The Gaming Den

So my wife luuurved 2e spell casters, which is unsurprising when you know that she learned D&D in a group that had this crazily overpowered spell point house rule that gave any caster the chance to successfully cast any spell on their list at 1st level, and later added a reduced chance to cast spells of a level higher than normal, like a 5% chance to pull off a wish at first level. Any-hoo, the freedom that house rule provided causes her to rage at straight 2e or 3e Vancian casting, as in frothing "your love is a trick" and "I'm going to my mother's" rage; she hates Vancian casting more than I hate 1e.

However, the Conduit and Fire Mage are huge hits with her.

So this is an effort to take Vance out of Casting and make a magical class that does exactly what a wizard does but hide the fact that it has per day abilities under the premise that you can have "unlimited" casting; basically the class boils down to a psychological shell game trick with the sphere mechanic so I can have marital harmony, as well as a party wizard. So without further ado...

Mage
"Vertical Power, Bitches!"


Description
Mages do Magic, and that means that they rock out with their male poultry out EVERY - SIX - SECONDS.

Deal with it.

Hit Die: d4
Skills Points: 2 + INT modifier, x4 at first level
Class Skills: Concentration, Decipher Script, Intimidate, Knowledge (All), Profession, Spellcraft, and Use Magic Device

Level	BAB	Fortitude	Reflex	Willpower	Ability
1	+0	+0	+0	+2	Mage Magic, Mage Armor, Magic Missile, Magical Sphere, Prestidigitation
2	+1	+0	+0	+3	Magical Sphere
3	+1	+1	+1	+3	Continual Flame, Resist Energy
4	+2	+1	+1	+4	Craft Wondrous Item, Identify
5	+2	+1	+1	+4	Magical Sphere
6	+3	+2	+2	+5	Clairaudience/Clairvoyance, Craft Magical Arms and Armor
7	+3	+2	+2	+5	Bestow Curse, Remove Curse
8	+4	+2	+2	+6	Magical Sphere
9	+4	+3	+3	+6	Telekinesis, Teleport
10	+5	+3	+3	+7	Spell Resistance, Stone Skin
11	+5	+3	+3	+7	Magical Sphere
12	+6/+1	+4	+4	+8	Control Weather, Eyebite
13	+6/+1	+4	+4	+8	Limited Wish, Plane Shift
14	+7/+2	+4	+4	+9	Magical Sphere
15	+7/+2	+5	+5	+9	Dimensional Lock, Symbol
16	+8/+3	+5	+5	+10	Antipathy, Sympathy
17	+8/+3	+5	+5	+10	Magical Sphere
18	+9/+4	+6	+6	+11	Freedom, Imprisonment
19	+9/+4	+6	+6	+11	Time Stop
20	+10/+5	+6	+6	+12	Magical Sphere

• Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Mages are proficient with daggers, light crossbows, slings, and quarterstaffs, but not proficient with any armor or shield. However, when using an armor or shield they are proficient with a Mage suffers no spell failure.
  
  Mage Magic (Ex): All spell-like abilities granted by the Mage class, including those granted by Magical Spheres, have Verbal and Somatic components if the spell description has them, and all save DCs are 10 + 1/2 the Mage's Hit Dice (rounded up) + the Mage's Intelligence Modifier. All spell-like abilities granted by the Mage class are considered to have spell level equal to 1/2 the Mage class level (rounded up) that gave access to that spell-like ability
  
  Mage Armor (Su): At first level a Mage may surround himself in an invisible field of force, granting him an armor bonus of 4 + 1/3 the Mage's Hit Dice. This is a [force] effect and works against touch attacks.
  
  Magic Missile (Sp): At first level a Mage may cast magic missile as a spell like ability at will.
  
