Eldritch Noble (Apath)

Unofficial rules compendium

This is a work in progress.

The noble magician belongs to a rich and influential family. She never had to kowtow to any master, instead studying whatever magic she wanted. Her great mind has thrived on this freedom, rewarding her with awesome arcane powers - if not quite the respect she wants from her magical peers.

Class Information

This is a prestige archetype.

Prestige Class: Noble Scion.

Build Class: Witch.

The noble magician is rich witch without hexes.

Role: A noble magician is a master of arcane, but also a cultivated socialite with connections and wealth.

Alignment: Any. A noble magician might be a philanthropist of a plotter, but in either case she hides it behind a cultured facade.

Hit Die: d6.

Class Skills

The noble magician's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Appraise (Int), Bluff (Cha), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Disguise (Cha), Fly (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (all) (Int), Perception (Wis), Perform (Cha), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Sense Motive (Wis), and Spellcraft (Int).

Skill Ranks at Each Level: 2 + Int modifier.

Class Features

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

Spells

At first level, the noble magician must decide to learn and prepare spells like a wizard or a witch. If she chooses wizard, she has a spellbook just like a wizard. If she chooses witch, she has either a witch's familiar, or a bonded that she learns spells from just as she would from a familiar. See arcane bond below.

A noble magician that prepares spells like a witch has kept her knowledge of magic secret from the world at large. A noble magician who prepares spells like a wizard is generally known to be a spellcaster.

In either case, she casts arcane spells drawn from the witch spell list.

Affluent (Ex)

At each level, a noble magician gains a stipend worth a number of gold pieces equal to 750 multiplied by her class level. (She gains 750 gp at 1st level, an additional 1,500 gp at 2nd level, and so on.) This replaces the level 1 hex.

Arcane Bond

This is the same as the wizard's arcane bond class feature. A noble magician that casts spells like a witch can use a bonded item to prepare spell and to cast any spell contained in the item once per day. This replaces witch's familiar.

Patron Spells

The noble magician has a highly individual curriculum, and can decide on her own what magic to study.

This is the witch's patron spells ability, except that it is the result of magical study and patronage rather than than supernatural favor.

At 8th, 12th and 16th level, a noble magician can pick another area of personal study, and gains the benefit of the patron spells from another patron of her choice. If she already knows spells the learned in this manner, there is no refund. This replaces the level 12 hex, major hex and grand hex.

Prestigious Influence (Ex)

At 2nd level, a noble magician can use her influence to receive special treatment, favors, and other services. She 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 magician include:

• Pay for lodgings, stabling, taxes, and tolls.
• Improve her 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 her class level (50 gp).

A noble magician 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. This replaces the level 2 hex.

Aristocratic Erudition (Ex)

At 3rd level, a noble magician gains a bonus equal to 1/3 her 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 magician by the same amount. This replaces the level 18 hex.

Servitor (Ex)

At 4th level, a noble magician 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 magician as would a cohort or follower, but instead can run various errands for her master while the noble magician is adventuring, such as delivering messages or maintaining the scion's manor in her stead. This replaces the level 4 hex.

Regional Expertise (Ex)

At 5th level, and again at 10th and 14th level, a noble magician gains a bonus feat from one of the lists below, depending on where she 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 magician 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 the level 6, 10, and 14 hexes.

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 magician gains Leadership as a bonus feat. This replaces the level 8 hex.

Greater Leadership (Ex)

At 13th level, a noble magician can recruit a cohort up to one level lower than himself an doubles the number of followers. At 19th level, she can recruit a cohort of the same level as himself and quadruples the number of followers. This replaces the level 14 and 20 hexes.

Peerless Patrician (Ex)

At 20th level, once per round a noble magician 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, she can assume the roll resulted in a natural 20. This replaces the level 20 hex.

Table: Noble Magician

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)	4	3	—	—	—	—	—
4th	+3	+4	+1	+4	Servitor, spell combat spellstrike	4	3	1	—	—	—	—
5th	+3	+4	+1	+4	Magician mentoring, regional expertise	4	4	2	—	—	—	—
6th	+4	+5	+2	+5	Aristocratic erudition +2	5	4	3	—	—	—	—
7th	+5	+5	+2	+5	Knowledge pool, Leadership	5	4	3	1	—	—	—
8th	+6/+1	+6	+2	+6	Spell recall	5	4	4	2	—	—	—
9th	+6/+1	+6	+3	+6	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, magician mentoring	5	5	4	4	2	—	—
12th	+9/+4	+8	+4	+8	Fighter training	5	5	5	4	3	—	—
13th	+9/+4	+8	+4	+8	Greater leadership	5	5	5	4	3	1	—
14th	+10/+5	+9	+4	+9	Medium armor	5	5	5	4	4	2	—
15th	+11/+6/+1	+9	+5	+9	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	Magician mentoring	5	5	5	5	4	4	2
18th	+13/+8/+3	+11	+6	+11	Aristocratic erudition +6	5	5	5	5	5	4	3
19th	+14/+9/+4	+11	+6	+11	Greater leadership	5	5	5	5	5	5	4
20th	+15/+10/+5	+12	+6	+12	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