Ok, two things
1.) Wrong forum section. You are looking for homebrew.
2.) Why are you connecting law and magic here? This seems fairly much like a paladin of magic or something. Not getting the connection of those themes, since a lot of chaotic things can be arcane too. Is this a magus with a paladin slant? What can you do to really distinguish it from that view?
So, on the actual material:
You are giving this a whole lot of defenses. You will give it 20 resistance to all of the main elements. That seems a bit much. Most classes/archetypes only give like... resist 10 in one of their archetypes. Maybe have a use/day thing that lets you get that resist to an element that you pick at your leisure.
Spell resistance is less of an issue, since you are giving it a base 5. Not serious enough to take on an appropriate caster, but may well let you ignore the SLAs of lesser mobs.
What does this have to encourage melee? This is an issue that I find with some of the published classes too. Paizo has somewhat raised the bar for acceptable attack bonus: martials get 20 BAB and about a +5 from a mechanic, and the gishier classes get 15 and a +5 mechanic. Without that... you start looking like core only rogue.
For comparison, the magus class has an arcana that lets them add their int to attack (which can easily get a +2 to +5 with modest investment). Sure, they spend arcane points to do it, but they have plenty of those.
You have some things on the table that aren't described. Basically everything that is gained at 1st level. 1st level class features are probably the most important ones.
Why is there a focus on alignment? This is an arcane class, not divine? It doesn't make sense to me. Scrap it.
Spells? I don't see anything on the table or in the class features, but you refer to them. Is this a 6-level caster? Does he suffer from arcane spell failure for wearing armor?
Channel Magical Energy
Is the duration in rounds or minutes or what? So the character has uses per day, but also has to sacrafice a spell slot to gain the benefit. He has to spend from two different resources to gain something. Thats double dipping, and is kind of crappy. Those that benefit gain the bonus at half strength. Does the arcane knight gain it at full strength? The way this is written, he does not.
Arcane shield
Deals damage to anything that comes into contact. You need to define how that happens. Does the character need to make an attack with the shield? Does he need to deflect an attack? Please explain. If this a shield he has to strap on his arm or a magical barrier? If its a shield, be aware that you are steering this class away from ranged attacks, two-handed weapons, and two-weapon fighting. Thats OK, but it sounds liek you are pushing the character towards one specific combat style.
Spell conversion
He gains a bonus to his defensive abilities. What does that mean? AC, CMD, saves?
Sigils
This is very vague. I have no idea how it works. Please explain.
Elemental resistance
I know what the four elements are, but this term is not defined in-game. If you want resistance to acid, cold, electricity, and fire then you should say so. You mention in channel magical energy that this ability costs a point/charge, but the write up of this class feature makes it seem like a constant ability. please explain.
Spell return
You spend points equal to the spell level. Since the size of the point pool does not scale with level, this sounds like a bad ability.
Or make it a paladin archetype. Give it the magus spell list, spell progression, and light armor casting but modified paladin features.
Hello Gadico, here are a few thoughts I have about the Arcane Knight:
Detect Magic: I suppose this is ment to be like the paladins Detect Evil ability. There are several reasons why the paladins ability is better and and why this ability should probably be made better, assuming it is an ability that allows the spell detect magic to be used at will. First of all the paladin is letting them use a first level spell at will, which is normally not possible, detect magic is a level 0 spell, so it is by default used at will. Second the paladin can gain information about an item or creature much faster than the spell usually allows, I suppose the same could be done for detect magic. The paladin also can use detect evil in conjunction with their smite evil ability, it's a good combo allowing them to determine if a creature can be effected by smite evil so they don't waste their smite evil. Since you have given this class smite chaos, I'm supprised it doesn't have Detect chaos instead.
This class seems to depend on quite a few different ability scores for it's abilities. There are 2 mental stats: Int and Cha, as well as a physical stat Con. I would consider consolidating these, to make the class less MAD (multi ability dependant).
Spell Countering: Should require the use of a immediate action, also it should probably require a check of some kind, similar to counterspelling with the spell dispell magic: Counterspell: When dispel magic is used in this way, the spell targets a spellcaster and is cast as a counterspell. Unlike a true counterspell, however, dispel magic may not work; you must make a dispel check to counter the other spellcaster’s spell. (Dispell Check) You make one dispel check (1d20 + your caster level) and compare that to the spell with highest caster level (DC = 11 + the spell’s caster level). If successful, that spell ends (or is countered)
Spell resistance can be a double edged sword, it can stop both harmful and friendly spells. I'd suggest including the note that it can be lowered as a standard action. I'd also allow allies the chance to not take SR from a channel magical energy if they don't want it.
Elemental Resistance: Seems like too high of a bonus to too many energy types. You should specify what the 4 elements are. Instead of having all 4 at a time, how about 1 at a time, but they can change which one is active as a standard action?
As a note, many of the class abilities don't list what action type they require to activate.
