I would like to offer a suggestion for the Sorcerer background selection:
[INDENT]Sage - Many Sorcerers struggle with their natural abilities, failing to take control until it is too late. Some, however, are fortunate enough to receive instruction in the arcane arts. Perhaps they are in the right place at the right time, or have wealthy parents who can afford to hire private (and brave) instructors. Though often indistinguishable from wizards, a Sage takes a course of study focused on mastering the fundament of metamagic; specializations typically come as an afterthought.[/INDENT]
[INDENT]Level 1: +1 spell per day of the highest level spell that can be cast, Scribe Scroll.[/INDENT]
[INDENT]Level 5: Silent Spell, Still Spell, +2 Spellcraft.[/INDENT]
[INDENT]Level 8: Automatic Silent Spell I, Automatic Still Spell I.[/INDENT]
Thematically, the choices that already exist are very strong. However, I think that there are many characters that would benefit from this style of studious or careful Sorcerers. They are concerned about what their power can do, and take measures to control it. It also offers a very unique mechanic in terms of spellcasting style, encouraging thoughtful use of metamagic. At the same time, it doesn't try to compete with the raw numerical bonuses of the other backgrounds, instead offering the character a chance to create their own oppourtunities to make the benefits shine.
Thoughts? Suggestions?
I like the thematic idea, but the feats seem a bit... much.
Not all of the new sorc configurations are equal, some are mechanically much stronger than others, but all of them are very cool. However, this seems... a bit much. Automatically silent and still level 1 spells? Scribe scroll?
In response to your concerns: I thought that there are few oppourtunities besides Hold Person and Silence where these feats would be overpowered. It may make underwater casting slightly more viable, and as I understand it, casting while invisible would no longer explicitly make a sound. I thought that it would be up to the Sorcerer to find ways to make that work for them, and they are situational enough to prevent abuse. A Held caster could still not move or free themselves, after all, and in neither situation can the caster make use of their highest level spells under those effects. But your concerns absolutely make sense.
For Scribe Scroll: if it were put at level 5, and the +2 Spellcraft removed in its place, how would that look to you?
I love the theme. What about some nice buffs to scribe scroll, alongside lore and spellcraft? Still has that neat scholastic theme.
Quote from: Barber;273127I love the theme. What about some nice buffs to scribe scroll, alongside lore and spellcraft? Still has that neat scholastic theme.
[INDENT]
Sage - Many Sorcerers struggle with their natural abilities, failing to take control until it is too late. Some, however, are fortunate enough to receive instruction in the arcane arts. Perhaps they are in the right place at the right time, or have wealthy parents who can afford to hire private (and brave) instructors. Often indistinguishable from wizards, a Sage's spontaneous casting is tempered and focused by use of runes and parchment.
Level 1: Scribe Scroll, 10% gp/xp price reduction for crafting scrolls.
Level 5: +1 to the caster level of scrolls used, +2 Lore, +2 Spellcraft.
Level 8: +2 to the caster level of scrolls used, one random arcane scroll per reset.[/INDENT]
Is this more what you mean? I think it's also a really interesting departure from the norm. For the level 8 bonus, a selection of scrolls deemed too powerful for random dropping or an outright level cap on scrolls available could help with balance.
The first is far too strong, the second is pathetic. ><
What about
1: +3 spellcraft/lore,
5: +4 spellcraft/lore(+7 total)
8: A hefty reduction on the cost to scribing scrolls(but not the feat)?
Or
8: +5 spellcraft,(+12 total), additional bonus to translate checks?
Quote from: The Pathfinder;273121Sage - Many Sorcerers struggle with their natural abilities, failing to take control until it is too late. Some, however, are fortunate enough to receive instruction in the arcane arts. Perhaps they are in the right place at the right time, or have wealthy parents who can afford to hire private (and brave) instructors. Though often indistinguishable from wizards, a Sage takes a course of study focused on mastering the fundament of metamagic; specializations typically come as an afterthought.
Thoughts? Suggestions?
If you find you have innate abilities with magic and go to school to learn more about magic sounds like a dual class sorcerer/wizard to me. Wouldn't want to make the wizard class obsolete. A sorc instructor wouldn't be able to teach scribing scrolls and a wizard instructor would get you a level of wizard... But I understand the concept
and like it. For a studious sorc pirk why not incorporate intelligence and wisdom modifiers to things somehow. Which would force the build to put points towards Int & Wiz instead of a min max Cha build that obliterates the standard wizard.
1= +Wiz modifier to caster level
5= +Int modifier to spell duration and/or damage
8= Int + Wiz modifier = spell resistance
^ Just an off the cuff suggestion to work with.
One problem with Automatic Still Spell is that it eliminates the spell failure penalty on armor (for spell levels 0-3), so you're inadvertently enabling sorcerer-tank builds when you're trying to approximate a scholar.
Conceptually, I think, these perks aren't really doing anything that a highly RP-oriented feat selection couldn't do. If you look at the others, they have some pretty unique abilities that a sorcerer couldn't get normally (e.g. monsters animals not attacking you, onHit Contagion).
So there are two questions, in my opinion, to ask:
1. Is the concept unique and interesting enough to warrant the specialty perks?
2. If so, what would be a unique and interesting implementation?
Erm, Wizard/Sorc is one of the worst class combinations you can do IMO, since all you get are a lot of low Caster Level L2-3 spells. I don't think it's a good idea to have a sorc background to make a sorcerer a better scholar than a Wizard that's built for study, since "learning magic" is their thing. The current backgrounds are good precisely because they take the idea of a sorcerer away from "like a Wizard, but can't choose as many spells".
Not all builds are made to be power-questbots. Being an RP server some concepts are actually built for RP, making spell level a non-factor.
Quote from: Cerberus;273203Not all builds are made to be power-questbots. Being an RP server some concepts are actually built for RP, making spell level a non-factor.
Not quite. Role Playing being a powerful mage sort of requires you to be, like, you know, a powerful mage!
Quote from: tropic;2731951. Is the concept unique and interesting enough to warrant the specialty perks?
2. If so, what would be a unique and interesting implementation?
I want to say this is absolutely what I had in mind, something unique. Yet I think it's not possible to script my first idea: It's based on the Pathfinder Bloodline Sage:
Quote"Unlike most sorcerers, whose innate magic is powered by force of personality, you use your intellect to understand and master your mystic powers. You use your Intelligence, rather than your Charisma, to determine all class features and effects relating to your sorcerer class, such as bonus spells per day, the maximum spell level you can cast, the save DCs of your spells, and the number of daily uses of your bloodline powers. You gain a +2 bonus on all Knowledge (arcana) and Spellcraft checks."
It might be possible through extensive scripting. It would be possible to add maybe half your intelligence modifier to spell DC. I don't think this is necessarily much more powerful than a lot of the other bonuses. Scribe Scroll as a feat is a nice idea as well.
One idea I was trying to get at is: how does it make sorcerers more interesting? More options are nice, but I think that, if you look at the other perks, the general idea is to take sorcerers away from being "wizards with a different spell system." That said, I'm not opposed to the idea and I'm not in a position to make any decisions, I think it just needs something to make it exciting as opposed to being the default perk line for "everyday" sorcerers.
Maybe this could metamorphose into something like a psion?
Giving a Sorc a bunch of metamagic feats so they could spend their feats on other things would be quite cool!