Arcane Champion (Paladin/Arcanist)

Weapon and Armor Proficiency

The arcane champion is proficient with all simple and martial weapons, with all types of armor (heavy, medium, and light), and with shields (except tower shields). She can cast arcane champion spells while wearing heavy, light, or medium armor and using a shield without incurring the normal arcane spell failure chance. A multiclass arcane champion still incurs the normal arcane spell failure chance for arcane spells received from other classes.

Detect Magic (Sp)

At will, an arcane champion can use detect magic, as the spell. An arcane champion can, as a move action, concentrate on a single item or individual within 60 feet and determine if it is magic, learning the strength of its aura as if having studied it for 3 rounds. While focusing on one individual or object, the arcane champion does not detect magic in any other object or individual within range. This ability replaces detect evil.

Smite Magic (Su)

Once per day, an arcane champion can draw upon the arcane power within her to aid her in her struggle against her enemies. As a swift action, the arcane champion chooses one target within sight to smite. If this target is a spellcaster (sorcerer, wizard, etc.), or uses spell-like abilities, the arcane champion adds her Intelligence bonus (if any) to her attack rolls and adds her arcane champion level to all damage rolls made against the target of her smite. If the target of the smite is an outsider or a dragon, the bonus to damage on the first successful attack increases to 2 points of damage per level the arcane champion possesses. Regardless of the target, smite attacks automatically bypass any DR the creature might possess.

In addition, while smite magic is in effect, the arcane champion gains a deflection bonus equal to her Intelligence modifier (if any) to her AC against attacks made by the target of the smite. If the arcane champion targets a creature that is not magical, the smite is wasted with no effect.

The smite effect remains until the target of the smite is dead or the next time the arcane champion rests and regains her uses of this ability. At 4th level, and at every three levels thereafter, the arcane champion may make a smite one additional time per day, as indicated on Table: Arcane Champion, to a maximum of seven times per day at 19th level. This ability replaces smite evil.

Arcane Reservoir (Su)

At 2nd level, an arcane champion gains an innate pool of magical energy that she can draw upon to fuel many of her powers. The arcane champion’s arcane reservoir can hold a maximum amount of magical energy equal to 3 + the arcane champion's level. Each day, when preparing spells, the arcane champion's arcane reservoir fills with raw magical energy, gaining a number of points equal to 3 + 1/2 her arcane champion level. Any points she had from the previous day are lost. The arcane reservoir can never hold more points than the maximum amount noted above; points gained in excess of this total are lost.

The arcane champion can use her arcane reservoir to heal wounds (her own or those of others) by touch. By spending 1 point from her arcane reservoir, an arcane champion can heal 1d6 hit points of damage for every two arcane champion levels she possesses. Using this ability is a standard action, unless the arcane champion targets herself, in which case it is a swift action. Despite the name of this ability, an arcane champion only needs one free hand to use this ability.

Alternatively, an arcane champion can spend 1 point from her arcane reservoir to deal damage to undead creatures, dealing 1d6 points of damage for every two levels the arcane champion possesses. Using this ability in this way requires a successful melee touch attack and doesn't provoke an attack of opportunity. Undead do not receive a saving throw against this damage.

In addition, at 4th level, an arcane champion can expend 1 point from her arcane reservoir as a free action whenever she casts an arcane champion spell. If she does, she can choose to increase the caster level by 1 or increase the spell's DC by 1. She can expend no more than 1 point from her reservoir on a given spell in this way.

This ability replaces lay on hands.

Arcanist Exploits

At 3rd level and every three levels thereafter, an arcane champion gains one of the following exploits: acid jet, arcane barrier, arcane weapon, consume magic items, counterspell, energy shield, flame arc, force strike, ice missiles, item crafting, lightning lance, metamagic knowledge, metamixing, potent magic, quick study, see magic, sonic blast, spell disruption, spell resistance, swift consume. This ability replaces mercy.

Channel Arcane Energy (Su)

Starting at 4th level, an arcane champion can channel the raw magical energy that flows through her body to heal a target by touch. As a standard action, the arcane champion can heal a single creature (including herself) for 2d6 hit points plus 1d6 for every two level beyond 4th (3d6 at 6th, 4d6 at 8th, and so on). Healing a target in this way requires a successful melee touch attack and doesn't provoke an attack of opportunity.

At 10th level, an arcane champion can instead choose to release a 20-foot cone-shaped burst of raw magical energy from her hands. This is a standard action that does not provoke an attack of opportunity. The amount of damage dealt is equal to 1d6 points of damage for every two arcane champion levels she possesses (5d6 at 10th, 6d6 at 12th, and so on). This damage is half fire damage and half raw magical power. Creatures that take damage from channeled arcane energy receive a Reflex save to halve the fire damage only. The DC of this save is equal to 10 + 1/2 the arcane champion’s level + the arcane champion’s Charisma modifier. Creatures with immunity or resistance to fire apply this affect to only half the damage. Creatures immune to magic effects that allow spell resistance (such as golems) are immune to this ability.

