Author Topic: Brew Master PRC (Peach)  (Read 1619 times)

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Leress

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Brew Master PRC (Peach)
« on: August 01, 2008, 08:27:51 PM »
Brew master

Level BAB F R W Special Spellcasting
1 +0 +0 +0 +2 Brewer's Way, Quicker Potions +1 to spell casting level
2 +1 +0 +0 +3 Special Blend +1 to spell casting level
3 +1 +1 +1 +3 Potion Focus +1 to spell casting level

Hit Die: d6

Requirements
Feats: Brew Potion
Skills: Spellcraft 3 ranks, Concentration 3 ranks, Craft (Alchemy) 3 ranks

Class Skills
Appraise, Concentration, Craft, Heal, Knowledge (religion, arcana, nature), Profession, Search, Spellcraft, Survival.

Skill points at each level 4+Int

Features
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: No new

Brewer's Way (Ex): A brewmaster gains a bonus to Concentration, Spellcraft, Craft (Alchemy) equal to her class level. She is also able to automatically identify potions as a free action and at no cost. At 3rd level she may also reduce the final xp cost to any potion she makes by half.

Potion Focus (Ex): A brewmaster gains the ability to enhance the benefits of a potion she creates. When creating a potion she may add one of the following enhancement to that potion. Increases apply to all spells in the created potion that are applicable.

increase the enchantment bonus by 2
increase the Save DC by 2
increase the enchantment bonus to skills by 5
add any 0-level spell that you can cast to the potion.
increase the duration of any non-instantaneous effect by 2 rounds


Special Blend (Ex):At 2nd level the Brewmaster may add an additional spell with normal XP cost and normal spell level limits of creating potions. At 3rd level the Brewmaster may add a third spell with the same restrictions.

Quicker Potions (Ex): At 1st level it now only takes half the time for a Brewmaster to make a potion. At 3rd level it only takes a fourth of the time.


Critique away...

DaveoftheRave

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Re: Brew Master PRC (Peach)
« Reply #1 on: August 01, 2008, 10:15:41 PM »
What is the tradeoff?

Looks like it is simply superior levels than taking wizard levels.

Level 1 should lose a level of spellcasting.

Instead of adding more spells to the potions I would add an ability that lets the brewmaster make potions of higher level than normal.

Chemus

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Re: Brew Master PRC (Peach)
« Reply #2 on: August 01, 2008, 11:01:44 PM »
Dave, I agree+1 on your suggestion to allow higher level spells to qualify.
I disagree about losing a caster level. How many other PrC's allow full caster level with minimal to no real costs?

If you're going to add a cost, make it an opportunity cost such as a penalty to CL versus taking other Crafting feats (I don't like this, but it's what I thought of first). Losing CL in general would make this below par, IMO. Escpecially considering the conditional utility of potions.
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DaveoftheRave

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Re: Brew Master PRC (Peach)
« Reply #3 on: August 01, 2008, 11:09:11 PM »
I think it should either lose a level of spellcasting and get better bonuses to compensate or get smaller bonuses in general and have prohibitive entry requirements.


There needs to be some sort of a drawback instead of just getting more hit points, more skill points and some nifty abilities for free.

Chemus

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Re: Brew Master PRC (Peach)
« Reply #4 on: August 01, 2008, 11:25:54 PM »
I missed the damned d6. Yeah, this does get too much. Although I did take the (Elf Friend; can't remeber the name) PrC for the skill points. It's basically free. This does get too much, but the best advice I have is to scale back.

Require full ranks in craft Alchemy (so...6 ranks). Only give a bonus to the craft alchemy skill, not Concentration and spellcraft. Skills should be 2/level. Leave the HD (immaterial really). Fix the two spells per potion to be higher level spells. Perhaps +2 levels?

This doesn't advance a familiar, BTW.
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DaveoftheRave

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Re: Brew Master PRC (Peach)
« Reply #5 on: August 02, 2008, 12:32:54 AM »
Quote
Require full ranks in craft Alchemy (so...6 ranks).

3rd level is pretty low for a prestige class though.  I'd like to see 8 ranks.

Quote
Leave the HD (immaterial really).

For consistency though it should be d4.  I don't think a potion brewer is going to see a lot of combat, he's going to be doing as much studying as a mage.


I would still like to see the PrC lose a spellcasting level.  It would make it more prestigious.  If not at the very least require a feat like skill focus: alchemy so there is some tradeoff.

By losing a spellcasting level though you could give him a cool ability...like being able to brew maximized potions (have it cost twice as much).

There are plenty of alchemy prestige classes out there, but most have special substances they can create which go above and beyond spells.

I do remember reading somewhere either a feat or a PrC that allowed you to brew potions with 7th level spells I just can't remember where.

If you get a chance you can check out the Alchemical Philosopher from the Ravenloft book Van Richten's Arsenal (Vol 1.).  There are some great substances in the book, though it isn't what you're going for.

I would like to see this class get an ability that would allow him to brew potions from spells he doesn't know.  Maybe when you gain levels in it you can choose potions to learn instead of spells.

This makes me want to right up my own Alchemist core class (though like I said there are plenty...I'm sure I could take a crack at it).