Feats for specialist wizards - a different incentive

[Beholder Bob]

Roman, what do you think?

Concentrated Explosion (Meta-Magic) - Roman
Prerequisite: Evocation specialist or Spell Focus Evocation, and either Greater Spell Focus Evocation or Sculpt Spell.

Benefit: You focus your area effect evocation spell so that the majority of the energy is centered on a single target in exchange for weakening the remaining area of effect. Make a ray attack to strike a target – if hit, the target takes 50% more damage, though normal saves and spell resistance still applies. Whether or not the ray attack strikes the target, the chosen area inflicts 50% less damage then normal to all targets in the area of effect – and no additional damage to a target struck by the ray attack. For example, a fireball is targeted at a goblin shaman among a group of orcs within the area of effect of the fireball. If the ray strikes the goblin, he takes 150% normal damage while the orcs take 50%. If the ray attack misses, all creatures in the area, including the goblin, take only 50% of the damage. Unlike normal ray attacks, a critical hit may not be achieved with this ray attack. This meta-magic increases the spell level by +1.

Reduce Spell Area (General, Magic) - Roman
Prerequisite: Sculpt Spell meta-magic or any 2 other meta-magic feats.

Benefit: After declaring the target area, you may make a spell-craft check to reduce the area of effect as a free action as part of casting a spell. A DC 20+2/5’ reduction in the spells area of effect. The area to be reduced to is decided prior to rolling, and a failed roll results in the spell being cast to full normal area of effect. You can not make holes with this ability; you reduce the spells scale, not its shape. Example – a wizard casts fireball and does not wish the it to reach its full 20’ radius spread, so attempts a DC 20+4 to reduce it to a 10’ radius spread. Before rolling for success, the spell target or center point is chosen prior to rolling for success.

Gatekeeper (General, Magic)
Prerequisite: Either an Abjuration or Conjuration specialist, Spell Focus in either Abjuration or Conjuration, and a caster level of 7 or higher.

Benefit: By expending a spell, you can make summoning in a stationary 30’ radius difficult, requiring caster level checks to avoid spell failure. Summons requires a caster LV check against DC (10 + 2 * LV of spell expended) or else the spell is lost. This effect lasts for 2 R per LV of the spell expended. For example, a 10th level wizard expends a 4th level spell using this feat - creating a 30’ radius field that requires a DC 18 (10 + 2 * 4) to cast a summons spell or else the spell fails and is lost. This field lasts for 8 R (2 R * 4th).
Erecting the field is a standard action, it is non-mobile and centered on your position when erected, affects your spells as well, and you may not dismiss it. This field affects both the use of spell and supernatural abilities that duplicate summon spells.


Gate Keeper has been re-worded and the mechanics simplified, does it seem any better? Oh, and the name was given by Technik4!

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[Roman]

Roman, cool feats!

Fake Death – I’m rather fond of this feat! It has a very 'master necromancer trick' feal to it! I’d make it a free action useable on another creatures initiative, even if you have already acted (so you can respond to the sword thrust by falling right after being stabbed, rather then on your next round). Also – what about death watch, or a person with healing examining you? Make it a 10 + your caster level healing check to identify if you are alive. As to avoiding deathwatch, allow the necromancer a Will save to avoid being identified as alive. Finally – if he is to escape detection, his metabolic functions must greatly slow, so perhaps add that his need for food, water, and air are reduced to 1/5 normal.BB

Well, originally I planned to make it a free action, but then for some reason I relented not wanting to overpower a feat. However, now that I think about it again, it is not overpowered - after all it is not something that would likely be used very frequently, so sure, we could make it a free action, include the 10+ caster level DC for the healing check to identify, have a will save against spells like the deathwatch and slow the metabolic functions to 1/5 normal - the changes seem fine.

We can also build on this and other feats to create feat chains. For example:

Greater Fake Death - Roman

Prerequisite: Fake Death Feat (and obviously Necromancy specialist or Spell Focus: Necromancy & Greater Spell Focus: Necromancy)

Benefit: Your ability to fake death improves. You no longer exhibit any metabolic functions when faking death and can therefore remain in that state indefinitely. Mundane means (heal checks) can no longer identify you as alive, though spells such as deathwatch still work on you if you fail your will saving throw (you make the save at +5 bonus for this purpose alone).

You can also choose to remain [semi-]conscious and [partially] aware of your surroundings while faking death. If your eyes are closed you obviously cannot see at all, but you can still use other senses normally. [All senses all get -5 to their checks while you are faking death.] Because you are [semi-]conscious and [partially] aware you no longer 'wake up' within 1d6 minutes of a pre-set time, but rather 'awaken' when you choose to do so. Restarting your metabolism is a full-round action.

The ability to fake death convincingly has brought you closer to knowing the secrets of your own death. Instead of taking a free action to fake your death you can also will yourself dead as a free action should you for any reason desire to escape this world.

 

[Roman]

Roman, what do you think?

Concentrated Explosion (Meta-Magic) - Roman
Prerequisite: Evocation specialist or Spell Focus Evocation, and either Greater Spell Focus Evocation or Sculpt Spell.

