Prestige Class: Magelord

[Osprey]

This is an idea I've toyed with in various forms for some time now, but recently I sat down and hashed out a more definitive and (I think) balanced prestige class. The writeup is posted for download below.

[OsricIlien]

Much Better Version than the one we used for my old character. Very streamlined.
I like it :D

[dekrass]

Nice and simple, the way more classes should be.

Tough requirements, but good skill selection. I don't see any problems with it immediately.

[baldric]

Nice concept for a Prestige, though I don't see the necessity of Warcraft to be a Class skill.

An additional ability to better resist the influence of other arcane regents in their chosen domains would fit OK too.

[The incredible, edible Phil]

I find the minimum 5 ranks of administrate sort of counter-productive when most wizards will want to keep their province levels on the lower end of the scale. For some reason, I find the arcane sanctum feat to fit very much with this PrC.

[The Jew]

Originally posted by The incredible, edible Phil@Feb 8 2005, 11:36 PM
I find the minimum 5 ranks of administrate sort of counter-productive when most wizards will want to keep their province levels on the lower end of the scale. For some reason, I find the arcane sanctum feat to fit very much with this PrC.
I disagree. I would want to max out a few of my provinces, while leaving the others uninhabited.

[Osprey]

I disagree. I would want to max out a few of my provinces, while leaving the others uninhabited.

Exactly. I tried to hint at this strategy in the class description for humans. Elves, of course, don't need to worry too much about raising their province levels in the first place, so they would also benefit from being competetnt administrators. Without Administrate, a regent will be a poor landed regent, and this PrC was meant to represent the benefits of being an experienced landed and source regent, not one who takes a prestige class to do what he never could before. It builds on its basic components and makes them a specialty: these being the rulership of land and law, and the continuing pursuit of true magic.

[Osprey]

So what does Raesene think (considering I just posted this class on my own here)? Is this an appropriate PrC for the Atlas?

[Raesene Andu]

Well, to be perfectly honest, I'm not sure it would fit in the Atlas simply because it is only going to apply to a couple of regents across all of Cerilia. However, it is the first prestige class to make it into my maybe folder (which means that it will be voted on for addition to the Atlas).

One question I do have, however, is regarding the Domain Mastery. Does that effect ALL landed domain actions, including rule holding, trade routes, etc, or is it only action that relate to provinces (rule province, agitate, etc). It may be good to specify exactly which actions can be influenced, and I don't think it should be all of them. Going through the list of standard actions I would apply the bonus to Agitate, Create Holding (source only), Create Ley Line, Diplomacy, Rule Holding (source only), and Rule Province.

A MageLord shouldn't have any bonuses to action relating to guild or temple holdings, and perhaps not even law either, although you could make a case for including law holdings as they are generally held by the province ruler.

As for the class itself, it is a very good wizard ruling class that is well balanced as far as I can tell. I do like the suggestion of Arcane Sanctum as a required feat, but the requirements are already fairly tough.

[Osprey]

Well, to be perfectly honest, I'm not sure it would fit in the Atlas simply because it is only going to apply to a couple of regents across all of Cerilia. However, it is the first prestige class to make it into my maybe folder (which means that it will be voted on for addition to the Atlas).

Yeah. However, consider that most regent-based prestige classes will be fairly rare by simple fact of their level requirements and the overall rarity of regents relative to the total Cerilian population. As I mentioned in the description, this class is most suitable for Khinasi and Sidhelien regents, so it may not be all that applicable in Anuire (though I think the Prince of Tuarheviel and/or Queen of the Sielwode being a Magelord would be pretty apt).
The other day I looked over the maps of Khinasi, and realized that a solid majority of Khinasi realms would make excellent fiefs for landed source regents (and I suspect many already are). Hence I think the occurence of this class would rise dramatically there...at least among those who make it to 7th level or higher. But this is true of all the PrC's - none of them will be common in a low average level campaign setting.
What I think this class does represent is a unique kind of regent niche that would be unfeasible to pursue as a pure multiclass character. And being a regent PrC, of course, it is also uniquely designed for Birthright.


One question I do have, however, is regarding the Domain Mastery. Does that effect ALL landed domain actions, including rule holding, trade routes, etc, or is it only action that relate to provinces (rule province, agitate, etc). It may be good to specify exactly which actions can be influenced, and I don't think it should be all of them. Going through the list of standard actions I would apply the bonus to Agitate, Create Holding (source only), Create Ley Line, Diplomacy, Rule Holding (source only), and Rule Province.

A MageLord shouldn't have any bonuses to action relating to guild or temple holdings, and perhaps not even law either, although you could make a case for including law holdings as they are generally held by the province ruler.

I meant landed regent actions to apply to province-based actions only. Source actions deal specifically with sources. This is actually a more limited pool than you described, and includes the following:
Create Province
Rule Province
Contest Province (maybe - depends on the mechanics decided for this in the BRCS - if it's a pure military/occupation action, then I wouldn't include it).
Create Source
Rule Source
Contest Source

Being a dual, domain-level bonus I thought was pretty powerful already, which is why I staged it as only a +1 advance at 4th level, and +1 every 3 levels thereafter.
This is also why I didn't include "every domain action a landed or source regent might perform." If there's any other action I'd be tempted to affect, it would be the group of Cermony actions (Investiture, Designation, Vassalage, Divestiture). Also I agree, Create Ley Line seems reasonable to add to the source-based domain action list. I've already edited my version of teh file to specify which domain actions are affected, and will repost the revised document once I'm sure the class is in its final form.

I felt like giving the class Lead, Warcraft, and Diplomacy as class skills was sufficient in allowing them to be competent Law regents if they so chose (which most would, I'm fairly certain) - being specialty Law regents seemed a bit of a stretch to me. Same goes for Agitate and Diplomacy. Also, their Reputation class feature will give them a slight edge in these actions (+2 to the relevant skill), but not an outright domain bonus.

Warcraft, to answer an earlier question, was added as a class skill for 3 main reasons:
1. It is the key skill for Battle Magic in the BRCS. I was assuming it will remain crucial to that function, and I expect the role of Battle Mage to be a vital one for most magelords (see below).

2. Landed regents are almost always charged with protecting their realm from military threat - this is one reason they tend to control law holdings (the land is the real financial base, the law is needed to train the troops). So a landed regent without Warcraft has a serious weakness in that he will never be the real rally point for his realm in times of war. However, a Magelord could combine his knowledge of warcraft with his arcane spells and fill a unique role as a charismatic and/or tactically-gifted army commander and battle mage. This is the sort of figure the realm would almost definitely rally around in wartime - and that's a big part of what makes for a strong landed regent, something the Magelord is meant to excel at.

3. Since most magelords will probably be wizards, they'll tend to be extremely intelligent characters - brilliant, even. I really like the idea of a wizard who has deveoted his studies to warfare and magic in warfare, and thought a magelord makes a good candidate for such a character. Being so smart, they could well become exceptional generals and cunning adversaries. I had not only PC's and neutral/friendly NPC's in mind for this class, but also thought it would make for an excellent villain regent class as well. Imagine the Magian being a high-level Magelord...what an even more rotten next-door neighbor he might be for those poor eastern realms of Khinasi. :(

[Angelbialaska]

I don't really like the idea of that domain mastery. You can get much too high Rule Province score. +4 regent focus, +2 master administrator, +3 domain mastery, +3 adminstrate. That's a +12 to rule province action. Landed rulers that aren't wizards can push it 'only' to +9. Maybe instead of the domain mastery, give one of the feats that fit, such as you having a choice between a Regent Focus, Master Adminstrator, Master Spy, Wilderness Savant, etc?

[Raesene Andu]

Hmm, looking through the Khinsasi book then, you'd have the following regents as potential magelords if you fixed their classes and skills to suit.
- Beysim ibn Faroud el-Duatim (Sendoure)
- Yousef ibn Reghil el-Mesir (Mesire)
- Beshid el-Djafara (Djafra)
- Kalilah bind Farid el-Mashil (Khourane)
- el-Sirad (Mour el-Sirad)
I'm not including awnshegh or elves on the list as I don't think either fit as magelords.
El-Sirad and the Magian aren't really suitable as Magelords because they have only recently claimed their domains (Within the last 10 years). Although both could have gained levels since, I believe they haven't and were already their currently levels or close to it when deciding to settle down and conquer a realm.

From the rest of Anuire, there are a couple of possible magelords in Brechtur and Vosgaard, but I don't believe there are any in Rjurik of Anuire unless I'm forgetting someone important. That is assuming you agree with my assessment regarding elves (I would make this prestige class human only) not taking this class. Otherwise you could add almost every elven nation to the list.

[Athos69]

The only mage-regent that I can think of in Brechtur is Colin Shaefpete from the Zweilund Islands, IIRC...

[Osprey]

Danigau?

[The incredible, edible Phil]

Yes, Erik Danig is also a wizard as well as the regento Rzhlev being a dual-classed wizard IIRC.

[Mark_Aurel]

Danigau would be sort of appropriate. At one point, I was toying with the idea of crafting a prestige class specific to the hereditary position of the Danigs, but found the concept a tad on the narrow side. It is the sort of thing that is most appropriate to the original vision of what a prestige class should be, though.

[Osprey]

All in all, I don't believe any Birthright prestige class will count many members in low-population, low-level Cerilia. Any regent-based prestige class even fewer, and the magelord is of course meant to empower a very rare breed even among regents: a landed source regent.

Raesene, I'm not quite certain why you think this class is inappropriate for the elves. I was never under the impression that they were opposed to the growth of elven civilization, which is in harmony with the mebhaighal even at high levels - just opposed to non-elven expansion and the erosion of mebhaighal wherever they settle and expand.

One of the main reasons I didn't want to limit this PrC to the Khinasi is that I think it should be possible for anyone with the right talents and skills to achieve such a class. I would have no problem, for instance, with an ambitious (PC) heir to Ilien or Taeghas eventually developing such a class. While it may not suit existing Anuirean regents, it may suit a new PC or NPC very well indeed.

One of the main ideas behind the regency and skill requirements for the class is that the PrC is meant to be one that is developed through hard experience more than anything else: through the rather unusual experience of effectively ruling land and source together. This is mainly a self-taught sort of PrC concept, one that represents the regent's commitment to a very specialized path. With time, practice, and publicity, the regent becomes particularly skilled in his specialty. None of this requires any particular traditions being handed down, secret lore being learned, or membership in some arcane order. Just hard work, dedication, and the right tools for the job (class requirements). Being this sort of self-taught class also explains why the requirements are as tough as they are - this isn't the sort of PrC one will see in many (any?) 6th level characters. Most would tend to be 8th -10th before becoming a magelord. That's some significant life experience and achievement, the kind that merits a prestige class of its own.

Some prestige classes represent gaining access or instruction in special secrets of lore, skill, or power passed down through generations - these are the PrC's most appropriate to a specific culture or region. Others represent the special favor of one's deity - perfect for a clerical PrC. Still others are organizational, representing membership in a cult, brotherhood, etc. All of these are flavorful, but also very limiting, requirements, and ALL of them assume that the special abilities and characteristics of the PrC are mainly bestowed or taught by some higher power or elder authority. Nothing wrong with that, and it does lend itself to creating a lot of campaign-specific color - but most PC's will in turn only ever have access to a few if any of them, which is a shame. Prestige classes are one of the most interesting aspects of 3e for higher-level characters, so keeping a decent number of accessible PrC's is pretty important for player enjoyment of the game.


Side note: I imagine a clerical parallel of the magelord (the Theocrat?) could also be devised, replacing sources with temples, arcane casting with divine, and K/Arcana and K/Nature with K/Religion and K/History. However given the diversity of deities in BR, it might end up that only Haelynites would be suitable candidates for such a class, and maybe Avani's clerics. Anyways, it's rather boring to make carbon copy divine versions of arcane classes, so I'm not seriously suggesting it as an Atlas inclusion too - just thinking it could make for an easy-to-tweak template for similar dual-role regents (particularly spellcasting ones, who get screwed the most by multiclassing).