Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Pitiless_Interfector 10-19-07, 11:21 PM	ARCANE ARISTOCRAT "Arrogance? I have mastered secrets one as limited as you could never grasp. The deities have favored me with gifts beyond mere mortals; it would be blasphemy to let their blessing go to waste. I have divine right to rule this land, and no one has the power to stop me." —Arramandias, The Emerald Emperor As much as the mighty guilds and colleges of wizardry might wish otherwise, not all sorcerers and warlocks remain outcasts, feared by the common people and misunderstood by erstwhile friends and family. While many do take up a life of adventure to bond with others who, like them, were unable or unwilling to fit into the established social order, most have the charisma (and a few have the cunning) to gain substantial political power, making them a force to be reckoned with even by the mightiest wizard's guilds. These individuals discover (or are instructed in by an older relative or master) techniques for strengthening their rule and improving their ability to lead both well and long. Whether or not their blood is noble, it is certainly magical, and as such the title of arcane aristocrat is preeminently appropriate. ENTRY REQUIREMENTS Alignment: Any lawful Skills: Bluff 9 ranks, Diplomacy 9 ranks, Knowledge (nobility and royalty) 9 ranks Feats: Favored [or Favored in House], Leadership, Stronghold Magic* Spells or Invocations: Ability to spontaneously cast 3rd-level arcane spells or use Lesser invocations Special Requirements: Arcane caster level 6th Note: Meeting the skill requirements is best done if you are a member of the Upper Class (and gain the bonus class skills described on page 59 of Cityscape.) Your magical abilities are especially potent on home ground. Prerequisite: Ability to spontaneously cast arcane spells or use invocations. Benefit: When cast within your stronghold, a spell or invocation's effective spell level is increased by one, and its effective caster level is increased by 2. All effects (including duration, spell penetration checks, resisting dispel attempts, save DCs and interactions with spells such as globe of invulnerability) are calculated according to the new spell and caster level (though this does not affect how the spell or invocation interacts with feats such as Empower Spell-Like Ability, nor does it increase its casting time or the level of the spell slot required to cast it). Special: Your stronghold is a particular site, building, or structure previously designated by you that fits within a sphere whose radius is 10-ft./arcane caster level. The designated area must be a location where you have spent a cumulative total of at least 3 months. Though a stronghold can be designated within a larger structure, its special advantages do not apply beyond the maximum area of the sphere. Once designated, it takes seven days for a site to become a stronghold, and if you designate a new stronghold, the benefits of any previously-extant strongholds immediately fade. Table 1—1: The Arcane Aristocrat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . HD: d6 Base Attack Fort Ref Will Level Bonus Save Save Save Special Spellcasting 1st +0 +0 +0 +2 Iron-fisted rule, aristocratic arcana, voice of imperious command, personal mark — 2nd +1 +0 +0 +3 Detect treachery +1 level of existing spontaneous arcane spellcasting class 3rd +1 +1 +1 +3 Mental armor (charm) +1 level of existing spontaneous arcane spellcasting class 4th +2 +1 +1 +4 Mental screen +1 level of existing spontaneous arcane spellcasting class 5th +2 +1 +1 +4 Loyal vizier — 6th +3 +2 +2 +5 Mental façade, mental armor (compulsion) +1 level of existing spontaneous arcane spellcasting class 7th +3 +2 +2 +5 Trusted lieutenant +1 level of existing spontaneous arcane spellcasting class 8th +4 +2 +2 +6 Scry shield +1 level of existing spontaneous arcane spellcasting class 9th +4 +3 +3 +6 Mental armor (mind-affecting) +1 level of existing spontaneous arcane spellcasting class 10th +5 +3 +3 +7 Personal demesne +1 level of existing spontaneous arcane spellcasting class Class Skills (4 + Int mod per level): Appraise, Bluff, Concentration, Craft, Diplomacy, Disguise, Escape Artist, Forgery, Gather Information, Handle Animal, Heal, Intimidate, Knowledge (all skills, taken individually), Listen, Perform, Profession, Ride, Search, Sense Motive, Sleight of Hand, Speak Language, Spellcraft, Spot, Swim, Survival, Use Magic Device, Use Rope CLASS FEATURES An arcane aristocrat adds his level in this prestige class to his Leadership score, and does not suffer a penalty for failure, aloofness, cruelty, frequent travel, recruiting cohorts of different alignments, causing the deaths of cohorts or followers, or possessing a familiar, special mount, or other animal companion. Also, you add half your class level (rounded down) to your highest affiliation score. Upon entering this prestige class, an arcane aristocrat's intense study and arduous training pay off in the form of an impressive broadening of the extent of his arcane talents. He adds the spells from the following list (that are of a level he can cast and that does not exceed his arcane aristocrat level) to his class's list of spells and (upon gaining the ability to cast spells of a given level or higher) his own personal repertoire of spells known: 1st—alarm, comprehend languages, detect secret doors, erase, hold portal, mount, Nystul's magic aura, Tenser's floating disk, unseen servant, vigilant slumber 2nd—aerial alarm, arcane lock, attentive alarm, continual flame, dragonseye rune, locate object, misrepresent alignment, obscure object, protection from arrows, see invisibility, whispering wind 3rd—deceptive façade, enduring scrutiny, explosive runes, glowing orb, illusory script, Leomund's tiny hut, mark of justice, phantom steed, regal procession, secret page, sepia snake sigil, servant horde, shrink item, sign of sealing, tongues 4th—arcane eye, fire trap, hallucinatory terrain, illusory wall, Leomund's secure shelter, Leomund's spacious carriage, lesser geas, locate creature, scrying 5th—Leomund's billet, Leomund's secret chest, mirage arcana, Mordenkainen's faithful hound, Mordenkainen's private stronghold, permanency, prying eyes, Rary's telepathic bond, refusal, sending 6th—geas/quest, greater sign of sealing, guards and wards, hide the path, permanent image, programmed image, scry location 7th—control weather, Drawmij's instant summons, forcecage, Mordenkainen's magnificent mansion, refuge, sequester, simulacrum 8th—demand, familial geas, greater