Defensive Abilities: This is listed several times I think they are these: Arcane Shield, Elemental Resistance, Spell Resistance, since they are the effects of Channel magic energy, but I'm not 100% sure
Arcane Shield: It seems this can be shared with allies, if so, who pays the spell slot when "anything comes into contact with" the ally? Does the ally, or the arcane knight? Can allies without spells benefit? Also comes into contact with should be more specific IMO. The damage should probably have a type, like force damage (just as an example). The damage seems too low, I'd suggest at least 1d6 per spell level (with a reflex save to halve the damage). You could also go more along the lines of 1d6 per 1/2 caster level.
Arcane Bond: I'm surprised that since this class is mostly Magus / paladin you use this. I'd suggest the paladin divine weapon bond to reinforce the magus / paladin slant.
Sigils: In another thread (called what other hybrid classes would you like to see you'd like to see) I worked on a hybrid class I eventually call the Rune Knight and gave them a similar ability from what i can tell:
Armor Runes: A Rune Knight may inscribe magical runes on a suit of armor or a shield as a full round action, they may do this a number of times per day equal to 1/2 Rune Knight level + int mod. The runes duration is listed in their description. Erase affects runes as magical writing. A Rune Kight learns 2 runes at 1st level and may learn one additional rune at 2nd level and every 2 levels thereafter. I'm still working on a list of runes, what triggers them and what they do. Here is one example:
Rune of Elemental Protection: When you take Acid, Cold, Electricity, fire or sonic damage you may expend this rune as a free action and gain energy resistance 10 against this damage for a duration of 1 round per caster level. At caster level 7 this energy resistance increases to 20 and at caster level 11 it reaches it's maximum resistance at 30 (I'm guessing this would be a Advanced Armor Rune).
Sigils also sounds a lot like the spell Contingency.
Maybe my reading of the ability sigil is wrong though. You mention a spell with a duration, I guess you mean a duration other than instantaneous? I'd also say these spells go away after 24 hours, so the class doesn't put the spells on during downtime and have 3 free spells the next day, something I need to add to armor runes actually.
You should add weapon proficiency simple too IMO.
Paizo's stance on Paladins is weird from their spell casting entry they don't get their powers from a deity, but rather from the power of lawful goodness. On page 220 of the Core Rulebook: "Clerics druids, experienced paladins can cast divine spells. Unlike arcane spells, divine spells draw their power from a divine source. Clerics gain spell power from deities or from divine forces. The divine force of nature powers druid and ranger spells, and the divine forces of law and good power paladin spells."
Then paizo makes variant oaths to specific deities as if they where given by them, I guess the variant oaths are outside the norm (shrug).
1) Couldn't get the google doc to work. Please post a hyperlink. The "How to format your text" below the box where you write your post can show you how to do so
2) Check out the Child of War fighter archetype. Also why make a new class for this concept? What do you want from it that is impossible to do with current gish builds?
3) A few 3.5 prestige classes you might want to look at to borrow ideas. Spellsword, Abjurant Champion, Suel Arcanamach, and Holy Scourge
there is a focus on alignment presumibly because it's a "knight", and you don't get knighted for plundering murdering raping and being caotic
you don't get knighted for plundering murdering raping and being [chaotic]
Well, only if it's against approved enemies... (historically speaking)
Off the bat: I think this would be better served as either a full BAB 4th level casting class or a full BAB weak 6th level casting class (like an alchemist or occultist) to better differentiate from the Magus.
If this class is an arcane spell caster why does it receive Detect Magic as a class ability at level 1? That seems unnecessary, everything considered.
I think Channel Magic Energy should be renamed to avoid confusion with the Channel Energy class feature. You could call it something like Arcane Redirect.
Arcane Shield seems like it would be weak as a class ability, as it is essentially a spell that is being used as a class feature (compounded by having to use a spell slot).
I have no idea what Spell Conversion does, but based on context it is probably something defensive?
Remove Spellstrike for something different. This class should also have medium armor from level 1
I'm not sure I understand Sigils or their purpose. It seems at first glance that their just scrolls that you scribe on your armor, which is kind of boring as a class feature.
I don't think Elemental Resistance is a very good ability. It's kind of bland and is kind of weird on a class that otherwise has no other elemental themes.
Spell Resistance is more of a hindrance than a help on an arcane caster.
Eldritch Knight is not a good capstone, it could also stand a rename.
Spellcasting should either be CHA or their class abilities should be based off INT. Right now you have INT/CHA as both important for your class which makes it MAD.
Please don't give it 2+ skills per level. Nobody deserves 2+. At least 4+ skills should be done.
Shield proficiency is weird for this class because they won't be able to use shields while casting unless they go for a feat investment.
Overall, your class is very front-loaded (receiving most of their defined abilities prior to level 5) and lacks a strong identity (as most of its class features are slight alterations of features that already exist elsewhere). I'd suggest a focus on fleshing out new abilities and compounding your existing ones that are otherwise redundant (arcane shield/elemental resistance). I'm also not sure I agree with giving Smite Chaos or Arcane Bond just because they don't seem to be adding much of anything to the class (agreeing with Ciaran, alignment restrictions don't make sense here).
Also, your google spreadsheet link isn't working.