Kae'Yoss
First Post
Since it seems to be fashion to change the Sorcerer base class (and a little because it hasn't got the right feel about it), I, too came up with a variant.
At first, some general thoughts:
Magic is a refined art. At leas for wizards: they read ancient tomes by the dozen - often simultaneously, crossreferring - put more thought into making their spellbook than into their homes, and, most importantly, spend a lot of time learning the old, traditional way to cast these spells: what exact incantations are needed for the spell, what arcane symbols must be traced, what materials used.
But a sorcerer doesn't do any of these things. His components clearly aren't the same as the ones wizars use. If it were so, sorcerers would discover their powers under trial-and-error (or under the influence of illegal substances), making words up they've never heard anyone use until they come up with stuff like "igna morits" and that they have to whirl their hands around in a certain pattern in order to have an effect.
No, a sorcerer's verbal and somantic components tend to be more simple and individual, and are more a focus for their inner power (like the war cry, or the kiai of a martial arts expert. It won't give you more power from any outside source, but it will help you channel yours).
So any spellcraft checks to find out what a sorcerer is casting have a flat -2 penalty. (This even applies to a sorcerer who observes another sorcerer, since their gestures aren't the same. It won't affect a sorcerer trying to figure out what the wizard does, since they use the same gestures and words as any wizard anywhere)
Now to the Sorcerer:
Class Skills: Add Bluff, Diplomacy, Intimidate.
Isn't it odd that Sorcerers have not a single class skill based on their primary ability score?
Skill Points at every Level: 4+ instead of 2+
Thats because they're more the adventurous type. Also, wizards tend to have much more skill points than sorcerers do, since they have high Int, but the average sorcerer only has Int 12 or 13.
Spellcasting: As told before, their V and S components are more individual than wizards. Also, they need (and may) not use any material components (costly M components must be paid with XP, at a rate of 1 XP per 25 gp). Focuses may be used, and if not, they cost 1XP for every 100gp, but that must be paid every casting.
Material Components make no sense for Sorcerers, but Focuses make at least limited sense, since they usually relate to the spell in some symbolic matter.
Class Features: Spells per Day and Spells known remain as they are, as do Saves, Proficiencies, HD, and BAB.
They don't gain Summon Familiar at first level (but see below)
at 1st, 5th, 10th, 15th and 20th level, they gain an Arcane Power, chosen from the list below.
Summon Familiar: Works as usual, except that if you take that at a later level, your effective level for determining familiar abilities is lower: When first gaining this power, you have a "1st-level" Familiar. With every other sorcerer level you gain, this increases. So if you take Summon Familiar at 5th-level, it'll have the same powers as a Wizard 1's familiar, and at 10th-level it will be as a Wizard 6's. It still has half your HD total, of course.
Spell Secret As seen with the Wu Jen: You can either change one of your spells with a 1-lv Metamagic feat (like still spell), without change to effective spell level or casting time, or you can do the same with two 0-lv Metamagic feats (either to the same spell or two different ones).
This ability can be chosen several times, chosen either the same spell or spells or different ones.
Magic Focus: Choose one Descriptor, like [Evil], [Darkness], or [Fire]. You gain +1 Caster Level (just like a cleric with the Good domain with [Good] spells).
This ability can be chosen several times. It doesn't stack (so no [Evil][Fire] Spell with +2 Caster Level)
Redecision: "Forget" (Cha bonus) Spell levels and choose new ones.
Mimic Spell: (you must be at least 10th-level to be able to choose this) If someone you can see and who's within 60 ft of you casts a spell, make a Spellcraft Check (DC 20 + Effective Spell Level). If you succeed, if the spell is on your list and it's level is one lower than the highest-level spell you know, memorize that spell. (You must decide whether to do this before the end of your next turn, or you forget what you saw and heard).
You now "forget" one spell of one level above the mimiced spell's actual level and be able to cast the spell for the next 24 hours.
