# Forum > Gaming > Homebrew Design >  Biscuit's Straight-Forward Beguiler Fix

## Biscuit

*D&D 3.5 - The Beguiler*
*(Player's Handbook II, p. 6)*

If you delight in manipulating others, either to their disadvantage or for their own good, then the beguiler is the class for you.


*Hit Dice:* d6

*Alignment:* Any

*Starting Gold:* 5d4x10

*Skill Points:* 6 + Int

*Class Skills:* Appraise (Int), Balance (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Decipher Script (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Disable Device (Int), Disguise (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Forgery (Int), Gather Information (Cha), Hide (Dex), Jump (Str), Knowledge - Arcana (Int), Knowledge - Local (Int), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Open Lock (Dex), Profession (Wis), Search (Int), Sense Motive (Wis), Sleight of Hand (Dex), Speak Language (None), Spellcraft (Int), Spot (Wis), Swim (Str), Tumble (Dex), Use Magic Device (Cha)

Lvl
BAB
Fort
Ref
Will
Class Features
0th
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
5th
6th
7th
8th
9th

1
+0
+0
+0
+2
Armored Mage, Trapfinding
5
3
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-

2
+1
+0
+0
+3
Cloaked Casting (+2 DC), surprise casting
6
4
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-

3
+1
+1
+1
+3
Advanced Learning
6
5
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-

4
+2
+1
+1
+4
Skill Focus (Bluff)
6
6
3
-
-
-
-
-
-
-

5
+2
+1
+1
+4
Silent Spell
6
6
4
-
-
-
-
-
-
-

6
+3
+2
+2
+5
Surprise Casting (Move action)
6
6
5
3
-
-
-
-
-
-

7
+3
+2
+2
+5
Advanced Learning
6
6
6
4
-
-
-
-
-
-

8
+4
+2
+2
+6
Cloaked Casting (+2 to overcome SR)
6
6
6
5
3
-
-
-
-
-

9
+4
+3
+3
+6
Improved Feint
6
6
6
6
4
-
-
-
-
-

10
+5
+3
+3
+7
Still Spell
6
6
6
6
5
3
-
-
-
-

11
+5
+3
+3
+7
Advanced Learning
6
6
6
6
6
4
-
-
-
-

12
+6/+1
+4
+4
+8
Cloaked Casting (+4 to overcome SR)
6
6
6
6
6
5
3
-
-
-

13
+6/+1
+4
+4
+8
--
6
6
6
6
6
6
4
-
-
-

14
+7/+2
+4
+4
+9
Cloaked Casting (+3 DC)
6
6
6
6
6
6
5
3
-
-

15
+7/+2
+5
+5
+9
Advanced Learning, Coercive Spell
6
6
6
6
6
6
6
4
-
-

16
+8/+3
+5
+5
+10
Cloaked Casting (+6 to overcome SR)
6
6
6
6
6
6
6
5
3
-

17
+8/+3
+5
+5
+10
--
6
6
6
6
6
6
6
6
4
-

18
+9/+4
+6
+6
+11
Cloaked Casting (+4 DC)
6
6
6
6
6
6
6
6
5
3

19
+9/+4
+6
+6
+11
Advanced Learning
6
6
6
6
6
6
6
6
6
4

20
+10/+5
+6
+6
+12
Cloaked Casting (Overcomes SR), Deceptive Spell
6
6
6
6
6
6
6
6
6
5


*Spoiler: Beguiler Class Spell List*
Show


*Spoiler: Level 0 Cantrips*
Show


Dancing Lights
Daze
Detect Magic
Ghost Sound
Mage Hand
Message
Open/Close
Prestidigitation
Read Magic
Silent Portal


*Spoiler: Level 1 Spells*
Show


Charm Person
Color Spray
Comprehend Languages
Deadend
Detect Secret Doors
Disguise Self
Expeditious Retreat
Hypnotism
Mage Armor
Obscuring Mist
Rouse
Silent Image
Sleep
Undetectable Alignment
Whelm


