Magpie Mage (Spellburst Savant Archetype)

When a spellburst savant first encounters magic for the first time in their lives, they tend to go into a frenzy, feeling a powerful need to learn more of this new power they didn’t know they had. For some, this feeling never leaves. As a result of their hoarding of magical experiences, magpie mages are copycat extraordinaires, building spells on the fly even after only seeing them once.

Table 1–3: Magpie Mage Spells
Level Spells Prepared Spells Mimicked
0th 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th
1st 3 0 1
2nd 3 0 2
3rd 3 1 2
4th 6 1 2
5th 6 2 0 3
6th 7 2 1 3
7th 7 2 1 3
8th 8 2 1 4
9th 8 3 2 0 4
10th 9 3 2 1 4
11th 9 3 2 1 5
12th 9 3 2 1 5
13th 9 4 3 2 0 5
14th 9 4 3 2 1 6
15th 9 4 3 2 1 6
16th 9 4 3 2 1 6
17th 9 5 4 3 2 0 7
18th 9 5 4 3 2 1 7
19th 9 5 4 3 2 1 7
20th 9 5 4 3 2 1 8

A spellburst scholar creates a magic item while a magpie mage watches, already understanding how to emulate it.

Spells: A magpie mage uses Table 1-3: Magpie Mage Spells to determine the number of spells she prepares each day, instead of the normal amount available to a spellburst savant. This ability alters spells.

Spell Mimicry: Though she does not gain the same amount of prepared spells as a normal spellburst savant, she makes up for it by having an eye for magic above and beyond her peers. Whenever she successfully uses Spellcraft to identify a spell effect (including by an item they wield or use), she can choose to memorize that spell, etching it into her memories with the aid of a little magic.

Using this ability does not require an action, and can even be done against spells that she doesn’t see the origin of, so long as she has the chance to attempt to identify it.

She can likewise mimic spells she finds in items using her extracurricular study class feature. Determine the levels of these spells as normal for that ability (see the Extracurricular Spells sidebar for more details).

Memorizing spells in this way is taxing to the magpie mage, and as such, she can only have a limited number of spells memorized at once with this ability. However, she can freely lose memorized spells to replace them with new ones as they come up.

One a spell is memorized, the magpie mage can cast it using her spellburst savant spell slots. In effect, her memorized spells are an additional set of “spells known” from which she can draw. They are cast as arcane spells.

Spells memorized with this ability are cast at a level identical to that of the spell she memorized, with the same components (except divine focus components), though she may still use her various class features to modify them freely. If the spell she observed and memorized had a metamagic feat applied to it, she applies that metamagic feat to it as well and casts it as such, even if she doesn’t have that feat (though she cannot cast it in any other way if this is the only way she knows the spell).

At 1st level, a magpie mage may begin play with a single 1st-level spell memorized from any spell list. A magpie mage created at a level above 1st can fill her slots for memorized spells from the lists of any 9-level spellcasting class (such as the cleric, psychic, or wizard), up to the maximum level of spells she can cast, and any spells drawn from any items she begins play with. In addition, she may always choose to fill one of her slots for memorized spells with spells that she herself can cast (such as the ones from her spells class feature, or those learned with extracurricular study).

When a magpie mage takes a level of a prestige class that advances her spellburst savant spellcasting, she also advances the number of spells she can memorize with this class feature.

Spell Versatility (Ex)

Thanks to the bindings she uses to tie her spells to her mind, a magpie mage has the ability to combine the energy of spell slots into higher-level spells. By expending two magpie mage spell slots of the same level, she can cast a magpie mage spell she has prepared or memorized of one level higher. For example, by expending two 1st-level spell slots, she could cast a 2nd-level spell, or by expending two 5thlevel spell slots, she could cast a 6th-level spell she has memorized with her spell mimicry class feature. She cannot stack this ability with itself to cast increasingly higher-level spells; this ability is used once, as part of casting the spell.

Instant Imitation (Su)

At 4th level, a magpie mage can absorb and reflect the magic of others. Once per day, when the magpie mage is targeted by or caught in the area of a spell or spell-like ability that originates from another creature, she can attempt a Will save against that effect as an immediate action (calculate the save DC as if the spell or effect prompted a Will save; for example, a fireball cast by a wizard with an Intelligence of 18 would prompt a DC 17 Will save). If she succeeds at her save, she can immediately cast that effect herself, making decisions and choosing new targets as appropriate. She does not expend a spell slot when using this ability. If her nova spell ability is available, she may choose to cast that spell as a nova spell. She uses her own caster level, feats, and ability modifier to determine how the spell functions (even if her caster level is not high enough to cast the spell). If the effect requires expensive material components or a focus, she does not need to provide them. After resolving this ability, she continues being affected by the original. She gains no special defense against it, and must roll saving throws as normal.

The magpie mage can use this ability one additional time per day at 8th level and every four class levels thereafter.

This ability replaces absorb spell.

Section 15: Copyright Notice

Spellburst Savant: Revised Edition, © 2016, Forrestfire Studios; Author: Forrest Heck

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