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Aelf
Acolyte
USA
46 Posts |
 Posted - 25 Jul 2007 : 21:35:27
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“Disciple of Boccob” is a wizard alternate class feature detailed in Dragon 357 (p89).
Briefly, it allows a wizard to exchange gaining a familiar to qualify for item creation feats a level earlier and to create magic items at +1 caster level at no additional charge. (So a 5th level wizard who scribes Fireball would pay 187.5gp, 15XP and get a CL6 scroll.)
A cascade of questions springs to mind:
First, is there some sort of lore that would indicate this feature as being present in the Realms? I’m trying to recall a wizard who is well known for crafting numerous items. I realize that Mystra’s Chosen and some Harpers are detailed as leaving magic caches for others to find, but cannot remember a reference to the deposited items being made more efficiently. Still, that seems the closest justification for having a “Disciple of Mystra” alternate class feature. Perhaps the Wands of Waterdeep?
I’m also a bit wary as I see PC wizards getting a lot of mileage out of Scribe Scroll – especially when combined with the <absurdly cheap> ‘scribe while sleeping’ quill. Items still have an XP cost, but this will bump up the ‘wealth’ of a PC wizard by at least a few percent. Perhaps this is ‘as designed’ so that item creation becomes a more attractive option than immediately investing in reserve feats. Mercantile Background makes this even scarier. Thankfully, my PCs work hard to be anonymous spellcasters and don’t wish to be pigeonholed as item factories.
My last issue is best summarized as the ‘Spell Mantle’ hack:
Previously, a wizard wanted to pick up Spell Mantle (LEoF), would qualify for Craft Contingent Item (UE) at CL 11. The earliest a wizard could acquire this feat would be character level 12. Then Spell Mantle (which requires CL12) would be available at character level 15. (If there is a quicker path, I do not know it.) This seems reasonable, as it restricts mantles to those who are almost archmages. Contingent Items can be expensive, so this is another limiting factor.
With the alternate feature, a wizard would qualify for Craft Contingent Item at level 10 and it would be immediately available with the level 10 bonus feat. Spell Mantle is then accessible at level 12. On top of that, the cost drops a notch because of the break on item construction. My experience in playing/running wizard PCs is that level 11-12 is where a wizard’s power really starts to grow. I expect that adding a mantle (which, though costly, is a serious power increase) at that level would further increase the gap. (TODO: see if some of the new metamagic feats from Complete Mage/PHB2 balance out the 2 feats spent on acquiring a mantle.)
I do realize that this sword has two edges: imagine retooling the Drow wizards in City of the Spider Queen by spending a portion of their wealth on mantles. Ouch! (Queue sounds of the players surrendering and trading the Dalelands for safe passage.)
I welcome thoughts or advice in this matter.
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Regards,
Aelf, a bard of the Realms |
Edited by - Aelf on 26 Jul 2007 01:48:29
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Disciple of Boccob ACF in the Realms
