User:Leziad/Variant Magelock

Magelock

Warlocks have been seen with suspicion, having gained their magical prowess through contract rather than rigorous study or luck of genetics. And yet some wizards looked upon them with envy. Witnessing the power of magic channeled from entities beyond they sought to do the same, but bypassing the entities entirely. Rather than cast spells through complex ritual, they would transform themselves into a pre-wound living ritual so that they may channel the weaves of magic directly. The magelock has achieved this, becoming an "at will spontaneous caster" of sorts, a magical gun that merely needs to be loaded with the right ammunition without need for study and major rest.

Making a Magelock

Abilities: Magelocks are based on either Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma depending on their choices made in the class. Dexterity will be needed for their attacks and general defense, and Constitution in order not to die. Strength is the least important.

Races: Any.

Alignment: Any.

Starting Gold: 5d4×10 gp (125 gp).

Starting Age: As wizard.

Table: The Magelock

Hit Die: d8

Level	Base Attack Bonus	Saving Throws			Special	Spells per Day
		Fort	Ref	Will		0	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th	6th
1st	+0	+0	+0	+2	Arcane Blast 1d6, Cantrips, Invocation Access, Variable Casting	2	0	—	—	—	—	—
2nd	+1	+0	+0	+3	Active Projectile Defense	3	1	—	—	—	—	—
3rd	+1	+1	+1	+3	Arcane Blast 2d6, DR 1/magic, Spell Refresh (1st)	3	1	—	—	—	—	—
4th	+2	+1	+1	+4	Magic Guard +1	3	2	0	—	—	—	—
5th	+2	+1	+1	+4	Arcane Blast 3d6, Spell Refresh (2nd)	3	2	1	—	—	—	—
6th	+3	+2	+2	+5	DR 2/magic, Full Power Arcane Blast	4	2	1	—	—	—	—
7th	+3	+2	+2	+5	Arcane Blast 4d6,	4	3	2	0	—	—	—
8th	+4	+2	+2	+6	Magic Guard +2, Spell Refresh (3rd)	4	3	2	1	—	—	—
9th	+4	+3	+3	+6	Arcane Blast 5d6, DR 3/magic	4	3	2	1	—	—	—
10th	+5	+3	+3	+7	Absorb Arcana	4	3	3	2	0	—	—
11th	+5	+3	+3	+7	Arcane Blast 6d6, Spell Refresh (4th)	4	4	3	2	1	—	—
12th	+6	+4	+4	+8	DR 4/magic, Magic Guard +3	4	4	3	2	1	—	—
13th	+6	+4	+4	+8	Arcane Blast 7d6,	4	4	3	3	2	0	—
14th	+7	+4	+4	+9	Improved Active Projectile Defense, Spell Refresh (5th)	4	4	4	3	2	1	—
15th	+7	+5	+5	+9	Arcane Blast 8d6, DR 5/magic	4	4	4	3	2	1	—
16th	+8	+5	+5	+10	Magic Guard +4	4	4	4	3	3	2	0
17th	+8	+5	+5	+10	Arcane Blast 9d6, Spell Refresh (6th)	4	4	4	4	3	2	1
18th	+9	+6	+6	+11	DR 6/magic	4	4	4	4	3	2	1
19th	+9	+6	+6	+11	Arcane Blast 10d6, Sudden Refresh	4	4	4	4	3	3	2
20th	+10	+6	+6	+12	Magic Guard +5, Superior Absorb Arcana	4	4	4	4	4	3	2
Class Skills (4 + Int modifier per level, ×4 at 1st level) Bluff (Cha), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Decipher Script (Int), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Knowledge (arcana) (history) (religion) (the planes) (Int), Listen (Wis), Profession (Wis), Search (Int), Sleight of Hand (Dex), Speak Language (None), Spellcraft (Int), Spot (Wis), Tumble (Dex). Class Features All of the following are class features of the Magelock. Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Magelocks are proficient with all simple weapons. They are proficient with light armor but not with shields. Because the somatic components required for magelock spells or invocations are relatively simple, a magelock can use any of his spells or invocations while wearing light armor without incurring the normal arcane spell failure chance. However, like arcane spellcasters, a magelock wearing medium or heavy armor or using a shield incurs a chance of arcane spell failure (all invocations, including arcane blast, have a somatic component). A multiclass magelock still incurs the normal arcane spell failure chance for arcane spells received from levels in other classes. Spells: The magelock is neither quite warlock, sorcerer, or wizard. They have limited spells known like a sorcerer, the knowledge ingrained within their very bodies, but prepare which of their known spells known are "readied" like a wizard, effectively acting as prepared spellcasters. To learn, prepare, or cast a spell, the magelock must have a mental ability score (chosen by Variable Casting) equal to at least 10 + the spell level. The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against a magelock's spell or invocation is 10 + the spell level + the magelock's chosen ability modifier. Like other spellcasters, a magelock has a limited number of spell slots. His base daily spell allotment if given on Table: The Magelock. In addition, he receives bonus spells per day if he has a high chosen mental ability score. Magelocks have a limited selection of spells known, beginning play knowing four 0-level spells and two 1st-level spells of your choice. They have access to the sorcerer/wizard class spell list, but also may select invocations of the essence and shape variety from the warlockCA invocation list. He is limited by the effective level of the invocation. For example, Eldritch Spear is an effective 2nd level spell and requires a spell known at 2nd level to learn. At each level they achieve in the class, the magelock can choose to learn a new spell or invocation in place of one he already knows. In effect the magelock "loses" the old spell or invocation in exchange for the new one. The new spell's level must be the same as that of the spell being exchanged. Lastly, a magelock spellcasting cannot be augmented with Ascended Progression. Table: Magelock Spells Known Level Spells Known 0 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 1st 4 — — — — — — 2nd 5 21 — — — — — 3rd 6 3 — — — — — 4th 6 3 21 — — — — 5th 6 4 3 — — — — 6th 6 4 3 — — — — 7th 6 4 4 21 — — — 8th 6 4 4 3 — — — 9th 6 4 4 3 — — — 10th 6 4 4 4 21 — — 11th 6 4 4 4 3 — — 12th 6 4 4 4 3 — — 13th 6 4 4 4 4 21 — 14th 6 4 4 4 4 3 — 15th 6 4 4 4 4 3 — 16th 6 5 4 4 4 4 21 17th 6 5 5 4 4 4 3 18th 6 5 5 5 4 4 3 19th 6 5 5 5 5 4 4 20th 6 5 5 5 5 5 4 Provided the magelock has a high enough ability score score to have a bonus spell of this level. Arcane Blast (Sp): The magelock can emit a beam of raw magical energy as a ray, making a ranged touch attack out to 60 ft. This is identical in all ways to a warlock's eldritch blast, and they stack with each other. The arcane blast is subject to essence invocation and shape invocations, subject to the same limitations as a warlock. Their arcane blast deals 1d6 points of damage at 1st level and increases by +1d6 damage every odd level. Cantrips: Magelocks can prepare a number of cantrips, or 0-level spells, each day, as noted on Table: The Magelock under “Spells per Day.” These spells are cast like any other spell, but they are not expended when cast and may be used again. Invocation Access: Magelocks can learn a warlock invocation in place of an equal effective level spell, as long as it is an essence or shape invocation. These invocations alter the arcane blast, and are not expended when cast. Variable Casting: Magelocks arrive at their newfound powers in many different ways. Choose your Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma. All of the spellcasting and other effects of this class become based off that ability score. You also gain the following minor benefit based on your choice: Intelligence: You gain all Knowledge skills as class skills. Wisdom: You gain Autohypnosis, Sense Motive, and Survival as class skills. Charisma: You gain Diplomacy, Gather Information, and Use Magic Device as class skills. Once selected, your choice cannot be changed. Active Projectile Defense: With the power of the arcane beam, the 2nd level magelock can protect themselves from incoming projectiles. As an immediate action they may make an opposed attack roll, using their class level as their BAB, against an incoming projectile. If they match or exceed the opposed attack roll, the projectile is deflected or destroyed. It has no effect on supernatural or non-corporeal projectiles such as a scorching ray. They may choose to enter a defensive state as a full round action, and protect a 30 ft cone with their active projectile defense for 1 round. They make opposed attack rolls against any projectiles that pass through the area. This counts as an attack of opportunity, and they are limited by the number of attacks of opportunities they have a round. Damage Reduction (Su): The 3rd level magelock protect themselves with the power of magic, but it is undone by magic. They gain damage reduction 1/magic, which increases every three levels beyond (2 at 6th, 3 at 9th, etc). Spell Refresh: At 3rd level and beyond, the magelock becomes capable of refreshing their spell slots simply by being rest for 15 minutes or longer (that is, not in a stressful situation). They can refresh and "ready" their spells and invocations from their spells known list, readying new ones as if they had rested for 8 hours. At first they can only do this for their 1st level spells, but as they grow in power it applies to higher level spell (see Magelock table above), to a maximum of 6th level spells at 17th. Thus they have effectively unlimited spells, but their spells are very limited within any stressful situation. While they can refresh their spells very quickly, a spell slot cannot be refreshed if a spell with a duration is still in progress. For example, a resist energy spell can be cast, but the spell slot used for it cannot be refreshed until the duration of resist energy expires or it otherwise ends or is dismissed. For the purpose of this ability, "Permanent" duration spells are counted as Instantaneous and thus can be refreshed normally. Magic Guard (Ex): If a 4th level magelock successfully identifies a spell via Spellcraft, they gain a +1 circumstance bonus on any saving throw against the spell or as AC against any attack rolls from the spell. This bonus increases by one at 8th and every four levels beyond. Full Power Arcane Blast (Sp): At 6th level the magelock can produce a more powerful arcane blast as a full round action. The arcane blast deals 1d6 damage per level instead of per 2 levels. Absorb Arcana (Su): The magelock channels magical energy outward, but they can reverse the flow and channel energy back into the weave of magic as well. As a standard action the 10th level magelock may surround themselves, a touched creature, or a 5 ft square in a bubble which lasts for 1 round and absorbs all spells and spell-like effects. It has no affect on pre-existing effects, only spells targeting the creature or area at the time. Once per round if it absorbs a spell or spell-like ability, you may refresh a single spell slot of equal or lower level than the absorbed spell allowing you to cast the expended spell again. Improved Active Projectile Defense: At 14th level, the magelock's active projectile defense improves. They may now use it against supernatural or otherwise non-corporeal projectiles and against siege weapon attacks. Sudden Refresh: Once per day as a non-action at 19th level the magelock can suddenly refresh an expended spell slot of any level they know, allowing it to be cast again. Superior Absorb Arcana (Su): The magelock's absorb arcana improves at 20th level, allowing you to extend your absorb arcana ability out to a sphere of 20 ft radius centered on yourself, or you may bubble an ally out to the range of your arcane blast. Once per encounter, you can bubble yourself or another as an immediate action.