Aldrakan
2018-10-22, 07:52 PM
Arcane Blade (Magus archetype)
Note: This archetype uses rules available in Path of War by Dreamscarred Press.
Rather than empowering her attacks with spells, the arcane blade instead turns the dance of combat into the means through which she casts spells, careful footwork and magically empowered slashes unleashing a flood of arcane power as she completes her spell by striking down her opponent.
Maneuvers
An arcane blade begins her career with knowledge of three martial maneuvers. The disciplines available to the arcane blade are Elemental Flux, Shattered Mirror, and Veiled Moon. An arcane blade gains Stealth as a class skill.
Once the arcane blade knows a maneuver, she must ready it before she can use it (see Maneuvers Readied, below). A maneuver usable by arcane blades is considered an extraordinary ability unless otherwise noted in it or its discipline’s description. An arcane blade’s maneuvers are not affected by spell resistance, and she does not provoke attacks of opportunity when she initiates one.
The arcane blade learns additional maneuvers at higher levels, as indicated on Table: Archetype Maneuver Progression. The maximum level of maneuvers gained through arcane blade levels is limited by those listed in that table as well, although this restriction does not apply to maneuvers added to her maneuvers known through other methods, such as prestige classes or the Advanced Study feat. An arcane blade must meet a maneuver’s prerequisite to learn it. See Systems and Use for more details on how maneuvers are used.
Upon reaching 4th level, and at every even numbered initiator level thereafter (6th, 8th, 10th, and so on), the arcane blade can choose to learn a new maneuver in place of one she already knows. In effect, she loses the old maneuver in exchange for the new one. She can choose a new maneuver of any level she likes, as long as she observes the restriction on the highest-level maneuvers she knows; the arcane blade need not replace the old maneuver with a maneuver of the same level. She can swap only a single maneuver at any given level. An arcane blade’s initiation modifier is Intelligence, and each arcane blade level is counted as a full initiator level.
Maneuvers Readied
An arcane blade can ready all three of her maneuvers known at 1st level, and as she advances in level and learns more maneuvers, she is able to ready more, but must still choose which maneuvers to ready. An arcane blade must always ready her maximum number of maneuvers readied. She readies her maneuvers by performing weapon drills for 10 minutes. The maneuvers she chooses remain readied until she decides to drill again and change them. The arcane blade does not need to sleep or rest for any long period of time in order to ready her maneuvers; any time she spends ten minutes practicing she can change her readied maneuvers.
A arcane blade begins an encounter with all her readied maneuvers unexpended, regardless of how many times she might have already used them since she chose them. When she initiates a maneuver, she expends it for the current encounter, so each of her readied maneuvers can be used once per encounter (unless she recovers them, as described below).
In order for the arcane blade to recover maneuvers, she may choose to cast a spell with a casting time of a standard action as a full round action. If she does, she regains a number of maneuvers equal to her initiation modifier (minimum 2). Starting at 4th level, when she does so she may also activate her Spell Recall class feature as a free action. She may not recover the spell she casts with this action. Alternatively, she may focus inward to regain a single expended maneuver as a standard action.
Stances Known
An arcane blade begins her career with knowledge of one stance from any discipline open to arcane blades. At 4th, 7th, 11th, and 13th levels, she can select an additional stance to learn. The maximum level of stances gained through arcane blade levels is limited by those listed in Table: Archetype Maneuver Progression. Unlike maneuvers, stances are not expended and the arcane blade does not have to ready them. All the stances she knows are available to her at all times, and she can change the stance she is currently maintaining as a swift action. A stance is an extraordinary ability unless otherwise stated in the stance or discipline description.
Unlike with maneuvers, an arcane blade cannot learn a new stance at higher levels in place of one she already knows.
This ability replaces the Magus Arcana gained at 3rd, 9th, 12th, 15th, and 18th levels.
Arcane Fluidity (Su):
At 1st level when an arcane blade enters combat she gains an animus pool equal to 1+ her initation modifier (minimum 1) at the start of her first turn, and adds one point of animus to her animus pool at the start of each of her turns thereafter. Her animus pool persists for one minute after the last enemy combatant is defeated or the encounter otherwise ends. At the end of any round in which the arcane blade initiates a maneuver or casts a spell, she adds an additional point of animus to her pool. Certain abilities, such as some class features, maneuvers, and feats, require the arcane blade to expend points of animus to use. The arcane blade may also expend arcane pool points as though they were animus pool points (but not vice versa).
Elemental Intensity (Su):
At 1st level whenever the arcane blade casts a spell of a type that matches an Elemental Flux element or associated damage type, if she has access to Elemental Flux maneuvers she may change her active Elemental Flux element to match that element as a free action.