prying eyes, Mordenkainen's capable caravel, screen 9th—eye of power, foresight, hindsight, imprisonment, instant refuge, pavilion of grandeur In addition, if he possesses (or later acquires) the summon familiar class feature, his levels in arcane aristocrat stack with his levels in all classes with that feature to determine its level-based abilities and features. However, this class feature does not in and of itself grant the aristocrat the ability to acquire a familiar if he doesn't already possess it. A warlock instead adds any invocations from the following list of a grade he is (or later becomes) capable of casting: Least—all-seeing eyes, beguiling influence Lesser—crawling eye, thieves' bane Greater—warlock's call Dark—dark foresight If a warlock already knows one or more of these invocations, he may instead learn any invocation of an equal or lower grade in its place. An arcane aristocrat has honed his vocal abilities to supernatural perfection. He adds his class level as a bonus on Intimidate checks, and causes demoralized foes to cower in fear for 1 round in addition to being shaken in the round after that. He can also amplify his voice, as if by the spell resounding voice (effective caster level equal to class level), at will, suppressing, resuming, or altering the range of the effect as a free action. An arcane aristocrat learns how to emblazon a specific symbol on creatures or objects, either visibly or invisibly, as the arcane mark spell (effective caster level equal to class level). The specific symbol must be chosen when this ability is selected, and the ability always produces the same symbol when used unless the arcane aristocrat undertakes an hour of focused meditation to change it. Unlike the actual arcane mark spell, the mark produced by this ability is always permanent, even when placed on creatures. All rulers must contend with the possibility of betrayal. But rather than be caught off-guard, arcane aristocrats of 2nd level and higher master supernatural techniques that allow them to ferret out trickery, treachery, and betrayal in all its varied forms. This ability manifests in the following ways: You cannot be surprised by creatures that are both susceptible to mind-affecting effects and within 30 feet of you. Using the Sense Motive skill, either to detect enchantment effects or get a hunch about another's intentions, is made as a reaction that requires no time and can be made even when it is not your turn, much like a Spot check to avoid surprise. You may add your class level to the check. (Neither of these effects functions against targets immune to mind-affecting effects and/or more than 30 feet away from you) At will, he can use detect poison, detect weaponry, and discern lies, as supernatural abilities duplicating the effects of the spells of the same names (at an effective caster level equal to that of his highest-level spontaneous arcane casting or invocation-using class.) All aspects of this ability can penetrate barriers, but are blocked by dense materials in a manner identical to the spell detect magic. Rulers must always be on guard against attempts to sway their minds by magic. At 3rd level and above, he becomes completely immune to (charm) effects (though he is automatically appraised of the nature of the charm and recognizes its caster on sight, allowing him to play along if he should so desire). At 6th level, he becomes likewise immune to (compulsion) effects, receiving the telepathic commands that enable him to continue the farce as long as he wishes. At 9th level, he becomes completely immune to all mind-affecting effects and can instinctively detect their use against him, as if wearing a ring of mental fortitude crafted at his current caster level. A ruler must always work to protect his privacy, since many of his actions, despite their just intent, might disagree with popular sentiment. Knowing this, arcane aristocrats of 4th level and above develop supernatural shields to stymie the magical probings of meddlesome mages and curious clerics. This ability functions like an amulet of mind shielding (with an effective caster level equal to that of his highest-level spontaneous arcane spellcasting class). Furthermore, circle dance, discern location, implacable pursuer, locate creature, and similar spells are blocked, exactly as if he were dead (for circle dance), mind blanked (for discern location), stationary (for implacable pursuer), across running water (for locate creature), or otherwise an ineligible target or out of range. This ability is continuous, but provides no protection against scrying. If an arcane aristocrat of 5th level or higher possesses or acquires a familiar (either through the Obtain Familiar feat or the summon familiar class feature), that familiar gains the shapechanger subtype and the ability to switch back and forth at will from its animal form to a single, specific humanoid form (of the same race as the caster) whose appearance is determined when this ability is gained (or upon the creature's becoming a familiar, if the arcane aristocrat acquires a new one) and cannot be changed. This functions like the alternate form supernatural ability (MM 305), though one must keep the following points in mind: The familiar replaces its original form's inherent natural armor bonus with the base value of a typical member of its master's race, but this new natural armor bonus (even if it is +0) still benefits from the increase that the familiar of a master of the arcane aristocrat's level is due based on its master's level. Enhancement bonuses (such as from magic items) do not apply, though the master can still share the benefits of spells such as dragonskin via the Share Spells class feature. The familiar's physical ability scores in its alternate form are equal to those of its master, including bonuses from level-based ability increases and other permanent effects, (such as the Ability Boost class feature or a manual of gainful exercise) but not temporary effects or magic items such as gloves of Dexterity or ray of enfeeblement (but again, note the Share Spells class feature). The familiar is able to speak and understand every language its master knows (and benefits from comprehend languages and tongues effects via Share Spells), in addition to conversing with animals similar to its base kind via the Speak With Animals of its Kind ability (if it has it, which most Improved Familiars don't). The familiar retains the Speak With Master ability, and as such the master and familiar can still converse in a "secret code" that