Arcanamach (prestige class)
“Do you feel that pain in your chest, the stinging hot ash in the air? That is my power.”
Khaine, human arcanamach
Long ago, when the sorcerer-kings wage endless wars, their terrifying power could easily spell the end of any army that opposed them. But even a sorcerer-king cannot be everywhere at once. So, they trained disciples to serve as their generals and champions, matching the skill of a warrior with the raw power of arcane magic. That was long ago though, and there are only a few of these magic-wielding warriors, these arcanamachs, today. Some are trained by the sorcerer-kings, and serve them in the fashion of their forbears, while others learn the art on their own or from renegade wizards. These become renegades as well, made all the more dangerous by their martial prowess. Rumors even say that some preservers also train arcanamachs as bodyguards and agents, teaching them to hold back from the full power they could embrace. Regardless of where their training comes from, fighters most commonly become arcanamachs, although a rare few gladiators are also skilled in this path. It takes a good deal of combat skill to qualify as an arcanamach, so few members of the non-warrior classes ever pursue this prestige class. Prospective arcanamachs can come from any race, but most are humans, half-elves, or mul.
Hit Die: d8.
Requirements
To qualify to become an Arcanamach, a character must fulfill all of the following criteria.
Base Attack Bonus: +6
Skills: Bluff 3 ranks, Intimidate 4 ranks, Knowledge (arcana) 3 ranks, Knowledge (warcraft) 3 ranks, Spellcraft 5 ranks
Feats: Armor Proficiency (light and medium), Diehard, Endurance, Iron Will, Magical Aptitude, Martial Weapon Proficiency (all martial weapons)
Spellcasting: Must be able to cast 2nd level arcane spells
But, for all those fans who have integrated sorcerers within their DS campaigns, or would love to do so, this class may be the way to go.
Aside from that the fluff is flavorful and the abilities work. I especially like the Surge abilities, makes for a kind of magical barbarian's rage!
Personaly I'd remake this class into a wizard class and get rid of the Expanded Repetoire feat, plus the Spells per Day and Spell Known tables and give a number of +1 to exisitng arcane spellcasting class here and there.
If they don't gain +arcane caster level, but instead get a set progression, how does that work for gaining levels in Royal Defiler? I think you should require the ability to cast 1st level spells to get into the class and give them a caster level everyother level to simplfy things.
My very personal opinion: I don't think such a PrC - with its current fluff - is appropriate for today's Athas. Plus, I don't want to see a sorcerer-like PrC used for official DS. Wizards are the only arcane spellcasters within DS3.
But, for all those fans who have integrated sorcerers within their DS campaigns, or would love to do so, this class may be the way to go.
Personaly I'd remake this class into a wizard class and get rid of the Expanded Repetoire feat, plus the Spells per Day and Spell Known tables and give a number of +1 to exisitng arcane spellcasting class here and there.
There's a reason I made this prc (and the Bardic Sorcerer) as spontaneous casters. I agree that wizards should be the only arcane casting core class in DS, but these two prcs are meant to represent something different. In the arcanamach's case, they are mainly supposed to be a "fighter with tricks" as one of my players puts it. A skilled warrior with minor spellcasting abilities that could never, ever even hope to become a threat to the SK that trained them (unlike the average royal defiler). Big plus in an SK's eyes. I see their spellcasting as having learned a handful of spells to such an extent that they are always "prepared" (like Spell Mastery, plus), as opposed to wizards, who learn the actual theoretics behind the spells they cast and can cast any spell (once they do the appropriate homework).
Aside from that the fluff is flavorful and the abilities work. I especially like the Surge abilities, makes for a kind of magical barbarian's rage!
Thanks much!
I do question if defiling surge isn't too overpowered, though.Defiling Surge: Beginning at 3rd level, an arcanamach can draw strength from the same life energies he steals in his spellcasting. By expending one of his daily spell slots, and defiling the immediate area as if he had cast a spell of the same level, the arcanamach gains a +4 profane bonus to Strength and Constitution for a number of rounds equal to double the level of the spell slot expended. Cantrips are treated as 1st level spells for the purpose of this ability.
I would either nix this ability entirely or reduce the classes BAB progression to that of a Cleric. If you keep the ability I think 0-level spells should count as 1/2, as they usually do in similar circumstances.
One question. Why give the PrC a good Fort and Ref save rather than a good Fort and Will save?
This PrC does seem to be quite a bit more powerful than the other Fighter/Mage type PrCs I've seen. For one thing I think you give too much with the Armored Casting ability. Might I suggest making it a percentage replacing Light/Medium/Heavy with 10%/20%/30% that way it still does something if you are wearing heavier armor, but you never get to the point of being able to cast spells in heavy armor without a spell failure chance.
I would either nix this ability entirely or reduce the classes BAB progression to that of a Cleric. If you keep the ability I think 0-level spells should count as 1/2, as they usually do in similar circumstances.
They are on beefy end. I originally designed them without the defiling surge and associated abilites, but they were really boring. Then I came up with defiling surge, which originally has a duration of one round/spell level (hence the cantrip thing, its a leftover I forgot to take out). I like their bab where it is, but have never liked the armored casting - heavy. Just haven't found a cool ability to replace it with.
By the by, no offense, but I hate the -x% stuff (like the suel arcanamach and spellsword do). This way is so much more elegant, although I should make not that it cannot be improved with the battlecaster feat.
One question. Why give the PrC a good Fort and Ref save rather than a good Fort and Will save?
I went with a bad Will save to make it easier for an arcanamach's masters to keep him in line, psionically or magically. From the SKs angle, I'd think they'd learn from their own history
I agree on changing it to regular spellcasting for the setting. also, you say this at the end of their description: "The sorcerer-kings train most arcanamachs, and as a result most have levels in the royal defiler prestige class as well."
If they don't gain +arcane caster level, but instead get a set progression, how does that work for gaining levels in Royal Defiler? I think you should require the ability to cast 1st level spells to get into the class and give them a caster level everyother level to simplfy things.
Royal defiler is also a job description, so you can say arcanamachs sometimes fill the role of royal defiler. This leaves the door open for them to choose, or not, to actually take levels in royal defiler.
How did I miss these two posts? I don't recall seeing them before. Must be going blind in my old age
Good points guys, too bad I didn't see them sooner 
Made a lot of changes (although I think they're beefier now than they were before
). Whaddya think?Something ought to be done about that empty 8th level....
I tried to rearrange the abilities, but failed.
I like it better now! :D
Something ought to be done about that empty 8th level....
I tried to rearrange the abilities, but failed.
Same here. If I could come up with some incredibly cool ability for 10th level, I could move the other two things back down. But
On a side note, you think this one could make it into volume II of the prestige class appendix?
Same here. If I could come up with some incredibly cool ability for 10th level, I could move the other two things back down. But
On a side note, you think this one could make it into volume II of the prestige class appendix?
I don't know, the fluff is on another level entirely, and this is the holy grail PrC that offers Armored Casting, most holy of all abilities....
As a PrC it stands on its own, but I feel something is missing or wrong (can't say what, honestly) for its inlcusion as canonical DS material.
Not to forget that Jon might require the PrC to be renamed since the arcanamach is, technically, the royal defiler.
I don't know, the fluff is on another level entirely, and this is the holy grail PrC that offers Armored Casting, most holy of all abilities....
As a PrC it stands on its own, but I feel something is missing or wrong (can't say what, honestly) for its inlcusion as canonical DS material.
Not to forget that Jon might require the PrC to be renamed since the arcanamach is, technically, the royal defiler.
Name changes (arcanamach to royal defiler) always leave oportunites for scavengers like me
But yeah, after I changed it over to +1 caster level I realized just how overwhelming the class could get.Could you elaborate on the "fluff being on another level"? (good thing, bad thing?) Don't quite get what you mean
7 arcane caster levels. Fighter BAB. two good saves. four bonus feats. Plus a buff ability, and the ability to ignore armor when casting.
Now, to get into it:
Need to be a 3rd level wizard (BAB: +1, 2nd level arcane spells, 3 ranks of Knowledge(Arcana), Bluff)
Need to be a 5th level fighter (BAB: +5, all proficencies)
Interestingly, you've chosen a set of feat requirements that do NOT fall on the fighter bonus list, so 4 "regular" feat slots are required. A human has this at 6th level, a non-human has that at 9th level.
So, depending on your race, the minimum level you qualify at is either 8th or 9th. Sort of a "stealth" high level PrC.
So, as a human fighter, what do I surrender by getting into this PrC? Comparison between an 18th level fighter, an 18th level wizard, and an 18th level anamarch:
Feats:
- fighter: has a total of 18 feats (10 bonus from fighter, 1 bonus from human, 7 regular progression)
- wizard: has a total of 11 feats (7 regular progression, 1 bonus from human, 3 bonus from wizard)
- anamarch: has a total of 15 feats (7 regular progression, 3 bonus from fighter, 1 bonus from human, 4 bonus from anamarch). Of these, four are fixed.
Spellcasting:
- fighter: none
- wizard: 18 spellcaster levels, can cast up to 9th level spells
- Anamarch: 10 spellcaster levels, can cast up to 5th level spells, IN ARMOR
BAB:
- fighter: 18/13/8/3
- wizard: +9/+4
- Anamarch: 16/11/6/1
Hit dice:
- fighter: 18d10 (ave without con: 103.5)
- wizard: 18d4 (ave without con: 46.5)
- anamarch: 10d8 + 3d4 + 5d10 (ave, assuming fighter 1st level: 84.5)
Saves:
- Fighter: +11/+6/+6
- Wizard: +6/+6/+11
- anamarch: +12/+9/+7
Special abilities:
- Fighter: only those gaind through feats
- wizard: familiar, only those gained through feats
- anamarch: up to 5 rounds of +6 str/con at once, ability to wear armor while spellcasting.
The build I figured above was for a 5/3 fighter/wizard anamarch. It's feasable for a 2/8 fighter/wizard build, who would only lose 2 spellcaster levels, ultimately still able to cast 9th level spells (in armor!). a 1/10 fighter/wizard could qualify, but wouldn't be able to finish the class until epic level.
Fighters? They loose 2 points of BAB, a few hit points, and 3 feats (well, 7 if you consider the forced feats to be lost. But you still gain their benifits ...) The saves are actually better, plus they can buff-with- spells without worry of flubbing the spell roll, provided they don't wear heavy armor. And they can temporarily buff right past the HP and BAB losses, gaining +3 BAB and +3 HP/level (at 18th, that's +54 HP, putting them well above the fighter)
So, unless your looking to be the heavy-armored tank-type, or looking for a feat-intensive fighter build (whirlwind attack comes to mind) than as a fighter, you really don't loose a lot by taking this class, and you can gain quite a bit.
(and I have to point out
that good reflex saves are generally reserved for the thief classes: Rogue and Bard, and their associated prcs. The only warrior class with good reflexes is the ranger, which is halfway to an outdoor rogue anyway ... given the class focus, good fort, will makes more sense than good fort, reflex.)
....Here are some options I see to trim the class down to a managable level.
1. Rouge BAB, and Spell progression on only 5 of the levels.
2. Nix the Defilier Surge Abilities and the good reflex save.
3. Drop the Bonus feats, and Spell progression on only 5 of the levels.
4. Rouge BAB and no extend surge or enhance surge.
5. No Armored Casting, only 2 Bonus Feats.
You need to make some major cuts to the class, and loosen up the requirements to get in its almost impossible now.
Take a look at the Bladsinger PrC in the Complete Warrior, if you have that book. The class as its written now, is like that except its more powerful in all the following ways:
+2 levels of spell progression
Gains ability to Wear medium armor
More options from bonus feats rather than set abilities (with a Huge list of options I might add)
3 more special abilities total
The Arcanamach now gives
- 5 arcane caster levels, casting up to 5th level spells in medium armor
- medium BAB
- no good saves (I can't recall if there is any precedent for this, but I didn't want either their Fort or Will save to end up better than a fighter or wizard of the same level)
- three bonus feats
- Defiling surge (+2/+4 instead of the old +4/+6)
- Added Spellcraft requirement (because I should have put this in last time, but forgot. When they were spontaneous casters it didn't matter)
- Added get rid of familiar requirement to get rid of their familiar (forgot they'd be getting those as a +1 caster level class). Constitution loss included to rationalize lack of XP loss
Broken down, it now compares like this for 19th level characters (Builds based off fighter 5/wizard 4/arcanamach 10):
Hit dice:
- Fighter: 19d10 (ave without con: 109.5)
- Wizard: 19d4 (ave without con: 49)
- Arcanamach: 5d10 + 4d4 + 10d8 (ave, assuming fighter 1st level: 87)
BAB:
- Fighter: +19/+14/+9/+4
- Wizard: +9/+4
- Arcanamach: +14/+9/+4
Saves:
- Fighter: +11/+6/+6
- Wizard: +6/+6/+11
- Arcanamach: +8/+5/+8
Feats:
- Fighter: has a total of 18 feats (10 bonus from fighter, 1 bonus from human, 7 regular progression)
- Wizard: has a total of 11 feats (7 regular progression, 1 bonus from human, 3 bonus from wizard)
- Arcanamach: has a total of 14 feats (7 regular progression, 3 bonus from fighter, 1 bonus from human, 3 bonus from arcanamarch). Of these, four are fixed as prerequisites..
