Archmage, Variant (3.5e Prestige Class)

This is a replacement for the Archmage, which you may have been looking for instead.

Author: Leziad (talk) Date Created: 6th March 2022 Status: Complete Editing: Clarity edits only please

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A remake of the archmage class from the Dungeon Master’s Guide.

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Prepared Arcane Spellcasting, Spontaneous Arcane Spellcasting Full

Archmage

“	Fear not the staff of power, fear the hand that can wield its power.	”
—Il-El Ra, Human Archmage

Typically seen as the exemplary mage, archmage ranks amongst the strongest spellcasters. While many other more specialized options exist, archmages focus on raw magical might. The path to become an archmage requires intense dedication to the art of spellcraft, and deep studies in arcane knowledge.

While most archmages are wizards, a few come from the ranks of sorcerers, witches and even bards. The sheer dedication to the arcane art usually does not draw those with ambition in the martial craft. The archmages of each class typically exemplify the best of their spellcasters.

Becoming an Archmage

The archmage classes offer a lot of strong options, at a cost. Because of its poor base attack bonus, hit dice and save progression, many more martially capable classes tend to avoid it. However those who do take levels are rewarded with powerful magical abilities.

Entry Requirements  

Skills:	Knowledge (Arcana) 15 Ranks, Spellcraft 15 Ranks.
Feats:	Skill Focus (Spellcraft), Spell Focus in two schools of magic.
Spellcasting:	Must be able to cast 7th level arcane spells.
Special:	A bard or another partial spellcaster only needs to be able to cast 5th level spells to become an archmage.

Table: The Archmage

Hit Die: d4

Level	Base Attack Bonus	Saving Throws			Special	Spellcasting
		Fort	Ref	Will
1st	+0	+0	+0	+2	Arcane Tradition, High Arcana	+1 level of existing arcane spellcasting class.
2nd	+1	+0	+0	+3	Arcane Fire, High Arcana	+1 level of existing arcane spellcasting class.
3rd	+1	+1	+1	+3	High Arcana, Magical Might	+1 level of existing arcane spellcasting class.
4th	+2	+1	+1	+4	Greater Arcane Fire, High Arcana	+1 level of existing arcane spellcasting class.
5th	+2	+1	+1	+4	Cosmic Power, High Arcana	+1 level of existing arcane spellcasting class.
Class Skills (4 + Int modifier per level) Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Knowledge (Int), Profession (Wis), Spellcraft (Int), Use Magic Device (Cha).

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the Archmage.

Spellcasting: At each level, 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 an archmage, you must decide which class to add each level for the purpose of determining spells per day, caster level, and spells known.

Arcane Tradition (Ex): An archmage does not narrow her focus on the uniqueness of her magic. An archmage counts her archmage level as the class level of a spellcasting class she previously belonged to and advanced through spellcasting (see above) for the purpose of determining level-based benefits of class features. By example a pathfinder sorcerer archmage would add her class level to her sorcerer level to determine her bloodline abilities or add her class level to her bard level to determine the effect, DCs and uses per day of her bardic music.

High Arcana: An archmage gains the opportunity to select a special ability from among those described below by permanently eliminating one existing spell slot (she cannot eliminate a spell slot of higher level than the highest-level spell she can cast). Each special ability has a minimum required spell slot level, as specified in its description. A partial caster may expend a spell slot 5th level spell slot for an ability that cost a 6th or 7th level spell, or a 6th level spell slot for an ability that cost a 8th or 9th level spell slot.

Arcane Reach (Ex): The archmage can use spells with a range of touch on a target up to 30 feet away. The archmage must make a ranged touch attack. Arcane reach can be selected a second time as a special ability, in which case the range increases to 60 feet. This ability costs one 7th-level spell slot.

Expanded Horizon (Ex): The archmage chooses three spells of any level she can cast from the any arcane caster spell list and adds those spells to her class spell list, and as spell known if applicable. This ability costs one 5th-level spell slot.

Immortality (Ex): An archmage with this high arcana ceases aging and will not die of old age. The archmage also becomes immune to energy drain and magical aging effects. This ability costs one 9th-level spell slot.

