Crystal gazer

[graham anderson]

I dont think this is quite right so I am putting it in to get peoples idea's.

I thought there was a gem caster prestige class somewhere but i cant find it in the 3rd ed books.

Requirements: Magician

Alignment :any
Base save bonus: fortitude +4
Skills : craft (gemcutting) +4
Feats : craft wonderous item

Special: You must craft a wonderous item attuned gem which allows you to begin the path.
Class Skills: Concentration, craft (any) , knowledge (any) , profession (any) , spellcraft , scry , alchemy

skill points at each level: 4 + int modifier

Class / Base att / fort / ref / will / special / spells per day
1 +0 +1 +0 +1 Gem attunement / +1 level of class
Gem component
2 +1 +1 +0 +2 Improoved spells +1 level of class
3 +1 +2 +1 +2 Spell boost +1 level of class
4 +2 +3 +1 +2 1st greater gem focus +1 level of class
5 +2 +3 +1 +2 +1 level of class
6 +3 +4 +2 +3 2nd greater gem focus +1 level of class
7 +3 +4 +2 +3 +1 lev
8 +4 +4 +2 +4 3rd greater gem focus +1 lev
9 +4 +5 +2 +5 +1 lev
10 +5 +5 +2 +6 Master fo mabhaigl +1 lev

Class Features:

At each level a new gem must be crafted at increasing cost.

All spells are cast threw the gems if the gems are lost you can make them again but until you do so you are a common magician.

Weapon and armour proficiency: no additional.

Gem Attunement: The crystal gazer can store spells in gems and crystals. Each gem or crystal can hold one spell. This enables you to use scribe scroll to write spells to gems.

Gem Component: A crystal gazer can replace components with a prepared gem or crystal of equal value to the component it takes 10 minutes to prepare them and they shatter as the spell is cast.

Improoved spells: The crystal gazer can access wizard spells of 1st and 2nd level that are not normaly available to magicians. When these spells are cast the wizard must make a fort save at DC 10 +spell level to resist paralysis for a number of turns equal to the spell level.

Spell Boost: You can increase the effective level of spells cast using an attuned gem. Make a fort save at difficulty 15 +spell level or take D3 x spell level in damage.

Greater Gem focus:
1: Realm Focus
Requires a mabhaigl stone to construct
Allows the crystal gazer to cast a 1st level realm spell once a year.

2: Wizard focus
Requires a sielshegh gem to construct
Allows the wizard access to 3rd level wizard spells like improoved spells.

3: Gem of spell focus
Take spell penetration or spell focus as a bonus feat.

4: Greater gem of spell focus
Take greater spell focus as a bonus feat

5: Gem of grounding
-2 to the diffucalty of the fort saves for the prestige class

6: others

Master of mabhaigl:
The magician gains enough knowledge of the land that they can now learn and cast battle spells . When a battle spell is cast make a fort save at DC 15 + level of spell or suffer d6 x spell level

[graham anderson]

curse the formating

[Ming I]

Well there is this gem-focused prestige class but it is for a psionics-using character:

The Crystal Master (http://www.wizards.com/dnd/article.asp?x=dnd/psi/psi20020823b)

With magic being as rare as it is, it seems a little strange to see a prestige class like this, but I don't like to stifle creativity so I'll just ask some questions: Prestige Classes don't (to the best of my knowledge) require the character to be of a specific class before being able to take it; why does this one?
Since Fortitude saves measure a creature's ability to stand up to massive physical punishments or attacks against their vitality and health, what about this class suggests the need for a base Fortitude save bonus of +4?
Wouldn't the Attune Gem item creation feat from Magic of Faerun be more appropriate than Craft Wondrous Item?
All this class seems to do is cast spells through gems, why would they need 4 skill points instead of 2?
Improved Spells: Aren't all 1st and 2nd level spells normally available to magicians?
Spell Boost: Is this supposed to be an effect similar to the Heighten Spell Metamagic Feat?
Realm Focus/Gem Focus: Do you think it is wise to give a class an ability that is only useable when using ancient rare artifacts?
Gem of Grounding: Shouldn't this be a circumstance bonus to Fortitude saves caused by this Prestige Class?

Looking forward to your answers!

