Prestige Classes
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. |
Hit Die: d8.
Requirements
To qualify to become a spellsword, a character must fulfill all of the following criteria.
Base Attack Bonus: +4.
Skills: Knowledge (arcana) 6 ranks.
Feats: Proficiency with all simple and martial weapons and with all armor (heavy, medium, and light).
Spells: Able to cast 2nd-level arcane spells.
Special: Must have defeated a foe through force of arms alone, without recourse to spellcasting.
Class Skills
The spellsword's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Jump (Str), Knowledge (Int), Profession (Wis), and Spellcraft (Int).
Skill Points at Each Level: 2 + Int modifier.
| Level | Base Attack Bonus |
Fort Save |
Ref Save |
Will Save |
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 | — |
Class Features
All of the following are class features of the spellsword prestige class.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency:
Spells per Day: At every odd-numbered level, a spell sword 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 spell sword’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 Table 5–1 on page 90 of the Player’s Handbook).
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 spell sword 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.