Epic Spell Researcher (3.5e Prestige Class)
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Epic Spell Researcher[edit]
| “ | "Greater Ruin!" | ” |
| —Arhimasol, Elven Archmage | ||
| <img link> |
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| By [img src link] |
Acquiring Epic Spells are the works of a lifetime. Most are satisfied with one Epic Spell, and usually at the weaker end. You are not. You thirst for the more powerful ones. The ones that are out of the reach of even the most renowned of spellcasters. But, such Spells are above one such person to learn. As such, you have compassed far and wide for those who have a spark of magical talent. You have found many willing to join you in helping such an endeavor.
And so your Work begins.
Becoming an Epic Spell Researcher[edit]
Arcane and Divine Spellcasters are sometimes eager to learn Epic Spells. The costs are high, but the benefits are higher. But, with each Epic Spell, many many times, they find that they must compromise, again, and again. It's rarely as powerful as they want, as quick as they want, and/or it's likely to kill them (which causes the spell to fail), among other things. Which, fair, these Spells are nothing to be trifled with. It is better to be safe than to be sorry. But, if one wanted to be safe, why try researching these "Reality-Warping Spells" to begin with? To even get to the point of researching even one Epic Spell, they had to have a long familiarity with spellcasting of a safer sort? So, this epic prestige class is for those who want even more Epic Spells, and more from them. This epic prestige class is for all spellcasters that can cast Epic Spells. Arcane, Divine, it doesn't matter. The call of altering reality affects all who have access to the greatest of the 'safe' spells. Epic Spell Researchers prioritize the Ability Scores tied to their spellcasting from prior levels, and Charisma to improve their followings.
| Alignment: | Any. |
|---|---|
| Skills: | Spellcraft 30+ ranks, AND either Knowledge (Arcana), (Religion), OR (Nature) 30+ Ranks. |
| Feats: | Leadership, Skill Focus (Spellcraft), Epic Spellcasting |
| Spellcasting: | Must be able to cast 9th level spells. |
| Special: | Have at least two different Epic Spells that you have researched. |
| Level | Base Attack Bonus |
Saving Throws | Special | Spellcasting | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Fort | Ref | Will | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1st | +0 | +0 | +0 | +2 | Bonus Feat: Epic Skill Focus (Spellcraft), +1 Bonus to Spellcraft per Prestige Class Level | +1 level of existing spellcasting class | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2nd | +1 | +0 | +0 | +3 | Cost Reduction to research Epic spells: *1 divided by Prestige Class Level Resource Cost | +1 level of existing spellcasting class | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 3rd | +1 | +1 | +1 | +3 | Bonus Feat: Epic Leadership, Experience Pool (Prestige Class Level * Prestige Class Level) | +1 level of existing spellcasting class | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 4th | +2 | +1 | +1 | +4 | Cost Reduction to research Epic spells: *3 divided by Prestige Class Level XP cost. | +1 level of existing spellcasting class | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 5th | +2 | +1 | +1 | +4 | Magic School: Build | +1 level of existing spellcasting class | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 6th | +3 | +2 | +2 | +5 | Researching Followers Provide +1 to Spellcraft checks for Researching Spells per 250 Ranks. | +1 level of existing spellcasting class | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 7th | +3 | +2 | +2 | +5 | Magic School: Learn | +1 level of existing spellcasting class | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 8th | +4 | +2 | +2 | +6 | Followers have Experience Pool of their Level points. | +1 level of existing spellcasting class | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 9th | +4 | +3 | +3 | +6 | Magic School: Staff | +1 level of existing spellcasting class | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 10th | +5 | +3 | +3 | +7 | Offload XP cost ( *1 divided by level for you, but total costs jump to 10*original amount) | +1 level of existing spellcasting class | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Class Skills (2 + Int modifier per level) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Level | Special | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 11th | Spellcraft Epic Bonus +1 (+11), Epic Spell Research cost (*1/11 Material, *3/11 XP), Experience Pool Max +21 (121), | +1 Max Magic School 'level' (11), Offload XP Cost (*1/11), +1 level of existing spellcasting class | |
