Thaumaturge (3.5e Class)

Summary::The generic spellcaster for most of your arcane, divine, and psionic needs! Minimum Level::0 Class Ability::Alternate Magic Class Ability Progression::Full

"Oh, you think fire is your ally? But you merely adopted the fire; I was born in it, molded by it."

Thaumaturge
Some people are born with an innate connection to specific areas of magic. How this happens is unknown, but those people, reinforced by their belief and rigorous training, are able to wield their chosen "paths" with extreme skill. These people are called thaumaturges. Unburdened by spellbooks and limited only by their chosen paths, thaumaturges can outlast any other spellcaster, but with a lesser amount of spells known.

Making a Thaumaturge
A thaumaturge's role depends on their path decisions, and they can act as a variety of roles. While they do not work well on the frontlines, a thaumaturge can lay waste with deadly area of effect spells or support their allies from afar, either specializing in a single role or taking a broader approach.

Thaumaturges work well with melee combatants who keep them away from danger, and recognize the usefulness of all classes due to their limited selection of Paths.

Abilities: While Charisma is by far the most important ability score for the thaumaturge, not only setting their DCs but also the number of Path Abilities they can have readied at any one time, many thaumaturges also benefit greatly from a high Constitution and Dexterity due to their innate frailty and need to stay fairly close to the front line in order to use their abilities.

Races: Any. Thaumaturges are found among all races, but their purpose varies of reasons. Where elves use magic as a fine art, dwarven thaumaturges focus more on practical problems and aiding their fellow soldiers in battle, whereas gnomes utilize their innate magical abilities to work subtle magic, preferring illusions over brute force.

Alignment: Any. Thaumaturges do not follow any alignment in particular - the pursuit for magic can be observed in all alignments. However, some thaumaturges prefer to be Neutral, distancing themselves from moral quandaries to further focus on their studies. A thaumaturge's alignment may affect their path choices - evil thaumaturges might prefer offensive debilitating paths, while good thaumaturges take paths that aid their allies. However, any thaumaturge can pick any path. Some even take opposing paths, such as both the Frost and Flame paths, leading an almost schizophrenic lifestyle on the border of sanity, tying their abilities to equal-yet-opposing forces.

Starting Gold: 3d4 x 10 gp

Starting Age: Moderate

Class Features
All of the following are class features of the Thaumaturge.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Thaumaturges are proficient with all simple weapons, and are not proficient with either armor or shields.

The next Path Ability they use during the same turn gains a +2 bonus to its DC.

The path rating is equal to their class levels in thaumaturge, plus one for every two levels levels they have in a non-thaumaturge class (see "Thaumaturges and Prestige Classes" below).



Spells and psionic abilities gained (called Path Abilities) are treated as spell-like abilities, except for the following exceptions:
 * Path Abilities have a DC equal to 8 + 1/2 your level + your Charisma modifier.
 * Path Abilities have both verbal and somatic components (and thus are affected by arcane spell failure, except with armor with which they are proficient).
 * Path Abilities cannot be cast defensively unless they have a range of Touch.
 * Path Abilities have a caster level equal to the thaumaturge's Path Rating.
 * Path Abilities that mimic psionic powers are automatically augmented up to the caster's caster level.
 * Path Abilities that mimic spells that have an expensive material component must still expend that component.
 * Path Abilities that normally have a Close range now have a 30' range.
 * Path Abilities that normally have a Medium range now have a 60' range.
 * Path Abilities that normally have a Long range now have a 120' range.
 * After using a Path Ability with a duration of rounds/level or less, after it ends you must wait an equal duration before using it again on the same target.
 * If you have an instance of a Path Ability in effect, the first instance of the Path Ability ends should you cast the same Path Ability.
 * Feats that affect spell-like abilities a number of times per day such as quicken spell-like ability treat all Path Abilities as a single spell-like. Thus, if a creature took empower spell-like ability and chose Path Abilities as their spell-like ability for that feat, they would be able to empower any Path Abilities cast, but only up to three times per day. If a feat affects a spell-like ability permanently, a specific Path Ability must be chosen (though this may be re-chosen if that Path Ability is switched with another.

