The White Magician

[I'm A Banana]

Here's the rough draft of a class I want to stick up on FFd20 pretty soon. I thought I'd let the vultures here pick it apart first. The suggestions here led me to change the Black Mage, so I'll see what you guys can do.

A bit of explanation: this class is meant to be a pure healer without any of the extra bells and wistles of the cleric class. It's spells are limited to the kind that give you bonuses (bull's strength, magic weapon, etc.), the kind that give you protection (wall spells, abjurations, etc.), and the kind that heal you. It uses this magic arcane, but the class is still closest to the Cleric in flavor and mechanics.

Here's the run-down:

BAB = Cleric
Saves = Will good
Skills = 2 points/level
Specials:
*Insight Armor: Add wisdom bonus to AC like a Monk.
{This makes up for the fact that they're arcane casters and thus can't wear armor...right now they're about equal to the cleric, with worse saves}

*Cure Conversion: Allow a White Mage to spontaneously cast the following spells: (zero level) cure minor wounds, (first level) cure light wounds, remove fear, (second level) cure moderate wounds, lesser restoration, remove paralysis, (third level) cure serious wounds, dispel magic, remove blindness/deafness, remove curse, remove disease, (fourth level) cure critical wounds, neutralize poison, restoration, (fifth level) atonement, break enchantment, raise dead, (sixth level) greater dispelling, heal, (seventh level) greater restoration, regenerate, resurrection, (eight level) mass heal, (ninth level) true resurrection.
{This gives them a slight edge, perhaps making up for the bad saves, even}

*Magic Choice: They can cast spells as either a Wizard or a Sorcerer. If they opt for Wizard, they get bonus feats at levels 5, 10, 15, and 20. Either way, their spellcasting is based on Wisdom, not Int or Cha.
{This is crucial to keep in, but I can water down the bonus feats...I'm a bit worried about somebody with a sorcerer's spells per day and a cleric's BAB....but maybe unnessecarily}

*Pray: They can heal 1d4 hp within 15 ft of them. Every 3 levels, this goes up by a die (1d6 at level 3, 1d8 at level 6, 1d10 at level 9, 1d10 at level 12, 2d8 at level 15, 2d10 at level 18).
{Also crucial to keep in, but open to alterations on it}

*Heal Skill: They can do supernatural things with a high enough Heal check, including healing people for resting for a day, healing poison or disease damage, and even restoring a bleeding character to 1 hp. Each check takes a full round, and all are fairly difficult (in the 20-30 range).
{Perhaps superfluous, but...}

Currently, I've got a campaign that's got a white sorcerer in it, and I added a few powers (such as insightful armor and heal skill) because she felt rather useless....

So, sound okay? Does missing out on Turn Undead, any capability of damage, a good Fort save, and domain powers justify the prayer, heal skill, and higher spontaneous casting?

I wish to know!

--Jacob

 

[Mr Fidgit]

hey Kamikaze Midget! a couple of questions...

what's FFd20? and

is pray a skill or ability (supernatural or spell-like)? and how many times a day can be used?

and a comment...i don't think i'm a vulture!

 

[I'm A Banana]

FFd20 is Final Fantasy d20, a project I got goin' (and a website for it!) that hopes to house a bunch of rules for running Final Fantasy-flavored D&D. I've got the Black Magician up there, recently edited, and the Moogle race. A small start, but it's something.

Pray is spell-like, usable once per day per white mage level

And I meant the word "vulture" in the most endearing way possible. Someone has to pick this bad boy apart, and the people over here are some of the best at it. I like it!

