The Aerial Mage
The wind is in the sky and the stars are in the heavens and a resolute heart beats within my chest!
Nanoha Takamachi, Aerial Mage
Many Magical Girls represent freedom, and what could be more free than the skies?
The ability to fly is often the most cherished ability of Magical Girls that become Aerial Mages. They embrace it and train hard to move trough the air with utmost grace and speed.
Requirements
To become an Aerial Mage, you must fulfill the following criteria:
Skills: Tumble 5 Ranks
Special: Evoker Level 5
Class Skill List: Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Intimidate (Cha), Sense Motive (Wis), Spot (Wis), Tumble (Dex), Use Magic Device (Cha)
Skill Points at Each Level: 4 + Int modifier.
Aerial Mage
Hit Dice: D8
{table=head] Level | BAB | Fort | Ref | Will | Special | Illuminations
1st | +0 | +0 | +2 | +2 | Fliers Costume, Nimble Flyer | +1 level of existing class
2nd | +1 | +0 | +3 | +3 | Aerial Evasion, Winged Speed |
3rd | +2 | +1 | +3 | +3 | Supersonic Flight, Radiant Shockwave | +1 level of existing class
4th | +3 | +1 | +4 | +4 | Improved Aerial Evasion, Sonic Charge |
5th | +3 | +2 | +4 | +4 | Freedom of the Skies | +1 level of existing class[/table]
Fliers Costume (Ex): An Aerial Mages Costume always carries the Weightless Costume effect, in addition to all others. Furthermore, she automatically has 1+class level motes invested into it, without lowering her mote pool and bypassing normal investment limits.
Illuminations: An Aerial Mage is still a potent Evoker, but trades some raw power for her superior flight skills. Her access to Illuminations from her Evoking Class, as well as her Evoker Level, progresses at the listed rate. If she has more than one Evoking Class, then she must choose one of them when she takes her first level in Aerial Mage. Once made, this choice cannot be changed.
Whenever a save against any of the Aerial Mages class features is allowed, it is made at the same DC as against her Illuminations.
Nimble Flyer (Ex): You can add your Evoker Attribute modifier to your Tumble-checks while in flight.
Winged Speed (Ex): For every 4m motes invested into her Weightless costume effect, an Aerial Mages flight-speed increases by 10 feet. This is doubled if 12+motes are invested.
Aerial Evasion (Ex): You gain Evasion while in flight. If you already have Evasion it becomes Improved Evasion instead.
Radiant Shockwave (Su): An Aerial Mages flight often produces brilliant displays of light, dazzling and distracting the enemy. This grants her a special costume effect that is always active and gained in addition to all others
Effect: Whenever the Evoker moves at least 15 feet during her turn, attacks against her have a 25% miss chance.
Essence Boost: Every 3m invested in this effect increases the miss chance by 5%. If at least 6m are invested, the Aerial Mages shockwave becomes persistent. Her movement leaves a area of reduced visibility that imposes the miss chance to any attacks within it (comparable to fog). She ignores that miss chance. This affects an area of 10 feet within any space she has moved through and lasts one round. If at least 12 motes are invested, it grows to 20 feet.
Cartridge: When a cartridge is expended to fuel this effect, the Evoker can move her flight-speed without provoking attacks of opportunity. Everyone within 20 feet of any space she moved through must make a Fortitude-save or be blinded for a number of rounds equal to the Evokers charisma-modifier. Everyone who can visually perceive the Evoker must make a Will-save with equal DC or be Fascinated for the same length of time.
Supersonic Flight (Su): All Aerial Mages are renowned for their speed, but only the best manage to surpass the sound barrier.
Over the course of five rounds (all spent moving forward in a straight line at your running speed) you can accelerate to supersonic speed. While at Supersonic Speed, your maneuverability drops to clumsy and you move 8000 feet per round/about 2500 miles per hour (double if you have at least 12 motes invested into Weightless), and all attacks have a 50% miss chance against you.If you collide with any obstacle, you take 10D6 damage and are stunned for 1D6 rounds. You can drop out of supersonic speed at the beginning of your round, but you must spend the next three rounds moving forward in a straight lineat your running speed in order to slow down.
Improved Aerial Evasion (Ex): At 4th-level, you gain Improved Evasion while in flight.
Sonic Charge (Su): An Aerial Mage flies so fast that the very wake of her passing can be devastating. This effect is activated by paying up to her Evoker Level – but at least eight – motes and either as part of a charge of a full-round action. If used as a full-round action, the Aerial Mage can move up to four times her flight speed in a straight line. Everyone within 20 feet of any square she passes through takes 1D6 sonic damage for each two motes spent and is deafened for a number of rounds equal to her Evoker Attribute modifier. A successful Reflex save halves the damage. If used as part of a charge, the area is reduced to 10 feet, but if the charge hits the target must make a fortitude-save or be stunned for one round.
Freedom of the Skies (Su): Whenever a effect would disrupt your Weightless Costume Effect (such as an Antimagic Field), slow your flight-speed (such as Solid Fog) or prevent you from moving, you can make a Tumble-check. If the result of your check is higher than the caster (Initiator, Manifester, Evoker or similar) level of the effect, you can ignore all of its effects that triggered the Tumble-check for the duration of the encounter. For example, passing the check would keep your Weightless Costume Effect active within an Antimagic Field, but does not allow you to use other supernatural effects within it.
This does not prevent you from being grappled, nor does it prevent status conditions that rob you of your move-action, such as being stunned or dazed.
In additon, you ignore all effects of wind on your flight (but not your attacks or other actions).
Variant: Light Runner
The Light Runner is a Prestige Class that shares most of its attributes with the Aerial Mage. Unless noted below, it works precisely as the Aerial Mage. A character can have levels in both Aerial Mage and Light Runner.
Class Skills: Add Balance (Dex), remove Spot (Wis)
Runners Costume: Alters Fliers Costume, replacing Nimble with Weightless.
Nimble Runner: Replaces Nimble Flier. A Light Runner can add her Evoker Attribute modifier to all Balance- and Tumble-checks.
Vertical Run: Replaces Winged Speed. If a Light Runner has at least six motes invested into her Nimble Costume Feature, she can run up vertical surfaces as if she had a Climb speed equal to half her land speed. If she has at least 12 motes invested, she can run over liquid surfaces, treating them as solid ground.
Evasion: A Light Runner gains Evasion instead of Aerial Evasion.
Magical Parcours: Replaces Supersonic Flight. By gathering speed for two rounds (running in a straight line at your run-speed) you can being a Magical Parkour run. During your Parcours, you can multiply all jump-distances by 10, and your jump-distances are limited by your run-speed instead of your normal land-speed. You do not take damage from falling during your Parkour, but you can not avoid attacks of opportunity. You can also run on any solid or liquid surface, including vertical ones, and are not hindered by difficult terrain. You must move at least double your speed during your Parkour, and can end it by spending a full-round action to land.
Improved Evasion: A Light Runner gains Improved Evasion instead of Improved Aerial Evasion.
Run Free: Alters Freedom of the Skies. Replace “Weightless” with “Nimble”.
Pathfinder
In Pathfinder, the Aerial Mage relies heavily on her Fly-skill, using the following alterations.
Requirements: Fly 5 ranks, Evoker Level 5
Class Skill List: Fly, Perception
Nimble Flier: You can add your Evoker Attribute modifier to all Fly-checks, and you can make Fly-checks instead of Acrobatics-checks to avoid Attacks of Opportunity.
Freedom of the Skies: You make Fly- instead of Tumble-checks.