Ok I have worked on this class for a while, off and on. The foundation idea was that, in my campaign metamagic and counterspelling are rarely used, because they are either complicated or viewed as to costly. Sure we've had a wizard or two with Empower but that was about it. I don't think anyone has ever even attempted a counterspell in our games, and we've been playing d20 since it came out. Please offer any criticism you have, I'm all ears.
As for the flavor of the class, here it goes in a simplified and much cut down fashion.
In the world of Obsydia there is a cult of dragon worshippers known as the Geistot. Unbeknownst to much of the world this cult has existed for several generations biding its time and building a power base to further thier own ends. The presumed leadership of this cult is a group of powerful evil dragons bent on becoming more powerful. (Go figure). To accomplish this the dragons sought to create a group of spellcasters whose abilities would bewilder more traditional casters, while still leaving the cultists manageable. The Geistot created the Stigmatist, an arcane caster whose powers are tied to the runespells on his body. In this way the Geistot hoped to control the power of thier own servants while making it easy to identify what spells the caster knew in case of defection. In the years following the creation of the stigmatist, the Geistot has seen them thrive, however a few stigmatists have begun showing up outside the ranks of the cult, much to its dismay...
STIGMATIST
Alignment: Any.
Hit Die: d6.
Class Skills
The stigmatist’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Bluff (Cha), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Profession (Wis), Spellcraft (Int), Use Magic Device (Cha).
Skill Points at 1st Level: (2 + Int modifier) x 4.
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 2 + Int modifier.
Table: The Stigmatist
BAB: As cleric
Saves: Good Will, Bad Reflex and Fortitude
Level Special Mana Points Spells Known Max Level
1 Runeward, Eschew Materials, Metamagic Key 0* 1 1
2 Arcane Schooling 1 2 1
3 3 3 1
4 5 4 2
5 Metamagic Key 7 5 2
6 11 6 2
7 Couterspell Mastery 15 7 3
8 19 8 3
9 23 9 3
10 Metamagic Key 27 10 4
11 35 11 4
12 43 12 4
13 51 13 5
14 59 14 5
15 Metamagic Key 67 15 5
16 79 16 6
17 91 17 6
18 103 18 6
19 115 19 6
20 Metamagic Key 127 20 6
Table: Stigmatist Spell Slots
Slot Location Spell Slots
Upper Right Arm 2
Upper Left Arm 2
Lower Right Arm 2
Lower Left Arm 2
Right Chest 2
Left Chest 2
Right Abdomen 2
Left Abdomen 2
Right Thigh 2
Left Thigh 2
Class Features
All of the following are class features of the sorcerer.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Stigmatists are proficient with all simple weapons and any one martial weapon of their choice. They are not proficient with any type of armor or shield. Armor of any type interferes with a stigmatist’s gestures, which can cause his spells with somatic components to fail.
Spells: A stigmatist casts arcane spells that are drawn from the stigmatist spell list. He can cast any spell he knows without preparing it ahead of time, the way a wizard or a cleric must (see below).
To learn or cast a spell, a stigmatist must have an Intelligence score equal to at least 10 + the spell level. The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against a stigmatist’s spell is 10 + the spell level + the stigmatist’s Intelligence modifier.
Table: Bonus Mana Points by Ability Modifier
*Use table from psionics cost*
Unlike other spellcasters, a stigmatist is not limited to a number of spell slots per day. Instead the stigmatist can expend mana points (from his mana pool) in order to cast spells. A stigmatist has mana points equal to the value shown on the chart above for his class value plus a number of bonus points dependant on his constitution modifier as indicated on the chart above. Spells of various levels cost an increasing number of mana points to cast as indicated on the chart below. Stigmatists are not limited to only a certain number of spells of each spell level per day.
Table: Mana Points by Spell Level
*Use table from psionics cost
A stigmatist’s selection of spells is extremely limited. At anytime in a stigmatist’s career he can only know a certain number of spells as noted on the table above. At 3rd level and every odd level thereafter a stigmatist may exchange one known spell for a new one. Exchanging a spell in this manner is very difficult and requires intense study and monetary resources. A stigmatist must study the new spell for a number of days equal to the spell level and expend materials with a monetary cost of 100 gp/spell level. At the end of this period the stigmatist will gain the new spell and lose his previous one.
