Incanatrix rework

[ruleslawyer]

Dear All,

I've decided to make a few house-rule changes to the Incanatrix PrC; I like the idea of this class, since I've found that under the core rules, metamagic is just really unpopular among spellcasters IMC. I would love comments on the following, though:

Incanatrix
Incanatrices (male: incanatar) are rare spellcasters, almost exclusively female, who specialize in dealing with metamagic, protective spells, and countering or combating extraplanar beings. The most famous incanatrices include . The individual known as the “Mage of Stars” may have been an incanatar, as may have the legendary Shoon VII.

Hit Dice: d4.

BAB: Wizard
Saves: As wizard
Spellcasting Progression: +1 level of existing class

Abilities:

Level Special
1 Enhanced specialization, bonus feat
2 Send away
3 See ethereal
4 Strike ethereal
5 Bonus feat
6 Hardy spirit
7 Instant metamagic 1/day
8 Improved metamagic
9 Instant metamagic 2/day
10 Drain item

Requirements
Knowledge (arcana) 8 ranks.
Knowledge (the planes) 8 ranks.
Any two metamagic feats, Skill Focus: Knowledge (the Planes).
Spells: Ability to cast 3rd level arcane spells.

Class Skills: Alchemy (Int), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Heal (Wis), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Knowledge (the Planes) (Int), Profession (Wis), Scry (Int), and Spellcraft (Int).

Skill points per level: 2 + Int modifier

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: The incanatrix gains no additional proficiency in weapons or armor.

Spells per Day: When a new incanatrix level is gained, the character gains new spells per day as if she had also gained a level in a spellcasting class he belonged to before adding the prestige class. She does not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained (improved familiar, metamagic or item creation feats, hit points beyond those he receives from the prestige class, and so on), except for an increased effective level of spellcasting. If a character had more than one spellcasting class before becoming an incanatrix, she must decide to which class she adds each level of incanatrix for purposes of determining spells per day.

Enhanced Specialization: Any incanatrix who is not a specialist wizard in the school of Abjuration must choose a prohibited school or schools from the following list: (1) either Conjuration, Enchantment, Evocation, or Illusion; or (2) both Divination and Necromancy. She may never again learn arcane spells from those schools, though she retains all spells known before she became an incanantrix, and may employ spell completion and spell trigger items duplicating those spells. In return, the incanatrix gains a +2 to Spellcraft checks involving the school of Abjuration (this does not stack with the bonus for being an Abjuration specialist wizard).

Send away (Ex): The incanatrix gains a +2 to caster level checks to harm, banish, or overcome the spell resistance of outsiders, or to dispel spells cast by outsiders or spells summoning outsiders.

Bonus feat: The incanatrix may select any metamagic feat for which she meets the prerequisites as a bonus feat.

See Ethereal (Su): Once per day, the incanatrix can see into the Ethereal Plane for a number of rounds equal to her class level. She can see ethereal creatures up to 60 feet away. She can attack or affect such creatures using force effects and other methods of damaging ethereal creatures.

Strike Ethereal (Su): The incanatrix can alter her spells so that they strike ethereal targets that the incanatrix can see. An altered spell takes longer to cast: one-action spells take a full round, and spells with a casting time of one or more rounds take an additional round.

Hardy Spirit (Su): The incanatrix becomes immune to death effects and energy drain effects.

Instant Metamagic (Su): The listed number of times per day, an incanatrix may apply a single metamagic feat to any spell she knows without increasing the spell’s casting time or effective level. The incanatrix chooses to use this ability at the time of casting – she does not need to prepare the spell with the feat beforehand.

Improved Metamagic (Su): The effective level increase of any metamagic feat or feats applied to a spell by the incanatrix is reduced by 1. Thus, a quickened fireball takes only a 6th-level rather than 7th-level spell slot, etc. The level increase of such metamagic feats cannot be lowered below +1 (or 0 if the feat already has an effective level increase of 0).

