jiriku
2011-09-07, 06:56 PM
MAGUS OF BLADES
”This is the truth: when you sacrifice your life, you must make fullest use of your weaponry.
It is false not to do so, and to die with a weapon yet undrawn.”
- Miyamoto Musashi, Go Rin No Sho
http://i846.photobucket.com/albums/ab24/gallopinggiraffes/Magus_Of_Blades/Thief_Queen-1.jpg
A magus of blades shares cloud of knives with her familiar.
Magus of blades is a “gish” class, a spellcaster who succeeds through force of arms. Blade magi are skilled with swordplay and know a few martial maneuvers, but are also excellent tactical combatants, able to quickly maneuver themselves, their allies, and even their opponents about the battlefield. A magus of blades also understands that a sword need not be held in the hand to be used as a weapon against an opponent. Blade magi function best when interchanging sword and spell as they confront their foes and support their allies in combat. Magus of blades is the perfect class for the player who wants to strive blade-against-blade with his opponents while benefiting from the tactical options a spellcaster possesses. As “striker”-type characters, blade magi perform particularly well when paired with battlefield controllers and defenders.
Summary: Most martial adepts and arcane spellcasters find their disciplines all-consuming, of such depth and complexity that they are little inclined to venture into other fields. Not so the magus of blades, who finds that the Sublime Way and the study of arcane magic meet and conjoin in the perfect symmetry of the sword. For a magus of blades, neither arcane studies nor meditations on the Sublime Way are distractions from one another – rather, they are melody and harmony, yin and yang, two perfectly matched tools for understanding the way of the sword.
Adventures: The sword is, first and last, a tool for killing. As such, adventuring parties always have use for the skills of a magus of blades, and many blade magi find their place in life through adventuring. In addition to all the usual reasons for adventuring, a magus might take up adventuring as a means to practice and perfect her understanding of the sword, to quest for lost martial or arcane lore, or to acquire a legendary magical blade.
Characteristics: A magus of blades blends martial swordplay with the tactical use of arcane magic. She is a master of the sword, and excels at slaying foes quickly while avoiding harm. She functions equally well in melee or in close-ranged firefights. The magus of blades is a very tactically minded combatant, using her magic to outmaneuver her foes and ensure that she and her allies are always in the right place at the right time. However, she lacks the strong battlefield control capabilities of a dedicated arcane caster.
Alignment: Blade magi are a varied lot and can be of any alignment.
Races: Elves and humans are most commonly blade magi, since they tend to have an interest in both martial study and arcane magic. Dwarves and half-orcs usually prefer to come to grips with their foes more directly. Gnomes and halflings are rarely blade magi, but those who are find that their magical edge helps to capitalize on the strengths and minimize the weaknesses of their small size.
Other Classes: Wizards and fighters alike tend to look at blade magi as something of a curiosity, a creature neither fish nor fowl. However, blade magi work well alongside members of both classes. Paladins and rangers find superficial similarity with a magus of blades, but the magus may have trouble relating to their intense devotion to a cause. Barbarians and rogues have little in common with blade magi, and gain little from working with them. Clerics and druids tend to be more concerned about the faith a magus of blades follows and the deeds she performs than with how she goes about her studies.
Role: A sword is a tool for killing, and a magus of blades is a master of the sword. When opponents need to be killed, quickly and in large numbers, the magus of blades does the job. Adventuring parties also benefit from the tactical spellpower of the magus, which is frequently useful for tasks such as avoiding traps, negotiating obstacles, bypassing barriers, and covering long distances quickly.
Quick Overview of Mechanics:
A magus of blades is a lot like a warblade, but with fewer hit points and slightly fewer maneuvers. It gains arcane casting from a limited, combat-focused list, and prepares spells like a spirit shaman does, casting spontaneously from a limited list of spells known, but able to change the spells known. However, the magus of blades can change her spells known whenever she changes her martial maneuvers, so she has more flexibility (within her extremely limited list) than a spirit shaman does. As she advances in level, the magus of blades learns to add temporary enchantments to her weapons and gains special benefits when casting a spell in the same round that she attacks with a maneuver.
Change Log:
1.0 Original version.
1.01 Added the Spellblade ACF and clarified that the advancements to Sword and Sorcery improve all checks, not only skill checks.
1.02 Simplified the description of Eternal Spell Stance.
1.03 Added a variant Eternal Spell Stance option as an ACF.
1.04 Repaired tables.
GAME RULE INFORMATION
Blade magi have the following game statistics.
Abilities: Intelligence is the most important ability for a magus of blades, as it determines how powerful a spell she can cast and how hard her spells are to resist. Strength, Dexterity and Constitution are also useful in combat, but a magus can rely on spells to supplement her physical abilities.
