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Howdy folks, and welcome to my first conversion, ever. I've been perusing my old D&D material, from AD&D on up, and came across my 3.0 Magic of Faerun. In particular, I remembered it has the Incantatrix prestige class, and then I recalled horror stories about the PrC from almost countless sources. Imagine my surprise when I found out what the 3.5 Incantatrix actually did! Granted it was a singular metamagic feat that made it uber broke, but that class was just far too much.
So, lamenting over the lost 3.0 Incantatrix, I've decided to convert it over to Pathfinder. Constructive criticism welcome (ways to make it better), as I haven't had a chance to play PF in a while due to lack of a play group. I satisfy my PF cravings through trolling (wandering) around on the forums and d20pfsrd. Far as I can tell, it needs very little rebalancing. Bear in mind this is the 3.0 Magic of Faerun Incantatrix, not that ridiculous broken 3.5 version.
Re-fluffed for slotting into Golarion, feel free to fill some of the fluff out, I can't exactly think straight for non-mechanics right now. As an aside, does anyone know if it was Sean K Reynolds, Duane Maxwell, or angel McCoy that designed the class for Magic of Faerun?
They say that nearly all mages of the Inner Sea know of the Acadamae of Korvosa. It is well known that they specialize in the Conjuration school of magic. In years past, there were those whom challenged the status quo, studying and advancing the school of Abjuration. In understanding the Abjuration school, one begins to understand the nature of magic, and how to manipulate it. Thus was the birth of the Order of the Incantatrix.
Spawned from Abjurists seeking a way to counter the heavy emphasis on conjuration in the Acadamae, Incantatrixes are the bane of extraplanar beings seeking entry to the Material Plane. They have experimented much with abjuration magic, and as a result of their experimentation they have found more efficient ways to utilize metamagic. This has lead to some friction between the Order and the Acadamae, loathing from outsiders like devils and demons, and as a result influences the way the Order is constructed.
Based in Magnimar, the Order of the Incantatrix is a loose pseudo-meritocratic organization. They have no real headquarters, instead meeting whenever the High Council declares a meeting, or whenever one Incantatrix seeks assistance from others of the Order. Typically Incantatrixes act and work independently, sending word to the Council of any new discoveries or techniques that need to be shared with the Order, so that a meeting can be called. However, if there is a problem that needs help with, calling another of their Order who may be able to help is common.
Since they dislike extraplanar intrusions into the Material Plane, Incantatrixes typically see destruction of gates to other planes as their responsibility. Usually this means that an Incantatrix is a knowledgable source of information on functional gates in the area. The legend of Sovyrian has caused some friction between the Elves, in particular Kyonin, and a few Incantatrixes. Because Incantatrixes typically favor Abjuration spells, they oft times lack offensive power against ordinary opoonents, and will rely on others to fill in their shortcomings.
Hit Die: D6
Requirements
To qualify to become an Incantatrix, one must meet the following criteria.
Skills: Knowledge (Arcana) 8 ranks, Knowledge (Planes) 8 ranks, Spell Craft 4 ranks.
Feats: Iron Will, any metamagic feat.
Spell casting: Able to cast 3rd-level arcane spells.
Class Skills
The Incantatrix's class skills (and key ability for each) are Craft (Int), Heal (Wis), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Knowledge (planes) (Int), Profession (Wis), and Spellcraft (Int).
Skill points at each level: 2 + Int modifier
Class Features
All of the following are class features of the Incantatrix
Weapon and armor proficiency: The Incantatrix gains no additional weapon or armor proficiencies.
Spells per Day: An incantatrix continues to study standard magic as well as pursuing studies in metamagic. Thus, when a new incantatrix level is gained, the character gains new spells per day as if she had also gained a level in a spellcasting class she belonged to before becoming an incantatrix. She does not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained (bonus metamagic or item creation feats, for example).
If a character had more than one spellcasting class before she became an incantatrix, she must decide to which class she adds each level of incantatrix for purposes of determining spells per day when she adds the new level.
