CA/Carc: Initiate of the Sevenfold Veil

[Cyronax]

Broadly, is the Initiate overpowered? I'd love to hear all opinions about this class.

I really have trouble telling for some reason. I love the class, and I'm already thinking of a great villain who is taking levels in it. I just don't want to screw my players, and part of me thinks its too good to be true.

(For possible reference about my established PrC list: I don't allow classes like the Mystic Theurge, Eldritch Knight, or other 'easy' caster progression type PrC's into my campaign. I treat spellcasting classes as a serious 'investement' that does not lend well to dabbling for 'true adventurers.')

Thanks,
C.I.D.

 

[Felix]

The feat pre-reqs are Spell Focus and G. Spell Focus (Abj) and Skill Focus (Spellcraft), so that helps power down the class greatly. The +1 DC to resist abjuration spells will rarely ever come into play.

The spell pre-reqs are going to keep the low-level wizard Initiates from having the 4th and 5th level blasting spells, so PCs will have less to fear in that sense. Doubly so for a sorcerer Initiate.

Its full spell progression... so that's good.

Its non-warding abilities mess with their dispelling ability, which is nice to have, but not a first-strike kind of thing, so while it is a nifty power, it's not all that much of a power-up.

The wardings are very nice, but can be gotten around, and you don't get too many uses per day. Same with Kaleidoscopic Doom (sp?)... very cool ability, but once a day, and it's likely not going to inflict more than the energy damage, unless the target is a mage with lots of spells cast on him, in which case the energy damage will likely be enough to get him.

I'd say yeah, good class. Make sure he takes Prismatic Ray from ComArc to keep with the flavor.

My PC is running when I see someone wearing more than 3 primary colors.

 

[Evilhalfling]

I agree with feilix's summary
the wards are the only useful power
It takes 3 useless feats to get into the class, and 9 levels
My beef is that I can see someone starting an intiatate, but could you imagine someone taking those usless feats in-game ? are there any abjuration feats that have saving throws?

explosive runes - anyone next to the person who set them off gets a ref save
fire trap
Dismissal
Banishment
Sequester (only when cast on a object in someones possesion)

okay so there are a few more in CArc.

 

[Cyronax]

I'd almost take Felix at face value, if he actually WEREN'T ONE OF MY FRIGGIN POWER HUNGRY PLAYERS

Felix, good points (despite your possibly biased status). I will take your points along with others, and will probably leave the class as is. I'd already built an NPC around it, but I had come to EN World so that I wasn't making a player killer.

C.I.D.

PS. As far as spells, prismatic spray is a definite, as is a little spell I'm designing called the "Reaving Color Spiral." Hopefully Felix will witness this power first hand (if he'd actually attend a session )

 

[Felix]

ONE OF MY FRIGGIN POWER HUNGRY PLAYERS

The thing is, if you create a Sorc Initiate, he will be fairly blah until he hits about 14th to 15th level. At that point, he'll be able to protect his lieutenants with his wardings and bring down most of the party's buffs (casting Dispel Magic and Greater Dispelling almost at will) in a few rounds. Once he does that, he'll sit back readying to counterspell (with the Improved Counterspell feat he will take at 12th level) and his mooks will mop up the floor with the party.

The power curve for this class is slow at the beginning, but because survival in higher level play many times depends on bringing down enemy protections this class will zip past the straight wizard or sorc. It is balanced, but that is because of the slow power curve, the seldom-applicable abilities, and the more defensively minded nature of the class. It is very good at what it does however.

 

[Cyronax]

Wizards.....are the way. An intelligent wizard with the Arcane Mastery feat and many lackeys; enough to smite you Levistus/Triscum/and your meddling dog too. A DM can only be so specific........

And now I'll quickly revise and alter any plans I had. This thread now is 'ostensibly' (used that annoying word in a sentence finally ) about my new Green Star/ Star Metal adept/scout/warlock 2/??/6 lvl . Run Felix, run!

C.I.D.

 

[Timeboxer]

Broadly, is the Initiate overpowered? I'd love to hear all opinions about this class.

Well, let me put it this way. For a PC, who has to obtain a few silly feats which aren't useful in the long run of a campaign, it's good, but not overpowered.

For an NPC, whom the PCs have to fight in a single battle and thus whose feat selection probably won't make too much difference, the disadvantages (feats, n/day Warding) get minimized to nil.

And yes, I have fought in a battle with an Initiate of the Sevenfold Veil. Two of them, I believe. It was very unpleasant.

 

[Merlion]

I feel its one of the best caster prestige classes wizards has put out to date. Balanced, flavourful, interesting.

 

[Abstraction]

What Amy said. Balanced for a PC, possibly horribly overbalanced for a bad guy.

 

[Solarious]

Oh yes, considering that BBEGs can force the PCs to go through all of their traps and wards, every single one of them with a +2 to their DCs. Owwch, that's going to leave a mark.

And those wardings? Don't make me laugh. Wall warding (or better yet, Prismatic Wall with the oh-so-yummy +2 DC) from behind, Refusal and Repulsion in front. Now use a Ring of the Ram to slam the hapless heros into their walls of DOOM!

You'll be amazed how many times a Mage will get thrown back and turned into a pile of fine dust, par Disintegrate.