*Spoiler: Level 2 Spells*
Show


Blinding Color Surge
Blur
Daze Monster
Detect Thoughts
Fog Cloud
Glitterdust
Hypnotic Pattern
Invisibility
Knock
Leomund's Trap
Minor Image
Misdirection
See Invisibility
Silence
Spider Climb
Stay The Hand
Touch of Idiocy
Vertigo
Wall of Gloom
Whelming Blast


*Spoiler: Level 3 Spells*
Show


Arcane Sight
Clairaudience/Clairvoyance
Crown of Veils
Deep Slumber
Dispel Magic
Displacement
Glibness
Halt
Haste
Hesitate
Hold Person
Illusory Script
Inevitable Defeat
Invisibility Sphere
Legion of Sentinels
Major Image
Nondetection
Phantasmal Steed
Slow
Suggestion
Vertigo Field
Zone of Silence


*Spoiler: Level 4 Spells*
Show


Charm MonsterConfusion
Crushing Dispair
Freedom of Movement
Greater Invisibility
Greater Mirror Image
Hallucinatory Terrain
Locate Creature
Mass Whelm
Phantom Battle
Rainbow Pattern
Shadow Conjuration
Solid Fog


*Spoiler: Level 5 Spells*
Show


Break Enchantment
Dominate Person
Feeblemind
Friend to Foe
Hold Monster
Incite Riot
Mind Fog
Rary's Telepathic Bond
Seeming
Sending
Shadow Evocation
Swift Etherealness


*Spoiler: Level 6 Spells*
Show


Greater Dispell Magic
Illusory Pit
Mass Suggestion
Mislead
Overwhelm
Programmed Image
Shadow Walk
True Seeing
Veil


*Spoiler: Level 7 Spells*
Show


Ethereal Jaunt
Greater Arcane Sight
Greater Shadow Conjuration
Mass Hold Person
Mass Invisibility
Phase Doors
Power Word Blind
Project Image
Spell Turning


*Spoiler: Level 8 Spells*
Show


Demand
Discern Location
Greater Shadow Evocation
Maddening Whispers
Mind Blank
Moment of Prescience
Power Word Stun
Scintillating Pattern
Screen


*Spoiler: Level 9 Spells*
Show


Dominate Monster
Etherealness
Foresight
Mass Hold Monster
Power Word kill
Shades
Time Stop





*Class Features*

*Weapon and Armor Proficiency:* Beguilers are proficient with all simple weapons plus the hand crossbow, rapier, shortbow, and short sword. Beguilers are proficient with light armor, but not with shields.


*Spells:* A beguiler casts arcane spells, which are drawn from the beguiler spell list on page 11. When you gain access to a new level of spells, you automatically know all the spells for that level on the beguiler's spell list. You can cast any spell you know without preparing it ahead of time. Essentially, your spell list is the same as your spells known list. You also have the option of adding to your existing spell list through your advanced learning class feature (see below) as you increase in level.

To cast a beguiler spell, you must have an Intelligence score of 10 + the spell's level (Int 10 for 0-level spells, Int 11 for 1st-level spells, and so forth). The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against a beguiler's spell is 10 + the spell's level + the beguiler's Int modifier. Like other spellcasters, a beguiler can cast only a certain number of spells of each spell level per day. The base daily spell allotment is given on Table 11. In addition, you receive bonus spells for a high Intelligence score (PH 8).

A beguiler need not prepare spells in advance. You can cast any spell you know at any time, assuming you have not yet used up your spells per day for that spell level.


*Armored Mage (Ex):* Normally, armor of any type interferes with an arcane spellcaster's gestures, which can cause your spells to fail if those spells have a somatic component. A beguiler's limited focus and specialized training, however, allow you to avoid any chance of arcane spell failure as long as you restrict yourself to light armor. This training does not extend to any other form of armor, nor does this ability apply to spells gained from other spellcasting classes.


