This class is exactly as it says, an attempt to make a nice and smoothly working 1/3 caster that prepares spells.
-Arcane Pool class feature has a few significant differences from the Magus Arcane Pool, namely that it allows access to any weapon enchant other than bane.
-Do you think the Arcanist Exploits he can select are too good?
-Do you think he is overpowered?
-He has dead levels at 8th and every 4 levels thereafter, do you think that is a problem given that Arcane Pool improves on those levels?
Role: In a world where magical creatures and powerful wizards patrol the lands, where flight and invisibility are naturally possessed by many creatures and can be learned through magic by all the rest, some have developed skills to neutralize these threats and even the playing field of the non-magical and the magical.
Alignment: Any.
Hit Die: d10
BAB: Full
Fort: Good
Ref: Poor
Will: Poor
Parent Classes: Magus and Fighter
Class Skills:
The Spell Blade’s class skills are Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Fly (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Knowledge (dungeoneering) (Int), Knowledge (planes) (Int), Profession (Wis), Ride(Dex), Spellcraft (Int), Swim (Str), and Use Magic Device (Cha).
Skill Ranks per Level: 2 + Int modifier.
Class Features
All of the following are class features of the Spell Blade.
Arcane Pool (Su): At 1st level, the Spell Blade gains a reservoir of mystical arcane energy that he can draw upon to fuel his powers and enhance his weapon. This arcane pool has a number of points equal to his half is Spell Blade + his Intelligence modifier. The pool refreshes once per day after 8 hours of rest.
At 1st level, a Spell Blade can expend 1 point from his arcane pool as a swift action to grant his hands magical power for 1 minute. During this minute, any weapon he holds gains a +1 enhancement bonus that fades after 1 round of him no longer holding it. At fourth level, and every 4 levels thereafter the weapon gains another +1 enhancement bonus, to a maximum of +6 at 20th level. These bonuses can be added to the weapon, stacking with existing weapon enhancement to a maximum of +6. Multiple uses of this ability do not stack with themselves.
At 4th level, these bonuses can be used to add any weapon property except bane, Adding these properties consumes an amount of bonus equal to the property's base price modifier (see the Magic Weapon Special Ability Descriptions). These properties are added to any the weapon already has, but duplicates do not stack. If the weapon is not magical, at least a +1 enhancement bonus must be added before any other properties can be added. These bonuses and properties are decided when the arcane pool point is spent and cannot be changed until the next time the Spell Blade uses this ability.
He many choose to spend 2 points from his arcane pool instead of one and if he chooses to do so, increases his effective Spell Blade level by 4 for the purposes of this ability.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: An Spell Blade is proficient with all simple and martial weapons and with light armor, medium armor, and shields (including tower shields). He may cast his spells from the Spell Blade list without incurring spell failure.
Spell Blade Training (Ex): At 1st level, a Spell Blade counts her total Spell Blade levels as both fighter levels and magus levels for the purpose of qualifying for feats. She also counts as both a fighter and a magus for feats and magic items that have different effects based on whether the character has levels in those classes. This ability does not automatically grant feats normally granted to fighters and magi based on class level.
Arcane Talent: As he gains levels, a Spell Blade learns arcane secrets tailored to his specific way of blending martial puissance and magical skill. Starting at 1st level, a Spell Blade gains one arcane talent. He gains an additional Spell Blade talent for every two levels of Spell Blade attained after 1st level. Unless specifically noted in an Arcane Talent’s description, a Spell Blade cannot select a particular Arcane Talent more than once. Arcane Talent’s that affect spells can only be used to modify spells from the Spell Blade spell list unless otherwise noted.
Arcanist Exploit (Su): The Spell Blade selects an Arcanist exploit from the following list: Spell Tinkerer, Spell Disruption, See Magic, Dimensional Slide(5ft/level instead of 10ft/level), Consume Magic Items, Arcane Barrier. The Spell Blade uses his Spell Blade level as his effective Arcanist level for the purpose of these talens. He may select this talent as many times as he likes, every time he selects it he chooses a new Arcanist Exploit from the list.
Magus Arcana (Su): The Spell Blade selects a Magus Arcana that he qualifies for. If this Magus Arcana references a class feature that the Spell Blade does not posses, he may not select that Arcana until he successfully attains that class feature. He may select this talent as many times as he likes, every time he selects it he chooses a new Magus Arcana. He treats his Spell Blade level as his Magus level for the purpose of selecting Magus Arcana.