others cannot decipher without the aid of tongues or comprehend languages. An arcane aristocrat of 6th level or higher can not only block enemy divinations outright, but can supply a misleading result. After all, if someone has gone to all the trouble of protecting themselves against divinations, they usually have something to hide. This ability manifests in the following ways: An arcane aristocrat can present a false alignment aura to be picked up by spells such as detect evil, in lieu of his real alignment (this does not prevent him from taking extra damage from a holy weapon or being affected by a chaos hammer or word of chaos spell, nor does it affect his own feats and class features or enable him to utilize a libram of gainful conjuration). He can choose to detect as lawful evil, chaotic good, true neutral, or any other alignment he chooses (at any aura strength he chooses, other than Overwhelming), and he can change his alignment aura as a free action once per round. An arcane aristocrat can provide false memories, emotions, or surface thoughts in response to spells such as detect thoughts or probe thoughts. The believability of these false responses depends on the situation; an arcane aristocrat whose mind appears calmly focused on the weather even while he glares daggers at a rude party guest will cause most diviners to realize he is more than he seems, while someone targeting him with probe thoughts and uncovering a memory of the aristocrat meeting one of the caster's associates wherein said associate is of a different race or gender will immediately alert the diviner to the fact that the aristocrat possesses powerful and unpredictable abilities. The aristocrat can provide a false location when potentially affected by discern location, circle dance, locate creature, or similar spells. The aristocrat can choose to register as either lying or not lying when affected by discern lies and similar effects, regardless of what he says. Remember that speaking the truth while registering as untruthful can be just as misleading as a bald-faced lie that registers as truthful. At 7th level and above, an arcane aristocrat's familiar benefits from many of his class abilities. It gains the voice of imperious command, personal mark, detect treachery, mental armor (charm), mental armor (compulsion), mental screen, and mental facade abilities, using the same caster level as your own personal effects. Upon reaching 8th, 9th, and 10th level, an arcane aristocrat now provides his familiar with access to the scry shield, mental armor (mind-affecting effects), and teleportation ward abilities, respectively, in the same manner. The familiar creates the same personal mark as its master, but otherwise controls the details of its mental facade and the appearance of the false vision aspect of its scry shield (attained at 8th level). At 8th level and above, the area within 40 feet of the arcane aristocrat is continually warded as if by detect scrying and false vision effects, as the spells of the same names (effective caster level equal to that of his highest-level spontaneous arcane spellcasting class). At 10th level, an arcane aristocrat's stronghold (as defined in the Stronghold Magic feat earlier in this post) becomes a veritable stronghold. The radius increases to 50 ft./arcane caster level, and the increases in effective spell level and bonus to arcane caster level both double. All Abjuration and Illusion (Glamer) spells and invocations affecting an area, as well as all Divination (Scrying) spells that produce a magical sensor, that are cast within the stronghold are affected as if by the Extend Spell metamagic feat, without increasing the effective spell level or casting time. This effect applies even if the area or sensor is outside the stronghold, provided the caster himself is within the stronghold.
Jaxgaret 10-20-07, 01:18 AM	As far as I can tell, this class is ridonkulously powerful. Also, this immediately becomes the Sublime Chord build in a game that allows it: Bard6/LyricThaumaturge2/ArcaneAristocrat1/SublimeChord2/ArcaneAristocrat9 is pure awesome.
bkdubs123 10-20-07, 03:20 AM	Also, you can enter with a Warlock, but then they get absolutely no benefit from the Aristocratic Arcana feature.
Pitiless_Interfector 10-20-07, 12:09 PM	As far as I can tell, this class is ridonkulously powerful. Also, this immediately becomes the Sublime Chord build in a game that allows it: Bard 6/Lyric Thaumaturge 2/Arcane Aristocrat 1/Sublime Chord 2/Arcane Aristocrat 9 is pure awesome. Okay, that was not what I was intending to do here. Added an alignment requirement to help keep out bards and whatnot. And yeah, the class seems quite powerful on first glance. However, it needs to be, seeing as how the sorcerer and warlock classes suck balls compared to wizards, who also happen to form guilds due to their unique advantage of actually benefiting from cooperation. Let's see; detect treachery is a powerful ability, but the aristocrat has to actively use it in order to check for poison, so smearing black lotus extract on a doorknob is an easy and effective way to take the bastard by complete surprise. Equally effective is hanging back 30 feet and picking him off with a sniper's shot death attack. Also, his ability to detect weaponry can be easily thwarted by the 1st-level spell secret weapon. Finally, discern lies can be easily thwarted by using intentionally misinformed minions to do the dirty deed or just evading the question (make a Bluff check opposed by aristocrat's Sense Motive check to keep him from noticing the evasion). The spells and invocations offered by the aristocratic arcana class feature, while certainly useful in the right hands, generally don't enhance his combat capabilities or otherwise affect traditional adventuring; many of these spells will be used only rarely, or provide effects easily duplicated with magic items, further limiting the overall power level of this feature. The defenses against divination, scrying, and mind-affecting effects generally have little to no impact on combat capability or traditional adventuring; indeed, only long-term NPC villains important to the plot will have the motive, means, and opportunity to test the divination defenses, and the mind-affecting immunities aren't any better than a mind blank spell and scale up relatively slowly; in any event, most casters have high enough Will saves to make mind-affecting effects a nonissue for them. Also, you can enter with a Warlock, but then they get absolutely no benefit from the Aristocratic Arcana feature. Fixed.
