Are you tired of the materialism and emphasis on acquiring new gear, fostered by high-magic games? When you escape into a fantasy world, do you really want to worry about things like money and equipment? Are you tired of characters who are so dependent on their items that they become pathetically weak without them? Are you tired of wading through a huge list of spells to find the right ones for your character?
The D&D 3.0 book Masters of the Wild has a prestige class called Forsaker. You can probably appreciate the concept: a character without magic items; who doesn't even notice an Antimagic Field; who doesn't suffer greatly when all his stuff is taken away or destroyed; who doesn't need to participate in all the nitpicking of treasure division.
But most important, the Forsaker is a character defined entirely by who he is and what he does. It lets you more fully explore the nuances of a race, and focus on role playing in tough situations.
Because WOTC never updated this class for 3.5, member Shmeck on the Wizards.com boards worked with his DM for two years over several revisions to fix the broken and poorly-designed aspects of the Forsaker prestige class. Since posting the Wizards.com article, he has sent me updates via private email.
Below I show the differences between the 3.0 Forsaker and Shmeck's fixed 3.5 version, with the differences highlighted in red, or stricken where a 3.0 feature was eliminated for 3.5. So without further ado...
Forsakers do not necessarily hate magic. They simply choose to abstain from using it or benefiting from it. This may be for philosophical reasons, fear, or ignorance. Regardless of the reason, they have also learned that by forsaking magic, they can become as powerful and resilient as their magic-using peers.
Forsakers have no trouble adventuring with parties of magic-using characters. At the same time, forsakers are highly self-sufficient and well-suited to the occasional solo adventure. It is often said that forsakers are harbingers of a time to come, when magic will have less influence in the world. At times, forsakers seem to embody the inevitable and unstoppable force of nature, leaving behind a wake of devastation.
Hit Die: d12
To qualify as a forsaker, a character must fulfill the following criteria.
| 3.0 | Fixed for 3.5 |
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Feats: Great Fortitude, Iron Will, Lightning Reflexes (these feats grant +2 to all saves). |
Feats: Iron Will, Lightning Reflexes, Power Attack. |
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Special: The character must once have been the victim of a magical attack that seriously wounded him or threatened his life. He must also sell or give away all his magic items (including magic weapons, armor, and potions) and renounce the use of any spellcasting and spelllike abilities he previously used. |
Special: The character, or someone very close to him, must once have been the victim of a life-threatening magical attack or mishap. He must also sell, give away, or destroy all his magic items (including magic weapons, armor, and potions) and renounce the use of any spellcasting and spell-like abilities he previously used. |
| 3.0 | Fixed for 3.5 |
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The forsaker's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Climb (Str), Craft (any) (Int), Handle Animal (Wis), Heal (Wis), Intimidate (Cha), Intuit Direction (Wis), Jump (Str), Listen (Wis), Ride (Dex), Sense Motive (Wis), Swim (Str), Tumble (Dex), and Wilderness Lore (Wis). |
The forsaker's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Climb (Str), Craft (Any) (Int), Handle Animal (Wis), Heal (Wis), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Listen (Wis), Ride (Dex), Sense Motive (Wis), Survival (Wis), Swim (Str), and Tumble (Dex). |
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Skill Points at Each Level: 2 + Int modifier. |
Skill Points at Each Level: 4 + Int modifier. |
| 3.0 | Fixed for 3.5 | ||||||||||
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| CL | BaB | Fort | Ref | Will | Special | CL | BaB | Fort | Ref | Will | Special |
| 1st | +1 | +2 | +0 | +2 | Ability bonus +1, fast healing 1 (10), forsake magic, SR 11 | 1st | +1 | +0 | +0 | +2 | Ability bonus+1, fast healing 1, forsake magic, SR 10+CL, magic destruction points, damage reduction 1/-, fast movement +5 |
| 2nd | +2 | +3 | +0 | +3 | Ability bonus +1, damage reduction 3/+1, magic destruction, SR 12 | 2nd | +2 | +0 | +0 | +3 | Ability bonus +1 |
| 3rd | +3 | +3 | +1 | +3 | Ability bonus +1, tough defense, fast healing 1 (20), natural weapons, SR 13 | 3rd | +3 | +1 | +1 | +3 | Ability bonus +1, tough defense, DR 2/-, fast move +10, punch DR |
