Geomancer!

[SeRiAlExPeRiMeNtS]

I´ve read the MoTW book yesterday and one thing get me, The geomancer PRC is very powerfull! At fist I think that it was a weak Prc but the Versatile magic power changes everything! you can now make a wizard how can use his spells in full plate, with his wisdom bonus and make some low levels cleric spells, and more important how can use Cure spells wands and scrolls! it is the perfect warrior wizard..... What you guys think about it?

 

[The Cardinal]

hmm... I *still* don't have the darned book but AFAIK you need 3 divine and arcane caster levels...
hmmm...
1. Cleric (War domain would be nice)
2. Wizard (Toad familiar!)
3. Cleric
4. Wizard
5. Cleric
6. Wizard
7.-16. Geomancer (with some Dwarf's and Giant's Toughness along the way)
...full plate, shield, decent hp, caster level 13, divine scrolls & wands - sounds neat!

 

[Skaros]

Hmmm. I'd be interested to hear how it can be maximized, compared with how single class casters are maximized in usefulness.

I love the idea of the class, and may play one anyway for the flavor, but it does seem like a tough trade off.

This is particularly true if you are playing through those early levels (rather than creating a character that is already lvl 10 or something).

A few examples to think about:

At lvl 6 , you are a lvl 3 cleric, lvl 3 wizard (or lvl 3 druid, lvl 4 sorcerer, whatever). While your buddy, the lvl 6 cleric is enjoying lvl 3 divine spells, a +4 BAB, and full plate armor, you are casting lvl 2 divine and lvl 2 arcane spells, wearing little or no armor, have less hit points, and have a +3 BAB.

At lvl 8, you are a lvl 3 cleric, lvl 3 wizard, lvl 2 geomancer. While your buddy the lvl 8 cleric is casting lvl 4 cleric spells, you are casting either lvl 3 cleric or lvl 3 wizard spells (plus lvl 2 spells in the other class), still wearing little or no armor, and have geomancer abilities to tap ley lines (in your chosen terrain only)...plus a couple of drift abilities that really only factor into Roleplay at this point.

Maybe the lower AC, etc could be fairly balanced out by always memorizing mage armor and shield spells? Of course then you end up casting those 2 spells the first 2 rounds of combat....

This is even a little worse for the concept I liked....sorcerer/druids that take geomancer. They can't get the PrC until 7th level.

Other thoughts?

-Skaros

 

[SeRiAlExPeRiMeNtS]

i agree that in low levels it sucks, but at 7th level you will be a 3rd lvel cleric and 4 level wizard casting spells in full plate etc... and he only need one very good ability (Wisdon is the best choice, very high will saves). at 10th level he will be casting spells as a 3rd level cleric and 7th level wizard, using full plate and with a +6 bab and realy good saves (besides reflexes), at highers levels he will be aven beter. At 20th level he will cast 9th level wizard spells and 2nd level cleric spells, but can use a staff of life for example, if he needs healing. and some drifts are good! blindsight etc...

 

[Skaros]

i agree that in low levels it sucks, but at 7th level you will be a 3rd lvel cleric and 4 level wizard casting spells in full plate etc... and he only need one very good ability (Wisdon is the best choice, very high will saves). at 10th level he will be casting spells as a 3rd level cleric and 7th level wizard, using full plate and with a +6 bab and realy good saves (besides reflexes), at highers levels he will be aven beter. At 20th level he will cast 9th level wizard spells and 2nd level cleric spells, but can use a staff of life for example, if he needs healing. and some drifts are good! blindsight etc...

Not quite (correct me if I'm wrong):

At 7th level he only has lvl 0 crossover, so if he wore full plate he'd have massive arcane failure for lvl 1 and 2 wizard spells.

At 10th level he casts as a lvl 3 cleric, lvl 7 wizard, and his abilities crossover for lvl 3 and lower spells. He still has massive arcane failure chances for his lvl 4 spells (meanwhile a pure lvl 10 wizard has lvl 5 spells, and almost has lvl 6 spells).

Finally, at lvl 11 his crossover stuff catches up with the level of wizard spells he is casting, and from there on out he enjoys no spell failure for any of his memorized spells, and can start wearing armor.

So, unless I'm missing something, he'll be 11th level before he can start wearing armor without having full arcane spell failure chances for his better wizard spells.

From there on out his only major disadvantage is he is always one spell level behind his pure wizard counterpart (or pure cleric or druid).

So still, I feel that unless you are starting out as a lvl 11 character, you don't gain any useful benefit from the lack of armor check penalty.

This pretty much negates the statement above that geomancer is the ultimate PrC for the warrior/wizard.......for those working through the early levels.

hrm.

Please tell me I'm wrong

-Skaros

p.s. I used the word "crossover" because I can't remember what they call the ability that lets you swap out and combine the best of how you cast divine and arcane magic.

 

[bofer]

ummmm, ok, so, what if you started taking levels as a geomancer after being a shugenja, which meets both the divine and arcane spellcasting requirements?

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Personally, the Geomancer is a favorite PrCl of mine- from both sides of the screen.

 

[Theroc]

Geomancer is also in the Complete Divine book, for those who do not have the MOTW book. Wait... MoTW is a 3.0 book... isn't it? >.>

My bad.

In anycase, Geomancer was a very interesting class, and one I was considering looking into for one of my future characters, but it seems a difficult one to work out early on, particularly in roleplay if your character is say, a very nature oriented druid, learning arcane magic wouldn't make a great deal of sense.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

I haven't seen a problem with them in that regard.

A Druid- honestly, any PC- might seek to study arcane magic if he thinks it would give him an edge, especially if they look towards the elemental side of things. Or perhaps he's always felt the pull of arcane magic in his blood, and tries his hand at Sorcery. Besides, a nature-themed cleric or Druid is actually very well themed to go with the Geomancer, given the latter class' Drift mechanic.

Other full-caster classes to consider: the Oriental Adventures Shaman (which can be nature themed, and gets a 3rd Domain), the Battle Sorcerer and the Warmage.

Among the partial casters, a Sohei/Duskblade might be kind of interesting.

Add in things like the Heritage feats that give you breath weapons, etc., and you can have a lot of fun.

 

[Theroc]

I haven't seen a problem with them in that regard.

A Druid- honestly, any PC- might seek to study arcane magic if he thinks it would give him an edge, especially if they look towards the elemental side of things. Or perhaps he's always felt the pull of arcane magic in his blood, and tries his hand at Sorcery. Besides, a nature-themed cleric or Druid is actually very well themed to go with the Geomancer, given the latter class' Drift mechanic.

I definitely wouldn't contest that the Geomancer fits the Nature oriented portion of things, my main RP roadblock was the logic of my druid-type character going for arcane spells... to which you came up with a decent alternative, unless the druid happens to feel arcane magic isn't natural. But a good idea nonetheless...