Force Mage

Requirements

Base Attack Bonus: +7.

Spellcasting: Must be able to cast arcane spells of 3rd level or higher. Must be a conjuration specialist and cannot have evocation or abjuration as opposition schools. Must know at least 3 force descriptor spells.

Feats: Spell Focus (Conjuration), Spell Focus (Evocation).

Skills: Knowledge (arcana) 8+, Concentration 8+.

Special: Must have scribed a scroll of each force descriptor spell known at least once.

Summary

Not every conjurer focuses on summoning. The school can do so much more than call creatures, and some spellcasters realize this from their first days as an apprentice when they cast mage armor. A wonderful spell, especially at lower levels, mage armor represents the aspect of conjuration magic that creates constructs of force. This avenue of spellwork is not well researched and most conjurers move on past mage armor to explore conjuration’s other possibilities.

The force mage is an exception. Versed in both conjuration and evocation, his predilection for force-descriptor spells and combat magic begins with a few simple spells and quickly becomes a magical path for all his future works. As he delves into the mysteries of the interaction between the two schools and the power of created force effects, he reaches an epiphany and calls forth his mage armor for the first time without casting a spell to do it.

This act marks the spellcaster as a force mage, someone with a special talent for blending conjuration and evocation through the use of force-descriptor spells and effects. Most force mages begin self-taught, but the lore of the path can be passed down from one force mage to another. Their conjurer training makes them adept at forming mutually beneficial relationships, though arrogance and pride sometimes push force mages apart to pursue their studies alone.

A force mage’s abilities in pure combat are not to be overlooked. Many of their powers suggest a martial mind and because of the things they gain, training as a fighter would not be inappropriate interspersed with advancement in this class. Combined, the two disciplines can make for a potent combatant, terrifying to behold, wielding a power that few have any resistance to and fewer still can escape.

Role: Spell DPS

Characteristics: Force magic specialists that can create armor, weapons, and mounts of force at the cost of other spells

Source: Encyclopedia Arcane: Conjuration

Game Rule Information

The Force Mage has the following game statistics.

Abilities: Whatever your casting stat is, and surprisingly this mage can be rather brutish as your physical stats such as Strength, Constitution and Dexterity are huge boons

Alignment: Any

Hit Die: d8

Starting Gold: N/A

Class Skills

The Force Mage's class skills are Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Knowledge (all skills, taken individually) (Int) Listen (Wis), Search (Int), Spellcraft (Int) and Spot (Wis).

Skill Points at 1st Level: (2 + Int modifier) × 4

Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 2 + Int modifier

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the Force Mage.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A Force Mage is proficient with whatever they were already proficient with prior to taking levels in this class.

Spells Per Day: A force mage continues training in magic as he explores the complex interactions of force. Thus, when the force mage reaches second level and every other level thereafter (4th, 6th, 8th and 10th), the character gains spells as if he had also gained a level in a spellcasting class he belonged to before he added the prestige class. He does not, however, gain any additional benefits a character of that class would have received, only the new spells.

This essentially means that he adds half his level of force mage (rounded down) to the level of another spellcasting class the character already has and then determines spells per day and caster level accordingly. If the caster had more than one spellcasting class before he became a force mage, he must decide to which class he adds each even numbered level of force mage for the purposes of determining spells per day when he adds the new level.

Spectral Armor Su: At the 1st level of the force mage class, the spellcaster learns to summon the energies of force in a mage armor effect at will. This special ability has an unlimited duration and can be called as a standard action and dismissed at will as a free action This mage armor takes the appearance of a suit of translucent magical armor in whatever hue or styling the force mage desires. The mage armor gained by this ability gains an additional +1 armor bonus for every level of force mage past the first, to a maximum bonus of +13 at 10th level.

Force Focus Ex: Once per day, the force mage can substitute force as a descriptor for any spell with an energy descriptor (fire, cold, acid, electricity, or sonic) as a free action. No other property of the spell changes, including amount of damage done if any, but the type of damage done changes to force. This allows any spell substituted in this way to affect incorporeal creatures and will bypass many forms of resistance.

Spectral Weapon Su: This power summons a melee weapon of pure force to the hand of the mage. This takes a standard action, but can be combined with a move-equivalent action or reduced to a free action if the force mage has Quick Draw as a feat. The weapon can be any melee weapon the mage can use with full proficiency and can be different each time the mage calls upon it. It inflicts the base damage of the weapon duplicated, has an enhancement bonus of +1 for every 2 full levels of force mage possessed, and can channel any touch-ranged spell the mage casts in the same way as a spectral hand. Use of this power is also unlimited, and can be dismissed as a free action.