| 12th | Spellcraft Epic Bonus +1 (+12), Epic Spell Research cost (*1/12 Material, *3/12 XP), Experience Pool Max +23 (144), | +1 Max Magic School 'level' (12), Epic Spell Researching Help +1 (+2 per 250), Offload XP Cost (*1/12), +1 level of existing spellcasting class | |
| 13th | Spellcraft Epic Bonus +1 (+13), Epic Spell Research cost (*1/13 Material, *3/13 XP), Experience Pool Max +25 (169) (2*Follower's Level), | Experience Pool Save +1 (+2), +1 Max Magic School 'level' (13), Offload XP Cost (*1/13), +1 level of existing spellcasting class | |
| 14th | Spellcraft Epic Bonus +1 (+14), Epic Spell Research cost (*1/14 Material, *3/14 XP), Experience Pool Max +27 (196), | +1 Max Magic School 'level' (14), Offload XP Cost (*1/14), Bonus Epic Feat, +1 level of existing spellcasting class | |
| 15th | Spellcraft Epic Bonus +1 (+15), Epic Spell Research cost (*1/15 Material, *3/15 XP), Experience Pool Max +29 (225), | +1 Max Magic School 'level' (15), Offload XP Cost (*1/15), +1 level of existing spellcasting class | |
| 16th | Spellcraft Epic Bonus +1 (+16), Epic Spell Research cost (*1/16 Material, *3/16 XP), Experience Pool Max +31 (256), | +1 Max Magic School 'level' (16), Offload XP Cost (*1/16), +1 level of existing spellcasting class | |
| 17th | Spellcraft Epic Bonus +1 (+17), Epic Spell Research cost (*1/17 Material, *3/17 XP), Experience Pool Max +33 (289), | +1 Max Magic School 'level' (17), Offload XP Cost (*1/17), +1 level of existing spellcasting class | |
| 18th | Spellcraft Epic Bonus +1 (+18), Epic Spell Research cost (*1/18 Material, *3/18 XP), Experience Pool Max +35 (324) (3*Follower's Level), | Experience Pool Save +1 (+3) +1 Max Magic School 'level' (18), Epic Spell Researching Help +1 (+3 per 250), Offload XP Cost (*1/18), Bonus Epic Feat, | +1 level of existing spellcasting class |
| 19th | Spellcraft Epic Bonus +1 (+19), Epic Spell Research cost (*1/19 Material, *3/19 XP), Experience Pool Max +37 (361), | +1 Max Magic School 'level' (19), Offload XP Cost (*1/19), +1 level of existing spellcasting class | |
| 20th | Spellcraft Epic Bonus +1 (+20), Epic Spell Research cost (*1/20 Material, *3/20 XP), Experience Pool Max +39 (400), | +1 Max Magic School 'level' (20), Offload XP Cost (*1/20), +1 level of existing spellcasting class |
Class Features[edit]
As the Epic Spell researcher begins this road, they begin with improving their own research limits. As they progress, they get larger and larger crowds following them, and realize they could get exponentially better with research, with help. All of the following are class features of the Epic Spell Researcher.
Spellcasting: At each level, you gain new spells per day and an increase in caster level (and spells known, if applicable) as if you had also gained a level in an epic spellcasting class which you can cast 9th level spells to which you belonged before adding the prestige class level. You do not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained. If you had more than one epic spellcasting class which you can cast 9th level spells before becoming an Epic Spell Researcher, you must decide to which class to add each level for the purpose of determining spells per day, caster level, and spells known.
Epic Skill Focus (Spellcraft): At level 1, an Epic Spell Researcher gains the bonus feat Epic Skill Focus (Spellcraft), if they don't already have it.
Spellcraft Skill Bonus (Su): At level 1, an Epic Spell Researcher gains +1 Epic bonus to all Spellcraft checks related to researching new spells. This bonus increases each level.