Using this ability consumes two points of her arcane reservoir. This ability replaces channel positive energy.

Spellcasting

Beginning at 4th level, an arcane champion gains the ability to cast a small number of arcane spells drawn from the arcane champion spell list. To learn, prepare, or cast a spell, an arcane champion must have an Intelligence score equal to at least 10 + the spell level. The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against an arcane champion's spell is 10 + the spell level + the arcane champion's Intelligence modifier.

An arcane champion only cast a certain number of spells of each spell level per day. Her base daily spell allotment is given on Table: Arcane Champion under “Spells per Day.” In addition, she receives bonus spells per day if she has a high Intelligence score.

An arcane champion may know any number of spells, but the number she can prepare each day is limited. At 1st level, she can prepare two 1st-level spells each day. At each new arcane champion level, the number of spells she can prepare each day increases, adding new spell levels as indicated on Table: Arcane Champion Spells Prepared. Unlike the number of spells she can cast per day, the number of spells an arcane champion can prepare each day is not affected by her Intelligence score. Feats and other effects that modify the number of spells known by a spellcaster instead affect the number of spells an arcane champion can prepare.

An arcane champion must choose and prepare her spells ahead of time by getting 8 hours of sleep and spending 1 hour studying her spellbook. While studying, the arcane champion decides what spells to prepare and refreshes her available spell slots for the day.

Like a sorcerer, an arcane champion can choose to apply any metamagic feats she knows to a prepared spell as she casts it, with the same increase in casting time (see Spontaneous Casting and Metamagic Feats). However, she may also prepare a spell with any metamagic feats she knows and cast it without increasing casting time like a wizard. She cannot combine these options—a spell prepared with metamagic feats cannot be further modified with another metamagic feat at the time of casting (unless she has the metamixing arcanist exploit).

Through 3rd level, an arcane champion has no caster level. At 4th level and higher, her caster level is equal to her arcane champion level –3.

Spellbooks: An arcane champion must study her spellbook each day to prepare her spells. She can't prepare any spell not recorded in her spellbook, except for read magic (which all arcane champions can prepare from memory).

An arcane champion begins play with a spellbook containing three 1st-level spells of her choice. The arcane champion also selects a number of additional 1st-level spells equal to her Intelligence modifier to add to the spellbook. At each new arcane champion level, she gains two new spells of any spell level or levels that she can cast (based on her new arcane champion level) for her spellbook. At any time, an arcane champion can also add spells found in other wizard's spellbooks to her own, as long as it is on her spell list.

Arcane Bond (Su)

This is exactly like the paladin’s divine bond ability, except that instead of forming a bond with her weapon, an arcane champion forms a bond with her holy symbol.

As a standard action, an arcane champion can channel raw magical energy into her holy symbol for 1 minute per arcane champion level. When channeled, the energy causes the arcane champion’s holy symbol to shed light like a torch.

At 5th level, the arcane energy grants one bonus. For every three levels beyond 5th, the arcane energy grants one additional bonus. These bonuses can be spent in a number of ways to grant the arcane champion enhanced abilities to channel arcane energy and to cast spells.

Each bonus can be used to grant one of the following enhancements:

• +1 caster level to any arcane champion spell cast,

• +1 to the DC to halve the damage of channel arcane energy when used to harm outsiders and dragons,

• +1d6 damage to channel arcane energy,

• +1 on caster level checks (1d20 + caster level) made to overcome spell resistance.

These enhancements stack and can be selected multiple times. The enhancements granted by the arcane energy are determined when the energy is channeled and cannot be changed until the arcane energy is channeled again. The arcane energy imparts no enhancements if the holy symbol is held by anyone other than the arcane champion, but resumes giving enhancements if returned to the arcane champion. An arcane champion can use this ability once per day at 5th level, and one additional time per day for every four levels beyond 5th, to a total of four times per day at 17th level.

If a holy symbol with channeled arcane energy is destroyed, the arcane champion loses the use of this ability for 30 days, or until she gains a level, whichever comes first. During this 30-day period, the arcane champion takes a –1 penalty on attack and weapon damage rolls.

An arcane champion may also choose to bond with a mount, as normal.

