Right, then.
Here's the quickie-
Every Transmutation from level 1-6 (Core rulebook) excluding polymorph-types, disintegration, and transformation will be perfectly fine At-Level.
Every Abjuration from level 1-6 (Core rulebook) excluding Explosive Runes, Fire Trap, Mage's Private Sanctum, and Repulsion will be fine At-Level.
Every Necromancy from level 1-6 (Core rulebook) that does NOT count as a touch spell will be fine, excluding Enervation, At-Level.
Every Illusion from level 1-5 (Core rulebook) that does NOT cause invisibility should be fine At-Level, excluding Hallucinatory Terrain, Shadow Conjuration (move to Level 5), Shadow Evocation (move to Level 6). For Illusion spells of 6th level, only Shadow Walk is suitable, leaving Shadow Evocation and Shadow Walk as appropriate 6th level spells.
The rest of the spells need to be cherry picked, frankly. I'll post later with that- but you guys should be able to get an idea of what we're looking at with this. I'll be picking spells like Aqueous Orb, Glitterdust, Shadow Step and the various Walls to fill it out. Spells that can help manipulate the battlefield or grant alternative attack/utility.
Thoughts?
A good looking list.
That should be good Raider. Like I said, if you can, try to include usable spells from Conjuration, Enchantment, Divination, and Evocation. Those schools will be restricted, but they can be chosen as oppositin school (or not), just no specialization in those schools.
Why would it be bad of an insightful mind specialized in divination?
For the first 4 spell levels? Nothing. But for spell levels 5 and 6, they'd be pretty badly shafted; most mid to high level divinations are extremely powerful counters or information gathering that don't fit in with the battlefield control/buff methodology.
(( Sure, he gets utilities as primary, but it's best to pick the Gamebreakers EXTREMELY carefully when you come to a hybrid caster. And believe me, Analyze Dweomer is a gamebreaker... as is True Seeing and Telepathic Bond. Well, in the hands of a decent mage, anyway! ))
EDIT: OH! While I'm on the subject, the reasons I'm dropping certain spell types- namely, polymorphs and Invisibility.
The former is to keep certain shenanigans away- sure, Pathfinder fixes most of the old tricks, but there's still a few around that could be used to make this guy pretty potent. Especially since Canny Defense can be argued to still work in a polymorph'd form...
The latter, is because of his skill point range. He's going to have a high-ish int, so allowing him to skip a whole skill set or two as well is troublesome- that's why I'm dropping most enchantments, as well. Sure, he's not LIKELY to take social skills, but why give them out 'free'? ;3
Hopefully this explains a bit, Iorthol.
Yep, sound reasoning.
Raider has brought to my attention that the insightful mind can, at high levels, generate a buttload of AC, exceeding amounts possibly attained by other classes by using its canny defense ability in conjunction with personal-range buffs. I think that buttloads of AC are overrated, and not a huge problem, because a lot of the scariest things in the game don't target AC. But I also think that anomalies are worth looking into. Raider showed me some math and it makes sense to me: I do mean buttloads. So yeah, reconsider canny defense, or at least the ways in which it interacts with the class's other abilities!
Why not change the bonus type to AC from canny defense to something that won't stack with everything?
ench bonus maybe? he is a arcane caster and that would take braces of armor out and such
If you don't want it to stack with Bracer of Armor, you'll want an Armor bonus to AC.
your right still
Something I've learned over the two + years we've been doing this is to trust Raider when it comes to spellcasting. When he makes a base specialized spell list, its always balanced against the abilities and possible shennnigans one can do with the MCA. Then we can look at adding individual spells, but usually there aren't to many that need to be added.
Keep the AC bonus the same as canny defense, and we'll change access to certain spells, like Raider is doing. May be a bit more work, but the less altering to actual class features the better. Plus its part of the fun of doing this, especially for Raider since he loves doing spell lists.
I don't mean to upset the voodoo you all do.dose seem like a lot of work though. but hell he want to do it, it would probably be a better product.
We don't do it all the time, but it's just another tool in the Tickle Trunk we can use to make the MCAs balanced and awesome.
fair, if i appear inpatient i just on the wrong side of the world to post when everyone else is on.... and board
@Elghinn.
Custom class spell lists are pretty awesome. Though do you ever go back and add spells from new sources from time to time (if they fit any of the custom lists you have)?
@Kyras
I think I have a similar issue, I'm in the UK, so am most likely checking the forums while everyone else is asleep (as I'm guessing most people are based in America)
Perhaps if all that is left is the spell list we could move on to the next MCA simultaneously?
