About Magnus the MagnificentMale Arcanist (School Savant) 1
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Spellbook:
SPECIAL ABILITIES:
Arcane Reservoir (Su): An arcanist has an innate pool of magical energy that she can draw upon to fuel her arcanist exploits and enhance her spells. The arcanist's arcane reservoir can hold a maximum amount of magical energy equal to 3 + the arcanist's level. Each day, when preparing spells, the arcanist's arcane reservoir fills with raw magical energy, gaining a number of points equal to 3 + 1/2 her arcanist level. Any points she had from the previous day are lost. She can also regain these points through the consume spells class feature and some arcanist exploits. The arcane reservoir can never hold more points than the maximum amount noted above; points gained in excess of this total are lost. Points from the arcanist reservoir are used to fuel many of the arcanist's powers. In addition, the arcanist can expend 1 point from her arcane reservoir as a free action whenever she casts an arcanist spell. If she does, she can choose to increase the caster level by 1 or increase the spell's DC by 1. She can expend no more than 1 point from her reservoir on a given spell in this way. Arcanist Exploits: By bending and sometimes even breaking the rules of magic, the arcanist learns to exploit gaps and exceptions in the laws of magic. Some of these exploits allow her to break down various forms of magic, adding their essence to her arcane reservoir. At 1st level and every 2 levels thereafter, the arcanist learns a new arcane exploit selected from the following list. An arcanist exploit cannot be selected more than once. Once an arcanist exploit has been selected, it cannot be changed. Most arcanist exploits require the arcanist to expend points from her arcane reservoir to function. Unless otherwise noted, the saving throw DC for an arcanist exploit is equal to 10 + 1/2 the arcanist's level + the arcanist's Charisma modifier. Bonus Feat: Humans select one extra feat at 1st level. Consume Spells (Su): At 1st level, an arcanist can expend an available arcanist spell slot as a move action, making it unavailable for the rest of the day, just as if she had used it to cast a spell. She can use this ability a number of times per day equal to her Charisma modifier (minimum 1). Doing this adds a number of points to her arcane reservoir equal to the level of the spell slot consumed. She cannot consume cantrips (0 level spells) in this way. Points gained in excess of the reservoir's maximum are lost. Dazing Touch (Sp): You can cause a living creature to become dazed for 1 round as a melee touch attack. Creatures with more Hit Dice than your wizard level are unaffected. You can use this ability a number of times per day equal to 3 + your Intelligence modifier. Enchanting Smile (Su): You gain a +2 enhancement bonus on Bluff, Diplomacy, and Intimidate skill checks. This bonus increases by +1 for every five wizard levels you possess, up to a maximum of +6 at 20th level. At 20th level, whenever you succeed at a saving throw against a spell of the enchantment school, that spell is reflected back at its caster, as per spell turning. School Focus (Su): At 1st level, a school savant chooses a school of magic. The arcanist gains the abilities granted by that school, as the arcane school class feature of the wizard, treating her arcanist level as her wizard level for these abilities. She can also further specialize by selecting a subschool. In addition, the arcanist can prepare one additional spell per day of each level she can cast, but this spell must be chosen from the selected school. Finally, the arcanist must select two additional schools of magic as her opposition schools. Whenever she prepares spells from one of her opposition schools, the spell takes up two of her prepared spell slots. In addition, a school savant takes a –4 penalty on any skill checks when crafting a magic item that has a spell from one of her opposition schools as a prerequisite. A school savant cannot select the school understanding arcanist exploit. This ability replaces the arcanist exploits gained at 1st, 3rd, and 7th levels. Skilled: Humans gain an additional skill rank at first level and one additional rank whenever they gain a level. Spellcasting: An arcanist casts arcane spells drawn from the sorcerer/wizard spell list. An arcanist must prepare her spells ahead of time, but unlike a wizard, her spells are not expended when they're cast. Instead, she can cast any spell that she has prepared consuming a spell slot of the appropriate level, assuming she hasn't yet used up her spell slots per day for that level. To learn, prepare, or cast a spell, the arcanist must have an Intelligence score equal to at least 10 + the spell's level. The saving throw DC against an arcanist's spell is 10 + the spell's level + the arcanist's Intelligence modifier. An arcanist can only cast a certain number of spells of each spell level per day. Her base