Variant Wizard Class--Opinions?

Aeric

Explorer
Hello All.

I have come up with a variant on the core wizard class from the PHB. I thought that since the fine people of the EN World boards seem to know so much more about the rules and how they balance than I do, I would run it by you guys and see what you thought of it. Any feedback, opinions, etc., would be greatly appreciated.

Oh, and please note that, if this wizard class works, I will be tweaking the other spellcasting classes in my campaign to match it.

VARIANT WIZARD

GAME RULE INFORMATION

ABILITIES
Intelligence is the wizard’s most important stat. It determines how successful he is at spellcasting, how many spells he knows at any given time, and, of course, it modifies Spellcraft skill checks. Constitution is almost equally as important, for a wizard with a high Con score will be able to cast more spells than a wizard with a weaker Con (see “Fatigue,” below).

ALIGNMENT, HIT DICE, SKILLS
Same as before.

CLASS FEATURES

WEAPON AND ARMOR PROFICIENCY
Same as before.

SPELLS
The spell preparation method of the PHB has been replaced with a memorization system. However, unlike the old “fire and forget” system of spellcasting, a wizard does not lose a spell simply by casting it, nor does he have to memorize a spell multiple times in order to cast it more than once. He also does not have to re-memorize his spells the following day. They are in his memory until he chooses to switch them out for other spells. The mechanics are similar to those of the sorcerer, only the wizard can change which spells he knows whenever he wants to, assuming that he has learned the spell and has access to a written copy of it, usually in his own spellbook.

A wizard can have memorized a number of arcane spells equal to the original wizard’s “Spells Per Day” table in the PHB. A wizard may still have as many spells in his book as there is room, and he may at any time choose to forget one or more of the spells he currently has memorized for another one. However, for the sake of realism, there are only so many formulas one person can memorize at any given time. Hence, the “spells known” table.

BONUS LANGUAGES
Same as before.

FAMILIAR
Same as before. When casting spells through a familiar, the familiar acts as a focus of the appropriate type (see “Wands and Staves,” below).

SCRIBE SCROLL
The wizard no longer gets Scribe Scroll as a bonus feat at first level. However, he does get a Bonus Feat (see below) which may be Scribe Scroll if he so desires.

BONUS FEATS
Beginning at first level, and at every odd numbered level thereafter, the wizard gains a bonus feat. The wizard must choose the bonus feat from the following list, which is an expanded version of the list for the wizard’s bonus feats in the PHB:

Augment Summoning, Brew Potion, Combat Casting, Craft Magic Arms and Armor, Craft Rod, Craft Wonderous Item, Empower Spell, Enlarge Spell, Eschew Materials, Extend Spell, Forge Ring, Greater Spell Penetration, Heighten Spell, Improved Counterspell, Magical Aptitude, Maximize Spell, Quicken Spell, Scribe Scroll, Silent Spell, Still Spell, Spell Focus, Spell Penetration, Widen Spell.

CRAFT WAND (1st)
Under the variant magic rules that go along with this class, wands (and staves) are focii for arcane spellcasting, not repositories of magical spells and effects.

At 1st level, the wizard has the ability to craft a wand to use as a personal focus for spellcasting. A wizard creates a wand during his apprenticeship, and automatically starts play with one at first level. No two wands are alike, nor will the wand of one wizard be as effective a focus for anyone other than the wizard who created it. If a wizard’s wand is destroyed, he can craft another one as soon as he wishes, although it will take a certain amount of time and energy (and possibly money as well).

Wizards are dependent upon focii in order to cast spells. While it is possible for a wizard to channel the mystic energy necessary to cast a spell without a focus, it is much more difficult to shape that energy into the desired effect without one (see “Spellcasting DC Modifiers,” below). Wands and staves are the focii of choice for wizards. While it is technically possible for other objects such as crystals, medallions, and the like to act as focii, this is usually the case for wizards from strange and far-off lands. The wand and staff are by far the most common focii for wizards.

CRAFT STAFF (9th)
At 5th level, the wizard gains the ability to create a staff as a focus. Spells of fifth-level and higher require the use of a staff. A staff is essentially a larger wand, with the capacity to channel larger amounts of mystic energy at a time. All the rules of a wand apply to a staff as well. Staves can be used as focii for lower-level spells, but there is no inherent bonus to doing so (other than saving a wizard from the hassle of drawing a wand when he already has his staff in hand).

