Bonded Warmage (Magus/Summoner)

(Original Concept by Orelius)

Primary Class: Magus.

Secondary Class: Summoner.

Alignment: Any.

Hit Die: d8.

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

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: The bonded warmage is proficient with all simple and martial weapons. A bonded warmage is also proficient with light armor. He can cast magus spells while wearing light armor without incurring the normal arcane spell failure chance. Like any other arcane spellcaster, a magus wearing medium armor, heavy armor, or a shield incurs a chance of arcane spell failure if the spell in question has a somatic component. A multiclass bonded warmage still incurs the normal arcane spell failure chance for arcane spells received from other classes.

Diminished Spellcasting: The bonded warmage casts arcane spells drawn from the magus spell list, and gains one fewer spell of each spell level per day. If this reduces the number to 0, he may cast spells of that level only if his Charisma allows bonus spells of that level. A bonded warmage adds the following spells to his list at the indicated spell levels: cantrips—resistance; 1st level—life conduit†, magic fang, rejuvenate eidolon (lesser*); 2nd level—evolution surge (lesser)*, restore eidolon (lesser)±; 3rd level—devolution*, evolution surge*, life conduit (improved)†, magic fang (greater), rejuvenate eidolon*, restore eidolon±; 4th level—evolution surge (greater)*, purified calling*, summoner conduit†, transmogrify*; 5th level—life conduit (greater)†, rejuvenate eidolon (greater). A bonded warmage otherwise learns, prepares, and casts spells as a magus equal to his bonded warmage level. (*Advanced Player’s Guide, ±Ultimate Magic, †Ultimate Combat)

Synergy Pool (Su): At 1st level, the bonded warmage gains a reservoir of mystical arcane energy that he can draw upon to fuel his powers, enhance his weapon, and empower his war eidolon. This synergy pool has a number of points equal to 1/2 his bonded warmage level (minimum 1) + his Intelligence modifier. The pool refreshes once per day when the bonded warmage prepares his spells.

At 1st level, a bonded warmage can expend 1 point from his synergy pool as a swift action to grant any weapon he is holding a +1 enhancement bonus for 1 minute. Likewise, he can expend 1 point from his synergy pool to grant his war eidolon a +1 enhancement to attack and damage rolls to a single bonus natural attack for 1 minute. For every four levels beyond 1st, the weapon or war eidolon gains another +1 enhancement bonus, to a maximum of +5 at 17th level. These bonuses can be added to the weapon or war eidolon’s natural attack, stacking with existing weapon enhancement to a maximum of +5. Multiple uses of this ability do not stack with themselves.

At 5th level, these bonuses can be used to add any of the following weapon properties: dancing, flaming, flaming burst, frost, icy burst, keen, shock, shocking burst, speed, or vorpal. A war eidolon cannot gain the dancing weapon property.

Adding these properties consumes an amount of bonus equal to the property’s base price modifier. These properties are added to any the weapon or war eidolon already has, but duplicates do not stack. If the weapon or war eidolon is not magical, at least a +1 enhancement bonus must be added before any other properties can be added. These bonuses and properties are decided when the synergy pool point is spent and cannot be changed until the next time the bonded warmage uses this ability. These bonuses do not function if the weapon is wielded by another creature or if the war eidolon is under the control of anyone other than the bonded warmage.

A bonded warmage can only enhance one weapon or one of the war eidolon’s natural attacks in this way at one time. If he so chooses, a bonded warmage can enhance both his weapon and one of his war eidolon’s natural attacks simultaneous. Doing so expends 1 point from his synergy pool as normal, but the granted bonus must be split between the weapon and the war eidolon’s natural attack. For example, a 10th level bonded warmage chooses to enhance his weapon and one of his war eidolon’s natural attacks, and gains a maximum enhancement bonus of +3. He chooses to give his weapon a +2 enhancement bonus and his war eidolon’s natural attack a +1 enhancement bonus. He can then choose to consume his weapon bonus to add the flaming burst weapon property and his war eidolon’s natural attack bonus to add the frost weapon property. If he uses this ability again, the first use immediately ends. This ability otherwise functions as and replaces arcane pool.

War Eidolon: A bonded warmage begins play with the ability to summon to his side a powerful outsider called a war eidolon a number of times per day equal to 3 + his Intelligence modifier. This functions like the summoner’s eidolon ability except for the following changes.

Unlike a summoner’s eidolon, a bonded warmage can summon his war eidolon in a ritual that requires only a full-round action to perform. A war eidolon remains until dismissed by the bonded warmage (a standard action), or after the duration of his summons has expired. Once summoned, a war eidolon remains for 1 minute per bonded warmage level. If the war eidolon is sent back to its home plane due to death, it cannot be summoned again until the following day, even if the bonded warmage has uses of this ability remaining. As a war eidolon is meant to be a combat partner for the bonded warmage, only the biped, quadruped, and serpentine base form may be chosen by the bonded warmage.

