If you could have 7 idealized, perfect (and balanced) classes, what abilities would they have and what would they be like?
I'd want to have a perfect fighter-type, priest-type, wizard, rogue, oracle/sorcerer, monk/brawler, and barbarian/ranger.
My ideal stuff?:
My ideal fighter would be able to use most weapons at low levels, and all weapons at higher levels. They would be masters of martial skills and be excellent intimidators and viable face-types. They would not be dependent on out-of-class feats for their combat ability. They'd have the option, but not the mechanical necessity, to specialize. They could either get a signature weapon, or be good with literally everything. Regardless, they would be able to perform tricks with their weapons that no other class could. At high levels, they'd be able to hack magic to pieces, do hulk-like leaps, or run a hundred miles without tiring.
The priest-type would probably be a conduit of their deity's will. They would probably have a few at-will powers, but also be able to pull out massive buffs at times. Spellcasting would probably be some sort of re-preparable Vancian or Arcanist-style casting, so you could perform a certain type of divine magic, or ask your deity to give you a different once since their previous gift is going to waste. Perhaps they'd have abilities similar to Oracle mysteries. If one selected the healing (mystery? domain?), they would be able to heal practically at-will. If they selected the nature (thing?), they'd be able to speak to animals and turn into giant beasts. Each domain would act more like an archetype than a single class feature. At high levels, they'd be like regular high-level Clerics and Druids, except more deity/domain-focused. Mechanically, there would be fewer mid to high-level slots and more class-granted powers.
The wizard would be a wizard. Perhaps they would have slower magic, but whenever they used magic, it would significantly alter the battlefield. Vancian magic would certainly work for this. At lower levels, maybe more non-exhaustable magic or some way to be Gandalf when you don't have spells. At higher levels, they'd be like regular Wizards, sans snowcone wish machines, and perhaps fewer low-level slots. Overall, they'd probably look pretty similar to how they look now, except with slower spells, fewer spells at high levels, and more usable low-level abilities.
The rogue type would be part rogue, part ranger, part bard, and be coated in trickiness. They would be the best at whatever skill they chose to focus on, and would be able to focus on a bunch. They would be significantly better than a wizard using a spell effect to duplicate one of their abilities. If you wanted a job done decently, you would call a wizard. If you wanted a job done perfectly, you would call a rogue. In combat, they would be mobile skirmishers who could strike hard, then melt away, literally disappear, or evade your attacks. At high levels, they would be able to find people hidden from sight, sound, and magic, escape rooms with no doors and spells with no saves, leap up to (or from) high towers without taking a scratch, and kill people so thoroughly you would need Pharasma's direct intervention to bring them back.
The oracle/sorcerer type would be a font of pure magical power. Almost all their abilities would be unlimited-use and quick to use. As they grew in power, they would more closely resemble the source of their powers, and would acquire resistances and physical traits (claws? fangs? regeneration?) as such. I'm somewhat happy with the actual Oracle's mystery and revelations deal. I'd model them more like a 6-level caster, with some sort of cooldown time for spells, with the ability to bust out higher-level spells (of the equivalent wizard level) once or twice a day.
The monk/brawler would be a monk, except with the option to wear armor (as some real monks have). I'd put them halfway between my description of a rogue's combat ability and a fighter's. Maybe they could flurry as a standard action? They'd be skirmishers, but also weaponmasters. They would be incredible improvisers (Jackie Chan+room of furniture). Skill-wise, they would be good negotiators, diplomats, philosophers, and scholars. At low levels, they'd be fast and agile, at high levels, they'd be the fastest and most agile things on the planet, so much so that they can practically (literally?) fly. But instead of fending off harmful effects, they would ignore them entirely, and by high levels, be practically (or actually?) immune to harmful effects and spells.
The barbarian/ranger would be a sort of wild man. Instead of being a weaponmaster and trained combatant like the Fighter, they would fight with anything on hand, whether it is a battleaxe, chair, or pair of (still-alive) gnome-chucks. In combat, they would hit like a Fighter, be easier to hit, but be able to take more hits in return. While the regular Ranger class is great, Favored Enemy is very hit-and-miss depending on the campaign. It would be awesome if the character could acclimate to different parts of the world, different terrains, and sort of claim it as their own. Maybe a way to acclimate to a favored terrain over the course of a day or a few hours. At low levels, they would be staunch defenders of whatever land they chose, at high levels, they would turn giant and green and beat Thor into a pulp.
