This is my idea to fit a homebrew world first adapted to Pathfinder 1.0 to the 2.0 setting. At issue are the fact that the eight schools are no more. The area these mages reside are the horselords, with five kingdoms merging from hundreds over the last few years in response to a organized threat of hobgoblin witchs and hags who destroyed the elven and hill dwarf homelands and now threaten the kingdoms. The Horselords rely on mounted warriors and centaurs for calvary, traditional human armies with several orc tribes civilizing themselves and joining the Kingdoms to avoid the Winter Witches as well as Mountain Dwarves and gnomes with clockwork vehicles and mechanical monstrosities fueled by arcane pitch (oil and tar that burns) and guncotton (gun powder). In this world in order to activate the power of the burning pitch or fire a weapon based on guncotton one must be a stonekin, blessed by elemental earth. This is for the most part dwarves, gnomes and a few other creatures only.
The Humans had mages which specialized in each school who were trained in arcane dueling. With the changes in Pathfinder wizards I was forced to rework this. Here is my shot at dueling magic schools and arcane thesis which tend to go together and would be what a traditional mage of the Octinity (This eight gods who are avatars of one God that make up the most prevalent church.
My original description was much more powerful. This is me toning it down. Hopefully it is balanced. The idea is a school of magic and a thesis that is taught specifically to train mages for spell duels, fighting with weapons and suing weapons as focus for spells while excelling in countering spells. Please let me know if this works, doesn't work, needs nerfing, buffing, etc.
Wizard (Disparen Arcane Thesis)
The Disparen tradition focuses on wizard dueling which focuses on the Hexenklinger also know as the Arcane Blade or MageKnife. This is a weapon designed to be magical tool bonded to the wizard to prepare them for dueling. There are various types of weapons that the wizard can bond with which the wizard will train in both martial and magical combat. These weapons included in the training for this thesis are the Dancing Spear, Main Gauche. Short Sword, Staff, Sword Cane and Rapier. If selected, the weapon will count as a simple weapon for the wizard with this thesis. If they select a staff it will count as a finesse weapon. At 11th level, the Disparen Wizard may add a second type of weapon. Either of these weapons may be bonded to the Wizard at the beginning of the day. The second weapon will also
gain the benefit of weapon runes.
Each weapon chosen that may be bonded will benefit from the following two runes, A Weapon Potency Rune at +1 and a Spell Reservoir Rune which allows the wizard to cast a spell of a rank they can cast, but no more than 3rd rank. See the Active Channel Release, Safe Channel Release and description of the Spell Reservoir Rune. In addition to the spell that may be added into the Spell Reservoir Rune attained the Mage with this thesis may choose one cantrip which they add to the arcane weapon they bond with. This cantrip is a bonus which is added to the wizard's repertoire every day in addition to other cantrips he knows. Each day when spells are prepared that cantrip can be replaced by one the Wizard knows. The cantrip is considered part of the the spells known.
At 11th level the caster has a choice. Either bond a second weapon that can be used with the original or craft an alteration to the original weapon such that it can be transformed into another weapon. IF two weapons are chosen then both combine to form the Arcane Bond and thus the caster needs both weapons in hand to use the bonded effects.
Traditionally Disparen Mages are taught to either choose a rapier that can be changed into a staff or a dancing spear or to choose a combo of a rapier and a main gauche. If a second weapon is chosen then it will also have a +1 weapon potency rune and another spell reservoir rune however the Spell Counter bonded with the weapon requires both weapons. If a choice is made for a weapon that transforms then the weapon will have a +2 Potency rune and two Spell reservoir runes.
Note the weapon potency can by added to attempts to counterspell while the wizard holds this weapon. The weapon may be used as a focus to cast spells and if so the weapon potency can be added to the spellcasting to hit roll as well.
