A recent thread on RPG.Net had an awesome premise. What if you removed Clerics from OD&D and gave their magic to elves?
I thought the idea had merit. The more I rolled it around in my head, the more I liked it. Even if you left Clerics in, the spell creation and class creation rules in ACKS gave a perfect opportunity to build a ‘better elf’… or at least a different one.
So I did…see the previous post about the race build. See the previous altered Spellblade Class. And here is the post about Nightblades. And another about Courtiers.
In this post I’m going to rebuild the Elven Enchanter class as a divine caster. Their spell list focuses on illusion, enchantment, and transformative magic.
Elven Enchanter
To the Elven Enchanter, there are no enemies…only allies they haven’t dominated yet…
Prime Requisite: WIS and CHA
Requirements: WIS 9
Hit Dice: 1d4
Maximum Level: 12
Human legend paints the elves as bewitching and glamorous, yet tricky and untrustworthy. This reputation is not entirely undeserved, for the favorite dweomers of the elves are charms and illusions. The elven enchanter is a specialist in such glamours, one who can weave subtle marvels of light and sound, torment the senses with phantasms and figments, and confound the minds of the easily influenced. Elven enchanters might be called to adventure by a desire to experience awe and terror, a quest for rare and forgotten magic, or merely the lure of opulence.
Like mages, elven enchanters receive limited combat training. At first level, enchanters hit an unarmored foe (AC 0) with an attack throw of 10+. They advance in attack throws and saving throws only two points every six levels of experience (i.e. the same as mages). They may only fight with quarterstaffs, daggers, darts, or slings. They are unable to use shields, fight with two weapons, or wear any kind of armor.
Elven enchanters learn and cast divine spells as clerics. The number and levels of spells the enchanter can use in a single day is summarized on the Elven Enchanter Spell Progression table. Like a cleric, the enchanter’s spell selection is limited to the spells in his repertoire. An enchanter can use any magic items usable by clerics.
The elven enchanter’s mastery of charms and illusions gives him several advantages. When the character casts charm spells (such as charm person) or illusion spells (such as phantasmal force), the spell effects are calculated as if he were two class levels higher than his actual level of experience. Targets of his charm spells suffer a -2 penalty to their saving throw, as do those who attempt to disbelieve his illusions.
All enchanters can magically accomplish simple illusions and sleight of hand tricks suitable for impressing peasants, such as lighting a candle or shuffling cards, at will. To cast these prestidigitations, the enchanter must be able to perform the task physically, and be free to speak and gesture. He may use magical sleight-of-hand to pick pockets as a thief of one half his class level.
Every elven enchanter is able to project a glamorous aura that awes, bedazzles and seduces those in his presence. He gains a +2 bonus to reaction rolls to impress and intimidate people he encounters. If this bonus results in a total of 12 or more, the subjects act as if charmed while in his presence.
In addition, elven enchanters have power over the dead due to their strong connection to life and to the gods. As such, they can turn or control undead as a cleric of equal level, as determined by their alignment.
| Elven Enchanter Level Progression |
Eleven Enchanter Spell Progression |
|||||||||
| Experience | Title | Level | Hit Dice | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | ||
|
0 |
Prestidigitator | 1 | 1d4 | 1 | – | – | – | – | ||
|
2325 |
Glamourer | 2 | 2d4 | 2 | – | – | – | – | ||
|
4650 |
Charmer | 3 | 3d4 | 3 | – | – | – | – | ||
|
9300 |
Beguiler | 4 | 4d4 | 3 | 2 | – | – | – | ||
|
18600 |
Spellbinder | 5 | 5d4 | 3 | 3 | – | – | – | ||
|
37200 |
Bewitcher | 6 | 6d4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | – | ||
|
75000 |
Ensorceller | 7 | 7d4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | ||
|
150000 |
Illusionist | 8 | 8d4 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 2 | ||
|
290000 |
Enchanter | 9 | 9d4 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 3 | ||
|
430000 |
Enchanter, 10th lvl | 10 | 9d4+1* | 6 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 3 | ||
|
570000 |
Enchanter, 11th lvl | 11 | 9d4+2* | 6 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 5 | ||
|
710000 |
Enchanter, 12th lvl | 12 | 9d4+3* | 7 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 5 | ||
| *Hit point modifiers from constitution are ignored | ||||||||||
Like other elves, the enchanter gains a +1 bonus to surprise rolls when in the wilderness due to their attunement to nature. Elves have keen eyes that allow them to detect hidden and secret doors with a proficiency throw of 8+ on 1d20 when actively searching, or 14+ on casual inspection. Because of their connection to nature, elves are completely unaffected by the paralysis ghouls can inflict, and the target values for all their saving throws versus Petrification/Paralysis and Spells are reduced by 1. Elves can speak the Common, Elven, Gnoll, Hobgoblin, and Orc languages.
