The Recalcitrant
The Recalcitrant
Most sorcerers survive by staying out of reach. The Recalcitrant does not bother. They cover themselves and their allies in abjurations, walk directly into touching distance, and discharge raw energy through their hands. They are hard to restrain, harder to wear down, and eventually hitting them becomes a problem for the weapon used to do it.
Basic Detail
HD Type: d10
Bonus HP Per HD: +4
Attack Curve: Medium
Magical Prowess: Standard
Spell List: Arcane
Sub-Type: Combat Focus
Skill Growth: 4 + Intelligence Modifier (x4 at first level)
Suggested Skills: Acrobatics, Balance, Concentration, Discern Intent, Escape Artist, Intimidate, Knowledge (Arcana),
Listen, Spot, and Swim.
Known Skills: 8 + Intelligence Modifier
Weapon Proficiency: One weapon of choice; the Recalcitrant primarily fights with Energy Strike
Armor Proficiency: Light
Saves: 2 High and 2 Low
Primary Mental Attribute (PMA): Charisma
Suggested Attribute Distribution: Str 12, Dex 16, Con 18, Int 14, Wis 14, Cha 16
Progression
| HD | Perk | Base Attack | High Save | Low Save | Spell Proficiency |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | SorceryD, GumptionA, and Extra Simplex Spell x2F | +0 | +2 | +0 | +1 |
| 2 | - | +1 | +3 | +0 | +1 |
| 3 | Advance Simplex Spell (Energy Strike)F | +2 | +3 | +1 | +1 |
| 4 | Spell PenetrationF | +3 | +4 | +1 | +1 |
| 5 | Resistive FocusD and Spell Penetration +1 | +3 | +4 | +1 | +1 |
| 6 | Signless SpellF | +4 | +5 | +2 | +1 |
| 7 | - | +5 | +5 | +2 | +1 |
| 8 | Soundless SpellF | +6/+1 | +6 | +2 | +2 |
| 9 | Mixed MetamagicF | +6/+1 | +6 | +3 | +2 |
| 10 | EndureA, Observant CasterD, and Spell Penetration +2 | +7/+2 | +7 | +3 | +2 |
| 11 | - | +8/+3 | +7 | +3 | +2 |
| 12 | Swift SpellF and Greater Spell PenetrationF | +9/+4 | +8 | +4 | +2 |
| 13 | - | +9/+4 | +8 | +4 | +2 |
| 14 | - | +10/+5 | +9 | +4 | +2 |
| 15 | Mystic WarriorD, Improved MetamagicF, and Spell Penetration +3 | +15/+10/+5 | +9 | +5 | +2 |
| 16 | Bolster SpellF | +16/+11/+6/+1 | +10 | +5 | +3 |
| 17 | - | +17/+12/+7/+2 | +10 | +5 | +3 |
| 18 | Improved MetamagicF | +18/+13/+8/+3 | +11 | +6 | +3 |
| 19 | - | +19/+14/+9/+4 | +11 | +6 | +3 |
| 20 | Shattering FeedbackA, Tough as NailsD, Perfect SpellF, and Spell Penetration +4 | +20/+15/+10/+5 | +12 | +6 | +3 |
F Feat, A Ability, and D Definition
The Breakdown
The Recalcitrant should make Fortitude and Reflex their high saves. Put the attribute increases at 4 and 8 HD into Constitution. This gets the 20 Constitution required by Shattering Feedback out of the way early. Later increases can go into Charisma for spellcasting or Dexterity for Energy Strike's melee touch attacks.
Sorcery: Gain access to the Arcane spell list and lose access to the Generalist list. Gain one additional known Arcane spell at every HD. The Recalcitrant cannot prepare spells and can only cast known spells. Sorcery also grants an inherent bonus to piercing spell resistance equal to one per 5 HD, shown in the progression.
Gumption: Gain Gumption. Spend Gumption as an immediate action to add Constitution to a roll resisting an advanced combat maneuver or reroll a failed Fortitude save. The pool begins at 1 point and gains another point per 6 HD.
Extra Simplex Spell x2: Standard Magic starts with three Simplex spells. Take this twice to immediately reach the five required by Advance Simplex Spell.
Advance Simplex Spell (Energy Strike): Learn Energy Strike. Every attack from Base Attack Bonus can be made as a melee touch attack dealing 1d4 plus another 1d4 per 2 HD, to a maximum of 6d4. Spell Proficiency is added per die. The Medium attack curve gets a second attack at 8 HD and a third at 15 HD. Mystic Warrior expands this to High at 15 HD, granting a fourth attack at 16 HD.