[irdeggman]

1st off no prestige class should have as a prerequisite of being a specific class this is a fundamental precept of prestige classes. Now it is possible write the prequisite such that it greatly favors certain classes, but not at the resitriction of being one. You could make it be non-blooded which would narrow it down some although not eliminate other classes or elves.

2nd 3.5 removed the scry skill. alchemy is now craft - alchemy

It requires being blooded in order to cast realm spells, even elves who can normally cast greater magics can't cast realm spells unless they are blooded. No prestige class should bypass this restriction.

You have a prerequisite of being a magician and then go on to specify wizard in the abilities list.

What is a "wonderous item attuned gem"? If it is a prequisite then it should be clearly defined what this means.

I assume you meant +1 level of existing arcane spellcasting class since it is really only about arcane spellcasters.

[RaspK_FOG]

Refer to Magic of Faerûn for atuning with gems.

[graham anderson]

The reason for magician being a prequisite is that magicians are different from wizards an birthright. The crystal gazer trys to chanel more mabhaighl threw the use of attuned gems. An attuned gem is a gem that is shaped to allow the safe flow of mabhaighl. I think its a nice idea to have it bye passed and it is bye pased in one instance in the books in the elven realm in the rjurik book. To take that ability you would have to find an incredibly rare item and it is a once a year use.

I specify wizard in the special abilitys as the magician can channel more mabhaighl it becomes able to cast certain wizard spells all be it with a risk of damaging its self as it isn't designed to have so much mabhaighl flowing threw it.

certain prestige classes do require specific classes like the sorcerer class don't believe me look at the books dragon disciple for one.

they require fortitude as channeling more magic causes damage to thier bodies.

Attune gem might be a better prequisite i just forgot about it and i will change it most probably this is exactly the sort of thing i was looking for.

generaly the powers here arent as powerfull as some of the prestige classes the 4 skill points are down to this.

Improoved spells are there as not all 1st 2nd level spells are available in the playtest.

The realm focus etc is there along with more usable abilitys as if you knew gem based magic and got hold of one of the ancient artifacts what would you do.(i would have it there are legends of an ancient crystal gazer that has one of the items and the legends say he go do this with it, or if crystal gazers were an order that the head of the order has one.)

Gem of grounding well frase it however you want it gives you a bonus to fort.

There are few spellcasters, wizards anyway although in the latter books they sort of say its only that there are very few human wizards the elves have quite a few. However the books do say that magician heavily outnumber wizards so there is no reason not to have a magician prestige class this one , bloodline hound maybe others.

Also in the old books there seems to be a prestige class for wizards the dragon disciple one in fact just look at the warlock and ohrleck the dragon from the rjurik highlands.

Forgot about scry being removed as well.

Thanks for the input.

[irdeggman]

Originally posted by RaspK_FOG@Feb 26 2004, 07:47 PM
Refer to Magic of Faerûn for atuning with gems.
Shouldn't make using a FR book a prerequisite to understanding a BR class. Not everyone has them, uses them or plays FR.

[Ming I]

Okay, I think I see where you're going with this.

You might want to look at, the Spellfire Channeler Prestige class (also from Magic of Faerun) for ideas. To ensure that the Spellfire Channeler could handle the strain of channeling such raw magical energy they had to take the Endurance feat as one of their prerequisites. Also to represent the strain of channeling it isn't a Fortitude save, but a Constitution check that is required.

Instead of all the changing multipliers for different checks you might want to think of a simple 1d4 Con damage/level of spell. This would show that magicians aren't suppose to be playing with this kind of power, but could if they REALLY wanted to.

The dragon disciple doesn't require you to be a sorcerer, it requires you to have the ability to cast arcane spells without preparation. This is actually quite broad. A gnome in 3.x can cast 0-level cantrips, so technically a gnome character could take this class the moment they accumulated 8 ranks in Knowledge (Arcana). It's not just limited to arcane spell casters who spontaneously cast like sorcerers or bards. I would change the racial restrictions to:

Any non-elf, non-blooded character

Since a blooded character or elf could channel this energy without such dire consequences.

As for the 4 skill points/level unless the character has more than a few skills that "belong" to other classes it should be stuck with 2+int/level.

