As long as royalty has existed, there have existed orders of knights who swear their loyalty to protect them. Many in these positions of political power take up the practice of magic. As such, orders of knights must be practiced to defend their spellcaster allies. Some of them practice with the arcane, in order to harness the power of those spells.
The pluto knight is an archetype of the knight class.
Archetype Main Ability Scores
The pluto knight mainly focuses on STR/DEX for martial combat and INT for his class features.
Archetype Feature Replacements
1st – Class Skills, Defend Ally. 2nd – Knight Talent, Stand Firm, Defensive Training. 4th – Knight Talent, Active Defense, Bulwark. 6th – Knight Talent. 7th – Shield Ally. 8th – Knight Talent, Shield Buffet. 10th – Knight Talent. 12th – Advanced Knight Talent 14th – Advanced Knight Talent, Improved Shield Ally. 16th – Advanced Knight Talent. 18th – Advanced Knight Talent. 20th – Advanced Knight Talent.
Class Skills
The pluto knight gains Knowledge (Arcana) and Spellcraft as class skills, but loses Sense Motive and Perception as class skills.
This ability alters class skills.
Defend Ally (Ex)
When the pluto knight transfers AC to an ally, that ally also gains a bonus to concentration checks made to cast spells defensively equal to the AC bonus.
This ability modifies defend ally.
Arcane Pool (Su)
At 2nd level, the pluto knight gains a pool of magic energy from which he can draw his arcane arts from. The pluto knight has a number of arcane pool points equal to half his knight level (minimum 1) + his Intelligence modifier. The pool refreshes once per day when the pluto knight rests for a full 8 hours.
At 2nd level, a pluto knight can expend 1 point from his arcane pool as a swift action to grant any melee weapon he is holding a +1 enhancement bonus for 1 minute. For every four levels beyond 2nd the weapon gains another +1 enhancement bonus, to a maximum of +5 at 18th level. These bonuses can be added to the weapon, stacking with existing weapon enhancement to a maximum of +5. Multiple uses of this ability do not stack with themselves.
A pluto knight can only enhance one melee weapon in this way at one time. If he uses this ability again, the first use immediately ends.
This ability replaces defensive training and bulwark.
Magic Sword (Su)
At 2nd level, the pluto knight can use a standard action to spend a number of arcane pool points equal to half the spell’s level rounded up (minimum 1), to add the effect of a single target spell from a willing ally’s spell list, which must be no more than a standard action to cast, to his wielded melee weapon, and then make an attack with that weapon. On the next attack with that weapon that hits, it deals normal weapon damage + the effect of the spell. The spell functions off of the caster’s level and casting modifier, but the save DC is 10 + half the knight’s level + his Intelligence modifier. The pluto knight can only borrow spells from an ally he has sight of within 30 feet. The spell persists on his weapon for 1 minute, or until the next attack with that weapon that hits. This allows him to pre-emptively store a spell in his melee weapon without immediately making an attack. The pluto knight can only store one spell effect in this way at a time, if he uses this feature to add another spell effect, the previous effect ends. If the pluto knight stores a spell in a weapon, and the weapon is wielded by another creature, the spell effect dissipates. Magic Sword does not suffer spell failure, however if the caster that the spell is borrowed from has spell failure, that chance is applied when attaching the spell to the melee weapon. If the spell fails, the pluto knight still expends arcane pool points. (Healing spells cause the weapon to deal no damage, unless against an undead target.)
At 12th level, the pluto knight can use Magic Sword as part of a full attack action. He can opt to not take the lowest bonus attack from his full attack, call upon a spell from an ally, and then strike with the remaining attacks. While doing so, he cannot make bonus attacks from effects such as haste or Two-Weapon Fighting.
This ability replaces stand firm and knight’s vigilance.
