Bupp
Adventurer
I've moved on to Dragon Magazine #90, and the spell stealing incantatrix, by Ed Greenwood.
This was an NPC class I fell in love with when I first read it, but never had the chance to use. In this conversion, I've taken bits from this original write up, but have based it more on the 3e prestige class, from the Player's Guide to Faerun. Seeing as how the 3e version was a master of metamagic, it fits into 5e best as a sorcerous origin.
Some of my thoughts with the build: since sorcerers don't get metamagic until 3rd level, I pushed back the cooperative metamagic ability to then, and it scales with level, unlike a lot of sorcerous origin powers. They needed something at 1st level, so I gave it the ectoplasmic spells ability. That may be of limited usefulness, but I feel it helps offset the power of later abilities.
At first I wasn't sure what mechanic to use for the stealspell and the seize concentration abilities. I finally settled on making a spell attack roll using your spell attack bonus vs. your opponent's spell save DC. As the incantatrix rises in power, it will be more likely to succeed, but it will be tougher against higher level opponents. It uses an existing number or mechanic in a different way.
After using the stealspell ability, you can scribe the stolen spell onto a scroll. Since there are not any rules for that at this time, I left the mechanics of that blank.
The Incantatrix
“But how could a mere wizard defeat the Archmage with a spell so beyond her powers?” asked the sage skeptically. “It is said,” replied the teller-of-tales in a low, guarded voice, “that she stole the spell from his own mind!” “Impossible!” sputtered the sage.
The other shook his head slowly. “No, my friend,” he corrected the learned one. “Not for an incantatrix.”
These rare and mysterious individuals have unique spells and a dweomercraft all their own. They are especially adept at countering and negating the magics of other spellcasting creatures and individuals, and at dealing with creatures who exist simultaneously on more than one plane (such as certain undead).
Incantatrix, whose male equivalent is the Incantatar, study and shape spells in their raw effects and can modify the spells of allies, magic items and even active spells cast by another. They dislike extraplanar intrusions, having a particular fondness for magic that thwarts extraplanar beings while seeking out and destroying planar portals and gates.
[h=1]Ectoplasmic Spells[/h]At 1st level, your spells breach the gulf between dimensions, sending ghostly emanations into the ether. Your ectoplasmic spell has full effect against incorporeal or ethereal creatures.
[h=1]Cooperative Metamagic[/h]At 3rd level, an incantatrix gains the ability to apply any metamagic you possess to a spell being cast by a willing allied spellcaster. You simply modify the spell during the casting. You must be adjacent to the caster. The incantatrix must make a Intelligence (Arcana) check to succeed, with a DC equal to the 3 times the spell’s level. You can use this ability a number of times per day equal to your Charisma modifier.
Seize Concentration
At 6th level, an incantatrix gains the ability to wrest control of a spell that requires concentration from another spellcaster within 30 feet. If the target spellcaster is willing, this transfer of concentration occurs automatically. Otherwise, you make an attack roll using your Spell Attack Modifier vs. your opponent’s Spell Save DC. If you are trying to seize control of a spell cast by a cleric, druid, paladin or ranger, your attack roll is made with Disadvantage.
If you win, you gain control of the spell for as long as you maintain concentration or until the original spell duration expires. The spell functions as though you were the caster (even if it is a spell you cannot cast), except that any variables determined when the spell was cast remain as determined by the original caster. The original spellcaster can be affected by his own spell, though he receives Advantage on any saving throw allowed against it. If you allow your concentration to lapse before the spell duration expires, the original caster may reassert control over his spell by making a successful Spell Attack Roll vs. your Spell Save DC. If he fails to do so, no one controls the spell.
Cooperative Metamagic: Persistent Spells
At 6th level, you can apply the 3rd level cooperative magic to a persistent spell effect that is already in place. For example, you could use Extend Spell to extend the duration of a wall of force or Empowered Spell to change the damage dealt by a cloudkill. To use this ability, you must be adjacent to or within the spell effect and make a successful Intelligence (Arcana) check, with a DC equal to 3 times the spell level.
Drain Magic
At 14th level, you gain a still-mysterious ability to drain magic from an item or device that has charges, and use that magical force to restore your own vitality. This power does not work on a permanent item that has no charges, nor on an artifact or relic. For each charge drained from an item, you roll one of your Hit Dice, adding your Constitution modifier, adding to your current hit point total, without spending one of your own Hit Dice.
To use this power, you must remain still, holding the item to be drained with bare hand or hands, for one minute per charge drained. This ability can be used outside of a Short or a Long Rest. You can heal damage up to your Hit Point Maximum. Above that, and hit points are considered Temporary Hit Points.
