as a standard action.
Multiply Manifestations: Whenever the wild mage causes a manifestation to happen by casting a spell, he can not only redirect it at one target, but also multiply it and send the manifestation to several targets within 60 feet of himself. In addition to the number of control points expended for the Redirect Manifestation ability, the mage also spends one additional point per each target after the first that a manifestation has been redirected to.
Anyspell Manifestation: At level 18, the wild mage can attempt to force a torrent of arcane energies into any magical shape he knows to exist as a standard action. Instead of attempting to gain a spell from a Spell Set as if using Spell Manifestation, he chooses one spell that is neither on the list of his spells known, or on any of his Spell Sets, but is on the sorcerer/wizard spell list. He has a 50% chance of gaining that spell as per Spell Manifestation. Failure generates a manifestation of the appropriate level. He can attempt this any number of times per day, but each spell can only be attempted once per day, and the ability can only succeed once per day.
Wild Magic Aura: At level 20, the wild mage has become a fissure of uncontrollable energy, radiating a wild magic field in a sixty foot radius around himself. This ability can be suppressed or reactivated by the wild mage as a standard action. If the aura is destroyed or removed through powerful magics, such as Mage's Disjunction, it will reform the next day.
New feats and items: Below are explanations of the new feats and magical items that the wild mage can use, or that could appear in a world where wild magic is present.
Extra Wild Spell: This feat allows the wild mage to learn one more spell from the Spell Set that is no longer active, as if he gained a Wild Spell of the appropriate level. This feat can be taken several times, but no two Extra Wild Spells can be for the same Spell Set level. Requires level 4 Wild Mage.
Extra Control: This feat allows a wild mage to increase his control pool by 4 points. It can be taken several times, and the effects stack. Requires the Control Pool class feature.
Extra Spell Manifestation: This feat grants you one additional use of the Spell Manifestation ability per day. It can be taken several times, and the effects stack. Requires the Spell Manifestation class feature.
Extra Wild Defense: This feat grants the wild mage the ability to choose another type of defense when using Wild Defense, and he can activate both types in the same round. This feat can be taken up to three times, granting another type of defense each time. Requires the Wild Defense class feature.
Greater Wild Defense: This feat increases the Wild Defense bonus to 1d10. Requires the Wild Defense class feature.
Wild Penetration: You gain +1d4 to caster level checks to beat a target's spell resistance. Wild mages can not take Spell Penetration. The Greater version of this feat increases the bonus to +1d8.
Stone of Control: A magic item created by powerful mages to defend themselves from wild magic fields. Wearer is immune to all effects of a wild magic field or similar ability, such as the wild mage's Forceful Wild Magic, but not to wild manifestations themselves. Wild mages that use this item can not cast spells or use any of their class features; they are effectively cut off from their arcane power. Stones are available in the form of necklaces or crowns for willing users, and strong collars or cuffs for the unwilling ones.
Price: +2; Crafting Requirements: Craft Magic Arms and Armor, Resilient Sphere; Aura: moderate abjuration; CL: 7
New spells: When gaining a Wild Spell of the appropriate level, the wild mage can choose to gain one of these spells automatically instead of rolling for a new spell known.
Lesser Wild Goading, Wild Goading, Greater Wild Goading: These spells, available at spell levels 1, 3 and 5, restore 1, 2 or 3 points of the caster's control pool when cast. Additionally, each of these spells has manifestation chance increased by 100%, and the resulting wild manifestations can not be suppressed.
Wild Magic Field: This spell creates a wild magic field. As a spell, it functions as Antimagic Field, and is added to the sorcerer/wizard list at 6th level, to the cleric/oracle list at 8th level and might replace Dispel Law in the Chaos domain list.
A wild magic field is an area where normal magic is intertwined by unknowable and uncontrollable forces. Passive enchantments on magical items are unaffected, but spell casting, supernatural abilities, magical potions, wands, scrolls and items that can be used to cast spells are. Such things suffer a 30% chance of causing a wild manifestation when used. Extraordinary abilities are unaffected. Magical items crafted by wild mages do not suffer from the ill effects; instead, each time they are used, they have a 30% chance of the magic being twice as effective or lasting twice as long, even if they are taken outside the field. When cast by a wild mage, this spell restores 4 points of the caster's control pool.
Well, that's about it. If you like tier 3 full casters, randomness and rolling lots of dice, you are probably going to like this guy. Do you have any comments or critique? I want to get a discussion going.
As always, since this board does not allow edits after the fact, this link will take you to whatever is the most current version of the wild mage.
This reminds me of the Quintessential Chaos Mage but with less combining spell effects and more whoops other things happened.
Never read it. Is it really that similar?
Never read it. Is it really that similar?
In spirit only, the mechanics are QUITE different. You should give it a look though!
I would look into Wild Power. Were I playing this class, I'd get upset every time it got better because it becomes more and more capable of making my spells bottom out into uselessness while not getting better in terms of your +CL average. Not an ability for the glass half empty crowd.