Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Tuhljin 05-09-07, 04:41 PM	STEAM MAGE "So she mixes fire and water. What's the worst that could happen? A little steam?" - Lanidd Gemsplitter, local jeweler The whole is more than the sum of its parts. Steam mages use this principle to great effect, combining the volatility of fire and drifting mists of water to unleash supernaturally heated explosions of steam and lingering clouds of sweltering heat. By tapping into the opposing Elemental Planes of Fire and Water, often at the same time, a steam mage can perform feats both above and below the water's surface that a typical fire-slinger cannot hope to match. As one might expect, steam mages are most common near, or within, large bodies of water. Hit Die: d4 Requirements Feats: Scalding Spell (http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?p=12252693), Steam Magic (from Stormwrack). Languages: Must speak both Aquan and Ignan. Skills: Knowledge (the planes) 8 Ranks, Spellcraft 8 Ranks. Spells: Able to cast 3 arcane spells with the Fire descriptor, at least one of which must be 3rd level or higher. Able to cast obscuring mist. Class Skills The steam mage's class skills are: Concentration, Craft, Knowledge (all skills, taken individually), Profession, and Spellcraft. Skill Points at Each Level: 2 + Int modifier. Steam Mage Lvl BaB Fort Refl Will Special Spellcasting 1st +0 +0 +0 +2 Touch of Fire, Touch of Water, +1 level of existing arcane spellcasting class Steamcaller 2nd +1 +0 +0 +3 Haze, Steam-touched Companion +1 level of existing arcane spellcasting class 3rd +1 +1 +1 +3 Firebrand 1 +1 level of existing arcane spellcasting class 4th +2 +1 +1 +4 Firepower +1, Fog sense - 5th +2 +1 +1 +4 Saturation, Fire resistance 5 +1 level of existing arcane spellcasting class 6th +3 +2 +2 +5 Firebrand 2, Gaseous form +1 level of existing arcane spellcasting class 7th +3 +2 +2 +5 Searing vapor +1 level of existing arcane spellcasting class 8th +4 +2 +2 +6 Cloud-drift, Firepower +2 - 9th +4 +3 +3 +6 Firebrand 3, Fog sense +1 level of existing arcane spellcasting class 10th +5 +3 +3 +7 Boiling point +1 level of existing arcane spellcasting class Class Features The following are class features of the Steam Mage prestige class. Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Steam mages gain no additional proficiencies in weapons or armor. Spellcasting: When a new steam mage level other than 4th or 8th is gained, the character gains news spells per day and spells known as if he had also gained a level in an arcane spellcasting class to which he belonged before adding the prestige class level. He does not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained. If he had more than one such class before becoming a steam mage, he must decide to which class to add each level for the purpose of determining spells per day, caster level, and spells known. Touch of Fire (Su): Whenever a steam mage casts certain spells having to do with water vapor in the form of mists, fog, clouds, etc., he may choose to infuse them with a dash of magical fire, slightly altering their nature. A fire-touched spell is perceptibly warmer than a standard version of the spell, though there are no major mechanics change at this point except that the spell gains the fire descriptor. This choice is made as the spell is cast - it needn't be made during spell preparation. Doing so does not change damage dealt by the spell, if any, to fire damage, nor does it remove other descriptors the spell may already have. Spells that may be affected by this are as follows: acid fog, cloudkill, fog cloud, mind fog, obscuring mist, solid fog, and stinking cloud. (Similar spells should also be added to the list, but avoid adding spells with the Cold descriptor or that are otherwise inherently contrary to the nature of Touch of Fire, such as freezing fog, or that clearly use a method other than water vapors to create the effect, such as incendiary cloud which uses smoke.) Touch of Water (Su): Whenever a steam mage casts a fire spell (a spell with the fire descriptor), he may choose to infuse it with a dash of magical water. This choice is made as the spell is cast - it needn't be made during spell preparation. A water-touched spell functions as if the spell were affected by the Scalding Spell metamagic feat except that it deals no additional damage and does not apply the penalty to Reflex saves that scalding spells might. (It takes the form of a superheated cloud of steam, gains the water descriptor, interacts differently with bodies of water, doesn't catch things on fire, and might put out smaller fires. Other than the necessity of having the fire descriptor, no other requirements from Scalding Spell apply.) A spell may be both fire-touched and water-touched at the same time, changing any portion of the fog or mist that is underwater into a mass of rapidly forming, moving, and bursting bubbles of steam. Mechanically, the spell's effect does not change in this regard. However, if a spell is "dual-touched" in this manner and it has a timed duration, its duration is reduced by one half. (A "dual-touched" obscuring mist, for instance, could be cast so that 10 feet of it lies below the surface of the water while 10 feet of it extends above the surface. The "mist" under