Magic Sundering (Su)

At 11th level, an arcane champion can sunder magic items with great efficiency. Whenever an arcane champion makes a sunder combat maneuver against a magic item, she adds her Intelligence bonus (if any) to her combat maneuver bonus roll and adds her arcane champion level to damage roll. She also adds her Intelligence bonus (if any) to her combat maneuver defense against sunder attempts made against magic items (including magic weapons or armor) in her possession. If the arcane champion has the consume magic items arcanist exploit and successfully sunders a magic item other than a potion, scroll, staff, or wand, she adds a number of arcane reservoir points equal to 1/4 the item’s caster level (items with a caster level less than 4th do not recharge the arcane champion’s arcane reservoir). If the item is destroyed, she gains no benefit. Points gained in excess of the arcanist's reservoir's maximum are lost.This ability replaces aura of justice.

Greater Exploits (Su)

At 12th level, an arcane champion gains the arcanist’s greater exploits ability and may choose one of the following greater exploits in place of an exploit: alter enhancements, burning flame, counter drain, dancing electricity, energy absorption, greater counterspell, greater metamagic knowledge, greater spell disruption, greater spell resistance, icy tomb, lingering acid, redirect spell, resistance drain, siphon spell, spell thief, suffering knowledge.

Dispelling Strike (Su)

At 14th level, an arcane champion can spend 1 or more points from his arcane reservoir as a swift action to imbue her weapon with a special power. If the weapon strikes a creature within the next minute, that creature is the subject of a targeted dispel magic using the arcane champion’s level as the caster level, except that this effect cannot dispel a spell of a level higher than the number of arcane reservoir points expended to activate this ability (treat higher-level spells as if they do not exist and apply the dispel attempt to the remaining spells with the highest caster level). Once the strike is made, the power dissipates, even if the dispel attempt is unsuccessful. This ability replaces aura if faith.

Arcane Knight (Su)

At 20th level, an arcane champion becomes a conduit for the arcane power granted to her by her god. Her DR increases to 10/evil. When she uses smite magic and successfully strikes an outsider or dragon, the outsider or dragon is also subject to an expend spell, using her arcane champion level as the caster level. If the expend spell succeeds, two uses of a supernatural or spell-like ability are expended instead of one. After the expend effect and the damage from the attack is resolved, the smite immediately ends.

In addition, whenever the arcane champion channels arcane energy, she can expend all her remaining arcane reservoir points (minimum 4) to unleash a blast of raw magical energy in a 30-foot radius, centered on the arcane champion. This blast deals 10d6 points of damage plus a number of additional points of damage equal to her arcane champion level. This ability replaces holy champion.

Arcane Champion Spell List

Arcane champions gain access to the following spells.

1st-Level Arcane Champion Spells—burning hands, chill touch, corrosive touch, cure light wounds, detect charms, detect magic, endure elements, feather fall, honeyed tongue, ironbeard, keep watch, knight’s calling, know the enemy, longshot, mage armor, magic missile, magic weapon, mirror strike, mount, protection from chaos/evil/law, ray of enfeeblement, read magic, returning weapon, shield, shield of fortification, shock shield, shocking grasp, strong wings, true strike, unerring weapon, warding weapon, wartrain mount, weapons against evil.

2nd-Level Arcane Champion Spells—aura of greater courage, bear’s strength, blinding ray, blindness/deafness, bull’s strength, bullet ward, corruption resistance, defensive shock, delay pain, endure elements (communal), fire breath, flaming sphere, fox’s cunning, frigid touch, gust of wind, instant armor, light lance, litany of defense, litany of eloquence, litany of righteousness, magic siege engine, owl’s wisdom, protection from arrows, protection from chaos/evil/law (communal), remove paralysis, resist energy, righteous vigor, sacred bond, saddle surge, scorching ray, see invisibility, shatter, shield companion, shield other, spider climb, stone call, vestment of the champion, weapon of awe, zone of truth.

3rd-Level Arcane Champion Spells—angelic aspect, archon’s aura, bestow auras, blade of bright victory, burst of speed, cure moderate wounds, daybreak arrow, deadly juggernaut, discern lies, dispel magic, draconic reservoir, elemental aura, fireball, flame arrow, fly, force punch, haste, heal mount, heroism, hold person, keen edge, lightning bolt, locate weakness, magic circle against chaos/evil/law, magic weapon (greater), protection from energy, ray of exhaustion, remove blindness/deafness, sanctify armor, sanctify weapons, shield of fortification (greater), sleet storm. stinking cloud, versatile weapon, water breathing, wrathful mantle.

4th-Level Arcane Champion Spells—angelic aspect (greater), ball lighting, bestow grace of the champion, black tentacles, blaze of glory, break enchantment, confusion, cure serious wounds, death ward, dispel chaos, dispel evil, dispel law, earth glide, fear, fire shield, flaming sphere (greater), holy sword, ice storm, king’s castle, magic siege engine (greater), neutralize poison, pellet blast, raise animal companion, resounding blow, shout, slow, stoneskin, wall of fire, wall of ice, wreath of blades.