Hi,
Playtested an earlier version of this, now refined and easier to use:
http://docs.google.com/View?docid=0AXlTYYW9enwPZGQ3M3RicHRfMHFnODh4M2d3& ;hl=en
Or to see a cut/paste scroll down (looks much better on google docs)
Athame
Similar to sorcerers, some are born with magic as an inate talent but barely understood. Unlike their more common bretheren though some born with this power have a warrior's heart and would rather use it in a more direct (they would say less cowardly) manner against their enemies. These are the Athame, beings who blend sorcerous power with martial prowess into a seemless whole. These knights have found a harmony between two disparate disciplines, with a focus and power unrivalled and they believe there is nothing they can't kill.
Role:
Athame make versatility a specialty. They'll tell you they're good at nearly everything, but in truth an Athame tends to function mostly as martial evokers and swordsmen.
Alighnment: any
HD: d8
Class Skills:
The Athame class skills are Acrobatics, Climb, Escape Artist, Intimidate, Knowledge any, Ride, Sense Motive, Spellcraft, Swim, Use Magic Device.
Skill points per level
A Athame gets 2 skill ranks + Int modifier.
Table: Bard
Level
BAB
Fort Save
Ref Save
Will Save
Special
Spells
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
5th
6th
1st
+0
0
2
2
Eschew Materials, Evocation Focus, Channel Spell 1/day
1
—
—
—
—
—
2nd
+1
0
3
3
Offensive Overwhelm (1d6, +1 DC,SR), Arcane Quickening, (15% Miss +5ft, +1 Saves), Magic Focus SLA (level 1)
2
—
—
—
—
—
3rd
+2
1
3
3
Channel Spell 2/day
3
—
—
—
—
—
4th
+3
1
4
4
Arcane Quickening (20% Miss +10ft, +1 Saves), Magic Focus SLA (level 2)
3
1
—
—
—
—
5th
+3
1
4
4
Bonus Feat
4
2
—
—
—
—
6th
+4
2
5
5
Channel Spell 3/day, Arcane Quickening (25% Miss +10ft, +2 Saves), Magic Focus SLA (level 3)
4
3
—
—
—
—
7th
+5
2
5
5
Battlecast 1/day
4
3
1
—
—
—
8th
+6/+1
2
6
6
Offensive Overwhelm (2d6, +2 DC,SR), Arcane Quickening (30% Miss +15ft, +2 Saves), Magic Focus SLA (level 4)
4
4
2
—
—
—
9th
+6/+1
3
6
6
Channel Spell 4/day
5
4
3
—
—
—
10th
+7/+2
3
7
7
Bonus Feat, Arcane Quickening (35% Miss +15ft, +3 Saves), Magic Focus SLA (level 5)
5
4
3
1
—
—
11th
+8/+3
3
7
7
Spell Strike
5
4
4
2
—
—
12th
+9/+4
4
8
8
Channel Spell 5/day, Arcane Quickening (40% Miss +20ft, +3 Saves), Magic Focus SLA (level 6)
5
5
4
3
—
—
13th
+9/+4
4
8
8
Battlecast 2/day
5
5
4
3
1
—
14th
+10/+5
4
9
9
Arcane Quickening (45% Miss +20ft, +4 Saves), Magic Focus SLA (level 7)
5
5
4
4
2
—
15th
+11/+6/+1
5
9
9
Bonus Feat, Channel Spell 6/day
5
5
5
4
3
—
16th
+12/+7/+2
5
10
10
Offensive Overwhelm (3d6, +3 DC,SR), Arcane Quickening (50% Miss +25ft, +4 Saves), Magic Focus SLA (level 8)
5
5
5
4
3
1
17th
+12/+7/+2
5
10
10
Greater Spell Strike
5
5
5
4
4
2
18th
+13/+8/+3
6
11
11
Channel Spell 7/day, Arcane Quickening (50% Miss +25ft, +5 Saves), Magic Focus SLA (level 9)
5
5
5
5
4
3
19th
+14/+9/+4
6
11
11
Battlecast 3/day
5
5
5
5
5
4
20th
+15/+10/+5
6
12
12
Tireless Quickening (50% Miss +30ft, +5 Saves), Mastery of Shaping
5
5
5
5
5
5
Class Features:
The following are the class features for the Mageknight.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Athame are
proficient with all simple weapons plus the longsword, rapier, sap, short sword, shortbow, and whip. Mageknights are
also proficient with light armor. A Athame can cast
Athame spells while wearing light armor without
incurring the normal arcane spell failure chance. Like
any other arcane spellcaster, a Athame wearing
medium or heavy armor, or using a shield, incurs a
chance of arcane spell failure if the spell in question has a
somatic component. A multiclass Athame still incurs
the normal arcane spell failure chance for arcane spells
received from other classes.
