Very rarely a man or woman will forsake the conventions of society and go train in the wilderness, seeking knowledge and truth that cannot be attained by normal means. When an intense desire for knowledge is coupled with rigorous martial training and an aptitude for spellcasting, a mystic knight is born. The thirst for knowledge gives rise to different abilities and demeanor than the desire to uphold an alignment. In contrast to the passionate zealotry of paladins and clerics, mystic knights are renowned for their objectivity and ability to act dispassionately in the heat of battle.
In the land of Arcadia, mystic knights are particularly known for their fierce defense of arcanists against the encroaching tide of religion. To this end, they have honed their abilities against divine spellcasters and even cast some spells that are ordinarily under the purview of divine magic. Yet ultimately the cause of the mystic knight is not the destruction of divinity, but the preservation of the knowledge, power, and mysteries of arcane magic.
As befits their dedication to the preservation of arcane lore, mystic knights learn a tremendous variety of spells and secrets, more than the average wizard, sorcerer, or wu jen can hope to learn. However, their divided focus prevents them from being the true equals of properly trained fighters in melee or of mages in spellcasting. Most do not ever learn to wear armor; the time required to learn to cast in a way that would not interfere with their spellcasting is instead spent on learning more spells. Mystic knights rely on appropriate spell selection to see them through situations, and depend almost exclusively on supernatural protection to keep them safe from harm.
Alignment: Must be neutral with respect to both morality and ethos.
Hit Die: d8.
The mystic knight’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Balance (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Handle Animal (Cha), Hide (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (arcana/nature/religion) (Int), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Sense Motive (Wis), Spellcraft (Int), and Tumble (Dex).
Skill Points at 1st Level: (2 + Int modifier) x 4.
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 2 + Int modifier.
Table: The Mystic Knight
| Level | Base Attack Bonus |
Fort Save |
Ref Save |
Will Save |
Deflection Bonus | Special | Spells per Day | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th | |||||||
| 1st | +1 | +0 | +0 | +2 | 0 | Arcane Curse 1/day (-2), Mystic Skin 1 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2nd | +2 | +0 | +0 | +3 | 0 | Mystic Weapon Style | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 3rd | +3 | +1 | +1 | +3 | 0 | Arcane Harmony +1 | 3 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 4th | +4 | +1 | +1 | +4 | 1 | Deflection | 3 | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | — |
| 5th | +5 | +1 | +1 | +4 | 1 | Arcane Curse 2/day (-3) | 3 | 3 | 1 | — | — | — | — |
| 6th | +6/+1 | +2 | +2 | +5 | 1 | Evasion, Spell Secret | 3 | 3 | 2 | — | — | — | — |
| 7th | +7/+2 | +2 | +2 | +5 | 1 | Mystic Skin 2 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 0 | — | — | — |
| 8th | +8/+3 | +2 | +2 | +6 | 2 | Improved Weapon Style, Mystic Grace | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | — | — | — |
| 9th | +9/+4 | +3 | +3 | +6 | 2 | Spell Secret | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | — | — | — |
| 10th | +10/+5 | +3 | +3 | +7 | 2 | Arcane Harmony +2, Arcane Curse 3/day (-4) | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 0 | — | — |
| 11th | +11/+6/+1 | +3 | +3 | +7 | 2 | Mystic Weapon Specialization | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | — | — |
| 12th | +12/+7/+2 | +4 | +4 | +8 | 3 | Spell Secret | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | — | — |
| 13th | +13/+8/+3 | +4 | +4 | +8 | 3 | Mystic Skin 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 0 | — |
| 14th | +14/+9/+4 | +4 | +4 | +9 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | — | |
| 15th | +15/+10/+5 | +5 | +5 | +9 | 3 | Arcane Curse 4/day (-5), Spell Secret | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | — |
| 16th | +16/+11/+6/+1 | +5 | +5 | +10 | 4 | Arcane Harmony +3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 0 |
| 17th | +17/+12/+7/+2 | +5 | +5 | +10 | 4 | Mystic Weapon Mastery | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 |
| 18th | +18/+13/+8/+3 | +6 | +6 | +11 | 4 | Spell Secret | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 |
| 19th | +19/+14/+9/+4 | +6 | +6 | +11 | 4 | Mystic Skin 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 |
| 20th | +20/+15/+10/+5 | +6 | +6 | +12 | 5 | Arcane Curse 5/day (-6), Redirect Spell | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
All of the following are class features of the mystic knight.
