Gemcaster (3.5e Class)

Making a Gemcaster
Gemcasters are one of the most useful if rare mages you can have in your party. Their ability to cast an unlimited number of spells each day is their best advantage, though their inability to wear armor and low life makes them easy to take out with both bows and swords.

Abilities: Intelligence is the most important attribute for a Gemcaster to determine his spells strength, and dexterity for AC since they aren't proficient with much armor. Constitution can help balance out their low life too. Charisma is an ideal sink attribute since it is the least used on the list. Gemcasters get their spells from the Sorcerer/Wizard Spell List.

Races: Gnomes are the most likely race to find a Gemcaster in, though Humans and Half-elves would be just as common.

Alignment: Any

Starting Gold: 3d10 x 10 (210)

Starting Age: Simple

Class Features
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A Gemcaster is proficient with all simple weapons, and only SRD:Padded Armor and SRD:Leather Armor, and can wear either without spell failure or penalties.

Gems A Gemcaster starts with 1d3 + Intelligence modifier gems. Color can be decided by rolling 1d10 with the colors equalling the number. All gems afterward must be purchased or found in dungeons/on quests. A gem may hold 1 spell of a level equal to or less than the gem's level. Gem levels are associated to their color, as shown on the Gem Level table.


 * Stolen Gems: Any Gems stolen from a Gemcaster can be cast the same way you would a wand or rod with a single charge. Only another Gemcaster can recharge a previously attuned gem, but the spell's level won't change.  You can also release the spell's effect in a fifteen foot diameter burst by throwing the gem with enough force to break it.  Once broken, the gem becomes useless.


 * Gems part of art: Lots of pieces of art has gems as part of their work. They can be removed with a successful craft: Gemcutter check based on the hardness of the art.  There is a ten percent chance of damaging the gem with a failed check, and removing the gems halves the value of the art.  Damaged gems break after a single use, becoming wortheless powder.


 * Attacking Gems: Gems can be attacked and damaged by weapons only. All gems with spells have an AC of 10 + size (fine: +8) + SRD:Intelligence modifier of caster, a hardness of 8+1 per 2 spell levels and an HP of 15+3 per spell level.

Spells: A Gemcaster casts arcane spells stored in gems, which are drawn from the sorcerer/wizard list. Like the sorcerer, a Gemcaster can only learn a certain amount of spells as indicated on the table above. They add any bonus spells granted from a high intelligence score to this amount.

To learn or cast a spell, a Gemcaster must have a Intelligence score equal to at least 10 + the spell. The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against a Gemcaster’s spell is 10 + the spell level + the adventurer ’s Intelligence modifier.

As a standard action, a Gemcaster can call a gem of his choice to his hand and cast the spell stored inside. Unlike other spellcasters, he can cast any spell he knows without preparing it ahead of time and may do so an unlimited number of times in a day. The gem that contains the spell must fully charged at the time of casting, however, or the spell fails.

Arcane Channeling (Ex): A Gemcaster need not prepare any spells. Rather, his gems orbit his body, recharging with arcane energy from the Gemcaster. A gem must recharge for a number of rounds equal to 1 + the stored spell's level + 1 for each hour of required sleep/meditation the Gemcaster did not get. While most creatures require 8 hours of sleep, elves have the advantage since they need only four hours of meditation. A Gemcaster can also recharge a gem to full energy as a full-round action by taking it in his hands, though he suffers a -2 to his AC until the beginning of his next turn.

Attune Gem: Attuning a gem takes a spellcraft check of DC10 + the level of the spell they wish to infuse in the gem. To retune a gem, a Gemcaster must wait a full day and make a Concentration check of DC15 + spell level to remove the old spell, then they can infuse it once again. A Gemcaster begins play with 1d3+ Intelligence modifier gems, and must purchase gems to use or use ones found throughout their quests to add new spells.

Auto Telekinesis: A Gemcaster can have up to 15 + Intelligence modifier Gems float around his body without him having to focus on it. At any time as a standard action a Gemcaster may call out to any Gem and it will float to his hand to cast instantly. Any gem not floating is kept in a pouch that he has to rummage through to find the correct gem. A gem will float back into a 5' diameter orbit centered around the gemcaster.

Since the gems of a gemcaster float an circles around them, they may be stolen by those who are particularly quick. Anyone trying to steal a Gem from the Gemcaster must make a Sleight of Hand check of DC 20 + Spell level of the Gem. The Gemcaster then makes a spot check + the spell's level, opposed by the same Sleight of hand check to see if he notices the removal of his precious Gem.

Improved Auto Telekinesis As Auto Telekinesis, except that up to 30 + Intelligence modifier gems float around the gemcaster. Additionally, the sleight of hand check required to steal a gem from this orbit increases to DC 30 + spell's level, and the Gemcaster gets a +10 to spot checks regarding his Gems. Any stolen gem within 10' will attempt to return to orbit after 1 round.

Master Auto Telekinesis As Auto Telekinesis, except that up to 45 + Intelligence modifier gems float around the gemcaster. Additionally, the sleight of hand check required to steal a gem from this orbit increases to DC 40 + spell's level, and the Gemcaster gets a +20 to spot checks regarding his Gems. Any stolen gem within 15' will attempt to return to orbit after 1 round.

Gem Talent At level five and every four levels thereafter, a Gemcaster can add one of the following talents to their special abilities:
 * Gem Ward: A Gemcaster can drain a gem of its spell and add that spell's level to their AC as a Misc. modifier for one minute per caster level.
 * Gem Slam: A Gemcaster can drain a gem of a spell and launch a missile of pure magic force at an enemy equal to 1d6 per spell level with a range of 30 + 5 feet per level
 * Gem Heal: A Gemcaster can drain a gem of a spell and heal themselves for 1d3 per spell level.
 * Gem Burst: A Gemcaster can drain a gem of a spell and do spell level + caster level + intelligence modifier damage in a ten foot burst.
 * Gem Transfer: A Gemcaster can drain a gem of a spell and transfer the power of a scroll into another gem place of the spell if the Gemcaster beats a spellcraft DC15 + scroll spell level. Failing the check removes the spell from the scroll and the gem remains drained of it's spell.  The scroll's spell level cannot exceed the gem's level.

Dual Casting At level fourteen, a Gemcaster has used gems for spells often enough to be able to use two different gems at the same time, one in the main hand, one in the off hand. The gem in the off hand takes twice as long as normal to recharge.

Metamagic: All the metamagic feats gained are able to be applied to gems at the time of their casting, including the feats gained through special abilities. For all purposes, treat the gem as casting a regular spell when applying a feat.