A new spell casting class: thoughts?

[SteveC]

I have been discussing some of the implications of the D&D magic system with some folks recently, and one of the comments that came up was how wizards and sorcerers are often times made useless by the fact that they can cast a limited number of spells and then must either rely on magic items or not contribute much of anything.

I don't agree with that 100%, necessarily, but, bear with me. The idea is that a fighter does not have a limited number of uses of "cleave," nor does his weapon specialization stop working if he keeps using it. What I did as the result of that argument is create a feat-based spell caster. They spend feats to learn spells, much like a fighter, but can also cast the spells they DO know as often as they wish (although they do have some important limits to keep characters from summoning an unlimited number of allies). Since fighter feats are not all that powerful in comparison to high level spells, I have chosen to limit this class to casting 4th level spells or less. Here's what I've made up (recently revised), let me know what you think:

The Magic User
Base Attack Bonus: poor (as Wizard)

Fortitude Save: poor (as Wizard)

Reflex Save: poor (as Wizard)

Will Save; good (as Wizard)
Level
1 Spell Casting, Bonus Feat
2 Bonus Feat
3
4 Bonus Feat
5 Swap Spell
6 Bonus Feat
7
8 Bonus Feat
9
10 Swap Spell, Bonus Feat
11
12 Bonus Feat
13
14 Bonus Feat
15 Swap Spell
16 Bonus Feat
17
18 Bonus Feat
19
20 Swap Spell, Bonus Feat


Magic User
Alignment: Any.
Hit Die: d4.
Class Skills
The Magic User’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Decipher Script (Int), Knowledge (all skills, taken individually) (Int), Profession (Wis), and Spellcraft (Int).
Skill Points at 1st Level: (2 + Int modifier) x4.
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 2 + Int modifier.

Class Features
All of the following are class features of the Magic User.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Magic Users are proficient with the club, dagger, heavy crossbow, light crossbow, and quarterstaff, but not with any type of armor or shield. Armor of any type interferes with a Magic User’s movements, which can cause his spells with somatic components to fail.

Spell Casting
You can cast arcane spells from the Sorcerer/Wizard list with a caster level equal to your Magic User level. You suffer the normal arcane spell failure chances but do not need to prepare spells, nor are you limited to the number of times per day that you can cast a spell. You cast spells with the normal casting time and durations. You are limited, however, in the total number of spells you can have in effect at any one given time. With the Spell Casting class ability you may only have one spell in effect at any one time. This means once you cast a spell with a duration, you may not cast any additional spells until the effects of the first spell ends. As an example, if you have learned the Magic Missile spell, you may freely cast it as a standard action, but if you also knew mage armor, once you cast it you would be unable to cast any other spells as long as you had the mage armor was in effect. Should one or more of your spell’s durations expire, be dismissed by you (for spells with the [d] component in their duration) or be dispelled or negated in some way, you regain the ability to cast a spell on your next available action. To increase the number of spells you may have in effect at any one time, use the Bonus Spells feat.

As a part of Spell Casting you learn 3 + your Intelligence bonus (if any) in level 0 spells. These spells can be from any school of magic. You may learn additional spells by selecting the Spell Level [school] series of feats or the Additional Spell feat.

Bonus Feats: At 1st level, a Magic User gets a bonus magic-oriented feat in addition to the feat that any 1st-level character gets and the bonus feat granted to a human character. The Magic User gains an additional bonus feat at 2nd level and every two Magic User levels thereafter (4th, 6th, 8th, 10th, 12th, 14th, 16th, 18th, and 20th). These bonus feats must be drawn from the feats noted as Magical bonus feats. A Magic User must still meet all prerequisites for a bonus feat, including ability score and caster level minimums.


These bonus feats are in addition to the feat that a character of any class gets from advancing levels. A Magic User is not limited to the list of Magic User bonus feats when choosing these feats.

Swap Spells
Upon reaching 5th level, and at every five Magic User levels after that (10th, 15th, and so on), a Magic User can choose to learn a new spell in place of one he already knows. In effect, the Magic User “loses” the old spell in exchange for the new one. The new spell’s level must be the same as that of the spell being exchanged and it must be a spell the Magic User is eligible to cast. A Magic User may swap only a single spell at any given level.

Arcane Spells and Armor
Magic Users do not know how to wear armor effectively.

