Blacksad
Explorer
School Expert
You can take this prestige class several times, each time choosing a new school, starting at level 1.
Hit Dice: d4
Requirements
To qualify to become a school expert, a character must fulfill the following criteria.
Skills: Spellcraft 8 ranks
Feat: Spell Focus (in the chosen school)
Spells: Ability to cast at least three spells of the chosen school. At least one of these spell must be 3rd level or higher.
Class Skills
The School Expert's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Alchemy (Int), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Knowledge (Arcana)(Int), Profession (Wis), Scry (Int), Spellcraft (Int).
Also, based on its chosen school, the school expert get an additional class skill, as follow:
Abjuration--Diplomacy (Cha)
Conjuration--Knowledge (The Planes)(Int)
Divination--Gather Information (Cha)
Enchantment--Bluff (Cha)
Evocation--Intimidate (Cha)
Illusion--Perform (Cha)
Necromancy--Heal (Wis)
Transmutation--Knowledge (Nature)(Int)
See Chapter 4: Skills in the PHB for skill descriptions.
Skill Points at Each Level: 2+Int modifier
Class Features
The following are class features of the school expert prestige class.
Weapons and Armor Proficiency: A school expert gains no additional proficiency in any weapon or armor.
Spells per Day: When a new school expert level is gained, the character gains new spell per day as if she had also gained a level in a spellcasting class she belonged to before adding the prestige class. She does not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained (improved chance of controlling or rebuking undead, metamagic or item creation feats, hit points beyond those she 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 a school expert, she must decide to which class she adds the new level for purposes of determining spells per day.
Improved Spell List: At each level, the school expert add 5 level worth of spell to her spell list, she can allocate those levels in whatever manner she deems fitting, she can even put those level into a spell of 6th or higher level, adding the spell to her list once she had paid the full price for it at subsequent level of school expert. She can choose any spell from any spell list, taking the spell at least at its minimum listed level or higher. For example a 1st-level necromancy expert could add Animate Dead as a 3rd level spell to her spell list, alongside spending 2 level in Contagion, a spell that she will finish to pay for at her 2nd-level of necromancy expert. A Wizard or Sorcerer still need to know those spell before being able to cast them, through leveling or by reading a scroll.
BAB: As Wizard
Fort Save: Good
Ref Save: Bad
Will Save: Bad
I hope that it is balanced, the spellcraft requirement might seem weak, but this is not a skill often taken by divine spellcaster or spontaneous caster, so while those class gains more compared to a wizard, the requirement is a bit more important to them, the spell gained could be a lot if a sorcerer choose conjuration and healing spell, but it's still weaker than the prestige class in defender of the faith that grant a prestige domain to arcane caster, as spell from a prestige domain are considered know spell and/or are inscribed in their spellbook. I've made this class for a Sorcerer who wants to become a necromancer, and I thought that the concept of prestige class that I've found could be easily extended to the other school of magic, and so I did this, I think that it could be further extended by making new "school" like a listing of Earth spell at the minimum level at which they can be taken, and allowing the Spell Focus Feat to apply to such a listing of spell. The good Fort save and bad will save is a weak attempt to add a drawback to this class for arcane caster, as it will lower their will saving throw, while keeping a normal average of all saving throw, I'm not sure at all about this, and wonder if it wouldn't be better to simply put the good save on Will. Another thing on which I'm not sure is if this should be a 3, 5 or 10 levels prestige class or to not have a limit on the maximum level which can be taken in this prestige class (their is a kind of precedent for this with the Maho-Tsukai in OA). Now, go ahead and flame me on all the obvious problem that this prestige class can cause that I haven't seen
You can take this prestige class several times, each time choosing a new school, starting at level 1.
Hit Dice: d4
Requirements
To qualify to become a school expert, a character must fulfill the following criteria.
Skills: Spellcraft 8 ranks
Feat: Spell Focus (in the chosen school)
Spells: Ability to cast at least three spells of the chosen school. At least one of these spell must be 3rd level or higher.
Class Skills
The School Expert's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Alchemy (Int), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Knowledge (Arcana)(Int), Profession (Wis), Scry (Int), Spellcraft (Int).
Also, based on its chosen school, the school expert get an additional class skill, as follow:
Abjuration--Diplomacy (Cha)
Conjuration--Knowledge (The Planes)(Int)
Divination--Gather Information (Cha)
Enchantment--Bluff (Cha)
Evocation--Intimidate (Cha)
Illusion--Perform (Cha)
Necromancy--Heal (Wis)
Transmutation--Knowledge (Nature)(Int)
See Chapter 4: Skills in the PHB for skill descriptions.
Skill Points at Each Level: 2+Int modifier
Class Features
The following are class features of the school expert prestige class.
Weapons and Armor Proficiency: A school expert gains no additional proficiency in any weapon or armor.
Spells per Day: When a new school expert level is gained, the character gains new spell per day as if she had also gained a level in a spellcasting class she belonged to before adding the prestige class. She does not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained (improved chance of controlling or rebuking undead, metamagic or item creation feats, hit points beyond those she 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 a school expert, she must decide to which class she adds the new level for purposes of determining spells per day.
Improved Spell List: At each level, the school expert add 5 level worth of spell to her spell list, she can allocate those levels in whatever manner she deems fitting, she can even put those level into a spell of 6th or higher level, adding the spell to her list once she had paid the full price for it at subsequent level of school expert. She can choose any spell from any spell list, taking the spell at least at its minimum listed level or higher. For example a 1st-level necromancy expert could add Animate Dead as a 3rd level spell to her spell list, alongside spending 2 level in Contagion, a spell that she will finish to pay for at her 2nd-level of necromancy expert. A Wizard or Sorcerer still need to know those spell before being able to cast them, through leveling or by reading a scroll.
BAB: As Wizard
Fort Save: Good
Ref Save: Bad
Will Save: Bad
I hope that it is balanced, the spellcraft requirement might seem weak, but this is not a skill often taken by divine spellcaster or spontaneous caster, so while those class gains more compared to a wizard, the requirement is a bit more important to them, the spell gained could be a lot if a sorcerer choose conjuration and healing spell, but it's still weaker than the prestige class in defender of the faith that grant a prestige domain to arcane caster, as spell from a prestige domain are considered know spell and/or are inscribed in their spellbook. I've made this class for a Sorcerer who wants to become a necromancer, and I thought that the concept of prestige class that I've found could be easily extended to the other school of magic, and so I did this, I think that it could be further extended by making new "school" like a listing of Earth spell at the minimum level at which they can be taken, and allowing the Spell Focus Feat to apply to such a listing of spell. The good Fort save and bad will save is a weak attempt to add a drawback to this class for arcane caster, as it will lower their will saving throw, while keeping a normal average of all saving throw, I'm not sure at all about this, and wonder if it wouldn't be better to simply put the good save on Will. Another thing on which I'm not sure is if this should be a 3, 5 or 10 levels prestige class or to not have a limit on the maximum level which can be taken in this prestige class (their is a kind of precedent for this with the Maho-Tsukai in OA). Now, go ahead and flame me on all the obvious problem that this prestige class can cause that I haven't seen
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