Quintessential Wizard: Balancing

[Siberys]

I am going through QW, to decide what powers and other options to allow in my games. I thought I'd share my thoughts as I go along. If I don't post about a power, I think it's balanced.

Powers, levels 1-16

Acid Pool: Strictly better than Scorching Burst, but so is the Invoker's vanguard's lightning. This one's fine. Same with adder's bite, electrocution, and revealing light, though this last one seems very leadery.

Cunning Thrust: HUGE ATTACK BONUS ALERT! Prof. + Int + 2? VS. WILL? It'd be fine if it didn't have the weapon keyword or targeted AC. As is, I'd say "Intelligence -2 vs. Will". That way, max drops from 9 (+4 int + 3 Prof + 2) to 5, which is still more accurate than other wizard at-wills.

Death's Breath: Additional effects on hit too big. Should be -1 Fortitude, nothing else. Same for mind assault, only should be -1 Will.

Arcane Ghost: Eh... Halve the range, then remove everything after the damage, and add the following:

Effect: One target grants combat advantage until the end of your next turn.

That should balance it out.

Flash of Light: Good against artillery. Not sure if damage should be lowered, though...

Scorching Weapon: One again, set the attack to "Intelligence -2". I don't think the designers of QW realized that weapon powers add the weapon's prof bonus to attack rolls.

Arcane Storm: They said "Salve" instead of "Salvo" in the flavor text. That made me giggle. Other than that, though, this one's fine.

Mark of Light: This one's fine, but very warlordy. It seems to me the Radiant powers will be sorta leaderish.

Scent of Decay: Don't know what to think of this one. If you pushed the target, it'd definitely be broken, but with the target controlling its own movement, I guess its fine.

Strike and Run: Targets AC. This one's fine.

Authority: Make this one a daily. It's just like Astral speech, but with a lower bonus and increased versatility.

Enchanted Crossbow: Make the tertiary attack's damage 1d10. Other than that, I like this power.

Fierce Will: Change this to say "and one target takes a penalty to a defense of your choice equal to one-half your Charisma modifier until the end of your next turn".Otherwise, way, WAY too good.

Deafening Blast: Increase damage to 2d8. yes, increase. Otherwise, it's like a weak fireball that deafens.

Wizened Features: Is exactly the same as Serpent's Grasp, but deals necrotic damage and the side effects are save-ends. Halve the attack penalty.

Steelskin: Not sure about this one. Is Resist All 5 for a whole encounter 1/day too powerful for a lvl 6 utility?

Whirlwind: Should this be sustain Move instead of sustain minor?

Choking Viper: Replace held with immobilized. Held doesn't exist .

Mystical Swing: Change to "Intelligence -2"... Again.

Field of the Dead: Replace held with immobilized. Again.

Uncertainty: make it -3/-1.

Weapon of Elemental Might: Change to "Intelligence -2"... Again.

Intangbility: Hrm... Not sure. The wizard'll be able to bypass obstacles easily enough with this, but that's ignoring the rest of the party. Of course, there's also arcane gate. This power gets a pass.

Acid Fumes: Remove the Miss line.

Dancing Blades: Change to "Intelligence -2"... Again.

Soul Vermin: Clever requirement for sustaining. Great for clearing mobs.

Deceiving Grasp: Up damage to 6d8. Replace held with immobilized. Otherwise, it's a weaker blast of cold.

Moment of Prescience: Make this Daily, and make the resist last until the beginning of your next turn.

 

[Siberys]

17-30

Flensing: Seems powerful. reduce the penalty to 1/2 Intelligence modifier.

Schizophrenia: Remove adjacent.

Shining Dawn: Add Ongoign Radiant 10, 5 on a miss.

Storm Weapon: Change to "Intelligence -2"... Again.

Arcane Protection: Seems weak.

Arcane Army: Change to "Intelligence -2"... Again.

Stalactites: Remove the Miss line.

Aurora: Add stunned to the hit effect.

 

[Siberys]

Rituals

Bind Animal/extraordinary/magic Familiar: I like it, but it violates the EoA. Could simply say that commanding takes an action of the same type as the action to be performed.

PPs

Cryomancer

Arctic Catharsis: Instead of ongoing damage, immobilize.
Ice Bridge: A width is never mentioned. I'd set it at 2 squares.
Blood Ice: Reduce to 3d8 damage. Then it's a single-target Storm Cage with ongoing damage and no wall.
Frozen Shards: Add "You may ignore the effects of the zone"

Dawn Disciple

Light Action: Replace with the following; When you spend an action point to take an extra action, you may regain hit points equal to half your level or make an immediate saving throw against one effect.
Light of the Rising Dawn: Increase damage to 3d8.
Light Mantle: Replace Invisible with Insubstantial
Regenerating Light: Add "Effect: You may spend a healing surge".

Geminus

Combined Attack: Up from 3 empty squares to 6.
Clone War: The effect line isn't really necessary.

Geomancer

Advantageous Position: Change to 1/2 Intelligence modifier.