*Trapfinding:* Beguilers can use the Search skill to locate traps when the task has a Difficulty Class higher than 20. Finding a nonmagical trap has a DC of at least 20, or higher if it is well hidden. Finding a magic trap has a DC of 25 + the level of the spell used to create it.

Beguilers can use the Disable Device skill to disarm magic traps. A magic trap typically has a DC of 25 + the level of the spell used to create it.

A beguiler who beats a trap's DC by 10 or more with a Disable Device check can study a trap, figure out how it works, and bypass it (with his allies) without disarming it.


*Cloaked Casting (Ex):*  Starting at 2nd level, a beguiler's spells become more effective when cast against an unwary foe. You gain a +2 bonus to the spell's save DC when you cast a spell that targets any foe who would be denied a Dexterity bonus to AC (whether the target actually has a Dexterity bonus or not).

- At 8th level, you gain a +2 bonus on rolls made to overcome the spell resistance of any affected target. (This effect stacks with Spell Penetration and Greater Spell Penetration)

- At 12th level, you gain another +2 bonus on rolls made to overcome the spell resistance of any affected target for a total of +4. (This effect still stacks with Spell Penetration and Greater Spell Penetration)

- At 14th level, the bonus to your spell's save DC increases to +3.

- At 16th level, you gain another +2 bonus on rolls made to overcome the spell resistance of any affected target for a total of +6. (This effect still stacks with Spell Penetration and Greater Spell Penetration)

- At 18th level, the bonus to your spell's save DC increases to +4.

- At 20th level, you become able to automatically overcome the spell resistance of any affected target. If you have the feats Spell Penetration or Greater Spell Penetration, you lose those feats and instead gain a bonus feat (or bonus feats, in the case that you have both) in their place. The feat gained must have been something you would have qualified for at the time you took the feat being replaced.


*Surprise Casting (Ex):* Starting at 2nd level, when you successfully use the Bluff skill to feint in combat, your target is denied its Dexterity bonus (if it has one) to AC for the next melee attack you make against it or the next spell you cast. You must remain in melee with the target, and the attack must be made or the spell cast on or before your next turn. The target is not considered flat-footed and therefore can make attacks of opportunity against you if you do not cast defensively.

At 6th level, you gain the ability to feint in combat as a move action instead of a standard action. If you have the Improved Feint feat (gained at level 9), you can now feint in combat as a swift action.


*Advanced Learning (Ex):* At 3rd level, you can add a new spell to your list, representing the result of personal study and experimentation. The spell must be a sorcerer/wizard spell of the Universal, Enchantment, or Illusion school or that has the Mind-Effecting spell descriptor and of a level no higher than that of the highest-level spell you already know. Once a new spell is selected, it is forever added to your spell list and can be cast just like any other spell on your list.

You gain another new spell at 7th, 11th, 15th, and 19th level.


*Skill Focus (Bluff):* At 4th level, you gain Skill Focus (Bluff) as a bonus feat.


*Silent Spell:* At 5th level, you gain Silent Spell as a bonus feat, and can add it to your spells automatically without having to raise the level of the spell you are altering, and without increasing the casting time as would normally be the case when adding metamagic.


*Improved Feint:* At 9th level, you gain Improved Feint as a bonus feat, even if you would not otherwise qualify for it.


*Still Spell:* At 10th level, you gain Still Spell as a bonus feat, and can add it to your spells automatically without having to raise the level of the spell you are altering, and without increasing the casting time as would normally be the case when adding metamagic.


*Coercive Spell:* At 15th level, you gain Coercive Spell as a bonus feat, and can add it to your spells automatically without having to raise the level of the spell you are altering, and without increasing the casting time as would normally be the case when adding metamagic.


