Sandcaster (Apath)

Unofficial rules compendium

The way of the sandcaster is an art that has been practiced—and protected—by desert peoples for millennia. In unforgiving climes, even the most practiced spellcaster often finds difficulty acquiring the materials her art requires. Before long, the unprepared caster finds her magic rendered as barren as her surroundings. The way of the sandcaster was begun specifically to counteract the harsh effect the environment can often have on the will-workings of the average spellcaster. The deeper the ancient peoples delved into their art, the more they realized just how much the desert could truly provide to their spellcasting. While many believe that the desert is just as bereft of magical power as it is of water and life, the sandcasters know better, for they have discovered the truth: That the desert is rich in power and mystery, and that one who learns to tap into that wonder can benefit from it in ways no ordinary spellcaster ever could. It is this growing connection, this nearly religious faith in the power of the desert, that keeps a sandcaster going strong in her art.

The first and perhaps greatest secret of the sandcaster is that she requires little more than sand to invoke her wonders, and when sand is in plentiful abundance (and perhaps the only thing that is), this becomes quite a boon. Further, a sandcaster begins to develop a connection to the desert over time, drawing on the power of the sand.

Class Information

The sandcaster is an alternate class for the sorcerer. A sandcaster cannot take sorcerer levels, or levels in another of the sorcerer's alternate classes.

Publisher: Purple Duck Games.

Alignment: Any

Hit Die: d6.

Starting Wealth: 2d6 × 10 gp (average 70 gp.) In addition, each character begins play with an outfit worth 10 gp or less.

Starting Age: The sandcaster is a self-trained class and begins play in the same age range as a fighter.

Class Skills

The sandcaster’s class skills are Craft (Int), Heal (Wis), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (all skills, taken individually) (Int), Perception (Wis), Perform (Cha), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Spellcraft (Int), Survival (Wis), and Use Magic Device (Cha).

Skill Points at Each Level: 2 + Int modifier.

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the sandcaster class.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency

Sandcasters are proficient with all simple weapons. They are not proficient with any type of armor or shield. Armor interferes with a sandcaster's gestures, which can cause her spells with somatic components to fail (see Arcane Spells and Armor).

Spells

Table: Sandcaster Spells Known

Level	Spells Known
	Zero	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th	6th	7th	8th	9th
1st	4	2	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
2nd	5	2	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
3rd	5	3	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
4th	6	3	1	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
5th	6	4	2	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
6th	7	4	2	1	—	—	—	—	—	—
7th	7	5	3	2	—	—	—	—	—	—
8th	8	5	3	2	1	—	—	—	—	—
9th	8	5	4	3	2	—	—	—	—	—
10th	9	5	4	3	2	1	—	—	—	—
11th	9	5	5	4	3	2	—	—	—	—
12th	9	5	5	4	3	2	1	—	—	—
13th	9	5	5	4	4	3	2	—	—	—
14th	9	5	5	4	4	3	2	1	—	—
15th	9	5	5	4	4	4	3	2	—	—
16th	9	5	5	4	4	4	3	2	1	—
17th	9	5	5	4	4	4	3	3	2	—
18th	9	5	5	4	4	4	3	3	2	1
19th	9	5	5	4	4	4	3	3	3	2
20th	9	5	5	4	4	4	3	3	3	3

A sandcaster casts arcane spells drawn primarily from the sorcerer/wizard spell list. She can cast any spell she knows without preparing it ahead of time. To learn or cast a spell, a sandcaster must have a Wisdom score equal to at least 10 + the spell level. The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against a sandcaster's spell is 10 + the spell level + the sandcaster's Wisdom modifier.

Like other spellcasters, a sandcaster can cast only a certain number of spells of each spell level per day. Her base daily spell allotment is given on Table: Sandcaster. In addition, she receives bonus spells per day if she has a high Wisdom score (see Table: Ability Modifiers and Bonus Spells).

A sandcaster's selection of spells is extremely limited. A sandcaster begins play knowing four 0-level spells and two 1st-level spells of her choice. At each new sandcaster level, she gains one or more new spells, as indicated on Table: Sandcaster Spells Known. (Unlike spells per day, the number of spells a sandcaster knows is not affected by her Wisdom score; the numbers on Table: Sandcaster Spells Known are fixed.) These new spells must be chosen from the sorcerer/wizard spell list.

Upon reaching 4th level, and at every even-numbered sandcaster level after that (6th, 8th, and so on), a sandcaster can choose to learn a new spell in place of one she already knows. In effect, the sandcaster loses the old spell in exchange for the new one. The new spell's level must be the same as that of the spell being exchanged. A sandcaster may swap only a single spell at any given level, and must choose whether or not to swap the spell at the same time that she gains new spells known for the level.

A sandcaster need not prepare her spells in advance. She can cast any spell she knows at any time, assuming she has not yet used up her spells per day for that spell level.

Cantrips Sandcasters learn a number of cantrips, or 0-level spells, as noted on Table: Sandcaster Spells Known under "Spells Known". These spells are cast like any other spell, but they do not consume any spell slots and may be used again.

Sandcasting

The most basic ability of the sandcaster is to use the surrounding desert, rather than any particular item or formula, as the focus for her magic. A 1st level sandcaster can replace any material component or focus with a price of less than 1 gp with a pound of dry sand. The sandcaster also gains the ability to telekinetically pull up dry sand to power her magic from the ground below as a part of the action to use any class feature that requires sand.