Jaxgaret 10-20-07, 03:05 PM	Aristocratic Arcana adds a lot of spells known to the Sorcerer's spell list. It is a huge boost, even if most of the spells will rarely be used - there are many commonly used and useful spells included in there, I would say at least 2 per spell level. The Scrying defenses are the second part of the overpoweredness of this class. While they don't all kick in until late in the class progression, Mental Screen + Mental Facade + Scry Shield + Extradimensional Ward is an almost flawless defense against scry n' die tactics, and is up at all times - even a Wizard can't have all that running at all times. And that's really the only thing a high level caster has to worry about to begin with. The third leg of the ridiculous power of this class is Iron-Fisted Rule. There's no other class in the game that gives such an insanely powerful boost to the Leadership feat, not even the Legendary Leader from Heroes of Battle. Then you add in the free always-on Mind Blank, which is pretty nice to have and can't be dispelled or suppressed other than by an AMF field, the very nice enhancements to the Familiar, and the other assorted goodies, and it all sums up to way strong.
bkdubs123 10-20-07, 03:48 PM	basically if you make this into a 5 level prestige class, lose some of the mental buffs, lose everything to do with the familiar, and lose some of the spells/invocations from aristocratic arcana you'll be fine (or at least a lot closer to it).
Kyuketsukiouji 10-21-07, 06:53 PM	Actually, what you should do is up the entry requirements so that it makes it less attractive to enter and harder to stay in. Something like: Feats: Leadership, Sanctum Spell Spells: Must be able to cast Mordenkainen's Private Sanctum spontaneously. Special: Must hold a seat of power (a clearly identifiable building worth at least 50,000gp), and remain there at least 8 months a year. I'd also double the penalty to Leadership for frequent travel instead of eliminating it.
HCL 10-21-07, 07:29 PM	I think it might be balanced if you at least brought it down to d4 hit dice. but tbh this looks like a better class to take at a given level than archmage. I would try to make it slightly worse than archmage.
Pitiless_Interfector 10-22-07, 04:57 PM	Are any of you CharOps people? I think it bears repeating that spontaneous casting and invoking SUCKS!. Seriously, this is a class designed primarily for NPCs. How many times do the players have to worry about being scried on, then extradimensionally ambushed by 4 NPCs with ECL 4 higher than their own? The immunity to mind-affecting effects isn't all that tough to get; feytouched get it with only a +1 LA. In point of fact, this class is supposed to be powerful; it's meant to give sorcerers and warlocks enough of a leg up to actually compete against wizards in the battle for world domination. I mean, seriously, think about it: A high-level LE sorcerer-king has a limited list of spells known. It should not take much effort to determine what spells that sorcerer-king knows. With that knowledge, a wizard can prepare his spells for the specific purpose of destroying him, customizing his daily allotment for maximum destructive potential versus the ruler and his known high-level cronies. Meanwhile, the sorcerer-king has no way (short of the drake helm from Eberron's Explorer's Handbook or a wish spell a la the Simbul from Forgotten Realms) to adapt his tactics.
Jaxgaret 10-22-07, 06:41 PM	Are any of you CharOps people? Not regularly. If you want the CharOp opinion, bring it there. I mean, really, that's rather silly for you to bring a question to a non-CharOp board and complain that you wanted CharOppers answering your question. I think it bears repeating that spontaneous casting and invoking SUCKS!. Oh, really? Last I checked, the Sorcerer was one of the top 10 most powerful base classes in the game. Warlocks are rather middling, though, and are pretty much bottom of the barrel as far as 'casters go. Seriously, this is a class designed primarily for NPCs. Is it now? Where did you state that in the OP? How many times do the players have to worry about being scried on, then extradimensionally ambushed by 4 NPCs with ECL 4 higher than their own? Scry n' Die isn't just for PCs. All mid-to-high level characters fear this tactic, and it's just about the only thing high level spellcasters really worry about. The immunity to mind-affecting effects isn't all that tough to get; feytouched get it with only a +1 LA. I guess you haven't read the CharOp Ten Commandments of Optimization? The first rule is: Thou shalt not give up caster levels - as you would by taking the Feytouched template, although it is a good value for the LA. In point of fact, this class is supposed to be powerful; it's meant to give sorcerers and warlocks enough of a leg up to actually compete against wizards in the battle for world domination. An admirable goal. I think you went a bit too far, though. I mean, seriously, think about it: A high-level LE sorcerer-king has a limited list of spells known. It should not take much effort to determine what spells that sorcerer-king knows. With that knowledge, a wizard can prepare his spells for the specific purpose of destroying him, customizing his daily allotment for maximum destructive potential versus the ruler and his known high-level cronies. Meanwhile, the sorcerer-king has no way (short of the drake helm from Eberron's Explorer's Handbook or a wish spell a la the Simbul from Forgotten Realms) to adapt his tactics. High level LE Sorcerer-kings can have plenty of staffs, knowstones, runestaffs, scrolls, sceptres, or other item-based methods of gaining access to spells other than their "spells known". That's even before taking into account any of the myriad of classes and feats that add spells known or access to spells known to a Sorcerer's list.