I wonder if a wizard could work where they start off as they do now - but every level they get a 1st level spell slot - but to cast higher level spells (same progression as now for access to the 'level') they have to combine 1st level slots for the higher level one.
So a 5th level wizard would have 5 first level spell slots - but to use a 3rd level spell 3 of them would need to be used for that spell.
Perhaps a bit too limiting... I dunno - but a play on the entire mem/cast theme that let a wizard have lots of lower level magic or some awesomely powerful options but never both...
I would like a new class that was a melee/magic hybrid that operated like the Shadowknight from Everquest or the Reaver from Dark Age of Camelot MMORPGs. A class that does melee damage and returns a portion of the damage dealt back to the player as health. The class can also cast life drain spells for the same effect.
There is a gaping hole in the "fantasy tropes" for Pathfinder classes that does not include a life drain melee class. I would love to see that addressed.
I wonder if a wizard could work where they start off as they do now - but every level they get a 1st level spell slot - but to cast higher level spells (same progression as now for access to the 'level') they have to combine 1st level slots for the higher level one.
So a 5th level wizard would have 5 first level spell slots - but to use a 3rd level spell 3 of them would need to be used for that spell.
Perhaps a bit too limiting... I dunno - but a play on the entire mem/cast theme that let a wizard have lots of lower level magic or some awesomely powerful options but never both...
So linear instead of quadratic spellcasting advancement?
I wonder if a wizard could work where they start off as they do now - but every level they get a 1st level spell slot - but to cast higher level spells (same progression as now for access to the 'level') they have to combine 1st level slots for the higher level one.
So a 5th level wizard would have 5 first level spell slots - but to use a 3rd level spell 3 of them would need to be used for that spell.
Perhaps a bit too limiting... I dunno - but a play on the entire mem/cast theme that let a wizard have lots of lower level magic or some awesomely powerful options but never both...
That's the basic idea behind most system's magic points/magic point costs. My favorite Vancian implementation is using a smaller pool of slots that refresh easier. It's hard to convert the exact system to Pathfinder (it's Thiesm in RuneQuest 6), because the number of spell slots compared to the amount of magic power a character has depends on their rank withing the religion. They also have to learn spells before gaining the spell slots, and can cast any spell the have prepared using their limited spell slots. There is only the equivalent of 3 levels of spells in the system, but it could be expanded. Here's roughly what it would look like:
At 1st level a wizard can study his spellbook when out of combat and in an environment he can concentrate in, normally his home in his study. He prepares a number of spells he is capable of casting equal to his Intelligence modifier + his level, and gains a number of 1st level spell slots equal to 1/8 his Intelligence rounded down. These spells remain prepared until the wizard is able to research from his spellbook again. The assumption for an adventuring wizard being that studying spells require a library or some other research center, or temporary study material that is consumed when used (functioning like a scroll, so it can be used at climatic times to prepare spells a few times per day but normally it requires returning to a settlement).
At 3rd level, the wizard can prepare 2nd level spells. To prepare a 2nd level spell, it costs 2 1st level spell slots. At 5th level and every 2 levels beyond the maximum spell level he can prepare increases by 1 and cost one more 1st level spell slot to prepare.
At 3rd level, a wizard can prepare 1/4 his Intelligence ability score as spell slots. At 8th level this increases to 1/2, at 14th level this increases to 3/4. At 20th level a wizard can prepare a number of spell slots equal to his Intelligence score.
There is a gaping hole in the "fantasy tropes" for Pathfinder classes that does not include a life drain melee class. I would love to see that addressed.
Like this?:
Death Knight BAB full; Fort Good; Ref Bad; Will Bad
Proficiencies: Full, as the fighter
HD d10; Skills: As the fighter
Key Class Abilities:
Consume Death: At 5th level, you can steal the life energy from a creature's passing. Whenever you confirm a critical hit in melee or kill a creature in melee, you heal 1d8 hit points. At 10th level, and every 5 levels thereafter, this amount increases by an additional 1d8 hit points, to a maximum of 4d8 at 20th level.
Absorb Pain: At 10th level, your pain stimulates you to greater achievements. Up to a number of times per day equal to your Charisma modifier, when you fail a Fortitude or Reflex save, your Strength and Constitution increase by 4 for 3 rounds. This grants you temporary hit points, as the barbarian's rage ability. You can choose whether or not to activate this ability when you fail a save.