IMPROVING WANDS AND STAVES
A wizard may, at later levels, choose to enchant his wand or staff, giving it certain metamagic properties affecting the spells cast with it. Wands and staves have the same AC, HP, Hardness, and break DC as their counterparts in the DMG, although these stats may also be improved later on by the wizard.

Rules on how to enchant a wand or staff are forthcoming.

SPELLCASTING
When a wizard casts a spell, he rolls a d20 + his wizard level. The DC for casting a spell is equal to 15 + Spell Level. Success means that the spell was cast normally; failure means that the wizard was incapable of harnessing and shaping the mystic energies correctly, although he is free to try again—spells are not lost through miscasting or spell failure.

SPELLCASTING DC MODIFIERS
No focus +20
High (5th+) level spell with a wand +10
Using an unfamiliar type of focus* +10
Using someone else’s focus (familiar type) +5
High (5th+) level spell with someone else’s wand +15.

*Unfamiliar focii are, by definition, focii which have been created by someone other than the caster. Normally this refers to such oddball focii as crystals, medallions, shrunken heads, and the like, but if the wizard in question would normally use such a focus, then it would apply to wands, staves, etc.

TAKING 10 AND TAKING 20
Because spells are cast in a manner similar to skill checks, they are subject to the “taking 10” and “taking 20” rules. However, there is a cost. Spells cast by “taking 10” do double the normal fatigue damage, and spells cast by “taking 20” do triple damage. This is because the energy spends more time in the body (in the case of “taking 10”) or because it is summoned again and again until the wizard gets it right (“taking 20”).

SAVE VERSUS SPELL
Targets that receive saving throws versus spells do so at a DC equal to the wizard’s skill roll for that particular casting. In other words, saving against a spell is now a contested roll between caster and target(s).

FATIGUE
Wizards cast spells by channeling the mystic energies of the universe through their bodies. This takes a toll on the caster, and these energies can cause damage to the wizard channeling them. Spells do 1d4 points of fatigue damage per spell level to their caster (zero-level spells do 1 point of damage). The caster is allowed a Fortitude saving throw (DC 10 + Spell Level) versus this effect; success means the caster only takes half damage.

CASTING HIGHER LEVEL SPELLS
A spell may be modified through a metamagic feat to be equivalent to a spell of a higher level than the wizard can normally cast. In such a case, the DC for casting the spell is equal to its effective level and any extra dice of fatigue damage done automatically become lethal (hit point) damage. This lethal damage cannot be reduced through a successful Fortitude save, although the fatigue damage can be. This is because the character yet lacks the discipline to regulate forces that powerful coursing through his body.

CASTING 5th-9th LEVEL SPELLS WITH A WAND
As stated earlier, a staff is a larger and more durable version of a wand, capable of channeling more energy through it at once. It is possible to cast a spell of 5th-9th level (or higher!) with a wand, but doing so can damage and even destroy the wand. A wand used to cast a spell higher than 4th level takes 1d4 points of damage per level.

USING SCROLLS
Scrolls work the same as before. There is no roll required to successfully cast a spell from a scroll, and reading a scroll causes no fatigue damage to the reader. The exception to this is when a wizard attempts to cast a spell from a scroll which is a higher level than he can normally cast. Reading a higher-level scroll works exactly the same as casting a higher-level spell via a metamagic feat, both in the spellcasting roll as well as the damage.
 

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This is all pretty cool, and definitely worth following for a campaign-specific theme. Here are my gripes.

1) Too many feats--you'll end up with some really, really powerful wizards if you're not careful here, and they'll make playing other characters not as fun.

2) Too many die rolls--with the extra Fort save, every time a spell is cast, this will just add a bit more time to combat, which is already too long. But, if you don't mind it, go for it.

3) The wand and staff rules are very "Harry Potter," but they're different enough, and kinda cool, so I say stick with them, play test them, and see how it goes. The big drawback here, is that if I'm a bad guy, and I know this about wizards, I'll be sundering their wands and staffs as often as I can.

4) Is the fatigue damage supposed to deal non-lethal damage, or is it actual damage? If it's actual damage, every wizard in your campaign is going to max out his Constitution score, and this might end up looking a little boring.

5) It's "foci" not "focii."

Dave
 

Yes, this should have been in the House rules forum.


This is not a "new" class or variation of the wizard. This is a house-rules change to the how magic is run - which is much broader in scope. I say this because this "new" system should aslo afect how every spellcaster casts spells (or at least all arcane ones).


