Gez
First Post
I've had several ideas -- not all of them new, of course -- about arcane spellcaster (primarily wizards and sorcerers, but there will eventually be stuff for bards and maybe even wu-jens), and I'll post them in this thread.
Since I have routing problems that sometimes prevent me from reaching EN World, I may be forced to reply there rather than here.
But I'll reply to all suggestions.
So, for a start, let me introduce first...
The Wizard's Staff
It's a handy item any wizard may create past 6th level.
The following staff capacities may only be used by the wizard who crafted it.
Cantrip: A wizard's staff may be used to cast a cantrip at will. The cantrip must be known at creation time, and can't be changed thereafter.
Spell Storage: A wizard's staff may be used as a spellbook. Upon casting a spell (either from a prepared slot, or from a spell completion item like a scroll), the wizard can touch his staff and imbue it with the spell. Storing a spell in the staff costs 10 XP per spell level, but do not requires expensive focus, material components, or the expense of an XP cost associated with the spell. The staff may store up to four spells plus one spell per caster level.
Spell Preparation: By clutching his staff, a wizard may prepare spells from it as if it was a spellbook. The spells that are prepared must be stored within the staff. Preparing spells this way requires only contact with the staff and mental concentration, no light is required. It is possible to prepare spells from the staff and from another source, such as a book. Preparing a spell don't expend it from the storage.
Spellcasting: As a full-round action, a wizard wielding his staff may nigh instantly prepare and cast a spell that is stored within. Doing so requires a full round action (or one more round than the normal casting time, if casting time is greater than 1 action), and the expenditure of any XP cost associated with the spell. Expensive material components (more than 1 GP) and focus (more than 20 GP) must be provided, but the staff otherwise works as a focus removing the need for lesser material components and focus. Casting a spell that way requires an empty spell slot of appropriate level, which is used for the rapid preparation and casting, and erase the spell from the staff (it is no longer stored).
Staff Power: Upon casting a spell, a wizard may get energy from the staff to increase the spell's potency. This requires draining the staff of one stored spell of the same level as the spell being cast (thus erasing it as if it had been cast). This increase the save DC and caster level of the casted spell by 2.
Spell-Resistance: When subjected to the effects of a spell, a wizard holding his staff may, as a free action, expend stored spells to get a SR against that spell equal to the sum of the expended spell levels (cantrips count as being level 1/2). This SR stacks with a possible already existing SR.
Invigorate: A wizard clutching his staff with both hands may, as a full-round action, expend stored spells to cure a number of hit points equal to the sum of expended spell levels (cantrips count as level 1/2).
A typical wizard staff has a hardness of 12, 50 hit points, and a break DC of 30. It can be used in combat as a quarterstaff appropriately sized. It costs 1000 GP, 80 XP, and one day to create. The staff being attuned to the wizard having created it, in nigh similar way to a familiar, if the staff is broken, the wizard lose 120 XP. If the staff is stolen or lost (in fact, if the wizard cannot get ahold of his staff for more than a week), then the bond is broken, and 120 XP are lost while the staff lose all magical properties. A wizard cannot have more than one staff (if a staff is stolen, he has to recover it or wait for it to be unbound before being able to craft a new one).
A wizard whose staff is stolen suffers a -5 penalty to Bluff, Gather Information, Intimidate, and Sense Motive rolls made against the current staff wielder, and is denied his Will saving throws against Enchantment spells cast at him by the current staff wielder. (However, this don't affect SR.)
Staff Feats
Staff feats are feats available only to wizards of level 6 or higher. Contrarily to normal feats, staff feats are supernatural in nature. Using a staff feat requires to have a wizard's staff, as defined above. This is not a prerequisite to acquire the feat, no more than possessing a sword is a prerequisite to acquire Weapon Focus: Sword; but in the same way, it's quite dumb to take these feats if you don't intend on having a wizard's stadd. A wizard may acquire staff feats through his class granted bonus feats, at level 10, 15, or 20.
Arcane Smite [Staff]
You can unleash the magical energies of your staff for potent strikes against enemies.
Prerequisites: Spellcraft 10+ ranks, BAB 5+.
Benefit: Once per day, you may make a smite attack with your staff. You add your Int bonus to your attack roll, and your caster level to your damage roll. This added damage is a Force effect. Even if your staff hasn't been enhanced through the Craft Arms and Armor feat, it then count as a magic weapon for purpose of circumventing damage reduction.
Arcane Trait [Staff]
You may hurl bolts of arcane energy against enemies.
Prerequisites: Arcane Smite, Knowledge [Arcana] 12+ ranks, Spellcraft 10+ ranks, BAB 5+.
Benefit: Rather than a melee smite attack, you may make a remote smite attack with your staff. You add your Int bonus to your attack roll, and your caster level to your damage roll. You can use it either at Close range (gaining an additional +5 bonus to your attack and damage rolls), at Medium range (gaining an additional +5 bonus to your damage roll, but not to your attack roll), or at Long range (not gaining additional bonuses). Damage inflicted is raw magic damage. This is a Force effect.
Extra Arcane Smiting [Staff]
You may make arcane smiting or hurl arcane traits more often.
Prerequisites: Arcane Smite, Spellcraft 10+ ranks, BAB 5+.
Benefit: You may make one extra arcane smite or arcane trait attack per day.
Special: You may take this feat multiple times.
Focus Staff [Staff]
Your staff can replace most other foci and material components.
Prerequisites: Knowledge [Arcana] 9+ ranks, Spellcraft 6+ ranks.
Benefit: You can eschew material components costing up to 1 gp in value, and foci costing up to 20 gp in value, by using your staff as a focus instead.
Imbue Spell [Staff]
You can imbue more spells in the staff.
Prerequisites: Knowledge [Arcana] 15+ ranks, Spellcraft 10+ ranks.
Benefit: Choose two wizard cantrips you know or one first-level wizard spell. You may now use your staff to cast them at will, as with the cantrip ability. Spells with expensive material components, expensive focus, or XP cost can't be added to the list of spells the staff may be used to cast at will.
Special: You may take this feat several times. Its effects do not stack. Each time you take this feat, choose another two wizard spells you know no higher than the highest level you can cast this way, or one wizard spell you know one level higher. Thus, if you take this feat once to add a first-level spell, you may then take it again to add a second-level spell, or two cantrips, two first-level spells, or one cantrip and one first-level spell.
Improved Completion [Staff]
You have learned to use the staff's energy rather than your own.
Prerequisites: Wizard level 9+, Spellcraft 12+ ranks, Knowledge [Arcana] 10+ ranks.
Benefit: When using the spellcasting capacity from your staff, you no longer need to use an unprepared spell slot of appropriate level, as the spell is powered wholly by the energy (XP) you invested in it while you stored it. All other requirements must still be provided.
Recall Staff [Staff]
You may teleport your staff to your hand, although it is a tiring exercise.
Prerequisite: Spellcraft 12+ ranks.
Benefit: You may teleport your staff from anywhere on the same plane to your hand, as a standard action. Doing so requires a great deal of personal energy, however, dealing you two temporary Constitution damage. If the staff is on another plane, this fail. If the staff is on the same plane as you, but currently carried or held by someone else, the current wielder may make a Will saving throw (DC 10 + half your caster level + your Int bonus) to prevent the effect.
Spell-Shattering Blow [Staff]
You can dispel magical energies when striking with your staff.
Prerequisites: Spellcraft 15+ ranks, Knowledge [Arcana] 15+ ranks.
Benefit: By making a touch attack with your staff against a creature, object, or non-instantaneous spell effect, and simultaneously expending a stored spell, you may make a targetted dispel check. Regardless of the dispel check result, this cannot dispel spell of a level higher than the one expanded.
I've also decided to compile here previous house-rules. So, here are...
Arcane Awaken Spells
Awaken Object
Transmutation [See Text]
Level: Sor/Wiz 5
Components: V, S, M, XP
Casting Time: One day
Range: Touch
Target: One crafted, non-magical item
Duration: Permanent
Saving Throw: Will negates (see text)
Spell Resistance: No
You awaken to sentience the elusive soul of an inanimate object. To succeed, you must make a Will save (DC 10 + the HD the object will have once awakened).
The target of the spell becomes a construct, with statistics as an animated object; except that its Intelligence, Wisdom and Charisma are all 3d6. An awakened object can speak one plus its Intelligence bonus languages that you know.
