The Force Mage (New PrC)

[Shallown]

Requirements
Skills : Knowledge (arcana) 5 ranks, Concentration 8 Ranks
Feats : Spell focus, Spell penetration
Other : Must know Magic missile and one other Force designated spell, Cast 3rd level arcane spells
Class skills : Alchemy (Int), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Profession (Wis), Scry (Int, Exclusive skill), Spellcraft (Int)

Skill Points : 4 + Int Modifier.
Hit Dice : 1d4
Starting Feats : None

BAB and Saves As A Wizard

1st level - Magic Missile Conversion / +1 caster level
2nd Level - +2 DC
3rd level - Empower spell / +1 Caster Level
4th level - Energy substitution
5th level - Maximize Spell / +1 caster level

Magic Missile Conversion - A Force Mage may Spontaneously convert any spell slot into a magic missile spell. For every level above first the Caster gains an additional Magic Missile (can exceed the 5 missile limit). This Ability may not be combined/stacked with other class abilities nor is it subject to metamagic feats.

+1 spell caster level. This adds one to the caster's level for purposes of spells castable daily, spells known and actual caster level. If the caster has two or more spell classes they must choose which is increased by this ability. This also affects the effective caster level for magic item creation. (Ie a Sorcerer creating a magical weapon adds their Force Mage level to sorcerer level for how high a plus they can apply.)

+2 DC - any spell with a Force designation adds +2 to their DC when cast by a Force Mage.

Empower Spell - Once per level ( of Force Mage) per day, a Force Mage may choose to Empower a Force designated spell. This stacks with later abilities.

Energy Substitution - Once per Force Mage level (daily) they can substitute another energy type with the Force designator without affecting level or time to cast.

Maximize spell - Once per level (Force Mage) in a day a Force Mage may choose to Maximize a Force designated spell without affecting level or casting time.


Something I came up with in my spare time...

What do you think... And try to be constructive I did.

Later

 

[Sollir Furryfoot]

It looks interesting but a bit overpowered I think.

First off, the wording for magic missile conversion, when you say, "For every level above the first" are you referring to for every force mage level or for every spell level sacraficed above the first (I think you mean the latter but just making usre)

Empower Spell and Maximize Spell 5/day each seems too powerful for me at 10th level for losing only 2 levels of spellcasting advancement and retaining useful feats as prerequisites to the class, especially if the mage researches his own force based effects for higher levels, perhaps restrict it to 2/day each or maybe 1 use per Force Mage level, empower costing as 1 use and maximize counts as 2 uses.

Energy Substituion is kinda powerful but it seems to fit this class good, and I'd say leave it as is.

Btw, look at the dungeons and dragons section in the wizards site, Mordekainen's Force Missiles got converted recently and is their spellbook section.

 

[Crothian]

This doesn't seem bad, but what other spells are force besides Magic Missile and Wall of Force?

Also, why spell focus? I could see Spell Focus Evocation, but I don';t think Spell Focue Divinition would really fit this class.

 

[Marshall]

I agree with Crothian, Change the Spell Focus to SF(Evoc).

Drop the SP requirement and replace with Skill Focus(Know(Arcana)), one wasted feat at least.

And switch Empower/Max to 1/day and free.

Drop the Skills to 2/level and go to 1/level casting, matches up with Incanatrix that way...

 

[Happiest_Sadist]

I'm worried about abilities stacking. Can the Force mage cast a meteor swarm or cone of cold using his energy substituraion, making it a force spell, and then use his maximize and empover on it? That's excessive.

You might want to do something like the incantantrix does for metamagic feats, but only on force spells. (You get 1 free level of metamagic per spell, essentially).

You could also give Energy Substitution(Force) as a metamagic feat (+1 lvl) instead of X times per day.

 

[Forrester]

Looks like a cheesy way for a wizard to get spontaneous magic missiles and a couple extra skill points by sacrificing zip, if you ask me.

 

[Shallown]

Sollir - Yes I was refering to the spell level.
I Like the Empower +1 use and Maximize equals two that sounds like it could work well.

Crothian - There are several force spells in different supplements that I allow so there are more choices than Just the PHB in the game I intended to use this in. As far as Spell focus I think there are some non evoker spells that use force, Mostly conjuration types. I didn't want tp make it a blaster mage (evoker) only spell class.

Marshall - I might change it to Evoker Spell focus - I don't think the once a day use is worth losing a whole spell casting level. Though I do agree it needs to be thinned down some. The skill should Be 2, Sorry the campaign this was made for all classes got an additional 2 points, so this was the norm for a wizard in this game.

H -S - Yes they could do that combo but would more or less shoot thier whole wad in a single spell. I mean you can do some of this stuff with magic items and such so it is not that unusual a thing. I wanted to keep the substitution under control becuase even at 1 level bonus it would become very powerful if you look that nothing has immunity to force and all those incorporal and such lose what advantage they have against force. Force as an energy sub. at +1 level is too much perhaps at +2 but I wanted the prestige class to give some flexibility. Not have to lock into using a feat when memorizing spell slots.

Forrestor - the skill I explained above and thanks for the constructive nature of your post.

Thanks all