Spells: A Athame casts arcane spells drawn from the
Athame spell list (below). He can cast any spell
he knows without preparing it ahead of time, assuming
he has not yet used up his allotment of spells per day for
the spell’s level.
To learn or cast a spell, a Athame must have a Charisma
score equal to at least 10 + the spell level. The Difficulty
Class for a saving throw against a Athame spell is 10 +
the spell level + the Athame's Charisma modifier.
A Athame can cast only a certain number of spells of
each spell level each day. His base daily spell allotment is
the same as a Bard. In addition, he receives bonus spells
per day if he has a high Charisma score (see Table 1–3 of
the Pathfinder RPG Core Rulebook).
A Athame's selection of spells is extremely limited.
A Athame begins play knowing four 0-level spells
and two 1st-level spells of the mageknight's choice. At
each new Athame level, he gains one or more new
spells as indicated on Table: Bard spells known. (Unlike spells per
day, the number of spells a Athame knows is not
affected by his Charisma score. The numbers on the Table
are fixed.)
Upon reaching 5th level, and at every third Athame
level thereafter (8th, 11th, and so on), a Athame can
choose to learn a new spell in place of one he already
knows. In effect, the Athame “loses” the old spell in
exchange for the new one. The new spell’s level must
be the same as that of the spell being exchanged, and
it must be at least one level lower than the highest-level
Athame spell he can cast. A Athame may swap out
only a single spell at any given level and must choose
whether or not to swap the spell at the same time that he
gains new spells known for the level.
Cantrips: A Athame learns a number of cantrips,
or 0-level spells, as noted on Table Bard Spells
Known. These spells are cast like any other spell, but
they may be cast any number of times per day. Cantrips
prepared using other spell slots, due to metamagic feats,
for example, consume spell slots as normally.
Table: Athame Spells Known
Level
0th
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
5th
6th
1st
4
2
—
—
—
—
—
2nd
5
3
—
—
—
—
—
3rd
6
4
—
—
—
—
—
4th
6
4
2
—
—
—
—
5th
6
4
3
—
—
—
—
6th
6
4
4
—
—
—
—
7th
6
5
4
2
—
—
—
8th
6
5
4
3
—
—
—
9th
6
5
4
4
—
—
—
10th
6
5
5
4
2
—
—
11th
6
6
5
4
3
—
—
12th
6
6
5
4
4
—
—
13th
6
6
5
5
4
2
—
14th
6
6
6
5
4
3
—
15th
6
6
6
5
4
4
—
16th
6
6
6
5
5
4
2
17th
6
6
6
6
5
4
3
18th
6
6
6
6
5
4
4
19th
6
6
6
6
5
5
4
20th
6
6
6
6
6
5
5
Eschew Materials: A mageknight gains Eschew Materials as a bonus feat at 1st level.
Evocation focus: From 1st level Whenever a Athame casts an evocation spell that deals hit point damage, he adds his Athame level to the damage (minimum +1). This bonus only applies once to a spell, not once per missile or ray, and cannot be split between multiple missiles or rays. This damage is of the same type as the spell. At 20th level, whenever he casts an evocation spell you can roll twice to penetrate a creature's spell resistance and take the better result.
Arcane Quickening: At 2nd level the Combat focused Athame has discovered how to empower himself with arcane fire. He can as a free action infuse himself with eldritch power for a number of rounds per day equal to 4+ his Cha Modifier. He can Quicken for 1 more round per 2 levels up to a maximum of 13 rounds per day + his Cha Modifier. Temporary increases to Charisma by the use of spells or magic items do not increase the number of rounds per day available. Quickening so grants him a bonus to speed, miss chance vs melee/ranged attacks/targeted spells bonus to saves and a bonus to attack (as listed in the table) . You can use this ability in med, heavy armor but take the appropiate speed penalty for armor. Using this ability is not without it's price however, as the Athame can only cast spells using the spell channel ability while quickend. A Athame may cease using Arcane quickening in order to cast a spell normally as a free action but is fatigued at the end of the quickening for a number of minutes equal to the number of rounds he spent quickened. Any effect that causes the mageknight to be fatigued, exhausted, stunned, or panicked also stops the quickening, failing a saving throw vs a calm emotions, charm, dominate or similar mind affecting spell also ceases quickening. A Athame may enter a quickening again, in the same encounter but cannot do so if he is under any of the above status effects and entering it a second time takes a full round.
Bonus Feat: An Athame epouses combat in all it's forms and is a dedicated martial student. He gains a bonus combat feat at level 5, 10, 15. He can select any Combat feat he qualifies for, including Disruptive and Spell Breaker- using his Athame level to satisfy fighter levels.