Epic Spell Research Material Cost Reduction (Su): At level 2, an Epic Spell Researcher reduces the cost of researching epic spells by multiplying the Resource cost by 1 divided by the number of levels in Epic Spell Researcher, rounding up afterwards. Apply this multiplier after determining the experience cost in researching said Epic Spell.
Epic Leadership: At level 3, an Epic Spell Researcher gains the bonus feat Epic Leadership, if they don't already have it, even if they don't meet all the requirements.
Experience Pool (Su): At level 3, an Epic Spell Researcher gets a reserve of experience points that they can spend on researching Epic Spells. They use it up first when paying experience costs for researching Epic Spells. That reserve takes as long to refresh as it took to research the spell, or, if you were interrupted, as long as the time spent trying to research that Spell. The maximum amount of free "experience points" this reserve can hold is equal to the amount of levels in Epic Spell Researcher times itself.
When your experience pool is full, you have a +1 epic bonus to all saving throws.
At 8th level, your followers also gain an experience reserve, though their reserve only holds an amount equal to their level. They still get the +1 epic bonus to all saving throws whenever their reserve full. Every five levels afterwards, their reserve maximum increases by their level, and you and all your followers get an additional +1 epic bonus to all saving throws, if that person's respective reserve is full.
If the "Rule Variant: Sharing Experience Point cost" is NOT allowed, You can still use your follower's reserve pools. Furthermore, they will offer it up willingly, if asked.
Epic Spell Research Experience Point Cost Reduction (Su): At level 4, an Epic Spell Researcher reduces the cost of researching epic spells by multiplying the experience cost by 3 divided by the number of levels in Epic Spell Researcher, rounding up afterwards.
Magic School: Build (Sp): At level 5, an Epic Spell Researcher gets a ritual that can turn any sufficiently expensive building into a Magic School, of one or more magic type of which you can cast 9th level spells from. Having one or more Magic School of at least 'level 1' under your control, allows you to have access to the benefits of the Legendary Commander feat, even if you don't otherwise qualify for it, and grants you a bonus to your leadership score equal to the highest 'level' of a Magic School under your control. The 'level' of a Magic School is equal to the sum of the gp cost of the building, plus the sum of the gp cost of the ritual, divided by 100,000, rounded down, but can't be higher than your level in Epic Spell Researcher. You don't gain gold if the building is more expensive than the level you want it at. A Magic School can't share owners. A Magic School that is both Divine and Arcane costs twice as much as normal for 'level's. If the building is deemed 'low quality', or 'not roomy enough to be a school', or 'too hazardous' (DM's discretion for all three) the ritual requires twice as much as normal to give it 'level's per failing category.
The ritual takes a year, plus a day per 'level', if it wasn't your Magic School, and a day plus a day per 'level' you want the end result to be, if you are just updating the 'level' of the Magic School. When updating the 'level', you only need to pay the price of the difference between its current level under your control, and the level you want it to be, but you can't downgrade a Magic School this way. Over the course of the ritual, each day you must offer up the allotment of valuable materials for that day and all your 9th level spell slots of the magic types you desire it to be, as part of the ritual, on the building. If a day goes by, and you haven't spent all your 9th level spell slots of the right type, or offered up the allotment of valuable materials, the ritual fails, and all the materials you spent so far are wasted.
When taking a Magic School from another person, their rituals don't count towards your Magic School 'level'. For the purposes of magic and antimagic, it counts as if its creator was level 30 plus the number of 'level's it has, and an Artifact of the magic type(s) used in the ritual(s), depending on what makes more sense in context.
When up and running, a Magic School pays for itself if left alone, but it probably won't be super profitable without supervision.
Magic School: Learn At 7th level, your ritual also makes all Magic Schools you create or upgrade also provide a +1 Epic bonus to all Spellcraft checks made inside it, per Magic School 'level'. This bonus counts toward abilities that count the number of Spellcraft skill points of all those inside it.
Magic School: Staff At 9th level, your ritual also makes all Magic Schools you create or upgrade also allow all your followers inside it to be able to cast spells as if they were either Magic School 'level's higher if they were at least 1 level in a correct magic type and could cast spells, or an Adept of the level of the Magic School 'level'. If variants of the NPC class 'Adept' are allowed, use the variants, as appropriate (Adept for Divine, Arcane Adept for Arcane, Druid Adept for Nature)
This only increases the number of spells they can cast per day.
