Blue Mage

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Copy-paste of a home-brewed class for d&d 3.5e. Stored because I like it.

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Blue Mages have the following game statistics.

• Alignment: Any.
• Hit Die: d6.
• Skill Points at 1st Level: (4 + Int modifier) × 4.
• Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 4 + Int modifier.
• Starting Age: as Sorceror
• Starting Gold: as Sorceror

The Blue Mage's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are:

• Bluff (Cha)
• Concentration (Con)
• Craft (Int)
• Knowledge (arcana) (Int)
• Knowledge (dungeoneering) (Int)
• Knowledge (nature) (Int)
• Knowledge (the Planes) (Int)
• Knowledge (religion) (Int)
• Listen (Wis)
• Profession (Wis)
• Spellcraft (Int)
• Spot (Wis)
• Use Magic Device (Cha).

All of the following are class features of the Blue Mage.

Blue Mages are proficient with all simple weapons. They are not proficient with any type of armor or shield. Armor of any type interferes with a sorcerer’s gestures, which can cause his spells with somatic components to fail.

A Blue Mage's spell list is considered to be the spells he/she knows.

The Blue Mage casts spontaneously, as a Sorceror. His/her Charisma controls the level of the spells he/she is able to cast, spells' saving throw DCs, and bonus spells per day. Spells per day are shown on the table above.

The only way a Blue Mage may learn new spells is to experience them. A spell that is saved for and the result is (Neg.), is not counted as experencing the spell. Once affected, the Blue Mage may make a Spellcraft check (DC 15+3 times the spell's level) to learn it.

Spell Resistance totally blocks the spell from reaching the Blue Mage. This is tantamount to not being affected, even more to a point than saving versus a (Neg.) spell. Under no circumstances may a Blue Mage learn a spell that has been stopped by Spell Resistance.

Spells cast through Blue Magic require a somatic and/or verbal component as the original version of the spell, but never require a divine focus or material component worth less than 1 gp. (Material focus components, such as for the Fire Seed or Analyze Dweomer spells, or costly material components as for Identify, are still required.)

The Blue Mage may also learn spell-like abilities, provided that the spell like ability mirrors a spell. For instance, if a creature can naturally cast Fireball 3/day, the Blue Mage would be able to learn this 3rd level spell. Spell-like abilities are cast by the Blue Mage with components and casting times equal to the sorceror/wizard (or a class specified by the DM) spell duplicated. If a creature ability does not duplicate a spell effect (such as Mind Blast for an Illithid), the Blue Mage cannot learn it.

A Blue Mage can know a number of spell levels equal to five times his/her class level plus his/her Intelligence modifier. For purposes of calculating spells known, a 0-level spell counts as half of a spell level. As long as he/she is conscious, a Blue Mage may voluntarily forget a spell at as a move action that does not provoke an attack of opportunity.

If learning a spell causes the Blue Mage's spell levels known to exceed his capacity, he must make a Will save each round or lose 1 point of Wisdom for each spell level known above capacity, beginning with the round in which the spell is learned. The DC for the save is equal to 10 plus the number of spell levels above capacity. Wisdom lost in this way persists until the Blue Mage's spell levels known fall below his limit, at which point it may be recovered naturally or magically. The DC for the Will save increases by +1 for every consecutive round.

A Blue Mage may only learn a number of spell levels in a day equal to his/her level plus his/her Int modifier. For instance, a 10th level Blue Mage with an Int of 16, in one day, may learn a total of 13 spell levels. 0 level spells count as 1/2 for purposes pertaining to this limit.

At first level, a Blue Mage may select 2 0-level spells and 1 1st level spell, from any spell list.

A Blue Mage possesses the ability to sense inherent magical ability in creatures. By observing a creature carefully, a Blue Mage can identify magical or supernatural qualities present in a creature. The Blue Mage must be able to observe the creature for a full round. At the end may receive the listed Creature Magic bonus to any Knowledge check made for identifying creatures' special abilities and/or vulnerabilities, per the PHB listing of this skill (PHB 78). This bonus does not apply to any other use of a Knowledge check, and unlike most Knowledge checks, the Blue Mage may retry the check (after spending another full round observing the creature). The Creature Magic bonus, which is a competence bonus, is equal to +1 at level 3, +2 at level 6, and increases by by +1 every three levels thereafter (+3 at 9th level, +4 at 12th, etc.).

