General Prestige Class : Spellsword
The dream of melding magic and weaponplay is fulfilled in the person of the spellsword. A student of both arcane rituals and martial techniques, the spellsword gradually learns to cast spells in armor with less chance of failure. Moreover, he can cast spells through his weapon, bypassing his opponent's defenses.
Despite the class's name, a spellsword can use any weapon or even switch weapons. "Spellaxe," "spellspear," and other appellations for this prestige class are certainly possible but not commonly used. The Requirements for this prestige class make it most attractive to multiclass wizard/fighters or sorcerer/fighters, although bard/fighters can meet the Requirements just as easily.
Feared by other martial characters because of his ability to use spells, and feared by spellcasters because of his ability to cast those spells while wearing armor, a spellsword often walks the world alone.
Requirements
To qualify to become a Spellsword, a character must fulfill all the following criteria:
- Skills: Knowledge (arcana) 6 ranks.
- Feats: Proficiency with all simple and martial weapons and with all armor (heavy, medium, and light),
- Base Attack Bonus: +4.
- Spells: Ability to cast arcane spells of 2nd level or higher.
- Special: Must have defeated a foe through force of arms alone, without recourse to spellcasting.
- Weapon and Armor Proficiency: All simple and martial weapons and all armor (heavy, medium, and light).
Class Skills
The spellsword's class skills are Climb, Concentration, Jump, Knowledge, Profession, and Spellcraft.
Skill Points at Each Level: 2 + Int modifier.
Class Features
All of the following are class features of the spellsword prestige class.
Spells per Day: At every odd-numbered level, a spellsword gains new spells per day as if he had also gained a level in an arcane spellcasting class he belonged to before adding the prestige class. He does not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained (improved chance of controlling or rebuking undead, metamagic or item creation feats, and so on), save for an increased effective level of spellcasting. If a character had more than one spellcasting class before becoming a spellsword, he must decide to which class he adds the new level for purposes of determining spells per day.
Ignore Spell Failure (Ex): Beginning at 1st level, a spellsword's hard work and practice at merging spellcraft with weaponplay starts to pay off. As an extraordinary ability, he ignores a portion of the arcane spell failure chance associated with using armor. This reduction starts at 10% and gradually increases to 30%, as shown on the class table. A spellsword subtracts the given percentage value from his total spell failure chance, if any. For instance, a character wearing scale mail and carrying a small shield normally has a spell failure chance of 30%, but this drops to only 20% for a 1st-level spellsword.
Bonus Feat: At 2nd level, a spellsword advances his art, gaining a bonus feat. This bonus feat must be either a metamagic feat or one drawn from the list of bonus feats allowed to a fighter (see Fighter feats.
Channel Spell (Sp): At 4th level, a spellsword can channel any spell he can cast into his melee weapon. Using this ability requires a move action, and the spellsword uses up the prepared spell or spell slot just as if he had cast the spell. The channeled spell affects the next target that the spellsword successfully attacks with his weapon (saving throws and spell resistance still apply). Even if the spell normally affects an area or is a ray, it affects only the target. The spell is discharged from the weapon, which can then hold another spell. A spellsword can channel his spells into only one weapon at a time. Spells channeled into a weapon are lost if not used in 8 hours.
Multiple Channel Spell (Sp): A 10th-level spellsword can channel two spells into his melee weapon, using a move action to channel each one. Both channeled spells affect the next target the spellsword successfully attacks with his weapon, in the order the spells were placed into the weapon. As with the channel spell class feature, saving throws and spell resistance apply normally. Each time a spellsword uses multiple channel spell, two of his five channel spell uses per day are expended.
| Spellsword | Hit Die: d8 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CL | BAB | Fort | Ref | Will | Special | Spells per day |
| 1st | +1 | +2 | +0 | +2 | Ignore spell failure 10% | +1 level of existing arcane spellcasting class |
| 2nd | +2 | +3 | +0 | +3 | Bonus feat | - |
| 3rd | +3 | +3 | +1 | +3 | Ignore spell failure 15% | +1 level of existing arcane spellcasting class |
| 4th | +4 | +4 | +1 | +4 | Channel spell 3/day | - |
| 5th | +5 | +4 | +1 | +4 | Ignore spell failure 20% | +1 level of existing arcane spellcasting class |
| 6th | +6 | +5 | +2 | +5 | Channel spell 4/day | - |
| 7th | +7 | +5 | +2 | +5 | Ignore spell failure 25% | +1 level of existing arcane spellcasting class |
| 8th | +8 | +6 | +2 | +6 | Channel spell 5/day | - |
| 9th | +9 | +6 | +3 | +6 | Ignore spell failure 30% | +1 level of existing arcane spellcasting class |
| 10th | +10 | +7 | +3 | +7 | Multiple Channel spell | - |
Epic Spellsword
The epic spellsword weaves magic and melee together with unparalleled skill.
Since you mix combat with your spellcasting, your epic feat selection should mirror that combination. Keep up with the fighter-types with Epic Prowess and Epic Toughness, but make sure that the other spellcasters aren't kicking sand in your face by beefing up your spells with Epic Spell Focus, Improved Spell Capacity, or Intensify Spell. Try to resist the temptation to spread your ability increases too widely -- you're probably better off focusing on Strength and either Intelligence or Charisma, depending on what controls your spellcasting.
Other Options: If you have the time and ability, consider learning Epic Spellcasting and coming up with some unique spells that fit your tactics. If you're a finesse-fighter, focus on improving your Dexterity over your Strength -- if you can't hit the target, your spell channeling isn't much good.
Class Features
Spells: The epic spellsword's caster level increases by 1 per even-numbered level gained above 10th. In addition, at every even-numbered level, the epic spellsword gains new spells per day as if she had also gained a level in whatever spellcasting class she belonged to before she added the prestige class, up to the number of spells per day possessed by a 20th-level character of that class.
Channel Spell (Su): The epic spellsword's ability to channel continues to improve after 10th level. At 15th level, the maximum allowable spell level that may be channeled by the epic spellsword is 4th. This maximum level increases by 1 for every 5 additional levels gained (5th-level spell at 20th, 6th-level spell at 25th, and so on).
Ignore Spell Failure (Ex): The reduction of arcane spell failure chance increases by 5% for every two levels above 9th (to 35% at 11th, 40% at 13th, and so on). For instance, at 17th level the epic spellsword could wear full plate armor and a large shield and suffer no chance of arcane spell failure.
Bonus Feats: The epic spellsword gains a bonus feat (selected from the list of epic spellsword feats) every 4 levels after 8th.
Epic Spellsword Bonus Feat List: Automatic Quicken Spell, Automatic Silent Spell, Automatic Still Spell, Enhance Spell, Epic Prowess, Epic Spell Focus, Epic Spell Penetration, Epic Spellcasting, Epic Toughness, Epic Weapon Focus, Ignore Material Components, Improved Combat Casting, Improved Heighten Spell, Improved Metamagic, Improved Spell Capacity, Intensify Spell, Multispell, Permanent Emanation, Spell Knowledge, Spell Opportunity, Spell Stowaway, Spontaneous Spell, Tenacious Magic.
| Epic Spellsword | d8 |
|---|---|
| CL | Special |
| 11th | Ignore spell failure 35% |
| 12th | Bonus feat |
| 13th | Ignore spell failure 40% |
| 14th | - |
| 15th | Channel spell (4th), ignore spell failure 45% |
| 16th | Bonus feat |
| 17th | Ignore spell failure 50% |
| 18th | - |
| 19th | Ignore spell failure 55% |
| 20th | Channel spell (5th), bonus feat |
Source: Compete Warrior
Tome and Blood