School Specialization: Upon becoming an incantatrix, the character chooses to focus her studies on protective and metamagic, forsaking other types of spells. In effect, the incantatrix is a specialist in the school of Abjuration (gaining all the benefits of specializing in a school), and the incantatrix must choose an additional prohibited school or schools using the same rules as the Wizard class feature (although an incantatrix can never choose Transmutation as an opposed school). The incantatrix can never again learn spells from that prohibited school or schools. She can still use the prohibited spells she knew prior to becoming an incantatrix, including using items that are activated by spell completion or spell trigger. If the incantatrix already is a wizard specialized in Abjuration, she does not need to choose another prohibited school. A bard or sorcerer who becomes an incantatrix must still choose a prohibited school to gain the benefits of specialization. Alternatively, an Incantatrix may chose to focus in the Banishment or Counterspelling focused school instead.
Send Away (Ex): The incantatrix gains a +2 bonus to all dispel checks and caster level checks to harm, banish, or overcome the spell resistance of outsiders. This includes dispel checks to dispel a summon monster spell.
Bonus Metamagic Feat: At 1st, 5th, and 10th level, the incantatrix may select a bonus metamagic feat.
See Ethereal (Su): Once per day, an incantatrix of 3rd level or greater can see into the Ethereal Plane for a number of rounds equal to her class level. She can see ethereal creatures up to 60 feet away, although they appear gray and insubstantial (as objects on the Material Plane appear to ethereal creatures). This does not give her any additional ability to attack ethereal creatures, but she can utilize spells and effects that affect ethereal creatures (such as force effects and abjurations) normally, so she could cast a magic missile at an ethereal creature.
Strike Ethereal (Su): Beginning at 4th level, the incantatrix can alter her spells so they strike ethereal targets that she can see. Altering a spell in this way works similar to a sorcerer using a metamagic feat -- spells with a casting time of one action become full-round spells, and spells with a longer casting time take an extra full-round action to cast. The altered spell takes effect on the Ethereal Plane instead of the Material Plane.
Hardy Spirit (Su): At 6th level, the incantatrix becomes immune to death effects and energy drain attacks.
Instant Metamagic (Su): Once per day, the 7th-level incantatrix can use a single metamagic effect of any metamagic feat she knows on a spell without preparing it beforehand (if a wizard) or increasing its casting time (if a sorcerer or bard). The wizard's prepared spell works as if prepared with the metamagic feat except it uses the same spell slot. A sorcerer or bard's spell is cast without the adjustment to the casting time but works as if cast with the metamagic feat, using higher level spell slots. A 9th-level incantatrix can use this power twice per day.
Improved Metamagic (Su): At 8th level, the incantatrix has mastered metamagic to such an extent that whenever she uses a metamagic feat, the feat's level increase upon a spell is reduced by one (this can't reduce an increase to less than one level, or less than zero levels if the increase is already +0). For example, an incantatrix wizard could prepare a quickened fireball as a 6th-level spell instead of a 7th-level spell.
Drain Item (Sp): An incantatrix of 10th level can drain a charge from a charged magic item, using the magic to heal herself. If the item drained is a staff, the spell level is that of the lowest-level spell that uses a single charge. She gains 1d6 hit points per spell level of the charge drained. If the incantatrix has reached her maximum hit points, any additional hit points acquired are temporary hit points (maximum +20) that disappear after 10 minutes. An Incantatrix can drain a charge from a magic item held by another creature within 30 feet as a ray attack against the item. The attack bonus for this attack is equal to the incantatrix's primary casting ability modifier + her incantatrix level. A creature gets to make a Will save (DC 10) to prevent one of its held or carried items from being drained.
[smaller]Table: Incantatrix
Class Level, BAB, Fort, Ref, Will, Special, Spellcasting
1: +0, +0, +0, +2, Bonus Metamagic Feat, +1 level of existing class
2: +1, +0, +0, +3, Send Away, +1 level of existing class
3: +1, +1, +1, +3, See Ethereal, +1 level of existing class
4: +2, +1, +1, +4, Strike Ethereal, +1 level of existing class
5: +2, +1, +1, +4, Bonus Metamagic Feat, +1 level of existing class
6: +3, +2, +2, +5, Hardy Spirit, +1 level of existing class
7: +3, +2, +2, +5, Instant Metamagic 1/day, +1 level of existing class
8: +4, +2, +2, +6, Improved Metamagic, +1 level of existing class
9: +4, +3, +3, +6, Instant Metamagic 2/day, +1 level of existing class
10: +5, +3, +3, +7, Bonus Metamagic Feat . Drain Item, +1 level of existing class
So, there it is. What do ya'll think? If anyone can think of any better place to put this in the setting, let me know. As far as I know Magnimar doesn't have any magicky organizations, so I gave it one :)
Note that with requires 8 ranks in Knowledge [arcana] and Spellcraft this PrC can be taken only after reaching 9th level. If those are values from the original 3.0 class then you should reduce skill rank requirements by 3.
