S-Class Arcanist

What Are S-Class Characters?

S-class characters are a request from Kenneth Zike. They are built using the summoner class, as originally presented, as the basis against which all other classes are balanced.

The “S” in this case stands for both summoner and, as a more appropriate in-world reference, superior. If you have played—or GM’d for—a summoner and felt it was fine as is, you should have no problem running with an s-class character.

S-class arcanists are not students of the arcane; nor are they gifted, blessed, or cursed by some greater power running through their veins. They are weavers of the fabric of magic, whose understanding of reality and its intricacies lead to an otherwise unknown and feared practice.

Role: S-class arcanists can fill the same roles as s-class sorcerers and wizards, but with a different way of directing their magic. The arcanist’s pedagogy gives them an opportunity to focus or generalize their efforts.

Note: The s-class arcanist is an alternate, superior version of the arcanist class. They retain all of the standard arcanist progressions and options, and as such should qualify to select arcanist archetypes without specific adjustments.

Alignment: Any.

Hit Die: d6.

Starting Wealth: 2d6 × 10 gp (average 70 gp.) In addition, an s-class arcanist begins play with both a spellbook containing his 0-level and 1st-level spells and an outfit worth 10 gp or less.

Class Skills

The s-class arcanist’s class skills are Appraise (Int), Craft (Int), Fly (Dex), Knowledge (all) (Int), Linguistics (Int), Profession (Wis), Spellcraft (Int), and Use Magic Device (Cha).

Skill Ranks per Level: 2 + Int modifier.

Table: S-Class Arcanist
Level Base Attack Bonus Fort Save Ref Save Will Save Special Spells per Day
1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th 9th
1st +0 +0 +0 +2 Arcane reservoir, arcanist exploits, cantrips, consume spells 1
2nd +1 +0 +0 +3 2
3rd +1 +1 +1 +3 Pedagogy 2 1
4th +2 +1 +1 +4 Arcanist exploit 3 2
5th +2 +1 +1 +4 3 2 1
6th +3 +2 +2 +5 Arcanist exploit 3 3 2
7th +3 +2 +2 +5 4 3 2 1
8th +4 +2 +2 +6 Arcanist exploit 4 3 3 2
9th +4 +3 +3 +6 4 4 3 2 1
10th +5 +3 +3 +7 Arcanist exploit 4 4 3 3 2
11th +5 +3 +3 +7 4 4 4 3 2 1
12th +6/+1 +4 +4 +8 Arcanist exploit, greater exploits 4 4 4 3 3 2
13th +6/+1 +4 +4 +8 4 4 4 4 3 2 1
14th +7/+2 +4 +4 +9 Arcanist exploit 4 4 4 4 3 3 2
15th +7/+2 +5 +5 +9 4 4 4 4 4 3 2 1
16th +8/+3 +5 +5 +10 Arcanist exploit 4 4 4 4 4 3 3 2
17th +8/+3 +5 +5 +10 4 4 4 4 4 4 3 2 2
18th +9/+4 +6 +6 +11 Arcanist exploit 4 4 4 4 4 4 3 3 2
19th +9/+4 +6 +6 +11 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 3 3
20th +10/+5 +6 +6 +12 Arcanist exploit, magical supremacy 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the s-class arcanist.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency

S-class arcanists are proficient with all simple weapons. They are not proficient with any type of armor or shield. Armor interferes with an s-class arcanist’s gestures, which can cause his spells with somatic components to fail (see Arcane Spells and Armor).

Spellcasting

An s-class arcanist casts arcane spells drawn from the sorcerer/wizard spell list. An s-class arcanist must prepare his spells ahead of time, but unlike a wizard, his spells are not expended when they’re cast. Instead, he can cast any spell that he has prepared consuming a spell slot of the appropriate level, assuming he hasn’t yet used up his spell slots per day for that level.

To learn, prepare, or cast a spell, the arcanist must have an Intelligence score equal to at least 10 + the spell’s level.

The saving throw DC against an s-class arcanist’s spell is:

10 + the spell’s level + the arcanist’s Intelligence modifier

An s-class arcanist can only cast a certain number of spells of each spell level per day. His base daily spell allotment is given on Table: S-Class Arcanist under “Spells per Day.” In addition, he receives bonus spells per day if he has a high Intelligence score.

An s-class arcanist may know any number of spells, but the number he can prepare each day is limited. At 1st level, he can prepare four 0-level spells and two 1st-level spells each day. At each new arcanist level, the number of spells he can prepare each day increases, adding new spell levels as indicated on Table: Arcanist Spells Prepared. Unlike the number of spells he can cast per day, the number of spells an s-class arcanist can prepare each day is not affected by his Intelligence score. Feats and other effects that modify the number of spells known by a spellcaster instead affect the number of spells an s-class arcanist can prepare.

