OK, so here's some rules modifications which I threw together after a little browsing in my library. I'm hoping these rules modifications will make casters PCs more viable in the face of the additional social drawbacks which their respective classes will be enduring. Please evaluate and critique. I've tried to list the character classes in order of the level of hardship (licensed spellcasting red tape, inquisitors, peasant mobs, wannabe heroes) they would probably have to cope with.
**Wizard Characters**
Arcane Bond (object/familiar) may be replaced with Secret Magic.
Lesser Secret Magic 1: At 1st level, you gain any one of the following metamagic feats as a bonus feat in addition to the other bonus feats gained by wizards: Delay Spell, Eschew Materials, Hide Spell, Mute Spell, Obfuscate Spell, Silent Spell, Still Spell.
Lesser Secret Magic 2: At 4th level, you gain a second feat from the list of Lesser Secret Magic metamagic feats.
Greater Secret Magic 1: At 7th level, you can select a bonus feat from the following list of bonus feats for which you meet the prerequisites: Rapid Delayed Spell, Rapid Hidden Spell, Rapid Muted Spell, Rapid Obfuscated Spell, Rapid Silent Spell, Rapid Still Spell. Alternatively, you may choose an additional feat from the list of Lesser Secret Magic metamagic feats not already taken.
Lesser Secret Magic 3: At 8th level, you gain a third feat from the list of Lesser Secret Magic metamagic feats.
Lesser Secret Magic 4: At 12th level, you gain a fourth feat from the list of Lesser Secret Magic metamagic feats.
Greater Secret Magic 2: At 13th level, you may choose a second bonus feat from the Greater Magic list, or an additional feat from the list of Lesser Secret Magic metamagic feats not already taken.
Secret Magic Specialization: At 16th level, you may permanently metamagic any spells which you have already mastered. Select a Greater Secret Magic metamagic feat you know (such as Rapid Silent Spell or Rapid Obfuscate Spell). When casting any spell for which you have Spell Mastery, you can apply your Secret Magic metamagic feat to the spell being cast without expending your daily number of uses for that metamagic feat. Once made, your choice of Secret Magic metamagic feat specialty cannot be changed.
Secret Magic Mastery: At 20th level, you have become quite adept at casting secret magic. Once per day, when casting a spell for which you have Spell Mastery, you may apply any two Greater Secret Magic metamagic feats known to you at a cost of one daily use for both metamagic feats (except for your metamagic feat speciality, which is still usable for free with a Mastered spell).
**Sorcerer Characters**
Spontaneous Metamagic: At 5th level, and every six levels thereafter, a sorcerer may choose from one of the following metamagic feats as a bonus feat.
[Here insert a list of Rapid versions of all the usual metamagic feats that sorcerers might want to take, plus Rapid Delayed Spell, Rapid Hidden Spell, Rapid Muted Spell, Rapid Obfuscated Spell, Rapid Silent Spell, and Rapid Still Spell.]
**Witch Characters**
If there is anything comparable to undead army-wielding necromancers in terms of peasant-mob-spawning dangerousness, it's probably witches.
I'm going to have to do some house rules handwaving here....
Each witch's hex requires certain verbal and somatic components which are required to activate the hex (unless otherwise noted--we can assume they don't require exotic material components because there's no such thing as a "hex component pouch"). As other arcane casters have adapted to a world hostile to their way of life, so too have witches.
Witch's Secrets: As your develop your special abilities, you uncover special ways to make them more potent when a show of force is needed, and harder to detect when it is preferable to keep out of others' sight and mind.
At 2nd level, 6th level, 10th level, 14th level, and 18th level, instead of selecting an additional hex, the witch can choose from the following list of hex advancements. She can use any witch's secret she knows up to three times per day, and can apply them to any hex she activates as long as the hex being activated is compatible with that advancement. A witch who selects a hex advancement at 10th or 18th level may still select major hexes starting at 12th level and may still select a grand hex at 20th level. A Hex can be modified by more than one advancement at a time.
- Delayed Hex (minimum 10th level): The effects of the hex does not manifest right away. Hexes are assumed to take effect immediately unless otherwise noted. Hexes that are activated as a standard or move action may be delayed up to 10 full rounds (or 1 minute). Hexes requiring one full round (or longer) to activate may have their effects delayed up to five minutes. For the duration of the delay, the witch must concentrate to maintain the delaying effect or the hex will fail. Note: If a hex lacks a specific activation time (and no reasonable activation time can be inferred from the text), then assume 1 standard action or move action (as appropriate) for a minor or major hex, or 1 full round for a grand hex.