At first level a thaumaturge knows 4 different Path Abilities chosen from the paths he picked, and gains more according to the table above (which lists the total number known). A thaumaturge can ready a number Path Abilities up to the amount noted in the "Path Abilities Readied" column plus one-half of his Charisma modifier (rounded up), chosen from his Path Abilities known (up to a max equal to his Path Abilities known), but none more than once. A thaumaturge may cast any of the Path Abilities they have readied once before they are expended, and cannot be used again until regained. By spending five minutes of uninterrupted concentration, meditation, or prayer, the thaumaturge may change their currently readied Path Abilities with any others on their list of known Path Abilities. If one of your readied Path Abilities is switched out while still in effect, its effect immediately ends. A single Path Ability may be readied at most once.

A thaumaturge may regain all of their readied Path Abilities by taking a swift action followed immediately by a standard action which can be a simple meditation to a mighty flair of the wrist. At the thaumaturge's option, they may also cast an eldritch bolt of power when regaining their Path Abilities which is a ranged touch attack with a medium range that deals 1d6 damage for every two character levels the thaumaturge possesses (minimum 1d6). Using the bolt counts as a Path Ability.



Barrier

 * I - Babau Slime, Blockade , Death Armor (Range changed to Touch), Ring of Blades (Range changed to Touch), Wall of Light
 * II - Channeled Divine Shield, Fire Shield (Range changed to Touch), Loyal Vassal , Wall of Gloom
 * III - Acid Sheathe (Range changed to Touch), Blessing of Bahamut (Range changed to Touch), Favorable Sacrifice
 * IV - Cacophonic Shield (Range changed to Touch), Dispelling Screen, Ethereal Chamber , Ray Deflection , Wall of Salt , Wall of Sand , Wall of Water
 * V - Fireward, Forceward , Indomitability , Wall of Limbs, Wall of Vermin
 * VI - Greater Dispelling Screen, Wall of Gears
 * VII - Spell Turning

Special Qualities Granted:
 * I - Whenever you cast one of your Path Abilities from the Barrier list on an ally, that ally gains a number of temporary HP equal to your Path Rating for one round. If you affect multiple allies with one of you abilities, only one gets the temporary HP.

Flame

 * I - Burning Hands, Combust, Control Temperature (Hot only, minimum one temperature band), Flame Arrow, Flaming Sphere, Heat Metal, Produce Flame, Searing Heat , Searing Light (Minimum 1 die of damage), Sunstroke , Wither
 * II - Body of the Sun, Body Blaze (Range changed to Touch), Darkfire , Desiccate , Emerald Flame Fist , Fireburst , Fire Shield (Warm only, range changed to Touch), Scorching Ray
 * III - Blast of Flame, Blistering Radiance , Channeled Pyroburst , Fireball, Greater Fireburst , Inferno , Wall of Fire
 * IV - Ashen Union, Unearthly Heat
 * V - Elemental Body (Fire only), Mass Desiccate, Wall of Magma
 * VI - Fire Storm
 * VII - Meteor Swarm

Special Qualities Granted:
 * I - Any class ability you use that deals fire damage ignores a number of points of fire resistance equal to your Path Rating.

Force

 * I - Battering Ram, Bigby's Striking Fist , Bigby's Tripping Hand , Control Object, Magic Missile (All missiles must be targeted at the same creature), Magic Stone, Shatter, Spiritual Weapon
 * II - Blast of Force, Cloud of Knives , Concussion Blast, Dancing Blade , Forcewave , Gust of Wind, Manyjaws , Storm Mote , Whirling Blade
 * III - Bigby's Warding Hand, Binding Winds , Blast of Sand , Capricious Zephyr , Concussive Detonation , Defenestrating Sphere , Dinosaur Stampede , Haboob , Interposing Hand, Vortex of Teeth
 * IV - Blood Sirocco, Cyclonic Blast , Flaywind Burst , Levitate, Mage's Sword
 * V - Howling Chain, Fly, Sound Burst, Telekinesis
 * VI - Black Tentacles, Blade Barrier (Wall only), Control Body (Duration changed to one round), Enveloping Cocoon, Great Thunderclap
 * VII - Bombardment, Sphere of Ultimate Destruction

Special Qualities Granted:
 * I - Mage Hand at will as a Path Ability.
 * II - Catapult at will as a Path Ability.
 * III - Greater Mage Hand at will as a Path Ability.
 * IV - Class abilities you use count as Force effects for the purpose of affecting Incorporeal creatures and creatures on the Ethereal plane.

