Magical Girl (3.5e Class)

Magical Girl

A magical girl is pretty much what it sounds like - a combatant who uses magic as their weapon. Magical girls tend to be very similar to paladins, focused heavily on a specific cause or goal - whatever that cause may be, protecting the innocent is as viable as a loyal servant to one who wishes to take over the world. Despite the classic name, magical girls are not necessarily female - they mostly are, but males do exist on a semifrequent basis.

Making a Magical Girl

A magical girl is, essentially, a magic-powered fighting class, and most analogous to a fighter or rogue in battle - while her abilities are magical in nature, and thus subject to anti-magical effects, in application they are essentially another weapon to smack the target with. A magical girl is capable of dealing out a significant amount of damage at range, can have a number of interesting utility abilities, and it can be difficult for a single opponent to hit her, but if she is crowded, her lower-than-most-fighters HP will begin to show. A magical girl's biggest weakness, however, is her need for focus - the majority of her abilities are spell-like, so if her actions are interrupted or if she is threatened by an opposing fighter, she must make very consistent Concentration checks, or will be unable to get an attack off.

Abilities: A magical girl's core statistic is Dexterity, as she is usually a long range, agile fighter. A magical girl often benefits greatly from Charisma, as many of her defensive abilities are dependent on it, and the DCs of many of her abilities are based on it as well. Some magical girl builds benefit from Strength as well, in melee combat, and a few do well with Intelligence. Constitution benefits everyone. Wisdom, however, is generally not a common magical girl trait - many are quite lacking in common sense.

Races: Humans are the most common magical girls, though gnomes as well may frequently gravitate to the class. Dwarves see no reason for it, elves tend to favor their own arts.

Alignment: Any nonlawful. a magical girl's usual enemies are magical girls themselves, after all.

Starting Gold: 1d6x10 gp.

Starting Age: Simple. Most Magical Girls gain power at a young age, or come into it naturally. Many have it gifted to them, such as by an Animal Advisor or through a magical contract.

Table: The Magical Girl

Hit Die: d6

Level	Base Attack Bonus	Saving Throws			Special
		Fort	Ref	Will
1st	+0	+0	+0	+2	Active Formula, Combat Casting
2nd	+1	+0	+0	+3	Transformation Sequence, All Night Long
3rd	+2	+1	+1	+3	Device
4th	+3	+1	+1	+4	Passive Formula.
5th	+3	+1	+1	+4	Active Formula
6th	+4	+2	+2	+5	Improved Transformation
7th	+5	+2	+2	+5	Defense Data
8th	+6/+1	+2	+2	+6	Passive Formula
9th	+6/+1	+3	+3	+6	Active Formula
10th	+7/+2	+3	+3	+7	Rapid Transformation
11th	+8/+3	+3	+3	+7	Improved Defense Data
12th	+9/+4	+4	+4	+8	Passive Formula
13th	+9/+4	+4	+4	+8	Active Formula
14th	+10/+5	+4	+4	+9	Instant Transformation
15th	+11/+6/+1	+5	+5	+9	Suffused Transformation
16th	+12/+7/+2	+5	+5	+10	Passive Formula
17th	+12/+7/+2	+5	+5	+10	Active Formula
18th	+13/+8/+3	+6	+6	+11	Environmental Seal
19th	+14/+9/+4	+6	+6	+11	Active or Passive Formula
20th	+15/+10/+5	+6	+6	+12	Active or Passive Formula
Class Skills (4 + Int modifier per level, ×4 at 1st level) Bluff (Cha), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Disguise (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Knowledge: Arcana (Int); Perform (Cha), Profession (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), Spellcraft (Int), Spot (Wis), Tumble (Dex).

Class Features

A magical girl is best-described as a fighter class who uses magic as her weapon. The vast majority of her abilities are usually derived from her innate magical abilities.. All of the following are class features of the Magical Girl.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A magical girl is proficient with simple weapons. A magical girl is not proficient with any kind of armour, though her class features continue to function if she wears it.

Formula: A magical girl is not a spellcaster - though she most certainly manipulates magical energy, she does so in a limited set of ways, highly complex formulae which are either imprinted into her mind, or simply memorized. However, in exchange for her loss of versatility, a magical girl gains endurance - her formulae drain significantly less energy than most other magical effects, and she is capable of keeping them up as long as any other fighter is capable of battling.

The magical girl gains one Active Formula of her choice at level 1, and may choose another every 4 levels thereafter (5, 9, 13, and 17), she gains a Passive Formula every 4 levels (4, 8, 12, and 16), and may choose either at levels 19 and 20.

The amount of formulae in existence far exceed the amount of formulae a magical girl may actually take - this is because there are many different kinds of magical girl, and each is very nearly unique.

For spell-like abilities and all effects based on caster level, a magical girl has a caster level equal to her class level. A magical girl's spell-like abilities may be considered equivalent to a spell of half her level (for instance, a level 8 magical girl's formulae will be equivalent to level 4 spells) for purposes of being cast defensively, spellcraft checks to determine the effect, and all similar aspects relating to spell level. Note that a magical girl's formulae are spell-like abilities, not spells, and she is not permitted to employ metamagic feats to them. Meta-spell-like ability feats may, however, be employed as described in their appropriate book.