Retribution: At 15th level, when you take damage in melee, you can use an attack of opportunity to make a counterattack as an immediate action. You can only attempt this counterattack a number of times per day equal to your Charisma modifier. You must make an attack roll, except that you treat the die as though it landed on a number one higher. This allows you to roll "natural 21s". These function as a natural 20.
Living Death: At 20th level, dealing out death revitalizes you. A number of rounds per day equal to your Charisma score, you can activate this ability. Whenever you deal melee damage while this ability is active, you heal yourself of 1/2 the damage your deal.
Secondary Class Abilities: The fighter's secondary class abilities; bravery, bonus feats, and armor training. In addition, a Death Knight treats 1/2 their level as fighter levels for the purpose of qualifying for feats.
As for wizards, I once tried to work out a point-based system. You gain spells known as per a sorcerer, have school powers as per a wizard, and casting a spell costs a number of points from your spell pool equal to the spell's level. I never playtested this, but if someone wants to try, feedback would be lovely.
This is roughly balanced so that, as has been mentioned, you can pour out several 9th level spells and be terrifying, or you can choose to use many many 1st level spells. Interesting calculations I never looked at either: are 7 meteor swarms or 63 magic missiles more powerful?
It would be so awesome if PF used power points (ala psionics) instead of slot-based casting. To really work, though, such a system would need to rewrite the spells themselves, not just convert discrete slots to an amorphous point pool. DSP's psionics do it very well, with low-level powers being augmentable by pouring more PPs into them. It sucks that so many low-level PF spells fall to the wayside as you level up, because they stop scaling.
There is a gaping hole in the "fantasy tropes" for Pathfinder classes that does not include a life drain melee class. I would love to see that addressed.
** spoiler omitted **...
Where is that listed? If it had a spell list that had life drain/necromancy spells it would be great.
I really always like Ars Magica's spell system. Very flexible, great for improvisation while guided by a strong ruleset. But it wouldn't help answer the question here as to balance.
@Grond: Oh. Should've mentioned this, but I just made that up. If you would particularly like the spells, drop bravery and bonus feats. Instead, you'll be able to cast spells exactly like an antipaladin. Please also note that since I am improvising all of this, none of it has been playtested, and some editing is likely to be required.
Example thing I just thought of as I'm writing this: you really should be casting arcane spells and not divine spells, and therefore will also gain the magus abilities to cast arcane spells in progressively heavy armors. However, being a more melee-oriented class, you'll gain spell proficiency with medium armor 1 level earlier than normal (6th), and spell proficiency with heavy armor 2 levels earlier than normal (11th).
@hiiamtom: Thanks for the reference! I hadn't thought of changing the cost of different levels of spells. I'll have to poke around on that system some more, and see what other goodies they have.
@Ethereal Gears: Are you suggesting a more fleshed-out version of Words of Power? Because if so, I have a rudimentary concept, but it would require a very good GM to ever work, so I haven't developed it. Suggestions/editions are welcome! Summary follows:
On-the-fly Spell Creation Thoughts:
Basically, this assumes that string theory works for magic. There are magical little threads that you can learn to weave around and create spells. Wizards and sorcerers and whatnot learn certain actions and words that manipulate these, and that's all well and good, but you could also manipulate them directly.
So you have some amount of thread per day and a set of 'elements'. Let's say 30 feet per day, and the 'elements' fire, force, and light. You can then draw lines and vectors, up to your thread per day limit, and imbue them with the elements to create different effects.
Examples:
I want to create a light, but am not allowed to use the light spell. Instead, I use 5 feet of my thread per day to create two intersecting circles, infused with light. Somehow a duration is calculated, and the sphere that the circles outline is create as a glowing ball of light. If I infused them with fire, I would still get light (albeit dimmer), but also heat, and could potentially deal fire damage with the ball.
I want to use magic missile, but we're not using real spells. Instead, I use 5 feet of my thread per day to create a line and imbue it with force. This represents my dart. Then I create a vector from my dart to my target, using, say, 20 feet of my thread per day. When I'm done designing the spell, the force dart moves along the vector and strikes my target. Damage would have to be decided on the spot.
That's the basic concept. I haven't really worked out much of the rules behind how it would work, but maybe this is enough to get you started, if you're interested!