  Magical Sphere (Sp): At first, second, and every third level after that, a Mage selects one Magical Sphere from the following list and gains basic access to that sphere: Abjuration, Conjuration, Divination, Enchantment, Evocation, Illusion, Necromancy, and Transmutation. If the Mage selects a sphere that they already has basic access to, they upgrade it to advanced access. If they already had advanced access, they gain expert access.
  When a Mage has basic access to a Magical Sphere, she can use any of the spells listed in the sphere may be used once per day (each) as spell-like abilities, provided that their listed level is equal or lower to the Mage's character.
  When a Mage has advanced access to a Magical Sphere, she can use any of the spells listed in the Magical Sphere may be used 3 times per day (each) as spell-like abilities, provided that their listed level is equal or lower to the Mage's character level.
  When a Mage has expert access to a Magical Sphere, any spells listed in the Magical Sphere may be used at will as spell-like abilities, provided that their listed level is equal or lower to the Mage's character level. Spell-like abilities used out of spheres are considered to be cast as a spell level equal to half the minimum needed character level to use the ability (rounded up).
  
  Prestidigitation (Sp): At first level a Mage may cast prestidigitation as a spell-like ability at will.
  
  Continual Flame (Sp): At third level a Mage may cast continual flame as a spell-like ability at will.
  
  Resist Energy (Sp): At third level a Mage may cast resist energy as a spell-like ability at will.
  
  Craft Wondrous Item (Ex): At fourth level, a Mage receives the Craft Wondrous Item feat as a Bonus Feat.
  
  Identify (Sp): At fourth level a Mage may cast identify as a spell-like ability once per day.
  
  Clairaudience/Clairvoyance (Sp): At sixth level a Mage may cast clairaudience/clairvoyance as a spell-like ability at will.
  
  Craft Magical Arms and Armor (Ex): At sixth level, a Mage receives the Craft Magical Arms and Armor feat as a Bonus Feat.
  
  Bestow Curse (Sp): At seventh level a Mage may cast bestow curse as a spell-like ability at will.
  
  Remove Curse (Sp): At seventh level a Mage may cast remove curse as a spell-like ability at will.
  
  Telekinesis (Sp): At ninth level a Mage may cast telekinesis as a spell-like ability at will.
  
  Teleport (Sp): At ninth level a Mage may cast teleport as a spell like ability at will; any roll of Mishap instead causes the spell-like ability to fail.
  
  Spell Resistance (Sp): At tenth level a Mage may cast spell resistance as a spell-like ability at will.
  
  Stone Skin (Sp): At tenth level a Mage may cast stone skin as a spell-like ability at will.
  
  Control Weather (Sp): At twelfth level a Mage may cast control weather as a spell-like ability at will.
  
  Eyebite (Sp): At twelfth level a Mage may cast eyebite as a spell-like ability at will.
  
  Limited Wish (Sp): At thirteenth level a Mage may cast limited wish as a spell-like ability once per day.
  
  Plane Shift (Sp): At thirteenth level a Mage may cast plane shift as a spell-like ability at will.
  
  Dimensional Lock (Sp): At fifteenth level a Mage may cast dimensional lock as a spell-like ability once per day.
  
  Symbol (Sp): At fifteenth level a Mage may cast symbol (out of the 3e PHB) as a spell-like ability at will.
  
  Antipathy (Sp): At sixteenth level a Mage may cast antipathy as a spell-like ability once per day.
  
  Sympathy (Sp): At sixteenth level a Mage may cast sympathy as a spell-like ability once per day.
  
  Freedom (Sp): At seventeenth level a Mage may cast freedom as a spell-like ability at will.
  
  Imprisonment (Sp): At seventeenth level a Mage may cast imprisonment as a spell-like ability at will.
  
  Time Stop (Ex): At nineteenth level a Mage may cast any spell like ability of 8th spell level or less as an immediate action.