Gloom Necromancer

Decaying Action: Reduce penalty to -1
Deadly Might: Replace with the following; When you are bloodied, you gain a +1 power bonus to attack rolls and to all defenses whenever an enemy drops to 0 hit points or fewer and is within 3 squares of you until the end of the encounter. (note that it doesn't stack. As previously worded, it would.)
Raise and Walk: A player raised by this ability only appears to be a zombie. The character continues to use its normal statistics. Remove "The ally is under your control"

Hypnomancer

Hypnotic Action: Change to 1/2 Intelligence modifier.
Mirror of the Deep: Reduce penalty to -1
Small Death: The effect line isn't really necessary.

 

[Siberys]

More PPs

Keeper of the Dweomer

Military Implement: Add "You do not gain your weapon proficiency bonus to the attack roll when using your weapon as an implement."
Vigorous action: Applies only to NEXT attack roll. Lower to 1/2 Intelligence modifier.

Mystic Sage

Wise Action: Add "You may not add this bonus to an attack roll."

Occult Seeker

Ingenious Weapon: Reduce the penalty to -1. The penalty does not stack with itself.
Ingenious Armor: The armor applies this resistance to you.

Pyromancer

Fiery Catharsis: Replace ongoing damage with weakened

Feats

Metamagic: Worth multiple HSs. Only usable 1/day. Always minor action. Remove the wizard requirement, and all metamagic feats require the feat Metamagic Caster. In general, this was a good idea, but it was poorly implemented and way too cheap.

Metamagic Caster
Tier: Heroic
Prerequisites: Int 15
Benefit: You may use metamagic feats on your arcane, divine, or shadow powers. In addition, you can tell when another is using metamagic feats, and gain a +5 feat bonus to Arcana checks used to determine which metamagic feat they are using.

Blasting Spell: 2 HS
Conducting Staff: Limit to basic attacks. The additional power must be an encounter attack power. Resolve that power normally.
Deceiving Spell: 2 HS
Eladrin Lore: Change to damage bonus
Enlarged Spell: 2 HS
Extended Spell: 3 HS
Far Spell: 2 HS
NO ILLUSORY CHARM! I really dislike this feat.
Linked Item: Change to damage bonus
Orb of Persistence: The effect lasts instead to the beginning of your next turn.
Recover Implement: Disallow, or else 3 HS.

Access Power: Disallow. Level 11, use a level 1 daily as an encounter? Not if we're talking sleep, buddy.
Arcane Orb Master: One round. No more.
Contingent Spell: 3 HS
Empowered Spell: Increase the damage by 1/4 the number of dice rolled. 3 HS
Metamagic Leftover: 1 HS
Mixed Energy: Rename Admixed Spell ('cause it sounds cooler ). 2 HS. Replace the text with the following; The damage type of the next spell you cast this turn is your choice of one damage type in addition to its normal damage type.
Redundant Power: Replace the last sentence with the following; From now on, you can prepare that spell up to two times.
Still Spell: 3 HS

Epic Preparation: Disallow. That way lies madness.
Greater Redundant Power: Replace the last sentence with the following; From now on, you can prepare that spell up to three times.
Improved Residuum: 1/3, not 1/2.
Maximized Spell: Disallow, or else 5 HS. Way too good for just 1...
Persistent Spell: 3 HS
Quick Spell: Disallow, or else 3 HS. Why not say Move Action? With this costing a minor action in the first place, even by RAW, you'd be spending a move to use the power anyway...
Specific Spell: Disallow.
Third Implement: Allow it, even though the associated picture is extraordinarily silly.
Twin Spell: 3 HS
Unexpected Spell: 5 HS. The combat advantage is gained after the attack and lasts until the end of your next turn.

I'm not exactly good at sight-balancing magic items. Any help there?

So, anyone else willing to share their opinions?

 

[Thistonius]

To be honest, if you are having to make this many changes to a book to balance it, then just throw the book away. I understand you want more options, but this many changes just points that the book is overpowered.

Then again, it is a mongoose publication after all and I do have a severe aversion to anything they write.

 

[Siberys]

Oh, also, Held should be restrained, not immobilized. Hrm...

 

[Siberys]

I understand that sentiment, but I spent seventeen dollars on this PDF. I am going to use it for what it's worth!

plus, I like modding things (you should see my house rules! so... much... fun! ), and it isn't *THAT* bad. Some of the ideas - if not the implementation - were good; Metamagic, for example, was a great idea that was very, very, VERY poorly implemented. Most of the changes above are minor, like halving bonuses, and some of that wall of text is just commentary.

Damn, I should be an editor...

After this, though, I see what you mean by aversion. QF better be good, else they WON'T be getting my money.

 

[BoneMonkey80]

is this the 4e version of Quintessential Wizard? from mongoose?

 

[Cedric Diggory]

Hi guys.

is this the 4e version of Quintessential Wizard? from mongoose?

Yes! This is the 4E version fo Quint Wiz, edited by Mongoose Publishing and Asterion Press, an Italian rpg publisher.

About the topic, instead: we are translating the errata for the first book. This errata includes most of previous topics and notes (i.e., the HS and metamagic feats, or some Paragon Paths' rules), and will appear as soon as possible on the Mongoose and Asterion websites.

We are working on the other Quintessentials, and we can assure you that our work is growing stronger and better every day. Your recommendations are extremely important for our work: we follow carefully this and other forum.

Have fun with Quintessential!