Bah, true, I completely spaced on that. So, yes, reduce skill rank requirement on all skill requirements by 3. Though, thinking about it, 4 ranks in spell craft and 5 ranks in arcana and planes would make the same amount of sense, no?
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Two thoughts;
1) I'd limit Improved Metamagic to a number of uses per day. Perhaps equal to one's Int or Cha modifier (whichever governs spellcasting) or a number of times per day equal to half of your Incantatrix level. Being able to Enlarge, Extend, Silence or Still every single spell you cast, all day long, seems like a bit much.
2) I'd tweak Hardy Spirit down to a +1 to saving throws vs. these effects (or to the Fort saves to prevent negative levels from becoming permanant) per Incantatrix level. By the time you get it (at 6th level) that would come out to a +6 bonus to saves vs. death affects and to prevent negative levels from becoming permanant, which is a pretty decent bonus. 'All or nothing' effects, such as total immunity to something, are a pet peeve of mine, and adding a good bonus instead, or a certain amount of 'resistance' (like the ability to ignore a number of negative levels per day equal to one's Con modifier or Wis modifier or something) is, IMO, a better mechanic than just handing out total immunities.
Note that is very much my own personal preference. The game itself hands out blanket immunities like candy, particularly as part of the Int 0 / mindless or Con 0 nonabilities or as part of Swarm immunities, rendering entire encounter types toothless and frustrating.
Two notes:
1) Pathfinder has no prohibited schools, but opposition schools. Was it intentional for the incantatrix to keep the prohibited school rules?
2) The saves should start at 0-0-1.
Very cool!
But I am also not sure the prohibited school thing works well--especially with the phrase "The incantatrix can never again learn spells from that prohibited school or schools."
Pathfinder wizards CAN learn spells from their opposition school, it's just that if you prepare the spell it occupies two slots. Not sure if that's adequate trade off -- and if you start restricting learning spells halfway through a character's career, that seems a bit odd.
Old school benefits are also VERY different from new school benefits, so it's important to consider that balance-wise.
You can wizards with the abjuration school already to stack their levels with incantatrix when determining the benefits granted by the school, but perhaps with some additional trade off (otherwise any abjurer would always want to take this class as it would be better than remaining an abjurer).
Not sure how to manage non-abjurers.
Dot.
(Quick thought before really thinking, though, perhaps tying some of the new Incantratrix' abilities to class abilities, thus it allows stacking with abjurer's stuff or non-abjurer's stuff, but doesn't just allow additional uses of X ability per day.)
I've thought more about the abjuration school thing and I think the following could work (this could also be what Tacticslion was saying as well, I'm not sure though):
Rather than give the abjuration school, pick one or two of the abjuration class features, such as Resistance and Protective Ward. Abjurers treat it as the class abilities they already have and their levels stack to determine their effects.
Non-abjurers just get the abilities just counting their PrC levels, but they don't have opposition schools to start with and don't have to choose ones when they take the PrC. (Other wizards might be screwed by this though.)
No one gets bonus spells to prepare per level--not even abjurers (you give that up when you take the class, but of course you keep your bonus spells from whatever wizard levels you have--or sorcerer bonus spells from your bloodline, etc.). But instead the PrC gives you a few extra spells known.
Hey Artemis; sorry it took me this long to get around to commenting on your Incantrix proper. ^-^
Like others suggested, I would make the following suggestions:
All in all, looks nice. I'd consider playing it myself, and I wouldn't have a problem with a PC playing with it as well. In fact, it's actually kind of attractive for blasters, since they get a good bit out of the -1 metamagic bit, IMHO (mostly considering Dazing spell).