PHB2 Wizard Variant ability: any good?

[Thanee]

I like familiars.

But it depends on the DM whether they add something to your character.

Bye
Thanee

 

[Starbuck_II]

Crafty.

I never know how to feel about these sorts of rules end runs. Yes, it is legal by the rules but why such a circuitous route to get to it. By the rationale of balance here shouldn't the variant abilities just be available as feats?

Personally, they should be feats.
Requirements, specialist in [school]. It would be a pretty decent feat. I'd made Abrupt Jaunt have an extra Prereqs as a DM (maybe spell focus Conj or something) because it seems more powerful.

Something like
Specialist Prowess
You bend over backward for your specilaist school and can now get additional benefits.
Prereqs: Specialist in a school, and spell Focus if Conjuration (see text)
Text: Blah, blah, blah
Get nifty stuff.

You know what I mean.

 

[StreamOfTheSky]

I made Abrupt Jaunt work like the Reactive Counterspell feat -- you spend an immediate action AND lose your next standard action. Seems to make it balanced, the only other think that'd be nice is if distance and uses/day improved with class level like a familiar, instead of being fixed and int times / day, respectively.

Haven't gotten to playtest the ruling yet, but the basic idea was to changei t from being just a pure "win" button to a serious choice: "Is it worth gimping my actions next round just to avoid this?" Changed like this, I actually wouldn't mind if it got an extra 5 ft of range every 5 levels or something.

 

[StreamOfTheSky]

And to the OP, there are other options.

UA lets you get a skeletal minion, which lacks things like intelligence, skills, and (apparantly) shared spells, but is more powerful in combat and causes no xp loss if destroyed. Also found here: Specialist Wizard Variants :: d20srd.org

Dragon mag #348 has two options for any Wizard: Arcane Reabsorption and Focus Caster (latter varying based on specialty). The former lets you, if a spell you cast is either countered or fails to beat SR (and has no effect at all), to regain it with a tough spellcraft check (DC 20 + 3*spell level). If you do, you take some nonlethal damage. Might be worth it.

Focus Caster for Necromancy has you pick a masterwork "harvesting-type" weapon like a kama or scythe. It becomes a required focus for all your spells. You're proficient with it, it gets extra hp and hardness, can be replaced with a ritual, you can enhance it for 10% less xp and gold, and the following level-based bonuses:
1 - your Necromancy spells can be cast at +25% range.
7 - your Necromancy spells that inflict Ability Penalties, Ability Damage, or Ability Drain do +1 point.
15 - a target that fails a Fortitude save vs. one of your Necromancy spells is also Fatigued.

Both are summarized here on p. 126: http://www.crystalkeep.com/d20/rules/DnD3.5Index-Classes-Base.pdf

 

[Starbuck_II]

I made Abrupt Jaunt work like the Reactive Counterspell feat -- you spend an immediate action AND lose your next standard action. Seems to make it balanced, the only other think that'd be nice is if distance and uses/day improved with class level like a familiar, instead of being fixed and int times / day, respectively.

Haven't gotten to playtest the ruling yet, but the basic idea was to changei t from being just a pure "win" button to a serious choice: "Is it worth gimping my actions next round just to avoid this?" Changed like this, I actually wouldn't mind if it got an extra 5 ft of range every 5 levels or something.

Sounds aweful.
I don't think that is much of a choice: Do I suck next round and avoid this attack or not get this ability and just use Displacement or Mirror image.

Really, major nerf hammer.

That change is too little for a Familar (sure they aren't great but they aren't worth that little). You could give double caster level hps and that ability (and I still wouldn't take it).

You should definately playtest it. My gut tells me that is too weak. Like CW Samurai weak.

 

[StreamOfTheSky]

You're forgetting it's an immediate action that (far as I know) interrupts an action. It can basically waste a melee attacker's entire turn, as well as completely negate many spells, especially if I do increase the range with level (which I am leaning towards, I'd just like to see it in use first). Beleive it or not, there ARE plenty of enemy attacks I would gladly trade my next standard action to avoid. In a duel, it becomes fairly weak, sure (but as it stands now, it's WAY too good in a duel), but it'd have many more opportunities to see use in a party.

And I hope that was hyperbole. Double caster level hp on its own is the equivalent of Improved Toughness x2, not to mention the actual ability, all for a familiar, worth one feat.

 

[Starbuck_II]

You're forgetting it's an immediate action that (far as I know) interrupts an action. It can basically waste a melee attacker's entire turn, as well as completely negate many spells, especially if I do increase the range with level (which I am leaning towards, I'd just like to see it in use first). Beleive it or not, there ARE plenty of enemy attacks I would gladly trade my next standard action to avoid. In a duel, it becomes fairly weak, sure (but as it stands now, it's WAY too good in a duel), but it'd have many more opportunities to see use in a party.

And I hope that was hyperbole. Double caster level hp on its own is the equivalent of Improved Toughness x2, not to mention the actual ability, all for a familiar, worth one feat.

A little hyperbole, yes.

But think about: you'll need that Double Caster x2 hp to even survive the next attack.
The fighter moves and attacks you (you use power): (since you can't move on your turn) he can 5 foot step and now attack you again (full attack even).

With you increasing range: then he would have to move more than 5 foot step... so that would be more balanced.

 

[StreamOfTheSky]

It's a ten ft range, so it should never be a mere 5 ft step unless said fighter had superior reach AND wasn't attacking from the very edge of it when you used abrupt jaunt. I'm surprised how many times in a situation like fighter vs. mage, the fighter player will do the standard and stay at the edge of his reach weapon, not realizing if he moved in closer and used armor spikes or something, he could "trap" the enemy mage from 5 ft stepping out of melee.

But yes, I'll make my houserule 10 ft +5 ft / 5 class levels, not that it matters for any PCs in my current game anyway.

Back to the previously programmed thread now?

 

[roguerouge]

Familiars can be a hole card. Last session, my BBEG got caught by the PCs in his lair. They got him poisoned with a sleep poison. After a few rounds, while the PCs were fighting his minions, the rat familiar under the table skittered out and bit him awake.*

The guy was a necromancer, so he'd also use his rat to be with the zombie patrols to report back to him WHY the patrol went missing. (Was it another sink hole? Or are there heroes about?) Nobody ever notices familiars if they are in the proper environment.

In addition, they're useful as RP generators. I like the fact that these wizards, who become so powerful, are attached to the pets of their youth. It's so cute and human.

So, if a feat gets me a scout, a spy, RP, and a floating +2 to any skill I or it knows from aid another... that's worth it.

*(DM ruling: I don't want to hear about poison rules.)

 

[roguerouge]

A little hyperbole, yes.

The fighter moves and attacks you (you use power): (since you can't move on your turn) he can 5 foot step and now attack you again (full attack even).

OT: Actually, the wizard loses his standard action in this house rule. He can use his move action to run like heck.