GEOMANCER -- a Sorcerer Variant

---------- SAVES ----------

Level Attack Fort Ref Will Special

1 +0 +2 +0 +2 Bonus Language - Terran

2 +1 +3 +0 +3 Summon Familiar

3 +1 +3 +1 +3

4 +2 +4 +1 +4

5 +2 +4 +1 +4 Summon Elemental familiar

6 +3 +5 +1 +5

7 +3 +5 +2 +5

8 +4 +6 +2 +6 Arcane Specialization: Earth

9 +4 +6 +2 +6

10 +5 +7 +2 +7

11 +5 +7 +3 +7

12 +6/+1 +8 +3 +8

13 +6/+1 +8 +3 +8

14 +7/+2 +9 +3 +9 Bonus Metamagic Feat

15 +7/+2 +9 +4 +9

16 +8/+3 +10 +4 +10

17 +8/+3 +10 +4 +10

18 +9/+4 +11 +4 +11

19 +9/+4 +11 +5 +11

20 +10/+5 +12 +5 +12 Bonus Metamagic Feat

Spells Cast per Day

Level 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

1 5 3 - - - - - - - -

2 6 4 - - - - - - - -

3 6 5 - - - - - - - -

4 6 6 3 - - - - - - -

5 6 6 4 - - - - - - -

6 6 6 5 3 - - - - - -

7 6 6 6 4 - - - - - -

8 6 6 6 5 3 - - - - -

9 6 6 6 6 4 - - - - -

10 6 6 6 6 5 3 - - - -

11 6 6 6 6 6 4 - - - -

12 6 6 6 6 6 5 3 - - -

13 6 6 6 6 6 6 4 - - -

14 6 6 6 6 6 6 5 3 - -

15 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 4 - -

16 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 5 3 -

17 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 4 -

18 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 5 3

19 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 4

20 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6

Spells Known

Level 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

1 4 2 - - - - - - - -

2 5 2 - - - - - - - -

3 5 3 1 - - - - - - -

4 6 3 2 - - - - - - -

5 6 4 2 - - - - - - -

6 7 4 3 1 - - - - - -

7 7 5 3 2 - - - - - -

8 8 5 4 2 1 - - - - -

9 8 5 4 3 2 - - - - -

10 9 5 5 3 2 1 - - - -

11 9 5 5 4 3 2 - - - -

12 9 5 5 4 3 2 1 - - -

13 9 5 5 4 4 4 2 - - -

14 9 5 5 4 4 3 2 1 - -

15 9 5 5 4 4 4 3 2 - -

16 9 5 5 4 4 4 3 2 1 -

17 9 5 5 4 4 4 3 3 2 -

18 9 5 5 4 4 4 3 3 2 1

19 9 5 5 4 4 4 3 3 3 2

20 9 5 5 4 4 4 3 3 3 3

-=GEOMANCER=-

Adventures

Usually, geomancers will adventure to both improve their own understanding of Earth Magic, and to accumulate the wealth needed to advance in their unusual Art.

The motivations Geomancers have vary widely, but good-aligned Geomancers will be more inclined to seek to protect the beauty of the Deeps, whereas evil-aligned Geomancers will more often care only for their own wealth and power, preventing others from plundering rich veins of minerals or metals only so that they, in turn, can plunder them.

Characteristics

Geomancers utilize an innate connection with the magical power inherent within the Earth itself, focussing that energy through crystals or gemstones they have specially prepared, one for each spell they know. Their Art is a taxing, tiring one, and in many ways requires a more precise grasp of the forms their magics take than wizards. As a result, physical health is more valuable to a Geomancer than intellect or charismatic presence -- so while, unlike intuitive Sorcerers, a Geomancer can research new spells ... unlike wizards, a Geomancer's ability to retain understanding of those spells is limited in a fashion akin to that of Sorcerers and Bards.

Alignment

Geomancers are, almost without exception, Lawful; a few Neutral Geomancers can be found, but no Geomancer may be of a chaotic alignment (any Geomancer who's alignment changes, for any reason, loses their spell-casting abilities -- and the ability to advance as a Geomancer -- until they again change to a non-Chaotic alignment).

Religion

Typically, Geomancers revere deities of Magic, of Earth, Metals, Mining, or similar; the majority of Geomancers seem to be, at least in the Clearwater region, Kobold, or Gnomish, and so worship racial deities.

Background

*setting-specific ... to be written later*

Races

Most Geomancers are Gnomes ,with Humans and Kobolds forming the bulk of the remainder; other races do have a few geomancers among them, but it is rarer for races not known for versatility or for close ties to the Earth, mining, and related issues. Drow geomancers, for example, would not be very surprising ...

Other Classes

Geomancers get along reasonably well with many Wizards, with whom they share not only the ability to use magic and research new spells, but also the experience of a long, arduous apprenticeship. They can find themselves frustrated with the "flightiness" of less-disciplined classes, such as Bards, Rogues, and the like, while they find the steadiness of nerve, the permanence of attitude, of more disciplined classes (paladin, monk, etc) to be much more pleasing. Expert-Geomancers are far less rare than one might expect, as the need/desire to constantly maintain a high degree of physical work, such as spelunkers (cave explorers), or Miners, for the training regimen if nothing else.

Game Rule Information

Abilities

Constitution determines how well the Geomancer can withstand the rigors of their Art -- thus, it affects how many spells they can cast per day, what level of spells they can know and cast, and how difficult it is for the targets of their spells to resist the effects. To cast a spell, the Geomancer must have a Constitution score of 10 + the spells level. Bonus spells are awarded to the Geomancer based on Constitution score, and the DC of spell saves to resist the Geomancer's spells is 10 + the Geomancer's Constitution modifier + the spell's level. Additionally, a high Dexterity grants improved AC, and a higher Intelligence grants improved Skill Points at each level.

