NEXT UPDATE : Harper Mage

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Valefort
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NEXT UPDATE : Harper Mage

Unread post by Valefort »

Harper Mage

The Harper mage has two principal responsibilities: They aid the Harpers with spells and arcane knowledge, and they study, record, and pass on ancient lore.

Requirements:
Alignment: Any non-evil.
Skills: Concentration 4 ranks, Knowledge (arcana) 8 ranks, Knowledge (local) 5 ranks, Knowledge (any other) 4 ranks, Sense Motive 2 ranks, Spellcraft 8 ranks.
Feats: Alertness, Iron will
Spellcasting: Able to cast arcane spells of 3rd level (Wizard or Sorc or Bard).

Class Features:
Hit Die: d4
Base Attack Bonus: Low
High Saves: Will
Weapon Proficiencies: None
Armor Proficiencies: None
Skill Points: 4 + Int Modifier.
Class Skills: All crafting skills, Bluff, Concentration, Diplomacy, Disguise, Heal, Hide, all Lore skills, Listen, Move Silently, Perform, Sense Motive, Spellcraft, Spot, Tumble.

Class Abilities:
Level 1: Harper's knowledge
Level 2: Arcane theory, Oghma's insight
Level 3: Extend Spell
Level 4: Eldath's Pool
Level 5: Mystra's Boon

Spellcasting: A Harper mage's training focuses on magic. Thus, when a character gains a new level of Harper mage, she gains new spells per day as if she had also gained a level in whatever arcane spellcasting class she belonged to before she added the prestige class. She does not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained (metamagic or item creation feats, for example).
If a character had more than one arcane spellcasting class before she became a Harper mage, she must decide to which class she adds each level of Harper mage for purposes of determining spells per day when she adds the new level.

Harper Knowledge: Like a bard, a Harper mage has a knack for picking up odd bits of knowledge. This ability works exactly like the bardic knowledge ability of the bard class. If a Harper mage has bard levels (or levels in another class with the same ability, such as loremaster or Harper scout), her Harper mage levels and bard levels (or levels in the other appropriate class) stack for the purpose of using Harper knowledge.

Oghma's Insight: As lorekeepers, Harper mages develop a keen interest in many fields. The Harper mage gains a free Skill Focus feat in any one Knowledge skill.

Arcane Theory: At 2nd level, the Harper mage gains Skill Focus Spellcraft. This represents an introduction to theories of magic from other civilizations through study and preservation of old lore.

Eldath's Pool: Eldath allows you to conjure a vial of blessed water two times per day (potion of vigor).

Mystra's Boon: Harper mages gain a +2 insight bonus on all saves against magical effects.
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Valefort
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Re: NEXT UPDATE : Harper Mage

Unread post by Valefort »

Was changed to :
Harper Mage

The Harper mage has two principal responsibilities: They aid the Harpers with spells and arcane knowledge, and they study, record, and pass on ancient lore.

Requirements:
Alignment: Any non-evil.
Skills: Concentration 4 ranks, Knowledge (arcana) 8 ranks, Knowledge (local) 5 ranks, Knowledge (any other) 4 ranks, Sense Motive 2 ranks, Spellcraft 8 ranks.
Feats: Alertness, Iron will
Spellcasting: Able to cast arcane spells of 3rd level (Wizard or Sorc or Bard).

Class Features:
Hit Die: d4
Base Attack Bonus: Low
High Saves: Will
Weapon Proficiencies: None
Armor Proficiencies: None
Skill Points: 4 + Int Modifier.
Class Skills: All crafting skills, Bluff, Concentration, Diplomacy, Disguise, Heal, Hide, all Lore skills, Listen, Move Silently, Perform, Sense Motive, Spellcraft, Spot, Tumble.

Class Abilities:
Level 1: Harper's knowledge
Level 2: Arcane theory, Oghma's insight
Level 3: Extend Spell
Level 4: Mystra's Boon
Level 5: Specialist

Spellcasting: A Harper mage's training focuses on magic. Thus, when a character gains a new level of Harper mage, she gains new spells per day as if she had also gained a level in whatever arcane spellcasting class she belonged to before she added the prestige class. She does not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained (metamagic or item creation feats, for example).
If a character had more than one arcane spellcasting class before she became a Harper mage, she must decide to which class she adds each level of Harper mage for purposes of determining spells per day when she adds the new level.

Harper Knowledge: Like a bard, a Harper mage has a knack for picking up odd bits of knowledge. This ability works exactly like the bardic knowledge ability of the bard class. If a Harper mage has bard levels (or levels in another class with the same ability, such as loremaster or Harper scout), her Harper mage levels and bard levels (or levels in the other appropriate class) stack for the purpose of using Harper knowledge.

Oghma's Insight: As lorekeepers, Harper mages develop a keen interest in many fields. The Harper mage gains a free Skill Focus feat in any one Knowledge skill.

Arcane Theory: At 2nd level, the Harper mage gains Skill Focus Spellcraft. This represents an introduction to theories of magic from other civilizations through study and preservation of old lore.