A magical girl may employ her formulae to counterspell an opposing magical girl's formulae - as a standard counterspell, she must ready her action, successfully make a DC 15 + spell-level-equivalent Spellcraft check when her opponent initiates her ability, and then cast the same formula that the opposing magical girl is using (it need not match the opponent's elemental attributes). If the target of the opposing magical girl's formula is within range of the countering magical girl, the formula is negated.

Combat Casting: As front line combatants, magical girls gain Combat Casting as a bonus feat to help prevent their spell-like abilities from being disrupted.

Transformation Sequence (Su): Unlike most mages, a magical girl is not a generalist, but a specialist, usually a combat specialist, and generally expected to absorb not-insignificant amounts of punishment. As such, one of the first things they learn at 2nd level is the ability to turn their regular clothing into a protective suit of armor, often somewhat outlandish in appearance, depending on the magical girl's tastes. However, even if their transformed appearance is identical to their regular appearance, the magical girl will not be recognized as herself unless the observer sees her transform, or succeeds on a Will save (DC 20 + 1/2 class level + Charisma modifier) - they may make this Will save whenever they have detected the magical girl to a sufficient degree of precision as to be able to identify her (whether hearing her voice, or seeing her, or using another appropriate sense). If they fail this save, the magical girl's transformed and untransformed identities are not known to be the same person, and they may only attempt this save upon seeing her in the future if their Will save modifier has increased from its level when they failed the check.

The transformation requires a full-round action, at will, and replaces a magical girl's current clothing or armour with a costume that provides an armor bonus equal to their caster level, with no chance of arcane spell failure or armour check penalty. This is regular armor, however, regardless of its source, and does not apply to incorporeal or touch attacks.

The Transformation Sequence will last ten minutes per caster level per day, staying active until the time runs out or until the magical girl chooses to dispel it again. The magical girl may transform as many times per day as they wish, so long as they have time remaining for the day. At 6th level, the magical girl may invoke her transformation sequence as a standard action. At 10th level this speeds up again, to a move action. At 14th level the transformation becomes a swift action.

All Night Long (Ex): Magical girls often lead double lives, as normal civilians during the day and using their powers at night. As such, they quickly learn to function on less sleep than most, only needing to rest for four hours (or two hours in the case of elves) at second level.

Device (Ex): Most magical girls use a special focus item to assist in the use of their powers. At 3rd level, the magical girl automatically gains one item - usually a weapon, but magical girls have also been known to use such diverse items as a small computer, cellular phones, holy symbols, and household implements. If this item is a weapon, can be used as a weapon, or is another object the magical girl is not proficient in the use of (such as a computer for a magical girl lacking technological savvy), she automatically gains proficiency and Weapon Specialization in the use of that item, and all items of its type (for instance, if it is a longsword she gains proficiency and Weapon Specialization with longswords, though no other martial weapons). This item is counted as a masterwork item, and may be enchanted.

The device can be turned into a storage form, an innocuous item (such as a pendant) that does not register as magical unless enchantments have been purchased, and returned to its full device form as either an action taking as long as the magical girl's transformation sequence, or a free action accompanying her transformation sequence.

The device takes part of the mental workload of triggering a magical girl's powers off of the magical girl, making it easier, and therefore quicker - all formulas requiring a full-round action now require a standard action, so long as the magical girl's device is in her possession, and in full item form, not storage form. The magical girl's device may be enchanted like any other weapon (if it is not a weapon, it may still be enchanted with costs as a weapon). The device's magical enhancement bonus applies to the to-hit and damage of all formulas used with the device as well as its own weapon use, unless otherwise stated in the formula description, and the device's composition (special materials cost must be paid in gp) and alignment also count for penetrating damage reduction.

If a magical girl's device is lost or destroyed, she may acquire another by focusing for forty-eight hours. These need not be consecutive, but her device will not appear until all forty-eight hours have been completed. The precise nature of this focus varies by the nature of the magical girl - some will draw the device out of their souls, others will be making it as a technological item, and still others have even more esoteric means. This replacement device will not possess any enchantments that the original did - it will be completely non-magical until the enchantments are replaced.

Defense Data (Ex): Over time, a magical girl learns to enhance their battle outfit so as to cut down on the chinks that allow small but hostile chemicals and life forms through. At 7th level a magical girl becomes immune to all diseases, including supernatural and magical diseases, so long as her transformation sequence is active. At 11th level she gains immunity to all poisons while her transformation sequence is active.

Suffused Transformation (Ex): At 15th level, the magic suffusing the magical girl's armour is strong enough to serve as its own defence, making it difficult for magical attacks to penetrate. At this point, the magical girl's transformation sequence applies against touch attacks.