Realms of Chaos 10-22-07, 11:31 PM	Without Scrolls (or collegiate wizard), a wizard learns about 40 spells in their career. With 1 level of Arcane Aristocrat, you grant a sorcerer 78 bonus spells known, in the space of one level. This is all that I have problems with, perhaps only grant bonus spells of a spell level up to your Arcane Aristocrat level (ArAr 1 gains only bonus 1st level spells, ArAr 2 gains bonus 1st and 2nd level spells, etc).
Jaxgaret 10-22-07, 11:40 PM	Without Scrolls (or collegiate wizard), a wizard learns about 40 spells in their career. With 1 level of Arcane Aristocrat, you grant a sorcerer 78 bonus spells known, in the space of one level. This is all that I have problems with, perhaps only grant bonus spells of a spell level up to your Arcane Aristocrat level (ArAr 1 gains only bonus 1st level spells, ArAr 2 gains bonus 1st and 2nd level spells, etc). That's a good point. I agree. Otherwise, it is much too frontloaded.
Realms of Chaos 10-23-07, 09:22 AM	Wait. There is one more small problem. I'd take away the part allowing the sorcerer to learn something else instead if they already know one of the spells. I doubt that a player will be too disappointed if they only get 75 bonus spells. :rolleyes:
Pitiless_Interfector 10-23-07, 06:41 PM	Not regularly. If you want the CharOp opinion, bring it there. I mean, really, that's rather silly for you to bring a question to a non-CharOp board and complain that you wanted CharOppers answering your question. Um, last I checked, Character Optimization was for Character Optimization, and Prestige Classes was for Prestige Classes. Am I correct in assuming that, or is there something you want to tell me? Oh, really? Last I checked, the Sorcerer was one of the top 10 most powerful base classes in the game. Only if you PrC. Seriously, I was personally attacked for posting a straight Sorcerer 20, with the general consensus being that it was "the most pitiful build [they] had seen in a long time." Now, if you want to amend that to "Last I checked, a sorcerer 5/spellpwn master 10/I Win 5" was one of the most powerful characters in the game," then it would be valid. Is it now? Where did you state that in the OP? In case it slipped your mind, I am NOT your god.damn English teacher. I am instead assuming you can make inferences from the text at at least an 8th-grade level. Scry n' Die isn't just for PCs. All mid-to-high level characters fear this tactic, and it's just about the only thing high level spellcasters really worry about. Shouldn't they be worried about rogues with scrolls of antimagic field? I guess you haven't read the CharOp Ten Commandments of Optimization? The first rule is: Thou shalt not give up caster levels - as you would by taking the Feytouched template, although it is a good value for the LA. AND as you would by taking this PrC. (Furthermore, just about everybody uses the LA buyoff method, turning +1 LAs into another complete joke). An admirable goal. I think you went a bit too far, though. High level LE Sorcerer-kings can have plenty of staffs, knowstones, runestaffs, scrolls, sceptres, or other item-based methods of gaining access to spells other than their "spells known". That's even before taking into account any of the myriad of classes and feats that add spells known or access to spells known to a Sorcerer's list. And who makes these items? WIZARD'S GUILDS!
Pitiless_Interfector 10-23-07, 06:46 PM	I have changed the second caster level hit from 10th to 5th, and removed the extradimensional ward ability. (Trying to teleport to the location proffered by a false image spell doesn't work, anyway; it's a "false destination.")
Pitiless_Interfector 10-23-07, 06:47 PM	That's a good point. I agree. Otherwise, it is much too frontloaded. That provision was already there; I don't know why nobody saw it.
Jaxgaret 10-24-07, 02:26 AM	Um, last I checked, Character Optimization was for Character Optimization, and Prestige Classes was for Prestige Classes. Am I correct in assuming that, or is there something you want to tell me? CO is for CO, you are correct. It was just an odd thing for you to say. Only if you PrC. Seriously, I was personally attacked for posting a straight Sorcerer 20, with the general consensus being that it was "the most pitiful build [they] had seen in a long time." Now, if you want to amend that to "Last I checked, a sorcerer 5/spellpwn master 10/I Win 5" was one of the most powerful characters in the game," then it would be valid. Um, they're Sorcerers. Sorcerers PrC... there's absolutely no reason not to PrC as a Sorcerer. In case it slipped your mind, I am NOT your god.damn English teacher. I am instead assuming you can make inferences from the text at at least an 8th-grade level. It seemed to me to be quite playable by PCs. Whether or not it was designed to be for NPCs is up to you; I'm not a mindreader. Shouldn't they be worried about rogues with scrolls of antimagic field? Sure, those too, but not nearly so much. AND as you would by taking this PrC. (Furthermore, just about everybody uses the LA buyoff method, turning +1 LAs into another complete joke). Are you sure about everyone using LA buyoff? I hadn't noticed it being used by the majority of gamers, let along a strong minority. Also (and yes, I make mistakes like everyone else), I didn't slide the scrollbar on your class all the way to the right and so didn't notice that the class only had 8/10 spellcasting progression. I was thinking it was 10/10 full spellcasting progression. At 8/10, it is much more balanced. And who makes these items? WIZARD'S GUILDS! And Artificer's Guilds. :) That provision was already there; I don't know why nobody saw it. That'll teach me not to check the source. I just assumed the other poster had checked their facts. I hate when I do that. It's such an amateur slip up.
