Monster Magus (Apath)

Unofficial rules compendium

A monster mage has a pact with a supernatural creature that is of this world. While the monster mage is still a powerful spellcaster with a supernatural ally, his eidolon is not an extra-dimensional creature but native to this world.

Class Information

This is a summoner archetype

Hit Die: d8.

Class Features

The monster mage has all the summoner's class features, except as described here.

Native Edolon

A monster mage begins play with the services of a powerful creature called an native eidolon. This is a modification to the eidolon ability. The native eidolon formed a pact with the monster mage for reasons that need not be entirely clear. An native eidolon has an alignment selected by the player, it can be different from the monster mage's own alignment.

Unlike regular eidolons, eidolon allies are a permanent fixture of this world. They are not extra-dimensional and cannot be summoned or dismissed. This means that it cannot be conveniently stowed away when not needed; keeping the native eidolon nearby can be a problem.

The native eidolon’s physical appearance is up to the monster mage, but it always appears as some sort of fantastical creature. This control is not fine enough to make the native eidolon appear like a specific creature. The monster ally generally looks like a conventional monster, like a dragon or unicorn.

Eidolon allies are very hard to kill; they go unconscious normally at zero hit points, but automatically stabilize and can survive at negative hit points equal to their full normal hit points. An native eidolon that is slain can be raised or resurrected without suffering negative levels, or the monster mage can call upon his pact to contact a new native eidolon. This is a one-hour ritual that severs all ties with the old monster. The replacement native eidolon must travel to the monster mage using its own abilities, a process that can take up to a week.

The native eidolon’s Hit Dice, saving throws, skills, feats, and abilities are tied to the monster mage’s class level and increase as the monster mage gains levels in the same manner a summoner's eidolon does. In addition, each native eidolon receives a pool of evolution points, based on the monster mage’s class level, that can be used to give the native eidolon different abilities and powers. Whenever the monster mage gains a level, he must decide how these points are spent, and they are set until he gains another level of monster mage.

Native eidolons have access to some new and modified evolutions, see below.

Unchained Eidolons

A native eidolons is never an extraplanar creature and must be selected among creatures that live naturally in the material plane. Exactly which creatures do so depend on the game world. The following subtypes of eidolon are almost always native to the material plane: augmented animal, dragon, magical beast These eidolons can usually be found as natives of the material plane, but check with your GM to be sure: elemental, fey, shadow.

Summon Monster (Sp)

This is the same as the summoner ability of the same name, except the monster mage can use it while his eidolon is around. He can still only have one instance of the summon monster ability active at any one time; using this ability dismisses any monsters remaining from a previous use of the ability. This is a modification of summon monster and also replaces life link.

No Summon Eidolon

Remove the summon eidolon spell from the monster mage’s spell list.

Aspect (Su)

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

Greater Call (Su)

At 10th level, the monster mage can teleport his native eidolon to his side once per week. This works like maker's call, except the range is that of teleport. The caster level of this ability is the monster mage's level +5 and the spell level of this ability is half the monster mage's level. This replaces transposition.

Table: Monster Mage

Level	Base Attack Bonus	Fort Save	Ref Save	Will Save	Special	Spells per Day
						1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th	6th
1st	+0	+0	+0	+2	Cantrips, native eidolon, summon monster I	1	—	—	—	—	—
2nd	+1	+0	+0	+3	Bond senses	2	—	—	—	—	—
3rd	+2	+1	+1	+3	Summon monster II	3	—	—	—	—	—
4th	+3	+1	+1	+4	Shield ally	3	1	—	—	—	—
5th	+3	+1	+1	+4	Summon monster III	4	2	—	—	—	—
6th	+4	+2	+2	+5	Maker’s call	4	3	—	—	—	—
7th	+5	+2	+2	+5	Summon monster IV	4	3	1	—	—	—
8th	+6/+1	+2	+2	+6	Aspect	4	4	2	—	—	—
9th	+6/+1	+3	+3	+6	Summon monster V	5	4	3	—	—	—
10th	+7/+2	+3	+3	+7	Greater call	5	4	3	1	—	—
11th	+8/+3	+3	+3	+7	Summon monster VI	5	4	4	2	—	—
12th	+9/+4	+4	+4	+8	Greater shield ally	5	5	4	3	—	—
13th	+9/+4	+4	+4	+8	Summon monster VII	5	5	4	3	1	—
14th	+10/+5	+4	+4	+9	Life bond	5	5	4	4	2	—
15th	+11/+6/+1	+5	+5	+9	Summon monster VIII	5	5	5	4	3	—
16th	+12/+7/+2	+5	+5	+10	Merge forms	5	5	5	4	3	1
17th	+12/+7/+2	+5	+5	+10	Summon monster IX	5	5	5	4	4	2
18th	+13/+8/+3	+6	+6	+11	Greater aspect	5	5	5	5	4	3
19th	+14/+9/+4	+6	+6	+11	Gate	5	5	5	5	5	4
20th	+15/+10/+5	+6	+6	+12	Twin eidolon	5	5	5	5	5	5

Native eidolon Evolutions

These additional and modified evolutions are available to the native eidolon of a monster mage.

Dual Creature Type (Ex)

0 point evolution

At no cost in evolution points, the native eidolon can have a dual creature type. Chose an additional creature type, such as dragon or magical beast. The native eidolon counts as both a native outsider and as the selected creature type for effects related to creature type.

Growth (Su)

4 point evolution

Except as noted, this is the same as the normal eidolon's large evolution (not the modified large evolution of the native eidolon, below). By paying the full 4 points of the Large and 6 additional points for the Huge evolutions, the native eidolon gains the ability to grow selectively, and can return to Small or Medium size or grow to its full possible size as a standard action.

Large (Ex)

2 point evolution

The large evolution is only a two-point evolution for an native eidolon, and the huge evolution an additional 3 points instead of 6 points. The benefits of being Large or Huge remain the same, and native eidolons with this evolution still pay twice the normal cost for evolutions to Strength and Constitution.

Shrink (Su)

4 point evolution

An native eidolon can shrink to Tiny size or resume its normal size as a standard action. A Tiny native eidolon is often mistaken for a familiar.

While Tiny, the native eidolon gains a +4 bonus to its Dexterity score. It also takes a –8 penalty to its Strength and a –4 penalty to its Constitution. It gains a +2 size bonus to its AC and attack rolls, a –2 penalty to its CMB and CMD scores, a +4 bonus on its Fly skill checks, and a +8 bonus on its Stealth skill checks. If it is normally Small, Large, or Huge, it loses the effects of these size modifications. Any natural armor the native eidolon has is halved. It also loses its natural reach and all natural and weapon attacks do two steps less damage.

Summary of Changed Class Abilities

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

• Eidolon
• Life Link
• Summon Monster (all)
• Aspect
• Transposition

The text in this article is Open Game Content. It is covered by the Open Game License v1.0a, rather than the Action copyright. To distinguish it, these items will have this notice. If you see any page that contains OGL material and does not show this license statement, please contact one of the Action administrators. Please note that images used in article may have different copyright than the text.