Cantripologist (3.5e Class)

Cantripologist

The Cantripologist is a caster who uses only the weakest kind of magic, but with great accuaracy and effect.

Making a Cantripologist

Designing a Cantripologist should be much like designing a Wizard.

A Cantripologist's main role includes utility spellcasting, part healing and some offensive magic. He can also research and invent new cantrips, just like a caster researches new spells.

Abilities: The Cantripologist uses Intelligence for his spellcasting. However, good secondary ability scores would be Dexterity and Constitution, to live longer and perhaps have a bit of weapon potential.

Races: Humans, Halflings and Gnomes are the most common Cantripologists due to their creativity, but there several Goblins, Orcs, and many other less cultivated races.

Alignment: Any.

Starting Gold:2d4*10 gp (20-80 gp.)

Starting Age: Simple.

Table: Cantripologist

Hit Die: d6

Level	Base Attack Bonus	Saving Throws			Special	Pseudocasting Spell level	Spell points
		Fort	Ref	Will
1st	+0	+0	+0	+2	Spells, Bonus Metamagic Feat	0	6
2nd	+1	+0	+0	+3	Power in Numbers	1	10
3rd	+1	+1	+1	+3	Cantrip Efficiency I	2	14
4th	+2	+1	+1	+4	Bonus Metamagic Feat	2	20
5th	+2	+1	+1	+4		3	26
6th	+3	+2	+2	+5	Cantrip Efficiency II	3	34
7th	+3	+2	+2	+5		4	42
8th	+4	+2	+2	+6	Bonus Metamagic Feat	4	52
9th	+4	+3	+3	+6	Cantrip Efficiency III	5	62
10th	+5	+3	+3	+7		5	74
11th	+5	+3	+3	+7		6	86
12th	+6/+1	+4	+4	+8	Bonus Metamagic Feat, Cantrip Efficiency IV	6	100
13th	+6/+1	+4	+4	+8		7	114
14th	+7/+2	+4	+4	+9		7	130
15th	+7/+2	+5	+5	+9	Cantrip Efficiency V	8	146
16th	+8/+3	+5	+5	+10	Bonus Metamagic Feat	8	164
17th	+8/+3	+5	+5	+10		9	182
18th	+9/+4	+6	+6	+11	Cantrip Efficiency VI	9	222
19th	+9/+4	+6	+6	+11		9	250
20th	+10/+5	+6	+6	+12	Bonus Metamagic Feat	9	306
Class Skills (4 + Int modifier per level, ×4 at 1st level) Appraise (Int), Bluff (Cha), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Forgery (Int), Heal (Wis), Knowledge (Arcana) (Int), Knowledge (Nature) (Int), Knowledge (Religion) (Int), Search (Int), Spot (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), Sleight of Hand (Dex), Spellcraft (Int), Use Magic Device (Cha).

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the Cantripologist.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: The Cantripologist is proficient with the quarterstaff, dagger, and light crossbow.

Spells: The Cantripologist's spells are Intelligence based. He can use any single arcane cantrip he knows at will, but when he uses cantrips together it costs him spell points. The number of combined cantrips he can use each round is equal to his Cantripologist caster level * 2. For example, a level 3 Cantripologist can use 6 cantrips per round and etc. Each cantrip used costs 1/2 spell points when used together and no cost when its single used. For example a lvl 2 Cantripologist can use 4 cantrips together in a round wasting 1/2 SP for each one of them, so he would waste 2 SP, while he could cast a single cantrip at no cost.

Table: Cantripologist Spells Known

Level	Spells Known
1st	4
2nd	5
3rd	6
4th	7
5th	8
6th	9
7th	10
8th	11
9th	12
10th	13
11th	14
12th	15
13th	16
14th	17
15th	18
16th	19
17th	20
18th	21
19th	22
20th	23

Bonus Metamagic Feat: The Cantripologist gets a bonus metamagic feat at first level and every fourth level. When it comes to metamagic feats the The Cantripologist can use it for free, if the added spell levels aren't higher than his Pseudocasting Level. For example a lvl 15 The Cantripologist with a pseudocasting level 8, can use as many cantrips as he wants per round (not more than the limit), with maximize spell (+3 spell level) so he has still 5 levels to use in metamagic.

Cantrips: The The Cantripologist can know 0-level spells from any spell list. As a standard action, he may cast a number of them (or any combination of multiples of them) with metamagic applied to them as desired. The Cantripologist learns one new cantrip each time he levels up

Cantrip Efficiency: starting at level 3 and each 3 levels after that Cantripologists learn to use an additional cantrip per round at no cost instead of one, For example a 5 lvl Cantripologist without Cantrip Efficiency I could use 1 cantrip at no cost and 10 cantrips for 5 sp. With Cantrip Efficiency I he uses now 2 Cantrips at no cost, and as a result he would pay only 4 sp, for 10 spells. That increases by 1 each 3 levels. That advancement stops at level 27 with Cantrip Efficacy IX

Pseudocasting level: That number indicates the level that The Cantripologist's cantrips are supposed to be.So, a level 7 The Cantripologist with Pseudocasting level 4 uses a 4th level spell DC for his cantrips, prestige classes and stuff.