 

[Mr Fidgit]

more comments...

if you're running a Final Fantasy-type game, you may want to consider giving classes a defense bonus (like Star Wars or Wheel of Time). IIRC, not everyone (or hardly anyone!) wore armor. then you could eliminate the insight armor, or keep it to really beef up the White Mage's defenses

if you give players a choice between casting as a wizard or sorcerer, i'd leave in the bonus feats for the wizard-caster, since the sorcerer-caster will have more spells per day

 

[LightPhoenix]

more comments...

if you're running a Final Fantasy-type game, you may want to consider giving classes a defense bonus (like Star Wars or Wheel of Time). IIRC, not everyone (or hardly anyone!) wore armor. then you could eliminate the insight armor, or keep it to really beef up the White Mage's defenses

I'm assuming based on the name this is primarily based on FF4, in which case characters did wear armor - Cecil and Kain were both heavily armored knights, and they took the least damage. Rydia and Rosa didn't wear much armor at all, and took the most damage. I don't think a defense bonus is appropriate at all.

I would choose between Wizard and Sorcerer - to me it makes more sense to keep Wizard and get rid of Sorcerer. After all, both White and Black Mages studied magic, that doesn't strike me as a very Sorcerer-y way of things.

Pray seems fine, I'm not sure why you would ever use it once you get Healing Circle or Mass Heal, but at low levels it seems quite useful.

I don't think I would keep the Insight Armor, I just don't think it fits.

If you define more clearly what a WM can do with a Heal check, we might be able to critique .

The problem I see is that the class is nothing but support. There's no chance for a character playing this class to really shine (not unlike, surprise, Rosa).

 

[Technik4]

What kind of final fantasy doesnt have the famous "holy" spell? I like the idea, but I agree that they should get pounded (no insight bonus). I think a pray of hands type ability is good, but base it on cha like pallys (yeah, helps sorc, but wiz get bonus feats). AFAIK, Wiz BAB would be fine, those white wizards aren't too great at beating ppl up. Main idea, give em a couple attack spells, have them ALL deal holy or light based magic, otherwise keep the healing thing going. Seems like a good class to multi with, get a few classes of w. mage so you can heal yourself, then get some rog or monk or whatever your fancy.

Technik

 

[I'm A Banana]

Heydeho!

First: Defense Bonus a-la Star Wars/Wheel of Time.

It's an interesting concept, and I may be tempted, but owning neither product I can't really go with it in a well-bastardized way. Plus, I'd like to make sure this class (and all those I post) remain fairly interchangable with basic D&D classes. Adding a new mechanic might handicapt that a bit....but if I had the books, I'd probably love the mechanic so much I'd want to do it anyway.

Bonus Feats:

Yeah, they're only supposed to be for the Wizard-style. If you'd like to check out more technically how I do the division, check out the black mage at The Page
Basically, it's almost like two different classes rolled into one spell and ability list.

Base Material:

It's actually trying to be a composite of *all* white mages in FF times, not just Rosa (though she definately counts as one). Definately, in later FF games (basically IV on, in fact, with the exception of V), the typical white magician hasn't been able to dish out the punishment, and actually takes a lot. In the earlier renditions of the game, white magicians could hold their own on the front line, and were more physically apt than the Black Magicians. Rosa definately factored in there (she was the first one with the Pray ability, at least in the original, and in the more-preserved PS release of the game), but so did the White Mage from I, III, and V, Aeris from VII, Dagger/Garnet from IX, and Yuna from X (I actually have Rosa as a mutliclass archer/white mage, and Dagger and Yuna as multiclass summoners/white mages).
That's really why I wanted them to stand up in combat, however. Because once, in later games, when they lost that ability, they gained extra butt-kicking power in the form of summoning creatures...this one, I wanted with very little butt-kicking power, spell-wise (Holy works, as does the higher BAB and HD).


Wizard v. Sorcerer:
I really want to keep this in, because it's really quite flexible. They study at schools, true, but they also pop up in places without schools. Plus, the entire FF way of casting magic is basically Psionics-like (pool of points, choose your spells), that more closely emulates the sorcerer than the wizard. And yet, I don't want to force the choice of fewer spells on those who may want a mage with a vast variety of powers. I want it to basically be open to interpretation. Plus, without making an FF system of magic (something I'm planning on doing and have a preliminary system for), which would defeat my modular dreams, it's harder to distinguish them.