The awakened object is friendly toward you. You have no special empathy or connection with an ooze you awaken, although it serves you in specific tasks or endeavors if you communicate your desires to it.
Awaken object has the alignment descriptors of the target's intended alignment. For example, if casted to awaken a statue to lawful good sentience, it has the [good, lawful] descriptors.
The maximum size of the target depends on your caster level: 9: Medium; 12: Large; 15: Huge; 18: Gargantuan; 21: Colossal
Material Component: A parchment with "Life, Thought, Awareness" written on Draconic and at least two other languages, that is burned on the target during the casting.
XP Cost: Depends by size: Tiny 50; Small 100; Medium 250; Large 500; Huge 1000; Gargantuan 2500 and Colossal 5000.
Awaken Ooze
Transmutation [Evil]
Level: Drd 6, Clr 7, Sor/Wiz 7
Components: V, S, XP
Casting Time: One day
Range: Touch
Target: Ooze touched
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Will negates
Spell Resistance: Yes
You awaken an ooze to humanlike sentience. To succeed, you must make a Will save (DC 10 + the target's HD).
The awakened ooze becomes an aberration (it lose the ooze trait of mindless) and is under your control. You have no special empathy or connection with an ooze you awaken, although it serves you in specific tasks or endeavors if you communicate your desires to it.
An awakened ooze gets 3d6 Intelligence, +1d3 Charisma, and +2 HD.
An awakened ooze can speak one language that you know, plus one additional language that you know per point of Intelligence bonus (if any).
XP Cost: 50 XP per initial HD of the ooze.
Awaken Vermin
Transmutation [Evil]
Level: Drd 6, Clr 7, Sor/Wiz 7
Components: V, S, XP
Casting Time: One day
Range: Touch
Target: Vermin touched
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Will negates
Spell Resistance: Yes
You awaken a vermin to humanlike sentience. To succeed, you must make a Will save (DC 10 + the target's HD).
The awakened vermin becomes a magical beast (it lose the vermin trait of mindless) and is under your control. You have no special empathy or connection with a vermin you awaken, although it serves you in specific tasks or endeavors if you communicate your desires to it.
An awakened vermin gets 3d6 Intelligence, +1d3 Charisma, and +2 HD.
An awakened vermin can speak one language that you know, plus one additional language that you know per point of Intelligence bonus (if any).
XP Cost: 100 XP per initial HD of the vermin.
Initially from https://www.enworld.org/index.php?threads/42911/
And also...
Spotters
Beholder-kin, Spotter
Hit Dice: 4d8+4 (22)
Initiative: +3 (+3 Dex)
Speed: 15 feet, fly 30 feet (average)
AC: 20 (+1 size, +3 Dex, +6 natural)
Attacks: 2 Claws +7 melee, Bite -2 melee
Damage: Claws 1d3-2, Bite 1d4-2
Face/Reach: 5 feet x 5 feet/5 feet (10 feet with claws)
Special Attacks: Magic missiles
Special Qualities: Enhanced vision, fly, force healing, rush (fly 50 feet (good)).
Saves: Fort: +2, Reflex: +4, Will: +5
Abilities: Str: 6, Dex: 16, Con: 12, Int: 10, Wis: 12, Cha: 8
Skills: Hide +12, Intimidate +5, Listen +6, Search +5, Spot +10.
Feats: Flyby Attack, Dodge, Mobility, Weapon Finesse (claw).
Climate/Terrain: Any land or underground
Organization: Solitary or squadron (2-5)
Challenge Rating: 2
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always lawful (any), usually neutral
Advancement Range: 5-8 HD (Small); 9-12 HD (Medium-size)
Spotters are lesser artificial cousins of Beholders. They are created by powerful wizards seeking obedient and effective servants able to frighten most intruders, and an independant Spotter is a rarity. Most spotters patrol around or in their master’s home.
They have a two feet (60 cm) wide roughly spherical body, with ten tentacled eyes, one big central eye, and a tiny mouth full of sharp teeth. In addition, they have two long arm-like tentacles, ending in dextrous claws, like a Choker's. Like true Beholders, their exact appearance vary wildly. Unlike true Beholders, they don’t have eye ray attacks, nor antimagic cone. They are always lawful, as they are created to serve faithfully their creator.
COMBAT
Spotters patrols where they have been ordained to all days long. When intruders are found, they don’t hesitate to raise the alarm and call reinforcement before attacking. They will make them go out without actual fight if possible. Fast and agile, they try to stay behind cover and shell their opponents with magic missiles. Spotters don’t want to die, but are ready to sacrifice themselves to protect their master. When in group, spotters will spit magic missiles on their wounded brethren to heal them (see Magic Immunity).
Magic Missiles (Su): Spotters have a kind of breath weapon that allow them to shot missiles of pure force to one target up to 150 feet (45 m), dealing 1d4+1 damages. They fire only one missile, but this missile otherwise behave like one fired by a 5th level sorcerer. A spotter’s missile don’t have any effect on himself.
Force Healing (Su): Spotters are healed, rather than damaged, by force effects (other effect than damage affect them normally, they are blocked by a wall of force, for example). Furthermore, missiles spitted by other spotters heal them also. The number of hit points healed is the same that would have been inflicted without this immunity.
Rush (Ex): Spotters can use their long, adhesive arms to help propulsate them when thy’re near walls, ceilings, furniture or other unmoving, tangible, and innocuous to touch things. Otherwise, their flight speed is reduced to 30 (average).
Enhanced Vision (Ex): The primary reason of Spotter’s existence is to spot. A spotter’s eyes looks everywhere around it, and they have an excellent eyesight. This give them a +4 bonus to spot checks, they can’t be flanked (all-around vision), can see twice as far as an human in dim light (low-light vision), and twice as far as a dwarf in absolute darkness (120-ft. darkvision).
CREATION AND EVOLUTION
Spotters are a magically created race, and the formula for their creation still exist.
The first task in creating a Spotter egg is performing alchemical operations on a Choker egg and some numerous Beholder body parts. Finally, a fluid substance is created from the beholder components and the egg is bathed in, after some tiny holes have been pierced ; without breaking the eggshell. This must be done in an alchemist’s laboratory (costing 500 gp to establish). Successfully transmuting the egg requires an Alchemy check, DC 30 ; and 1000 gp worth of other, minor materials. A failure in this operation ruins the egg and half the material, however the beholder substance is reusable. A skilled alchmist will want 3000 gp to prepare an egg, and must be provided with the Choker egg and the Beholder parts, which are not quite easy to found on the market.
The real works of creating a spotter ivolve extended magical rituals that requires a full week to complete. Understanding the rituals requires an arcane spellcaster of 7th level or higher with the Craft Wondrous Item feat ; and able to cast each day cat’s grace, charm monster, darkvision, fly, magic missile and prying eyes each day. The creator must cast these spells personally each days, but they can come from other sources, such as scrolls. The creator must labor for at least 8 hours a day in the laboratory.
When not working on the rituals, the creator must rest and can perform no other activities except eating, sleeping or talking. The rituals must be performed after the egg is ready. If the creator misses a day of rituals, the process fails and must be started again. Money spent is lost, and the egg is no more viable, and another must be prepared. XP spent are not lost. Finishing drains 100 XP from the creator.
Once the egg is ready, it takes one month to hatch. The little creature (Tiny sized) will grow to maturity in one year; but this length can be reduced by frequently casting magic missile or similar on the baby spotter. Each missile speed up growth by one day. Only mature spotters can spit magic missiles. Once adult, a spotter’s growth can no more be accelerated. A mature Spotter can lay an egg per month, if asked for. The offspring of this asexual reproduction will be a biological clone of its sire.
Spotters gain an additional hit dice every five years, up to their maximum of 12. Then, when they reach about 50 years, they begin to age and lose an hit die every 10 years; a Spotter can such hope to live 160 years.
Initially from https://www.enworld.org/index.php?threads/43098/
And finally...
Magens
Magens, or gens magica, loretongue words for "magical folk", are arcane constructs, created by skilled wizards; sometimes for training purpose before trying to create greater constructs like golems. They are however quite different from golems, and may fill their own roles.