Nonfollowers that are inside the Building may make a Use Magic Device check (DC:40+number of 'level's), once a day. If they succeed, the Magic School thinks they are followers for that day.
Epic Spell Researching Help (Su): At level 6, and every 6 levels afterward, an Epic Spell Researcher's followers give an additional +1 competency bonus to Spellcraft checks for Researching Spells for each 250 ranks in Spellcraft among your followers.
Offload Experience Point Cost (Su): At level 10, an Epic Spell Researcher can offload most of the Experience Point cost for researching Epic Spells onto other people. If they do, the Experience Point cost multiplies by 10, but they only need to pay * 1 divided by the number of levels in Epic Spell Researcher the original amount. If the "Rule Variant: Sharing Experience Point cost" is allowed, this cost increase only applies to the last 25%.
The epic level Epic Spell Researcher gains a bonus feat (selected from the list of epic Epic Spell Researcher feats) every 4 levels after 11th.
Epic level Epic Spell Researcher Bonus Feat List: Additional Magic Item Space, Augmented Alchemy, Craft Epic Magic Arms and Armor, Craft Epic Rod, Craft Epic Staff, Craft Epic Wondrous Item, Efficient Item Creation, Enhance Spell, Epic Reputation, Epic Skill Focus (Class Skills except Spellcraft), Extended Life Span, Forge Epic Ring, Great Charisma, Ignore Material Components, Improved Combat Casting, Improved Heighten Spell, Improved Metamagic, Improved Spell Capacity, Intensify Spell, Master Staff, Master Wand, Multispell, Permanent Emanation, Polyglot, Scribe Epic Scroll, Spell Stowaway
Additional Feat ideas specifically for this class:
Future-Resistant Magic School (Su)-Prerequisite: Magic School. Effect: When you use the Magic School ritual, the maximum 'level' of the Magic School you can set it to, is equal to the sum of all your levels, rather than just the number of levels in Epic Spell Researcher. However, you personally, don't gain any additional benefits from doing so, at the time of the ritual. It just means that when you do advance in Epic Spell Researcher, you don't actually need to update the Magic Schools to update the benefits based on the Magic School's 'level' until the point where your levels in Epic Spell Researcher are greater than the 'level' of the Magic School.
Shared Magic School (Su)-Prerequisite: Magic School. Effect: When you use the Magic School ritual, you can choose to open up the ownership to one more Epic Spell Researcher, for an additional 100,000 gp cost in materials, and an additional day in the ritual. If you do, the next time another Epic Spell Researcher that isn't you uses a Magic School Ritual, instead of it transferring ownership to them, it becomes both yours and theirs. Only the Highest 'level' applies, but Epic Spell Researchers that aren't of that level don't get any benefits above their level. Afterwards, as long as it remains controlled by both you and them, whenever it is upgraded by either you or them, the ownership doesn't change. You can't 'upgrade' a Magic School that has more than one owner into having one owner, though you can still 'steal' one via ritual, no matter how many owners it has, if you weren't an owner, and it isn't waiting for a an additional owner.
You can also now use the ritual to change the ownership of a Magic School that had only one owner, who isn't you, into sharing it between the two of you, as above, for the additional ritual cost.
You can take this feat multiple times. Each time you do, the optional ritual cost increases by the same amounts, and allows for one more Epic Spell Researcher to own the building.
Shared Magic School Ritual (Su)-Prerequisites: Magic School, Shared Magic School. Effect: When doing the Magic School ritual, you no longer need to be the sole participant of the ritual. However, Each participant needs to have 9th level spells slots to offer up. Each participant of the ritual spends all their 9th level spell slots, and otherwise makes their offering on the first day of the ritual, and then on further days only one participant needs to spend their 9th level spell slots, and otherwise makes their offering, each day. So long as a day doesn't pass without a full day's offering by one of the participants of the ritual, until the completion of the ritual, the ritual doesn't fail. Each participant in this ritual is one of the owners of the Magic School, and all that that implies. If there were more participants than the highest amount of owners one of the participants can share a Magic School with, the participants that offered the most get priority of ownership. If there still aren't enough ownership slots among those, participants are chosen randomly among the highest priorities.