Spellstrike (Su): As the Magus class feature of the same name except with Spell Blade spells. The Spell Blade must be at least 5th level to select this talent.
Spell Combat (Ex): As the Magus class feature of the same name except with Spell Blade spells. The Spell Blade must be at least 5th level to select this talent.
Ranged Spellstrike (Su): The Spell Blade may now use Spellstrike as if replacing all uses of the word melee with ranged. He must possess the Spell Strike talent to select this talent. This ability may never be used with non Spell Blade spells even if the Spell Blade possesses a feature that would normally allow him to do so.
Spell Recall (Su): As the Magus class feature of the same name except with Spell Blade spells. The Spell Blade must be at least 5th level to select this talent.
Arcane Strike (Sp): The Spell Blade gains the Arcane Strike feat.
Improved Arcane Strike (Sp): The Spell Blade may automatically apply his Arcane Strike bonus to damage on all attacks without having to spend a swift action. The Spell Blade must possess Arcane Strike to select this talent.
Greater Arcane Strike (Sp): The Spell Blade may, when using improved arcane strike, gain the bonus to damage also as a bonus on attack rolls. The Spell Blade must possess Improved Arcane Strike to select this talent.
Bonus Feats: A Spell Blade gains bonus feats to supplement his combat ability. He gains any combat feat that he qualifies for at 2nd level and every 4 levels thereafter.
Spells: At 4th level, a Spell Blade learns to casts arcane spells drawn from the Spell Blade spell list. A Spell Blade must choose and prepare his spells ahead of time. A Spell Blade’s caster level is equal to his Spell Blade level for the purpose of all of his spells.
To learn, prepare, or cast a spell, the Spell Blade must have an Intelligence score equal to at least 10 + the spell level. The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against a Spell Blade's spell is 10 + the spell level + the Spell Blade's Intelligence modifier.
A Spell Blade can cast only a certain number of spells of each spell level per day. His base daily spell allotment is the same as a bloodrager of equal level. In addition, he receives bonus spells per day if he has a high Intelligence score (see the Ability Modifiers and Bonus Spells Table).
A Spell Blade may know any number of spells. He must choose and prepare his spells ahead of time by getting 8 hours of sleep and spending 1 hour studying his spellbook. While studying, the Spell Blade decides which spells to prepare.
Spellbooks: A Spell Blade must study his spellbook each day to prepare his spells. He cannot prepare any spell not recorded in his spellbook except for read magic, which all magi can prepare from memory. A Spell Blade gains at 4th level a spellbook containing all 0-level Spell Blade spells plus two 1st-level Spell Blade spells of his choice. The Spell Blade also selects a number of additional 1st-level Spell Blade spells equal to his Intelligence modifier to add to his spellbook. At each new Spell Blade level, he gains one new Spell Blade spells of any spell level or levels that he can cast (based on his new Spell Blade level) for his spellbook. At any time, a Spell Blade can also add spells found in other spellbooks to his own (see Arcane Spells).
This seems to be crossing too much into Magus/Bloodrager territory.
I could definitely see this as a Magus-themed archetype for the Bloodrager (minus the whole arcane talent selection thing), but as a separate class, it tries to fill a niche supposedly already filled by other classes.
Not that I'm absolutely sure it's overpowered or underpowered, but it just seems like it's...kind of unnecessary. This isn't a shot at its design, it's just trying to be something other classes already are.
Oh, and yeah, allowing any weapon property in the game is overpowered. No other property-applying ability allows that, instead setting up a limited list.
I'm not a fan of the class at all. It falls into the common pitfalls at attempts of a "full BAB magus."
It not only gives the magus's arcane pool but also gives a WAAAAAAAAAAAY better, overpowered version of arcane pool. All the while ignoring the fact that the magus receives arcane pool as a restricted substitute for a full BAB.
Gets way too much power at 1st level compared to other martials.
It casually gives out the powerful core class features of the magus -- ya know, the things that an entire class centers around -- as talents you can pick up while strangely the class itself has almost no class features on its own.
It's basically just a bag of class features stolen from other classes.
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You might take a look at the Battle Scion from Kobold Press for a full BAB, limited arcane spell access and a small set of interesting, flavorful special abilities
The Battle Scion is also one of the classes in the New Paths Compendium also from Kobold Press