gamecat
Explorer
This is an extremely rough draft of a prestige class, one that i literally wrote the rules of on the fly.
The Scarf
The members of the Haugdenbourg Mage Guild are the undisputed masters of Evocation in the Imperium of Axis. Of the four times House Westenberger, rulers of Haugdenbourg, has been roused to ire, said ire manifests as a rage limned in lightning bolts, fueled by fireballs, and marked by magic missiles. At the eye of these maelstorms, typically, is a Scarf.
The most powerful mages of the Haugdenbourg Guild have mastered channeling extraplanar energies, using their own bodies as conduits. While incredibly efficient, this has the side effect of making horrifically beautiful, perfectly symmetrical scars on the face of the users of this technique. Given that the average Scarf has a political role as well as a magical one, they have all taken on the practice of wearing large scarves that obscure their scarred visages. This method of spellcasting certainly produces potent, if short-lived evokers. While the Scarves view themselves as the ultimate wizard, truly committed to magic, their detractors sneer and refer to them as "Suicide Mages."
Prerequisites:
In order to become a Scarf, a character must meet all of the following criteria:
Spellcraft: 10 ranks
Knowledge (Arcana): 10 ranks
Feats: Empower Spell, Spell Focus (Evocation), Spell Penetration
Spellcasting: Able to cast three evocations of four different spell levels.
Class Skills
Alchemy (Int), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Knowledge (All, each skill taken individually, Int), Scry (Int), and Spellcraft (Int).
Skill points at each level: 2 + Int Modifier.
Hit Dice: d4.
Class Features
The following are the features of The Scarf prestige class:
(Wizard BAB, Good Will Saves, Spellcasting advancement on levels 2 - 9)
Weapon and Armor Proficency: Being mages, Scarves gain no new weapon or armor proficiencies.
Body Conduit (Su): At 1st level, a Scarf learns the basic ability that differentiates him from any other mage - the ability to use his entire body as a soak for arcane energies, as opposed to only his mind. In doing so, he can add his constitution modifier to his save DC for his evocation spells.
The Scarf: At 2nd level, a Scarf Trainee is exposed to the public, his freshly scarred face wrapped up in his own signature scarf. This scarf is an icon throughout Axis, and he gains a +4 bonus to Bluff, Diplomacy, and Intimidate checks against lay Axians.
Overchannel (Su): A 3rd level Scarf can slam additional power through his body in an attempt to exceed the capacities of his evocations. He may increase the caster level cap on any evocation by a number equal to or less than his constitution modifier. For each caster level over the cap, the Scarf takes 1d6 points of damage (colloquially referred to as "backlash"), scarring his face. He must also make a fortitude save against the DC of the spell or take 1d2 points of temporary charisma damage, as this style of spellcasting is incredibly hard on the body.
Hardened Caster (Ex): A Scarf that has survived to 4th level has learned to shrug off some of the backlash damage. Reduce all backlash per enhanced spell by the listed number.
Force Metamagic (Su): a 5th level Scarf can attempt to add a metamagic feat to a spell without increasing the level of the spell. If the Scarf elects to do so, he must first make a fortitude save against the DC of the spell at the effective level it would have been had the metamagic feat increased its spell level. Success means the spell went off with a minimum of damage to the scarf, and he takes 1d4 points of backlash damage per level the metamagic feat increased the spell level. Failure means the spell's energy went haywire in the mage's body, fizzling the spell, savaging internal organs and escaping destructively through his facial orifices, and he suffers 1d6 backlash damage and 1 point of constitution and charisma damage per level of the spell after level increase for the metamagic feat. This cannot be used with the Heighten Spell metamagic feat.
Great Fortitude: A Scarf inevitably becomes tougher inside as a result of the idea that anything that hasn't killed him thus far has only made him stronger. At 6th level he gains Great Fortitude as a bonus feat. If he already has Great Fortitude, he gains an additional +1 bonus to Fortitude saves.
Disruptive Aurora (Su): A 7th level Scarf has learned the art of venting out backlash damage. He may choose to forgo the damage reduction his Hardened Caster ability allows and instead take that damage, but put out a field of disruptive magical energy that grants him spell resistance equal to (10 + half the damage dealt) for 5 rounds. He may choose to then discharge this aurora and effect a dispel magic spell, as cast at his caster level.
Aggrandize Spell (Su): A Scarf of 9th level can cast evocations that go off with explosive force. If the Scarf opts to take 2d6 backlash damage, any victim of his evocations who fails the save of the spell falls prone and takes 1d6 damage. If the spell does not offer a save, the creature gains a reflex save (base the DC as if the spell had a save) to avoid being knocked prone.
Supercharge Spell (Su): The crowning ability in a Scarf's training is the ability to directly spend more energy to make his evocations harder to resist. If the Scarf elects to do so, he must first make a fortitude save against the DC of the spell plus half of the bonus he wants to add to the save DC of the spell. Success means the spell went off with a minimum of damage to the scarf, and he takes 1d6 points of backlash damage per extra point of DC he wanted to add to the spell. Failure means the spell's energy went haywire in the mage's body, fizzling the spell, savaging internal organs and escaping destructively through his facial orifices, and he suffers 1d6 backlash damage and 1 point of constitution and charisma damage for each point of save DC over 10.
01 Body Conduit
02 The Scarf
03 Overchannel
04 Hardened Caster 3
05 Force Metamagic
06 Great Fortitude
07 Disruptive Aurora
08 Hardened Caster 6
09 Aggrandize Spell
10 Supercharge Spell
*ahem* i guess it was a full blown class write-up. Tell me whatcha think. IMC, this has some rather restrictive rp prereqs, but whaddaja think otherwise? It stinks of raistlin, but I like it.
