Improving the Diviner

[Nifft]

Lore is a nice ability, the familiar is somewhere between a weak ability and a liability.

You're kidding, right? +3 to one skill and +2 Spot AND +2 Listen... that's not worth a feat?

This is assuming you keep your pet on your shoulder, not trying to use it much in combat.

-- N

 

[alice_of_ebony]

Rich Burlew has an interesting take on diviners, and some extra high-level divinations
http://www.giantitp.com/Func0011.html

'Order of the Stick' is a divination bonus, naturally.

 

[the Jester]

In my opinion, diviners are overpowered. Like everyone else, they should lose two schools for specializing. A well-played diviner is a devastating character, especially at higher levels. They know who to go after, when to do it, what the opposition is like, and what you're vulnerable to. If you think diviners are weak, try specializing in scry-buff-teleport tactics. Remember, you only give up one school; you have a tremendous amount of choice in the spells you pack.

In my campaign my players and I have developed the following arcane divinations, among others:

ASSESS CASTER
Divination
Level: Sor/Wiz 1, Clr 1, Drd 1, Brd 1
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Close (25’+5’/2 levels)
Target: One creature
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Will negates
Spell Resistance: No

You instantly learn how powerful of a spell caster the target creature is, based on its caster level.

Caster level---Detects as:
1-4--- Weak
5-10--- Moderate
11-16--- Strong
17-20--- Very strong
21 or higher--- Overwhelming

DISCERN VULNERABILITIES AND STRENGTHS
Divination
Level: Sor/wiz 6
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Medium (100’+10’/2 levels)
Target: One creature
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 round/level
Saving Throw: Will negates (plus see text)
Spell Resistance: No

You are able to learn the weaknesses or strengths of a targeted creature. If the target creature makes an initial Will saving throw, it is unaffected.

If the spell succeeds, you must choose whether to discern vulnerabilities or strengths. If you choose to discern vulnerabilities, you learn one per round (such as weakest saving throw type, vulnerability to a specific type of damage, moral or personal weaknesses such as women, greed, etc). If you instead choose to discern strengths, you learn one per round (such as damage reduction, including what penetrates it, highest save, special attack forms, special qualities or personal or moral forms of strength, such as devotion to duty, honesty, etc).

You may decide to switch from discerning vulnerabilities to discerning strengths, but if you do so the victim gains another Will save to negate the spell’s effects.

Material components: a crystal lens.

FOLLOW SORCERY’S TRAIL
Divination
Level: Sor/Wiz 3
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 60’
Effect: See text
Duration: 10 minutes/level
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No

To use this spell you must already be using a detect magic or arcane sight spell. It allows you to examine the magical radiance of a detected spell, effect or lingering aura and observe a sparkling golden trail leading in the direction the caster went. The spell examined must be in range on the first round of the follow sorcery’s trail but thereafter the trail can be followed at your full movement rate.

Follow sorcery’s trail is foiled by teleportation, an amulet of proof again detection and location, etc.

Material component: 100 gp worth of finely ground diamond dust.

MARIUS’ MOMENT
Divination (Time)
Level: Sor/Wiz 3
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Touch
Target: One creature
Duration: 1 round
Saving Throw: Will negates (harmless)
Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless)

The subject of this spell acts at just the right moment for one round, effectively taking 20 on any single d20 roll during the round.

MOMENT OF INSIGHT
Divination
Level: Intellect 1, sor/wiz 1
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: See text

You gain a +5 insight bonus to a single Knowledge check made by the end of your next turn.

PERFECT IDENTIFICATION
Divination
Level: Sor/Wiz 8
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Close (25’+5’/2 levels)
Target: One object/level
Duration: 1 round/level (D)
Saving Throw: See text
Spell Resistance: Object (harmless)

You learn the full properties of magical items in a very short time. You gaze upon an item and, if it fails a Will saving throw, you learn all the item’s properties, including whether it is cursed, how many charges it has, etc. If your check fails and the item is unattended, you may try again the next round. If the item is attended, once it has made a saving throw against the perfect identification you must cast the spell anew to try to identify it (or force the item to become unattended, of course). In either case, you may attempt to identify a different item, but if you return to an unattended item once you’ve moved on to another it counts as another target object.

Perfect identification has no affect on artifacts, and the caster has no way of knowing whether the item is an artifact or is simply of too high a caster level to identify.

Material component: a large pearl of extraordinary value and quality (worth no less than 1000 gp.)

PIERCING CLARITY
Divination
Level: Sor/Wiz 8, Clr 8, Intellect 8
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: 10 minutes/level

This spell gives you an extraordinary mental clarity. You become immune to charm, confusion, domination and stunning effects, and you gain an insight bonus equal to your caster level to Decipher Script, Knowledge, Listen, Search, Sense Motive and Spot checks. (This does not allow you to use a trained-only skill without ranks in it.)

