High Magus (3.5e Prestige Class)
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| “ | "As a magus, my life is devoted to the art of magic. Without it, I am naught but a scholar and keeper of dusty tomes, so I must both guard and cultivate my mastery with every grain of my soul. Such is the way of the magus, as you will one day come to understand, my apprentice." |
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| —Salorian of the Seven Spells to his apprentice Bjolinir | ||
High magi are the pinnacle of the classic mage archetype. Brilliant and well educated in the ways of magic, they eventually master their crafts to the point where they can transcend traditional magic and even fuel their spells by tapping into the very fabric of magic itself. High magi pass on their craft from master to apprentice; it is far too delicate an art to be regimentalized, as the art of magic often is within the halls of a soulless college that drowns out the creative spark that makes the high magi who and what they are.
Unfortunately, their dedication to understanding the principles of magic comes at a price. While they are busy deconstructing the very heart of spellcraft, their more traditional brethren are out practicing and perfecting their craft. As such, a high magus tends to trail behind standard wizards as far as their spellcasting is concerned, but the spells they do know tend to pack quite a wallop.
Becoming a High Magus
| Skills: | Concentration 8 ranks, Decipher Script 5 ranks, Knowledge (Arcana) 8 ranks, Spellcraft 8 ranks |
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| Feats: | Craft Wondrous Item, Weapon Focus: Staff (or related feat; see Staff Magic below) |
| Alignment: | Any non-chaotic |
| Spellcasting: | Must be able to cast 3rd level arcane spells |
| Special: | At least one of your spellcasting classes must be linked to Intelligence |
| Level | BAB | Saving Throws | Class Features | Spellcasting | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Fort | Ref | Will | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1st | +0 | +0 | +0 | +2 | Forsake Component, Obtain Familiar | +1 level in existing spellcasting class | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2nd | +1 | +0 | +0 | +3 | Intelligent Manipulation | +1 level in existing spellcasting class | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 3rd | +1 | +1 | +1 | +3 | Bonus Familiar Feat | +1 level in existing spellcasting class | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 4th | +2 | +1 | +1 | +4 | Spellweaving (spells) | +1 level in existing spellcasting class | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 5th | +2 | +1 | +1 | +4 | Bonus Metamagic Feat | +1 level in existing spellcasting class | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 6th | +3 | +2 | +2 | +5 | Bonus Familiar Feat | +1 level in existing spellcasting class | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 7th | +3 | +2 | +2 | +5 | Personal Focus, Spellweaving (magic items) | +1 level in existing spellcasting class | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 8th | +4 | +2 | +2 | +6 | Bonus Metamagic Feat, Intelligent Manipulation | +1 level in existing spellcasting class | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 9th | +4 | +3 | +3 | +6 | Bonus Familiar Feat, Staff Magic | +1 level in existing spellcasting class | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 10th | +5 | +3 | +3 | +7 | Metamagic Finesse, Spellweaving (epic) | +1 level in existing spellcasting class | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Class Skills (4 + Int modifier per level):: Bluff, Concentration, Craft, Decipher Script, Diplomacy, Intimidate, Knowledge (any), | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Class Features
All of the following are class features of the High Magus.
Weapon & Armor Proficiencies: You gain proficiency with all simple weapons, but not with armor or shields.
Spellcasting: At each level, you gain new spells per day and an increase in caster level (and spells known, if applicable) as if you had also gained a level in an Intelligence-linked spellcasting class to which you belonged before adding the prestige class level. You do not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained. If you had more than one Intelligence-linked spellcasting class before becoming a high magus, you must decide to which class to add each level for the purpose of determining spells per day, caster level, and spells known.
Forsake Component (Ex): You have mastered one particular aspect of spellcasting. You gain your choice of Still Spell or Silent Spell as a bonus feat. When applied to your spells, it has a +0 adjustment to your spell's level. If you prepare spells, you must still prepare it in this fashion and if you spontaneously cast spells, you must still increase the casting time, as per the standard rules. You may use this ability a number of times per day equal to your Intelligence modifier (to a maximum of your class level).
Obtain Familiar: You gain the Obtain Familiar feat as a bonus feat. This feat replaces any familiar class feature you previously possessed, though if you already have a familiar its abilities are simply replaced by those granted by the Obtain Familiar feat. At 3rd level and again at 6th and 9th level, you gain a bonus familiar feat. This includes feats such as Bonded Familiar, Celestial Familiar, Combat Familiar, Dragon Familiar, Improved Familiar, Lurking Familiar, Planar Familiar, Shadow Familiar, Spell-Linked Familiar, and Stitched Spell Familiar.
