Because I think spellcasters styled like stage magicians are cool. Still deciding whether the class name should be "Magician" or "Stage Magician," or something else. (I used "magician" as a default) Here's what I've got so far:
A sorcerer draws magical energy from inner strength. A bard creates magical effects with their performance. To a magician, these two things are one and the same. Weaving magic into performance and performance into magic, magicians are among the most extravagant and outlandish spellcasters, creating the most impressive of arcane displays and performing impossible tasks with a flick of a wrist or a flourish of their cape.Magicians are proficient with all simple weapons, as well as the whip, net, lasso, sword cane, and shuriken. They are not proficient with armor or any kind of shield, as armor interferes with their spellcasting.
A magician adds 1/2 their level to Sleight of Hand checks and Use Magic Device checks to activate wands.
A magician can use spells to augment their performances. Whenever they make a Perform check, they may cast a spell they know as part of that check; instead of the spell's usual effects, the spell adds a circumstance bonus to the check equal to the level of the spell cast. They can not use cantrips to gain such a bonus. (it's assumed they are usually using a cantrip such as Prestidigitation during performances anyway) Spell with no flashy effects (such as Detect Magic or Charm Person) cannot be used in this way.
At 1st level, a Magician gains one magic trick. The magician gains an additional magic trick at 2nd level, and every 2 magician levels from there onward. A magician cannot select an individual trick more than once, unless it says otherwise.
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Trick ideas:
-------------Appearing Trick
As a swift action, a magician can produce an item from a flick of their wrist, causing an item from one of their bags or containers (including extradimensional spaces) to appear in their hand. The item must be light weapon or an item small enough to be handled with one hand, subject to GM discretion. You may use Appearing Trick three times + CHA modifier per day. You may use Appearing Trick to produce several items at once - provided they all fit in your hand at the same time - but this expends one additional use of the ability for each item produced beyond the first.-Escape anything
The magician can, as a swift action, escape any bonds, including grapple attacks, as though they had succeeded on their Escape Artist check. They may do this three times per day plus their charisma modifier.-Magic hat
When the magician gains this trick, they may designate one mundane item in their possession as a "magic hat." This can be a literal hat, a boot, a large jacket, or any other suitable item which could be used to hold or conceal items, subject to gm discretion. An item designated as a magic hat functions as a Pathfinder Pouch, but only for the magician who made it. Another magician may make a Spellcraft check, DC 15 + the level of the magician who owns it, to attempt to use a magic hat they do not own.A magician may designate another item as their magic hat once per day. They may only have one magic hat at any time. Choosing another magic hat without removing the items from the orignal causes them to be lost.
-Is this your card?
As a standard action, you may ask somebody to think of some piece of information, such as the answer to a question or the location of a hidden item; you then draw the information from their mind and speak it aloud. If the subject makes a Will save, DC 10 + your Charisma modifier, you learn a false answer instead, and you believe the inaccurate answer to be the truth.-Endless scarves
The magician can take a mundane item and create an exact copy of it. If the item fits in one hand (such as a light weapon), this is a swift action, and is done by flicking the wrist. If it is somewhat larger (such as a one-handed weapon) this is a move action and is done by pulling the copy from behind the back or inside one's jacket, or some such place. For even larger items (such as two-handed weapons and beyond) this is a full-round action and is done by completely covering the item with a large sheet or cloth, then removing it.You may use Endless Scarves three times + CHA modifier per day. You may create additional copies of the item by expending multiple uses of the ability.
-Flight
At 1st level, the magician can use feather fall at will and gains a +4 racial bonus on Swim checks. At 3rd level, they can cast levitate once per day. At 5th level, she can fly, as per the spell, for a number of minutes per day equal to their level. These minutes do not need to be consecutive, but they must be spent in 1-minute increments.-Signature Wand
A magician can spend 1 hour practicing with a wand to designate it as their signature wand. They can draw that wand as a free action, and can activate it without having to succeed at a Use Magic Device check. They can change their signature wand once per day.-Wand Mastery
When a magician uses a wand containing a spell on their spell list, they use their Charisma bonus to set the wand’s save DC.-Greater Wand Mastery
As Wand Mastery, but they also use their caster level in place of the wand’s caster level.
The way I'm envisioning it, this would be a 9-level caster like the Sorcerer, probably with its own spell list, not the sorcerer or bard list. One that probably has a lot of evocations and transmutations, and fewer divinations and abjurations. AKA flashy, dramatic stuff, not the more subdued unimpressive things. Haven't actually written out the spell list, but I doubt that'll be difficult to really do, just time-consuming.
What IS difficult is thinking of more Trick powers. As much as I like the flavor of this class, I don't actually know all that many magic tricks that would work well, or wouldn't essentially just do something that is already a spell. (teleportation, fire breath, etc)
I'm also tossing around the idea of putting Bardic Performance as a trick or some other ability. The trouble is implementing that in a way that doesn't just make "Bard again," especially if its already getting better spells then the bard is. But then, if I can't do this, then the ability that allows for using magic to fuel perform checks.... that's basically all flavor and no substance. Or worse, that's just multiclass fodder with no purpose to the main class. :/
Idk, I could flesh this out a lot more, but I feel like the concept is illustrated well enough with what I have, so I wanted to see what you guys think about it.
What is the BAB? What is the Hit Die? What are the good saving throws? How many skill points per level? What are the class skills?
I like the bonus to Slight of Hand bonus, but the UMD bonus will become less meaningful before long. Let's say you get your first wand at 3rd level, you have a Cha of 16, and three ranks in UMD. You have a bonus of +10 and it's a DC 20 check with a 55% chance of success. It will just get easier from there. Plus, a lot of useful spells will be on his spell list anyways. At 6th level with a Cha of 18 you have a +16 and 85% chance. What about replacing it with Escape Artist?