Fair enough on the Gem of Grounding issue. :D

Is Spell Boost supposed to act like Heightened Spell? If so, you might want to think about just giving Crystal Gazer's that feat for free, or requiring it as a pre-requisite.

I hope these suggestions have been at least a little helpful.

[tcharazazel]

Actually in the Tomb and Blood, page 55, the Dragon Deciple has the prereq that they must be able to cast arcane spells without preperation, it does not say that they have to be a socerer.

So maybe have the prereq not be for just magician instead have it just be for a limited non-spontaneous arcane spellcaster, where their class limits their access to arcane spells. This would exclude wizards as their class allows them access to all arcane spells, and specializing is not required for the standard class (tho i noticed that humans are all specialists in BR and elves are all generalists). Along with excluding the bards and sorcerers.

As magicians are the only class that would realy fit the prereq there ya go :) heheh.

**edit**
Heh, ming beat me to it

[irdeggman]

Let's see, since there are only about 3 dozen or so Mebhaighl stones in existance how useful is this really? It seems awful restrictive and not much of a class ability since it is not going to be widely appicable to the class.

The same can be said of using Sielsheghlien gems. These gems basically gave an increase to an existing bloodline, based on the type of gem which determined what bloodline was held within. So access to spells should proably be more attuned to the bloodline itself, give a specific list of spells associated with each type of gem.

I like the suggestion that Con damage is the result. Although it shoudl be a greater chance, perhaps an exp cost for casting said spells instead - a hefty one on the order of wishes.

[irdeggman]

Originally posted by tcharazazel@Feb 27 2004, 04:17 AM

So maybe have the prereq not be for just magician instead have it just be for a limited non-spontaneous arcane spellcaster, where their class limits their access to arcane spells. This would exclude wizards as their class allows them access to all arcane spells, and specializing is not required for the standard class (tho i noticed that humans are all specialists in BR and elves are all generalists). Along with excluding the bards and sorcerers.

As magicians are the only class that would realy fit the prereq there ya go :) heheh.

**edit**
Heh, ming beat me to it
Actuallly this is also not true. All classes have a specific list of spells that their class limits them to. Wizards/sorcerers don't have access to the bardic spell list which includes spells like the cure wounds ones and some very specifically bardic ones. Their list is also arcane.

[tcharazazel]

yeah, why i said non spontaneous, only way i could figure to eliminate the bardic spell list. Though yes, its not perfect just about as close a description to the arcane spells the magician is casting.

Though if you incorporate the non elf, non blooded, with the not haveing the class ability to cast spontaneous arcane spells, it would limit it to just magicians i believe.

1) Wizards need to be blooded or elf in BR

2) Sorcerers/bards cast spontaneous spells

So i think that would cover it, what do you think?

However, this got me thinking about something else, a little off topic here for a sec: what happens when a blooded wizard dies and is resurected? Does he then become a magician for all intents and purposes, and so all of his previous levels in wizard change to magician... or he simply can no longer gain levels as a wizard and uses the magician spell list now? (if this is in the BCRS sry i must have missed it)

[irdeggman]

Why not just say incapable of casting greater arcane magic. That will pretty much sum it up in a single concise statement don't you think?

[irdeggman]

Originally posted by tcharazazel@Feb 27 2004, 07:18 AM
However, this got me thinking about something else, a little off topic here for a sec: what happens when a blooded wizard dies and is resurected? Does he then become a magician for all intents and purposes, and so all of his previous levels in wizard change to magician... or he simply can no longer gain levels as a wizard and uses the magician spell list now? (if this is in the BCRS sry i must have missed it)
Try BRCS pg 57 "A resurrected character's bloodline is gone forever. They have no bloodline score and are not a scion." It goes on to explain the political ramifications of resurrected a regent.

[graham anderson]

However you want to frase its fine I am not sure which one i will use my self yet.

The original idea is from the magecraft book where crystal gazers can use more mabhaihgl to improove thier spells but save versus paralysation. This is just a variation on that which i always thaught was a cool idea.

The mabhaighl and seilshegh stone options would be extreemly rare and were put in more as a possiblity and as a bit of flavor in general the magician would just get a mix of the other three options.

I don't like the idea of spending xp to cast a spell and prefer the damage option but maybe the difficulty should be changed i was trying to get a difficulty where you have a 50% chance of taking damage. Consider how many hit points a wizard has i was aiming for a failure all but killing the wizard meaning that if you are in a battle and wounded if you try and cast a spell you will die if you fail.

