S-Class Magus

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 Magus

S-class magi seek numerous ways to perfectly blend arcane power with physical talent. Through various hybrid studies, they can do just that. Whether using a two-handed weapon, a ranged weapon, a staff, or a single sword, the s-class magus is prepared for battle.

Role: S-class magi can serve varying roles with the right combination of magic and hybrid study. While most s-class magi are focused on bringing enemies down as fast as possible, there are some who take a longer view.

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

Alignment: Any.

Hit Die: d6.

Starting Wealth: 4d6 × 10 gp (average 140 gp.) In addition, an s-class magus begins play with an outfit worth 10 gp or less.

Class Skills

The s-class magus’s class skills are Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Fly (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Knowledge (dungeoneering) (Int), Knowledge (planes) (Int), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Spellcraft (Int), Swim (Str), and Use Magic Device (Cha).

Skill Ranks per Level: 2 + Int modifier.

Table: S-Class Magus

Level	Base Attack Bonus	Fort Save	Ref Save	Will Save	Special	Spells per Day
						0th	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th	6th
1st	+0	+2	+0	+2	Arcane pool, cantrips, hybrid study	3	1	—	—	—	—	—
2nd	+1	+3	+0	+3	Spellstrike	4	2	—	—	—	—	—
3rd	+2	+3	+1	+3	Bonus feat, fighter training (half), magus arcana	4	3	—	—	—	—	—
4th	+3	+4	+1	+4	Hybrid study, spell recall	4	3	1	—	—	—	—
5th	+3	+4	+1	+4	Bonus feat, hybrid study	4	4	2	—	—	—	—
6th	+4	+5	+2	+5	Magus arcana	5	4	3	—	—	—	—
7th	+5	+5	+2	+5	Hybrid study, knowledge pool, medium armor	5	4	3	1	—	—	—
8th	+6/+1	+6	+2	+6	Hybrid study, improved spell combat	5	4	4	2	—	—	—
9th	+6/+1	+6	+3	+6	Fighter training (full), magus arcana	5	5	4	3	—	—	—
10th	+7/+2	+7	+3	+7	–	5	5	4	3	1	—	—
11th	+8/+3	+7	+3	+7	Bonus feat, hybrid study, improved spell recall	5	5	4	4	2	—	—
12th	+9/+4	+8	+4	+8	Magus arcana	5	5	5	4	3	—	—
13th	+9/+4	+8	+4	+8	Heavy armor	5	5	5	4	3	1	—
14th	+10/+5	+9	+4	+9	Greater spell combat, hybrid study	5	5	5	4	4	2	—
15th	+11/+6/+1	+9	+5	+9	Magus arcana	5	5	5	5	4	3	—
16th	+12/+7/+2	+10	+5	+10	Counterstrike	5	5	5	5	4	3	1
17th	+12/+7/+2	+10	+5	+10	Bonus feat, hybrid study	5	5	5	5	4	4	2
18th	+13/+8/+3	+11	+6	+11	Magus arcana	5	5	5	5	5	4	3
19th	+14/+9/+4	+11	+6	+11	Greater spell access, hybrid study	5	5	5	5	5	5	4
20th	+15/+10/+5	+12	+6	+12	Superior studies	5	5	5	5	5	5	5

Class Features

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

Weapon and Armor Proficiency

An s-class magus is proficient with all simple and martial weapons. An s-class magus is also proficient with light armor. She can cast magus spells while wearing light armor without incurring the normal arcane spell failure chance. Like any other arcane spellcaster, an s-class magus wearing medium armor, heavy armor, or a shield incurs a chance of arcane spell failure if the spell in question has a somatic component. A multiclass magus still incurs the normal arcane spell failure chance for arcane spells received from other classes.

Hybrid Study

Every s-class magus blends the ability to cast arcane magic with the use of martial weaponry using hybrid study.