Material components: a clear crystal lens.

PROLEPTIC VISION
Divination
Level: Sor/wiz 9
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 minute
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: 10 minutes/level

This spell is an ancient variant of foresight, recently brought back into play by a powerful Delphinite wizard who was brought back from the grave.

This spell gives you visions of impending attack concerning up to five individuals, five locations and five objects you choose. An “attack” must be instigated by a creature or creatures aiming it at the individual, location or object you choose, even if perpetrated through other means (such as poisoning a creature’s food, setting a building on fire, etc.) Mechanical or magical traps usually will not qualify (as they are not generally instigated by creatures aiming it at the individual, location or object).

The five individuals you select to monitor may include you. They need not be on the same plane as you, and may in fact be on five separate planes.

The five locations you select to monitor may be as large or as small as you desire, but to trigger the proleptic vision the attack in question must endanger a majority of the location. Thus, if you monitor the city of Threeton, a fire engulfing a district of the city will trigger your prolepsis but a fire engulfing a single building generally won’t.

The five objects you select to monitor may be up to Gargantuan in size. An attack on the guardians or wards around the object will not trigger your prolepsis, only an attack on the object itself. However, you can choose to monitor magical wards as some or all of your five objects.

Your forewarning allows you to take a single action only in the round before the attack takes place.

VERIFY
Divination
Level: Sor/Wiz 4, Trade 4
Components: V, S, M, DF
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Close (25’+5’/2 levels)
Target: 1 pile of treasure
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No

Casting this spell on a pile of treasure determines whether it meets the terms of a written agreement, usually entered into beforehand.

Material component: the written contract.

***

I'm sure I've got more, too.

Also, never underestimate a contact other plane. Sure, it's not 100% reliable; but you can use something else to try to verify your information.

 

[satori01]

Spell research is the only way to really spruce up the Diviner.
I would look at the Seer powers in the Psionics Handbook and look to convert those over to spells. I also recall some intresting spells in a Monte Cook book, Book of Divine Might 2 I believe, the one that detailed the River Pantheon.

The problem I find with Diviners is that WOTC and everyone else it seems designs them with munchinism in mind, " sure the spell list sucks, but you can get an extra spell and give up a crappy school like enchantment or necromancy and still blast like an evocater, and buff like a transmuter w/o losing out".

Bleh.

 

[Turanil]

I think that taking the Loremaster prestige class as soon as possible would improve the class, while it is a coherent path for a diviner.

 

[The Great Bear King]

You're kidding, right? I've never played a wizard or sorcerer who would have kept the familiar if he had the option to trade it for Lore. Lore is a nice ability, the familiar is somewhere between a weak ability and a liability.

Not if you allow dragon, magical beast, or outsider familars (so when you reach 15th level you can finally have that pit fiend you've always wanted) and or mutant, robotic, and cybernetic familairs (oh look, it's Robo Weasel. Oh no! Robo Weasel just destroyed a sporting goods store with an ion cannon blast).

 

[Gez]

IMC, diviners get Spot, Listen, Search, and Sense Motive as class skills.

Furthermore, IMC all wizards get "aspect of powers" (inspired from the AU/E Magister) at levels 4, 8, 12, and 16. This is part of my ongoing campaign, "get rid of mute levels everywhere", as I swear everytime I see a class levels with nothing in the Special Features column, I hear sirines singing "get a presteeeeeege claaaaaasss, presteeeeeeeeege claaaaaaasss", so I'm doing my best to eradicate those foul traps.

So diviners get, at respectively 4, 8, 12, and 16 levels, those abilities: +2 insight bonus on their extra class skills (listen, search, sense motive, spot); mystical third eye (could be anything, from a tatoo or bindu dot to a gem to an actual freaky third eye, regardless of shape, it can be blinded, dazzled, "opened", and "closed" like a normal eye) that gives low-light vision and 120-ft. darkvision; increase of the insight bonus from +2 to +5; and permanent arcane eye effect for their mystical third eye.

 

[Cyberzombie]

Some good ideas here.

I think that each specialist really needs to be more unique than they are. Skill lists, powers, etc.

One thing I've never understood is why they didn't make the specialists prestige classes in 3e. It just seems like such an obvious move...

 

[Angel of Adventure]

Contact other Plane/Commune

This is a wicked little combo that pays big dividends:

1) Cast Contact other Plane, asking for specific info (names, places, tactics, etc.).
2) Verify w/Commune via Yes/No answers.

Might not have to do it if your DM will give more that yes/no's via Commune, but if not this is a good work-around.