NWN2 PRC News: Incantrix & Initiate of the Sevenfold Veil
NWN2 wizard fans rejoice!
The upcoming version 2 release of the Mage Tome system expansion pack for Neverwinter Nights 2 will not only include shadow magic with the Shadowcaster base class and 3 related PRCs, but it will also include two of the most beloved PRCs for arcane spellcasters: the metamagic master Incantrix and the defensive juggernaut Initiate of the Sevenfold Veil.
These two PRCs are popular for their defensive power and style, with some DMs complaining they are overpowered.
Due to system limitations and in the name of balance, both will be modified from their PnP roots to better fit the Aurora Engine.
Here is a brief description of each class as it will appear in the expansion pack.
Incantatrix
The incantatrixes are the practitioners of metamagic in Faerûn, studying spells that affect other spells and having a fondness for magic that thwarts extraplanar beings.
This is a 10 level prestige class.
Requirements
Skills: Concentration 4 ranks , Lore 8 ranks , Spellcraft 4 ranks
Feats: Iron Will, Abjuration Focus
Spellcasting: Able to cast 3rd-level arcane spells.
Class Features
Hit die: d4
Skill points: 2 + Int
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Incantatrixes gain no proficiency with any weapon or armor.
Spells per Day: An incantatrix continues to study standard magic as well as pursuing studies in metamagic. Thus, when a new incantatrix level is gained, the character gains new spells per day as if she had also gained a level in a spellcasting class she belonged to before becoming an incantatrix. She does not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained (bonus metamagic or item creation feats, for example).
If a character had more than one spellcasting class before she became an incantatrix, she must decide to which class she adds each level of incantatrix for purposes of determining spells per day when she adds the new level.
Bonus Metamagic Feat: At 1st and 5th the incantatrix may select a bonus metamagic feat.
Send Away (Ex): Once per day a 4th level Incantrix can cast the Dismissmal spell for free.
Metamagic (Su): At 1st, 2nd and 3rd level the Incantrix learns all the standard metamagic feats.
Improved Metamagic (Su): At 6th to 10th level, the incantatrix has mastered metamagic to such an extent that whenever she uses a metamagic feat, the feat’s level increase upon a spell is reduced by one for all standard metamagic feats. This lets Incantrix casters add Still, Silent and Extend to their spells for free.
Initiate of the Sevenfold Veil
A master of defensive magic, the Initiate of the Sevenfold Veil approaches the prismatic barrier by mastering one by one its constituent veils or layers.
Requirements
Skills: Lore 12, Spellcraft 12 ranks
Feats: Greater Spell Focus (abjuration) , Spell Focus (abjuration) , Skill Focus (spellcraft)
Spells: Able to cast five abjuration spells, including at least two of 4th level or higher.
Class Features
Hit die: d4
Skill points: 2 + Int
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Initiates of the Sevenfold Veil gain no proficiency with any weapon or armor.
Spells per Day/Spells Known: At each level, an Initiate of the Sevenfold Veil gains new spells per day (and spells known, if applicable) as if she had also gained a level in an arcane spellcasting class to which she belonged before adding the prestige class level. She does not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained (such as the bonus feat sometimes gained by a wizard). If he had more than one arcane spellcasting class before becoming an Initiate of the Sevenfold Veil, he must decide to which class to add each level for the purpose of determining spells per day and spells known.
Warding (Sp): An Initiate of the Sevenfold Veil can create a personal warding. He can choose one veil she knows (see below) to be imbued in the warding.
Veils: When an initiate creates a warding, he can choose and imbue the warding with any one veil he knows how to create. These veils duplicate the layers of a prismatic wall and are described below. An initiate’s caster level for these veils is equal to his arcane spellcaster level.
Red Veil: The first veil an initiate learns is the red veil. A warding imbued with this veil blocks all nonmagical ranged attacks and missiles. A creature attacking a character with a red veil takes 20 points of fire damage (Reflex half). A warding with this veil is the equivalent of a 4th-level spell.
Orange Veil: At 2nd level, an initiate learns the secret of the orange veil. A warding with this veil halts magical ranged attacks, including spells that conjure missiles (such as Melf’s acid arrow) or create rays (such as disintegrate or a beholder’s eye rays) but not spells that do not require a ranged attack (such as magic missile). A creature attacking a character with an orange veil takes 40 points of acid damage (Reflex half). A warding with this veil is the equivalent of a 5th-level spell.
Yellow Veil: An initiate of 3rd level or higher can create a yellow veil. This veil prevents gases or clouds from entering the warded area, and it defeats petrification attacks. In addition, a character inside a personal or area warding imbued with a yellow veil has immunity to poison introduced from outside the warding (such as from a creature with an envenomed weapon striking through the barrier). A creature attacking a character with a yellow veil takes 80 points of electricity damage (Reflex half). A warding with this veil is the equivalent of a 6th-level spell.
Green Veil: A 4th-level initiate masters the green veil. This veil stops the passage of breath weapons. A creature attacking a character with a green veil must succeed on a Fortitude save or die; on a successful save, the creature takes 1d6 points of Constitution damage. This veil is a poison effect. A warding with this veil is the equivalent of a 6th-level spell.
Blue Veil: At 5th level, an initiate learns the blue veil. This veil blocks all divinations and mind-affecting spells and abilities. Any creature attacking a character with a blue veil must succeed on a Fortitude save or be petrified. A warding with this is the equivalent of a 6th-level spell.
Indigo Veil: A 6th-level initiate can create the mighty indigo veil. This veil prevents the passage of all spells or spell-like abilities. Any creature attacking a character with an indigo veil must succeed on a Will save or become confused, as if by an insanity spell. A warding with this veil is the equivalent of a 7th-level spell.
Violet Veil: At 7th level, an initiate masters the seventh and final veil: the violet veil. This barrier distintigrates attacks against the initiate protecting them from physical harm. Living creatures passing a violet veil must succeed on a Will save or be shifted to a random place on a random plane (as the plane shift spell). A warding with this veil is the equivalent of an 8th-level spell.
Unimpeachable Abjuration (Ex): An initiate’s abjuration spells are particularly difficult to defeat with spells or effects that dispel them. An initiate can add his class level to the DC to dispel any abjuration spell or effect he creates.
Unanswerable Strike (Ex): Due to his study of magical defenses, an initiate learns how to defeat them more easily. At 2nd level and higher, he gains a +2 bonus on caster level checks to counter or dispel abjuration spells. At 6th level, this bonus increases to a +4 bonus.
What’s Next
Another quick status report.
There are a few bugs I’ve found playtesting the mysteries (Clinging Darkness causes a massive slowdown) that need to be fixed. Certain others need both regular testing and playtesting to make sure they are working properly.
Some new spells like Blast of Force don’t seem to be working. As well attribute damage rays like Ray of Stupidity seem to be bugged.
The new PRCs that will be discussed in the next post also need to be play tested more before we can start looking at a release.
New classes, feats and spells need custom icons and the ReadMe file needs extensive updating to reflect the second release of the mod.
I am also considering creating a promotional video that introduces the main new features of this release.
So while lots of work remains, the actual development work is slowing to almost a crawl. I may add a few more spells in this release but no more classes, PRCs or feats.
The next update will cover a trio of related prestige classes and the type of gameplay you can enjoy with them.
