Wizard

Adventures: Wizards join adventuring parties to hone their skills, seek out lost knowledge, and ferret out secrets long forgotten or carefully guarded.

Characteristics: Wizards are characterized by their mage sigils. Many fall into the popular stereotype of a mage – robes, beard, vague attitude – but just as many look and act like normal people.

Religion: While many wizards revere one god or another, and often give offerings to the gods of magic or secrets, for the most part, they don't really worship steadily or fanatically. Many churches have a cadre of mages within their militant sect and encourage the use of arcane abilities in any who show aptitude.

Background: Wizards, unlike sorcerers, must learn their craft; thus, they are always apprenticed to a master. Many are trained at a school or academy, where they learn alongside other students, gaining friends and companions as they advance in skill.

Races: Wizards are common among most of the core races; humans and elves the most, followed by gnomes (mostly illusionists), half-elves, and halflings; dwarven wizards are less common due to their resistance to magic in general, and half-orc wizards are nearly unheard of.

Other Classes: Wizards get along with most classes. They often jibe sorcerers about being lucky, sloppy, or too flighty, but there is enough respect on boths sides for the abilities of the other that the jibes are mostly good-natured.

Role: The wizard provides arcane firepower and vast knowledge on many subjects besides magic. No adventuring party is complete without one. In cities, wizards often perform community service to gain access to city-owned facilities, or discounts on goods, or even tax breaks. Wizards can be found in many areas and services, and are well paid for their arcane skill.


Game Rule Information

Abilities: Intelligence is a wizard's most important stat, as it modifies their spells and most of their skills; Dexterity and Constitution are useful to avoid getting hurt or killed; the other skills are of varying importance.

Alignment: Any.

Hit Die: d4.

Class Skills

The wizard's class skills are Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Decipher Script (Int), Knowledge (all skills) (Int), and Spellcraft (Int). Wizards are also fluent in Draconic.

Skill Points Per Level: 4 + Int modifier



Table 1: The Wizard
Level Base
Attack Bonus
Fort
Save
Ref
Save
Will
Save
Special
1st +0 +0 +0 +2 Summon familiar, bonus feat,
cantrips, arcane training
2nd +1 +0 +0 +3 Arcane training
3rd +1 +1 +1 +3 School ability
4th +2 +1 +1 +4
5th +2 +2 +2 +4 Bonus feat
6th +3 +2 +2 +5
7th +3 +2 +2 +5
8th +4 +3 +3 +6 School ability
9th +4 +3 +3 +6
10th +5 +4 +4 +7 Bonus feat
11th +5 +4 +4 +7
12th +6/+1 +4 +4 +8
13th +6/+1 +5 +5 +8 School ability
14th +7/+2 +5 +5 +9
15th +7/+2 +6 +6 +9 Bonus feat
16th +8/+3 +6 +6 +10
17th +8/+3 +6 +6 +10
18th +9/+4 +7 +7 +11 School ability
19th +9/+4 +7 +7 +11
20th +10/+5 +8 +8 +12 Bonus feat


Table 2: Wizard Spells Per Day**

Level 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
1st 4 1
2nd 4 2
3rd 5 2 1
4th 5 3 2
5th 5 3 2 1
6th 6 3 3 2
7th 6 4 3 2 1
8th 6 4 3 3 2
9th 6 4 4 3 2 1
10th 6 4 4 3 3 2
11th 6 4 4 4 3 2 1
12th 6 4 4 4 3 3 2
13th 6 4 4 4 4 3 2 1
14th 6 4 4 4 4 3 3 2
15th 6 4 4 4 4 4 3 2 1
16th 6 4 4 4 4 4 3 3 2
17th 6 4 4 4 4 4 4 3 2 1
18th 6 4 4 4 4 4 4 3 3 2
19th 6 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 3 2
20th 6 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 3 3


Class Features

All of the following are class features of the wizard.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Wizards are proficient with any two weapon groups (simple weapons only), but not with any type of armor or shield. Armor of any type interferes with a wizard's movements, which can cause spells with somatic components to fail.

Spells: A wizard casts arcane spells, which are drawn from the wizard spell list. A wizard must choose and prepare her spells ahead of time (see below).

