I'm looking to "double check" an Idea for a Magus arcane that we wanted to incorporate into our game for a character.
It's supposed to be special to this character (kind of a "chosen of" ability), and I have been trying to compare it to other class abilities (domain, bloodline, etc) to check the balance, but I'm not sure if I'm thinking it's balanced because I want to or not.
The Arcana would come into play at 7th level, and would allow one, third level spell to be cast as a Su ability 3+Int mod per day.
However the spell in question (Moonblade) has a duration of 1 minute per caster level, which I'm starting to think puts it over the top.
Opinions ???
The duration doesn't make this over the top.
The fact that the guy gets 6+ (assuming there's at least int 16 involved, which isn't unlikely) third-level spells - supercharged ones, since supernatural abilities can be cast without provoking AoOs, they ignore SR and cannot be dispelled - alone is overpowered.
Especially since that's a character who's only getting 3rd-level spells at that level. Two of them per day (1 plus 1 for high int, again assuming Int is 16 or better).
Note that a ring of wizardry III costs 70.000 gil. This item would give that character 1 extra 3rd-level spell at 7th level. He'd have to get to level 15 to get the maximum - 5 3rd-level spells - out of it. And they're not supernatural (though you have more freedom in what to put there).
The Su would definitely have to go (make it Sp), and the number of uses would have to be severely reduced.
But what does the spell do, anyway?
The duration doesn't make this over the top.
The fact that the guy gets 6+ (assuming there's at least int 16 involved, which isn't unlikely) third-level spells - supercharged ones, since supernatural abilities can be cast without provoking AoOs, they ignore SR and cannot be dispelled - alone is overpowered.
Especially since that's a character who's only getting 3rd-level spells at that level. Two of them per day (1 plus 1 for high int, again assuming Int is 16 or better).
That's more or less the conclusion I have come to as well...
The Su would definitely have to go (make it Sp), and the number of uses would have to be severely reduced.
But what does the spell do, anyway?
The spell allows you to create a blade composed of energy, that strikes as a touch attack, and does additional damage to undead.
See spell compendium pg 143.I've decided to just go with the preferred spell feat from the APG, that way the character can spontaneously convert slots to the moonblade spell. The requirements for that feat are that you have heighten spell....which will allow the character to increase their chance to get through SR by casting Moonblade in a higher level spell slot.