Alignment: Any
Hit Die: d8
TABLE: MAGUS OF BLADESSpells Known / Spells RetrievedManeuvers
LevelBase AttackFortRefWillSpecial0123456 KnownReadiedStances
1st+1+2+0+2Armored mage, summon familiar32-----221
2nd+2+3+0+3Eternal spell stance43-----221
3rd+3+3+1+3Eldritch blade54-----321
4th+4+4+1+4Bonus feat652----321
5th+5+4+1+4Sword and sorcery +1663----422
6th+6/+1+5+2+5Craft magic arms and armor664----432
7th+7/+2+5+2+56652---532
8th+8/+3+6+2+6Bonus feat6663---532
9th+9/+4+6+3+66664---632
10th+10/+5+7+3+7Sword and sorcery +266652--633
11th+11/+6/+1+7+3+766663--743
12th+12/+7/+2+8+4+8Bonus feat66664--743
13th+13/+8/+3+8+4+8666652-843
14th+14/+9/+4+9+4+9666663-843
15th+15/+10/+5+9+5+9Sword and sorcery +3666664-944
16th+16/+11/+6/+1+10+5+10Bonus feat6666652954
17th+17/+12/+7/+2+10+5+1066666631054
18th+18/+13/+8/+3+11+6+11Epic Blade66666641054
19th+19/+14/+9/+4+11+6+1166666651154
20th+20/+15/+10/+5+12+6+12Bonus feat, sword and sorcery +466666661154
CLASS SKILLS (4 + Int mod per level, x4 at 1st level)
A magus of blades’ class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Balance (Dex), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Jump (Str), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Martial Lore (Int), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Spellcraft (Int), Swim (Str), and Tumble (Dex).
CLASS FEATURES
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: The magus of blades gains proficiency with all simple and martial melee weapons (including those that can be used as thrown weapons), and with light armor, bucklers, and light shields. She suffers a chance of arcane spell failure when attempting to cast spells while wearing medium or heavy armor or when using a heavy shield.
Spells: A magus of blades casts arcane spells, which are drawn from the magus of blades spell list (below).You can cast any spell you have readied, much like a bard or sorcerer can cast any spell she knows without preparing it ahead of time.
To ready or cast a magus of blades spell, you must have an Intelligence score of 10 + the spell's level. The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against your spells is 10 + the spell's level + your Int mod. Like other spellcasters, you can cast only a certain number of spells of each spell level per day. Your daily spell allotment is given in the table above. If you attempt to cast spells while wearing medium or heavy armor or a heavy shield, you suffer an arcane spell failure chance.
Like a sorcerer, a magus of blades knows only a small number of spells. However, a magus of blades can change her spells known when she meditates to refresh her spell slots or maneuvers. You can cast any spell you have readied at any time, assuming you still have a spell slot of sufficient level remaining. You can choose when you cast your spells whether to apply any metamagic feats you have to improve them. This increases the casting time of the spell, just as it would for a sorcerer.
A magus of blade’s spellcasting is more limited than a typical spellcaster’s, however. You do not gain bonus spells per day for having a high ability score. You may cast no more than one magus of blades spell per round, even if you would otherwise have enough actions available to cast more than one. Casting a spell with a casting time of 1 immediate action counts as your use of a spell on your next turn.
To ready her spells and refresh her expended spell slots, the magus of blades must spend 5 minutes meditating upon her weapon (you may also ready new maneuvers at this time, if you wish). Spell slots used within the last 8 hours are not refreshed and count against your daily limit. Unlike most spellcasters, you can still ready new spells even if you have not had 8 hours of rest, but in this case none of your expended spell slots are refreshed (you simply change your spells known).
Designer’s Note:
A magus of blades has a pool of both maneuvers known and spells known, and must ready a smaller number of each for use. However, this smaller pool of readied spells and maneuvers can be changed out with 5 minutes of effort. The magus of blades is still restricted to a set number of spells per day, however. This unique method of readying and refreshing spells emphasizes that martial maneuvers and arcane spells are a single, unified school of study for a magus of blades.
The lack of bonus spells from a high ability scores makes the power of a magus of blades more predictable, since it has the same number of spells regardless of the dice roll or point buy method used or the ability score optimization skills of its player. The restriction on one spell per turn serves to enforce the “spell and steel” motif of the class.
Maneuvers: You begin your career with knowledge of two martial maneuvers. The disciplines available to you are Diamond Mind, Iron Heart, Stone Dragon, Tiger Claw, and White Raven.
Once you know a maneuver, you must ready it before you can use it (see below). You cannot use any maneuver twice in one round. Your magus of blades maneuvers are extraordinary abilities unless otherwise noted. You learn additional maneuvers as you advance in level, as shown above. You must meet the maneuver’s prerequisites and have sufficient martial initiator level to learn it.
Upon reaching 4th level, and at every even-numbered level thereafter, you can choose to learn a new maneuver in place of one you already know. You can choose a maneuver of any level you qualify for, even if it is of higher level than the maneuver you are losing.
Designer’s Note:
The restriction against using a maneuver twice in one round is primarily intended to prevent long-chain or infinite combos wherein a player repeatedly uses a maneuver, expends a spell slot to refresh it, activates some ability granting additional actions or an extra turn, and repeats the process.
Maneuvers Readied: You can ready both of the maneuvers you know at 1st level, but as you advance in level and learn more maneuvers, you must choose which maneuvers to ready. You ready your maneuvers by meditating on your weapon for 5 minutes (you can also ready new spells at this time if you wish). The maneuvers you choose remain readied until you decide to meditate again and change them.
You begin an encounter with all of your readied maneuvers available. When you initiate a maneuver, you expend it for the current encounter.
You can recover some expended maneuvers by spending a swift action and expending a magus of blades spell slot. You recover a number of maneuvers equal to the level of the spell you expend (thus, there’s no point in expending a cantrip in this fashion, since expending a 0-level spell would recover zero of your maneuvers).
Designer’s Note:
This method of refreshing maneuvers provides a use for the low-level spell slots that would otherwise become useless at high levels. Because available spell levels grow explosively with level advancement, a low-level magus of blades will be unable to refresh maneuvers very often in combat, while one of higher level will be able to do so with great frequency.
Stances: You begin playing knowing one 1st-level stance from one of your disciplines. At 5th, 10th, and 15th level, you can choose additional stances. You do not ready or expend your stances; they are always available and you can assume a new stance as a swift action. Your stances are extraordinary unless otherwise noted.
