Wunderkind
(sorcerer variant)
by Wm Jay Carter III, inspired by the Eliciter and Fey Adept classes from Spheres of Power
The
seventh child of a seventh child, born on a midsummer's eve in a fairy circle,
or taken by the fairies as a baby and replaced with a changeling, the
wunderkind (plural: wunderkinder) has an innate connection to the Fey
Realm, and therefore to magic itself. Wonders and strange happenings follow
these magical prodigies from a young age, earning them the epithet
"wonderchildren."
Willful
to a fault, the wunderkind looks on those who submit themselves to others’ commands
with disdain. Experiencing the fullest range of emotion and experience for
herself is a wunderkind’s ultimate goal, and it is therein that she finds her
power. A wunderkind’s approach to magic is intense, passionate, and personal.
Wunderkinder
are shunned by most in Euzoria. The unintentional havoc she is capable of
causing at an early age draws the attention of local peacekeepers, who prevent
future problematic outbursts by issuing the wunderkinder a pirium torc or
bracelet. The magically reactive metal drains the mana from her, thus
diminishing her chaotic potential. For this reason, any person wearing pirium
is commonly suspected to be a wunderkind and considered “dirty” or
“troublesome” by scholarly spellcasters.
A
wunderkind’s only chance for a normal life lies in a safehouse for her kind,
called a kindergarten. Typically located outside city limits, each kindergarten
is tended by a wunderkind—called a gartner—who is able to help the fledgeling
spellcaster harness her emotions and abilities to her benefit, eventually
teaching her to control her magic without the use of pirium.
Fortunate
wunderkinder are apprenticed to a wanderer (nomadic wunderkind), as a herald,
tasked with announcing her master’s arrival at each city they visit within
Euzoria’s boundaries. Without pirium to clearly identify the wanderer as a
wunderkind, permission must be obtained from the governor of a city before she
may enter. The wanderer’s apprentice dons her pirium and negotiates with the
governor for her master’s entry rights. No matter how gracious a host the
governor may be, however, wanderers and their apprentices are typically
permitted to stay inside city limits for only days at a time.
The most
prestigious wunderkinder, however, are the magisters, and most wunderkinder seek
to join the Magisterium. A group of wunderkinder in a league of their own, the
Magisterium is known for hosting an annual 3-day event known as the Gathering
outside the boundaries of Euzoria. The Gathering brings together all the
wanderers and their apprentices across Athanasia and sets challenges for each
to establish a loose ranking system among them, called leagues.
The
crowning challenge at the Gathering is the Spectacle, where the most skilled
wanderers and apprentices compete for a chance to join the Magisterium, though
a rare few succeed. Indeed, it is rumored that the Magisterium have no set
terms for inducting new members, and though many outside the Magisterium have
claimed to be magisters, the Magisterium’s roster remains mysteriously unchanged.
Spheres
A
wunderkind’s connection to the Fey Realm causes her to prefer the Alteration,
Illusion, or Nature spheres, although the expressive nature of her powers can
take the form of any sphere.
Alignment: Any
Hit Die:
d8
Starting Wealth:
3d6 x 10 gp (Average 105 gp) In addition, each character begins with an outfit
worth 10 gp or less.
Class Skills
The
wunderkind's class skills are Bluff (Cha), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha),
Disguise (Cha), Fly (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (Arcana; Int), Knowledge
(Geography; Int), Knowledge (Local; Int), Knowledge (Nature; Int), Knowledge (Nobility;
Int), Perform (Cha), Profession (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), Spellcraft (Int)
Skill Ranks
Per Level: 4 + Int modifier
Weapon and
Armor Proficiency: Simple Weapons, Light Armor
Casting
(Su)
A
wunderkind may combine spheres and talents to create magical effects. A
wunderkind is considered a High-Caster, and uses Charisma as her casting
ability modifier. (Note: all casters gain 2 bonus talents and may select
drawbacks the first time they gain the casting class feature. Wunderkinder may
not select the Wild Magic drawback.)