- Enlarged Hex (minimum 6th level): The range of the hex is doubled; for example, an Enlarged Charm or Misfortune can take effect on a target up to 60 feet away. Hexes with a range of "self" or "touch" (or which do not have a stated range) cannot be advanced in this way.
- Extended Hex (minimum 6th level): The duration of the hex's effects is doubled; for example, an Extended Agony or Slumber causes the victim to be nauseated or to sleep for a number of rounds equal to twice the Witch's class level. Hexes which do not have a stated duration, and hexes whose effects are permanent, cannot be advanced in this way.
- Merciful Hex: You can temper the potency of your hexes which harm others. A merciful hex that ordinarily deals ability damage (such as Blight, Hoarfrost, or Infected Wounds) deals 1d6 nonlethal damage per point of ability damage instead; a merciful hex that ordinarily deals lethal damage or energy damage (such as Retribution, Death Curse, or Ice Tomb) deals nonlethal damage of an equal amount instead.
- Persistent Hex (minimum 6th level): If the target of the hex succeeds on its initial saving throw, it must succeed at an additional save on the next round (and gaining a +5 bonus to its roll) or else suffer the full effect as though it had failed the initial saving throw. Hexes whose targets are not entitled to a saving throw cannot be advanced in this way.
- Quicken Hex (minimum 10th level): You can activate a hex as a swift action. This lets you perform another action, even activating another hex, in the same round as you activate a quickened hex. A hex whose activation time is longer than 1 round or 1 full-round action cannot be advanced in this way. Activating a quickened hex does not provoke an attack of opportunity.
- Silent Hex: A Silent hex does not require a verbal component to activate. Hexes which require the witch to communicate with the target or which depend on the target's ability to hear the witch's voice to function (such as Cackle, Charm, or Tongues) cannot be advanced in this way.
- Still Hex: A still hex does not require a somatic component to activate. Hexes with a range of "self" or "touch" or which require a specific kind of movement to function (such as Charm requiring beckoning motions, or Hidden Home requiring one to pace out the area of effect) cannot be advanced in this way.
- Widen Hex (minimum 10th level): A widened hex affects an area twice as large as normal (i.e., double the range of the effect as measured from the center intersection of the area of effect). Hexes that do not have a stated area of effect cannot be advanced in this way.
**Magus Characters**
Magi are not as specialized in magic use as their sorcerer or wizard cousins, and can get along more easily in the world attempting to blend in with the professional warrior set. They don't need as much help.
Magus Arcana: Magi can select from Delay Spell, Hide Spell, Mute Spell, and Obfuscate Spell as emulated metamagic feats; the magus can cast one spell per day as if it were modified by the feat in question. This does not increase the casting time or the level of the spell.
Additionally, all Magus Arcana powers that emulate metamagic feats are allowed to be taken multiple times, each time taken allowing an additional use of that Magus Arcana per day.
**Bard Characters**
Bards are one of the few arcane casters that receive any kind of respect or tolerance in this campaign world, being makers (and breakers) of the reputations and legendary histories of heroes, powerful nobility, and even royalty. It would also be next to impossible to divorce them from their performance magic without totally redesigning the class from scratch. Thus bards don't need help but I'm including them anyway for the sake of completion.
**Cleric, Druid, and Oracle Characters**
These magic-users are the favored children of the gods, powerful spirits, or of nature herself, and only the most fanatical anti-casters make any serious attempts to persecute them. Only evil clerics, excommunicated clerics, and ex-druids have anything to worry about when it comes to mage hunters, and such folks are usually in trouble with someone else who's a lot more dangerous (or will simply not appear in the game as a PC in any case). These classes don't need any help either, IMO.
**Summoner Characters**
Not sure what to do about this class? I've never really looked at it in much detail. Something about it just doesn't appeal to me. Maybe it reminds me too much of playing Magic: The Gathering with all of its focused on conjuring up monsters to fight for you.
**Rangers, Paladins, Inquisitors, Antipaladins, and all other casters**
No need to worry about these guys; they are in much the same boat as the Cleric, Druid, and Oracle, only they are even less dependent on their magic.
* * * * * * * * * *
New Metamagic Feats
All new feats are also available to characters of any class as normal feats.