You must _exactly_ mimic that spell, that means you use exactly the same components (their words, their gestures, and even material components or focuses, if they use it). Also, you cast it with the same options (if the spell has some: fire shield or shadow evocation are good examples, as are the summon monster spells.) and it's modified by the same metamagic feats (you don't have to know them).
Casting a mimiced spell uses up a spell slot at least one level higher than it's effective level. it's duration changes as if you cast a metamagiced spell spontaneously, and you cannot further change it via metamagic.
After 24 hours, the spell fades from your memory, bringing back the old one. If you want to keep the spell, you must make another spellcraft check, with the old DC +1. For every additional day, this further increases by +1. You cannot take 10 on that check. You can have no more than one mimiced spell active.
Armored Casting: You gain Armor Proficiency (light) and your arcane spell failure decreases by 5 per cent. This does not work with a mimiced spell.
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I'm not sure if the Armor Proficiency with Armored Casting is appropriate, or if I make it 10 %. The Idea behind that special ability is that sorcerers' gestures tend to me far simpler than wizards' (as explained above).
The mimic spell idea is from Return of the Archwizards, where Galaeron (my favourite depiction of the Sorcerer class, but I repear myself
) does that all the time.
You could also create epic feats (or maybe even regular ones) to increase these powers:
Additional Mimic Spell: Another Mimiced Spell per day.
Metamagic Mimic Spell: You can alter Mimiced Spells with Metamagic (note that it's duration is at least two full rounds then!)
Improved Armored Casting: 10 (or 15, maybe even 20) per cent less arcane spell failure (and maybe throw armor proficency (medium) in)
Improved Magic Focus: You gain Spell Focus and Spell Penetration with every spell that is affected by your Magic Focus.
Epic Spell Secret: You either effect one spell you know with a Metamagic feat that with effective spell level +2, two with effective spell level +1, or three with effective spell level +0.
Comments, Ideas and Suggestions are welcome.
[Edit] Made the Arcane Powers Bold instead of Italic, for readability's sake.
At first, some general thoughts:
Magic is a refined art. At leas for wizards: they read ancient tomes by the dozen - often simultaneously, crossreferring - put more thought into making their spellbook than into their homes, and, most importantly, spend a lot of time learning the old, traditional way to cast these spells: what exact incantations are needed for the spell, what arcane symbols must be traced, what materials used.
But a sorcerer doesn't do any of these things. His components clearly aren't the same as the ones wizars use. If it were so, sorcerers would discover their powers under trial-and-error (or under the influence of illegal substances), making words up they've never heard anyone use until they come up with stuff like "igna morits" and that they have to whirl their hands around in a certain pattern in order to have an effect.
No, a sorcerer's verbal and somantic components tend to be more simple and individual, and are more a focus for their inner power (like the war cry, or the kiai of a martial arts expert. It won't give you more power from any outside source, but it will help you channel yours).
So any spellcraft checks to find out what a sorcerer is casting have a flat -2 penalty. (This even applies to a sorcerer who observes another sorcerer, since their gestures aren't the same. It won't affect a sorcerer trying to figure out what the wizard does, since they use the same gestures and words as any wizard anywhere)
Now to the Sorcerer:
Class Skills: Add Bluff, Diplomacy, Intimidate.
Isn't it odd that Sorcerers have not a single class skill based on their primary ability score?
Skill Points at every Level: 4+ instead of 2+
Thats because they're more the adventurous type. Also, wizards tend to have much more skill points than sorcerers do, since they have high Int, but the average sorcerer only has Int 12 or 13.
Spellcasting: As told before, their V and S components are more individual than wizards. Also, they need (and may) not use any material components (costly M components must be paid with XP, at a rate of 1 XP per 25 gp). Focuses may be used, and if not, they cost 1XP for every 100gp, but that must be paid every casting.