the surface would become obscuring steam-bubbles, while the mist above the water would appear as thick obscuring steam rising from the water. The spell would last for 5 rounds/level instead of 1 min./level.) If such a spell could be dispersed by wind, it can also be dispersed by currents, natural or otherwise, if the water is not fairly calm. Steamcaller (Ex): A steam mage with access to any summon monster spell may choose to summon a scalding elemental (http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?p=12204863) in the place of a fire or water elemental of the same CR when he casts the spell. This option is available only when the spell is going to summon no more than a single creature. For instance, summon monster vi can be used to summon one Large elemental, so a steam mage with this monster on his summoning list may use it to summon a Large scalding elemental. Alternatively, the steam mage may send out a call to all 3 of these elemental types. This option is available only when the spell is going to summon multiple creatures. In this case, there is a 50% chance that the Plane of Fire is contacted; otherwise, the Plane of Water is contacted. Half of the summoned creatures (rounded down) will be scalding elementals while the rest will be elementals from the contacted plane. For instance, a steam mage using the standard summon monster list casts summon monster vi and chooses to invoke this ability to summon 1d3 Medium elementals. If he rolls a 3 and the 50% chance roll indicates he contacted the Plane of Water, 1 will be a Medium scalding elemental and the other 2 will be Medium water elementals. Haze (Sp): At will as a standard action, a steam mage of 2nd level or higher may create an area of hazy mist-like steam at Medium range (100 ft + 10 ft/caster level) that lasts for a number of rounds equal to his class level. It has a 20 foot radius and is 20 feet high. This is similar to an obscuring mist effect (caster level is equal to the steam mage's arcane casting level) except that the vapor does not obscure sight enough to give any concealment. Haze works underwater similar to how a fire-touched spell does: It appears as an area of slightly warmer water where bubbles of steam rise (though again, not enough to obscure vision). The mage may dismiss an unattached (see below) haze as a free action. Any non-Instantaneous spell to which the class feature Touch of Fire or the metamagic feat Scalding Spell is applied automatically has an associated haze effect "attached" to it in the same dimensions and area as the spell and is given the same duration. If the attached spell area moves or changes, this overlapping area of haze follows it exactly. If a haze effect is dispelled but the spell it was attached to remains, another haze effect (with a duration set to the remaining duration of the spell) takes its place at the beginning of the steam mage's next turn. If the attached spell is dispelled but the haze is not, the haze effect is now unattached to any spell and remains for the rest of its duration (however long the spell would have lasted if not dispelled) or until it too is dispelled. Any spell with a duration of Instantaneous to which Scalding Spell is applied also leaves behind a haze effect in its wake, matching the spell's area, though it is unattached to any spell and lasts only 2 rounds. Fire-touched spells that are attached to a haze effect which have areas that are normally burned away by fire spells like fireball (such as obscuring mist) replace the vapors that are burnt away in such spots (restoring the spell's functionality in affected squares) 1 round after the fire no longer deals damage into the square if the fire-touched spell is still active. Steam-touched Companion: Upon reaching 2nd level, a steam mage gains all of the following features for which he qualifies (see below). If he later becomes qualified for any of these features, he gains it at that time. Likewise, he loses any feature for which he no longer qualifies. Steam Mephit Familiar: Requirement: Familiar class feature (or an equivalent, such as the Obtain Familiar feat). A qualified steam mage may obtain a new familiar as per the feat Improved Familiar, except that it must be a steam mephit (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/mephit.htm#steamMephit). When he gains this ability for the first time, he may dismiss his current familiar (if any) without any experience penalty if it is not already a steam mephit. (If the improved familiar's "required arcane spellcaster level" as described in the Improved Familiar feat is needed for any reason, treat a steam mephit as requiring 7th level.) A newly acquired steam mephit shares the alignment of its master: While most mephits are neutral, there are some of every alignment and this ability always finds one to match yours. Half of a character's steam mage levels (round down) stack with effective sorcerer/wizard levels for determining a familiar's special abilities if the familiar is a steam mephit. If a character has the Improved Familiar feat, all steam mage levels stack instead. Other types of familiars do not gain either benefit. Familiar Pocket (Sp): Requirement: Steam mephit familiar. A qualified steam mage may cast familiar pocket at will as the spell except as