Arcane Bond
Note: a Wizard that takes the Disparen Arcane Thesis will ususally learn the Disparen Dueling Arcane School. When the wizard takes both the Disparen Arcane Thesis and Disparen Arcane School then the Arcane Bond ability is altered in this way. The bonded item of the wizard must be the weapon or weapons which are dedicated to the Wizard in their thesis. The wizard does not gain the drain bonded item free action but instead gains the free action Select Spell Counter. The wizard may at the time that they prepare spells choose one spell to be loaded into their Bonded item as the Spell Counter. These are the spell or spells loaded into the Spell Reservoir runes. Once per day you may use the spell loaded as the spell counter to fuel a counterspell feat attempt of a spell another wizard has cast. The first time that this is done the Spell Counter is not expended. The second time however the Bonded item drains the spell loaded into Reservoir Rune.
The Spell Counter must be a spell that can be utilized to counter the spell being cast. IF the wizard takes the clever counterspell feat then the number of spells that can be countered is increased.
Disparen Dueling Arcane School
Those who learn to use Mage Blades to fight in the wizard duels make the most of martial skill with weapons and the ability to use those weapons as arcane focuses for their magic. Each student of this school gains the Counterspell feat at first level if they do not know it. A student may also use the weapon as an arcane focus for their spells and can cast spells with an attack roll using the weapon,
gaining the ability to add the weapon potency bonus to their spell casting attack roil.
Spells: Shield, Telekinetic Projectile (Cantrip) Hydraulic Push, Mystic Armor, Runic Weapon, Sure Strike (1st) Blazing Bolt, Telekinetic Maneuver (2nd) Ghostly Weapon, Gravity Well, (3rd) Flicker, Weapon Storm (4th) Blink Charge (Secrets of Magic pg 98) Forceful Hand (SoM pg 106) (5th) Wall of Force, True Sight (6th) Project Image, True Target (7th) Disappearance, Summon Archmage (SoM pg 131 ) (8th) Falling Stars (9th)
School Spells: Initial Warding Sign Advanced Star Sign
Disparen Dueling Magic School
Warding Sign
Focus 1 - 2 Actions
Range 30' Target One Creature
Duration: One Minute
You place a sigil on your self or a willing creature and it glows with a dark violet magic. The sigil must be placed on armor if the character is wearing it or clothing if not wearing armor. If may be placed on a shield as well but will only be active when the character has a shield raised so this might not be an optimum choice. This sigil glows on the creature protected and is activated whenever they are targeted by as spell. The character will gain a +1 circumstance bonus to all saving throws from spells while the rune is in effect.
While the spell is active the person wearing the rune benefits as if his armor, clothing or armor has the spell watch rune. This means once per turn the receiver of the benefits of the rune gains a new save to a spell that was failed. If this spell is successful the spell will end with no effect.
Focus 4 Spell Sign
Focus - 2 Actions
Range: Self
Duration: Ten Minutes or until triggered three times.
Like the Warding Sign spell this creates a rune in the shape of a star sign on the Arcane Bond (weapon) of the wizard casting this spell. For the duration of this spell the Spell Counter used is altered by the magic of this spell. Whenever an attempt is made to counter a spell using the counterspell action the magic of this spell will form a temporary matrix which will other match and empower the countering of the spell as a reaction to a spell being cast at the desire of the holder of the star sign. The rune will flash a brilliant green color and after the third counter spell attempt this spell will end. This will not use up or alter the spell counter already loaded into the wizard's bonded dueling weapon.
If the attempt to counter a spell suing star sign was successful and the was spell countered was five ranks or more below the roll required to counter the spell or if the counteract\ result was a critical success and the rank of the spell was two or more below the level that can be countered then the wizard steals that spell. They regain a spell slot which has been already cast and they can either roll randomly among the spells of that level that they know and gain a spell slot with that spell cast or withing ten minutes take a minute to relearn any spell of the rank or less that they already know. IF the counteract attempt was a critical success they may roll twice among the spells they know and choose the one they like.
