Exactly.
Yeppers.
Well, I will go archmage whenever the prc opens ups to me. No reason to stay wizard after lvl 8.
That was indeed disappointing. I so loved being able to choose the energy type of any spell I cast with a mere one level of Archmage. Scorching Ray with a sonic descriptor was fun.
That was indeed disappointing. I so loved being able to choose the energy type of any spell I cast with a mere one level of Archmage. Scorching Ray with a sonic descriptor was fun.
There's always the Energy Substitution metamagic, at least if your DM allows you to use non-pathfinder books.
PrCs that generally make a Character better at what the base class generally does were a huge mistake in 3.0, they were a huge mistake in 3.5, and they would be a huge mistake in 3.P. I love the direction of the Pathfinder PrCs and hope to never see the Archmage ever again.
However, there were a few things they did differently that were not too bad. I think Energy Substitution is a rather innocuous feat and could probably be allowed without too much breakage.
|
The Sculpt Spell Feat (Complete Arcane) is another ability that emulates (to some degree)an Archmage power.
In defense of the original Archmage PrC, it did take some feat requirements to enter the class. The skill and caster requirements are irrelevant, however, since almost all wizards would have taken them anyway.
My preference for character customization is to use feats rather than PrCs. Some (many) PrCs could be boiled down to a small handful of abilities that could just as well have been feats. I hope that PF keeps PrCs to a minimum and provides lots of Feat choices instead.
I wouldn't mind seeing a return of the archmage if we saw something different rather than more powerful.
The PrC offered some extra abilities at a cost of slots, which seems a fair trade-off. Though most of the abilities became irrelevant with Complete books and so on.
I'm trying to think of a good focus to drive a new archmage class. Maybe some metamagic discounts? hmm
Somewhere it's been mentioned that the Advanced Player's Guide due out next year is likely to have some way to get some of the archmage powers (I think feats were mentioned.)
Yup, two pages worth of new feats. Already sent in and waiting for the developers to begin their rampage.
Well Xykon isn't a real spellcaster anyway.... he's a Sorcerer, not a Wizard. ;-)
I noticed that there is no Archmage prestige class in the Pathfinder rulebook. Is the wizard the new Archmage?Archmage is a title open to any arcanist who wants to claim it and has the stuff to back it up. Are you going to be the one to tell Xykon he's not an Archmage becasue he's "merely" an Epic level Sorcerer?
You go right ahead. I'll be standing here.... in the next zip code, the next county if I can run fast enough.
Mushroom Cloud (Metamagic)
Your foes face obliteration!
Prerequisite: Widen Spell and one or more of the following titles: Runelord, Big Kahuna, Archmage, Demigawd, DMPC, Right Hand of the Game Master
Benefit: You can alter a burst, emanation or spread-shaped spell to vastly increase in area and power. All numeric measurements of the spell's area of effect are multiplied by 100. All variable, numeric effects of the spell's damage are multiplied by 10. You are immune to your own mushroom cloud spell. If the spell permits a Reflex saving throw to halve damage, the DC is increased by 10. A mushroom cloud spell does not use up a higher level spell slot on account of your title. However, you are limited to casting a mushroom cloud spell once per day at a 20 in your spell casting ability score plus once more per day per 10 additional points in your spell casting ability score.
|
|
I noticed that there is no Archmage prestige class in the Pathfinder rulebook. Is the wizard the new Archmage?Archmage is a title open to any arcanist who wants to claim it and has the stuff to back it up. Are you going to be the one to tell Xykon he's not an Archmage becasue he's "merely" an Epic level Sorcerer?
You go right ahead. I'll be standing here.... in the next zip code, the next county if I can run fast enough.
I noticed that in "Elves of Golarion", Queen Telandia Edasseril is a Wizard 13/Archmage 2
Creative Director
|
I noticed that in "Elves of Golarion", Queen Telandia Edasseril is a Wizard 13/Archmage 2I noticed that there is no Archmage prestige class in the Pathfinder rulebook. Is the wizard the new Archmage?Archmage is a title open to any arcanist who wants to claim it and has the stuff to back it up. Are you going to be the one to tell Xykon he's not an Archmage becasue he's "merely" an Epic level Sorcerer?
You go right ahead. I'll be standing here.... in the next zip code, the next county if I can run fast enough.
Elves of Golarion is also a 3.5 product. If we statted Queen Edasseril up for Pathfinder RPG, she'd be a Wizard 15, since with the PFRPG there's no reason for a prestige class that lets you be a wizard, but better.
|
If we statted Queen Edasseril up for Pathfinder RPG, she'd be a Wizard 15, since with the PFRPG there's no reason for a prestige class that lets you be a wizard, but better.
The prestige classes in 3.5 that were "____ but better" always struck me as really stupid. I'm glad that Pathfinder is making each class worth going the full 20 levels in.
Hey James, are there any plans as of right now to include some kind of energy substitution feats/abilities/items/anything for spellcasters akin to the Elemental Mastery aspect of the old Archmage? Do you think something like that would be unbalanced?
|
If we statted Queen Edasseril up for Pathfinder RPG, she'd be a Wizard 15, since with the PFRPG there's no reason for a prestige class that lets you be a wizard, but better.The prestige classes in 3.5 that were "____ but better" always struck me as really stupid. I'm glad that Pathfinder is making each class worth going the full 20 levels in.
seriously. there doesn't need to be an archmage anymore than there needs to be "uberfighter" or "super ranger" (power ranger?)
I noticed that there is no Archmage prestige class in the Pathfinder rulebook. Is the wizard the new Archmage?
No, not at all. The Archmage prestige class works just fine as it is in Pathfinder. It possesses a number of abilities the wizard does not have or ever get (substituting energy types, spell power, improved counterspelling, etc.)
The Hierophant works fine, too. I'm not a fan of making either of these two "non-prestigious". I thought the mechanics of the Archmage were just perfect, the sacrifice of spell slots to perform powerful wizard abilities.
If you want some Archmage-y goodness, just play with the mythic rules!