Blue Mage (3.5e Class)

Blue Mage
Hailing from a land far to the east, fierce, bestial mages train their minds, bodies, and souls to defeat the enemies of the empire and to strengthen their own powers. These warriors, who could scarcely be called men anymore, are the true might behind the throne of the empress. Few who battle the immortals return to tell the tale of their strength, but those that do speak of encountering not only a skilled swordsmaster, but their worst nightmares from the wilds around them; the flaming breath of a red dragon, the petrifying gaze of a Medusa, the virulent poison of a thousand beasts, all from one terrifying source &mdash; the blue mages of the east.

Blue mages are rarely found outside of the empire of Aht Urhgan, but those that are usually are out at the behest of the captain of the immortals or even the Empress herself. Some are sent out to gain powers from faraway lands to better serve in the defense against the bestial hordes that constantly besiege the empire; others are sent out to obtain artifacts or information that would help their society. Whatever the blue mage is out doing, one can be assured that they are wholeheartedly devoted to the task at hand.

Blue mages are trained from very near birth in the ways of the azure arts. They all share a few of the following traits. They were all born in Aht Urhgan, they all show above average force of will, and they will all fight to the death if their Empress commands it. All blue mages in the past three decades have trained under Raubahn Hydrahunter, the captain of the immortals, and have all slain a predator in one-on-one combat and absorbed its essence. At this point, the vizier Razfahd officially bequeaths them the title Blue Mage and Immortal, and gives them their new surname, which pertains to their foe (Wolfrender, Lionsbane, Bearslayer, etc.) Blue mages regularly change their surnames throughout their adventures as they defeat more and more powerful beasts, no longer required to maintain a predator's name (Phoenixigniter, Golemcrumbler, Efreetbottler, etc.)

All blue mages recognize each other as members of an elite order dedicated to the protection of their home and empress, and will only fight against each other to the death if one has fallen into irreversible insanity.

Making a Blue Mage
The source of a blue mage’s power is the azure essence tied to his soul. A blue mage can absorb and command the powers of the essence of any foe he has felled, drawing on their supernatural and extraordinary abilities. Even without their repertoire of blue magic, a blue mage is skilled in the use of scimitars, clubs, and the chakram, therefore making him a formidable opponent in one-on-one combat.

The further a blue mage delves into his power, the more fragmented his soul becomes. Many blue mages teeter on the brink of insanity. A blue mage whose azure essence has taken control of his body is truly a terrifying thing to see, and a deadly foe to face.

Abilities: A blue mage has a use for almost every attribute; strength for their skill with scimitars, dexterity for striking at a range with their chakrams, constitution for weathering blows, intelligence to aid in the learning of spells, and charisma for dealing with the masses. Most important, though, is their wisdom, the one thing keeping them sane. Ever on the verge of insanity, a blue mage with a weak will is doomed to failure.

Races: Blue mages can be of any intelligent race, so long as they originate in the empire of Aht Urhgan. Human, Elven, Halfling, Gnomish, Dwarven, and even Half-Orc blue mages are not unheard of, and all undergo the same training and all serve the empress with every fiber of their being.

Alignment: Lawful Neutral, Lawful Evil &mdash; A blue mage must keep a lawful mindset if he has even the slightest hope of remaining sane, and, though he can strive to do good, and to be good, most good deities tend to frown upon such actions as the consumption of souls for power.

Starting Gold: 100 gp.

Starting Age: "As Fighter"

Class Features
As a blue mage gains power, he turns further and further into a beast, and that's just how he wants it to be. All of the following are class features of the blue mage. All of the following are class features of the blue mage.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Blue mages are proficient only with the following weapons: the scimitar, the club, and the chakram. They are proficient with only light armor but no shields. When casting spells in light armor, a blue mage does not experience an arcane failure rate.

