Spell Sword

[shad0wred]

I have wondering if anyone has put into their campaign or have used the Spell Sword prestige class from the old 3.5 D&D Complete Warrior book. My group use to do 3.5 but has started a new campaign in Pathfinder rules. I know the magus can sort of do it but I really like the idea of the fighter spell slinging to the horror of my enemies as they also see me in full plate and we kind of want to stick to as close to the core classes as we can, just makes it easier on all at the table. So what I am looking for is any advice from DM's that have used it before and see if it world need a conversion or something because to me it just looks good as is.

[blackbloodtroll]

Please list exactly what you want to do.

It may already be available.

[minoritarian]

Hellknight Signifer is probably the closest you'll get to be able to 'ignore' ASF in full plate.

[GM Arkwright]

The Magus can cast without spell failure in Full Plate at level X. And there are Archetypes to make the Magus more like a fighter; check out the 'Kensai'

[Orthos]

Medium armor at level 7, Heavy at 13.

Kensai loses armor proficiencies but gets AC bonuses from other sources instead.

[Larkas]

Optimization-wise, Spellsword is pretty much a 1-level long PrC in 3.5, used merely to fill up a level in Gish builds. It has too many lost caster levels for any "serious" build to consider. Unless you plan to go around that in the conversion, I wouldn't bother with it.

Unless, of course, you intend to do so merely for the flavor. I'd argue that Eldritch Knight and Magus are pretty much that, but hey, if you like it, why not?

[Elder Basilisk]

Straight-up Magus is pretty darn close to what a 3.5 spellsword would have been if you had followed the prestige class all the way up.

Spellsword got:
The ability to cast spells in heavy armor. Check.
The ability to channel touch spells through their weapon. Check.
Strong Fort and Will saves. Check.
BAB that was pretty close to 3/4 and spellcasting that would top out between 6th and 7th level spells. (Ftr 2/Wiz 4 or Ftr 1/Wiz 6 to get into the class plus 10 levels of spellsword yeilds either BAB +14/clvl 9 or BAB +13/Clvl 11 with either 3 or 4 more levels to use for Eldritch Knight, Fighter, or Wizard. Depending upon your choices it could end up between BAB +15/Clvl 14 and BAB+18/Clvl 9). Check.

Really, Magus is spellsword without 6 or 7 levels of not being able to do what you really want your character to do effectively and without the flexibility to take it in the "almost full wizard" direction that was optimal in 3.5.

[Cold Napalm]

Actually spellswords got to channel ANY spell through their sword and change the target of that spell to critter hit...so they could channel anti-magic field that JUST targeted the creature hit...no save, no magic. You could spell channel self only buffs and hit allies with them. You could spell channel great many area effect conjuration spells that would be a no save, no SR debuff without the chance to screw your party. It had a great deal of power in that if you were being creative with it and you GM allowed it.