[CC] Highlands Wisard

[Halivar]

I'm dreaming of a Scottish-style highlands campaign setting, because I love movies like Braveheart, Rob Roy and the flash-backs from Highlander. So what I envision is this: a Celtic regional campaign setting where I get to turn the core classes on their head and have every highlander class have +1 BAB/level and d12 hit dice. I still want to balance them against PHB core classes, though, so foreign adventurers can drop in a square off with them. Here is my attempt at a highlands arcane spellcaster. I plan on writing other highlands classes to go with it.

Highlands Wisard

The wisard (vee-SAHRD) is the highlands version of an arcane spellcaster. Heartier and stronger than their low-lands counterparts, they also lack the formal training and arcane expertise.

The wisard is more akin to the sorcerer than a wizard; they cast spontaneously as a sorcerer does, and use the sorcerer's spell list, and has Charisma as a prime spellcasting stat as a sorcerer.

BAB: Fighter (+1/level).
Saves: Good Fort, Will; bad Ref.

Abilities: Charisma determines how powerful a spell a wisard can cast, how many spells he can cast, and how hard those spells are to resist.
Special: All highlands classes (including wisards) are illiterate and must spend skill points to read and write.
Multi-class restrictions: Wisards may multi-class freely with other highlands classes. Due to the fact that characters must be trained from childhood to be wisards, characters may not take levels of wisard unless they took their first level as a wisard. Any highlands character who takes levels in a non-highlands class may no longer take levels in any highlands class (once you turn your back on your clan, that's it).
Alignment: Any nonlawful.
Hit Die: d12.

Class Skills: The wisard's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Knowledge (Int), Listen (Wis), Profession (Wis), Ride (Str), Scry (Int), Swim (Str) and Wilderness Lore (Wis).
Skill points per level: 2 + Int modifier.

Spells/day
L - 0 1 2 3 4 5 6
1 - 2
2 - 3 0
3 - 3 1
4 - 3 2 0
5 - 3 3 1
6 - 3 3 2
7 - 3 3 2 0
8 - 3 3 3 1
9 - 3 3 3 2
10 - 3 3 3 2 0
11 - 3 3 3 3 1
12 - 3 3 3 3 2
13 - 3 3 3 3 2 0
14 - 4 3 3 3 3 1
15 - 4 4 3 3 3 2
16 - 4 4 4 3 3 2 0
17 - 4 4 4 4 3 3 1
18 - 4 4 4 4 4 3 2
19 - 4 4 4 4 4 4 3
20 - 4 4 4 4 4 4 4

Arcane spells known
L - 0 1 2 3 4 5 6
1 - 4
2 - 5 2*
3 - 6 3
4 - 6 3 2*
5 - 6 4 3
6 - 6 4 3
7 - 6 4 4 2*
8 - 6 4 4 3
9 - 6 4 4 3
10 - 6 4 4 4 2*
11 - 6 4 4 4 3
12 - 6 4 4 4 3
13 - 6 4 4 4 4 2*
14 - 6 4 4 4 4 3
15 - 6 4 4 4 4 3
16 - 6 5 4 4 4 4 2*
17 - 6 5 5 4 4 4 3
18 - 6 5 5 5 4 4 3
19 - 6 5 5 5 5 4 4
20 - 6 5 5 5 5 5 4
* Provided the wisard has sufficient Charisma to have a bonus spell of this level.

Class Features
The following are class features of the highlands wisard.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: All highlands classes are proficient with all medium or larger swords, all axes and shortbows. They are also proficient with shields. They are only proficient with light armor, and are restricted from taking further armor proficiency feats. Wisards wearing armor are subject to arcane spell failure.
Spells: The wisard casts spontaneously as a sorcerer. They can receive bonus spells for high Charisma, and to cast a spell a wisard must have a Charismascore of at least equal to 1 + the level of the spell (Cha 10 for 0-level spells, Cha 11 for 1st-level spells, and so on). The save DC for a wisard's spells is 10 + the spells's level + the wisard's Charisma modifier.

Furthermore, the wisard is limited in his or her spell list. The wisard must be trained from birth to follow a specific path of spellcasting.

Spell List (War Wisard)
0-Level War Wisard Spells
Detect Magic
Flare
Guidance
Magic Fang
Prestidigitation
Ray of Frost
Resistance

1st-Level War Wisard Spells
Burning Hands
Color Spray
Mage Armor
Magic Missile
Magic Weapon
Shield
Shocking Grasp
True Strike

2nd-Level War Wisard Spells
Acid Arrow
Bull's Strength
Endurance
Flame Blade
Flaming Sphere
Produce Flame
Protection from Arrows
Pyrotechnics
Resist Elements
Sound Burst

3rd-Level War Wisard Spells
Call Lightning
Fireball
Flame Arrow
Greater Magic Weapon
Haste
Keen Edge
Lightning Bolt
Protection from Elements
Sleet Storm
Wind Wall

4th-Level War Wisard Spells
Fire Shield
Flame Strike
Ice Storm
Minor Globe of Invulnerability
Rusting Grasp
Shout
Spike Stones
Stoneskin
Wall of Fire

5th-Level War Wisard Spells
Circle of Doom
Cloudkill
Cone of Cold
Faithful Hound
Interposing Hand
Righteous Might
Wall of Force
Wall of Stone

6th-Level War Wisard Spells
Blade Barrier
Circle of Death
Forceful Hand
Globe of Invulnerability
Guards and Wards
Mass Haste

 

[Velmont]

I look at this and I see it to be too strong. What you should do, it is to compare to a simple Wizard/Figther, which is the closer to what that class is.