Prosperous Magic School (Su)- Prerequisites: Magic School. Effect: All future Magic School rituals you do, also ensure that the Magic School generates 100 gp per 'level' per day to each owner of that Magic School in the currency, goods or services of their choice, in addition to whatever it makes when an owner is supervising it.
Magic School Reserve (Su)- Prerequisites: Magic School. Effect: All future Magic School rituals you do, also cost an additional 100 experience points per 'level', divided up per day. The Magic School Ritual fails if you fail to pay the experience cost on any of its days, and all material and experience paid so far is lost, whenever the ritual fails. Magic Schools made or updated by these rituals also provide an experience reserve to each owner with a maximum number equal to the Magic School 'level', which that owner can access, and use for uses they can use their own Experience Reserves. It refreshes at the same rate too. Owners get this bonus to their experience point reserves over the course of the length of time of the ritual, after the ritual.
Self-Summoning Magic School (Su)- Prerequisites: Magic School. Effect: You now can do the ritual on an open field, with an area greater than or equal to twenty feet per 'level' squared, instead of a building. Doing so costs twice as much materials and experience as a normal (as if the building was only low-quality), and takes twice as long to cast. If however, the area has one or more objects deemed "hazardous" (DM's discretion), and/or environmental hazards, double the material and experience cost of the ritual, per hazard. When the ritual is complete, the building materializes in the area, safely ejecting all occupants.
Magic School Is Run By Rules (Su)- Prerequisites: Magic School, Magic School: Staff. Effect: All future Magic School rituals you do, instead empower all those inside based on rules. You have to make the rules the Magic School abides by, as part of the ritual, of who is and who isn't allowed to cast spells inside the building as if they were an adept of the Magic School 'level' or as if they were a spellcaster of that many levels higher. Naturally, if you didn't want anyone but your followers casting spells, you could still use the original rule of only followers of the owners of the Magic School can use magic in the building. However, you can't set the rules to exclude followers of any of the owners, because they are followers of the other owners.
You can, however, set to include or exclude based on gender, age category, age, class abilities, skill check, alignment, racial type, religion, item in inventory, or action. Note, though, that once a Magic School has a set of rules, any of its owners can change the rules via ritual.
As with Magic School: Staff, those that don't follow the rules may make a Use Magic Device check, once a day. If they succeed, the Magic School thinks they follow the rules for that day. However, the DC is now 45 plus the number of 'levels' the Magic School has.
Also note, if you try to give it conflicting rules, (like you must be X age category to use magic provided by the Magic School, and you can't be X age category and use magic provided by the Magic School, at the same time) it will ignore all rules that conflict. If there are no rules against a person or people using the magic provided by the Magic School that don't conflict, that person or people can use magic provided by the Magic School.
Magic School Is In Session (Su)- Prerequisites: Magic School, Magic School: Staff, Magic School Is Run By Rules, Magic School Reserve. Effect: All future Magic School rituals you do, cost an additional 10,000 per 'level' experience points, again, divided up per day of the ritual. As per Magic School Reserve, failing to pay the allotted experience cost on any day of the ritual, causes the ritual to fail, with the loss of all material and experience paid so far. However, all future Magic Schools that you pay this additional cost for (creating or updating), also provide experience for all those who reside in the Magic School for at least 16 hours each day six days a week, for four or more weeks in a row. Each person who does so, gains experience as if they encountered a number of CR 1 encounters over the course of the next 100 days and every 100 days after that equal to the 'level' of the Magic School.