If a Blue Mage successfully identifies a creature's spell-like ability through the use of Creature Magic, he/she receives a +2 insight bonus to his/her Spellcraft rolls to learn that ability. This bonus lasts for 1 minute per level.

A 1st level Blue Mage has the ability to change any garment/equipment he/she is wearing/wielding to the match his color affinity. This takes 1 minute of undisturbed concentration to complete. This change is not permanent; when the item in question leaves the Blue Mage's person or when the Blue Mage who infused it chooses to dismiss the infusion, it returns to its normal colour in 1d4 rounds. As an example of how this looks, a Flametongue sword might be wreathed in blue fire. This has no other effect than altering the item's appearance.

The title “Blue Mage” (and the named abilities of this class) only refers to the most common spellcaster of this type; casters with other color affinities exist and, though uncommon, are not rare. (Color affinity is selected by the player when Indigo Infusion is acquired, and my not be changed thereafter. Nontraditional color selections are under the purview of the DM.)

A Blue Mage of 2nd level gains a +1 competence bonus to a saving throw against any spell he currently knows through the Blue Magic ability. This bonus increases by +1 for every two additional Blue Mage levels (+2 at 4th level, +3 at 6th, etc.).

Upon reaching 5th level, the Blue Mage has become more sensitive to the feel of magic. The Blue Mage may now learn a spell even when its effect is negated by a successful save. However, learning a negated spell is more difficult, and the Spellcraft DC is 15+4 times Spell Level.

The Blue Mage has learned the art of thrift. Whenever a Blue Mage learns a spell, he or she can conserve the energy involved in its casting and gains a temporary spell slot for the sole use of the spell just learned. This spell slot is fleeting, and only remains for a number of rounds equal to the Blue Mage's level divided by 5.

The Blue Mage is now a conduit between magical and physical existence. By interacting with a spell's effect for 1 round per spell level, the Blue Mage may attempt to learn “passive” spells. Spells without targets, such as Walls, Summoned Monsters, and Creation spells may be learned through this method. The Spellcraft DC for learning a spell in this way is 15 plus four times spell level (as a negated spell via Azure Awareness).

Whenever the Blue Mage successfully counterspells a spell, it is reflected full upon the caster. If the counterspell is on a spell that normally could not affect its caster, the spell is simply countered normally. (Unlike the Arch-Mage ability, this does not take up a permanent slot.)

• Prerequisites: Azure Awareness
• Benefit: Choose a school of magic (Transmutation, Divination, etc). You gain a +2 to Spellcraft checks involving that school. You may also attempt to learn passive Blue Magic spells of that school as though you possess Improved Azure Awareness.
• Special: You can gain this feat multiple times. Its effects do not stack. Each time you take the feat, it applies to a new school of magic. This feat overlaps (does not stack with) the Improved Azure Awareness class ability (though the Spellcraft bonus still applies).

• Prerequisites: Blue Magic, Combat Reflexes
• Benefit: Your grasp of blue magic is like second nature; spell knowledge flows easily through your mind. Forgetting one of your spells known may be performed as a free action, as a Quickened spell, even at the very instant a new spell is learned via the Blue Magic class ability (thus potentially avoiding Wisdom loss due ot being over limit).
• Normal: Forgetting a spell requires a move action.
• Special: Note that under normal circumstances, only one Quickened spell may be cast per round; using this feat counts against this restriction just as though the caster had cast a Quickened spell.

• Prerequisites: Blue Magic
• Benefit: The maximum number of spell levels per day that you can learn increases by 3.
• Special: A character may gain this feat multiple times. Its effects stack.

• Prerequisites: Azure Awareness
• Benefit: You get a +2 bonus on Fortitude saving throws against spells and spell-like effects.
• Special: This bonus stacks with Great Fortitude. This bonus is only against spells and spell-like effects.

