Noble Magus (Apath)

Unofficial rules compendium

A noble magus is a noble warrior who dabbles in magic. From a family of wealth and rank, the noble magus had the best trainers and tutors and embraced many fields of learning and martial skill, becoming something of a renaissance man.

Class Information

This is a prestige class archetype.

Prestige Class: Noble Scion.

Build Class: Magus.

The noble magus is a noble embracing all kinds of power.

Role: A noble magus can be a plotter, intriguer, warlord, or in any number of other roles. Intelligent, educated and well connected, the noble magus can be anything.

Alignment: Any. A noble magus generally cultivates an aura of disdain, keeping his true opinions and morals to himself.

Hit Die: d8.

Class Skills

The noble magus' class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are

Skill Ranks at Each Level: 2 + Int modifier.

Class Features

The noble magus has all the class features of the magus, except as follows:

Affluent (Ex)

At each level, a noble magus gains a stipend worth a number of gold pieces equal to 750 multiplied by his class level. (He gains 750 gp at 1st level, an additional 1,500 gp at 2nd level, and so on.) This replaces magus arcana from level 9.

Prestigious Influence (Ex)

At 2nd level, a noble magus can use his influence to receive special treatment, favors, and other services. He effectively has a pool of virtual gold pieces equal to 150 gp plus 10 gp per class level to spend on services and non-material goods. This pool replenishes at the beginning of every week.

Services and nonmaterial goods available to a noble magus include:

• Pay for lodgings, stabling, taxes, and tolls.
• Improve his lifestyle quality.
• Hire entertainers, messengers, mounts, servants, transport, workers, and so on.
• Obtain invitations to exclusive events, or entry into privileged locations.
• Spread rumors or start a whispering campaign.
• Purchase spellcasting services.
• Employ an expert hireling to make a skill check with a check bonus of +10 plus his class level (50 gp).

A noble magus cannot permanently gain goods or wealth from this ability; boons attainable from this ability are generally only available in settlements of 5,000 people or more. The exact benefits available in a location are subject to GM discretion. This replaces improved spell combat.

Aristocratic Erudition (Ex)

At 3rd level, a noble magus gains a bonus equal to 1/3 his class level on Diplomacy, Knowledge (local), and Knowledge (nobility) checks. This ability also reduces the DCs of Diplomacy and Knowledge (local) checks others make to gather publicly known information about the noble magus by the same amount. This replaces the magus arcana from level 3.

Servitor (Ex)

At 4th level, a noble magus gains a faithful NPC servitor of the same level as a cohort granted by the Leadership feat. This servitor can only have levels in NPC classes and comes equipped with gear appropriate for a character 1 level lower than the servitor's actual level. The servitor does not follow the noble magus as would a cohort or follower, but instead can run various errands for his master while the noble magus is adventuring, such as delivering messages or maintaining the scion's manor in his stead. This replaces greater spell combat.

Spellstrike (Su)

This is the same as the magus ability of the same name, except that it is gained at level 4.

Magus Mentoring

At level 5, and every 6 levels thereafter, the intense mentoring of the noble magus pays off. The noble magus can choose a magus arcana or a bonus feat chosen from combat and metamagic feats. Unless specifically noted in a magus arcana’s description, a noble magus cannot select a particular magus arcana more than once. Magus arcana that affect spells can only be used to modify spells from the magus spell list unless otherwise noted. This replaces the bonus feats from level 5, 11, and 17.

Regional Expertise (Ex)

At 5th level, and again at 10th and 15th level, a noble magus gains a bonus feat from one of the lists below, depending on where he is from. These feats must be taken from the same list at each level (except for feats under the “general” category, which can be taken by nobles from any region). A noble magus need not meet the prerequisites for these feats. At their discretion, GMs may add other feats to these regions or create lists for other regions. This replaces magus arcana from level 6, 12, and 18.

Land of the Fallen Dragon Kings: Exotic Weapon Proficiency (dueling sword), Flanking Foil, Step Up, Weapon Focus (dueling sword).

The Empire of Devils: Careful Speaker, Enforcer, Intimidating Prowess, Skill Focus (Knowledge [planes]).

The Land of the Ten-Thousand Gods: Improved Unarmed Strike, Skill Focus (Perform [dance]), Voice of the Sibyl, Weapon Focus (unarmed strike).

The Elven Forest Kingdom: Agile Maneuvers, Breadth of Experience, Skill Focus (Knowledge [nature]), Weapon Focus (longbow).

The Shadow Kingdom: Blind-Fight, Diehard, Shadow Strike, Stealthy.

