Trained for war, the few who survive the arduous Collegium Bellum Arcanum to graduate as Warmages are proud individuals who yearn for the day when their talents can be unleashed on their foes. The Arcane War College is brutal in its training, but its graduates emerge with abilities that few other arcane casters can match. Skilled not only in magic, but in the mundane art of war, these warmages lead armies and use their talents to wipe their enemies from existence.
While they are often ridiculed (in private) by other arcanists as spell-casters who want to play at warrior, none can deny the warmage is the unquestioned master of the battlefield evocations. Of course, many wizards will point out that such magics are among the least effective overall, and even more general-themed sorcerers are quick to highlight that much of the famed warmage spell list is just some derivation of an area-effect damage spell. Neither class normally makes such jests and jeers directly to the face of a warmage, however, for both will acknowledge (however grudgingly) that a skilled warmage can reliably penetrate defenses specifically designed to counter many of his spells.
Despite this general viewpoint of other spellcasters of his inferiority, the warmage is confident (indeed, some almost say arrogant) in his own abilities. He knows well his own limitations and the effectiveness of other magic, magic that he cannot use. But for the true warmage that means little. A true warmage finds that he is happiest not in a library or a dusty archive, but in the midst of the chaos of battle, where his knowledge and skill and magic can turn even the darkest hour into victory for the side which he champions.
Role: A warmage controls the battlefield, isolating his opponents, reducing their effectiveness, and killing them in large numbers. Unlike many other spellcasters, the warmage has few utility spells at their disposal; instead these armored arcanists concentrate on what they see as the most important aspect of magic—the ability to quickly wound or kill large numbers of opponents in precise and orderly fashion.
Weapons and Armor Proficiency: A warmage is proficient in all simple and all martial weapons. He is proficient in light armor, but not with medium or heavy armor, or with any type of shield. A warmage can cast warmage spells in light armor without suffering any arcane spell failure chance, but suffers the normal chance of failure for casting in medium or heavy armor or when using any type of shield.
Spells: A warmage casts arcane spells drawn from the warmage spell list (see below). He can cast any spell he knows without preparing it ahead of time. To cast a spell, a warmage must have an Intelligence sore equal to at least 10 + the spell level. The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against a warmage’s spell is 10 + the spell level + the warmage’s Intelligence modifier.
Like other spellcasters, a warmage can cast only a certain number of spells of each spell level per day. His base daily spell allotment is the same as a Specialist Wizard. In addition, he receives bonus spells per day if he has a high Intelligence score.
A warmage automatically knows all of the spells on his spell list. He does not have to select these spells, nor does he have a spellbook. A warmage cannot add new spells to his spells known (with the exception of his advanced learning ability, see below).
Unlike a wizard or cleric, a warmage need not prepare his spells in advance. He can use any spell he knows at any time, assuming he has not yet used up his spells per day for that spell level.
Cantrips: Warmages learn a number of cantrips, or 0-level spells, as noted in the warmage spell list. These spells are cast like any other spell, but they do not consume slots and may be used again.
Warmage Edge (Ex): A warmage is specialized in dealing damage with his spells. Whenever a warmage casts a spell that deals hit point damage, he adds both his warmage class level and his Intelligence bonus (if any) to the amount of damage dealt. The bonus from the warmage edge special ability applies only to spells that he casts as a warmage, not to those he might have by virtue of levels in another class.
If the spell is an area effect, this bonus damage applies to all targets within the area of effect. If the spell lasts for more than one round, then the bonus damage applies to all targets within the area of effect (if any) each round. A spell that creates more than one effect that can target any one individual (such as magic missile) only inflicts this bonus damage once per target, per round that the spell effect lasts.
Scrolls and wands used, scribed, or crafted by a warmage do not gain the benefit of this special ability. However, staffs used (but not crafted) by a warmage do receive the benefit of this special ability.
