The biggest Gripe about Wizards in general that I've seen is the lack of the individual schools.
Obviously in 1st Edition there were only two types of Wizard, A Standard Mage and an Illusionist. In 2nd Edition the options were expanded to Specialist Mages which remained throughout 3rd Edition until now.
The 4th Edition mage seems to be a generic Adventuring Wizard with Spells heavily based for encounters and combat. Now I can understand this to be honest as the book gives you what will probably be the most common type of mage.
However I have a very advanced( old gaming group) and they arn't exited by the generic mage and liked the Diviner, the Conjurer, the Transmuter and the Enchanter etc.
Does anyone have any idea's on converting some of the spells to bring back the Specialist mages?
|
One way to give a wizards the specialist feeling is to allow easier access to Rituals that fit the school. Maybe even allow shorter csting times or stronger/longer effects of the rituals?
The easiest way to fit powers and school specialization is to create "power-templates". A specialist can add these templates to every power. It gives him some special effect. E.G the Evocer might get +1d6 damage per power level and the diviner might learn one fact of the creature (weakness or power) each time he attacks and hits with the templated power.
Of course there must be a drawback so the Specialist will not get overpowered.
For Ritual it is easy: He can not learn rituals of a numebr of other schools. Just like in 3.5.
For power templates. I think it costs him a Feat. One for every tier (so 3 at lvl. 30). If the templates are still too powerful the wizard might have to burn one daily use of "healing surge" to power the template. He basically gives his inner power to fuel the extra effect.
Just some ideas.
|
|
They did do an article on Illusion spells for the wizard on DDI a while back. I believe this is it.
as for some of the other spell choices... hmm. For necromancer, you could change some spell damage types to necrotic, and possibly even whip up an animate dead ritual (or more, for better undead). At the very least, you could make an encounter power similar to Adventurer's Vault's series of Bags of Tricks. Cast a spell, make an undead minion, have it use your Int plus a flat number (+2 sounds good) for attacks.
Divinations are pretty much limited to the rituals, so perhaps a reduced casting time or cost might do it, but other than that, a diviner-type PC should just pick up as many divination-themed rituals as possible.
Evoker's pretty much set. Just do the battle wizard or whatever it is they call that build (we don't have a wizard in any of my groups, so I'm pretty bone-headed on wizard stuff).
Enchanter may want to swap to psychic damage and "borrow" some warlock powers (fey pact is pretty apt). Occasionally, a monster power pops up that may work to, with some heavy modification (the latest Dungeon adventure- the one involving a submarine- has a "psyichic mage" in it; 'course, he is like a 15th-level NPC caster).
I dunno about the rest. Any specific specialist you had in mind? I bet we all could whip something up.
They did do an article on Illusion spells for the wizard on DDI a while back. I believe this is it.
as for some of the other spell choices... hmm. For necromancer, you could change some spell damage types to necrotic, and possibly even whip up an animate dead ritual (or more, for better undead). At the very least, you could make an encounter power similar to Adventurer's Vault's series of Bags of Tricks. Cast a spell, make an undead minion, have it use your Int plus a flat number (+2 sounds good) for attacks.
Divinations are pretty much limited to the rituals, so perhaps a reduced casting time or cost might do it, but other than that, a diviner-type PC should just pick up as many divination-themed rituals as possible.
Evoker's pretty much set. Just do the battle wizard or whatever it is they call that build (we don't have a wizard in any of my groups, so I'm pretty bone-headed on wizard stuff).
Enchanter may want to swap to psychic damage and "borrow" some warlock powers (fey pact is pretty apt). Occasionally, a monster power pops up that may work to, with some heavy modification (the latest Dungeon adventure- the one involving a submarine- has a "psyichic mage" in it; 'course, he is like a 15th-level NPC caster).
I dunno about the rest. Any specific specialist you had in mind? I bet we all could whip something up.
Excellent, thanks for that. I think its Conjurers, Necromancers escpecially but the article gives me a feel for modifying the spells because the PHB spells are very much attack spells and I'm looking for other 'fun' spells. Rope Trick for example. Excellent for an encounter where the party needs to get a PC out of a pit in the middle of a fight or get the primary fighter into Melee up the top of a wall. Things like this make the mage more interesting for players.
But the Necromancy, I'm after Undead creation spells, Undead summoning spells, darkness spells and other similar. What you've found in the Article gives me more idea's though.
I found a fan book named Races and Classes that had a lot of specialist wizards for 4E. Sadly, I have lost the link to it.
I found a fan book named Races and Classes that had a lot of specialist wizards for 4E. Sadly, I have lost the link to it.
That would be here! [link]
And Stormonu would really, really like feedback on it. So please feel free to grab it and take a look. Still very much a WIP, but there's a lot of potential in it. And as Carl is pointing out, almost all of the specialists are fully written out.
wow He put alot of work into that.
wow He put alot of work into that.
He sure has put a lot of work into it. While he admits to lifting stuff directly from MalcolmN (druid) and Saric (bard), and I suspect he was "inspired" by others for the barbarian and necromancer, he's put so much of himself into this work I can't help but admire it.
My only regret is that a lot of his efforts may be trumped by the Advanced Player's Guide from Expeditious Retreat. Thankfully, not the wizard schools issue, which is the heart of this thread. So Stormonu's work is still a worthwhile read.
well I do think folks should spread this around. It's all Greek to me but there are tones of 4e players out there that would loved to have had this in converting there games or mods.
he admits to lifting stuff directly from MalcolmN (druid) and Saric (bard),
Well, he did improve on their work.
Well, he did improve on their work.
Believe you me, I intended no disrespect when I pointed that fact out. Maybe I should have used better wording.