The Kingdom of Pharaohs: Exotic Weapon Proficiency (khopesh), Self-Sufficient, Skill Focus (Knowledge [history]), Weapon Focus (khopesh).

The Satrapy of the Desert: Animal Affinity, Quick Draw, Skill Focus (Appraise), Weapon Focus (scimitar).

The River Nations: Improved Dirty Trick, Improved Steal, Ironguts, Skill Focus (Knowledge [local]).

The Fallen Empire: Dazzling Display, Exotic Weapon Proficiency (falcata), Skill Focus (Bluff ), Weapon Focus (falcata).

The Gothic Kingdoms: Combat Reflexes, Focused Discipline, Skill Focus (Knowledge [nobility]), Stoic.

General: Acrobatic, Additional Traits, Alertness, Antagonize, Athletic, Cosmopolitan, Deceitful, Deft Hands, Fleet, Improved Initiative, Persuasive, Prodigy, Rhetorical Flourish, Run, Scholar.

Leadership (Ex)

At 7th level, the noble magus gains Leadership as a bonus feat. This replaces the magus arcana from level 15.

Spell Recall (Su)

This is the same as the magus ability of the same name, except that it is gained at level 8.

Fighter Training (Su)

This is the same as the magus ability of the same name, except that it is gained at level 12.

Greater Leadership (Ex)

At 13th level, a noble magus can recruit a cohort up to one level lower than himself an doubles the number of followers. At 19th level, he can recruit a cohort of the same level as himself and quadruples the number of followers. This replaces heavy armor and greater spell access.

Peerless Patrician (Ex)

At 20th level, once per round a noble magus can roll twice on any Bluff, Diplomacy, Intimidate, Knowledge (nobility), or Sense Motive check and take the better roll. Once per day, instead of rolling one of these skill checks, he can assume the roll resulted in a natural 20. This replaces true magus.

Table: Noble Magus

Class Level	Base Attack Bonus	Fort Save	Ref Save	Will Save	Special	Spells per Day
						0	1	2	3	4	5	6
1st	+0	+2	+0	+2	Affluent, arcane pool, cantrips	3	1	—	—	—	—	—
2nd	+1	+3	+0	+3	prestigious influence	4	2	—	—	—	—	—
3rd	+2	+3	+1	+3	Aristocratic erudition (+1) Magus arcana	4	3	—	—	—	—	—
4th	+3	+4	+1	+4	Servitor, spell combat spellstrike	4	3	1	—	—	—	—
5th	+3	+4	+1	+4	Magus mentoring, regional expertise	4	4	2	—	—	—	—
6th	+4	+5	+2	+5	Magus arcana Aristocratic erudition +2	5	4	3	—	—	—	—
7th	+5	+5	+2	+5	Knowledge pool, Leadership	5	4	3	1	—	—	—
8th	+6/+1	+6	+2	+6	Improved spell combat Spell recall	5	4	4	2	—	—	—
9th	+6/+1	+6	+3	+6	Magus arcana Aristocratic erudition +3	5	5	4	3	—	—	—
10th	+7/+2	+7	+3	+7	Regional expertise	5	5	4	3	1	—	—
11th	+8/+3	+7	+3	+7	Improved spell recall, magus mentoring	5	5	4	4	2	—	—
12th	+9/+4	+8	+4	+8	Magus arcana Fighter training	5	5	5	4	3	—	—
13th	+9/+4	+8	+4	+8	Heavy armor Greater leadership	5	5	5	4	3	1	—
14th	+10/+5	+9	+4	+9	Medium armor, greater spell combat	5	5	5	4	4	2	—
15th	+11/+6/+1	+9	+5	+9	Magus arcana Aristocratic erudition +5, regional expertise	5	5	5	5	4	3	—
16th	+12/+7/+2	+10	+5	+10	Counterstrike	5	5	5	5	4	3	1
17th	+12/+7/+2	+10	+5	+10	Magus mentoring	5	5	5	5	4	4	2
18th	+13/+8/+3	+11	+6	+11	Aristocratic erudition +6 Magus arcana	5	5	5	5	5	4	3
19th	+14/+9/+4	+11	+6	+11	Greater spell access Greater leadership	5	5	5	5	5	5	4
20th	+15/+10/+5	+12	+6	+12	True magus Peerless patrician,	5	5	5	5	5	5	5

Summary of Lost Class Abilities

These abilities of the original class are lost or modified in this archetype:

• Class Skills
• Magus Arcana (All)
• Improved Spell Combat
• Heavy Armor
• Greater Spell Combat
• Greater Spell Access
• True Magus