Spell
Pool
A
wunderkind gains a small reservoir of energy she can call on to create truly
wondrous effects, called a spell pool. This pool contains a number of spell
points equal to 1 + her level + her Charisma modifier (minimum: 2). This pool
replenishes once per day after roughly 8 hours of rest. The wunderkind gains a
bonus spell point every 6 levels. (+1 spell point at 6th level, +2 at 12th, and
+3 at 18th.)
 |
| Table: The Wunderkind |
Emotive
Magic
A
wunderkind’s connection to the Fey Realm comes from her emotions. This
manifests in the form of a single powerful emotion that dominates all others.
The wunderkind's first exposure to her powers was likely when she was exceptionally
angry, sad, or joyful, for example. Notwithstanding it being the source of her
power, a wunderkind's dominant emotion also stands to throw her magic into
chaos if she ever loses control.
 |
| Table: Wild Magic Effects |
Creatures
within the wunderkind's Fey Aura are allowed a Will save to ignore her wild
magic effects. The DC for this save is equal to 10 + 1/2 the wunderkind’s level
+ the wunderkind’s Charisma modifier. A wunderkind automatically fails all Will
saves against her own wild magic effects. This class feature counts as the Wild
Magic drawback.
Fey Aura
A wunderkind
act as a conduit through which the Fey Realm can influence the Material Plane.
At 1st level the wunderkind gains the Illusion sphere as a bonus magic talent
and an aura of Fey influence. In its most harmless manifestations, this aura
creates glimpses of the Fey Realm as colored by the wunderkind's present mood.
At its strongest, the wunderkind's merest whim becomes reality. This powerful
magical aura can be detected by the base divine talent from the Divination
sphere. Wunderkinder cannot naturally suppress this aura, but it can be hidden
or altered by Manipulate Aura (Illusion).
Unless
disguised by Manipulate Aura (Illusion), a wunderkind's Fey Aura constantly
manifests a shifting reality around her, creating random effects (as per the
trick ability from the Illusion sphere) as appropriate for the wunderkind's
personality and mood (as determined by the GM). Thus, when enjoying a pleasant
day a wunderkind's Fey Aura might manifest shining fairy lights, the smell of
freshly-baked muffins, or sounds of a babbling brook. When grieved it might
instead cause her to appear emaciated, smell like rotting meat, or be haunted
by the sound of distant pained wails.
At 1st
level, a wunderkind's Fey Aura and its associated effects only occupy the
wunderkind's space. At 3rd level, this aura extends in a 5-foot radius centered
on the wunderkind. Every 3 levels thereafter this radius extends another 5 feet
(10 ft. at 6th level, 15 ft. at 9th, and so on for a maximum of 30 ft. at 18th
level).
While a
wunderkind has no direct control over what trick effects are manifested by her
Fey Aura, these effects immediately cease whenever she uses an Illusion talent,
and return as soon as the durations of all her illusions have expired. Indeed,
the wunderkind's very access to the Illusion sphere is an extension of the Fey
Realm itself.
Persistent
Illusions
Whenever
the wunderkind ceases to concentrate on an illusion she is maintaining through
concentration, or if she decides not to maintain an illusion at all after its
creation, it remains for a number of rounds equal to 1/2 her wunderkind level
(minimum: 1) before disappearing.
Fey Will
A
wunderkinder bows to no will but her own. At 2nd level, the wunderkind gains a
+2 bonus on Will saving throws to resist talents from the Mind sphere. In addition,
if she fails such a save, she receives another save 1 round later to
prematurely end the effect (assuming it has a duration greater than 1 round).
This second save is made at the same DC as the first. If the wunderkind has a
similar ability from another source (such as a rogue's slippery mind class
feature or the stubborn racial trait), she can only use one of these abilities
per round, but can try the other on the next round if the previous reroll
ability fails.