Benefit: You focus your area effect evocation spell so that the majority of the energy is centered on a single target in exchange for weakening the remaining area of effect. Make a ray attack to strike a target – if hit, the target takes 50% more damage, though normal saves and spell resistance still applies. Whether or not the ray attack strikes the target, the chosen area inflicts 50% less damage then normal to all targets in the area of effect – and no additional damage to a target struck by the ray attack. For example, a fireball is targeted at a goblin shaman among a group of orcs within the area of effect of the fireball. If the ray strikes the goblin, he takes 150% normal damage while the orcs take 50%. If the ray attack misses, all creatures in the area, including the goblin, take only 50% of the damage. Unlike normal ray attacks, a critical hit may not be achieved with this ray attack. This meta-magic increases the spell level by +1.

Reduce Spell Area (General, Magic) - Roman
Prerequisite: Sculpt Spell meta-magic or any 2 other meta-magic feats.

Benefit: After declaring the target area, you may make a spell-craft check to reduce the area of effect as a free action as part of casting a spell. A DC 20+2/5’ reduction in the spells area of effect. The area to be reduced to is decided prior to rolling, and a failed roll results in the spell being cast to full normal area of effect. You can not make holes with this ability; you reduce the spells scale, not its shape. Example – a wizard casts fireball and does not wish the it to reach its full 20’ radius spread, so attempts a DC 20+4 to reduce it to a 10’ radius spread. Before rolling for success, the spell target or center point is chosen prior to rolling for success.

Gatekeeper (General, Magic)
Prerequisite: Either an Abjuration or Conjuration specialist, Spell Focus in either Abjuration or Conjuration, and a caster level of 7 or higher.

Benefit: By expending a spell, you can make summoning in your vicinity difficult, requiring a caster level check to avoid spell failure. In a 5’/(level of spell expended) radius, attempts to cast summons spells by anyone but you requires a DC 5 + (your caster level) + (level of spell expended) caster level check or their spell fails and is lost. This effect lasts for 2 rounds per level of spell expended. For example, a 10th level wizard expends a 4th level spell using this feat, creating a 20’ (5’ *4th LV) radius field that requires a DC 19 (base 5 + 10th level + 4th level spell) to cast a summons spell or else the spell fails and is lost. This field lasts for 8 R (2 R * 4th).
Erecting the field is a standard action, it effects you as well, and the effect is not dismissible. This field affects both the use of spell and supernatural abilities that duplicate summon spells.

Gate Keeper may be too complicated and potentially too powerful. Does it seem imbalanced to you folks? Oh, and the name was given by Technik4! I thought Gatekeeper should be a potent ability, it just sounds powerful.

BB

The changes you have made to both of the feats are good - they balance the feats and still keep them relatively simple. As to Gatekeeper, I like it. It might be slightly on the too powerful side, but if so only marginally so. It also uses slightly non-standard mechanics (though nothing too out of place). Consider one of these three mechanics instead:

1) Opposed caster level checks to cast the summoning spell
2) Same as the mechanic you proposed but have the base at DC 10 and add only half the caster level plus the full level of the spell.

 

[Roman]

Separate Fake & Real - Roman

Prerequisite: Illusion Specialist or Spell Focus: Illusion and Greater Spell Focus: Illusion

Benefit: Your work with illusions enables you to have a firmer grasp on what is real and what is illusory. Treat illusions targeted against you or interacting with you as having 10% lower reality. This only applies to illusions that have a base reality listed.


Calculator - Roman

Prerequisite: Divination Specialist or Spell Focus: Divination and Greater Spell Focus: Divination

Benefit: Your work with information has enabled you to process information quickly, efficiently and precisely. You can get precise information on variables such as distance between two places you can see, the weight of an object you are holding and similar questions the information about which you can directly perceive through sensory experience.

 

[Beholder Bob]

Greater Fake Death - I like this feat very much – but I’d have it give a +2 save against death effects instead of or in addition to the ability to kill yourself.

Gatekeeper - I agree with you, I’d say use opposed caster level checks to oppose summoning – a very easy mechanic. I'll redo my entry

Separate Fake & Real - seems too weak. Below is a suggestion

Wheat from the Chaff - Roman
Prerequisite: Illusion specialist or the feats spell focus & greater spell focus w illusion
Benefit: Your work with illusions enables you to have a firmer grasp on what is real and what is illusory. Your figments gain +1 DC, you when attacked with a spell with a % of reality, you reduce it by 20%. If this is enough to drop it to 0 or below, you treat the spell as an Illusion (Figment), incapable of causing you harm.

Calculator - seems too weak. It would make a decent cantrip/0th level spell, though.

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[Seeten]

Is it a general feat, or a meta magic?

BB

No idea. At work without access to books. I'll check for you when I get home tonight.

 

[Seeten]

Hole in the middle is Metamagic, adds 1 level to spell, Area Control, same but more potent, is metamagic, 2 levels

 

[Beholder Bob]

Hole in the middle is Metamagic, adds 1 level to spell, Area Control, same but more potent, is metamagic, 2 levels

Given that, how do you think it balances with the feat Reduce Spell Area (General, Magic), from post 31?

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[Seeten]

I think Reduce Spell is ok. I would never take it, personally, as there is much better, but there are similar weak feats around, so its powerful enough to BE a feat, at least.

 

[Beholder Bob]

I think Reduce Spell is ok. I would never take it, personally, as there is much better, but there are similar weak feats around, so its powerful enough to BE a feat, at least.

Hmm. I thought the lack of cost (no level cost or prep time required) made up for the lack of power - specialists can modify spells as early as 1st level (though the DC is pretty killer), sorcerers w/out having to spend a full round, and wizards w/out needing to plan ahead of time. Ok, any suggestions to toughen 'er up?

BB