Environmental Seal (Ex): At 18th level, a magical girl becomes so precise with the creation of her battle outfit that it becomes a bubble of space completely disconnected from the world around her. She becomes immune to the following environmental effects as long as her transformation sequence is active: Nonlethal damage from cold. Nonlethal damage from heat. Suffocation or lack of air (and since she does not need to breathe, she is also immune to drowning and smoke inhalation).

Active Formulas

Focused Shot (Sp):

“

Divine... BUSTER!

”

Description: Most magical girls specialize in one thing - shooting at full power. And this is, indeed, what they are best at. Whether it be calling down a lightning bolt from the sky, or blasting their foe with a beam of concentrated magic, destroying the enemy is the forte of the magical girl.

Upon selecting this formula, choose one energy type - acid, cold, fire, or electricity. The Focused Shot deals damage either completely of this type, or half of this type and half of a physical type (piercing, bludgeoning, slashing) - the character must decide upon selecting the ability, and this cannot be changed.

The Focused Shot is a full-round action (reduced to a standard action if the magical girl has an active Device on hand), ranged touch attack, with a range of Medium (100 ft + 10 ft per caster level). Presuming it hits, it deals 1d6 damage per caster level. Even if granted another standard action by any means, the magical girl may still only fire one Focused Shot or Bullet Hell burst in a turn.

The magical girl's Device's enhancement bonus applies to the bullet, adding both to its to-hit and its damage. Note that spell resistance applies to this formula, as do damage reduction (if partially physical), and energy resistance or immunity of the type selected.

This formula uses more energy than most, each use reducing the amount of time the magical girl can remain transformed for that day by 1 minute.

The Focused Shot may also be used as a melee touch attack if the magical girl so chooses. Note that Focused Shot is a weaponlike spell-like ability as described in Complete Arcane, and can be enhanced by the following feats if the magical girl chooses them: Improved Critical. Improved Unarmed Strike. Point Blank Shot. Precise Shot. Stunning Fist. Weapon Finesse (if using it as a melee touch attack). Weapon Focus. It may also be used in conjunction with an attack from the magical girl's Device in the same way as normal touch attacks may be used in conjunction with unarmed attacks, as described in Complete Arcane on page 73.

This formula may be selected multiple times. Multiple selections do not stack, she may simply select another energy type mix from the available selections. Even if purchased multiple times, she still may only fire one per turn.

Bullet Hell (Sp):

“

There's no way you can control that many... oh.

”

Description: While most magical girls favour focused power on one part of one target, there is something to be said for the 'far too many attacks for sane beings to evade' philosophy. Magical girls who select Bullet Hell tend to ascribe to this philosophy, or at least like having the option open. While the term 'bullet' is used, this is solely for simplicity - a magical girl's bullets may be flying knives, fireballs, ball lightning, or almost anything else that fits into its game effects. Upon selecting this formula, choose one of the following damage types: piercing, bludgeoning, slashing, acid, cold, fire, lightning. The magical girl's bullets will do this type of damage.

The magical girl gains the ability to, once per round as a full-round action (reduced to a standard action if the magical girl has an active Device on hand), create a number of bullets up to her caster level. These bullets contain a total amount of damage equal to 1d6 per caster level, which the magical girl may distribute among her bullets as she likes - for instance, a 13th-level magical girl may create a single 13d6 bullet, thirteen 1d6 bullets, a 7d6 and a 6d6 bullet, three 3d6s and one 4d6, or any other allotment, so long as she does not create more bullets than her caster level, or a total amount of damage greater than 1d6 per caster level.

Upon having created these bullets, the magical girl may fire them all as a free action - while she may select any number of targets, each bullet cannot go beyond Close range (25 feet + 5 feet for every two caster levels), and each bullet must be fired simultaneously (she may not hold half of them back to see if the first half killed the target and she may move them onto the next). Each bullet requires its own ranged touch attack to hit.

The magical girl's Device's enhancement bonus applies individually to each bullet, adding both to its to-hit and its damage. However, damage reduction and energy resistance also apply individually to each bullet, which sharply reduces the punch if there is any at all.

This formula uses more energy than most, each use reducing the amount of time the magical girl can remain transformed for that day by 1 minute.

Note that spell resistance applies to this formula, as do damage reduction and energy resistance or immunity as appropriate. Spell resistance only applies once to a specific magical girl's barrage per turn - if she defeats the resistance, all of her attacks get through, if she does not, none of them get through.

The bullets may also be used as melee touch attacks if the magical girl so chooses, though she may only use a number of bullets in melee equal to the number of attacks she is permitted per round. Note that Bullet Hell is a weaponlike spell-like ability as described in Complete Arcane, and can be enhanced by the following feats if the magical girl chooses them: Improved Critical. Improved Unarmed Strike. Point Blank Shot. Precise Shot. Stunning Fist. Weapon Finesse (if using it as a melee touch attack). Weapon Focus. It may also be used in conjunction with an attack from the magical girl's Device in the same way as normal touch attacks may be used in conjunction with unarmed attacks, as described in Complete Arcane on page 73.

