Mage Knight (3.5e Prestige Class)

Summary::What if Eldritch Knight wasn't boring... Length::10 Minimum Level::5 Base Attack Bonus Progression::Good Fortitude Save Progression::Good Reflex Save Progression::Poor Will Save Progression::Good Class Ability::Prepared Arcane Spellcasting Class Ability::Spontaneous Arcane Spellcasting Class Ability Progression::Partial

Mage Knight
"Ride me closer! I want to hit him in the face with my magic!"

One day a fighter pondered how he could keep up with the wizard and his mighty magic spells. He could learn magic, he was no fool, but it would take so long that his sword arm would surely rust. And the wizard wondered how to get tougher and stronger to impress all the ladies who laughed at his frail form. But then in dawned on them... of course!

Not an eldritch knight, its so boring even the elf would fall asleep.

Of course, a Mage Knight!

Becoming a Mage Knight
It's clear the Mage Knight is a replacement of the functional, but fantastically dull Eldritch Knight. It gives the benefit of progressing BAB and spellcasting, with enough to give it a bit of flavor and crunch.

Class Features
All of the following are class features of the mage knight.

You do not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained. If you had more than one arcane spellcasting class before becoming a mage knight, you must decide to which class to add each level for the purpose of determining spells per day, caster level, and spells known.



 : The mage knight is a knight after all, and knights have armor. Sometimes a plate of steel is more reliable than a barrier of force, after all. At 1st level, the mage knight is able to ignore the arcane spell failure chance of light armor and bucklers. He still has arcane spell failure from heavier armor or other types of shields.

At 3rd level, the mage knight learns to ignore the arcane spell failure in medium armor and in shields (but not tower shields).

At 5th level, the mage knight now can ignore the arcane spell failure in heavy armor and in tower shields.

The character must still meet any prerequisites for these bonus feats.

 : Mage knights have magic running through their muscles. Any weapons, armor, or shields the mage knight uses always gains a +1 enhancement bonus and counts as magical. Unlike most enhancement bonuses, this one stacks with actual magic gear (so a +2 flaming longsword is a +3 flaming longsword in the hands of a mage knight).

He need not have the pre-requisites of this feat. This allows him to cast somatic components even if his hands are full with a weapon and shield, or other items.

He may cast a targeted spell up to 3rd level onto his weapon, which acts as a Spell Storing weapon (this stacks with actual Spell Storing weapons). The next successful attack he makes with the weapon discharges the spell.

He can accept the spells of other casters casting onto his weapon as well, subject to the same restrictions.

His caster level equals his base attack bonus, if higher.

He may cast a targeted spell up to 6th level onto his weapon and attack once as a full-attack action, allowing him to cast and attack in the same turn. The spell in question must have a casting time of a full attack or less. Casting in this manner does not provoke attacks of opportunity.

 : An 8th level mage knight is armored both physically and magically. They gain spell resistance 10 + their character level. They may toggle their spell resistance on and off as a free action, allowing friendly spells through.

He may cast a targeted spell up to 9th level onto his weapon as before, but he gains his weapon's enhancement bonus as a bonus on the spell DC (maximum +5). The spell in question must have a casting time of a standard action or less. He may now cast and attack as a standard action instead of a full-attack action.

They may use their ability score used for attacking (usually Strength or sometimes Dexterity) in place of the score used for spellcasting, and vice versa. This allows a mage knight to attack with Intelligence, or gain bonus spells from Strength.

The epic mage knight gains a bonus feat (selected from the normal list of fighter or metamagic feats, as well as the list of epic mage knight feats) at 13th and every 3 levels after beyond (16th, 19th, etc).

Epic Mage Knight Bonus Feat List: PENDING/AS EPIC FIGHTER.

Playing a Mage Knight
Combat: You're a fighter and a caster, and that gives you options. Mostly, you will focus on buffing yourself and the party so as not to worry about save DCs, then wade into battle. Alternatively you have high DCs, and retain enough martial ability to make use of more gish oriented spells.

Advancement: Consider the Abjurant Champion class from Complete Mage.

Resources: Mage knights may or may not be common, but they may be found mixed in with fighters or spellcasting groups alike.

Mage Knights in the World
"Quick! Cast Polymorph Any Object on my sword, wizard! ...No!  Not like that, I want to turn HIM into a toad, not my sword!"

NPC Reactions: A swordman is exciting and a magic swordsman double so. The spellcasting of a magic swordsman is less likely to turn heads in a negative light, since the vast majority focus on self improvement and augmenting items, and even a commoner understands the usefulness of a magical doodad.

Mage Knight Lore
Characters with ranks in Knowledge Arcana can research mage knights to learn more about them. When a character makes a skill check, read or paraphrase the following, including information from lower DCs.

Mage Knights in the Game
Adaptation: Its flavor is arcane, but it is easily a priest knight or psionic knight, though they don't need to benefit from the arcane spell failure reduction.

Sample Encounter: A scary black knight is telekinetically choking people and wielding a scary glowing sword. Who can defeat this dark lord, and is he really your father?!

EL 15: PENDING