@My Self: I finally got most of the way through the initial post, which is something I should probably finish. Anyway, for your monk/brawler, a really powerful ability you could give them is the ability to move up to their speed as an immediate action some number of days. (Perhaps take away the monk's fast movement, but give one use of this ability each time fast movement would increase?) This also gives them a lot of power to dodge around/otherwise ignore harmful spells and area-of-effect attacks. Actually, in terms of balancing, this would make it a lot easier to add in armor proficiency since they wouldn't need evasion or improved evasion, and you could feasibly trade in armor proficiency for their new replacement ability.
I seem to really like trying to homebrew all your ideas - please let me know if you'd like me to stop! That might not be the purpose of the thread, and I wouldn't want to derail it if you all would rather have a conceptual discussion.
I wanted an interesting conversation, you guys provided one. Whether it was directly relevant to the original post doesn't really matter. Oh, and I'd love to see what you make if you homebrew it.
1. A mobile skirmisher
2. A tanky defender
3. A support buffer & healer
4. A utilitarian versatile magic-user (skill/knowledge based)
5. A dedicated focused magic-user (talent based)
6. A debuffer, counterspeller, undoer
7. A shapechanger (trickster and/or nature and/or alchemical)
With lots of multiclassing allowed to represent other options.
I dunno if I could limit it to 7, but I could probably get 12.
basically a d10/3level, d8/6level, d6/9level caster for each of say divine, arcane, and psionic. Probably make all the divines wis casters, the arcanes int casters, and the psionics cha casters. Possibly swapping int and cha for arcane psionic. Also would like to limit say divines to prepared/arcanist casting (prayer books), arcanes to spontaneous, and psionics to power points.
Aside from the casters there'd be ~three martial types, each exemplifying Str, Dex, or Con. So something along the lines of slayer, swashbuckler, and barbarian.
Not sure how to include alchemicals in this thought-experiment except maybe as archetypes. Or monks for that matter.
I would use arcanist-style casting, with the option to choose your casting stat, and possibly a list of possible spell lists. I think the dichotomy between arcane and divine is (or can be and should be) false.
Here are two, somewhat worked out. Comments are welcome!
1) My Self's Ideal Fighter
Based on Fighter/Cavalier, with something akin to Barbarian rage powers for various quirks, and some combat feat flexibility.
Martial Master:
Prompt: My ideal fighter would be able to use most weapons at low levels, and all weapons at higher levels. They would be masters of martial skills and be excellent intimidators and viable face-types. They would not be dependent on out-of-class feats for their combat ability. They'd have the option, but not the mechanical necessity, to specialize. They could either get a signature weapon, or be good with literally everything. Regardless, they would be able to perform tricks with their weapons that no other class could. At high levels, they'd be able to hack magic to pieces, do hulk-like leaps, or run a hundred miles without tiring
Martial Master (My Self's Ideal Fighter)
HD: d10
Full BAB, Good Fort, Good Ref, Bad Will
Skills: 2 + Intmod; Acrobatics, Climb, Craft, Diplomacy, Handle Animal, Intimidate, Knowledge (dungeoneering, engineering), Profession, Ride, Sense Motive, Swim
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A Martial Master is proficient with simple and martial weapons, all armors, and all shields (including tower shields). When wielding an exotic weapon, they quickly learn how to use it. Their first attack takes the full nonprofiency penalty (-4), their second takes half this penalty (-2), and their third takes 1/4 this penalty (-1). On their fourth attack with a given type of exotic weapon, a Martial Master gains temporary proficiency with it, and can wield other weapons of that type without penalty. This temporary proficiency lasts for the duration the weapon is wielded and for one day per level thereafter, after which the Martial Master must relearn how to use that type of weapon.
Challenge (Ex): Once per day, a Martial Master can challenge a foe to combat. As a swift action, the Martial Master chooses one target within sight to challenge. The Martial Master's melee attacks deal extra damage whenever the attacks are made against the target of his challenge. This extra damage is equal to the Martial Master's level. The Martial Master can use this ability once per day at 1st level, plus one additional time per day for every three levels beyond 1st, to a maximum of seven times per day at 19th level.
Challenging a foe requires much of the Martial Master's concentration. The Martial Master takes a -2 penalty to his Armor Class, except against attacks made by the target of his challenge.
The challenge remains in effect until the target is dead of unconscious, or until the combat ends.
