Spellbinder (3.5e Prestige Class)
Spellbinders are arcanists who have studied old, forgotten forms of magic courtesy of the ancient vestiges they have learned to bind to themselves. They can reweaving the very fabric of reality into a tapestry that allows them to channel magic through their vestiges in unique and interesting ways unknown to most modern spellcasters.
Becoming a Spellbinder[edit]
| Skills: | Decipher Script 4 ranks, Knowledge (Planes) 8 ranks, Spellcraft 8 ranks, Use Magic Device 4 ranks |
|---|---|
| Feats: | Craft Wondrous Item, Ignore Special Requirements, Sculpt Spell |
| Spellcasting: | Able to cast 2nd level arcane spells, and must know or be able to prepare locate object |
| Special: | Able to bind 2nd level vestiges |
| Level | BAB | Saving Throws | Special | Spellcasting | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fort | Ref | Will | ||||
| 1st | +0 | +2 | +0 | +2 | Pact Mastery, Spellweaving | — |
| 2nd | +1 | +3 | +0 | +3 | Spellbinding | +1 in an existing arcane spellcasting class |
| 3rd | +1 | +3 | +1 | +3 | — | +1 in an existing arcane spellcasting class |
| 4th | +2 | +4 | +1 | +4 | Bonus Feat | +1 in an existing arcane spellcasting class |
| 5th | +2 | +4 | +1 | +4 | Personal Spell Focus | — |
| 6th | +3 | +5 | +2 | +5 | Woven Metamagic (+1) | +1 in an existing arcane spellcasting class |
| 7th | +3 | +5 | +2 | +5 | — | +1 in an existing arcane spellcasting class |
| 8th | +4 | +6 | +2 | +6 | Bonus Feat | +1 in an existing arcane spellcasting class |
| 9th | +4 | +6 | +3 | +6 | Woven Metamagic (+2) | — |
| 10th | +5 | +7 | +3 | +7 | Unleashed Arcana | +1 in an existing arcane spellcasting class |
Class Skills (2 + Int modifier per level)
Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Decipher Script (Int), Knowledge (any) (Int), Profession (Wis), Perform (Cha), Ride (Dex), Spellcraft (Int), Swim (Str), and Use Magic Device (Cha)
Class Features[edit]
All of the following are class features of the spellbinder.
Weapons & Armor Proficiency: You gain no additional proficiencies beyond those you already possess.
Spellcasting: At the indicated levels, 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 arcane 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 arcane spellcasting class before becoming a spellbinder, you must decide to which class to add each level for the purpose of determining spells per day, caster level, and spells known.
Pact Mastery: Your understanding of the Weave allows you to form stronger connections with your vestiges. Your spellbinder class levels stack with your binder levels for the purpose of determining both your ability to use pact magic and the effects of your soul guardian class feature.
Spellweaving: You possess a deep understanding of the Weave and its workings. So much so that you can thread together the unseen strands of magic to connect willing allies into a magically resonant network known as your arcane tapestry.
Creating an arcane tapestry takes 10 minutes and requires a Spellcraft check with a DC of 15 + the number of allies you include in the tapestry, up to a maximum number of allies equal to your Intelligence modifier. Creatures must be within line of sight to have their life force woven into an arcane tapestry, and they must be living creatures. An arcane tapestry lasts until you weave a new one or voluntary sever your current tapestry. You're always connected to your own arcane tapestry, and you don't count against the limit of allies that can be connected. You cannot, however, remove specific individuals from an existing arcane tapestry without first severing the strands of your current tapestry in order to create a whole new one.
Once you have woven an arcane tapestry, you can cast your spells across it to your allies, just as if you were touching them and within line of sight. Although you cast but a single spell, you can have it affect every creature in your arcane tapestry as if the group were a single creature. The maximum level of spell you can cast into an arcane tapestry is equal to ⅓ your arcane spellcasting level rounded down (thus 1st level spells if your caster level is 5th level or lower, 2nd level spells if it is 8th level or lower, 3rd level if it is 11th level or lower, and so on). This limit applies to any metamagic applied to the spell; if the adjusted level is greater than your maximum spell level, the spell fails to flow through the tapestry and has a 50% chance of unweaving it.