Emotion
At 3rd
level, the wunderkind chooses an emotion, gaining the minor power associated
with that emotion. At 5th level and every odd level thereafter, the wunderkind
may choose to gain the minor power of a new emotion, or gain access to the next
level of an emotion she already possesses (lesser, greater, and master). A
wunderkind cannot gain a lesser power before 5th level, a greater power before
7th level, or a master power before 9th level. All emotions are mind-affecting
effects. If an emotion calls for a saving throw, the DC is equal to 10 + 1/2
the wunderkind’s level + the wunderkind’s Charisma modifier.
Each time
the wunderkind gains a power from her dominant emotion, the chance that wild
magic manifests when she spends a spell point permanently increases by 10%.
This represents her indulgence in the uncontrollable side of her magic.
Each time
the wunderkind gains a power from the emotion that opposes her dominant emotion,
she gains a cumulative +10% bonus to all rolls on the Wild Magic Effects table
(maximum 100). This represents the emotional training she has done to keep
herself in control of her magic. For the purposes of this effect, serenity
opposes rage, courage opposes fear, enmity opposes love, and grief opposes joy.
Serenity
Minor: Touch
of Serenity (Sp): As a standard action, you may make a touch
attack against a target, stealing its desire to act as it experiences intense
contentment. The creature can only take a move action on its next turn, but can
defend itself normally. Once a creature has been affected by touch of serenity, it is immune to its
effects for 24 hours. You can use this ability a number of times per day equal
to 3 + your Charisma modifier.
Lesser: Lethargic:
Your touch of serenity causes the
target to be dazed for 1 round instead of losing an action for 1 round.
Greater: Lose
Self (Su): As an immediate action, you may make a target within close
range dazed for 1 round as its consciousness momentarily experiences absolute
peace. The target is allowed a Will save, and on a failure the target loses all
actions until the beginning of its next turn. You can use this ability once per
day at 8th level and one additional time per day for every four levels beyond
8th.
Master: Transcend:
When using your touch of serenity,
the target must pass a Will save or be paralyzed for 1d4+1 rounds as its mind is
lost to transcendent harmony. On a successful save, the target is still stunned
for 1 round.
Courage
Minor: Touch
of Courage (Sp): You can touch a willing creature as a standard action,
filling it with a sense of bold purpose. For the next round, the target receives
+1 morale to all attack rolls and saves vs. fear. You can use this ability a
number of times per day equal to 3 + your Charisma modifier.
Lesser: Bold
Blooded: When using your touch of
courage on a target, that target also gains a bonus to its damage roll
equal to 1/2 your wunderkind level (minimum: 1) for 1 round.
Greater: Lion
Heart (Sp): As an immediate action, you may rally all allies within 30 feet
as per Totem of Courage (War) without spending a spell point. You can use this
ability once per day at 8th level, and an additional time per day for every 4
levels beyond 8th.
Master: Daunting
Bravado (Su): Whenever a target of your touch
of courage or an ally rallied by your lion
heart makes a successful attack against an opponent, they may immediately
make an intimidate check to demoralize that opponent, adding your Charisma
modifier as a bonus to the roll.
Enmity
Minor: Touch
of Enmity (Sp): As a standard action, you may make a touch attack against a
creature. If successful, that creature treats an adjacent ally (chosen
randomly) as an enemy for 1 round and immediately makes an attack of
opportunity against that target (Will negates).
Lesser: Crushing
Hatred: When using your touch of
enmity on a target, that target gains a bonus to its attack and damage roll
equal to 1/2 your wunderkind level (minimum 1) for its attack of opportunity.
Greater: Hateful
Aura (Su): As a swift action, you may emit a 30-foot aura of hatred for a
number of rounds per day equal to your wunderkind level. These rounds need not
be consecutive. Enemies within this aura are filled with hatred and cannot use
teamwork feats, nor consider other characters allies for the purpose of any
actions (Will negates). All creatures, even allies, provoke attacks of
opportunity from a target affected by this aura. The effect ends immediately if
the creature leaves the aura.