(when we ARE ready, Essentia Shaman is next - here's the LINK to the post containing our to-do list)
sooooooo this caused some excitement I see...IF this is holding the thread up I am ok with doing the Essentia Shaman and then come back to it after. The last thing I want is to upset anybody.
Yeah let's move to the Essentia Shaman, I think we can address both Essentia Shaman and Insightfulmind, but we'll finish both before you go beyond that. Toaster needs to decide which one he prefers and then we can go from there with the Insightful Mind.
@Alfraye: Yes, we try to upgrade spell lists with new resources.
In which case, as work is pretty slow currently, here's Iorthol's Essentia Shaman copied from the big list of MCAs on page 13.
Some extreme druidic orders focus their practice and understanding of the natural world toward the base foundation elements, and through this focus learn to
unleash the raw primal force and fury of these elements to greater potential than their druid peers.
Primary Class: Druid
Secondary Class: Wizard
Alignment: Any Neutral
Hit Dice: d8
Poor BAB, Good saves Fort and Will
Bonus Skills and Ranks: The Essentia Shaman may select three wizard skills to add to his class skills in addition to the normal druid class skills. The Essentia Shaman gains a number of ranks at each level equal to 4 + Int modifier.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: As Druid
Reduced Spellcasting: An essentia shaman casts spells as a druid, except that she has 1 fewer spell per day than normal. If she would gain 0 (not - ) spells per day she only casts spells of that level if she has a high enough wisdom score for bonus spells.
Orisons: An essentia shaman prepares orisons in the same way that a druid does.
Elemental Bonded Domain: At 1st level the essentia shaman gains an Elemental Domain. This functions as the druid's nature bond, but she must select Nature Domain, and it must be from the domains of Air, Earth, Fire, or Water.
This ability alters and replaces Nature Bond.
Elemental School: At 1st level the essentia shaman gains an Elemental School. This functions as the wizard's elemental school class feature, but is not optional and must be selected from Air, Earth, Fire, or Water. It does not need to be the same element selected for her Elemental Bonded Domain, but she may not select an Elemental School who's opposed element is her Elemental Bonded Domain. The bonus spells per day provided by her elemental school are prepared as divine spells, even if they do not normally appear on the druid spell list. The essentia shaman gains the bonus spells from her Elemental School at 1st level, but does not gain any other benefit from her Elemental School until 2nd level. Treat her essentia shaman level as her effective wizard level for all level dependent effects, and she uses her wisdom score instead of her intelligence score for all Elemental School abilities.
This ability replaces the spells per day lost due to diminished spellcasting.
Elemental Empathy (Ex): An essentia shaman can improve the attitude of an elemental. This ability functions just like a Diplomacy check made to improve the attitude of an elemental. The essentia shaman rolls 1d20 and adds her essentia shaman level and her Charisma modifier to determine the elemental empathy check result.
To use elemental empathy, the druid and the animal must be able to study each other, which means that they must be within 30 feet of one another under normal conditions. Generally, influencing an elemental in this way takes 1 minute but, as with influencing people, it might take more or less time.
An essentia shaman can use this ability to influence an elemental with an Intelligence score of 1 or 2 at no penalty, but she takes a –4 penalty on the check if she is trying to influence an elemental with an Intelligence score of 3 or higher.
This ability alters Wild Empathy
Planar Sense (Ex): An essentia shaman gains a +2 bonus on Knowledge (planes) and Survival checks.
This ability alters Nature Sense.
Environmental Stride (Ex): Starting at 3rd level, an essentia shaman may move through an environmental hazard that hampers movement at her normal speed and without taking damage or suffering any other impairment, related to her elemental school and elemental domain.
Fire: Traveling through non-magical fires that do no more than 1d6 damage. This damage is only ignored as long as the essentia shaman starts and ends her
movement outside of the fire. She may also travel through lava in this way, with the same limitation of starting and stopping outside of the lava, but only while walking. Full submersion in lava still does normal lava damage.
Earth: The essentia shaman travels through earthy and stony debris that counts as rough terrain without penalty, and ignores damage from effects such as Stone Spikes.
Air: The essentia shaman is considered to be 1 size larger for the purposes of wind effects, and ignores the first 20 feet of falling damage.
Water: The essentia shaman ignores rough terrain effects presented by shallow water, and her movement is not affected while standing and moving on icy
surfaces.
This ability replaces Woodland Stride and Trackless Step
Elemental Resilience (Sp): At 4th level whenever the essentia shaman takes damage from an element type of her Elemental School or Elemental Domain, she fast healing 5 for 2 rounds, this healing can only occur a number of times per day equal to 1/2 her essentia shaman level, if her Elemental School and Elemental Domain are of the same element, she instead gains fast healing 5 for 3 rounds. In addition, at 4th level and every 4 levels thereafter, she gains a +1 bonus on her saves against spells and spell-like abilities with an elemental descriptor matching her elemental school and elemental domain (to a maximum of +5 at level 20) , if her school and domain element is the same, she instead gains +1 at 4th and level 3 levels thereafter (to a maximum of +6 at level 19).