These can be any supernatural or extraordinary ability of theirs. These are considered arcane spells with no verbal or somatic components, but are unaffected by arcane spell failure rate, so long as the blue mage is wearing light or no armor. These spells have no level, and thus the DC of the spells is equal to (10 + 1/2 Blue Mage Level + WIS). Physical spells (spells learned as blue mage class features, or extraordinary abilities from monsters, such as the ability to rend an opponent with claws) act separately, making an attack roll against the opponent. The attack bonus is equal to (Blue Mage Level + STR). A blue mage does not need to prepare his spells in the morning, but must meditate for one hour once a week to realign his soul. Blue mages that attempt to cast any spell that allows them to change form become irrevocably mad, and only a miracle or wish spell can cure them. Passive abilities such as an Ash Rat's smoky hide are able to be activated as a free action and last for one round, despite the source's duration.
 * A blue mage may only know a number of spells equal to his spellcraft modifier. Any time a blue mage learns a spell when already at the maximum, they may discard a spell permanently from their repertoire. This spell can only be relearned by absorbing the soul once again.
 * A blue mage may cast a number of spells per day equal to their spellcraft ranks.
 * A blue mage may absorb the same soul more than once, but may not absorb the same spell. (A blue mage can learn a dragon's terrifying presence and breath, for example, but not the breath twice.)
 * A blue mage may not cast the same spell more than once per day, but does not need to prepare his spells ahead of time.

 (Su): A blue mage is trained to absorb the essence of their fallen foes. A blue mage who witnesses a monster use a natural (as opposed to a class-based) extraordinary or supernatural ability may, upon defeat of the foe, make a Spellcraft check DC equal to 10 + the monster's HD to learn the ability as an azure spell. Absorbing essence is a standard action and must take place no less than ten rounds after a foe is slain. A monster who is dying (between &minus;1 and &minus;9 HP) cannot be learned from until they are killed. A monster whose essence is absorbed is exceedingly hard to revive, and cannot be resurrected through normal means. A Resurrection, True Resurrection, Limited Wish, Miracle, or Wish spell is required. In the event that a blue mage witnesses multiple abilities from the same foe, they can either focus on a specific ability (increasing the DC by 5) or have the abilities assigned to a d% (as equal portions as possible, going in order as they are listed in the monster manual.) A spell can be learned multiple times. Each time a spell is learned, it can be cast an additional one time per day. A blue mage who is not threatened or rushed may spend five full rounds to taken 10 on a spellcraft check to absorb a soul.

 (Su): Blue mages are extremely unstable; their very souls are fragmented. A blue mage is always at war within himself, holding back the beasts within. If a blue mage takes more than five times their hit dice in damage or fails a will save, they must make a will save DC 10+ damage exceeded or against a DC equal to 10 +Will save source's HD +Will save source's CHA, or fall into a state of azure rage. An insane blue mage gains their blue mage level as an azure bonus to their STR, CON, and DEX but is unable to use any skill that requires intelligent thought, rushing headlong into combat and furiously attacking anything they perceive as a threat - including allies. They will use any means at their disposal (spells, weapons, even bare hands) to kill their foes. After the initial source of the insanity is gone, the blue mage may make another will save each round (same DC) to regain control. They may also willingly fail this save, but doing so increases the DC of future saves by a cumulative +1. A natural 20 does not guarantee success if a blue mage has willingly stayed insane.

 (Ex): A blue mage's training is extremely focused. A blue mage fighting with two scimitars takes only minimal penalties, receiving a -2 on both main and off hand attacks. This does not apply to any other weapon a blue mage can wield.

 (Su): Blue mages have developed a sixth sense as to the natural (or unnatural) wildlife around them. Upon entering a new area, a blue mage may make a check similar to a Bard's Bardic Lore check to learn the existence and general location of nearby wildlife. Upon encountering a foe, he may then make another Azure Lore check (vs. 10+ the monster's HD) to determine any skills it may know. Azure Lore checks are determined as such: Blue Mage level + Survival (Finding wildlife)/Spellcraft (Determining abilities) + WIS modifier.

 (Ex): By second level, a blue mage has honed his senses well enough to recognize tracks and how to follow them using their survival skill, just like a ranger.