• Prerequisites: Azure Awareness
• Benefit: You get a +2 bonus on Reflex saving throws against spells and spell-like effects.
• Special: This bonus stacks with Lightning Reflexes. This bonus is only against spells and spell-like effects.

• Prerequisites: Endurance, Ability to cast Arcane spells spontaneously, Int 13, Cha 13
• Benefit: You can cast one of your spontaneous spells using a lower level spell slot than would normally be required for that spell, including any Metamagic effects. The spell's level remains the same. Other requirements must still be met (knowledge of the spell, sufficiently high casting stat).
• For each level the slot is below the required level, you take 1d6 Intelligence damage and 1d6 Charisma damage. (This damage takes place after the resolution of the spell, and thus does not affect spell DCs, and cannot be healed by the spell cast.) If either Intelligence or Charisma is reduced to 0 by this damage, the shock to your system is immediately fatal unless you succeed at a Fortitude save, DC = 10 + 5 times the number of spell levels exceeded.
• Normal: You can only use a spell slot to cast a spell of equal or lower level.

The Epic Blue Mage retains the same HD and skill progression and continues to advance in the Been There Done That and Creature Magic abilities. The Epic Blue Mage also gains a bonus feat at 25th level, and every 5 levels after that, chosen from the Sorcerer list, (minus the Familiar-based ones), and the new Epic Feats listed below.

Under no circumstances can a Blue Mage learn Epic spells through Blue Magic. The Blue Mage must take the Epic feat “Epic Blue Spellcasting” and/or learn Epic spells normally.

• Prerequisites: Ability to cast 9th level spells, 27 Ranks in Spellcraft, 27 Ranks in Knowledge: Arcana, Epic Spellcasting, Blue Magic class ability.
• Benefit: When an Epic spell is cast upon you, you may attempt to partially learn it. The DC for this is equal to 15 + Spellcraft DC of the spell. This patially learned spell takes up ten spell slots until it is either forgotten or researched. A partially learned spell may not be cast, but only requires half as much time, gold, and experience to research as would normally be required for that Epic spell.
• Normal: You may not learn Epic spells through the Blue Magic ability.

• Prequisite: Ability to cast 9th level spells, Blue Magic class ability.
• Benefit: The limit on the total amount of spell levels the Blue Mage may know increases by 10.
• Normal: A BM may know a number of spell levels equal to his/her class level times five, plus Int modifier.
• Special: This feat may be taken more than once. Its effects stack.

• Prerequisite: Indigo Infusion Class ability
• Benefit: Using the Indigo Infusion ability is now a free action. Additionally, all spells/spell-like abilities you can cast may take on your color, which giving them a +8 DC to identify with spellcraft checks unless the one making it is a blue mage himself (regardless of color affinity). The Blue mage can choose when casting a spell wether he chooses to use this ability or not, at no additional casting time cost. He can also use this ability on spell effects produced by magic items as a free action; a Wand of fireball could shoot a blue fireball, and have a +8 DC to identify it.
• Normal: Indigo Infusion only affects worn equipment.

• Prerequisite: Ability to cast 9th level spells, Blue Magic class ability, Spellcraft Ranks 25.
• Benefit: You may now learn spells with certain metamagic effects applied to them. For Blue Magic considerations, the spell is considered to be the level of the slot expended by the original caster (so a Maximized Fireball is a 6th level spell). The only Metamagic effects that are learnable in this way are ones that change the numeric data of the spell. Heighten, Maximize, Empower, Extend, and Energy Admixture are examples of this. Quicken, Still Spell, Silent Spell, Twin Spell, Repeat Spell and the like are not learnable through Blue Mimicry. If a spell has both types of metamagic applied to it, those effects not applicable are ignored, and the spell level is adjusted as necessary. For example, a Maximized, Stilled Fireball Heightened twice costs its caster a ninth level spell slot (3+3+1+2) but is learned and cast by a Blue Mage as an eighth level spell (3+3+2).
• Normal: A spell learned with Blue Magic is learned as the base spell.
• Special: Since the spell is learned with the metamagic feat already in place, it does not take a full-round action to cast. Normal rules for applying metamagic apply (Empower and Maximize do not affect each other, etc.); see the metamagic feat descriptions for more specific information.