Hybrid studies grant the magus abilities at 1st, 4th, 7th, 8th, 11th, 14th, 17th, and 19th level. The list of available hybrid studies can be found at the end of this section.

Spells

An s-class magus casts arcane spells drawn from the magus spell list. An s-class magus must choose and prepare her spells ahead of time. To learn, prepare, or cast a spell, the magus must have an Intelligence score equal to at least 10 + the spell level. The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against an s-class magus’s spell is 10 + the spell level + the magus’s Intelligence modifier. An s-class magus can cast only a certain number of spells of each spell level per day. Her base daily spell allotment is given on Table: S-Class Magus. In addition, she receives bonus spells per day if she has a high Intelligence score. An s-class magus may know any number of spells. She must choose and prepare her spells ahead of time by getting 8 hours of sleep and spending 1 hour studying her spellbook. While studying, the magus decides which spells to prepare.

• Cantrips: An s-class magus can prepare a number of cantrips, or 0-level spells, each day, as noted on Table: S-Class Magus under “Spells per Day.” These spells are cast like any other spell, but they are not expended when cast and may be used again.
• Spellbooks: An s-class magus must study her spellbook each day to prepare her spells. She cannot prepare any spell not recorded in her spellbook except for read magic, which all magi can prepare from memory. An s-class magus begins play with a spellbook containing all 0-level magus spells plus three 1st-level magus spells of her choice. The magus also selects a number of additional 1st-level magus spells equal to her Intelligence modifier to add to her spellbook. At each new magus level, she gains two new magus spells of any spell level or levels that she can cast (based on her new magus level) for her spellbook. At any time, an s-class magus can also add spells found in other spellbooks to her own. An s-class magus can learn spells from a wizard’s spellbook, just as a wizard can from an s-class magus’s spellbook. The spells learned must be on the magus spell list, as normal. An alchemist can learn formulae from an s-class magus’s spellbook, if the spells are also on the alchemist spell list. An s-class magus cannot learn spells from an alchemist.

Arcane Pool (Su)

At 1st level, an s-class magus gains an arcane pool with a number of points equal to 1/2 her magus level (minimum 1) + her Intelligence modifier. The pool refreshes once per day when the magus prepares her spells.

At 1st level, the magus can expend 1 point from her arcane pool as a swift action to grant any weapon she is holding a +1 enhancement bonus for 1 minute. For every four levels beyond 1st, the weapon gains another +1 enhancement bonus, to a maximum of +5 at 17th level. These bonuses can be added to the weapon, stacking with existing weapon enhancement to a maximum of +5. Multiple uses of this ability do not stack with themselves.

At 5th level, these bonuses can be used to add any of the following weapon properties: dancing, flaming, flaming burst, frost, icy burst, keen, shock, shocking burst, speed, or vorpal.

Adding properties consumes an amount of bonus equal to the property’s base price modifier. These properties are added to any the weapon already has, but duplicates do not stack. If the weapon is not magical, at least a +1 enhancement bonus must be added before any other properties can be added. These bonuses and properties are decided when the arcane pool point is spent and cannot be changed until the next time the magus uses this ability.

These bonuses do not function if the weapon is wielded by anyone other than the magus.

An s-class magus can only enhance one weapon in this way at one time. If she uses this ability again, the first use immediately ends.

Spellstrike (Su)

At 2nd level, whenever an s-class magus casts a spell with a range of “touch” from the magus spell list, she can deliver the spell through any weapon she is wielding as part of a melee attack. Instead of the free melee touch attack normally allowed to deliver the spell, an s-class magus can make one free melee attack with her weapon (at her highest base attack bonus) as part of casting this spell. If successful, this melee attack deals its normal damage as well as the effects of the spell. This attack uses the weapon’s critical range (20, 19–20, or 18–20 and modified by the keen weapon property or similar effects), but the spell effect only deals ×2 damage on a successful critical hit, while the weapon damage uses its own critical modifier.

