Caster Classes Overview

Prestige Class

Spellcasting classes are Prestige Classes, meaning not everyone has access to gaining them. Prestige classes can be earned any time you would be able to take a feat, or you would gain a subclass feature from a base class. Spellcasting classes only range from levels 1 to 10 and increase alongside your base class levels when you choose them, not in place of.

Spellcasting

Magic in the world of Skjaald is a luxury, not a right (though some nobles would argue against that). As such it is not recommended to base your entire character concept on the wielding of magical items, and the slinging of spells. Over-use of your magical focus by casting too many spells has the chance of becoming damaged, losing its magical qualities, or being outright destroyed.

Casting spells works in the way of consuming energy from magical materials in the form of "charges", and while bits of magic exist in all things alive, the density of energy required for spells only comes from designated magical materials. A spellcaster can use their spellcasting ability to increase the amount of energy a material can regenerate, but cannot create magical energy from nothing. Thus, without magical materials to use as a focus, even the greatest masters of magic cannot cast their spells. Each type of magical material can hold its own unique amount and specific type of charges (A red dragon scale can hold Mass, and Energy types of charges with the damage type being fire, while an amethyst dragon scale would contain Psionic and Energy charges with psychic damage type).
A Spellcaster is limited to casting spells that are within the pillar type, spell level, and damage/effect type that is contained within their spellcasting focus. They must also know how to cast said spell. (A wizard with a knowledge of how to cast fireball may not do so if all they have is the eye of a blue dragon as a spellcasting focus).

Attunement

Items that are made magical by being crafted using magical materials often require attunement to benefit from the magical effects. Through their use of spellcasting materials as a focus, most spellcasting classes also gain the ability to hold attunement rituals to bind a magic item to themselves or another creature. This ritual also teaches the user how to use and activate the magical abilities or effects of the item.