Please let me know what you think about the mechanics of this class, it's not entirely my creation. How well is it balanced? In what tier would you place the class?
Of special note is the way they cast spells. It is not the same as the core classes, so don't skim over that part.
Table: The Sectarian Agent
Fort Ref Will
Level BAB Save Save Save Special
1 +0 +0 +0 +2 Spells
2 +1 +0 +0 +3 Level 1 spells, magical school, summon familiar
3 +2 +1 +1 +3 Level 2 spells, sectarian influence
4 +3 +1 +1 +4 Bonus feat
5 +3 +1 +1 +4 Level 3 spells, magical school
6 +4 +2 +2 +5 sectarian influence
7 +5 +2 +2 +5 Bonus feat, level 4 spells,
8 +6/+1 +2 +2 +6 magical school
9 +6/+1 +3 +3 +6 Level 5 spells, sectarian influence
10 +7/+2 +3 +3 +7 Bonus feat
11 +8/+3 +3 +3 +7 Level 6 spells, magical school
12 +9/+4 +4 +4 +8 sectarian influence
13 +9/+4 +4 +4 +8 Bonus feat, level 7 spells,
14 +10/+5 +4 +4 +9 magical school
15 +11/+6/+1 +5 +5 +9 Level 8 spells, sectarian influence
16 +12/+7/+2 +5 +5 +10 Bonus feat
17 +12/+7/+2 +5 +5 +10 Level 9 spells, magical school
18 +13/+8/+3 +6 +6 +11 sectarian influence
19 +14/+9/+4 +6 +6 +11 Bonus feat
20 +15/+10/+5 +6 +6 +12 Magical school
Alignment: Any
Hit Die: d6
Class Skills
The sectarian agent's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Bluff (Cha), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Decipher Script (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Gather Information (Cha), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Intimidation (Cha), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Knowledge (religion) (Int), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Search (Int), Sense Motive (Wis), Speak Language (n/a), and Spellcraft (Int).
Skill Points at per level: 4 + Int modifier.
Sectarian Agent Class Abilities
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Sectarian agents are skilled with all simple weapons. Sectarian agents are not proficient with any type of armor or with shields. Armor of any type exposes a sectarian agents to the risk of spell failure.
Spells: A sectarian agent casts arcane spells, which are drawn from the spell lists of bards, druids, sorcerers, and wizards. He can cast any spell he knows without preparing it ahead of time.
To learn or cast a spell, a sectarian agent must have a Charisma score equal to at least 10 + the spell. The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against a sectarian agent's spell is 10 + the spell level + the sectarian agent's Charisma modifier.
A sectarian agent does not have spell slots as other spellcasters. Instead, he has a pool of spell levels he can spend to power the casting of spells. A sectarian agent's pool of spell levels is equal to his Charisma modifier plus his class level. This pool of spell levels refreshes after having a full night's rest. Enhancements to the sectarian agent's Charisma score only result in additional spell levels if the enhancement persists through a full night's sleep, and the resulting spell levels are lost if not spent before his Charisma score returns to normal.
A sectarian agent may cast a number of 0-level spells per day equal to 3 + his Charisma modifier. After this, each 0-level spell costs one spell level. Casting higher-level spells reduces the sectarian agent's pool of spell levels by an amount equal to the level of the spell. Once a sectarian agent has run out of spell levels, he may take Constitution damage to power spells. Doing so results in an amount of Constitution damage equal to the level of the spell, or the remaining levels of a spell after using the last of his spell level pool to power the casting. This Constitution damage is healed in full after a full night's rest, but cannot be healed through magical means.
The sectarian agent's selection of spells is extremely limited, but drawn from a broad selection. Any time a sectarian agent has an opportunity to learn a new spell, he may select the spell from the spell lists of the bard, druid, sorcerer, or wizard. These spells are available at the earliest possible level, however if a spell is on the bard list and the sorcerer/wizard list, it is available only at the level listed on the sorcerer/wizard list. A sectarian agent begins play knowing four 0-level spells of his choice. Thereafter his selection of new spells is limited to the magical schools he knows. At each class level after the first the sectarian agent learns two new spells of any level and school he can cast.
A sectarian agent may cast spells of a certain level when his class level is equal to double the spell level minus one, as shown on Table: The Sectarian Agent.
Magical School: At 2nd level and every 3rd level thereafter a sectarian agent gains access to a new school of magic of his choice. The schools of magic are: Abjuration, Conjuration, Divination, Enchantment, Evocation, Illusion, Necromancy, and Transmutation. A sectarian agent cannot learn or cast spells of a school to which he has no access. For the purposes of activating magic items and the like, the sectarian agent is only considered to have a spell on his spell list if it is of a magical school to which he has access.
Summon Familiar: A sectarian agent can obtain a familiar.
Sectarian Influence (Su): Sectarian agents manipulate magic through sheer force of will, and that same personal power can be used to affect living beings. At 3rd level, sectarian agents are gifted with the ability to extend that force of will to affect the actions, thoughts, and emotions of others. The sectarian agent may use this ability a number of times per day equal to 3 + his Charisma modifier. At 3rd level and every 3 levels thereafter (at 6th, 9th, 12th, 15th, and 18th level), the sectarian agent gains another use per day of this ability and may choose one of the powers listed below. A 3rd-level sectarian agent must choose either inspire fascination, inspire confidence, or inspire fury. Unless otherwise noted, using the sectarian influence power requires a move action to activate and a move action to maintain. Some sectarian influence abilities require either a standard action to activate, a standard action each round to maintain concentration, or both.
Unless otherwise stated, each power must be used independently. For instance, if a sectarian agent with the inspire confidence ability and the inspire fury ability wants to use both to assist his comrades, he may only activate one such ability per round.
Inspire Confidence: The sectarian agent can use his strong sense of self to help others resist assaults on their minds. To be affected, an ally must be within 60 ft. and be able to see and hear the sectarian agent. For as long as the sectarian agent continues to use this ability as a move action, all affected creatures gain a +4 morale bonus to saves against enchantment or fear effects. If an ally is already being affected by an enchantment or fear effect when this ability is activated, he may immediately make a new saving throw with the +4 morale bonus to end the effect. Inspire confidence has no effect against effects that don't allow saves. Inspire confidence is a mind-affecting ability, and may be maintained for 1 round per class level.
Inspire Fascination: The sectarian agent can use his conversational skills, performances, or sheer magnetic personality to cause one or more creatures to become fascinated. Target creatures must be within 120 ft., be able to see and hear the sectarian agent, and able to pay attention to him. The sectarian agent must also be able to see the creature. The distraction of a nearby combat or other dangers prevents the ability from working. The sectarian agent can target one creature per class level.
Activating this ability requires a standard action. Each target must make a Will save (DC equal to 10 + 1/2 sectarian agent's class level + Cha modifier). If a creature's saving throw succeeds, the sectarian agent cannot attempt to fascinate that creature again for 24 hours. If its saving throw fails, the creature sits quietly and watches or listens to the sectarian agent, taking no other actions, for as long as the sectarian agent continues to speak or perform and concentrate as a standard action (up to a maximum of 1 round per class level). While fascinated, a target takes a -4 penalty on skill checks made as reactions, such as Listen and Spot checks. Any potential threat allows the creature a new saving throw.
Any obvious threat, such as someone drawing a weapon, casting a spell, or aiming a ranged weapon at the target, automatically breaks the effect. Inspire fascination is an enchantment (compulsion), mind-affecting ability.
Inspire Fury: The sectarian agent can use his powerful presence to inspire his allies (including himself), bolstering them against attacks and improving their combat abilities. To be affected, an ally must be within 60 ft. and able to see and hear the sectarian agent. The effect lasts for as long as the sectarian agent maintains the ability (or for as long as the ally is in range and can see and hear the sectarian agent) and for 5 rounds thereafter. The effect may be maintained for up to 1 round per sectarian agent level. An affected ally receives a +1 morale bonus on initiative rolls, attack rolls, and weapon damage rolls. Inspire fury is a mind-affecting ability.
Improved Fury (Requires Inspire Fury): When the sectarian agent uses the inspire fury ability, affected creatures gain an additional +1 morale bonus on initiative rolls, attack rolls, and weapon damage rolls. This gift may be chosen multiple times, and its effects stack.
Improved Confidence (Requires Inspire Confidence): When the sectarian agent uses the inspire confidence ability, even allies that fail their saves against enchantment effects only suffer the effects for half the normal duration. Likewise, allies that fail their saves against fear effects suffer the next lowest fear status: panicked allies are merely frightened, frightened allies are merely shaken, and shaken characters become unaffected.
Suggestion (Requires Inspire Fascination): When the sectarian agent uses the inspire fascination ability, he can make a suggestion (as the spell) as a standard action to a creature that he has already fascinated (see above). Using this ability does not break the sectarian agent's concentration on the fascinate effect, nor does it allow a second saving throw against the fascinate effect. A Will saving throw (DC 10 + 1/2 sectarian agent's class level + Cha modifier) negates the effect.
Making a suggestion uses up one of the sectarian agent's daily allotments of sectarian influence uses. Suggestion is an enchantment (compulsion), mind-affecting, language-dependent ability.
Greater Fury (Requires Inspire Fury and Improved Fury): When the sectarian agent uses his inspire fury ability, he can inspire greater fury in himself or a single willing ally within 30 feet as a move action, granting him or her extra fighting capability. The effect lasts for as long as the inspire fury ability continues to affect the target. A creature inspired with greater fury gains 2 bonus Hit Dice (d10s), the commensurate number of temporary hit points (apply the target's Constitution modifier, if any, to these bonus Hit Dice), a +2 competence bonus on attack rolls, and a +1 competence bonus on Fortitude saves. The bonus Hit Dice count as regular Hit Dice for determining the effect of spells that are Hit Dice dependent.
Each use of greater fury on a single target uses up one of the sectarian agent's daily allotments of sectarian influence uses. Greater fury is a mind-affecting ability.
Greater Confidence (Requires Inspire Confidence and Improved Confidence): When the sectarian agent uses his inspire confidence ability, after five rounds of using the ability, he may target one ally within range as a standard action. That ally receives the benefits of a break enchantment spell (caster level equal to the sectarian agent's class level). For every subsequent 5 rounds of using the inspire confidence ability, the sectarian agent may use this ability an additional time.
Each use of greater confidence on a single target uses up one of the sectarian agent's daily allotments of force of personality uses. A sectarian agent can't use greater confidence on himself.
Mass Suggestion (Requires Inspire Fascination and Suggestion): This ability functions like suggestion, above, except that the sectarian agent can make the suggestion simultaneously to one creature per three class levels that he has already fascinated (see above).
Each creature targeted with mass suggestion uses up one of the sectarian agent's daily allotments of sectarian influence uses. Mass suggestion is an enchantment (compulsion), mind-affecting, language-dependent ability.
Bonus Feat: A sectarian agent gains a bonus feat at 4th level and every three levels thereafter. The sectarian agent must choose Spell Focus, Greater Spell Focus, an item creation feat, or a metamagic feat.
