User:DanielDraco/sandbox2

Thaumaturge

Design Notes

Fuck Spell Levels

Even if you make spell DCs based on half character level instead of spell level, a level 6 spell is significantly more powerful than a level 4 spell. And yet a level 12 character is not necessarily more powerful than a level 8 character; if the former is evenly multiclassed between two spellcasting classes and the latter devoted to one spellcasting class, the level 8 character is measurably more powerful. The stratified spellcasting system, then, is fundamentally opposed to multiclassing and cannot be effectively melded with it. For multiclassing to work in a balanced manner, ClassA 6/ClassB 6 must be just as strong as ClassA 12 or ClassB 12 -- they must therefore scale linearly in power, and that requires a system other than the default one. This is probably not news to many people reading this. But it's the rationale for following in the tradition of Frank's Fire Mage and derivatives by making a spellcaster which does not actually use spells.

Concept

This is meant to be a High replacement for the cleric. But first I have to make some changes to the concept. The core cleric is a full-plate-wearing, mace-wielding, divine combatant. So...exactly the same as a paladin. Except that it's also supposed to represent priests. Which is a different concept, isn't it? But there's a problem with the priest concept too, because priests don't make a habit of wading into battle and throwing magic around. They're cloistered scholars who study texts, fanatic fideists who shout about texts, or something somewhere between. Neither of those are warriors -- and if they are, they're multiclassing.

So what do you call a man who throws around magic granted by the gods? Well, what do you call magic granted by the gods? Miracles. Nevermind that it's the name of a specific spell -- every divine spell is a miracle. And the term for a mortal who brings about miracles is "thaumaturge" or "thaumaturgist". That's what a cleric is, most accurately termed. So that's the name I'm going with, and the concept I'm sticking to -- a man of no particular physical might who can conjure cosmic power. That's where I get by looking at it analytically.

Now to synthesize and throw in my own things. I see arcane magic as working from the bottom up -- it takes fundamental principles of the universe and manipulates them to effect change. Divine magic can be differentiated by saying it works from the top down, drawing upon higher powers and causing them to produce local change. Now, I see no reason that this higher power needs to be a deity, an outsider, or even sentient. It can be the foundation of being, or the force of nature, or the friggin' Power Cosmic. So there's no need for an ideal -- look at Greek mystery religions, which dealt with spirits for whatever reasons they wanted. There's no need for faith -- look at LaVeyan magic, which views one's self as the only god. There's no need for studied technique -- look at Jesus, who conducted miracles just by willing them to happen. The only common denominator I see is drawing upon some sort of power and channeling it into a specific effect, so I'm not going to tie in restrictions of alignment and deities and whatnot. That stuff is left to roleplay.

Conceptual Bases

• Jesus
• Hermetic mysticism (alchemy)
• Kabbalah
• Wicca

Features

• Primary roles
  • Healer
  • Buffer
  • Debuffer
• Secondary roles
  • Utility caster
    • Time-and-space manipulation
      • Potent escape abilities, since they're primarily a support character
    • Divination
  • Striker (because everyone needs to be able to defend themselves)
    • Small, shapeable area
    • Short range
    • Low damage, probably carrying debuff effect

Nitty-Gritty

• Ability types:
  • Ritual: Significant investment of time required, making combat use infeasible.
  • Miracle: Generally suitable for use in combat, requires an action.
  • Blessing: Passive, often an aura.
• Miracle of Balm: Whenever an ally within 30 ft. takes damage, may prevent it as an immediate action. Usable every 1d4 rounds.
• Ritual of Healing: When a thaumaturge provides long-term care with the Heal skill, the patient regains in a single hour what would otherwise require a full day of rest (typically 4 hit points per level and 4 ability score points). Furthermore, after 1 hour, the patient regrows any removed or damaged body parts, as regenerate.
• Miracle of Cleansing: With a move action, a thaumaturge may allow any ally within 30 ft. to retry at a +4 bonus a save against any ongoing (non-area) effect that allowed one. If this save is successful, the effect ends.