Cyphermage (Apath)

Unofficial rules compendium

Cyphermages are students of ancient history, runic lore, and abominable secrets man was not meant to know. They are respected for their depth of knowledge about history, yet some people find them dangerously stubborn in their pursuit of secrets best left lost, or their borderline obsession with any scrap or fragment of carven rubble. Cyphermages are dogged in their pursuit of knowledge, often secretive not only with outsiders but with one another, as each strives to uncover a forgotten scrap of lore, or present a triumphant dissertation to his peers or to academics half a world away.

Class Information

This is a prestige archetype. Cyphermages are scroll specialists.

Publisher: Purple Duck Games.

Prestige Class: Cyphermage from Pathfinder Campaign Setting: Inner Sea Magic.

Build Classes: The cyphermage is primarily built on the wizard, but the following optional classes are described in their own section, below: arcanist, psychic, sacerdote, and witch.

Alignment: Any. Cyphermages have a pecking order based on secrets, selfishly keeping their lore to themselves. A few cyphermages are slowly overcoming this and forming an open magical discourse.

Hit Die: d6.

Class Skills

The cyphermage's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Appraise (Int), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Disable Device (Dex), Fly (Dex), Knowledge (all) (Int), Linguistics (Int), Perception (Wis), Profession (Wis), Spellcraft (Int). Survival (Wis), and Use Magic Device (Cha).

Skill Ranks at Each Level: 2 + Int modifier.

Class Features

These are all the class features of the cyphermage.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency

A cyphermage is proficient with all simple weapons, but not with any type of armor or shield. Armor interferes with a cypermage's movements, which can cause his spells with somatic components to fail.

Spells

The cyphermage learns and casts spells exactly like a wizard, including using arcane magic, the effect of Intelligence on spellcasting, spellbooks, automatically learned spells, and cantrips.

Bonus Languages

A cypehermage can select Aklo, Giant, and dead human languages as bonus languages, in addition to those available because of their race.

Build Class

A cyphermage chooses between an arcane bond and an arcane school. Cyphermages who pick arcane school can only pick the divination school. Cyphermages can choose a wizard bonus feat instead of a cyper lore selection.

Cypher Magic

A cyphermage casts spells from scrolls at +1 caster level higher than the scroll’s caster level. This benefit extends to scrolls that the cyphermage have created himself. In addition, he gains a +1 bonus on caster level checks made to activate a scroll with a higher caster level than his own.

Cypher Pool (Ex)

The cyphermage has a cypher pool that is used to power his magic. This pool has a number of cypher points equal to 1/2 the cyphermage's class level plus the cypehermage's Intelligence bonus. By spending a a cypher point when casting a cyphermage spell, the cyphermage can increase the caster level of the spell by 1 and the Spellcraft DC to recognize the spell by 10.

Scribe Scroll

The cyphermage gains Scribe Scroll as a bonus feat at second level.

Cypher Lore (Ex/Su)

A cyphermage masters written magic such as scrolls, glyphs, and symbols. He also begins to discover ancient magics that further bolster his power. These discoveries are known collectively as cypher lore. 1st level, 3rd level, and every 2 levels thereafter, the cyphermage learns a new way to enhance his magic, chosen from the list of cipher lore given below.

Analyze Scroll (Su): As a free action, a cyphermage can automatically discern the contents of a magic scroll, as if he were using read magic. He gains an insight bonus equal to half his cyphermage level on Use Magic Device checks made to cast spells from scrolls.

Bypass Symbol (Su): When a cyphermage makes a save against a magical glyph, symbol, sigil, or similar written trap, as an immediate action he may attempt a Spellcraft check against the same DC to delay the trap’s effects for 1d6 rounds. Once the delay is over, the trap has its normal effect. The cyphermage must have at least 2 ranks in Linguistics to select this lore.

Cypher Summoning (Ex): The cyphermage has learned how to summon strange creatures to his aid when he casts summon monster spells. He adds chon-chon ^P053 and sagari^B3 to the list of monsters he can conjure with summon monster I, fleshdreg^B4 to the list of monsters he can conjure with summon monster II, sinspawn^B2 to the list of monsters he can conjure with summon monster III, fleshdreg swarm ^P061 and faceless stalker^B2 to the list of monsters he can conjure with summon monster IV, lamia to the list of monsters he can conjure with summon monster VI, chuul and kuchrima ^P006 to the list of monsters he can conjure with summon monster VII, lamia matriarch^B2 to the list of monsters he can conjure with summon monster VIII and shining child^B2 to the list of monsters he can conjure with summon monster IX. The cyphermage must have at least 2 ranks in Knowledge (dungeoneering) to select this lore.