Using spells with a flashy effect is vague. Instead of casting the spell and incorperaing it, say that he can give up a spell slot to augment his performance with illusionary effects to engage the senses of those he entertains, gaining a circumstance bonus to the check equal to the level of the spell.
The magic tricks need some mechanics to tie them all together. For example, at 6th level he could four tricks and four separate pools of uses per day to keep track of. You could give him one point pool equal to his level + his Cha mod, and have all or most of the tricks draw from that pool. Some of the tricks would consume one use, and maybe some of the stringer ones use multiple. If multiple tricks involve saving throws, then set the DC to 10 + 1/2 level + Cha.
I like appearing trick.
Escape anything seems fine, but you are kind of granting the magician use of a 4th level spell. Instead I would suggest being able to use Escape Artist as a swift action, or grant a bonus to an Escape Artist check.
Magic hat needs some clarifying. This should be more than just a 1000 GP Magic item. I think the contents limit should increase with level. Get rid of the bit about someone else using it. Can he choose a new command word? What happens if the "hat" is lost? Are the contents lost? Can he choose a new hat and regain the contents of the old one? If so, I suggest a time or GP investment to assign a new hat.
Is this your card seems pretty good, but needs clarifying. Who speaks the answer aloud? I think it should be the target. If it succeeds on the save, it should be allowed to be silent or to speak (possibly making a Bluff check). With a DC that low, this will be useless beyond low levels.
What happens to the copies from endless scarf? Can the magician sell them for profit? Do they disappear after awhile? Maybe its a set number of rounds. Maybe it's as long as he concentrates.
Flight would be simpler if it granted a fly speed for 1 round.
I think signature wand should change. Perhaps the swift action thing and using his own Cha for the DC. Ignoring the need to roll a UMD check is also contrary to gaining a UMD bonus.
Perhaps wand mastery is changed so you give up a spell slot instead of using a wand charge.
Greater wand mastery is probably too good. I know that the alchemist has a similar ability for potions, but wands are a lot better than potions.
What is the BAB? What is the Hit Die? What are the good saving throws?
Wow how did I forget such basic things. x.x BAB would be 1/2 progression, like Wizard, Sorcerer, etc. Saving throws... I'm gonna say probably good Reflex and Will, bad Fort.
How many skill points per level? What are the class skills?
Ummm..... I don't know. Probably, 4 + INT or so? Class skills, off the top of my head, I have no clue.
I like the bonus to Slight of Hand bonus, but the UMD bonus will become less meaningful before long. Let's say you get your first wand at 3rd level, you have a Cha of 16, and three ranks in UMD. You have a bonus of +10 and it's a DC 20 check with a 55% chance of success. It will just get easier from there. Plus, a lot of useful spells will be on his spell list anyways. At 6th level with a Cha of 18 you have a +16 and 85% chance. What about replacing it with Escape Artist?
I'll be honest, I commandeered the wand ability from the Bard archetype also called Magician. Honestly though, I feel like the two 1/2 level bonus abilities are more flavor then anything, much like the Bardic Knowledge, for example.
Using spells with a flashy effect is vague. Instead of casting the spell and incorperaing it, say that he can give up a spell slot to augment his performance with illusionary effects to engage the senses of those he entertains, gaining a circumstance bonus to the check equal to the level of the spell.
I worded that poorly, I'll admit. Perhaps "spells with no visual effects." Obviously, this would be subject to GM discretion in any case, but I feel like it would be pretty intuitive.
QUOTE="Ciaran Barnes"]The magic tricks need some mechanics to tie them all together. For example, at 6th level he could four tricks and four separate pools of uses per day to keep track of. You could give him one point pool equal to his level + his Cha mod, and have all or most of the tricks draw from that pool. Some of the tricks would consume one use, and maybe some of the stringer ones use multiple. If multiple tricks involve saving throws, then set the DC to 10 + 1/2 level + Cha.
A point pool, like the Gunslinger has? A "Trick Pool" perhaps? I was considering that. I guess I hesitated because I wasn't feeling confident about being able to make up rules for that. I've never played a Grit/Luck/Panache class, I don't feel like I understand them very well.
QUOTE="Ciaran Barnes"]Magic hat needs some clarifying. This should be more than just a 1000 GP Magic item. I think the contents limit should increase with level. Get rid of the bit about someone else using it. Can he choose a new command word? What happens if the "hat" is lost? Are the contents lost? Can he choose a new hat and regain the contents of the old one? If so, I suggest a time or GP investment to assign a new hat....
I see no problem with granting a 1K GP magic item. The Gunslinger can begin play with a Blunderbuss, twice as expensive. But yeah, I could stand to clarify some stuff.
I did not mean a point pool like grit or panache. I meant a point pool like the alchemist's number of bombs. A grit pool is small and can be recharged, while the alchemist's has a number than increases with with. My point being that many of your tricks each have their own point pool and it seems like a waste.
A gunslinger begins play with a blunderbuss at 1st level, which is different from choosing a permanent class feature from a list. You should be able to loose a magic item, but usually not a class feature.
How many skill points per level? What are the class skills?
Ummm..... I don't know. Probably, 4 + INT or so? Class skills, off the top of my head, I have no clue.
Uh, here might be a list of class list for it, and I also really like the idea.
Appraise, Bluff, Craft, Escape Artist, Knowledge (arcana), Knowledge (local), Perform, Profession, Sense Motive, Sleight of Hand, Spellcraft, Use Magic Device.