Creating a Spellthief. HELP - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 kais3000 Jul 19, 2011 9:58:53	Well I've thought up ideas to convert the Spellthief into 4th edition using the Essentials class make-up. The problem is I get stuck when it comes to converting its main feature, Steal Spell. Obviously it can't stay as it is as magic works completely differently but I can't think of a suitable way to implement it in 4th. Below are a few of my ideas but please post some of your own if you have any. My Spellthief would work similar to the Thief but gaining some arcane spells on level up. For anyone that doesn't know what a spellthief is A spellthief is a rogue that is able to cast arcane spells. It did this in 3.5 by having some of its own but its main way was to steal one off of an enemy by giving up one die of Sneak Attack damage to steal the spell.
#2 slobo777a Jul 19, 2011 11:44:22	Why does the Spellthief need Sneak Attack, and the mechanic to swap it away? This seems to be a sticking point, since giving up 1d6 of damage on a hit isn't worth that much mechanically in 4E, it doesn't give you much room to explore your theme. You may be better off ignoring SA entirely and creating a different Striker mechanic to represent what the Spellthief does.
#3 twisted9 Jul 20, 2011 8:48:29	The problem with what you have so far is that as a thief who is attacking an opponent in melee with my sneak attack, why would I want to use a lv1 arcane at-will and provoke an OA instead of just attacking with my sneak attack again? I'd also have to carry my light blade and some kind of implement (my guess is a wand) to make use an arcane power. I suggest creating a feature that activates when a rouge hits an enemy granting combat advantage with their light blade. The health the enemy loses is consumed by the lightblade and converted into arcane enemy which you use to cast magic onto your weapon. The next time you attack with your weapon, you add extra damage that varies depending on the spell you cast onto your blade. For example, I hit a goblin granting CA with my dagger. My dagger glows from the energy it siphoned from the goblin. I use that energy to cast incinerating edge on my blade. The next time I attack with my dagger, it does an extra 3d6 fire damage.
#4 kais3000 Jul 21, 2011 2:21:54	The problem with what you have so far is that as a thief who is attacking an opponent in melee with my sneak attack, why would I want to use a lv1 arcane at-will and provoke an OA instead of just attacking with my sneak attack again? I'd also have to carry my light blade and some kind of implement (my guess is a wand) to make use an arcane power. I suggest creating a feature that activates when a rouge hits an enemy granting combat advantage with their light blade. The health the enemy loses is consumed by the lightblade and converted into arcane enemy which you use to cast magic onto your weapon. The next time you attack with your weapon, you add extra damage that varies depending on the spell you cast onto your blade. For example, I hit a goblin granting CA with my dagger. My dagger glows from the energy it siphoned from the goblin. I use that energy to cast incinerating edge on my blade. The next time I attack with my dagger, it does an extra 3d6 fire damage. You sir are a god. I have been rattling my brain for months trying to figure this out, putting it to one side for weeks but then coming back to it. You have calmed my mind and now I can get the ball rolling on this class. Expect to see an essentialised Spellthief soon. Edit: And in answer to your worries about the powers I would give the Spellthief a feature to allow the use of any light blade as an implement and for it to not provoke OA's when using an arcane power in melee.

Post/Author/DateTime

Post

kais3000

Jul 19, 2011 9:58:53

Well I've thought up ideas to convert the Spellthief into 4th edition using the Essentials class make-up. The problem is I get stuck when it comes to converting its main feature, Steal Spell. Obviously it can't stay as it is as magic works completely differently but I can't think of a suitable way to implement it in 4th. Below are a few of my ideas but please post some of your own if you have any. My Spellthief would work similar to the Thief but gaining some arcane spells on level up.

For anyone that doesn't know what a spellthief is

A spellthief is a rogue that is able to cast arcane spells. It did this in 3.5 by having some of its own but its main way was to steal one off of an enemy by giving up one die of Sneak Attack damage to steal the spell.

slobo777a

Jul 19, 2011 11:44:22

Why does the Spellthief need Sneak Attack, and the mechanic to swap it away? This seems to be a sticking point, since giving up 1d6 of damage on a hit isn't worth that much mechanically in 4E, it doesn't give you much room to explore your theme.

You may be better off ignoring SA entirely and creating a different Striker mechanic to represent what the Spellthief does.

twisted9

Jul 20, 2011 8:48:29

The problem with what you have so far is that as a thief who is attacking an opponent in melee with my sneak attack, why would I want to use a lv1 arcane at-will and provoke an OA instead of just attacking with my sneak attack again? I'd also have to carry my light blade and some kind of implement (my guess is a wand) to make use an arcane power.

I suggest creating a feature that activates when a rouge hits an enemy granting combat advantage with their light blade. The health the enemy loses is consumed by the lightblade and converted into arcane enemy which you use to cast magic onto your weapon. The next time you attack with your weapon, you add extra damage that varies depending on the spell you cast onto your blade.

For example, I hit a goblin granting CA with my dagger. My dagger glows from the energy it siphoned from the goblin. I use that energy to cast incinerating edge on my blade. The next time I attack with my dagger, it does an extra 3d6 fire damage.

kais3000

Jul 21, 2011 2:21:54

The problem with what you have so far is that as a thief who is attacking an opponent in melee with my sneak attack, why would I want to use a lv1 arcane at-will and provoke an OA instead of just attacking with my sneak attack again? I'd also have to carry my light blade and some kind of implement (my guess is a wand) to make use an arcane power.

I suggest creating a feature that activates when a rouge hits an enemy granting combat advantage with their light blade. The health the enemy loses is consumed by the lightblade and converted into arcane enemy which you use to cast magic onto your weapon. The next time you attack with your weapon, you add extra damage that varies depending on the spell you cast onto your blade.

For example, I hit a goblin granting CA with my dagger. My dagger glows from the energy it siphoned from the goblin. I use that energy to cast incinerating edge on my blade. The next time I attack with my dagger, it does an extra 3d6 fire damage.

You sir are a god. I have been rattling my brain for months trying to figure this out, putting it to one side for weeks but then coming back to it. You have calmed my mind and now I can get the ball rolling on this class. Expect to see an essentialised Spellthief soon.

Edit: And in answer to your worries about the powers I would give the Spellthief a feature to allow the use of any light blade as an implement and for it to not provoke OA's when using an arcane power in melee.