Dresden Files D20 Homebrew

[vultur]

I'm thinking Wizard and Sorcerer *should* be the same class, just with different options picked.

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As for evocations, what about this:

Evocations

Evocations are quick and dirty magic, power conjured up to push things around or smash or burn an enemy.

Only characters with the Wizard or Sorcerer class can use evocations automatically. Characters who have any Minor Talent or Practitioner feat or template must buy the Evoker feat to use evocations; even so, their use of evocations is far weaker than that of a true Wizard of the Council or a powerful Sorcerer, even if they also buy the Skilled Evoker feat. Furthermore, they cannot pay hit points to enhance their evocations as a Wizard or Sorcerer can.

Evoker
Prerequisites: Any Minor Talent or Practitioner feat or template; Cha 15+; Wis 13+ or Con 13+
Benefit: You gain two evocation 'slots' per day, and learn one type of evocation. Your evocation check bonus is equal to your Wisdom or Constitution bonus, whichever is higher, plus your Charisma bonus.

Skilled Evoker
Prerequisites: Evoker
Benefit: Choose one of the following: You gain one additional evocation 'slot' per day, or you learn one more type of evocation. Also, you can, once per day, draw from your energies, making yourself fatigued to add a +4 bonus to one evocation roll.

Devastating Evocation
Prerequisites: Skilled Evoker or Wizard/Sorcerer levels
Benefit: You gain a +2 bonus to the save DC of one type of evocation you know.
Special: This feat can be taken multiple times. It does not stack, but applies to a different type of evocation each time it is taken.

Evocations in General
You can only cast an evocation if you have an evocation slot remaining unused (or, if you are a Wizard/Sorcerer, have sufficient magic points remaining). Casting an evocation is a standard action.

When casting an evocation, you choose your target and your desired effect, such as moving a large object with force or burning a vampire with fire. You then make an evocation check, rolling a d20 and adding your evocation check bonus. The result determines the degree of effect (such as how far the object moves or how much damage the vampire suffers) by what DC you meet. If you have chosen to attempt an evocation against a target farther away than your evocation check result allows you to, the effect still happens (the force or fire still manifests) but it does not affect the target, and fades away uselessly.

Wizards/Sorcerers can prepare 'pre-packaged' evocations; evocations cast in this way do not require evocation checks.

Saving throws against evocations have a DC of 10 + your Charisma modifier + any bonuses you receive from feats such as Devastating Evocation or Wizard/Sorcerer class features.

Types of Evocations
The Evoker feat allows you to learn one type of evocation; the Skilled Evoker feat allows you to learn another. Wizards/Sorcerers begin with three evocation types.

Fire Blast
This is your generic big flame, primarily used to burn up your foes.

DC    Range    Damage (Reflex save halves)
10    10 feet  1d3 fire damage
15    20 feet  1d6 fire damage
20    40 feet  1d10 fire damage
25    60 feet  2d10 fire damage
30    90 feet  3d10 fire damage
35    120 feet 4d10 fire damage
+5   +40 feet +1d10 fire damage

The flame's length is equal to its range (it extends from just in front of the evoker's hand, blasting rod, or other casting tool to the limit of its range). Unless shaped by a skilled Wizard/Sorcerer (using the Shape Evocation class feature), it is 5 feet (one square) wide and deep.  Any flammable objects, innocent bystanders, etc. in the flame will also take damage.

Other evocations would be Wind, Force, Earth, and probably others I can't think of now...

[vultur]

More on Evocations...

Evocation Check Modifiers
Supercharged emotional state  ... +2
Appropriate energy source within range (Improved Energy Use class feature*) ... +2
Make yourself fatigued (Skilled Evoker feat, or Wizard/Sorcerer, only) ... +4
Damage yourself (Wizard/Sorcerer only) ... +1/hit point dealt to yourself (maximum 1/2 your class level, round up)
Fatigued ... -2
Exhausted ... -4

Notes:
Supercharged emotional state: Applies when the evoker is fighting for something more important to them than life itself. This should be a rare bonus.
Appropriate energy source within range: This is things like Harry freezing water to power his fire. *See the class feature (whenever I get around to writing up the Wizard/Sorcerer class...)