Unlike with maneuvers, you cannot learn a new stance at higher levels in place of one you already know.
Armored Mage (Ex): Normally, armor of any type interferes with an arcane spellcaster’s gestures, which can cause his spells to fail (if those spells have somatic components). A magus of blades’ dedicated training, however, allows her to avoid arcane spell failure as long as she sticks to light armor and light shields or bucklers.
Familiar: A magus of blades can obtain a familiar just as a sorcerer can, except that she does not lose experience points if the familiar is dismissed or slain, and she need only wait 7 days after such an event before she can attempt to acquire a new one.
Eternal Spell Stance (Su): Upon reaching 2nd level, a magus of blades learns to charge her stances with arcane power. While in a martial stance, you can cast a magus of blades spell with a level no higher than half the level of your current stance to "charge" the stance with the spell you have just cast. For the next 24 hours, your stance is an eternal spell stance, and its normal benefit is replaced with the effect of the charged spell. This is just like applying the Persistent Spell metamagic feat to your spell, except that you must be in the eternal spell stance to gain the spell's benefit.
The spell you infuse into your eternal stance must be a valid target for the Persistent Spell metamagic feat (Complete Arcane p.81). Whenever you assume the eternal spell stance, you may opt to share the charged spell with your familiar, subject to the normal limitations of the Share Spells ability. You may charge and maintain a number of eternal spell stances equal to the number of martial stances you know; charging a stance with a new spell replaces the old spell with the new one. A charged eternal spell stance is a supernatural ability.
Eldritch Blade (Su): A magus of blades of 3rd level or higher learns to charge a melee weapon with magical energy. As a standard action, you touch a melee weapon and expend a magus of blades spell slot. The weapon gains an additional bonus equal to the level of the spell slot expended, which lasts one minute per class level. The bonus can be an enhancement bonus, special abilities that are priced as enhancement bonuses, or a combination of the two. You may select any special abilities from the Dungeon Master’s Guide or the Magic Item Compendium that could be legally applied, so long as the total enhancement-equivalent of all special abilities does not exceed the weapon’s enhancement bonus.
If the weapon was not previously magical, it is a magic weapon for the duration of this effect. If the weapon was already enchanted, the eldritch blade enchantments stack with the weapon’s existing enchantments. You may not increase the weapon’s enhancement bonus above one-third your caster level, or above +5 in any event.
Bonus Feat: At 4th level, and again every four levels thereafter, you gain a bonus feat from the list below, or any metamagic feat. You must meet any prerequisites.
Bonus feat list: Arcane Strike (CW 96), Arcane Thesis (PH2 74), Battle Caster (CArc 75), Blade of Force (CM 40), Bonded Familiar (PH2 75), Celestial Familiar (BoED 41), Combat Familiar (PH2 76), Dimensional Jaunt (CM 41), Dragon Familiar (Dcn 104), Familiar Spellbond, Improved Familiar (CS 78, CW 100, DMG 200), Improved Initiative (PH 96), Improved Unarmed Strike (PH 96), Invisible Needle (CM 44), Lurking Familiar (PH2 80), Martial Stance (ToB 31), Martial Study (ToB 31), Planar Familiar (PlH 41), Point Blank Shot (PH 98), Power Attack (PH 98), Residual Magic (CM 46), Somatic Weaponry (CM 47), Spell-Linked Familiar (PH2 83), Stone Power (ToB 32), Two-Weapon Fighting (PH 102), Weapon Finesse (PH 102), Weapon Focus (any melee weapon) (PH 102), Zen Archery (CW 106).
Sword and Sorcery (Su): A magus of blades has considerable expertise at interchanging spells and sword blows during combat. Upon reaching 5th level, whenever you cast a magus of blades spell and then make an attack with a martial maneuver during the same round, you gain a +1 bonus on any skill check, ability check, or opposed check made as part of the maneuver and its save DC is increased by +1. Whenever you make an attack with a martial maneuver and then cast a magus of blades spell during the same round, you gain a +1 bonus on your caster level for any checks to overcome spell resistance with the spell and the spell’s save DC is increased by +1.
Additionally, once per encounter when applying metamagic to a magus of blades spell that is benefiting from sword and sorcery, you can reduce the spell level adjustment of the metamagic feat by 1 (minimum +0).
When you reach 10th level, and every five levels thereafter, the bonus to the checks, caster level and save DC increase by an additional +1, and you can reduce the cost of a metamagic feat one additional time per encounter (you can apply multiple uses of sword and sorcery to the same metamagic feat if you wish).
Designer’s Note:
Sword and Sorcery serves to boost save DCs for a class that must cope with a combination of multiple attribute dependency and limited access to high-level spells. The free metamagic is also a boon, since otherwise the lack of high-level spell slots greatly limits the ability of blade magi to use most metamagic. However, some players may be tempted to try cheesy tricks such as using martial maneuvers to attack random objects in non-combat situations to qualify for discounted metamagic on their long-duration buff spells. The DM should discourage such behavior – Sword and Sorcery works only when making “real” attacks against “real” opponents.
Craft Magic Arms and Armor: At 6th level, a magus of blades gains Craft Magic Arms and Armor as a bonus feat.
Epic Blade (Su): When magus of blades reach 18th level, her Eldritch Blade ability improves. You can now use Eldritch Blade once per round as a free action, and your weapon’s maximum enhancement bonus is now +10 (you still cannot increase its enhancement bonus to greater than one-third your caster level). A weapon with a +6 or greater enhancement bonus is an epic weapon, and bypasses epic damage reduction.