Spellcasting:
- Fighter: none
- Wizard: 19 spellcaster levels, can cast up to 9th level spells
- Arcanamach: 9 spellcaster levels, can cast up to 5th level spells, in armor
Special abilities:
- Fighter: only those gained through feats
- Wizard: familiar, only those gained through feats
- Arcanamach: up to 10 rounds of +4 str/con at once, ability to wear armor while spellcasting in a limited fashion
To take 10 level in arcanamach, a fighter would lose (based on above)
- an av of 22.5 hp (max 44)
- one or two points of Con
- five pnts of BAB and one attack per round
- -3 from Fort save, -1 from Ref save
- four feats (eight if you count reqs)
Said fighter would gain
- +2 to Will save
- 9 levels spellcasting in medium armor, 5th level spells max
- defiling surge up to 10 rounds of +4 Str/Con at cost of up to 5th level spell slot and a big honkin’ circle of ash (+2 melee atk, +38 temp hp)
To take 10 level in arcanamach, a wizard would lose (based on above)
- 10 levels spellcasting, reducing max spell level from 9th to 5th
- one or two point of Con
- their familiar (if any; big deal)
- -3 from Will save, -1 from Ref save
Said wizard would gain
- an av of 38 hp (max 70)
- five points of BAB and one attack per round
- +2 to Fort save
- Ability to cast up to 5th level spells in up to medium armor
- defiling surge up to 10 rounds of +4 Str/Con at cost of up to 5th level spell slot and a big honkin’ circle of ash (+2 melee atk, +38 temp hp)
This, I believe is about as balanced as this prc is ever going to get (minus the possibility of removing armored casting (medium, light, or both), one more bonus feat, or chopping off a couple more caster levels). Totally removing defiling surge is out of the question (although it could be toned down even more - add fatigue penalties afterwards, etc.), because at this point that's the only thing that makes the class special. Otherwise a character may as well go for the crappy and terminally boring eldritch knight out of the DMG.
I feel, ironically, that this prc was more balanced as a spontaneous caster - their spellcasting had a definite cap, and their armored casting was limited to just the few spells they knew. Plus they received fewer spells per day (and no bonus spell per day from high Int), thus reducing the number of times per day they could use defiling surge. The original version, by the way, is still available on my website for any who are interested.
I think this class is pretty cool- I would give a cookie, but I found this
someone threw my way. I am watching my figure right now, so you can have it :DI would have to agree with the Sage. Too bad there is only good/bad progression for saves. I have always thought there should be a middle ground- like they have for BAB.
I think this class is pretty cool- I would give a cookie, but I found this
Hey, no re-gifting poultry! I spent good ceramic on that chicken
Hey, no re-gifting poultry! I spent good ceramic on that chicken
:D :D And I loved it, but the darn thing would not stop clucking and pooping all over the place.
- no good saves (I can't recall if there is any precedent for this, but I didn't want either their Fort or Will save to end up better than a fighter or wizard of the same level)
All classes have one good save.
So either give back the Fort or the Will good save. Not sure which one I am voting for right now, either one works really.
You mention that you had added a spellcraft reqiurement, but you missed it in your edit of the class above.
As for the Fort save, any fighter that takes a good-fort PrC is going to have a better Fort save than a straight fighter. It's how the progression works. Not a big deal.
I'm not sure about the "no familiar" thing. It comes out of left field. In some cases, the familiar actually is a signifigant thing. The flavortext doesn't back up the sacrifice at all either. And, as a player, I think I'd rather take the XP hit than the Con hit. This is actual punishment.
You mention "class level" in the armored casting description. If you mean "Arcanamach class level" than that's what it should say. That would also neatly fold the 5th level max into the calculation, yet allow for the possibility of epic level arcanamach's who are (eventually) capable of casting 9th level spells in armor.
Your wizard analysis is inaccurate. Not greatly, but there are better wizard builds: You can get Arcanamach as a Fighter2/Wizard 8. Such a build will have a spellcaster level of 13, enough to cast 7th level spells. Still a hit, but not quite as big as with the other build.
Also, a wizard loses 2 bonus metamagic/item creation feats, and gains 3 bonus fighter feats.
In all, it's not setting off any fire alarms anymore. May want to do a closer comparison with a few other fighter-wizard oriented PrCs. Other than that, it's pretty much down to playtesting to see what kind of effect the armored casting can have.
You mention "class level" in the armored casting description. If you mean "Arcanamach class level" than that's what it should say. That would also neatly fold the 5th level max into the calculation, yet allow for the possibility of epic level arcanamach's who are (eventually) capable of casting 9th level spells in armor.
I know this isn't very important, but I think that class level is all that needs to be mentioned, because what other class level could he be talking about? Character level refers to a character's total levels in all classes, whereas class level tends to refer to the class in question. If it refers to different class (though I'm not sure if I've ever seen it used that way in a PrC) then it should state the class. Stating the class in question when it is the PrC the ability appears in already is just redundant :D . Though I suppose they do write it that way in some of the official books, of course they even write: +the hunter's cha modifier' for an ability that the Hunter of the Dead gets in the Complete warrior, as if you would ever add someone else's Cha modifier to the DC of one of your abilities :heehee
I know this isn't very important, but I think that class level is all that needs to be mentioned, because what other class level could he be talking about? Character level refers to a character's total levels in all classes, whereas class level tends to refer to the class in question. If it refers to different class (though I'm not sure if I've ever seen it used that way in a PrC) then it should state the class. Stating the class in question when it is the PrC the ability appears in already is just redundant :D . Though I suppose they do write it that way in some of the official books, of course they even write: +the hunter's cha modifier' for an ability that the Hunter of the Dead gets in the Complete warrior, as if you would ever add someone else's Cha modifier to the DC of one of your abilities :heehee
That's what I was thinking
*sigh* nearly done the response, and I managed to blast it.
You mention that you had added a spellcraft reqiurement, but you missed it in your edit of the class above.
As for the Fort save, any fighter that takes a good-fort PrC is going to have a better Fort save than a straight fighter. It's how the progression works. Not a big deal.
I'm not sure about the "no familiar" thing. It comes out of left field. In some cases, the familiar actually is a signifigant thing. The flavortext doesn't back up the sacrifice at all either. And, as a player, I think I'd rather take the XP hit than the Con hit. This is actual punishment.
You mention "class level" in the armored casting description. If you mean "Arcanamach class level" than that's what it should say. That would also neatly fold the 5th level max into the calculation, yet allow for the possibility of epic level arcanamach's who are (eventually) capable of casting 9th level spells in armor.
Your wizard analysis is inaccurate. Not greatly, but there are better wizard builds: You can get Arcanamach as a Fighter2/Wizard 8. Such a build will have a spellcaster level of 13, enough to cast 7th level spells. Still a hit, but not quite as big as with the other build.
Also, a wizard loses 2 bonus metamagic/item creation feats, and gains 3 bonus fighter feats.
In all, it's not setting off any fire alarms anymore. May want to do a closer comparison with a few other fighter-wizard oriented PrCs. Other than that, it's pretty much down to playtesting to see what kind of effect the armored casting can have.
OK, got rid of the familiar thing (like you said, major left field), gave back good Fort save, and included the Spellcraft req I mentioned.
I would have to agree with the Sage. Too bad there is only good/bad progression for saves. I have always thought there should be a middle ground- like they have for BAB.
I think this class is pretty cool- I would give a cookie, but I found this
Ewww, used chicken. Thanks anyway ;)
Nice- I have a plan on making up an NPC with this class, mixing fighter 2/defiler 3/chasseur 3/arcanamach 4. This will be an NPC that was instrumental in betraying the one of my group members aand getting them sold into slavery on the first adventure.
Sweet! Let me know how it turns out, since I doubt I'll get the playtest these guys for a couple weeks at least.
I do plan on writing him (the NPC) up soon though. He will be in Tyr which is the next place the PC's will be going after they finish with my slightly modified version of Whispers in the Storm.