Unlike a wizard or a cleric, a stigmatist need not prepare his spells in advance. He can cast any spell he knows at any time, assuming he has the necessary mana points. He does not have to decide ahead of time which spells he’ll cast.
For stigmatists, metamagic works in different manner than it does for other casters. A stigmatist can burn a portion of his own life energy into his spells. This burn causes 1d4 points of damage per spell level that the spell cast exceeds the caster’s maximum spell level. Mana costs for the spell are calculated based upon the effective level of the spell. Thus a 5th level stigmatist may cast a maximized magic missile. The spell would cost 7 mana points (1st level spell + 3 spell levels for maximize = 4th level). In addition the stigmatist would take 2d4 points of damage for casting a spell that is 2 levels beyond his normal maximum level. No spell may ever have an effective level beyond 9th level.
In order to cast a spell a stigmatist must have his corresponding tattoo visible (which is one reason they cannot cast invisibility). A stigmatist may not cast any spell if the corresponding tattoo is covered by equipment or otherwise not visible for any reason (see below for an exception). For this reason, stigmatists often wear loose robes that are cinched at the waist so that they can easily move their robes and access their tattoos. Most loose equipment will not cause any inconvenience to the spellcaster, but some vests, bracers, etc. may cover multiple spell slots. The DM has final say on what slots are covered by equipment and how much inconvenience is caused by the equipment. Stigmatists and those creating magic items specifically for a stigamtist can usually create items to minimize interference. A player with a stigmatist character should keep track of what spells are inscribed in each slot so that he knows which spell slots are covered by equipment. Easily moved or removed equipment, including but not limited to equipment designed for stigmatists, require a swift action to be moved. Because a tattoo must be visible in order to be used, spells such as alter self and invisibility cause difficulty for a stigmatist. The exception for the visibility rule noted above is darkness. Darkness causes no difficulty for a stigmatist, nor does any other baleful illusory effect used to cover the stigmatist’s tattooes.
The somantic component for a stigmatist’s spells involves touching the symbols with the appropriate fingers thus spells can only reasonably be placed on certain parts of the body. Verbal components are unaffected by the stigmatist class. For information on material components see Eschew Materials below.
Eschew Materials: All stigmatists are considered to have the eschew materials feat for all thier spells. Any spell that requires an expensive material component (25 gold pieces or more) instead costs a number of experience points equal to the gold piece value divided by twenty-five. For instance a spell with a material component that normally costs one hundred gold pieces instead costs four experience points.
Runeward: A stigmatist training is very dangerous and to that end the stigmatist’s first marking is known as a runeward. The runeward symbol is placed on the face and provides a measure of protection for the stigmatist from spells as well as mundane attacks. A stigmatist’s runeward value is equal to his maximum spell level as indicated below. A stigmatist gains a resistance bonus to saves versus spells and spell-like abilities as well as an armor bonus to armor class equal to his runeward value. The runeward also allows the stigmatist to cast each of the following spells: Detect Magic, Mage Hand, Arcane Mark, and Read Magic. The stigmatist may cast any combination of these spells freely up to 3 total times per day. These spells do not cost mana points to cast.
Metamagic Key: Metamagic keys are in effect feats inscribed onto the fingers of the stigmatist. A stigmatist may not use ‘traditional’ metmagic feats; instead he/she must gain the corresponding metamagic key feat. A stigmatist may learn any number of key feats but may only inscribe up to ten (or one per finger). At 1st, 5th, 10th, 15th, and 20th level the stigmatist gains a bonus metamagic key feat. The stigmatist must still meet all prerequisites for the feat.
Counterspell Mastery: The duelist nature of stigmatist training and philosophy offers them unique proficiency in counterspelling techniques. At 7th level, as a free action, a stigmatist may counterspell an opponents spell even if the stigmatist has not used the ready action to do so. The stigmatist still follows all normal rules for counterspells. Following the use of this ability, the stigmatist loses his/her action(s) on the following round. Though this is a free action a stigmatist may only perform one such counterspell per round.
