Converting The Master Specialist


Conversions

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Master Specialist
I seek to convert thr Master Specialist Prestige Class into a Wizard archetype, though it may be more difficult to figure out swaps to replace the abilities gained. I would rather not have it be a PrC, because of how Paizo had made it that multiclass is so much less desirable... but I may be convinced to do so anyway.

What I am thinking in converting the Master Specialist PrC into a Wizard archetype:
Skill Focus (Spellcraft), Spell Focus, Greater Spell Focus can all replace a wizard feat at an appropriate level.

Minor School Esoterica, Moderate School Esoterica, Major School Esoterica are gained at appropriate levels by taking the restriction below:

Focused Spellcaster
Because of their more focused study a Master Specialist has one less spell slot per spell level a day than a wizard, including cantrips. they must also choose one additional opposition school, and must specialize in a school other then Universal or any of its subschools. Last, as long as they do not prepare any spells from one of their prohibited schools, they can prepare two additional spells of their specialty school per spell level each day.

Grand Lodge

I think you have a fine start. Let me look over it and ponder, but I think its pretty self explanatory. What would Esoterica replace? I think that may be the biggest thing.

Maybe have a larger list of anti schools to balance?

RPG Superstar 2012 Top 16

is there a reason the Thassilonian Sin Magic Wizard, which is basically a super-specialist, doesn't do the job for you?

It's worth noting that having more spells/day is harder to abuse then getting monster save DC adjustments like the master spec did.

==Aelryinth

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@GarnathFrostmantle
Thanks, I though what I offered above was a decent start.

The Esoterica class features replaces 'spell versatility' through Focused Spellcaster. Less spells unrelated to the Specialist's school of magic and an additional opposition school. Basically my idea was that the Focused Spellcaster class feature is what would balance out the archetype gaining the Esoterica powers/benefits.

@Aelryinth
Because Master Specialist offers you more then the Thassilonian Sin Magic Wizard can and doesn't lock the specialist's opposition schools. The Master Specialist offer alternate abilities in additional to what is offered by the specialist school powers.

Really, it is because the Thassilonian Sin Magic Wizard isn't as interesting and Esoterica allows for more variety while not forcing you to take certain/locked opposition schools.... understand what I am getting at?


Reall, all wizards specializations work like the Master Specialist in Pathfinder.

You may want to pick up specific esoterica abilities, but imo those would be better as alternate subschools to choose from rather than an entire prestige class.

RPG Superstar 2012 Top 16

Ah. This isn't a diss, but what you're saying reads as 'my class is more powerful and versatile then Sin Magic, without the negative downsides, either.'

Which should be setting off alarm bells, as if it is clearly more powerful then one of the base classes in the game, then it's quite obviously staying true to the standard overpowered PrC tradition of 3.5.

If your opposition schools aren't bound, you should be getting LESS in exchange, not more.

If you're getting more bonus spells AND extra school abilities, that's more warning signs that you're overpowering a class.

I'm not going to tell you how to run a home campaign, but spellcasters are already the best classes in the game, they seriously do not need MORE help.

==Aelryinth

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Actually it has stronger downsides, at least that is what I am going for. What makes it more versatile is that your not forced to take only certain opposition schools. For example, the above requires you to pick any THREE schools for opposition while Sin Magic only requires TWO but forced you to take certain schools for opposition based on what school you focus on.

It is also arguably not more powerful, given the restrictions of Focused Spellcaster. You give up versatility in spell access and preperation to give you more flavorful powers and useful specialist options related to the school and allows more spells of that school to be cast... only if you don't prepare any spells from opposition schools. Essentially, if a player want to get the most out of what this archetype offers they need to make the choice to treat the three opposition schools they choose as forbidden schools. Give and Take

Please look over the Esoterica choices for each school, that they would be in addition to the powers provided by the School, and consider what limits that are placed through Focused Spellcaster. If I need to swap out more I will, the above is just my first thoughts in how to have it work and perhaps not even a first draft given how I haven't formatted it as other archetypes yet.

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Update
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True Specialist (Wizard archetype)
Arcane Focus: At 1st level, a true specialist gains Spell Focus as a bonus feat, which must be for the school he has specialized in. This replaces scribe scroll.

Improved Focus: At 5th level, a true specialist gains Greater Spell Focus as a bonus feat, which must be for the school he has specialized in. This replaces the bonus feat gained at 5th level.

Expanded Spellbook: Each time a true specialist increases in level and gains new spells, he may add one bonus spell to his spellbook which must be from the school he has specialized in. The spell gained must be of one level lower then the highest spell level he may cast. This ability replaces arcane bond.

Greater Specialization: The dedication required by an true specialist is so great that he must forsake four schools of magic, and must choose two forbidden schools and two opposition schools. They cannot cast any spells from their forbidden school, the spells being consider not on the wizard spell list at all. These schools are chosen at 1st level and cannot be changed later. An true specialist who prepares spells from his opposition school must use two spell slots of that level to prepare the spell. In addition, the true specialist takes a -4 penalty on any skill checks made when crafting a magic item that has a spell from one of his opposition schools and cannot craft items that has spells from his forbidden school. Lastly, a true specialist must specialize in one of the eight core schools. This excludes the Universal school and all subschools. This ability alters arcane school.
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Minor School Esoterica (Ex): At 7th level, your unflagging focus on your chosen school opens your mind to new possibilities and grants you the first taste of the unique skills of a master specialist. You gain an ability from those below based on your chosen school.
Abjuration: You gain a competence bonus on dispel checks equal to 1/2 your master specialist level.
Conjuration: Any creature you summon or call appears with extra hit points equal to your caster level.
Divination: Divination spells you cast that have a duration of concentration remain in effect for a number of extra rounds equal to 1/2 your master specialist level after you cease concentrating. You can cast other spells and otherwise act normally during this duration.
Enchantment: Targets of your charm spells do not gain a bonus on their saves due to being currently threatened or attacked by you or your allies. In addition, subjects of your compulsion spells do not get a bonus on saves due to being forced to take an action against their natures.
Evocation: When casting ane vocation spell, you gain a bonus on Concentration checks equal to 1/2 your master specialist level.
Illusion: The save DCs of your illusion spells that have a saving throw entry of "Will disbelief" increase by 2.
Necromancy: When you cast a necromancy spell, undead allies within 60 feet gain turn resistance and a bonus on saves equal to your master specialist level for a number of rounds equal to your master specialist level.
Transmutation: When a transmutation spell you have cast in successfully dispelled, it remains in effect for 1 round and then ends as normal for dispelling. If a creature is responsible for the dispelling effect, it knows that the spell has been dispelled but is functioning for another round.
 
Moderate School Esoterica (Ex): At 11th level, your long study of your chosen school leads to a breakthrough. You gain an ability from those below based on your chosen school. Each ability is triggered automatically when you cast a spell from your chosen school and lasts for a number of rounds equal to the spell's level.
Abjuration: If you are subject to a spell that has a partial or half effect on a successful save, you suffer no adverse effect if you successfully save.
Conjuration: Dispel checks made against your conjuration spells treat your caster level as if it were 5 higher than normal.
Divination: You gain uncanny dodge (PH 50) for the duration of the spell.
Enchantment: You can immediately reroll any failed Will save against an enchantment or mind-affecting spell or ability; you must accept the result of the second roll.
Evocation: You gain resistance 20 to any one energy type that matches a descriptor by the spell you just cast.
Illusion: You gain concealment.
Necromancy: You are immune to ability damage, ability drain, energy drain, and negative levels.
Transmutation: You can immediately reroll any failed fortitude save against a transmutation spell or ability; you must accept the result of the second roll.

Major School Esoterica (Ex): At 15th level, your knowledge of your chosen school reaches its peak. You gain an ability from those below based on your chosen school; each one can be used three times per day.
Abjuration: When casting an abjuration spell that normally has a range of personal, you can instead choose to cast it as a touch spell that affects a single creature. When casting an abjuration spell that is an emanation centered on you, you can instead choose to cast it as a touch spell that emanates from the touched creature.
Conjuration: You can cast a conjuration spell with a casting time of 1 standard action as a swift action.
Divination: When you cast a divination spell, you also gain true seeing (as the spell) for 5 rounds.
Enchantment: Any creature that successfully saves against one of your enchantment spells must save again 1 round later (as if you had cast the spell again) with a +5 bonus on the save.
Evocation: Any creature that fails its save against one of your evocation spells takes damage again 1 round later equal to half the damage it took when you cast the spell.
Illusion: You can cast any illusion spell as stilled and silent spell and eschew the materials (per the Still Spell, Silent Spell, and Eschew Materials feats) without an increase in caster level or casting time.
Necromancy: When you cast a necromancy spell, undead allies within 60 feet gain fast healing 10 for 5 rounds.
Transmutation: Transmutation: When a creature successfully saves against a transmutation spell you cast, it takes damage equal to the level of the spell.

RPG Superstar 2012 Top 16

I'm afraid that I don't have a master list of wizardly abilities to compare them to.

They should be equal to the wizardly discoveries that Wizards can attain at those levels. If they are, you're okay.

But, a necromancer turning every necromancy spell into an AoE Mass Cause Critical Wounds for his undead buddies? as a SIDE EFFECT? Healing has nothing to equal it. Cast Chill TOuch, level 1 spell, bing, fast healing 10 for your minions. (Counterexample: At level 15, a Cleric with the Life and Sun domains gives all allied living creatures within 60 feet Fast healing 10 whenever she casts a spell with the Healing or Sun/Light descriptor -- Think that's a bit much for a Cure Light wounds spell? Or Light orison?).
And he gets an ability better then a permanent death ward at 9th? Because ability damage/drain aren't limited to necromantic effects. Think leeches and blood-drainers, even lamias.

Conjuring as a swift action. You've GOT to be kidding. It's already the strongest school.
Evocation gets a free empower on every spell.
Enchanters. Huh. The creature is already saving at -2 and now he has to make a second save every time at +3, probably on his weak save. ugh. And you can murder it and it won't even get a save to throw off the charm. Double ugh.
Abjuration: I'm not a minmaxer, but there's been plenty of abuse in the past by those who can hand off personal spells to others via Touch.
Transmutation: So, if it DOESN'T save, it now takes no damage?
======================

I'm sorry, I consider this waaay too unbalanced and handing power over to spellcasters.
You can cherry pick opposition schools, and unlike sin magic, still use those spells, and even make magic items from them.
THe name alone says this should be even more specialized then sin magic, with steeper penalties for opposition schools.
It's not, it's more permissive, and the abilities gained are stronger and way more skewed.

As I said before, spellcasters already get the best toys. Why do you feel the need to give them more?

I don't know your house campaign, but I feel this is very out of balance with other casting classes, and certainly with your martials.

Sin Magic gives a clear guideline for specializing above and beyond. You don't gain any special class features, you get even more spells per day, but you suffer a permanent, non-negotiable loss of two schools, which you don't get to pick, you just have to deal with losing them.

The estorica are overpowered and imbalanced at a glance, but I don't know the wizardly discoveries well enough to compare them mentally. In any rate, such abilities should be open to all specialists in a school. If you want to make them more powerful, then they should come with additional, non-negotiable penalties to offset those benefits.

That's my 2p. You're handing power out without checks and balances.

==Aelryinth

Scarab Sages

Aelryinth wrote:

is there a reason the Thassilonian Sin Magic Wizard, which is basically a super-specialist, doesn't do the job for you?

It's worth noting that having more spells/day is harder to abuse then getting monster save DC adjustments like the master spec did.

==Aelryinth

The School Esoterica are what makes the difference. I, for one, would love the prospect of being able to meld the two. That said, I think said School Esoterica could use some reconsideration, at least in some instances (like Necromancy, where they all augment reanimated dead, but don't add anything to the many other facets of arcane necromancy).

Dark Archive

Updated Greater Specialization, read above. A True Specialist now must choose has two forbidden schools and two oppositions schools, and cannot craft using spells from their forbidden school.

RPG Superstar 2012 Top 16

and the estorica as translated are VERY imbalanced, in addition to the base being more permissive then Sin Magic.

I think this is a no go. You can put in the estorica as Wizard Discoveries available only to specialists, but if you want them powerful, they have to come with trade offs. Its the only way to balance things like that.

And stay away from the grossly overpowered. ugh. All swift spells and super undead curing, double saves...just ugh.

==Aelryinth

RPG Superstar 2012 Top 16

JonathonWilder wrote:
Updated Greater Specialization, read above. A True Specialist now must choose has two forbidden schools and two oppositions schools, and cannot craft using spells from their forbidden school.

Again, being able to pick your opposition school effectively makes this almost a non-issue. It's incredibly easy not to miss particular schools, Evocation in particular, if you're playing part of a specialist. You're giving away the stuff you don't want anyways.

Sin Magic, you didn't have the choice. You might lose a school you don't care about, but odds are you wanted the other one. So, ugh.

Still, you need to really revise the estorica. There's no way those are balanced as shown.

==Aelryinth

Scarab Sages

Reintroducing the Master Specialist Esoterica as Discoveries makes a lot of sense, I'll admit.

RPG Superstar 2012 Top 16

And then simply match the power level to prevailing Discoveries, and you're good.

==Aelryinth

Dark Archive

I'm sorry Aelryinth, but what the heck. A True Specialist now has two forbidden schools and two opposition schools yet you still consider grossly overpowered??!

I'm sorry but no, perhaps some of the Estorica need revising but there is no way it can be considered overpowered when you have a wizard with such limited access to spells. Go... I will get advise from others, you are of no help here.

RPG Superstar 2012 Top 16

opposition schools are Not A Penalty.

YOu already get two free spell slots of your school spells. Even with the 1/level penalty, it just means that if you take an opposed spell, you're back at normal count...just like any other specialist.

And you're a Master Specialist, what?

It's also been proven long ago that being able to pick your denied schools is almost not a restriction at all, there's plenty of ways to work around stuff. Having to put up with opposition school listed for you, that's a real penalty. You can't just line up Evocation and Illusion spells and call it good, you weren't going to use them anyways.

It looks good 'on paper', but in play, it's not a penalty. That's why they fixed Sin Magic opposition schools...that's a real penalty.

==Aelryinth

Dark Archive

Sighs, fine. Then three forbidden schools and replacing three discoveries at the proper level, while throwing in revisions to some of the Estorica. Would that work?

... more and more when I see your posts Aelryinth the more I realize that we would never see eye to eye at the table and I feel we would find many things to disagree about.

I will say, I never liked Paizo getting rid of forbidden schools and replacing it with opposition schools so there is that.

RPG Superstar 2012 Top 16

Why go to three?
Why not just determine the forbidden schools like Sin Magic and set them in stone? The road is already there, why retread it? It's already balanced...nobody is going to say Sin Magic is indisputably a better type of caster then a 'mere' specialist.
If you're going to be a Master Specialist of some incredible breakdown of the eight schools that's the equal of Sin Magic, why not just do the same and assume there ARE schools that are opposed to one another?
Did the original MS use three schools?

--Truly, you could just use Sin Magic and add the balanced estorica and call it a day. You'd lose out on Div specs, but nobody would care.

--I don't mind opposition schools, I mind the discrimination against Universalists.
The 'not-a-penalty' opposition schools, against the additional spell slot.
The additional spell slot starts at level 1. The metamagic spender for universalists? level 8.
At mythic level? Specialists can buy off all opposition penalties, essentially becoming universalists with a bonus spell slot. Can Universalists do the same? Of course not.

==Aelryinth

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@Aelryinth
I refuse to have the forbidden schools set in stone, it is completely unnecessary I feel and you are not changing my mind on this! I don't want to hear anything more about Sin Magic, so I would appreciate it if you stopped bringing it up.
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Update
Greater Specialization: The dedication required by an true specialist is so great that he must forsake more then most, choosimg three forbidden schools and gains one less spell slot of each spell level. They cannot cast any spells from their forbidden schools nor add such spells to his spellbook, essentially the spells from his forbidden schools are removed from the wizard spell list. These schools are chosen at 1st level and cannot be changed later. In addition, the true specialist is unable to craft items that uses spells from his forbidden schools and is considered to automatically fail craft checks for such magic items. Lastly a true specialist must specialize in one of the eight core schools, excluding the Universalist school and all arcane subschools.
This ability alters arcane school.


I was thinking about something like this. However i was going to just make it wizard discoveries that only specialists could acquire.

Dark Archive

Updated Master Specialist

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