User:Ubergeek63/Cantrip Master (3.5e Class)

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Author: Ubergeek63 (talk)
Date Created: 7/15/2011
Status: development
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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[edit]

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.

NOTE to all you spoiled brat power gamers: While you are not satisfied with SRD RAW never mind SRD RAI, here is proof that a class can be made balanced with plenty of flexibility that breaks all the rules by not being SAD never mind MAD. Casts by SKILL instead of by ability, no level cap in either class or "spell" power, handicapped not crippled by loss of all items. Wizards can do anything... sorcerers trade that for more raw power and psions trade it for flexability... the cantrip master instead trades raw power for flexability.

Making a Cantrip Master[edit]

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: Breaks spells down into level 0 effects and metamagic power builds using skill ranks instead of ability score to determine spells available. No spell or class level caps - just keeps growing as shown.

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 Spell
Levels
/Day
Maximum
Power
Fort Ref Will
1st +0 +0 +0 +2 Cantrip Metamagic 1 1st
2nd +1 +0 +0 +3 Craft Wondrous 2 1st
3rd +1 +1 +1 +3 3 2nd
4th +2 +1 +1 +4 4 2nd
5th +2 +1 +1 +4 Bonus Feat,
Cantrip Spell Trigger
7 3rd
6th+ +3 +2 +2 +5 9 3rd
7th +3 +2 +2 +5 13 4th
8th +4 +2 +2 +6 16 4th
9th +4 +3 +3 +6 21 5th
10th +5 +3 +3 +7 Bonus Feat 25 5th
11th +5 +3 +3 +7 61 6th
12th +6/+1 +4 +4 +8 36 6th
13th +6/+1 +4 +4 +8 43 7th
14th +7/+2 +4 +4 +9 49 7th
15th +7/+2 +5 +5 +9 Bonus Feat 57 8th
16th +8/+3 +5 +5 +10 64 8th
17th +8/+3 +5 +5 +10 73 9th
18th +9/+4 +6 +6 +11 81 9th
19th +9/+4 +6 +6 +11 91 10th
20th +10/+5 +6 +6 +12 Bonus Feat 100 10th
21th +10/+5 +6 +6 +12 AND SO ON 111 11th

This table can be summarized as poor BAB, poor Fort, poor Ref, good Will, Maximum Power increase and an additional power build every odd level, at even class levels the total spell levels is maximum power squared, and a bonus feat every 5th level. The Cantrip Master starts with 6 cantrip slots and 2 power builds.

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

Class Features[edit]

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: All simple weapons.

Spells: The Cantrip Master combines spell effects with Cantrip Metamagic to cast spontaneously. He keeps a spell book similar to a wizard's that allows him to change which effects and builds that he has currently available in the evening's study while replenishing an cantrips he actually used.

Cantrip Metamagic:

The Cantrip Master creates power builds from metamagic. Every incremental change takes a spell level unless otherwise noted. Prerequisite for casting is Spellcraft and Knowledge(arcana, nature or religion as appropriate) of double the source spell (for spell derived effects). Normal metamagics incorporated into power builds do not increase casting time.
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
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.
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).

Cantrip Spell Trigger While the function is the same as the metamagic feat, this can only be used to apply power builds to cantrip spell trigger items (usually CM wands).

Bonus Feats: At every 5th level, the Cantrip Master gets any of the following bonus feats: metamagic related, reserve (greater than one half power level squared points left), or craft related.

Spells Known: A Cantrip Master has no spell list of his own but instead adds the any spell to his list that he extracts the effect out of. Changing effects and power builds takes a normal study session like a wizard studying his spells but his power is replenished after he sleeps like a sorcerer.


Campaign Information[edit]

Playing a Cantrip Master[edit]

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[edit]

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[edit]

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 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[edit]

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[edit]

To a Cantrip Master all are apprentices, they just do not know it yet. All that is required is to practice with an apprentice memory circlet to unlock the magic that is a part of them.

Leveling[edit]

Over the course of time before reaching the next level, the Cantrip Master will craft and 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. There is a 1 in 6 chance that any casting attempt will result in the gain of one of the level's spell slots.

The Cantrip Master gains a power build, power point total, max build level every odd class level. At every odd level he gains half the points to the next even level. The power point total at even levels is the current max build level squared. This is approximately one half the total spell levels that a standard wizard gets. In exchange for the raw power he can get spells from ANY scroll and can apply power builds to cantrip wands

New Stuff[edit]

Effect Extraction The Cantrip Master extracts Effects from scrolls and 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. The CM must replace a currently known cantrip with the new one in a slot until he can record it in his spell book. 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 3 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

Sample Cantrips

Phantom Animal is a tiny quadruped beast of burden (Phantom Steed) that 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.

Shrink Item: personal

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

Items

Memory Circlet 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 levelx2 skill RANKS required to use). The saved spell memory may be changed while studying. Any Cantrip Master can make memory gems for his next spell level.

Apprentice Circlet As special case of the Memory Circlet, is NOT a Cantrip Master specific item. Instead it is explicitly for others to train with to get their first Cantrip slots. The most basic circlet has a single gem: a cantrip to practice memory to develop the apprentices first cantrip slot. The most advanced are usually sanctum items with a cantrip, 20 cantrip slots, versatile spell caster, and a power build that will usually enable complete training in the basics in a single day (advancing the apprentice to class level 1 cantrip master immediately).

Feats and special rules for them

Craft Wand is the same as Craft Wand accept that a Cantrip Master can and normally will make 5 cantrip wands of the same type a day by making them with class and alignment restrictions.

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 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 allows the creation of wands of 500 charges. Req: craft wand, knowledge(arcana, religion or nature) 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, nature and religion) 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[edit]

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).