[h=1]Cooperative Metamagic: Items[/h]At 14th level, you gain the ability to apply your 3rd level cooperative metamagic to the effect of a spell trigger item (generally a wand). Using cooperative metamagic on an item expends a number of additional charges from the item equal to the number of sorcery points the metamagic would add to a spell. For example, you can use Heightened Spell to modify a spell cast from a wand by spending 3 additional charges. To use this ability you must be using the item and make a successful Intelligence (Arcana) check, with a DC equal to 3 times the spell level. If the item requires attunement, you must be attuned to use cooperative metamagic.
An incantatrix cannot use this ability when using a spell trigger item that does not have charges.
Stealspell
At 18th level, you gain the power to steal spells from your opponent’s mind. This powerful magic is famous in legend, and the one power that above all others identifies the incantatrix as a person of special powers. By means of this power, you target any single being who is within 60 ft. To steal a spell, you need to make an attack roll using your Spell Attack Modifier vs. your opponent’s Spell Save DC. If you are trying to steal a spell from a cleric, druid, paladin or ranger, your attack roll is made with Disadvantage. If you succeed, you steal a spell from the mind of the victim. The stolen spell is determined randomly, and is not chosen by either the incantatrix or her victim. The magic of the stealspell works even against a victim who is unconscious or insane; psionic protections, anti-magic shell and all similar shielding spells, are all powerless against this ability.
A stolen spell may be “cast” immediately, without material components or even any need for you to understand the spell. You will not automatically know the identity or the nature of the stolen spell (and would probably only find out this information, without expelling the magic, if it was revealed by the victim from whom the spell was stolen). By expelling the stolen spell from your mind, you may can cast a spell that is not on your spell list - but because you don't know what the spell is, you may end up aiding rather than harming an opponent. Any stolen spell takes effect, when expelled, as though it was cast by the being from which it was stolen, with regard to level of effectiveness, damage caused, alignment considerations, and so forth. Spell-like natural powers employed by beings, and psionics, cannot be stolen by means of this spell.
Instead of casting the spell, you can instead scribe it onto a scroll. If this is a spell that is not on your spell list, you can not use the scroll.
Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you complete a long rest.
http://5egrognard.blogspot.com/2014/11/incantatrix-sorcerous-origin.html
This was an NPC class I fell in love with when I first read it, but never had the chance to use. In this conversion, I've taken bits from this original write up, but have based it more on the 3e prestige class, from the Player's Guide to Faerun. Seeing as how the 3e version was a master of metamagic, it fits into 5e best as a sorcerous origin.
Some of my thoughts with the build: since sorcerers don't get metamagic until 3rd level, I pushed back the cooperative metamagic ability to then, and it scales with level, unlike a lot of sorcerous origin powers. They needed something at 1st level, so I gave it the ectoplasmic spells ability. That may be of limited usefulness, but I feel it helps offset the power of later abilities.
At first I wasn't sure what mechanic to use for the stealspell and the seize concentration abilities. I finally settled on making a spell attack roll using your spell attack bonus vs. your opponent's spell save DC. As the incantatrix rises in power, it will be more likely to succeed, but it will be tougher against higher level opponents. It uses an existing number or mechanic in a different way.
After using the stealspell ability, you can scribe the stolen spell onto a scroll. Since there are not any rules for that at this time, I left the mechanics of that blank.
The Incantatrix
“But how could a mere wizard defeat the Archmage with a spell so beyond her powers?” asked the sage skeptically. “It is said,” replied the teller-of-tales in a low, guarded voice, “that she stole the spell from his own mind!” “Impossible!” sputtered the sage.
The other shook his head slowly. “No, my friend,” he corrected the learned one. “Not for an incantatrix.”
These rare and mysterious individuals have unique spells and a dweomercraft all their own. They are especially adept at countering and negating the magics of other spellcasting creatures and individuals, and at dealing with creatures who exist simultaneously on more than one plane (such as certain undead).
Incantatrix, whose male equivalent is the Incantatar, study and shape spells in their raw effects and can modify the spells of allies, magic items and even active spells cast by another. They dislike extraplanar intrusions, having a particular fondness for magic that thwarts extraplanar beings while seeking out and destroying planar portals and gates.
[h=1]Ectoplasmic Spells[/h]At 1st level, your spells breach the gulf between dimensions, sending ghostly emanations into the ether. Your ectoplasmic spell has full effect against incorporeal or ethereal creatures.