To learn, prepare, or cast a spell, the wizard must have an Intelligence score equal to at least 10 + the spell level. The Difficulty Class for a save against a wizard's spell is 10 + the spell level + the wizard's Intelligence modifier.

Like other spellcasters, a wizard can cast only a certain number of spells of each spell level per day. Her base daily spell allotment is given on Table 2. In addition, she receives bonus spells per day if she has a high Intelligence score.

Unlike a bard or sorcerer, a wizard can know any number of spells. She must choose and prepare her spells ahead of time by getting a good night's sleep and spending 1 hour studying her spellbook. She decides which spells to prepare while studying.

Familiar: A wizard can obtain a familiar. See the section on Minions for more details.

Bonus Feat: At 1st, 5th, 10th, 15th, and 20th levels, a wizard gains a bonus feat, which can be a metamagic feat or Spell Mastery. He must still meet all prerequisites for a bonus feat, including caster level minimums.

Cantrips (Sp): Wizards can prepare a number of cantrips, or 0-level spells, each day, and can cast these spells at will as a spell-like ability.

Arcane Training: At 1st and 2nd levels, wizards undergo advanced training; those who wish to specialize (specialists) focus more on their chosen school, while those who don't (arcanists) broaden their knowledge of arcane magic as a whole.

At 1st level, the wizard can choose either of the following:

Preferred School (Ex): The wizard chooses a school of magic. She gets a +2 bonus to Spellcraft checks related to magic and spells from this school, and gets 1 extra spell (from the chosen school) per spell level that she can cast to scribe into her spellbook. She must also choose the school(s) of spells that her specialization will cause her to neglect.

Expanded Knowledge (Ex): The wizard gains a +2 bonus to Knowledge (arcana) and Spellcraft checks.

At 2nd level, the wizard can choose either of the following:

Specialty School (Ex): The specialist wizard can prepare and cast one extra 1st level spell each day from the preferred school selected at 1st level.

Cantrip Expertise (Ex): The wizard can prepare a number of cantrips equal to 1/2 her Int modifier without referring to a spellbook (as if she had take the Spell Mastery feat).

School Ability: At 3rd level, the wizard must choose to fully specialize in her preferred school, or give up those abilities in favor of becoming an arcanist (likewise, an arcanist can choose to become a specialist). In either case, the wizard loses the abilities gained from her former path and gains those from her new path. Once this choice is made, it is permanent.

At 8th, 13th, and 18th levels, the wizard gains additional abilities related to her specialization (or lack thereof).

Spellbooks: A wizard must study her spellbook each day to prepare her spells. She cannot prepare any spell not recorded in her spellbook, except for read magic, which all wizards can prepare from memory. A wizard begins play with a spellbook containing all 0-level wizard spells (except those from her prohibited school or schools, if any; see School Specialization, below) plus three 1st-level spells of the player's choice. For each point of the wizard's Intelligence bonus, the spellbook holds one additional 1st-level spell of the player's choice. At each new wizard level, she gains two new spells of any spell level(s) that she can cast (based on her new wizard level) for her spellbook. At any time, a wizard can also add spells found in other wizards' spellbooks to her own.


School Specialization

A school is one of eight groupings of spells, each defined by a common theme. If desired, a wizard can specialize in one school of magic (see below). Specialization allows a wizard to cast extra spells from her chosen school, but she then never learns to cast spells from some other schools.

A specialist wizard gains additional abilities at 3rd, 8th, 13th, and 18th levels, as noted below. She also gains a +2 bonus on Spellcraft checks to learn the spells of her chosen school. She must choose whether to specialize and, if she does so, choose her specialty by 3rd level.

At this time, she must also give up two other schools of magic (unless she specializes in Divination; see below), which become her prohibited schools. She cannot give up Divination as a prohibited school. Spells of the prohibited school(s) are not available, and she can't even cast such spells from scrolls or fire them from wands. She cannot change either her specialization or her prohibited schools later.

The eight schools of arcane magic are Abjuration, Conjuration, Divination, Enchantment, Evocation, Illusion, Necromancy, and Transmutation.

Spells that do not fall into any of these schools are called universal spells.

Abjuration

Spells that protect, block, or banish. An Abjuration specialist is called an abjurer. Abjurers gain proficiency with light armor and have the following abilties.

