View source for Mage Knight (3.5e Prestige Class)

{{author
|author_name=Eiji-kun
|date_created=3-3-14
|adopter=
|date_adopted= 
|status=Complete
|editing=Mechanical changes on Talk
|balance=Very High
}}
<div class="blank">
[[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]]

{{3.5e Class Alignments |<!-- Remove any of the following alignments if they are not allowed for the class :lg, ng, cg, ln, n, cn, le, ne, ce-->}}
</div>

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==Mage Knight==

{{quote
|Ride me closer!  I want to hit him in the face with my magic!
|orig=Captain Firesmasher, Half-Orc Mage Knight
|src=Codex Fictius
}}

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 [[SRD:Eldritch Knight|eldritch knight]], it's 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 for 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="d20 dragon monstats" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"
|+ style="font-size: larger; white-space: nowrap;" | Entry Requirements
|-
! Base Attack Bonus:
| +4.
|-
! Feats:
| [[SRD:Combat Casting|Combat Casting]]
|-
! Spellcasting:
| Able to cast 1st level arcane spells.
|-
! Special:
| Must be proficient with all martial weapons.
|} 

{| class="zebra d20"
|+ <div>{{Anchor|Table: The Mage Knight}}</div>
<p>Hit Die: d8</p>
|-
! rowspan="2" | Level
! rowspan="2" | [[BAB|Base<br/>Attack Bonus]]
! colspan="3" | [[SRD:Saving Throw|Saving Throw]]s
! rowspan="2" | Special
! rowspan="2" | [[#Spellcasting|Spellcasting]]
|-
! [[SRD:Saving Throw#Fortitude|Fort]] || [[SRD:Saving Throw#Reflex|Ref]] || [[SRD:Saving Throw#Will|Will]]
|- 
| 1st || +1 || +2 || +0 || +2
| class="left" | Arcane Armor Training (light), Bonus Feat, Enhanced Arms
| class="left" | 
|- 
| 2nd || +2 || +3 || +0 || +3
| class="left" | Somatic Weaponry<sup>CM</sup>
| class="left" | +1 level of existing arcane spellcasting class
|- 
| 3rd || +3 || +3 || +1 || +3
| class="left" | Arcane Armor Training (medium), Spellblade
| class="left" | +1 level of existing arcane spellcasting class
|- 
| 4th || +4 || +4 || +1 || +4
| class="left" | Bonus Feat
| class="left" | +1 level of existing arcane spellcasting class
|- 
| 5th || +5 || +4 || +1 || +4
| class="left" | Arcane Armor Training (heavy), Martial Caster
| class="left" | +1 level of existing arcane spellcasting class
|- 
| 6th || +6 || +5 || +2 || +5
| class="left" | Improved Spellblade
| class="left" | +1 level of existing arcane spellcasting class
|- 
| 7th || +7 || +5 || +2 || +5
| class="left" | Bonus Feat
| class="left" | +1 level of existing arcane spellcasting class
|- 
| 8th || +8 || +6 || +2 || +6
| class="left" | Spell Resistance
| class="left" | +1 level of existing arcane spellcasting class
|- 
| 9th || +9 || +6 || +3 || +6
| class="left" | Greater Spellblade
| class="left" | +1 level of existing arcane spellcasting class
|- 
| 10th || +10 || +7 || +3 || +7
| class="left" | Bonus Feat, True Martial Caster
| class="left" | +1 level of existing arcane spellcasting class
|- class="noalt"
| colspan="42" class="skill" |
'''Class Skills ([[Skill Points::4]] + [[SRD:Intelligence|Int]] modifier per level.)'''<br/>
{{3.5e Skills|
Balance, 
Climb, 
Concentration, 
Craft, 
Decipher Script, 
Handle Animal, 
Intimidate, 
Jump, 
Knowledge (all skills taken separately), 
Listen, 
Profession, 
Ride, 
Sense Motive, 
Spellcraft, 
Spot, 
Swim}}
|}

{| class="zebra d20"
|+ {{Anchor|Table: The [[SRD:Epic Level Basics|Epic]] Mage Knight}}
|-
! Level || Special
|- 
| 11th|| class="left" | +1 level of existing arcane spellcasting class
|- 
| 12th|| class="left" | +1 level of existing arcane spellcasting class
|- 
| 13th|| class="left" | Bonus Feat, +1 level of existing arcane spellcasting class
|- 
| 14th|| class="left" | +1 level of existing arcane spellcasting class
|- 
| 15th|| class="left" | +1 level of existing arcane spellcasting class
|- 
| 16th|| class="left" | Bonus Feat, +1 level of existing arcane spellcasting class
|- 
| 17th|| class="left" | +1 level of existing arcane spellcasting class
|- 
| 18th|| class="left" | +1 level of existing arcane spellcasting class
|- 
| 19th|| class="left" | Bonus Feat, +1 level of existing arcane spellcasting class
|- 
| 20th|| class="left" | +1 level of existing arcane spellcasting class
|}

====Class Features====

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

'''{{Anchor|Spellcasting}}:''' At each level except for the 1st, you gain new spells per day and an increase in caster level (and spells known, if applicable) as if you had also gained a level in a spellcasting class to which you belonged before adding the prestige class level. 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.