Code of Conduct
A mystic knight must be of neutral alignment and loses all class abilities if she ever strays from neutrality.
Additionally, a mystic knight’s ethic requires that she respect both knowledge and the well-informed, and punish those who destroy sources or repositories of arcane knowledge. Though mystic knights are famous for being the enemies of divine spellcasters, their true task is the preservation of magic, not the elimination of divinity.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Mystic knights are proficient with all simple weapons. They are not proficient with any armor or shields.
Bonus Languages: A mystic knight may substitute Sylvan, the language of magical fey, for one of the bonus languages normally available to the character because of her race.
Arcane Curse (Su): Once per day as a free action, a mystic knight can curse a foe she has injured in melee. The curse may be activated when the blow occurs, or remotely any time up to one hour per mystic knight level later. The victim of a mystic curse suffers a -2 penalty on saving throws against arcane spells, arcane spell effects, and spell-like abilities for 1 round per mystic knight level after the curse is activated. At level 5 and every 5 levels thereafter, the penalty increases by 1 and the mystic knight gains the ability to use her curse one additional time per day. Multiple arcane curses (whether from the same or other knights) will not stack, and a foe cannot be affected by the same mystic knight's curse more than once in 24 hours.
Any effect that removes or dispels a curse removes an active arcane curse. An arcane curse may only be removed or dispelled while active; it cannot be preemptively dispelled.
Mystic Skin (Ex): A mystic knight protects herself from physical harm with mystic sigils inscribed into her own skin. She gains damage reduction which is overcome by a material of her choosing: adamantine, cold iron, or silver. This material is chosen at first level and cannot be changed. Subtract 1 from the damage she takes each time she is dealt damage from weapon or natural attack that does not incorporate this material. At 7th level and every six mystic knight levels thereafter, this damage reduction rises by 1 point. Damage reduction can reduce damage to 0 but not below 0.
Spells: Mystic knights cast arcane spells, which are drawn from the mystic knight spell list. A mystic knight is broadly learned in spells and can cast any spell from the mystic knight spell list without preparing it ahead of time, provided that she can still cast spells of that level for the day.
To cast a spell, a mystic knight must have a Charisma score equal to at least 10 + the spell level. The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against a mystic knight’s spell is 10 + the spell level + the mystic knight’s Charisma modifier.
Like other spellcasters, a mystic knight can cast only a certain number of spells of each spell level per day. Her base daily spell allotment is given on Table: The mystic knight. In addition, she receives bonus spells per day if she has a high Charisma score. When Table: The mystic knight indicates that the mystic knight gets 0 spells per day of a given spell level, she gains only the bonus spells she would be entitled to based on her Charisma score for that spell level. The mystic knight does not have access to any domain spells or granted powers, as a cleric does.
Mystic Weapon Style (Ex): At 2nd level, a mystic knight incorporates the use of one exotic or martial weapon of her choice in her training. Thereafter, she is treated as proficient with the weapon as long as she is not wearing armor or using a shield.
Arcane Harmony (Su): At 3rd level, a mystic knight becomes better attuned to the flows of magic. She adds 1 to the caster level of any arcane spell targeting her, whether beneficial or harmful! This improvement has no bearing on other targets of the spell, if any. Spells which do not explicitly target the mystic knight (such as area or effect spells) are not affected. Every 7 mystic knight levels thereafter, the improvement increases by 1.