Force Lash Su: By conjuring forth a blast of force energy, the force mage can strike at a foe within 90 feet three times a day. This attack requires a ranged touch attack roll and inflicts 1d10 points of damage per level of force mage possessed. The attack can take the shape and hue of anything the force mage desired, but it is always luminous and translucent.

Spectral Shield Su: When the force mage casts shield as one of his own spells (not from a wand, scroll, or other magical item or external effect), his innate knowledge of force allows him to improve its effects. A shield cast by a force mage protects in all directions and can, at the mage’s option, interpose itself in the way of an attack that offers a Reflex save for half damage. If the force mage succeeds at the save, he takes no damage at all; the shield, however, is dispelled from the overwhelming force of the attack. This operates exactly as the Evasion class ability. A shield spell augmented with this power takes whatever shape and color the force mage desires, as with Spectral Weapon above.

Improved Force Focus Ex: The force mage’s ability to channel force energies improves at this level, allowing him to freely use Force Focus instead of only once per day. Unfortunately, this ability comes so easily to the force mage that casting an applicable spell without using Force Focus becomes difficult. The casting time for any spell with an energy descriptor the force mage does not want to change increases to a full-round action unless it is already longer than that. Another benefit of Improved Force Focus is that the force mage gains the keen special weapon ability with his Spectral Weapon.

Spectral Steed Sp: When the force mage casts Phantom Steed, the resulting creation appears surrounded in barding that resembles the mage’s own Spectral Armor. This barding has the same armor bonus as that class power and does not impede the phantom steed in any way. This augmented phantom steed can fight, having all the relevant combat information of a heavy warhorse. In addition, the phantom steed gains 2 hit points instead of 1 per caster level and when astride this creation, the force mage counts as having the feat Mounted Combat. This bonus is more an expression of his mastery over the force that comprises the creature than any real horsemanship skill. Lastly, a Spectral Steed’s physical attacks all count as +3 weapons for the purpose of defeating damage reduction and its base movement rate (including flight) gains +10 feet.

Force Shadow Su: The force mage can create a duplicate of himself made of force energy once per day for 7 rounds. This duplicate can appear at any point within 90 feet provided the force mage has both line of sight and effect. The duplicate has the force mage’s hit points and combat statistics but benefits from none of the mage’s items or current spell effects. This Force Shadow can act as a channel for touch ranged spells but cannot otherwise initiate or benefit from magic. At the Force Mage’s option, the force shadow can manifest any of his Spectral class abilities, but while the shadow has them, the Force Mage cannot manifest them himself. Controlling the Force Shadow is a simple act of will and does not keep the force mage from taking other actions, even casting spells.

Spectral Strike Su: The physical manifestations of force that the mage summons with his Spectral abilities gain power, speed, and enhanced effects at this level. A 9th level or higher force mage clad in Spectral Armor benefits from the effects of a cat’s grace (+4 to Dexterity) and bull’s strength (+4 to Strength) while it is active. A Spectral Weapon gains the speed weapon special quality.

Master of Force Ex: The force mage now understands implicitly the way force energies apply to the magic he wields. He can freely substitute the force designator in his spells as per Improved Force Focus, but his casting times are not increased if he chooses not to. He essentially becomes specialized in force magic in addition to conjuration. He does not have to choose another opposition school, but he gains an additional spell per level he can cast, provided it is one with the force designator or one he can substitute.

Table 1-1: Force Mage Progression

Level	Base Attack Bonus	Fort Save	Ref Save	Will Save	Special	Spells per Day
1st	+0	+2	+0	+2	Spectral armor	—
2nd	+1	+3	+0	+3	Force focus	+1 level of existing class
3rd	+2	+3	+1	+3	Spectral sword	—
4th	+3	+4	+1	+4	Force lash	+1 level of existing class
5th	+3	+4	+1	+4	Spectral shield	—
6th	+4	+5	+2	+5	Improved force focus	+1 level of existing class
7th	+5	+5	+2	+5	Spectral steed	—
8th	+6	+6	+2	+6	Force shadow	+1 level of existing class
9th	+6	+6	+3	+6	Spectral enhancement	—
10th	+7	+7	+3	+7	Master of force	+1 level of existing class