Elemental Blade (Fighter/Wizard)

The majority of fighters are trained solely with martial techniques, elemental blades are fighters with the smallest spark of arcane talent. Their trainers focus this talent into an elemental focus allowing them to cast an extremely limited selection of spells, though this comes at a cost to their martial skills. (Original Concept by Browman)

Primary Class: Fighter.

Secondary Class: Wizard (elemental).

Alignment: Any.

Hit Dice: d10.

Bonus Skills and Ranks: The elemental blade may select three wizard skills to add to his class skills in addition to the normal fighter class skills. The elemental blade gains a number of ranks at each level equal to 2 + Int modifier.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: An elemental blade is proficient with all simple and martial weapons, light armor, medium armor, and with shields (except tower shields). An elemental blade can cast arcane spells while wearing light or medium armor and using a shield without incurring the normal arcane spell failure chance. Like any other arcane spellcaster, an elemental blade wearing heavy armor incurs a chance of arcane spell failure if the spell in question has a somatic component. A multiclass elemental blade still incurs the normal arcane spell failure chance for arcane spells received from other classes.

Cantrips: An elemental blade can prepare a number of cantrips, or 0-level spells, each day, as noted on Table: Elemental Blade under “Spells per Day.” These spells are cast like any other spell, but they are not expended when cast and may be used again. An elemental blade cannot prepare a cantrip from his opposition school.

Elemental School: At 1st level, an elemental blade gains the wizard’s arcane school ability, except that he must choose one of the four elemental schools (Air, Earth, Fire, or Water). He also gains the first listed school power, and each additional listed power at 4th level and 12th level respectively. An elemental blade only gains spells from his elemental school (see Elemental Spells). This ability and elemental spells replace the bonus feat gained at 1st level, armor training, and armor mastery.

Elemental Spells: Beginning at 4th level, an elemental blade gains the ability to cast a small number of arcane spells which are drawn from the wizard spell list of his chosen elemental school. An elemental blade must choose and prepare his spells ahead of time.

Like other spellcasters, an elemental blade can cast only a certain number of spells of each spell level per day. His base daily spell allotment is given on Table: Elemental Blade. In addition, he receives bonus spells per day if he has a high Intelligence score. When Table: Elemental Blade indicates that the elemental blade gets 0 spells per day of a given spell level, he gains only the bonus spells he would be entitled to based on his Intelligence score for that spell level. Through 3rd level, an elemental blade has no caster level. At 4th level and higher, his caster level is equal to his elemental blade level –3.

Spellbook: An elemental blade begins play with a spellbook containing all 0-level wizard spells (except those from his opposed elemental school; see Elemental Arcane Schools). At 4th level, he gains three 1st-level spells of his choice from his elemental school spell list. The elemental blade also selects a number of additional 1st-level spells equal to his Intelligence modifier to add to the spellbook. At each new elemental blade level beyond 4th, he gains one new spell of his choice to add to his spellbook. The spell must be of a spell level he can cast, and it must be chosen from his elemental school spell list. At any time, an elemental blade can also add spells from his elemental school found in other wizards' spellbooks to his own.

Energy Defense (Su): Starting at 2nd level, an elemental blade is able to defend himself against energy attacks of the type associated with his elemental school–Air (electricity), Earth (acid), Fire (fire), or Water (cold). He gains a +1 bonus to all savings throws against spells and effects of his school element. This bonus increases by +1 every four levels beyond 2nd. This ability replaces bravery.

Elemental Weapon (Su): Upon reaching 3rd level, an elemental blade forms a powerful bond with a weapon of his choice. If an elemental blade attempts to cast a spell without his bonded weapon in hand, he must make a concentration check or lose the spell. The DC for this check is equal to 20 + the spell's level.

Once per day as a swift action, an elemental blade can wreathe his bonded weapon in elemental energy for 1 minute. While wreathed in energy, the elemental blade’s weapon deals an amount of energy damage of his school type equal to 1d6 + 1/2 his elemental blade level. At 7th level and every four levels thereafter, an elemental blade can wreathe his weapon in elemental energy an additional time per day.

An elemental blade can add additional magic abilities to his bonded weapon as if he has the required Item Creation Feats and if he meets the level prerequisites of the feat. The magic properties of a bonded weapon, including any magic abilities added to the weapon, only function for the elemental blade who owns it. If a bonded weapon's owner dies, or the weapon is replaced, the weapon reverts to being an ordinary masterwork item of the appropriate type.

If a bonded weapon is damaged, it is restored to full hit points the next time the elemental blade prepares his spells. If the bonded weapon is lost or destroyed, it can be replaced after 1 week in a special ritual that costs 100 gp per elemental blade level plus the cost of the masterwork item. This ritual takes 8 hours to complete. Weapons replaced in this way do not possess any of the additional enchantments of the previous bonded weapon. An elemental blade can designate an existing magic weapon as his bonded item. This functions in the same way as replacing a lost or destroyed item except that the new magic weapon retains its abilities while gaining the benefits and drawbacks of becoming a bonded weapon. This ability replaces the weapon training.

Energy Adaptation (Su): Stating at 4th level, an elemental blade can channel stored spell energy into various energy-based effects, as a swift action. The elemental blade can “lose” any prepared spell in order to gain resistance to the energy type associated with his elemental school for 1 minute per elemental blade level. For each level of the prepared spell, he gains energy resistance 5. For example, a 9th level elemental blade that “loses” a 2nd–level spell would gain energy resistance 10 to the energy type of his elemental school for 9 minutes.

At 10th level, an elemental can “lose” any prepared spell in order to gain energy resistance to the energy type opposed to his elemental school for 1 round per elemental blade level. For each level of the prepared spell, he gains energy resistance 5. For example, a 12th level elemental blade that “loses” a 3rd–level spell would gain energy resistance 15 to his opposite energy type for 12 rounds.

At 16th level, an elemental can “lose” any prepared spell in order to create a burst of the energy type associated with his elemental school. This effect is in 30-foot cone-shaped burst that deals 2d6 points of energy damage plus 2d6 points of damage for each level of the prepared spell. Creatures within this cone effect gains a Reflex saving throw (DC 10 + 1/2 the elemental blade’s level + the elemental blade’s Intelligence modifier) for half damage.

This ability replaces bonus feats gained at 4th, 10th and 16th level.

Elemental Weapon Mastery (Ex): At 20th level, any attacks made with the elemental blade’s bonded weapon automatically confirm all critical threats. In addition, when he confirms a critical hit with his elemental weapon, his weapon is treated as having the flaming burst special weapon ability, but deals energy damage of a type associated with his elemental school. This ability replaces weapon mastery.

Table: Elemental Blade