*Delay Spell*
You can cast a spell that takes effect after a short delay, which might give you time to take cover or concealment when the spell goes off, or make it look like someone else actually cast the spell.
Benefit: When casting a spell you have prepared with Delay Spell, you may set a delay of up to 10 rounds (or 1 minute) before it actually takes effect. (You can still cast a prepared Delayed spell as a normal spell and have it take effect immediately.) The delay time cannot be changed once the spell has been cast, but will take effect during the round you have chosen and on the initiative count you were acting on when you cast the spell. (Even if you delay your action or do something else that changes your initiative result, the spell will still go off on your old initiative count.) Only spells with a range of 'you' or 'touch' and spels with an area of effect can be affected by Delay Spell.
Any decisions you would normally make about the spell when it is cast (such as creatures or objects targeted, shape and location of the area of effect, choice between normal or alternative effect, etc.) must be made (and become unchangeable) when you first cast the spell, not when the spell's delay is run out. Any die rolls associated with the spell that are made by you (such as attack rolls and damage rolls) must also be rolled at the time the spell is cast.
Circumstances might change in the meantime to make a delayed spell either pointless or unintentionally harmful (e.g., the intended target creature is slain before the area-attack spell goes off, or allies unwittingly move into the spell's area of effect). The maximum range of a delayed spell is measured from the square where you cast the delayed spell from, not the square you are in when the spell takes effect. If a change in circumstances would make the spell normally impossible to cast at the time it should take effect (e.g., target object is moved out of the maximum range of the square where you cast the spell), then the spell fails.
An active delayed spell is subject to dispel attempts and counterspell attempts for the duration of the delay. An active delayed spell can also be detected as a magical aura of a functional spell covering the target area, object, or creature as appropriate (see detect magic).
Once you have cast the spell, you must continue to maintain the delay via a concentration check made each round until the spell goes off, or else the spell fails. The level of concentration required is equivalent to having to concentrate to maintain an active spell, which is a standard action that does not provoke attacks of opportunity. Anything that could disrupt your concentration while casting a spell can disrupt your attempt to maintain the delayed effect and require you to make a concentration check (see Core Rulebook page 206) to avoid losing the delayed spell.
A delayed spell uses up a spell slot two levels higher than the spell's actual level.
*Hide Spell*
You can cast a spell whose effects aren't directly visible to others, making it more difficult for onlookers to figure out exactly what happened.
Benefit: You can modify a spell you cast so that it carries no visual manifestation. Other sensory manifestations of the spell effect, including taste, touch, smell, etc., are unaffected. This metamagic does not in any way conceal your use of material, somatic, or verbal components while casting the spell. The spell remains the same in all other respects, including range, area, targets, and damage. For example, the target of a Hidden Fireball would still be subject to its other effects (including heat and damage), and any flammable materials caught on fire would still give off ordinary smoke and flames. Detect magic, true seeing, and other effects capable of piercing invisibility will still detect the spell's visual effects as normal. Spells with the light descriptor, and spells that have no effect on blinded or sightless creatures (such as color spray, flare, and hypnotic pattern) cannot be modified using this metamagic feat. A hidden spell uses up a slot one spell level higher than the spell's actual level.
*Mute Spell*
You can cast a spell whose effects are completely silent, making it less likely to draw unwanted attention with a distracting noise.
Benefit: You can modify a spell you cast so that it carries no auditory manifestation. Other sensory manifestations of the spell effect, including taste, touch, smell, etc., are unaffected. This metamagic does not in any way conceal your use of material, somatic, or verbal components while casting the spell. The spell remains the same in all other respects, including range, area, targets, and damage. Bard spells, spells with the sonic descriptor, and any other spell which depends on perceptible sound or spoken language for its effect (such as ghost sound, comprehend languages, and tongues) cannot be modified using this metamagic feat. A muted spell uses up a slot one spell level higher than the spell's actual level.
*Obfuscate Spell*
You can cast a spell that appears to come from a completely different direction, making it harder for anyone who saw what happened to think you are the one responsible.
Benefit: An obfuscated spell appears to originate from a location other than your square. The location of the false origin's square must be no further from yourself than the range of the spell you are casting. For example, you might cast an obfuscated Lightning Bolt (120 ft.) and have it originate from any square that lies within 120 ft. of both the target square and your square. This feat does not allow you to gain a bonus to hit, to circumvent cover, flank an opponent, or gain any other kind of advantage on a die roll. This metamagic does not in any way conceal your use of material, somatic, or verbal components while casting the spell, but only prevents those who did not actively observe you casting the spell from recognizing you as its caster. You cannot apply Obfuscate Spell to any spell with a range of 'touch' or with a target of 'you'. An obfuscated spell uses up a slot one spell level higher than the spell's actual level.