An s-class arcanist must choose and prepare his spells ahead of time by getting 8 hours of sleep and spending 1 hour studying his spellbook. While studying, the arcanist decides what spells to prepare and refreshes his available spell slots for the day.

Like a sorcerer, an s-class arcanist can choose to apply any metamagic feats he knows to a prepared spell as he casts it, with the same increase in casting time (see Spontaneous Casting and Metamagic Feats). However, he may also prepare a spell with any metamagic feats he knows and cast it without increasing casting time like a wizard.

He cannot combine these options—a spell prepared with metamagic feats cannot be further modified with another metamagic feat at the time of casting (unless he has the metamixing arcanist exploit, detailed below).

Spellbooks: An s-class arcanist must study his spellbook each day to prepare his spells. He can’t prepare any spell not recorded in his spellbook, except for read magic (which all arcanists can prepare from memory).

An s-class arcanist begins play with a spellbook containing all 0-level wizard/sorcerer spells plus three 1st-level spells of his choice. The arcanist also selects a number of additional 1st-level spells equal to his Intelligence modifier to add to the spellbook. At each new arcanist level, he gains two new spells of any spell level or levels that he can cast (based on his new arcanist level) for his spellbook. At any time, an s-class arcanist can also add spells found in wizards‘ or other arcanists’ spellbooks to his own.

Cantrips: S-class arcanists can prepare a number of cantrips, or 0-level spells, each day as noted on Table:

S-Class Arcanist Spells Prepared. These spells are cast like any other spell, but they do not consume spell slots. As with his other spells, these spells are not expended when cast.

Table: S-Class Arcanist Spells Prepared
Level 0th 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th 9th
1st 4 2
2nd 5 3
3rd 5 3 1
4th 6 3 2
5th 6 4 2 1
6th 7 4 3 2
7th 7 5 3 2 1
8th 8 5 3 3 2
9th 8 5 4 3 2 1
10th 9 5 4 3 3 2
11th 9 5 5 4 3 2 1
12th 9 5 5 4 3 3 2
13th 9 5 5 4 4 3 2 1
14th 9 5 5 4 4 3 3 2
15th 9 5 5 4 4 4 3 2 1
16th 9 5 5 4 4 4 3 3 2
17th 9 5 5 4 4 4 3 3 2 1
18th 9 5 5 4 4 4 3 3 3 2
19th 9 5 5 4 4 4 3 3 3 2
20th 9 5 5 4 4 4 3 3 3 3

Arcane Reservoir (Su)

An s-class arcanist has an innate pool of magical energy that he can draw upon to fuel his arcanist exploits and enhance his spells. The arcanist’s arcane reservoir can hold a maximum amount of magical energy equal to 3 + the arcanist’s level. Each day, when preparing spells, the arcanist’s arcane reservoir fills with raw magical energy, gaining a number of points equal to 3 + 1/2 his arcanist level.

Any points he had from the previous day are lost. He can also regain these points through the consume spells class feature and some arcanist exploits. The arcane reservoir can never hold more points than the maximum amount noted above; points gained in excess of this total are lost.

Points from the arcanist reservoir are used to fuel many of the arcanist’s powers. In addition, the arcanist can expend 1 point from his arcane reservoir as a free action whenever he casts an s-class arcanist spell. If he does, he can choose to increase the caster level by 1 or increase the spell’s DC by 1. He can expend no more than 1 point from his reservoir on a given spell in this way.

Arcanist Exploits

By bending and sometimes even breaking the rules of magic, the arcanist learns to exploit gaps and exceptions in the laws of magic. Some of these exploits allow him to break down various forms of magic, adding their essence to his arcane reservoir. At 1st level, 4th level, and every 2 levels thereafter, the arcanist learns a new arcane exploit selected from the following list. An s-class arcanist exploit cannot be selected more than once. Once an s-class arcanist exploit has been selected, it cannot be changed. Most arcanist exploits require the arcanist to expend points from his arcane reservoir to function. Unless otherwise noted, the saving throw DC for an s-class arcanist exploit is equal to 10 + 1/2 the arcanist’s level + the arcanist’s Charisma modifier.

A sample list of arcanist exploits and greater exploits can be found at the end of this section.

Greater Exploits: At 11th level and every 2 levels thereafter, an s-class arcanist can choose one of the following greater exploits in place of an s-class arcanist exploit.

Consume Spells (Su)

At 1st level, an s-class arcanist can expend an available arcanist spell slot as a move action, making it unavailable for the rest of the day, just as if he had used it to cast a spell.

