Sorcerer 2nd edition dd

Familiar: A sorcerer can obtain a familiar. Doing so takes 24 hours and uses up magical materials that cost gp. A familiar is a magical beast that resembles a small animal and is unusually tough and intelligent.

The creature serves as a companion and servant. The sorcerer chooses the kind of familiar he gets. As the sorcerer advances in level, his familiar also increases in power. If the familiar dies or is dismissed by the sorcerer, the sorcerer must attempt a DC 15 Fortitude saving throw. Failure means he loses experience points per sorcerer level; success reduces the loss to one-half that amount.

However, a sorcerer's experience point total can never go below 0 as the result of a familiar's demise or dismissal. For example, suppose that Hennet is a 3rd-level sorcerer with 3, XP when his owl familiar is killed by a bugbear. Hennet makes a successful saving throw, so he loses XP, dropping him below 3, XP and back to 2nd level see the Dungeon Master's Guide for rules for losing levels. A slain or dismissed familiar cannot be replaced for a year and day. A slain familiar can be raised from the dead just as a character can be, and it does not lose a level or a Constitution point when this happy event occurs.

A character with more than one class that grants a familiar may have only one familiar at a time. Familiars are magically linked to their masters.

In some sense, the familiar and the master are practically one being. That's why, for example, the master can cast a personal range spell on a familiar even though he can normally cast such a spell only on himself. A familiar is a normal animal that gains new powers and becomes a magical beast when summoned to service by a sorcerer or wizard. It retains the appearance, Hit Dice, base attack bonus, base save bonuses, skills, and feats of the normal animal it once was, but it is treated as a magical beast instead of an animal for the purpose of any effect that depends on its type.

Only a normal, unmodified animal may become a familiar. A familiar also grants special abilities to its master a sorcerer or wizard , as given on the table below. These special abilities apply only when the master and familiar are within 1 mile of each other. Levels of different classes that are entitled to familiars such as sorcerer and wizard stack for the purpose of determining any familiar abilities that depend on the master's level.

Familiar Basics: Use the basic statistics for a creature of the familiar's kind, as given in the Monster Manual, but make the following changes:. Hit Dice: For the purpose of effects related to number of Hit Dice, use the master's character level or the familiar's normal HD total, whichever is higher.

Hit Points: The familiar has one-half the master's total hit points not including temporary hit points , rounded down, regardless of its actual Hit Dice. For example, at 2nd level, Hennet has 9 hit points, so his familiar has 4. Attacks: Use the master's base attack bonus, as calculated from all his classes. Use the familiar's Dexterity or Strength modifier, whichever is greater, to get the familiar's melee attack bonus with natural weapons.

Damage equals that of a normal creature of the familiar's kind. The familiar uses its own ability modifiers to saves, and it doesn't share any of the other bonuses that the master might have on saves from magic items or feats, for example. The spells created must be based upon the effect the school represents.

Use the guidelines in the DMG for the creation of new combat spells. For every two levels the caster gains he can add in an additional die of damage based upon the level he can cast the spell. Spells that are created using a specific die may only use that die until he creates a newer version of the spell using a different die. The spells that are defensive in nature cannot provide a great deal of protection, but as the sorcerer gains levels the defense is increased.

Defensive bonuses are gained at every five levels of the caster and the bonus is any modifier that helps out the character in combat. Use the DMG for designing new defensive spells to maintain balance. The following schools are available and the player creating a sorcerer character must declare during creation the school the character belongs to. Aeromancy — Aeromancers can shroud their enemies in choking vapors, call up cloaking patches of dense fog, fly above the trees, or encase themselves in a bubble of air to travel underwater.

Cryomancy — Cryomancers can create walls of ice, freeze rivers solid in the heart of summer and sear their enemies with a wicked frostbite that stops them dead in their tracks. Divination — Divination is one of the most widely practiced forms of sorcery on Krynn. Diviners can cast spells that might allow him to see if an item has a magical aura, or to note the presence of a trap in an otherwise harmless looking hallway. A diviner may even be able to see into the past or future.

Electromancy — Electromancers can unleash streams of lightning from his fingers to burn or terrify enemies, or he can summon a faint blue aura to light his way in the darkness. Enchantment — Enchanters can cast a variety of spells, from enchanting a sword to cause more damage to creating the crystal on the end of his staff to glow, eliminating the need for a torch or lantern.

Geomancy — Geomancers are known for their abilities to summon huge stonewalls, or to turn the ground beneath their enemies to quicksand. Hydromancy — Hydromancers can be valuable on ocean voyages, causing a swift current under the ship to appear, speeding it along. However, Hydromancers only have limited use of their powers on water not in its liquid state. Pyromancy — Pyromancers can summon a devastating fireball to plow through his enemies, or create a simple cooking fire.

Spectramancy — Spectramancers can create light, alter the color of existing radiances and otherwise manipulate luminances. Also many spectramancers can create illusions and images. Some of the more common spells from this school are Illusions and Invisibility. It remains part of that character's repertoire forever.

A wizard's spell book can be a single book, a set of books, a bundle of scrolls, or anything else your DM allows. The spell book is the wizard's diary, laboratory journal, and encyclopedia, containing a record of everything he knows. Naturally, it is his most treasured possession; without it he is almost helpless.

A spell book contains the complicated instructions for casting the spell—the spell's recipe, so to speak. Merely reading these instructions aloud or trying to mimic the instructions does not enable one to cast the spell. Spells gather and shape mystical energies; the procedures involved are very demanding, bizarre, and intricate. Before a wizard can actually cast a spell, he must memorize its arcane formula. This locks an energy pattern for that particular spell into his mind.

Once he has the spell memorized, it remains in his memory until he uses the exact combination of gestures, words, and materials that triggers the release of this energy pattern. Upon casting, the energy of the spell is spent, wiped clean from the wizard's mind.

The wizard cannot cast that spell again until he returns to his spell book and memorizes it again. Initially the wizard is able to retain only a few of these magical energies in his mind at one time. Furthermore, some spells are more demanding and complex than others; these are impossible for the inexperienced wizard to memorize.

With experience, the wizard's talent expands. He can memorize more spells and more complex spells. Still, he never escapes his need to study; the wizard must always return to his spell books to refresh his powers. Another important power of the wizard is his ability to research new spells and construct magical items. Both endeavors are difficult, time-consuming, costly, occasionally even perilous.

Through research, a wizard can create an entirely new spell, subject to the DM's approval. Likewise, by consulting with your DM, your character can build magical items, either similar to those already given in the rules or of your own design. Your DM has information concerning spell research and magical item creation.

Unlike many other characters, wizards gain no special benefits from building a fortress or stronghold. They can own property and receive the normal benefits, such as monthly income and mercenaries for protection.

However, the reputations of wizards tend to discourage people from flocking to their doors. At best, a wizard may acquire a few henchmen and apprentices to help in his work. Core Books.