MAGUS OF BLADES SPELL LIST
0th Level: caltrops (SC 42), detect magic (PH 219), detect poison (PH 219), incite (SC 121), inhibit (SC 123), launch bolt (SC 130), launch item (SC 130), master’s touch (SC 139), message (PH 253), read magic (PH 269), shock and awe (SC 189), weapon shift (SC 237).
1st Level: backbiter (SC 23), beastland ferocity (SC 25), benign transposition (SC 27), blade of blood (PH2 103), blades of fire (SC 31), bloodletting (CM 97), blur (PH 206), body blades (SC 35), cloud of knives (PH2 107), critical strike (SC 56), dancing blade (PH2 109), deflect, lesser (PH2 109), distract assailant (SC 69), enlarge person (PH 226), enlarge weapon (CS 97), expeditious retreat, swift (SC 85), feather fall (PH 229), fist of stone (SC 94), golem strike (SC 106), hurl (SC 117), ice dagger (SC 118), invisibility, swift (SC 125), jump (PH 246), low-light vision (SC 134), nerveskitter (SC 146), persistent blade (SC 154), protection from chaos/evil/good/law (PH 266), shield (PH 278), slide (SC 191), snake’s swiftness (SC 193), spider climb (PH 283), stand (PH2 125), stretch weapon (PH2 126), summon weapon (CM 118), true strike (PH 296).
2nd Level: animate weapon (CM 95), augment familiar (SC 17), baleful transposition (SC 23), bear’s endurance (PH 203), blade brothers (PH2 103), bladeweave (SC 31), bristle (SC 40), bull’s strength (PH 207), cat’s grace (PH 208), daggerspell stance (SC 57), darkvision (PH 216), deflect (PH2 109), dimension hop (PH2 110), dimension leap (MoE 95), false life (PH 229), fly, swift (SC 96), fox’s cunning (PH 233), ghost touch armor (SC 102), heroics (SC 113), heroism (PH 240), magic weapon, legion’s (MoE 99), mindless rage (SC 142), mirror image (PH 254), protection from arrows (PH 266), quick march (SC 164), resist energy (PH 272), rhino’s rush (SC 176), ring of blades (SC 177), see invisibility (PH 275), shatter (PH 278), shield other (PH 278), slide, greater (SC 192), snake’s swiftness, mass (SC 193), speak to allies (SC 197), sure strike (PH2 126), tactical precision (SC 218), war cry (SC 236), whirling blade (SC 238), wraithstrike (SC 243).
3rd Level: anticipate teleportation (SC 13), arcane sight (PH 201), blade of pain and fear (SC 30), blade storm (SC 30), blink (PH 206), dimension step (PH2 110), dispel magic (PH 223), displacement (PH 223), dolorous blow (SC 70), enhance familiar (SC 82), fortify familiar (SC 98), good hope (PH 237), halt (PH2 114), haste, swift (SC 110), hunter’s eye (PH2 114), keen edge (PH 246), lion’s charge (SC 133), magic circle against chaos/evil/good/law (PH 249), magic vestment (PH 251), magic weapon, greater (PH 251), protection from energy (PH 266), regroup (PH2 122), reverse arrows (SC 175), scattering trap (PH2 124), spectral weapon (SC 197), steeldance (SC 206), stoneskin (PH 284), storm of needles (CM 118), telepathic bond, lesser (SC 219).
4th Level: arcane eye (PH 200), blade barrier (PH 205), coat of arms (CM 99), dimension door (PH 221), dimensional anchor (PH 221), fell the greatest foe (SC 90), force ward (SC 98), forcewave (SC 98), freedom of movement (PH 233), globe of invulnerability, lesser (PH 236), invisibility, greater (PH 245), ironguard, lesser (SC 125), magic weapon, greater legion’s (MoE 98), mirror image, greater (PH2 120), otiluke’s resilient sphere (PH 258), rain of spines (CM 114), ray deflection (SC 166), resistance, greater (SC 174), ruin delver’s fortune (SC 178), shard storm (SC 187), sword of deception (SC 217), telekinesis (PH 292), tenser’s transformation (PH 294), thunderlance (SC 220), toxic weapon (PH2 126), wingbind (SC 240).
5th Level: animate objects (PH 199), bigby’s interposing hand (PH 204), blink, greater (SC 32), dimension door, greater (SC 64), dimension jumper (CM 102), dimension shuffle (PH2 110), dispel magic, greater (PH 223), enlarge person, greater (SC 82), evacuation rune (CS 98), heroism, greater (PH 240), howling chain (SC 116), ironguard (SC 125), mordenkainen’s sword (PH 256), passwall (PH 259), rary’s telepathic bond (PH 268), sword of darkness (SC 217), teleport (PH 292), transmute mud to rock (PH 295), transmute rock to mud (PH 295), wall of force (PH 298), waves of fatigue (PH 301).
6th Level: adamantine wings (CM 95), anticipate teleportation, greater (SC 13), anti-magic field (PH 200), bigby’s forceful hand (PH 204), black blade of disaster (SC 29), body of war (SC 35), brilliant aura (SC 39), dimension jumper, greater (CM 102), familiar refuge (CM 104), globe of invulnerability (PH 236), imbue familiar with spell ability (SC 120), otiluke’s telekinetic sphere (PH 259), rejection (SC 172), repulsion (PH 271), resistance, superior (SC 174), reverse gravity (PH 273), tactical teleportation (CM 118), teleport, greater (PH 293), teleport object (PH 293), true seeing (PH 296).