Mystra's Boon: Harper mages gain a +2 insight bonus on all saves against magical effects.

Specialist: At 5th level the Harper mage focuses his study on the spell school of his choice. The Harper Mage gains a Spell Focus feat.
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Hawke
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Re: NEXT UPDATE : Harper Mage

Unread post by Hawke »

Love the changes Valefort, much more useful.

Instead of the conjure the two vigor potions a day, could it be changed to the Healing pool the harper priest is going to get? You know, to be more team oriented :D I know it was the original.. but still a nice thing to have for the party.

And can we add appraise for the mage? Please?


Again I say, thank you for the work on this.
Hawke
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Re: NEXT UPDATE : Harper Mage

Unread post by Hawke »

Valefort, a bug on this...well maybe not a bug, but a definite public service announcement.

The level 5 spell focus feat you get for free (well not for FREE lol) it literally gives you Spell Focus.

If you already have the same spell focus and you take it, nothing happens. It doesn't give you greater spell focus, it is just a lost feat.

Just something for folks to think about when planning.
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Valefort
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Re: NEXT UPDATE : Harper Mage

Unread post by Valefort »

Ah yeah I didn't make any check, it's the full list of the spell focus feats, not just the ones you don't have. I'll change that, in the meantime be careful :P
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Re: NEXT UPDATE : Harper Mage

Unread post by Sun Wukong »

Hmn... It costs two useless feats, and basically gives you 2-3 feats back to meet prestige class requirements. You know, it kind of works well with: Sorcerer 7/Harper Mage 5/Archmage 10/Arcane Scholar 8 - or - Wizard 5/Harper Mage 5/Archmage 10/Arcane Scholar 10.

Perhaps the 'knowledge' should be replaced with 'lore' in those PRC skill requirements.
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Valefort
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Re: NEXT UPDATE : Harper Mage

Unread post by Valefort »

I'm thinking more and more about making the TLK file publically available in a human readable and editable format so that people can fix all the typos and minor things like this that I'll really never notice :lol:
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Re: NEXT UPDATE : Harper Mage

Unread post by Sun Wukong »

Can do no harm! :lol:
" I am no longer here, the elves of the Sword Coast are just far too horrible... "
- Elminster, probably.
Hawke
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Re: NEXT UPDATE : Harper Mage

Unread post by Hawke »

Well, looking up the harper mage prc in the Realms guide, it doesn't have appraise (truly too bad), but is it possible to change the feats up to somewhat match the PnP a little closer?

PnP says feat requirements are Alertness, Education and Extend Spell.

Extend Spell is obvious, we cannot emulate the actual class feature in game. This could be dropped since eshew material and HA extend powers are not actually in game.

Keep Alertness... it is what it is.

Education... make that a requirement to have Either Spellcast Prodigy or Able Learner or something else that is close to what the feat would give.


Doing Alertness and Iron Will is not what was in PnP, and you guys are obviously trying to be as close as possible.


I would love to see a caster oriented feat be put in to replace iron will since it isn't Harper Agent.
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Re: NEXT UPDATE : Harper Mage

Unread post by mrm3ntalist »

The prereq feats are unlikely to change.
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Hawke
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Re: NEXT UPDATE : Harper Mage

Unread post by Hawke »

So you are telling me there is a chance :D

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Re: NEXT UPDATE : Harper Mage

Unread post by mrm3ntalist »

Secretly, i would like for a chance to exist, therefore the unlikely. But the reason and mindset with which those PRCs were implemented, is a clear no. All harper PRCs will get nothing more that will improve them mechanically. On the contrary, if one of those classes is found to be too good, most likely they will be nerfed.
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Hawke
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Re: NEXT UPDATE : Harper Mage

Unread post by Hawke »

Honestly, the harper mage is not bad. You put in 2 two feats where one is completely useless, the other only situational ok, and you get 4 feats out of it, plus some skill unlocks and an extra 10 skill points (2 x5 levels compared to wizard).

I much prefer Harper Mage over Agent, but agent having a total of 6 sp/level and appraise... is better in my opinion... and I would only take Agent if the abilities were re-worked like Harper Mage is and take that 1 CL hit.

But then again... getting extend and spell focus (Skill focus is meh to me unless I was going for asoc), but let's face it, they are skill focus feats.

Creating a Sorcerer/Harper Mage/ ASOC/PM or AM would be very feasible with the set up it gives. You Need 7 feats (for AM too) to do that build, but you only spend 4 feats in total. For a feat starved Class like sorcerer that is perfect. Ooh I might even make that build.
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Re: NEXT UPDATE : Harper Mage

Unread post by dedude »

Gotta love those Harper pale masters, right?
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Re: NEXT UPDATE : Harper Mage

Unread post by Hawke »

dedude wrote:Gotta love those Harper pale masters, right?
Hey now, any non-evil or non-good, and you are right there walking that fine line with a Harper Pale master :P
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