The Scarf
The members of the Haugdenbourg Mage Guild are the undisputed masters of Evocation in the Imperium of Axis. Of the four times House Westenberger, rulers of Haugdenbourg, has been roused to ire, said ire manifests as a rage limned in lightning bolts, fueled by fireballs, and marked by magic missiles. At the eye of these maelstorms, typically, is a Scarf.
The most powerful mages of the Haugdenbourg Guild have mastered channeling extraplanar energies, using their own bodies as conduits. While incredibly efficient, this has the side effect of making horrifically beautiful, perfectly symmetrical scars on the face of the users of this technique. Given that the average Scarf has a political role as well as a magical one, they have all taken on the practice of wearing large scarves that obscure their scarred visages. This method of spellcasting certainly produces potent, if short-lived evokers. While the Scarves view themselves as the ultimate wizard, truly committed to magic, their detractors sneer and refer to them as "Suicide Mages."
Prerequisites:
In order to become a Scarf, a character must meet all of the following criteria:
Spellcraft: 10 ranks
Knowledge (Arcana): 10 ranks
Feats: Empower Spell, Spell Focus (Evocation), Spell Penetration
Spellcasting: Able to cast three evocations of four different spell levels.
Class Skills
Alchemy (Int), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Knowledge (All, each skill taken individually, Int), Scry (Int), and Spellcraft (Int).
Skill points at each level: 2 + Int Modifier.
Hit Dice: d4.
Class Features
The following are the features of The Scarf prestige class:
(Wizard BAB, Good Will Saves, Spellcasting advancement on levels 2 - 9)
Weapon and Armor Proficency: Being mages, Scarves gain no new weapon or armor proficiencies.
Body Conduit (Su): At 1st level, a Scarf learns the basic ability that differentiates him from any other mage - the ability to use his entire body as a soak for arcane energies, as opposed to only his mind. In doing so, he can add his constitution modifier to his save DC for his evocation spells.
The Scarf: At 2nd level, a Scarf Trainee is exposed to the public, his freshly scarred face wrapped up in his own signature scarf. This scarf is an icon throughout Axis, and he gains a +4 bonus to Bluff, Diplomacy, and Intimidate checks against lay Axians.
Overchannel (Su): A 3rd level Scarf can slam additional power through his body in an attempt to exceed the capacities of his evocations. He may increase the caster level cap on any evocation by a number equal to or less than his constitution modifier. For each caster level over the cap, the Scarf takes 1d6 points of damage (colloquially referred to as "backlash"), scarring his face. He must also make a fortitude save against the DC of the spell or take 1d2 points of temporary charisma damage, as this style of spellcasting is incredibly hard on the body.
Hardened Caster (Ex): A Scarf that has survived to 4th level has learned to shrug off some of the backlash damage. Reduce all backlash per enhanced spell by the listed number.
Force Metamagic (Su): a 5th level Scarf can attempt to add a metamagic feat to a spell without increasing the level of the spell. If the Scarf elects to do so, he must first make a fortitude save against the DC of the spell at the effective level it would have been had the metamagic feat increased its spell level. Success means the spell went off with a minimum of damage to the scarf, and he takes 1d4 points of backlash damage per level the metamagic feat increased the spell level. Failure means the spell's energy went haywire in the mage's body, fizzling the spell, savaging internal organs and escaping destructively through his facial orifices, and he suffers 1d6 backlash damage and 1 point of constitution and charisma damage per level of the spell after level increase for the metamagic feat. This cannot be used with the Heighten Spell metamagic feat.
Great Fortitude: A Scarf inevitably becomes tougher inside as a result of the idea that anything that hasn't killed him thus far has only made him stronger. At 6th level he gains Great Fortitude as a bonus feat. If he already has Great Fortitude, he gains an additional +1 bonus to Fortitude saves.
Disruptive Aurora (Su): A 7th level Scarf has learned the art of venting out backlash damage. He may choose to forgo the damage reduction his Hardened Caster ability allows and instead take that damage, but put out a field of disruptive magical energy that grants him spell resistance equal to (10 + half the damage dealt) for 5 rounds. He may choose to then discharge this aurora and effect a dispel magic spell, as cast at his caster level.
Aggrandize Spell (Su): A Scarf of 9th level can cast evocations that go off with explosive force. If the Scarf opts to take 2d6 backlash damage, any victim of his evocations who fails the save of the spell falls prone and takes 1d6 damage. If the spell does not offer a save, the creature gains a reflex save (base the DC as if the spell had a save) to avoid being knocked prone.
Supercharge Spell (Su): The crowning ability in a Scarf's training is the ability to directly spend more energy to make his evocations harder to resist. If the Scarf elects to do so, he must first make a fortitude save against the DC of the spell plus half of the bonus he wants to add to the save DC of the spell. Success means the spell went off with a minimum of damage to the scarf, and he takes 1d6 points of backlash damage per extra point of DC he wanted to add to the spell. Failure means the spell's energy went haywire in the mage's body, fizzling the spell, savaging internal organs and escaping destructively through his facial orifices, and he suffers 1d6 backlash damage and 1 point of constitution and charisma damage for each point of save DC over 10.
01 Body Conduit
02 The Scarf
03 Overchannel
04 Hardened Caster 3
05 Force Metamagic
06 Great Fortitude
07 Disruptive Aurora
08 Hardened Caster 6
09 Aggrandize Spell
10 Supercharge Spell
*ahem* i guess it was a full blown class write-up. Tell me whatcha think. IMC, this has some rather restrictive rp prereqs, but whaddaja think otherwise? It stinks of raistlin, but I like it.
