User:Ubergeek63/Cantrip Master (3.5e Class)

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Author: Ubergeek63 (talk)
Date Created: 7/15/2011
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Composite spells are cast combining cantrips for the effect with metamagic builds for the power 20 1 Poor Poor Poor Good Alternate Magic Full

Lawful Good Lawful Neutral Lawful Evil Neutral Good Neutral Neutral Evil Chaotic Good Chaotic Neutral Chaotic Evil

Cantrip Master

The Elite say that magic is in the training or prayer. The Cantrip Master says magic is the one universal truth, the source of life, and a basic right of all sentient beings. To this end organized groups, typically at the center of small villages, make daily use items available to all for use. All have magic at their disposal, the thing missing is the skill to use it. Cantrip Masters consider all to be unpracticed apprentices, and well to do ones keep a trainer item to help interested individuals get started.

Making a Cantrip Master

The Cantrip Master blurs the lines between Wizard, Sorcerer and Psion: he commits Metamagic power builds and effects (cantrips or spell cores) to memory casts them on the fly from his arcane energy pool.

Abilities: While the Cantrip Master casts from the highest of the casting stats (Intelligence, Wisdom or Charisma) and while all are advantageous, none are critical. Even so, some Dexterity (6) for the somatic and some Charisma (6) for verbal portion of the spells is required.

Races: Any.

Alignment: Any

Starting Gold: 2d4×10 gp

Starting Age: Simple

Table: The Cantrip Master

Hit Die: d4

Level Base
Attack Bonus
Saving Throws Special Power
Points/Day
Maximum Power
Level Known
Fort Ref Will
1st +0 +0 +0 +2 Cantrip Metamagic 2 1st
2nd +1 +0 +0 +3 Craft Wondrous 4 1st
3rd +1 +1 +1 +3 Bonus Feat 6 2nd
4th +2 +1 +1 +4 8 2nd
5th +2 +1 +1 +4 Bonus Feat 13 3rd
6th +3 +2 +2 +5 18 3rd
7th +3 +2 +2 +5 Bonus Feat 25 4th
8th +4 +2 +2 +6 32 4th
9th +4 +3 +3 +6 Bonus Feat 41 5th
10th +5 +3 +3 +7 50 5th
11th +5 +3 +3 +7 Bonus Feat 61 6th
12th +6/+1 +4 +4 +8 72 6th
13th +6/+1 +4 +4 +8 Bonus Feat 85 7th
14th +7/+2 +4 +4 +9 98 7th
15th +7/+2 +5 +5 +9 Bonus Feat 113 8th
16th +8/+3 +5 +5 +10 128 8th
17th +8/+3 +5 +5 +10 Bonus Feat 145 9th
18th +9/+4 +6 +6 +11 162 9th
19th +9/+4 +6 +6 +11 Bonus Feat 181 10th
20th +10/+5 +6 +6 +12 200 10th

Power builds APPROXIMATE original spells of this level. The level 9 spell cap was more one of a drying up of ideas (where do you go after the open ended and inherently broken "wish") than it was one of game balance. Neither are issues when it is a natural progression with no access to things like wish or miracle available

Class Skills (6 + Int modifier per level, ×4 at 1st level)
Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Decipher Script (Int), Knowledge (Int), Profession (Wis), Spellcraft (Int). Use Magic Device (Cha)

Class Features

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: All simple weapons.

Spells: The Cantrip Master combines spell effects with power builds to cast spontaneously. Effects may be cantrips or extracted from spells witnessed by the cantrip master. He keeps a spell book similar to a wizard's for cantrips and 0 lvl extractions. Prerequisite for casting is Spellcraft and Knowledge(arcana, nature or religion as appropriate) of double the source spell (for spell derived effects) and power levels.

Range and area of effect are spell level dependent. Lvls 0 & 1 - short range, lvl 2 - medium range, lvl 3+ - long range. Lvl 0 - 0', lvl 1 - 5', lvl 2 - 10', lvl 3+ - 20' radius OR x2 for a cone OR x6 for a line.