• Prerequisites: Blue Magic and Improved Azure Awareness class abilities, Spellcraft 24 ranks, one of the following; Alertness feat, Blindfight feat, or Uncanny Dodge class ability.
• Benefit: You may use the Blue Magic ability to learn spells or spell-like abilities taking effect up to 5 feet away at a penalty of -5 to your Spellcraft check. As with other spells a blue magic user is not directly affected by, the DC to learn the spell is 15+4 times the level of the spell to be learned.
• Normal: You must directly interact with a magical effect to learn it.
• Special: This feat can be taken multiple times. Each time this feat is taken, it increases the distance a spell can be learned from by 5 feet. When this ability is used, a penalty of -5 for each 5 feet between you and the effect applies. Turquoise Efficiency may not be used in conjunction with this feat.

• Q: Which happens first: learning the spell or the effects of the spell?
• A: The two happen simultaneously. No benefits gained from learning the spell on the effects of the spell (such as the bonus to your wave from Been There, Done That) apply to the casting of the spell from which you learned it, and no benefits gained from the effects of the spell (such as the increase to Intelligence from Fox’s cunning) apply to learning the spell.

• Q: Can I learn spells of any level, or only of levels I can cast?
• A: Any level, as long as you can make the Spellcraft check and have enough spells levels learned per day remaining. You still can’t cast it, though (other than through Turquoise Efficiency).

• Q: Can I learn divine spells, such as cure light wounds?
• A: You can learn any spell as long as you experience it somehow (or have Azure Awareness and/or Improved Azure Awareness, depending on the spell) and can make the Spellcraft check. You still cast all your spells as arcane spells though.

• Q: From what source do I cast these divine spells, and do I gain alignment restrictions?
• A: You cast these spells as arcane spells (in other words, they emanate from the same source as your other spells: your personal power). You do not gain alignment restrictions.

• Q: What happens if I learn a spell that has a metamagic applied to it?
• A: You learn every spell at its unmodified level without any metamagic feats applied. You learn a maximized, extended, cold-subbed fireball as the 3rd level spell fireball without any alterations.

• Q: How do I find out what level a spell-like ability is?
• A: There a number of ways you could do this. The first option is to check the spell. If the spell appears on only one list (such as magic missile), then simple use that level. If multiple class lists are mentioned (and they are not all the same level of spell), then it becomes more complicated. If the spell-like ability offers a save, it will be listed, along with the name of the ability that modifies it. Subtract this ability modifier and an additional 10 from the save DC and number remaining is the level of the spell. If the spell-like ability doesn’t offer a save (or, for whatever reason, doe not list one), then simply treat the spell-like ability as a spell cast by the highest level list (so if a spell is on the Bard, Cleric, and Druid lists as levels 2, 3, and 4 respectively, treat the spell-like ability as a fourth level spell).

• Q: But what if the spell is on multiple class lists and I learn it from a spellcaster?
• A: In that case, you learn it at the level the caster casts it. Example: a Blue Mage who learns irresistible dance would learn it as a 6th level spell if it was cast by a Bard, but as an 8th level spell if cast by a Sorcerer or Wizard.

• Q: If I learn a spell of a level above that which I can cast and I find a scroll or wand containing the spell, do I still have to make a caster level check to cast it?
• A: Magic items such as wand use the spell trigger method and merely require the spell to be on your spell list. Example: a 2nd level Blue Mage may freely use a wand of fly if she knows fly. Items such as scrolls use the spell completion method, and are a bit more complicated. Even if you know the spell, you still must have a Charisma score equal to 10 + the level of the spell in order to cast the spell off the scroll, you must know the spell, and your caster level must be equal to or greater than that of the scroll. In other words, if you know the spell but cannot cast it, you cannot cast the spell off the scroll. In order to cast the spell off of the scroll, you must either make a Use Magical Device or a caster level check (choose beforehand).