Resolve (Ex): Starting at 2nd level, the warmage gains resolve that he can call upon to endure even the most devastating wounds and afflictions. He can use this ability once per day at 2nd level, plus one additional time per day for every three warmage levels beyond 2nd (i.e. 5th, 8th, 11th, 14th, 17th, and 20th). He can use this resolve in a number of ways.
Determined: As a standard action, the warmage can spend one use of his resolve to remove the fatigued, shaken, or sickened conditions. If the warmage is at least 8th level, he can alternatively remove the exhausted, frightened, nauseated, or staggered conditions. If the condition has a duration longer than 1 hour or is permanent, this ability removes the condition for 1 hour, at which time the condition returns.
Resolute: Whenever the warmage is required to make a Fortitude or Will save, he can spend one use of his resolve as an immediate action to roll twice and take the better result. He must decide to use this ability before he rolls the saving throw.
Unstoppable: When the warmage is reduced to fewer than 0 hit points but not slain, he can spend one use of his resolve as an immediate action to instantly stabilize and remain conscious. He is staggered, but he does not fall unconscious and begin dying if he takes a standard action. He does fall unconscious if he takes additional damage from any source.
Advanced Learning (Ex): At 3rd level, a warmage gains the knowledge of one spell of his choice that he may add to his spell-list. The spell chosen must be sorcerer/wizard spell, although it can be of any school, and the spell must be at least one level below the highest level spell a warmage is capable of casting. At 5th level, and every odd level gained thereafter as a warmage, the character may add one additional spell to his spell-list. When this ability is gained at 19th level, a warmage may select a single sorcerer/wizard spell of any level to add to his spell list.
Sudden Silent (Ex): At 3rd level, a warmage may use the Silent Spell meta-magic feat twice per day without any increase in casting time or in the level of spell being cast. A warmage may only apply one sudden metamagic ability to any single spell.
Toughness (Ex): At 4th level, a warmage gains Toughness as a bonus feat.
Energy Substitution (Ex): At 5th level, three times per day, a warmage may alter the energy of one of his spells to any of the following: acid, cold, electricity, or fire. The spell altered must be a spell that inflicts energy based damage. This ability is a free action that can be used once per round. At 10th level, the warmage may use this ability five times per day. At 15th level, the warmage may use this ability seven times per day.
Sudden Still (Ex): At 6th level, a warmage may use the Still Spell meta-magic feat twice per day without any increase in casting time or in the level of spell being cast. A warmage may only apply one sudden metamagic ability to any single spell.
Battlefield Counterspelling (Ex): At 7th level, once per day, as an immediate action, a warmage may counter any spell that is on his spell list, so long as the spell is cast within medium range (100 feet plus 10 feet per war mage level) of the warmage. He must expend a spell slot equal to that of the spell being cast or higher. At 13th level he may do this twice per day. At 19th level he may do this three times per day.
Armor Training (Ex): At 8th level, a warmage gains Medium Armor proficiency as a bonus feat. He no longer incurs any arcane spell failure for casting warmage spells in light or medium armor, but he has the normal chance of failure for casting while wearing heavy armor or when using a shield.
Weapon Training (Ex): At 8th level, a warmage selects one weapon with which he is proficient. With that weapon—and only with that weapon—the warmage is considered to have the BAB of a cleric. This increased BAB does not allow a warmage to qualify for feats that have a BAB prerequisite.
Sudden Empower (Ex): At 9th level, a warmage may use the Empower Spell meta-magic feat twice per day without any increase in casting time or in the level of spell being cast. A warmage may only apply one sudden metamagic ability to any single spell.
Penetrating Spell (Ex): At 10th level, when a warmage casts a spell that inflicts energy-based damage (such as fireball or lightning bolt), the warmage may ignore 10 points of an effected creature’s energy resistance (if any). This ability applies to innate energy resistance that is part of the creature itself as well as to energy resistance bestowed by magic items or spell effects. At 14th level, the warmage ignores 20 points of energy resistance; this increases to 30 points at 18th level. Creatures with energy immunity (either natural or magical) are not affected by this ability. Penetrating strike applies to any spell that the warmage casts that inflicts energy-based damage; it does not have a daily use limit.
Unavoidable Spell (Ex): At 11th level, the warmage may, twice per day, declare he is casting an unavoidable spell. The spell must be one that inflicts damage and has a Reflex saving throw. When the spell is cast, the warmage may instead choose to base the saving throw on either Fortitude or Will. All creatures within the area of effect must save against save type the warmage chooses. Neither evasion nor improved evasion protect against an unavoidable spell, although stalwart (see the Inquisitor class) does. The warmage gains one additional daily use of this ability at 14th level, 17th level, and 20th level.
Sudden Widen (Ex): At 12th level, a warmage may use the Widen Spell meta-magic feat twice per day without any increase in casting time or in the level of spell being cast. A warmage may only apply one sudden metamagic ability to any single spell.
Shape Spell (Ex): At 13th level, a warmage can cast a spell and designate up to one ally per warmage level that is within the area of effect as immune to that spells effects. The spell must be an area effect spell, it must be instantaneous, and it must inflict hit point damage to be eligible for this ability. A warmage may use this ability twice per day. At 16th level, and again at 19th level, a warmage gains one additional daily use of this ability.
Sudden Maximize (Ex): At 15th level, a warmage may use the Maximize Spell meta-magic feat once per day without any increase in casting time or in the level of spell being cast. A warmage may only apply one sudden metamagic ability to any single spell.
Sudden Quicken (Ex): At 18th level, a warmage may use the Quicken Spell meta-magic feat once per day without any increase in casting time or in the level of spell being cast. A warmage may only apply one sudden metamagic ability to any single spell.
Archmage of War (Ex): A 20th level warmage may ignore energy immunity when he casts a spell that inflicts hit point damage against a creature (either innate immunity or magically bestowed immunity). For the purpose of determining the damage of the warmage’s spells, the creature is considered to not possess energy immunity (but the creature retains any energy vulnerabilities it might possess). In addition, an archmage of war may roll any check to penetrate Spell Resistance twice and choose which roll to accept.
4th-level: Black Tentacles; Confusion; Create Food & Water; Crushing Despair; Dimension Door; Diminish Plants; Fear; Good Hope; Hallucinatory Terrain; Ice Storm; Lesser Globe of Invulnerability; Mass Enlarge Person; Mass Reduce Person; Quench; Rainbow Pattern; Shout; Solid Fog; Spike Growth; Wall of Fire; Wall of Ice
5th-level: Cloudkill; Cone of Cold; Fabricate; Mirage Arcana; Passwall; Seeming; Sending; Spike Stones; Telekinesis; Teleport; Transmute Mud to Rock; Transmute Rock to Mud; Wall of Force; Wall of Stone; Waves of Fatigue
6th-level: Acid Fog; Circle of Death; Control Water; Control Winds; Flame Strike; Freezing Sphere; Globe of Invulnerability; Greater Command; Greater Dispel Magic; Mass Bear’s Endurance; Mass Bull’s Strength; Mass Cat’s Grace; Move Earth; Repulsion; Undeath to Death; Veil; Wall of Iron; Wall of Thorns
7th-level: Antilife Shell; Blade Barrier; Control Weather; Delayed Blast Fireball; Heroes’ Feast; Mage’s Sword; Mass Hold Person; Mass Invisibility; Prismatic Spray; Reverse Gravity; Waves of Exhaustion
Another well planned alternate class/kit for players. It also makes sense that he has slightly higher hit points then his mage counter part. though I wonder what disadvantages he has as compared to a mage who decided to focus on invocation/evocation spells. Perhaps his spell power gains are a bit slower as he gains armor proficiencies that most mages would not receive.
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