*Rapid Delayed Spell*
You can delay one of your spells at a moment's notice.
Prerequisite: Delay Spell metamagic feat
Benefit: Once per day, you can apply the effects of Delay Spell to any spell you cast without increasing the level of the spell or specially preparing it as metamagicked ahead of time. You can still prepare spells metamagicked with Delay Spell as normal. You may only apply one Rapid metamagic feat to a given spell at a time, but you may apply this feat to a spell which you have previously prepared with a different metamagic feat.
Special: This feat can be taken multiple times. Each time you take this feat, you can apply Rapid Delayed Spell an additional time per day.
*Rapid Hidden Spell*
You can hide one of your spells at a moment's notice.
Prerequisite: Hide Spell metamagic feat
Benefit: Once per day, you can apply the effects of Hide Spell to any spell you cast without increasing the level of the spell or specially preparing it as metamagicked ahead of time. You can still prepare spells metamagicked with Hide Spell as normal. You may only apply one Rapid metamagic feat to a given spell at a time, but you may apply this feat to a spell which you have previously prepared with a different metamagic feat.
Special: This feat can be taken multiple times. Each time you take this feat, you can apply Rapid Hidden Spell an additional time per day.
*Rapid Muted Spell*
You can mute one of your spells at a moment's notice.
Prerequisite: Mute Spell metamagic feat
Benefit: Once per day, you can apply the effects of Mute Spell to any spell you cast without increasing the level of the spell or specially preparing it as metamagicked ahead of time. You can still prepare spells metamagicked with Mute Spell as normal. You may only apply one Rapid metamagic feat to a given spell at a time, but you may apply this feat to a spell which you have previously prepared with a different metamagic feat.
Special: This feat can be taken multiple times. Each time you take this feat, you can apply Rapid Mute Spell an additional time per day.
*Rapid Obfuscated Spell*
You can obfuscate one of your spells at a moment's notice.
Prerequisite: Obfuscate Spell metamagic feat
Benefit: Once per day, you can apply the effects of Obfuscate Spell to any spell you cast without increasing the level of the spell or specially preparing it as metamagicked ahead of time. You can still prepare spells metamagicked with Obfuscate Spell as normal. You may only apply one Rapid metamagic feat to a given spell at a time, but you may apply this feat to a spell which you have previously prepared with a different metamagic feat.
Special: This feat can be taken multiple times. Each time you take this feat, you can apply Rapid Obfuscate Spell an additional time per day.
*Rapid Silent Spell*
You can cast one of your spells without its incantation at a moment's notice.
Prerequisite: Silent Spell metamagic feat
Benefit: Once per day, you can apply the effects of Silent Spell to any spell you cast without increasing the level of the spell or specially preparing it as metamagicked ahead of time. You can still prepare spells metamagicked with Silent Spell as normal. You may only apply one Rapid metamagic feat to a given spell at a time.
Special: This feat can be taken multiple times. Each time you take this feat, you can apply Rapid Silent Spell an additional time per day.
*Rapid Still Spell*
You can cast one of your spells without its somatics at a moment's notice.
Prerequisite: Still Spell metamagic feat
Benefit: Once per day, you can apply the effects of Still Spell to any spell you cast without increasing the level of the spell or specially preparing it as metamagicked ahead of time. You can still prepare spells metamagicked with Still Spell as normal. You may only apply one Rapid metamagic feat to a given spell at a time, but you may apply this feat to a spell which you have previously prepared with a different metamagic feat.
Special: This feat can be taken multiple times. Each time you take this feat, you can apply Rapid Still Spell an additional time per day.
* * * * * * * * * *
Finally, all casters that gain bonus spells per day can immediately benefit from any bonus spell slots granted by a high relevant ability score. For example, A 3rd-level wizard with 18 Intelligence gains a single bonus slot for each spell level from 1st to 4th. While she has normal access to her 1st and 2nd level bonus slots, she also has access to her 3rd and 4th level spell slots and could fill them with a couple of metamagicked 2nd-level spells with an effective level of 3rd and 4th, respectively (or she could fill them with normal 1st- or 2nd-level spells if she so chooses).