' (Sp):''' As a blue mage progresses in his training, he begins to recall the spells he was shown in his early years of training. All blue mages will eventually remember the following spells once the azure essence in them has reached a certain maturity. Additional physical magic may be learned from monsters. For physical blue magic, the attack bonus is equal to the blue mage's level plus their wisdom modifier. Unless otherwise noted, they are force effects and casting them is a standard action and are usable once per day.


 * ' (Sp):''' At third level, a blue mage remembers the skill of the eastern constructs in the wielding of their magical staves and can manifest a magical quarterstaff that attacks autonomously for three rounds. It will attempt to strike the nearest foe, dealing 1d6 + 1.5x WIS damage. Crit 19-20/x2. Blunt.


 * ' (Sp):''' At fourth level, a blue mage remembers the ferocity with which the bestial hordes would fight and can envelop their head in a magical shield of force and slam it into a foe with great strength. This deals 1d6 + STR damage and stuns the target for one round. Crit 19-20/x2 and stun is 2 rounds. Stun: Fort DC 10+ blue mage level + STR. Blunt.


 * ' (Sp):''' At eighth level, a blue mage remembers witnessing the savage scorpions trained by the trolls and is able to manifest a tail of force capable of dealing immense damage, dealing 1d12 + 1.5x STR Crit 19-20/x4. Slashing.


 * ' (Sp):''' At twelfth level, a blue mage remembers the skilled assassins of the bestial hordes, and is able to manifest a dagger to rapidly strike at an opponent's weak points five times, wounding them and dealing 1d4 + DEX + wounding that bleeds for one point of damage for each attack that lands. Crit 19-20/x2. Piercing.


 * ' (Sp):''' At Sixteenth level, a blue mage remembers the abilities of the writhing vermin of Mount Zayholm and is able to launch a force projection of himself at a range dealing 1d10+ CON damage. Crit 19-20/x2. Blunt. Ranged up to 50 ft. No range increment.

 (Su): A blue mage has learned to blend their physical and magical prowess together, and, at fifth level, is able to replace one of his melee attacks per round with a magical blue magic spell. (e.g. a blue mage of fifth level could attack with a scimitar while dual wielding at a +3 bonus, and then sacrifice his off-hand attack to breathe fire at an enemy.)

 (Ex/Su): By sixth level, a blue mage's body, not just his soul, begins to take on bestial traits.
 *  (Ex): At sixth level, a blue mage, becoming ever more bestial, has developed a keen sense of smell and is now able to track a foe by scent, even if no tracks are visible.
 *  (Su): At seventh level, a blue mage's body becomes so accustomed to poisons both natural and unnatural that he gains a supernatural resistance to them, granting him a +4 to saves against poison.
 *  (Ex): At ninth level, a blue mage's senses have heightened from the bestial souls within him, granting him dark vision out to sixty feet.
 *  (Su): At thirteenth level, a blue mage's body has become so accustomed to unnatural diseases that it grants him +4 to saves against supernatural diseases.

 (Su): At tenth level, a blue mage's soul is so torn that he can no longer be considered human. In fact, any spell that mandates the target be a "person" can no longer affect him.

 (Su): Upon reaching tenth level, a blue mage's spirit begins to critically destabilize. Any time he falls into insanity, he might experience side effects of the monstrous spirits used to bring out his azure essence in the first place. He has a 25% chance of experiencing an azure mutation for the duration of the insanity.
 * : A blue mage has a chance of mutating into any creature he has absorbed the essence of. The DM assigns the monsters a blue mage has learned magic from to a d% and rolls to determine the form. The creature is average in all ways for its type, except that it has the HD of the blue mage who transformed into it.
 * : A blue mage of seventeenth level has an additional 25% chance of transforming into a gelatinous blob. In this state, he takes on ooze traits but loses the ability to wield weapons, instead gaining a slam that deals 1d10 + STR + 1d10 acid damage and improved grab on any creature equal to his size or smaller. A successful grab deals 1d10 acid each round of grapple.
 * : A blue mage of nineteenth level has an additional 25% chance of transforming into something similar to a Mindflayer in all physical regards, save for the blue mage's base stats and alignment (Though, for all intents and purposes, an insane blue mage is chaotic evil.)

