Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Norr 07-03-06, 12:24 PM	Ever played a manifesting or casting class and just wished (not the spell) that you could also use that one cool spell that isn't on your list? Ever wanted to play something cerebremancery without giving up your high-level mojo for a deep PP/slot pool per day you never get to use up? Then the Aral is for you. Before you view this class, I just want to point out a thing or two. One, this class has almost exactly the same power as a psion (which in fact provided the base) but with sacrificed manifesting versatility (when lover level spell slots and PP are expended, manifesting non-augmentable low-level powers waste resources normally used for high-level mojo). Two, arcane-wise, this class is like a wizard who can cast spontaneously but only has spells known as a sorcerer. Three, the class might be kind of bland, suggestions and constructive criticism are welcome. Aral Psionics and magic are different, some even say opposed, forces of the universe. Strange rituals and chants echo through the citadels of arcane learning. Sigils, complex gestures and words of power are the arcanists tools to draw out eldritch energy from beyond the weave of material reality, or send out a call for aid to summon creatures from beyond the spheres. Sometimes magic seem like a living thing that acts on its own accord, and odd magical effects and spells gone awry make for legends that never die. Psychics, on the other hand, rely solely of the power of their minds. Within their imagination, they hold matrixes of power, nodes of psychic energy that crackle to and fro behind their eyes, dangerously placid or disturbingly malicious. A master of his own mind pours this power into a mould of his own imagination and applies it at reality, which warps and twists to accommodate his wishes, or he can punch a hole into reality itself and draw out the stuff the astral, moulding it like clay in invisible hands. Only those most firmly rooted in reality can use these dangerous powers, but when one goes mad, even the weave of reality may tear and shred under the stress of nothing other than a single brains wiring gone Murphy. Even gods have to get their power from somewhere. Magic and psychic power is too different to have a common source. The Aral disagrees. Arals firmly believe magic and psionic power are both mental abilities of their users, but also ultimately draw their power from the same source. While most magicians find this an odd curiosity of a theory, most psionic people find it offensive. The Aral does have the abilities to show for it though. Adventures: Standard reasons. Characteristics: The Aral has one key feature: versatility. He can be played as a pure arcane or divine caster or a pure psychic or, more likely, as a mixture of all three. This is not ‘the cerebremancer/mystic theurge on steroids’, this is ‘the guy who manifests as well as he casts’. An Aral is limited in his resources however, and has the same spellcasting power of a wizard but the same number of spells known of a sorcerer, he has the same powers known as the psion, but not the same long run versatility. An Aral is actually all about flavour, to have the ability to be a arcane spellcaster, a divine spellcaster and a manifester at the same time, but without losing out on any of them. This class takes the similarities of psi and magic and tries to smooth out the differences. However, the source of all power makes for a wide field of study, and to fully appreciate the depth of it an Aral must let his studies lapse in other areas. Alignment: Arals can be of any alignment. Lawful Arals learn and develop by self-constructed routines of study and meditation. Chaotic Arals tend to sway between magic and psionic study whenever they come up with something that ‘must be checked out’ before resuming whatever they were doing earlier and be generally haphazard in their research and personal meditation. Neutral Arals usually follow a blend between the two. True to their philosophy, Arals tend to view law and chaos as something with a lot in common. Chaos, when viewed in a large enough perspective, is usually more rigid than any small scale lawfulness, and law can be utterly ridiculous to adhere to in cases where the premises change. Also, long periods of chaos usually trigger stabilizing elements sooner or later, and rigid systems often spiral out of control when small flaws magnifies in the machinery. Arals can have any moral outlook, compassionate or cruel. Religion: All power has a common source, arcane, psychic, shadow, even gods get their power from somewhere. This makes arals unlikely to worship a deity, but those who do usually choose a deity of knowledge or secrets. Background: Sorcerous and psionic ability appear at the oddest times, sometimes one is mistaken for the other, and either the student or the teacher might sooner or later discover this and correct it. However, a psionic student of sorcerous magic might discover he has an affinity for both, and