More Generic D20: Wendsleydale's Stuff

[Wensleydale]

I've been creating various generic DnD-type classes, alternative fluff, extra rules etc for ages now, and I'm going to deposit them here, both for reference for myself and for, if desired, others to play around with in their own settings. Eventually this might end up on the wikifarm, but for now it's here, for critiquing etc.

I'll begin with my modified sorcerer for 'generic' DnD as well as more wild-magic type settings (although it will fit in anywhere, really).

[Ra-Tiel]

Really curious about your sorcerer fix. On the WotC forums there are literally hundreds (I guess :P ) or so fixes for all various classes, from sorcerer to wilder to soulknife to fighter.

Keep 'em coming! :D

[Wensleydale]

The Sorcerer (Spellfont)

Hit Dice: D4.
Skills/Level: 2 + Int Modifier
Class Skills: Concentration, Diplomacy, Sorcery, Spellcraft

A sorcerer is born with magic flowing through his veins, through his soul, and through his mind. Be it from ancestry, from some accident of birth, from an experiment or some other even more disturbing occurence, he develops a set of mental wards, known as the Ten Barriers, to bar him from madness. His abilities are generally focused in just a few areas, although he can manifest many effects with the risks of failure.

 [class=Sorcerer][levels=15][bab=wizard][fort=poor][ref=poor][will=good][special=Special Abilities][1]Aura, First Talent[/1][3]Mimicry[/3][5]Detect Magic, Second Talent[/5][10]Metamagic Feat, Third Talent[/10][15]Spellfire, Fourth Talent, Overwhelming Source[/15][/special][special=Barriers/Maintain][1]First Barrier[/1][2]Second Barrier[/2][3]Maintain +1[/3][4]Third Barrier[/4][5]Maintain +2[/5][6]Fourth Barrier[/6][7]Maintain +3[/7][8]Fifth Barrier[/8][9]Maintain +4[/9][10]Sixth Barrier[/10][11]Maintain +5[/11][12]Seventh Barrier[/12][13]Maintain +6[/13][14]Eighth Barrier[/14][15]Maintain +7[/15][/special][/class]

Special Abilities

Spellcasting: A sorcerer's spellcasting ability depends on several factors; his chosen Talents, his maximum Barrier, his Sorcery skill rank and his concentration skill rank.

Firstly, whether he can cast spells at all is determined by how many barriers he has broken. At first level, a sorcerer's one and only Barrier is the first, meaning that he can break through and access a dribble of power that is nothing in comparison to his later abilities. How to break barriers is described in the Sorcery skill description. Each consecutive barrier must be broken, you cannot break the fourth barrier with one check, for example. Each barrier refers to a spell level.

Once a sorcerer has broken the barrier, he must maintain it by succeeding on a Concentration check once every turn (DC 10 + the level of the barrier). Success retains the barrier, an unsuccessful check causes it to seal over. If a sorcerer has broken multiple barriers, the highest barrier is always used for the purposes of the DC and is always dropped if the check fails. If a sorcerer has ongoing durational spells of a sealed Barrier, they instantly end unless he is maintaining them (see the 'Maintain' ability description).

Whilst a sorcerer is holding a barrier open, he is free to use any spell from his available talents of any Barrier that he is currently holding open (for example, if he was holding open the fourth barrier, he could use spells from the first, second, third, and fourth barriers respectively). Talents are narrowly focused, and show familiarity with a certain type of spell (curative magic, for example, or more destructive magic). An intuitive sorcerer can cast spells from outside of his talents, but it is difficult to go outside the norm, and manipulating magic in such unfamiliar ways requires a Sorcery check of DC 15 + the Barrier Level. Success produces the desired spell, a lack of success may produce a random spell effect of the same level or have no effect at all.

Also due to this lack of explorative ability, sorcerers also need to succeed on Sorcery checks for metamagic feats. This check is equal to 10+2x the barrier level of the target spell + the level increase from the metamagic feat. Multiple metamagics of different types do stack, but a check must be made for each feat - with the barrier level including the modifications of previous metamagics. The checks must be taken in descending order, meaning that you must begin with the metamagic with the largest Barrier increase.