This formula may be selected multiple times. Multiple selections do not stack, she may simply select another energy type mix from the available selections. Even if purchased multiple times, she still may only fire one barrage per turn. She may, however, make each bullet be of any energy type available to her - for instance, if the above example level 13 magical girl possessed four selections of Bullet Hell for slashing, acid, fire, and lightning, she may make a 3d6 acid bullet, a 3d6 fire bullet, a 3d6 lightning bullet, and a 4d6 slashing bullet in one turn.

Bind (Sp):

“

Stay put. The assault squad will secure you and take you to a safe place.

”

Description: Sometimes, magical girls are supposed to capture or arrest their opponents, as opposed to blowing them into a steaming heap of once-living matter. Magical girls who find themselves in such situations usually learn how to lock down an opponent, wrapping them in magical power that stops their movement and prevents their own magic from working properly. As a full-round action (reduced to a standard action if she has her Device active), the magical girl may attempt to bind one creature within Medium range (100 feet + 10 feet per caster level). The target may attempt a Reflex save (DC 10 + 1/2 class level + Charisma modifier) to negate. If it succeeds, target is pinned as in a grapple - immobile but not helpless, threatens no squares, loses Dexterity bonus to AC and takes an additional -4 AC penalty against all opponents. The target may perform no actions except for purely mental or verbal actions, and cannot cast spells or use spell-like abilities. The bind lasts for 1 minute per caster level. Every round on its turn, the target may attempt a grapple check, an Escape Artist check, or if they have caster levels, a caster level + casting statistic (Int/Wis/Cha) - against a DC equal to 10 + the magical girl's caster level + the magical girl's Charisma modifier to escape the bind - this is a full-round action that does not provoke an attack of opportunity.

Deflection Barrier (Sp):

“

Protection.

”

Description: Magical girls, as a general rule, do not like getting shot at. Few people do like getting shot at, but magical girls can do something about it - namely, put up a force field to block all attacks. A magical girl who selects this formula gains a deflection bonus to AC equal to her Charisma modifier, with a maximum equal to her levels in Magical Girl - for instance, a level 3 magical girl with a Charisma of 18 will receive a +3 deflection bonus, which will grow to +4 if she takes her fourth level in Magical Girl. If she takes her fourth level in any other class, she will not receive the final point of deflection bonus until she takes a fourth level in Magical Girl.

The magical girl may, at will on her turn, grant this barrier to another creature within 100 feet - she will lose the benefits of her barrier as long as it is granted to someone else.

This formula may be purchased multiple times - each additional purchase doubles the amount of creatures she may enclose in her barrier to grant this deflection bonus, though they must be adjacent to either the magical girl, or another character enclosed in her barrier.

If those enclosed in her barrier are of a different size than the magical girl, they will count as doubling the amount of creatures enclosed for every size category larger than the magical girl, or halving the amount of creatures enclosed for every size category smaller. For instance, a Medium magical girl with three purchases of Deflection Barrier has space for four in her barrier - she may defend four Medium creatures, two Large creatures, a single Huge creature, or eight Small creatures.

This is a deflection bonus - if the magical girl, or any of those defended by her barrier, possesses a ring of deflection, they do not stack, only the highest bonus applies.

Point Barrier (Sp):

“

Give up! My defense is impenetrable!

”

Description: It's not exactly uncommon, that a magical girl's passive armor is just not enough for what her foes are throwing at her. Sometimes even agility doesn't make up the difference, and that's when the magical girl needs to actively focus on her defences, throwing up a small force field to block and deflect incoming strikes. The magical girl may expend one attack of opportunity (and if she is unable to make an attack of opportunity, such as if she is flatfooted or has run out of attacks of opportunity for the round, she may not use a Point Barrier) to give herself a shield bonus equal to her Charisma modifier against one attack. This shield bonus does apply against incorporeal and touch attacks, unlike a normal shield.

Spread Shot (Ex):

“

Diabolic. Emission.

”

Prerequisite: Focused Shot formula.

Description: While the majority of magical girls prefer to take down one target at a time, sometimes, especially in military utilities, it's more effective to shoot at a whole lot at once.

A magical girl gains the ability to, at will, make her Focused Shot a Spread Shot. She may choose any point within her Focused Shot's range (though if she wishes to have it detonate on the other side of a narrow passage, such as an arrow slit, she must 'hit' the opening with a ranged touch attack, or else the Spread Shot strikes the barrier and detonates prematurely). The Spread Shot has a radius of 20 feet, and all within that radius must make a Reflex save (DC 10 + 1/2 class level + Charisma modifier) to take half the Focused Shot's damage - if they fail, they will take full damage.

If the magical girl chooses to center the Spread Shot on herself, it is considered to be emanating from her, and she sustains no damage - if it is not centered on her and she is in its radius, however, she must make a Reflex save or sustain full damage, as normal.

This formula may be chosen multiple times. Each selection increases the radius by +20 feet, though the magical girl may opt to use a smaller radius than her maximum at will.

