| cranewings |
Here is another Wizard class I'm thinking of using in my low level Pathfinder game. I tend to have few encounters per day, though not always. The two main differences are busting its spells per day down to their 1e levels and granting some extra abilities.
Side note, I won't be allowing any kind of specialization, so extra spells or higher save DCs through that won't be possible.
The Wizard
Roll: Support and key encounter intervention.
Alignment: Any
Hit Dice: d6
Skills per Level: 6+Int
Class Skills: The wizard’s class skills are Appraise (Int), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Fly (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (all) (Int), Linguistics (Int), Profession (Wis), Sleight of Hand (Dex) and Spellcraft (Int).
Level Spells per Day
1 3/1
2 4/2
3 4/2/1
4 4/3/2
5 4/3/2/1
6 4/4/3/2
Level BAB Fort Ref Will Special
1 +0 +0 +0 +2 Scribe Scroll, Find Familiar, Cantrips,
2 +1 +0 +0 +3 Arcane Ability
3 +1 +1 +1 +3
4 +2 +1 +1 +4 Arcane Ability
5 +2 +1 +1 +4
6 +3 +2 +2 +5 Arcane Ability
Class Features
The following are the class features of the wizard.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Wizards are proficient with the club, dagger, heavy crossbow, light crossbow, and quarterstaff, but not with any type of armor or shield. Armor interferes with a wizard’s movements, which can cause his spells with somatic components to fail.
Spells: A wizard casts arcane spells drawn from the sorcerer/wizard spell list presented in Chapter 10. A wizard must choose and prepare his spells ahead of time. To learn, prepare, or cast a spell, the wizard must have an Intelligence score equal to at least 10 + double the spell level.
The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against a wizard’s spell is 10 + the spell level + Cha.
A wizard can cast only a certain number of spells of each spell level per day. His base daily spell allotment is given on the Spells per Day table.
Wizards do not gain additional spells per day for having a high Intelligence.
A wizard may know any number of spells. He must choose and prepare his spells ahead of time by getting 8 hours of sleep and spending 1 hour studying his spellbook. While studying, the wizard decides which spells to prepare.
Spellbooks: A wizard must study his spellbook each day to prepare his spells. He cannot prepare any spell not recorded in his spellbook, except for read magic, which all wizards can prepare from memory. A wizard begins play with a spellbook containing all 0-level wizard spells plus three 1st-level spells of his choice. The wizard also selects a number of additional 1st-level spells equal to his Intelligence modifier to add to the spellbook. At each new wizard level, he gains two new spells of any spell level or levels that he can cast (based on his new wizard level) for his spellbook. At any time, a wizard can also add spells found in other wizards’ spellbooks to his own (see Chapter 9).
Scribe Scroll: At first level, the wizard gains the feat “Scribe Scroll” for free.
Find Familiar: The wizard gains a familiar according to page 82 of the core rules.
Cantrips: Wizards can prepare a number of cantrips, or 0-level spells, each day, as noted on Table 3–16 under “Spells per Day.” These spells are cast like any other spell, but they are not expended when cast and may be used again.
Arcane Ability: At levels 2, 4 and 6 the wizard may select and Arcane Ability. In place of an Arcane Ability, the wizard may select a metamagic or item creation feat for which he meets the prerequisites.
Arcane Abilities
Arcane Blast
The Wizard gains a range touch attack. This attack is a blast of pure magical energy which deals 1d6 + Cha to damage. This ability gains an additional 1d6 damage at levels 4 and 6.
Arcane Blast has a range of 60’. It scores critical hits on 20 (x2). This power can be improved by selecting combat feats.
Armor of Magic
The wizard gains the supernatural ability to cast “Mage Armor “on himself at will. At level 4 and 6, add +1 to the AC this suit provides.
Energy Substitution
When the wizard prepares a spell, he can choose to change the type of damage it deals. By selecting this Arcane Ability, the wizard becomes proficient at changing the type of energy to one of the following (pick when taking this ability): Fire, Cold, Electricity or Acid.
Evil Eye
The wizard can substitute, “Hypnotism,” for the casting of any first level. She may substitute ”Hold Person” for the casting of any 3rd level spell.
Invocation of Inner Light
The wizard may reroll one failed willpower saving throw per day. If the second roll is successful, the mage may cast any one spell she prepared that morning, even if it has already been cast. The spell must be cast on her next action and is considered to be 2 spell levels higher for the purposes of applying a metamagic feat.
Mantra
The wizard can substitute “Protection from Evil,” for any 1st level spell. He can substitute “Magic Circle Against Evil,” for any 3rd level spell.
Protective Magic
The wizard gains a +2 bonus to both Reflex and Fortitude saving throws provided she is capable of using her magic normally. This bonus reflects the wizard’s ability to invoke her magic to protect her, move her and fortify her in a thousand different minor ways.
Pure Body
The wizard becomes immune to magical afflictions such as mummy rot, vampirism, taint or lycanthropy, though she is still susceptible to ordinary illness. In order to take this power, the wizard must be Chaotic Good or Lawful Good.
Shadow Magic
While in a place dark enough to produce Concealment (including magically created darkness), the wizard gains the following abilities:
Shadow Bend: The ability to manipulate shadows as if they were a physical substance gives the wizard a permanent at will ability to cast Prestidigitation, Unseen Servant and Silent Image. The spell, “Silent Image” can only be used to create shadows and shadowy figures.
Shadow Master
Prerequisite: Shadow Magic
The wizard can choose to cast “Darkness” in place of any 2nd level spell he has memorized. The wizard can substitute “Black Light” for any 3rd level spell he has memorized.
| cranewings |
There has always been the old and nearly impossible quest for a good spell point system. Sorcerers have been the answer mostly. I just hate how unbalanced they are. They spam one good spell and if the spell is helpful, they autowin, and if it isn't, they can't help.
The normal memorization system is basically a spell point system, and while you can put lower level spells into higher level slots, you can't put higher level spells into lower level ones, even by taking up several.
Any kind of spell point system would ruin the point of what I have above: that they only get their best spell once or twice a day. The only way to make it work would be to skew the chart seriously.
Oh I wish I had a spontaneous caster class that was fair which couldn't spam the same good spell constantly.
| cranewings |
The spread of having so many spells of each level is just so nice. I don't know that there is any way to reproduce it with a spell point system. Everyone I can think of leaves the character with no low level spells or too many high level ones.
I would be nice if players with spell point systems would mix up the power levels of what they are casting, but really its just a license to cast their best move an extra time per day.