Arcane Avenger (Apath)

Unofficial rules compendium

The arcane avenger is not really an inquisitor at all - he has borrowed their techniques to fuel his own personal vendetta. Replacing divine inspiration with arcane abilities, the arcane avenger is even more remorseless than an inquisitor, his mission unhampered by any considerations for divine justice. Despite having similar methods and objectives to inquisitors, they often feel betrayed by religion. An arcane avenger might be a failed inquisitor who turned to other sources of power or a student of the arcane motivated by a desperate cause.

Class Features

This archetype has all normal class features, except as noted.

Arcane Bond (Ex or Sp)

At 1st level, arcane avengers form a powerful bond with an object or a creature. This bond can take one of two forms: a familiar or a bonded object. A familiar is a magical pet that enhances the arcane avenger's skills and senses and can aid him in magic, while a bonded object is an item a arcane avenger can use to cast additional spells and to serve as a magical item. Once per day, a bonded item allows the arcane avenger to cast any one of his spells known (unlike a wizard’s bonded item, which allows him to cast any one spell in his spellbook). This ability does not allow you to have both a familiar and a bonded item. Once a arcane avenger makes this choice, it is permanent and cannot be changed.

Unlike a witch, an arcane avenger does not learn spells from his arcane bond. This replaces domain.

Armored Caster

A arcane avenger can cast arcane spells from the inquisitor spell list while wearing light or medium armor and using a shield without incurring the normal arcane spell failure chance. Like any other arcane spellcaster, an arcane avenger wearing heavy armor incurs a chance of arcane spell failure if the spell in question has a somatic component. A multiclass arcane avenger still incurs the normal arcane spell failure chance for arcane spells received from other classes.

Patron Spells

An arcane avenger has a patron like that of a witch. At 1st level he must select a patron. This patron is a vague and mysterious force, granting the arcane avenger power for reasons that he might not entirely understand. These forces need not be named, each patron is listed only by its theme. Its actual name is up to the GM and the arcane avenger to decide, and might not even be known.

Each patron has a list of patron spells, these spells are added to the arcane avenger's spell list. The first spell of each level the arcane avenger learns must be the patron spell for that level.

At 2nd level, and every three levels thereafter, an arcane avenger's patron adds new spells to the arcane avenger's list of spells known and to his spell list if the spell is not normally an inquisitor spell. The spells gained depend upon the patron chosen. Note that the rate an arcane avenger receives patron spells differs from that of a witch, and he never receives spells of 7th or higher level.

All the arcane avenger's inquisitor spells that refer to a patron deity are instead related to this patron.

Spells

An arcane avenger is an arcane spellcaster, and would normally suffer from arcane spell failure when casting spells in armor or while using a shield, but see the armored caster ability above. He needs to rest 8 hours before preparing spells, but can do so at any time of day. Unlike a normal inquisitor, he is not subject to divine censure of any kind. An arcane avenger can ignore any divine focus component noted for his spells. This is a modification to the inquisitor's spells ability.

Spell List

Remove the following spells from the arcane avenger's spell list:

1st level - cure light wounds, inflict light wounds.

2nd level - cure moderate wounds, inflict moderate wounds, lesser restoration, remove paralysis, sacred bond.

3rd level - cure serious wounds, inflict serious wounds, remove disease.

4th level - cure critical wounds, inflict critical wounds.

5th level - atonement.

6th level - heal.

Certain patrons might restore some or all of these spells to the arcane avenger's spell list.

Ex Inquisitors

At the gamemaster's option, an inquisitor that has fallen out of grace with his religion can turn into an arcane avenger. This does not apply to an inquisitor that has fallen out of favor with his church - those become heretics - but to one who has broken the tenets of his religion and refused to atone, abandoning his religious patron without converting to another faith.

Summary of Changed Class Abilities

• Spells
• Domain

Despite both modifying spells, the arcane avenger and learned inquisitor archetypes can be combined.