Help me balance this set of classes

[Herzog]

I need some help finding out if these classes are balanced.
Note that they do NOT need to be balanced in respect to the standard classes, just balanced in respect to eachother. Should other classes pop up during the campaign, I will attempt to adjust them accordingly.

Ok, the classes:

1. Wizard with spontaneous casting. The idea is to take the standard wizard, who can prepare spells per day, but then let him cast the prepared spells as a sorcerer does. (in effect, his prepared spells are treated as the sorcerers' spells known)
2. Cleric with spontaneous casting. Works the same as explained for the wizard above.
3. Barbarian with fighter bonus feat at every fifth level.
4. Psion who can choose from every discipline. (not restricted to one)

As a side note, I decided to keep the normal attribute for the wizard and cleric (int and wis) instead of adding in cha as spell attribute.

What do you think? Do you see any balancing problems? At low and/or at high levels? If so, do you have suggestions how to 'fix' that?


Any comment appreciated.
Herzog

 

[Arkhandus]

1. You might want to force all Wizards to specialize, but deny them the bonus slots from specialization. Or perhaps instead reduce their number of spells automatically learned each level by 1 (so 1 less 1st-level spell known at 1st-level, and only learning 1 spell automatically at each Wizard level beyond 1st). Maybe not, but it could be more fair than leaving the Wizard with only the positive addition of spontaneous casting.

2. Should probably reduce the cleric's spell slots by 1 or 2 for each spell level beyond 0-level. Might even cause them to gain access to new spell levels at the rate a sorcerer would. Maybe just reduce their hit dice to d6 instead. Just something to make them less "better-spellcasting-warriors-than-Wizards".

3. Probably give Barbarians the roguish Slippery Mind ability at some point around 7th-10th I think, so they're less easily subdued or controlled by all the spontaneous-casting mages and psionicists throwing around Charms and Compulsions any ole' time they feel like it.

4. I would probably suggest changing the Psion's manifesting stat to Charisma in this case. It would change the way Psions are perceived in the campaign (and what kinds of positions or lifestyles they would typically have), in a neat way, as well as balancing out their increased versatility compared to even the spontaneous-casting Wizards (many psionic powers in 3.5 can each effectively duplicate several spells, of varying levels). You might also want to reduce their base skill points to 2/level rather than 4. Psions would be the charming, personable neighborhood tricksters/problem-solvers, the favored consultants and friends of the aristocracy, the local seers that are so delightfully humorous and witty in their fortune-telling, the commanding and imposing travelers whose very presence is enough to draw awed attention and command the respect of others, whose every word is considered a profound statement and a command to be followed lest ye draw such a terrifying and magnificent individual's ire. *stops rambling and gibbering to himself*

In any case, these are all going to be much stronger than the other core classes (with the possible exception of any druids who choose to abuse Natural Spell, Wild Shape, polymorphing spells, ability score min-maxing, etc.).

 

[Herzog]

Good points Arkhandus!

I'll just reply to them in order:
1. Wizards in my campaign do NOT automatically get new spells. They have to find them or research them. They do not get summon familiar or scribe scroll at first lvl, but get heighten spell at lvl 1 for free, enabling them use of 0 lvl spells as prerequisites for reserve feats. I'm not sure why you advise to force wizards to specialize...

2. As the cleric and wizard spells are treated in the same way, why should the cleric be penalized where the wizard is not? Or do you find the cleric to be more powerfull in the core version as well?

3. Good point about being able to counter mind affecting spells. I will probably need to add other resistances as well. I'll check it out. (will probably introduce this as a Feat though, since other classes might want to be able to get extra protection as well)

4. Actually, I am using the Psion as a rulebase for a 'Weaver' (something the player in question picked up from a book and wanted to play). They are able to percieve the world on a molecular level, and can see the 'threads' that bind all things and places toghether. Using these threads, they can manipulate matter, mind and location. Because these are all things from different disciplines, I decided to do away with the discipline restriction. I may also allow the 'Weaver'(Psion) to add disciplines at some time, or increase the number of times he may take the 'Extra Power' Feat. (but instead of adding a power, allowing him to take a power from a different discipline instead of the normally granted power)
I'm not too happy about reducing skillpoints, since I find that skills add to the depth of a character.
I'm thinking about charisma as base for the Weaver's powers. Might be interesting, since there are not going to be a lot of other classes focussing on charisma.

Last but not least, since I will be upgrading ALL classes that enter the campaign, balance issues with existing core-classes should be minimal. (although I might run into trouble later on with NPC classes and encounter levels. But I'll worry about that later.....


Herzog

 

[DreamChaser]

With wizard/cleric you are talking what was done with Arcana Unearthed/Evolved where every spellcasting class has a "spells readied" and a "spells per day"

The psion is not getting as much of a boost. It is really the equivalent of adding what happens every time more sorcerer spells are introduced; they have more options (and some more powerful options) but they still have to choose which they are going to take advantage of.

The erudite from Complete Psionic (updated from a dragon magazine article which had it outrageously overpowered) might be the way to go. They can learn powers much like a wizard learns spells but can only access a finite number of them per day. They don't normally gain any of the disciplines but the enhance their power, you could give them access.

One thing to keep in mind is that balancing melee/non-magic classes against magical classes is tough on any level but their power curve aren't the same. A small adjustment to the spell slinging capacity of a spell using class often requires a huge change to a non spell-using class to keep the power levels equivalent. Again, from Arcana Unearthed, you might take some inspiration from the Totem Warrior class, which gains abilities based upon a link to an animal totem.

These powers, added onto the barbarians rage abilities might counteract wizards who are able to choose the 1 or 2 most powerful attack spells up on defense and utility spells (which is the ultimate effect of the proposed system). Once a wizard got 2nd level spells, they would prepare scorching ray and magic missile (for fire immune/resistant creatures), make sure they had the fire-related reserve feat and they would never need to give another thought to attacks. Every other spell would be defense or utility. With free heighten spell, they would be able to use the Invisible Needle (the force reserve feat) by readying magic misslie as a 5th level spell (9th level rocks for your wizards cause they get feat and spell slot level). Now they have unlimited fire and force attacks, heavy gauge fire and force attacks when need by (IIRC a 5th level magic missile has a 5th level spells damage cap which means up to 15 missiles, but I could be misremembering on this).

My point with the above examples was to to show how much of a boost the barbarian would need in order to hold a candle to a well-prepared wizard.

Hope these ideas help.

DC