 (Su): Having absorbed many spirits by this point, a blue mage of eleventh level has learned to focus his mind at the task of gaining new spells and may take a full round action to absorb a soul without fail once a day.

 (Su): At fourteenth level, a blue mage can focus the azure energies of his magic onto a specific point, reducing an area spell to a single target, and increasing its numerical values by 1.5x. He can use this ability a number of times per day equal to his wisdom modifier.

 (Su): Much as a blue mage can cast a magical spell in place of an attack, at fifteenth level, he may sacrifice an attack to use one of his physical blue magic spells in its place at its attack bonus.

 (Su): At eighteenth level, a blue mage can spread a single target spell to targets within an area of a 20 foot radius. A blue mage can do this a number of times per day equal to their wisdom modifier.

 (Su): At twentieth level, a blue mage has finally come to peace within himself, bringing all the monster spirits into line. He no longer has to risk going insane upon taking substantial damage or failing a will save, and can enter into a state of insanity at will. Though still able to differentiate friend from foe, he is still unable to use any skill or feat that requires intelligent thought.

Ex-Blue Mages
Blue mages who have fled the service of the empress are often left alone, so long as they don't pose a threat to the empire; those that do are hunted down ruthlessly. Once a blue mage becomes infused with a monster's soul, nothing short of a Wish or Miracle spell can return them to purely human; which causes them to lose all class features save for scimitar wielding.

Epic Blue Mages
Spells: Besides normal advancement at epic levels, the only way a blue mage advances is through a growing repertoire of spells.

Human Blue Mage Starting Package
Weapons: 2 Scimitars, Chakram

Skill Selection: Pick a number of skills equal to 4 + Int modifier.

Feat: Power Attack

Bonus Feats: Blind-Fight

Gear: Leather Armor, Standard Adventurer's Kit, Traveler's Outfit, Tome of Aht Urhgan Law.

Gold: 4d6 x4.

Playing a Blue Mage
Religion: Blue mages tend to worship gods of Law or Power, but rarely dedicate themselves to one particular deity. Much as they live their lives, a blue mage sees his worship of a deity as a means to an end. Even the best hearted blue mage is liable to call upon Erythnul’s blessing when going against an army of foes. Blue mages respect nature, but do not hold it in the reverence of a druid or a ranger.

Other Classes: A blue mage asks himself two questions when dealing with a potential ally; “Is he a threat to the empress?” and “Is he useful to my quest?” Aside from these two questions, a blue mage doesn’t care about who they adventure with, though they recognize traits of value in their allies (a Rogue’s stealth and ability to strike at the vital points of an opponent, a wizard or cleric’s command of magic, a Monk or Paladin’s discipline, a Ranger’s knowledge of the wilds, etc.) There are only two kinds of classes blue mages are wary of: Psions and Barbarians. Ever at war within their own mind, a blue mage fears that a malevolent psion would tip the balance against them, and they see the barbarian as what they might well become if they let their magic go unchecked.

Combat: The blue mage’s role in a group can vary drastically based on the spells they learn throughout an adventure. Whereas one blue mage might find himself in the role of a healer, another may find himself out at the front lines of battle, grinning at the glory of battle.

Advancement: Most blue mages keep to the path of the blue mage, as the rigid structure of the training is also geared to keep their bestial souls in check; with special training from the empire, however, a blue mage may multi-class into anything that benefits the empire. Blue Mage/Rangers are not unheard of, hunting down monsters for the empire's monster breeding grounds, and Blue Mage/Rogues are the most dangerous assassins imaginable. Blue mages never multiclass into another spellcaster, as a schism in their magic would result in their mind instantly fragmenting. Blue Mage/Barbarians and Blue Mage/Psions are straight out. Reports of Blue Mage/Druids among the bestial hordes have yet to be confirmed, though, this is due to anyone sent to investigate failing to return. Blue mages who attempt to multiclass without special training from the empire suffer a cumulative 10% chance of slipping into permanent insanity for each level they take of another class without training.

Blue Mages in the World
""In the name of her Magnificence the Empress, lay down your swords and your lives. You are going to die. The question is 'How fast?'""