By limiting the number of spells know this class has been made less than the sorcerer. The sorcerer can spontaneously cast spells which is the major trade off for a limited number of spells known. IMO you don't need this limt becasuse it is still based on Intelligence and Intelligence determines the number of spells a wizard can know (by limiting the level of spells he is capable of casting - thus knowing in the first place).

Other mechanic issues that immediately come into play is the foci issue. The PHB rules for wand use need to be changed wholesale to fit this - again this is more than a new class revision. The present mechanics (i.e., PHB) for using a wand are that the spell is on the users spell list.

The fatige cost for casting spells seems awful similar to the using Force Abilities from Star Wars d20. If that is the system you are leaning towards then use the Wound and Vitality point variation from Unearthed Arcana - it translates into this type of system much better.

Using a variable fatigue damage is not condusive with d20 mechanics since it is a "cost" - it should be a fixed amount per spell level.

Using these rules a 1st level Wizard would likely only be able to cast an extremely limited number of spells at first level without becoming fatigued.

Are the craft wand and staff item creation feats or craft skills? DC of crafting? Variable level of spell capable of being cast through them? These are other questions that should bve ironed out when you finish your revision of the magic system snce they are not class specific issues.

A wizard would never be able to take 10 in any combat scene so this is extremely limited except for those rare spells done outside of combat.

Taking 20 will take 20 times as long - that is most spells will take 20 rounds to cast using this rule. Again this would make them almost useless.


My suggestion is to first off lay out your magic system and apply it to every spellcaster. If not then the system will absolutely break down.

Once you have that done then make the changes to every casting class so that they fit into this system.

By changing every casting class you will be forced to look at how they remain balanced with each other.

Also be careful and look at how the new spellcasting classes work in relation to the non-spellcasting ones. Are they still in balance? Did something get taken away from the spellcasting classes that makes them less desireable then the other classes (barbarian, fighter, monk, rogue)? Did something get aded that makes them more desireable?

This is not an easy process but if that is the system you want to play then you need to go through the drill. Balance only refers to keeping all of the player's balanced and not feeling like they are not being treated fairly/equally.
 

Ah yes, I see that the House Rules forum is listed right under the D&D Rules forum. That's what I get for posting at 4:30am when I should be sleeping. :heh:

Perhaps some kind moderator will move it for me? :o

Anyways....

The fatigue damage caused by spellcasting in this system is subdual damage, although if a spell causes a caster to drop below zero, he not only falls unconscious, but the remainder of the damage becomes real (HP) damage.

I made the fatigue damage a roll instead of a set point cost because I didn't want wizards acting like machineguns able to fire off an exact number of spells before "reloading" (resting). Then again, the skill roll and saving throw probably add enough randomness to the equation that I could get away with a set cost. Looks like there are too many variables here, which will indeed slow down combat. Hmm.

Some good points made by all. Thanks!
 

So uh.. a 1st level wizard needs to roll 15 or more on a d20 tocast a first level spell ? so he manages to cast a spell 1/4 of the time he tries? anyone else see a problem with this?
 

Interesting ideas, but seriously limits the wizard's power.

1 - I agree with irdeggman -- this is a change to how magic works, with additional changes to the wizard on top of that.

2 - the spells known/spells per day is a little confusing. Does this wizard use the sorcerer's "spells known" table, or the wizard's "spells per day" table?

3 - I don't have an issue with the feats -- the limited spellcasting (see #4) is a bigger impediment than this is a bonus.

4 - Rolling for nonlethal damage likewise doesn't bother me. Some days you'll be able to punch out alot of spells, some days you won't. But the price is high relative to the wizard's hit points -- a 10th level wizard with a 10 Con and maximum hit points (40) will only be able to punch out, on average, 16d4 levels of spells before keeling over (that's only 4 4th level spells). Compare that to the standard 10th level wizard, who gets 4+4d4+8d4+9d4+12d4+10d4 = 43d4+4 levels of spells, everyday, guaranteed. (that's 111.5 hit points of nonlethal damage, on average, for those keeping score at home).

5 - The DC to cast is high -- on one hand, the required saves will be that much higher, increasing the efficiency of the spells. On the other hand, the wizard will only be successfully casting 1/4 of the time or less in the beginning (success will increase as caster level rises, since caster level will increase roughly twice as fast as spell level). I would at least add the Int modifier to the level check, if not drop the DC to 10.

All for the moment
Nell.
 

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