Sanctioned Spellsword

Many sanctioned spellswords protect sites, people, and relics sacred to magic-focused deities. Religions that fear or police the use of magic may train a select few sanctioned spellswords to instead hunt down magic-users.

Class Skills: The sanctioned spellsword removes Knowledge (dungeoneering) from his or her list of class skills and adds Knowledge (religion) to the list of class skills in addition to the normal magus class skills.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: The sanctioned spellsword is proficient with all simple weapons, light armor, and the favored weapon of his or her deity. He or she 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. This replaces the normal magus weapon and armor proficiency feature.

Diminished Spellcasting: The sanctioned spellsword casts one fewer spell of each level than normal. If this reduces the number to 0, the sanctioned spellsword may cast spells of that level only if his or her Intelligence allows bonus spells of that level.

Arcane Pool (Su): A good sanctioned spellsword (or one that worships a good deity) adds holy to the list of weapon properties he or she can use to enhance a weapon using the sanctioned spellsword’s arcane pool ability. An evil sanctioned spellsword (or one that worships an evil deity) adds unholy to the list of weapon properties he or she can use to enhance a weapon using the sanctioned spellsword’s arcane pool ability. A neutral spellsword that worships a neutral deity (or one who is not devoted to a particular deity) must choose whether he or she can use the holy or unholy weapon property. Once this choice is made, it cannot be reversed. This ability otherwise functions as the standard magus arcane pool class feature.

Domain (Su): At 1st level, the sanctioned spellsword can select one domain from among those belonging to his or her deity. The sanctioned spellsword can select an alignment domain only if his or her alignment matches that domain. With the GM’s approval, a sanctioned spellsword can be devoted to an ideal instead of a deity, selecting one domain to represent personal inclination and abilities. The restriction on alignment domains still applies. Each domain grants a number of domain powers, depending on the level of the sanctioned spellsword. The sanctioned spellsword does not gain the bonus spells listed for each domain, nor does he or she gain bonus spell slots. The sanctioned spellsword uses his or her level as the effective cleric level and can choose to use either Intelligence or Wisdom when determining the DC, number of uses, power, and effect of his or her selected domain’s powers. If the sanctioned spellsword has cleric levels, one of his or her two domain selections must be the same domain selected as a sanctioned spellsword. Levels of cleric and sanctioned spellsword stack for the purpose of determining domain powers and abilities, but not for bonus spells.

Sanctioned Spellsword Arcana: A sanctioned spellsword gains access to the following magus arcana:

Blended Theurgy (Ex): When the sanctioned spellsword selects this arcana, he or she must select one spell from the domain spell list of one his or her deity’s domains that is of a magus spell level the sanctioned spellsword can cast. He or she adds this spell to the spellbook and list of magus spells known as a magus spell of its cleric spell level. The sanctioned spellsword can instead select two spells to add in this way, but both must be at least one level lower than the highest-level magus spell he or she can cast. The sanctioned spellsword can select this magus arcana more than once.

Domain Strike (Su): When the sanctioned spellsword selects this arcana, he or she chooses one domain granted power that can affect no more than one opponent. The sanctioned spellsword may activate the power as part of spell combat and can choose to deliver the effects of the chosen power through his or her spellstrike. Doing so provokes no attacks of opportunity. The magus may select this arcana more than once, but each time the magus takes it, he or she must apply the benefit to a different qualifying domain power.

Theurgist Pool (Su): At 7th level, when the sanctioned spellsword prepares magus spells, he or she can decide to expend 1 or more points from his or her arcane pool, up to the sanctioned spellsword’s Intelligence bonus. For each point the sanctioned spellsword expends, he or she can treat any one cure spell, inflict spell, or spell from his or her domain spell list as if it were in his or her spellbook and can prepare that spell as normal that day. The sanctioned spellsword may only prepare a cure spell if the sanctioned spellsword can employ the holy weapon property using his or her arcane pool. Likewise, the sanctioned spellsword may prepare an inflict spell only if the magus can employ the unholy weapon property using his or her arcane pool. If the sanctioned spellsword does not cast spells prepared in this way before the next time he or she prepares spells, the sanctioned spellsword loses those spells. The sanctioned spellsword can also cast spells added in this way by using his or her spell recall ability, but only until the magus prepares spells again. If a spell is listed on both his or her magus and domain spell lists, the magus must use the spell as it appears on the magus spell list. This ability replaces knowledge pool.

Magus Arcana: The following arcana complement the sanctioned spellsword archetype: broad study*, dispelling strike*, disruptive**, spellbreaker**.

(This post is Product Identity.)