Drain Item (Sp): As a standard action triggering attacks of opportunity, an incanatrix can drain a single charge from any charged magic item to heal herself. The incanatrix gains 1d6 hit points for each level of the spell that the charge normally would activate. She may use this ability up to three times per day, and may gain up to her total hit points +20 temporary hit points that remain for up to 10 minutes. A creature holding an item gains a save (Will DC 10) to avoid having that item drained.

Epic Progression

Hit Die: d4.

Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 2 + Int modifier.

Spells: The epic incantatrix's caster level increases by 1 per level gained above 10th. The epic incantatrix's number of spells per day does not increase after 10th level, unless the sum of her class levels contributing to her caster level equals 20 or less.

Instant Metamagic (Su): The incantatrix can use her instant metamagic ability one additional time per day for every two levels gained after 9th (11th, 13th, and so on).

Bonus Feats: The epic incantatrix gains a bonus feat (selected from the list of epic incantatrix feats) every 3 levels after 10th.
Epic Incantatrix Bonus Feat List: Augmented Alchemy, Automatic Quicken Spell, Automatic Silent Spell, Automatic Still Spell, Enhance Spell, Epic Counterspell, Epic Spell Focus, Epic Spell Penetration, Epic Spellcasting, Epic Will, Familiar Spell, Ignore Material Components, Improved Combat Casting, Improved Heighten Spell, Improved Metamagic, Improved Spell Capacity, Intensify Spell, Master Staff, Master Wand, Multispell, Permanent Emanation, Spell Knowledge, Spell Stowaway, Spell Opportunity, Spontaneous Spell, Tenacious Magic.
Alternately, the incanatrix may select any non-epic metamagic feat as a bonus feat.

Incantatrix
Level Special
11 Instant metamagic 3/day
12
13 Instant metamagic 4/day, bonus feat
14
15 Instant metamagic 5/day
16 Bonus feat
17 Instant metamagic 6/day
18
19 Instant metamagic 7/day, bonus feat
20

 

[Technik4]

+1 Spellcasting Level

This has been brought up before in numerous posts. Any prc that gives +1 spellcasting level and takes away familiar bonuses, and THEN tries to give a bennie every level is overpowered. Because, first of all, any sorceror in his (or her) right mind is making a beeline for it. And even wizards usually make up for the 2 metamagics they would have gotten with the prc. Such is clearly the case of your prc.

The price of (I believe) both your version and the original is some ranks any arcane spellcaster will probably get anyway (skill points providing) and, a skill focus. You burn 1 feat, you get 10 levels, you get both metamagics you wouldve gotten as a wizard, you get metamagics you would NOT have gotten as a sorceror, and did I mention, about 8 other abilities? The other restriction is that you must ban a school (or two) to join the class.

If you dont take away spellcasting levels at key points in the incantrix prc, it is broke. For instance, in your revised version I would take away spell-casting for levels: 1,5,7, and 9. First level you get a meta feat, you get a banned school. For sorcs, its a fair trade, for wiz, its a bit tougher. The same deal at level 5, you get a feat, you dont get spells, its a tradeoff level that you are taking to get benefits later (and you still get a feat). 7 and 9 you get awesome abilities that you would not have gotten if you were straight wiz or straight sorc. At this point you are giving up NOTHING except for familiar benefits (peh).

Instant metamagic equals a free quickened spell without the +4 spell level. Thats HUGE. For instance, lets just say you were a 5th level wizard (another minmax, the fact that you can get into the prestige class at the optimum level for wizards, I would raise the ranks to 9 or 10) 10th level incantrix. You can cast an 8th level spell as a quickened action. This is something that by and large only epic wizards can do. The fact that you can only do it twice per day is limiting, but its still huge. Or you could maximize an eighth level spell. Either way, you are house.

