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Invoker

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Classes

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Characters on Arelith:
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Deity - Class
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Invoker is a base class that uses (mana-like) resources to cast spells which for the time being will be referred to as Focus. Spell cost varies on class level and spell level, but it can be also modified by casting the same spell twice (doubles the cost) or equipping specific items (which will be added in the future).

Due to NWN limitation, Invoker is broken down into 2 selectable classes:



Introduction

Arelith Invokers brings in a different style of gameplay where you have to manage your Focus in order to cast your spells. You can restrain yourself and be reliable while casting for hours, or decide to go nuclear and blast with everything you have. Eighter way, you will have to learn to manage your Focus and use a rotation that fits your gameplay while saving your resources.

Invokers are split into #Elementalists (that draw energy from the elements around them) and #Hemomancers (that specialize on drawing energy from living beings and other creatures that have blood on their veins).

All invoker paths are essencially the same class. This means that you are forbidden to take Hemomancer levels if you are an Elementalist, and you can't take Elementalist levels if you are a Hemomancer. You are also forbidden to take other full caster classes (Druid, Cleric,Sorc,Wiz, Favored Soul). Read more about restrictions in #Restrictions

Class Mechanics

Requirements

Alignment restrictions: none (#Elementalists) or non-good (#Hemomancers)

Class Features

Hit die: d6

Proficiencies: weapons (simple), armor (light)

Skill points: 4 + int modifier ((4 + int modifier) * 4 at 1st level)

Class Skills: bluff, concentration, craft mastery, heal, leadership, lore, sail, spellcraft

Unavailable feats: weapon specialization

Primary saving throw(s): will (#Elementalists), will and fort (#Hemomancers),

Base attack bonus: +1/2 level

Spellcasting: Spellcasting: Arcane (spell failure from armor is a factor), charisma-based (a base charisma score of 10 + the spell's level is required to cast a spell, and the charisma modifier affects spell DCs), and spontaneous cast (no spell preparation required). Focus serves as a payment for casting spells. Spell level influence their cost, and some more powerful spells have increased cost to them. Also casting a spell after you have just casted it, double it's cost.

Level Progression

Hit points rolls on Arelith are always maximum.

  Focus cost (base)   Known spells
 Level  BAB     HP    0th   1st   2nd   3rd   4th   5th   6th   7th   8th   9th   0th   1st   2nd   3rd   4th   5th   6th   7th   8th   9th 
1st +0 4 0 1 2 2 2.5 2.5 4 6 8 8 4 2 - - - - - - - -
2nd +1 8 0 1 2 2 2.5 2.5 4 6 8 8 5 2 - - - - - - - -
3rd +1 12 0 1 2 2 2.5 2.5 4 6 8 8 5 3 - - - - - - - -
4th +2 16 0 1 2 2 2.5 2.5 4 6 8 8 6 3 1 - - - - - - -
5th +2 20 0 1 2 2 2.5 2.5 4 6 8 8 6 4 2 - - - - - - -
6th +3 24 0 1 2 2 2.5 2.5 4 6 8 8 7 4 2 1 - - - - - -
7th +3 28 0 1 2 2 2.5 2.5 4 6 8 8 7 5 3 2 - - - - - -
8th +4 32 0 1 2 2 2.5 2.5 4 6 8 8 7 5 3 2 1 - - - - -
9th +4 36 0 1 2 2 2.5 2.5 4 6 8 8 7 5 4 3 2 - - - - -
10th +5 40 0 0.5 1 1 1.25 1.25 2 3 4 4 7 5 4 3 2 1 - - - -
11th +5 44 0 0.5 1 1 1.25 1.25 2 3 4 4 7 5 5 4 3 2 - - - -
12th +6/+1 48 0 0.5 1 1 1.25 1.25 2 3 4 4 7 5 5 4 3 2 1 - - -
13th +6/+1 52 0 0.5 1 1 1.25 1.25 2 3 4 4 7 5 5 4 4 3 2 - - -
14th +7/+2 56 0 0.5 1 1 1.25 1.25 2 3 4 4 7 5 5 4 4 3 2 1 - -
15th +7/+2 60 0 0.5 1 1 1.25 1.25 2 3 4 4 7 5 5 4 4 4 3 2 - -
16th +8/+3 64 0 0.5 1 1 1.25 1.25 2 3 4 4 7 5 5 4 4 4 3 2 1 -
17th +8/+3 68 0 0.5 1 1 1.25 1.25 2 3 4 4 7 5 5 4 4 4 3 3 2 -
18th +9/+4 72 0 0.5 1 1 1.25 1.25 2 3 4 4 7 5 5 4 4 4 3 3 2 1
19th +9/+4 76 0 0.5 1 1 1.25 1.25 2 3 4 4 7 5 5 4 4 4 3 3 3 2
20th +10/+5 80 0 0.25 0.25 0.5 0.62 0.62 1 1.5 2 2 7 5 5 4 4 4 3 3 3 3

Epic Invoker

Bonus feats: The epic invoker gains a bonus feat every three levels after 20th. In other words, at levels 23, 26, and 29.

Epic bonus feats: automatic quicken spell, automatic silent spell, automatic still spell, epic energy resistance, epic spell focus, epic spell penetration, epic spell: dragon knight, epic spell: epic mage armor, epic spell: greater ruin, epic spell: hellball, great charisma, improved combat casting

Unavailable epic feats: epic weapon specialization, outsider shape, construct shape, dragon shape, undead shape

Level Feats HP
21st Epic Arcane Caster 126
22nd 132
23rd Epic Bonus Feat 138
24th 144
25th 150
26th Epic Bonus Feat 156
27th 162
28th Enchew Spell Components 168
29th Epic Bonus Feat 174
30th 180

Restrictions

When thinking of your build, there are some restrictions that you must have in mind:

  • Invoker will not gain the benefit of the Dark Blessing class feature (Cha to saves).
  • Invoker will not gain the benefit of the Divine Grace class feature (Cha to saves).
  • Invoker will not gain the benefit of Divine Shield feat (Cha to AC).
  • Invoker sub-classes (Elementalist - Hemomancer) can't be mixed, one prevents the other.
  • Invoker, as a caster with unique mechanics, can't be mixed with other full casters: Druid, Cleric, Sorc, Wiz, FavSoul, Shaman (it will force 1 level retake).

Arelith Changes

Change Level Description
Summoning Changes - For specifics, read Summoning Changes which details how summons are changed on Arelith and Summons which details each specific summon stream and what is summoned at each tier of the stream.
Spell changes - For specifics, see Spell changes.
New spells - Chromatic Orb (1), Detect Poison (1), Nahal's Reckless Dweomer (wild mage) (1), Chaos Shield (wild mage) (2), Scorching Ray (2), Gust of wind (moved to 2), Bigby's Disrupting Hand (3), Halt Undead (3), Sound Lance (3), Crushing Despair (4), Finger of Agony (4), Wall of Ice (4), Animate Dead (moved to 4), Daltim's Fiery Tentacles (5), Darkbolt (5), Nightmare (5), Shadow Evocation (5), Disintegrate (6), Eyebite (6), Evil Blight (6), Freeze (6), Kyristan's Malevolent Tentacles (6), Shades (removed), Create Undead (moved to 6), Greater Shadow Conjuration (moved to 6), Greater Shadow Evocation (7), Improved Chaos Shield (7), Avascular Mass (8), Otto's Irresistible Dance (8), Maze (8), Scintillating Pattern (8), Shadow Plague (8), Nybor's Wrathful Castigation (8), Create Greater Undead (8), Burst of Glacial Wrath (9), Iceberg (9), Mass Hold Monster (9), Frost Shield (4), Lightning Shield (5)
Spell components - Requires spell components (made with Alchemy or Art Crafting) to cast spells greater than level 6. Level 7 spells cost 1. Level 8 spells cost 2. Level 9 spells cost 3.

Elementalists

Invoker trained to gather and use surrounding energy to cast spells. It is the closest to what the True-Frost path was.