Resistance to Energy (Su): Once per day at 3rd level, an abjurer can create a mystical shield that grants herself or any one creature that she touches resistance 5 + half her class level against a chosen energy type (acid, cold, electricity, fire, or sonic). Activating this ability is a standard action. Once activated, the protection lasts for 1 hour. This protection overlaps with the effects of spells like resist energy.

Spontaneous Dispelling (Ex): At 8th level, an abjurer can sacrifice a prepared spell of 3rd level or higher to spontaneously cast dispel magic. She can use this ability in conjunction with a readied action to use dispel magic (or greater dispel magic or disjunction; see below) as a counterspell.

At 13th level, she can sacrifice a prepared spell or 6th level or higher to spontaneously cast greater dispel magic.

At 18th level, she can sacrifice a prepared spell or 9th level or higher to spontaneously cast disjunction.

Aura of Protection (Ex): Once per day at 13th level, an abjurer can generate a protective aura around herself or another creature that she touches that shields against both physical and magical attacks. It grants deflection bonus to her Armor Class and a resistance bonus on all saves equal to her Intelligence modifier (this overlaps similar bonuses from other sources). This ability requires a standard action to activate; once activated, the aura lasts for 1 minute or until the abjurer dismisses it, whichever comes first. She gains an additional use every 3 class levels after 13th.

Mastery of Counterspelling (Ex): At 18th level, when the wizard counterspells a spell, it is turned back upon the caster as if it were fully affected by a spell turning spell. If the spell cannot be affected by spell turning, then it is merely countered.

Conjuration

Spells that bring creatures or materials to the caster. A Conjuration specialist is called a conjurer. Conjurers gain Diplomacy and Intimidate as class skills and a +2 bonus to Knowledge (the planes) checks, and have the following abilities.

Spontaneous Summoning (Ex): At 3rd level, a conjurers can sacrifice a prepared spell to cast any summon monster spell of a lower level. For example, a conjurer who has prepared greater invisibility (a 4th-level spell) can sacrifice that spell to cast summon monster I, II, or III.

Note: Since conjurers obviously summon monsters frequently, the DM should require the player to prepare simple record sheets ahead of time for each monster that the character commonly summons. It is also important to emphasize speedy play on the part of the conjurer and his summoned monsters.

Enhanced Summoning (Ex): At 8th level, the conjurer's summoned creatures become harder to dispel – they gain a +2 bonus to the DC against caster level checks. At 18th level, this increases to +4.

Rapid Summoning (Ex): At 13th level, the casting time for conjurers using any summon monster spell is reduced to 1 standard action, rather than 1 round. (Creatures so summoned can only take a standard action in the round they are summoned.) The conjurer gains the normal benefits from quickening such a spell.

Multiple Summoning (Ex): At 18th level, a conjurer can call one extra creature when casting a summon monster spell.

Divination

Spells that reveal information. A Divination specialist is called a diviner. Unlike the other specialists, a diviner must give up only one other school. Diviners gain Gather Information, Perception, and Search as class skills and have the following abilities.

Enhanced Awareness (Ex): At 3rd level, a diviner needs to study an item for only 1 round (rather than 1 minute) when casting identify.

An arcane eye cast by the diviner travels at 20 feet per round when studying its surroundings (rather than 10 feet per round).

Enhanced Divination (Ex): A diviner can cast divination rituals more quickly than normal – the casting time is halved.

All-Seeing Eye (Ex): At 13th level, a diviner's proficiency with scrying is such that she can use any smooth, reflective surface to scry with, as long as she has sufficient light to see. She can also hear the subject and its surroundings (anything that is not immediately visible, like another person outside of the sensor's sight, requires a DC 15 Perception check to hear it), and her area of is doubled if the target makes its save (she can view a 20-foot radius).

Foresight (Ex): At 18th level, a diviner can view the lines of probability a few seconds into the future. This grants her a +2 insight bonus to Armor Class, attack rolls, and Reflex saves.

Enchantment

Spells that imbue the recipient with some property or grant the caster power over another being. An Enchantment specialist is called an enchanter. Enchanters gain Bluff, Diplomacy, and Gather Information as class skills and have the following abilities.

Extended Enchantment (Su): At 3rd level, Enchanters can ensnare the minds of others more easily with their magic, and as a result their Enchantment spells last longer than those cast by other spellcasters. Once per day per point of her Int bonus, an enchanter can cast an Enchantment modified by the Extend Spell feat without a level adjustment. This ability cannot be used to extend a spell with a duration of concentration, instantaneous, or permanent.