*Deceptive Spell:* At 20th level, you gain Deceptive Spell as a bonus feat, and can add it to your spells automatically without having to raise the level of the spell you are altering, and without increasing the casting time as would normally be the case when adding metamagic.


*Spoiler: Author Notes & Changelog*
Show


I only altered 5 minor things about this class to improve its performance and get rid of several dead levels. A full breakdown of the 5 changes are in the post below to avoid cluttering this post.

*~ Biscuit*

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## Biscuit

This is a simple fix to make the Beguiler (Player's Handbook II, p. 6) more viable as a caster/rogue hybrid class. This adds a few spells that should have been in a Beguiler's arsenal to begin with, as well as a couple simple quality-of-life improvements to class features.

*Step 1* - Add the following spells to their class spell list for each spell level:

Cantrips - Mage Hand, Prestidigitation, Silent Portal
Dead EndLeomund's Trap, Wall of GloomIllusory Script, Phantasmal StranglerHallucinatory Terrain, Shadow ConjurationShadow EvocationIllusory Pit, Programmed ImageGreater Shadow ConjurationGreater Shadow Evocation, Maddening WhispersShades*Reasoning:* This adds a few very appropriate spells to the Beguiler class since it was mostly ignored in later splat books - which is a shame, as it is a fun and unique class that deserves attention. The addition of Mage Hand also qualifies them for Arcane Trickster, which is _inequivalently_ thematic for the Beguiler class and it should _absolutely_ have access to (even if they still wouldn't normally qualify to take it until level 10).


*Step 2* - As with the class features Silent Spell (gained at level 5) and Still Spell (gained at level 10), add similar class features Coercive Spell (gained at level 15) and Deceptive Spell (gained at level 20) and give them the ability to add the corresponding +1 Metamagic effects to any spell cast without raising the spell's level or extending the casting time.
*Reasoning:*  A Beguiler does one thing better than any other spellcaster: Misdirect their opponents. The class feature should never have stopped with just Silent and Still, allowing for more misdirection and trickery and giving late-game levels of Beguiler a purpose instead of making it underpowered and easy to jump ship for a prestige class instead of taking high level Beguiler levels. It should also get a benefit to these instead of just a forced-choice bonus feat - the ability to use it inherently with their magic without penalty.


*Step 3* - Allow the Advanced Learning class feature to allow for the learning of Universal school spells and for any spell with the Mind-Effecting descriptor, on top of the normal Illusion and Enchantment school spells.
*Reasoning:* This allows for thematic spells like Arcane Mark (Universal), Cause Fear/Scare (Necromancy), Detect Thoughts (Divination), etc that fall well into a Beguiler's wheelhouse.


*Step 4* - At 4th level, give them Skill Focus (Bluff) as a bonus feat and at 9th level, give the benefit of the Improved Feint feat without needing to meet its normal requirements (having the Combat Expertise feat). If they already have the Improved Feint feat, give them a Bonus Feat instead, as long as they qualify for the feat they choose.
*Reasoning:*  Surprise Casting depends on Feinting. If the mostly ranged caster class is forced to get up close and personal to use their class abilities, they should be given the tools to do so. This also solves both dead levels in the first 10 levels of the class.


