Shadowcaster fixes by Mouseferatu
- Thread starter chaotix42
- Start date
Mouseferatu
Hero
I'll do you one better. I'll post the latest version, which has a few further tweaks from the one I posted a while back. It still needs playtesting, so I can't swear it's all going to work as written, but this where it stands now.
1) Charisma determines the DC to save against your mysteries. Intelligence determines the highest level mystery you can cast.
2) Grant bonus mysteries per day based on Charisma. These would work just like bonus spells. For instance, if your Cha is 14, you can cast one extra mystery of 1st-level equivalent and one of 2nd-level equivalent per day. (Note that each mystery does give an equivalent level, even though you don't learn them by level.)
3) Eliminate the rule that says you have to take mysteries in a given Path in order. If you want to jump around, so as to broaden your versatility, you can.
4) Within a category—Apprentice, Initiate, Master—you must have at least two mysteries of any given level before you can take any mysteries of the next higher level. For instance, you must have two 1st-level mysteries before you can take any 2nds, and at least two 2nds before you can take any 3rds.
5) Eliminate the rule that says you get a bonus feat equal to half the number of paths you have access to. Instead, you get a bonus feat equal to the total number of Paths you complete. Thus, while you are no longer required to take the entirety of a given Path, there's still encouragement to do so.
6) You may “swap out” mysteries, just as a sorcerer does spells known. If you “un-complete” a Path in this way, however, you lose access to the bonus feat you gained from completing that Path. (You can regain access by re-completing the Path, completing a different Path and choosing that feat as your new bonus, or selecting that feat as a normal feat at your next opportunity.)
7) Once your Apprentice Mysteries become supernatural abilities, change the save DC from 10 + equivalent spell level + Cha to 10 + 1/2 caster level + Cha. This makes them useful even against high-HD opponents, and follows the pattern for other supernatural abilities.
1) Charisma determines the DC to save against your mysteries. Intelligence determines the highest level mystery you can cast.
2) Grant bonus mysteries per day based on Charisma. These would work just like bonus spells. For instance, if your Cha is 14, you can cast one extra mystery of 1st-level equivalent and one of 2nd-level equivalent per day. (Note that each mystery does give an equivalent level, even though you don't learn them by level.)
3) Eliminate the rule that says you have to take mysteries in a given Path in order. If you want to jump around, so as to broaden your versatility, you can.
4) Within a category—Apprentice, Initiate, Master—you must have at least two mysteries of any given level before you can take any mysteries of the next higher level. For instance, you must have two 1st-level mysteries before you can take any 2nds, and at least two 2nds before you can take any 3rds.
5) Eliminate the rule that says you get a bonus feat equal to half the number of paths you have access to. Instead, you get a bonus feat equal to the total number of Paths you complete. Thus, while you are no longer required to take the entirety of a given Path, there's still encouragement to do so.
6) You may “swap out” mysteries, just as a sorcerer does spells known. If you “un-complete” a Path in this way, however, you lose access to the bonus feat you gained from completing that Path. (You can regain access by re-completing the Path, completing a different Path and choosing that feat as your new bonus, or selecting that feat as a normal feat at your next opportunity.)
7) Once your Apprentice Mysteries become supernatural abilities, change the save DC from 10 + equivalent spell level + Cha to 10 + 1/2 caster level + Cha. This makes them useful even against high-HD opponents, and follows the pattern for other supernatural abilities.
Last edited:
Aus_Snow
First Post
Well, this is timely. 
I was going to used the previous version of your update, which I'd saved, only today. My first Shadowcaster in any campaign, though an NPC in this case. Probably a Noctumancer, actually.
Any particular advice concerning that PrC? If not, I'm sure it'll be fine.
I was going to used the previous version of your update, which I'd saved, only today. My first Shadowcaster in any campaign, though an NPC in this case. Probably a Noctumancer, actually.
Any particular advice concerning that PrC? If not, I'm sure it'll be fine.
Nifft
Penguin Herder
Charisma, hmmm. Not sure I like that change. Intelligence is IMHO the strongest casting stat, and thus made up (a bit) for the weakness of the Shadowcaster's actual magic.
Charisma is the weakest single stat, and split-stat casting is weakest of all. (Sure, it could be worse -- it could be a split between Charisma and Wisdom -- but still, yurk!)
Hmm, -- N
Charisma is the weakest single stat, and split-stat casting is weakest of all. (Sure, it could be worse -- it could be a split between Charisma and Wisdom -- but still, yurk!)
Hmm, -- N
Mouseferatu
Hero
Nifft said:
Well, the shadowcaster's casting has always been both Int- and Cha-based, and the MAD used to be a lot more problematic before this latest round of changes. By basing both bonus mysteries and DC on one stat, it makes it easier for a shadowcaster to be effective at higher levels. I kept the INT requirement for highest level of mysteries known because I wanted to keep INT involved to at least some extent.
I felt that making Int the primary casting stat might actually be too much, but if people want to swap the two--make Int responsible for DC and bonus mysteries, and Cha responsible for max level of mysteries known--I'd certainly be interested in hearing how it went.
Thomas Percy
First Post
Wyktor - I will gladly see Your playtesting notes.
Graf
Explorer
This post probably identifies me as a twink, but I actually decided not to play a Shadowcaster because the last version still had the bonus spells from Int/DC from Cha split.
You basically had to pick between having a decent DC or having some sort of flexibility in terms of bonus mysteries. I.e. between not getting bonus mysteries (no veristility) or having mysteries where the DC meant that they weren’t likely to work.
I still think the class needs some sort of 3.5 psion like overhaul (more mysteries, etc) but I’m glad to see that the Mouse is still on the case.
You basically had to pick between having a decent DC or having some sort of flexibility in terms of bonus mysteries. I.e. between not getting bonus mysteries (no veristility) or having mysteries where the DC meant that they weren’t likely to work.
I still think the class needs some sort of 3.5 psion like overhaul (more mysteries, etc) but I’m glad to see that the Mouse is still on the case.
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