bkdubs123 10-24-07, 03:28 AM	I'll admit that the class is much more balanced against 8 of 10 caster levels, but I still don't like any of the familiar stuff. It seems arbitrary and just plain weird. I really thought I looked at it and it had 10/10 caster levels... huh!
Pitiless_Interfector 10-24-07, 05:09 PM	CO is for CO, you are correct. It was just an odd thing for you to say. Um, they're Sorcerers. Sorcerers PrC... there's absolutely no reason not to PrC as a Sorcerer. It seemed to me to be quite playable by PCs. Whether or not it was designed to be for NPCs is up to you; I'm not a mindreader. Sure, those too, but not nearly so much. Are you sure about everyone using LA buyoff? I hadn't noticed it being used by the majority of gamers, let along a strong minority. Also (and yes, I make mistakes like everyone else), I didn't slide the scrollbar on your class all the way to the right and so didn't notice that the class only had 8/10 spellcasting progression. I was thinking it was 10/10 full spellcasting progression. At 8/10, it is much more balanced. And Artificer's Guilds. :) That'll teach me not to check the source. I just assumed the other poster had checked their facts. I hate when I do that. It's such an amateur slip up. I make mistakes too when I'm not on my medication (such as not taking said medication). Apologies.
Pitiless_Interfector 10-24-07, 05:14 PM	I'll admit that the class is much more balanced against 8 of 10 caster levels, but I still don't like any of the familiar stuff. It seems arbitrary and just plain weird. I really thought I looked at it and it had 10/10 caster levels... huh! Why is it weird? What makes a more loyal right-hand-man than your right-hand-owl? (And note: while it must be the same race and subrace as you, I specifically omitted stipulating its gender. :love: ) Yep, the way it's set up, all Sor5/Mindbender 1/Arcane Aristocrat 10/Archmage 4s will have the same 9th-level spell list: 9th-eye of power, foresight, hindsight, instant refuge, pavilion of grandeur, wish. That's right: no time stop, no etherealness, no gate, no summon elemental monolith, no mass hold monster, no DOMINATE MONSTER, no black blade of disaster, no effulgent epuration, no Mordenkainen's disjunction, etc. Because only an idiot would pick anything other than wish if he had to choose only one 9th-level spell to know.
Jaxgaret 10-24-07, 05:49 PM	I really thought I looked at it and it had 10/10 caster levels... huh! Yeah, me too. Odd. I make mistakes too when I'm not on my medication (such as not taking said medication). Apologies. I can't tell if this in an intended barb or not.
Eldritch_Lord 10-24-07, 07:16 PM	ENTRY REQUIREMENTS Alignment: Any lawful Skills: Bluff 9 ranks, Diplomacy 4 ranks, Knowledge (nobility and royalty) 4 ranks Feats: Leadership Spells or Invocations: Ability to spontaneously cast 3rd-level arcane spells or use Lesser invocations Special Requirements: Arcane caster level 6th Looks good; I think Sanctum Spell would fit well, flavor-wise, as a prereq, but that's just me. Class Skills (4 + Int mod per level): Appraise, Bluff, Concentration, Craft, Diplomacy, Disguise, Escape Artist, Forgery, Gather Information, Handle Animal, Heal, Intimidate, Knowledge (all skills, taken individually), Listen, Perform, Profession, Ride, Search, Sense Motive, Sleight of Hand, Speak Language, Spellcraft, Spot, Swim, Survival, Use Magic Device, Use Rope Survival and Use Rope seem out of place here; a sorcerer ruling a kingdom with an iron fist probably doesn't need to know how to find edible mushrooms or how to tie two half-hitches. Any particular reason for their inclusion? Iron-Fisted Rule: An arcane aristocrat adds his level in this prestige class to his Leadership score, and does not suffer a penalty for failure, aloofness, cruelty, frequent travel, recruiting cohorts of different alignments, causing the deaths of cohorts or followers, or possessing a familiar, special mount, or other animal companion. I second the notion to worsen, rather than remove, the penalty for frequent travel; again, a kingdom-ruling sorcerer should probably stay in his power base more often than not. Aristocratic Arcana: Upon entering this prestige class, an arcane aristocrat's intense study and arduous training pay off in the form of an impressive broadening of the extent of his arcane talents. He adds the spells from the following list (that are of a level he can cast and that does not exceed his arcane aristocrat level) to his class's list of spells and (upon gaining the ability to cast spells of a given level or higher) his own personal repertoire of spells known: 1st—alarm, comprehend languages, detect secret doors, erase, hold portal, mount, Nystul's magic aura, Tenser's floating disk, unseen servant, vigilant slumber 2nd—aerial alarm, arcane lock, attentive alarm, continual flame, dragonseye rune, locate object, misrepresent alignment, obscure object, protection from arrows, see invisibility, whispering wind 3rd—deceptive façade, enduring scrutiny, explosive runes, glowing orb, illusory script, Leomund's tiny hut, mark of justice, phantom steed, regal procession, secret page, sepia snake sigil, servant horde, shrink item, sign of sealing, tongues 4th—arcane eye, fire trap, hallucinatory terrain, illusory wall, Leomund's secure shelter, Leomund's spacious carriage, lesser geas, locate creature, scrying 5th—Leomund's billet, Leomund's secret chest, mirage arcana, Mordenkainen's faithful hound, Mordenkainen's private sanctum, permanency, prying eyes, Rary's telepathic bond, refusal, sending 6th—geas/quest, greater sign of sealing, guards and wards, hide the path, permanent image, programmed image, scry location 7th—control weather, Drawmij's instant summons, forcecage, Mordenkainen's magnificent mansion, refuge, sequester, simulacrum 8th—demand, greater prying eyes, Mordenkainen's capable caravel, screen 9th—eye of