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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.
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 or Magical Signs drawbacks, or the Easy Focus boon.)
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 her level + her Charisma modifier (minimum 1). This pool replenishes once per day after roughly 8 hours of rest.
Magic Talents: A wunderkind gains a magic talent every level, according to Table: The Wunderkind.
Magic Talents: A wunderkind gains a magic talent every level, according to Table: The Wunderkind.
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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. For example, the wunderkind's first exposure to her powers was likely when she was exceptionally angry, sad, or joyful. 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.
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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 is never subjected to the effects of her own wild magic. This class feature counts as the Wild Magic drawback.
Fey Aura
A wunderkind acts 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 with a radius of 30 feet, centered on her. 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.
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 (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. These signs intensify when the wunderkind uses magic, becoming easily noticeable to anyone within her Fey Aura. This counts as the Magical Signs drawback.
A wunderkind's Fey 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).
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 (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. These signs intensify when the wunderkind uses magic, becoming easily noticeable to anyone within her Fey Aura. This counts as the Magical Signs drawback.
A wunderkind's Fey 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).
Persistent Illusions
In a very literal way, magic comes naturally to a wunderkind,
and when it does is loath to leave. When maintaining any sphere ability
through concentration, the wunderkind only needs to spend a move action to
maintain concentration instead of a standard action. This counts as
the Easy Focus boon.
In addition, 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 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. The wunderkind chooses an emotion, gaining the minor power associated with that emotion. Minor and greater emotion powers cost 1 reality point to activate. Whenever you activate a lesser emotion power you may spend up to 3 reality points to increase the range; one reality point increases the range from touch to close, two increases it from close to medium, and 3 increases it from medium to long.
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.
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 5%. This stacks with itself and represents the wunderkind's indulgence in the uncontrollable side of her magic.
Each time the wunderkind gains a power from her tempering emotion (see below), she gains a permanent +5% bonus to all rolls on Table: Wild Magic Effects (maximum 100). This bonus stacks with itself and represents the emotional training the wunderkind has done to keep herself in control of her magic. For the purposes of this effect, serenity tempers rage, courage tempers fear, enmity tempers love, and grief tempers joy (and vice versa).
Serenity
Minor: Touch of Serenity (Sp): As a standard action, you may spend a reality point to 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 spend a reality point to 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 spend a reality point to 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 spend a reality point to 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 spend a reality point to 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 spend a reality point to 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 spend a reality point to 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 may spend a reality point to 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 spend a reality point to 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 spend a reality point to 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 spend a reality point to 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 spend a reality point to 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 spend a reality point to 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 spend a reality point to 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 spend a reality point to 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 spend a reality point to 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, 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.
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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, or none at all. If she chooses, she may also be affected by her own wild magic.
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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