Raging Storm (Ex):

“

Death... Reborn... Revolution!

”

Prerequisite: Focused Shot formula, Magical Girl level 14.

Description: The magical girl generally fights with a fair amount of precision, carefully selecting targets and directing enough firepower to suppress them. But sometimes things get bad, and that's when the magical girl says 'screw it' and sends wild power everywhere in a desperate attempt to get everything down. At will, the magical girl may turn any of her Focused Shots into a Raging Storm. A Raging Storm takes two full-round actions to perform (an active device will reduce this to a single round), and the magical girl is denied her Dexterity bonus to AC while performing it. The Raging Storm generates up to two 10 foot cubes per caster level. All of these cubes must be placed within her Focused Shot's usual range. All creatures within one of these cubes sustains her Focused Shot's normal damage (1d6 per caster level, of whichever type she designated when choosing her Focused Shot), and are permitted a Reflex save (DC 10 + 1/2 class level + Charisma modifier) to halve this damage.

Seal Break (Sp):

“

Fried... I'm sorry to have confined you. I'll control it right this time. White flash of light that streaks across the azure, become my wings, and dash across the sky! Come to me, my dragon, Friedrich!

”

Prerequisite: Animal Advisor formula.

Description: Sometimes, a magical girl's companion isn't quite using their full potential. Maybe the magical girl can charge them with power, maybe they're holding back their full power for personal reasons. For whatever reason, the magical girl can now make them go all-out. The magical girl gains Animal Growth as a spell-like ability. This ability may only be used on her Animal Advisor.

Flash Move (Sp):

“

Let's get out of their way, shall we?

”

Prerequisite: Magical Girl level 10.

Description: Magical girls, being... magical... tend not to quite be limited by mundane things such as 'distance', and some are capable of teleporting to their intended destinations. The magical girl gains Teleport as a spell-like ability.

At level 16 experience with constantly using this method of transportation the spell-like ability is replaced with Greater Teleport which has no range limit and no chance of appearing off target. You may attempt to teleport to a destination based on information alone and if the information is incorrect you reappear at your original location.

Transfer (Sp):

“

Dimensional Transfer. Dimensional Coordinates: 876C 4419 3312 D699 3583 A1460 779 F3125.

”

Prerequisite: Magical Girl level 14.

Description: Some magical girls are not, in fact, native to this world, and some are members or associates of a multi-world organization. For those magical girls, even more important than doing the job is getting here from home to do it, and getting home from here once it's done. The rare magical girl that needs and acquires Transfer is granted Plane Shift as a spell-like ability which can be cast three times per day.

Shift Form (Sp):

“

You know... I was never on your side to begin with.

”

Description: Most magical girls prefer to fight as themselves, but some are transformers, or infiltrators, reshaping their body and behavior to suit the needs of the moment. The magical girl possesses Change Shape, as the monster ability, summarized here for completeness: As a standard action, she may assume the appearance of a specific creature or type of creature. She will retain her own type and subtype, but gain the size of the new form. She loses the natural weapons and natural movement modes of her original form, as well as any extraordinary special attacks of her original form, but retains all abilities derived from class levels. She gains the natural weapons, movement modes, and extraordinary special attacks of her new form. She retains her own ability scores, hit dice, hit points, skill ranks, feats, base attack bonus, save bonuses, and all other statistics of her original form not specified as changing. She retains all spellcasting ability of her original form, but must be able to speak intelligibly to cast spells with verbal components and have humanlike hands to cast spells with somatic components - magical girl formulae do not possess somatic or verbal components (though they tend to add them for fun), but this may be a concern for a magical girl multiclassed with a spellcasting class. She is effectively disguised as a creature of her new form, and gains a +10 bonus on Disguise checks if using this ability to create a disguise. Any gear worn or carried that her new form cannot wear or carry simply falls to the ground in her space - if she changes size, any gear that can be worn or carried changes size to match the new size.

Healing (Sp):

“

You're hurt... let me take a look at it.

”

Description: While magical girls tend to be warriors, there are many who like to heal the wounds they are unable to prevent, and develop a knack for healing. The magical girl gains the ability to heal a number of HP equal to her Charisma modifier (maximum +3) times her class level, at will. Doing so requires her to touch the one or ones to be healed, and requires a full-round action (reduced to a standard action if she has an active Device). This healing is not positive energy, and does not damage undead - it heals them as well.

As the hazards become nastier a healing Magical Girl at level 10 is granted additional skills to restore one temporarily or one permanently drained point single ability score of choice per casting and also is able to remove one temporary or permanent or negative level per week.

At level 14 a Magical Girl is also able to immediately end any and all of the following adverse conditions affecting a single target: ability damage, blinded, confused, dazed, dazzled, deafened diseased, exhausted, fatigued, feebleminded, insanity, nauseated, poisoned, sickened, and stunned three times per day.

Boost Up (Sp):

“

Kiddo, pass me a power boost.

”

Description: The magical girl gains one of the ability increase spells (Bear's Endurance, Bull's Strength, Cat's Grace, Eagle's Splendor, Fox's Cunning, Owl's Wisdom) with the following adjustments: First, it may be cast at will, as a full-round action (reduced to a standard action if the magical girl has her Device active and in her possession). Second, it grants an enhancement bonus of +6 to the appropriate ability score rather than +4. Third, it lasts only one minute per magical girl caster level. This formula may be acquired any number of times, but the magical girl cannot stack the same bonus - it must be another ability increase spell.

Ghost Mirage (Sp):

“

There's so many... Your shooting, your illusion magic, it's all useless!

”

Description: While most magical girls are straight-up fighters, some are tricksters and find they get a great deal of mileage out of giving their opponents things that are not them to shoot at. The magical girl gains Minor Image as a spell-like ability usable at will. This formula can be acquired twice - the second assignment will upgrade the Ghost Mirage to Persistent Image.

Anti-Magic Field (Ex):

“

These drones have a rather troublesome ability. Normal attacks won't get through.

”

Prerequisite: Any form of spell resistance.

Description: The magical girl specializes in shutting down other spellcasters. If the magical girl has spell resistance, she may put up an AMF as a full-round action. The AMF will last for one minute, and is a 30' emanation centered on the Magical Girl. If a spell, spell-like ability, or supernatural effect is activated within the area of the Anti-Magic Field, the caster must make a caster level check against the magical girl's spell resistance. Should the caster level check fail, the ability fizzles, and is considered to have been used up. Continuing spell effects, but not magic items or supernatural abilities, must also make this check and if failed will end as if their duration had expired. This applies to the magical girl's own spell-like abilities as well; she may only freely use her abilities if they are modified by the Influent Skill formula, or else she too needs to make caster level checks against herself. Additional purchases of the AMF formula add an additional +30 foot radius of the emanation.

Passive Formulas

Enhanced Attack (Sp):

Description: Some magical girls, rather than firing magical blasts, prefer to simply hit things very hard, or fire small blasts of magic alongside their physical attacks. A magical girl who selects this formula may choose either a type of physical attack (piercing, bludgeoning, slashing), or one of the four energy types (acid, cold, fire, lightning). All attacks that she wishes to enhance are granted +1d6 damage of this type for every three caster levels. This applies to melee attacks, or to any ranged attacks within 60 feet, but not to spells or spell-like abilities. This damage is not increased on a critical hit.

A maximum of four enhanced attacks may be made per turn, no matter how many attacks the magical girl is capable of making.

Note that spell resistance applies to this formula, as do damage reduction and energy resistance or immunity as appropriate.

This formula may be selected multiple times. Multiple selections do not stack, they simply grant the magical girl an extra type from the seven available (piercing/bludgeoning/slashing, acid/cold/fire/lightning). Even if purchased multiple times, she still may not enhance any more than four attacks in one turn, though she may select a different attribute for each attack if she wishes.

Velkan Knight (Ex):

“

A magic that focuses on one-to-one duels rather than long range and area attacks... that's the Velkan style.

”

Description: The magical girl is a trained combatant, capable of fighting on an even basis with experienced soldiers. Every time this formula is selected, add +1 to the magical girl's Base Attack Bonus. May not increase BAB above the magical girl's hit die.

Love and Justice (Su):

“

But the moronic kindness of the one that was always with me, and the teachings of the one that beat power and technique into my useless self... they're telling me to stand and fight.

”

Description: For a magical girl, confidence, beauty, and grace are just as important as speed and strength, encouraging her in her endeavors, and discouraging those who would thwart her. The magical girl gains a bonus equal to her Charisma bonus (if positive) on all saving throws. This ability does not stack with any similar abilities granting Charisma to saves, such as a Paladin's Divine Grace.

Agility (Ex):

“

I'd like to keep on delaying the battle I said we'd finish... but you're faster than me. If I can't run from you, I'll have no choice but to fight.

”

Description: While all magical girls are spectacularly stubborn, many are distinctly acrobatic as well. When this formula is selected, the magical girl's Reflex save is retroactively assumed to be a good save - increase it to match her Will save, and continue to increase it at the same pace.

Toughness (Ex):

Description: All magical girls are stubborn, many are agile, but on rare occassions, one is tough. When this formula is selected, the magical girl's Fortitude save is retroactively assumed to be a good save - increase it to match her Will save, and continue to increase it at the same pace.

Sniper Shot (Ex):

“

No way... she's going to fire from that distance?!

”

Prerequisite: Focused Shot, Bullet Hell, or Bind formula.

Description: Most magical girls fight in reasonable combat ranges, and fairly confined areas. And then every so often, one sees a magical girl with a knack for putting a bundle of magic precisely on target, even when said target is no larger than a dot at that range. A magical girl who selects this formula may choose either her Focused Shot, her Bullet Hell, or her Bind abilities. It will grant Focused Shot or Bind a range of Long (400 feet + 40 feet per caster level), or Bullet Hell a range of Medium (100 feet + 10 feet per caster level). This will apply to all energy types she is capable of using with Focused Shot or Bullet Hell - she need only purchase it three times to fully upgrade all three abilities.