Knightly Arcana (Ex or Su)
As a pluto knight gains experience, his ability to imbue his weapon with magic improves. Starting at 2nd level, the pluto knight gains one knightly arcana or a knight talent. He gains an additional knightly arcana for every two levels of knight attained after 2nd. A pluto knight cannot select a particular knightly arcana more than once. When taking the Extra Knight Talent feat, a pluto knight may select either an extra knight talent or knightly arcana.
Arcane Reversal (Su): If the pluto knight is targeted by a single target spell from an enemy, and it misses its attack roll for ranged touch spells or the knight succeeds on his saving throw for enfeebling/status effect spells, he may use Magic Sword as an immediate action to store the spell he had been targeted by in his weapon, paying the cost as normal. If the pluto knight has the Magic Armor or Magic Shield knightly arcana, he may store the spell effect in one of those instead. Prerequisite: The pluto knight must be at least 8th level to select this arcana.
Dispelling Strike (Su): The pluto knight can spend 1 or more points from his arcane pool as a swift action to imbue his weapon with a special power. If the weapon strikes a creature within the next minute, that creature is the subject of a targeted dispel using the pluto knight’s level as the caster level, except that this effect cannot dispel a spell of a level higher than the number of arcane pool points expended to activate this ability (treat higher-level spells as if they do not exist and apply the dispel attempt to the remaining spells with the highest caster level). Once the strike is made, the power dissipates, even if the dispel attempt is unsuccessful. Prerequisite: The pluto knight must be at least 8th level to select this arcana.
Disruptive (Ex): The pluto knight gains Disruptive as a bonus feat. He does not need to meet the fighter level requirements for this feat.
Guided Strike (Su): The pluto knight can spend 1 point from his arcane pool as an immediate action upon missing a melee attack on a single target to force his way through an enemy’s defenses, making that melee attack hit. Guided strikes cannot critically hit.
Knightly Accuracy (Su): The pluto knight can spend 1 point from his arcane pool as a swift action to grant himself an insight bonus equal to his Intelligence modifier on all attack rolls until the end of his turn.
Knightly Redoubt (Su): As an immediate action, the pluto knight can expend 1 point from his arcane pool to treat his shield bonus to AC (including any enhancement bonus) as a bonus to touch AC until the beginning of his next turn.
Mage’s Bane (Su): Once per round, when the pluto knight hits a creature with an MP pool, he may also deal MP damage equal to his Intelligence modifier. If he is missing arcane pool points, he may restore half the MP damage, rounded down, to his arcane pool. He may not exceed his maximum amount of arcane pool points this way. Prerequisite: The pluto knight must be at least 12th level to select this arcana.
Magic Armor (Su): The pluto knight can have his armor be affected by his Arcane Pool and Magic Sword class features, to provide enhancement bonuses and store spell effects respectively. The pluto knight still cannot have more than one of each effect active at a time, but can place one effect on his melee weapon and the other effect on his armor. Additionally, the pluto knight can use the Magic Sword class feature to pull a single target enhancement or healing spell to immediately put on himself, but the maximum duration for any such spell will be 1 minute.
Magic Shield (Su): The pluto knight can have his shield be affected by his Arcane Pool and Magic Sword class features, to provide enhancement bonuses and store spell effects respectively. The pluto knight still cannot have more than one of each effect active at a time, but can place one effect on his melee weapon and the other effect on his shield. Spell effects can be delivered with Magic Shield through shield bashes. At 11th level, the pluto knight may gain bonus attacks from Two-Weapon Fighting while using Magic Sword as a full attack action, but he may only make shield bashes with his off-hand attacks.
Metamagic Sword (Su): The pluto knight becomes more in tune with his ally’s spellcasting capabilities. He may modify a spell he pulls from an ally’s spell list with one metamagic feat that ally knows by paying the full increased MP cost with arcane pool points. The arcane pool point cost for the spell itself is still half the spell’s level, rounded up, the metamagic feat cost is calculated after this. The ally must be able to cast the spell with the metamagic feat modifying it, and the spell modified must have a valid use for the metamagic feat. The pluto knight cannot use metamagic feats that modify cast time or range. Prerequisite: The pluto knight must be at least 8th level to select this arcana.