All followers which gain enough experience this way to advance a level, either advance to the next leadership category, if there is room for them, or are no longer followers, but are favorably disposed towards the owners of the Magic School (Magic School 'level' epic bonus to Diplomacy checks against them, especially for asking for experience points for research). Non-followers that gain experience this way are also favorably disposed towards the owners of the Magic School (One plus one-half Magic School 'level' epic bonus to Diplomacy checks against them). Naturally, any hostile effect or unreasonable demand from an owner causes that owner to lose this bonus, as normal.
Improve Experience Reserve (Su)- Prerequisites: Experience Reserve. Effect: Your experience reserve can now be used for non-Epic Spell Research uses. Used this way, it recovers 1 'experience point' per day. In addition, your reserve maximum increases by 100.
You can take this feat multiple times. Each time you do, the maximum your reserve can hold increases by 100.
Reduce Offload Experience Point Cost (Su)- Prerequisites: Offload Experience Point Cost. Effect: The cost multiplier of the total experience cost when using Offload Experience Point Cost is reduced by 1. You can take this feat up to 9 times. Its effects stack.
Experience Point Offloader (Su)- Prerequisites: Offload Experience Point Cost. Effect: You can now offload the experience point cost of actions that are non-Epic Spell Research, as per the Offload Experience Point Cost rates. Normal: You can only offload the Experience Point cost of researching Epic Spells.
Improved Magic School Reserve (Su)- Prerequisites:Experience Point Offloader, Improve Experience Reserve, Magic School Reserve, Shared Magic School, Shared Magic School Ritual. Effect: Instead of costing an additional 100 experience points per 'level', all future Magic School Rituals you do that you apply this feat to also cost an additional experience points equal to 10 to the power of the product of the number of owners, times one plus the number of times you applied this feat to the ritual (to a maximum number equal to the times took this feat). However, what you get for such a cost is that the future Magic Schools now instead provide an experience reserve to each owner with a maximum equal to the Magic School's 'level' to the power of the number of owners, to the power of the number of times you applied this feat. Also, the amount of experience points the pool recovers per day is now equal to 1 or the highest Magic School 'level' times the highest number of times you applied this feat to a Magic School, that is still yours and still standing, which ever is higher. Furthermore, the Magic School will match all non-Magic School-based experience point reserves of everybody inside it, per level, per owner, per time you applied this feat. Occupants only get this benefit, over a period of days equal to the Magic School 'level' in which they reside inside the Magic School for eight hours each day. When a former occupant leaves for more than 24 hours, the bonus is reset to 0, and they must reside inside the Magic School, as before to restore the benefit. You can't apply this feat to a ritual more than the number of other owners you share it with. If you don't apply this feat at all to a ritual, instead use Magic School Reserve, for increase in experience point cost and bonus to experience pool. You may take this feat multiple times, but no more than either the number of times you took Improve Experience Reserve, nor the number of times you took Shared Magic School. Its effects stack as above.
For example: If you make a 'level' 10 Magic School, with three owners, having applied this feat twice to the ritual, such a ritual would cost 10 times 10 to the power of three times three, or 9, to a total of 10,000,000,000 experience points, in addition to its 1,100,000 gp cost of the sum of the materials of the ritual and the building. Each owner would add to their experience pool 10 to the power of 3 to the power of 2, or 9, to a total of a 1,000,000,000 experience point pool. A person inside with an experience point pool maximum 1, would find their experience pool maximum equal to 1 plus the product of 10 times three times two, or 61, but only after 10 days of residing inside the Magic School. At the end of each day in a row in which they resided inside the Magic School for at least eight hours, they would find their experience point reserve increased by 6, until it reached the maximum of 61. An owner with an Experience Point Reserve maximum of 300 not provided by Magic Schools, would get an additional 1800 experience points in their reserve each day in a row they reside in the Magic School for at least eight hours, until they would have an experience point reserve of 18300, to a total of 1,000,018,300 experience points in their experience point reserve.
DM Note: Improved Magic School Reserve is pretty powerful. In theory, the exorbitant experience point cost of using it for Magic School Rituals, more specifically, the role playing required to collect such a high amount would make it very worth it's really great value (perhaps greater than epic value). However, if you have any doubts about it, consider either limiting it to one, or just saying you can't take this feat. Also note, applying this feat only increases pre-existing experience point pools if you reside in it, not creates an experience point pool where none exists.
Campaign Information[edit]
Playing an Epic Spell Researcher[edit]
Combat: When an Epic Spell Researcher deigns to enter combat, they usually try to end it quickly. They either have their followers attack, or try to use their Epic Spells wisely. They don't have many Epic Spells, not at first, but they don't need many of them. Not usually.
Advancement: When it comes to the case of Epic Spells, Epic Spell Researchers are simply best to continue with being an Epic Spell Researcher. However, not all Epic Spell Researchers totally abandon their former spellcasting, and so may try striking a balance between the two. Some become Epic Spell Researchers to broaden their horizons of ways to use magic, not merely to focus on Epic Spells. In which case, they might try advancing in other spellcasting classes.
Resources: Researching Epic Spells is expensive at the best of times. Some Forward-thinking Epic Spell Researchers have been known to support each other, even if it means less resources for their own research, with the hope that those they support, will support them back. Further, they are often surrounded by those who desire to support them, and maybe hope for an Epic Spell or two of their own. In their quest for Epic Spells, many turn to artifacts to supplement their Spellcraft. Also, making and upgrading magic schools are expensive, which is more reason for various crafting.
Epic Spell Researchers in the World[edit]
| “ | You call that 'Greater Ruin'? Are you sure yours wasn't 'Ruin', or 'Lesser Ruin', perhaps? | ” |
Spellcasters seeking Epic Spells are often found where the best of Spellcasters are found. After obtaining a following, however, an often way to find them is to look for a school for training inexperienced magic users. Which is also the best way to find Epic Spell Researchers.
NPC Reactions: There is a saying: Keep your friends close and your enemies closer. Oddly enough, there is a competing line of logic, that you want them as far away from the public as possible, and yet not run them out of town. Clearly, those that seek to alter reality need to be closely watched, and yet not be too close, lest you die (or worse) with their mishaps. Epic Spell Researchers are appreciated for their Magic Schools, which, while the Researcher is in, are known to provide magical services. Some of them do more, like being good places to do spellcrafting, and a few even allow for proper spellcasting inside their halls. If it were just the Magic Schools, Epic Researchers would be welcomed with open arms most anywhere that appreciates magic. However, there's the real issue, that Epic Spell Researchers are trying to change reality, in unsafe ways. And that, that is a bridge too far, for far too many people. At least with normal spellcasters, their magic is based on a part of reality that's durable. If they go wrong, at most one can expect those that are nearby them when they make mistakes, to suffer the consequences, not significant fractions of planes.
Epic Spell Researcher Lore[edit]
Characters with ranks in Knowledge (Arcana), Knowledge (Nature), or Knowledge (Religion) can research Epic Spell Researcher to learn more about them. When a character makes a skill check, read or paraphrase the following, including information from lower DCs.
| DC | Result |
|---|---|
| 11 | Schools that teach magic are often run by powerful spellcasters. Some of these schools are actually magic. |
| 21 | Spellcasters that run magic schools are looking for something. Those that follow those 'headmasters' are also looking for something. Something about magic. |
| 31 | There is a story or two of random people entering a school of magic, and being seen casting spells. There are rumors that powerful spellcasters are looking for spells stronger than Wish or Miracle. |
| 41 | Not all Spellcasters looking for spells greater than Wish or Miracle are crazy. But, even one crazy one was enough for those in power to continually watch for those that make and maintain schools, especially schools of magic. |
Epic Spell Researchers in the Game[edit]
Epic Spell Researchers make excellent End of Dungeon Bosses, and Excellent sources of information about magic, magic resources, and quests pertaining to magic.
Adaptation: Epic Spell Researchers are supposed to be a rarer class of Epic Spellcasters. Any campaign/world where Epic Spellcasting and Leadership are allowed, ought to be able to accomodate. Altering for the Psionic variant of Epic Spells is pretty simple as well. Change the bonus to Spellcasting level to bonus to Psionic level, set the skill requirements to "Knowledge (Psionics)", and "Psicraft", set the "Epic Spellcasting" to its Psionic cousin, and set everything to help with Psionic Research, instead of Epic Spell research. The "Psionic School" can grant psionic powers of a psionic class of your choosing.
