Open Discussion: Warmage Class addition

[Maiyannah]

Hi there,
There's an existing implementation of the Warmage class on NWNvault, so while this isn't a drop-in it would be fairly trivial to implement on TOUD. Thoughts on implementing it?

[wilkins1952]

Think it will be a good addition and a nice choice for people who want to play more blaster caster focused PC.

[Maiyannah]

I should say, if this was an easy shoe in, I would just do it, there's a few considerations here.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Warmages are proficient with all simple weapons, light armor, and light shields. At 8th level, a warmage gains proficiency with medium armor (see Armored Mage, below).

Spells: A warmage casts arcane spells (the same type of spells available to sorcerers and wizards), which are drawn from the warmage spell list given below. He can cast any spell he knows without preparing it ahead of time the way a cleric or wizard must. When a warmage gains access to a new level of spells, he automatically knows all the spells for that level listed on the warmage's spell list. Essentially, his spell list is the same as his spells known list. Warmages also have the option of adding to their existing spell list through their advanced learning ability as they increase in level (see below). See page 90 for the warmage's spell list.

To cast a spell, a warmage must have a Charisma score of 10 + the spell's level (Cha 10 for 0-level spells, Cha 11 for 1st-level spells, and so forth). The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against a warmage's spell is 10 + the spell's level + the warmage's Charisma modifier. Like other spellcasters, a warmage can cast only a certain number of spells of each spell level per day. His base daily spell allotment is given on Table 1—1: The Warmage. In addition, he receives bonus spells for a high Charisma score (see Table 1—1, page 8 of the Player's Handbook).

Unlike a cleric or a wizard, a warmage need not prepare his spells in advance. He can cast any spell he knows at any time, assuming he has not yet used up his spells per day for that spell level.

Armored Mage (Ex): Normally, armor of any type interferes with an arcane spellcaster's gestures, which can cause his spells to fail (if those spells have somatic components). A warmage's limited focus and specialized training, however, allows him to avoid arcane spell failure as long as he sticks to light armor and light shields. This training does not extend to medium or heavier armors, nor to heavy shields. Nor does this ability apply to spells gained from a different spellcasting class.

At 8th level, a warmage learns to use medium armor with no chance of arcane spell failure.

Warmage Edge (Ex): A warmage is specialized in dealing damage with his spells. Whenever a warmage casts a spell that deals hit point damage, he adds his Intelligence bonus (if any) to the amount of damage dealt. For instance, if a 1st-level warmage with 17 Intelligence casts magic missile, he deals
1d4+1 points of damage normally, plus an extra 3 points of damage due to his Intelligence bonus. The bonus from the warmage edge special ability applies only to spells that he casts as a warmage, not to those he might have by virtue of levels in another class.

A single spell can never gain this extra damage more than once per casting. For instance, a fireball deals the extra damage to all creatures in the area it affects. However, if a 3rd-level warmage casts magic missile and produces two missiles, only one of them (of the warmage's choice) gains the extra damage, even if both missiles are directed at the same target. If a spell deals damage for more than 1 round, it deals this extra damage in each round.

Scrolls scribed by a warmage do not gain any benefit from warmage edge. Scrolls activated by a warmage also gain no benefit from warmage edge. The same is true for most other magic items, such as wands and potions. However, staffs activated by a warmage use not only the warmage's caster level but also gain the benefits of the warmage edge, if applicable.

Advanced Learning (Ex): At 3rd, 6th, 11th, and 16th level, a warmage can add a new spell to his list, representing the result of personal study and experimentation. The spell must be a wizard spell of the evocation school, and of a level no higher than that of the highest-level spell the warmage already knows. Once a new spell is selected, it is forever added to that warmage's spell list and can be cast just like any other spell on the warmage's list.

Sudden Empower: At 7th level, a warmage gains Sudden Empower (described in Chapter 3) as a bonus feat. If he already has the feat, he can choose a different metamagic feat.

Sudden Enlarge: At 10th level, a warmage gains Sudden Enlarge (described in Chapter 3) as a bonus feat. If he already has the feat, he can choose a different metamagic feat.

Sudden Widen: At 15th level, a warmage gains Sudden Widen (described in Chapter 3) as a bonus feat. If he already has the feat, he can choose a different metamagic feat.

Sudden Maximize: At 20th level, a warmage gains Sudden Maximize (described in Chapter 3) as a bonus feat. If he already has the feat, he can choose a different metamagic feat.

Above is the class as from Complete Arcane (p10), and you'll notice, this is rather different than the NWN vault implementation.

Advanced Learning, and the metamagic feats, are omitted. So the question becomes whether we should try to add them or not.

You'll note other modules that implement the class have shifted them from CHA-based to INT-based as well. This is a positive change as it gives greater skill synergy.

In addition Warmage Edge applies to all spells cast by the warmage due to engine limitations. This includes spells of other classes. We can make it apply to only arcane - or we can make "warmage" versions of all their spells. The latter is actually what the NWvault implementation is doing, but it makes things dodgier in other ways.

Thoughts?

[Maiyannah]

Going ahead and working on this today.

I will be making it an Int-based caster. CHA has too much overlap with sorcerer.

[Maiyannah]

Here is the current write-up for the Warmage class:

Some spellcasters care for only one thing: war. They dream of steel and mighty blasts of devastating magic, the march of troops, and the unleashed destruction found on battlefields everywhere. Graduates of special arcane war colleges, those known as warmages are drilled only and utterly in the casting of spells most useful for laying down destruction, confusing an enemy, or screening an allied action. The utilitarian spells used by wizards and sorcerers have little importance to a warmage's way of thinking. What are support casters for, after all? A warmage cares only for success on the battlefield, or, in some cases, in the series of smaller campaigns favored by adventuring companies.