When an elven enchanter reaches 5th level (Spellbinder), he may begin to research spells, scribe magical scrolls, and brew potions. When an elven enchanter reaches 9th level (Enchanter), he is able to create more powerful magic items such as weapons, rings, and staffs.
An elven enchanter may also build a sanctum, often a great tower, when he reaches 9th level. He will then attract 1d6 apprentices of 1st-3rd level plus 2d6 elves seeking to become enchanters. Their Intelligence scores will be above average, but many will become discouraged from the rigorous mental training and quit after 1d6 months. While in the elven enchanter’s service, apprentices must be provided food and lodging, but need not be paid wages. If the elven enchanter builds a dungeon beneath or near his tower, monsters will start to arrive to dwell within, followed shortly by adventurers seeking to fight them.
At 11th level, an elven enchanter may learn and cast ritual divine spells of great power (6th, and 7th level), craft magical constructs, and create magical cross-breeds. If chaotic, the enchanter may create necromantic servants and become undead, though such a choice is understandably rarer among the ageless elves.
Elven Enchanter Proficiency List: Alchemy, Alertness, Apostasy, Art, Beast Friendship, Contortionism, Craft, Diplomacy, Disguise, Divine Blessing, Healing, Illusion Resistance, Knowledge, Language, Loremastery, Magical Engineering, Magical Music, Mimicry, Naturalism, Quiet Magic, Passing Without Trace, Performance, Righteous Turning, Running, Sensing Power, Soothsaying, Swashbuckling, Transmogrification, Unflappable Casting, Wakefulness
| Elven Enchanter Saving Throws | |||||
|
Level |
Petrification & Paralysis |
Poison & Death |
Blast & Breath |
Staffs & Wands |
Spells |
|
1-2 |
12+ |
10+ |
16+ |
13+ |
14+ |
|
3-4 |
11+ |
9+ |
15+ |
12+ |
13+ |
|
5-6 |
10+ |
8+ |
14+ |
11+ |
12+ |
|
7-8 |
9+ |
7+ |
13+ |
10+ |
11+ |
|
9-10 |
8+ |
6+ |
12+ |
9+ |
10+ |
|
11-12 |
7+ |
5+ |
11+ |
8+ |
9+ |
First Level Divine Spells
| 1 | Command Word enc |
| 2 | Cure Light Wounds |
| 3 | Delay Disease |
| 4 | Detect Danger |
| 5 | Detect Evil |
| 6 | Detect Magic |
| 7 | Fellowship enc |
| 8 | Light |
| 9 | Pass without Trace |
| 10 | Protection from Evil |
| 11 | Purify Food and Water |
| 12 | Remove Fear |
| 13 | Resist Cold elm(water) |
| 14 | Sanctuary |
| 15 | Salving Rest |
Second Level Divine Spells
| 1 | Augury |
| 2 | Bless |
| 3 | Chameleon |
| 4 | Charm Animal enc |
| 5 | Cure Moderate Wounds |
| 6 | Detect Charm |
| 7 | Divine Grace |
| 8 | Enthrall |
| 9 | Hold Person enc |
| 10 | Resist Fire elm(fire) |
| 11 | Phantasmal Force |
| 12 | Silence 15′ radius |
| 13 | Shimmer |
| 14 | Sleep |
| 15 | Speak with Animals |
Third Level Divine Spells
| 1 | Alter Self | |
| 2 | Charm Person | |
| 3 | Continual Light | |
| 4 | Cure Blindness | |
| 5 | Cure Disease* | |
| 6 | Detect Curse | |
| 7 | Glitterdust | |
| 8 |
|
|
| 9 | Invisibility | |
| 10 | Mirror Image | |
| 11 | Nondetection | |
| 12 | Prayer | |
| 13 | Protection from Nor. Missiles | |
| 14 | Remove Curse* | |
| 15 | Sphere of Visibility |
Fourth Level Divine Spells
| 1 | Create Water elm(water) |
| 2 | Cure Serious Wounds |
| 3 | Death Ward |
| 4 | Dispel Magic |
| 5 | Divination |
| 6 | Growth |
| 7 | Hold Monster |
| 8 | Invisibility 10’ Radius |
| 9 | Minor Globe of Invulnerability |
| 10 | Neutralize Poison |
| 11 | Protection from Evil, Sustained |
| 12 | Smite Undead nec |
| 13 | Spirit of Healing* |
| 14 | Tongues |
| 15 | Vigor |
Fifth Level Divine Spells
| 1 | Commune |
| 2 | Cure Critical Wounds |
| 3 | Create Food |
| 4 | Dispel Evil |
| 5 | Fear enc |
| 6 | Giant Strength |
| 7 | Polymorph Self |
| 8 | Polymorph Other |
| 9 | Protection from Nor. Weapons |
| 10 | Quest* enc |
| 11 | Restore Life and Limb* |
| 12 | Scry |
| 13 | Spectral Force |
| 14 | Strength of Mind* |
| 15 | True Seeing |
M Blackburn: A Writer's Journey 