Editing Force Mage

'''Forces Mages''' are an obscure branch of the [[elementalist]] family tree hailing from [[Dungeons & Dragons]]. Unlike other practitioners of [[elementalism]], the Force Mage focuses on mastery over those spells that manipulate, shape and control pure force, an energy type that simulates physical matter and so can be used to craft shields and weapons. [[Magic Missile]] is the simplest and humblest of these spells, but there are many others, mostly found in the school of [[Evoker|Evocation]] - the famous Bigby's Hand spells, Otiluke's Spheres, Mordenkainen's Sword, these are all examples of magical force.

This form of [[Specialist Wizard]] debuted in Player's Option: Spells & Magic for [[Advanced Dungeons & Dragons]] 2nd edition. It is one of the "Effect Specializations", a position it shares with the [[Elementalist]], [[Dimensionalist]], [[Mentalist]] and [[Shadow Magic|Shadow Mage]]. Mechanically, it has the following traits:
::Ability Score Requirements: [[Intelligence]] 12+, [[Constitution]] 15+
::Racial Restrictions: [[Human]], [[Half-Elf]]
::Prohibited Schools: [[Transmuter|Transmutation]] and [[Illusionist|Illusion]]
::Can memorize 1 bonus spell per spell level each day, which must be a Force Magic spell.
::Creatures suffer a -1 penalty to their saving throws against Force Magic spells cast by a Force Mage.
::Force Mages gain a +1 bonus to saving throws against Force Magic spells. This increases to a +2 bonus at 8th leve;, and a +3 bonus at 14th level.
::+15% bonus to attempts to learn Force Magic spells.
::-15% penalty to attempts to learn non-Force Magic spells.
::Cannot learn spells from Prohibited Schools.
::Automatically gains one Force Magic spell in their spellbook each time they reach a new level.
::When attempting to research new Force Magic spells, the spell's level is reduced by 1 to determine how difficult it is to research.
::At 11th level, may attempt to make damaging halving saving throws against all damage-inflicted Force Magic spells, even if they do not normally allow saves.

Though Force went on to become its own spell keyword in 3rd edition, this form of specialist wizard vanished into the mists of time. But, the idea did spawn something of an inheritor, in the form of the Force ''Missile'' Mage prestige class in 3rd edition, which appeared in [[Dragon Magazine]] (and made it into ''Dragon Compendium'') and is basically a wizard obsessed with pushing the limits of what they can do with the humble [[Magic Missile]]. In [[Pathfinder]] "aether" is available as a specialty for both [[Elementalist]] [[Wizard]]s and the [[Kineticist]], and it's basically the Force Mage archetype with a snappier name.

'''Requirements:'''
::''Skills:'' Concentration 9 ranks , Spellcraft 9 ranks
::''Feats:'' Combat Casting
::''Spells:'' Ability to cast Magic Missile once per day.

'''Hit die:''' d8

'''Skill points:''' 2 + Int

'''BAB Increase:''' +1 at 2nd level, +2 at 4th level

'''Fort Increase:''' +1 at 3rd level

'''Ref Increase:''' +1 at 3rd level

'''Will Increase:''' +2 at 1st level, +3 at 2nd level, +4 at 4th level

'''Class Features:'''
''Weapons and Armor Proficiency:'' Force missile mages gain no new weapon or armor proficiencies.

''Spells:'' A force missile mage continues training in magic as he gains levels. At each level after 1st, the force missile mage gains new spells per day (and spells known, if applicable) as if he had also gained a level in an spellcasting class he belonged to before he added the prestige class. He does not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained. If the character has levels in more than one spellcasting class before becoming a force missile mage, he must decide to which class he adds each level of force missile mage for the purposes of determining spells per day.

''Bonus Missile:'' At 1st level, a force missile mage gains increased mastery over his spell of choice. Every time he casts magic missile he creates an addition missile, even if this extra missile exceeds the normal maximum of five missiles that the spell normally allows. Thus, a 1st-level force missile mage/6th-level wizard creates five magic missiles, while a 1st-level force missile mage/8th- level wizard produces six missiles. At 5th level, the force missile mage benefits from an additional bonus missile. This means that a high-level force missile mage can create up to seven missiles with a single casting of magic missile.

''Still Missile (Ex):'' All of the force missile mage's magic missile spells lack a somatic component. He casts magic missile as if using the Still Spell feat but without an increase in spell level.

''Energy Missile (Ex):'' A force missile mage becomes intimately attuned to the energies that compose the spell magic missile and may alter them in significant ways. Starting at 2nd level, a force missile mage may add either the acid, cold, electricity, or fire descriptor to any magic missile he casts. The type of energy added to the spell is chosen at the time of casting, and you can choose a different type of energy each time you cast magic missile. This altered descriptor affects all missiles created by a single casting of magic missile. Although still a force spell, any magic missile altered in this way deals additional damage against vulnerable creatures and less damage against creatures with related resistances and immunities.

''Swift Shield (Sp):'' A force missile mage realizes the need to defend himself against the magic missiles of other spell casters. A 2nd-level force missle mage can cast Shield once per day as an immediate action. (An immediate action is like a free action, but only once can be made per round.) This spell is cast in addition to the force missile mage's usual number of spells per day and at the force missile mage's highest caster level.

''Overpowering Missile:'' At 3rd level, the force missile mage's Magic Missile spells become especially potent, breaking through spell resistance more readily than normal. He gains a +2 bonus on caster level checks made to overcome a creature's spell resistance with the spell Magic Missile. This benefit only applies to Magic Missile spells he casts. In addition, a force missile mage's Magic Missiles might penetrate Shield spells and Brooches of Shielding. Against such protections, the force missile mage makes a caster level check with a DC equal to the caster level, in the case of Shield, or DC 20, in the case of a brooch.

''Reflective Shield (Sp):'' At 4th level, a force missile mage can reflect the spell Magic Missile. For the purposes of being affected by Magic Missile, a force missile mage is constantly treated as being under the effect of the spell Spell Turning, thus reflecting offensive Magic missiles back at the caster. If that caster is protected by a Shield spell or a Brooches of Shielding, these reflected Magic Missiles are negated as normal. Missiles reflected back against a caster who also has Spell Turning in effect require the force misslie mage to roll on the Spell Turning mishap chart.

[[Category: Dungeons & Dragons]] [[Category:Dungeons & Dragons Classes]]