Talk:Storm Mage (3.5e Prestige Class)

Balance - 3/10

I feel that full spellcasting progression, plus perks, is too much. Prestige classes should open the doorway to unique abilities, but at some cost. This class requires no trade-offs. At the same time, I think that the class is a bit too narrow, and the coolest abilities will get too little use. --Dmilewski 13:51, 8 December 2006 (MST)

Well, what if we switched the spell progressions to maybe every other level? Or do you think they should be removed altogether? --Theophenes 22:54, 24 February 2007 (MST)

I think we need to make this class playable and fun first.

• Ability to hurl (range touch attack) 1d4 damage electric rays. One per five caster levels per round.
• All spells with the elctricity descriptor now include the flare effect.
• When altering weather, changing to thunderstorm is far easier.
• Call lightning gets something spiffy.
• +1 hp/die damage on electricity spells
• One per combat, a javelin may act as a javelin of lightning bolts.
• May convert electricity damage to subdual electricity damage.

There's a few ideas that I actually see as fun, playable, and worthwhile.--Dmilewski 05:49, 25 February 2007 (MST)

How 'bout we make it so that call lightning can be used to summon a lightning elemental (a creature for which stats along normal elemental veins would have to be made) can be summoned in the aftershock? Just a thought. --Theophenes 17:54, 25 February 2007 (MST)

Just a couple of scattered notes:

1. The prerequisite should be K(Nature). K(Weather) is not a valid Knowledge skill, but is instead already a subset of K(Nature).
2. Dmilewski is right; the class is trying to do way to much. A good place to start is to halve the spellcasting progression and then see if any of the abilities are extraneous (Raging Winds, for example, is quite useless; a simple Extend Spell could do this up until 5th level (Character level 10), and (by 11th level) an ability that aids a 2nd level spell is generally worthless.
3. The electricity resistance should build steadily, so the 20 should not even exist on the table (it starts at 5 and increases by 5 at each 4th level).
4. Storm walk is (potentially) a very powerful ability for a 7th level character. Ride the wind also is.

In the face of this, I would suggest scrapping storm walk, ride the wind, and the electricity resistance progression (but leave the initial 5). I would halve the spellcasting progression and add in dmilewski's suggestions of flare for electricity spells and +1 damage per dice. I might also consider making stats for a small, weak lightning creature (basically a weak lightning elemental) and give it to the class in lieu of a traditional familiar (it could gain abilities like a familiar, but would also have the weak lightning elemental powers. I'd aim for a CR 1 creature, probably).

—EldritchNumen 19:08, 25 February 2007 (MST)

Class is 1 level long

Please ignore anyone who says full spellcasting levels are too good. The Incantatrix and Initiate of the Sevenfold Veil already exist; if your class is below that power level with full spellcasting, it's fine. If your class is below that power level without full spellcasting, then it might as well not exist because it's worthless. As written right now, this class is 1 level long. The level 2 ability is so pointlessly situational, there is no way it's worth the trade-off of a caster level (hint: nothing ever is). Surgo 00:13, 6 September 2008 (MDT)