follows. The pocket's magic only applies to steam mephit familiars and such a familiar may be up to Small size, rather than Tiny size. Small size familiars immediately shrink to Tiny size when the pocket is activated upon them and return to their previous size when they leave the pocket. Only containers or pockets that are on the caster's person (usually part of a worn garment) may be targeted by this ability. If the target is removed from the caster's person, the spell-like effect ends. Only one such pocket may exist at a time. If a second is created, the previous pocket effect ends. This ability lasts up to 24 hours and can be dismissed by the steam mage or his familiar as a free action. Enshrouding Spirit (Su): Requirement: Watchful spirit class feature. When a steam mage uses an initiative reroll from his watchful spirit class feature, conjured swirling vapors appear around him, duplicating the effect of a blur spell for 1 minute per 2 steam mage levels (round down), except as follows. When the steam mage would also have concealment from any spell affected by his Touch of Fire class feature, he instead has total concealment. The steam mage may choose to suppress or reactive the effect as a swift action. While suppressed, its remaining duration continues to decrease. A steam mage may choose to activate this ability even if he did not use an initiative reroll or is not in combat by expending one of these rerolls (without gaining its other effects) at any time as a swift action. In addition, a qualified steam mage gains one extra initiative reroll per day from his watchful spirit class feature. Firebrand (Ex): At 3rd level, a steam mage may reduce the cost of applying the Scalding Spell metamagic feat to a spell by one level once per day. If he prepares spells, he can have only one such reduced-cost spell prepared at any time. At 6th level, he can apply this to two spells per day (or 2 prepared spells at a time), and at 9th level, he can apply this to three spells per day (or 3 prepared spells at a time). This ability cannot lower a spell's effective level below its normal spell level. Firepower (Ex): At 4th level, a steam mage gains a +1 bonus to his effective caster level when casting fire spells. This bonus increases to +2 at 8th level. Fog Sense (Su): A steam mage of 4th level or higher can tell when creatures are inside the area of one of his haze effects. When he begins his turn within 50 feet of a creature or creatures of Small size or larger that is inside a haze effect he created (directly or through a spell), he knows the number and size of each such creature, though he does not know their exact locations within the haze. Fog sense does not reveal the presence of creatures in a non-solid form, such as gaseous forms, or creatures that have stayed extremely still for the entire previous round. At 9th level, a steam mage need only be within 100 feet of a creature inside a haze effect to detect it. Saturation (Ex): Starting at 5th level, a steam mage's haze effects become more potent, saturating opponents with hot liquid in a way that overcomes some resistance to fire damage. A creature other than the steam mage or specified allies that ends its turn inside a haze effect is considered to have 4 less fire resistance than normal until it ends its turn outside any area of haze. A creature that ends its turn inside a haze effect on a second consecutive round is considered to have 8 less fire resistance than normal, and finally, a creature that has ended its turn inside a haze effect for 3 consecutive rounds is considered to have 12 less fire resistance. This has no effect on creatures that are immune to fire. This ability cannot lower fire resistance below 0. Fire Resistance 5 (Ex): When you play with heat, you're bound to get burned. Accordingly, steam mages develop some tolerance for fire damage. They gain fire resistance 5 at 5th level. Gaseous Form (Sp): A steam mage of 6th level or higher may assume a vaporous form, as per the spell gaseous form (self only), for a number of rounds per day equal to twice his class level. These rounds need not be consecutive. Assuming this form is a standard action while returning to his normal form before the duration expires is a swift action. Searing Vapor (Su): Whenever a scalding spell (one to which the Scalding Spell metamagic feat has been applied) cast by the steam mage or any of his designated allies affects a creature that is inside a haze effect and that creature fails its Reflex save against the spell and also takes at least 1 point of fire damage from the spell, the affected creature is painfully singed by the suddenly-sweltering vapors permeating the area, halving its movement speed and giving it a -3 penalty to Reflex saves until the end of the caster's next turn. This penalty overlaps (does not stack with) the Reflex penalty from the scalding spell itself and the penalties from previous searing vapors' effects. Cloud-drift (Su): Starting at 8th level, a steam mage is able to "order" his magical clouds of steam to move. In order to do this, he must be within 100 feet of a haze effect that he created. As a move action, he may order it to move by specifying a direction and a speed (either 5 feet or 10 feet) as well as the number of rounds he wants it to drift in that direction, between 1 (this round only) and 5. The specified haze and any spell attached to it immediately move in the direction given at the given speed and continue to move at the beginning of the steam mage's turn until they have moved for the specified number of rounds or until either it is given new orders or an obstacle prevents its movement entirely. Most obstacles that are smaller than the spell's effect (such as a 5-foot-wide pillar, assuming the spell area is larger than 5 feet) or that a vapor could seep past do not stop the haze's movement: The haze may drift around tree trunks, through grates and open windows, under doors (if there is a crack), etc. The haze cannot be ordered to move upwards, but it does not require solid ground to be beneath it and can be ordered to drift downwards at any angle. Alternatively, the steam mage may spend a standard action to cause the targeted haze and its attached spell (if any) to move either 15 or 20 feet during that round only; this replaces the haze's normal movement for the round, if any. In addition, as part of an order as indicated above, the steam mage may indicate creatures (including himself) that the moving cloud should avoid. Any square in which these creatures occupy will not be entered by the haze. If they leave a square, the cloud may move to occupy that space on the steam mage's turn if it is in its path. Boiling Point (Sp): At 10th level, the steam mage learns how to set up a truly blisteringly hot spell attack. By spending a full-round action to cast a qualifying fire spell, he may vastly improve its heat potential. Qualifying spells are those that have a normal casting time of 1 standard action or less, have a duration of Instantaneous, and to which the Scalding Spell feat could be applied. Spells that have a normal casting time of 1 standard action or less but whose casting time is increased to a full round action due to applying a metamagic feat to a spontaneously-cast spell also qualify if they meet the other requirements. Any creature affected by the spell that is also inside the area of a haze effect that has been in existance for at least 2 rounds (whether or not they've been in the haze for that long) suffers additional consequences. If Scalding Spell was not applied to the spell, the portions of its area that overlap with a haze effect are considered to be affected by Scalding Spell and any creatures therein suffer the appropriate effects. If the spell is already a scalding spell, then instead of this metamagic causing 50% additional damage, it causes 100% additional damage (with half of it dealt next round, as normal). Spells affected by boiling point do not leave behind a haze effect in their wake. To the contrary, once an area of haze is hit by a boiling point spell, that area of haze is consumed, as is the area of the spell attached to the haze (though not necessarily the entire spell, if some of its area is outside the boiling point spell's reach). If a creature is in a square or squares where the area of one or more attached spells are consumed, it must make a Fortitude save (DC equals the normal DC of a spell cast by the steam mage of the highest level spell consumed in an applicable square). A failed save means it takes 2 additional fire damage per spell level of each attached spell consumed in an occupied square (count each spell only once if the creature occupies multiple squares) while a successful save means it takes half this amount. For example, if a Large creature is at least partially inside the area of obscuring mist (level 1) and solid fog (level 4) spells, both of which are burned away from any square which he occupies, if it failed its Fortitude save it would take 10 fire damage. The DC would be the same as the DC of a 4th level spell cast by the steam mage.
BrutishCelt 05-09-07, 05:04 PM	I like the "Watchfull Spirit" line - gives more options to the red-headed stepchild of the arcane classes, the wu-jen. On the down-side, this class looks a bit daunting for those without rules-lawyering or micromanagement skills. I love the level of detail and innovative mechanics, but it's a bit much to take in at one sitting. My advice would be to streamline some of the abilities for ease of processing. I know that if I popped this one on my DM, he'd turn me away until I had a more condensed version. In all, I like the spirit of the PrC, and the concept is great. Kudos for giving the wu-jen some spotlight time!
legowarrior 05-09-07, 05:13 PM	Why can't warmages or Bard's get into this class?
Tuhljin 05-09-07, 05:26 PM	Primarily because they typically can't cast obscuring mist, which ties in heavily with the flavor and mechanics.
teshen 05-09-07, 09:11 PM	I've just given it a quick going over... I think this class is awesome. :D It's a cool blend of mechanics and theme, and at first blush, it looks balanced to boot. I'll try to give it a better going over tomorrow when I've got more free time... (and have you considered what kind of wonderous items these guys would eventually make? :plotting: )
Danahan 05-09-07, 10:05 PM	One of the best PrCs I've seen in a very long time. The flavor is fantastic. The mechanics are a bit bulky and could be condensed. I'm glad to finally see an arcane spellcaster that's actually interesting. Great job!
