Campaign Design - Base Classes: Duskblade

Duskblade
(adapted from the Player's Handbook II)

The duskblade blurs the line between spell caster and warrior, marrying the power of magic with combat prowess. A student of ancient alvari spell casting techniques, the duskblade combines arcane spell casting with the combat skills of a fighter, melding them together to form an mystical warrior suited to the alvari mantra that arcane power is the key to everything. Most duskblades are from the conjuration, evocation, or transmutation birth schools, but alvari of all birth schools have been known to take up the sword and become duskblades.

Abilities: Your Charisma and Strength scores should be as high as possible, since your spell casting and melee combat depend upon them. Your Constitution is also important, because you need all the hit points you can get.
Race: Alvari.
Alignment: Any.
Hit Die: d8.
Luck Die: (d4 + 1).

Class Skills

• Skill List: The duskblade's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Craft: Any (all skills taken individually) (Int), Decipher Script (Int), Jump (Str), Knowledge: Any (all skills taken individually) (Int), Ride (Dex), Sense Motive (Wis), Spellcraft (Int), and Swim (Str).
• Note: Because the Three Worlds campaign uses the Skills by Character house rule, the list of class skills given here is only included for the sake of completeness, and is not used by characters in the campaign setting.
• Skill Points at 1^st Level: (2 + Intelligence modifier) x 4.
• Skill Points at Each Additional Class Level: 2 + Intelligence modifier.

Class Features
All of the following are class features of the duskblade:

• Base Attack Bonus: Good. A duskblade gains +1 base attack bonus per class level.


• Fortitude Base Save Bonus: Good. A duskblade gains a +2½ base Fortitude save bonus at first level, and an additional +½ base Fortitude save bonus per class level.


• Reflex Base Save Bonus: Poor. A duskblade gains +¹⁄₃ base Reflex save bonus per class level.


• Will Base Save Bonus: Good. A duskblade gains a +2½ base Will save bonus at first level, and an additional +½ base Will save bonus per class level.


• Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Duskblades are proficient with all simple and martial weapons, as well as all armor and shields (except tower shields).


• Spells: Duskblades cast arcane spells, which are drawn from the duskblade spell list. They can cast any spell they know without preparing it ahead of time. To learn or cast a spell, a duskblade must have a Charisma score equal to at least 10 + the spell level (Charisma 10 for 0^th-level spells, Charisma 11 for 1^st-level spells, and so forth). The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against your spell is 10 + spell level + your Charisma modifier.
  
  
  
  Half of a duskblade's spells known at each spell level must be drawn from their alvari birth school, unless they already know all of the spells available from their birth school for that spell level, in which case they may select any spells on the list regardless of birth school. A duskblade can only cast a certain number of spells of each spell level per day. A duskblade's base daily spell allotment is given below. In addition, a duskblade receives bonus spells per day if they have a high Charisma score.


• Spells Known: A duskblade begin play knowing two 0^th-level spells and two 1^st-level spells, chosen from the duskblade spell list. A duskblade also knows one additional 0^th-level spell for each point of Charisma bonus. Each time a duskblade gain a new class level, they learn one additional spell of any level they can cast, chosen from the duskblade spell list.
  
  
  
  Upon reaching 5^th-level, and at every subsequent odd-numbered level, a duskblade can choose to learn a new spell in place of one they already know. In effect, they lose access to the old spell in exchange for gaining the new one. The new spell's level must be the same as that of the spell being exchanged, and it must be at least two levels lower than the highest-level spell the duskblade can cast. A duskblade can only swap a single spell at any given level and must choose whether or not to swap the spell at the same time that they gain new spells known for the level.
  
  
  
  A duskblade need not prepare spells in advance. They can cast any spell they know at any time, assuming they have not yet used up your spells per day for that spell level.


• Arcane Battle Mastery: A duskblade gains the Arcane Battle Mastery feat for free, even if they do not meet the prerequisites for the feat.


• Armored Mage (Ex): Normally, armor of any type interferes with an arcane spell caster's gestures, which can cause spells to fail if those spells have a somatic component. A duskblade's limited focus and specialized training, however, allows you to avoid arcane spell failure as long as you stick to light armor and small shields or bucklers. This training does not extend to medium or heavy armors, nor to large shields. This ability does not apply to spells gained from a different spell casting class.
  
  
  
  At 4^th-level, you learn to use medium armor with no chance of arcane spell failure. At 7^th-level, you learn to use a large shield with no chance of arcane spell failure.


• Arcane Training: At 2^nd-level, a duskblade may choose to gain either Arcane Weapon or Combat Casting as a bonus feat.


• Arcane Battle Channeling (Su): At 3^rd-level, a duskblade gains the Arcane Battle Channeling feat for free, even if they do not meet the prerequisites for the feat.


• Quick Cast: Beginning at 5^th-level, you can cast one spell each day as a swift action, so long as the casting time of the spell is 1 standard action or less. You can use this ability twice per day at 10^th-level, three times per day at 15^th-level, and four times per day at 20^th-level.


• Arcane Battle Feats: At 6^th-level, 11^th-level, 16^th-level, and 18^th-level, a duskblade gains a bonus feat that they may use for any Arcane Battle feat. The duskblade must meet all of the prerequisites of the selected feat.


• Improved Arcane Channeling: At 13^th-level, a duskblade gains the Improved Arcane Channeling feat for free, even if he does not meet the prerequisites for the feat.

Duskblade

Level	Special	0th	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th
1st	Arcane Battle Mastery, armored mage (light)	3	2	-	-	-	-
2nd	Arcane Training	4	3	-	-	-	-
3rd	Arcane Battle Channeling	5	4	-	-	-	-
4th	Armored mage (medium)	6	5	-	-	-	-
5th	Quick cast 1/day	6	5	2	-	-	-
6th	Arcane Battle Feat	6	6	3	-	-	-
7th	Armored mage (heavy shield)	6	6	5	-	-	-
8th	-	6	7	6	-	-	-
9th	-	6	7	6	2	-	-
10th	Quick cast 2/day	6	8	7	3	-	-
11th	Arcane Battle Feat	6	8	7	5	-	-
12th	-	6	8	8	6	-	-
13th	Improved Arcane Channeling	6	9	8	6	2	-
14th	-	6	9	8	7	3	-
15th	Quick cast 3/day	6	9	8	7	5	-
16th	Arcane Battle Feat	6	9	9	8	6	-
17th	-	6	10	9	8	6	2
18th	Arcane Battle Feat	6	10	9	8	7	3
19th	-	6	10	10	9	7	5
20th	Quick cast 4/day	6	10	10	10	8	6

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