Unlike a wizard, whose complicated spells tend to involve simply creating the effect and then leaving it, a sorcerer's spells require him to be, in short, continually casting. Although sorcerers can maintain spells (see below), those not maintained require a concentration check of DC 15 + Barrier Level every round to continually use. Not only this, but all sorcerers require line-of-sight to any durational spells they are casting to continue doing so. This does have some advantages, however - unlike wizards, who cannot stop their spells until they run out naturally, sorcerers can end their effects whenever desired by simply stopping casting (or failing that, deliberately resealing the barriers). They can also continue casting for as long as they like, meaning that the spell duration (except for certain spells, noted in the spell lists) does not apply.

Aura: All sorcerers have an aura of general magic, the strength of which depends on their sorcerer level.

Mimicry: At level three, sorcerers gain the ability to essentially 'mimic' other spells. Provided they have line of sight to the caster of a spell and are within thirty feet of him or her, they can attempt to memorise the magic involved. This requires a Sorcery check of DC 15 + Barrier Level + 1/4 target caster's caster levels. If the sorcerer succeeds, they memorise the spell, and they may from then on take a +3 circumstance bonus on all sorcery checks to cast that spell, EXACTLY as they saw it (including metamagic and other modifiers).

Detect Magic (Su): At level five, sorcerers gain a permanent Detect Magic ability, as the spell, with a caster level of the Sorcerer's own.

Maintain: Every odd level after first, the sorcerer gains the ability to maintain one durational spell. This spell is essentially 'tied off', and does not require a concentration check or line of sight to maintain. The sorcerer may cut a Maintained spell off at any time, freeing up that 'slot' for another spell to be maintained with.

Spellfire (Su): A sorcerer of fifteenth level or higher can transform his spells into mere magical energy. Spellfire is produced in lines up to 200ft long (as far as the sorcerer's vision extends). It deals 2d6 damage per Barrier Level used to create it, of which half is fire damage and half is divine damage. Using spellfire is taxing, however, and doing so seals the most powerful barrier open without a chance for resistance from the sorcerer.

Overwhelming Source (Ex): A sorcerer of fifteenth level or higher can attempt to bring forth magic even in an antimagic field. He must succeed on a will save with a DC equal to 20 + the creator's character level (default 15). Success deals 2d8 negative energy damage to the caster and allows him to cast a single spell, failure deals 6d8.  

[Ra-Tiel]

Interesting idea. Some comments:

#1: I guess it is intended that the text talks about an ability gained at level 20, while the table stops at level 15?

#2: As far as I understand the system (from the little information given), you make sorcerers a skill-based casting class? Given how easy skill-based things can be broken in d20 if not closely restricted, I'm very interested in the system and how you try to keep in in check. Especially regarding your approach to metamagic. The maximum DC would be 10+2*9+4=32, which is almost an autosuccess at level 20 (23 ranks + 3 skill focus + 4 Int = 30 total) without even trying hard. Under that system, I'd be very wary of sorcerers abusing the heck out of stuff like Twin Spell, Repeat Spell, Split Ray. ;)

#3: Why does the sorcerer have not a single good save?

#4: Are you sure about allowing 2nd level spells at level 2? Scorching ray, the typical 2nd level attack spell would pretty much kill anything with less than d8 on a single hit (avg damage 14).

#5: Regarding the detect magic ability, I guess you mean it to be "at will" like the warlock's ability? Because "permanent" seems a little too powerful, gaining all information in the first round without having to concentrate on it.

#6: I'm not too excited by "maintain". It seriously cripples the sorcerer's usefulness especially in combat. A normal caster can drop a black tentacles on an enemy, put a hold monster on one who tries to escape, and baleful polymorph the enemy wizard for "easy transportation". This is just impossible in your system. The typical mid- to high-level buffs alone take all the sorcerer's maintain slots (mage armor, mind blank, etc).

Also, the flavor seems to be so greatly different from "vanilla" DnD that it rather begs for a unique setting instead of "merely" replacing the standard classes. Perhaps you could tie the different barriers to different layers of certain plains (*cough*Baator*cough* :D ) and if a caster really messes his casting up some "interesting" things happen. ;)

[Wensleydale]

All righty then.