Tireless Quicken: At 20th level a Athame has become one with the magic that empowers him. While Quickened he acts as though under the Freedom of Movement spell. He no longer suffers Fatigue when he ends his quicken, infact he can now cast normally even while quickend and can remain quickened even if he suffers fatigue, exhaustion and is immune to fear. Only successfully stunning or domination can bring him out of his quicken.
Magical Focus (SLA): An Athame has a much deeper connection to the evocation school than his sorcerous counterpart. He learns 1 Spell of the evocation school as a SLA at each level indicated. He can use these SLA's in any combination a number of times per day equal to 3+ his Cha Modifier. He can cast any SLA on his focus list (or any combination of spells on the list) up to the maximum SLA level listed in the table. He casts them at their normal unmodified DC but can use his Offensive Overwhelm ability to increase it. He can take Ability focus and stack it with Spell Focus for his SLA as they function as spells for the purpose of the Spell Focus Feat.
Bonus SLA's: 2nd-1st level spell, 4th-2nd level spell, 6th-3rd level spell, 8th-4th level spell, 10th-5th level spell, 12th-6th level spell, 14th-7th level spell, 16th-8th level spell, 17th-9th level spell.
Battlecast: At the indicated levels the Athame can cast a spell modified by any one feat the mageknight knows without adjusting the spells level or normal casting time. Only one feat can be used casting in this manner- for example a Maximised Fireball could be cast (even using Offensive Overwhelm to increase the DC) but not an Empowered, Maximised Fireball.
Mastery of shaping: A Magical Focused Athame has become so proficient with blasting magic he can now leave holes in his spell areas so as to not harm his allies. A mageknights instantaneous spells never hit allies even if they are in the area of effect. Spells with a duration also have a safe spot on the ally but if the ally chosses to leave this spot they are affected normally on all subsequent rounds and the origonal safe spot dissappears.
Offensive overwhelm:A Athame's spells are particularly potent. Due to his focused training a Athame learns to empower his spells with arcane fire to ensure success. At 4th level Whenever a mageknight casts an offensive spell either by normal means, through a wand or staff he has created himself or through his channel spell ability he may increase the spell's DC, and the bonus to overcome spell resistance increase by +1 by taking 1d6 arcane fire damage to himself as part of the casting. This ability improves as the Athame levels up. At 8th and 16th level he can choose to take another d6 damage to increase the Save and SR check bonus. Meaning a spell cast at level 16 has a +3 to the save DC and +3 to overcome spell resistance if the mageknight takes 3d6 damage as part of the action to cast (this allows a Athame to have a reliable save DC on his offensive spells).
Channel spell: A Athame can channel spells through his weapon. The spell selected must be offensive in nature. Doing so is part of an attack action and affects only the target of the attack. The affected target is only affected on the first successful strike (meaning this can be used as part of a full attack even if the first attack misses) and makes saves as normal. This ability can be used 1/day at level 3, and again at every 3rd level until a max of 6 at level 18. The target is not allowed a save vs the channelled spell but is only affected once, reguardless of how many times struck.
Spell Strike: At 11th level Athame can use Spell Channel in conjunction with Cleave or Spring Attack.
Greater Spell Strike: At 17th level an Athame can use spell channel as part of a Great Cleave or Whirlwind Attack.
Athame Spellist
0-level:
acid splash, dancing lights, daze, detect magic, flare, ghost sound, light, mending, ray of frost, touch of fatigue, message
1st-level:
burning hands, chill touch, divine favor, endure elements, enlarge person, expeditious retreat, floating disk, mage armor, magic missle, magic weapon, ray of enfeeblement, reduce person, shield, shocking grasp, true strike
2nd level:
acid arrow, bear’s endurance, blindness/deafness, bull's strength, blur, cat’s grace, continual flame, darkness, heroism, false life, flaming sphere, ghoul touch, invisibility, levitate, resist energy, scorching ray, shatter, touch of idiocy
3rd-level:
blink, call lightning, daylight, dispel magic, displacement, fireball, flame arrow, greater magic weapon, haste, keen edge, lightning bolt, ray of exhaustion, resilient sphere, sleet strom, slow, vampiric touch, wind wall
4th-level:
agonize, bestow curse, dimension door, enervation, fire shield, ice storm, mass enlarge person, mass reduce person, shout, stoneskin, wall of fire, wall of ice, dimensional anchor, elemental body 1
5th-level:
call lightning storm, baleful polymorph, cone of cold, elemental body 2, feeblemind, interposing hand, telekinesis, wall of force, waves of fatigue,
6th-level:
acid fog, chain lightning, disintegrate, elemental body 3, forceful hand, freezing sphere, grasping hand, greater shout, giantform 1, hellfire ray, mass bear’s endurance, mass bull’s strength, mass cat’s grace, mind blank, transformation, waves of exhaustion
Playing a Athame- A combat focused Athame is nearly always at the frontline- He is better armored and better trained than most arcane casters, so relishes melee combat. Arcane Quickening works in a similar manner to rage and provides big combat bonuses. However the duration is very short and there are many ways for a Athame to have his quickening cut short, so they must be wary of enchantment effects or getting knocked senseless. Also using a quickening prevents regular spellcasting so once you use it you are unable to cast any utility spells or magically assist you allies. Dropping a quickening fatigues you as well so you need to stay close to the cleric to have the effect removed before you can quicken again.