vice versa. Conversely, a student of the faith might discover latent abilities of a different sort than his current calling. Most of these think of their abilities as separate arts altogether and ultimately result in the mystic theurge and the cerebremancer. Those who don’t become arals. Races: Any of the common races who has a compatible culture might take up the path of an aral. Elves are generally too protective of their magical legacy to take up the path, and most dwarven clans discourage the study of magic and psionics altogether. Half-orcs don’t generally have the mental faculties for aral studies, but might well have sufficient insight. Tinkering gnomes might find this path worthwhile, as well as humans and half-elves with the correct philosophical bent. The jack-of-all-trades life of a Halfling caravan or community might also produce arals. Classes: Arals get along with mostly any class, especially those with great versatility or who share their desire for knowledge. Religious types may have a dim view of them though, since they are, essentially, ultimately trying to access the gods power source. Role: Depending on their spell selection an aral can pose as the party sorcerer or provide healing ability, due to their low staying power, however, they are best used as support characters akin to sorcerers. Game Rule Information: Abilities: Depending on focus, a high intelligence or wisdom is essential for spellcasting. Dexterity gives the aral a better armour class and constitution helps concentration checks as well as providing some much-needed hitpoints. Alignment: Any Hit Dice: d4 Class skills: Concentration (con), Craft (int), Decipher Script (int), Knowledge (any), Profession (wis), Psicraft (int), Spellcraft (int), Use Magic Device (cha), Use Psionic Device (cha). Skill points at 1st level: (2 + int modifier) x 4 Skill points at each additional level: 2 + int modifier Class features: Weapon and armour proficiency: Arals are proficient with the club, dagger, heavy crossbow, light crossbow, quarterstaff and shortspear, but not with any type of armour or shield. Armour of any type interferes with the complex gestures of arcane spells with somatic components and may cause them to fail. Spells and Powers: An aral casts arcane and/or divine spells and/or manifests psionic powers, which are drawn from the sorcerer/wizard spell list for arcane spells, the cleric or druid spell list for divine spells and the psion/wilder or psychic warrior power list for psionic powers. At 1st level, an Aral may choose between 2 and 4 of these lists as his class spell list. However, branching out in this way means you must split your focus between different types of power. The maximum level of spells/powers you can learn from each list is detailed in the accompanying table. The aral casts spells spontaneously without preparing them ahead of time, just like a sorcerer, and maifests powers as a psion. To learn a spell or power, an aral must have an intelligence or wisdom score equal to 10 + the spell level. The DC for an aral spell or power is 10 + spell/power level + the relevant ability modifier. The aral must choose whether to use intelligence or wisdom as his primary ability score at first level and can thereafter change his mind on the matter. Arals with a background of primarily arcane studies usually choose intelligence, while those with clerical background usually choose wisdom. Those with a background of primarily psionic studies might choose either (as they could have rained as either psions or psychic warriors). This is, however, merely a matter of roleplaying. Like other spellcasters and manifesters the aral has a limit on his casting/manifesting mojo per day. The daily mojo allotment will be detailed on the accompanying table. The aral gains both bonus spell slots and bonus power points from a high ability score. However, calculate these as if his primary ability score (in or wis) was 4 points lower than it actually is. An arals selection (ie number) of spells and powers is somewhat limited, an aral begins play knowing 4 0-level spells (cantrips or orisons) and 3 1st level spells or powers of your choice (since you cannot use power points to cast spells, it is recommended that you select at least one psionic power (if aviable) at this point). At each new aral level he gains new spells or powers according to the accompanying table. He does not gain extra spells or powers known due to a high ability score. Upon reaching 4th level, and at every even-numbered level after that, an aral may choose to ‘forget’ a single spell or power that he knows and learn a new one in its place. The spell or power to be swapped must be the same level and at least two levels lower than the highest level spell the aral can cast/manifest at his current character level. The aral cast spells spontaneously in the same way as a sorcerer or bard. If the aral has the ability to manifest psionic powers, he does so in the following ways: The aral may manifest and augment the power by paying power points from his power point pool. The aral may never spend more power points manifesting a single power than his character level. For this purpose, spell slots are treated as having a power point value equal to twice their level minus one. 0-level spell slots have a value of 0. The aral may expend a spell slot to manifest a power of the same level as the spell slot expended. If the spell slot used in this manner is of higher level that the power, the power (if possible) is augmented with 2 power points for each spell level the spell slot is higher than the level of the power manifested (ex: a fire energy ray manifested from a 1st level spell slot does 1d6+1 points of fire damage, if the same power was manifested using a 2nd level spell slot it would do 3d6+3 fire damage. Remember that damaging psionic powers do not scale with manifester level). If the aral manifests a power by expending a spell slot, he may augment it by paying power points from his power point pool. (ex: a 3rd level aral manifests a fire energy ray by expending a lvl 1 spell slot and 2 power points for 3d6+3 fire damage) (ex2: a 5th level aral manifests fire energy ray by expending a 2nd level spell slot and 2 power points for 5d6+5 fire damage.) An aral may also manifest and (if possible) augment a power by paying power points from his power point pool as well as expending spell slots (ex: a level 11 aral pays 6 power points from his power point pool and expends a 3rd level spell slot to manifest Fuse Flesh, conserving his 6th level spell slot for later). The aral may also use two or more spell slots to manifest a power with a power point cost equal to the total power point value of the spell slots. Unused power points from such an expenditure are wasted. (ex: a level 3 aral may manifest a lightning energy ray for 3d6 of lightning damage by expending his level 2 spell slot and one level 1 spell slot) (ex2: a level 5 aral may manifest a Graft Weapon power by expending one level 2 spell slot, one level 1 spell slot and one power point, or one level 2 spell slot and two level 1 spell slots). For those who thinks the above is too hard to keep track on, read the short one below. Every spell slot an aral has access to has a power point value of twice its level -1. The aral may use any spell slots at his disposal to manifest and augment powers, as well as the power points in his power point pool. He may, however, not spend more power points on the manifestation of any single power than his current manifester level, which is equal to his aral class level. Yes, this means that he can sacrifice lower level spell slots to manifest higher level powers, that’s part of the charm about psionics. However, this is necessary since, unlike spells, damaging powers (and a few others) has effects that does not scale with level. The 3rd level Energy Ball power (similar to the Fireball spell) does, in fire mode, 5d6+5 fire damage + 1d6+1 fire damage per additional power point. This means that at level 10 you may expend two of your 4th level spell slots (equals 10 power points) on this power to deal 10d6+10 fire damage with a DC of 10+ spell level+ key ability modifier +2. Or you could use them to lug two 10d6 Fireball spells at them instead. While a 10d6 fireball is still a 3rd level spell, a 10d6 lightning energy ball use up mojo power equal to a 5th level spell + 1 power point (or a 1st level spell slot). Note on Aral mojo: Arcane spells are subject to spell failure, this is not the case with divine spells or psionic powers. Metamagic feats does not work on psionic powers. Metapsionic feats does not work on spells (but see feats section). The Aral cannot cast more spells per day than a wizard, and cannot manifest more powers per day than a psion. As the aral uses the same source for casting/manifesting, he has no more capacity than either, except for his ability to manifest in such a way as to preserve higher level spell slots for spellcasting, at the cost of lower level spells and powers (remember if you manifest, for example, a 5pp Claws of the Vampire by expending a 4th level spell slot, the extra 2pp potential of the slot is wasted). Bonus feats: At 1st, 5th, 10th, 15th and 20th level, the aral gains one bonus feat. This feat must be a metamagic, metapsionic, psionic, item creation feat or selected from the feats supplied with this class, the aral must still meet any prerequisites for those feats. The Aral------------------------------------Spells known Level----BAB-----Fort--Ref--Will-----Special-------Cantrips----Spells/powers 1--------0--------0-----0----2------Bonus Feat-----4--------------3 2--------1--------0-----0----3---------------------5--------------5 3--------1--------1-----1----3---------------------5--------------7 4--------2--------1-----1----4---------------------6--------------9 5--------2--------1-----1----4------Bonus Feat-----6-------------11 6--------3--------2-----2----5---------------------7--------------13 7--------3--------2-----2----5---------------------7--------------15 8--------4--------2-----2----6---------------------8--------------17 9--------4--------3-----3----6---------------------8--------------19 10-------5--------3-----3----7------Bonus Feat----9--------------21 11-------5--------3-----3----7---------------------9--------------22 12-------6/1------4-----4----8---------------------9--------------24 13-------6/1------4-----4----8---------------------9--------------25 14-------7/2------4-----4----9---------------------9--------------27 15-------7/2------5-----5----9------Bonus Feat----9--------------28 16-------8/3------5-----5---10---------------------9--------------30 17-------8/3------5-----5---10---------------------9--------------31 18-------9/4------6-----6---11---------------------9--------------33 19-------9/4------6-----6---11---------------------9--------------34 20-------10/5-----6-----6---12------Bonus Feat----9--------------36 Spells per day level ->--0--1--2--3--4--5--6--7--8--9-------PP -1-------3--1--------------------------------1 -2-------4--2--------------------------------2 -3-------4--2--1-----------------------------4 -4-------4--3--2-----------------------------5 -5-------4--3--2--1--------------------------7 -6-------4--3--3--2--------------------------8 -7-------4--4--3--2--1----------------------10 -8-------4--4--4--3--2----------------------11 -9-------4--4--4--3--2--1-------------------13 10-------4--4--4--3--3--2-------------------14 11-------4--4--4--4--3--2--1----------------16 12-------4--4--4--4--3--3--2----------------17 13-------4--4--4--4--4--3--2--1-------------19 14-------4--4--4--4--4--3--3--2-------------20 15-------4--4--4--4--4--4--3--2--1----------22 16-------4--4--4--4--4--4--3--3--2----------24 17-------4--4--4--4--4--4--4--3--2--1-------25 18-------4--4--4--4--4--4--4--3--3--2-------27 19-------4--4--4--4--4--4--4--4--3--3-------28 20-------4--4--4--4--4--4--4--4--4--4-------29 ---------Maximum spell/power level known -------2 lists-------3 lists-------4 lists -1-------1-----------1-----------1 -2-------1-----------1-----------1 -3-------2-----------2-----------1 -4-------2-----------2-----------2 -5-------3-----------2-----------2 -6-------3-----------3-----------2 -7-------3-----------3-----------3 -8-------4-----------4-----------3 -9-------4-----------4-----------3 10-------5-----------4-----------4 11-------5-----------5-----------4 12-------5-----------5-----------4 13-------6-----------5-----------5 14-------6-----------6-----------5 15-------7-----------6-----------5 16-------7-----------6-----------6 17-------7-----------7-----------6 18-------8-----------7-----------6 19-------8-----------7-----------6 20-------8-----------7-----------6 Feats: Arcane Conversion (metamagic) Prerequisites: Caster level 5, Spellcraft 8 ranks, Psicraft 2 ranks. Benefit: Once per day you may expend two spell slots to cast a spell whose level is equal to the total levels of the expended spell slots, up to the maximum level which you can cast (maximum 8th). Using this ability increases the spell level by one. You may not attach additional metamagic feats to a spell modified by this feat. Psychic Conversion (metamagic) Prerequisites: Caster level 5, Spellcraft 2 ranks, Psicraft 8 ranks. Benefit: Once per day you may cast a spell without expending a spell slot by paying a number of power points equal to your caster level. If the spell does not have an effect that scale with caster level, you may instead pay a number of power points equal to twice the spell level minus one. For purposes of determining if a spell has an effect that scales with caster level, you may ignore Range and Duration. Also, magic missile is treated as non-scaling for the purposes of this feat. Ambimentality (General) Prerequisites: Knowledge (Arcana) 2 ranks, Knowledge (Psionics) 2 ranks, Use Magic Device 2 ranks, Use Psionic Device 2 ranks, Spellcraft 2 ranks, Psicraft 2 ranks. Benefit: For the purpose of making knowledge checks, you are treated as having a number of ranks in knowledge (Arcana) and knowledge (Psionics) equal to the highest number of ranks in either. Also, for the purpose of making Spellcraft or Psicraft checks, you are treated as having a number of ranks in Spellcraft and Psicraft equal to the highest number of ranks in either. By the same token, for the purpose of making Use Magic Device or Use Psionic Device checks, you are treated as having a number of ranks in Use Magic Device and Use Psionic Device equal to the highest number of ranks in either. Special: An Aral can take this feat as one of his Aral Bonus Feats. Metaversatility (metamagic) Prerequisites: caster level 5, manifester level 5, Spellcraft 2 ranks, Psicraft 2 ranks, one other metamagic or metapsionic feat. Benefit: Three times per day you may treat a metamagic feat as its psionic counterpart or a metapsionic feat as its metamagic counterpart for the purpose of applying their effects to spells or powers. This only affects feats with the following form: empower X, enlarge X, extend X, maximize X, split ray, twin X, quicken X and widen X where X is ‘spell’ or ‘power’.