Tuhljin 05-09-07, 10:24 PM	Thank you for the praise and the comments! All my writing tends to be pretty verbose - as this sentence itself might indicate. ;) What would you do to help condense things a bit? Edit: Corrected a couple typos in the OP, but I've already noticed more of them. I'll attend to them later. Edit2: Fixed another typo. I eagerly await further commentary and suggestions. :)
Tuhljin 05-11-07, 07:25 PM	I'm still looking it over to condense things... but I could use some input. Should I just trim the language? Are there specific rules that actually need to be simplified? Etc.
Tuhljin 05-14-07, 09:00 PM	I think I may remove the requirement of a familiar or watchful spirit from the overall requirements (but leave them as requirements for the individual Steam Companion class features). This would allow, for example, warmages with the Eclectic Learning alternative class feature (PHB2) that pick up obscuring mist to take the class although they won't gain its full benefits. Any objections?
Dead_Weasel 05-14-07, 09:39 PM	Actually, IIRC, smoke can (and often does) contain water. I would suggest injecting a water breathing effect or some similar ability, but that's more for flavor reasons, as well as providing a balance to the Fire Resistance. It seems to me that Fog Sense should extend to any water-based concealment produced by the Steam Mage, not just Hazed areas. I like this PrC a lot; it adds interesting options without limiting the character to one specific approach.
Tuhljin 05-15-07, 10:58 PM	Well, typical smoke can contain some water but I wouldn't exactly call it a water vapor. (I'll edit Touch of Fire's description to be more specific in the 2nd paragraph, though, since smoke is, by definition, a vapor.) I thought about adding water breathing in some form but it seems a bit hard to squeeze it in there. I also toyed with the idea of using the spell airy water... maybe 1/day at 7th level, lasting 10 min per level? I don't want to add too much and unbalance the thing. I like the ability to use spell-like abilities for a limited time per day without requiring the time spent to be consecutive, so I could add that to it as well, but make it round up to the nearest minute when cut off. About Fog Sense: Doesn't it essentially do that already? A haze effect is placed wherever you plop down a "fire-touched" water-based concealment spell and will even replace itself if dispelled (if the spell it was attached to remains). What are some specific examples of cases where the steam mage wouldn't gain fog sense, excluding when he purposefully decides not to apply Touch of Fire to a spell for some reason? The only one I see (with short notice, mind you) is when the haze was dispelled on the round before (since its "regeneration" happens on the steam mage's turn and fog sense works according to how things were when his turn begins). Oh, and thank you for the comments. :)
Dead_Weasel 05-15-07, 11:35 PM	You are right about Fog Sense; my first reading was clearly inadequate. I agree with you that water breathing is too big to really cram in there; I was just pointing out that it seemed to mesh well with the flavor, and because the class focuses more on fire than on water - but that is most likely due to water being rather minimal in D&D. Perhaps if there were a drowning effect to be added to the various cloud spells it would be worth negotiating for. I would also like to point out that since incendiary cloud is a fire spell, it is a legitimate target for Scalding Spell, and thus could grant the steam mage Fog Sense. Aside from pyrotechnics and wall of smoke I cannot think of any particular smoke spells, and they are fairly redundant anyway, so it is not very important. It just seems to me that you are excluding a group spells that have a logical place within the class's specialty. Anyway, as I said, the class plays with an intriguing idea.
Tuhljin 05-26-07, 05:29 PM	Removed the following Requirement for entry: Special: Must have the Watchful Spirit class feature OR be able to obtain a familiar (or currently have a familiar). Having either a familiar or Watchful Spirit will still be necessary to get the full benefits of the class because of how the Steam-touched Companion feature works, but it won't be required for entry.
abraham 05-31-07, 03:31 PM	a potential prequisite feat(see stormwrack)steam magic this feat allows you to use fire magic underwater.
Tuhljin 06-04-07, 05:46 PM	Actually, Steam Magic is already listed as a prerequisite to this PrC. Thanks for your interest, though. I made the following change to the class. After this line from the description of the boiling point ability: "Qualifying spells are those that have a normal casting time of 1 standard action or less, have a duration of Instantaneous, and to which the Scalding Spell feat could be applied." ... this sentence has been added: "Spells that have a normal casting time of 1 standard action or less but whose casting time is increased to a full round action due to applying a metamagic feat to a spontaneously-cast spell also qualify if they meet the other requirements." This makes the class more sorcerer-friendly.
teshen 06-04-07, 08:36 PM	After looking at both your feat scalding spell and looking at your scalding elemental, this class is solid. I also like the changes you've made because of your explanations behind them... I've got nothing to add... except Good Job. :tiphat: