Here’s my second
Swords & Wizardry class. I didn’t finish in time for the S&W
Appreciation Day, but here it goes! This is my shot at a classical Sword &
Sorcery magician. It’s also an attempt at creating an easier spellcaster (for
those that are intimated or just don’t like of the vancian system).
Credit must be given
where it’s due. The design madness (and, I hope, playable class) below was
inspired by the awesome Carcosa supplement, an idea tossed by RPGPundit and
great rules tinkered by Talysman, from The Nine and Thirty Kindgoms blog.
The Sorcerer
Sorcerers use the same attack matrix, XP, Hit
Dice and saving throw as the Monk. They can use the same weapons of a Thief,
but no armor. They can magic swords and daggers, rings, potions, scrolls and
most miscellaneous magic items usable by Wizards and Thieves.
Sorcerers can see in the dark for 60 ft. They
can also summon natural shadows to hide them. This works like the Hide in
Shadows ability of a Thief equal level, except that, if it works, the Sorcerer
is literally invisible. However, he can’t move or the dweomer is broken.
Eldritch blasts: At 1st level a Sorcerer
can execute magic ranged attack at will that deal the same damage as a
weaponless Monk of the same level.
The Sorcerer must define the nature of his
blast with the Referee (fire, electricity, otherworldly flames, howling souls
etc.). If the Referee allows it, the
chosen blast can have secondary small effects (like setting things on fire or
freezing stuff), usually without major impacts in combat (except for the
creative Sorcerer).
The Referee can also allow a Sorcerer to quest
for different types of blasts, by contacting extraplanar entities or making
pacts with powerful creatures like dragons.
Arcane shield: A 1st level Sorcerer
can protect himself with a magic barrier. The Sorcerer gains the AC of a Monk
of equal level. Once activated it lasts for one combat. The Sorcerer must
sacrifice blood to activate this protection (1 hit point per Sorcerer level*).
This nature of this protection must be defined by the player and Referee, using
the same guidelines above.
*Anytime blood is
required, it may come from the Sorcerer himself or by killing a defenseless
creature with a melee weapon (like a dagger).
Language of Beasts: A 4th level Sorcerer
can speak with animals. He can also offer his blood to a small animal, creating
a familiar.
A familiar is an arcane servant that will obey
all the Sorcerer’s commands and can deliver touch spells. The Sorcerer can
concentrate to see and hear through the eyes of his servant (during these
trances the Sorcerer is defenseless and blind to his surroundings).
At 7th level, a Sorcerer can assume
the shape of his familiar once per day, by shedding 4 hit points of damage.
A Sorcerer can banish his Familiar by spilling
his blood before the servant.
If an arcane servant is killed, the Sorcerer
must save or be reduced to only 1d6 hit points and lose his power for one day.
If a rival spellcaster seizes the familiar, the
Sorcerer suffers a -4 penalty on saves against him.
Somatic Mastery: A 5th level a Sorcerer
has total control over lesser body functions through mystic trances. While
meditating the Sorcerer gains the same benefits of sleep and rest, but it’s
still aware of his surroundings. He can also enter a deeper trance, hibernating
for as long as he wishes. While hibernating the Sorcerer appears to be dead and
doesn’t require food, water or air.
Levitate: Beginning at 6th level
a Sorcerer can slowly levitate
through short distances (20 ft.). At 8th level its 40ft. Finally, at
11th level, its 100 ft. Each use requires 4 hits points of blood.
Will: Beginning at 7th level
a Sorcerer can hypnotize any humanoid creature (anything from a halfling to an
ogre). This requires 1 round of direct eye contact and works like charm person (the target can save). Only
three targets can be kept hypnotized at the same time.
Bind: A 8th level Sorcerer facing
an extraplanar creature may attempt to bind it to his will. Treat this as a
special reaction roll – 2d6 + double (Sorcerer’s level - opposing HD rating).
On a 9+ the creature is binding and must obey three orders from the Sorcerer.
After the first order is fulfilled, the outsider gains a saving throw against
each other order (the Referee can also grant a free save against the 1st
command if he thinks the Sorcerer is twisting this rules of binding).
Binding requires that a number of hit points of blood equal to double the outsider’s HD (this value is a secret, the Sorcerer only discover this AFTER rolling the binding).
Binding requires that a number of hit points of blood equal to double the outsider’s HD (this value is a secret, the Sorcerer only discover this AFTER rolling the binding).
A failed binding can’t be attempted against the
same creature (unless the Sorcerer uses a ritual or gains some advantage, like
learning the being’s True Name).
Curse: A 9th level a Sorcerer
can cast a curse on any creature responsible for bringing him below 6 hit
points. This curse must be approved by the Referee, but Table 88 at page 122 of
the Complete Rulebook is a good
guideline (you could even roll on it). Uttering a curse inflicts 1d6 points of
damage on the Sorcerer.
Astral Journey: A 11th level Sorcerer
can enter a deep trance, leaving his body, either to journey to strange
otherworlds (like contact other plane, except that all insanity chances are
increased by +5%) or to visit other locations of this world (like astral spell, except that the Sorcerer
can’t cast spells or intervene in astral form). After using this power a
Sorcerer is weakened for the next 1d4 days, losing access to all his class
abilities (except his dark vision and language
of the beasts).
Doom: A 14th level Sorcerer
can, at dusk, utter how he’ll meet his doom. He must choose a form of death:
pierced by a blade, drowned, burned, smashed by a beast etc. (these are just
guidelines as the category can’t be too generic or specific).
If the Sorcerer is killed in such fashion in
the next 7 days, he’ll come back from the grave in the new moon, his body fully
reconstructed at the closest and safest location of his original demise. Each
time a Sorcerer come back he acquires an inhuman tell or trait (brimstone
smell, scaled patches of skin, a tail, cat’s eyes etc.).
Ritual Caster: Sorcerer can search for and cast rituals, as determined by the Referee. Use those described in Carcosa or Call of Cthulhu as examples.
Sorcerers must be of Chaotic alignment. They
must also choose a Patron and fulfill a quest for his master each time he gains
level. Failure incurs at curses, attacks from otherworld entities and worst
things. A Referee is also invited to come up with eldritch taints for Sorcerers
that disobey or constantly change Patrons (see ideas here).
Nice post. I can see the class as one used to create a build of Elric of Melnibone.
ReplyDeleteThanks for commentary, Anthony! Because in Carcosa Sorcerers are basically Fighters with the "plus" of rituals, I was tempted to allow humans to multiclass as Fighter/Sorcerer using the same guidelines for Fighter/Wizard Elves (although it can be argued that Melniboneas aren't really Humans, so Elric could be a "normal" multiclass Fighter/Sorcerer.
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