[Black Company] - Converting D20 Magic classes

[Skywalker]

For anyone in the know, who easy is it to convert existing Classes and PrCs that use magic to Black Company d20 rules? In particular, I am focussed on how easy or hard it will be to convert the Arcane Mechanik, Gun Mage, Battle Chaplain, Black Clad and Warcaster from the Iron Kingdoms to Black Company.

My intention is to adopt the entirety of the Black Company magic system. I am hoping that the normal spell casting ability can be replaced by a Magic Talent every X level.

 

[Masada]

If you'd like to save yourself some work... Green Ronin has released a d20 OGL Black Company setting book. It's the DMG and PHB all in one for the setting. There's a review here on EN World and the copy I saw in the store looked sharp.

 

[Skywalker]

If you'd like to save yourself some work... Green Ronin has released a d20 OGL Black Company setting book. It's the DMG and PHB all in one for the setting. There's a review here on EN World and the copy I saw in the store looked sharp.

Yep. That is the book I am talking about. I am planning to use the Black Company d20 book by Green Ronin as the base rule set for my Iron Kingdoms game. There are a number of classes in IK that use magic. From what I hear, despite BC d20 using a different magic system, it may be possible to convert these classes over with ease. I understand the BC book discusses converting the DMG prestige classes to Black Company.

My question for people who have read the Black Company book is how easy would that be for the Iron Kingdom classes.

 

[Henry]

I don't have Iron Kingdoms, but I do have Black Company, so I'm approaching this from a different direction.

In BC, remember that the Wizard is the only class you can take to get further aptitude (1st, 2nd, 3rd, etc.) The aptitude advancements you give these prestige classes should reflect the amount of "magical aptitude" they are apparently supposed to get through the IK rules. Assume 1st Mag is kinda like a Level 5 to 10 wizard with 3rd to 4th level spells, 2nd Mag is like a 10th to 15th level wizard with 5th to 6th level spells, and 3rd Mag is like a high-level wizard with 7th level spells. If the IK class is magic-heavy, they should be able to get to 3rd Magnitude by their higher levels; if it gives lots of other benefits than magical progression, then it shouldn't raise magical aptitude.

Remember, they REAL key to magic power in Black Company is Magical Aptitude, not ranks in Magic Use. Think of gaining higher ranks in Magic Use skill as a linear slow progression, and think of gaining Magic Aptitude as an almost geometric progression.

Do NOT give any class 4th Magnitude; that's reserved for Epic-level Wizards or those who sacrifice so much as to be the Taken of an Epic-level Wizard. If it takes 50th level to gain 4th aptitude, then some dinky 20-level Class or 10-level Prestige Class shouldn't do it.

 

[Skywalker]

Remember, they REAL key to magic power in Black Company is Magical Aptitude, not ranks in Magic Use. Think of gaining higher ranks in Magic Use skill as a linear slow progression, and think of gaining Magic Aptitude as an almost geometric progression.

Cheers. That does help alot, especially for the standard classes like Gun Mage and Arcane Mechanik.

How does a Wizard get Magic Aptitude? Is it a feat with prerequisites or a class ability?

For prestige classes, boiling the problem down to its most simple, is there any way to say that some PrCs when taken can be counted as Wizard class levels for the purpose of determining Magic Aptitude?

For example, a Priest has Fighter 7/Wizard 3. He then takes Battle Chaplain 3. His total levels for determining Magic Aptitude should be about that of a 6th level Wizard. However, he is unable to take specific Magic Feats available to a Wizard during this period. Would this kind of thing work?

 

[Old One]

Cheers. That does help alot, especially for the standard classes like Gun Mage and Arcane Mechanik.

How does a Wizard get Magic Aptitude? Is it a feat with prerequisites or a class ability?

For prestige classes, boiling the problem down to its most simple, is there any way to say that some PrCs when taken can be counted as Wizard class levels for the purpose of determining Magic Aptitude?

For example, a Priest has Fighter 7/Wizard 3. He then takes Battle Chaplain 3. His total levels for determining Magic Aptitude should be about that of a 6th level Wizard. However, he is unable to take specific Magic Feats available to a Wizard during this period. Would this kind of thing work?

Magical Apptitude is determined by ranks in Magic Use + Magnitude Bonus. Using your example above (and assuming you didn't cross-class skill points), the PC could have 9 ranks in Magic Use (6+3) and just qualify for 1st Magnitude the way the houserule translation is going (ie, to pick up 1st magnitude, you have a prereq of 8 ranks in Magic Use). The 1st Mag bonus is +4...so this PC's apptitude would be 13.

If you ruled that Magic Use was not a class skill for Battle Chaplin (a class I am unfamiliar with), then the PC might not have enough ranks in Magic Use to qualify for 1st Mag. In such a case, the PC would be limited to ranks in Magic Use, making for a very low Apptitude and very long casting times.

~ OO

 

[Henry]

Cheers. That does help alot, especially for the standard classes like Gun Mage and Arcane Mechanik.

How does a Wizard get Magic Aptitude? Is it a feat with prerequisites or a class ability?

For prestige classes, boiling the problem down to its most simple, is there any way to say that some PrCs when taken can be counted as Wizard class levels for the purpose of determining Magic Aptitude?

For example, a Priest has Fighter 7/Wizard 3. He then takes Battle Chaplain 3. His total levels for determining Magic Aptitude should be about that of a 6th level Wizard. However, he is unable to take specific Magic Feats available to a Wizard during this period. Would this kind of thing work?

There are a couple of ways to approach it. Old One, above, is approaching it as a feat-based acquisition (Talent-based, actually, as he is using Grim Tales. ) In other words, once your character gets X ranks of Magic Use skill, they could pick up orders of magnitude. If you do this, someone should be picking up 1st mag at 7 or 8 ranks (about 5th level), 2nd mag at 13 or 14 ranks, and 3rd mag at 19 or 20 ranks.

Black Company ties magnitude strictly to Wizard Level - 4th class level for 1st magnitude, 10th class level for 2nd Mag, and 16th for 3rd Mag. If you do similar (that is, make magnitude a class ability, use the levels I wrote above as the minimums of caster ability at which someone gets first mag. So, let's have a prestige class that is very magically inclined as a wizard or cleric - if they are, you can tie orders of magnitude respectively to 5th and 10th level, since the fastest most people gain a given Prestige Class is 5th or 6th.

If you have a class that is not very magically inclined, they might reach only ONE increment. The important thing is to plan that someone is going to reach it the FASTEST they possibly can, and balance it that way. You wouldn't want 10th level people running around with 3rd magnitude, so keep those levels in Mind (pure caster 4th, 10th, and 16th) when balancing it out.

 

[Skywalker]

Black Company ties magnitude strictly to Wizard Level - 4th class level for 1st magnitude, 10th class level for 2nd Mag, and 16th for 3rd Mag. If you do similar (that is, make magnitude a class ability, use the levels I wrote above as the minimums of caster ability at which someone gets first mag. So, let's have a prestige class that is very magically inclined as a wizard or cleric - if they are, you can tie orders of magnitude respectively to 5th and 10th level, since the fastest most people gain a given Prestige Class is 5th or 6th.

Cheers for that. That doesn't sound too hard at all .