Sand Blast (Sp)

As a standard action, the sandcaster can unleash spray of sand targeting any foe within 30 feet as a ranged touch attack. This sand deals 1d6 points of physical, magical, slashing damage + 1 point for every two sandcaster levels. She can use this ability a number of times per day equal to 3 + her Wisdom modifier.

Physical damage is resisted with damage reduction, not energy resistance. At second level, this blast does physical, magical, piercing/slashing damage, allowing it to penetrate more types of damage reduction. At 7th level, this blast deals physical, magical, bludgeoning/piercing/slashing damage.

Desert Wisdom

Upon reaching 2nd level, a sandcaster taps into the very ethos of the great desert. She may choose either the Air, Earth, or Fire domain (not a subdomain), as the cleric class feature. Add the domain spells of the chosen domain to her spell list. The sandcaster adds these spells to her list of known spells as soon as she can cast spells of that level. These spells cannot be exchanged for different spells at higher levels. A sandcaster cannot use the domain powers of domains gained from desert wisdom.

At 9th level, the sandcaster chooses one of the two remaining domains and gains its domain spells in the same way, immediately adding the domain spells of a level she can cast to her list of known spells. At 15th level she gains the third domain and adds learns its domain spells in the same manner.

Elemental Resistance (Su)

At 3rd level, the sandcaster gains resistance against the harmful energies of the desert. She gains energy resistance 5 against an energy type depending on the domains gained from the desert wisdom ability; air (electricity), earth (acid), or fire (fire). This resistance also applies to scouring sand such as that of the sand blast and sand strength class abilities, counting as DR/- against such attacks.

At level 11, the resistance increases to 10, and the sandcaster also becomes resistant to the energy type associated with her second desert wisdom domain. At level 17, the resistance increases to 20 and applies to acid, electricity, fire, and scouring sand damage. At level 20, the sandcaster becomes immune to damage from acid, electricity, fire, and scouring sand.

Desert Focus (Ex)

When a sandcaster reaches 5th level, she learns to use the desert as a meditative focus. By using a pound of dry sand as an additional material component when casting a spell, the sandcaster gains a +2 bonus on any concentration checks required for that spell.

Sand Strength (Su)

By 13th level, a sandcaster has become so attuned to the surrounding desert that she can actually invoke its power when she casts spells. As a free action whenever she uses sand blast or casts a spell that deals direct damage, instead of the damage coming from the usual source (fire for fireball, force for magic missile, etc.), she can choose to have the spell inflict the damage with stinging sand. This is physical, magical, adamantine, cold iron, silver, blunt/piercing/slashing damage. This physical damage is reduced by damage reduction instead of energy reduction. A sand strength spell does not allow spell resistance. All other effects of the spell remain as they are, and saving throws apply normally. Sand strength uses up one pound of sand per hit point inflicted; a multi-target sand strength can consume a tremendous amount of sand. This can be a problem for sandcasters in non-desert settings.

Sand Sympathy (Su)

By the time a sandcaster has reached 19th level, her connection with the desert has grown supernatural. The sandcaster can draw on nearby sand to heal her own wounds. Every time she casts a sandcaster spell using the sandcasting ability, she gains fast healing 1 for a number of rounds equal to the level of the spell cast. Multiple uses of this ability do not stack, only the longest remaining duration is used.

Table: Sandcaster

Level	Base Attack Bonus	Fort Save	Ref Save	Will Save	Special	Spells per Day
						1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th	6th	7th	8th	9th
1st	+0	+0	+0	+2	Sand blast (slashing), sandcasting	3	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
2nd	+1	+0	+0	+3	Desert wisdom, sand blast (piercing), domain spell	4	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
3rd	+1	+1	+1	+3	Elemental resistance 1 (5)	5	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
4th	+2	+1	+1	+4	Domain spells	6	3	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
5th	+2	+1	+1	+4	Desert focus +2	6	4	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
6th	+3	+2	+2	+5	Domain spells	6	5	3	—	—	—	—	—	—
7th	+3	+2	+2	+5	Sand blast (bludgeoning)	6	6	4	—	—	—	—	—	—
8th	+4	+2	+2	+6	Domain spells	6	6	5	3	—	—	—	—	—
9th	+4	+3	+3	+6	Desert wisdom (2)	6	6	6	4	—	—	—	—	—
10th	+5	+3	+3	+7	Domain spells	6	6	6	5	3	—	—	—	—
11th	+5	+3	+3	+7	Elemental resistance 2 (10)	6	6	6	6	4	—	—	—	—
12th	+6/+1	+4	+4	+8	Domain spells	6	6	6	6	5	3	—	—	—
13th	+6/+1	+4	+4	+8	Sand strength	6	6	6	6	6	4	—	—	—
14th	+7/+2	+4	+4	+9	Domain spells	6	6	6	6	6	5	3	—	—
15th	+7/+2	+5	+5	+9	Desert wisdom (3)	6	6	6	6	6	6	4	—	—
16th	+8/+3	+5	+5	+10	Domain spells	6	6	6	6	6	6	5	3	—
17th	+8/+3	+5	+5	+10	Elemental resistance 3 (20)	6	6	6	6	6	6	6	4	—
18th	+9/+4	+6	+6	+11	Domain spells	6	6	6	6	6	6	6	5	3
19th	+9/+4	+6	+6	+11	Sand sympathy	6	6	6	6	6	6	6	6	4
20th	+10/+5	+6	+6	+12	Elemental immunity	6	6	6	6	6	6	6	6	6

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