An Athame can also cast spells which cause alot more damage than normal wizards. Despite not having higher order spells they are quintessential blasters and seem to think any problem can be solved by torching it. Casting Focused Athame still have access to potent buff spells and will spend nearly as much time fighting as casting. They have a little versatility reguarding spell selection and so are less useful outside of combat or solving problems like a wizard can. The Battlecast ability lets you add metamagic effects for free a couple to times a day (they usually favor maximise or widen)
Wow, that's hard to read. I'm afraid I had to just skim it and pick out bits and pieces. It looks like a mix between the WotC Duskblade and Warmage, though, and I can't say I like it.
Personally, I really hope that Paizo doesn't try to go the Duskblade route with their Magus. When I want to play a magical warrior, I want to play a character that uses magic to enhance their fighting, as a unified whole, not the hackjob we've always seen so far. I want to see a class that uses magic in a unique way. They don't need to be able to cast fireball to be mages; let them act more like Swordsages from Book of Nine Swords (conceptually, not necessarily mechanically), where they literally combine their supernatural powers and their weapon use all the time.
THAT is what I want from a 'gish' class. I can already make a near-full-BAB, near-full-caster with the right class juggling. I can't really play the above character at all, except with the Swordsage (who is pretty limited, all told).
We've tried this class as is a few times.
We are finding it pretty good and it can sub for a fighter (as much as a cavalir, paladin can) but certainly doesn't replace a straight mage or witch.
The Gtr Spellstrike ability is pretty awesome but then so is 9th level casting (which wizards get at this level). Using it as part of whirlwind while enlarged is really scary!
But builds like enlarged (major magic)Rog 17 with Shatter defences, whirlwind can do similar damage, with a dispel effect added on....
Anyone wanna try it?
I'm interested to see the direction Magus goes in- i'd like to see more combatant than caster flavor.
First off, thanks for choosing to use "Athame" for the class title. I like it when people use or say they like the name I suggested! :)
But is there any way you could make that post... smaller? It does look better in the Google doc, but huge posts might turn people off to the class and are hard to read(as mentioned earlier).
aye, your table and a lot of stuff didn't format over. I didn't even read it because of the formatting.
==Aelryinth
Y'know, having been in a Chrono Trigger mood lately, I thought this was going to be a write-up for the character Magus. All told, it's not that far off, although it would need to be proficient with a scythe :)
Zurai wrote: I want to see a class that uses magic in a unique way. They don't need to be able to cast fireball to be mages; let them act more like Swordsages from Book of Nine Swords (conceptually, not necessarily mechanically), where they literally combine their supernatural powers and their weapon use all the time. me too. I know I am repitive about this but I hope they consider Monte Cook's runeblade when doing up this class
Sorry about the format guys- like i said the google doc looks fine. My board-fu is weak.
Was after thoughts as I'm hoping the magus will take a similar vein (more fighty than casty- but makes DD spells good.
Zurai wrote: Wow, that's hard to read. I'm afraid I had to just skim it and pick out bits and pieces. It looks like a mix between the WotC Duskblade and Warmage, though, and I can't say I like it.
Personally, I really hope that Paizo doesn't try to go the Duskblade route with their Magus. When I want to play a magical warrior, I want to play a character that uses magic to enhance their fighting, as a unified whole, not the hackjob we've always seen so far. I want to see a class that uses magic in a unique way. They don't need to be able to cast fireball to be mages; let them act more like Swordsages from Book of Nine Swords (conceptually, not necessarily mechanically), where they literally combine their supernatural powers and their weapon use all the time.
THAT is what I want from a 'gish' class. I can already make a near-full-BAB, near-full-caster with the right class juggling. I can't really play the above character at all, except with the Swordsage (who is pretty limited, all told).
Personally i love BO9S, including Swordsage but it's such a rapid departure i could not (thoygh i'd like to) see paizo going that way.
What is this class suppose to be called as the title says Athame but in some of the text it says mageknight and this seems interchangable within the same paragraph. I would suggest a format so as to change all instances of the class name to the final name, just makes it look more professional to me :)
Changed the name cause Athame sounded cooler (Thanks Dragonborn3)
musta missed the old name a couple of times.
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