I was wanting to make a card-casting type of Archetype (or perhaps it would be better as an alternate class like how ninja is to rogue?) that instead of using spells like a normal caster, they prepare spell cards.
It would mechanically be almost exactly like how the Alchemist prepares his extracts. By fluff they're personal potions that only he can use, mechanically they're his spell list he can use for personal purposes.
I'd like it to do the same kind of thing: The caster prepares their spells by inking them onto some blank cards and casting the spell consumes the card. I know there's a harrow card type character in the Harrow Handbook, but it doesn't work like that and I wouldn't want to do it the way they did. It would also be focused around scribe scroll, like how alchemists get improvements to Brew Potion.
Any suggestions for abilities and/or powers?
So when you say cards, you mean little scrolls. You could do this and make absolutely no changes to the existing system. Instead of memorizing magic words and somatic movements, the wizard inscribes a rune or symbol onto a piece of paper, or clay tablet, or whatever. When he reads the rune or symbol, the it disappears.
A wizard that has only "personal" spells is a severely limited wizard. You're losing out on so many good spells (Its why the alchemist's list is so limited). It sounds like you're eliminating the somatic component and requiring a verbal component. There was a dwarf wizard prestige class in 3.5 similar to this that allowed the wiz to wear any armor without arcane spell failure. Maybe looking it up will help you out.
Inner Sea Magic has Riffle Scrolls (basically scrolls with metamagic [silent] spells). Perfect fit flavor-wise, but probably not mechanically.
If card-casting does not require verbal components, you have to come up with a balancing mechanic.
Depending on what you are looking for, you could also pilfer some features from the Scrollmaster or the Cyphermage.
I would make this be a flavor thing. There is nothing wrong with pulling out a card every time you cast a spell.
^Thank you!
I was looking to make a variant that adds a Focus requirement to all spells, so it can trade off one of the other requirements. It doesn't have to be personal-only.
I do agree that the cards would be like tiny, rigid scrolls. It mostly is a flavor thing, but I like the idea of a possible ability that lets them randomly cast a spell of that spell level (drawing a card from the deck) with a + to caster level if they do it that way or something.
Base it on the Arcane Bond then. You Will need to have the deck at hand like a arcane Bond. Unless you are going for silent it dosent make sense since you Will need to use your hands to draw the card.
There is a lot of great imaginery in a deck of cards as focus for magic power. You Can Pick a Color theme and summon monsters and send them after other wizards.:)
Yeah! I like the idea of it being their Arcane Bond!
What could I do with it if it's a bond? Enchant it?
I humbly suggest that if you go with the card route, that you include offensive touch spells, and then BAM, you place (touch attack) or short range throw (ranged touch) the card at the target in order to enact the spell, gives a bit more range to the spells available, but still very "card wizard" in flavor. But that is just my two coppers as it were.
perhaps work it akin to spell strike
There's actually a feat out of the Harrow Handbook called 'deadly dealer' that mechanically lets you throw cards with the stats for a Dart (Or a MW dart with a Harrow Card). I could probably make one of their starting Arcane Bond things be an adjusted version that only works with the Arcane Bond cards
ahh yes, the gambit feat...that would be rather awesome IMO.
Of topic question, but is the Harrow Handbook worth having IYO? I like the harrow deck, and own one, and I do actually use it to do harrowing on my players from time to time. If there is enough good crunch and what not in that book, may be worth having. But would like to hear others thoughts before I spend the cash, as that is not infinite.
Of topic question, but is the Harrow Handbook worth having IYO? I like the harrow deck, and own one, and I do actually use it to do harrowing on my players from time to time. If there is enough good crunch and what not in that book, may be worth having. But would like to hear others thoughts before I spend the cash, as that is not infinite.
If you have a harrow deck and use it, I can't see much of a reason to NOT get Harrow Handbook. It has great archetypes and new ways of doing harrowing.
And the Greater Harrowing spell from the book is actually kinda useful. And the different archetypes.
I actually like what Harrow Warden Monk can do. So love the lvl 15 alternate to stunning fist. "I punch a man and decide that the story of the world is better if he was a duck, so he is now a duck."
I didn't want the cardcaster type wizard to be Harrow card-specific, but rather the 'cards used as little scrolls' flavor. :P
I'll think of something and post it up later.
thx Cyrad, sounds like a solid buy, plus a have a nice pay check coming from the months sales at the 3pp I co-own, so it will be double sweet to get that book, with money I earned writing and laying outs gaming books. Oww, now that is a good fuzzy feeling!
Looking forward to what you come up with Rungok!