Cantripologist (3.5e Class)

Cantripologist

Rating:	12.75 out of 20
Power:	2.75 out of 5 by 2 users
Wording:	3 out of 5 by 2 users
Formatting:	4 out of 5 by 2 users
Flavor:	3 out of 5 by 2 users
	(Rate this class)
Status:	Just tried a new method
Editing:	Constructive edits welcome

Contents 1 Cantripologist 1.1 Making a Cantripologist 1.1.1 Class Features 1.1.2 Epic Cantripologist 1.1.3 Gnome Cantripologist Starting Package 1.2 Campaign Information 1.2.1 Playing a Cantripologist 1.2.2 Cantripologists in the World 1.2.3 Cantripologist Lore 1.2.4 Cantripologists in the Game

[edit] Cantripologist

The Cantripologist is a dangerous wielder of very weak magic. While this may seem to be a contradiction of terms, it is not, because the Cantripologist can cast a barrage of cantrips simultaneously or a single cantrip with an incredible amount of metamagic applied to it.

[edit] Making a Cantripologist

Designing a Cantripologist should be much like designing a Wizard.

The Cantripologist is strangely versatile, but is generally lacking in the offensive department, especially since his save DCs tend to be those of 0-level spells, even at high levels.

Abilities: The Cantripologist uses Intelligence for his spellcasting. However, good secondary ability scores would be Dexterity and Constitution, to live longer and perhaps have a bit of weapon potential.

Races: Gnomes and Fae particularly like this class, for its potential to tinker with all sorts of aspects of reality. The Bourgensia also enjoy this class, with their outside-the-box style of thinking.

Alignment: Any.

Starting Gold: 2d6×10 gp (70 gp).

Starting Age: Complex.

Table: The Cantripologist

Hit Die: d4

Level	Base Attack Bonus	Saving Throws			Special	Spell Levels per Casting and Pseudocasting level	Spell Casts Per Day
		Fort	Ref	Will
1st	+0	+0	+0	+2	Cantrips, Bonus Metamagic Feat	1/1	6
2nd	+1	+0	+0	+3	Merge cantrip effects	3/1	10
3rd	+1	+1	+1	+3		4/2	14
4th	+2	+1	+1	+4	Change energy type	6/2	20
5th	+2	+1	+1	+4	Imitate Spell	7/3	26
6th	+3	+2	+2	+5		9/3	34
7th	+3	+2	+2	+5		10/4	42
8th	+4	+2	+2	+6	Bonus Metamagic Feat	12/4	52
9th	+4	+3	+3	+6		13/5	62
10th	+5	+3	+3	+7		15/5	74
11th	+5	+3	+3	+7		16/6	86
12th	+6/+1	+4	+4	+8	Bonus Metamagic Feat	18/6	100
13th	+6/+1	+4	+4	+8		19/7	114
14th	+7/+2	+4	+4	+9		21/7	130
15th	+7/+2	+5	+5	+9		22/8	146
16th	+8/+3	+5	+5	+10	Bonus Metamagic Feat	24/8	164
17th	+8/+3	+5	+5	+10		25/9	182
18th	+9/+4	+6	+6	+11		27/9	222
19th	+9/+4	+6	+6	+11		28/9	250
20th	+10/+5	+6	+6	+12	Bonus Metamagic Feat	30/9	306
Class Skills (4 + Int modifier per level, ×4 at 1st level) Appraise (Int), Bluff (Cha), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Diplomacy(Cha), Forgery (Int), Heal (Int), Knowledge (Arcana) (Int), Knowledge (Nature) (Int), Knowledge (Religion) (Int), Search (Int), Spot (Int), Sense Motive (Wis), Sleight of Hand (Dex), Spellcraft (Int), Use Magic Device (Cha).

[edit] Class Features

All of the following are class features of the Cantripologist.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: The Cantripologist is proficient with the quarterstaff, dagger, and light crossbow.

Spells: The Cantripologist's spell save DCs are Intelligence based. He can cast a limited number of total spell levels each day. Level 0 spells take 1/2 of a level for this purpose.

Table: Cantripologist Spells Known

Level	Spells Known
1st	4
2nd	5
3rd	6
4th	7
5th	8
6th	9
7th	10
8th	11
9th	12
10th	13
11th	14
12th	15
13th	16
14th	17
15th	18
16th	19
17th	20
18th	21
19th	22
20th	23

Bonus Metamagic Feat: The Cantripologist gets a bonus metamagic feat at first level and every fourth level.

Cantrips: The Cantripologist can know 0-level spells from the Sorceror, Cleric, Druid, and Bard spell lists. As a standard action, he may cast a number of them (or any combination of multiples of them) with metamagic applied to them as desired; However, the total combined spell level of all spells he casts in this way cannot be greater than his Spell Levels per Casting statistic. For this purpose, unmodified level 0 spells count as being 1/2 of a level. The Save DC for all spells in a Cantripologist's casting is equal to 10 + his Intelligence modifier + the total number of spell levels in the casting, rounded down.

Merge spell effects: At level 2, a cantripologist can combine effects of his cantrips that normally couldn't be combined. For example, "mage hand" only lifts 5 lbs, but if he uses 17 "mage hands" for example, he can combine every spell effect (17 * 5 lbs per spell, in this case) and lift 85 lbs. Same things can be done with other similar cantrips like "Flash","Guidance", Etc.

Change energy type: At level 4, a cantripologist can change at will the energy type of his spells between -fire,cold,acid,electricity,sonic,good,evil,axiomatic and anarchic.

Imitate Spell: At level 5, a cantripologist can imitate spell effects depending on school and pseudocasting level.For example he can imitate Phantasmal killer if he wastes 8 cantrips of illusion school (since it is lvl 4 spell, illusion school, and cantrips count as 1/2) such as 8 ghost sounds....a cantripologist can use this ability only eight times per day plus his intelligence modifier (8+Int mod)

When the Cantripologist concentrates on spells, he may concentrate on several spells simultaneously, so long as their combined spell level is no greater than his Spell Levels per Casting statistic.All spells he casts simultaneously count as only one spell..For example if he casts 5 spells simultaneously, it is considered as one spell.

Pseudocasting level: The Cantripologist is treated (for the purpose of feats, prestige classes, ect.) as being able to cast spells of a level equal to his Spell Levels per Casting statistic. If the feat or prestige class requires a specific kind of spell (ex: a 5th or higher level spell with the force descriptor) the Pseudocasting level applies (as long as there is a spell that fits the other requirement; in this case it would be any spell with the force descriptor)This level is symbolized with a /.

[edit] Epic Cantripologist

Table: The Epic Cantripologist

Hit Die: d4

Level	Special
21st
22nd	10 Spell Levels per Casting
23rd
24th	Bonus Feat, 11 Spell Levels per Casting
25th
26th	13 Spell Levels per Casting
27th
28th	Bonus Feat, 14 Spell Levels per Casting
29th
30th	15 Spell Levels per Casting
4 + Int modifier skill points per level.

Cantrips known: The Cantripologist continues learning one new cantrip every level.

Spell Levels per Casting: The Spell Levels per Casting for a Cantripologist increase by 1 every even-numbered level after 20th.

Spell Levels per Day: The Spell Levels per Day for a Cantripologist increase by 25 every level after 20th.

Bonus Feats: The epic Cantripologist gains a bonus feat (selected from the list of epic Cantripologist bonus feats) every 4 levels after 20th.

Epic Cantripologist Bonus Feat List:Augmented Alchemy, Automatic Quicken Spell, Automatic Silent Spell, Automatic Still Spell, Combat Casting, Craft Epic Magic Arms and Armor, Craft Epic Rod, Craft Epic Wondrous Item, Efficient Item Creation, Enhance Spell, Epic Spell Focus, Epic Spell Penetration, Epic Spellcasting, Forge Epic Ring, Ignore Material Components, Improved Combat Casting, Improved Heighten Spell, Improved Metamagic, Improved Spell Capacity, Intensify Spell, Multispell, Permanent Emanation, Scribe Epic Scroll, Spell Knowledge, Spell Mastery, Spell Focus, Spell Penetration Spell Stowaway, Spell Opportunity, Spontaneous Spell, Tenacious Magic. In addition to the feats on this list, the Cantripologist may select any metamagic feat not listed here.

[edit] Gnome Cantripologist Starting Package

Weapons: Four daggers and a light crossbow.

Skill Selection: Pick a number of skills equal to 4 + Int modifier.

Skill	Ranks	Ability	Armor Check Penalty
Concentration	4	Constitution	—
Forgery	4	Intelligence	—
Knowledge (Arcana)	4	Intelligence	—
Spellcraft	4	Intelligence	—
Craft	4	Intelligence	—

Feat: Extend Spell.

Bonus Feats: Energy Substitution.

Gear: Backpack, Bedroll, Waterskin, Flint and Steel, 3 × Torch, Quiver, 20 × bolts, Sack, Spell Component Pouch, Travelers Outfit, 3 × Trail Rations.

Gold: 45 gp.

[edit] Campaign Information

[edit] Playing a Cantripologist

Other Classes: Cantripologists are often scorned by more mainstream spellcasters, who tend to think that nothing good can come of cantrips.

Combat: The Cantripologist may choose to use spells like Ray of Frost to deal damage, or he might use distracting spells to mess with his enemies.

Advancement: The Cantripologist sometimes benefits from multiclassing with combat or stealth-based classes, but they are still a form of greater spellcaster, notorious for their inability to multiclass effectively.

[edit] Cantripologists in the World

“	People tend to underestimate what you can do with a dozen Mage Hands	”
—Dralek Tar, Half-Orc Cantripologist

Notables: Nethezig the Unholy, respected for the intimidating things he can do with Light and Ghost Sound. Dralek Tar, feared for his tendency to drop boulders on people, or lift people up and leave them floating in the air.

Organizations: Cantripologists assemble in much the same way Wizards do.

NPC Reactions: NPCs tend to assume that Cantripologists are not to be feared, unless proven otherwise.

[edit] Cantripologist Lore

Characters with ranks in Knowledge (Arcana) can research Cantripologists to learn more about them. When a character makes a skill check, read or paraphrase the following, including information from lower DCs.

Knowledge (Arcana)

DC	Result
5	Cantripologists can wield massive numbers of cantrips.
10	Some of the cantrips the Cantripologists wield are affected by a whole lot of metamagic.
15	Cantripologists cannot run out of normal cantrips, but can run out of Greater Cantrips.

[edit] Cantripologists in the Game

Adaptation: Consider requiring preparation for Greater Cantrips or making a limit for the number of ordinary cantrips the Cantripologist can cast per day.

Sample Encounter: Some rambling beggar babbles on about odd noises and lights. The PCs find out it is an evil Cantripologist tormenting the townspeople.

EL whatever: 3rd level CE Cantripologist, maybe I'll add stats later.

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