Level  BAB    Fort  Reflex  Will  Feats
1st +0 +0 +0 +2
2nd +1 +0 +0 +3
3rd +1 +1 +1 +3
4th +2 +1 +1 +4
5th +2 +1 +1 +4 Path Selection; Path Feature I
6th +3 +2 +2 +5 Silent Spell
7th +3 +2 +2 +5
8th +4 +2 +2 +6
9th +4 +3 +3 +6
10th +5 +3 +3 +7 Path Feature II; Auto Quicken I; Invoking Adept
11th +5 +3 +3 +7
12th +6 +4 +4 +8 Elemental Overcharge
13th +6 +4 +4 +8
14th +7 +4 +4 +9
15th +7 +5 +5 +9 Path Feature III; Auto Quicken II
16th +8 +5 +5 +10
17th +8 +5 +5 +10
18th +9 +6 +6 +11
19th +9 +6 +6 +11
20th +10 +6 +6 +12 Path Feature IV; Invoking Mastery

Path Features


Once your character reaches level 5, you will have to select your path as a bonus feat. Your path will define the passive bonus that you will get on levels 5, 10, 15 and 20 as shown on the table below:

Passive Bonuses & Elemental Savant:
  Path   I (5th level) II (10th level) III (15th level) IV (20th level)
Fire Energy Resistance: 10
Save Bonus: Universal +1
AC bonus: Deflection +1
Energy Resistance: 10
Save Bonus: Universal +2
AC bonus: Deflection +2
Immune to Sleep
Energy Resistance: 20
Save Bonus: Universal +3
AC bonus: Deflection +3
Immune to Sleep
Skill Bonus: Leadership +5 (soft)
Energy Resistance: 30
Save Bonus: Universal +4
AC bonus: Deflection +4
Immune to Sleep
Skill Bonus: Leadership +5 (soft)
Skill Bonus: Intimidate +5 (soft)
Air Energy Resistance: 10
Concealment: Ranged Attacks: 20%
Energy Resistance: 10
Concealment: Ranged Attacks: 30%
Movement Speed Increase: 10%
Energy Resistance: 20
Concealment: Ranged Attacks: 40%
Movement Speed Increase: 20%
AC bonus: Dodge +2
Skill Bonus: Climb +6 (soft)
Energy Resistance: 30
Concealment: Ranged Attacks: 50%
Movement Speed Increase: 30%
AC bonus: Dodge +3
Skill Bonus: Climb +10 (soft)
Earth Energy Resistance: 10
Damage Recuction: 2/+5
Energy Resistance: 10
Damage Recuction: 3/+5
Immunity to Poison
Energy Resistance: 20
Damage Recuction: 4/+5
Immunity to Poison
Damage Immunity: 5% vs Piercing
Skill Bonus: Discipline +6 (soft)
Energy Resistance: 30
Damage Recuction: 5/+5
Immunity to Poison
Damage Immunity: 5% vs Piercing
Damage Immunity: 5% vs Slashing
Skill Bonus: Discipline +6 (soft)
Water Energy Resistance: 10
Regeneration: 1
Water Breathing
Energy Resistance: 10
Regeneration: 1
Water Breathing
AC bonus: Natural +2
Energy Resistance: 20
Regeneration: 2
Water Breathing
AC bonus: Natural +3
Skill Bonus: Sail +6 (soft)
Energy Resistance: 30
Regeneration: 3
Water Breathing
AC bonus: Natural +5
Skill Bonus: Sail +10 (soft)

Focus Recovery


As shown on the table, your maximun ammount of Focus (your mana-like resource) is 100. You can restore it up to 75 by resting or up to 100 by waiting for server ticks (every 6 minutes).

The ammount you recover depends on your Focus, the less you have, more you recover.

Let's say you are with 0 Focus and decide to go roleplay.

  • After 6 minutes, you will recover 20 (total 20)
  • on the next Server Tick, you will recover 15 (total 35)
  • on the third Server Tick, you will recover 15 (total 50)
  • after that you will get 10 from every tick until you hit 100 (Max Focus)

This way, an Elementalist will reach max focus after 48 minutes (assuming he hasn't spent any focus)

Focus
Max Focus 100
Max Rest Focus* 75
 
Focus on Server Tick <20 20
Focus on Server Tick 20..50 15
Focus on Server Tick 50..100(max) 10
On Rest 7.5 per tick (8 ticks)
  • Max Rest Focus means the rest will only increase Focus to 75. Server Tick can increase it further to 100.

Spells

Signature Spells

Elemental_Hammer


Caster Level(s): Invoker Elementalist 5

School: Evocation

Components: Verbal, Somatic

Range: Area

Area of effect: Large

Duration: Instant

Save: Will

Spell Resistance: yes

Description: You invoke an elemental explosion to daze your foes. All creatures within the selected area will take damage (will halves) and are potentially dazed for 1 round (Will negates). The impact has a chance to lower the reflex save of the targets for 1 round (-2). Damage type depends on elementalist's chosen element and Focus (Below 50 damage is elemental; above 50 damage is force); damage is d6 per caster level (max 15d6).


Elemental_Annihilation


Caster Level(s): Invoker Elementalist 9

School: Evocation

Components: Verbal, Somatic

Range: Area

Area of effect: Large

Duration: Instant

Save: Special

Spell Resistance: yes

Description: You invoke a potent explosion to crush your foes. All creatures within the selected area will take damage (reflex halves) and are potentially dazed for d3 rounds (Will negates). Damage type depends on elementalist's chosen element and Focus (Below 50 damage is elemental; above 50 damage is force); damage starts at d4 per caster level and grows with Focus.


Hemomancer

Invoker trained to burn own life's energy to cast spells. Each spell invoked has a % chance to award the caster with a Blood Stack (1 each, 10 max). Blood Stacks (BS) are consumed by signature spells and abilities, the effects will be the more potent the more BS are burned. Starting from the 2nd level, hemomancer gains Red Harvest ability (works only against living targets), which can leech life force off a target and restore some of IP. It is stronger the more BS it consumes. Hemomancer path spells are can't surge.

Level  BAB    Fort  Reflex  Will  Feats
1st +0 +2 +0 +2
2nd +1 +3 +0 +3 Red Harvest Ability
3rd +1 +3 +1 +3
4th +2 +4 +1 +4
5th +2 +4 +1 +4
6th +3 +5 +2 +5 Silent Spell
7th +3 +5 +2 +5
8th +4 +6 +2 +6
9th +4 +6 +3 +6
10th +5 +7 +3 +7 Path Feature I; Auto Quicken I; Invoking Adept
11th +5 +7 +3 +7
12th +6 +8 +4 +8
13th +6 +8 +4 +8
14th +7 +9 +4 +9
15th +7 +9 +5 +9 Path Feature II; Auto Quicken II
16th +8 +10 +5 +10
17th +8 +10 +5 +10
18th +9 +11 +6 +11
19th +9 +11 +6 +11
20th +10 +12 +6 +12 Path Feature IV; Invoking Mastery; Eye Glow (toggle feat)

Path Features


Once your character reaches level 10, you will get your first Path Feature. These features will define the passive bonus that you will get on levels 10, 15 and 20 as shown on the table below:


Passive Bonuses
Path Feature I Path Feature II Path Feature III
Skill Bonus: Concentration +3
Save Bonus: Death +1
Save Bonus: Fear +2
Skill Bonus: Concentration +6
Save Bonus: Death +2
Save Bonus: Fear +4
Regeneration: 1
Immunity to Disease
Skill Bonus: Concentration +9
Save Bonus: Death +3
Regeneration: 1
Immunity to Disease
Immunity to Fear
See Invisible


Signature Ability: Red Harvest

A short-range ability to leech living targets and regain IP. (Burns blood stacks). DC 16 + CHA MOD + Spell foci (evocation) CD 18 seconds.

Does not work on: Objects, Constructs, Elementals, Oozes, Undead (except vampires).

Dmg type: Bleeding.

Dmg: d6 / 2 CL + d6 / 1 blood stack.

Healing: 25% of the damage done.

Focus leeching: 1 + (1 from CLs: 10, 20, 27) + 1 per [BS] (min 1 max 14).

Blood Stack [BS] burn:
>= 1 +Food, +Water by [BS] amount.
>= 3 Healing: 33% of the damage done.
>= 5 If the target is not fear immune and fails will save against fear it will be panicked for 6 seconds.
>= 6 Healing: 50% of the damage done.
>= 9 Healing: 75% of the damage done.
==10 Apply empowerment to the caster for 2 in game-hours: Increase dodge AC 3, regeneration 1, Damage Immunity 10%.


Blood Stacks


Another Resource that the Hemomancer has is the Blood Stack (BS). Every time you cast a spell, you have a chance of getting a BS. BS will be used to improve your signature spells as well as the ammount of Focus you recover when using Red Harvest.

The chance of getting a BS when casting a spell is shown on the table below.

Blood Stack Chance
Spell Level 1 5%
Other Spell Level SL*8%
(i.e) 5th = 40%
A blood stack gain is additionally telegraphed by taking unavoidable bleeding damage (with vfx).
Spell Level 1..3 1 damage
Spell Level 4..6 2 damage
Spell Level 7..9 3 damage


Focus Recovery


As shown on the table, your maximum ammount of Focus (your mana-like resource) is 75. You can restore it up to 50 by resting or up to 75 by waiting for server ticks (every 6 minutes).

The ammount you recover depends on your Focus, the less you have, more you recover. Your Blood Stacks (BS) also help the recovery.

Let's say you are with 0 Focus and decide to go roleplay.

  • After 6 minutes, you will recover 5 (total 5)
  • on the next 3 Server Ticks, you will recover 15 (total 20)
  • on the next 12 Server Ticks, you will recover 30 (total 50)
  • after that you will get 1.25 from every tick until you hit 75 (Max Focus)

This way, a Hemomancer will reach max focus after 116 minutes (assuming he hasn't spent any focus).

But, unlikelly the Elementalists, Hemomancers have the Red Harvest Ability, that will recover an ammount based on your level and BS. For instance, if you are at level 20 and have 10 BS, you will recover 13 (1+10+1+1) when you activate your Red Harvest.

Focus
Max Focus 75
Max Rest Focus* 50
 
Focus on Server Tick <20 5
Focus on Server Tick 20..50 2.5
Focus on Server Tick 50..75 1.25
On Rest 3.5 per tick (8 ticks)
Red Harvest 1
+(1 Focus per Blood Stack consumed)
+1 (at CL10)
+1 (at CL20)
+1 (at CL27)
  • Max Rest Focus means the rest will only increase Focus to 50. Server Tick can increase it further to 75.

Spells

Signature Spells

Massacre (Burns blood stacks)


Caster Level(s): Invoker Hemomancer 7

School: Evocation

Components: Verbal, Somatic

Range: Target

Area of effect: Large, centered on the target

Duration: Instant

Save: Special

Spell Resistance: yes

Description: You attempt to overcharge the target and make it explode. On the failed save, the target takes twice the caster level d4 (max 40d4) damage, fortitude divides the damage by 10, and forces the target to save against fear or be panicked for 1 round. If the target dies from the damage received blood rain is summoned, it weakens all creatures on its path. The spell is more potent with each consumed Blood Stack.

Does not work on: Objects, Constructs, Elementals, Oozes, Undead (except vampires).

Dmg type: Bleeding.

Demoralization debuff: Will save or: - 2 to AC, Saves, AB. -4 to skills (2 rounds).

Blood Stack [BS] burn:
>= 3 DC +1
>= 6 CL is added to dmg.
>= 8 DC +1
Dice changes to d6
==10 CL is added to dmg.


Soul_Shriek (Burns blood stacks)


Caster Level(s): Invoker Hemomancer 9

School: Evocation [Death]

Components: Verbal, Somatic

Range: Area

Area of effect: Colossal, centered on caster

Duration: Instant

Save: Fortitude

Spell Resistance: yes

Description: You invoke an eruption of primal angst. Each creature within range is subject to 5 damage per caster level. The spell is more potent with each consumed Blood Stack; max damage is capped at 250. Deathward protects against the spell (as anything with death immunity) - think of banshee's but dmg and effects instead of save or die.

Dmg type: Entropy.

Blood Stack [BS] burn:
>= 2 Dmg CL*6
>= 4 Dmg CL*7
DC+1
>= 6 Dmg CL*8
>= 8 Dmg CL*9
==10 Dmg CL*10
DC+1


Roleplay Tips

Invokers are arcane spellcasters that have, to some degree or another, inherent magical power. The reasons for this can be varied. Invokers are known to be produced by magically rich areas (specially by elemental or necromancy magic), simply by virtue of diffusion of magic through the environment. They can be produced by having some amount of magical blood in them from a lineage that includes a magical creature. Invokers can also be produced as a side-effect of a parent having been a sorcerer or wizard. Essentially: exposure to magic produces Invokers. The aptitude doesn't seem to be distilled by distance from its source.

Invokers are, historically, only rarely invokers by choice. It's true that some cultures have eugenics programs that exist purely to produce and train inherent magical talent, and will have culturally sanctioned invokers. Most societies, however, don't mean to produce invokers, they just do.

Invoking tendencies tend to manifest around puberty in humanoid creatures, frequently earlier for already highly magical creatures. These powers generally begin as uncontrolled, unexpected and fairly dangerous. An average commoner has about four hit points, a ray of frost does 1d4+1. You can see how even a teenage invoker in a bit of an angry moment can rather painfully cripple someone. This means that invokers come to be feared, reviled or sequestered away. Nobody expects a invoker in the family, unless they're extremely stoic, or just plain not commoners.

Because magic works in an instinctive way for invokers, they already know how to wave their hands around and what words to say to produce magical effects. These things just happen to them, it's like figuring out you can close one eye at the same time as another. You don't forget it.

Invokers tend to be people that have a bit of a breakdown after discovering their power, and becoming very afraid of what they can do to another person. They become conservative, then, through fear of themselves. Perhaps they were someone that just wanted to ignore their power and remain part of the community, but was forced out or away, as no other could handle what they could, and they needed to leave to defend it. Invokers are also, frequently, sent to wizards to be trained, the people sending them not understanding their power, and the wizard fairly ineffectually trying to channel it into more logical pursuits.

Not to say that all invokers are afraid of themselves. Some become rather absorbed in themselves, believing themselves somehow greater than their peers, and frequently attempting to rescue or aid people with their magical powers, becoming good-hearted but hopelessly romantic. Alternatively some could see their power as placing them above others, and decide it is their prerogative to nurse it until they can strike back against their own community for perceived slights, operating off of a false sense of entitlement to justice.

Mechanics of Invocations

Deciding how and why your character uses its power can be one of the greatest aspects of being a Invoker. How your character found his elemental affinity, or blood affinity, is up to you and is one of the great things of this class.

Charisma, to a Invoker, is essentially a measurement of how overbearing their presence is to the world, just like a sorcerer. How much of a dent they make in society by their existence, how much people are inclined to listen to them, and how much the weave of magic they can sink into. It is, for all intents and purposes, the "weight" of your personality. In this way, it gives invokers power. You can elbow a bit more compliance out of the weave with a bit more weight.

Another fun aspect of creating a invoker is determining the source of their power. They may not even be aware of this source, and it may not even come up, but the way in which it can influence the way your character acts can be a bit of a subtle bonus to those who figure it out.

For instance, Elementalists born on another plane tend to gravitate towards powers that would be closely associated with that plane. A Elementalist born on the Inner Plane of fire, or any genasi, really, would be more likely to harness and invoke using the element from which it is derived. Negatasi frequently become hemomancers. Hemomancers can also be under a curse, or have a bloodline tainted with vampirism or necromancy.

If the invoker's power came from a creature in their lineage, they likely will still have some traits of that creature loitering around in their bloodstream. There are literally hundreds of creatures that humans could have cross-bred with that would produce invokers. This doesn't mean flip open the Monster Manual and choose arbitrarily, but certainly put some thought into the idea of what monstrous or humanoid creature could be in your bloodstream to produce a invoker. The creature could also influence the type of powers that choose to manifest. If one is a invoker derivitive of an Alcor, then have them manifest primarily frost based spells.