| 4th | +4 | +4 | +1 | +4 | Ability bonus +1, damage reduction 5/+2, SR 14 | 4th | +4 | +1 | +1 | +4 | Ability bonus +1 |
| 5th | +5 | +4 | +1 | +4 | Ability bonus +1, fast healing 2 |
5th | +5 | +1 | +1 | +4 | Ability bonus +1, fast healing 2, DR 3/- |
| 6th | +6 | +5 | +2 | +5 | Ability bonus +1, damage reduction 7/+3, slippery mind, SR 16 | 6th | +6 | +2 | +2 | +5 | Ability bonus +1, fast movement +15 |
| 7th | +7 | +5 | +2 | +5 | Ability bonus +1, fast healing 2 (40), SR 17 | 7th | +7 | +2 | +2 | +5 | Ability bonus +1, DR 4/- |
| 8th | +8 | +6 | +2 | +6 | Ability bonus +1, damage reduction 9/+4, SR 18 | 8th | +8 | +2 | +2 | +6 | Ability bonus +1 |
| 9th | +9 | +6 | +3 | +6 | Ability bonus +1, fast healing 3 |
9th | +9 | +3 | +3 | +6 | Ability bonus +1, fast healing 3, DR 5/-, fast movement +20 |
| 10th | +10 | +7 | +3 | +7 | Ability bonus +1, damage reduction 11/+5, SR 20 | 10th | +10 | +3 | +3 | +7 | Ability bonus +1 |
| Epic | All class abilities continue to progress at the same rate, except for fast movement. The Epic Forsaker gains a bonus feat every 5 levels, at 25th, 30th, 35th, 40th, etc. | ||||||||||
The following are class features of the forsaker prestige class.
| 3.0 | Fixed for 3.5 | ||||||||||
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| Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Forsakers gain no weapon or armor proficiencies. | Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Forsakers gain no armor or weapon proficiencies. | ||||||||||
| Ability Bonus (Ex): Beginning at 1st level, the character gains a +1 inherent bonus to any desired ability score for each forsaker level. | Ability Bonus (Ex): Beginning at 1st level, the character gains a +1 inherent bonus to any desired ability score for each forsaker level. Inherent bonuses to a single ability may not exceed +5. | ||||||||||
| Fast Movement (Ex): A forsaker has a speed faster than the norm for his race. He adds +5 feet to his speed at 1st, 3rd, 6th, and 9th level when wearing no armor, light armor, or medium armor (and not carrying a heavy load). This ability stacks with any other fast movement from other classes. | |||||||||||
| Fast Healing (Ex): Forsakers regain hit points at an exceptionally fast rate. At 1st level, the character regains 1 hit point per round, to a maximum of 10 hit points per day. The number of hit points regained per round increases by +1 for every four forsaker levels, and the maximum restorable per day increases by 10 for every two forsaker levels. Except as noted above, this ability works like the fast healing ability described in the introduction of the Monster Manual. | Fast Healing (Ex): Forsakers regain hit points at an exceptionally fast rate. At 1st level, the character regains 1 hit point per round. The number of hit points regained per round increases by +1 for every four forsaker levels thereafter. This ability works like the fast healing described in the introduction of the Monster Manual. | ||||||||||
| Forsake Magic: In addition to avoiding all use of spellcasting, spell-like abilities, and magic items, the forsaker must also refuse any benefits from others' magic including magical healing. Thus, he must attempt a saving throw against any spell that allows one. For most beneficial spells, such as displacement or neutralize poison, a successful save negates the spell's effects; for a cure spell, it halves the benefit. Any forsaker who unwittingly uses a magic item or casts a spell (while under the influence of a charm person or dominate person spell, for example) loses all the special abilities of the prestige class for one week. | Forsake Magic: In addition to avoiding the use of spellcasting, spell-like abilities, and magic items, the forsaker must also refuse any benefits from others' magic including magical healing. Thus, he must attempt a saving throw against any spell that allows one. For most beneficial spells, such as displacement or neutralize poison, a successful save negates the spell's effects; for a cure spell, it halves the benefit. Any forsaker who unwittingly uses a magic item or casts a spell (while under the influence of a charm person or dominate person spell, for example) loses all the special abilities of the prestige class for one week. A forsaker may step through a magic portal without penalty, and a forsaker may be raised from the dead without penalty. | ||||||||||
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Spell Resistance (Ex): At 1st level, the forsaker gains spell resistance 11. This value increases by +1 with each forsaker level gained. This value stacks with any other applicable spell resistance he has. |
