Archmage: Difference between revisions
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<seo title="Archmage prestiege class" metak="ravenloft,archmage,neverwinter nights,nwn,game,rpg,persistent world,pw,d&d,dungeons & dragons" metad="The Archmage prestiege class on Time of Unparalleled Darkness - a NWN1 persistent world set in the Ravenloft Campaign Setting" /> | |||
[[File:Archmage.png|right|class=archmage|Sarabeth d'Gange, Ghastrian sorceress and archmage]] | |||
''Original Tabletop source: Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting 3.0'' | ''Original Tabletop source: Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting 3.0'' | ||
'''''Note:''' The below describes a class not yet fully implemented in Time of Unparalleled Darkness, and thus may change in its final implementation.'' | '''''Note:''' The below describes a class not yet fully implemented in Time of Unparalleled Darkness, and thus may change in its final implementation.'' | ||
---- | |||
The highest art is magic - often referred to as the Art. Its most advanced practitioners are frequently '''archmages''', bending spells in ways unavailable to other spellcasters. The archmage gains strange powers and the ability to alter spells in remarkable ways, but must sacrifice some of her spell capability in order to master these arcane secrets. | |||
== Roleplaying as an Archmage == | == Roleplaying as an Archmage == | ||
=== Backgrounds of Archmagi === | === Backgrounds of Archmagi === | ||
As the name implies, an archmage is an arcane spellcaster - usually a wizard, or sorcerer, though it is not the sole domain of these classes, and warmages in particular whom become archmages are also known. Most of them grew and learned for some time in their powers before they manifested what truly could be called that of the archmage: whatever their arcane background, an archmage is seperated from other casters in their mastery of the weave, such that they can create powerful new effects out of already existing spells. | |||
=== Alignment and Religion === | === Alignment and Religion === | ||
The path of the archmage demands rigourous study, or experimentation, or both, to conquer, and as such it tends to appeal much more to those whom hold the studious life close: lawful aligned characters are much more suited for it than others. There is still a place for the savant creative, provided they are exceptionally creative. | |||
Locally to Ravenloft, religious archmages are relegated almost exclusively to either the worship of Hala, or the Church of Ezra, though archmages of the latter are often cloistered away from the world to avoid the many allegations of using the powers of the Legion that may be brought against them by the uninitiated or the malicious otherwise. Otherwise the outlander faiths of Mystra and Azuth tend to be the primary source of archmages that walk the Core. Many archmages too are simply not strongly religious: their calling is their magic, not a faith. | |||
=== The Archmage as Adventurers === | === The Archmage as Adventurers === | ||
| Line 16: | Line 27: | ||
* '''A large difference from tabletop is this class has been stretched to balance it''': in tabletop it is a prestige class with 5 levels allowing a High Arcana each level. In Time of Unparalleled Darkness, Archmage is a 10 level prestige class which allows you a high arcana at level 2 and each second level after. | * '''A large difference from tabletop is this class has been stretched to balance it''': in tabletop it is a prestige class with 5 levels allowing a High Arcana each level. In Time of Unparalleled Darkness, Archmage is a 10 level prestige class which allows you a high arcana at level 2 and each second level after. | ||
* To lessen the effects of the above | * To lessen the effects of the above change, the requirement for knowledge of at least 5 fifth level spells from different schools is abolished. | ||
* Knowledge (Arcana) is combined into the Occultism skill in Time of Unparalleled Darkness, and as such, the requirement for it is substituted with Occultism. | * Knowledge (Arcana) is combined into the Occultism skill in Time of Unparalleled Darkness, and as such, the requirement for it is substituted with Occultism. | ||
* Due to engine limitations, an Archmage may not select a higher level slot when discarding a slot for their High Arcana. | |||
* All things given as "per day" in tabletop become "per rest" in Time of Unparalleled Darkness. | * All things given as "per day" in tabletop become "per rest" in Time of Unparalleled Darkness. | ||
| Line 34: | Line 46: | ||
== Prestige Class Abilities == | == Prestige Class Abilities == | ||
===== '''High Arcana''' ===== | |||
An archmage gains the opportunity to select a special ability from among those described below by permanently eliminating one existing spell slot (she cannot eliminate a spell slot of higher level than the highest-level spell she can cast). Each special ability has a minimum required spell slot level, as specified in its description. | |||
====== Arcane Fire (Su) ====== | |||
The archmage gains the ability to change arcane spell energy into arcane fire, manifesting it as a bolt of raw magical energy. The bolt is a ranged touch attack with long range (400 feet + 40 feet/level of archmage) that deals 1d6 points of damage per class level of the archmage plus 1d6 points of damage per level of the spell used to create the effect. This ability costs one 9th-level spell slot. | |||
====== Arcane Reach (Su) ====== | |||
The archmage can use spells with a range of touch on a target up to 30 feet away. The archmage must make a ranged touch attack. Arcane reach can be selected a second time as a special ability, in which case the range increases to 60 feet. This ability costs one 7th-level spell slot. | |||
====== Mastery of Counterspelling ====== | |||
When the archmage counterspells a spell, it is turned back upon the caster as if it were fully affected by a spell turning spell. If the spell cannot be affected by spell turning, then it is merely counterspelled. This ability costs one 7th-level spell slot. | |||
====== Mastery of Elements ====== | |||
The archmage can alter an arcane spell when cast so that it utilizes a different element from the one it normally uses. This ability can only alter a spell with the acid, cold, fire, electricity, or sonic descriptor. The spell’s casting time is unaffected. The caster decides whether to alter the spell’s energy type and chooses the new energy type when he begins casting. This ability costs one 8th-level spell slot. | |||
====== Mastery of Shaping ====== | |||
The archmage can alter area and effect spells that use one of the following shapes: burst, cone, cylinder, emanation, or spread. The alteration consists of creating spaces within the spell’s area or effect that are not subject to the spell. The minimum dimension for these spaces is a 5-foot cube. Furthermore, any shapeable spells have a minimum dimension of 5 feet instead of 10 feet. This ability costs one 6th-level spell slot. | |||
====== Spell Power ====== | |||
This ability increases the archmage’s effective caster level by +1 (for purposes of determining level-dependent spell variables such as damage dice or range, and caster level checks only). This ability costs one 5th-level spell slot. | |||
Latest revision as of 15:56, 26 August 2024
Original Tabletop source: Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting 3.0
Note: The below describes a class not yet fully implemented in Time of Unparalleled Darkness, and thus may change in its final implementation.
