Raycaster (3.5e Class)

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Author: Eiji-kun (talk)
Date Created: 8-11-18
Status: Complete
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A spellcaster who focuses on rays and line attacks. Accuracy is the key, and you shall show laser is not difficult. 20 0 Poor Poor Good Good Prepared Arcane Spellcasting Full


Raycaster[edit]

LASER BEAM!

Making a Raycaster[edit]

Abilities: Raycasters can choose between Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma for their spellcasting ability, but whatever they choose they must all have a good Dexterity for both accuracy and defense. Constitution is vital to anyone, while Strength is unimportant.

Races: Any.

Alignment: Any.

Starting Gold: 5d4×10 gp (125 gp).

Starting Age: As wizard.

Table: The Raycaster

Hit Die: d6

Level Base
Attack Bonus
Saving Throws Special Spells per Day
Fort Ref Will 0th 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th 9th
1st +0 +0 +2 +2 Cantrips, Longshot (10 ft), Point Ray, Variable Casting 3 3
2nd +1 +0 +3 +3 Arcane Expansion (1st), Close Quarters Shooting 4 4
3rd +1 +1 +3 +3 Longshot (20 ft), Precise Shot 4 4 3
4th +2 +1 +4 +4 Arcane Expansion (2nd), Reflexive Ray 4 5 4
5th +2 +1 +4 +4 Bonus Feat, Longshot (30 ft) 4 5 4 3
6th +3 +2 +5 +5 Arcane Expansion (3rd), Penetrating Shot 5 5 5 4
7th +3 +2 +5 +5 Longshot (40 ft) 5 6 5 4 3
8th +4 +2 +6 +6 Arcane Expansion (4th), Chain Shot 5 6 5 5 4
9th +4 +3 +6 +6 Longshot (50 ft) 5 6 6 5 4 3
10th +5 +3 +7 +7 Arcane Expansion (5th), Bonus Feat 6 6 6 5 5 4
11th +5 +3 +7 +7 Longshot (60 ft) 6 6 6 6 5 4 3
12th +6 +4 +8 +8 Arcane Expansion (6th), Improved Penetrating Shot 6 6 6 6 5 5 4
13th +6 +4 +8 +8 Longshot (70 ft) 6 6 6 6 6 5 4 3
14th +7 +4 +9 +9 Arcane Expansion (7th), Twist Shot 7 6 6 6 6 5 5 4
15th +7 +5 +9 +9 Bonus Feat, Longshot (80 ft) 7 6 6 6 6 6 5 4 3
16th +8 +5 +10 +10 Arcane Expansion (8th), Improved Chain Shot 7 6 6 6 6 6 5 5 4
17th +8 +5 +10 +10 Longshot (90 ft) 7 6 6 6 6 6 6 5 4 3
18th +9 +6 +11 +11 Arcane Expansion (9th), Deadeye 8 6 6 6 6 6 6 5 5 4
19th +9 +6 +11 +11 Longshot (100 ft) 8 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 5 4
20th +10 +6 +12 +12 Arcane Expansion (9th), Bonus Feat, Omega Beam 8 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 5 5

Class Skills (4 + Int modifier per level, ×4 at 1st level)
Balance (Dex), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Hide (Dex), Knowledge (arcana) (the planes) (Int), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Profession (Wis), Search (Int), Spellcraft (Int), Spot (Wis), Tumble (Dex), Use Magic Device (Cha).

Class Features[edit]

All of the following are class features of the Raycaster.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Raycasters are proficient with all simple weapons. Raycasters are proficient with light armor but not shields. A raycaster can cast raycaster spells while wearing light armor without incurring the normal arcane spell failure chance. However, like any other arcane spellcaster, a raycaster wearing medium or heavy armor or using a shield incurs a chance of arcane spell failure if the spell in question has a somatic component (most do). A multiclass raycaster still incurs the normal arcane spell failure chance for arcane spells received from other classes.

Spells: A raycaster casts arcane spells which are drawn from the raycaster spell list. A raycaster must choose and prepare her spells ahead of time like a wizard. A raycaster may prepare and cast any spell on the raycaster spell list, provided that she can cast spells of that level, but she must choose which spells to prepare during her daily meditation. Meditating on spells takes 1 hour as a cleric.

To retrieve or cast a spell, a raycaster must have a mental ability score (chosen via Variable Casting) of at least 10 + the spell level (10 for 0-level spells, or 11 for 1st-level spells, and so on). The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against a raycaster's spell is 10 + the spell level + the raycaster's chosen ability modifier.

Like other spellcasters, a raycaster can cast only a certain number of spells of each spell level per day. Her base daily spell allotment is given on Table 1—5: The raycaster. In addition, she receives bonus spells per day if she has a high chosen mental ability score.