If desired, they can wear armor anyway (though they’ll be clumsy in it), or they can gain training in the proper use of armor (with the various Armor Proficiency feats—light, medium, and heavy—and the Shield Proficiency feat), or they can multiclass to add a class that grants them armor proficiency. Even if a Magic User is wearing armor with which he or she is proficient, however, it might still interfere with spellcasting.

Armor restricts the complicated gestures that a Magic User must make while casting any spell that has a somatic component (most do). The armor and shield descriptions list the arcane spell failure chance for different armors and shields.

If a spell doesn’t have a somatic component, an arcane spellcaster can cast it with no problem while wearing armor. Such spells can also be cast even if the caster’s hands are bound or if he or she is grappling (although Concentration checks still apply normally). Also, the metamagic feat Still Spell allows a spellcaster to prepare or cast a spell at one spell level higher than normal without the somatic component. This also provides a way to cast a spell while wearing armor without risking arcane spell failure.



Magic Users and Prestige Classes

Any time a magic user gains a level in a prestige class that improves spellcasting by “+1 level of existing class” he improves his caster level by +1. He does not gain bonus feats or other class abilities, such as the ability to swap spells.

Additional Class Feats
Additional Spell

You learn to cast two more spells.
Pre-Requisites: Spell Level [any school] level 1 or higher
Benefit: Pick a school of magic that you have learned to cast spells. You learn two additional spells in this school of any level that you are able to cast. If you are able to cast spells from more than one school of magic you may learn one spell from any two schools, subject to the limits for your Spell Level [school] feats.



Bonus Spells

You may have more than one spell in effect at a given time.

Pre-Requisites: Spell Level [school] 1

Benefit: You may have two spells in effect at any one time.

Special: You can gain this feat up to three times; its effects stack. The pre-requisite for learning it each additional time (Spell Level [school]) increases by +1 for each additional purchase. As an example, to purchase this feat a second time requires Spell Level [school] 2.




Spell Level [school] 1

You may cast Level One spells in a specific school of magic.
Pre-Requisites: Int 11+
Benefits: Pick a school of magic. You may cast Level One spells in this school. Additionally, you learn one Level One or Level Zero spell from this school.
Special: You can gain this feat multiple times. Its effects do not stack. Each time you take the feat, it applies to a new school of magic.

Spell Level [school] 2
Your ability to cast spells in a school of magic improves. You may cast Level Two spells in one school
Pre-Requisites: Spell Level [same school] 1, Caster Level 4, Int 12+
Benefits: Select a school of magic that you already have Spell Level 1 in. You may cast Level Two spells in this school. Additionally, you learn one spell of Level Two or less from this school.
Special: You can gain this feat multiple times. Its effects do not stack. Each time you take the feat, it applies to a new school of magic.

Spell Level [school] 3
Your ability to cast spells in a school of magic continues to improve. You may cast Level Three spells in one school.
Pre-Requisites: Spell Level [same school] 2, Caster Level 6, Int 13+
Benefits: Select a school of magic that you already have Spell Level 2 in. You may cast Level Three spells in this school. Additionally, you learn one spell of Level Three or less from this school.
Special: You can gain this feat multiple times. Its effects do not stack. Each time you take the feat, it applies to a new school of magic.

Spell Level [school] 4
You have mastered the spells in a given school of magic. You may cast Level Four spells in one school.
Pre-Requisites: Spell Level [same school] 3, Caster Level 8, Int 14+
Benefits: Select a school of magic that you already have Spell Level 3 in. You may cast Level Four spells in this school. Additionally, you learn one spell of Level Four or less from this school.
Special: You can gain this feat multiple times. Its effects do not stack. Each time you take the feat, it applies to a new school of magic.

Example Magic User:
Human Magic User 1
St 10(+0), Dx 13(+1), Con 14(+2), Int 15(+2), Wis 12(+1), Cha 11(+0)
Feat: Spell Level [evocation] 1, Spell Level [conjuration] 1, Bonus Spells
Spells: Level 0: Acid Splash, Detect Magic, Light, Mage Hand, Read Magic. Level 1: Mage Armor, Magic Missile

 

[Technik4]

It's an interesting idea, but far too unbalanced IMO. Remember that while fighters may appear to 'only get bonus feats' they also receive a great HD and the best BAB.