He can use this ability a number of times per day equal to his Charisma modifier (minimum 1). Doing this adds a number of points to his arcane reservoir equal to the level of the spell slot consumed. He cannot consume cantrips (0 level spells) in this way. Points gained in excess of the reservoir’s maximum are lost.

Pedagogy

At 3rd level, an s-class arcanist chooses his pedagogy; a combination of arcane practices that he uses to expand his abilities beyond that of the standard arcanist. The pedagogies presented here are sorcery, tradition, and wizardry. These options are described in detail at the end of this section.

Magical Supremacy (Su)

At 20th level, an s-class arcanist learns how to convert his arcane reservoir into spells and back again. He can cast any spell he has prepared by expending a number of points from his arcane reservoir equal to 1 + the level of the spell to be cast instead of expending a spell slot. When he casts a spell in this fashion, he treats his caster level as 2 higher than normal, and the DCs of any saving throws associated with the spell increase by 2. He cannot further expend points from his arcane reservoir to enhance a spell cast in this way.

Pedagogies

Standard arcanists can select the following pedagogies as archetypes. If they do, alter and replace the following class features.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency

The arcanist is proficient with the club, dagger, heavy crossbow, light crossbow, and quarterstaff, but not with any type of armor or shield. Armor interferes with the arcanist’s movements, which can cause his spells with somatic components to fail.

Arcanist Exploits

The arcanist gains arcane exploits at 1st level and every 4 levels thereafter (5th, 9th, etc). At 13th level, the arcanist gains greater exploits.

Consume Spells (Su)

The arcanist can consume spells as a standard action.

The swift consume arcane exploit reduces this to a move action, and the arcanist can spend a feat to reduce it back to a move or swift action, respectively.

Sorcery

By focusing his pedagogy on sorcery, an s-class arcanist gains some of the s-class sorcerer’s benefits. At 3rd level, the arcanist chooses a sorcerer bloodline. If he has the bloodline development arcanist exploit, the arcanist must choose the same bloodline as the power gained with that exploit.

Bloodline Feats (Ex)

At 3rd, 7th, 11th, 15th, and 19th level, the arcanist gains a bloodline feat of his choice as a sorcerer of his arcanist level.

Bloodline Skill (Ex)

The arcanist gains his bloodline’s skill as a class skill.

That skill automatically gains skill ranks equal to his arcanist level.

At 8th level, the arcanist gains Skill Focus in his bloodline skill as a bonus feat.

Tradition

By focusing his pedagogy on tradition, an s-class arcanist prefers to keep his practices more focused on general spellcasting than a deeper understanding of arcane weaving.

Choose a wizard arcane school other than universal and a sorcerer bloodline. If the arcanist has either the bloodline development arcanist exploit or the school understanding arcanist exploit, he must choose the same school or bloodline as the power gained with that exploit.

The arcanist adds both the chosen bloodline spells and the chosen school spells to his spellbook when he gains access to spells of those levels. He can prepare those spells normally with his arcanist spell slots. In addition, the arcanist can cast one of those spells of each level per day by expending a number of points from his arcane reservoir equal to 1 + the level of the spell to be cast instead of expending a spell slot.

Wizardry

By focusing his pedagogy on wizardry, an s-class arcanist gains some of the s-class wizard’s benefits. At 3rd level, the arcanist chooses an arcane school. If he has the school understanding arcanist exploit, the arcanist must choose the same school as the power gained with that exploit.

Adaptive Studies (Ex)

At 3rd level, the arcanist gains the ability to learn spells sooner than his colleagues. If he has access to a spell on the arcanist spell list that can be learned at an earlier spell level by another class, the arcanist can learn it at that spell level as well. The arcanist must be able to learn the spell from a member of the class that learns the spell sooner.

For example, if a 3rd-level s-class arcanist knows a summoner who can cast haste as a 2nd-level spell, the arcanist can learn that spell from the summoner as a 2nd- level spell, instead of waiting to learn it as a 3rd-level spell like other wizards. When he reaches 5th level, the arcanist can also learn bestow curse as a 3rd-level spell from his cleric ally.

Cantrips

At 4th level, and again at 8th the arcanist can prepare an additional cantrip each day.

Arcane Discoveries

At 5th level, and again at 9th and 15th level, the arcanist gains an arcane discovery of his choice.

School Powers

At 6th level, the arcanist gains one school power chosen from the general list or his arcane school’s list of powers. He gains an additional power at 12th level.

Section 15: Copyright Notice

S-Class Characters: Arcanists. Copyright 2021, Samurai Sheepdog. Author: Kevin Glusing.

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