Insight Armor:

I'm actuall largely in agreement that it doesn't fit...but without it, my playtested white mage won't go anywhere near a combat until it's over, and feels ineffectual because of it ("Well, all I can do is heal, and I can't go into battle to heal because I get pounded...what can I do?"). I'd take it away, but there should be some butt-kicking-like power to make up for it....something that'll make the player feel useful when everyone's buffed and ready.

What they can do with a Heal check:

Includes the following: Heal hp as if they rested for a day (DC 20), heal double that hp (DC 25) {neither of these stack with normal daily healing, or themselves}, give a character temporary hit points equal to their check -20 (DC at least 20), bring a bleeding character to 1 hp (DC 30), allow a second saving throw vs. a lasting magical/mundane effect (DC of the spell/effect) {This would mean, for instance, someone subjected to a Polymorph Other spell could seek out a white mage, and, if the white mage can beat the DC of the spell with a Heal check, the polymorphed creature can make another save to throw off the effects}.

About Being All Support:

This was why I gave them Insight Armor, average BAB, and a high HD. When they're done buffing everybody, they can still be a worthy addition to a combat circle, unlike, say, a Black Mage, who would sucketh utterly if his magic was negated somehow. The white mage shines by getting rid of all the annoying things that a party encounters that reduces their effectiveness, and enhances the party's effectiveness as a whole. I don't imagine many pure white mage PC's out there...NPC's, yeah, but PC's, probably not. As a multiclass? Sure. As a pure white mage...I don't see it happening too often. But I want them to be able to stand on their own when they don't have anything magical to lean back on, too -- hence the competence in battle. I originally had them down to a Wizard's BAB and saves and just slightly more HP, but the players made the comment: "Hey! This is about as useful as a Wizard without firepower!" and they were right. So I'd add some butt-kicking to them, if anyone could think of some butt-kicking that wouldn't violate the flavor of the class. Adding some butt-kicking could be a reason to get rid of Insight Armor, good BAB, and perhaps even some HP, if it's good enough....go a head and suggest.

Basing Pray on Cha:

Good idea...I'll do that. And it doesn't exactly help the Sorcs more, because they all go from Wisdom.

Attack spells based on Holy/Light damage:

Intriguing....I know there are a very few in the PHB....any suggestions? Would these be enough to ditch BAB and/or Insight Armor? That could add some butt-kicking, if I could think of a way (whithout, preferably, introducing a whole lot of new spells) to make it a prominent feature of the class...and still not ruin the mostly-healing aspect of it...

 

[DreamChaser]

I'll jump in. I know Rosa from the SNES FFII but that is about it so my perspective is a bit limited, but here it goes.

Insight Armor: lose it. This class should have access to mage armor and that should do well enought to protect them. Or if you don't want to make them stuck with casting mage armor, make this ability an advancing deflection bonus that they generate from themselves. The ability should be related to their magic rather than being something more vague. But this is only if they don't get armor (see below).

Until you get your magic system set up, just go with sorcerer. Regardless of anything else, it maintains the spontanaity of the class. Even if they learn their spells from external sources, they could still use the small number known/large number cast of the sorcerer.

I'm not sure what you're intending with the spont. cast thing. That is a large number of spells is essentially the bulk of white wizard spells in FF. I interpret it as you making sure that even a wizard-style WM will be able to use those, but it is a bit much. I think that these should be the start spells for the sorcerer progression and then they choose others as they get them.

Give them light armor. Give them the ability to ignore spell failure up to that amount so that if they wear heavier armor, they can still function. IIRC in FFII, Rosa was able to wear some armor, although not much.

This one requires a bit more work, but I think they should have some spells that do subdual damage, like the Concussion power from PsH. These spells would fit their roles as healers and protectors, allowing them to defend themselves on a battlefield to get to the wounded but would not violate the concept of the class. I know that the White Wizards never really had spells like this: they went mostly without attacks spells then suddenly got White or Holy but I think it would make the class more attractive...maybe like this.

