updated Arcanist?

[barna10]

Has anyone done an update for the Arcanist class?

[jade von delioch]

heres what i came up with awhile back. It seems pretty balanced with the rest of the classes:

abilities: understand the principles of magic, sense ley lines/nexus points, sense magic in use, sleight of hand, and learn magic from scrolls/manuals.
limitation: open to the supernatural.
PPE: 2D4+2 (with the multipliers affect)
ISP:0
Initial spell knowledge: 1D4+5 spells.
No special equipment other than spell components.

[Natasha]

Just tune down P.P.E. and voila.

[Natasha]

Just tune down P.P.E. and voila.

pfah, there is more involved re-writing than that (no I won't go into details you'll have to wait for my Rifter submission for that).

There wasn't more than that for me. Good luck with the submission, man.

[Jasper]

If the 2nd edition Arcanist ever comes out there are a few things I would like to see.

Multiple classes, not just one "catch all" class. I would also like to see some new spells and magic system not just Palladium's general magic system reprinted yet again. For BTS 2nd edition this would be pretty much a requirement as powers are supposed to much more subtle.

Less duplication of psychic abilities. The 1st edition Arcanist could duplicate psychic abilities such as Clairvoyance, Teleknises, Pyrokinises, and Healing. This is not fair to some of the psychic classes.

I like the idea of ritual magic from BTS 1st ed. It gives a reason for cults to exist - to fuel the power of the cult leader. I also like nexus points and the rules regarding eclipses and solstices etc kept (thought modified for 2nd ed as required). I like the idea of an Acolyte class. Mostly for NPCs but an Acolyte wouldn't have any magic (or minimal) but instead has large PPE stores to help his master during rituals.

[Jasper]

[quote="whipped4073 So are you wanting an update to the Arcanist, or just additional mage classes for BTS2 to go along with the additional psychic classes?[/quote]

I would say both. The Arcanist from BTS1 is in desperate need of an update. As I said before it is too much of an uber-class, plus it needs to be modified to fit the low key psychic/magic setting of BTS 2. In addition I would say break up the Arcanist class into multiple classes or break up the magic system into multiple schools and make each Arcanist limit themselves to just one or two schools out of a number.
Otherwise you have one book (BTS2) that covers 10 or so psychic classes which all have a narrow focus on their abilities and another book (the forthcoming Arcanist one..) that just covers one class that can do...everything. I think that should be avoided.

You could have traditional mages and still call them Arcanists, you could have Shamans (traditional magic), you could have Neo-Mages (who redefine magic with modern terms and use computers), you could have Witches (not the kind that links to supernatural evil though) who use herbs, cauldrons, you could have Polyglots (who piece together bits of old magic traditions they've uncovered) who have a mish mash of rituals...lots of other odds and ends. You could go lots of directions but keep each class more narrowly defined so that they don't overshadow the psychics. In old campaigns (using BTS1) half the players may as well go home when an Arcanist showed up as he could do everything they could.

[jade von delioch]

I wouldn't use the multipliers, mainly because the Psi-Mechanic (who uses P.P.E. to build his devices) doesn't multiply his P.P.E. when facing supernatural menaces.

according to someone who played one at the last open house they are affected by the multipliers.