Master: Pure
Hatred: When you affect a target with your touch of enmity, the target not only makes an attack of opportunity
against the chosen target, but must make at least one attack against that
target on its next turn. The creature gains your crushing hatred bonus to this attack. Once the creature has
attacked the designated target, it loses your crushing hatred bonus and may conclude its turn as normal. If it
would be impossible for the creature to attack the designated target, the
creature spends its turn moving as close as it can to the target, or (if the
target’s new location is unknown) spends its turn looking for its designated
target as best as it can.
Fear
Minor: Touch
of Fear (Sp): You can make a melee touch attack as a standard action to
make a target frightened for 1 round (Will negates). A successful save still
leaves the target shaken for 1 round. This does not stack with other shaken
effects. You can use this ability a number of times per day equal to 3 + your
Charisma modifier.
Lesser: Weaken Resolve: When you successfully
touch a target with your touch of fear,
they are shaken for 1 round per 2 wunderkind levels you possess, regardless of
whether they negate the frightened effect with a successful save.
Greater: Feed on Fear (Su): As an immediate
action upon successfully hitting a creature with a melee attack that’s already
suffering from a fear effect, you deal 2d6 extra points of damage and gain that
amount in temporary hit points. These temporary hit points last for 24 hours or
until lost. You can use this ability once per day at 8th level, and an
additional time per day for every 4 levels beyond 8th.
Master: Dread: Your touch of fear causes targets who fail their save to become panicked
for a number of rounds equal to your Charisma modifier. Panicked creatures drop
everything held, run away at top speed, and cower if attacked.
Grief
Minor: Touch
of Sorrow (Sp): As a standard action, you may make a touch attack against a
target to fill it with crushing sadness. This inflicts 1d6 points of nonlethal
damage + 1 for every two wunderkind levels you possess and sickens the target
for 1 round. You can use this ability a number of times per day equal to 3 +
your Charisma modifier.
Lesser: Paralyzing
Grief: When you use your touch of sorrow on a target, that target
must pass a Will save or also be nauseated for 1 round.
Greater: Aura
of Despair (Su): As a swift action, you may emit a 30-foot aura of despair
for a number of rounds per day equal to your wunderkind level. Enemies within
this aura take a –2 penalty on ability checks, attack rolls, damage rolls,
saving throws, and skill checks. The rounds do not need to be consecutive.
Master: Pure
Grief: When you use your touch of sorrow on a target, the target is
sickened for 1 round per 2 wunderkind levels you possess.
Joy
Minor: Touch
of Happiness (Sp): You can touch a willing creature as a standard action,
filling it with elation and confidence in all it undertakes. For the next
round, any time the target rolls a d20, he may roll twice and take the more
favorable result. You can use this ability a number of times per day equal to 3
+ your Charisma modifier.
Lesser: Lingering
Joy: The effects of your touch of happiness ability last for 2
rounds instead of 1.
Greater: Aura
of Elation (Su): As a swift action, you can emit a 30-foot aura of courage
for a number of rounds per day equal to your wunderkind level. Allies in the
area gain a +2 morale bonus to attack rolls, saving throws, skill checks, and
ability checks. These rounds do not need to be consecutive.
Master: Pure
Joy: The effects of your touch of happiness ability lasts for 3
rounds instead of 2.
Love
Minor: Charming
Touch (Sp): You can charm a living humanoid by touching it. Creatures in
combat and those with a hostile attitude toward you are unaffected. Creatures
receive a Will saving throw to negate the effect. Creatures that fail their
save change their attitude toward you to friendly for 1 round per 2 wunderkind
levels (minimum 1).
The
target views you and your words in favorable ways (although this does not grant
the ability to communicate with the target if it cannot already understand
you). You must succeed at an opposed Charisma check to convince it to do
something it wouldn’t normally do, and requests that are against its nature or
fatal to itself are never obeyed. Any hostile action by you or your allies
breaks the effect. You can use this ability a number of times per day equal to
3 + your Charisma modifier.
Lesser: Universal
Love: Your charming touch ability can affect a greater arrangement
of minds. You may target any creature not immune to mind-affecting abilities
and may even affect creatures who are hostile to you or in combat, although
these creatures receive a +5 bonus to their saving throw.