”This is the truth: when you sacrifice your life, you must make fullest use of your weaponry.
It is false not to do so, and to die with a weapon yet undrawn.”
- Miyamoto Musashi, Go Rin No Sho
http://i846.photobucket.com/albums/ab24/gallopinggiraffes/Magus_Of_Blades/Thief_Queen-1.jpg
A magus of blades shares cloud of knives with her familiar.
Magus of blades is a “gish” class, a spellcaster who succeeds through force of arms. Blade magi are skilled with swordplay and know a few martial maneuvers, but are also excellent tactical combatants, able to quickly maneuver themselves, their allies, and even their opponents about the battlefield. A magus of blades also understands that a sword need not be held in the hand to be used as a weapon against an opponent. Blade magi function best when interchanging sword and spell as they confront their foes and support their allies in combat. Magus of blades is the perfect class for the player who wants to strive blade-against-blade with his opponents while benefiting from the tactical options a spellcaster possesses. As “striker”-type characters, blade magi perform particularly well when paired with battlefield controllers and defenders.
Summary: Most martial adepts and arcane spellcasters find their disciplines all-consuming, of such depth and complexity that they are little inclined to venture into other fields. Not so the magus of blades, who finds that the Sublime Way and the study of arcane magic meet and conjoin in the perfect symmetry of the sword. For a magus of blades, neither arcane studies nor meditations on the Sublime Way are distractions from one another – rather, they are melody and harmony, yin and yang, two perfectly matched tools for understanding the way of the sword.
Adventures: The sword is, first and last, a tool for killing. As such, adventuring parties always have use for the skills of a magus of blades, and many blade magi find their place in life through adventuring. In addition to all the usual reasons for adventuring, a magus might take up adventuring as a means to practice and perfect her understanding of the sword, to quest for lost martial or arcane lore, or to acquire a legendary magical blade.
Characteristics: A magus of blades blends martial swordplay with the tactical use of arcane magic. She is a master of the sword, and excels at slaying foes quickly while avoiding harm. She functions equally well in melee or in close-ranged firefights. The magus of blades is a very tactically minded combatant, using her magic to outmaneuver her foes and ensure that she and her allies are always in the right place at the right time. However, she lacks the strong battlefield control capabilities of a dedicated arcane caster.
Alignment: Blade magi are a varied lot and can be of any alignment.
Races: Elves and humans are most commonly blade magi, since they tend to have an interest in both martial study and arcane magic. Dwarves and half-orcs usually prefer to come to grips with their foes more directly. Gnomes and halflings are rarely blade magi, but those who are find that their magical edge helps to capitalize on the strengths and minimize the weaknesses of their small size.
Other Classes: Wizards and fighters alike tend to look at blade magi as something of a curiosity, a creature neither fish nor fowl. However, blade magi work well alongside members of both classes. Paladins and rangers find superficial similarity with a magus of blades, but the magus may have trouble relating to their intense devotion to a cause. Barbarians and rogues have little in common with blade magi, and gain little from working with them. Clerics and druids tend to be more concerned about the faith a magus of blades follows and the deeds she performs than with how she goes about her studies.
Role: A sword is a tool for killing, and a magus of blades is a master of the sword. When opponents need to be killed, quickly and in large numbers, the magus of blades does the job. Adventuring parties also benefit from the tactical spellpower of the magus, which is frequently useful for tasks such as avoiding traps, negotiating obstacles, bypassing barriers, and covering long distances quickly.
Quick Overview of Mechanics:
A magus of blades is a lot like a warblade, but with fewer hit points and slightly fewer maneuvers. It gains arcane casting from a limited, combat-focused list, and prepares spells like a spirit shaman does, casting spontaneously from a limited list of spells known, but able to change the spells known. However, the magus of blades can change her spells known whenever she changes her martial maneuvers, so she has more flexibility (within her extremely limited list) than a spirit shaman does. As she advances in level, the magus of blades learns to add temporary enchantments to her weapons and gains special benefits when casting a spell in the same round that she attacks with a maneuver.
Change Log:
1.0 Original version.
1.01 Added the Spellblade ACF and clarified that the advancements to Sword and Sorcery improve all checks, not only skill checks.
1.02 Simplified the description of Eternal Spell Stance.
1.03 Added a variant Eternal Spell Stance option as an ACF.
1.04 Repaired tables.
GAME RULE INFORMATION
Blade magi have the following game statistics.
Abilities: Intelligence is the most important ability for a magus of blades, as it determines how powerful a spell she can cast and how hard her spells are to resist. Strength, Dexterity and Constitution are also useful in combat, but a magus can rely on spells to supplement her physical abilities.
Alignment: Any
Hit Die: d8
TABLE: MAGUS OF BLADESSpells Known / Spells RetrievedManeuvers
LevelBase AttackFortRefWillSpecial0123456 KnownReadiedStances
1st+1+2+0+2Armored mage, summon familiar32-----221
2nd+2+3+0+3Eternal spell stance43-----221
3rd+3+3+1+3Eldritch blade54-----321
4th+4+4+1+4Bonus feat652----321
5th+5+4+1+4Sword and sorcery +1663----422
6th+6/+1+5+2+5Craft magic arms and armor664----432
7th+7/+2+5+2+56652---532
8th+8/+3+6+2+6Bonus feat6663---532
9th+9/+4+6+3+66664---632
10th+10/+5+7+3+7Sword and sorcery +266652--633
11th+11/+6/+1+7+3+766663--743
12th+12/+7/+2+8+4+8Bonus feat66664--743
13th+13/+8/+3+8+4+8666652-843
14th+14/+9/+4+9+4+9666663-843
15th+15/+10/+5+9+5+9Sword and sorcery +3666664-944
16th+16/+11/+6/+1+10+5+10Bonus feat6666652954
17th+17/+12/+7/+2+10+5+1066666631054
18th+18/+13/+8/+3+11+6+11Epic Blade66666641054
19th+19/+14/+9/+4+11+6+1166666651154
20th+20/+15/+10/+5+12+6+12Bonus feat, sword and sorcery +466666661154
CLASS SKILLS (4 + Int mod per level, x4 at 1st level)
A magus of blades’ class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Balance (Dex), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Jump (Str), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Martial Lore (Int), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Spellcraft (Int), Swim (Str), and Tumble (Dex).