Magical Spheres

• Abjuration
  Special: You may cast shield as a spell like ability at will. All your abjuration spell like abilities are cast with +1 caster level.
  1: Greater Glyph of Warding
  3: Greater Dispel Magic
  5: Magic Circle against Alignment
  7: Dimensional Anchor
  9: Break Enchantment
  11: Antimagic Field
  13: Spell Turning
  15: Mind Blank
  17: Prismatic Sphere
  19: Disjunction
  
  Conjuration
  Special: As a spell like ability, with a move action you may teleport to any square you have Line of Sight to.
  1: Orb of Fire
  3: Glitter Dust
  5: Sleet Storm
  7: Solid Fog
  9: Major Creation
  11: Planer Binding
  13: Magnificent Mansion
  15: Maze
  17: Binding
  19: Gate
  
  Divination
  Special: You are constantly under the effect of arcane sight as a supernatural ability, and gain Spot, Search, and Sense Motive as class skills.
  1: True Strike
  3: Detect Thoughts
  5: Tongues
  7: Scrying
  9: Contact Other Plane
  11: True Seeing
  13: Vision
  15: Discern Location
  17: Foresight
  19: Hindsight
  
  Enchantment
  Special: Gain Diplomacy as a class skill; you never take a penalty for using Diplomacy while rushed.
  1: Hypnotism
  3: Hideous Laughter
  5: Suggestion
  7: Emotion (3e PHB)
  9: Feeblemind
  11: Geas
  13: Insanity
  15: Mass Charm
  17: Binding
  19: Dominate Monster
  
  Evocation
  Special: Any creature or object damaged by your spell like abilities from the Evocation school receive additional damage equal to your hit dice or your Intelligence modifier, whichever is less.
  1: Lightning Bolt
  3: Cone of Cold
  5: Fireball
  7: Wall of Fire
  9: Wall of Force
  11: Contingency
  13: Prismatic Spray
  15: Bigby's Crushing Hand
  17: Meteor Swarm
  19: Wish
  
  Illusion
  Special: Gain Bluff, Sleight of Hand, and Hide as a class skills.
  1: Major Image
  3: Mirror Image
  5: Invisibility Sphere
  7: Shadow Conjuration
  9: Shadow Evocation
  11: Permanent Image
  13: Simulacrum
  15: Greater Shadow Evocation
  17: Weird
  19: Shades
  
  Necromancy
  Special: You may Rebuke Undead 3 + your Charisma modifier times per day just like an evil cleric, with an effective cleric level equal to your mage class level.
  1: Animate Dead
  3: Desecrate
  5: Harm
  7: Enervation
  9: Magic Jar
  11: Circle of Death
  13: Finger of Death
  15: Clone
  17: Wail of the Banshee
  19: Astral Projection
  
  Transmutation
  Special: As a supernatural ability, Gain Fast Healing 1; anyone you touch also gains Fast Healing 1 for as long as you touch them.
  1: Greater Magic Weapon
  3: Magic Vestment
  5: Fly
  7: Polymorph
  9: Fabricate
  11: Disintegrate
  13: Reverse Gravity
  15: Polymorph any Object
  17: Temporal Stasis
  19: Shapechange

* So this spell doesn't exist. Show Death is a Long Range, Verbal/Somatic, standard action casting time, 9th level divination that allows no Save and no SR. It targets a Single creature, who sees their whole life flash before their eyes, right up until the creature dies; and then the creature dies. an undead or construct targeted by this spell is automatically destroyed when this spell is successfully cast. This spell is not a [death] effect, but a mind blank causes the spell to fail because it cannot gain information about the target's life or death.

June 30, 2013 Edit: realized necromancers can't control undead, replaced at will soul bind with Rebuke Undead 3 + Charisma modifier times per day.

December 6, 2013 Edit: clarified how magical sphere SLAs are granted and added an s-block of the relevant rules from the Book of Fiends. Reformatted the table.

October 18, 2015 Edit: conjuration 1's Grease always struck me as underpowered, but Heal is also conjuration. Replaced Grease with Heal. Necromancy is changed again, loses Vampiric Touch for Harm.

June 13, 2016 Edit: That was a terrible idea. replaced Heal with Orb of Fire. Clarified what spell levels the granted SLAs are.

August 18, 2016 Edit: Removed show death, because it was pretty stupid; honestly, I thought it was dumb since the first iteration of this class. Replaced show death with hindsight.

April 15, 2020 Edit: The dueling fire and ice wizards graphic I used since the threads start has been removed by its host; radthemad4 found a mirror of it and the graphic is now restored. Added the word "Edit" to the edits starting June 13, 2016.

January 7, 2022 Edit: stopped an unintended interaction allowing where other class and feat abilities that interacted with spheres also interacted with *Magical Sphere*s, which was never intended. Divorced Magical Spheres from all interaction with that fiendish spheres would allow.

March 12, 2024 Edit: discord broke the image hosting of the dueling wizards, but Rad(TheMad4) helpfully reuploaded it to save us all from link rot. Thank u rad~♡

at first I didn't see the guitars in that picture and thought it was the truest depiction of a mage duel ever...

Hicks wrote:.So my wife..... Any-hoo, the freedom that house rule provided causes her to rage at straight 2e or 3e Vancian casting, as in frothing "your love is a trick" and "I'm going to my mother's" rage; she hates Vancian casting more than I hate 1e.

I just want to congratulate you on your excellent taste in women.

I'm gonna have to give this one a try sometime...

Added DR/Magic and energy resistance to to the Mage Armor ability.

Hicks wrote:Added DR/Magic and energy resistance to to the Mage Armor ability.

Now cementing that I will one day play a magic warrior by being Melee ANYTHING/Mage 1, point of BAB be damned.

I like this class.

I really like this class. Much easier for a mage than anything I've seen, and I feel dumb for not thinking of the idea before you.

Question: This seems like it hits about the True Fiend's level of balance, but that's an awful lot of spheres. So is this closer to the Barbarian or the ToF stuff?

I am actually trying to rearrange the class to only give out 8 spheres.

It needs play testing and a Same Game Test to fine tune it, but from a raw power perspective it should fall just behind a Tome Barbarian or Tome Fighter due to versatile spells available to it such as a 1/ day limited wish, and possible access to polymorph, simulacrum, planer binding, major creation, suggestion, major image, magic jar as at will SLAs.

Fixed the Magical sphere progression, removed Mage Armor's ability to provide DR and energy resistance, added stone skin, resist energy, dimensional anchor, antipathy, and sympathy SLAs.

You might want to clarify Basic access to each Magical Sphere or something.

See death has been changed to show death, and its casting time has been reduced to 1 action because upon further study mind blank would protect against it; there is no reason for it to take 1 round if there is an automatic defense.

I do not understand what needs to be clarified about the Magical Spheres, would you please be more specific?

The class seems pretty heavily front-loaded. Two levels provide amazing versatility to any character with a decent intelligence, but four levels hardly provide anything beyond that.

It would be fine if multiclassing was not allowed, but taking that third level is a very hard sell.

Part of the problem is how spheres work, particularly these ones. At low level the utility is dominated by the base ability and first level power; a mage that takes Evocation first is fucked, a diviner has no combat utility, and an enchanter is seriously underpowered. On the other hand, a 1st level transmuter is absolutely amazing. Perhaps that's intentional? It does follow the power of specialist wizard types almost exactly.

My inclination with this class is to not give the first sphere out until 2nd or 3rd level. Call it a "specialization". Have the specialization level up to expert access eventually; intersperse the specialization's advancement with secondary and tertiary foci.

At first level you need something better than magic missile. Some kind of damage or denial that keeps the mage from ever using her crossbow proficiency.

Magic missile averages 3.5 damage all day every day, it works against everything and reaches unerringly out to medium range as a standard action. A light crossbow averages 4.5 damage but requires a move action to reload, and against AC 11 (adjusted up or down based on the mage's dexterity modifier) that average drops to 2.7; there needs to be a 70% success rate before the crossbow pulls ahead of magic missile with an average of 3.6 damage. To put it another way, unless yor target is AC 6 (or AC 10 if you have a Dex mod of +4) stick with the magic missiles.

4th level Mage gives the ability to make single use spell trigger items and the ability to.make magic items for himself and the party.

If somebody can come up with a magical sphere progression that starts at second level, provides exactly 8 spheres, is regular and repeating, and ends at 20th level I'm all ears.