Martial Training (Ex): A Martial Master counts as a fighter of his level for any abilities dependent on class levels.
Bravery (Ex): Starting at 2nd level, a Martial Master gains a +1 bonus on Will saves against fear. This bonus increases by +1 for every four levels beyond 2nd.
Challenge Ability (Ex): As a Martial Master gains level, he learns to use his focus in new ways. Starting at 2nd level, a Martial Master gains a challenge ability. He gains another challenge ability for every two levels of Martial Master attained after 2nd level. A Martial Master gains the benefits of challenge abilities only during a challenge, and osme of these abilities require the Martial Master to take an action first. Unless otherwise noted, a Martial Master cannot select an individual power more than once.
Clear Mind: A Martial Master may reroll a failed Will save. This ability is used as an immediate action after the first save is attempted, but before the results are revealed by the GM. The Martial Master must take the second result, even if it is worse. A Martial Master must be at least 8th level before selecting this ability. This ability can only be used once per challenge.
Guarded Stance: The Martial Master gains a +1 dodge bonus to his Armor Class agianst melee attacks for a number of rounds equal to the Martial Master's Constitution modifier (minimum 1). This bonus increases by +1 for every 6 levels the Martial Master has attained. Activating this ability is a move action that does not provoke an attack of opportunity.
Internal Fortitude: During a challenge, the Martial Master is immune to the sickened and nauseated conditions. A Martial Master must be at least 8th level before selecting this challenge ability.
Intimidating Glare: The Martial Master can make an Intimidate check against the target of his challenge so long as they are within 30 feet of each other. If the Martial Master successfully demoralizes the target, the target is shaken for 1d4 rounds + 1 round for every 5 points by which the Martial Master's check exceeds the DC.
(the following barbarian powers from the Core Rulebook are also included: knockback, mighty swing, no escape, powerful blow, quick reflexes, raging climber, ranging leaper, raging swimer, renewed vigor, rollind dodge, strength surge, superstition, surprise accuracy, and unexpected strike. Offensive abilities should only affect the target of the challenge. Other special abilities, including the quoted examples from the prompt "hack magic to pieces, do hulk-like leaps, or run a hundred miles without tiring" should also be included as challenge abilities)
Armor Training (Ex): Starting at 3rd level, a Martial Master learns to be more maneuverable while wearing armor. Whenever he is wearing armor, he reduces the armor check penalty by 1 (to a minimum of 0) and increases the maximum Dexterity bonus allowed by his armor by 1. Ever four levels therafter (7th, 11th, and 15th), these bonuses increase by +1 each time, to a maximum -4 reduction of the armor check penalty and a +4 increase of the maximum Dexterity bonus allowed.
Weapon Training (Ex): Starting at 5th level, a Martial Master can select any fighter group of weapons. Whenever he attacks with a weapon from this group, he gains a +1 bonus on attack and damage rolls. Every four levels thereafter (9th, 13th, and 17th), a fighter becomes further trained in another group of weapons. He gains a +1 bonus on attack and damage rolls when using a weapon from this group. In addition, he increases the bonus granted by one group (including the one just selected, if so desired) by +1. Bonuses granted from overlapping group do not stack. Take the highest bonus granted for a weapon if it resides in two or more groups.
Theoretical Master (Ex): At 6th level, a Martial Master begins to study combat techniques as an academic exercise. Select two combat feats - you are considered to have those feats for the purpose of qualifying for additional feats. While you do not gain the effects of these feats, you do gain effects that are overriden by later feats when you take those feats. (Taking Improved Disarm after learning Combat Expertise with this ability would not let you use Combat Expertise, but taking Greater Disarm after learning Improved Disarm with this ability would still give youa +4 bonus on disarm maneuvers.
At 12th level, and again at 18th level, you can select two additional feats. If at any point you select a feat you currently have with this ability, you can choose to lose that feat, learn it with this ability, and select a different feat instead. This new feat must be a combat feat that you qualify for, that includes the newly learned feat as a prerequisite.
The two learned feats are learned as separate actions. This means that, if you had taken Combat Expertise, you could learn Combat Expertise and instead take Improved Disarm, and then learn Improved Disarm and instead take Greater Disarm.
Armor Mastery (Ex): At 19th level, a Martial Master gains DR 5/- whenever he is wearing armor or using a shield.