'''{{Anchor|Advancement}}:''' Levels in mage knight count their full level to initiator classes (crusader, swordsage, warblade, etc.) and as levels of fighter for the purpose of pre-requisites.

'''{{Anchor|Arcane Armor Training}} {{Ex}}:''' The mage knight is a knight, 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.

'''{{Anchor|Bonus Feat}}:''' At 1st level, a mage knight may choose a fighter bonus feat, item creation feat, or a metamagic feat. The character must still meet any prerequisites for these bonus feats.

'''{{Anchor|Enhanced Arms}} {{Su}}:''' 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).

'''{{Anchor|Somatic Weaponry}}:''' A 2nd level mage knight gains the Somatic Weaponry feat from [[Publication:Complete Mage|Complete Mage]] as a bonus feat.  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.

'''{{Anchor|Spellblade}}:''' A 3rd-level mage knight fuses his spells with his physical attacks.  He may cast a targeted spell up to 3rd level onto his weapon, which acts as a [[SRD:Spell Storing|Spell Storing]] weapon (this stacks with actual Spell Storing weapons).  The next successful attack he makes with the weapon discharges the spell, and is lost if the weapon is no longer wielded limiting most users to two weapons at a time.

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

'''{{Anchor|Martial Caster}}:''' A 5th-level mage knight does not fear multiclassing and losing his magical edge.  His caster level equals his base attack bonus, if higher.

'''{{Anchor|Improved Spellblade}}:''' The spellblade ability of the mage knight improves at 6th level.  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 round or less.  Casting in this manner does not provoke [[SRD:Attack of Opportunity|attacks of opportunity]].

'''{{Anchor|Spell Resistance}} {{Su}}:''' An 8th-level mage knight is armored both physically and magically.  They gain [[SRD:Spell Resistance|spell resistance]] 10 + their character level.  They may toggle their spell resistance on and off as a free action, allowing friendly spells through.

'''{{Anchor|Greater Spellblade}}:''' The spellblade ability of the mage knight improves again at 9th level.  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.

'''{{Anchor|True Martial Caster}}:''' A 10th level mage knight is a true muscle wizard.  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.

===Campaign Information===

====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====

{{quote|Quick!  Cast Polymorph Any Object on my sword, wizard!  ...No!  Not like that, I want to turn HIM into a toad, not my sword!|orig=Gene Rickman, Human Mage Knight}}

'''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.

{| class="zebra d20"
|+ Knowledge (Arcana)
! DC || class="left" | Result
|-
| 10 || class="left" | A mage knight is a hybrid between spellcaster and fighting man, able to do both almost as good as someone dedicated to one or the other.
|-
| 15 || class="left" | Mage knights don't need hands to cast, they cast through their sword!  Sometimes they even put spells on their swords, which they proceed to put into you.
|-
| 20 || class="left" | Powerful mage knights have learned to CAST FIST, crushing you with a muscle powered spell or striking down with mental prowess and a sharp blade.
|- 
| 30 || class="left" | Those that reach this level of success can learn details about a specific mage knight, such as their motives, last known location, fighting style and spells, and other such things.
|}

====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

----
{{3.5e Prestige Classes Breadcrumb}}
[[Category:3.5e]]
[[Category:User]]
[[Category:Class]]
[[Category:Prestige Class]]
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Article Balance	Very High +
Author	Eiji-kun +
Base Attack Bonus Progression	Good +
Class Ability	Prepared Arcane Spellcasting + and Spontaneous Arcane Spellcasting +
Class Ability Progression	Partial +
Fortitude Save Progression	Good +
Identifier	3.5e Prestige Class +
Length	10 +
Minimum Level	5 +
Rated By	Somehownotsingle +
Rating	Rating Pending +
Reflex Save Progression	Poor +
Skill	Balance +, Climb +, Concentration +, Craft +, Decipher Script +, Handle Animal +, Intimidate +, Jump +, Knowledge +, Listen +, Profession +, Ride +, Sense Motive +, Spellcraft +, Spot + and Swim +
Skill Points	4 +
Summary	What if Eldritch Knight wasn't boring... +
Title	Mage Knight +
Will Save Progression	Good +