Arcane Champion

Many of the evils that plague the world are born from magic, or at least the most identifiable ones.

The Quintessential Paladin

Author Alejandro Melchor
Series Quintessential Series
Publisher Mongoose Publishing
Publish date 2002

Without the restrictions of conscience or a moral code, arcane magic and its practitioners can run unchecked. Arcane champions realise they can use such a tool for their own use and have proven that arcane magic, used responsibly, can also be a tool for the greater good.

These warriors complement their combat training with the study of the arcane arts in order to use them responsibly, often wielding them as an effective weapon against those who twist magic to evil causes. The strict discipline they are subject to enables them to couple combat and magic and also weeds out those who would rather use such training for the wrong cause. Cloistered in their order’s chapterhouse, an arcane champion has access to the best masters of both blade and spell.

Arcane champions are not sequestered scholars. The knowledge of magic they acquire is put to use in defending the law and thus attracts paladins and clerics who wish to expand their practice of magic to include arcane spells as well as their normal allotment of divine magic. Wizards and sorcerers who wish to learn the useful abilities of the arcane champions also seek to join, but must often have some additional combat training as well.

Hit Die: d8.

Requirements

• Alignment: Lawful Good.
• Base Attack Bonus: +4.
• Ability: Intelligence 13+.
• Skills: Concentration 7 ranks, Spellcraft 5 ranks.
• Feat: Spell Focus (any school).

Class Skills

The arcane champion’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Concentration (Constitution), Craft (Intelligence), Diplomacy (Charisma), Heal (Wisdom), Knowledge (Arcana, religion) (Intelligence), Profession (Wisdom), Ride (Dexterity)(Dexterity) and Spellcraft (Intelligence). See Skills in the SRD for skill descriptions.

Skill Points at Each Level: 2 + Intelligence modifier.

The Arcane Champion
Class Level	Base Attack Bonus	Fort Save	Ref Save	Will Save	Special	0	1	2	3
1	+0	+2	+0	+2	Detect Magic	1	–	–	–
2	+1	+3	+0	+3	Reduced Spell Failure	3	1	–	–
3	+2	+3	+1	+3	One-hand Casting	4	2	–	–
4	+3	+4	+1	+4	Arcane Focus	4	2	1	–
5	+3	+4	+1	+4	Mageblade	4	3	2	1

Class Features

Armour and Weapon Proficiency: Arcane champions are proficient with all simple and martial weapons. They are proficient with light and medium armour and with shields. Note that armour check penalties for armour heavier than leather apply to the skills Balance, Climb, Escape Artist, Hide, Jump, Move Silently, Pick Pocket and Tumble. Also, Swim checks suffer a –1 penalty for every 5 pounds of armour, equipment, or loot carried.

Spells: An arcane champion casts arcane spells. He may prepare and cast any spell on the wizard and sorcerer list with some exceptions and provided he can cast spells of that level. In order to cast a spell, the arcane champion must have an Intelligence score of 10 + the spell’s level. The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against his spells is 10 + the spell’s level + the character’s Intelligence modifier. Bonus spells for the arcane champion are based on Intelligence.

The character’s caster level is equal to his arcane champion class levels plus any cleric, druid, wizard, sorcerer or bard class levels or plus half his paladin class level. Arcane champions acquire spells like wizards, adding them to a spellbook they study every morning. As a restriction, they cannot learn, prepare or cast spells with the shadow, chaotic or evil descriptors, nor from the Enchantment, Illusion or Necromancy schools.

Detect Magic (Sp): At first level, the arcane champion learns to detect the ebb and flow of magic. Once per day per level plus any positive Charisma modifier, he can use Detect Magic as a spell-like ability. It works the same as the spell of the same name.

Reduced Spell Failure: Part of an arcane champion’s intense training consists of spellcasting with weights attached to his arms and body, teaching him to spellcast while wearing armour. The character reduces the chance of arcane spell failure by 5% per prestige class level for armour he is proficient with.

One-Hand Casting (Ex): Next in the character’s training comes the casting of spells with only one hand, as the other is being used to attack with a weapon. With a successful Concentration check (DC 15 + spell’s level), the arcane champion can cast a spell as a move-equivalent action, but must have at least one hand free. He cannot cast a second spell as a standard action.

Arcane Focus: At 4th level, the arcane champion learns to make a special focus to aid him in spellcasting without resorting to material components. This arcane focus channels the champion’s will into a spell. If the material component is of negligible cost, the champion suffers one point of subdual damage per spell level. If the component has a listed cost in gold, he can pay 1 XP for every 5 gp to cover it.

A champion cannot spend so much experience that it would reduce his level. This focus can double as a divine focus if the character has access to divine magic, and he always has the option of actually using the materials rather than incurring subdual damage or experience loss.

Mageblade (Su): The arcane champion melds his magical and martial prowess and is able to infuse magic into his weapon. He must do this at the same time as he prepares the spell to be invested into the weapon and the investment lasts for a full day (unless used as an enhancement bonus) or until released. The magical investment remains dormant until released as a partial action that does not draw an attack of opportunity. The character chooses one of the following effects to infuse in his weapon:

Enhancement Bonus: The weapon gains a bonus enhancement equal to the level of the spell invested in the weapon. This enhancement lasts for one hour per caster level and does not stack with any other enhancement the weapon may enjoy, such as an already-magical weapon or the magic weapon spell. The higher enhancement is the one that is used.

Spell Trigger: The weapon stores a single spell which the champion can trigger as if it was a scroll.

Dispel Charge: Upon a successful Spellcraft check, if the champion determines that a spell cast in his presence is of lower (not equal) level than the spell contained in his weapon, he can release the stored magical energy to dispel it, gaining a +2 sacred bonus to his caster check to do so.

A weapon can only hold one magic infusion at a time, plus one per bonus enhancement if it is already magical.

Multiclass Note: paladins can gain levels in the arcane champion class and still be able to advance as paladins.