Subject: MYSTARA-L Digest - 23 Mar 2004 to 28 Mar 2004 (#2004-74) From: Automatic digest processor Date: 29/03/2004, 19:00 To: Recipients of MYSTARA-L digests Reply-to: Mystara RPG Discussion There is one message totalling 117 lines in this issue. Topics of the day: 1. Radiance Mage PrC ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://www.dnd.starflung.com/ To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Sun, 28 Mar 2004 19:13:54 -0800 From: Rodger Burns Subject: Re: Radiance Mage PrC Havard Faanes wrote on March 22, 2004: > > RADIANCE MAGE > Hit Die: d4. > Requirements > To qualify to become a Radiance Mage, a character must > fulfill all the following criteria. > Skills: Knowledge (arcana) 9 ranks, Spellcraft 9 > ranks. > Spells: Ability to cast 7th-level arcane spells > Special: The character must learn about the Radiance > through research (see other mail) and create a > Radiance Receptacle (see other mail). > > Class Skills > The Radiance Mage’s class skills (and the key ability > for each skill) are Concentration (Con), Craft > (alchemy) (Int), Knowledge (all skills taken > individually) (Int), Profession (Wis), Search (Int), > and Spellcraft (Int). > Skill Points at Each Level: 2 + Int modifier > Hmm, interesting stuff. Snipping the table since it's pretty straightforward, and posting some comments: 1. The Radiance Mage as presented should probably be a five-level prestige class (like the Archmage PrC) rather than a ten-level class. This tightens up some of the ability progression, and makes more sense overall. (Especially since as it stands, one has to be a 23rd level character, minimum, to max out a 10-level Radiance Mage PrC - Wiz13/RadM10. The last three or four levels of "+1 level in existing spellcasting class" are useless!) 2. The "Radiance Magic I - IX" abilities may possibly be removed entirely, and replaced with use-activated special abilities. Gaz3 provided only six unique spells to Radiance mages, all told - and of the six, two were identical except for range (Call Upon Radiance / Summon Radiance), one was an enabler for other spells (Retain Power), and one (Transcend Life Force) was a cast-once-only plot device. Providing these effects in addition to a mage's normal casting complement is useful; making them spells that have to be taken instead of the usual spell selection is not as much. 3. If the Radiance Magic effects get kept as spells, the list can and should be expanded. Six additional spells was a noticeable increase to the list in 0E, where eight to nine possible spells per level was the rule; in 3E (two dozen spells per level in the PHB alone, and who knows how many more in supplements) there's more room for expansion. Some possibilities: - Magic Negation (Level 5): Cast a Dispel effect with a +15 on the dispel check, or counterspell any spell of 5th level or less. - Radiance Scry (Level 5): Speak through receptacles, or summon help. - Shape Radiance (Level 6): Mimic any evocation spell of 5th level or less; any energy descriptor changes to Radiance. - Enhancement (Level 7): Spend Rads to increase an ability score or provide an insight bonus. - Imbue Radiance Weapon (Level 7): Provide a weapon with an enhancement bonus and the ability to inflict the Radiance's rotting disease on a successful hit. - Radiance Prison (Level 7): Spend one or more Rads to bind a foe with Radiance energy. - Purify (Level 8): Remove all poisons, parasites, and diseases from a target - but risk inflicting the Radiance's own rotting disease in the process. - Summon Radiance Golem (Level 8): Summon a Dbot (see the Nucleus writeup in WotI). :D - Greater Magic Negation (Level 9): Cast a Dispel effect with a +30 on the dispel check, or counterspell any spell of 9th level or less. - Improved Shape Radiance (Level 9): Mimic any evocation spell of 8th level or less; any energy descriptor changes to Radiance. Note that the Magic Negation and Shape Radiance effects do help make a Sorceror/Radiance Mage more useful, here. A Sorceror who takes those gets quite a bit of versatility in casting, which makes up for the fact that the new spell options take up valuable high-level Spells Known slots. ("I get three 9th-level spells, ever. And you want me to use one of them for Transcend Life Force, which I'll cast once in my life if I'm lucky? Yeah, right, where's that Paragon path..." :D) 4. The 3E rules provide a ground framework for writing up rules for a lot of the other benefits and requirements that were taken for granted in 0E. In particular, building a receptacle (it's a Wondrous Item, valued probably at 100,000 gp or more); Shepherds and Temples of Rad (there's a GP expenditure needed to build temples, but in return the character gets Adept followers based on his Leadership score); and the Radiance disease (does 1d3 permanent damage, to either Str, Dex, Con, or Cha determined randomly each time it takes effect). 5. That "able to cast 7th level Arcane spells" requirement does neatly cut out any bards wanting to become Radiance Mages. Intentional, or not? =/ Sound good? > > > ===== > *** > Håvard R. Faanes > havardfaa@yahoo.no > www.stud.ntnu.no/~havardfa > "The best lack all conviction, While the worst are full of passionate intensity." - W.B. Yeats, "The Second Coming" Rodger Burns ------------------------------ End of MYSTARA-L Digest - 23 Mar 2004 to 28 Mar 2004 (#2004-74) ***************************************************************