Example: John Doe, a 4th level Wizard of the Council, is awakened by a suspicious sound and runs into the next room, where he sees a Renfield Black Court minion standing over his newborn son's crib. Fire is too dangerous to use in this situation, so he lights up with an Electricity evocation instead. To put as much power as possible into the decisive first shot, before the Renfield can harm the child, he makes himself fatigued (+4 bonus) and burns 2 hit points (+2 bonus). Since his son's life is at stake, he gains the +2 bonus for supercharged emotional states. Adding all these to his +2 Charisma modifier and his +2 bonus from his class levels, he rolls a 26 (base 14 + total bonus 12). The lightning bolt slams into the Renfield. Surprisingly, he makes his DC 13 (10, +2 Charisma bonus, +1 Wizard/Sorcerer class feature) Fortitude save for half damage despite his low save modifier; unfortunately for the vampiric minion, John Doe rolls 19 damage on his 3d8, and even half of that (9 damage) is enough to kill the 6-hit-point Renfield. John is severely winded by his exertion, but his son's life is saved. Of course, now he has to do something about the apparently-human lightning-struck corpse in his son's bedroom...


Electricity
Includes hurling bolts of lightning, supercharging metal objects with a deadly shock, etc.

DC    Range    Damage (Fortitude save halves)
5    10 feet  1d3 electricity damage
10    20 feet  1d6 electricity damage
15    40 feet  1d8 electricity damage
20    60 feet  2d8 electricity damage
25    90 feet  3d8 electricity damage
30    120 feet 4d8 electricity damage
+5   +40 feet +1d8 electricity damage

The lightning bolt's length is equal to its range (it extends from just in front of the evoker's hand, blasting rod, or other casting tool to the limit of its range). Unless shaped by a skilled Wizard/Sorcerer (using the Shape Evocation class feature), it is 1 inch wide and deep, so it will not harm scenery or innocent bystanders as fire will. (Of course, it is also less damaging than fire; there are always tradeoffs...)

The electricity evocation can also be used to make a single melee attack with a metal weapon as a full-round action. If it hits, it will deal normal damage plus electricity damage.

Wind
Includes shoving objects around, knocking your foes off their feet or into unconsciousness, etc.

DC    Range    Nonlethal Damage (Reflex save halves)
5    10 feet  1d3 nonlethal bludgeoning damage
10    20 feet  1d4 nonlethal bludgeoning damage
15    30 feet  1d6 nonlethal bludgeoning damage
20    50 feet  2d6 nonlethal bludgeoning damage
25    70 feet  3d6 nonlethal bludgeoning damage
30    100 feet 4d6 nonlethal bludgeoning damage
+5   +30 feet +1d6 nonlethal bludgeoning damage

The wind blast's length is equal to its range (it extends from just in front of the evoker's hand, blasting rod, or other casting tool to the limit of its range). Unless shaped by a skilled Wizard/Sorcerer (using the Shape Evocation class feature), it is 10 feet wide and deep, so it will throw objects around and otherwise wreck the area in a rather large chunk of the scenery. However, its effects on innocent bystanders, while they may be painful, are nonfatal.

A wind evocation is generally cast to knock down or unbalance your foes rather than to damage them. It deals the least damage of all evocations, but creatures who fail their Reflex saves are automatically knocked off balance (-1 penalty to attack rolls, saving throws, and evocation checks next round), and are knocked prone (if Large or larger) or knocked prone and shoved back 10 feet (if Medium or smaller) if they fail their saves by 5 points or more. Inanimate objects up to (50 pounds x the evocation check result) are shoved 10 feet automatically; objects less than 10 pounds are blown to the limit of the wind blast's range.