Fetch Mage (D&D Wizard variant)

Unofficial rules compendium

A fetch mage has a direct link to a supernatural agency that powers his magic in the form of a fetch. This means that the fetch mage uses Charisma to cast spells, does not have a spellbook, and is in many ways more similar to a sorcerer than to a wizard. Still, fetch mage prepare spells much like ordinary wizards do, and thus are a variant of wizards rather than sorcerers.

Models for this variant include the Sha'ir of the Al-Qadim setting and the sandivistans of Jack Vance's Dying Earth.

Nonabilities

A fetch mage is a wizard in most respects, but lacks some abilities. He adept does not get a regular familiar (but see the fetch below) and does not get any bonus spells, including Scribe Scroll. He does not get the free spells a wizard gets at first level or when advancing in level.

Spellcasting

Fetch mages have Charisma as their spellcasting attribute: it determines bonus spells, how high level spells they can cast, and saving throw DCs.

Fetch mage prepare spells much like wizards do, but they do not have a spellbook. Instead, they send their spirit ally out into the planes beyond to find them the spells they want. This means that they can prepare any spell they like in each spell slot, as long as that spell is on the sorcerer/wizard spell list. Sometimes, they can even prepare spells from the other lists, more on that below.

When preparing spells, the fetch mage does not work or study. Instead, he merely sends his fetch out among the planes to find him the spells he needs. While the fetch is away, it is not available for service, but the fetch mage is not otherwise hindered in any way. Outsider fetches go to the outer planes to gather spells, all others go to the inner planes.

Spell Substitution

A fetch mage can exchange what spells he has in his spells slots, just as if that spell slot had been left open in the morning. This takes the usual time for spell preparation. The advantage is that spell slots need not actually be open; the fetch mage trades one of his prepared spells for another.

Spell Poaching

At seventh level, the fetch mage learns how to poach spells. The fetch mage normally has access to all spells on the sorcerer/wizard list. These are powers the fetch can acquire from the raw substance of the planes they go to without undue effort. But depending on the creature type of the fetch, it might be able to get hold of other spells as well. Because the fetch isn't really authorized to get such spells, this is called spell poaching. A fetch that is an dragon, outsider, or undead can poach cleric spells; fey poach bard spells, and elemental fetches poach druid spells. No fetch can poach clerical domain spells.

A poached spell is prepared just like an ordinary spell. To poach a spell, the fetch mage rolls d20 + class level + Cha bonus, with a DC of 10 + 5x spell level. If unsuccessful, the fetch returns without the spell; that spell cannot be poached today, and the spell slot remains open. If the roll fails by five or more the fetch is lost among the planes. An additional Spellcraft roll can be made each hour at the original difficulty; on a success the fetch finds its way back to the master. When trying to escape being lost, a die roll of one indicates the fetch has annoyed some powerful creature on the planes it tried to poach from and had to offer a service as ransom; when it finds its way back it will regretfully tell the caster he now owes a favor to some extraplanar creature. The DM is encouraged to use this as adventure hook, or the favor can be settled with some diplomacy and a gift worth around 50 gp per level of the adept.

The fetch cannot poach spells with an alignment descriptor opposed to itself or its master. Any holy symbol not opposed to the caster's alignment can be used as a divine focus for poached divine spells. Poached divine spells remain divine spells, even if scribed as scrolls. This makes the Fetch Mage something of a part-time divine spellcaster.

It is common practice to first prepare all normal spells, spending a full hour doing so, then send the fetch out to poach. This way, the adept is not entirely without spells if the fetch is delayed.

The Fetch

A fetch mage does not have a familiar: instead they have a fetch. Opinions vary on exactly what a fetch is; some claim it is a part of the adept's soul awakened to a separate existence, others that it is a supernatural ally given to the sorcerer as payment for their services. Either way, it is clear that the relationship between a fetch and it's master is closer than that between a familiar and master. The fetch mage is utterly dependent on his fetch for his magic.

A beginning fetch mage has an immaterial fetch that cannot interact with the physical world except to provide the fetch mage with his daily spells. At seventh level, the fetch gains the ability to assume material form and manifests as a particular type of creature. At this level, the fetch also gains all bonuses and abilities of a normal familiar. It also has the ability to plane shift, and unerringly return to its master, but only alone and to fetch and poach spells for the adept; it cannot use this ability to help it's master or his companions travel the planes.

If the fetch dies, the fetch mage must spend eight hours summoning a new one, and the new one remains in immaterial form only until the adept has received an atonement or been made some deal with a creature of the fetch's type (and subtype, if relevant) and a challenge rating higher than the fetch mage's level. Such a deal generally involve a gift of 100 gp per level of the adept, or an equivalent service.

Table: The Fetch

Type	Reference	Alignment	Type
Lantern Archon	MM	Lawful Good	Outsider
Coure Eladrin	BE 168	Neutral good	Outsider
Musteval Guardinal	BE 174	Chaotic Good	Outsider
Quasit 46	MM	Chaotic Evil	Outsider
Imp	MM 56	Lawful Evil	Outsider
Aerie	New	Neutral Good	Fey
Grig (without fiddle)	Neutral Good	MM 235	Fey
Fireling Gen	New	Lawful Evil	Elemental
Djinnling Gen	New	Chaotic Good	Elemental
Daolani Gen	New	Neutral Evil	Elemental
Maridling Gen	New	Chaotic Neutral	Elemental
Spirit Guide	New	Chaotic Evil	Undead
Husk Guide	New	Neutral Evil	Undead
Pseudodragon	MM 210	Neutral Good	Dragon

Reference: This is where the creature is described. "New" indicates it can be found on this site.

Alignment: The fetch's alignment. A fetch will never serve a master of an opposed alignment.

Type: The type of creature the fetch is. The adept gains certain advantages against creatures of this type (see dealmaking, below), and the fetch allows the adept to poach spells from one additional class depending on it's type.

Dealmaking

When dealing with creatures of the same type as their fetch (either outsiders, elementals, fey, or dragons), a Fetch mage can use his class level + Charisma bonus in lieu of his Bluff, Diplomacy, Intimidation, and Sense Motive skills. If the fetch mage actually one of these skills, he can choose to add half his class level as an insight bonus to the skill instead. This generally lets the fetch mage get better deals and get out of sticky situations involving such creatures.