Cohort (Ex): Any time after reaching 8th level, the enchanter gains the service of a loyal cohort of the player's choice (with the DM's approval). The cohort is a 4th-level character (or a creature up to ECL 4) when first gained; after that point, follow the normal rules described in the Leadership feat to determine the cohort's level, but treat the enchanter's level as being two lower than normal.

The enchanter doesn't gain any followers from this ability. If she selects the Leadership feat, she attracts followers as normal, the penalty to her effective level is eliminated, and she automatically qualifies for the "special power" modifier to her Leadership score.

Empowered Enchantment (Ex): At 13th level, an Enchanter's ability with charm and compulsion spells is unparalleled. Charm effects increase the target's attitude by three steps instead of two, and the save made when given self-destructive commands (as with dominate person) receives no bonus.

Charm the Masses (Ex): At 18th level, the number of targets an enchanter can have under her influence at any given time via the charm and dominate spells is increased to 1 per point of her Int bonus.

Evocation

Spells that manipulate energy or create something from nothing. An Evocation specialist is called an evoker. Evokers gain a +2 bonus to caster level checks to counter evocation spells.

Energy Affinity (Ex): At 3rd level an evoker can choose an energy type (acid, cold, electricity, fire, or sonic), which cannot be changed afterward. Any time she casts an Evocation spell with the chosen energy type, her caster level is 1 higher for purposes of range, duration, damage, caster level checks, and any other relevant factors. She also gains resistance 5 to that energy type, which stacks with resistances gained from other sources.

Mastery of Elements (Ex): At 8th level, an evoker can substitute energy of one type for another. When casting a spell that has an energy descriptor (acid, cold, electricity, fire, or sonic), she can change the energy descriptor and the spell's effects to energy of a different type. Using this ability is a free action that must be declared before the spell is cast. She can use this ability once per day per point of her Int bonus.

Overcome Resistance (Ex): At 13th level, an evoker's energy spells can ignore some or all of a target's energy resistance. Using this ability is a free action that must be announced before the evoker casts the spell to be affected. Every creature affected by the spell is treated as if its resistance to the spell's energy type were 10 points lower, to a minimum of 0. (This lowered resistance applies only to this spell; other effects with the same energy descriptor must get through the creature's normal resistance.) If the creature does not have resistance to that energy type, it is unaffected by this ability.

The evoker can use this ability once per day per point of her Int bonus.

Increased Damage Cap (Ex): At 18th level, an evoker's energy spells deal more damage; the damage cap for all such spells is increased by 5 dice (so a fireball deals a maximum of 15d6 instead of 10d6).

Illusion

Spells that alter perception or create false images. An Illusion specialist is called an illusionist. Illusionists gain Bluff and Stealth as class skills and have the following abilities.

Illusion Affinity (Ex): An illusionist can recognize an illusion for what it is – he gains a +4 bonus to Will saves to disbelieve illusions. If the spell doesn't allow a save, he gets one with no bonus.

Chains of Disbelief (Ex): Even if a viewer disbelieves an illusion created by an illusionist and communicates the details of the illusion to other creatures, those others do not receive the normal +4 bonus on their saves to disbelieve it. Furthermore, even when presented with incontrovertible proof that the illusion isn't real, creatures must still succeed on a Will save to see objects or creatures that the illusion obscures, though they get a +10 bonus on the save.

Shadow Shaper (Ex): At 13th level, an illusionist has a special bond with the Plane of Shadow. All spells of the Shadow subschool gain a +10% increase in the amount of shadow essence infusing them. This increases to 20% at 13th level and 30% at 18th level.

Illusion Mastery (Ex): At 18th level, the illusionist treats all illusion spells he learns as if he had mastered them with the Spell Mastery feat.

Necromancy

Spells that manipulate, create, or destroy life or life force. A Necromancy specialist is called a necromancer. Necromancers have a +4 competence bonus to all Knowledge checks regarding the undead, can command or rebuke undead as a cleric of equal level, and gain the following abilities.

Skeletal Minion: At 3rd level, a necromancer can create an undead minion (the default is a human skeleton, but she can have other creatures, with the DM's approval). Obtaining this minion takes 24 hours and uses up magical materials that cost 100 gp. This minion takes the place of her normal familiar.

