Rystil Arden
First Post
Hey everyone--this shall be my first proposal, and it came across as a combination of fluff and crunch ponderings I had while detailing the Academy of the Chromatic Order. The Academy is set up with programs based on four important Mage's in the Academy's past--the three founders Mordrue, Sice, and Omega, plus a Headmistress who helped guide the school in the wake of catastrophe, Daryne. Each of these offers training in two different schools of magic, and there is a Universal program as well. With that in mind, I propose the following four feats for double-majors:
Daryne's Imagination
Prerequisite:
Academy Graduate, Illusionist or Evoker, not barred from Illusion or Evocation, Int 15+
Benefits:
You may now select your specialist bonus spells from either Illusion or Evocation spells. You do not receive any additional bonus spells, however. Additionally, those who wish to expose your Illusions with Divination spells (where 'expose' includes using True Seeing to see them as fakes or using Detect Magic to find the aura of Illusion, etc, but does not include using Moment of Prescience to get a bonus to the save) must succeed at a Caster Level Check DC 5 + your caster level or the spell is fooled into believing the illusion is real.
Mordrue's Lore
Academy Graduate, Diviner or Abjurer, not barred from Divination or Abjuration, Int 15+
Benefits:
You may now select your specialist bonus spells from either Divination or Abjuration spells. You do not receive any additional bonus spells, however. Additionally, you may make any Knowledge check untrained.
Omega's Innovation
Academy Graduate, Enchanter or Conjurer, not barred from Enchantment or Conjuration, Int 15+
Benefits:
You may now select your specialist bonus spells from either Enchantment or Conjuration spells. You do not receive any additional bonus spells, however. Additionally, you have become efficient at crafting new magic items in your spare time. You spend only 75% of normal craft points when using Item Creation feats. You still pay the full gold and XP costs.
Sice's Power
Academy Graduate, Transmuter or Necromancer, not barred from Transmutation or Necromancy, Int 15+
Benefits:
You may now select your specialist bonus spells from either Transmutation or Necromancy spells. You do not receive any additional bonus spells, however. You gain Intimidate as a class skill. Additionally, after casting an offensive Transmutation or Necromancy spell with a visible effect on your enemies other than Fear (this includes damage, ability damage, ability drain, level drain, and adverse conditions that are immediately noticable (so polymorph would be noticable but a disease would not), you may choose to immediately make an Intimidate check against all who suffered the effects of the spell as a Move Action. If you do so, add the spell's level to the Intimidate check. If the check succeeds, the targets are also Shaken, as per the Intimidate check.
Balance discussions:
The first thing to keep in mind is that we are currently punishing characters for tying themselves into our world. Read this and pay attention to the bold.
In addition to being force-fed this pre-req feat at level 1 just to say they come from the Academy, the new feats restrict to only a single possibility for each school, and the big three (Evocation, Conjuration, Transmutation) are all separated into different groups.
Also, at least Omega is tied in inextricably with LEW and its crafting rules due to craft points (Random fluff point: Manzanita, the creator of the Academy, originally described the legendary mage Omega as a great magic item craftsman who knew many secrets of the trade, and so the Omega students follow in his footsteps by tinkering with magic items and creating new innovations). And the Int 15+ requirement helps reinforce buying odd stats, yay!
Note: A character with these feats can call themsleves a double-specialist, such as a Diviner/Abjurer with Mordrue's Lore
Daryne's Imagination
Prerequisite:
Academy Graduate, Illusionist or Evoker, not barred from Illusion or Evocation, Int 15+
Benefits:
You may now select your specialist bonus spells from either Illusion or Evocation spells. You do not receive any additional bonus spells, however. Additionally, those who wish to expose your Illusions with Divination spells (where 'expose' includes using True Seeing to see them as fakes or using Detect Magic to find the aura of Illusion, etc, but does not include using Moment of Prescience to get a bonus to the save) must succeed at a Caster Level Check DC 5 + your caster level or the spell is fooled into believing the illusion is real.
Mordrue's Lore
Academy Graduate, Diviner or Abjurer, not barred from Divination or Abjuration, Int 15+
Benefits:
You may now select your specialist bonus spells from either Divination or Abjuration spells. You do not receive any additional bonus spells, however. Additionally, you may make any Knowledge check untrained.
Omega's Innovation
Academy Graduate, Enchanter or Conjurer, not barred from Enchantment or Conjuration, Int 15+
Benefits:
You may now select your specialist bonus spells from either Enchantment or Conjuration spells. You do not receive any additional bonus spells, however. Additionally, you have become efficient at crafting new magic items in your spare time. You spend only 75% of normal craft points when using Item Creation feats. You still pay the full gold and XP costs.
Sice's Power
Academy Graduate, Transmuter or Necromancer, not barred from Transmutation or Necromancy, Int 15+
Benefits:
You may now select your specialist bonus spells from either Transmutation or Necromancy spells. You do not receive any additional bonus spells, however. You gain Intimidate as a class skill. Additionally, after casting an offensive Transmutation or Necromancy spell with a visible effect on your enemies other than Fear (this includes damage, ability damage, ability drain, level drain, and adverse conditions that are immediately noticable (so polymorph would be noticable but a disease would not), you may choose to immediately make an Intimidate check against all who suffered the effects of the spell as a Move Action. If you do so, add the spell's level to the Intimidate check. If the check succeeds, the targets are also Shaken, as per the Intimidate check.
Balance discussions:
The first thing to keep in mind is that we are currently punishing characters for tying themselves into our world. Read this and pay attention to the bold.
The following feat is required of graduates:
Academy Graduate
Graduates of the Academy of the Chromatic Order have been taught in a rigorous ciriculum by the best professors in the land. This gives the graduates an edge in certain skills.
+2 Knowledge (arcana)
+2 Spellcraft
This feat can be substituted for skillfocus(spellcraft) or skillfocus(knowledge –arcana) for the purposes of meeting the prerequisites of the Loremaster, the Archmage, and similar arcane Prestige classes. This feat must be taken at first level by anyone who is a graduate of the college. Those who have stated they are graduates before this feat is approved may take it at their next opportunity.
In addition to being force-fed this pre-req feat at level 1 just to say they come from the Academy, the new feats restrict to only a single possibility for each school, and the big three (Evocation, Conjuration, Transmutation) are all separated into different groups.
Also, at least Omega is tied in inextricably with LEW and its crafting rules due to craft points (Random fluff point: Manzanita, the creator of the Academy, originally described the legendary mage Omega as a great magic item craftsman who knew many secrets of the trade, and so the Omega students follow in his footsteps by tinkering with magic items and creating new innovations). And the Int 15+ requirement helps reinforce buying odd stats, yay!
Note: A character with these feats can call themsleves a double-specialist, such as a Diviner/Abjurer with Mordrue's Lore
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