daily spell allotment is given on Table: Arcanist under “Spells per Day.” In addition, she receives bonus spells per day if she has a high Intelligence score. An arcanist may know any number of spells, but the number she can prepare each day is limited. At 1st level, she can prepare four 0-level spells and two 1st-level spells each day. At each new arcanist level, the number of spells she can prepare each day increases, adding new spell levels as indicated on Table: Arcanist Spells Prepared. Unlike the number of spells she can cast per day, the number of spells an arcanist can prepare each day is not affected by her Intelligence score. Feats and other effects that modify the number of spells known by a spellcaster instead affect the number of spells an arcanist can prepare. An arcanist must choose and prepare her spells ahead of time by getting 8 hours of sleep and spending 1 hour studying her spellbook. While studying, the arcanist decides what spells to prepare and refreshes her available spell slots for the day. Like a sorcerer, an arcanist can choose to apply any metamagic feats she knows to a prepared spell as she casts it, with the same increase in casting time (see Spontaneous Casting and Metamagic Feats). However, she may also prepare a spell with any metamagic feats she knows and cast it without increasing casting time like a wizard. She cannot combine these options—a spell prepared with metamagic feats cannot be further modified with another metamagic feat at the time of casting (unless she has the metamixing arcanist exploit, detailed below). Spell Books: An arcanist must study her spellbook each day to prepare her spells. She can't prepare any spell not recorded in her spellbook, except for read magic (which all arcanists can prepare from memory). An arcanist begins play with a spellbook containing all 0-level wizard/sorcerer spells plus three 1st-level spells of her choice. The arcanist also selects a number of additional 1st-level spells equal to her Intelligence modifier to add to the spellbook. At each new arcanist level, she gains two new spells of any spell level or levels that she can cast (based on her new arcanist level) for her spellbook. At any time, an arcanist can also add spells found in wizards' or other arcanists' spellbooks to her own. Weapon and Armor Proficiencies: Arcanists are proficient with all simple weapons. They are not proficient with any type of armor or shield. Armor interferes with an arcanist's gestures, which can cause her spells with somatic components to fail (see Arcane Spells and Armor). BACKGROUND:
“Captivating appeal, artfully wielded, is akin to magic.” Magnus was the only child of an unmarried mother deserted by his father. Destitute, his mother left Magnus in the care of a workshop owner and his wife in Sandpoint when Magnus was six years old, paying them to care for her child while she worked in Magnimar. Unknown to his mother, the pair abused Magnus while he was under their care. They mercilessly beat and starved him and forced him to perform heavy labor in their workshop. Further, they exploited and victimized the poor child, who looked thin and pale and wore rags for clothing. Abruptly, his mother stopped visiting. Unbeknownst to the boy, she had passed away, and his caretakers never told him he was an orphan. Magnus never knew his own surname. One winter day, with bruised and reddened skin and no shoes, Magnus went to fetch water at the well. At this point, Magnus disappeared from the history of Sandpoint for decades, though what exactly happened is unclear. The spry old man who would reappear to the town told his story thus: It happened that a tiny, whimsical-looking humanoid with gossamer wings watched him that day he fetched water. Curious, this pixie followed him around for some time and took great interest in him. Noting the bruising and fear on his face, the kindly pixie, Thiana, took compassion on the boy. Putting his caretakers to sleep with magic arrows, she spirited the boy away. Thiana took Magnus to the First World—her home—via magic that only worked where boundaries between the planes were thin. Upon arrival, the wide-eyed boy discovered an infinite plane of constantly varying wilderness, with trees as tall as mountains, living bodies of water, and traveling fairie courts. There, even the laws of nature seemed to be suspended. Magnus found all manner of strange creatures: gnomes, dryads, faeries, nixies, as well as more sinister fey. His new companions took care of this child and effectively raised him. Nothing from his world could possibly compare. The fey treated Magnus as a novelty, and invited the child to all the parties, competitions, and storytelling festivals, where the food, drink, and entertainment were unmatched. At one such festival, Magnus drew the attention of a fey lord, a being of high station and prodigious personal power. He ruled over a great city in the First World, and his word was law. Taking interest in this curious child, the fey