• Q: Is it true that the Blue Mage is allowed to make retries of knowledge checks?
• A: Yes, but only for the purposes of ascertaining the special abilities or weaknesses of creatures. This is mainly because he is trying to “feel” the creature’s magical ability and isn’t linked as strongly to actual book study.

• Q: I am rolling up a Blue Mage above 1st level. How do I decide which spells I know?
• A: The question, like starting items when starting above 1st, is up to your DM. Other than your initial 3 spells (2 of which must be 0-level spells and 1 of which must be 1st level), every spell known must be a spell that you can actually learn. However you choose your spells, the DM is allowed to strike whichever spells he or she sees fit from your list of spells known beforehand.

• Q: What about those first three?
• A: Those first three spells can be whatever spells you like. Example: you could pick ghost sound, silent image, and read magic..

• Q: Does the Blue Mage allow multiclassing?
• A: Yes it does, just like every other core class. In its very early stages of development, it was forbidden to multiclass due to dipping problems, but the class has since been reworked upwards of 50 times and now allows multiclassing as normal.

• Q: What about Psionic Powers? Can I learn those?
• A: Like Psionics themselves, this is wholly up to your DM.

• Q: Do I lose out on spell levels known if I take levels in Prestige Classes that offer caster levels (such as Archmage)?
• A: No. Add any additional Blue Mage caster levels to your Blue Mage level to determine spell levels known (but not caster levels from other classes. A Blue Mage 1/ Sorcerer 15/Archmage 4 casts Blue Mage spells as a level 1 Blue Mage and only knows a number of spell levels equal to 5 + Int modifier. But a Blue Mage 15/Archmage 5 would cast spells as a 20th level Blue Mage and knows a number of spell levels equal to 100(5 times 20) + Int modifier).

• Q: What do you mean by “experience” a spell?
• A: Generally “experiencing” a spell is what would happen to you if you failed the save, or if the save was only for partial. If something happens to you because of the spell, chances are you experienced it. At 5th level, the Blue Mage can learn spells even if he makes the save to negate, and at 15th level, he can learn spells which do not directly effect him (such as Summon Monster spells), although in both cases he needs to make a higher Spellcraft check than normal to do so.

• Q: What about spells that don’t offer a save, but have the possibility of not effecting you either, such as Power Word Kill?
• A: If the spell doesn’t offer a save in certain circumstances, treat it as if it had a save for negate and you made it. In other words: If someone tired to cast power word kill on you and you had more than 100 hit points, then the Spellcraft check to learn it would be 51. If you had fewer than 100 hit points (and the spell therefore killed you), then you still make the Spellcraft check but as DC 42 (and if you are ever resurrected, you return knowing the spell).

• Q: I’m confused by “Improved Azure Awareness.” What do you mean by “interact with,” exactly?
• A: “Interacting with” a passive spell is generally simple: touch it. In the case of a summon monster spell, you must effectively grapple with the monster summoned for one round per spell level. In the case of the wall of force, you must place your hands on the wall and concentrate for the appropriate amount of time.

• Q: How exactly can a Blue Mage learn spells with a range of Personal?
• A: He can make use of the Use Magical Device skill which was made a class skill for this very reason. Because he has such a small class list, Use Magical Device was added to ensure that he could use scrolls, wands, and other magic items occasionally.

• Q: If I have SR and block the spell because of that, can I try to learn it?
• A: No. Spell Resistance wholly blocks the spell and prevents you from learning it, although you can usually voluntarily allow your Spell Resistance to fail and let the spell though.

• Q: If I am hit by a spell such as wish or miracle that was used to duplicate a spell, what Spellcraft check do I use, and which spell do I learn?
• A: In this case, you learn the root spell and use its level to determine the Spellcraft check. Example: if Gerald the Wizard casts wish to duplicate magic missile, you must make a Spellcraft check of 42 in order to learn it, and the spell you would learn is wish.