Spell Penetration: Gain +2 when rolling against spell resistance or defending against a counterspell. This stacks with Sorcery's inherent bonus.
Resistive Focus: Change one low save to a high save. Will is the suggested choice, leaving Ego as the only low save.
Signless Spell: Cast without somatic components by increasing the spell's slot level by 1.
Soundless Spell: Cast without verbal components by increasing the spell's slot level by 1.
Mixed Metamagic: Apply Signless Spell and Soundless Spell together. Before Improved Metamagic, the combined spell uses a slot 2 levels higher.
Endure: Gain Endure and one additional Gumption point. Spend 1 Gumption as an immediate action to gain DR equal to ten times Constitution modifier for 1 round, three times Constitution modifier for 5 rounds, or Constitution modifier for 10 rounds.
Observant Caster: Casting in a threatened square no longer provokes attacks of opportunity. The Recalcitrant can stay where Energy Strike needs them without every defensive spell giving the enemy a free attack.
Swift Spell: Increase a standard-action spell's slot by 4 to cast it as a swift action, or change a full-round spell into a standard action. This lets the Recalcitrant put up a defense without giving up the rest of the turn.
Greater Spell Penetration: Gain another +2 when rolling against spell resistance or defending against a counterspell, for a +4 total bonus from the feat line.
Mystic Warrior: Expand Base Attack Bonus from Medium to High. Since this is taken at 15 HD, it does not change the Recalcitrant's Medium skill growth or saves. The Base Attack column uses Medium through 14 HD and High from 15 HD onward. This grants a fourth Energy Strike attack at 16 HD, which is the entire reason it is here.
Improved Metamagic: Reduce the additional slot cost of Bolster Spell, Perfect Spell, and Swift Spell by 1. Signless Spell and Soundless Spell are reduced to +0. The second selection reduces the larger metamagic costs again, to a minimum of +1.
Bolster Spell: Increase a spell's slot level by 2 to add four damage, healing, or warding dice. After both selections of Improved Metamagic, this costs a slot only 1 level higher.
Shattering Feedback: Upgrade Endure to Shattering Feedback and gain another Gumption point. Damage stopped by Endure is dealt to the attacking weapon unless its wielder succeeds on a Reflex save. Shatter Resistance applies normally.
Tough as Nails: Gain 20 HP and a +4 inherent bonus to Fortitude saves against disease and poison.
Perfect Spell: Maximize every randomized element of a spell. Its +3 slot cost is reduced to +1 by the two Improved Metamagic feats.
Spell Casting
Caster Level: The Recalcitrant's caster level is equal to their HD.
Spell List: The Recalcitrant casts from the Arcane spell list through Sorcery.
Simplex Spells: The suggested Simplex spells are Arcane Tricks, Detect Magic, Distract, Resistance, and Touch of Fatigue. Energy Strike is learned as an Advanced Simplex spell at 3 HD.
Spells Known: The table lists the Standard Magic progression's known spells. Sorcery adds one known Arcane spell at every HD on top of these values. The Recalcitrant cannot prepare spells, so every spell they cast must be known.
Spells Per Day: These are the Recalcitrant's base spell slots before bonus spells from Charisma. A 0 means the Recalcitrant can cast spells of that level only if Charisma grants a bonus slot.
Base Spells Known
| HD | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 2 | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 3 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - |
| 4 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - |
| 5 | 1 | 1 | - | - | - | - |
| 6 | 1 | 1 | - | - | - | - |
| 7 | 1 | 1 | 1 | - | - | - |
| 8 | 2 | 1 | 1 | - | - | - |
| 9 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | - | - |
| 10 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | - | - |
| 11 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | - | - |
| 12 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | - |
| 13 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | - |
| 14 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | - |
| 15 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| 16 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| 17 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| 18 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| 19 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| 20 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 |
Spells Per Day
| HD | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - |
| 2 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - |
| 3 | 2 | 0 | - | - | - | - |
| 4 | 3 | 1 | - | - | - | - |
| 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | - | - | - |
| 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | - | - | - |
| 7 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 0 | - | - |
| 8 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 1 | - | - |
| 9 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 2 | - | - |
| 10 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 0 | - |
| 11 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | - |
| 12 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | - |
| 13 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 0 |
| 14 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| 15 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 2 |
| 16 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 |
| 17 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 |
| 18 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 |
| 19 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 |
| 20 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 |
Suggested Spells by Level
These spells protect the Recalcitrant, protect nearby allies, and deal with hostile magic. Energy Strike is still the default attack and does not consume any of these spell slots.