Defensive Scrollcaster (Ex): A cyphermage gains a +4 bonus on concentration checks to cast defensively when casting spells from scrolls.

Enhance Scroll (Su): As a swift action, a cyphermage can cause any scroll spell he reads to function using his caster level rather than the scroll’s caster level. Each use of this ability costs a point from the cypher pool.

Extended Scroll (Su): As a swift action, a cyphermage can double the duration of any scroll spell he reads as if the spell were modified by Extend Spell. Each use of this ability costs a point from the cypher pool.

Focused Scroll (Su): As a swift action, a cyphermage can add a bonus equal to twice his Intelligence modifier on any caster level checks made with a scroll spell, including checks to overcome SR. Each use of this ability costs a point from the cypher pool.

Giant’s Master (Ex): The cyphermage has unraveled several methods of commanding and controlling giants. As a swift action, whenever he uses a mind-affecting spell or effect on a humanoid with the giant subtype, he increases his spell's save DC by +2. The cyphermage must speak Giant and have at least 2 ranks in Knowledge (history) to select this lore.

Glyph Finder (Ex): A cyphermage can locate glyphs of warding, symbols, and similar magical spell traps that utilize writing as if he had the trapfinding ability of the rogue. He can use Perception or Knowledge (arcana) to notice such traps, and can use Disable Device or Spellcraft to disable these types of traps. He adds half his cyphermage level to skill checks to spot or disarm magical written traps.

Insightful Scroll (Su): As a swift action, a cyphermage can alter a spell he’s casting from a scroll to use his own Intelligence and relevant feats to set the save DC for the spell. Each use of this ability costs a point from the cypher pool.

Inquisitive Item Use (Ex): The Cyphermage can use Intelligence in place of Charisma for Use Magic Device checks.

Rune Trap (Ex): Whenever the cyphermage casts a spell that creates a trap that uses magical writing (such as explosive runes, illusory script, sepia snake sigil, or a symbol), as a swift action he may include runes in the writing. This adds +4 to the Perception DCs to notice it, Disable Device DCs to disarm it, and caster level DCs to dispel it. The cyphermage must have at least 2 ranks in Knowledge (arcana) to select this lore.

Swift Scrivener (Ex): The cyphermage may scribe up to two scrolls per day, so long as the total market price of all scrolls scribed that day does not exceed 1,000 gp. The cyphermage reduces the casting time of all symbol spells to 1 minute.

Swift Scroll (Ex): The cyphermage does not provoke attacks of opportunity when retrieving a stored scroll. If the cyphermage moves at least 10 feet, he may retrieve a scroll as a free action as part of his move.

Cyphermaster (Su)

At 10th level, a cyphermage selects one of his cypher lore abilities that requires a swift action to activate; thereafter, he may activate that ability as a free action. He may choose another cypher lore at level 14 and 18.

Cypherlord (Su)

At 20th level, a cyphermage gains a +5 insight bonus on saving throws against the effects of magical symbols, glyphs, sigils, and similar writing-based spells and traps.

If he passes such a saving throw, he has the option to suppress the glyph, sigil or writing for one full round, resuming at the end of the cyphermage's next turn. Any effect the glyph has already had is not suppressed. If several creature are affected simultaneously with the cypermage by such an effect, the cyphermage can determine the order affected creatures take their saving throws, potentially protecting allies and affecting enemies.