A figther/Sorcerer will finish with these average if he finish with at 10/10:

BAB: Medium
Saves: Fort & Will (almost strong, at 10), Refl (weak, at 6)
HD: d7 (1d4+1d10 is almost equal to 2d7)
Spellcasting (max level 5)
Familiar lvl 10
Bonus Figther Feats x6
Skills: 2+ Int

So a Wisard have a better Fort, Will, BAB, HD (by d5), Spellcasting abilities, but lose a half-powered familiar and 6 feats. Sorry to tell you, but the WIsard is really too strong.

So, let see what could stay in the spirit and be more balance:

BAB: Medium
Saves: Fort & Will (strong), Refl (weak)
HD: d8
Spellcasting: Use Bard Table Spell per Day and Spell Known
Raise the number of spells/day by 1 at each level.
Give him acces to the wizard/sorcecer spell List
Give him a Bonus feat at 6, 12, 18.
No Familiar
Skills: 2 + Int
Armor & Weapon: Know all simple weapons, light armor, shields, and (insert here favorites highlanders martial weapons)

So we end, compare to the Figther/Sorcerer, with 3 less feats, No familiar, reach the level 6 of Spellcasting, more spells to cast by the end, a bit more spell known. It is still a strong class, I think it could be greatly viable without the three feats, but it give a little emphasis on the figthjer class.

And for his weapon list, give him access only to the favorites highlanders martial weapons, as he will have taken some times to master his magic, even if it is spontaneous.

Finally, you should give them Charisma for spellcasting, not wisdom. I hardly see an arcane spellcaster with wisdom. If you don't like charisma, I would prefer to see Int rather than Wis. Wis should stay the stat of divine spellcaster.

I know you wanted to give d12 and Strong BAB, but in that case, I would limit the spell list as something more like the Paladin, maybe with a bit faster rate of progression, more spells (like up to 6 per level). When you see some kind of Barbarian throwing up Ligthing bolt of 10d6 in the front line, while being immolated in a Fire Shield, that will be scary enough, don't let hims throw Chain Ligtnhning over that...

So that was my siggestion, you can accpet it, reject it or play with it as it please you.

 

[Halivar]

I know you wanted to give d12 and Strong BAB, but in that case, I would limit the spell list as something more like the Paladin, maybe with a bit faster rate of progression, more spells (like up to 6 per level). When you see some kind of Barbarian throwing up Ligthing bolt of 10d6 in the front line, while being immolated in a Fire Shield, that will be scary enough, don't let hims throw Chain Ligtnhning over that...

I agree with everything you said in your post. It should be charisma as the prime casting stat, he should be limited to medium or larger swords or axes, and he is too powerful.

Switching to a bard's spells/day and spells known simplifies things a lot.

Also, what I really wanted to do from the start was limit his spell list. I was thinking of cobbling together some arcane and druidic spells to form a good selection of not over-powerful spells. Since my challenge to myself was to come up with +1 BAB and d12 and still balance it, I think this may be the road to take. I'll update the class as soon as I get home (and to my books).

Thanks for you suggestions!

EDIT: Now that I think about it, having a limited spell list is a great way to diversify this class. War wisards have combat oriented spells, nature wisards have some druidic and naturey spells, and death wisards have necromantic powers. Cool!

 

[Halivar]

Ok, now he's Charisma, bardic spells known/per day, and I created a limited spell list for the first wisard variant, the war wisard.

But the spell levels are all wrong! Help me put them in the right place! Was I wrong to leave off chain lightning at level 6?

 

[Halivar]

Here's a new variant. The nature wisard is also known as the highlands druid. Though most of his spells are not combat related, he still makes a pretty good melee-mancer.

Again, need advice on spell level placement.

Spell List (Nature Wisard)
0-Level Nature Wisard Spells
Create Water
Dancing Lights
Detect Magic
Detect Poison
Know Direction
Light
Prestidigitation
Purify Food or Drink
Resistance

1st-Level Nature Wisard Spells
Animal Friendship
Calm Animals
Endure Elements
Entangle
Feather Fall
Magic Fang
Mount
Obscuring Mist
Spider Climb
Summon Nature's Ally I

2nd-Level Nature Wisard Spells
Animal Messanger
Barkskin
Cat's Grace
Resist Elements
Speak with Animals
Summon Nature's Ally II
Summon Swarm
Tree Shape
Whispering Wind

3rd-Level Nature Wisard Spells
Call Lightning
Dominate Animal
Greater Magic Fang
Gust of Wind
Plant Growth
Protection from Elements
Speak with Plants
Summon Nature's Ally III
Tree Shape
Wind Wall

4th-Level Nature Wisard Spells
Control Plants
Control Water
Giant Vermin
Repel Vermin
Sleet Storm
Solid Fog
Spike Stones
Summon Nature's Ally IV

5th-Level Nature Wisard Spells
Animal Growth
Awaken
Commune with Nature
Control Winds
Ice Storm
Insect Plague
Stone Shape
Summon Nature's Ally V
Tree Stride
Wall of Thorns

6th-Level Nature Wisard Spells
Control Weather
Find the Path
Ironwood
Liveoak
Move Earth
Repel Wood
Stone Tell
Summon Nature's Ally VI

 

[Velmont]

I like the spell list. Considering it is a spellcaster with d12 and strong BAB and with the Bard spell list, you have a spelllist a bit less usefull than a sorcerer spell list, but the fact he is a tough figther leave him strong enough, and his lack of good armor will be compensate with Barkskin.

If you think there is missing some offensive spell at high level, you could add Greater call ligthning (Druid 3.5) instead of adding something Chain Ligthining, but I think, like that, it may be a good class, and would need to be playtested to see if he is too strong or too weak (but I think it is balance now).