While it is potentially powerful to never run out of spells, the spells you have will be difficult to affect enemies at high levels. Fireball is impressive at 6th level; at 15th and higher I think unless its metamagicked its lost most of its punch. Essentially while this class appears very customizable, I think you would have everyone racing to get the higher level spells (in one specific school) and then kinda running out of gas

Example Level 9 Magic-User

Human Magic User 9
St 10(+0), Dx 13(+1), Con 14(+2), Int 17(+2), Wis 12(+1), Cha 11(+0)
Feat: Spell Level [evocation] 1, Spell Level [conjuration] 1, Bonus Spells, Spell Level [enchantment] 1, Bonus Spells, Spell Level [evocation] 2, Spell Level [evocation] 3, Bonus Spells, Spell Level [evocation] 4, Additional Spells
Level 0: Acid Splash, Detect Magic, Light, Mage Hand, Read Magic
Level 1: Mage Armor, Magic Missile, Sleep [Swap to Charm Person at 5]
Level 2: Scorching Ray [Fire], Gust of Wind
Level 3: Lightning Bolt [Electricity], Fireball [Fire]
Level 4: Wall of Ice [Ice]

So, the character can cast as many evocations per day as they want up to level 4, which is largely unbalancing for her level. Further, the character has little reason to continue to progress as a magic-user - she can only get Bonus Spells twomore times (at 10th and 12th presumably) and she cannot continue to improve evocations. Finally she has had far less customizability than say a sorcerer as she specialized in one school of magic and only knows a couple spells at each level. She has no access to metamagic due to the nature of the class and every level afterwards will just be improving lesser abilities - she doesnt have anything big to look forward to (like most spellcasting classes - 9th level spells, or a class like the bard - all of his performance based abilities).

At this level she is most powerful, she will probably cast the same spells over and over in battle (Scorching Ray, Lightning Bolt, Wall of Ice, Fireball, repeat).

I'm not sure how I would get a class like this to work, its potentially very narrow, but even if you don't rush for the higher-level spells there is little reason to stick around after you get 4th level spells. Maybe if the cap was 6th level spells? But, I'm not sure you will end up with well-rounded characters, and at the end of the day they can always toss their most powerful spell...again (which was the premise of the class).

Technik

 

[SteveC]

So, the character can cast as many evocations per day as they want up to level 4, which is largely unbalancing for her level. Further, the character has little reason to continue to progress as a magic-user - she can only get Bonus Spells twomore times (at 10th and 12th presumably) and she cannot continue to improve evocations. Finally she has had far less customizability than say a sorcerer as she specialized in one school of magic and only knows a couple spells at each level. She has no access to metamagic due to the nature of the class and every level afterwards will just be improving lesser abilities - she doesnt have anything big to look forward to (like most spellcasting classes - 9th level spells, or a class like the bard - all of his performance based abilities).

At this level she is most powerful, she will probably cast the same spells over and over in battle (Scorching Ray, Lightning Bolt, Wall of Ice, Fireball, repeat).

I'm not sure how I would get a class like this to work, its potentially very narrow, but even if you don't rush for the higher-level spells there is little reason to stick around after you get 4th level spells. Maybe if the cap was 6th level spells? But, I'm not sure you will end up with well-rounded characters, and at the end of the day they can always toss their most powerful spell...again (which was the premise of the class).

Technik

Thanks for the analysis, I think a lot of it is spot on. It's interesting that you say there's no reason to stay in this class after about 10th level, because that's the same thing people say about the fighter. I suppose this means I succeeded in my attempts to make a class that gave the wizard many of the features of the fighter.

To continue the analogy, the class would be very popular as something to multiclass into for a level or two, simply to gain spells that aren't level dependant. A fighter, for example, could take a level of magic user and gain access to the true strike spell.

Oh, and I have somehow taken out the secton on metamagic, which I will have to add back in when I get access to the documents.

When I unleased this class on some of my players as a thought experiment, the power gamers saw much promise with it, but the more casual ones did as well: it is a complex class to plan (since you need to think very carefully about your spell selections) but it's a very simple class to actually play.

In any case, thanks for your input!

--Steve

 

[Nifft]

The premise behind the class is a bit flawed: a Fighter can "cleave" as often as the situation that allows him to do so occurs. Even when the situation occurs, it's a risky act because it involves facing multiple foes at once, and there's a decent chance one will harm him -- reducing his HP, of which his supply is limited. Wizards don't need to get into melee to spend their spells.

A Fighter can't use cleave to get through green slime, a pit trap, a wall of force, explosive runes, a flying foe with a bow, a swarm, or a single powerful foe. He's got limits, which are no less real for being implicit. A Wizard has limits which are more explicit, because there are few implicit limits to the "manipulates reality" archtype.

-- N