The highest art is magic - often referred to as the Art. Its most advanced practitioners are frequently archmages, bending spells in ways unavailable to other spellcasters. The archmage gains strange powers and the ability to alter spells in remarkable ways, but must sacrifice some of her spell capability in order to master these arcane secrets.
Roleplaying as an Archmage
Backgrounds of Archmagi
As the name implies, an archmage is an arcane spellcaster - usually a wizard, or sorcerer, though it is not the sole domain of these classes, and warmages in particular whom become archmages are also known. Most of them grew and learned for some time in their powers before they manifested what truly could be called that of the archmage: whatever their arcane background, an archmage is seperated from other casters in their mastery of the weave, such that they can create powerful new effects out of already existing spells.
Alignment and Religion
The path of the archmage demands rigourous study, or experimentation, or both, to conquer, and as such it tends to appeal much more to those whom hold the studious life close: lawful aligned characters are much more suited for it than others. There is still a place for the savant creative, provided they are exceptionally creative.
Locally to Ravenloft, religious archmages are relegated almost exclusively to either the worship of Hala, or the Church of Ezra, though archmages of the latter are often cloistered away from the world to avoid the many allegations of using the powers of the Legion that may be brought against them by the uninitiated or the malicious otherwise. Otherwise the outlander faiths of Mystra and Azuth tend to be the primary source of archmages that walk the Core. Many archmages too are simply not strongly religious: their calling is their magic, not a faith.
The Archmage as Adventurers
Archmagi in Society
Differences from Tabletop
- A large difference from tabletop is this class has been stretched to balance it: in tabletop it is a prestige class with 5 levels allowing a High Arcana each level. In Time of Unparalleled Darkness, Archmage is a 10 level prestige class which allows you a high arcana at level 2 and each second level after.
- To lessen the effects of the above change, the requirement for knowledge of at least 5 fifth level spells from different schools is abolished.
- Knowledge (Arcana) is combined into the Occultism skill in Time of Unparalleled Darkness, and as such, the requirement for it is substituted with Occultism.
- Due to engine limitations, an Archmage may not select a higher level slot when discarding a slot for their High Arcana.
- All things given as "per day" in tabletop become "per rest" in Time of Unparalleled Darkness.
It should be noted that this is based on the original Forgotten Realms version, not the later one.
Prestige Class Requirements
To become an archmage, a character must fulfill all the following requirements:
Skills: Occultism 15 ranks, Spellcraft 15 ranks
Feats: Skill Focus (Spellcraft), two or more Spell Focus feats.
Spellcasting: Ability to cast 7th-level arcane spells.
Prestige Class Features
Prestige Class Abilities
High Arcana
An archmage gains the opportunity to select a special ability from among those described below by permanently eliminating one existing spell slot (she cannot eliminate a spell slot of higher level than the highest-level spell she can cast). Each special ability has a minimum required spell slot level, as specified in its description.
Arcane Fire (Su)
The archmage gains the ability to change arcane spell energy into arcane fire, manifesting it as a bolt of raw magical energy. The bolt is a ranged touch attack with long range (400 feet + 40 feet/level of archmage) that deals 1d6 points of damage per class level of the archmage plus 1d6 points of damage per level of the spell used to create the effect. This ability costs one 9th-level spell slot.
Arcane Reach (Su)
The archmage can use spells with a range of touch on a target up to 30 feet away. The archmage must make a ranged touch attack. Arcane reach can be selected a second time as a special ability, in which case the range increases to 60 feet. This ability costs one 7th-level spell slot.
Mastery of Counterspelling
When the archmage counterspells a spell, it is turned back upon the caster as if it were fully affected by a spell turning spell. If the spell cannot be affected by spell turning, then it is merely counterspelled. This ability costs one 7th-level spell slot.
Mastery of Elements
The archmage can alter an arcane spell when cast so that it utilizes a different element from the one it normally uses. This ability can only alter a spell with the acid, cold, fire, electricity, or sonic descriptor. The spell’s casting time is unaffected. The caster decides whether to alter the spell’s energy type and chooses the new energy type when he begins casting. This ability costs one 8th-level spell slot.
Mastery of Shaping
The archmage can alter area and effect spells that use one of the following shapes: burst, cone, cylinder, emanation, or spread. The alteration consists of creating spaces within the spell’s area or effect that are not subject to the spell. The minimum dimension for these spaces is a 5-foot cube. Furthermore, any shapeable spells have a minimum dimension of 5 feet instead of 10 feet. This ability costs one 6th-level spell slot.
Spell Power
This ability increases the archmage’s effective caster level by +1 (for purposes of determining level-dependent spell variables such as damage dice or range, and caster level checks only). This ability costs one 5th-level spell slot.
