Puppetmaster

Puppetmasters focus on using charm and illusion spells to control the senses of those for whom they perform.

Skills

A puppetmaster gains 4 skill points per level. He adds Knowledge (history, local, religion) and all Perform skills to his list of class skills. He does not gain Climb, Ride, and Swim as class skills.

This alters the magus’s skills.

Spells

A puppetmaster can cast spells from the bard and magus spell lists, and treats bard spells as magus spells.

Because he does not have a bardic performance ability, some bard spells (which modify or require bardic performance) are poor choices for a puppetmaster. He must add bard spells to his spellbook prior to preparing them as normal.

A puppetmaster can learn bard spells from a formula book or spellbook (if they are also alchemist extracts or wizard spells) or a scroll (as if learning a wizard spell from a scroll), or can select them to be one or more of the two magus spells he adds to his spellbook at each magus level.

This replaces knowledge pool and greater spell access.

Arcane Pool

A puppetmaster cannot expend points from his arcane pool to grant enhancement bonuses or weapon special abilities to a weapon he is holding. As a swift action whenever the puppetmaster casts a spell of the enchantment or illusion school, he can expend 1 point from his arcane pool to increase the spell’s save DC or caster level by 1. At 7th level, the increase to the spell’s save DC or caster level changes to 2, at 13th level to 3, and at 19th to 4.

This alters the magus’s arcane pool ability.

Puppet Combat (Ex)

A puppetmaster can use spell combat, improved spell combat, and greater spell combat only with spells of the enchantment and illusion schools of magic.

This ability alters spell combat, improved spell combat, and greater spell combat.

Charmstrike (Su)

At 2nd level, as a swift action when a foe fails a saving throw against a spell (but not a spell-like or supernatural ability) cast by a puppetmaster, the puppetmaster can expend 1 point from his arcane pool to cast a prepared 1st-level enchantment on the foe. The foe must be one that the spell can target, and is the only creature affected (even if the spell can normally target multiple creatures). At 10th level, the puppetmaster can instead cast a 2nd-level enchantment spell on the foe, and at 16th level, a 3rd-level enchantment spell. The prepared spell is expended, as if cast normally.

This ability replaces spellstrike, fighter training, and counterstrike.

The Show Must Go On (Su)

When a puppetmaster has a creature under the effects of an enchantment spell and that creature has line of sight to an illusion spell the puppetmaster has cast with a duration of concentration, the puppetmaster can link the illusion spell to the enchanted target. As long as the target has line of sight to the illusion and is enchanted, and the puppetmaster has line of sight to both the target and the illusion, the puppetmaster can maintain the illusion as a free action each round. The puppetmaster can maintain only one illusion spell in this way. At 13th level, the puppetmaster can maintain two illusion spells in this way, requiring a separate enchanted target for each illusion.

This ability replaces medium armor and heavy armor.

Scene Stealer (Su)

At 20th level, if a puppetmaster successfully disbelieves an illusion, he can expend 1 point from his arcane pool to try to negate or steal control of the illusion. The puppetmaster attempts a caster level check as if he were dispelling the effect with dispel magic. If he succeeds, he can either end the effect or alter it as if he were the spell’s caster. If the spell’s duration is concentration, the puppetmaster must concentrate on the new effect (or transfer it to an enchanted target using the show must go on) or it ends.

This ability replaces true magus.

Section 15: Copyright Notice

Pathfinder Player Companion: Arcane Anthology © 2016, Paizo Inc.; Authors: Alexander Augunas, Steven T. Helt, and David N. Ross.

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