Esoteric Knight

Mysterious warriors and wielders of psychic powers, esoteric knights are as rare as the obscure techniques they obsessively practice. While others seek the perfection of mind and body in the pursuit of tranquility, these warriors aim to become perfect, dangerous weapons by learning occult secrets and mastering deadly fighting moves. Esoteric knights know that balance between mind and body is an advantage they can exploit against those who favor brains or brawn.

Every esoteric knight is different. They rarely form orders or train apprentices and guard their unique secrets with unmatched paranoia. Though anyone with the right mix of abilities can become an esoteric knight, the road to becoming one is filled with dead ends, eldritch dangers, and unexpected twists.

Hit Die: d10.

Requirements

To qualify to become an esoteric knight, a character must fulfill all of the following criteria.

• Base Attack Bonus: +5.
• Special: Kinetic blast class feature or ability to cast 1st-level psychic spells.

Class Skills

The esoteric knight’s class skills are Appraise (Int), Climb (Str), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Knowledge (planes) (Int), Knowledge (religion) (Int), Linguistics (Int), Ride (Dex), Spellcraft (Int), and Swim (Str).

Skill Ranks per Level: 4 + Int modifier.

Table: Esoteric Knight

Level	Base Attack Bonus	Fort Save	Ref Save	Will Save	Special	Spells Per Day
						1st	+1	+1	+0	+1	Martial esoterica	—
2nd	+2	+1	+1	+1	Psychic esoterica	+1 level of existing class
3rd	+3	+2	+1	+2	Martial esoterica	—
4th	+4	+2	+1	+2	Psychic esoterica	+1 level of existing class
5th	+5	+3	+2	+3	Martial esoterica	—
6th	+6	+3	+2	+3	Psychic esoterica	+1 level of existing class
7th	+7	+4	+2	+4	Martial esoterica	—
8th	+8	+4	+3	+4	Psychic esoterica	+1 level of existing class
9th	+9	+5	+3	+5	Martial esoterica	—
10th	+10	+5	+3	+5	Psychic esoterica	+1 level of existing class

Class Features

The following are the class features of the esoteric knight prestige class.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency

An esoteric knight is proficient with all simple and martial weapons, light armor, medium armor, and shields.

Spells per Day

At the indicated levels, an esoteric knight gains new spells per day as if she had also gained a level in a psychic spellcasting class she belonged to before adding the prestige class. She does not, however, gain other benefits a character of that class would have gained, except for additional spells per day, spells known (if she is a spontaneous spellcaster), and an increased effective level of spellcasting. If a character had more than one psychic spellcasting class before becoming an esoteric knight, she must decide to which class she adds the new level for purposes of determining spells per day.

Instead of choosing a spellcasting class, a character with levels in a class that grants the kinetic blast class feature can add these effective levels to that class. If she does, she increases her effective kineticist level for purposes of determining the highest level of wild talents she can select, the effective spell level of her kinetic blast and defense wild talents, and the amount of burn she can accept each round.

She continues to gain utility wild talents and infusions as if these levels of esoteric knight were levels of her class that grants kinetic blast. She does not gain or increase other related class features, such as infusion specializations.

Martial Esoterica

At 1st level and every 2 levels thereafter, the esoteric knight gains a bonus combat feat. She must meet the prerequisites of the feat. Her esoteric knight levels count as fighter levels and stack with any levels of fighter she might have for meeting the prerequisites for feats.

An esoteric knight can learn a new combat feat in place of the most recent martial esoterica feat she has learned either by expending a 1st-level spell slot or, if she is a character with the burn class feature (such as the kineticist), by accepting 1 point of burn as a standard action. In effect, the esoteric knight loses the bonus feat in exchange for the new one.

She can change only the most recent combat feat gained.

Whenever she gains a new bonus combat feat, the previous feat becomes set and cannot be changed again.

Psychic Esoterica

As an esoteric knight gains experience, she learns a number of psychic esoterica that enhance her offensive and defensive capabilities. At 2nd level and every 2 levels thereafter, an esoteric knight gains one psychic esoterica. Each esoterica can be selected only once.

Some esoterica require a character to expend one or more spell slots to activate. A character with the burn class feature (such as a kineticist) can accept burn instead of expending spell slots. She can accept 1 point of burn instead of expending a 1st-level or lower spell slot, or 2 points of burn instead of expending a 3rd-level or lower spell slot.