Magic Item Use: A stigmatist cannot use spell trigger and spell completion items as effectively as other casters. In order to use these types of items a stigmatist must utelize the Use Magic Device skill with the normal required DC’s.
Stigmatist Spell List
1st Level:
Chill Touch, Endure Elements, Protection from Alignment, Shield, Burning Hands, Magic Missile, Color Spray, Shocking Grasp, Silent Image, Ray of Enfeeblement, Bane, Doom, Entropic Shield, Faerie Fire, Produce Flame
2nd Level:
Protection from Arrows, Resist Energy, Acid Arrow, Glitterdust, Web, See Invisibility, Touch of Idiocy, Darkness, Flaming Sphere, Gust of Wind, Scorching Ray, Shatter, Hypnotic Pattern, Minor Image, Mirror Image, Ghoul Touch, Spectral Hand, Darkvision, Silence, Sound Burst, Flame Blade, Enthrall
3rd Level:
Dispel Magic, Magic Circle Against Alignment, Protection from Energy, Arcane Sight, Daylight, Fireball, Lightning Bolt, Wind Wall, Displacement, Major Image, Ray of Exhaustion, Vampiric Touch, Haste, Invisibilty Purge, Water Breathing, Call Lightning
4th Level:
Lesser Globe of Invulnerability, Stoneskin, Black Tentacles, Fire Shield, Ice Storm, Resilient Sphere, Shout, Wall of Fire, Wall of Ice, Phantasmal Killer, Rainbow Pattern, Freedom of Movement, Spell Immunity, Rusting Grasp, Spike Stones
5th Level:
Break Enchantment, Dismissal, Feeblemind, Hold Monster, Cone of Cold, Interposing Hand, Wall of Force, Nightmare, Persistent Image, Telekinesis, Permanency, Flame Strike, Slay Living, Spell Resistance, Call Lightning Storm
6th Level:
Antimagic Shell, Greater Dispel Magic, Globe of Invulnerability, Repulsion, Acid Fog, True Seeing, Chain Lightning, Forceful Hand, Freezing Sphere, Circle of Death, Disintegrate, Transformation, Blade Barrier, Eyebite, Project Image, Greater Shout, Sympathetic Vibration
As for the flavor of the class, here it goes in a simplified and much cut down fashion.
In the world of Obsydia there is a cult of dragon worshippers known as the Geistot. Unbeknownst to much of the world this cult has existed for several generations biding its time and building a power base to further thier own ends. The presumed leadership of this cult is a group of powerful evil dragons bent on becoming more powerful. (Go figure). To accomplish this the dragons sought to create a group of spellcasters whose abilities would bewilder more traditional casters, while still leaving the cultists manageable. The Geistot created the Stigmatist, an arcane caster whose powers are tied to the runespells on his body. In this way the Geistot hoped to control the power of thier own servants while making it easy to identify what spells the caster knew in case of defection. In the years following the creation of the stigmatist, the Geistot has seen them thrive, however a few stigmatists have begun showing up outside the ranks of the cult, much to its dismay...
STIGMATIST
Alignment: Any.
Hit Die: d6.
Class Skills
The stigmatist’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Bluff (Cha), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Profession (Wis), Spellcraft (Int), Use Magic Device (Cha).
Skill Points at 1st Level: (2 + Int modifier) x 4.
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 2 + Int modifier.
Table: The Stigmatist
BAB: As cleric
Saves: Good Will, Bad Reflex and Fortitude
Level Special Mana Points Spells Known Max Level
1 Runeward, Eschew Materials, Metamagic Key 0* 1 1
2 Arcane Schooling 1 2 1
3 3 3 1
4 5 4 2
5 Metamagic Key 7 5 2
6 11 6 2
7 Couterspell Mastery 15 7 3
8 19 8 3
9 23 9 3
10 Metamagic Key 27 10 4
11 35 11 4
12 43 12 4
13 51 13 5
14 59 14 5
15 Metamagic Key 67 15 5
16 79 16 6
17 91 17 6
18 103 18 6
19 115 19 6
20 Metamagic Key 127 20 6
Table: Stigmatist Spell Slots
Slot Location Spell Slots
Upper Right Arm 2
Upper Left Arm 2
Lower Right Arm 2
Lower Left Arm 2
Right Chest 2
Left Chest 2
Right Abdomen 2
Left Abdomen 2
Right Thigh 2
Left Thigh 2
Class Features
All of the following are class features of the sorcerer.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Stigmatists are proficient with all simple weapons and any one martial weapon of their choice. They are not proficient with any type of armor or shield. Armor of any type interferes with a stigmatist’s gestures, which can cause his spells with somatic components to fail.