For example, if a 4th-level sorcerer casts Mage Armor on a 4th-level mystic knight, which would normally have a duration of 4 hours, it is improved to caster level 5. It lasts for 5 hours and resists being dispelled as though a 5th level sorcerer had cast it.
Deflection (Su): At 4th level, a mystic knight gains a deflection bonus to her Armor Class equal to one-fourth her mystic knight levels.
Evasion (Ex): At 6th level or higher if a mystic knight makes a successful Reflex saving throw against an attack that normally deals half damage on a successful save, she instead takes no damage. Evasion can be used only if a mystic knight is wearing light armor or no armor. A helpless mystic knight does not gain the benefit of evasion.
Spell Secret: At 6th level and every 3 levels thereafter, a mystic knight chooses one class spell to permanently attach a metamagic feat to. Thereafter, the mystic knight casts that spell with the benefit of the metamagic feat, but with no change in casting time or spell level. Only feats that would normally alter the spell level by one can be chosen. The mystic knight need not possess a metamagic feat to apply it as a spell secret.
Once chosen, a spell secret cannot be reassigned, nor can the spell be cast without the benefit of the feat.
Improved Weapon Style (Ex): At 8th level, a mystic knight gains the benefit of the Weapon Focus feat for the weapon chosen at 2nd level. As before, the benefits of the mystic knight’s chosen weapon style apply only when she wears no armor and does not benefit from a shield.
Mystic Grace (Su): At 8th level, a mystic knight adds her Charisma modifier as a bonus to all saving throws.
Mystic Weapon Specialization (Ex): At 11th level, a mystic knight gains the benefit of the Weapon Specialization feat for the weapon chosen at 2nd level. As before, the benefits of the mystic knight’s chosen weapon style apply only when she wears no armor and does not benefit from a shield.
Mystic Weapon Mastery (Ex): At 17th level, a mystic knight gains the benefit of the Greater Weapon Focus and Greater Weapon Specialization feats for the weapon chosen at 2nd level. Furthermore, while wielding her chosen weapon, she overcomes damage reduction corresponding to the type of her own damage reduction (for example, if she had DR 4/adamantine, her weapons would bypass damage reduction as though they were themselves adamantine.) As before, the benefits of the mystic knight’s chosen weapon style apply only when she wears no armor and does not benefit from a shield.
Redirect Spell (Su): When a 20th-level mystic knight makes a successful save against a spell that targets her, she may attempt to redirect the spell as an immediate action. This ability affects only spells that have the mystic knight as a target, not effect or area spells.
To redirect a spell that targets her, she must succeed on a level check (1d20 + mystic knight class level) against a DC of 10 + the spell's caster level. This is inherently risky, as failure means that the spell has its normal effect. Success means that the mystic knight suffers no effect from the spell and can redirect it against another target of her choosing, or let the energy bleed off harmlessly. Note that even a successful redirection provides no information about the spell itself; a mystic knight must still succeed at her Spellcraft check to identify the spell.
Arcane Might
Transmutation
Level: Myk 5
Components: Verbal, Somatic
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Personal
Targets: You
Duration: 1 round/level (D)
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: Yes
This
spell causes you to grow, doubling your height and multiplying your weight by 8.
This increase changes your size category to the next larger one, and you gain a
+4 size bonus to Strength and a +4 size bonus to Constitution. You gain 1
temporary hit point per caster level. Your size
modifier for AC and attacks changes as appropriate to your new size category.
This spell doesn’t change your speed. Determine space and reach as appropriate
to your new size.
If insufficient room is available for the desired growth, you attain the maximum
possible size and may make a Strength check (using your increased Strength) to
burst any enclosures in the process. If you fail, you are constrained without
harm by the materials enclosing you— the spell cannot crush you by increasing
your size.