So, if you honestly want to balance an incantrix you can do one of the following (in either case, the prereqs are the same):

Prereqs: Double Specialization (as in a post further down), Knowledge (arcana) 9 ranks, Knowledge (planes) 9 ranks, any 2 metamagic feats, must know 7 abjuration spells, one of which must be 3rd level.

[I dropped the Skill Focus: Knowledge (planes) because its a crappy feat. Feel free to replace it.]

1- Enhanced Specialization (or Double Specialization, you choose double the prohibited schools, you get the benefits as if you specialized. If you are already an abjurer, you must choose another prohibition and your bonuses dont increase. You may not prohibit Transmutation).
2-
3- Bonus Metamagic Feat
4-
5-
6-
7- Instant Metamagic 1/day
8- Improved Metamagic
9
10- Instant Metamagic 2/day

Still rather bland, it doesnt have the ethereal abilities, but it does have the metamagic tricks, and a bonus feat. You give up familiar benefits, a school (or 2) of spells and 1 feat, for instant metamagic 2/day, and your metamagic feats cost 1 level less.


or

1- Double Specialization (as above), +1 spellcasting level
2- Bonus Metamagic Feat, +1 spellcasting level
3- Send away, +1 spellcasting level
4- +1 spellcasting level
5- See and strike ethereal
6- +1 spellcasting level
7- Instant Metamagic 1/day, +1 spellcasting level
8- Improved Metamagic
9- +1 spellcasting level
10- Instant Metamagic 2/day, +1 spellcasting level

Besides bonus feats, hardy spirit, and drain item, all the abilities are in place. I even got 1 bonus feat in there. The spell-casting progression is 8/10, you lose out when youre figuring out how to see and strike ethereal things with your spells, and when you devote your studies to improving metamagic efficiency. I'd say this version has more flavor, and I would allow it in a campaign if I ran one.

This is all criticism, based on my experience, and I could be wrong. If I erred, I tried to err on the side of underpoweredness, as apparantly whoever originally designed this class was wayyy on the other end.

Technik

 

[ruleslawyer]

Sorry, I should have made it clear that Instant Metamagic works according to the errata'd description in Magic of Faerun: That is, it does not allow the incanatrix to cast a spell of an effective level that exceeds the highest level spell castable by the character.

Thus, a Wiz5/Inc10 could automatically quicken a prepared enervation (4th-level spell) using Instant Metamagic, because the spell's effective level would be 8th, and thus within the wizard's maximum castable spell level. The same character could not automatically quicken a cone of cold (5th-level spell) using this ability because the effective level of the spell would be 9th.

You and I clearly disagree on the underlying assumption that any class that grants +1 spellcasting ability and anything else is broken. However, I'm willing to accept that maybe this class should drop a bonus feat. Maybe just the bonus feat at 1st level?

Keep in mind that the sorc is REALLY hurt getting into this class; three feats and 8 ranks in a cross-class skill are NOT easy to accumulate. The sorc either has to burn 4 feats (Education, Cosmopolitan, Versatile, or what-have-you) or be at least 13th level (and minus 16 valuable skill points) to qualify.

 

[Technik4]

Characters most likely to get this prc:

Wizard 5
Feats: Scribe Scroll, Skill Focus: Knowledge (planes), 2 other metamagic feats. If human, one other feat.

Human Sorc 6
Feats: Education, Skill Focus: Knowledge (planes), 2 other metamagic feats.

In both cases, you are essentially costing the player 1 (or for sorc, 2 feats) and 10 skill points (knowledge (planes). Most campaigns have wizards and sorc that max knowledge (arcana) and spellcraft and concentration, so those dont make that great of prereqs. Kinda like requiring a ranger prc to have a certain number of ranks in Wilderness Lore. Most campaigns also give sorc something, usually eschew materials at 1st, or some give metamagic as often as wizards. Regardless, both are getting in at the first moment they can cast 3rd level spells, and that they qualify for the skill ranks.

So, my recommendation is to require a certain number of abjuration spells. I think loremaster requires 7, thats a good number. You have to be sufficiently abjuration-inclined to take this prc.