A power build looks like metamagic to an effect but like a spell to other metamagics. For all spell level dependencies (like DCs and prerequisites for feats and prestige classes) the spell build is used even if normal metamagics are included in the build

Cantrip Metamagic: The Cantrip Master creates power builds from metamagic. Every incremental change takes a power point unless otherwise noted. Normal metamagics incorporated into power builds take one power point per level adjustment and do not cause the normal increase in casting time.

Add in per level increments. NOTE: this is up to 5 beyond minimum caster level for the power level. Example: a a 3rd lvl power build cast at caster level 8 would get 3 extra dice.

Increase damage die type: d3 to d6 or d1 (like sonic snap) to d2 to d4

Increase area of effect: Personal (to touch is 3 points) to touch to ranged touch (ray) to area of effect to +50% for each additional level (if over lvl 3).

Increase Volumes (wall of stone, create water, fabricate, etc) or dice by 2x to 4x to 6x etc.

Increase duration from instantaneous (3 points) to rounds to minutes to 10 to 20 to 40 to hours.

Increase Summons and conjures change by category, size or CR as appropriate. (this duplicates normal Summons spells).

Bonus Feats: At every odd level the Cantrip Master gets any of the following feats: metamagic related, reserve (greater than one half power level squared points left), craft related.

Spells Known: The Cantrip master can remember 1 power build per class level modifier and 9 spell effects plus his intelligence modifier in each. Changing effects takes a normal study session but a power builds may only be changed when he goes up a level.

Cantrip Proficiency: The Cantrip Master gets a +2 bonus on concentration checks.

Spell Book: As a Wizard, the Cantrip Master starts with 4 effects in his spell book and gets to add 2 more every level.

Cantrip Mastery: At level 3 the Cantrip Master gets a free boost to the size of damage dice.


Campaign Information

Playing a Cantrip Master

Religion:Any.

Other Classes: Most other other classes just consider Cantrip Masters just another caster, but most other casters usually treat them with disdain if not outright animosity.

Combat: While potent, the Master's true strength is in freely trading off raw power for area and duration. At 4th lvl a typical major battle action might be a 10 round d6 of acid damage touch attack (forcing concentration checks), or a 2HP/round for 10 rounds cure wounds on the party tank.

Advancement: One good option is getting into Abjurant Champion to get massive AC bonuses on the party, but it is a long way to go...

Cantrip Masters in the World

To admit to our existence is to admit that it does not take a great man to cast great magic. Almost ANYONE can cast great magic.
—unknown Cantrip Master

Organizations: Altruistic bordering on religious, there are groups that believe time is a commodity and magic is everywhere, in all creatures and things. In exchange for time and effort to help mass produce community sanctum items, anyone can get a Cure Minor Wounds circlet that can cast CMW once a day, but whose normal use is to train "apprentices" to unlock their first spell slots. If they want at that they can either advance to lvl 1 or remain an apprentice with 6 cantrip slots indefinitely.

NPC Reactions: Most NPCs react to a Cantrip Master as they would any other caster. Many Elite caster organizations do all they can to suppress Cantrip Masters: if people can do things for themselves they will not be beholden to the usual sources for aid.

Cantrip Master Lore

Characters with ranks in Knowledge(Arcana or Religion) can research Cantrip Master to learn more about them. When a character makes a skill check, read or paraphrase the following, including information from lower DCs.

Knowledge(Arcana or Religion)
DC Result
5 General vitriol from local caster organizations.
10 Cantrip Masters often retire to small communities and help them with magic.
15 Cantrip Masters build up spells from basic effects and a peculiar form of metamagic.
20 Cantrip Masters view most magic as cantrips and can sometimes see the cantrip at the core of a spell being cast the way others can identify the spell.

Cantrip Masters in the Game

Cantrip Masters come in below Wizards and Sorcerers in raw power and never get the real fancy stuff. They make up for it to some extent with what borders on infinite flexibility with the spell effects and metamagic.

Adaptation: The same rules apply to other casting classes with the most notable exception being that cure/cause wounds dissalowed for extraction as they are way overpowered and covered by C/C minor wounds.