Magens look much more like living creatures than like constructs thanks to the supple material they are built in. They are normally molded into humanoid shape, either esthetic and graceful or bestial and fearsome, depending whether they're intended to be servants or guards. They have a smooth, hairless, grayish white body, that is frequently painted and decorated to further its normal-humanoid-looking appearance. Their skin is warm and smooth like actual skin.
While intelligent, and able to take decisions by itself if trained to, a magen has no free will and feel no emotions. They obey blindly to their creator, and often gone rogue and insane at their creator's death.
When destroyed, a magen melt into a puddle of fluid greyish blue paste. Only a wish or miracle may revive a destroyed magen.
Magen Trait (Ex): All magens are healed by lightning energy. As sentient constructs, magens have skills and skill points.
Demos
Medium-Size Construct
Hit Dice: 3d10 (16 hp)
Initiative: +1
Speed: 30 ft. (run 150 ft.)
AC: 18 (+1 Dex, +3 natural, +4 chain shirt)
-Touch: 11
-Flat Footed: 17
Base Attack: +2
-Grapple: +3 (1d6+1)
-Attack: Longsword +3 (1d8+1, 19-20 x2), or longbow +3 (1d8, x3)
-Full Attack: Longsword +3 (1d8+1, 19-20 x2), or longbow +3 (1d8, x3)
Face/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: -
Special Qualities: Construct traits
Saves: Fort +1, Ref +2, Will +1
Abilities: Str 13, Dex 12, Con -, Int 11, Wis 10, Cha 7
Skills: Listen +8, Spot +8
Feats: Alertness, Run
--------------
Climate and Terrain: Any land and underground
Organization: Solitary or with creator (at least 12th-level wizard)
Challenge Rating: 2
Treasure: None
Alignment: Usually neutral
Advancement: By character class
Demos are the simplest magens. They are usually equipped with armor and weapons to compensate their weakness in combat. They are used as servant or bodyguards.
Combat
Demos attack in a straightforward way, and to the death if needed. Like all magens, they will always protect their creator if he or she is involved in the combat.
Caldron
Medium-Size Construct
Hit Dice: 4d10 (22 hp)
Initiative: +6 (+2 Dex, +4 feat)
Speed: 60 ft.
AC: 15 (+2 Dex, +3 natural)
-Touch: 12
-Flat Footed: 13
Base Attack: +3
-Grapple: +5 (1d6+2 +1d10 acid)
-Attack: Slam +5 (1d6+2)
-Full Attack: Slam +5 (1d6+2)
Face/Reach: 5 ft./20 ft.
Special Attacks: Improved grab, acid
Special Qualities: Constructs traits
Saves: Fort +1, Ref +3, Will +1
Abilities: Str 15, Dex 14, Con -, Int 11, Wis 10, Cha 9
Skills: Climb +17, Jump +17
Feats: Combat Reflexes, Improved Initiative, Improved Trip (B)
--------------
Climate and Terrain: Any land and underground
Organization: Solitary or with creator (at least 12th-level wizard)
Challenge Rating: 2
Treasure: None
Alignment: Usually neutral
Advancement: By character class
Caldrons are more sophisticated constructs. Their arms and legs may be stretched up to 20 ft. away, allowing them to fight targets far away, grapple opponents easily, and reach places that wouldn't be accessible otherwise. They are also capable of secreting a dangerous acid.
Combat
Caldrons make good use of their impressive reach to attack opponents while staying out of range of melee retribution. They will use their attacks of opportunity to perform trip attack or grapple attempts so as to prevent opponents from reaching them.
Improved Grab: If a caldron hits an opponent of up to one size larger than itself, it deals normal damage and attempts to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity (grapple bonus +5). The caldron has the option to conduct the grapple normally, or simply use its long arm to hold the opponent (-20 penalty on grapple check, but the caldron is not considered grappled). In either case, each successful grapple check it makes during successive rounds automatically deals slam damage.
Acid: Caldrons may secrete an acid that will inflict 1d10 points of damage each round to a grappled (or grappling) creature. This is in addition to normal grapple damage.
Skills: Caldrons get a +8 racial bonus to climb and jump from their stretchable arms and legs.
Galvan
Medium-Size Construct
Hit Dice: 5d10 (27 hp)
Initiative: +6 (+2 Dex, +4 feat)
Speed: 40 ft.
AC: 17 (+2 Dex, +5 natural)
-Touch: 12
-Flat Footed: 15
Base Attack: +3
-Grapple: +5 (1d6+2)
-Attack: Slam +5 (1d6+2)
-Full Attack: Slam +5 (1d6+2)
Face/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Spell-like ability
Special Qualities: Construct traits
Saves: Fort +1, Ref +5, Will +1
Abilities: Str 15, Dex 15, Con -, Int 11, Wis 10, Cha 9
Skills: Listen +8, Spot +8
Feats: Improved Initiative, Lightning Reflexes
--------------
Climate and Terrain: Any land and underground
Organization: Solitary or with creator (at least 12th-level wizard)
Challenge Rating: 3
Treasure: None
Alignment: Usually neutral
Advancement: By character class
Galvans are fast and agile, and they may store electrical energy in their body to unleash at their foes.
Combat
Galvans will use one or more of their lightning bolts to soften opposition before going in melee.
Spell-like Ability: 3/day -- lightning bolt. Caster level 5, save DC 13.
Hypnos
Medium-Size Construct
Hit Dice: 2d10 (11 hp)
Initiative: +3
Speed: 30 ft.
AC: 16 (+3 Dex, +3 natural)
-Touch: 13
-Flat Footed: 13
Base Attack: +1
-Grapple: +1 (1d4)
-Attack: Dagger +1 (1d4, 19-20 x2)
-Full Attack: Dagger +1 (1d4, 19-20 x2)
Face/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Spells, spell-like ability
Special Qualities: Construct traits
Saves: Fort +0, Ref +3, Will +0
Abilities: Str 10, Dex 16, Con -, Int 11, Wis 10, Cha 15
Skills: Diplomacy +7, Heal +5
Feats: Spell Focus: Enchantment
--------------
Climate and Terrain: Any land and underground
Organization: Solitary or with creator (at least 12th-level wizard)
Challenge Rating: 2
Treasure: None
Alignment: Usually neutral
Advancement: By character class
Combat
Hypnos magens shun physical combat and try to use their enchantments and suggestions to avoid the fight.
Spells: Hypnos magens cast sorcerer spells as a 2nd-level sorcerer. The DC to resist these spells is 14 + spell level. The typical spell list is daze, flare, light, mage hand, prestidigitation for cantrips and hypnotism and sleep for 1st-level spells.
Spell-like ability: At will -- charm person; 3/day -- suggestion. Their spell focus feat apply to these spell-like ability. Caster level 6, save DC 14 + spell level.
Construction
All magens require the Craft Wondrous Item feat and the spells domination, fabricate, lightning bolt, stone to flesh, and transmute mud to rock to be created. Caldron, galvan and hypnos require other specific spells in addition.
Creating a caldron requires enlage and melf's acid arrows.
Creating a galvan requires shocking grasp and an additional lightning bolt
Creating a hypnose requires charm person, prestidigitation, and suggestion.
Market Price:
Demos: 20 000 GP
Caldron: 25 000 GP
Galvan: 30 000 GP
Hypnos: 25 000 GP
Originally from https://www.enworld.org/index.php?threads/47415/
And now, a variant take on the Sorcerer concept. It replaces the sorcerous bloodlines developped in posts below.
The Epigone
Epigone, derived from Greek roots, roughly means "born after" and is a rare and seldom-used synonym to "inheritor," "descendant," or "scion."
Just what I needed. If you follow my .sig's link, you'll find a first attempt at making a bloodline sorcerer. The system I tried first was too complicated to balance and details, so here's my second attempt.
Weapon & Armor Proficiencies: Epigones are proficient with simple weapons and small shields.
Magic: Epigones have access to arcane spells. An epigone may eschew material components worth 1 gp or less. Epigones cast spontaneous spells, using their Charisma. See the sorcerer class in the Player's Handbook, it's essentially the same thing for epigones.
Bloodline (Ex): An epigone's magical gifts can be traced to a supernatural ancestry. Every epigone must choose a bloodline at creation.
Familiar (Ex): In order to strengthen their supernatural heritage, epigones bind themselves with special familiars. An epigone may also bind himself to an "ordinary" familiar, but won't benefit then from all the gifts from his bloodline. An epigone bound to the proper familiar gains a +1 bonus to his effective master level, which offset a bit the master level penalty for powerful familiars. Also, an epigone bound to the proper familiar get access to an expanded known spell list.