Spells: A stigmatist casts arcane spells that are drawn from the stigmatist spell list. He can cast any spell he knows without preparing it ahead of time, the way a wizard or a cleric must (see below).
To learn or cast a spell, a stigmatist must have an Intelligence score equal to at least 10 + the spell level. The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against a stigmatist’s spell is 10 + the spell level + the stigmatist’s Intelligence modifier.
Table: Bonus Mana Points by Ability Modifier
*Use table from psionics cost*
Unlike other spellcasters, a stigmatist is not limited to a number of spell slots per day. Instead the stigmatist can expend mana points (from his mana pool) in order to cast spells. A stigmatist has mana points equal to the value shown on the chart above for his class value plus a number of bonus points dependant on his constitution modifier as indicated on the chart above. Spells of various levels cost an increasing number of mana points to cast as indicated on the chart below. Stigmatists are not limited to only a certain number of spells of each spell level per day.
Table: Mana Points by Spell Level
*Use table from psionics cost
A stigmatist’s selection of spells is extremely limited. At anytime in a stigmatist’s career he can only know a certain number of spells as noted on the table above. At 3rd level and every odd level thereafter a stigmatist may exchange one known spell for a new one. Exchanging a spell in this manner is very difficult and requires intense study and monetary resources. A stigmatist must study the new spell for a number of days equal to the spell level and expend materials with a monetary cost of 100 gp/spell level. At the end of this period the stigmatist will gain the new spell and lose his previous one.
Unlike a wizard or a cleric, a stigmatist need not prepare his spells in advance. He can cast any spell he knows at any time, assuming he has the necessary mana points. He does not have to decide ahead of time which spells he’ll cast.
For stigmatists, metamagic works in different manner than it does for other casters. A stigmatist can burn a portion of his own life energy into his spells. This burn causes 1d4 points of damage per spell level that the spell cast exceeds the caster’s maximum spell level. Mana costs for the spell are calculated based upon the effective level of the spell. Thus a 5th level stigmatist may cast a maximized magic missile. The spell would cost 7 mana points (1st level spell + 3 spell levels for maximize = 4th level). In addition the stigmatist would take 2d4 points of damage for casting a spell that is 2 levels beyond his normal maximum level. No spell may ever have an effective level beyond 9th level.
In order to cast a spell a stigmatist must have his corresponding tattoo visible (which is one reason they cannot cast invisibility). A stigmatist may not cast any spell if the corresponding tattoo is covered by equipment or otherwise not visible for any reason (see below for an exception). For this reason, stigmatists often wear loose robes that are cinched at the waist so that they can easily move their robes and access their tattoos. Most loose equipment will not cause any inconvenience to the spellcaster, but some vests, bracers, etc. may cover multiple spell slots. The DM has final say on what slots are covered by equipment and how much inconvenience is caused by the equipment. Stigmatists and those creating magic items specifically for a stigamtist can usually create items to minimize interference. A player with a stigmatist character should keep track of what spells are inscribed in each slot so that he knows which spell slots are covered by equipment. Easily moved or removed equipment, including but not limited to equipment designed for stigmatists, require a swift action to be moved. Because a tattoo must be visible in order to be used, spells such as alter self and invisibility cause difficulty for a stigmatist. The exception for the visibility rule noted above is darkness. Darkness causes no difficulty for a stigmatist, nor does any other baleful illusory effect used to cover the stigmatist’s tattooes.
The somantic component for a stigmatist’s spells involves touching the symbols with the appropriate fingers thus spells can only reasonably be placed on certain parts of the body. Verbal components are unaffected by the stigmatist class. For information on material components see Eschew Materials below.