Sample Encounter: <-DM placement for NPC of this class->
EL whatever: <-Encounter scenario and character info on sample NPC including stat block. The CR of the NPC is typically the same as the EL for the encounter->
Other DM Notes[edit]
If you like the class, but you think it is too powerful, consider weakening its spellcaster level progression. After all, Epic Spell Researchers are more in pursuit of Epic Spells, than they are at honing their "safer" spell list. It would also put more pressure on actually getting Epic Spells. So, consider if one of the following is better suited for it:
+1 Spellcaster level every 2 levels
+1 Spellcaster level every 3 levels
+1 Spellcaster level every 4 levels
+1 Spellcaster level every 5 levels
Or just, the prestige class doesn't grant spellcaster levels.
Also, I note that Epic Spellcasting isn't nice to Vow of Poverty (and similar, you decide what counts, but apply those to each time Vow of Poverty is mentioned hereafter), but, if you wish, consider this idea:
Vow of Poverty Spellcasters can research Epic Spells, but, instead of costing materials (You can't use material costs to lower the Spellcraft DC), researching Epic Spells cost an amount of experience points equal to half the original material cost, instead of 1/25th, and the materials.
Using that variant, Vow of Poverty Epic Spellcasters who wanted to use this Epic Prestige Class to reduce the frankly intimidating amount of experience costs of all future spells, you may consider, for only the Vow of Poverty Epic Spellcasters, losing the experience point cost reduction of Epic Spell Research bonus, and ruling the "Material Cost Reduction" bonus for Epic Spell Research applies to the experience you would have paid instead. Also, consider making the Magic School ritual cost experience equal to half the gold cost in materials, in experience points, instead of the material cost, again, only for Vow of Poverty Epic Spellcasters. Any Magic School created or updated (if this way was the last way it was updated) this way no longer generates any income to its owners, regardless on whether or not it is supervised and regardless of Vow of Poverty status, but instead grants an additional one-half its level, rounded down to leadership bonus. Following Vow of Poverty logic, they can't take Prosperous Magic School, and are unaffected if they are a part-owner of a Magic School which Prosperous Magic School did apply. To be clear, making any money, goods, or services* off the Magic School, and an additional one-half its 'level' bonus to leadership score are mutually exclusive rituals, although that is not enough reason to remake the Magic School if you are a part-owner, so either can be 'updated to' (Update to Money Ritual costs materials, and Update to Experience Ritual costs experience). If you update to one, you lose the effect of the other, if it applied.
Also, only if it makes sense, but, if Magic School is in Session applies, and it is set to nonprofit (no material cost), consider adding one-half (again rounded, down) the Magic School 'level' to the bonus to Diplomacy checks against ex-followers, and one-fourth (again, rounded down) to Diplomacy checks against non-followers who gained experience via the Magic School.
* Services is a grey area here. You, the DM, decide which services the Magic School will provide for free (which should be free to everyone, Vow of Poverty or not, really), which services the Magic School will provide if and only if its owner makes a sufficiently high diplomacy check (which, if it were providing would be as if a "paying customer forgot money, and now needs to do a diplomacy check to forgive the debt" sort of thing), and which services the Magic School will never provide, (even if you were a paying customer. Feel free to add services to this column even if it was a "for profit" Magic School, but with reason). Work with the player, but you, the DM, have the final say.
Also, "nonprofit" Magic Schools can't include/exclude based on an object in a person's inventory. Such inclusion/exclusion rules are ignored as if they were conflicting, so long as it is "nonprofit".
Also, consider giving Vow of Poverty Epic Spell Researchers Self-Summoning Magic School automatically, when they first get Magic School, so that they don't need to steal a building from someone else. If you do give them that feat for free, consider making their rituals only work on open fields and other Magic Schools.
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