Only spells with the "harmless" designation in their saving throw entry or ones requiring willing targets can be cast into an arcane tapestry. In addition, spells with a range of personal cannot be cast through an arcane tapestry unless another feature allows you to do so (such as affecting your familiar if it is part of your arcane tapestry). If a spell has a costly material component or an XP cost, you only need expend a single casting's worth regardless of how many creatures you have in your tapestry.
If the spell requires decision-making on your part, you must make the same decision for everyone the spell is meant to affect. For instance, if you cast protection from energy through the arcane tapestry, you must choose the same energy type for everyone affected by the spell.
An arcane tapestry doesn't allow your spells to affect illegal targets. You can only affect objects with spells cast into your arcane tapestry if one of the living subjects of the tapestry is holding them, and only within the constraints of the original spell. For example, you can use arcane tapestry to deliver a magic weapon spell, affecting a single weapon being held in the right hand of each creature in your tapestry. It would not, however, be able to affect every weapon possessed by each creature, let alone weapons not currently in their possession.
Spellbinding (Su): Beginning at 2nd level, you learn how to weave strands of ambient mana through your bound vestiges and then into your spells, fueling them with the very essence of magic itself rather than pulling from your personal reserves. Whenever one of your spells or supernatural abilities has an experience point cost associated with it, you can lower that XP cost by 10%. This improves by 10% every even class level, up to a maximum of 50% at 10th level.
You must be bound to at least one vestige of a level equal to our greater than the level of the cast spell in order to use this feature.
Bonus Feat: You gain one metamagic, item creation, or pact magic feat of choice as a bonus feat if you meet the prerequisites for it.
Personal Focus: You can use the Craft Wondrous Item feat to craft a personal focus. A personal focus replaces any need for a focus, material component, or expensive material component equal to its market value or less. You can determine the market value of the focus at the time of its creation. For example, if you craft 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 place of any focus or material components your spells require up to 5,000gp without being consumed. Anything more expensive than that will require its normal component or focus. If using your personal focus in place of a material component, the personal focus is not consumed upon completion of the spell.
You may only ever posses one personal focus at a time. Your 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 or being targeted by a dispel magic spell. If you already possess a personal focus and wish to craft a new one, you must first destroy your original, regaining 50% of its market value in raw materials that can only be used to craft your new one.
Your personal focus is protected by your saving throws, spell resistance, and other similar traits you may possess—if better than its own—even when not in your direct possession. You always feel its general direction, distance, and condition as long as you are on the same plane. If it is on a different plane, you know which one on a successful Knowledge (The Planes) skill check against a DC of 20, but will receive no further information until you and it are on the same plane once more. Only divine intervention can interrupt this supernatural sense, as you and the focus are essentially one and the same.
Many spellbinders create a personal focus in the form of either an amulet or bauble for their staff. Regardless of what form it takes—even if it would normally be considered a different type of magic item, such as a ring—it is treated as a wondrous item that does not take up a body slot.
Woven Metamagic: When casting spells through your tapestry (see Spellweaving above), your bound vestige helps you weave in the effects of a single metamagic feat you know that has a level adjustment of +1 or lower without increasing the level of the spell. At 9th level, the chosen metamagic feat can have a level adjustment of +2 or lower.
You must be bound to at least one vestige in order to use this feature.
Unleashed Arcana (Su): When casting a spell, that spell no longer has a maximum limit based upon your caster level. For example, a spellbinder can cast dispel magic and add their full caster level to the d20 roll even if their caster level is over 10 (normally dispel magic has a maximum bonus of +10). This applies to arcane spells that have a limit to any aspect of their spell effect, such as the number of missiles created with magic missile, the maximum number of damage dice for a fireball, or the enhancement bonus granted by greater magic weapon.
You must be bound to at least one vestige in order to use this feature.
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