High Seas Magus (Magus/Swashbuckler)

Most magi spend their time perfecting their blend of magic and martial prowess, but the high seas magus unlocks a powerful form of sea magic that allows him to merge his arcane talents with the daring deeds of a swashbuckling sea captain. The high seas magus is the single most authority aboard his ship. He employs both spell and steel with devastating effect and uses his influence and air of command to gain power that few foes would dare to stand against. (Original Concept by Elghinn Lightbringer)

Primary Class: Magus.

Secondary Class: Swashbuckler.

Alignment: Any.

Hit Dice: d8.

Bonus Skills and Ranks: The high seas magus selects three swashbuckler skills to add to his class skills in addition to the normal magus class skills. The high seas magus gains a number of ranks at each level equal to 4 + Int modifier.

Table: High Seas Magus

Weapon and Armor Proficiency

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

Spellcasting

A high seas magus is an expert at high seas magic and adds the following spells to his spell list at the indicated levels: 0th level–message, ray of frost; 1st level–alter winds, summon monster I (air or water elementals only), touch of the sea; 2nd level–elemental speech, glide, resist energy, slipstream, summon monster II (air or water elementals only), whispering wind; 3rd level–draconic reservoir, protection from energy, summon monster IV (air or water elementals only), wind wall; 4th level–summon monster V (air or water elementals only); 5th level–planar adaptation, planar binding (lesser), suffocation, summon monster VII (air or water elementals only); 6th level–control weather, fluid form, planar binding, summon monster VIII (air or water elementals only), vortex. A high seas magus otherwise learns, prepares, and casts spell as a magus of equal level. He also gains bonus spells for a high Intelligence modifier.

Arcane Pool (Su)

This is exactly like the magus ability of the same name, except that he removes the dancing, frost, and icy burst weapon properties and adds the defending, dueling, impervious, repositioning, seaborne, and thundering weapon properties to the list of those he can add to his weapon.

Deeds

At 1st level, a high seas magus gains the swashbuckler’s deeds ability, and gains access to 1st level deeds. At 3rd level and every four levels thereafter (7th, 11th, etc.), the magus if the high seas gains access to each subsequent level of deeds, up to 19th level deeds at 19th level. This ability and panache replace spell combat, the magus arcana gained at 3rd and 15th level, knowledge pool, improved spell recall, and greater spell access.

In addition, a high seas magus swaps eight deeds for the following deeds.

Deep Breath (Ex): At 1st level, as long as the high seas magus has at least one panache point, he can hold his breath for a number of rounds equal to three times his Constitution modifier before he must start making Constitution checks. This deed replaces the derring-do deed.

Eyes of the Storm (Ex): At 3rd level, as long as the high seas magus has at least 1 panache point, he can see three times as far as normal in non-magical fog. In magical fog, he can see normally for 10 feet; after that, creatures and objects have partial concealment for the next 10 feet and total concealment thereafter. This deed replaces the swashbuckler initiative deed.

Windrigger (Ex): At 3rd level, a high seas magus has learned the tricky art of tacking. By spending 1 panache point, he can increase his ship’s base movement by 5 feet for 1 hour. This deed replaces the menacing swordplay deed.

Burst of Speed (Ex): At 7th level, a high seas magus can spend 1 panache point to doubles his base movement or that of his ship for 1 round. He can use this ability once per day at 7th level, and an additional time per day every four levels thereafter. This deed replaces the superior feint deed.

Leg Sweep (Ex): At 11th level, as long as the high seas magus has at least 1 panache point, and deals damage with a light or one-handed piercing melee weapon against a single opponent, he can make a trip attack against the damaged opponent as an immediate action. All the usual rules for trip attacks apply, and feats such as Improved Trip modify the attack normally. This deed replaces the subtle blade deed.

Inspired Strike (Ex): At 11th level, a high seas magus can spend 1 panache point when making an attack with a light or one-handed melee weapon to gain an insight bonus on that attack roll equal to his Intelligence modifier (minimum +1). When a high seas magus hits with an attack augmented by inspired strike, he can spend 1 additional panache point to make the hit a critical threat, though if he does so, he does not regain panache if he confirms that critical threat. The cost of this deed cannot be reduced by abilities such as Signature Deed. This deed replaces the bleeding wound deed.