Legacies (Ex): At level 5, 10, and 15, the epigone's body is magically altered ever so slightly, bringing him closer to his supernatural ancestry.
Transcendance (Ex): At level 20, the epigone's self-transformation reaches the point where he is closer to his supernatural form than to the form he was born into. His type changes to that of the supernatural ancestor.
Bloodlines
Celestial Bloodline
An epigone of celestial bloodline can bound himself to a lantern archon, musteval guardinal, or coure eladrin. Celestial epigones with one of these familiars add light, protection from evil, scorching ray, magic circle against evil, rainbow pattern, dismissal, guards and wards, sunburst, and summon monster 9.
Minor legacy: The epigone's skin changes just a little bit, hinting of his ancestry. The epigone also gains a +2 bonus to his caster level and his spells' DC against evil outsiders.
Medium legacy: A celestial epigone gains an always active tongues or speak with animals ability. This depends on his ancestor: tongues for angel, archon, or eladrin epigones; speak with animals for guardinal epigones. The epigone's aspect get a few more subtle cosmetic changes, in skin, eyes, and hair; making his celestial ancestry as obvious as an Aasimar's.
Major legacy: The celestial epigone's look become even more blatant, near the level of a half-celestial. He gains a damage reduction 5/evil.
Transcendance: The celestial epigone's look become as blatant as a half-celestial's one. He becomes a native outsider. Furthermore, he gains one of the powers of his supernatural family: protective aura (angel), aura of menace (archon), lay on hands (guardinal), or transformation (eladrin).
Dragon Bloodline
An epigone of draconic bloodline may bind himself to a pseudodragon. Bloodline spells are detect magic, scales of the dragon, darkvision, protection from elements, fear, teleportation, true seeing, vision, mind blank, dominate monster.
Minor legacy: Draconic epigones gains a +1 bonus to their caster level and spell DC. Their eyes are slightly serpentlike and glowing.
Medium legacy: Draconic epigones gain a scaly hide and sharp claws. They gain a natural armor bonus (worth one-fifth their epigone level, rounded down) and gain a natural claw attack, with a base damage of 1d6 for a Medium-sized epigone.
Major legacy: Draconic epigones may, once every five rounds, convert a spell into a breath weapon appropriate to their dragon ancestry. A damage-dealing breath weapon deals 1d8 damage, plus 1d8 per spell level of the sacrificed spell. An effect-inflicting breath weapon lasts one round plus one round per spell level. A breath weapon inflicting ability damage deals 1 point plus one per spell level, and a negative level-inflicting breath weapons deal half that amount. Lines have a Close range, cones have half that range.
Transcendance: Dragon epigones gain wings that let them fly like a half-dragon, regardless of their size. They also gain alternate form, which, three times per day, allow them to take the shape of a dragon of their size (or one size larger) and bloodline, or of their normal appearance from before they awoke their bloodline.
Fey Bloodline
An epigone of fey bloodline can bind himself to a kilmoulis or a petal. The bloodline spells are dancing lights, detect secret passages, glitterdust, tongues, hallucinatory terrain, seeming, mislead, phase door, Otto's irresistible dance, wail of the banshee.
Minor legacy: The fey epigone gains a +2 bonus to his caster level and his spells DC for illusion and enchantment spells.
Medium legacy: The fey epigone gains an awakened animal companion. Otherwise than being awakened, the animal companion is similar to that of a druid nine level lower than the epigone. The awakened animal companion is not the same as the familiar (in fact, both pets often quarrel together).
Major legacy: Thrice per day, the fey epigone may travel to and fro the Plane of Faerie. This spell-like ability is similar to etherealness, except with the Plane of Faerie rather than the Ethereal Plane. It works only in places that are coexistant with the Plane of Faerie.
Transcendance: The fey epigone stops aging and becomes virtually immortal. In places coexistant with the Plane of Faerie (and that plane itself), the Epigone is able to fly with perfect maneuverability with a speed of 80 ft. The fey epigone's type change to Fey.
Fiend:
Fiendish epigones can bind themselves to a quasit or an imp. The bloodline spells are daze, protection from good, darkness, sepia snake sigil, bestow curse, nightmare, veil, insanity, maze, imprisonment.
Minor legacy: The epigone's skin changes just a little bit, hinting of his ancestry. The epigone also gains a +2 bonus to his caster level and his spells' DC against good outsiders.
Medium legacy: A fiendish epigone gains an always active telepathy ability if he's of demonic or daemonic ancestry, see in darkness (even magical) if he's of devilish ancestry, or freedom of movement if he's of demodandic ancestry. The epigone's aspect get a few more subtle cosmetic changes, in skin, eyes, and hair; making his celestial ancestry as obvious as a Tiefling's.
Major legacy: The fiendish epigone's look become even more blatant, near the level of a half-fiend. He gains a damage reduction 5/good or magic (daemon, demodand), DR 5/good or cold iron (demon), or DR 5/good or silver (devil).
Transcendance: The fiendish epigone's look become as blatant as a half-fiend's one. He becomes a native outsider. Furthermore, he becomes immune to poison. Daemon epigones are also immune to acid, demon epigones to electricity, and devil epigone to fire.
Sphinx
A sphinx epigone can bind himself to a tressym. The bloodline spells are arcane mark, loresight, fox's cunning, tongues, scry, awaken, legend lore, greater arcane sight, maze, and foresight.
Minor legacy: Sphinx epigones have prodifious memories and a great capacity of observation. They get a lore ability akin to bardic lore.
Medium legacy: A sphinx epigone has retractible claws giving him two natural claw attacks. A Medium-size sphinx epigone's claws deal a base damage of 1d6. The sphinx epigone's eye become more cat-like, giving him low-light vision.
Major legacy: While the epigone's body get covered by fawn fur and becomes more feline in aspect, his intellect also gets closer to a sphinx's. He gains a +2 increase in Intelligence.
Transcendance: The epigone's body shape is now that of a sphinx (although not necessarily his size). He gains wings allowing him to fly with a flight speed of 60 ft. (clumsy). The wings also help him balancing himself when walking upright. When walking on all fours, the sphinx epigone's speed is increased from his normal walking speed by 10 ft. The epigone's type changes to Magical Beast.
Raw Magic
This "bloodline" is not actually one, instead it is a mechanism for allowing magical creatures (like dragons, outsiders, magical beasts, and so on) to use the epigone class.
Raw magic epigones do not have a special familiar. Bloodline spells are prestidigitation, magic missile, magic mouth, arcane sight, minor globe of invulnerability, break enchantment, contingency, limited wish, polymorph any object, wish.
Minor legacy: One bonus metamagic feat.
Medium legacy: One bonus metamagic feat.
Major legacy: One bonus metamagic feat.
Transcendance: One bonus metamagic feat.
Finally, what does these "spell access," "bonus spell slot," and "MP" column mean?
Simple. The wizard's spell per day table has been dubbed the Grand Unique Unified Universal Daily Spell Slot Table. Every class use it, even bards and paladins.
The MP column is for Magical Power and gives you your level on the GUUUDSST. So, an epigone has has much spell per day as a wizard. The bonus spell slot helps them getting a few more spell slots per day -- plus one per spell level.
Spell access is just what it means. One an epigone gains spell access to 2nd-level spells, he can use his 2nd-level spell slots and higher to cast 2nd-level spells. Spell access has been separated from spell slots because of multiclassing. Base MPs from different classes stack; but not spell access.
Originally from https://www.enworld.org/index.php?threads/100167/.
Since I have routing problems that sometimes prevent me from reaching EN World, I may be forced to reply there rather than here.
But I'll reply to all suggestions.
So, for a start, let me introduce first...
The Wizard's Staff
It's a handy item any wizard may create past 6th level.
The following staff capacities may only be used by the wizard who crafted it.
Cantrip: A wizard's staff may be used to cast a cantrip at will. The cantrip must be known at creation time, and can't be changed thereafter.
Spell Storage: A wizard's staff may be used as a spellbook. Upon casting a spell (either from a prepared slot, or from a spell completion item like a scroll), the wizard can touch his staff and imbue it with the spell. Storing a spell in the staff costs 10 XP per spell level, but do not requires expensive focus, material components, or the expense of an XP cost associated with the spell. The staff may store up to four spells plus one spell per caster level.