Bonus Feats

At 3rd, 5th, 11th, and 19th level, an s-class magus gains a bonus feat in addition to those gained from normal advancement. These bonus feats must be selected from those listed as combat, item creation, or metamagic feats.

She must meet the prerequisites for these feats as normal.

Fighter Training (Ex)

Starting at 3rd level, an s-class magus counts half her total magus level as her fighter level for the purpose of qualifying for combat feats. If she has levels in fighter, these levels stack.

At 9th level, the magus uses her total level magus level as both her base attack bonus and her fighter level for the purpose of qualifying for combat feats.

Magus Arcana

Starting at 3rd level, an s-class magus gains one magus arcana. She gains an additional magus arcana for every three levels of magus attained after 3rd level. Unless specifically noted in an s-class magus arcana’s description, an s-class magus cannot select a particular magus arcana more than once. Magus arcana that affect spells can only be used to modify spells from the magus spell list unless otherwise noted.

A sample list of magus arcanas can be found at the end of this section.

Spell Recall (Su)

At 4th level, as a swift action, an s-class magus can recall any single magus spell that she has already prepared and cast that day by expending a number of points from her arcane pool equal to the spell’s level (minimum 1). The spell is prepared again, just as if it had not been cast.

Knowledge Pool (Su)

At 7th level, when an s-class magus prepares her magus spells, she can decide to expend 1 or more points from her arcane pool, up to her Intelligence bonus. For each point she expends, she can treat any one spell from the magus spell list as if it were in her spellbook and can prepare that spell as normal that day. If she does not cast spells prepared in this way before the next time she prepares spells, she loses those spells. She can also cast spells added in this way using her spell recall ability, but only until she prepares spells again.

Medium Armor (Ex)

At 7th level, an s-class magus gains proficiency with medium armor, and can cast magus spells in medium armor without incurring the normal arcane spell failure chance.

Heavy Armor (Ex)

At 13th level, an s-class magus gains proficiency with heavy armor, and can cast magus spells in heavy armor without incurring the normal arcane spell failure chance.

Improved Spell Recall (Su)

At 11th level, Whenever an s-class magus recalls a spell with spell recall, she expends a number of points from her arcane pool equal to 1/2 the spell’s level (minimum 1).

Instead of recalling a used spell the magus can prepare a spell of the same level that she has in her spellbook.

• As a swift action, the magus expends points from her arcane pool equal to the spell’s level (minimum 1).
• She cannot apply metamagic feats to a spell prepared in this way.
• She does not need to reference her spellbook to prepare a spell in this way.

Counterstrike (Ex)

At 16th level, whenever an enemy within reach of the magus successfully casts a spell defensively, that enemy provokes an attack of opportunity from the magus after the spell is complete. This attack of opportunity cannot disrupt the spell.

Greater Spell Access (Su)

At 19th level, the magus gains access to an expanded spell list. She learns and places 14 spells from the wizard’s spell list into her spellbook as magus spells of their wizard level. She gains two of each of the following wizard spells not on the magus spell list: 0-level, 1st-level, 2nd-level, 3rd-level, 4th-level, 5th-level, and 6th-level.

She can ignore the somatic component of these spells, casting them without the normal chance of spell failure.

Superior Studies (Su)

At 20th level, an s-class magus masters a technique that improves either her ability to fight or cast spells.

Choose one:

True Magus

Whenever the magus uses her spell combat ability, she does not need to make a concentration check to cast the spell defensively. Whenever she uses spell combat and her spell targets the same creature as her melee attacks, she can choose one of the following options each time:

• Increase the DC to resist the spell by +2
• Grant herself a +2 circumstance bonus on any checks made to overcome spell resistance
• Grant herself a +2 circumstance bonus on all attack rolls made against the target during her turn.

Legendary Blade

When the magus enhances her weapon with her arcane pool, she grants it an additional +2 enhancement bonus (for a total of +7).