Path of the Spellblade

Spell Combat (Ex)

• Requirements: CST 2, Spellcraft 3, 20 EXP

You learn to cast spells and wield weapons at the same time. This functions much like Two-Weapon Fighting, except the off-hand weapon is a spell that is being cast. To use this ability, the character must have one hand free (even if the spell being cast does not have somatic components), while wielding a light or one-handed melee weapon in the other hand. As a full-round action, the character can make all of their attacks with their melee weapon at a –2 penalty and can also cast any spell from their spell list with a casting time of 1 Standard Action (any attack roll made as part of this spell also takes this penalty). If they cast this spell defensively, they may decide to take an additional penalty on their attack rolls, up to their Primary Casting Attribute bonus, and add the same amount as a circumstance bonus on their concentration check. If the check fails, the spell is wasted, but the attacks still take the penalty. A character can choose to cast the spell first, or make the weapon attacks first, but if they have more than one attack, they cannot cast the spell between weapon attacks.

Spellstrike (Su)

• Requirements: CST 5, Spellcraft 5, 25 EXP

With this talent, whenever a character casts a spell, they may deliver the spell through any weapon they are wielding as part of a melee attack. Instead of casting the spell normally, the character can make one free melee attack with their weapon (at their highest base attack bonus) as part of casting this spell. If successful, this melee attack deals its normal damage in addition spell damage as well as the effects of the spell. (non-damaging effects of spells still require a saving throw vs the spells effect) If the character makes this attack in concert with spell combat, this melee attack takes all the penalties accrued by spell combat melee attacks. This attack uses the weapon’s critical threat increment, but the spell effect only deals ×2 damage on a successful critical hit, while the weapon damage uses its own critical modifier (the damage multiplier only applies to melee or ranged touch attack based spells, or another spell that can critically hit).

Spell Recall (Su)

• Requirements: CST 5, Spellcraft 5, 10 EXP

Whenever you cast the same spell within 1 minute, the spell's Mana cost is reduced by 1, to a minimum cost of 1 MP.

Improvisational Casting

• Requirements: CST 11, Spellcraft 5, 30 EXP

You may cast a spell without knowing it by spending 3x the normal MP cost. You may not apply Metamagic Talents to a spell cast this way. You may only select an unknown spell up to one Tier below the highest Spell Tier which you have access to.

Improved Spell Strike

• Requirements: Spell Strike, CST 13, Spellcraft 7, 15 EXP

You gain a +2 bonus on concentration checks when casting defensively. In addition, when you critically strike with Spell Combat, you may forgo the critical multiplier and spend 1 MP to increase the saving throw DC of the spell by (2 + the weapons critical multiplier). For example, using this ability with an Axe (x3 multiplier) would increase the DC of the spell by a total of 5.

Improved Spell Recall

• Requirements: Spell Recall, CST 16, Spellcraft 12, 20 EXP

Whenever you cast a spell of the same school, element, or Tier within a 1 minute increment, the Mana cost is reduced by 1. Additionally, once per day you may refund half of the MP spent on casting a spell. Apply this reduction before the reduction granted by Spell Recall, do not include the cost of Metamagic, and round down.

Accurate Strike

• Requirements: CST 14, 20 EXP

You may expend 3 MP as a Swift Action to resolve all of your melee weapon attack rolls against your target's Touch AC until the end of your turn.

Arcane Scent

• Requirements: CST 5, Knowledge Arcana 7, Spellcraft 7, 10 EXP

You gain Scent, as the monster ability, within a range of 30 ft. However, your Scent only works against creatures or other suitable entities that are capable of casting magic. Additionally, as long as your Scent is unihibited, you may attempt a Spellcraft check as a Move Action to determine the highest level spell that a detected creature is capable of casting (DC 10 + the creature's Caster Level). You may only make one check against any specific creature once every 24 hours.

Ranged Spellstrike

• Requirements: Spellstrike, CST 8, Spellcraft 6, 15 EXP

You may use Spellstrike with a ranged weapon. You may not combine ranged and melee attacks as a part of the same full round action. All attacks using Ranged Spellstrike must be resolved as ranged attacks. You cannot apply a melee touch attack to ranged Spellstrike without using Metamagic or similar effects. Use the range increment of the ranged weapon or the spell to determine your range increment for Ranged Spellstrike, whichever is lower.