Spell Preparation: By clutching his staff, a wizard may prepare spells from it as if it was a spellbook. The spells that are prepared must be stored within the staff. Preparing spells this way requires only contact with the staff and mental concentration, no light is required. It is possible to prepare spells from the staff and from another source, such as a book. Preparing a spell don't expend it from the storage.
Spellcasting: As a full-round action, a wizard wielding his staff may nigh instantly prepare and cast a spell that is stored within. Doing so requires a full round action (or one more round than the normal casting time, if casting time is greater than 1 action), and the expenditure of any XP cost associated with the spell. Expensive material components (more than 1 GP) and focus (more than 20 GP) must be provided, but the staff otherwise works as a focus removing the need for lesser material components and focus. Casting a spell that way requires an empty spell slot of appropriate level, which is used for the rapid preparation and casting, and erase the spell from the staff (it is no longer stored).
Staff Power: Upon casting a spell, a wizard may get energy from the staff to increase the spell's potency. This requires draining the staff of one stored spell of the same level as the spell being cast (thus erasing it as if it had been cast). This increase the save DC and caster level of the casted spell by 2.
Spell-Resistance: When subjected to the effects of a spell, a wizard holding his staff may, as a free action, expend stored spells to get a SR against that spell equal to the sum of the expended spell levels (cantrips count as being level 1/2). This SR stacks with a possible already existing SR.
Invigorate: A wizard clutching his staff with both hands may, as a full-round action, expend stored spells to cure a number of hit points equal to the sum of expended spell levels (cantrips count as level 1/2).
A typical wizard staff has a hardness of 12, 50 hit points, and a break DC of 30. It can be used in combat as a quarterstaff appropriately sized. It costs 1000 GP, 80 XP, and one day to create. The staff being attuned to the wizard having created it, in nigh similar way to a familiar, if the staff is broken, the wizard lose 120 XP. If the staff is stolen or lost (in fact, if the wizard cannot get ahold of his staff for more than a week), then the bond is broken, and 120 XP are lost while the staff lose all magical properties. A wizard cannot have more than one staff (if a staff is stolen, he has to recover it or wait for it to be unbound before being able to craft a new one).
A wizard whose staff is stolen suffers a -5 penalty to Bluff, Gather Information, Intimidate, and Sense Motive rolls made against the current staff wielder, and is denied his Will saving throws against Enchantment spells cast at him by the current staff wielder. (However, this don't affect SR.)
Staff Feats
Staff feats are feats available only to wizards of level 6 or higher. Contrarily to normal feats, staff feats are supernatural in nature. Using a staff feat requires to have a wizard's staff, as defined above. This is not a prerequisite to acquire the feat, no more than possessing a sword is a prerequisite to acquire Weapon Focus: Sword; but in the same way, it's quite dumb to take these feats if you don't intend on having a wizard's stadd. A wizard may acquire staff feats through his class granted bonus feats, at level 10, 15, or 20.
Arcane Smite [Staff]
You can unleash the magical energies of your staff for potent strikes against enemies.
Prerequisites: Spellcraft 10+ ranks, BAB 5+.
Benefit: Once per day, you may make a smite attack with your staff. You add your Int bonus to your attack roll, and your caster level to your damage roll. This added damage is a Force effect. Even if your staff hasn't been enhanced through the Craft Arms and Armor feat, it then count as a magic weapon for purpose of circumventing damage reduction.
Arcane Trait [Staff]
You may hurl bolts of arcane energy against enemies.
Prerequisites: Arcane Smite, Knowledge [Arcana] 12+ ranks, Spellcraft 10+ ranks, BAB 5+.
Benefit: Rather than a melee smite attack, you may make a remote smite attack with your staff. You add your Int bonus to your attack roll, and your caster level to your damage roll. You can use it either at Close range (gaining an additional +5 bonus to your attack and damage rolls), at Medium range (gaining an additional +5 bonus to your damage roll, but not to your attack roll), or at Long range (not gaining additional bonuses). Damage inflicted is raw magic damage. This is a Force effect.
Extra Arcane Smiting [Staff]
You may make arcane smiting or hurl arcane traits more often.
Prerequisites: Arcane Smite, Spellcraft 10+ ranks, BAB 5+.
Benefit: You may make one extra arcane smite or arcane trait attack per day.
Special: You may take this feat multiple times.
Focus Staff [Staff]
Your staff can replace most other foci and material components.
Prerequisites: Knowledge [Arcana] 9+ ranks, Spellcraft 6+ ranks.
Benefit: You can eschew material components costing up to 1 gp in value, and foci costing up to 20 gp in value, by using your staff as a focus instead.
Imbue Spell [Staff]
You can imbue more spells in the staff.
Prerequisites: Knowledge [Arcana] 15+ ranks, Spellcraft 10+ ranks.
Benefit: Choose two wizard cantrips you know or one first-level wizard spell. You may now use your staff to cast them at will, as with the cantrip ability. Spells with expensive material components, expensive focus, or XP cost can't be added to the list of spells the staff may be used to cast at will.
Special: You may take this feat several times. Its effects do not stack. Each time you take this feat, choose another two wizard spells you know no higher than the highest level you can cast this way, or one wizard spell you know one level higher. Thus, if you take this feat once to add a first-level spell, you may then take it again to add a second-level spell, or two cantrips, two first-level spells, or one cantrip and one first-level spell.
Improved Completion [Staff]
You have learned to use the staff's energy rather than your own.
Prerequisites: Wizard level 9+, Spellcraft 12+ ranks, Knowledge [Arcana] 10+ ranks.
Benefit: When using the spellcasting capacity from your staff, you no longer need to use an unprepared spell slot of appropriate level, as the spell is powered wholly by the energy (XP) you invested in it while you stored it. All other requirements must still be provided.
Recall Staff [Staff]
You may teleport your staff to your hand, although it is a tiring exercise.
Prerequisite: Spellcraft 12+ ranks.
Benefit: You may teleport your staff from anywhere on the same plane to your hand, as a standard action. Doing so requires a great deal of personal energy, however, dealing you two temporary Constitution damage. If the staff is on another plane, this fail. If the staff is on the same plane as you, but currently carried or held by someone else, the current wielder may make a Will saving throw (DC 10 + half your caster level + your Int bonus) to prevent the effect.
Spell-Shattering Blow [Staff]
You can dispel magical energies when striking with your staff.
Prerequisites: Spellcraft 15+ ranks, Knowledge [Arcana] 15+ ranks.
Benefit: By making a touch attack with your staff against a creature, object, or non-instantaneous spell effect, and simultaneously expending a stored spell, you may make a targetted dispel check. Regardless of the dispel check result, this cannot dispel spell of a level higher than the one expanded.
I've also decided to compile here previous house-rules. So, here are...
Arcane Awaken Spells
Awaken Object
Transmutation [See Text]
Level: Sor/Wiz 5
Components: V, S, M, XP
Casting Time: One day
Range: Touch
Target: One crafted, non-magical item
Duration: Permanent
Saving Throw: Will negates (see text)
Spell Resistance: No
You awaken to sentience the elusive soul of an inanimate object. To succeed, you must make a Will save (DC 10 + the HD the object will have once awakened).
The target of the spell becomes a construct, with statistics as an animated object; except that its Intelligence, Wisdom and Charisma are all 3d6. An awakened object can speak one plus its Intelligence bonus languages that you know.
The awakened object is friendly toward you. You have no special empathy or connection with an ooze you awaken, although it serves you in specific tasks or endeavors if you communicate your desires to it.
Awaken object has the alignment descriptors of the target's intended alignment. For example, if casted to awaken a statue to lawful good sentience, it has the [good, lawful] descriptors.
The maximum size of the target depends on your caster level: 9: Medium; 12: Large; 15: Huge; 18: Gargantuan; 21: Colossal
Material Component: A parchment with "Life, Thought, Awareness" written on Draconic and at least two other languages, that is burned on the target during the casting.
XP Cost: Depends by size: Tiny 50; Small 100; Medium 250; Large 500; Huge 1000; Gargantuan 2500 and Colossal 5000.