Elemental Focus (Ex):

Prerequisite: Focused Shot or Enhanced Attack formula.

Description: Some magical girls deal damage with somewhat more obscure damage types than normal, such as sound, shadows, light... The magical girl may select one of her Focused Shot or Enhanced Attack energy types - it now does damage of either Sonic, Dessication (as Horrid Wilting) or Force type.

Sensory Enhancement (Ex):

“

You're the commander of the land battle, and the one in charge of all the barriers. You were well-hidden, but you can't get away from Klarwind's sensors.

”

Prerequisite: Transformation Sequence class feature.

Description: Magical girls are often required to fight in rather unusual situations, against rather unusual opponents - a significant portion of a magical girl's fighting is done at night, and tracking targets can quite easily be a magical girl's specialty. The magical girl gains Darkvision out to 60 feet.

This formula may be selected any number of times. Each selection may either double the radius, or upgrade the Darkvision to Blindsight.

Elemental Resistance (Ex):

“

... Only a devil could've survived that...

”

Prerequisite: Transformation Sequence class feature.

Description: Magical girls are specialized fighters, and many have a certain degree of control or resistance to some elements. The magical girl selects one energy type - acid, cold, fire, or lightning - and gains Resistance X to it, where X equals her caster level. This formula may be selected multiple times, but its effects do not stack - it simply gives her resistance to another energy type.

Battle Armour (Ex):

“

That attack you had to block? If she had been hit by it, it wouldn't have slowed her for a second.

”

Prerequisite: Transformation Sequence class feature.

Description: The magical girl's transformed state is extraordinarily resistant to punishment, making it very difficult for small attacks to so much as scratch her. The magical girl, while transformed only, gains DR X/-, where X is one half her magical girl caster level.

Physical Enhancement (Ex):

Prerequisite: Transformation Sequence class feature.

Description: The magical girl's body is heavily enhanced by the magic flowing through it, making her stronger, faster, tougher, smarter, more aware, more confident and able to perform feats that she honestly shouldn't be capable of. The magical girl, while transformed, gains a +4 inherent bonus to any one ability score, or a +2 inherent bonus to any two ability scores for each assignment of this formula, which must be chosen when this formula is assigned. (If Constitution is increased, her hit points increase to match her new Con score, like a barbarian's rage. Also like a barbarian's rage, these hit points go away when she detransforms, and are not lost first the way temporary hit points are.)

Animal Advisor (Ex):

“

Usagi, if you don't get out of bed right now, I will claw you.

”

Description: Many magical girls do not go it alone - they're often assisted by a pet or advisor. While the class feature is called Animal Advisor, the Animal Advisor can be any creature with a CR + Character Level of 1, at first level. The Animal Advisor's allowed level and natural armor increase as the Druid's Animal Companion, though it does not gain Str/Dex adjustment, bonus tricks, or any of the Animal Companion's special features. This formula may only be chosen once, and if the Animal Advisor takes any levels of Magical Girl, they may not select the Animal Advisor Formula.

Flight (Sp):

“

Wing Road. ACS Stand By.

”

Description: Many magical girls don't really feel like being bound by trivial things like gravity - they prefer not to have their hunting limited to only what they can reach. A magical girl who selects this formula is granted a fly speed of 30 feet, with good maneuverability. This formula may be selected any number of times - each selection increases her fly speed by 30 feet and (on the second selection) improves her maneuverability to perfect.

Telepathy (Su):

“

Otto... Otto was defeated, huh?

”

Description: While some magical girls operate solo, many are team fighters, or members of a military organization, and find it important to be able to communicate and coordinate with their fellows. The magical girl gains Telepathy, as the monster ability - she may communicate telepathically with any other creature within a range of 100 feet per caster level that has a language. It is possible to address multiple creatures at once telepathically, but maintaining a telepathic conversation with more than one creature at a time is just as difficult as simultaneously speaking and listening to multiple people at the same time.

Influent Skill (Ex):

“

Influent Skill Activate: Heavy Barrel.

”

Description: The magical girl is not, in fact, a magical girl - one or more of her abilities functions on some other basis than magic, whether it be ki, technological emulation, or something else. Every time this ability is selected, choose one of the magical girl's spell-like or supernatural abilities. That ability becomes an extraordinary ability instead.

Magical Resistance (Ex):

“

It... didn't do anything?

”

Prerequisite: Transformation Sequence class feature.

Description: Having been hit many times by magic, the magical girl has finally figured out how to negate it. The magical girl gains spell resistance equal to 10 + her magical girl level, only when transformed.

Magic Penetration (Ex):

“

Suppression field: Invalid.

”

Description: Some magical girls specialize in fighting under dispel-heavy conditions. The magical girl gains +4 to caster level checks for the purposes of defeating spell resistance and resisting dispels.

Awesomeness By Analysis (Ex):

“

I knew it... the same positioning as last time. There's the hole in their strategy.