Sample Encounter: Chapters of The Order of MetaMagic Magnanimity periodically give commoners apprentice circlets in exchange for participation in ritual style item mass production. One of the items made are sanctum apprentice circlets. These are available for free use to those that need them in what looks like a holy water font with a ring over it. When a commoner uses one he drops it through the ring and it gets reduced for 24hrs as it passes through so the next person knows he is getting an operational ring.

In a smaller town, The Order is the center of life. The bank, the community center, the chapel. Most community members are Cantrip Masters of some sort even if not formally with a number wearing copper circlets. After exchanging several loads of coin for gems, if the party is not bringing stuff like coppers and such they will be asked if they could pass the coppers and such that are not worth carrying through a "donation ring" that teleports it to the Order's coffers.

The party might on occasion see town members come in use circlets from the font producing cure wounds now and rarely some other effect appropriate to town life. A particularly astute party member might notice a lack of draft animals nearby, and if in use be a much better chance of noticing that they are not animals at all, but a variant of the phantom steed spell. If it is the season and they up in the morning they will likely spot draft "animals" being led from the Order complex. They are actually phantom steed variants that are conjured as needed to do the farm work. When farmers are short or incapable of conjuring their own, they use the Order's sanctum items for free. Even stranger to a party unfamiliar with them, is the possibility of seeing young children casting cantrips - six years old or even younger playing with prestidigitation. Virtually the entire community are at least apprentices.

Becoming a Cantrip Master

Apprentice

All are apprentices, they just do not know it yet. All that is required is the use of an apprentice memory circlet to unlock the magic that is a part of them.

Master

Leveling

Over the course of time before reaching the next level, the Cantrip Master must add a gem to his circlet to hold a spell build for his next spell level if he is going to be getting one. Once he reaches the level, he trains that level by casting it's spells, using Versatile Spellcaster if need be. There is a 1 in 6 chance that any casting attempt will result in the gain of one of the level's spell builds or spell slots.

Epic Cantrip Master

The Cantrip Master gains a power build, max power cap, and bonus feat at ever odd level. At every odd level he gains half the points to the next even level. The power point total at even levels is 2*max*max This is approximately the total of the spell levels of a standard wizard

New Stuff

Effects

Effect Extraction

The Cantrip Master extracts Effects from scroll sand spell books (DC15+lvl Decipher script check). Every change reduces the spell level by one unless noted in the metamagic section. By this game mechanic the Cantrip Master can approximate many game spells. On successful Decipher script check the CM can retain the spell until transcribed, but only one spell may be retained at a time. The CM may choose to forget the spell to make attempt to retain another one. As a prerequisite to learning a spell effect he must have double the spell level in Knowledge (arcane, religion or nature as appropriate to the source).

Effect extraction covers most of what could be considered spell power and must be reduced by one for EVERY spell level.

Remove per level damage increments.

Reduce die size D6-3, D8-4-2-1 (Sonic Snap and the like are d1)

Reduce burst, line or cone to ranged touch

Reduce ranged touch to touch for one level or personal for 4 levels.

Volume spells divide by double the spell level to get to the cantrip. Example: a Wall of Stone is a 5th level spell that conjures a WoS that is up to 5 foot square/level, it reduces to 0.5 foot by 5 foot

Reduce duration effects (not delays) to from hours to 40 to 20 to 10 to minutes to rounds for 1 level each and to instantaneous for 3 additional levels

Summons and conjures change by category size or CR as appropriate. Summons require 1/2 lvl options (summon monster would be CR 1/4 as a cantrip) and a conjure like Phantom Steed could go either way (size or duration)

ANY effect can be made personal or instantaneous. Each step from spell to effect removes a discrete amount of magic even if the result makes no sense

Phantom Animal Tiny quadruped beast of burden (Phantom Steed) can obey simple commands and lasts 1 hour per level and can be empowered to increase size. Often used in communities to deliver small items around town.