Frost

 * I - Chill Metal, Control Temperature (Cold only, minimum one temperature band), Creeping Cold, Frost Weapon , Lesser Frostburn , Numbing Sphere , Polar Ray
 * II - Column of Ice, Fire Shield (Chill only, range changed to Touch), Frostburn , Heat Drain , Heat Leech , Lesser Aura of Cold (Range changed to Touch)
 * III - Aura of Cold (Range changed to Touch), Cone of Cold, Corona of Cold (Range changed to Touch), Freezing Sphere, Snow Wave, Wall of Coldfire , Winter's Embrace , Zone of Glacial Cold
 * IV - Greater Creeping Cold, Ice Shield
 * V - Elemental Body (Water only), Boreal Wind, Ice Storm
 * VI - Freeze, Gelid Blood
 * VII - As the Frost, Cometstrike , Entomb , Field of Icy Razors , Frostfell , Iceberg (DC to escape buried in snow reduced by 10)

Special Qualities Granted:
 * I - Any class ability you use that deals cold damage ignores a number of points of cold resistance equal to your Path Rating.

Hex

 * I - Armor Lock, Black Karma Curse , Deaden Blow , Crushing Despair (Single target only at Close range), Curse of Impending Blades , Deceleration, Execration , Guiding Light , Infernal Wound , Mark of Judgement (Can target any alignment), Ray of Weakness , Touch of Fatigue
 * II - Backbiter, Bane, Bonefiddle , Command (No HD limitation), Curse of Ill Fortunate , Daze Monster (No HD limit), Earthbind , Lesser Confusion (No HD limit), Ray of the Python
 * III - Curse of Arrow Attraction, Earthen Grasp , Greymantle , Slow (Single target only), Stay the Hand , Wingbind
 * IV - Call of Stone, Crushing Grip , Eyebite, Halt , Make Manifest , Mass Curse of Impending Blades , Stifle Spell , Stony Grasp , Unluck
 * V - Bestow Curse, Confusion, Extract Water Elemental, Mass Curse of Ill Fortune
 * VI - Baleful Blink, Corporeal Instability , Dirge of Discord
 * VII - Bolts of Bedevilment, Burning Blood

Special Qualities Granted:
 * I - Any class ability you use that deals damage deals an additional amount of damage to enemies equal to half your Path Rating for every Hex Path Ability they are affected with (minimum one). If multiple enemies are affected by a single damaging effect, this bonus only applies to one.

Illusion

 * I - Hypnotic Pattern, Manifestation of the Deity, Net of Shadows , Phantom Threat , Vertigo
 * II - Hypnotism, Swift Invisibility, Phantom Foe , Slapping Hand
 * III - Bewildering Substitution, Blinding Color Surge , Phantasmal Assailants , Shadow Binding , Shadow Radiance
 * IV - Legion of Sentinels, Phantasmal Decoy , Phantom Battle , Translocation Trick , Vertigo Field
 * V - Friend to Foe, Rainbow Pattern, Righteous Fury (Range changed to Touch)
 * VI - Cerebral Phantasm, Doomtide , Scintillating Pattern (Confused duration changed to 1 round), Shadow Hand , Shadowy Grappler
 * VII - Bewildering Visions, Phantasmal Killer, Sensory Deprivation (Duration changed to 1d4 rounds), Shadow Well , Solipsism (Duration changed to one round)

Special Qualities Granted:
 * I - You may cast silent image as a Path Ability, though its casting time is increased to one round. The silent image is stationary, and any creature that physically touches it automatically disbelieves.

Improvement

 * I - Aid, Animalistic Power, Beastland Ferocity , Blood Wind , Burning Sword , Diamondsteel , Enlarge Weapon (Need not be the one holding the weapon), Entropic Shield (Range changed to Touch), Rage (Single target only)
 * II - Blades of Fire (Do not have to be wielding the two weapons), Bladestorm (Range changed to Close), Bless, Blur, Crabwalk, Demonhide (Can target non-evil creatures), Diving Protection , Good Hope (Single target only), Enlarge Person
 * III - Allegro, Angelskin , Dolorous Blow , Haste (Single target only)
 * IV - Heroism
 * V - Aura of Vitality, Stoneskin
 * VI - Find the Gap (Range changed to Touch), Greater Heroism, Divine Agility
 * VII - Brilliant Blade (Duration changed to three rounds)

Special Qualities Granted:
 * I - Whenever you cast one of your Path Abilities from the Improvement list on an ally, that ally gains a number of temporary HP equal to your Path Rating for one round. If you affect multiple allies with one of you abilities, only one gets the temporary HP.
 * IV - Once per encounter, you may cast any path ability that is at least 3 levels lower than your maximum Path Ability as a swift action.

Life

 * I - Cure Light Wounds, Lesser Vigor, Touch of Health
 * II - Channeled Divine Health, Cure Moderate Wounds, Close Wounds , Vigor
 * III - Cure Serious Wounds, Greater Vigor, Seed of Life
 * IV - Cure Critical Wounds, Darts of Life, Mass Cure Light Wounds, Stalwart Pact
 * V - Healing Circle, Mass Cure Moderate Wounds, Mend Wounds , Regenerate
 * VI - Mass Cure Serious Wounds, Psionic Revivify
 * VII - Death Pact (No Constitution reduction), Fortunate Fate, Heal, Mass Cure Critical Wounds

Special Qualities Granted:
 * I - All Conjuration (Healing) Path Abilities with a range of Touch have their range increased to Close.
 * II - All Conjuration (Healing) Path Abilities have all their random variables treated as though they had rolled the maximum number possible. Additionally, you may remove a single Path Ability from the Life Path that you know and replace it with any other Path Ability from the Life path that you qualify for.
 * III - All Conjuration (Healing) Path Abilities have no limit on how high their definite variable can increased by caster level. Additionally, you may remove a single Path Ability from the Life Path that you know and replace it with any other Path Ability from the Life path that you qualify for.
 * IV - You may remove a single Path Ability from the Life Path that you know and replace it with any other Path Ability from the Life path that you qualify for.
 * V - You may remove a single Path Ability from the Life Path that you know and replace it with any other Path Ability from the Life path that you qualify for.
 * VI - You may remove a single Path Ability from the Life Path that you know and replace it with any other Path Ability from the Life path that you qualify for.
 * VII - Once per encounter you may cast Revivify, though the creature may have been dead for up to five rounds before being revived. Additionally, you may remove a single Path Ability from the Life Path that you know and replace it with any other Path Ability from the Life path that you qualify for.

Lightning

 * I - Orb of Electricity, Shocking Grasp, Thunderhead
 * II - Call Lightning, Electric Vengeance, Energy Vortex (Lightning only)
 * III - Energy Spheres (Lightning only), Lightning Bolt, Scillinating Sphere, Thunderlance
 * IV - Arc of Lightning, Ball Lightning , Call Lightning Storm
 * V - Electric Loop, Elemental Body (Air only), Greater Electric Vengeance
 * VI - Lightning Ring (Range changed to Touch), Thunder Field, Storm of Vengeance
 * VII - Storm Tower, Stun Ray

Special Qualities Granted:
 * I - Any class ability you use that deals electricity damage ignores a number of points of electricity resistance equal to your Path Rating.

Mental

 * I - Confound, Delusions of Grandeur , Distract Assailant , Doom, Haunting Tune , Incite , Inhibit , Moment of Clarity , Shock and Awe
 * II - Aura of Terror, Cloud Mind, Entice Gift , Impede , Mindless Rage , Moon Lust , Tactical Precision
 * III - Brain Lock (Target gets a saving throw every round vs. the original DC to throw off the effect), Crisis of Breath, Miser's Envy, Stay the Hand , Touch of Madness
 * IV - Awaken Sin, Cranial Deluge , Hesitate
 * V - Crisis of Life, Incite Riot, Mass Cloud Mind
 * VI - Celebration, Disquietude , Suggestion
 * VII - Bewildering Visions, Crown of Glory , Death Urge, Dire Hunger , Maddening Scream (Duration is 1d4 rounds), Wrathful Castigation (Duration changed to 1d4 rounds)

Special Qualities Granted:
 * I - You may use the sending power at will as a Path Ability.
 * II - You may use the mindlink power at will as a Path Ability.
 * V - You may use the correspondence power at will as a Path Ability.

Succor

 * I - Accelerated Movement (Range changed to Close), Aura of Glory, Lesser Restoration, Remove Disease, Remove Fear, Resurgence
 * II - Attune Form, Battle Hymn , Cloak of Bravery , Disobedience (Duration changed to one minute per level), Dispel Magic, Moment of Clarity , Remove Blindness/Deafness, Remove Paralysis
 * III - Break Enchantment, Delay Death, Mass Resurgence , Remove Curse, Restoration
 * IV - Aura of Evasion, Favor of the Martyr , Greater Dispel Magic, Ice to Flesh , Panacea , Stone to Flesh
 * V - Greater Restoration, Renewal Pact
 * VI - Spell Turning
 * VII - Greater Cloak of Bravery, Unbinding

Special Qualities Granted:
 * I - When casting a Path Ability from the Succor path on an ally, that ally may also make a saving throw against any one condition which affects them that required a saving throw at a -5 penalty.