Eschew Materials: All stigmatists are considered to have the eschew materials feat for all thier spells. Any spell that requires an expensive material component (25 gold pieces or more) instead costs a number of experience points equal to the gold piece value divided by twenty-five. For instance a spell with a material component that normally costs one hundred gold pieces instead costs four experience points.
Runeward: A stigmatist training is very dangerous and to that end the stigmatist’s first marking is known as a runeward. The runeward symbol is placed on the face and provides a measure of protection for the stigmatist from spells as well as mundane attacks. A stigmatist’s runeward value is equal to his maximum spell level as indicated below. A stigmatist gains a resistance bonus to saves versus spells and spell-like abilities as well as an armor bonus to armor class equal to his runeward value. The runeward also allows the stigmatist to cast each of the following spells: Detect Magic, Mage Hand, Arcane Mark, and Read Magic. The stigmatist may cast any combination of these spells freely up to 3 total times per day. These spells do not cost mana points to cast.
Metamagic Key: Metamagic keys are in effect feats inscribed onto the fingers of the stigmatist. A stigmatist may not use ‘traditional’ metmagic feats; instead he/she must gain the corresponding metamagic key feat. A stigmatist may learn any number of key feats but may only inscribe up to ten (or one per finger). At 1st, 5th, 10th, 15th, and 20th level the stigmatist gains a bonus metamagic key feat. The stigmatist must still meet all prerequisites for the feat.
Counterspell Mastery: The duelist nature of stigmatist training and philosophy offers them unique proficiency in counterspelling techniques. At 7th level, as a free action, a stigmatist may counterspell an opponents spell even if the stigmatist has not used the ready action to do so. The stigmatist still follows all normal rules for counterspells. Following the use of this ability, the stigmatist loses his/her action(s) on the following round. Though this is a free action a stigmatist may only perform one such counterspell per round.
Magic Item Use: A stigmatist cannot use spell trigger and spell completion items as effectively as other casters. In order to use these types of items a stigmatist must utelize the Use Magic Device skill with the normal required DC’s.
Stigmatist Spell List
1st Level:
Chill Touch, Endure Elements, Protection from Alignment, Shield, Burning Hands, Magic Missile, Color Spray, Shocking Grasp, Silent Image, Ray of Enfeeblement, Bane, Doom, Entropic Shield, Faerie Fire, Produce Flame
2nd Level:
Protection from Arrows, Resist Energy, Acid Arrow, Glitterdust, Web, See Invisibility, Touch of Idiocy, Darkness, Flaming Sphere, Gust of Wind, Scorching Ray, Shatter, Hypnotic Pattern, Minor Image, Mirror Image, Ghoul Touch, Spectral Hand, Darkvision, Silence, Sound Burst, Flame Blade, Enthrall
3rd Level:
Dispel Magic, Magic Circle Against Alignment, Protection from Energy, Arcane Sight, Daylight, Fireball, Lightning Bolt, Wind Wall, Displacement, Major Image, Ray of Exhaustion, Vampiric Touch, Haste, Invisibilty Purge, Water Breathing, Call Lightning
4th Level:
Lesser Globe of Invulnerability, Stoneskin, Black Tentacles, Fire Shield, Ice Storm, Resilient Sphere, Shout, Wall of Fire, Wall of Ice, Phantasmal Killer, Rainbow Pattern, Freedom of Movement, Spell Immunity, Rusting Grasp, Spike Stones
5th Level:
Break Enchantment, Dismissal, Feeblemind, Hold Monster, Cone of Cold, Interposing Hand, Wall of Force, Nightmare, Persistent Image, Telekinesis, Permanency, Flame Strike, Slay Living, Spell Resistance, Call Lightning Storm
6th Level:
Antimagic Shell, Greater Dispel Magic, Globe of Invulnerability, Repulsion, Acid Fog, True Seeing, Chain Lightning, Forceful Hand, Freezing Sphere, Circle of Death, Disintegrate, Transformation, Blade Barrier, Eyebite, Project Image, Greater Shout, Sympathetic Vibration
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