This ability replaces Resist Nature's Lure and Venom Immunity.
Elemental Wild Shape (Su): At 5th level, an essentia shaman gains the ability to turn herself into a small elemental and back again once per day. This ability functions like the elemental body I spell, except as noted here. The effect lasts for 1 hour per essentia shaman level, or until she changes back. Changing form (to elemental or back) is a standard action and doesn't provoke an attack of opportunity. The form chosen must be that of an elemental related to the essentia shaman's elemental school or elemental domain.
An essentia shaman loses her ability to speak any language besides the primary elemental language of her elemental body. Ignan for fire, Auran for air, Aquan
for water, and Terran for earth.
An essentia shaman can use this ability an additional time per day at 7th level and every two levels thereafter, for a total of eight times at 19th level. At 20th level, an essentia shaman can use wild shape at will. As an essentia shaman gains in levels, this ability allows the essentia shaman to take on the form of larger and smaller elementals. Each form expends one daily usage of this ability, regardless of the form taken.
At 7th level, an essentia shaman can use elemental wild shape to change into a Medium elemental. When taking the form of an elemental, the druid's wild shape now functions as elemental body II.
At 11th level, an essentia shaman can use elemental wild shape to change into a Large elemental. When taking the form of an elemental, the druid's wild shape now functions as elemental body III.
At 15th level, an essentia shaman can use elemental wild shape to change into a Huge elemental. When taking the form of an elemental, the druid's wild shape now functions as elemental body IV.
This ability replaces Wild Shape at all levels.
Foundation Speech: At 10th level the essentia shaman learns Ignan Auran Aquan and Terran if she does not already know them.
Wild Element: At level 10, once per Elemental Wild Shape, she may Empower one prepared spell without increasing the spell level, but she must sacrifice a spell of the same level or higher as the spell being Empowered. At 14th level, she may Maximize a spell instead of Empowering it, but she may still only benefit from Wild Element once per Elemental Wild Shape. At 18th level, she may apply both Empowered and Maximized to a single spell, or Quicken a single spell, but in addition to sacrificing a spell of equal or higher level, she must also sacrifice 5 additional spell levels. For example, the essential shaman could Empower and Maximize a 6th level spell by sacrificing a 6th level spell, and a 2nd and 3rd level spell. This spell must have an elemental subtype matching her elemental domain and elemental school, and cannot be affected by any additional metamagic effects. When the essentia shaman reaches 20th level, this ability may only be used 10 times per day, but is still limited to only once per Elemental Wild Shape.
This ability replaces A Thousand Faces.
Timeless Body (Ex): After attaining 15th level, an essentia shaman no longer takes ability score penalties for aging and cannot be magically aged. Any penalties she may have already incurred, however, remain in place. Bonuses still accrue, and the essentia shaman still dies of old age when her time is up.
Lvl BAB For Ref Wil Special 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
1 +0 +2 +0 +2 Elemental School, Elemental Domain 2 0 - - - - - - - -
2 +1 +3 +0 +3 Planar Sense, Elemental Empathy 3 1 - - - - - - - -
3 +1 +3 +1 +3 Environmental Stride 3 1 0 - - - - - - -
4 +2 +4 +1 +4 Elemental Resistance 3 2 1 - - - - - - -
5 +2 +4 +1 +4 Elemental Wild Shape 3 2 1 0 - - - - - -
6 +3 +5 +2 +5 - 3 2 2 1 - - - - - -
7 +3 +5 +2 +5 Elemental Wild Shape (2/day) 3 3 2 1 0 - - - - -
8 +4 +6 +2 +6 - 3 3 2 2 1 - - - - -
9 +4 +6 +3 +6 Elemental Wild Shape (3/day) 3 3 3 2 1 0 - - - -
10 +5 +7 +3 +7 Foundation Speech, Wild Element 3 3 3 2 2 1 - - - -
11 +5 +7 +3 +7 Elemental Wild Shape (4/day) 3 3 3 3 2 1 0 - - -
12 +6/+1 +8 +4 +8 - 3 3 3 3 2 2 1 - - -
13 +6/+1 +8 +4 +8 Elemental Wild Shape (5/day) 3 3 3 3 3 2 1 0 - -
14 +7/+2 +9 +4 +9 - 3 3 3 3 3 2 2 1 - -
15 +7/+2 +9 +5 +9 Elemental Wild Shape (6/day) 3 3 3 3 3 3 2 1 0 -
16 +8/+3 +10 +5 +10 Timeless Body 3 3 3 3 3 3 2 2 1 -
17 +8/+2 +10 +5 +10 Elemental Wild Shape (7/day) 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 2 1 0
18 +9/+4 +11 +6 +11 - 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 2 2 1
19 +9/+4 +11 +6 +11 Elemental Wild Shape (8/day) 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 2 2
20 +10/+5 +12 +6 +12 Elemental Wild Shape (At Will) 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3
Couldn't foundation speech be at first level? four free languages isn't exactly something something worthy of 10th level.