Repair spells are limited to Repair Minor. Single HP lvl 0. While only 2HP at lvl 1 and 2, but becomes 4HP at lvl 3 and 8 as a lvl 2 spell

Shrink Item: personal

Dragonskin Personal, one round, natural armor +1 +1/2CL, Energy resistance 2xCL, Draconomicon pg 112

Items

Memory Circlet

The memory circlet is both training and spell memory. Gems to be added to the memory circlet are considered skill bonuses of the spell level: spell level (class and level 2 skills required to use). The saved spell memory may be changed in the same manner as natural memory. Any Cantrip Master can make memory gems for his next spell level.

Apprentice Circlet

A special case of the Memory Circlet, an Apprentice Circlet is NOT a Cantrip Master specific item. Instead it is explicitly for others to train with to get their first Cantrip slots. In order to do this it has 2 gems: one cantrip memory (6gp) and one cantrip slot (63gp+3xp). Well to do Masters often keep one on hand with 10 or 20 spell slots that will, hopefully, allow anyone interested to get their first cantrip slot on the spot.

Feats

Craft Wondrous

Craft Wondrous is available at level 2 only for making the next level practice power build gem, but at level 3 Craft Wondrous Item can be used normally

Sanctum Item

Sanctum Item Allows magic items can be made at 1/10 the cost but that only function in the room created in. While commonly used in Cantrip Master organizations, this would be a boon to any TRULY altruistic group.

Craft Epic Wand

Craft Epic Wand allows the creation of wands of 500 charges. Req: craft wand, knowledge(arcana) 25, spellcraft 25

Epic Spell Trigger

Metamagic Epic Spell Trigger allows triggering spells increased to over 9th lvl from magic items. Req: metamagic spell trigger, use magic device 25, spellcraft 25.

Ritual Crafting

Allows allows a leader to mass produce items sharing the experience cost among any number of people that have access to the spells. In many cases it is commoner's using circlets. Professional Ritual Crafters normally have the Sanctum Item feat as well and generally charge a fee of 10-25% of the sell price of the items made in a visit. Req: Cantrip Master lvl 5, knowledge arcana and spellcraft r8

Residual Magic

Can reuse metamagic from previous round. A spell build is a single metamagic for the purposes of this feat: the spell build may be applied on the following round for free if the same cantrip is cast. Complete Mage, p. 46

Genesis

In the beginning Gygax created the D20 and the D8. And the game was without rules, and void, and there was emptiness in the heads of the players. And Gygax said let there be classes, and there were classes. And Gygax saw the classes, and they were good. And Gygax separated the symbols from the swords. And Gygax called the symbols clerics and the swords he called fighters...

Seriously though... through a combination of a lot of thought, grind and play test the rules of magic were balanced so that while potent did not completely overshadow the rest of the game. Deferring to the magic caps table takes power from devious rule monkeys that would abuse something I missed or did not want to cap at the expense of something else and puts it back into the GM's hand... likewise, allowing players a chance of gaining a cantrip from ANY spell (well almost) used against them reigns in sadistic GMs.

It is written that every spell level has double the power of the previous one. So much is arbitrary, play tested and re-balanced and the conclusions were put into a table in the "arbitrating magic" section that caps various damage spells and fiats most others to "comparable spells". If a set of rules can consistently remove the power from spells to make them level 0 and then rebuild them to approximate the original and a few become overpowered, they were likely overpowered to begin with.

Then came metamagic... in and of itself it is balanced, partly by taking precious feats, partly by "metamagic adjustment" and by all classes having feats for specialization. But then came metamagic reduction, and while individual metamagic adjustments were somewhat balanced by requiring feats to use them, it allowed abuse though stacking that in some cases resulted in a negative metamagic level adjustment.

The Cantrip Master, in effect, does two things to magic while using a rule set described above: He splits spells into two pieces, the effect and the power, and he inverts metamagic. Instead of tacking metamagic onto the end of a spell, he makes it an integral portion of it. If you add power to make the effect last longer, either you have to use a higher level spell slot or displace something else. This makes for a lot of flexibility potentially making an acid splash act like an acid arrow (a single hit that deals damage over time).