Weapon Mastery (Ex): At 20th level, a Martial Master chooses one weapon, such as the longsword, greataxe, or longbow. Any attacks made with that weapon automatically confirm all critical threats and ahve their damage multiplier increased by 1 (x2 becomes x3, for ecample). In addition, he cannot be disarmed while wielding a weapon of this type.
2) SmiloDan's Debuffer, Counterspeller, and Undoer
I avoided giving spells for this one, because spell lists are really hard to balance. Unfortunate consequence of increased homebrew - this class probably needs some weakening. Some similarities to Magus and Cleric, along with a limited selection of Witch hexes.
Antimagician:
Antimagician (SmiloDan's Debuffer, Counterspeller, Undoer)
HD: d8
Slow BAB, Bad Fort, Good Ref, Good Will
Skills: 4 + Intmod; Appraise, Bluff, Craft, Disable Device, Intimidate, Knowledge (arcana, dungeoneering, local, nature, planes, religion), Profession, Sense Motive, Spellcraft, Use Magic Device
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: An Antimagician is proficient with all simple weapons, and light and medium armor. She is not proficient with shields.
Mundane Pool (Ex): An Antimagician harbors within them an innate pool of normalcy. At 1st level, this pool has a number of points equal to their Intelligence modifier + 3 (minimum 1). At 3rd level, and every two levels thereafter, this pool increases in size by 1. This pool refreshes after 8 hours of rest. Feats that affect a magus' arcane pool (such as Extra Arcane Pool) also affect an Antimagician's mundane pool.
Smite (Su): At 1st level, an Antimagician learns how to use their inner energies to destroy heroism or villainy. By spending 1 point from their mundane pool as an immediate action, they can grant a single creature within 30 feet a -2 penalty on any single d20 roll they are currently making. This provokes attacks of opportunity as a spell would. An Antimagician may need to make a concentration check, in which case smite functions as a 1st level spell.
Blot Life (Su): An Antimagician can push the world towards the stillness of death. Using this ability is a standard action that does not provoke attacks of opportunity, and costs 1 point from the Antimmagician's mundane pool. This creates a burst that affects all creatures in a 30-foot radius centered on the Antimagician. All creatures take 1d6 points of damage, plus 1d6 points of damage for every two Antimagician levels beyond 1st (2d6 at 3rd, 3d6 at 5th, and so on). Affected creatures are allowed a Will save to halve the damage (DC = 10 + 1/2 Antimagician level + Intelligence modifier). An Antimagician may blot life a number of times per day equal to 3 + her Charisma modifier. While an Antimagician cannot choose to exclude herself from this effect, like a cleric channeling energy can, an Antimagician is always considered to have made her Will save to halve the damage.
Remove Bonus (Su): At 2nd level, an Antimagician can force other creatures to act as though they were merely ordinary. Using this ability is a move-equivalent action that costs 1 point from her mundane pool, and targets a single creature within 30 feet. That creature must make a Will save (DC = 10 + 1/2 Antimagician's level + her Intelligence modifier), or lose a single bonus. Bonuses from physical sources, like armor, cannot be removed, but deflection bonuses to AC, enhancement bonuses on weapons or armor, most bonuses from spells, and some miscellaneous bonuses on skills can be removed. If a bonus is greater than the Antimagician's level, it cannot be removed. For permanent bonuses, or bonuses lasting more rounds than the Antimagician's level, this merely suppresses the bonus for a number of rounds equal to the Antimagician's level. The Antimagician can choose which bonus the creature loses. Consult your GM if you are unsure whether or not a bonus qualifies for this ability.
Combat Counterspell (Su): At 3rd level, an Antimagician becomes a master of undoing magic. She can choose to ready an action to counterspell a spell, even though she cannot cast spells herself. This costs 1 point from her mundane pool. She must still make the Spellcraft check to identify the spell being cast, and if she does so correctly, can attempt to counterspell it as though she had cast dispel magic, using her Antimagician level as her caster level.
By spending a number of points from her mundane pool equal to the spell's level, an Antimagician can instead counterspell as an immediate action. She still must identify the spell and make the dispel check.
Hex (Su): At 4th level, and every 4 levels thereafter, an Antimagician can select a witch's hex to learn. She treats her witch level as 1/2 her Antimagician level for the purpose of qualifying for hexes.
Steal Bonus (Su): At 5th level, when using her Remove Bonus ability, an Antimagician can choose to apply the removed bonus to herself. This halves the duration that the bonus is removed. At 9th level, the duration is not halved when stealing a bonus.
Rewind Time (Su): At 6th level, an Antimagician can spend 1 point from her mundane pool to rewind time as an immediate action. This forces any one creature to reroll a single d20. Any bonuses or penalties from the previous attempt still apply, and the Antimagician cannot use her smite ability on this second roll. The creature must take the second result. The Antimagician can use this ability once per day at 6th level, and one additional time for every 6 levels thereafter (twice at 12th level, and thrice at 18th level).
Improved Combat Counterspell (Su): At 7th level, an Antimagician's Combat Counterspell ability now functions as though she were using greater dispel magic.
Improved Smite (Su): At 10th level, an Antimagician is even more capable of undoing creature's aptitudes. When using her smite ability, it now grants a -4 penalty, instead of the -2 penalty.
Transfer Bonus (Su): At 11th level, when using her Remove Bonus ability, an Antimagician can choose to apply the removed bonus to an ally within 30 feet. This halves the duration that the bonus is removed. At 15th level, the duration is no longer halved when transferring a bonus to an ally.
Normalizing Aura (Su): At 13th level, an Antimagician can exude an aura of normalcy. This aura has a radius of 30 feet. Any creature in the aura may make a Will save to resist its effects (DC = 10 + 1/2 the Antimagician's level + her Intelligence modifier). If they fail, then for the duration that they are in the aura, all d20 rolls are shifted towards 10. That is, any d20 roll of 11 or above is decreased by one, and any d20 roll of 9 or below is increased by one. This affects the natural roll of the die. An Antimagician can sustain this aura for a number of rounds per day equal to her Antimagician level. These rounds do not need to be consecutive.
At 17th level, and again at 19th level, this ability strengthens by 1 (at 17th level, dice rolls are shifted by 2, and by 3 at 19th level). This ability cannot shift a die roll beyond 10.
Stalwart (Ex): At 14th level, an Antimagician can use mental and physical resiliency to avoid certain attacks. If she makes a Fortitude or Will saving throw against an attack that has a reduced effect on a successful save, she instead avoids the effect entirely. This ability can only be used if the Antimagician is wearing light armor, medium armor, or no armor. A helpless Antimagician does not gain the benefit of the stalwart ability.
Reverse Bonus (Su): At 18th level, by spending 2 points from her mundane pool, an Antimagician can reverse a creature's bonus. This functions as her Remove Bonus ability, except that the target creature takes a penalty equal in magnitude to their bonus for the duration. They are still allowed a Will save to resist. For example, an Antimagician could reverse a wizard's protection from spells spell, causing him to take a -8 penalty on saves against spells for the duration of the spell or 18 rounds, whichever is shorter.
Ultimate Counterspell (Su): At 20th level, when counterspelling as an immediate action, an Antimagician need only spend a number of points from her mundane pool equal to 1/2 the spell's level. In addition, when she uses her smite ability, she can attempt to dispel one magical effect from that creature, as per dispel magic.
My choices would be entirely different for kitchen sink high fantasy, early low fantasy, late low fantasy, and coherent high fantasy.
For kitchen sink I'd get rid of non-casters entirely. Maybe allow an alchemist based class but even he would get the option to pick up the ability to prepare real spells through discoveries.
For early low fantasy I'd get rid of evocation and conjuring (except healing) and the classes centered around them. Maybe keep something bard-like or skald-like as the only caster, or possibly that and a paladinoid and make the other classes things like a monk/swashbuckler based acrobatic fighter, a samurai/cavalier/fighter archetype based armored fighter, and a base class Battle Herald, and a rogue with 4 level alchemy.
For late low fantasy something like a de-supernaturalized mix of the Paizo alchemist and the gunslinger would make a good adventuring grenadier. The Bard/Skald is of an earlier era and gets dropped. Something based on occult themes would be brought in, but I'm not familiar enough with the occult classes to say what it would look like, but this is the right era for "gothic" horror. And guns are everywhere and metal armor stops them
For coherent high fantasy pick a power source, make 4/6/9 level versions of it (or 4/9/9+hex) and one or two martial and/or skill classes. Or maybe two opposed power sources that fit together in a unified theme like the Pattern and Logrus but with different mechanics (not so much like the Pattern and Logrus)