Perhaps the languages gained from foundation speech could be spread out so that you gain the one for your domain at lvl 1, your elemental school at lvl 4, then the last 2 at 7 and 10.
On another note why not grant improving elemental movement bonuses later in the class? Say in exchange for some wildshapes.
Elemental Resilience: if you choose fire, Fire Supremacy does the same thing..... not sure what to replace it with i would say a speed bumps but that kinda plays on Environmental Stride
Perhaps the languages gained from foundation speech could be spread out so that you gain the one for your domain at lvl 1, your elemental school at lvl 4, then the last 2 at 7 and 10.
I was thinking just grant them all instead of druidic, Instead of an awesome secret language you get 4 generic ones.
Guys, give me a bit and I'll post the changes I think should happen. I'm doing some work on streamlining abilities, and fixing some unbalanced swaps. So hang tight and I think you'll like what I've got coming.
Guys, something needs- NEEDS- to be done with that canny defense ability. So whatcha doing with it?
Also, Ze list- in addition to those mentioned above!
Level 1- Air Bubble, Ear-Piercing Scream, Expeditious Excavation, Ki Arrow, Sleep, All first level Divinations.
Level 2- Fiery Shuriken, Glide, Glitterdust, Snapdragon Fireworks, Steal Breath, All second level Divinations.
Level 3- Aqueous Orb, Cloak of Winds, Deep Slumber, Hold Person, All third level Divinations.
Level 4- Ghost Wolf, Greater False Life, Scrying, Wall of Fire, Wall of Ice
Level 5- Hold Monster, Icy Prison, Interposing Hand, Planar Adaptation, Sending, Wall of Force, Wall of Stone
Level 6- Enemy Hammer, Greater Scrying, Wall of Iron, Rampart (from 7th level wizard/Sorcerer spells), Sirocco
We can also add level appropriate Symbols from the sorc/wiz list. All o'dem, I think.
If there's any other individual spells you think this guy should have, post'em and I'll look when I get back this evening- and tell you the yes/no of it, and why if I got time :P
Guys, something needs- NEEDS- to be done with that canny defense ability. So whatcha doing with it?
Also, Ze list- in addition to those mentioned above!
Level 1- Air Bubble, Ear-Piercing Scream, Expeditious Excavation, Ki Arrow, Sleep, All first level Divinations.
Level 2- Fiery Shuriken, Glide, Glitterdust, Snapdragon Fireworks, Steal Breath, All second level Divinations.
Level 3- Aqueous Orb, Cloak of Winds, Deep Slumber, Hold Person, All third level Divinations.
Level 4- Ghost Wolf, Greater False Life, Scrying, Wall of Fire, Wall of Ice
Level 5- Hold Monster, Icy Prison, Interposing Hand, Planar Adaptation, Sending, Wall of Force, Wall of Stone
Level 6- Enemy Hammer, Greater Scrying, Wall of Iron, Rampart (from 7th level wizard/Sorcerer spells), Sirocco
We can also add level appropriate Symbols from the sorc/wiz list. All o'dem, I think.
If there's any other individual spells you think this guy should have, post'em and I'll look when I get back this evening- and tell you the yes/no of it, and why if I got time :P
Instead of canny defense, how about letting them choose between dex or int for ac and reflex saves.
How about something based off the following ability (from the Lore Mystery for Oracles):
Sidestep Secret (Su): Your innate understanding of the universe has granted you preternatural reflexes and the uncanny ability to step out of danger at the very last second. Add your Charisma modifier (instead of your Dexterity modifier) to your Armor Class and all Reflex saving throws. Your armor’s maximum Dexterity bonus applies to your Charisma instead of your Dexterity (see FAQ.)
Thus:
Insightful Defence (or whatever) (Su): Your studies into mental and physical perfection grant you an uncanny insight into how combat may flow and predict any possible actions your enemies may take. You may add your Intelligence modifier (instead of your Dexterity modifier) to your Armor Class and CMD. Your armor’s maximum Dexterity bonus applies to your Intelligence instead of your Dexterity. This ability replaces the monk’s AC bonus.