CLASS FEATURES
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: The magus of blades gains proficiency with all simple and martial melee weapons (including those that can be used as thrown weapons), and with light armor, bucklers, and light shields. She suffers a chance of arcane spell failure when attempting to cast spells while wearing medium or heavy armor or when using a heavy shield.
Spells: A magus of blades casts arcane spells, which are drawn from the magus of blades spell list (below).You can cast any spell you have readied, much like a bard or sorcerer can cast any spell she knows without preparing it ahead of time.
To ready or cast a magus of blades spell, you must have an Intelligence score of 10 + the spell's level. The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against your spells is 10 + the spell's level + your Int mod. Like other spellcasters, you can cast only a certain number of spells of each spell level per day. Your daily spell allotment is given in the table above. If you attempt to cast spells while wearing medium or heavy armor or a heavy shield, you suffer an arcane spell failure chance.
Like a sorcerer, a magus of blades knows only a small number of spells. However, a magus of blades can change her spells known when she meditates to refresh her spell slots or maneuvers. You can cast any spell you have readied at any time, assuming you still have a spell slot of sufficient level remaining. You can choose when you cast your spells whether to apply any metamagic feats you have to improve them. This increases the casting time of the spell, just as it would for a sorcerer.
A magus of blade’s spellcasting is more limited than a typical spellcaster’s, however. You do not gain bonus spells per day for having a high ability score. You may cast no more than one magus of blades spell per round, even if you would otherwise have enough actions available to cast more than one. Casting a spell with a casting time of 1 immediate action counts as your use of a spell on your next turn.
To ready her spells and refresh her expended spell slots, the magus of blades must spend 5 minutes meditating upon her weapon (you may also ready new maneuvers at this time, if you wish). Spell slots used within the last 8 hours are not refreshed and count against your daily limit. Unlike most spellcasters, you can still ready new spells even if you have not had 8 hours of rest, but in this case none of your expended spell slots are refreshed (you simply change your spells known).
Designer’s Note:
A magus of blades has a pool of both maneuvers known and spells known, and must ready a smaller number of each for use. However, this smaller pool of readied spells and maneuvers can be changed out with 5 minutes of effort. The magus of blades is still restricted to a set number of spells per day, however. This unique method of readying and refreshing spells emphasizes that martial maneuvers and arcane spells are a single, unified school of study for a magus of blades.
The lack of bonus spells from a high ability scores makes the power of a magus of blades more predictable, since it has the same number of spells regardless of the dice roll or point buy method used or the ability score optimization skills of its player. The restriction on one spell per turn serves to enforce the “spell and steel” motif of the class.
Maneuvers: You begin your career with knowledge of two martial maneuvers. The disciplines available to you are Diamond Mind, Iron Heart, Stone Dragon, Tiger Claw, and White Raven.
Once you know a maneuver, you must ready it before you can use it (see below). You cannot use any maneuver twice in one round. Your magus of blades maneuvers are extraordinary abilities unless otherwise noted. You learn additional maneuvers as you advance in level, as shown above. You must meet the maneuver’s prerequisites and have sufficient martial initiator level to learn it.
Upon reaching 4th level, and at every even-numbered level thereafter, you can choose to learn a new maneuver in place of one you already know. You can choose a maneuver of any level you qualify for, even if it is of higher level than the maneuver you are losing.
Designer’s Note:
The restriction against using a maneuver twice in one round is primarily intended to prevent long-chain or infinite combos wherein a player repeatedly uses a maneuver, expends a spell slot to refresh it, activates some ability granting additional actions or an extra turn, and repeats the process.
Maneuvers Readied: You can ready both of the maneuvers you know at 1st level, but as you advance in level and learn more maneuvers, you must choose which maneuvers to ready. You ready your maneuvers by meditating on your weapon for 5 minutes (you can also ready new spells at this time if you wish). The maneuvers you choose remain readied until you decide to meditate again and change them.
You begin an encounter with all of your readied maneuvers available. When you initiate a maneuver, you expend it for the current encounter.
You can recover some expended maneuvers by spending a swift action and expending a magus of blades spell slot. You recover a number of maneuvers equal to the level of the spell you expend (thus, there’s no point in expending a cantrip in this fashion, since expending a 0-level spell would recover zero of your maneuvers).
Designer’s Note:
This method of refreshing maneuvers provides a use for the low-level spell slots that would otherwise become useless at high levels. Because available spell levels grow explosively with level advancement, a low-level magus of blades will be unable to refresh maneuvers very often in combat, while one of higher level will be able to do so with great frequency.
Stances: You begin playing knowing one 1st-level stance from one of your disciplines. At 5th, 10th, and 15th level, you can choose additional stances. You do not ready or expend your stances; they are always available and you can assume a new stance as a swift action. Your stances are extraordinary unless otherwise noted.