Minor Ray of White
Evocation (Holy)
Level: WhM 0
Casting Time: 1 action
Components: V, S
Range: Short
Effect: 1 ray
Saving Throw: Fort half
Spell Resistance: yes

Upon completing this spell, a beam of shimmering brilliance darts forth from the white mage's finger. She must make a ranged touch attack roll to strike her target but if successful, she deals 1d4 points of subdual damage. This damage is holy damage and always deals normal damage to undead. The target takes only half damage on a successful fortitude save.

Minor Whitewash
Evocation (Holy)
Level: WhM 1
Casting Time: 1 action
Components: V, S
Range: Medium
Area: 10 ft radius sphere
Saving Throw: Ref half
Spell Resistance: yes

Upon completing this spell, a globe of shimmering while energy bursts out of thin air in a 10 ft radius sphere. All creatures caught in the sphere take 1d6 points of subdual damage. This damage is holy damage and always deals normal damage to undead. The target takes only half damage on a successful reflex save.

Lesser Ray of White
Level: WhM 2

As Minor Ray of White but the damage is 3d6.

Lesser Whitewash
Level: WhM 3
Area: 20 ft radius sphere

As minor whitewash but the damage is 3d6 and the area is a 20 ft radius sphere.

Ray of White
Level: WhM 4

As minor ray of white but the damage is 7d6.

Whitewash
Level: WhM 5
Area: 30 ft. radius sphere

As minor whitewash but the damage is 7d6 and the area is a 30 ft radius sphere.

Greater Ray of White
Level: WhM 6

As minor ray of white but the damage is 11d6.

Greater Whitewash
Level: WhM 7
Area: 40 ft. radius sphere

As minor whitewash but the damage is 11d6 and the area is a 40 ft radius sphere.

White
Level: WhM 8
Range: Medium

As minor ray of white but the damage is 15d6 and the range is increased to medium.

Holy
Level: WhM 9
Area: 50 ft. radius sphere

As minor whitewash but the damage is 15d6 and the area is a 50 ft radius sphere.

This set of spells I think would work for such a spellcaster and would give them the ability to be more combat oriented if they wanted to. They are also effective against undead which would work to replace Turn Undead as an abiliy.

 

[I'm A Banana]

* I've been convinced to drop Insight Armor (the Mage Armor argument won me over...)

* I'm still kinda attatched to the two different styles method, at least for now. To be honest, maybe I should congeal the MP-based casting system before I put out the magic-classes, so that I can integrate that from the beginning....might defeat the modular nature of the classes, but it would unify their spellcasting...and the magic system itself should be able to work alongside the normal system (much like psionics)...?

Right now, I have the vague concept of going with a Psionic-like point progression, but making the spells higher in cost but lower in number/day. So a character could know a decent number, but only be able to cast a few of those....erk....maybe I should have another HR thread trying to hammer out these ideas alone.

*Basically, the spont. casting thing was, in large part, to make sure that a Sorc didn't have to blow their precious "powers known" on things that a white mage would obviously have....I mean, otherwise the sorcerer wouldn't be able to buff much, or wouldn't be able to heal much. It also helps out a Wizard who's DM is a bit stingy with giving out spells. A lot of it is the same reason a Cleric gets the ability -- to broaden the selection of powers and make sure they have the powers they're expected to have, while giving them a chance to use their other abilities, too.

*At first, they did have light armor, but I dropped it in favor of Inight Armor. I think, if I give them Mage Armor, it would be a bit strange to give them normal armor, too, since it would be negated most of the time...but I'll certainly keep that in mind as an option. Rosa did, indeed, wear some pretty heavy armor (better than Rydia, at any rate. ).

*I *love* the subdual damage spell idea. White/Holy/Pearl should still do normal (holy) damage, but I like there being basically one spell/level that can be slightly damaging, even if not permanent. Consider that idea yoinked.

 

[DreamChaser]

no prob. glad I could help.