Power in Numbers: At level 2, Cantripologist counts all spells he casts per round as one for each target. So, a level 5 Cantripologist , can use Guidance 10 times and make the target receive 10 temporal hp. He can also use 10 rays of frost on a single target using only one saving throw and touch attack.

Epic Cantripologist

Table: The Epic Cantripologist

Hit Die: d6

Level	Special
21st	Cantrip Efficacy VII
22nd	+10 Spell Points
23rd
24th	Bonus Feat, Cantrip Efficacy VIII
25th	+10 Spell Points
26th
27th	Cantrip Efficiency IX
28th	Bonus Feat,
29th	+10 Spell Points
30th
4 + Int modifier skill points per level.

Spell Known: Spells Known for a Cantripologist increase by 1 every level after 20th.

Spell Points per Day: The Spell Points per Day for a Cantripologist increase by 25 every level after 20th.

Bonus Feats: The epic Cantripologist gains a bonus feat (selected from the list of epic Cantripologist bonus feats) every 4 levels after 20th.

Epic Cantripologist Bonus Feat List:Augmented Alchemy, Automatic Quicken Spell, Automatic Silent Spell, Automatic Still Spell, Combat Casting, Craft Epic Magic Arms and Armor, Craft Epic Rod, Craft Epic Wondrous Item, Efficient Item Creation, Enhance Spell, Epic Spell Focus, Epic Spell Penetration, Epic Spellcasting, Forge Epic Ring, Ignore Material Components, Improved Combat Casting, Improved Heighten Spell, Improved Metamagic, Improved Spell Capacity, Intensify Spell, Multispell, Permanent Emanation, Scribe Epic Scroll, Spell Knowledge, Spell Mastery, Spell Focus, Spell Penetration Spell Stowaway, Spell Opportunity, Spontaneous Spell, Tenacious Magic. In addition to the feats on this list, the Cantripologist may select any metamagic feat not listed here.

Gnome Cantripologist Starting Package

Weapons: Four daggers and a light crossbow.

Skill Selection: Pick a number of skills equal to 4 + Int modifier.

Table: Starting Skill Points

Skill	Ranks	Ability	Armor Check Penalty
Concentration	4	Constitution	—
Forgery	4	Intelligence	—
Knowledge (Arcana)	4	Intelligence	—
Spellcraft	4	Intelligence	—
Craft	4	Intelligence	—

Feat: Extend Spell.

Bonus Feats: Energy Substitution.

Gear: Backpack, Bedroll, Waterskin, Flint and Steel, 3 × Torch, Quiver, 20 × bolts, Sack, Spell Component Pouch, Travelers Outfit, 3 × Trail Rations.

Gold: 45 gp.

Campaign Information

Playing a Cantripologist

Other Classes: Cantripologists are often scorned by more mainstream spellcasters, who tend to think that nothing good can come of cantrips.

Combat: The Cantripologist may choose to use spells like Ray of Frost to deal damage, or he might use distracting spells to mess with his enemies.

Advancement: The Cantripologist sometimes benefits from multiclassing with combat or stealth-based classes, but they are still a form of greater spellcaster, notorious for their inability to multiclass effectively.

Cantripologists in the World

“	People tend to underestimate what you can do with a dozen Mage Hands	”
—Dralek Tar, Half-Orc Cantripologist

Notables: Nethezig the Unholy, respected for the intimidating things he can do with Light and Ghost Sound. Dralek Tar, feared for his tendency to drop boulders on people, or lift people up and leave them floating in the air.

Organizations: Cantripologists assemble in much the same way Wizards do.

NPC Reactions: NPCs tend to assume that Cantripologists are not to be feared, unless proven otherwise.

Cantripologist Lore

Characters with ranks in Knowledge (Arcana) can research Cantripologists to learn more about them. When a character makes a skill check, read or paraphrase the following, including information from lower DCs.

Knowledge (Arcana)

DC	Result
5	Cantripologists can wield massive numbers of cantrips.
10	Some of the cantrips the Cantripologists wield are affected by a whole lot of metamagic.
15	Cantripologists cannot run out of normal cantrips, but can run out of Greater Cantrips.

Cantripologists in the Game

Adaptation: Consider requiring preparation for Greater Cantrips or making a limit for the number of ordinary cantrips the Cantripologist can cast per day.

Sample Encounter: Some rambling beggar babbles on about odd noises and lights. The PCs find out it is an evil Cantripologist tormenting the townspeople.

EL whatever: 3rd level CE Cantripologist, maybe I'll add stats later.

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