Unlike with maneuvers, you cannot learn a new stance at higher levels in place of one you already know.
Armored Mage (Ex): Normally, armor of any type interferes with an arcane spellcaster’s gestures, which can cause his spells to fail (if those spells have somatic components). A magus of blades’ dedicated training, however, allows her to avoid arcane spell failure as long as she sticks to light armor and light shields or bucklers.
Familiar: A magus of blades can obtain a familiar just as a sorcerer can, except that she does not lose experience points if the familiar is dismissed or slain, and she need only wait 7 days after such an event before she can attempt to acquire a new one.
Eternal Spell Stance (Su): Upon reaching 2nd level, a magus of blades learns to charge her stances with arcane power. While in a martial stance, you can cast a magus of blades spell with a level no higher than half the level of your current stance to "charge" the stance with the spell you have just cast. For the next 24 hours, your stance is an eternal spell stance, and its normal benefit is replaced with the effect of the charged spell. This is just like applying the Persistent Spell metamagic feat to your spell, except that you must be in the eternal spell stance to gain the spell's benefit.
The spell you infuse into your eternal stance must be a valid target for the Persistent Spell metamagic feat (Complete Arcane p.81). Whenever you assume the eternal spell stance, you may opt to share the charged spell with your familiar, subject to the normal limitations of the Share Spells ability. You may charge and maintain a number of eternal spell stances equal to the number of martial stances you know; charging a stance with a new spell replaces the old spell with the new one. A charged eternal spell stance is a supernatural ability.
Eldritch Blade (Su): A magus of blades of 3rd level or higher learns to charge a melee weapon with magical energy. As a standard action, you touch a melee weapon and expend a magus of blades spell slot. The weapon gains an additional bonus equal to the level of the spell slot expended, which lasts one minute per class level. The bonus can be an enhancement bonus, special abilities that are priced as enhancement bonuses, or a combination of the two. You may select any special abilities from the Dungeon Master’s Guide or the Magic Item Compendium that could be legally applied, so long as the total enhancement-equivalent of all special abilities does not exceed the weapon’s enhancement bonus.
If the weapon was not previously magical, it is a magic weapon for the duration of this effect. If the weapon was already enchanted, the eldritch blade enchantments stack with the weapon’s existing enchantments. You may not increase the weapon’s enhancement bonus above one-third your caster level, or above +5 in any event.
Bonus Feat: At 4th level, and again every four levels thereafter, you gain a bonus feat from the list below, or any metamagic feat. You must meet any prerequisites.
Bonus feat list: Arcane Strike (CW 96), Arcane Thesis (PH2 74), Battle Caster (CArc 75), Blade of Force (CM 40), Bonded Familiar (PH2 75), Celestial Familiar (BoED 41), Combat Familiar (PH2 76), Dimensional Jaunt (CM 41), Dragon Familiar (Dcn 104), Familiar Spellbond, Improved Familiar (CS 78, CW 100, DMG 200), Improved Initiative (PH 96), Improved Unarmed Strike (PH 96), Invisible Needle (CM 44), Lurking Familiar (PH2 80), Martial Stance (ToB 31), Martial Study (ToB 31), Planar Familiar (PlH 41), Point Blank Shot (PH 98), Power Attack (PH 98), Residual Magic (CM 46), Somatic Weaponry (CM 47), Spell-Linked Familiar (PH2 83), Stone Power (ToB 32), Two-Weapon Fighting (PH 102), Weapon Finesse (PH 102), Weapon Focus (any melee weapon) (PH 102), Zen Archery (CW 106).
Sword and Sorcery (Su): A magus of blades has considerable expertise at interchanging spells and sword blows during combat. Upon reaching 5th level, whenever you cast a magus of blades spell and then make an attack with a martial maneuver during the same round, you gain a +1 bonus on any skill check, ability check, or opposed check made as part of the maneuver and its save DC is increased by +1. Whenever you make an attack with a martial maneuver and then cast a magus of blades spell during the same round, you gain a +1 bonus on your caster level for any checks to overcome spell resistance with the spell and the spell’s save DC is increased by +1.
Additionally, once per encounter when applying metamagic to a magus of blades spell that is benefiting from sword and sorcery, you can reduce the spell level adjustment of the metamagic feat by 1 (minimum +0).
When you reach 10th level, and every five levels thereafter, the bonus to the checks, caster level and save DC increase by an additional +1, and you can reduce the cost of a metamagic feat one additional time per encounter (you can apply multiple uses of sword and sorcery to the same metamagic feat if you wish).
Designer’s Note:
Sword and Sorcery serves to boost save DCs for a class that must cope with a combination of multiple attribute dependency and limited access to high-level spells. The free metamagic is also a boon, since otherwise the lack of high-level spell slots greatly limits the ability of blade magi to use most metamagic. However, some players may be tempted to try cheesy tricks such as using martial maneuvers to attack random objects in non-combat situations to qualify for discounted metamagic on their long-duration buff spells. The DM should discourage such behavior – Sword and Sorcery works only when making “real” attacks against “real” opponents.
Craft Magic Arms and Armor: At 6th level, a magus of blades gains Craft Magic Arms and Armor as a bonus feat.
Epic Blade (Su): When magus of blades reach 18th level, her Eldritch Blade ability improves. You can now use Eldritch Blade once per round as a free action, and your weapon’s maximum enhancement bonus is now +10 (you still cannot increase its enhancement bonus to greater than one-third your caster level). A weapon with a +6 or greater enhancement bonus is an epic weapon, and bypasses epic damage reduction.