Suffering

 * I - Decomposition, Vampiric Touch
 * II - Deja Vu, Empathic Transfer, Hostile, Disable, Fatal Flame
 * III - Spore Field ,
 * IV - Briar Web, Disintegrate, Horrid Wilting
 * V - Choking Sands, Crisis of Life
 * VI - Assimilate, Drown
 * VII - Avasculate, Harm (Caster level uncapped), Heart Ripper , Wrack (Duration changed to one round)

Special Qualities Granted:
 * I - Enemies you successfully affect or deal damage to with a Path Ability from the Suffering path gain damage susceptibility to all types of damage equal to one-quarter your Path Rating (rounded up) until the end of your next turn. Only one enemy can be affected by this ability if one of your Path Abilities targets multiple enemies.
 * II - You gain Poison Use as per the assassin class feature.
 * III - You may coup-de-grace opponents as a standard action that provokes no attack of opportunity.

Transformation

 * I - Aspect of the Wolf (Range changed to Touch), Bite of the Wolf (Range changed to Touch), Body Blades (Range changed to Touch), Claws of the Bear (Range changed to Touch), Embrace the Wild (Range changed to Touch), Giant's Wrath (Pebbles can be given to other creatures without ending), Thornskin
 * II - Amorphous Form (Range changed to Touch), Fell the Greatest Foe, Skin of the Cactus , Snake's Swiftness
 * III - Displacer Form (Range changed to Touch), Plant Body, Sandform
 * IV - Bite of the Weretiger (Range changed to Touch), Flame Whips (Range changed to Touch), Girallon's Blessing, Mass Snake's Swiftness , Trollshape (Range changed to Touch), Winged Watcher
 * V - Bite of the Wererat (Range changed to Touch), Charge of the Triceratops, Dragon Breath , Stone Body
 * VI - Bite of the Wereboar (Range changed to Touch), Iron Body (Range changed to Touch), Nixie's Grace (Range changed to Touch)
 * VII - Aspect of the Earth Hunter (Range changed to Touch), Baleful Polymorph, Dragonshape

Special Qualities Granted:
 * I - Whenever you cast one of your Path Abilities from the Transformation list on an ally, that ally gains Fast Healing equal to your one-half your Path Rating (minimum one) for three rounds. If you affect multiple allies with one of you abilities, only one gets the fast healing.
 * IV - You are constantly under the effect of Adapt Body.

Travel

 * I - Benign Transposition, Dimension Hop , Slide
 * II - Baleful Transposition, Dimension Slide, Dimension Twister , Greater Slide , Knight's Move , Lightfoot (Range changed to Touch), Regroup , Strategic Charge (Range changed to Touch), Water Walk
 * III - Baleful Teleport, Dimension Door, Dimension Step, G'Elsewhere Chant , Zeal (Range changed to Touch)
 * IV - Air Walk, Dimension Shuffle, Warp
 * V - Greater Dimension Door, Greater Warp, Wind Walk
 * VI - Cloud-Walkers
 * VII - Inconstant Location, Warp Circle

Special Qualities Granted:
 * I - Whenever you target an ally with one of your Path Abilities from the Travel list, that ally gains a +10' enhancement bonus to their movement speed for two rounds.
 * V - You gain the ability to use Evacuation Rune at will as a Path Ability.

Thaumaturges and Prestige Classes
Thaumaturges benefit in a specific way from prestige classes that have "+1 level of existing arcane spellcasting class", "+1 level of existing divine spellcasting class", "+1 level of existing spellcasting class" or "+1 level of existing manifesting class" as a level advancement benefit. A thaumaturge taking levels in such a prestige class does not any special abilities granted by paths they gain, extra path abilities readied, or the ability to switch out path abilities for new ones. Levels of prestige classes that provide +1 level of spellcasting or manifesting effectively (though only once per level) count as class levels in Thaumaturge to determine what level of Path Abilities he's unlocked, increased Path Rating, and more Path Abilities known.

A thaumaturge can qualify for prestige classes with spellcasting level or manifesting level requirements, treating his highest level of Path Abilities unlocked as his spellcasting or manifesting level (for example, level 4 spells for a level 13 thaumaturge). The same goes for prestige classes with caster level requirements, which treat the thaumaturge's caster level as the requirement. If there is a requirement for a specific spell known, the thaumaturge can qualify for that prestige class only if they have that spell known as a Path Ability.