Talk:Paradox Mage (3.5e Class)

[edit] Excellent Idea, Needs Work

I've been playing D&D 3.0/3.5 for what must be going on three years now. not much for most peopl, who have been playing from the begining (I'm talking first Ed.) but I have become somewhat of a rules library for my friends, (Whats falling damage, the DC to break a stuck door, the critical for natural claw attacks?) and quite frankily, this is an excellent class idea that needs much playtesting.

I have some experience with the Yabba the What feature point system, and although I feel it is broken, it helps me judge a classes balance. The first thing I notice is whats fair: HD, BAB, BST, SP, and so on are all fine. I acctually like the idea of giving the class partial spell casting, which also seems fair, seeing as he is after all a mage, but I think it should be closer to sorcerer seeing as how the class has a slightly more chaotic nature.

Secondly it seems that the paradoxes and their effects are not fully thought out, and many of them are impractical or give typically the same type of bonuses. I propose instead that they should give a wider number of different effects, and allow a much larger variety of paradoxes to choose from to allow more mix and match play.

I also see that it is based of the sacrificing of spells in order to use these paradoxes, which seems fair for their power, but a whole bunch of sacrificed level one spells add up once your using a few paradoxes at a time, instead like many other spell like abilities, each paradox should be useable either three times per day, or maybe once, plus a number of times per day equal to the characters wis or int score (whichever is better or whichever fits the class more accuratley). That said, it should be play tested a few times to rough out this type of thing and all looks excellent. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by RappinRabbi (talk • contribs) 21:13, 7 September 2007 (MDT). Please sign your posts!

Thank you for taking the time to comment. I've considered using sorcerer-like casting, but it's not flexible enough for the paradox mage's purposes - he tends to need a large variety of spells, even at early stages.

As for the paradoxes - I agree they have to be modified. But I never seem to have the time to do it. Until I do I can only hope on the good will of people to help me out. But the sacrifice-spell-for-paradox scheme seems to work fine, as the paradox mage has a limited number of spells per day, which are also needed as the actual spells, so even if he is under the constant effect of a paradox (sacrificing level 0 and level 1 spells all day), it will only balance out the practical use for them.

Feel free to make any changes you find appropriate.

X 02:30, 11 September 2007 (MDT)X

[edit] Special leveling requirements

One of the features I really liked for the old DnD games was that some classes had specific things you had to accomplish in order to proceed to the next level. If you gained enough XP to level but had not completed the task, you would gain XP but not level until you DID complete the necessary task.

The Paradox Mage seems like it should have a single task for each and every level: To create a new, non-magical paradox.

By non-magical, I mean that the PM should not simply be able to cast a few spells to create the necessary paradox, but must in fact create genuine paradoxes through mundane methods. Spell casting may allow for the paradox's set-up, but it should not result in the paradoxes creation. For instance, a spell sending the PM back in time would give the opportunity for the PM to create paradoxes, but not directly result in a paradox. Something like a teleport/contingency/teleport combo might result in a "two-places-at-once" paradox, but it would not fulfill the necessary paradox requirement to proceed to the next level. Similarly, the paradox spell-like abilities do not qualify.

Each paradox must be greater than the last. If a paradox is not sufficient, the PM will not proceed to the next level.

An few example paradoxes: To proceed to level two, a PM must prove an instance of a paradox is not actually a paradox.

To proceed to level six, a PM must prove that the previously selected instance of a paradox, is, in fact, a paradox.

To proceed to level eleven, a PM must create a self-sustaining time loop.

To proceed to level sixteen, a PM must use meet their past-self and cut off their right or left arm or hand, using that same appendage.

To proceed to level twenty, a PM must travel back in time and kill their own grandfather before their father is conceived.

As appropriate to the campaign and the gaming group, the DM may pre-select the required paradoxes, or the player may simply try to create various paradoxes until they create one sufficient to level.--71.254.192.74 22:16, 23 February 2009 (MST)