Precise Blade (Ex): When using Magic Sword to store a spell effect, the pluto knight can forgo dealing weapon damage to deliver the spell effect as a melee touch attack.
Precise Toss (Ex): When using Magic Sword to store a spell effect, the pluto knight can forgo dealing weapon damage to deliver the spell effect as a ranged touch attack when throwing his weapon. Prerequisite: The pluto knight must have the Precise Blade knightly arcaba to select this arcana.
Reach Sword (Su): The pluto knight’s ability to draw upon his ally’s spells improves. By spending an additional arcane pool point, the pluto knight can pull a spell from an ally’s spell list at the same range that ally could cast that spell when using Magic Sword.
Spell Charge (Su): The pluto knight’s ability to deliver stored spells improves, his weapon becoming like a magical bolt. While he has a spell effect from Magic Sword stored on a melee weapon, the pluto knight can charge up to three times his base speed. Additionally, he may use Magic Sword at the start of a charge. At 8th level, he may spend a point from his arcane pool to gain a Fly speed equal to his base land speed for a charge while using Magic Sword. If the knight does not end this charge on solid ground, he falls as normal at the end of the charge attack as if under the effect of choco feather.
Spellbreaker (Ex): The pluto knight gains Spellbreaker as a bonus feat. He does not need to meet the fighter level requirements for this feat. Prerequisite: The pluto knight must be at least 12th level and the Disruptive feat to select this arcana.
Swift Blade (Su): By spending an additional 3 points from his arcane pool, the pluto knight can use the Magic Sword class feature a second time during a full attack action. The pluto knight may decide to use this knightly arcana after a successful attack, as long as he has at least one attack remaining. He must be able to pay the cost for the spell along with the additional 3 arcane pool points. Prerequisite: The pluto knight must be at least 12th level to select this arcana.
These abilities may replace knight talents.
Magical Renewal (Ex)
At 4th level, as an immediate action when hit by a damaging spell, if the pluto knight is missing points from his arcane pool, he can absorb some of the magic, adding it back into his arcane pool. When using this ability, the pluto knight regains 1 arcane pool point. At 8th level, he regains 2 points, and at 12th level, he regains 3 points. If the damage from the spell would drop him to 0 HP or less, he cannot use this ability. The pluto knight can only use this ability when hit by an enemy spellcaster.
This ability replaces active defense.
Shield Other (Sp)
At 7th level, the pluto knight can conjure a shield around an ally he can see within 25 ft. + 5 ft. for every 2 knight levels. This shield is connected to the pluto knight’s life force. As a standard action, the pluto knight can conjure a shield that will share the damage between them. This shield lasts 1 hour. His ally takes only half damage from all wounds and attacks (including those dealt by special abilities) that deal hit point damage. The amount of damage not taken by the warded ally is taken by the pluto knight. Forms of harm that do not involve hit points, such as charm effects, temporary ability damage, level draining, and death effects, are not affected. If the ally suffers a reduction of hit points from a lowered Constitution score, the reduction is not split with the pluto knight, because it is not hit point damage. When this effect ends, subsequent damage is no longer divided between the subject and the pluto knight, but damage already split is not reassigned to the subject. If the subject and the pluto knight move out of range of each other, this effect ends. The pluto knight can do this a number of times per day equal to 3 + his Intelligence modifier. At 14th level, the pluto knight prevents damage to his ally entirely, but still takes half damage himself.
This ability replaces shield ally and improved shield ally.
Magicked Sword (Ex)
At 8th level, the pluto knight gains Magicked Strike as a bonus feat. He can grant this feat to an ally within 30 ft. as a move action. That ally must be able to cast a damaging elemental spell of at least 1st level. This feat is granted for a number of rounds equal to the pluto knight’s Intelligence modifier. At 13th level, a pluto knight may grant this feat as a swift action.
This ability replaces courtly refinement.