Warmages sign up for stints with adventuring companies that require straightforward, military-style blasting magic. Warmages hone and develop their arts through action rather than study, so without prolonged use of their powers in combat they cannot reach the pinnacle of their profession. Good-aligned warmages are concerned with rebuffing the movements of warlike groups - who better to blast into smoking ruin than those who have it coming? Evil-aligned warmages feel no constraints on who might become the targets of their spells. They adventure to gain destructive power.

Warmages access their magic peculiarly, at least compared to the way wizards, sorcerers, and clerics do. A warmage selects his spells from a limited pool of knowledge that rarely changes. Early in their difficult training, warmages instill deep within themselves the knowledge of all the spells they will ever need. Warmages know fewer spells than wizards and even sorcerers, but the spells they do know are enhanced.

Warmages do not need to study spellbooks, but they do need to prepare their spells each day by spending time to call up the knowledge from their unconscious minds. Warmages do not specialize in schools of magic the way wizards can, per se: they are already dedicated to the study of purely destructive spells, which limits their spells available considerably, but not along the lines of traditional spell schools. In their training, warmages also learn a few mundane warlike skills. They develop proficiency with some weapons and armor, learning to use such items without incurring a risk of arcane spell failure.

Warmages find they have little in common with sorcerers and wizards, who learn their craft without the rigors or discipline of a warmage's apprenticeship. In fact, warmages are likely to be more comfortable with the regimented classes - those that appreciate military training - such as paladins, monks, and fighters. Those warmages native to the core often find themselves close to the rule of the various domains, as they are powerful magical artillery, to keep the populace in line, enforce their borders, and fight in the many squabbles of the Core.

WARNING: To cast spells, a warmage must have an Intelligence of 10+the spells level, so for instance for 6th level spells, a warmage must have an intelligence of 16.

Hit Die: d6
Proficiencies: A warmage is proficient with simple weapons, light armour, and small shields. At 8th level, a warmage gains proficiency in medium armour.
Skill Points: 2 + Int modifier

SKILLS:

Balance, Concentration, Culture, Intimidate, Lore, Religion, Occultism, Spellcraft

ABILITIES:

Level
1 - Armoured Mage (Light) (Ex): A warmage may wear light armour and utilise light shields without incurring arcane spell failure.
1 - Warmage Edge (Ex): A warmage adds their Intelligence bonus as damage to all their spells. This does not apply to spells cast from items (scrolls, rods, etc)
3 - Advanced Learning I : A warmage gains an additional spell chosen from a list to add to their spells available.
6 - Advanced Learning II: A warmage gains an additional spell chosen from a list to add to their spells available.
7 - Sudden Empower: At 7th level, a warmage gains the ability to cast any spell from their spellbook if it was cast with the Empower Spell feat, excepting that it does not incur any additional cost, and does not take a higher spell slot. This is represented in-game by (Empowered) version of their spells becoming available for spells to which it may apply.
8 - Armoured Mage (medium) (Ex): At 8th level, a warmage extends their abilities in armour to wearing medium armour and using light shields without incurring arcane spell failure.
10 - Sudden Enlarge: At 10th level, a warmage gains the ability to cast any spell from their spellbook as if it was cast with the Enlarge Spell metamagic feat, excepting that it does not incur any additional cost, and does not take a higher spell slot. This is represented in-game by (Enlargened) versions of their spells becoming available for spells to which it may apply.
11 - Advanced Learning III: A warmage gains an additional spell chosen from a list to add to their spells available.
15 - Sudden Widen: At 15th level, a warmage gains the ability to cast any spell from their spellbook as if it was cast with the Widen Spell metamagic feat, excepting that it does not incur any additional cost, and does not take a higher spell slot. This is represented in-game by (Widened) versions of their spells becoming available for spells to which it may apply.
16 - Advanced Learning IV: A warmage gains an additional spell chosen from a list to add to their spells available.
20 - Sudden Maximize: At 20th level, a warmage gains the ability to cast any spell from their spellbook as if it was cast with the Maximize Spell metamagic feat, excepting that it does not incur any additional cost, and does not take a higher spell slot. This is represented in-game by (Maximized) versions of their spells becoming available for spells to which it may apply.

I am also giving them a mild increase to Fortitude saves over their normal to represent their intention as an armoured, relatively-resilient battle caster.

These are to shore up its general mediocrity: speaking from personal experience with the class, its weak in the early levels, "OK" at the mid levels, before becoming weak again at the high levels - a high level cleric, sorcerer, or wizard outshine even its destructive capabilities, without the great sacrifice of spells the Warmage has. Giving it some more staying power and some ability to muck in with the martials (albeit never as the frontline/shieldwalls) makes up for the fact that once their spells are expended, they're kind of useless.

I'm also considering having the Advanced Learning feats from one of two lists: more warmage-themed spells not normally on the list (so evocation stuff mostly), or an Eclectic Learning list which I will probably focus on melee/ward focussed stuff (at 1 level higher than normal) for those whom want to lean into being a real scrapper-caster.

It's still not going to be amazing, I think, but this carves out a proper niche for Warmage that retains and reinforces its central theme.

Let me know your thoughts!

[Maiyannah]

Progress today: skill list is corrected, the adjusted saves are in the game now, working on making the Armoured Mage "feats" (class abilities) work correctly.