Air Walk (Sp)

[Source]

By expending a 2nd-level spell slot as a swift action, the esoteric knight can levitate, as the spell, for 1 minute per esoteric knight level she possesses.

Psychokinesis (Sp)

[Source]

By expending a 1st-level spell slot as a swift action, the esoteric knight can manipulate small objects telekinetically. This functions as mage hand, except the chosen object can weigh up to 10 pounds per class level of the esoteric knight.

Mental Feat (Ex)

[Source]

The esoteric knight gains one of the following feats as a bonus feat: Combat Casting, Ecstatic Fury (see Feats below), Empath, Extra Rage, Mad Magic, Psychic Combatant, Psychic Defender, Psychic Healing, Psychic Maestro, Psychic Virtuoso, Raging Concentration, Spell Focus, or Spell Penetration. This psychic esoterica can be selected more than once, each time granting a new bonus feat.

Mind Connection (Su)

[Source]

By expending a spell slot as a swift action, an esoteric knight can establish a telepathic bond with an ally within 30 feet for a number of rounds equal to the level of the spell slot used. This is a mind-affecting effect.

Psychic Daring (Su)

[Source]

As a free action, an esoteric knight can recover grit or panache points by sacrificing a spell slot; this grants her a number of grit or panache points equal to the level of the spell slot used. An esoteric knight must have a grit or panache pool in order to select this esoterica.

Psychic Rage (Su)

[Source]

As a free action, an esoteric knight can extend the duration of her rage by sacrificing a spell slot; this prolongs the duration of her rage for a number of rounds equal to the level of the spell slot used. An esoteric knight must have the rage class feature or a class feature functioning as rage in order to select this esoterica.

Battle Mind (Su)

By expending a 1st-level spell slot as a free action while casting a spell or using a kinetic blast, the esoteric knight can cast the spell as if it were modified by the Intuitive Spell and Logical Spell feats or grant the kinetic blast the benefits of the Point-Blank Shot and Precise Shot feats.

Confounding Projection (Su)

By expending a 1st-level spell slot as a swift action, an esoteric knight can project a duplicate of herself into the mind of an enemy within 30 feet for 1 round. This duplicate appears to the enemy to occupy an adjacent space and grants the esoteric knight the benefits of flanking, even against enemies who are normally immune to flanking. This is a mind-affecting effect.

Eldritch Armor (Su)

When wearing armor or using a shield, the esoteric knight adds 1 point of her Intelligence or Charisma bonus (if any; whichever is higher) per esoteric knight class level as an enhancement bonus to her armor or shield (maximum +5). The esoteric knight can forgo 1 point of enhancement bonus per ability to instead grant the benefit of the glamered, shadow, or slick armor special abilities.

Each day when regaining spell slots, the esoteric knight can adjust these benefits and can transfer them to a different armor or shield; the benefits cease to function if the esoteric knight is not wearing the armor or wielding the shield.

Eldritch Weapon (Su)

By expending a 1st-level spell slot as a swift action, the esoteric knight can grant a magic weapon she is wielding any one of the following special abilities for 1 minute: defending, flaming, frost, keen, merciful, or shock. This benefit stacks with (but cannot duplicate) any existing weapon enhancements. The esoteric knight can alternatively cause the weapon to be treated as cold iron or silver for the purpose of bypassing damage reduction for 1 minute.

Phantom’s Armory (Su)

By expending a 2nd-level spell slot as a swift action, the esoteric knight can cause her attacks (whether weapon attacks or kinetic blasts) and her armor to be treated as ghost touch weapons and armor for 1 minute, regardless of weapon or armor type or any other abilities modifying the weapons and armor.

Shadow Projection (Su)

By expending a 3rd-level spell slot as a standard action, the esoteric knight can summon a phantom ally resembling herself. This ability functions as the shadowdancer’s summon shadow ability except that the summoned creature remains for 1 minute per esoteric knight level, and there is no penalty for the creature’s death or dismissal.

Step through Reality (Sp)

By expending a 3rd-level spell slot as a swift action, the esoteric knight can teleport to a space within 30 feet as if using dimension door. This movement does not provoke attacks of opportunity. The esoteric knight cannot bring other creatures with her.