Every sorcerer gains his spellcasting ability from his breeding. Very few gain their powers from exactly the same source or lineage. Why, then, do all sorcerers gain funiliars? This article presents a couple of variant class features appropriate to any class with the familiar class feature.
You have always focused more on the raw manipulation of arcane energy than others of your profession. As such, you know how to possibly regain that energy when outside forces attempt to disrupt your magic.
Level: 1st (4th for hexblades).
Replaces: If you select this class feature, you do not gain a familiar.
Benefit: Whenever a targeted spell you cast fails to penetrate a creature’s spell resistance or is countered by another spellcaster, you can immediately attempt to reabsorb the arcane energy you just spent as an immediate action. The spell can have no effect at all in order to use this ability. By making a Spellcraft check (DC 20 + [spell level × 3]), you regain the spell as if it was never cast (or regain the spell slot if you cast spells spontaneously). Attempting this taxes your body. Regardless of the success of the check, you take 1 point of non-lethal damage per spell level you attempt to reabsorb. This damage is internal and bypasses damage reduction and resistances you possess.
A familiar offers companionship and, when necessary, an effective scout or spy. It does little for your spellcasting, however. This option presents you with a less generally useful item that instead enhances your spellcasting in some way.
Level: 1st (4th for hexblades).
Replaces: If you select this class feature, you do not gain a familiar.
Benefit: Instead of a familiar, you bind yourself to a masterwork item that acts as a focus for all your spells and that enhances the power of spells of one school. Once you have a masterwork item to bind to, you must perform a ritual that requires 24 hours and reagents costing 100 gp, much as if you were summoning a familiar.
When casting any spell, you must hold, wield or wear this item (as appropriate), in addition to providing the normal components of the spell (even other foci). Your focus item is used in addition to the spell’s normal components, not instead of. You are automatically considered proficient with your focus item, but you do not gain proficiency with any other item (weapon or armour) of the same type. For example, if your focus item is a longsword, you are proficient with your focus longsword but not with any other longsword, unless of course another feat or class feature grants you proficiency. When you cast a spell from the school to which your focus belongs, that spell is enhanced. At 7th and 15th levels, your focus grants additional abilities.
You may have only one focus item at a time. A specialist wizard may select only the focus appropriate to her specialty school. Bonuses gained from a focus item stack with similar bonuses gained from feats such as Spell Focus or Spell Penetration.
Your focus item grows tougher as you advance in level. The hardness of your focus item increases by one-half your caster level, up to double its normal hardness. In addition, your focus item gains additional hit points equal to your caster level, up to double its normal number of hit points. These bonuses are in addition to any increase in hardness or hit points the item gains for being made into a magic item.
If your focus item can be enhanced with magic, it costs you less XP to do so. When determining your XP cost for making your focus item into a magic item (or for upgrading it later), reduce the base cost by 10%. This reduction stacks with any other reduction you might gain, such as from the Legendary Artisan feat. Another character enhancing your focus item does not gain this reduction in XP cost.
If your focus item is destroyed, you must bind yourself to another masterwork item. You cannot bind to an item that is already a magic item. You can only bind to masterwork items. The item can be made of special materials (such as adamantine, cold iron or darkwood).
The following items are typical foci for each of the standard schools.
Abjuration: Usually a set of bracers, a buckler or a small shield (wooden or steel), your focus grants any non-personal abjuration spell you cast with one or more targets one additional target. The additional target is affected by the spell for half the normal duration. At 7th level, the additional targets of your spells receive them for the full duration. At 15th level, you may cast any personal abjuration spell as a touch spell.
Conjuration: Usually a gnarled and twisted quarterstaff or other polearm, your focus increases the duration of any conjuration spell you cast by 1 round (including spells that require concentration). Spells that require concentration also continue for 1 extra round after you stop concentrating. At 7th level, the duration bonuses each increase by 2 rounds. At 15th level, the duration bonuses each increase by 3 rounds.
Divination: Usually a large crystal (loose or mounted on a rod or staff) or ornate holy symbol, your focus increases the caster level of any divination spell you cast by +1. At 7th level, the duration of any divination spell you cast doubles. At 15th level, you gain a bonus to resist divinations equal to 1 + your Intelligence modifier (minimum +1).
Enchantment: Usually an ornate and typically non-functional piece of clothing, such as a sash or a hair ribbon, your focus increases the duration of any enchantment spell you cast by 1 round (including spells that require concentration). Spells that require concentration also continue for 1 extra round after you stop concentrating. At 7th level, the duration bonuses each increase by 2 rounds. At 15th level, the DC of your enchantment spells increases by +2.
Evocation: Usually a bladed weapon, such as a longsword or dagger, your focus grants +1 point of damage to any evocation spell you cast. Non-area effect spells that allow multiple targets (such as magic missile) only deal the bonus damage to a single target of your choice. For example, a fireball spell cast by a 6th-level sorcerer with this focus deals 6d6 + 1 points of damage to all creatures caught within it, while a magic missile spell cast by the same sorcerer creates three missiles: two that deal 1d4 + 1 points of damage and one that deals 1d4 + 2 points of damage. At 7th level, evocation spells you cast ignore the first 5 points of any energy or elemental resistances that a creature may have. Immunities are not affected. At 15th level, you may, once per day, ignore a creature’s immunity when you cast an evocation spell that affects it.
Illusion: Usually a mask, shroud, cloak or similar concealing piece of clothing, your focus increases the caster level of illusion spells you cast by +1. At 7th level, for every illusion spell you cast you gain a bonus on caster level checks made to defeat spell resistance equal to half your caster level. At 15th level, you may cast any personal illusion spell as a touch spell.
Necromancy: Usually a flail, kama, sickle, scythe or other weapon derived from harvesting crops, your focus increases the range of any necromancy spell you cast by +25%. At 7th level, any necromancy spell you cast that deals ability damage, ability drain or directly assigns a penally to an ability score deals +1 point of ability damage or ability drain or increases the penalty by an additional -1. For example, a 12th-level necromancer who casts ray of enfeeblement bestows a Strength penalty of 1d6 + 6 instead of the normal 1d6 + 5. At 15th level, any living creature affected by a necromancy spell you cast and fails the Fortitude save against it also becomes fatigued.
Transmutation: Usually a piece of equipment or set of tools used to create something (such as thieves’ tools, a musical instrument or artisan’s tools), your focus grants any non-personal transmutation spell you cast with one or more targets one additional target. The additional target is affected by the spell for half the normal duration. At 7th level, the additional targets of your spells receive them for the full duration. At 15th level, once per day, a transmutation spell you cast that grants a bonus to ability scores doubles the bonus. For example, a bull’s strength spell grants a +8 bonus to Strength instead of the normal +4.
Source: Dragon Magazine #348 (Page 88)