Invincible Forcefield (Su): Once per day as a full-round action, an archmage may expend a spell slot or prepared spell of any level she can cast. If she does, she gains a deflection bonus to AC and DR/- equal to 1 + the spell level of the expended spell. The archmage also gains her caster level x the expended spell's spell level in temporary hit points. The archmage always loses these temporary hit points first, even before other temporary hit points. If an attack deals less damage than the archmage still has as temporary hit points from invisible forcefield, it still reduces those temporary hit points but otherwise counts as a miss for the purpose of abilities that trigger on a hit or a miss. An invincible forcefield lasts until the archmage next regains her spells, or until the temporary hit points are depleted. This ability costs one 8th-level spell slot.

Master of Staves (Ex): The archmage gain Craft Staff and Master Staff as bonus feats, even if she does not meet the prerequisites. Additionally she gain a +1 bonus to the DC of all spells cast through her staves. This ability costs one 8th-level spell slot.

Mastery of Counterspelling (Ex): When the archmage 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. This ability costs one 7th-level spell slot.

Mastery of Elements (Ex): The archmage can alter an arcane spell when cast so that it utilizes a different element from the one it normally uses. This ability can only alter a spell with the acid, cold, fire, electricity, or sonic descriptor. The spell’s casting time is unaffected. The caster decides whether to alter the spell’s energy type and chooses the new energy type when he begins casting. This ability costs one 8th-level spell slot.

Mastery of Mind Control (Ex): The archmage can concentrate on any of her enchantment [compulsion] spells on the following round the target of the spell successfully made their saving throw against the spell to negate its effect. If she does, the target must attempt another saving throw. If the saving throw fails, the archmage ceases concentrating and the duration of the spell carries on as normal. An archmage may only concentrate on any given spell this way for a number of rounds per day equal to her casting ability modifier, divided between multiple spells as needed. This ability costs one 7th-level spell slot.

Mastery of Permanency (Ex): The archmage can cast permanency as a spell-like ability once per day, she must still use components as normal. Additionally the archmage halves all costs when using the permanency spell to make an effect permanent. This ability costs one 5th-level spell slot.

Mastery of Spell Penetration (Ex): The archmage is able to still have a partial effect even spell resistance would negate her effect. Any damage she would deal with a spell that fails to pierce spell resistance is halved instead of negated. If the spells had non-damaging effect they are negated. Additionally she treats spell immunity as spell resistance of 20 + the creature's CR. Finally an archmage with this high arcana counts all of her spells as two level higher for the purpose of piercing a globe of invulnerability or similar effect. This ability costs one 6th-level spell slot.

Mastery of Shaping (Ex): The archmage can alter area and effect spells that use one of the following shapes: burst, cone, cylinder, emanation, or spread. The alteration consists of creating spaces within the spell’s area or effect that are not subject to the spell. The minimum dimension for these spaces is a 5-foot cube. Furthermore, any shapeable spells have a minimum dimension of 5 feet instead of 10 feet. This ability costs one 6th-level spell slot.

Spell Power (Ex): This ability increases the archmage’s effective caster level by +1 and increase the damage dealt by the archmage spell by +1 per damage dice. This ability costs one 5th-level spell slot.

Spontaneous Metamagic (Ex): An archmage with this ability no longer increases the casting time of spells she cast spontaneously modified by metamagic feats. This ability costs one 5th-level spell slot.

Arcane Fire (Su): As a standard action, a 2nd level archmage can fire a blast of pure arcane energy. She delivers the blast through a range touch attack at a range of 120 feet. If the blast hits, it deals 1d6 + the archmage's casting ability score modifier in pure magic damage.

At 4th level, if the archmage hits with her arcane fire, she may also expend a spell slot or prepared spell as a free action. If she does she deals 2d6 per spell level of the expended spell slot in extra pure magic damage.

Magical Might (Ex): At 3rd level an archmage gains a +4 bonus on all caster level checks.

Cosmic Power (Su): At 5th level, the archmage can cast limited wish as a supernatural ability three times per day.

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