Would You Take this Ability? (Now with a Poll!)

[Rystil Arden]

He can be buffed and worked magicly, use magic armor, etc, or he can sacrifice all that to nullify all magical effects in his general vecinity for a limited amount of time.

The problem with that is that his tech still works, so he can run up to his enemy, putting them in his field, and then beat the living daylights out of them.

If you want it specificly for him to be always on though, you might be better off with non-droppable SR that scales with the class level (10+1 per level), basicly that the higher level he gets, the harder it is for him to be influenced by magic of any kind.

Not only can this work, but I have used it for a nonmagical race in one of my games. He was very powerful though. With one buddy who was a Spymaster so didn't really help much except to agitate and another buddy who was a monk with incredible AC who just tanked a few guys, the character caused a 300-man squadron to flee by killing their commander (who was higher level than the PC) and 75 men without seeming to be seriously injured. And that was just with unlowerable SR...

 

[Kelleris]

Mmm... All right, here's another possibility:

Given that this is a high-level ability, how does a continuous globe of invulnerability effect strike you? So the Technologist is immune to spells of X level or below, either just absolutely, or with the option to temporarily lower it somehow. The invulnerability would be at least a level lower than the level the wizard/sorcerer is getting at that time, of course.

So if I said that this ability (not available until the last third of the class's progression) provides immunity to spells of 5th level or lower, you would still have a fairly powerful defense, but greater teleport, plane shift, and heal would all still work.

 

[Bront]

Mmm... All right, here's another possibility:

Given that this is a high-level ability, how does a continuous globe of invulnerability effect strike you? So the Technologist is immune to spells of X level or below, either just absolutely, or with the option to temporarily lower it somehow. The invulnerability would be at least a level lower than the level the wizard/sorcerer is getting at that time, of course.

So if I said that this ability (not available until the last third of the class's progression) provides immunity to spells of 5th level or lower, you would still have a fairly powerful defense, but greater teleport, plane shift, and heal would all still work.

Or, you could make a scaleable version of the spell as a skill, so he gets level immunities that advance as he does, much like an actual spellcaster. (I'm a big fan of scalable abilities personaly, rather get a small power that scales into an uber power than one that is just suddently droped in my lap, but either works, depending on the class.

 

[Rystil Arden]

Mmm... All right, here's another possibility:

Given that this is a high-level ability, how does a continuous globe of invulnerability effect strike you? So the Technologist is immune to spells of X level or below, either just absolutely, or with the option to temporarily lower it somehow. The invulnerability would be at least a level lower than the level the wizard/sorcerer is getting at that time, of course.

So if I said that this ability (not available until the last third of the class's progression) provides immunity to spells of 5th level or lower, you would still have a fairly powerful defense, but greater teleport, plane shift, and heal would all still work.

If its always up, I'd be leery of making it any stronger than the normal Greater Globe of Invulnerability, considering that it can't be Dispelled and even a 24-hour-long GoI that can be Dispelled is a 12th-level spell equivalent.

 

[Kelleris]

If its always up, I'd be leery of making it any stronger than the normal Greater Globe of Invulnerability, considering that it can't be Dispelled and even a 24-hour-long GoI that can be Dispelled is a 12th-level spell equivalent.

True, but the globe does has some other advantages. It provides protection for the whole party (if they stand close to the caster) and isn't likely to cause problems with healing most of the time; a wizard can choose when to block out low-level spells tactically, but this ability is there even when you'd rather it wasn't.

 

[Rystil Arden]

True, but the globe does has some other advantages. It provides protection for the whole party (if they stand close to the caster) and isn't likely to cause problems with healing most of the time; a wizard can choose when to block out low-level spells tactically, but this ability is there even when you'd rather it wasn't.

Right, but the Technologist isn't hindered with his own stuff by it (the main sticking point of the whole issue), so the technologist is still significantly better off than a Persistent Spell GoI wizard.

 

[Kelleris]

Right, but the Technologist isn't hindered with his own stuff by it (the main sticking point of the whole issue), so the technologist is still significantly better off than a Persistent Spell GoI wizard.

Perhaps. I'd say it's about even overall. In any case, the wizard isn't hindered by globe of invulnerability either - that's the whole point of the spell, vis-a-vis antimgaic field.

 

[Rystil Arden]

Perhaps. I'd say it's about even overall. In any case, the wizard isn't hindered by globe of invulnerability either - that's the whole point of the spell, vis-a-vis antimgaic field.

Yes, the wizard is quite hindered, but not totally hindered. He can still cast spells to attack people, but he can't have buffs or magic items up unless those effects are high enough level.

Perhaps. I'd say it's about even overall.

OK, I think the wizard is much worse off, but even if you will agree its even, the wizard in question would need to take 3 epic feats to be able to cast the 12th-level spells he needs to do this. So at least don't make the technologist power even more potent

 

[BlackMoria]

ahh....why not use SR rules. That is why they are there.

So, make your class something like SR = 15 + class level. Or whatever you think is best for your concept.

Your attempt to balance the Immunity to Magic ability of Golems is problematic, as the discussion above illustrates. SR is simple.

 

[ThirdWizard]

ahh....why not use SR rules. That is why they are there.

Agreed.