Covert Spellcaster (Dragonstar)
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| Level | Base Attack Bonus | Fort Save | Ref Save | Will Save | Special |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | +0 | +0 | +0 | +2 | +1 Spellcaster level, Bardic silence, Covert Spell, Variable Hit Die |
| 2 | +1 | +0 | +0 | +3 | +1 Spellcaster level, Covert Counterspell |
| 3 | +1 | +1 | +1 | +3 | +1 Spellcaster level |
| 4 | +2 | +1 | +1 | +4 | +1 Spellcaster level, Undetectable Spell |
| 5 | +2 | +1 | +1 | +4 | +1 Spellcaster level |
| 6 | +3 | +2 | +2 | +5 | +1 Spellcaster level, Silent Spell Mastery |
| 7 | +3 | +2 | +2 | +5 | +1 Spellcaster level |
| 8 | +4 | +2 | +2 | +6 | +1 Spellcaster level, Still Spell Mastery |
| 9 | +4 | +3 | +3 | +6 | +1 Spellcaster level |
| 10 | +5 | +3 | +3 | +7 | +1 Spellcaster level, Undetectable Spell Mastery |
In the Dragon Empire, Covert Spellcasters are trained by House Esmer and many are Drow Elfs serving in the ISPD. It is not known for sure if the ISPD can train their own operatives or not.
The covert spellcaster is a prestige class specializing in the covert use of magic. There are worlds where magic is prohibited or restricted. Religious taboos, harsh laws or even dominant mage guilds can forbid the use of magic to wide sectors of the population. In other cases, a war of spy versus spy forces mages to go undercover. Resistance movements and secret police might train covert spellcasters to act as terrorists, spies or just for survival.
Magic is generally the art of the obvious. While the powers behind magic are mysterious and hard to understand, the effects themselves are usually spectacular and rather straightforward. A fireball is not very subtle, after all. Covert spellcasters usually avoid such obvious displays of power and go for more subtle charm and illusion spells.
Covert spellcasters were commonly bards, clerics with the trickery domain, or sorcerers. Wizards and regular clerics usually resort to this class only under severe persecution. Druids, rangers and paladins can qualify, but very rarely do, resorting to their mundane abilities and to direct conflict or to fleeing into the wilderness if their magic is persecuted. Classes lacking spell ability cannot take this class, though it is not rare for covert mages to also have some ability as a rogue.
Hit Die: Special (see below)
Requirements
To qualify as a covert spellcaster, the character must fulfill all the following criteria.
Feats: Silent Spell, Still Spell
Skills: Diguise (4 Ranks), Spellcraft (8 Ranks)
Spells: Ability to cast 1st level spells.
Class Skills:
Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Diguise (Cha), Innuendo (Wis), Listen (Wis), Profession (Wis), Scry (Int, restricted skill), Spellcraft (Int).
Dragonstar Class Skills
Cryptography (Int), Use Device (Int).
Skill Points at Each Level: 2 + Int modifier.
Class Features:
All of the following are class features of the covert spellcaster.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Covert spellcasters gain no additional armor or weapon proficiencies.
Bardic Silence: If the covert spellcaster uses bard spells, the normal restriction forbidding the use of the Silent Spell with bardic magic is lifted. If the covert spellcaster does not use bardic spells, this ability does nothing.
Spellcasting: A covert spellcaster continues training in magic as well as her new class abilities. Thus, when a new covert spellcaster level is gained, the character gains new spells per day as if she had also gained a level in a spellcasting class she belonged to before she added the prestige class. She does not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained (improved chance of controlling or rebuking undead, metamagic or item creation feats, and so on). This essentially means that she adds the level of covert spellcaster to the level of some other spellcasting class the character has, then determines spells per day, spells known, and caster level accordingly.
If a character had more than one spellcasting class before she became a covert spellcaster, she must decide when she adds the new level to which class she adds the new level of covert spellcaster for purposes of determining spells per day and caster level.
Variable Hit Die: The covert spellcaster keeps whatever type of hit die she had in her previous class. If she had several different classes previous to becoming a covert spellcaster, she uses the hit die type used by the class whose spellcasting abilities she developed at this level. So if Clara, a bard/sorcerer, advanced a level as a covert spellcaster and choose to improve her bardic spellcasting ability, she will have 1d6 as her hit die for that level.
Covert Spell: The covert spellcaster quickly learns to disguise her spellcasting. Add the covert spellcaster’s skill bonus in the Diguise skill to the Spellcraft DC of identifying a spell as she is casting it. If the observer fails such a roll by 10 or more, he fails to realize that a spell was cast at all. The words and gestures of the spell seem like harmless emotes. Of course, obvious spells like fireball still give themselves away, and your words and gestures still give away your presence, if not the fact that you are casting a spell.
Covert Counterspell: When the covert spellcaster conterspells, she need not use any verbal or somatic components of the spell she is using. It is as if the Silent Spell and Still Spell metamagic feats had been applied. If the counterspell attempt is not discovered through spellcraft, detect magic or other such means, there is no indication as to why the counterspelled spell failed.
Silent Spell Mastery: The covert spellcaster may apply the Silent Spell metamagic feat to any of her spells, without having to prepare them as such beforehand, without requiring a higher-level spell slot, and without any increase in casting time.
Undetectable Spell: The covert spellcaster gains the ability to cast spells that do not register as magical. This protection is similar to that afforded by Nystrul's undetectable aura, but applies to the spell itself. This works like a metamagical feat, and increases the level of spell slot required for the spell by one.
Still Spell Mastery: The covert spellcaster may apply the Still Spell metamagic feat to any of her spells, without having to prepare them as such beforehand, without requiring a higher-level spell slot, and without any increase in casting time.
Undetectable Spell Mastery: The covert spellcaster may apply the Undetectable Spell class ability to any of her spells, without having to prepare them as such beforehand, without requiring a higher-level spell slot, and without any increase in casting time.
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