Intelligent Manipulation (Ex): The master and apprentice relationship of a high magus involves much debate, arguing and browbeating. This makes you a formidable opponent in social situations where you tend to out-think and outwit your opposition rather than simply charming your way through life like a popinjay. As a result, you may choose to substitute Intelligence for Charisma or Wisdom when making any Bluff, Diplomacy, or Gather Information checks. At 8th level, you may do the same with Autohypnosis, Concentration, Intimidate, Listen, and Use Magic Device. Note that Autohypnosis and Listen remain cross-class skills.
Spellweaving (Su): By weaving strands of ambient mana into your spells, you can power those spells with the very essence of magic. Whenever one of your spells or spell-like abilities has an experience point cost associated with it, you can lower that xp cost by 5% per class level. Note that this is a supernatural ability, and it can be suppressed in an antimagic field, dead magic zone, or other similar phenomena. At 7th level you learn to use spellweaving when crafting magic items, lowering the experience cost for their creation in the same way. In epic levels, this ability can apply to the development and casting of epic spells if you have reached the 10th level of this class.
Personal Focus: You can use your Craft Wondrous Item feat to create a personal focus upon reaching 7th level. A personal focus replaces any need for a focus or expensive material component equal to the cost of its creation or less, and you can determine the cost of the focus at the time of its creation. For example, if you create a personal focus worth 5,000gp (costing 2,500gp and 200xp to craft, plus the cost of whatever form the focus takes), it can be used in the place of any focus your spells require up to 5,000gp. Additionally, arcane mark, discern location, and limited wish must be used in its creation.
You may use your spellweaving ability to lower the cost of creating your personal focus. If using your personal focus in place of a material component, the personal focus is not consumed upon completion of the spell. The personal focus is an active magic item and behaves appropriately in any situation where that nature may come into play, such as entering an antimagic field. The personal focus is, however, protected by your saving throws, spell resistance, and other similar traits even when not in his direct possession, and you always know its exact location and condition regardless of distance or plane as it is, for all intents and purposes, a part of your very essence. Only divine intervention can interrupt this sense.
Staff Magic (Ex): You have learned to channel your spells through your staff, bolstering your accuracy. If your staff has an enhancement bonus, that bonus applies to any attack rolls required of your spells (most notably ray, touch, and ranged touch spells). Feats and weapon qualities that grant a bonus to your attack rolls or critical range/damage with your staff also apply to your spells, as appropriate. Such feats include but are not limited to: Improved Critical and Weapon Focus.
If your staff is a magic staff with charges, you may also spend 1 to 10 of those charges to bolster your caster level for any spells you cast through the staff by a similar amount. This does not take an extra action, but it must be declared prior to the casting of your spell.
There are rumors of high magi who excel in the use of other weapons or implements, and you may choose to be one such mage with your DM's permission. This class feature works in exactly the same fashion, only replacing the staff with another weapon or implement appropriate to your character concept. Once chosen, however, the change is permanent.
Metamagic Finesse (Ex): When applying a metamagic feat to your spells, lower the spell level adjustment of the modified spell by -1 (to a minimum of +1 unless the metamagic feat normally has a lower adjustment). This applies to any and all metamagic feats that you apply to the spell, not the overall level adjustment. Other limitations that apply to the use of metamagic, such as increased casting time, are unaffected by this class feature. There is no limit to how often you may use this ability per day.
Limitations
Despite having 10 levels, the High Magus prestige class cannot be transformed into an epic class. Instead, its levels stack with any levels of Wizard or other Intelligence-based arcane spellcasting class you possess for purposes of epic eligibility.
New Weapon Properties
SPELLWEAVING
Price: +1 bonus
Property: Quarterstaff
Caster Level: 13th
Aura: Strong; (DC 23) enchantment
This staff bears multiple symbols of arcane power that emit a dim, colorful, otherworldly glow while active.
A spellweaving staff allows you to transfer some or all of its enhancement bonus, using it to amplify your spellweaving class feature. For each +1 bonus so allocated, your effective class level increases by +1. As a free action, you can choose how to allocate the staff's weapon enhancement bonus and it retains that setting until you choose to change it with another free action.
Prerequisites: Craft Magic Arms & Armor, spellweaving class feature, limited wish.
Cost to Create: Varies.
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