Greater: Anything
to Please (Su): You can compel a creature within 30 feet to attempt to
please you as a standard action. The creature receives a Will save to negate
this effect. If the save fails, the creature attacks your enemies for 1 round,
gives you its most valuable item, or drops prone at your feet and grovels for
1d4 rounds (GM’s choice). You can use this ability once per day at 8th level
and one additional time per day for every four levels beyond 8th.
Master: Obsession:
Your charming touch ability causes the target to be consumed with love
for you, to the exclusion of all thoughts of self or previous obligation. The
target’s attitude becomes helpful instead of friendly. The target will do
anything you ask of it, even things it would not normally do. Gross violations
of its nature (asking a good person to attack its allies, etc.) allows the
target a new saving throw with a +2 bonus to throw off the entire effect. A
target never obeys requests that are obviously fatal.
Rage
Minor: Touch
of Rage (Sp): You can touch a willing creature as a standard action, giving
it a morale bonus on attack rolls, damage rolls, and Will saving throws equal
to 1/2 your wunderkind level (minimum 1) for 1 round. You can use this ability
a number of times per day equal to 3 + your Charisma modifier.
Lesser: Lingering
Rage: The bonuses granted by your touch
of rage last for 2 rounds instead of 1.
Greater: Rage
(Su): You can enter a rage like a barbarian for a number of rounds per day
equal to your wunderkind level. At 12th and 16th level, you can select one rage
power. You cannot select any rage power that possesses a level requirement, but
otherwise your barbarian level is equal to 1/2 your wunderkind level. These
rounds of rage stack with any rounds of rage you might have from levels of
barbarian.
Master: Pure
Rage: The bonuses granted by your touch
of rage last for 3 rounds instead of 2.
The Sight
Once per
day at 4th level a wunderkind may grant herself the ability to see all things
as they truly are to a range of 120 feet for 1 round per level. The wunderkind
sees through magical darkness, notices secret doors hidden by magic, sees the
exact locations of creatures or objects under blur or displacement effects,
sees invisible creatures or objects normally, succeeds at all saving throws
against illusions and sees through them naturally, and sees the true form of
polymorphed, changed, or transmuted things. The wunderkind may use this ability
an additional time per day for every 4 levels beyond 4th, to a maximum of 5
times at 20th level.
This does
not allow the wunderkind to see through mundane disguises, non-magical means of
hiding things, fog, or other such effects. This cannot be combined with other
magic that enhances the senses, such as a crystal ball.
Mingling
Realities
At 6th
level, the wunderkind begins to affect the very fabric of the Material Plane
through sheer force of will. She gains a pool of reality points equal to her
Charisma modifier + 1/2 her wunderkind level. A wunderkind may spend a reality
point in conjunction with one of her Illusion talents to will a part of the
illusion into being, effectively permitting a portion of the Fey Realm to cross
over into the Material Plane for a brief time. This follows all the usual rules
for creating and maintaining illusions, except the illusion gains an additional
benefit depending on what illusion is created. Many of these benefits improve
at 12th and 18th levels.
Objects
The
wunderkind may will an object made of Fey substance into being that has form,
shape, and weight, as if creating an object with the Creation sphere, although
it has a hardness of 0, 3 hp per inch, and weight as if it were made of wood
regardless of what the material appears to be.
The
wunderkind may only create an object in this fashion with a size equivalent to
1 small object per caster level, although this increases to 2 small objects per
caster level at 12th level, and 3 small objects per caster level at 18th level.
Targets who succeed at their saving throw to disbelieve the illusion realize
the object is a magical substitute and suffer only half damage if the object is
used to damage them (for example if the object was dropped on them from above).
Companion
The
wunderkind may will a Fey creature into the Material Plane that can interact
with the world around it. This creates the equivalent of a companion from the
Conjuration sphere, except it only possesses 1/5th a companion’s usual hit
points. Targets that interact with the illusionary creature are allowed a Will
saving throw to disbelieve.