Awaken Ooze
Transmutation [Evil]
Level: Drd 6, Clr 7, Sor/Wiz 7
Components: V, S, XP
Casting Time: One day
Range: Touch
Target: Ooze touched
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Will negates
Spell Resistance: Yes
You awaken an ooze to humanlike sentience. To succeed, you must make a Will save (DC 10 + the target's HD).
The awakened ooze becomes an aberration (it lose the ooze trait of mindless) and is under your control. You have no special empathy or connection with an ooze you awaken, although it serves you in specific tasks or endeavors if you communicate your desires to it.
An awakened ooze gets 3d6 Intelligence, +1d3 Charisma, and +2 HD.
An awakened ooze can speak one language that you know, plus one additional language that you know per point of Intelligence bonus (if any).
XP Cost: 50 XP per initial HD of the ooze.
Awaken Vermin
Transmutation [Evil]
Level: Drd 6, Clr 7, Sor/Wiz 7
Components: V, S, XP
Casting Time: One day
Range: Touch
Target: Vermin touched
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Will negates
Spell Resistance: Yes
You awaken a vermin to humanlike sentience. To succeed, you must make a Will save (DC 10 + the target's HD).
The awakened vermin becomes a magical beast (it lose the vermin trait of mindless) and is under your control. You have no special empathy or connection with a vermin you awaken, although it serves you in specific tasks or endeavors if you communicate your desires to it.
An awakened vermin gets 3d6 Intelligence, +1d3 Charisma, and +2 HD.
An awakened vermin can speak one language that you know, plus one additional language that you know per point of Intelligence bonus (if any).
XP Cost: 100 XP per initial HD of the vermin.
Initially from https://www.enworld.org/index.php?threads/42911/
And also...
Spotters
Beholder-kin, Spotter
Hit Dice: 4d8+4 (22)
Initiative: +3 (+3 Dex)
Speed: 15 feet, fly 30 feet (average)
AC: 20 (+1 size, +3 Dex, +6 natural)
Attacks: 2 Claws +7 melee, Bite -2 melee
Damage: Claws 1d3-2, Bite 1d4-2
Face/Reach: 5 feet x 5 feet/5 feet (10 feet with claws)
Special Attacks: Magic missiles
Special Qualities: Enhanced vision, fly, force healing, rush (fly 50 feet (good)).
Saves: Fort: +2, Reflex: +4, Will: +5
Abilities: Str: 6, Dex: 16, Con: 12, Int: 10, Wis: 12, Cha: 8
Skills: Hide +12, Intimidate +5, Listen +6, Search +5, Spot +10.
Feats: Flyby Attack, Dodge, Mobility, Weapon Finesse (claw).
Climate/Terrain: Any land or underground
Organization: Solitary or squadron (2-5)
Challenge Rating: 2
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always lawful (any), usually neutral
Advancement Range: 5-8 HD (Small); 9-12 HD (Medium-size)
Spotters are lesser artificial cousins of Beholders. They are created by powerful wizards seeking obedient and effective servants able to frighten most intruders, and an independant Spotter is a rarity. Most spotters patrol around or in their master’s home.
They have a two feet (60 cm) wide roughly spherical body, with ten tentacled eyes, one big central eye, and a tiny mouth full of sharp teeth. In addition, they have two long arm-like tentacles, ending in dextrous claws, like a Choker's. Like true Beholders, their exact appearance vary wildly. Unlike true Beholders, they don’t have eye ray attacks, nor antimagic cone. They are always lawful, as they are created to serve faithfully their creator.
COMBAT
Spotters patrols where they have been ordained to all days long. When intruders are found, they don’t hesitate to raise the alarm and call reinforcement before attacking. They will make them go out without actual fight if possible. Fast and agile, they try to stay behind cover and shell their opponents with magic missiles. Spotters don’t want to die, but are ready to sacrifice themselves to protect their master. When in group, spotters will spit magic missiles on their wounded brethren to heal them (see Magic Immunity).
Magic Missiles (Su): Spotters have a kind of breath weapon that allow them to shot missiles of pure force to one target up to 150 feet (45 m), dealing 1d4+1 damages. They fire only one missile, but this missile otherwise behave like one fired by a 5th level sorcerer. A spotter’s missile don’t have any effect on himself.
Force Healing (Su): Spotters are healed, rather than damaged, by force effects (other effect than damage affect them normally, they are blocked by a wall of force, for example). Furthermore, missiles spitted by other spotters heal them also. The number of hit points healed is the same that would have been inflicted without this immunity.
Rush (Ex): Spotters can use their long, adhesive arms to help propulsate them when thy’re near walls, ceilings, furniture or other unmoving, tangible, and innocuous to touch things. Otherwise, their flight speed is reduced to 30 (average).
Enhanced Vision (Ex): The primary reason of Spotter’s existence is to spot. A spotter’s eyes looks everywhere around it, and they have an excellent eyesight. This give them a +4 bonus to spot checks, they can’t be flanked (all-around vision), can see twice as far as an human in dim light (low-light vision), and twice as far as a dwarf in absolute darkness (120-ft. darkvision).
CREATION AND EVOLUTION
Spotters are a magically created race, and the formula for their creation still exist.
The first task in creating a Spotter egg is performing alchemical operations on a Choker egg and some numerous Beholder body parts. Finally, a fluid substance is created from the beholder components and the egg is bathed in, after some tiny holes have been pierced ; without breaking the eggshell. This must be done in an alchemist’s laboratory (costing 500 gp to establish). Successfully transmuting the egg requires an Alchemy check, DC 30 ; and 1000 gp worth of other, minor materials. A failure in this operation ruins the egg and half the material, however the beholder substance is reusable. A skilled alchmist will want 3000 gp to prepare an egg, and must be provided with the Choker egg and the Beholder parts, which are not quite easy to found on the market.
The real works of creating a spotter ivolve extended magical rituals that requires a full week to complete. Understanding the rituals requires an arcane spellcaster of 7th level or higher with the Craft Wondrous Item feat ; and able to cast each day cat’s grace, charm monster, darkvision, fly, magic missile and prying eyes each day. The creator must cast these spells personally each days, but they can come from other sources, such as scrolls. The creator must labor for at least 8 hours a day in the laboratory.
When not working on the rituals, the creator must rest and can perform no other activities except eating, sleeping or talking. The rituals must be performed after the egg is ready. If the creator misses a day of rituals, the process fails and must be started again. Money spent is lost, and the egg is no more viable, and another must be prepared. XP spent are not lost. Finishing drains 100 XP from the creator.
Once the egg is ready, it takes one month to hatch. The little creature (Tiny sized) will grow to maturity in one year; but this length can be reduced by frequently casting magic missile or similar on the baby spotter. Each missile speed up growth by one day. Only mature spotters can spit magic missiles. Once adult, a spotter’s growth can no more be accelerated. A mature Spotter can lay an egg per month, if asked for. The offspring of this asexual reproduction will be a biological clone of its sire.
Spotters gain an additional hit dice every five years, up to their maximum of 12. Then, when they reach about 50 years, they begin to age and lose an hit die every 10 years; a Spotter can such hope to live 160 years.
Initially from https://www.enworld.org/index.php?threads/43098/
And finally...
Magens
Magens, or gens magica, loretongue words for "magical folk", are arcane constructs, created by skilled wizards; sometimes for training purpose before trying to create greater constructs like golems. They are however quite different from golems, and may fill their own roles.
Magens look much more like living creatures than like constructs thanks to the supple material they are built in. They are normally molded into humanoid shape, either esthetic and graceful or bestial and fearsome, depending whether they're intended to be servants or guards. They have a smooth, hairless, grayish white body, that is frequently painted and decorated to further its normal-humanoid-looking appearance. Their skin is warm and smooth like actual skin.
While intelligent, and able to take decisions by itself if trained to, a magen has no free will and feel no emotions. They obey blindly to their creator, and often gone rogue and insane at their creator's death.
When destroyed, a magen melt into a puddle of fluid greyish blue paste. Only a wish or miracle may revive a destroyed magen.
Magen Trait (Ex): All magens are healed by lightning energy. As sentient constructs, magens have skills and skill points.
Demos
Medium-Size Construct
Hit Dice: 3d10 (16 hp)
Initiative: +1
Speed: 30 ft. (run 150 ft.)