Spell Resistance (Ex): At 1st level, the forsaker gains spell resistance 10 + character level. This value increases by +1 for every level gained thereafter in any class, forsaker or otherwise, as long as he forsakes magic (see below). This ability remains in effect as long as the forsaker has a positive magic destruction point total. This value stacks with any other applicable spell resistance he has. | ||||||||||
| Damage Reduction (Ex): Beginning at 2nd level, the forsaker gains damage reduction 3/+1. This damage resistance rises by 2/+1 for every two forsaker levels he gains thereafter. This ability remains in effect only as long as the forsaker destroys the required value of magic items every 24 hours (see Magic Destruction, below). This does not stack with any other damage reduction he already has. | Damage Reduction (Ex): Beginning at 1st level, the forsaker gains damage reduction 1/-. This damage resistance rises by 1/- for every two forsaker level he gains thereafter. This does not stack with any other damage reduction he already has. | ||||||||||
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Magic Destruction: The forsaker gains access to his damage reduction ability (see above) through the destruction of magic items. If he goes more than 24 hours without destroying magic items whose market prices total at least 100 gp per point of damage reduction, he loses that ability until he does so. |
Magic Destruction Points: The forsaker gains access to his spell resistance through the destruction of magic-using creatures and magic items. For each point of spell resistance, 100 points are deducted from his magic destruction point total each day (SR x 100 per day). Points are accrued according to the following rules:
There is no limit to the amount of magic destruction points a forsaker may store, but 100 M.D.P. per point of spell resistance (SR x 100) are automatically deducted from the total each 24 hours. The forsaker may never choose to forego spell resistance, and the number of magic destruction points may never go below zero. If the forsaker dies, his M.D.P. total is reduced to zero, and his body loses its spell resistance.
Not approved yet by author's DM:
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| Tough Defense (Ex): At 3rd level, a forsaker gains a natural armor bonus equal to his Constitution bonus (if any). | Tough Defense (Ex): At 3rd level, a forsaker gains a natural armor bonus equal to his Constitution bonus (if any). | ||||||||||
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Natural Weapons (Ex): Beginning at 3rd level, the forsaker can fight as though he and his weapon were one. Any weapon he uses functions as if it were a natural weapon for overcoming damage reduction (see Damage Reduction in the introduction of the Monster Manual). That is, if the forsaker has damage reduction 3/+1, any weapon he uses functions as if it were a +1 weapon for overcoming a foe's damage reduction. |
Punch Damage Reduction (Ex): Beginning at 3rd level, forsaker can fight as though he and his weapon were one to bypass damage reduction. Each hit requires a successful DR punch check: d20 + current damage bonus for the weapon (including Power Attack and all current damage bonuses). The DC for this check depends on the type of damage reduction:
If a foe has damage reduction in two of the above categories, use the higher DC. For example, to punch DR 10/cold iron and good with a normal weapon, the punch check DC is 10 + 10 = 20. To punch DR 5/magic and slashing with a non-magical slashing weapon, the DC is 5 + 5 = 10; in this case, using a bludgeoning weapon would automatically fail the check. A successful DC 12 wisdom check allows the character to recognize that a failure to punch DR was due to using the wrong weapon type. | ||||||||||
| Slippery Mind (Ex): At 6th level, the forsaker can wriggle free from magical effects that would otherwise control or compel him. If he fails his saving throw against an enchantment effect, he can attempt his saving throw again 1 round later. He gets only one extra chance to succeed at his saving throw. |
Forsakers can multiclass normally, as long as they continue to abide by the strictures of the prestige class. Any forsaker who willingly violates those strictures by using magic items or casting spells loses all special abilities of the prestige class and can progress no further as a forsaker. If he thereafter remains pure (uses no magic) for a period of a year and a day, his abilities are reinstated at their previous levels and he may once again progress in the prestige class.