Publication:Unearthed Arcana/Evoker Variants

Evoker Variants
Masters of the raw power of magical energy, evokers can turn the tide of battle with a single powerful spell, leveling groups of foes faster than any other practitioner of magic. Where some wizards focus on careful spell preparation and protective spells to survive combat encounters, evokers simply blast away with powerful energy attacks. Their prodigious offensive abilities ensure that evokers become the center of an adventuring group's battle plan.

Campaigns that include large numbers of wizards aligned to different nations are particularly suitable for variant evokers, since each nation develops unique cadres of evokers to serve in battle. Groups of militant evokers marching in unison with more conventional groups can change the tide of neary any battle. In addition, campaigns that include themes of primal energy, raw nature, or extreme elemental conditions can all benefit from introducing evokers with variant abilities. Evokers in these sorts of campaigns might explore the raw essence of magic, struggling to harness its energies in new and unique ways.

Energy affinity (Ex)
Evokers using this variant must choose an energy type (acid, cold, electricity, fire or sonic). This choice is made upon character creation and cannot be altered thereafter. Any time the character casts an evocation spell with the chosen energy type, she casts the spell as if her caster level were one higher (affecting range, duration, damage, caster level, level checks, and any other factor influenced by caster level).

An evoker using this variant permanently gives up the ability to obtain a familiar.

Energy substitution (Ex)
An evoker of 5th level or higher using this variant can substitute energy of one type for another. When casting a spell that has an energy descriptor (acid, cold, electricity, fire or sonic), the evoker can change the energy descriptor and the spell's effects to energy of a different type.

Using this ability is a free action that must be declared before the spell is cast. The evoker can use this ability once per day for each five class levels he has attained (1/day at 5th, 2/day at 10th, and so on).

An evoker using this variant does not gain bonus feats for advancing as a wizard.

Overcome Resistance (Ex)
The energy spells of an evoker using this variant can ignore some or all of a target's resistance to energy. Using this ability is a free action that must be announced before the evoker casts the spell to be affected. Every creature affected by the spell is treated as if its resistance to the spells's energy type was 10 points lower, to a minimum of 0. (This lowered resistance applies only to this spell; other effects with the same energy descriptor must get through the creature's normal resistance.)

The overcome resistance ability does not give the affected spell any ability to affect creatures with immunity to the spell's energy type, nor does the affected spell have any additional effect on creatures that do not have resistance to energy.

An evoker may use this ability one time per day, plus one additional time per day for every two class levels attained beyond 1st (2/day at 3rd, 3/day at 5th, and so forth).

An evoker using this variant does not gain additional spells per day for being a specialist wizard.