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.

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, sacerdote, psychic, 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. The prestige archetype replaces all of the class features of whatever class it is taken with, except as noted below under weapon and armor proficiency, spells, and build class.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency

A cyphermage is proficient with the club, dagger, heavy crossbow, light crossbow, and quarterstaff, but not with any type of armor or shield. Armor interferes with a cypermage's movements, which can cause her spells with somatic components to fail.

Spells

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

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 +2 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 the cyphermage's Intelligence bonus + 1/2 the cyphermage's class level. By spending a a cypher point when casting a cyphermage spell, the cyphermage can increase the Spellcraft difficulty caster level of the spell by 1 and the Spellcraft DC to recognize the spell by 5. This increases the casting of a time to a full-round action, but this increase does not stack with that of a spontaneous caster applying metamagic to a spell; both abilities can be used simultaneously.

Scribe Scroll

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

Cypher Lore

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 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 and facless 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 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 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.

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 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.

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. He selects one of his cypher lore abilities that requires a swift action to activate; thereafter, he may activate that ability as a free action.

Table: Cyphermage

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

Alternate Build Classes

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

A cyphermage gains the armor and weapon proficiencies of it's build class. This replaces the weapon and armor proficiencies given above.

The bloodmage 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 bloodmage inherits the following class features from the build class. This replaces the build class feature of the cypehermage.

Arcanist The cypher arcanist gains one arcanist exploit at level 1 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 spends points of cypher pool on arcane exploits instead of arcane reservoir.

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

Psychic The cypher psychic gains one phrenic amplification at level 1 and can choose additional phrenic amplifications instead of a cypher lore. At level 11, the arcanist cyphermage gains the major amplifications ability. The cypher psychic gains and spends points of cypher pool instead of phrenic pool.

Witch A cypher witch keeps the witch's familiar and patron spells class features. The cypher witch gains one hex at level 1 and can choose additional hexes instead of a cypher lore. The cypher witch gains major hex at level 10 and grand hex at level 18.

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