In addition, if she has used her arcane pool to add a weapon enhancement that adds damage associated with an Elemental Flux element (e.g. frost or icy burst for cold), she may switch her enhancement for the equivalent that matches the spell without expending an arcane pool point or refreshing its duration.
For example, when an arcane blade with an active element of water and a flaming sword casts Shocking Grasp, because it has the [electricity] tag she could change her active element to Air, and swap the flaming enhancement for shocking.
At 5th level the arcane blade adds corrosive and corrosive burst to the list of weapon enhancements she may add to her weapon using her arcane pool.
This ability alters Arcane Pool.
Spell of Blades (Su):
At 1st level, once during her turn when the arcane blade initiates a strike that targets one creature, she may expend an arcane pool point to attempt a Spell of Blades. If the strike hits its target, she may immediately cast a magus spell with a casting time of one standard action or shorter as a swift action. This spell cannot target the creature she targeted with her strike when it is cast, and will treat that creature as though it had been selected with the Selective Spell feat if applicable. If she wishes, she may choose to exempt herself as well. Casting a spell in this fashion does not provoke attacks of opportunity.
This ability replaces Spell Combat and Spellstrike.
Improved Spell of Blades (Su):
At 8th level, if the arcane blade is wielding a discipline weapon for the maneuver initiated to enable the Spell of Blades, the caster level or DC (pick 1 upon casting) of the spell cast is increased by 1.
This ability replaces Improved Spell Combat.
Greater Spell of Blades (Su):
At 14th level, if the arcane blade uses her Spell of Blades ability to cast a spell that is one or more levels lower than the strike that enabled it, she may apply any metamagic feat she knows to the spell by expending an additional arcane pool point or two animus pool points for each level increase of the metamagic feat, so long as the total modified level of the spell would use a spell slot at least one level lower than that of the enabling strike and her highest spell level known.
For example, an arcane blade who expended an arcane pool point to activate Spell of Blades, initiated the 4th level Veiled Moon maneuver Flicker Strike, and hit their target, could then expend 2 arcane pool points, 1 arcane pool point and 2 animus pool points, or 4 animus pool points, to cast an Empowered Ray of Enfeeblement at another opponent as an immediate action without memorizing a metamagic version of this spell.
This ability replaces Greater Spell Combat.
Dire Reprisal (Ex & Su):
At 20th level, when the arcane blade uses her Counterstrike ability, she may initiate a strike with an activation of one standard action in place of the attack of opportunity. In addition, she may always expend two animus pool points in place of an arcane pool point.
This ability replaces True Magus
Note: This archetype uses rules available in Path of War by Dreamscarred Press.
Rather than empowering her attacks with spells, the arcane blade instead turns the dance of combat into the means through which she casts spells, careful footwork and magically empowered slashes unleashing a flood of arcane power as she completes her spell by striking down her opponent.
Maneuvers
An arcane blade begins her career with knowledge of three martial maneuvers. The disciplines available to the arcane blade are Elemental Flux, Shattered Mirror, and Veiled Moon. An arcane blade gains Stealth as a class skill.
Once the arcane blade knows a maneuver, she must ready it before she can use it (see Maneuvers Readied, below). A maneuver usable by arcane blades is considered an extraordinary ability unless otherwise noted in it or its discipline’s description. An arcane blade’s maneuvers are not affected by spell resistance, and she does not provoke attacks of opportunity when she initiates one.
The arcane blade learns additional maneuvers at higher levels, as indicated on Table: Archetype Maneuver Progression. The maximum level of maneuvers gained through arcane blade levels is limited by those listed in that table as well, although this restriction does not apply to maneuvers added to her maneuvers known through other methods, such as prestige classes or the Advanced Study feat. An arcane blade must meet a maneuver’s prerequisite to learn it. See Systems and Use for more details on how maneuvers are used.
Upon reaching 4th level, and at every even numbered initiator level thereafter (6th, 8th, 10th, and so on), the arcane blade can choose to learn a new maneuver in place of one she already knows. In effect, she loses the old maneuver in exchange for the new one. She can choose a new maneuver of any level she likes, as long as she observes the restriction on the highest-level maneuvers she knows; the arcane blade need not replace the old maneuver with a maneuver of the same level. She can swap only a single maneuver at any given level. An arcane blade’s initiation modifier is Intelligence, and each arcane blade level is counted as a full initiator level.
Maneuvers Readied
An arcane blade can ready all three of her maneuvers known at 1st level, and as she advances in level and learns more maneuvers, she is able to ready more, but must still choose which maneuvers to ready. An arcane blade must always ready her maximum number of maneuvers readied. She readies her maneuvers by performing weapon drills for 10 minutes. The maneuvers she chooses remain readied until she decides to drill again and change them. The arcane blade does not need to sleep or rest for any long period of time in order to ready her maneuvers; any time she spends ten minutes practicing she can change her readied maneuvers.