Alignment

Any non-Chaotic

Hit Die

Class Skills

The Geomancer's Class Skills

Alchemy (int), Concentration (con), Craft (int), Knowledge/[all class skills] (int), Profession (wis), Scry (int), Spellcraft (int).

Skill points at 1st level: (2 + Intelligence Modifier) x 4

Skill Points per additional level: 2 + Intelligence Modifier

Class Features

Weapon and Armor Proficiency

Geomancers are proficient in all Simple weapons, but neither shields, nor any form of armor. Armor of any type interferes with their spell-casting abilities, in the form of an Arcane Spell Failure chance, whenever those spells have a somatic component.

Spells

A Geomancer casts Arcane spells, in a manner similar to Sorcerers -- the Geomancer does not have any need to prepare spells beforehand; their selection of known spells is markedly curtailed, however. At each level, the Geomancer gains one or more new, known spells; the Geomancer may elect to choose a spell from the Geomancer spell list, or hold that slot open, to fill with the results of their own research, as they choose. To learn a new spell, either automatically or by research, requires the use of a Gem or other precious stone, valued at 100gp times the level of the spell (50gp for 0-level spells); the gem is specially prepared to hold the patterns of the spell, and allow the Geomancer to draw Earth-Magic energy through the stone, thus completing the casting of the Geomancer's spell; in essence, the specially-prepared gem becomes and additional Focus component for that spell; if the Geomancer loses the gem, he or she is unable to cast that spell until it is recovered or replaced.. Similar to the manner of Sorcerers and Bards, a Geomancer may use a higher-level spell "slot" than that required, in order to cast a lower-level spell. Also in the manner of Sorcerers and Bards, casting a spell affected by any Metamagic Feat requires a Full-Round action for single-action spells, and longer for other spells.

Specialization

Like Wizards, Geomancers may specialize ... rather than gaining an extra _castable_ spell per day, however, they gain an extra _known_ spell at each spell level. The selection of prohibited schools is identical to Wizards' choices.

Familiar

A Geomancer may summon a Familiar, beginning at second level, the same as a Sorcerer or Wizard; Geomancers tend to favor burrowing, cave-dwelling, and similar animals; avian familiars are _very_ uncommon for Geomancers, but not forbidden (it may be rare, but it _can_ be done).

Scrolls, Potions, Etc

Geomancers who gain the ability to make Scrolls, brew Potions, and so on, incur additional material costs -- 10gp, times the level of the spell (5gp for 0-level spells), for various powders, sands, etc derived from precious metals, stones, and the like, which are used in the inks of scrolls, the brewing of potions, and so on. On the other hand, the XP costs of crafting these expendable magic items is reduced by half the extra GP required to craft the item (to a minimum of 1 XP for any item which requires the expenditure of XP to create). Other magic items are unaffected in price, either for GP or XP.

Sorcerers, Wizards, and Geomancers all cast similar spells; Geomancer scrolls may be used by Sorcerers or Wizards, provided the spell is on their own spell list, without problem; the same goes for Geomancers. Otherwise, there is a slight chance (2 times the spell's level, as a percent chance ... i.e. a 3d level spell means a 6% chance) of a misfire in all other cases; the effects of such misfires are left to the GM's imagination and penchant for

creative cruelty. 8)

GEOMANCER SPELL LIST

The following spells are ADDED to, CHANGED, or REMOVED from the Sorceror/Wizard list; otherwise, use the Sor/Wiz list:

Level 0

Transmutation

add Magic Stone

add Spider Climb

Level 1

Abjuration

change Protection from Chaos/Evil/Good

[Protection from Law is not allowed]

Conjuration

remove Obscuring Mist

change Summon Monster I

[Air-elemental types are disallowed as choices]

add Glitterdust

Transmutation

remove Expeditious Retreat

remove Feather Fall

remove Spider Climb

add Endurance

Level 2

Abjuration

remove Protection from Arrows

Conjuration

remove Fog Cloud

remove Glitterdust

change Summon Monster II

[no Air types, still]

Illusion

remove Blur

Transmutation

remove Cat's Grace

remove Endurance

remove Levitation

remove Whispering Wind

add Feather Fall

add Slow

add Soften Earth and Stone

Level 3

Abjuration

change Magic Circle against Chaos/Evil/Good

[again, no Magic Circle Versus Law]

add Stoneskin

Conjuration

remove Sleet Storm

remove Stinking Cloud

change Summon Monster III

[yet again, no Air types]

Evocation

remove Gust of Wind

remove Wind Wall

Transmutation

remove Fly

remove Gaseous Form

remove Slow

add Stone Shape

Level 4

Abjuration

remove Stoneskin

Conjuration

remove Solid Fog

change Summon Monster IV

[no Air types]

add Wall of Stone

Enchantment

add Meld into Stone

Transmutation

add Spike Stones

Level 5

Conjuration

remove Cloudkill

change Summon Monster V

[still no Air types]

remove Wall of Stone

Enchantment

remove Mind Fog

add Rusting Grasp

Transmutation

remove Stone Shape

add Stone Tell

Level 6

Conjuration

remove Acid Fog

change Summon Monster VI

[no Air types]

Transmutation

remove Control Weather

Level 7

Conjuration

change Summon Monster VII

[STILL no Air types]

Evocation

add Earthquake

Level 8

Conjuration

remove Incendiary Cloud

change Summon Monster VII

[yeah, you guessed it -- no Air types]

Level 9

Conjuration

change Summon Monster IX

[yet STILL, no Air types!!]

add Elemental Swarm

[Earth Only]