power, foresight, hindsight, imprisonment, instant refuge, pavilion of grandeur In addition, if he possesses (or later acquires) the summon familiar class feature, his levels in arcane aristocrat stack with his levels in all classes with that feature to determine its level-based abilities and features. However, this class feature does not in and of itself grant the aristocrat the ability to acquire a familiar if he doesn't already possess it. A warlock instead adds any invocations from the following list of a grade he is (or later becomes) capable of casting: Least—all-seeing eyes, beguiling influence Lesser—crawling eye, thieves' bane Greater—warlock's call Dark—dark foresight If a warlock already knows one or more of these invocations, he may instead learn any invocation of an equal or lower grade in its place. You might want to cut back a bit on the granted spells known. The sand shaper only gives you ~40 new spells known, and you can probably get ~10 more from other PrCs, but I think 78 spells is a bit much. Perhaps you should cut 1 or 2 spells of each levels and move some spells from the more full levels (1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 5th) up a level or two to balance out. Personal Mark (Su): An arcane aristocrat learns how to emblazon a specific symbol on creatures or objects, either visibly or invisibly, as the arcane mark spell (effective caster level equal to class level). The specific symbol must be chosen when this ability is selected, and the ability always produces the same symbol when used unless the arcane aristocrat undertakes an hour of focused meditation to change it. Unlike the actual arcane mark spell, the mark produced by this ability is always permanent, even when placed on creatures. While having a permanent arcane mark can be nice, I think there should be more to it. Perhaps he can automatically scry on the target, to keep track of rebellious citizens, or have some protection against marked creatures? Detect Treachery (Su): All rulers must contend with the possibility of betrayal. But rather than be caught off-guard, arcane aristocrats of 2nd level and higher master supernatural techniques that allow them to ferret out trickery, treachery, and betrayal in all its varied forms. This ability manifests in the following ways: You cannot be surprised by creatures that are both susceptible to mind-affecting effects and within 30 feet of you. Using the Sense Motive skill, either to detect enchantment effects or get a hunch about another's intentions, is made as a reaction that requires no time and can be made even when it is not your turn, much like a Spot check to avoid surprise. You may add your class level to the check. (Neither of these effects functions against targets immune to mind-affecting effects and/or more than 30 feet away from you) At will, he can use detect poison, detect weaponry, and discern lies, as supernatural abilities duplicating the effects of the spells of the same names (at an effective caster level equal to that of his highest-level spontaneous arcane casting or invocation-using class.) All aspects of this ability can penetrate barriers, but are blocked by dense materials in a manner identical to the spell detect magic. I think the "hunch" part of Sense Motive should take at least an action of some sort--immediate, swift, standard, or otherwise--and the detecting enchantment part as a standard action, as it's currently effectively an always-on minor detect thought/detect magic ability. Mental Armor (Su): Rulers must always be on guard against attempts to sway their minds by magic. At 3rd level and above, he becomes completely immune to (charm) effects (though he is automatically appraised of the nature of the charm and recognizes its caster on sight, allowing him to play along if he should so desire). At 6th level, he becomes likewise immune to (compulsion) effects, receiving the telepathic commands that enable him to continue the farce as long as he wishes. At 9th level, he becomes completely immune to all mind-affecting effects and can instinctively detect their use against him, as if wearing a ring of mental fortitude crafted at his current caster level. Reasonable; a ring of mental fortitude and a mind blank-ish effect are easy enough to come by. Question: Does a ring of mental fortitude protect against divinations, or only mind-affecting effects? I'm not familiar with the exact details. Mental Screen (Su): A ruler must always work to protect his privacy, since many of his actions, despite their just intent, might disagree with popular sentiment. Knowing this, arcane aristocrats of 4th level and above develop supernatural shields to stymie the magical probings of meddlesome mages and curious clerics. This ability functions like an amulet of mind shielding (with an effective caster level equal to that of his highest-level spontaneous arcane spellcasting class). Furthermore, circle dance, discern location, implacable pursuer, locate creature, and similar spells are blocked, exactly as if he were dead (for circle dance), mind blanked (for discern location), stationary (for implacable pursuer), across running water (for locate creature), or otherwise an ineligible target or out of range. This ability is continuous, but provides no protection against scrying. Also looks reasonable. Mental Facade (Su): An arcane aristocrat of 6th level or higher can not only block enemy divinations outright, but can supply a misleading result. After all, if someone has gone to all the trouble of protecting themselves against divinations, they usually have something to hide. This ability manifests in the following ways: An arcane aristocrat can present a false alignment aura to be picked up by spells such as detect evil, in lieu of his real alignment (this does not prevent him from taking extra damage from a holy weapon or being affected by a chaos hammer