Artmage

''Some suspect that the dance of a martial artist on the battlefield mirrors the dance of the universe through possibility. Others know it for certain.''

Supernatural martial maneuvers and arcane spells tap into the same elemental power of magic from very different directions. An Artmage is one who is so expert in both that she can make them meet in the middle, gaining new control over magic. Most Artmages start as wizard/swordsages, but many other pathes are possible. Artmages may be found meditating on mountains, studying in universities, sparring in arenas or adventuring in the wild.

The first artmages were wizards who thought they had almost figured magic out when they learned of the sublime path and all their theories were disproved. They did not despair, but set out to study with renewed vigor. Once they found some success, their lore spread quickly. Now artmages are just as likely to be intellectual swordsages who dabbled in wizardy.

Some Artmages try to go further, finding similar roots in bardic, divine or invocation-based magic. The theory is impressive, but they have yet to produce practical results.

Artmages adventure either to test their ideas against real danger or to retrieve ancient lore that sheds light on their studies. Except those who learned the way of the artmage only for its practical benefits. They adventure for wealth, glory, or to achieve their own ends. They are the despair of their teachers, but fellow adventurers often find them more pleasant than purists.

Artmages tend to get along well with the more theoretical wizards, and with anyone who has a new or combined approach to magic: Seekers of the Song, Sublime Chords, Eldritch Theurges, and especially Ultimate Magi. Artmages often get along poorly with divine casters, because they tend to raise disturbing questions about the nature of gods and mystical causes.

Artmages are often neutral: too devoted to their arts and studies to take notice of the world around them. This is not a requirement, though, and artmages of all alignments can be found.

Artmages are seldom devout, but many pay at least lip service to Boccob and Zuoken.

Prerequisites:


 * 2nd level arcane spells
 * a 2nd level supernatural maneuver
 * 8 ranks spellcraft
 * 8 ranks martial lore
 * eschew materials
 * adaptive style

Hit Die: d6

Skills: 2+int Class skills: Concentration, Knowledge(arcana), Knowledge(nature), Knowledge(religion), Knowledge(the planes), Martial Lore, Perform(any), Spellcraft

Martial Paths: Choose 3 of Desert Wind, Devoted Spirit, Diamond Mind, Shadow Hand, Solaris Arcanum, Untamed Essence, Coin's Edge and Masked Moon. This choice must be made when you begin the class and cannot be changed. Add the key skills for the paths you choose to your class skill list. If you select Shadow Hand, add Move Silently as well as Hide.

Channel Spell (su): You can use a standard action to cast any touch spell you know and deliver the spell through your weapon with a melee attack. Casting a spell in this manner does not provoke attacks of opportunity. The spell must have a casting time of 1 standard action or less. If the melee attack is successful, the attack deals damage normally; then the effect of the spell is resolved.

Martial Channel Spell (su): You can use a standard action to cast any touch spell you know and deliver the spell through your weapon with a melee martial maneuver. Casting a spell in this manner does not provoke attacks of opportunity. Both the spell and the maneuver must have a casting time of 1 standard action or less, and the maneuver must be a single melee attack with additional effects. If the melee attack is successful, the maneuver deals damage normally; then the effect of the spell is resolved.

Martial Conversion (su): By understanding their common roots, you can convert a spell into a supernatural martial maneuver, within certain limits. As your skills develop, some of these restrictions go away.

General Limits of Martial Conversion: There are some limits that are always in effect: The Act of Conversion: Converting a spell to a maneuver requires 8 hours of uninterrupted study, meditation and practice. At the end of the 8 hours, make a spellcraft check and a martial lore check. The dc for both is 20 + 3 * the spell's level (e.g. converting a 2nd level spell requires dc 26 checks). You may take ten. If you fail, you must start over from scratch. If you succeed, you now know the conversion, and may use it until you choose to replace it. If you already know as many conversions as you can, you choose one to forget after succeeding in the act of conversion. Note that, unlike regular maneuvers, converted stances count against the same limit as other conversions. If you use a scroll as the origin of the conversion, it is not expended -- since you were studying and understanding the scroll, not casting it. Similarly, no spell slots are expended by the act of conversion.
 * You must be able to cast the spell, either normally of from a scroll without the Use Magic Device skill.
 * The spell's casting time must be 1 round or less
 * The spell cannot have an expensive material component, or an XP cost
 * The spell cannot have these subtypes: creation, healing, figment or shadow
 * The spell's level cannot be above your maximum conversion level (see table).
 * The spell must be arcane.

Converted Maneuvers: Maneuvers created this way can be used like any other supernatural maneuvers with a few exceptions. They are of no school; they count against your conversions known rather than your regular maneuvers known, and they cannot be recorded onto martial scripts. Similarly, others cannot learn them, unless they are also Artmages who have conversions of that level. Conversions are like the spells they were created from with a few exceptions. They always require you to move and never to speak, regardless of the components of the original spell, and if they offer a saving throw, it is wisdom based.

Strikes: Strikes are the first type of maneuver that is eligible for conversion. Spells can be made into strikes so long as they target a single creature or object (other than yourself) and do not have the harmless descriptor. Spells which target "one or more" creatures or objects may be converted, but the resulting strike will effect only one.

Counters: Spells can be made into counters so long as it is possible to cast them on yourself. You may invoke the counter in a dangerous situation that is not ongoing, and for purposes of resolving the situation, you are treated as having had the spell cast on you. For example, you could convert Resist Energy into a counter, and use it to survive a dragon's breathe, but not to swim through acid (because that is ongoing).

Boosts: Spells can be made into boosts so long as it is possible to cast them on yourself, they have a duration longer than 1 round, and they cannot be ended early by being used up. For example, True Strike is discharged when you attack, so it cannot be made into a boost. Similarly Protection from Arrows after it has protected you from sufficient arrows. Invisibility can be made into a boost, because the actions that end it are not lots-of-being-invisible. Invoking a boost is a swift action, and you remain under the effects of the boost for the remainder of your turn.

Stances: Any spell that can be made into a boost can be made into a stance. If there is a choice to be made when casting the spell (such as the energy type for resist energy), it requires a swift action to change the type (think of it as shifting stance to the same stance). Like normal stances, these last until you change to a different stance.

Other: At 15th level, an artmage can convert spells which do not fall neatly into martial categories. Any spell which conforms to the general limits qualifies. Maneuvers created this way have the type "other" and require a standard action to perform.