How about this as an additional evocation ability: Anytime you deal dakge with an evocation, add your level or your intelligence modifier, whichever is higher.

Bump the level one sphere to level three. There are just as many irregularities as before and the progression now starts at level two.

Hicks wrote:Magic missile averages 3.5 damage all day every day, it works against everything and reaches unerringly out to medium range as a standard action. A light crossbow averages 4.5 damage but requires a move action to reload, and against AC 11 (adjusted up or down based on the mage's dexterity modifier) that average drops to 2.7; there needs to be a 70% success rate before the crossbow pulls ahead of magic missile with an average of 3.6 damage. To put it another way, unless yor target is AC 6 (or AC 10 if you have a Dex mod of +4) stick with the magic missiles.

4th level Mage gives the ability to make single use spell trigger items and the ability to.make magic items for himself and the party.

If somebody can come up with a magical sphere progression that starts at second level, provides exactly 8 spheres, is regular and repeating, and ends at 20th level I'm all ears.

How about this as an additional evocation ability: Anytime you deal dakge with an evocation, add your level or your intelligence modifier, whichever is higher.

Why do you want a regular progression of exactly eight spheres? Why do you think that any character's primary attack should be only slightly better than an unimproved light crossbow?


The change in Evocation would make it a must-have for any low-level mage, because it actually makes magic missile useful.

---

I think my own opinion on appropriate abilities for a Tome "mage" class is pretty clear

Have you made any more changes to this class? This is lile what 4e intendrd to be but never figured out.

No; it has been in its final form since mid September. My wife had a chance to play one, said it was "interesting" due to utility powers making up for the raw damage and limited scope.she is accustomed to with fire mages, which is glowing praise from her.

Fun fact: Abjuration x3 does more damage than Evocation x3 from level 9 through 18. Telekinesis on acid flasks protected by greater glyph of warding + power attack + blitz.

It's a real shame for WotC that you weren't part of 4e development hahah.

I like that Transmutation Mages will have legitimate reason to use the non-{Tome Barbarian} Fightery-types as a mount.

I like a lot of this class, although Conjuration seems like a no-brainer to take. I don't know that I'd take it at 1st level every time, but I'd have it by level 5 for sure.

That move-action teleport is not only great for being wherever you want on the battle field at any time, but it also gets you out of most AoE situations (that don't block LoS) without a die roll. That's too good to not have.

I realise the answer for this is probably somewhere else but how are spheres affected by metamagic feats?

ckafrica wrote:I realise the answer for this is probably somewhere else but how are spheres affected by metamagic feats?

They are SLAs, so they don't interact with metamagic feats at all under regular 3.5 rules. You can use the meta SLA feats that are available.

Alternatively, you could use something like Alpha Metamagic rules for SLAs. But that is about it, since SLAs don't have slots.

Apologies for the huge necro.

I've created an account to say that this is probably my favourite class on the board. The flavour is fantastic, it's fairly straightforward, it's lean and clear, and honestly I think you could present it to newbies as "here's a not-Wizard so you can be a Wizard without having to *build* a 3.P Wizard". You pick the flavour of spells you want to specialize in and are given powerful spells of each level, so you don't have to go dumpster diving and get trapped by some garbage spell like Pathfinder's Snowball. I would love to play one some day.

I think there are some not unreasonable concerns about the dipping potential. Unless I'm missing some rules with spheres -- entirely possible as I come from a Pathfinder background where they don't exist -- it seems like you can take 1 Mage level and have career-scaling spells up to 9th level. I don't think this is a balance problem *necessarily*, but in my mind, this then reduces the Mage to "the class you always take 1-2 levels of then go into the thing you actually want to play". The idea of this is a huge shame imo, as I think basically everyone should want to just play a Mage 1-20 instead. There are any number of bandaid patches one can employ to solve this in whatever way tickles your particular fancy, though, so I'm not particularly worried about it so much as I am curious to hear thoughts on it, or if I'm missing something obvious that restricts dipping potential.

Again, this class is awesome. I'm totally ripping it off for my 3.P heartbreaker, with full credits to you and a link back here of course.