[h=1]Cooperative Metamagic[/h]At 3rd level, an incantatrix gains the ability to apply any metamagic you possess to a spell being cast by a willing allied spellcaster. You simply modify the spell during the casting. You must be adjacent to the caster. The incantatrix must make a Intelligence (Arcana) check to succeed, with a DC equal to the 3 times the spell’s level. You can use this ability a number of times per day equal to your Charisma modifier.
Seize Concentration
At 6th level, an incantatrix gains the ability to wrest control of a spell that requires concentration from another spellcaster within 30 feet. If the target spellcaster is willing, this transfer of concentration occurs automatically. Otherwise, you make an attack roll using your Spell Attack Modifier vs. your opponent’s Spell Save DC. If you are trying to seize control of a spell cast by a cleric, druid, paladin or ranger, your attack roll is made with Disadvantage.
If you win, you gain control of the spell for as long as you maintain concentration or until the original spell duration expires. The spell functions as though you were the caster (even if it is a spell you cannot cast), except that any variables determined when the spell was cast remain as determined by the original caster. The original spellcaster can be affected by his own spell, though he receives Advantage on any saving throw allowed against it. If you allow your concentration to lapse before the spell duration expires, the original caster may reassert control over his spell by making a successful Spell Attack Roll vs. your Spell Save DC. If he fails to do so, no one controls the spell.
Cooperative Metamagic: Persistent Spells
At 6th level, you can apply the 3rd level cooperative magic to a persistent spell effect that is already in place. For example, you could use Extend Spell to extend the duration of a wall of force or Empowered Spell to change the damage dealt by a cloudkill. To use this ability, you must be adjacent to or within the spell effect and make a successful Intelligence (Arcana) check, with a DC equal to 3 times the spell level.
Drain Magic
At 14th level, you gain a still-mysterious ability to drain magic from an item or device that has charges, and use that magical force to restore your own vitality. This power does not work on a permanent item that has no charges, nor on an artifact or relic. For each charge drained from an item, you roll one of your Hit Dice, adding your Constitution modifier, adding to your current hit point total, without spending one of your own Hit Dice.
To use this power, you must remain still, holding the item to be drained with bare hand or hands, for one minute per charge drained. This ability can be used outside of a Short or a Long Rest. You can heal damage up to your Hit Point Maximum. Above that, and hit points are considered Temporary Hit Points.
[h=1]Cooperative Metamagic: Items[/h]At 14th level, you gain the ability to apply your 3rd level cooperative metamagic to the effect of a spell trigger item (generally a wand). Using cooperative metamagic on an item expends a number of additional charges from the item equal to the number of sorcery points the metamagic would add to a spell. For example, you can use Heightened Spell to modify a spell cast from a wand by spending 3 additional charges. To use this ability you must be using the item and make a successful Intelligence (Arcana) check, with a DC equal to 3 times the spell level. If the item requires attunement, you must be attuned to use cooperative metamagic.
An incantatrix cannot use this ability when using a spell trigger item that does not have charges.
Stealspell
At 18th level, you gain the power to steal spells from your opponent’s mind. This powerful magic is famous in legend, and the one power that above all others identifies the incantatrix as a person of special powers. By means of this power, you target any single being who is within 60 ft. To steal a spell, you need to make an attack roll using your Spell Attack Modifier vs. your opponent’s Spell Save DC. If you are trying to steal a spell from a cleric, druid, paladin or ranger, your attack roll is made with Disadvantage. If you succeed, you steal a spell from the mind of the victim. The stolen spell is determined randomly, and is not chosen by either the incantatrix or her victim. The magic of the stealspell works even against a victim who is unconscious or insane; psionic protections, anti-magic shell and all similar shielding spells, are all powerless against this ability.
A stolen spell may be “cast” immediately, without material components or even any need for you to understand the spell. You will not automatically know the identity or the nature of the stolen spell (and would probably only find out this information, without expelling the magic, if it was revealed by the victim from whom the spell was stolen). By expelling the stolen spell from your mind, you may can cast a spell that is not on your spell list - but because you don't know what the spell is, you may end up aiding rather than harming an opponent. Any stolen spell takes effect, when expelled, as though it was cast by the being from which it was stolen, with regard to level of effectiveness, damage caused, alignment considerations, and so forth. Spell-like natural powers employed by beings, and psionics, cannot be stolen by means of this spell.
Instead of casting the spell, you can instead scribe it onto a scroll. If this is a spell that is not on your spell list, you can not use the scroll.
Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you complete a long rest.
http://5egrognard.blogspot.com/2014/11/incantatrix-sorcerous-origin.html
. I copy pasted the text into notepad and then copied here.