I will think over the con damage it might work and is a good idea.

I might put up a post with a bloodline hound prestige class soon i have a prety rough version at the moment has hany one put one up before.

[irdeggman]

Originally posted by graham anderson@Feb 27 2004, 08:46 AM

The original idea is from the magecraft book where crystal gazers can use more mabhaihgl to improove thier spells but save versus paralysation. This is just a variation on that which i always thaught was a cool idea.

I just can't philosphically support a prestige class that bypasses a core Birthright condition. That only blooded or those of elven blood can be casters of greater arcane magic and that only blooded regents can cast realm spells.

The BoM kit added neither of these. So I can't really see to just because 3/3.5 has introduced prestige classes as a means of gaining things that are not normally achievable.

[Ming I]

Remember Duane, this isn't about what anyone in the community would do in the same situation, it's about giving Graham ideas that may or may not help him in the campaign world that he envisions.

Graham, if you want it to be truly deadly for the channeling spellcaster you could institute something like "Make a constitution check (DC XX), if you fail by more than 10 you take maximum Con damage." Or you could raise the dice used. Or if you're really evil, both! :o

The benefits of this class in its original form seem so minor, and the hinderances so pronounced, that I certainly would have never thought to convert it into a prestige class.

Looking forward to seeing what you do with the bloodline hound prestige class.

[graham anderson]

The only way you could get realm spells and only one very minor one is to get and prepare a mabhaigl stone there should possible be risks assotiated with this as well.

As for greater magic i dont think access to 1st and 2nd level spells for magicians is overpowering and they had that access to it in the original birthright anyway. Although they are the spells of greater magic.

I am not very happy with the difficultys or damage at the moment but am having trouble deciding where to put them.

Yes the original class had very minor affects but its where i got the idea. I like to think that excessive levels of magic flowing threw you causes damage wracks your body, boils your blood etc and time which is what was effected in 2nd ed isn't as important as it was.

The prestife class just gives you some of the bonuses from the original magician with a couple of extras.

I have had trouble with thinking of a master of mabhaighl benefit as the pinical of the prestige class and am not sure if i am happy with the one thier, anyone got any idea's?

[irdeggman]

How does the class learn the (greater magic) spells that he can imbue into his crystal in the first place?

Same question with the higher level spells (3rd level ones)

Also with the Realm spells.

The gem shouldn't 'automatically' grant him knowledge of the spells in question. This defeats one of the main principles of magicians and wizards, that of learning their spells via study and writing.

And if the character can learn the spells without the gem then what is the point of having a difference between blooded (inclucing elven in this case) and non blooded casters?

In general, classes like this had a single gem having a single spell empowered within it at a time. That is each gem becomes attuned to an individual caster and a specific purpose.


The only way you could get realm spells and only one very minor one is to get and prepare a mabhaigl stone there should possible be risks assotiated with this as well.

As written there is no limit or specification on the type or level of Realm spell accessable. You must have left that off when typing.

[graham anderson]

You don't gain knowledge of these spells(1st 2nd level greater magic or any other spells) and i will have to make that clear, to learn them you will have to gain access to a spell book or teacher. All the ability does is make learning and casting the spells a possibility.

As mentioned in the class features all spells are to be cast threw the gems and if they are lost the crystal gazer can only cast spells as a common magician.

I was working with the crystal gazer having one primary gem focus threw which all immediate spells are cast. This gem has to be replaced at each level before you gain access to the new powers of that level. I don't know what to do about the costs for each levels gem maybe level x 1000gp any idea. I try and keep the cost of items down as birthright is a money poor setting.

I then have secondary focuses. Either special focuses like a mabhaighl stone or scroll gems which are more common. The scroll gems are created just like normal scrolls with all the same costs and can only hold one spell.

Sorry you must have missed it but the level of realm spell is specified 1 first level realm spell once a year.

[irdeggman]

Yup, I missed the Realm spell limitation, it was there.

[RaspK_FOG]

Looks interesting; I generally like prestige classes giving access from more than one classes, but whatever...

As for the reference I gave, it was just a suggestion of reference for gem atunement and nothing else.