Jason Bulmahn wrote:
Hey there folks,
There has been a lot of discussion about the Arcanist and most of the feedback resolves around how much the class sits between the Sorcerer and the Wizard without offering a unique view on arcane casting. The design team agrees and we are going back to the drawing board on some aspects of this class.
To that end, some of the parts of this class are back in design and we are hoping to share the revisions with you very soon. Before we get to that, I wanted to share with you the new direction we are exploring to get some feedback and hear your thoughts before we get too far down the trail on the revisions.
First off, lets talk about the overall theme of the class.
We are dropping the weak bloodline concept and taking this class in a different direction to give it its own conceptual space. Here is what we have in mind:
Arcanist
Some spellcasters weave magic into a beautiful tapestry. Others draw upon their innate gift to produce magic. The arcanist takes a different route. Seeing magic for what it really is, the arcanist is able to pull apart magic, ripping the bonds that hold it together and forcing it to obey her will. It is not an easy task, but it allows her to use magic like no other. She can consume her spells, and eventually those of magic items and other spellcasters, to fuel her powers. She can use the raw essence of magic to create powerful effects, both wondrous and deadly.
We are pretty excited about this as a concept. The arcanist goes from someone who is half wizard, half sorcerer to an arcane spellcaster that focuses on tinkering with the fundamental forces of magic, tearing apart the bonds and forging new ones with its power. This understanding also allows her to cast in a new way (represented by the existing spellcasting mechanics).
Of course, that is not all we are doing to this class. To match up with its new flavor, we are reworking a number of its class features. Blood Focus is being pulled, along with its bonus feats for an entirely new class feature....
Really love this idea and concept! After reading the discussion I can't honestly say whether INT or WIS would be best as casting stat, as I can see benefits to both, but what I would say is that I think the concept would lend itself to having Use Magic Device as a class skill....
