Wilder

From DevroWiki

Level	Base Attack Bonus	Fort Save	Ref Save	Will Save	Special	Spell Safety Limit
1st	+0	+1	+0	+2	Wild Magic, Overchanneling, Restrictions	Zero, First
2nd	+1	+2	+0	+3	Otherworldy Awakening
3rd	+1	+2	+1	+3	Slow Aging
4th	+2	+2	+1	+4		Second
5th	+2	+3	+1	+4	Bonus Feat
6th	+3	+3	+2	+5	Casting Control -1	Third
7th	+4	+4	+2	+5
8th	+4	+4	+2	+6		Fourth
9th	+5	+4	+3	+6
10th	+5	+5	+3	+7	Bonus Feat	Fifth
11th	+6/+1	+5	+3	+7
12th	+6/+1	+6	+4	+8	Casting Control -2	Sixth
13th	+7/+2	+6	+4	+8
14th	+7/+2	+6	+4	+9		Seventh
15th	+8/+3	+7	+5	+9	Bonus Feat
16th	+8/+3	+7	+5	+10		Eighth
17th	+9/+4	+8	+5	+10
18th	+9/+4	+8	+6	+11	Casting Control -3	Ninth
19th	+10/+5	+8	+6	+11
20th	+10/+5	+9	+6	+12	Bonus Feat

Before the Fire, Channellers were rare but respected users of magic. The bulk of these mighty casters rested in the Tulaire race; their understanding of the forces of the universe surpassed even that of the learned Ulath sages, whom, by the forces they manipulated, they slowly rivaled in years. However, with the horrible damage done to the very essence of Devro by the Fire, and the utter destruction of the Tulaire Empire, Channellers nearly disappeared completely.

In the years following the Fire, other races began to show the Talent, but it was rawer… and far more dangerous. Those wielding the Talent became known as Wilders; they lacked the control possessed by the Tulaire, and their most powerful effects often resulted in widespread catastrophe.

The Wilder understands and controls mystic energy, not by nature of his heritage, and not with years of arduous training, but with sheer force of will and an innate sense of its causality. His understanding is incomplete, however, and the magic can be uncontrolled, potentially harming ally, enemy, and wielder alike. His understanding is deeper than the fundamental divisions of magic, hence not only does the Wilder wield magic that is considered the province of the Art, but also those considered sacrament to the Power as well, and some even learn the innate talents of the hidden monsters of the Dark Reflection and beyond.

Adventures: Wilders do not regularly train one another, and no village openly accepts one. Wilders, from the moment their power is evident, are met with fear and hostility. To learn, and usually to survive, the young Wilder must leave home and travel abroad. The only other option would be suppressing the Talent, and few can ignore the Talent. Needless to say, things work against a wilder or one who bears the Mark; sooner or later, a young Wilder may find themselves forced to use their budding powers just to survive those they once called friends and family.
Characteristics: Wilders usually are strong of body and long in wisdom. Their constant travels require a good strong back and a keen eye, but their control of the Talent comes from a depth of wisdom not seen in many twice their age.
Alignment: Wilders run the gamut of morality and ethics; exile can make sinner or saint out of any person. Some turn cold and ruthless, others look to atone or make the world better/safer. Others simply do the best they can, and finally there are those who simply do not care. Alignment normally colors a Wilder’s understanding of magic; some believe in the order or balance of magic, while others see it has a churning chaotic force. One rarely attaches morality to magic, however.
Religion: Good and evil religions normally view wilders with little less than veiled hatred and fear. Many human religions still teach that Wilders are the reason the world presently stands as it does, and even evil churches are known to use wilders are scapegoats for their evil plots. Wilders can ascribe to either side of this philosophical coin, but many are atheists; most wilders find it hard to ascribe to a higher power when they are nearly forces of nature unto themselves.
Backgrounds: Pain, rejection, hostility, and loss usually fill the history of a Wilder; for every one raised in perfect family, there are at least thirty others beaten repeatedly and threatened with execution by age five. Travel or forced excursions are normal, as a Wilder runs from his homeland and learns to live in the wild.
Many believe that wilders possess some hidden connection and understanding of history, but this is not necessarily so; while the wilders do wield a type of magic whose perfected form is long since lost, they do not posses any innate knowledge of the fallen Tulaire Empire. Beside their natural connection to the Essence, they do not possess any foreknowledge without seeking it out.
Races: Humans make up the bulk of Wilders, followed closely by Elves and Half-Elves. Dwarven and Ophid Wilders are not unheard of, but they are exceedingly rare. There are rumors of Bakarans wielding the Talent, but these are unsubstantiated, as are the rumors of Quith Wilders. Not many are sure of what the Slithern may be capable, but it would be unexpected. The only race that has never wielded the Talent is the Ulath; there has never been an Ulath Wilder.
Other Classes: Wilders are the odd man out in any party, but also potentially one of the most useful and powerful. While other spellcasters possess control, none can ever hope to boast the range a Wilder can achieve. Still, Wilders are not physical powerhouses, and if pressed can easily be taken down.

Game Rule Information Wilders have the following game statistics:
Abilities: Wisdom determines how powerful a spell a wilder can cast, how hard those spells are to resist, and indirectly how many he can cast per day. To cast a spell, a wilder must have a Wisdom score of 10 + the spell’s level. The Difficulty Class of a saving throw against a wilder’s spell is 10 + the spell’s level + the wilder’s Wisdom modifier. Intelligence is also very important, as it governs many class skills.
Alignment: Any.
Hit Die: d6

Class Skills The wilder’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Bluff (Cha), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Disguise (Cha), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Profession (Wis), and Spellcraft (Int). See Chapter 4: Skills and skill descriptions for details.

Skill Points at 1st Level: (3 + Int modifier) * 4.
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 3 + Int modifier.

Class Features: All of the following are class features of the wilder.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Wilders are proficient with club, dagger, quarterstaff, and sling. They are not proficient with any type of armor or with shields. Armor of any type interferes with the complex gestures involved in spellcasting, which can cause spells to fail (if those spells have somatic components). Note that armor check penalties for armor heavier than leather apply to the skills Balance, Climb, Escape Artist, Hide Jump, Move Silently, Pick Pocket, and Tumble. Also, Swim checks suffer a –1 penalty for every 5 pounds of armor and equipment carried.
Spells (Sp): A wilder craft spell effects using the Essence. She begins play with an intimate connection to a multitude spells, which she can cast without preparation. She does not need to learn spells as she levels – a wilder has access to any spell on the spell list at any time.
Wilders can also learn the spells of other types of spellcasters that are not already on their spell list, but this sort of learning costs them dearly. The DM must approve any spell that a wilder wishes to learn that is not already on their spell list. After approval, a wilder must then be subjected to the spell to be learned; the wilder may make a Spellcraft check (DC 20 + the spell’s level), and if he is successful, he may spend the requisite amount of XP to learn the spell. Once the spell has been successfully learned, a level for that spell will be determined for the purposes of setting a “safe” level at which the wilder can cast it.
Wilders use the spell point variant as laid out in Unearthed Arcana. She gains bonus spell points based off her Wisdom, and uses her “safe” spell level on the Maximum Spell Level axis of Table 5-4. A wilder is also not limited to casting a certain number of spells a day, nor does she need to prepare her spell effects in advance. The process of casting a spell drains some of the inner reserves of the wilder, drawing spell points according to the level of the spell as per Table 5-5, pending any adjustments for metamagic effects and caster level adjustments for variable spells. A wilder can spend more SP than they possess, allowing them to spend a number of SP equal to their level times three into arrears; this is very dangerous however (see Overchanneling, below). Wilders can also attempt to cast spells normally beyond their experience, which is also incredibly dangerous.
To regain spell points, a wilder must rest for eight hours, and then meditate for an hour. Wisdom determines how powerful a spell a wilder can cast, how hard those spells are to resist, and indirectly how many he can cast per day. To cast a spell, a wilder must have a Wisdom score of 10 + the spell’s level. The Difficulty Class of a saving throw against a wilder’s spell is 10 + the spell’s level + the wilder’s Wisdom modifier.
Wild Magic: Wilders tap directly into the flow of magic itself, and craft this power into their spell effects. Such power is raw and dangerous, and does not take well to such handling. Every spell a wilder casts has a chance to go awry, or suffer a wild mishap. Even experienced and skilled wilders can lose control, ever pushing the possibilities of a spell going awry.
Whenever a wilder casts a spell, he must make a Wisdom check, with the DC varying depending on the level of the spell, occasionally modified by circumstance and environment. This Wisdom check is in addition to any standard check that may be required for casting on the defensive or for trying to cast as the wilder is damaged. If this check fails, the spell goes awry in a wild magic surge.
Consult the tables in Wild Spellcraft for the potential results of a wild magic surge check failure. Spell effects of zero through third level results in minor surges, fourth through sixth level result in moderate surges, and seventh level spells or higher results in extreme surges.
Overchanneling (Sp): Wilders can attempt to cast any spell on their list at any time, even if that spell normally was not availability to them until a later level. Doing so is called “overchanneling up,” and increases the DC of Wisdom check to cast spells by +1. He must pay the normal cost in spell points to cast that spell, plus a number of extra spell points equal to the difference between his caster level and the minimum required to cast the spell, and it still only functions as a spell cast by a caster of his normal caster level in regards to damage and variables.
If spending SP on a spell places the wilder into negative SP, then the spell she casts is “overhanneled over,” which is even more dangerous. The difficulty of the Wisdom check for overchanneling over is +2. If the spell goes awry, treat the wild magic surge as one category higher for determining surge intensity.
If spending SP on a spell places the wilder into negative SP and exceeds the safe limit for spending SP on a single spell, then the spell he casts is “overchanneled up and over;” many wilders do not survive overchanneling up and over. The penalties for both are added to the difficulty of the spell, and a failure always results in an extreme surge. In addition, the wilder must make a Fortitude save to remain alive; the DC for the save against death is 15 + the number of negative SP he presently has. If the wilder dies during the casting, the spell automatically triggers an extreme surge.
Restrictions: Essence Magic is a separate form of magic – a wilder’s magic comes from forming the Essence into spell effects, which is very different from other forms of magic. A wilder gains the following bonuses and penalties because of this difference:

• Becoming a wilder requires the use of a feat at first level to take The Mark. All wilders have a mark on their bodies; this mark is a crescent cradling a star, and is usually borne on a fairly conspicuous area of skin.
• A wilder cannot take item creation feats.
• A wilder cannot read spellbooks or scrolls; he cannot use scrolls of any sort. He cannot learn read magic from other spellcasters to circumvent this restriction.
• Wilders do not require material components or foci to craft their spell effects. However, if they learn a spell from another type of caster, they must meet all the requirements of these lesser magicks. They can eschew inexpensive material components on these spells as normal, but costly components or required foci must be available for these lesser magicks.
• A non-wilder using Spellcraft on a wilder to identify spells cast by a wilder, even a successful result only gives a level and type of effect, since every wilders taps the Essence in different ways.
• A wilder using Spellcraft against another wilder does so normally.
• A wilder using Spellcraft against a non-wilder does so at a –4 penalty. As an analogy, a wilder understands the melody of the other forms of magic, but not their notes and technical aspects. Even on a successful result, he receives only a spell level and a school of magic.
• Non-wilders cannot use standard spells other than dispel magic, greater dispelling, or disjunction to counter wilders.

Otherworldly Awakening (Su): Beginning at 2nd level, the wilder can begin learning the abilities of monsters if he is subjected to them, or completes a Rite of Awakening (see below). A wilder can learn special attacks and qualities of monsters with fewer HD than his wilder class level. To circumvent being subjected to an attack, and to allow the wilder to learn abilities to which he could not otherwise be subjected, a wilder can complete a Rite of Awakening. This visually gruesome ritual requires that the wilder anoint himself in the still-warm blood, life fluids, or other resulting residue of a dead specimen of the monster in question. The wilder must assist in the destruction of the creature before he can complete the Rite of Awakening. Creatures that leave no trace of their passing once they are destroyed cannot be subjected to a Rite of Awakening.
Once the ritual is complete, or once the wilder is subjected to the ability, he may select to undergo an otherworldly awakening at the time of his next increase in character level. The wilder sacrifices a number of levels in wilder (but may never drop below second level in this fashion) equal to the level adjustment of the particular effect or ability. The DM has final say on the level adjustment of the effect or ability. Once a change has been made, it is permanent – a wilder cannot sacrifice the changes of a previous awakening at a future level for a new awakening.
Slow Aging (Su): The nature of the Talent slows the natural aging process. Starting at 3rd level, divide your level by two. This is the number of years that must pass for your character to age one year. Therefore, a fourth level wilder would age one year for every two years that pass (about half as quickly as a normal person), while a twelfth level wilder would age one year for every six years that passed (about a sixth as fast as a normal person).
Bonus Feats: At 5th, 10th, 15th, and 20th level, the wilder receives bonus feats. Only metamagic and special wilder feats can be purchased with these feats.
Casting Control: At 6th level, the wilder learns to compensate, better controlling the Essence as he shapes it into spell effects. The DC for spells the wilder casts is reduced by 1. This increases to -2 at 12th level, and -3 at 18th level.