As for the abilities, if youd like to look on this thread: http://enworld.cyberstreet.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=37902 you will notice there is a large debate about prc in general. I contend that if you are making a prc to shore up weaknesses in some multiclass combinations, you should offer full spell-casting. However, for the prc that are designed for flavor, campaign, or niche spots if you give something powerful (at this point youll have to admit incantrix is powerful, largely considered the most broken prc ever printed by WotC) you must somehow limit them. 7/10 or 8/10 spell-casting is a good start. Furthermore, in this case I would recommend that you make enhanced specialization like it is with the red wizard prc, which I reprint here in case you dont have it:

Enhanced Specialization: Upon becoming a Red Wizard, the character increases his devotion to his wizard school of specialiation. In exchange for this, the Red Wizard must sacrifice study in one or more schools. The Red Wizard must choose an additional prohibited school or schools using the rules on page 54 of the phb. He can never again learn spells from those prohibited schools. He cannot choose the same prohibited schools he chose as a 1st level wizard. He can still use the prohibited spells he knew prior to becoming a Red Wizard, including using items that are activated by spell completion or spell trigger.

This is truly "enhanced specialization". The version in the incantrix prc is simply "specialization not at 1st level". Of course, youre thinking that the red wizard prc you already must be a specialist, and therefore have at least 1 level as an evoker. True. However so that incantrices are available for all classes, merely make them pay the price twice. This will mean you have cut yourself off from 2-3 schools of magic completely. Even then you could choose Enchantment and Illusion and miss them about as much as an evoker, but it more of a loss than losing 1 of those schools. Its a payment, its a choice.

I notice that you did do away with 1 bonus feat, at 10th level. As you suggested, I would also get rid of the bonus feat at 1st level. (in my example of a wiz5, he would get 2 more feats at 6th level...too many feats). There are 2 other abilities which I think dont really fit the class, and that is Hardy Spirit and Drain Item. These are further benefits to a class that does not need them, and really dont apply very well (what does seeing ethereal creatures and metamagic have to do with death effects?).

As erattad, Instant Metamagic is still powerful but not as bad as I thought. Is Improved metamagic erattad so that it applies to the final metamagic total? As in if I cast an empowered quickened fireball is it 8th level or 7th level?

With this in mind, I have edited my post to reflect a more accurate prc, still one with full spellcasting progression and one without full spell progression.

Technik

 

[tleilaxu]

please post a summary of the changes from the version in MoF

 

[ruleslawyer]

tleilaxu: Summary of changes is as follows -

1) Removed bonus feat at 10th level
2) Requirements: changed "Iron Will, any metamagic feat" to "Skill Focus: Knowledge (the planes) and any two metamagic feats."
3) Specialization: The original simply grants the incanatrix the benefits and drawbacks of the Abjuration specialist wizard class if the incanatrix does not already belong to that class. I simply require that the incanatrix choose banned schools from the list of banned schools for the Abjuration specialty, but confer none of the benefits except the +2 to Spellcraft checks.

Technik4: How is my version of enhanced specialization so different from the RW version? (I have that PrC available, BTW.) Read my version again. I don't grant the bonus spell slot. The only difference is that I do grant the +2 to Spellcraft checks, which is a minor bennie at best.

Incidentally, I did look at the thread you cited, since that thread actually was started as the consequence of a thread about the incanatrix in which I participated. I happen to think that the incanatrix as written IS terribly overpowered, and was trying to bring it back to a reasonable level while maintaining the spellcasting progression, since (as I said) I don't agree with you that full progression is overpowered for all non-multiclass-type PrCs. I think that ditching one level of spellcasting progression might be appropriate; two is cutting it pretty close, IMHO. Were I to ditch a level of caster progression, I'd go with 5th; ditching two, I'd go with 5th and 10th.

Still, YMMV.

 

[ruleslawyer]

Anyone out there with something to say?