AC: 18 (+1 Dex, +3 natural, +4 chain shirt)
-Touch: 11
-Flat Footed: 17
Base Attack: +2
-Grapple: +3 (1d6+1)
-Attack: Longsword +3 (1d8+1, 19-20 x2), or longbow +3 (1d8, x3)
-Full Attack: Longsword +3 (1d8+1, 19-20 x2), or longbow +3 (1d8, x3)
Face/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: -
Special Qualities: Construct traits
Saves: Fort +1, Ref +2, Will +1
Abilities: Str 13, Dex 12, Con -, Int 11, Wis 10, Cha 7
Skills: Listen +8, Spot +8
Feats: Alertness, Run
--------------
Climate and Terrain: Any land and underground
Organization: Solitary or with creator (at least 12th-level wizard)
Challenge Rating: 2
Treasure: None
Alignment: Usually neutral
Advancement: By character class
Demos are the simplest magens. They are usually equipped with armor and weapons to compensate their weakness in combat. They are used as servant or bodyguards.
Combat
Demos attack in a straightforward way, and to the death if needed. Like all magens, they will always protect their creator if he or she is involved in the combat.
Caldron
Medium-Size Construct
Hit Dice: 4d10 (22 hp)
Initiative: +6 (+2 Dex, +4 feat)
Speed: 60 ft.
AC: 15 (+2 Dex, +3 natural)
-Touch: 12
-Flat Footed: 13
Base Attack: +3
-Grapple: +5 (1d6+2 +1d10 acid)
-Attack: Slam +5 (1d6+2)
-Full Attack: Slam +5 (1d6+2)
Face/Reach: 5 ft./20 ft.
Special Attacks: Improved grab, acid
Special Qualities: Constructs traits
Saves: Fort +1, Ref +3, Will +1
Abilities: Str 15, Dex 14, Con -, Int 11, Wis 10, Cha 9
Skills: Climb +17, Jump +17
Feats: Combat Reflexes, Improved Initiative, Improved Trip (B)
--------------
Climate and Terrain: Any land and underground
Organization: Solitary or with creator (at least 12th-level wizard)
Challenge Rating: 2
Treasure: None
Alignment: Usually neutral
Advancement: By character class
Caldrons are more sophisticated constructs. Their arms and legs may be stretched up to 20 ft. away, allowing them to fight targets far away, grapple opponents easily, and reach places that wouldn't be accessible otherwise. They are also capable of secreting a dangerous acid.
Combat
Caldrons make good use of their impressive reach to attack opponents while staying out of range of melee retribution. They will use their attacks of opportunity to perform trip attack or grapple attempts so as to prevent opponents from reaching them.
Improved Grab: If a caldron hits an opponent of up to one size larger than itself, it deals normal damage and attempts to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity (grapple bonus +5). The caldron has the option to conduct the grapple normally, or simply use its long arm to hold the opponent (-20 penalty on grapple check, but the caldron is not considered grappled). In either case, each successful grapple check it makes during successive rounds automatically deals slam damage.
Acid: Caldrons may secrete an acid that will inflict 1d10 points of damage each round to a grappled (or grappling) creature. This is in addition to normal grapple damage.
Skills: Caldrons get a +8 racial bonus to climb and jump from their stretchable arms and legs.
Galvan
Medium-Size Construct
Hit Dice: 5d10 (27 hp)
Initiative: +6 (+2 Dex, +4 feat)
Speed: 40 ft.
AC: 17 (+2 Dex, +5 natural)
-Touch: 12
-Flat Footed: 15
Base Attack: +3
-Grapple: +5 (1d6+2)
-Attack: Slam +5 (1d6+2)
-Full Attack: Slam +5 (1d6+2)
Face/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Spell-like ability
Special Qualities: Construct traits
Saves: Fort +1, Ref +5, Will +1
Abilities: Str 15, Dex 15, Con -, Int 11, Wis 10, Cha 9
Skills: Listen +8, Spot +8
Feats: Improved Initiative, Lightning Reflexes
--------------
Climate and Terrain: Any land and underground
Organization: Solitary or with creator (at least 12th-level wizard)
Challenge Rating: 3
Treasure: None
Alignment: Usually neutral
Advancement: By character class
Galvans are fast and agile, and they may store electrical energy in their body to unleash at their foes.
Combat
Galvans will use one or more of their lightning bolts to soften opposition before going in melee.
Spell-like Ability: 3/day -- lightning bolt. Caster level 5, save DC 13.
Hypnos
Medium-Size Construct
Hit Dice: 2d10 (11 hp)
Initiative: +3
Speed: 30 ft.
AC: 16 (+3 Dex, +3 natural)
-Touch: 13
-Flat Footed: 13
Base Attack: +1
-Grapple: +1 (1d4)
-Attack: Dagger +1 (1d4, 19-20 x2)
-Full Attack: Dagger +1 (1d4, 19-20 x2)
Face/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Spells, spell-like ability
Special Qualities: Construct traits
Saves: Fort +0, Ref +3, Will +0
Abilities: Str 10, Dex 16, Con -, Int 11, Wis 10, Cha 15
Skills: Diplomacy +7, Heal +5
Feats: Spell Focus: Enchantment
--------------
Climate and Terrain: Any land and underground
Organization: Solitary or with creator (at least 12th-level wizard)
Challenge Rating: 2
Treasure: None
Alignment: Usually neutral
Advancement: By character class
Combat
Hypnos magens shun physical combat and try to use their enchantments and suggestions to avoid the fight.
Spells: Hypnos magens cast sorcerer spells as a 2nd-level sorcerer. The DC to resist these spells is 14 + spell level. The typical spell list is daze, flare, light, mage hand, prestidigitation for cantrips and hypnotism and sleep for 1st-level spells.
Spell-like ability: At will -- charm person; 3/day -- suggestion. Their spell focus feat apply to these spell-like ability. Caster level 6, save DC 14 + spell level.
Construction
All magens require the Craft Wondrous Item feat and the spells domination, fabricate, lightning bolt, stone to flesh, and transmute mud to rock to be created. Caldron, galvan and hypnos require other specific spells in addition.
Creating a caldron requires enlage and melf's acid arrows.
Creating a galvan requires shocking grasp and an additional lightning bolt
Creating a hypnose requires charm person, prestidigitation, and suggestion.
Market Price:
Demos: 20 000 GP
Caldron: 25 000 GP
Galvan: 30 000 GP
Hypnos: 25 000 GP
Originally from https://www.enworld.org/index.php?threads/47415/
And now, a variant take on the Sorcerer concept. It replaces the sorcerous bloodlines developped in posts below.
The Epigone
Epigone, derived from Greek roots, roughly means "born after" and is a rare and seldom-used synonym to "inheritor," "descendant," or "scion."
Just what I needed. If you follow my .sig's link, you'll find a first attempt at making a bloodline sorcerer. The system I tried first was too complicated to balance and details, so here's my second attempt.
Code:
Lvl BAB MP Fort Ref Will Special Magic
App +0 +0 +0 +0 +2 Bloodline 0-Level spell access
1 +0 +1 +0 +0 +2 Familiar Bonus 0-level spell slot
2 +1 +2 +0 +0 +3 1st level spell access
3 +1 +3 +1 +1 +3 Bonus 1st level spell slot
4 +2 +4 +1 +1 +4 2nd level spell access
5 +2 +5 +1 +1 +4 Minor legacy Bonus 2nd level spell slot
6 +3 +6 +2 +2 +5 3rd level spell access
7 +3 +7 +2 +2 +5 Bonus 3rd level spell slot
8 +4 +8 +2 +2 +6 4th level spell access
9 +4 +9 +3 +3 +6 Bonus 4th level spell slot
10 +5 +10 +3 +3 +7 Medium legacy 5th level spell access
11 +5 +11 +3 +3 +7 Bonus 5th level spell slot
12 +6 +12 +4 +4 +8 6th level spell access
13 +6 +13 +4 +4 +8 Bonus 6th level spell slot
14 +7 +14 +4 +4 +9 7th level spell access
15 +7 +15 +5 +5 +9 Major legacy Bonus 7th level spell slot
16 +8 +16 +5 +5 +10 8th level spell access
17 +8 +17 +5 +5 +10 Bonus 8th level spell slot
18 +9 +18 +6 +6 +11 9th level spell access
19 +9 +19 +6 +6 +11 Bonus 9th level spell slot
20 +10 +20 +6 +6 +12 TranscendanceWeapon & Armor Proficiencies: Epigones are proficient with simple weapons and small shields.