Table: Cyphermage

Class Level	Base Attack Bonus	Fort Save	Ref Save	Will Save	Special	Spells per Day
						0	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th	6th	7th	8th	9th
1st	+0	+0	+0	+2	Build class, cypher lore, cypher magic, cypher pool	3	1	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
2nd	+1	+0	+0	+3	Scribe Scroll	4	2	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
3rd	+1	+1	+1	+3	Cypher lore	4	2	1	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
4th	+2	+1	+1	+4	—	4	3	2	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
5th	+2	+1	+1	+4	Cypher lore	4	3	2	1	—	—	—	—	—	—
6th	+3	+2	+2	+5	—	4	3	3	2	—	—	—	—	—	—
7th	+3	+2	+2	+5	Cypher lore	4	4	3	2	1	—	—	—	—	—
8th	+4	+2	+2	+6	—	4	4	3	3	2	—	—	—	—	—
9th	+4	+3	+3	+6	Cypher lore	4	4	4	3	2	1	—	—	—	—
10th	+5	+3	+3	+7	Cyphermaster	4	4	4	3	3	2	—	—	—	—
11th	+5	+3	+3	+7	Cypher lore	4	4	4	4	3	2	1	—	—	—
12th	+6/+1	+4	+4	+8	—	4	4	4	4	3	3	2	—	—	—
13th	+6/+1	+4	+4	+8	Cypher lore	4	4	4	4	4	3	2	1	—	—
14th	+7/+2	+4	+4	+9	Cyphermaster	4	4	4	4	4	3	3	2	—	—
15th	+7/+2	+5	+5	+9	Cypher lore	4	4	4	4	4	4	3	2	1	—
16th	+8/+3	+5	+5	+10	—	4	4	4	4	4	4	3	3	2	—
17th	+8/+3	+5	+5	+10	Cypher lore	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	3	2	1
18th	+9/+4	+6	+6	+11	Cyphermaster	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	3	3	2
19th	+9/+4	+6	+6	+11	Cypher lore	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	3	3
20th	+10/+5	+6	+6	+12	Cypherlord	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	4

Alternate Build Classes

The cyphermage can be built on these alternate classes: arcanist, sacerdote, psychic, and witch.

The cyphermage learns and casts spells exactly like the build class, including the effect of ability scores on spellcasting and cantrips, orisons, or knacks. The number of spells per day, spell slots, and known spells all use the class table for the build class.

In addition, the cyphermage inherits the following class features from the build class. This replaces the build class feature, above.

Arcanist The cypher arcanist gains one arcanist exploit at level 1, 6, and 12, and can choose additional arcanist exploits instead of a cypher lore. At level 11, the arcanist cyphermage gains the greater exploits ability. The cypher arcanist has no arcane pool, instead he uses points of cypher pool as if they were arcane reservoir.

Sacerdote The cypher sacerdote keeps the advanced spellcasting, bonus languages, calculated targeting, chaotic evil good and lawful spells, divine focus, divine wrath, and manifestation class features. He can choose a manifestation instead of a cypher lore. This class is from Legendary Classes: Sacerdote, also by Purple Duck Games.

Psychic The cypher psychic gains a psychic discipline and one phrenic amplification at level 1, 6, and 12. He can choose additional phrenic amplifications instead of a cypher lore. At level 11, the psychic cyphermage gains the major amplifications ability. The cypher psychic has no phrenic pool, instead he gains and spend points of cypher pool as if they were phrenic pool.

Witch A cypher witch keeps the witch's familiar class feature. The cypher witch gains one hex at level 1, 6, and 12 and can choose an additional hex instead of a cypher lore. The cypher witch gains major hex at level 10 and grand hex at level 18.

Favored Class Bonuses

Instead of receiving an additional skill rank or hit point whenever they gain a level in a favored class, some races have the option of choosing from a number of other bonuses, depending upon their favored classes. The following options are available to the listed race who have cyphermage as their favored class, and unless otherwise stated, the bonus applies each time you select the listed favored class reward.

• Dwarf: Add 1/4 to your skill bonus in Knowledge (arcana), Spellcraft, and Use Magic Device.
• Elf: Add 1/4 to the bonuses given by the cyphermagic class feature.
• Gnome: Add 1/4 additional cypher lore.
• Half-Elf: When casting enchantment spells, add +1/3 to the effective caster level of the spell, but only to determine the spell’s duration.
• Half-Orc: Add a +1 bonus on concentration checks made due to taking damage while casting spells.
• Halfling: Add +1/2 to your AC against attacks of opportunity triggered by casting spells.
• Human: Add one spell from your spell list to your spells known, spellbook, or familiar, as appropriate. This spell must be at least one level below the highest spell level you can cast.

• Catfolk: ^ARG Add 1/3 points to your cypher pool.
• Erkunae: ^FEC +1/4 bonus on saving throws against the effects of magical symbols, glyphs, sigils, and similar writing-based spells and traps.
• Kitsune: ^ARG Add 1/2 to your Spellcraft skill bonus.

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Section 15 Addendum

Pathfinder Campaign Setting: Inner Sea Magic. © 2011, Paizo Publishing, LLC; Authors: Jesse Benner, Jason Nelson, Sean K Reynolds, Owen K.C. Stephens, Russ Taylor.