Natural Spellstrike

• Requirements: Spellstrike, CST 8, Spellcraft 6, 15 EXP

You may use Spellstrike with a natural weapon. You may not combine natural and melee attacks as a part of the same full round action. All attacks using Natural Spellstrike must be resolved as natural attacks. You must select which natural weapon is infused with Spellstrike before the attack roll is made.

This Talent also allows for creatures without hands to treat any natural weapon as a free hand for the purpose of Spell Combat. Note that this only works for creatures who lack the hands required to cast. If you have applicable casting appendages then you cannot, for example, use your forehead to cast just because you have unarmed strike.

Black Blade

• Requirements: CST 2, Spellcraft 8, 25 EXP

When this talent is unlocked the Player selects a single weapon or non-magical piece of equipment. They will either stumble upon it, or if they already have the item, it will awaken. The selected item becomes an intelligent magic item that has an alignment within one step of the character (Players choice) and will treat the character as an ally, willingly risking safety or sacrificing itself to aid the character's goals as long as the character is within one alignment step of the Black Blade. If the character changes alignment the Black Blade will still assist in most situations unless it is directly against the Black Blades alignment, but will often attempt to negotiate to bring the character back to its side. After 28 days the Black Blades alignment will change to match, or within 1 step, to the character's new alignment as it comes to see the world in the same way.

A Black Blade is a magic item that consumes a part of your MP pool. The weapon or item becomes more powerful as its wielder does. You may spend your Experience to grant yourself or the blade extra MP in this manner.

Black Blade Traits:

[[chargen:common_terms#core_stats|CST]] 2: Masterwork

• Unbreakable (Ex): As long as the Black Blade has at least 1 point in its Mana pool, it is immune to the broken condition. If broken, the black blade is unconscious and powerless until repaired. If destroyed, the black blade can be reforged as a 24 hour ritual.

[[chargen:common_terms#core_stats|CST]] 5: +1 Enchantment

• Attunement (Su): By spending 2 MP and using a free action, the Black Blade may change the type of elemental damage it is treated as. This effect lasts for rounds equal to Caster Level.

[[chargen:common_terms#core_stats|CST]] 8: +2 Enchantment

• Teleport Blade (Su): The character can teleport the Black Blade to an open hand as a Full Round action. This can function up to a distance of 1 mile. By spending 10 minutes the character can teleport the blade from any location unless some force would prevent teleportation on either end.

[[chargen:common_terms#core_stats|CST]] 11: +3 Enchantment

• Mana Transfer (Su): The Black Blade can transfer MP to the wielder and vice versa. Doing so inflicts 1 damage (cannot be resisted in any way) to the donor per MP transferred. If the Black Blades attempts to transfer mana to a creature that does not have this talent unlocked both creatures take 10 unresistable damage per MP transferred as their bodies are overwhelmed by the energy. (this ability ignore Unbreakable if used by a creature lacking this talent)

[[chargen:common_terms#core_stats|CST]] 14: +4 Enchantment

• Split Soul (Ex): The Black Blade can split itself into separate items dividing MP between each selected item according to the Character’s choice. The enchantment bonuses can be split up however desired as long as the items combined total does not exceed the maximum allowed bonuses This process takes 8 hours to complete. The soul can be returned to the primary host as an immediate action, spending all MP stored in the split items. The primary item can be changed by performing a ritual that takes 24 hours.

[[chargen:common_terms#core_stats|CST]] 17: +5 Enchantment

• Possession (Su): The Black Blade can attempt to merge with another item (magical or not) and exert control over it or the wielder, manifesting in a variety of effects. On a mundane object, it would most often have little to no effect, aside from granting it the traits of the black blade. A black blade can generally possess objects not much larger than a normal door, but it is left to a GM’s discretion on size limitations.

If used on a magic item, the Black Blade can activate that item's abilities as if wielding the item. If the item is being wielded by another creature, this requires a successful touch attack to make contact with the weapon (though the Black Blade making contact in combat, such as through a Parry, is a suitable interaction) and costs 5 MP to activate. Once activated, a will save is required by the wielder to prevent the Black Blade from assuming control. The DC is (1/2 of the Black Blade's wielder's Caster Level + their Primary Casting Attribute modifier).