[Bo9S] PrC: Jade Phoenix Warrior

[hong]

A more martial version of the Jade Phoenix Mage, for characters who don't happen to have wiz/sor/bard levels.

As per JPM, but
- no arcane spellcasting prereq
- no arcane spellcasting progression

EDIT: change hit dice to d8.

Add arcane conversion: you convert readied maneuver slots to cast spells. A given readied maneuver can be expended to cast a spell of the same spell/maneuver level or lower. Your caster level is equal to your initiator level. You are treated as a spontaneous caster, with Int as your casting stat (you can still use Quickening Strike, and in fact it's the only way to get quickened spells). You do not suffer %spell failure in light armour. You are NOT treated as a spellcaster for the purpose of feat and PrC prereqs.

Your spells are cast per encounter and refreshed at the end of each encounter, just like maneuvers. Refreshing in the middle of an encounter does not allow you to reuse a maneuver slot to cast a spell. (Alternative: refreshing maneuvers also refreshes spellcasting.)

Each maneuver you know grants you knowledge of two spells of the same spell/maneuver level or lower. Your spells are taken from the wiz/sor spell list. When you swap maneuvers, you can also swap spells but the level limit must be observed.

EDIT: max no. of spells known = 4 x JPW level (to cut down on frontloading), spells that are cast outside an encounter take up a spell for your next encounter.

Initial thoughts: per-encounter spellcasting can be way powerful, but the Int requirement results in MAD which pulls it back. I also tend not to have many encounters per day.

This is meant to be as much a plot-device PrC as anything.

Comments?

 

[Einan]

Is there any limit on which spells you have access to?

Seems like it needs a spell list to limit page flipping and abuse.

Einan

 

[hong]

Spells are limited to wiz/sor spell list, as noted above.

 

[Einan]

That's a pretty long list, if you include the Spell Compendium. I'd advise either creating a spell list or limited the numbers of spells "known" to a number equal to maneuvers known. If you don't it becomes too powerful and it becomes a hassle at the table to flip through four sourcebooks to find that perfect spell for the situation.

Alternatively you could limit it to evocation and conjuration spells or a similar sort of limiting to certain schools.

Otherwise I think it becomes too good. Why ever play a wizard or a sorceror? You can get more spells potentially by playing a Jade Phoenix Warrior and get the HP, BAB and saves of a hardier class.

Einan

 

[hong]

What do you mean by "flipping through sourcebooks looking for the perfect spell"?

Take a warblade 10/JPW 10. He has 5+8 = 13 maneuvers known, which is 26 spells to choose from. A sor20 has 34 spells, not counting cantrips. A swordsage 10/JPW 10 is better off, with 5+15 = 20 maneuvers which is 40 spells.

Let's reduce the cap on spells known to 3 x JPW level.

 

[Einan]

Alright, I missed something. There is a spells known aspect here?

I thought you spontaneously cast and your spell list was all Sorc/Wiz spells.

That makes my point moot. Never mind, then. Carry on.

 

[hong]

From a suggestion on CM: instead of spells per maneuver, just give the class 3 spells known per class level. The spell level is limited to the max. maneuver level known.

The (implicit) cap on power is how many maneuver slots you have, and the fact that to cast a spell, you have to expend a maneuver of at least that spell's level. So while you could load up on lots of high-level spells, you'd also be giving up all your high-level maneuvers to cast them.

 

[Nifft]

Spellcasting mechanics. Hmm.

Let's go with a "readied" mechanism similar to how you ready maneuvers. So you have to pick your spells before a fight, but you can "Adaptive Style" them away, also. Are you keeping the holy warrior flavor of the JPM? If so, here's what I'd do:

Spellcasting: You may ready spells in place of maneuvers. You may not ready a spell of a higher level than half your initiator level (similar to a Sorcerer's progression). Like maneuvers, you may ready each spell at most once; you also recover spells just as you would recover maneuvers. You may ready a number of spells equal to or less than your Jade Phoenix Warrior level.

You have access to all spells from the Fire and Good domains.

When you ready your maneuvers, if you have five minutes and a spellbook available, you may ready spells from that spellbook, so long as the spells have the [Fire] descriptor. If you do not have a spellbook available (or you are not taking 5 minutes, for example if you are using Adaptive Style to re-ready maneuvers), you may only ready spells from the Fire and Good domains. You may ready a Summon Monster spell, but only cast it to summon a creature with the [Fire] subtype.

- - -

Then: grant additional Maneuvers Readied slots, but not very many extra Maneuvers Known slots. Expect him to cast spells instead.

Also: give him Use Magic Device as a class skill.

Why this might be balanced: none of the "dungeon busting" spells are available. He's got a nice assortment of attack and defense between Fire and Good, and he's got a nice array of other spells via spellbooks (but presumably they're spells someone in his party could cast anyway -- his fireball becomes force augmentation rather than force creation). But he has no unlimited teleport or scrying or gate, though he could use those via UMD.

Cheers, -- N

 

[hong]

Spellcasting mechanics. Hmm.

Let's go with a "readied" mechanism similar to how you ready maneuvers.

Nah, spontaneous casting.

 

[Nifft]

Nah, spontaneous casting.

Okay, so how about a fixed list, or a couple of Domain lists?

They're not a building-block class, so it's okay to be very specific when giving them stuff. It's even good when it helps you balance them out.

-- N