”

Description: While many magical girls blow through problems on guts and reflexes, every so often one pops up that thinks their way through their situations. This magical girl's analysis and tactical abilities, while rarely overpowering, can most definitely serve as a wedge to perform what was theoretically supposed to be impossible, as she learns her foe's patterns and predicts their future actions.

For every round the magical girl has observed her opponent in battle, she gains use of Awesomeness By Analysis for one round against that opponent.

Awesomeness By Analysis allows the magical girl to gain an insight bonus to AC and attack rolls equal to her Intelligence modifier against all known opponents, so long as she has uses remaining. She may choose to grant this bonus to any ally, if she wishes.

For instance, a magical girl is fighting against three orcs within her visual range of 60 feet. One wizard is standing in the corner, but has not acted yet, observing for his own amusement. For the first round, she may act as normal. On the second round, she may trigger Awesomeness By Analysis, to gain her insight bonus - however, it will only apply against the orcs, because she has not seen the wizard act enough to discern any form of pattern. If she chooses to reserve it and act normally for the second round, she may now have Awesomeness By Analysis active for the third and fourth rounds of the battle. If a goblin comes out from hiding within her visual radius, or a new monster steps into the battlefield from beyond her visual radius, she must wait to observe them for one round before gaining a use of Awesomeness By Analysis against them.

Elemental Vulnerability:

“

That girl's Vibration Shatter is extremely effective against the electrical components in our bodies and frames. A clean hit from that would be the end of any of us.

”

Description: Some magical girls aren't quite balanced in their resistance to energy attacks, and are significantly easier to hurt through the energy types they fail to defend against. Select one energy type (acid, cold, fire, lightning) - the magical girl now takes half-again (+50%) of the damage from all attacks consisting of this type, as the Vulnerability to Energy monster trait. This is not a formula, it is a defect, and if taken, grants the character one extra formula.

Campaign Information

Playing a Magical Girl

Religion: Magical girls tend not to be especially religious, but those that are usually favor gods/goddesses of love, or good.

Other Classes: Magical girls are usually veteran team players, and work well with anyone - they respect what many fighter classes can do without magic, they appreciate the utility and immense flexibility of more traditional casting classes (and tend to be protective of them), and they can see the occassional need for the unique skills of more rogueish classes, though they don't necessarily approve of the methods.

Combat: Technically, a magical girl can take on any role in combat depending on which formula were selected in character creation. However, usually, a magical girl serves as an extremely agile mid-range damaging class - a magical girl serves best either by anchoring near the center of a formation and shooting at targets of opportunity to assist her party members, or by dashing through enemy lines to get a shot at the opponent's frailer casters, depending on her speed to minimize potential attacks directed at her, and her magical defences to reduce the chances of taking a hard hit. Skirmishing around the edge of a battle is also useful.

Advancement: A magical girl is generally best-served by focusing on her magical girl abilities, but useful multiclassing options include Rogue, and Fighter for some more martial magical girls. While magical girls generally benefit from the same statistics as spellcasters (particularly Sorcerors), multiclassing is generally not advisable since both her caster level as a spellcaster and as a magical girl will suffer. Some magical girls are also able to make use of the Arcane Archer prestige class (for the purposes of entry, a single spell-like formula can substitute for the arcane spellcasting requirement).

Magical Girls in the World

“	It's all right if I'm a devil... I'll just use my hellish powers to get you to listen!	”
—Nanoha Takamachi, Human Magical Girl

Magical girls usually serve either as independent adventurers or local guardians (the nature of their skills is very rough, and often self-taught), or as members of a military organization - they can serve very effectively as skirmishers, and while over short periods a magical girl lacks the flexibility of a true spellcaster to anchor and assist a unit of soldiers, their endurance means that they can do so over an entire battle, rather than a short engagement. Either way, a magical girl is meant for battle. Whether she is a healer, an infiltrator, a sniper, or a melee combatant, a magical girl has little to do when she is not fighting for something.

Daily Life: A magical girl's routine tends to vary between the independents and the military types. Either, however, can find themselves called upon more or less instantaneously to duty, and so tend to be on a state of alert. Civilian magical girls usually just enjoy civilian life, with the occassional patrol for whatever it is that they focus on fighting. Military magical girls, on the other hand, focus heavily on training and regular military duties.

Notables: Nanoha Takamachi.

Organizations: Magical girls do not have any particular class-wide organizations. Many are members of an existing military association, and there is at least one, the Time-Space Administration Bureau based on another world, that is composed essentially exclusively of magical girls.

NPC Reactions: NPCs are often unable to tell that the magical girl is a magical girl - when she is not actually doing anything spectacular, a magical girl is easily mistaken for a commoner, and when actually in action, an NPC is usually busier getting away from the exchange of firepower than deciding on how to react. Most NPCs do not really know what a magical girl is, and will generally presume them to be an outlandishly-dressed member of another class - usually a fighter or caster, and especially classes that are capable of both, such as paladin (or blackguard, depending on alignment and behavior), and react accordingly.

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