Material Components make no sense for Sorcerers, but Focuses make at least limited sense, since they usually relate to the spell in some symbolic matter.
Class Features: Spells per Day and Spells known remain as they are, as do Saves, Proficiencies, HD, and BAB.
They don't gain Summon Familiar at first level (but see below)
at 1st, 5th, 10th, 15th and 20th level, they gain an Arcane Power, chosen from the list below.
Summon Familiar: Works as usual, except that if you take that at a later level, your effective level for determining familiar abilities is lower: When first gaining this power, you have a "1st-level" Familiar. With every other sorcerer level you gain, this increases. So if you take Summon Familiar at 5th-level, it'll have the same powers as a Wizard 1's familiar, and at 10th-level it will be as a Wizard 6's. It still has half your HD total, of course.
Spell Secret As seen with the Wu Jen: You can either change one of your spells with a 1-lv Metamagic feat (like still spell), without change to effective spell level or casting time, or you can do the same with two 0-lv Metamagic feats (either to the same spell or two different ones).
This ability can be chosen several times, chosen either the same spell or spells or different ones.
Magic Focus: Choose one Descriptor, like [Evil], [Darkness], or [Fire]. You gain +1 Caster Level (just like a cleric with the Good domain with [Good] spells).
This ability can be chosen several times. It doesn't stack (so no [Evil][Fire] Spell with +2 Caster Level)
Redecision: "Forget" (Cha bonus) Spell levels and choose new ones.
Mimic Spell: (you must be at least 10th-level to be able to choose this) If someone you can see and who's within 60 ft of you casts a spell, make a Spellcraft Check (DC 20 + Effective Spell Level). If you succeed, if the spell is on your list and it's level is one lower than the highest-level spell you know, memorize that spell. (You must decide whether to do this before the end of your next turn, or you forget what you saw and heard).
You now "forget" one spell of one level above the mimiced spell's actual level and be able to cast the spell for the next 24 hours.
You must _exactly_ mimic that spell, that means you use exactly the same components (their words, their gestures, and even material components or focuses, if they use it). Also, you cast it with the same options (if the spell has some: fire shield or shadow evocation are good examples, as are the summon monster spells.) and it's modified by the same metamagic feats (you don't have to know them).
Casting a mimiced spell uses up a spell slot at least one level higher than it's effective level. it's duration changes as if you cast a metamagiced spell spontaneously, and you cannot further change it via metamagic.
After 24 hours, the spell fades from your memory, bringing back the old one. If you want to keep the spell, you must make another spellcraft check, with the old DC +1. For every additional day, this further increases by +1. You cannot take 10 on that check. You can have no more than one mimiced spell active.
Armored Casting: You gain Armor Proficiency (light) and your arcane spell failure decreases by 5 per cent. This does not work with a mimiced spell.
------------------------
I'm not sure if the Armor Proficiency with Armored Casting is appropriate, or if I make it 10 %. The Idea behind that special ability is that sorcerers' gestures tend to me far simpler than wizards' (as explained above).
The mimic spell idea is from Return of the Archwizards, where Galaeron (my favourite depiction of the Sorcerer class, but I repear myself
) does that all the time.You could also create epic feats (or maybe even regular ones) to increase these powers:
Additional Mimic Spell: Another Mimiced Spell per day.
Metamagic Mimic Spell: You can alter Mimiced Spells with Metamagic (note that it's duration is at least two full rounds then!)
Improved Armored Casting: 10 (or 15, maybe even 20) per cent less arcane spell failure (and maybe throw armor proficency (medium) in)
Improved Magic Focus: You gain Spell Focus and Spell Penetration with every spell that is affected by your Magic Focus.
Epic Spell Secret: You either effect one spell you know with a Metamagic feat that with effective spell level +2, two with effective spell level +1, or three with effective spell level +0.
Comments, Ideas and Suggestions are welcome.
[Edit] Made the Arcane Powers Bold instead of Italic, for readability's sake.
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