lord invited Magnus into his court. After some time, the fey lord grew old, and when a fey lord or lady dies, the court does not remain leaderless for long. Upon his death, through some twist of obscure fey law or more likely as the fey lord’s last mischievous trick, Magnus was appointed ruler of the fey city, at least for a time. However, rulership came with the caveat that Magnus would need to return home upon completion of his reign. Time passed differently in the First World than it did in Golarion, and a hundred years transpired with Magnus ruling his fey city. Though initially hesitant to accept a child’s rule, during his reign the fey city passed a century with the grandest parties and most spectacular entertainment only a child living in a fey realm could envision. He surrounded himself with things of utmost beauty, and the whole thing became a great game for both Magnus and those he ruled. His fey subjects dubbed Magnus ‘the Magnificent.’ Still, all good things come to an end, and eventually his hundred years of felicity also passed. Magnus had to return to his own world. After saying goodbye to Thiana, with sorrow Magnus made his way back through a rift in the planes. Going back also had severe repercussions, however, and Magnus’s age magically caught up with him, changing him from a happy-go-lucky child (albeit one that had lived over a hundred years) to an old man. Even so, Magnus remained energetic and overactive. That is the curious, practically unbelievable tale told by the old man now calling Sandpoint home. He complains that being back in Golarion for the past few years has been tediously boring. Nothing could live up to the parties, festivals, nymphs, and other beautiful things. Seeing his old age and white hair, Magnus now mistakenly frets that he has experienced ‘Bleaching’—the physical decolorization and aging of a gnome caused by lack of exposure to new and exciting experiences. Magnus claims that if he can immerse himself in new situations, he can halt or even reverse the physiological drain, restoring color and joie de vivre to his life. Since his ‘return,’ Magnus has spent his time seeking after new experiences, entertaining children with magical cantrips, waiting for ‘visits from Thiana,’ and occasionally putting his neighbors to sleep or charming them with his magic (some of these endeavors have even earned him some substantial gold, whether ill-gained or not). Most consider him a senile or crazy old man living just outside of town, with the exception of Ameiko Kaijitsu, who seems to think there might be more to this old man. The two have hit it off (or at least Ameiko is significantly entertained), and Magnus has a massive, poorly concealed crush on her, which seems amusing to Ameiko. Still, Magnus's pastimes are starting to become mundane. He needs to cause a sensation. At least, that's the story the old man claims. Whether it's true, in part or in whole, is something most in Sandpoint dismiss in amusement. But the old man insists it is true. Appearance: Magnus is stooped by time, an old man leaning on a staff. He has an aged face with great snowy brows. His eyes are remarkably lively, and sometimes he even appears wild-eyed. He has a long white beard, and is prone to dressing in robes that change colors slightly, almost looking like prismatic light, as he moves. He speaks with a melodic voice. Personality: Meddlesome and brave, the eccentric Magnus is fey-like in his personality. He is mischievous, crafty, capricious, and charming. He takes very little seriously, except for magic, which he treats as an art form. Magnus considers himself a great master of this art, though much of his mastery is in his imagination. He trades in mischief and favors--a powerful bargain tool of the fey. If anyone accepts his offering or gift, he feels they are indebted to him. He will rarely do something tedious when more fun could be had.
He is a fierce champion of the underdog and downtrodden, especially children. Magnus has no sense of direction whatsoever, and hates cold iron. Quotes: “In the art of magic, keeping a secret is the greatest sleight.”
Level Progression:
Level 1: Class Taken: Arcanist Class Feature Gained: arcane reservoir, arcanist exploit, cantrips, consume spells Hit points Gained: 1d6, +2 Con, +1 favored Skill Points (2 +5 Int +1 human +2 backgroundᵝ): bluff (1), diplomacy (1), intimidate (1), knowledge (arcana)(1), knowledge (nature)(1), linguisticsᵝ (1), perception (1), performᵝ (1), spellcraft (1), use magic device (1) Feats: spell focus (enchantment), greater spell focus (enchantment) *headband of intellect (add sense motive, stealth, acrobatics)
Dice:
[dice=knowledge arcana/nature]1d20+8[/dice] [dice=ranged touch attack]1d20+1[/dice] *enchanting smile: +1 every five wizard levels 3 - skill focus (arcana)
*exploits: dimensional slide, potent magic, metamagic knowledge, bloodline development, greater metamagic knowledge
*persistent A. Orb
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