Raycasters know all "ray" and "line" spells from any spell list, as well as the following spells:

0—acid splash, arcane mark, detect magic, light, launch boltSpC, launch itemSpC, mage push, read magic, resistance

1st—blessed aimSpC, entropic shield, focusing chantSpC, gazer laser, guided shotSpC, guiding lightSpC, half shot, hawkeyeSpC, ice crystal phalanx, ice daggerSpC, lesser orb of acidSpC, lesser orb of coldSpC, lesser orb of electricitySpC, lesser orb of fireSpC, low-light visionSpC, luminous gazeSpC, magic missile, nimbus of lightSpC, produce flame, quickwind shield, sparklers, sting dart, thunderheadSpC, true strike

2nd—acid arrow, aiming at the targetSpC, battering ramSpC, blinding spittleSpC, cure light magic missile, electric loopSpC, embrace the wildSpC, force bit, levitate, listening lorecallSpC, magic option, malbolt, poison needle, protection from arrows, splinterboltSpC, tactical precisionSpC, trailing arcane mark

3rd—alhazarde lance, arcane bane, blindsightSpC, chain missileSpC, chaos beam blossom, circle danceSpC, darkfireSpC, dispel magic, fly, gnawing maggots, hailstonesSpC, icarus wings, magic hovermissile, magic missile battery, magic volley, mantis shrimp spear, piercing evocation, pogonip bomb, reverse arrowsSpC, see through fog, spell shield

4th—assay spell resistanceSpC, energy spheresSpC, force missilesSpC, greater blindsightSpC, magic missile sentry, moon boltSpC, orb of acidSpC, orb of coldSpC, orb of electricitySpC, orb of fireSpC, orb of forceSpC, orb of soundSpC, ray deflectionSpC, spell enhancerSpC, spicule barrage, vortex of teethSpC, white chains of corpora

5th—bloodied chains of pyrrhos, denial, inversion scope, mining beam, moonbowSpC, overland flight, project magic, shard stormSpC, spell dampen, spell resistance, true seeing, viscid globSpC, vulcan bomb, wind tunnelSpC

6th—antimagic field, belladone's death curse of snakes, black chains of durance, chain lightning, greater dispel magic, ruby ray of reversalSpC,

7th—drillbee infestation, item morph, prismatic spray, spell turning

8th—golden chains of kronos, lightning ringSpC, prismatic eyeSpC, protection from spells, stormrageSpC

9th—absorptionSpC, mage's disjunction, magic missile maelstrom, meteoric mortar, meteor swarm, reaving dispelSpC, solar catapult

Cantrips: Raycasters learn a number of cantrips, or 0-level spells, as noted on Table: Raycaster Spells Known under “Spells Known.” These spells are cast like any other spell, but they do not consume any slots and may be used again.

Longshot: Raycasters are master of ray and line spells. They may increase the range of these spells by 10 ft. At 3rd and every odd level thereafter the range increases by +10 ft. They can always choose to decrease the range of their spell down to the standard distance.

Point Ray (Sp): Raycasters gain a simple blast ability they may use at will as a standard action, dealing 1d6 points of magic damage + 1 point per class level out to a range of 50 ft (not including the benefits of Longshot). They may enhance themselves to apply weapon enhancements to this spell-like ability like it was a manufactured ranged weapon. It counts as a spell level equal to 1/2 your class level (minimum 1st).

The raycaster can spontaneously convert spell slots into a stronger point ray blast. As a free action they consume a spell slot and gain +2d6 damage per level of the spell consumed to their point ray attack (maximum +18d6 at 9th level spells).

Variable Casting: Raycasters can choose to base their spellcasting off of Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma, and gain minor benefits based on the ability score selected. Once chosen this ability cannot be changed.

Intelligence: You are a master of ballistics, and may fire your ray spells along ballistic curves like they were arrows. You may have a miss chance from concealment for shooting over an obstruction. You need vertical clearance equal to half the horizontal distance covered.

Wisdom: You are the master of sniping, and make headshots more often than most. Your ray spells gain a 19-20/x2 critical, and do not suffer any miss chance for firing into a grapple.

Charisma: You are the master of the arcane, and your rays carry intense force. Your rays have mass and you may perform combat maneuvers with your rays as if it were a one-handed weapon when within your normal reach, or further beyond if you have the ability to use these maneuvers on ranged attacks. You gain a bonus feat at 2nd for any Improved X combat maneuver feats such as Improved Disarm.

Arcane Expansion: Raycasters are very good at their job, but do learn the occasional spell outside of their specialization. At 2nd level the raycaster adds any one 1st level spell from any list of another class with 9th level spells (such as cleric, druid, or sorcerer/wizards). It becomes a spell known, and needs not be a ray or line. They gain an additional spell at 4th and every odd level beyond up to their highesgt spell level known.

Close Quarters Shooting (Ex): The 2nd level raycaster can fight in melee if they must, making point blank shots into the enemy. They no longer provoke for making ranged touch attacks in melee range, though they still need to cast defensively to avoid provoking. Their Point Ray ability no longer provokes for casting and does not need to be cast defensively.

Precise Shot: A raycaster gains Precise Shot as a bonus feat at 3rd level.

Reflexive Ray (Ex): A 4th level raycaster can make snap shots with their rays. They threaten out to their normal reach, and they may take an immediate action on an attack of opportunity to fire any ray spell of 1 standard action or less.