While the war eidolon’s physical appearance is up to the bonded warmage, it always appears as some sort of armored or heavily scaled fantastical creature. While the armor or scales grants no additional protection, nor do they hamper the eidolon in any way, it does allow the bonded warmage to enchant the armor or scales at her cost as if it were a suit of masterwork armor.

A war eidolon gains only 2 evolutions point at 1st level, plus 1 additional evolution point every level thereafter, up to a maximum of 21 evolution points at 20th level. He can also select the following new evolution.

Guarded Ally (Sp): The eidolon can cast shield other once per day as a spell-like ability. The bonded warmage must be at least 4th level to select this evolution. This evolution is a 2–point evolution.

In addition, a war eidolon also gains the following ability at 4th level.

Deliver Touch Spells (Su): If the bonded warmage is 4th level or higher, a war eidolon can deliver touch spells for him. If the bonded warmage and the war eidolon are in contact at the time the bonded warmage casts a touch spell, he can designate his war eidolon as the “toucher.” The war eidolon can then deliver the touch spell just as the bonded warmage would. As usual, if the bonded warmage casts another spell before the touch is delivered, the touch spell dissipates.

A war eidolon otherwise functions as a summoner’s eidolon. This ability replaces spells lost due to diminished spellcasting.

Magus Arcana: This is exactly like the magus ability of the same name, except that the bonded warmage may also choose from the following new magus arcana that are restricted to the bonded warmage multiclass archetype.

Bonus Feat: The bonded war mage may select a combat feat or teamwork feat that he qualifies for, the Extra Evolution feat, or the Extra Summons feat as a bonus feat. If he chooses the Extra Summons feat, it applies to his war eidolon ability instead. This magus arcana can be selected multiple times. Each time it applies to a new bonus feat.

Shield Ally (Su): At 6th level, a bonded mage gains the summoner’s shield ally ability. This only functions while the war eidolon is summoned. This ability replaces the bonus feat gained at 5th level.

Maker’s Call (Su): At 7th level, a bonded mage gains the summoner’s maker’s call ability. This only functions while the war eidolon is summoned. This ability replaces the knowledge pool.

Battle Synergy (Ex): At 8th level, a bonded warmage receives a teamwork feat as a bonus feat. He must meet the prerequisites for this feat. Whenever the war eidolon is within 30 feet of the bonded warmage, it also gains the use of this teamwork feat, as well as any gained from his magus arcana. The war eidolon does not need to meet the prerequisites of this teamwork feat.

Upon reaching 10th level, and every two levels thereafter, a bonded warmage can choose to learn a new teamwork feat in place of a teamwork feat he has already learned through his battle synergy, magus arcana, or improved battle synergy ability. In effect, the bonded warmage loses the teamwork feat in exchange for the new one. The old teamwork feat cannot be one that was used as a prerequisite for another feat, prestige class, or other ability. A bonded warmage can only change one teamwork feat at any given interval. In addition, while the war eidolon is adjacent to its bonded warmage, his DC to cast defensively is decreased by 2. This ability replaces improved spell combat.

Greater Shield Ally (Su): At 11th level, a bonded warmage gains the summoner’s greater shield ally ability. This only functions while the war eidolon is summoned. This ability replaces the bonus feat gained at 11th level.

Improved Battle Synergy (Ex): At 14th level, the bonded warmage receives an additional teamwork feat as a bonus feat. He must meet the prerequisites for this teamwork feat. The bonded warmage’s war eidolon gains this teamwork feat, in addition to those gained from battle synergy and his magus arcana. In addition, while the war eidolon is adjacent to its bonded warmage, the DC to cast defensively is decreased by 4. This ability replaces greater spell combat.

Life Bond (Su): At 17th level, a boned mage gains the summoner’s life bond ability. This only functions while the war eidolon is summoned. This ability replaces the bonus feat gained at 17th level.

Greater Spell Access (Ex): This is exactly like the magus ability of the same name, except that the bonded warmage selects his spells from the summoner spell list instead of the wizard spell list.

True Synergist (Ex): At 20th level, the bonded warmage receives an additional teamwork feat as a bonus feat. He must meet the prerequisites for this teamwork feat. The bonded warmage’s war eidolon gains this teamwork feat, in addition to those gained from battle synergy, improved battle synergy, and his magus arcana. In addition, whenever the bonded warmage and war eidolon are within 10 feet of each other, the bonded warmage can choose to use his war eidolon’s initiative roll instead of his, as a swift action. If the bonded warmage uses the war eidolon’s initiative, both the bonded mage and war eidolon gain a +4 bonus to their attack and damage rolls until the end of combat. If the either the bonded warmage or the war eidolon move beyond 10 feet of each other, this bonus immediately ends. This ability replaces true magus.

Table: Bonded Warmage