All equipment you wear or carry is similarly enlarged by the spell. Melee and
projectile weapons deal more damage. Other magical properties are not affected
by this spell. Any enlarged item that leaves your possession (including a
projectile or thrown weapon) instantly returns to its normal size. This means
that thrown weapons deal their normal damage (projectiles deal damage based on
the size of the weapon that fired them).
Multiple magical effects that increase size do not stack.
Aura of Lightning
Evocation [Electricity]
Level: Myk 2, Sor/Wiz 2
Components: Verbal, Somatic
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Personal
Targets: You
Duration: 1 minute/level, or until discharged
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: Yes
This spell wraps the caster in a scintillating sheath of energy. The next time anyone strikes him in melee, the attacker suffers 1d6 points of electrical damage per level (maximum 10d6). This discharge happens automatically, and once the spell is cast, it cannot be controlled by the caster. The victim of the discharge gets no saving throw, but spell resistance applies.
Cursed
Blade
Transmutation
Level: Hex 4, Myk 4
Components: Verbal, Somatic
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Touch
Target: One bladed weapon
Duration: 1 round/level
Saving Throw: None (harmless, object)
Spell Resistance: No (harmless, object)
A weapon affected by this spell deals wounds that cannot be healed. Any damage dealt by the weapon itself (not including additional damage from special weapon properties such as shocking, wounding, etc.) cannot be cured by any means until the injured individual receives a remove curse (or any effect that neutralizes a curse).
If a creature is slain by a cursed blade, it cannot be raised from the dead until the curse on the body is lifted, via remove curse or a similar effect. Resurrection and higher level spells (such as True Resurrection) bypass this limitation.
A shimmering ray springs from your hand to disrupt the mental fabric of a psionically empowered being, causing a loss of power points and robbing it of focus.
You must succeed at a ranged touch attack to strike a target, which is entitled to a Fortitude saving throw. If the target then fails its save, it loses a number of psionic power points equal to 1 + the spell's caster level, and also loses any psionic focus it might have had. (Thus a ray of depletion from a 10th-level caster would deplete 11 points and cause its target to lose focus.)
A ray of depletion affects only psionic targets. Nonpsionic characters are unaffected. Ray of depletion cannot reduce a victim's available psionic power point total to below 1, though a psionically focused creature still loses its focus if it fails its save. Lost psionic power points are regained through normal means.
Note: this spell is based on the 3.0 version published by Wizards of the Coast, adjusted for 3.5 psionics rules and balanced by comparison to Glossolalia.
A coruscating beam springs from your hand to strike a psionic creature. As your target clutches its head, you feel a rush of vitality.
You must succeed at a ranged touch attack to strike a target. An affected target loses 1d4 psionic power points per caster level, to a maximum of 15d4 points at 15th level, and also loses any psionic focus it might have had. You gain 1 temporary hit point for each power point the spell takes from a psionic creature. The temporary hit points last for 1 hour.
A greater ray of depletion affects only psionic targets. Nonpsionic characters are unaffected. Greater ray of depletion cannot reduce a victim's available psionic power point total to below 0, though a psionically focused creature with no power points still loses its focus. Lost psionic power points are regained through normal means.
Note: This spell is comparable to the psionic power Mindwipe, which bestows more substantial penalties and cannot miss, but allows a saving throw and does not benefit the caster.
A mystic knight who ceases to be neutral or who grossly violates the code of conduct loses all mystic knight spells and abilities, but not weapon proficiencies. She may not progress any farther in levels as a mystic knight. She regains her abilities and advancement potential if she atones for her violations (see the atonement spell description), as appropriate.
Like a member of any other class, a mystic knight may be a multiclass character, but multiclass mystic knights face a special restriction. A mystic knight who gains a new class or (if already multiclass) raises another class by a level may never again raise her mystic knight level, though she retains all her mystic knight abilities.
New Feat
Extra Arcane Curse [General]
Prequisites: Arcane Curse class ability, Charisma 15.
Benefit: You gain two additional uses of Arcane Curse each day. This feat may be taken more than once.
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