A arcane blade begins an encounter with all her readied maneuvers unexpended, regardless of how many times she might have already used them since she chose them. When she initiates a maneuver, she expends it for the current encounter, so each of her readied maneuvers can be used once per encounter (unless she recovers them, as described below).
In order for the arcane blade to recover maneuvers, she may choose to cast a spell with a casting time of a standard action as a full round action. If she does, she regains a number of maneuvers equal to her initiation modifier (minimum 2). Starting at 4th level, when she does so she may also activate her Spell Recall class feature as a free action. She may not recover the spell she casts with this action. Alternatively, she may focus inward to regain a single expended maneuver as a standard action.
Stances Known
An arcane blade begins her career with knowledge of one stance from any discipline open to arcane blades. At 4th, 7th, 11th, and 13th levels, she can select an additional stance to learn. The maximum level of stances gained through arcane blade levels is limited by those listed in Table: Archetype Maneuver Progression. Unlike maneuvers, stances are not expended and the arcane blade does not have to ready them. All the stances she knows are available to her at all times, and she can change the stance she is currently maintaining as a swift action. A stance is an extraordinary ability unless otherwise stated in the stance or discipline description.
Unlike with maneuvers, an arcane blade cannot learn a new stance at higher levels in place of one she already knows.
This ability replaces the Magus Arcana gained at 3rd, 9th, 12th, 15th, and 18th levels.
Arcane Fluidity (Su):
At 1st level when an arcane blade enters combat she gains an animus pool equal to 1+ her initation modifier (minimum 1) at the start of her first turn, and adds one point of animus to her animus pool at the start of each of her turns thereafter. Her animus pool persists for one minute after the last enemy combatant is defeated or the encounter otherwise ends. At the end of any round in which the arcane blade initiates a maneuver or casts a spell, she adds an additional point of animus to her pool. Certain abilities, such as some class features, maneuvers, and feats, require the arcane blade to expend points of animus to use. The arcane blade may also expend arcane pool points as though they were animus pool points (but not vice versa).
Elemental Intensity (Su):
At 1st level whenever the arcane blade casts a spell of a type that matches an Elemental Flux element or associated damage type, if she has access to Elemental Flux maneuvers she may change her active Elemental Flux element to match that element as a free action.
In addition, if she has used her arcane pool to add a weapon enhancement that adds damage associated with an Elemental Flux element (e.g. frost or icy burst for cold), she may switch her enhancement for the equivalent that matches the spell without expending an arcane pool point or refreshing its duration.
For example, when an arcane blade with an active element of water and a flaming sword casts Shocking Grasp, because it has the [electricity] tag she could change her active element to Air, and swap the flaming enhancement for shocking.
At 5th level the arcane blade adds corrosive and corrosive burst to the list of weapon enhancements she may add to her weapon using her arcane pool.
This ability alters Arcane Pool.
Spell of Blades (Su):
At 1st level, once during her turn when the arcane blade initiates a strike that targets one creature, she may expend an arcane pool point to attempt a Spell of Blades. If the strike hits its target, she may immediately cast a magus spell with a casting time of one standard action or shorter as a swift action. This spell cannot target the creature she targeted with her strike when it is cast, and will treat that creature as though it had been selected with the Selective Spell feat if applicable. If she wishes, she may choose to exempt herself as well. Casting a spell in this fashion does not provoke attacks of opportunity.
This ability replaces Spell Combat and Spellstrike.
Improved Spell of Blades (Su):
At 8th level, if the arcane blade is wielding a discipline weapon for the maneuver initiated to enable the Spell of Blades, the caster level or DC (pick 1 upon casting) of the spell cast is increased by 1.
This ability replaces Improved Spell Combat.
Greater Spell of Blades (Su):
At 14th level, if the arcane blade uses her Spell of Blades ability to cast a spell that is one or more levels lower than the strike that enabled it, she may apply any metamagic feat she knows to the spell by expending an additional arcane pool point or two animus pool points for each level increase of the metamagic feat, so long as the total modified level of the spell would use a spell slot at least one level lower than that of the enabling strike and her highest spell level known.
For example, an arcane blade who expended an arcane pool point to activate Spell of Blades, initiated the 4th level Veiled Moon maneuver Flicker Strike, and hit their target, could then expend 2 arcane pool points, 1 arcane pool point and 2 animus pool points, or 4 animus pool points, to cast an Empowered Ray of Enfeeblement at another opponent as an immediate action without memorizing a metamagic version of this spell.
This ability replaces Greater Spell Combat.
Dire Reprisal (Ex & Su):
At 20th level, when the arcane blade uses her Counterstrike ability, she may initiate a strike with an activation of one standard action in place of the attack of opportunity. In addition, she may always expend two animus pool points in place of an arcane pool point.
This ability replaces True Magus