or word of chaos spell, nor does it affect his own feats and class features or enable him to utilize a libram of gainful conjuration). He can choose to detect as lawful evil, chaotic good, true neutral, or any other alignment he chooses (at any aura strength he chooses, other than Overwhelming), and he can change his alignment aura as a free action once per round. An arcane aristocrat can provide false memories, emotions, or surface thoughts in response to spells such as detect thoughts or probe thoughts. The believability of these false responses depends on the situation; an arcane aristocrat whose mind appears calmly focused on the weather even while he glares daggers at a rude party guest will cause most diviners to realize he is more than he seems, while someone targeting him with probe thoughts and uncovering a memory of the aristocrat meeting one of the caster's associates wherein said associate is of a different race or gender will immediately alert the diviner to the fact that the aristocrat possesses powerful and unpredictable abilities. The aristocrat can provide a false location when potentially affected by discern location, circle dance, locate creature, or similar spells. The aristocrat can choose to register as either lying or not lying when affected by discern lies and similar effects, regardless of what he says. Remember that speaking the truth while registering as untruthful can be just as misleading as a bald-faced lie that registers as truthful. I would add a Will save or Wis/Cha check for a caster to realize the arcane aristocrat is messing with them; an immunity to those spells is okay, but automatically misleading is something else. You might let him either automatically block it, no save/check, or give false information, with a save or check. Trusted Lieutenant (Su): At 7th level and above, an arcane aristocrat's familiar benefits from many of his class abilities. It gains the voice of imperious command, personal mark, detect treachery, mental armor (charm), mental armor (compulsion), mental screen, and mental facade abilities, using the same caster level as your own personal effects. Upon reaching 8th, 9th, and 10th level, an arcane aristocrat now provides his familiar with access to the scry shield, mental armor (mind-affecting effects), and teleportation ward abilities, respectively, in the same manner. The familiar creates the same personal mark as its master, but otherwise controls the details of its mental facade, the appearance of the false vision aspect of its scry shield, and the identities of those permitted to bypass its extradimensional ward. You left a reference to extradimensional ward in. Personal Demesne: At 10th level, an arcane aristocrat's number of followers of each level is multiplied by 10. If you have the Extra Followers feat, your number of followers becomes 11 times normal. This class feature functions like the Legendary Commander epic feat. If you already have that feat, then your number of followers becomes 20 times normal. If you have both Legendary Commander and Extra Followers, your number of followers becomes 21 times normal. I don't know if giving an epic feat to a possibly pre-epic character is a good idea. I would cut down on the number of followers, maybe 4-5 times normal, and instead give some sort of sanctum/stronghold benefits, as the ability's name would imply. Otherwise very good; I like it a lot. :thumbsup:
Pitiless_Interfector 10-25-07, 04:55 PM	I can't tell if that was an intended barb or not. Yep. (Not for you, though).
Pitiless_Interfector 10-25-07, 06:35 PM	Survival and Use Rope seem out of place here; a sorcerer ruling a kingdom with an iron fist probably doesn't need to know how to find edible mushrooms or how to tie two half-hitches. Any particular reason for their inclusion? Most aristocrats prefer to have a hobby. So, one of them might enjoy taking part in hunts without the aid of magic, or sailing. Never hurts to be cosmopolitan. I second the notion to worsen, rather than remove, the penalty for frequent travel; again, a kingdom-ruling sorcerer should probably stay in his power base more often than not. Yeah, but that makes it less useful to adventurers. It's assumed that a powerful sorcerer or warlock can find a way to ensure his realm's proper management while he's away (makes a convenient way to stash a cohort that would otherwise make the party so big as to be unwieldy). You might want to cut back a bit on the granted spells known. The sand shaper only gives you ~40 new spells known, and you can probably get ~10 more from other PrCs, but I think 78 spells is a bit much. Perhaps you should cut 1 or 2 spells of each levels and move some spells from the more full levels (1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 5th) up a level or two to balance out. Again, the spells granted aren't used frequently enough to constitute a major increase in a character's power. So, I guess it's right on target. Question: Does a ring of mental fortitude protect against divinations, or only mind-affecting effects? I'm not familiar with the exact details. No, not from the way it is described (though it is a little ambiguous). I would add a Will save or Wis/Cha check for a caster to realize the arcane aristocrat is messing with them; an immunity to those spells is okay, but automatically misleading is something else. You might let him either automatically block it, no save/check, or give false information, with a save or check. Misrepresent alignment can present an undetectably false alignment, and various feats (such as Persona Immersion) enable a character to deceive telepathic and divinatory effects. Besides, if someone decides to seriously investigate you, it's because your cover is already blown. In response to everyone's suggestions, I've made substantial modifications to the class.
Pitiless_Interfector 10-31-07, 08:40 PM	:bump: