Cabalist (4e Class)
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[edit] Cabalist
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CURRENTLY BEING RE-WORKED --Celen Joad 23:18, 5 April 2012 (MDT)
| “ | Will we win or will we lose is all up to chance. Fortunately; I bribed chance long ago. | ” |
| —Lord Savataar, before the final battle against Tharzidun in the war of the gods | ||
| Class Traits |
| Role: Controller. A cabalist aims to confuse and destroy the enemy with the power granted by raw magical energy. She often stands clear of the battle whilst raining her chaos from above, sure to be out of range of her unstable abilities. A cabalist is unpredictable, but can alter the course of a battle in a single instant. Among her party, a cablist is both a blessing and a curse. |
| Power Source: Eldritch (Arcane when outside of LAI). A cabalist gains her powers by eldritch runes garned from grimoires and ancient scripts. They have some semblance of control over their abilities by the useage of these runes. Runes must be discovered, be it in the world or from experiencing the raw power of magic over time. |
| Key Abilities: Charisma, Intellegence, Wisdom |
| Armor Proficiencies: Cloth, Leather |
| Weapon Proficiencies: Simple melee, simple ranged, quarterstaff |
| Implements: Runes |
| Bonus to Defense: +1 Will, +1 Reflex |
| Hit Points at 1st Level: 10 + Constitution score |
| Hit Points per Level Gained: 4 |
| Healing Surges per Day: 4 + Constitution modifier |
| Trained Skills: Arcana (Int), Religion (Wis). From the class skills list below, choose 3 more trained skills at 1st level. Class Skills: Dungeoneering (Wis), Endurance (Con), Heal (Wis), Insight (Wis), Perception (Wis) |
| Build Options: Evoker, Invoker |
| Class Features: Arcane Implementation, Surging Presence, Wild Magic Manipulation, Rune Book |
Cabalists are gamblers in combat and defense. Their magic is unpredictable, and they spend time learning to control these abilities. Their power is limited only to the amount of wild magic they can access. They learn runes that allow them better control and selection over the chaotic abilities they control.
Being a cabalist is not a simple life decision. It requires much dedication and luck to learn how to use runes. Maybe they were part of a cult and learned that their symbol did in fact hold some power. Perhaps they were scholars who read more than they should have. No matter how they became one; it is not something they will soon forget. Cabalists also know catalysts; ordinary spells used to set off a wild magic surge. Occasionally, a cabalist may resort to using normal controlled magic.
Causing an enemy to turn into a beaver. Removing an affliction thought terminal. Causing the world to shake as magic tears the crust like paper. Mastering runes to further cheat chance and fate. In the eyes of the people a cabalist is rash and unstable. In the eyes of the cabalist, they are this and so much more. In the midst of battle, a cabalist is someone who you want on your side, even if they do take out their own at times. Their powers are great, in trade for predictablity. Cabalists are not subtle folk, and they are known for their outbursts of power. In no situation is a cabalist useless; but in few situations is a cabalist ideal. A cabalist can be the hero or traitor of their group should chance deny them their will.
Cabalist Overview |
| Characteristics: The main defining point of Cabalists is a risk taking attitude. Be they revelling in the chaos or attempting to calm it, a Cabalist is never without risk. They are careful, though, should they ever need to help themselves. |
| Religion: Cabalists can be disciples of deities, spirits or non-religious. Their power comes from the Eldritch, pure magic without calling. One need not be religious, but with the hazards of the job, most cabalists plan for a rewarding afterlife at any time. Cabalists are often part of a cabal, a group of cabalists that derive their powers as one from an evil god or spirit. Vecna is a common choice, as Vecna controls the world's secrets of the runes. Tharzidun is also another common god. Unaligned Cabalists most often worship spirits, and good cabalists often adhere to the teachings of Corelleon and Ioun. |
| Races: Humans and Tieflings most commonly become Cabalists as they are prone to gambling and risk-taking. Any race can be a cabalist, though the Eladrin often avoid tampering with pure magic. |
[edit] Creating a Cabalist
[edit] Evoker
Your runes you have learnt help you focus on more random effects. You strike hard and powerfully, but have little use amongst allies. Charisma should be your best ability to help the range of your magic. Wisdom should follow suit, allowing you protection against your own spells should worst come to worst. Constitution should be your third best; allowing you survival should your magic fail.
- Suggested Feats: Chaotic Focus (Human Feat: Skill Focus: Arcana)
- Suggested Skills: Arcana, Endurance, Insight
- Suggested At-Will Powers: Power Catalyst, Chaotic Catalyst
- Suggested Encounter Powers: Rune of Power
- Suggested Daily Powers: Rune of Destruction
[edit] Invoker
The runes you've learnt help you focus on more specific magics. You choose powers defensively to give your allies an edge. Wisdom should be your best ability to help focus your magic. Intellegence should come second, allowing you more control over the magic given to you. Charisma should be your third to help the magic you have access to.
- Suggested Feats: Law Focus (Human Feat: Skill Focus: Arcana)
- Suggested Skills: Arcana, Insight, Religion
- Suggested At-Will Powers: Delicate Catalyst, Catalyst
- Suggested Encounter Powers: Rune of Defense
- Suggested Daily Powers: Rune of Sanctuary
[edit] Creating a Hybrid Cabalist
Cabalists are suited to hybridisation with any arcane class, especially wizard or sorcerer. Cabalists are better suited to hybridisation than pure classing if they wish to use their wild magic to a more extreme state. A hybrid cabalist can use spells without runes or wild magic, and can also activate wild surges with their spell's original effects by not using runes. However, a hybrid cabalist loses their ability to use catalysts, which is a major setback if their hybridised class cannot use arcane abilities, as they lose the ability to summon or set off wild surges.
| Role: | Striker/Controller. |
|---|---|
| Power Source: | Eldritch.. |
| Key Abilities: | Charisma, Intellegence, Wisdom |
| Armor Proficiencies: | Cloth, Leather |
| Weapon Proficiencies: | Simple melee, simple ranged, quarterstaff |
| Implement(s): | Runes |
| Bonus to Defense: | +1 Will |
| Hit Points at 1st Level: | 5.5 |
| Hit Points per Level Gained: | 2.5 |
| Healing Surges per Day: | 3 |
| Class Skills: | Arcana (Int), Religion (Wis). Dungeoneering (Wis), Endurance (Con), Heal (Wis), Insight (Wis), Perception (Wis) |
| Class Features: | Arcane Implementation, Wild Magic Manipulation (Hybrid) |
| Hybrid Talent Options: | Chaotic Focus, Wild Presence, Cabalist Reflexes |
[edit] Cabalist Class Features
A Cabalist's greatest characteristic is the power and random effects granted by their useage of wild magic. They utelise this power with runic knowledge and catalystic spells.
Arcane Implementation: Cabalists use runes to focus their magical abilites. Certain runes cannot directly affect the wild magics, but allow the cabalist greater control over the wild magic. They can use runes etched onto orbs or other magical items as implements.
Wild Magic Manipulation: Cabalists have the ability to manipulate the wild magic of surges. These surges are manipulated by way of catalysts. Catalysts are runic grammar, preparing the target, range and area of the incantation. Hybrid: A hybrid Cabalist loses the ability to select at-will powers, thus the abilty to use catalysts, and instead gains the Wild Spirit power:
| Wild Spirit | Attack 1 |
| You concentrate and exchange discipline for chaos; setting off a wild surge. | |
| At-Will ✦ Eldritch | |
| Immediate Reaction | Self |
| Trigger: You successfully use an encounter or daily ability with arcane or eldritch as the power-source. | |
| Target: Self | |
| Effect: The target(s) you hit with your spell are marked as the target for the surge. You set off a magical surge of severity equal to the next lowest level basic catalyst to your level. (Level 1 gets the level 1 Catalyst, level 9 the level 6, ect.) and can apply runes. The original spell's effects other than damage occur. | |
Grimoire: Cabalists can learn to use certain surges with runes that allow them to choose which property they want the surge to adopt. These runes are kept in a Grimoire, which is any ordinary spell book. Not having this book when taking an extended rest causes the Cabalist to lose their abilities to cast encounter or daily incantations, effectively stripping them of power. A Cabalist can also attempt to copy a rune from another Cabalist's Grimoire with a DC 20 + Rune Level Arcana check. Doing so destroys the target Grimoire. If a Grimoire is destroyed, a new one can be bought and all known Runes can be replaced by the Replace Spellbook ritual.
Surging Presence: Cabalists cause wild magic surges with their very presence, causing wild magic surges to occur. After using a catalyst power, a surge occurs. If a surge was already due to happen on the cabalist's turn, the surge value roll gains a 20 point bonus, allowing a higher surge value to be reached. If they go over 280 (Or maximum surge value if new surges are added) the roll continues at value 1. If the cabalist does not use a rune, and their surge requires a rune/spell to occur before it's effects take place, the surge persists and can be set off by allies or enemies alike.
[edit] Cabalist Powers
Cabalists use a range of Eldritch runes and catalysts. Catalysts are used to set off a wild magic surge, whilst runes are used to control them. Both affect the outcome in some way. Some runes are used to narrow selection, whilst others are used to improve power. Cabalist powers are called incantations when both a catalyst and rune are used at once; otherwise they are known as just catalysts or runes: Cabalist Powers (4e Power List)
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