Targets
who disbelieve the illusionary creature receive only half damage from it. An
illusionary companion possesses two (form) talents as is usual for companions,
and gains an additional (form) talent at 12th level and 18th level. If no
(form) talents are specified when this ability is used, randomly choose a
companion from Table: Fey Companions.
 |
| Table: Fey Companions |
Destructive Blast
The
wunderkind may will an instantaneous effect into being made of Fey
substance—such as a burst of fire, a bolt of lightning, or another simulated
effect. This creates a destructive blast as the Destruction sphere, which may
possess any blast type talent and blast shape talent of the wunderkind’s
choosing. The wunderkind must pay all spell point costs associated with the
mimicked destructive blast in addition to those required to create or maintain
the illusion itself.
An
instantaneous destructive blast cannot be extended through concentration or
spell points as is usual with illusions, but a destructive blast with a
duration (such as Energy Wall or Energy Sphere) persists as long as the
illusion is maintained, to a maximum of 1 round per caster level. Targets
affected by an illusionary destructive blast who succeed at their Will save to
disbelieve suffer only half damage and receive a +4 bonus to any saving throw
associated with the destructive blast itself.
Weather
The
wunderkind may will a weather effect such as snow, wind, rain, or a storm into
being made of Fey substance. This creates a severity 4 wind, temperature (cold
or heat), and/or precipitation effect (with the resulting storm and snow
effects if applicable) within close range centered within the area of the
wunderkind’s illusion.
This
cannot be used to calm the weather in an area, and has no effect in an area
where the weather category to be affected already has a severity of 4 or
higher. If a target succeeds at its Will save to disbelieve, it treats the
weather as being 2 steps lesser in severity in regard to itself. This cannot
reduce the weather’s severity lower than what it was before the wunderkind
created the illusion. The wunderkind may create effects of severity level 5 at
12th level, and level 6 at 18th level.
Nature
The
wunderkind may simulate a natural effect—such as those created through the
Nature sphere—with Fey substance. This can recreate the effects of the
entangle, vortex, fog, dust storm, create fire, or whirlwind (from the
Whirlwind talent) geomancing abilities. The area to be affected needn’t have
the usual materials such as water, dust, or plantlife to create this illusion.
If a target succeeds at their Will save to disbelieve, they take half damage
from the effect if it deals damage and gain a +4 bonus to any saving throw made
against the effect.
Fey Step
At 10th
level, the wunderkind may step into a pocket of the Fey Realm as per the
Extradimensional Room talent from the Warp sphere, except that while she is
there the trick effects of her Fey Aura fill the extradimensional space
(regardless of the Aura's normal radius). As a standard action, and without
spending a spell point, she may allow the space to remain for up to 1 round per
caster level regardless of whether or not she is inside it. 1d4 nights after
using this ability, a 5 ft. diameter ring of red toadstools appears on the
ground where this ability was used.
Fey
Resistance
At 14th
level, the wunderkind has been in contact with the Fey Realm for so long that
she gains DR 5/cold iron and a +1 luck bonus on all saving throws.
Master of
Emotion
At 19th
level, the wunderkind has developed such mastery over her emotions that she is
no longer affected by mind-affecting effects, and she never rolls for Wild
Magic when she spends a spell point. Instead, the wunderkind may choose which
wild magic effect from her dominant emotion occurs along with the base effect,
or none at all.
Taken by
the Fey
At 20th
level, a wunderkind is treated as a fey rather than as a humanoid (or whatever
the wunderkind’s creature type was) for the purpose of spells and magical
effects. She also gains DR 10/cold iron, and a +2 luck bonus on all saving
throws.
Permanent
Illusions
At 20th level, the wunderkind can make one of her illusions permanent.
Only one illusion may be made permanent in this way at one time. If another
illusion is designated as permanent, the previous permanent illusion ends. In
addition, as long as the wunderkind maintains an illusion as permanent her Fey
Aura never manifests trick effects.
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