Commander’s Authority (Ex): At 15th level, as long as the high seas magus has at least 1 panache point, he can shout orders to his crew. All allies within 30 feet of the high seas magus who can hear him gain a +1 morale bonus on attack rolls or on a particular skill check for 1 round per high seas magus’s level. The high seas magus specifies which bonus applies when he uses this deed and may not change the bonus for the duration of this ability. At 18th level, this bonus increases to +2. Using this deed requires a full-round action. The cost of this deed cannot be reduced by abilities such as Signature Deed. This deed replaces the swashbuckler’s edge deed.

Instant Riposte (Ex): At 19th level, as long as the high seas magus has at least 1 panache point, whenever an enemy misses a high seas magus with an attack of opportunity, it provokes an attack of opportunity from the high seas magus. This deed replaces the stunning stab deed.

Panache (Ex)

At 1st level, a high seas magus gains the swashbuckler’s panache ability. However, the high seas magus uses his Intelligence to determine his daily number of panache points and the effects of his deeds instead of Charisma. In addition, the close-combat focus of the high seas magus results in a slightly different set of circumstances for regaining panache.

Adjacent Strike: The first time each round the high seas magus makes a melee attack with a light or one-handed melee weapon against an adjacent foe and provokes an attack of opportunity, he regains 1 panache point. Making an adjacent melee attack against a helpless or unaware creature or on a creature that has fewer Hit Dice than half the high seas magus' character level does not restore panache, nor do melee attacks using some ability that prevents the high seas magus from provoking an attack of opportunity.

This ability alters panache and replaces the ability to regain panache from a critical hit with a light or one-handed piercing melee weapon.

Seaborne Master (Su)

A high seas magus adds half his high seas magus level on Climb and Swim checks and to Acrobatics checks to move on narrow surfaces and uneven ground. In addition, he never needs to make concentration checks because of natural weather.

Spell Combat (Su)

At 4th level, a high seas magus gains the magus spell combat ability. This ability replaces spell recall.

Magus Arcana

This is exactly like the magus ability of the same name. In addition, the high seas magus can select one of the following rogue talents in place of a magus arcana: acrobatic stunt, canny observer, climbing stunt, expert leaper, flying stunt, hold breath, iron guts, ledge walker, nimble climber, peerless maneuver, swimming stunt.

Captain of the Storm (Ex)

At 10th level, a high seas magus treats all storms as if they were one category less severe for the purposes of sailing and navigation. (This benefit stacks with the Hurricane Savvy character trait and other effects related to wind conditions.) He can make an Acrobatics check to move his normal speed across uneven ground, and he does not take a penalty on any Acrobatics checks due to slightly slippery, slightly unsteady, or moderately unsteady conditions. This ability replaces improved spell recall.

Wave of the Sea (Su)

At 13th level, a high seas magus can create a wave of water that starts at his location and moves 30 feet per round away from him in a direction of his choosing. Creatures struck by the wave might be knocked down and pushed away. Make a caster level check against the CMD of each creature struck. If the high seas magus succeeds, the creature is knocked prone. If his check exceeds the CMD of the creature by 5 or more, it is carried with the wave during the wave’s movement this round. The high seas magus receives a +5 bonus on this check if the creature shares its space with the wave at the start of the highs seas magus’s turn (when the wave moves). Creatures carried in this way can move out of the wave on their turn if they succeed on a Strength check (DC = 10 + 1/2 the high seas magus’s caster level + his Intelligence modifier), but they cannot breathe while sharing space with the wave. The wave is up to 20 feet high and up to 5 feet long for each high seas magus level he possesses. Nonmagical fires hit by the wave are automatically extinguished. Magical fire effects are unaffected. A high seas magus can use this ability for a number of rounds per day equal to 1/2 his high seas magus level. This ability replaces heavy armor.

Master and Caommander (Ex)

At 20th level, when a high seas magus threatens a critical hit with a light or one-handed melee weapon, that critical hit is automatically confirmed. Furthermore, the critical threat range increases by 1 (this increase to the critical threat range stacks with the increases from the keen weapon special ability and similar effects), and the critical modifier of the weapon increases by 1 (×2 becomes ×3, for example). In addition, a high seas magus can always take 10 on Climb and Swim checks and on Acrobatics checks to move on narrow surfaces and uneven ground, even if he normally cannot. This ability replaces true magus.

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