Edit: +5, looks like we had a similar idea - I really should make sure I refresh the page before I post :P To be honest, throwing Reflex saves into my ability above shouldn't do much harm.
Neither of those solve anything.
The way I see it, you can either max it as a +5 deflection bonus, or as a +8 (force) armor bonus- replace either the ring of deflection or the bracers of armor. Also, adding it to reflex might be a bit much if you do the latter.
Bear in mind 30 int is not hard to reach at high levels. +11 from magic items, you only need 19 from starting stats and level gains.
Neither of those solve anything.
The way I see it, you can either max it as a +5 deflection bonus, or as a +8 (force) armor bonus- replace either the ring of deflection or the bracers of armor. Also, adding it to reflex might be a bit much if you do the latter.
Bear in mind 30 int is not hard to reach at high levels. +11 from magic items, you only need 19 from starting stats and level gains.
is this problem that different from what a Kensai Magus can do?
Raider, any restrictions to Cantrips?
Would removing the deflection aspect of Canny Defense improve it's balance better? The insightful mind will still get deflection from the monk ac bonus (assuming that ability made it past the chopping block).
The only spells I'm thinking of that overbuff the AC is shield and mage armor. What higher level spells are also making this ridiculous?
Some extreme druidic orders focus their practice and understanding of the natural world toward the base foundation elements, and through this focus learn to unleash the raw primal force and fury of these elements to greater potential than their druid peers.
Primary Class: Druid.
Secondary Class: Wizard.
Alignment: Any neutral.
Hit Dice: d8.
Bonus Skills and Ranks: The eEssentia shaman may select three wizard skills to add to his class skills in addition to the normal druid class skills. The essentia shaman gains a number of ranks at each level equal to 4 + Int modifier.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: The essential shaman is proficient with the following weapons: club, dagger, dart, quarterstaff, scimitar, scythe, sickle, shortspear, sling, and spear. She is also proficient with all natural attacks (claw, bite, and so forth) of any form they assume with wild shape (see below). An essentia shaman is proficient with light and medium armor but is prohibited from wearing metal armor; thus, she may wear only padded, leather, or hide armor. An essential shaman may also wear wooden armor that has been altered by the ironwood spell so that it functions as though it were steel. See the ironwood spell description. An esssentia shaman is proficient with shields (except tower shields) but must use only wooden ones.
Diminished Spellcasting: The essential shaman casts divine spells drawn from the druid spell list, and gains one fewer spell of each spell level per day. When Table: Essentia Shaman indicates that the essential shaman gets 0 spells per day of a given spell level, she gains only the bonus spells she would be entitled to based on her Charisma score for that spell level. She otherwise learns, prepares, and casts spells as a druid of equal level.
Bonus Languages: This is exactly like the druid’s ability of the same name, except that she gains Aquan, Auran, Ignan, and Terran as bonus languages instead of Sylvan.
Elemental Bond: This is exactly like the druid’s nature bond, except that an essential shaman must choose to bond with nature and may only select the Air, Earth, Fire, or Water domain. This ability otherwise functions as and replaces nature bond.
Elemental School: At 1st level, an essentia shaman gains the wizard’s arcane school ability but must choose one of the following elemental schools: Air, Earth, Fire, or Water. An essential shaman can choose any element she desires, but may not choose an element opposed to the one chosen for her elemental bond. Any bonus spells granted by the elemental school are prepared as divine spells, even if they do not normally appear on the druid spell list. The essentia shaman gains the bonus spells from her elemental school as normal, but gains her school powers as follows. At 2nd level, she gains her first listed school power, and each subsequent power at 5th and 10th level. For the purpose of level dependent effects of these school powers, the essential shaman uses her Wisdom score instead of her Intelligence score, and treats her effective wizard level as her essential shaman level. This ability replaces spells lost due to diminished spellcasting.
Elemental Empathy (Ex): This ability is exactly like the druid’s wild empathy ability, except that the essential shaman can only affects outsiders of the Elemental subtype. An essentia shaman can use this ability to influence an elemental with an Intelligence score of 1 or 2 at no penalty, but takes a –4 penalty on the check if she is trying to influence an elemental with an Intelligence score of 3 or higher.
Planar Sense (Ex): This is exactly like the druid’s nature sense ability, except that an essential shaman gains a +2 bonus on Knowledge (planes) instead of Knowledge (nature).
Environmental Stride (Ex): Starting at 3rd level, an essentia shaman may move through any environmental hazard that hampers movement at her normal speed without taking damage or suffering any other impairment, as determined by her elemental domain. This ability replaces woodland stride.
Air: The essentia shaman is considered to be 1 size larger for the purposes of wind effects, and ignores the first 20 feet of falling damage.
Earth: The essentia shaman travels through earthy and stony debris that counts as rough terrain without penalty, and ignores damage from effects such as Stone Spikes.
Fire: Traveling through non-magical fires that do no more than 1d6 damage. This damage is only ignored as long as the essentia shaman starts and ends her movement outside of the fire. She may also travel through lava in this way, with the same limitation of starting and stopping outside of the lava, but only while walking. Full submersion in lava still does normal lava damage.
Water: The essentia shaman ignores rough terrain effects presented by shallow water, and her movement is not affected while standing and moving on icy surfaces.
Trackless Step (Ex): This is exactly like the druid ability of the same name, except that it also applies to same Elemental Planes as her elemental domain and elemental school.
Resist Elemental’s Lure (Sp): This is exactly like the druid’s resist nature’s lure ability, except that the essentia shaman gains a +4 bonus on saving throws against the spell-like and supernatural abilities of elementals. This bonus also applies to spells and effects of her elemental school energy type, such as acid arrow, aqueous orb, burning hands, and chill touch.
Elemental Resilience (Su): At 5th level, whenever an essentia shaman succeeds on a saving throw against a spell or special ability that attack that deals energy damage of her elemental domain’s type, she can choose to absorb the energy instead as an immediate action. This allows the essential shaman to heal a number of hit points equal to half the damage that is dealt. An essential shaman can't heal more than her maximum hit points. An essential shaman can use this ability a number of times per day equal to her Wisdom modifier. This ability replaces wild shape 1/day and venom immunity.
Elemental Shape (Su): At 6th level, an essentia shaman gains the ability to turn herself into a small elemental and back again once per day. This is exactly like the druid’s wild shape ability, except that the essentia shaman can use her elemental shape ability once per day at 6th level plus an additional time per day every two levels thereafter, up to a maximum of eight times per day at 20th level. The elemental form must be of the same energy type as her elemental domain.
Elemental Metamagic: Once per day, an essential shaman of 9th level or higher can add the Intensified Spell metamagic feat to one prepared spell from either her elemental domain or elemental school as a free action without the normal spell level. At 12th she can choose to add the Empower Spell metamagic feat instead of Intensified Spell, and at 15th level she can add the Maximized Spell metamagic feat instead of Intensified Spell or Empowered Spell. She can use this ability twice per day at 13th level, and three times per day at 17th level. This ability replaces a thousand faces and wild shape at will.
Table: Essentia Shaman
Base
Class Attack Fort Ref Will Spells per Day
Level Bonus Save Save Save Special 0 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th 9th
1st +0 +2 +0 +2 Elemental bond, elemental empathy, 2 0 — — — — — — — —
orisons, planar sense
2nd +1 +3 +0 +3 Environmental stride 3 1 — — — — — — — —
3rd +2 +3 +1 +3 Trackless step 3 1 0 — — — — — — —
4th +3 +4 +1 +4 Resist elemental’s lure 3 2 1 — — — — — — —
5th +3 +4 +1 +4 Elemental absorption 3 2 1 0 — — — — — —
6th +4 +5 +2 +5 Wild shape (1/day) 3 2 2 1 — — — — — —
7th +5 +5 +2 +5 3 3 2 1 0 — — — — —
8th +6/+1 +6 +2 +6 Wild shape (2/day) 3 3 2 2 1 — — — — —
9th +6/+1 +6 +3 +6 Elemental metamagic 3 3 3 2 1 0 — — — —
10th +7/+2 +7 +3 +7 Wild shape (3/day) 3 3 3 2 2 1 — — — —
11th +8/+3 +7 +3 +7 3 3 3 3 2 1 0 — — —
12th +9/+4 +8 +4 +8 Wild shape (4/day) 3 3 3 3 2 2 1 — — —
13th +9/+4 +8 +4 +8 3 3 3 3 3 2 1 0 — —
14th +10/+5 +9 +4 +9 Wild shape (5/day) 3 3 3 3 3 2 2 1 — —
15th +11/+6/+1 +9 +5 +9 Timeless body 3 3 3 3 3 3 2 1 0 —
16th +12/+7/+2 +10 +5 +10 Wild shape (6/day) 3 3 3 3 3 3 2 2 1 —
17th +12/+7/+2 +10 +5 +10 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 2 1 0
18th +13/+8/+3 +11 +6 +11 Wild shape (7/day) 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 2 2 1
19th +14/+9/+4 +11 +6 +11 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 2 2
20th +15/+10/+5 +12 +6 +12 Wild shape (8/day) 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3
is this problem that different from what a Kensai Magus can do?
Is this a Magus/Monk MCA? :P
@Iorthol- quite a few spells can grant an AC bonus, those are only the most common ones. And... I don't see the MCA with the monk AC bonus as well. If it retains that, I'm bringing out the gorram stop sign. @_@
@Elghinn- holy geeze, can we stop jumping to the next? @_@ There's problems with the last one, let's not move ahead- we're already stocked up and need to start clearing things out of the cue.
It's only these two Raider until they're done them. Then we move to the next one. We were waiting for your spell list and we wanted to move forward. Then we also need to see what Toaster wants to do with the Insightful Mind, and what direction he's favoring. So we aren't moving ahead until ES and IM are done.
Why don't we just make it Wis modifier instead of Int for Canny Defense? A little MAD can be good, since the Monk is already a bit MAD to begin with.
Here's the Insightful Mind Spell List.
Insightful minds gain access to the following spells.
0-Level Insightful Mind Spells—arcane mark, bleed, dancing lights, detect magic, detect poison, disrupt undead, ghost sound, light, mage hand, mending, message, open/close, prestidigitation, read magic, resistance.
1st-Level Insightful Mind Spells—air bubble, alarm, animate rope, anticipate peril, cause fear, color spray, comprehend languages, detect secret doors, detect undead, disguise self, ear-piercing scream, endure elements, enlarge person, erase, expeditious excavation, expeditious retreat, feather fall, hold portal, identify, jump, ki arrow, magic aura, magic weapon, protection from chaos/evil/good/law, ray of enfeeblement, reduce person, see alignment, shield, silent image, sleep, true strike, ventriloquism.
2nd-Level Insightful Mind Spells—alter self, arcane lock, bear's endurance, blindness/deafness, blood transcription, blur, bull's strength, cat's grace, command undead, create treasure map, darkvision, detect thoughts, eagle's splendour, elemental speech, false life, fiery shuriken, fox's cunning, glitterdust, knock, levitate, locate object, magic mouth, make whole, minor image, mirror image, misdirection, obscure object, owl's wisdom, protection from arrows, pyrotechnics, resist energy, rope trick, scare, see invisibility, share language, share memory, snapdragon fireworks, spectral hand, spider climb, steal breath, whispering wind.
3rd-Level Insightful Mind Spells—aqueous orb, arcane sight, blink, blood biography, clairaudience/clairvoyance, cloak of winds, cloak of winds, deep slumber, dispel magic, displacement, flame arrow, fly, gaseous form, gentle repose, halt undead, haste, hold person, illusory script, keen edge, locate weakness, magic circle against chaos/evil/good/law, magic weapon (greater), major image, nondetection, protection from energy, ray of exhaustion, secret page, seek thoughts, shrink item, slow, tongues, water breathing.
4th-Level Insightful Mind Spells—animate dead, bestow curse, contagion, dimensional anchor, enervation, enlarge person (mass), false life (greater), fear, ghost wolf, globe of invulnerability (lesser), illusory wall, mnemonic enhancer, phantasmal killer, rainbow pattern, reduce person (mass), remove curse, scrying, stone shape, stoneskin, wall of fire, wall of ice.
5th-Level Insightful Mind Spells—animal growth, blight, break enchantment, dismissal, fabricate, hold monster, icy prison, interposing hand, magic jar, overland flight, passwall, permanency, planar adaptation, sending, shadow conjuration, telekinesis, transmute mud to rock, transmute rock to mud, wall of force, wall of stone.
6th-Level Insightful Mind Spells—antimagic field, circle of death, contagion (greater), control water, create undead, curse (major, ), disintegrate, dispel magic (greater), enemy hammer, eyebite, flesh to stone, globe of invulnerability, guards and wards, mage's lucubration, move earth, rampart, scrying (greater), shadow evocation, shadow walk, sirocco, stone to flesh, transformation, undeath to death, wall of iron.
Elgh: You made a flurb and said Charisma instead of Wisdom in the diminished spellcasting section.
I disapprove of your removal of the scaling size of the wildshaping elemental, staying a small sized elemental up to level 20 is embarassing, and the metamagic effect was supposed to be a wildshape spellcasting perk.
I can understand limiting it to, say, large or huge sized elementals, but staying small sized just isn't acceptable, and I insist that the metamagic effect be involved with the elemental wildshaping, even if the ability needs to be replaced with something else, like perhaps a caster level buff of some kind.
Elghinn, Bestow Curse needs to be removed, as does Enervation.
Sorry, it should have read this. I forgot to incorporate the advancement of elemental forms of wild shape.