MAGUS OF BLADES SPELL LIST
0th Level: caltrops (SC 42), detect magic (PH 219), detect poison (PH 219), incite (SC 121), inhibit (SC 123), launch bolt (SC 130), launch item (SC 130), master’s touch (SC 139), message (PH 253), read magic (PH 269), shock and awe (SC 189), weapon shift (SC 237).
1st Level: backbiter (SC 23), beastland ferocity (SC 25), benign transposition (SC 27), blade of blood (PH2 103), blades of fire (SC 31), bloodletting (CM 97), blur (PH 206), body blades (SC 35), cloud of knives (PH2 107), critical strike (SC 56), dancing blade (PH2 109), deflect, lesser (PH2 109), distract assailant (SC 69), enlarge person (PH 226), enlarge weapon (CS 97), expeditious retreat, swift (SC 85), feather fall (PH 229), fist of stone (SC 94), golem strike (SC 106), hurl (SC 117), ice dagger (SC 118), invisibility, swift (SC 125), jump (PH 246), low-light vision (SC 134), nerveskitter (SC 146), persistent blade (SC 154), protection from chaos/evil/good/law (PH 266), shield (PH 278), slide (SC 191), snake’s swiftness (SC 193), spider climb (PH 283), stand (PH2 125), stretch weapon (PH2 126), summon weapon (CM 118), true strike (PH 296).
2nd Level: animate weapon (CM 95), augment familiar (SC 17), baleful transposition (SC 23), bear’s endurance (PH 203), blade brothers (PH2 103), bladeweave (SC 31), bristle (SC 40), bull’s strength (PH 207), cat’s grace (PH 208), daggerspell stance (SC 57), darkvision (PH 216), deflect (PH2 109), dimension hop (PH2 110), dimension leap (MoE 95), false life (PH 229), fly, swift (SC 96), fox’s cunning (PH 233), ghost touch armor (SC 102), heroics (SC 113), heroism (PH 240), magic weapon, legion’s (MoE 99), mindless rage (SC 142), mirror image (PH 254), protection from arrows (PH 266), quick march (SC 164), resist energy (PH 272), rhino’s rush (SC 176), ring of blades (SC 177), see invisibility (PH 275), shatter (PH 278), shield other (PH 278), slide, greater (SC 192), snake’s swiftness, mass (SC 193), speak to allies (SC 197), sure strike (PH2 126), tactical precision (SC 218), war cry (SC 236), whirling blade (SC 238), wraithstrike (SC 243).
3rd Level: anticipate teleportation (SC 13), arcane sight (PH 201), blade of pain and fear (SC 30), blade storm (SC 30), blink (PH 206), dimension step (PH2 110), dispel magic (PH 223), displacement (PH 223), dolorous blow (SC 70), enhance familiar (SC 82), fortify familiar (SC 98), good hope (PH 237), halt (PH2 114), haste, swift (SC 110), hunter’s eye (PH2 114), keen edge (PH 246), lion’s charge (SC 133), magic circle against chaos/evil/good/law (PH 249), magic vestment (PH 251), magic weapon, greater (PH 251), protection from energy (PH 266), regroup (PH2 122), reverse arrows (SC 175), scattering trap (PH2 124), spectral weapon (SC 197), steeldance (SC 206), stoneskin (PH 284), storm of needles (CM 118), telepathic bond, lesser (SC 219).
4th Level: arcane eye (PH 200), blade barrier (PH 205), coat of arms (CM 99), dimension door (PH 221), dimensional anchor (PH 221), fell the greatest foe (SC 90), force ward (SC 98), forcewave (SC 98), freedom of movement (PH 233), globe of invulnerability, lesser (PH 236), invisibility, greater (PH 245), ironguard, lesser (SC 125), magic weapon, greater legion’s (MoE 98), mirror image, greater (PH2 120), otiluke’s resilient sphere (PH 258), rain of spines (CM 114), ray deflection (SC 166), resistance, greater (SC 174), ruin delver’s fortune (SC 178), shard storm (SC 187), sword of deception (SC 217), telekinesis (PH 292), tenser’s transformation (PH 294), thunderlance (SC 220), toxic weapon (PH2 126), wingbind (SC 240).
5th Level: animate objects (PH 199), bigby’s interposing hand (PH 204), blink, greater (SC 32), dimension door, greater (SC 64), dimension jumper (CM 102), dimension shuffle (PH2 110), dispel magic, greater (PH 223), enlarge person, greater (SC 82), evacuation rune (CS 98), heroism, greater (PH 240), howling chain (SC 116), ironguard (SC 125), mordenkainen’s sword (PH 256), passwall (PH 259), rary’s telepathic bond (PH 268), sword of darkness (SC 217), teleport (PH 292), transmute mud to rock (PH 295), transmute rock to mud (PH 295), wall of force (PH 298), waves of fatigue (PH 301).
6th Level: adamantine wings (CM 95), anticipate teleportation, greater (SC 13), anti-magic field (PH 200), bigby’s forceful hand (PH 204), black blade of disaster (SC 29), body of war (SC 35), brilliant aura (SC 39), dimension jumper, greater (CM 102), familiar refuge (CM 104), globe of invulnerability (PH 236), imbue familiar with spell ability (SC 120), otiluke’s telekinetic sphere (PH 259), rejection (SC 172), repulsion (PH 271), resistance, superior (SC 174), reverse gravity (PH 273), tactical teleportation (CM 118), teleport, greater (PH 293), teleport object (PH 293), true seeing (PH 296).