Lucan_Desmond 07-03-06, 12:37 PM	Ummm, still too much. Honestly, even with the limited amount of use, the ability to combine all the spell lists in the game is overpowering and pretty much unbalancable. Bring this over the the CharOp boards sometime and ask them how to combine just a few arcane/divine/psionic spells and powers to REDICULOUSLY DEVASTATING EFFECTS. Good luck working on this one... Best wishes! Des
Norr 07-03-06, 12:42 PM	combine just a few arcane/divine/psionic spells and powers to REDICULOUSLY DEVASTATING EFFECTS. Good luck working on this one...Des Thanks, now I know what I have to tone down, exactly was I was looking for. Cheers :)
belthazzar1113 07-03-06, 01:14 PM	your not really going to be able to tone this down. the concept you have makes this really unbalanceable to let a player have. just how it is. but goodluck anyway
Norr 07-03-06, 05:42 PM	Okay. It seems that, while the actual spellcasting/manifesting system wouldn't be much of a baddar, the fact that the aral can learn potentially any spell or power ever released make him a 'bit' too powerful. This means tweaking the spell/power avilability. I can think of a couple of ways to do this: 1: limit the Aral to two spell lists. 2: limit the Aral to one spell list and allow him to choose a single spell or power from other lists, say, every 4th level. 3: scrap the class and tweak the 'spell knowledge' feat. At this point, option three semms more viable, but I'll have to think about this one.
Norr 07-04-06, 07:23 AM	The central issue with this class seems to be 'allowing a player free access to both magic and psionic lists at the same time of this high level is overpowered, because combining such spells can be utterly powerful'. Then I checked out the cerebremancer PrC again. A Wizard 5/Psion 5/ cerebremancer 10 has: a virtually unlimited number of spells of up to 8th level at caster lvl 15 and base spell slots as a 15th level caster 28 powers of up to 8th level at manifester level 15 and base 195 PP/day In short, the Cereb. has casting/manfesting power and resources equal to two 15th level characters, but the 'action allotment' of one character, making them last very long before running out of juice. An Aral 20 has: 36 spells, powers or any mix thereof of up to 9th level and casting/manifesting resources as a 20th level wizard OR psion, because spellcasting drains potential power points and manifesting powers drain spell slots. Apart from the 9th level spells/powers, any spell/power combination bossible with the Cereb. is possible with the Aral, but as the number of spells/powers known is fixed and the resources more limited, the Aral is actually LESS flexible than a Cereb. In effect, the Aral has exchanged staying power and flexibility for a higher caster/manifester level and the ability to learn 9th level spells/powers. How is this unbalancing? And then comes armor and metamagic restrictions. If you use only divine spells and psi powers you don't need to wory about armor, but your metamagic/metapsionic feats are restricted. Conversively, divine and arcane magic can use the same metamagic feats but arcane spells are subject to spell faliure, limiting the use of armour.
MoonSprite 07-04-06, 10:20 AM	The thing about the Cerebramancer vs the Aral is that you need to sacrifice some power in Cerebramancer to get the nifty stuff (which is not that powerful due to loss in both spells and manifesting) but the Aral sacrifices none. And who cares about supposed flexibility? You are going to choose the strongest arcane and divine spells to work with your psionic powers. Let´s see... we can get Miracle and Psychic Chirurgery. And the Polar Rays and Delayed Blast Fireballs with your Heal spell. Also your Divine Power with Tenser´s Transformation and Psionic Lion’s Charge easily mix up well with Wraithstrike. Just, you know, those are some examples. So that´s why there should be a limit. Although I can´t see it how...Maybe 5th, 6th or 7th level maximum spells/powers? Hope it helps! -GFV
Norr 07-05-06, 12:00 PM	So that´s why there should be a limit. Although I can´t see it how...Maybe 5th, 6th or 7th level maximum spells/powers? I see your point. The Aral can now choose the number of spell/power lists aviable, more lists at the price of lower max spell/power level. max for 2 lists is now 8th (as cerebremancer or mystic theurge) and max for 4 lists is 6th (as bard or psychic warrior). I wonder if anyone can make the class work at 4 lists ;).