*Step 5* - Change Cloaked Casting's benefits from the original to instead read:
*
Cloaked Casting (Ex)*: Starting at 2nd level, a beguiler's spells become more effective when cast against an unwary foe. You gain a +2 bonus to the spell's save DC when you cast a spell that targets any foe who would be denied a Dexterity bonus to AC (whether the target actually has a Dexterity bonus or not).At 8th level, you gain a +2 bonus on rolls made to overcome the spell resistance of any affected target. (This effect stacks with Spell Penetration and Greater Spell Penetration)At 12th level, you gain another +2 bonus on rolls made to overcome the spell resistance of any affected target for a total of +4. (This effect still stacks with Spell Penetration and Greater Spell Penetration)At 14th level, the bonus to your spell's save DC increases to +3.At 16th level, you gain another +2 bonus on rolls made to overcome the spell resistance of any affected target for a total of +6. (This effect still stacks with Spell Penetration and Greater Spell Penetration)At 18th level, the bonus to your spell's save DC increases to +4.At 20th level, you become able to automatically overcome the spell resistance of any affected target. If you have the feats Spell Penetration or Greater Spell Penetration, you lose those feats and instead gain a bonus feat (or bonus feats, in the case that you have both) in their place. The feat gained must have been something you would have qualified for at the time you took the feat being replaced.*Reasoning:*  This clears up another 3 otherwise dead levels and progresses the ability to Overcome Spell Resistance a little instead of a single bump and then auto-success at 20 that the normal progression had. It also stops punishing you for taking all Beguiler levels if you had taken Spell Penetration or Greater Spell Penetration, as they wouldn't simply become obsolete and useless at the capstone.

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## Thunder999

Looks interesting, though you just copy/pasted the description for Still Spell for Coercive spell and Deceptive spell

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## Biscuit

> Looks interesting, though you just copy/pasted the description for Still Spell for Coercive spell and Deceptive spell


Fixed! Thank you for pointing that out.

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## RandomPeasant

> *Surprise Casting (Ex):* Starting at 2nd level, when you successfully use the Bluff skill to feint in combat, your target is denied its Dexterity bonus (if it has one) to AC for the next melee attack you make against it or the next spell you cast. You must remain in melee with the target, and the attack must be made or the spell cast on or before your next turn. The target is not considered flat-footed and therefore can make attacks of opportunity against you if you do not cast defensively.


The thing where the Beguiler (who is a caster with a d6 hit die and light armor) is supposed to run up into melee with people to feint on them has never really made sense. IMO this should either turn off AoOs, or more likely just be replaced with something else. Especially with the class getting _greater invisibility_, it's just not that hard for a Beguiler to flat-foot their enemies. I would give them some sort of class feature that helps out with their skill monkey-ing, rather than loading them down with more combat stuff when "cast SoDs that target Will" is already a fine combat strategy.




> *Advanced Learning (Ex):* At 3rd level, you can add a new spell to your list, representing the result of personal study and experimentation. The spell must be a sorcerer/wizard spell of the Universal, Enchantment, or Illusion school or that has the Mind-Effecting spell descriptor and of a level no higher than that of the highest-level spell you already know. Once a new spell is selected, it is forever added to your spell list and can be cast just like any other spell on your list.
> 
> You gain another new spell at 7th, 11th, 15th, and 19th level.


I've always felt that the non-Warmage fixed list casters should have access to Eclectic Learning if they wanted it. If you're re-writing the class, I think it's worth changing that.




> *Coercive Spell:* At 15th level, you gain Coercive Spell as a bonus feat, and can add it to your spells automatically without having to raise the level of the spell you are altering, and without increasing the casting time as would normally be the case when adding metamagic.


This is a very minor editing note, but it makes it much easier for casual readers to understand the material if you list the source for stuff like this that isn't from Core or the same book as the Beguiler. Also this seems like a very weird pick for the Beguiler, because it's supposed to combo damaging and non-damaging spells. I guess the Beguiler technically has the _whelm_ line, but it suggests a different sort of class to me.




> This adds a few very appropriate spells to the Beguiler class since it was mostly ignored in later splat books - which is a shame, as it is a fun and unique class that deserves attention.


I mean, they do get Advanced Learning. IMO the list is fine, if you want them to have better access to non-standard spells, I would just make Advanced Learning more frequent. Maybe make it each odd level so they can grab a spell of each level if they want. I suppose it makes some sense to add _mage hand_ and the Shadow spells to their list as they help with PrCs and fit well thematically (though giving the class easy access to Conjuration and Evocation, even by emulation, undercuts the fixed list focus).

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