Bonus Feat: At 5th, 10th, 15th, and 20th level, a raycaster gains a bonus feat. At each such opportunity, she can choose a metamagic feat, any feat which applies to ranged attacks such as Far Shot, or Spell Mastery. The raycaster must still meet all prerequisites for a bonus feat, including caster level minimums.

Penetrating Shot: The 6th level raycaster can spend a full attack action to cast any standard action or less ray or line spell and modify it to breach through resistances. The spell ignores a number of points of damage reduction, energy resistance, hardness, and spell resistance equal to your level when augmented in this way. In addition rays and lines penetrate barriers as per lightning bolt, continuing on if they deal enough damage to breach until they reach the intended target or the extent of the spell range.

Chain Shot: The 8th level raycaster may cleave with their ray spells. If they successfully down a creature with one of their ray spells they may "cleave" and make another attack against a creature within 10 ft once per round.

Improved Penetrating Shot: At 12th level the raycaster's Penetrating Shot ability improves. They may now roll twice on spell resistance checks and take the better on any line or ray spells.

Twist Shot: The 14th level raycaster begins to learn how to curve their shots. If they miss with a ray spell, they may attempt to make the attack roll against any creatures beyond their missed target in a straight line. Line spells may be curved, shifting up to 5 ft off center from the beam to avoid or hit certain creatures or objects. They can shift in any direction any number of times, but only 5 ft away from the original path of the beam.

Improved Chain Shot: The 16th level raycaster's Chain Shot ability improves. They may now use it any number of times per round.

Deadeye (Su): The 18th level raycaster never misses if they know what square they are aiming for. They ignore all concealment, even total concealment, and may ignore the miss chance from blink provided they aim in the correct square.

Omega Beam: At 20th level, the raycaster may make any ray spell they cast as an omega beam 1/day, the beam zig zagging through reality and even through time and space to strike its target. The spell never misses though you do not roll and thus cannot critical hit. It ignores all spell resistance, damage reduction, and energy resistance but saves and immunities still apply. You may also delay its effect up to 1 week, apply a contingency in which it strikes (as per contingency), or dismiss a contingent omega beam in waiting. The target is aware of the contingency and may take steps to negate or otherwise prevent the ray from taking effect. Beyond that nothing short of divine intervention will prevent the ray from striking at its appointed time. You may only have one omega beam in contingency at one time. Activating a contingent omega beam is a free action.

Halfling Raycaster Starting Package[edit]

Weapons: Club.

Skill Selection: Pick a number of skills equal to 4 + Int modifier.

Skill Ranks Ability Armor
Check
Penalty
Concentration 4 Con
Knowledge Arcana 4 Int
Spellcraft 4 Int
Spot 4 Wis

Feat: Point Blank Shot.

Gear: Chain Shirt.

Gold: 25 gp.

Campaign Information[edit]

Playing a Raycaster[edit]

Religion: Religion is not of any particular relevance to the raycaster.

Other Classes: Other classes just think you as the glass cannon. Keep the raycaster safe so you can rain now lasers from afar.

Combat: Stay at range and spam beams. Justice rains from above!

Advancement: Any spellcasting advancing class can work, but you'll miss out of various augments to your lines and rays.

Raycaster in the World[edit]

Concentrate your mind, mutter the spell to mini-elemental reactor tenderly, aim at someone you don't like... now! Unleash your annihilation of love! Laser... is not difficult.
—Marisa, Human Raycaster

Daily Life: What does one do with all that precision? Perhaps you are precise in all things, or perhaps you enjoy hunting or games of accuracy.

Organizations: Due to the flash, spectacle, and to an extent skill required raycasters may be the sports superstars of their field.

NPC Reactions: Most NPCs will have no experience with your beam launching powers. If they are, it is probably not safe.

Raycaster Lore[edit]

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

Knowledge Arcana
DC Result
10 Raycasters are evokers who specialize in ray and line spells. Their accuracy is unmatched, but their variation is limited.
15 Raycasters are able to augment their lines and rays in ways which are not unlike free metamagic effects.
20 Powerful raycasters can curve the bullet and shoot around corners, or hit without error.
30 Those that reach this level of success can search for specific raycasters, their behavior, lore, and other details.

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Eiji-kun's Homebrew (5605 Articles)
Eiji-kunv
Article BalanceVery High +
AuthorEiji-kun +
Base Attack Bonus ProgressionPoor +
Class AbilityPrepared Arcane Spellcasting +
Class Ability ProgressionFull +
Fortitude Save ProgressionPoor +
Identifier3.5e Class +
Length20 +
Minimum Level0 +
RatingUndiscussed +
Reflex Save ProgressionGood +
SkillBalance +, Concentration +, Craft +, Hide +, Knowledge +, Listen +, Move Silently +, Profession +, Search +, Spellcraft +, Spot +, Tumble + and Use Magic Device +
Skill Points4 +
SummaryA spellcaster who focuses on rays and line attacks. Accuracy is the key, and you shall show laser is not difficult. +
TitleRaycaster +
Will Save ProgressionGood +