Elemental Shape (Su): This is exactly like the druid’s wild shape ability, except that at 6th level, an essentia shaman can use this ability once per day and an additional time per day every two levels thereafter, up to a maximum of eight times per day at 20th level. An essentia shaman can only use the elemental aspects of wild shape as described in the ability description. This elemental form must be of the same type as her elemental domain.
EDIT: @Iorthol - If you are going to allow something like casting spells during wild shape, I believe she HAS to have the Natural Spell feat which allows you to do so. Otherwise you can't cast spells. Now, it only specifically says that in animal form you loose speech, so maybe you can cast spells in elemental form. Anyone seen any rules on that?
EDIT-EDIT: Yeah, I think in Elemental form you can cast spells anyways. So I don't see the point of expending spells, since you would normally expends higher level spells anyways. That's not really any benefit. So what about this:
Elemental Metamagic (Su): Once per day, whenever an essentia shaman of 9th level or higher uses elemental shape, she can add the Intensified Spell metamagic feat to one prepared spell from either her elemental domain or elemental school as a free action without the normal spell level increase. At 12th she adds Empower Spell to the list of metamagic feats she can use. At 15th level, she adds Maximized Spell to the list of metamgic feats she can use. At 18t level, she adds Quicken Spell to the list of metamagic feats she can use. An essentia shaman can only add one of these metamagic feats to a spell at one time. This ability can only be used once per elemental shape. An essentia shaman can use this ability twice per day at 13th level, and three times per day at 17th level. This ability replaces a thousand faces and wild shape at will.
EDIT: @Raider - Done!
Awesome :3 Much better.
Can Elemental Metamagic still be called Wild Element? I really like that name for the ability.
Sure.
do do do do do and another one bites the dust.
So, back to the Insighful Mind's Canny Defense, as I said, why don't we just make it Wisdom modifier instead. She needs Int for spells, Dex for AC and skills, Str for unarmed strike, so I think Wis for Canny Defense would round it nicely.
Or instead of Canny Defense, we could just do this?
AC Bonus: This is exactly like the monk ability of the same name, except that the insightful mind only adds his Wisdom modifier to his AC and his CMD. He gains no additional bonus ot AC through level advancement.
OR this?
AC Bonus: This is exactly like the monk ability of the same name, except that the insightful mind only gains a +1 bonus to AC at 4th level, and an additional +1 every four levels thereafter, up to a maximum of +5 at 20th level. Aninsightful mind does not add his Wisdom modifier to his AC.
I think we are good with Essentia Shaman, so lets put it on the shelf and finish up Insightful Mind.
So, back to the Insighful Mind's Canny Defense, as I said, why don't we just make it Wisdom modifier instead. She needs Int for spells, Dex for AC and skills, Str for unarmed strike, so I think Wis for Canny Defense would round it nicely.
Or instead of Canny Defense, we could just do this?
AC Bonus: This is exactly like the monk ability of the same name, except that the insightful mind only adds his Wisdom modifier to his AC and his CMD. He gains no additional bonus ot AC through level advancement.
OR this?
AC Bonus: This is exactly like the monk ability of the same name, except that the insightful mind only gains a +1 bonus to AC at 4th level, and an additional +1 every four levels thereafter, up to a maximum of +5 at 20th level. And insightful mind does not add his Wisdom modifier to his AC.
The one thing I wanted was to avoid increasing MAD. I still don't get the problem with canny defense, I never had issues with the Kensai archetype being overpoweringly unkillable in my games, and it's the most popular type of Magus in them. but if it's going to freak people out how about making it one point of int for every two levels of insightful mind. That's a whopping +5 at level 10, so ac buffs are actually necessary.
Is it the intention that the Abomination Rider can't really be of a medium race?
I have a Cav/Summoner currently, but I rely on enlarge person to make my eidolon ride-able. The MCA version would basically force me to nurse the mount until 8th level's large evolution, which is kind of a dealbreaker for a mounted class.
I was thinking maybe the Abomination Rider could get a special exemption to the Large restriction, maybe it just doesn't get the strength bonus until it pays for the evolution. Thoughts?
@Evil Lincoln - welcome to the thread EL! I'm quite the fan of your work, and doubly glad you're interested in the Abomination Rider.
I'm a bit confused by your post - do you mean the size of the Eidolon? There is no stipulation for medium race for the actual Abomination Rider in the wiki writeup.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Yeah, there is no size restriction in the MCA. However, by technicality, if you are a Medium character, you can't ride your Abominable Mount (eidolon) as a mount until he can buy the Large evolution (8th level).
I was trying to find rules for riding mounts. Do you need to be 1 size smaller than the mount to be able to ride it? If so, then we may need to find a way for the Abomination Rider to be able to get a Large quadruped eidolon if he's MEdium size so that it can function as a mount for him, since the majority of characters are Medium size races.