Cloaktower Watchman (3.5e Prestige Class)

= Cloaktower Watchman =

The tempered mind of a scholar or the fiery powers of the adept, combined with the wit and the means to use their knowledge and power in battle, the Cloaktower Watchmen are secret agents that are dispatched throughout the Sword Coast and often beyond, in order to enforce the interests of Neverwinter, and the Line of Never.

Cloaktower watchmen are feared by their enemies as masters of duels fought by spell. Their counterspelling ability and their ability to evade and shrug off many spells easily makes them dangerous arcane duelist. Still, they are physically unimpressive and cannot take overly much punishment.

Prerequisites
Feats: Combat Casting, Improved Counterspell.

Skills: Spellcraft 8 ranks.

Spells: Able to cast 3rd level arcane spells.

Special: The character must be a spellcaster affiliated with the Neverwinter Cloaktower and must have gotten a writ of qualification to become watchmen. This prerequisite can be changed or omitted depending on the relevant campaign setting.

Class Features
All the following are class features of the Cloaktower Watchman:

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Cloaktower watchmen gain proficiency with light armor if they not already have it, but not with any weapon or shield.

Spells per Day/Spells Known: When a new cloaktower watchman level is gained, the character gains new spells per day (and spells known, if applicable) as if he had also gained a level in whatever arcane spellcasting class in which he could cast 3rd level spells before he added the prestige class level. e does not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained. If a character had more than one arcane spellcasting class in which he could cast 3rd level spells before he became a cloaktower watchman, he must decide to which class he adds each level of cloaktower watchman or the purpose of determining spells per day.

 (Sp): A cloaktower watchman can spontaneously convert any prepared spell (or simply a spell slot) to channel a dispel effect. When you do so, you roll a dispel check of 1d20 + your caster level, with a maximal permissible bonus equal to 3×(spell level + 1).

 (Ex): At 2nd level, a cloaktower watchman gets a +4 bonus to Will saves against mind-affecting effects. Furthermore, a cloaktower watchman may resist any effect that allows a Will save for half damage completely on a successful save.

 (Su): At 3rd level, a cloaktower watchman gets a bonus to Spellcraft checks equal to half his class level, and a +1 bonus to saves against spells and spell-like effects for every 5 ranks possessed in the Spellcraft skill.

 (Sp): At 4th level, a cloaktower watchman may attempt to mimic a cast spell rather than counterspell it. To do so, he makes a normal counterspell Spellcraft check, but against a DC of 11 + the spell level + the opposing spellcaster's caster level. If he succeeds in this check, he is able to perfectly mimic the caster's verbal speech and somatic movements on the fly and can spontaneously convert a spell slot of a level of at least one higher than that of the spell being cast into an instance of that spell. The expended spell slot effectively contains the mimiced spell, which may then either be cast immediately or at a later time that day. Unlike ordinary counterspelling, spell mimicry only applies to arcane spells and can only be used if the enemy spell is of a level at least one lower than the maximum level spell that the cloaktower watchman can cast himself. Special limitations of this ability also apply to arcane spells that the character himself can't cast (such as pertaining to prohibited schools for wizards). A spell that cannot normally be counterspelled, such as a quickened spell, is not subject to this ability.

 (Ex): At 5th level, a cloaktower watchman can avoid magical and unusual attacks with great agility. If he makes a successful Reflex saving throw against an attack that normally deals half damage on a successful save, he instead takes no damage. Evasion can be used only if the ranger is wearing light armor or no armor. A helpless cloaktower watchman does not gain the benefit of evasion. If the cloaktower watchman already has evasion as a feature from another class, he gains improved evasion instead.

This feat may be any Metamagic feat, any Spell Focus feat or any Item Creation feat.

 (Su): At 7th level, when the cloaktower watchman counterspells a spell, it is turned back upon the caster as if it were fully affected by a spell turning spell. If the spell cannot be affected by spell turning, then it is merely counterspelled.

 (Ex): At 8th level, the cloaktower watchman's bonus to Will saves against mind-affecting effects increases to +8. Furthermore, any effect that allow a Will save lasts only half as long or deals only half damage on a failed save. Save or die effects are unaffected by this ability, as are other instantaneous effects that do not cause damage.

 (Sp): At 10th level, when a cloaktower watchman uses his Spell Mimicry ability and successfully identifies the spell in the process of being cast with his Spellcraft check, he may make a Reflex save against the save DC of the enemy spell cast. If he makes this save, he manages to cast the spell before the enemy spellcaster finishes his. The enemy spellcaster cannot attempt a counterspell against a spell cast through precognitive mimicry, but other casters readied against spellcasters casting a spell can attempt a counterspell as normal. A spell that cannot normally be counterspelled, such as a quickened spell, is not subject to this ability.

Class Features
All the following are class features of the Epic Cloaktower Watchman.

Spells per Day/Spells Known: When an odd-numbered cloaktower watchman level above 10th is gained, the character gains new spells per day (and spells known, if applicable) as if he had also gained a level in whatever arcane spellcasting class in which he could cast 3rd level spells before he added the prestige class level. e does not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained. If a character had more than one arcane spellcasting class in which he could cast 3rd level spells before he became a cloaktower watchman, he must decide to which class he adds each level of cloaktower watchman or the purpose of determining spells per day.

 Bonus Feat:  At every level divisible by 6, the cloaktower watchman gains a bonus feat from the list of Wizard Epic Bonus Feats.