FR
Originally posted by frojas
I'm a bit confused by the arcane aegis ability. Did the number of uses per day, and the duration get cut out by mistake? Or is this ability just always "on"?
This ability is always active. The war mage can choose a new ally as he wishes, and the ally must be within range for the effect to work, but there's no duration or uses per day limitation.
It's something like a monk's AC bonus, only it helps somebody else, not the character.
As the character advances as a war mage, he'll be able to aid more people with the use of his arcane aegis. It's quite a good ability and makes the war mage very helpful to have in close range of non-spellcaster combatants, but it doesn't help the war mage, so the fighters need to make sure he's protected.
Cheers,
Cam
Originally posted by Baron the Curse
The Dragonlance War Mage is just beautiful. For once we get something more powerful and useful than Forgetten Realms. Have you read their crappy war mage prestige class? All they get is bonus metamagic feats.
*nods and grins*
The war mage in Magic of Faerun really didn't have that *oomph* to it. Many of the benefits could be represented through prerequisites for the class (i.e. Eschew Materials).
Personally, I think the war mage in Age of Mortals represents just what a war mage should be able to do.
1. Cast magic in armor with reduced penalty.
2. Increased damage for spells.
3. Bonus metamagic feats (Empowering spells, etc.)
4. Protect your allies.
Plus, did you notice the armored spellcasting ability stacks with a Thorn Knight's?
It's a great class, and I think it fits the feel of DL quite nicely.
Originally posted by vader42xx
What I don't like is that it's almost impossible to be a war mage and wizard of high sorcery. It can be done, of course, but you have to use up so many feats that you may or may not want and you won't get any really useful abilities until far too late in levels. So you almost always have to be a renegade or play in the early age of mortals. Otherwise it's a great class.
It is a little more difficult, sure, but not impossible by any means.
The WoHS requires spell focus (any), and any two item creation or metamagic feats. The War Mage requires combat casting, eschew materials, and weapon focus. Let's see how this would work.
Let's say you choose a human for this, thereby gaining an extra feat at 1st level.
At 1st level, you have two feats plus you gain a bonus Scribe Scroll feat (for being a wizard), which is item creation. You can gain another item creation or metamagic at level 5.
This leaves two more feats at 1st level (for being human), and one more at 3rd level. One of those can be spell focus, and then you can take (example) combat casting at 1st level, an eschew materials at 3rd.
That only leaves weapon focus, which you can take at 6th level.
So, to be a WoHS and be a War Mage, you would land up being a Wizard 5/WoHS 1/War Mage 1 at 7th level.
Honestly, that's not too shabby at all for a prestige class.
Hope that helps.
Besides, you have to take the Wizard of High Sorcery class as your 5th level or you'll be a renegade for a while.
As far as taking the test and not taking the WoHS class I don't think this is possible. It certainly should not be as this is the only way to have your magic affected by the moons.
Anyway, the war mage is possible with a WoHS for sure but it's way too limited in my way of thinking.
FR
Originally posted by vader42xx
And you can do that with no problems but that leaves you with no feats to play with and no chance of having spellcasting prodigy or other such feats.
Price you have to pay if you want the benefits of being both a WoHS and a War Mage. Most characters take just one prestige class. This is two.
Besides, you have to take the Wizard of High Sorcery class as your 5th level or you'll be a renegade for a while.
So take your 5th level of wizard at 6th level. Or take the Test at 4th level, then don't apply the WoHS prestige class until 6th level.
Anyway, the war mage is possible with a WoHS for sure but it's way too limited in my way of thinking.
It all depends on what you want to do with it. It works great for a straight sorcerer, or a straight wizard (renegade). It becomes more difficult with other PrCs (i.e. Solamnic Auxiliary Mage, Legion Sorcerer, Thorn Knight, or WoHS), but this is to be expected since you're training for two prestige classes.
Anyway, I hope that helps!
Originally posted by vader42xx
And you can do that with no problems but that leaves you with no feats to play with and no chance of having spellcasting prodigy or other such feats.
Besides, you have to take the Wizard of High Sorcery class as your 5th level or you'll be a renegade for a while.
As far as taking the test and not taking the WoHS class I don't think this is possible. It certainly should not be as this is the only way to have your magic affected by the moons.
Anyway, the war mage is possible with a WoHS for sure but it's way too limited in my way of thinking.
Yeah, but look at the benefits you reap afterwards. You only really sacrifice your selection of feats until you reach your goal of becoming a High Sorcery War Mage. After 7th level you’re free to pick any feats you desire. You have a long road ahead to develop your character anyway you like.
Originally posted by frojas
It's possbile to take the Test and not take the WoHS class. That question been answered before on this board.
What? Where? When? Link please. If this is true, my troubles with Raistlin Majere may well be over.
Besides, to the best of my knowledge, once you take the test your next level MUST be WoHS. It's not stated like this of course but if you don't take the prestige class right after taking the test I think you're taking alot of the flavor away from the game. All WoHS are affected by Krynn's moons and you can only do this by taking the WoHS class (or changing other classes of course...but I don't like that option myself). So, in my games at least, you won't be able to take the test without taking the WoHS class as well. It's bad enough they don't have to specialize (in all the old versions of Dragonlance each robe had magic it had NO access to and now you pretty much have to use the AoM sidebar as they used those rules for Dalamar). But to let them take the test and just ignore half of the things they are supposes to go through (even for a level or two) is something that I believe takes quite a bit from this setting and the stories.
Anyway, I don't disagree with having to use alot of feats, etc to become two prestige classes but I do disagree that to have one you pretty much have to be the other. Ah, as for having all your feats after 7th level free...that's about 4 of them and you'll get things like improved initiative (and other really basic feats) on 9th or 12th level (or later). This is the time you should be getting things like spell penetration, etc...not picking up your basic feats. lol
Anyway, it's a great class and I agree that it does work very well for sorcerers and renegades (especially Thorn knights) but I would just like to have seen a Magius type character more easily playable. The description even says that Raistlin had some training in this class in his early years and we can't even duplicate that under these rules. lol
Personally, I think the class could have done without at least one feat requirment, maybe even two. Weapon focus and eschew materials strike me as being rather unnecessary. But, again, that's just me. Sorry for the long winded reply and thanks for all the comments.
Edit: fixed an error or two
Originally posted by The White Sorcerer
What? Where? When? Link please. If this is true, my troubles with Raistlin Majere may well be over.
Take a look at this thread:
http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=84745&highlight=wohs
Specifically Cam Bank's comments.
edit: fixed URL
Originally posted by frojas
Specifically Cam Bank's comments.
I should point out that my comments were meant to explain how one can take the Test and still not yet qualify for the Wizard of High Sorcery PrC. As soon as you meet the requirements, you should take the PrC as your next level.
A wizard who passes the Test and yet doesn't have enough item creation feats or the Skill Focus feat clearly can't take the prestige class yet, but they are for all intents and purposes "wizards of high sorcery", in name if not in function. The player's every effort should focus on meeting the requirements, however.
Cheers,
Cam
The books all say that once a wizard can cast certain levels of spells (3rd) that the WoHS will expect him to be ready to take the test (having all the feats needed, etc). If not, he'll be considered a renegade. Just my thoughts though.
Originally posted by vader42xx
Anyway, it's a great class and I agree that it does work very well for sorcerers and renegades (especially Thorn knights) but I would just like to have seen a Magius type character more easily playable. The description even says that Raistlin had some training in this class in his early years and we can't even duplicate that under these rules. lol
Ah, but did Raistlin take the War Mage prestige class, or merely have training in that area?
Personally, I think the class could have done without at least one feat requirment, maybe even two. Weapon focus and eschew materials strike me as being rather unnecessary. But, again, that's just me. Sorry for the long winded reply and thanks for all the comments.
Eschew Materials was put in there to replicate the feel of the war mages in Brothers in Arms, as was seen when Horkin was teaching Raistlin to cast without material components. Besides, a spellcaster that doesn't need material components is much more valuable on the battlefield.
Weapon Focus represents how war mages would train not only in magic, but also in a physical way to defend themselves.
If the feats are a bit much for you, then you may wish to consider replacing the bonus metamagic feats with Eschew Materials, Combat Casting, or Weapon Focus. Then replace those in the requirements with metamagic feats, which work nicely with the WoHS prestige class.
And I agree with the eschew materials (even though material components are almost done away with in 3rd edition anyway) but I doubt anybody is going to take any weapon focus besides "ray" anyway so the training in weapons is a bit worthless. lol
By the way, the War Mage says something about Wizards of High Sorcery not being able to wear armor (right at the end). I didn't see anything in the WoHS class about this expect that they don't tend to be warriors and wizards. So I assume the not wearing armor is like the not using any weapon but a dagger or staff (if even that much)?
Originally posted by Baron the Curse
The Dragonlance War Mage is just beautiful. For once we get something more powerful and useful than Forgetten Realms. Have you read their crappy war mage prestige class? All they get is bonus metamagic feats.
Actually, their enhanced widen spell ability is pretty good for encounters with large numbers of enemies, such as a battlefield. It just really sucks when one of them uses the ability in a dwarven built dungeon crawl (bad experience). They are not bad, but the DL version is much better. It is one of the least overpowered PrCs in FR, so I gather a lot of FR players hate them, but I found them to be great NPCs, and they compliment the Purple Dragon Knight fairly well. I admit I do like the DL version better, even if only sorcerers and renegades can make full use of their abilities.
Originally posted by Winterknight
Though I gotta say, going for a solamnic auxil./war mage of High Sorcery would be an Interesting Feats challenge. Might try playing towards one.
It can be done, although it won't be an easy road. I think I tried working up the minimums to get that combo, and you landed up being around 9th level, IIRC. Been a while, so I don't remember for certain. Maybe take one level of fighter, and gain weapon focus as a bonus fighter feat?
The war mage really is a great add-on class. Thorn Knights especially will find benefit from this, although WoHS, sorcerers, Legion Sorcerers, Solamnic Auxiliary Mages, and various other arcane spellcasting classes would find benefit with this prestige class as well.
Originally posted by Slapstick_80
Out of curiousity....how many levels may you progress as a war mage?:D
Five levels.
Originally posted by vader42xx
Nice idea, I might try that.
And I agree with the eschew materials (even though material components are almost done away with in 3rd edition anyway) but I doubt anybody is going to take any weapon focus besides "ray" anyway so the training in weapons is a bit worthless. lol
By the way, the War Mage says something about Wizards of High Sorcery not being able to wear armor (right at the end). I didn't see anything in the WoHS class about this expect that they don't tend to be warriors and wizards. So I assume the not wearing armor is like the not using any weapon but a dagger or staff (if even that much)?
That's a misinterpretation. In the DLCS, it mentions that they can't wear armor or wield weapons other than a staff or dagger. However, it points out that this is simply tradition. There is no hard and fast rule against Wizards of High Sorcery using armor or weapons....most just don't, due to the traditions of the order.
It is allowed though.
Banshee