This creature is a loyal servant that follows the necromancer's commands and accompanies her on adventures if desired. If the skeletal minion is destroyed, the necromancer suffers no ill effects and can replace it by performing a ceremony identical to the one that allowed her to obtain her first servant.

At 3rd level, the skeleton is completely typical, but it gains power as the necromancer gains levels. It has a number of Hit Dice equal to the necromancer's class level. Add half her class level to the skeleton's natural armor bonus and one-third of her class level to the skeleton's Strength and Dexterity scores.

Enhanced Undead (Ex): At 8th level, undead created by the necromancer via animate dead, create undead, or create greater undead are more powerful. They gain a +4 enhancement bonus to Strength and Dexterity and 2 additional hit points per Hit Die. This ability does not affect the number or Hit Dice of animated creatures that the necromancer can create or control.

Undead Affinity (Ex): At 13th level, a necromancer can walk among undead without harm, as if she were one of them. Mindless undead will ignore her unless attacked first or ordered to do so by another creature controlling them.

Master of the Dead (Ex): At 18th level, the number of undead the necromancer can control is increased to 2d6 + level + Cha modifier. This increase stacks with any increases gained from prestige classes or other abilities.

Transmutation

Spells that transform the recipient physically or change its properties in a more subtle way. A transmutation specialist is called a transmuter. Transmuters gain Bluff and Disguise as class skills and have the following abilities.

Enhance Attribute (Su): At 3rd level, a transmuter can add a +2 enhancement bonus to any one of her ability scores as a standard action. This bonus lasts for a number of minutes equal to her class level. She can use this ability once per day per point of her Int modifier.

At 13th level, she automatically adds +2 to the bonus granted by any of the "animal buff" spells – bull's strength, cat's grace, etc.

Mastery of Shaping: At 8th level, the transmuter can alter area effect spells that use one of the following shapes: burst, cone, cylinder, emanation, or spread. The alteration consists of creating spaces within the spell's area or effect that are not subject to the spell. The minimum dimension for these spaces is a 5-foot cube. Furthermore, any shapeable spells have a minimum dimension of 5 feet instead of 10 feet.

Change Shape (Su): At 13th level, a transmuter can change her shape, as the spell polymorph, as a standard action. This lasts for a number of rounds per day equal to her class level. The time spent in another form need not be all at once – she could change for 5 rounds once, then another 3 later, for example. Any form she takes cannot have a CR greater than her class level.

Transmutable Memory (Ex): At 18th level, a transmuter can alter some of her prepared spells in a short amount of time. Once per day, the transmuter can give up a number of prepared spell levels (up to a total equal to half her class level) and prepare different spells in their place, as long as the number of newly prepared spell levels is equal to or less than the number of spell levels given up (0-level spells don't count).

For example, a 12th-level transmuter can lose two 1st-level spells and two 2nd-level spells from memory (a total of six spell levels, half her class level) and prepare two 3rd-level spells.

Using this ability requires a number of minutes of concentration equal to the number of spell levels given up. If the transmuter's concentration is broken during this time, all spells to be lost are gone and no spells are gained in their place.

Universal

Not a school, but a category for spells that all wizards can learn. A wizard cannot select Universal as a specialty or prohibited school. Only a limited number of spells fall into this category.

Arcanists

Wizards who choose not to specialize are called arcanists; they can choose any three skills as class skills and gain the following abilities. All bonus spells gained are cumulative.

Versatile Arcanist I (Ex): The Arcanist can cast any one 1st level spell she has prepared one additional time per day (that is, she prepares the spell once, but can cast it twice before losing it from her memory).

Versatile Arcanist II (Ex): At 8th level, the Arcanist can cast one extra 3rd or 4th level spell per day, as Versatile Arcanist I.

Versatile Arcanist III (Ex): At 13th level, the arcanist can cast one extra 5th or 6th level spell per day from her prepared spells, as Versatile Arcanist I.

Versatile Arcanist IV (Ex): At 18th level, the arcanist can cast two extra spells from 1st to 4th level (this replaces those gained from Versatile Arcanist I and II), and one extra spell from 7th or 8th level, per day from her prepared spells, as Versatile Arcanist I.

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