Magic: Epigones have access to arcane spells. An epigone may eschew material components worth 1 gp or less. Epigones cast spontaneous spells, using their Charisma. See the sorcerer class in the Player's Handbook, it's essentially the same thing for epigones.
Bloodline (Ex): An epigone's magical gifts can be traced to a supernatural ancestry. Every epigone must choose a bloodline at creation.
Familiar (Ex): In order to strengthen their supernatural heritage, epigones bind themselves with special familiars. An epigone may also bind himself to an "ordinary" familiar, but won't benefit then from all the gifts from his bloodline. An epigone bound to the proper familiar gains a +1 bonus to his effective master level, which offset a bit the master level penalty for powerful familiars. Also, an epigone bound to the proper familiar get access to an expanded known spell list.
Legacies (Ex): At level 5, 10, and 15, the epigone's body is magically altered ever so slightly, bringing him closer to his supernatural ancestry.
Transcendance (Ex): At level 20, the epigone's self-transformation reaches the point where he is closer to his supernatural form than to the form he was born into. His type changes to that of the supernatural ancestor.
Bloodlines
Celestial Bloodline
An epigone of celestial bloodline can bound himself to a lantern archon, musteval guardinal, or coure eladrin. Celestial epigones with one of these familiars add light, protection from evil, scorching ray, magic circle against evil, rainbow pattern, dismissal, guards and wards, sunburst, and summon monster 9.
Minor legacy: The epigone's skin changes just a little bit, hinting of his ancestry. The epigone also gains a +2 bonus to his caster level and his spells' DC against evil outsiders.
Medium legacy: A celestial epigone gains an always active tongues or speak with animals ability. This depends on his ancestor: tongues for angel, archon, or eladrin epigones; speak with animals for guardinal epigones. The epigone's aspect get a few more subtle cosmetic changes, in skin, eyes, and hair; making his celestial ancestry as obvious as an Aasimar's.
Major legacy: The celestial epigone's look become even more blatant, near the level of a half-celestial. He gains a damage reduction 5/evil.
Transcendance: The celestial epigone's look become as blatant as a half-celestial's one. He becomes a native outsider. Furthermore, he gains one of the powers of his supernatural family: protective aura (angel), aura of menace (archon), lay on hands (guardinal), or transformation (eladrin).
Dragon Bloodline
An epigone of draconic bloodline may bind himself to a pseudodragon. Bloodline spells are detect magic, scales of the dragon, darkvision, protection from elements, fear, teleportation, true seeing, vision, mind blank, dominate monster.
Minor legacy: Draconic epigones gains a +1 bonus to their caster level and spell DC. Their eyes are slightly serpentlike and glowing.
Medium legacy: Draconic epigones gain a scaly hide and sharp claws. They gain a natural armor bonus (worth one-fifth their epigone level, rounded down) and gain a natural claw attack, with a base damage of 1d6 for a Medium-sized epigone.
Major legacy: Draconic epigones may, once every five rounds, convert a spell into a breath weapon appropriate to their dragon ancestry. A damage-dealing breath weapon deals 1d8 damage, plus 1d8 per spell level of the sacrificed spell. An effect-inflicting breath weapon lasts one round plus one round per spell level. A breath weapon inflicting ability damage deals 1 point plus one per spell level, and a negative level-inflicting breath weapons deal half that amount. Lines have a Close range, cones have half that range.
Transcendance: Dragon epigones gain wings that let them fly like a half-dragon, regardless of their size. They also gain alternate form, which, three times per day, allow them to take the shape of a dragon of their size (or one size larger) and bloodline, or of their normal appearance from before they awoke their bloodline.
Fey Bloodline
An epigone of fey bloodline can bind himself to a kilmoulis or a petal. The bloodline spells are dancing lights, detect secret passages, glitterdust, tongues, hallucinatory terrain, seeming, mislead, phase door, Otto's irresistible dance, wail of the banshee.
Minor legacy: The fey epigone gains a +2 bonus to his caster level and his spells DC for illusion and enchantment spells.
Medium legacy: The fey epigone gains an awakened animal companion. Otherwise than being awakened, the animal companion is similar to that of a druid nine level lower than the epigone. The awakened animal companion is not the same as the familiar (in fact, both pets often quarrel together).
Major legacy: Thrice per day, the fey epigone may travel to and fro the Plane of Faerie. This spell-like ability is similar to etherealness, except with the Plane of Faerie rather than the Ethereal Plane. It works only in places that are coexistant with the Plane of Faerie.
Transcendance: The fey epigone stops aging and becomes virtually immortal. In places coexistant with the Plane of Faerie (and that plane itself), the Epigone is able to fly with perfect maneuverability with a speed of 80 ft. The fey epigone's type change to Fey.
Fiend:
Fiendish epigones can bind themselves to a quasit or an imp. The bloodline spells are daze, protection from good, darkness, sepia snake sigil, bestow curse, nightmare, veil, insanity, maze, imprisonment.
Minor legacy: The epigone's skin changes just a little bit, hinting of his ancestry. The epigone also gains a +2 bonus to his caster level and his spells' DC against good outsiders.
Medium legacy: A fiendish epigone gains an always active telepathy ability if he's of demonic or daemonic ancestry, see in darkness (even magical) if he's of devilish ancestry, or freedom of movement if he's of demodandic ancestry. The epigone's aspect get a few more subtle cosmetic changes, in skin, eyes, and hair; making his celestial ancestry as obvious as a Tiefling's.
Major legacy: The fiendish epigone's look become even more blatant, near the level of a half-fiend. He gains a damage reduction 5/good or magic (daemon, demodand), DR 5/good or cold iron (demon), or DR 5/good or silver (devil).
Transcendance: The fiendish epigone's look become as blatant as a half-fiend's one. He becomes a native outsider. Furthermore, he becomes immune to poison. Daemon epigones are also immune to acid, demon epigones to electricity, and devil epigone to fire.
Sphinx
A sphinx epigone can bind himself to a tressym. The bloodline spells are arcane mark, loresight, fox's cunning, tongues, scry, awaken, legend lore, greater arcane sight, maze, and foresight.
Minor legacy: Sphinx epigones have prodifious memories and a great capacity of observation. They get a lore ability akin to bardic lore.
Medium legacy: A sphinx epigone has retractible claws giving him two natural claw attacks. A Medium-size sphinx epigone's claws deal a base damage of 1d6. The sphinx epigone's eye become more cat-like, giving him low-light vision.
Major legacy: While the epigone's body get covered by fawn fur and becomes more feline in aspect, his intellect also gets closer to a sphinx's. He gains a +2 increase in Intelligence.
Transcendance: The epigone's body shape is now that of a sphinx (although not necessarily his size). He gains wings allowing him to fly with a flight speed of 60 ft. (clumsy). The wings also help him balancing himself when walking upright. When walking on all fours, the sphinx epigone's speed is increased from his normal walking speed by 10 ft. The epigone's type changes to Magical Beast.
Raw Magic
This "bloodline" is not actually one, instead it is a mechanism for allowing magical creatures (like dragons, outsiders, magical beasts, and so on) to use the epigone class.
Raw magic epigones do not have a special familiar. Bloodline spells are prestidigitation, magic missile, magic mouth, arcane sight, minor globe of invulnerability, break enchantment, contingency, limited wish, polymorph any object, wish.
Minor legacy: One bonus metamagic feat.
Medium legacy: One bonus metamagic feat.
Major legacy: One bonus metamagic feat.
Transcendance: One bonus metamagic feat.
Finally, what does these "spell access," "bonus spell slot," and "MP" column mean?
Simple. The wizard's spell per day table has been dubbed the Grand Unique Unified Universal Daily Spell Slot Table. Every class use it, even bards and paladins.
The MP column is for Magical Power and gives you your level on the GUUUDSST. So, an epigone has has much spell per day as a wizard. The bonus spell slot helps them getting a few more spell slots per day -- plus one per spell level.
Spell access is just what it means. One an epigone gains spell access to 2nd-level spells, he can use his 2nd-level spell slots and higher to cast 2nd-level spells. Spell access has been separated from spell slots because of multiclassing. Base MPs from different classes stack; but not spell access.
Originally from https://www.enworld.org/index.php?threads/100167/.
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) what was the nature of his ancestor.