#3: Why does the sorcerer have not a single good save?

#4: Are you sure about allowing 2nd level spells at level 2? Scorching ray, the typical 2nd level attack spell would pretty much kill anything with less than d8 on a single hit (avg damage 14).[/quote]
#5: Regarding the detect magic ability, I guess you mean it to be "at will" like the warlock's ability? Because "permanent" seems a little too powerful, gaining all information in the first round without having to concentrate on it.[/quote]
#6: I'm not too excited by "maintain". It seriously cripples the sorcerer's usefulness especially in combat. A normal caster can drop a black tentacles on an enemy, put a hold monster on one who tries to escape, and baleful polymorph the enemy wizard for "easy transportation". This is just impossible in your system. The typical mid- to high-level buffs alone take all the sorcerer's maintain slots (mage armor, mind blank, etc).[/quote]
Also, the flavor seems to be so greatly different from "vanilla" DnD that it rather begs for a unique setting instead of "merely" replacing the standard classes. Perhaps you could tie the different barriers to different layers of certain plains (*cough*Baator*cough* ) and if a caster really messes his casting up some "interesting" things happen.[/quote]

Perhaps you're right - and editing the barriers might be a good idea. At present, though, the barriers are actually simply mental restraints on the mind (for want of a better word) that the psyche develops to prevent the sorcerer from spontaneously combusting in a ball of magic. :P

[Ra-Tiel]

All righty then.

Actually, no. That's an earlier reference from when it -was- a 20-level class. I'll explain its reduction momentarily.

Ahh, ok. Already suspected that there was something amiss. ;)

Ah, yes, but sorcerers will stop gaining skill points in Sorcery at level 15, even if they max out. By that level it will be impossible to add more points (as it exceeds the maximum cross-class for other classes, and no other class as yet has sorcery as a class skill).

And what is the maximum "non-epic" level you intended for play? Is there a specific reason why you only made the class 15 levels long that I'm missing?

Oops. They're supposed to have will. I'll fix that now.

Ok. :)

The barriers refer to spell levels from 0 upwards, so the first barrier refers to cantrips. It's true that the sorcerer will be miserable at level 1, but they can still cast an unlimited amount of times per day. At level 2 they gain access to level 1 spells (Barrier 2).

I see. Although that seems to be a bit weak having only cantrips at first level and nothing else, it's definitively better than the level 2 sorcerer of doom blasting everything with infinite scorching rays. :P

I meant permanent as in they have the effects of the first round constantly, but need to concentrate to gain more detail.

Ah, ok. :)

Well, I agree with you in a way. On the other hand, provided a sorcerer has decent concentration, he can still maintain hundreds of other buffs and spells at once as long as they're cast on him or he can see them, and they can last as long as he wishes. Spells such as hold monster, baleful polymorph etc still work, although that latter would likely require a maintain to be used for transport purposes (putting him in a box shuts off the sorcerer's line of sight).

Ok, I guess it's just a little hard to imagine how the system works without the other sources (skill and magic chapter) available.

Perhaps you're right - and editing the barriers might be a good idea. At present, though, the barriers are actually simply mental restraints on the mind (for want of a better word) that the psyche develops to prevent the sorcerer from spontaneously combusting in a ball of magic. :P

*poooooooooooooof!* :D

[Wensleydale]

Well, being able to cast any and all cantrips from their spell list (which I really need to type up *coughs*) isn't all that weak. And they're not limited in the amount of times they can cast, either. So...

[Ra-Tiel]

Well, being able to cast any and all cantrips from their spell list (which I really need to type up *coughs*) isn't all that weak. And they're not limited in the amount of times they can cast, either. So...

But I guess you agree that cantrips aren't too impressive, either. ;) Having mage hand and prestidigitation all day long is cool and stuff, but it just doesn't compare well to having burning hands or mage armor a few times per day.

[Wensleydale]

That's true, that's true. On the other hand, you don't spend -all- that much time at level 1, do you? And when I play casters generally, they rarely use magic (in favour of a crossbow) until they can cast it more than occasionally. :P