Daily Life: Davis Serpentdivider is awakened at dawn for his daily drills with the immortals. As it is the fifth day of the week, the drills begin with simple meditation, to realign their souls. Today is sparring day, the risk of injury triggering an insane rage is already high enough as it is, the risk of one's mind being unstable during these matches is too extreme. He enters the training chamber in the depths of the imperial ward and dons the heavy training armor. It offers little protection, accustoming his order to pain, while greatly encumbering him so that when he fights in battle, the foe's strikes will be weak, and his own strikes will be blindingly fast.

As he spars against his allies in arms, he exchanges banter, a simple tactic used to improve his allies morale while enraging his foe; a concept taught early on in his training. After his tenth match, the sparring session reaches its final point. A five on one team against captain Raubahn himself, full spells permitting. It was his best session to date; his team lasted two minutes before being rendered unconscious by the captain - the third best record in the entire regiment.

After being awakened by the imperial alchemists and restored to health by the clerics of the temple, he proceeds to his next bout of training, combat with monsters in the pit. He makes short work of the first round, being set upon by three wolves, and makes equally short work of all his matches until, during his fifth session (against a dire boar), the watchman of the bastion comes bursting in. The undead swarm has just been spotted and are advancing on the commoner's ward. He and his brethren are called to the defense of the city. This would be a glorious day; it had been ages since he had taken on the essence of a powerful foe.

He rushes to the commoner's ward, taking up guard before the hall of binding, removing the heavy training armor and putting on his chain shirt as he runs. Several mercenaries under the employ of the empire are dispatched as well. The scum of the empire that they are, they provide a valuable asset in protecting the astral candescence, the crown jewel of the empire, and the desire of all the bestial hordes. The battle lasts for hours, but the mercenaries combined with the might of the Immortals force the hordes into retreat. With only the powers of a necromantically infused automaton to show for it on his part; he uses what little magic he has left to see that the wounded immortals and mercenaries are tended to. He retires to the tea house in the merchant's ward for a simple cup of chai tea. This is not just relaxation on his part, quite the contrary, such calming exercises are needed after taking on a soul to keep one's mind sound, and who knows whether or not the trolls will come knocking on the gate just before dinner?

Notables: Raubahn Hydrahunter, Meyaada Cerberusmuzzler, Nareema Chimiracarver

Organizations: Blue mages have one organization. The Immortals, the imperial guard of Aht Urhgan. There are no other factions of blue mages.

NPC Reactions: In most cases, NPCs won't be able to distinguish a blue mage from something like a fighter. Those that know what the blue mage is tend to fear them, knowing that they are an inch from a psychotic rage. In Aht Urghan, they are both feared and respected as the protectors of their land.

Blue Mage Lore
Characters with ranks in Knowledge (Arcana) can research Aht Urhgan blue mages to learn more about them. When a character makes a skill check, read or paraphrase the following, including information from lower DCs.

Blue Mages in the Game
Adaptation: Blue mages can fit into any campaign, so long as they hail from Aht Urhgan (setting permitting.) However, any Lawful Neutral society will work in a pinch, working as the society's military police.

Sample Encounter: Nashib Tigerfeller has been sent to the mainlands to slay a group of beholders to learn their deadly gazes, and to bring back any infants they may find for the empire to raise and grant future blue mages similar spells.

In the name of her Magnificence, stop where you stand, a voice commands from beyond the darkness. A lone elf clad in a blue chained shirt, turban, and two gleaming scimitars on his hips steps out, a fierce glare in his eyes. ''I am Nashib Tigerfeller, officer of the Immortal guard of Aht Urhgan. State your business in these parts.''

We mean you no harm, I assure you, says Kesceon, laying his staff on the ground. We are merely here because of the rumors of a monster around here terrorizing the people.

''That is my quarry; you will stay away from it, or I shall strike you down in the name of the Empire and her Magnificence the Empress. This is your only warning,'' he says, drawing his blades, his voice dripping with venom. He would not be denied his mission by a band of wretched mercenaries.

EL 11: