Mages and healers have always found themselves embroiled in conflict, whether by their own design, or by the demands of the people and organizations with whom their loyalties lie. With exhausted magicians making easy prey for assassins, many took to hiring on bodyguards that could appreciate their sorcerous arts; in time, these warriors became known as Sorceress Knights. While female mages are most often the employers of such warriors, male casters are often also eager to employ their services.
The sorceress knight is an archetype of the gunbreaker class.
Archetype Main Ability Scores:
The sorceress knight mainly focuses on STR/DEX for martial combat and WIS for their class features.
Archetype Feature Replacements:
1st – Limit Break, Aurora. 2nd – Keen Edge. 3rd – Jugular Rip. 10th – Continuation. 11th – Royal Guard.
Limit Break (Su)
At 1st level, the sorceress knight receives the Limit Break (Borealis Barrier), which is usable when his ward is at half health or less.
Borealis Barrier (Su): This Limit Break allows a sorceress knight’s undying loyalty to ignite into a shining barrier, a pure manifestation of his protective will. When this Limit Break is activated, the sorceress knight’s Aurora ability activates for both the sorceress knight and his ward regardless of the distance between them, and without expending any daily uses. In addition, for a duration of 1 round + 1 round per four gunbreaker levels after 1st, the sorceress knight’s ward gains DR/- equal to 1 + 1 for every four gunbreaker levels after 1st, which stacks with all other forms of DR. Any damage this DR prevents is instead dealt to the sorceress knight instead.
This ability replaces one of the gunbreaker’s standard Limit Breaks.
Ward Protection (Su)
At 1st level, the sorceress knight begins the day by choosing a ward to protect. This ward must have at least one caster level and be able to cast spells. By forming a mutual aetherial bond, the sorceress knight’s abilities can help aid his ward. As long as the ward is within 30 feet of the sorceress knight, the ward benefits from various abilities (see below). If the sorceress knight is unconscious, helpless or otherwise unable to act, any abilities that affect the ward end until the sorceress knight is no longer impaired. A sorceress knight may only have 1 ward at any given time. At the beginning of each day, he can select a new ward if they meet the requirements.
Aurora (Su)
Whenever the sorceress knight uses his aurora ability, his ward gains the benefits instead of the sorceress knight, as long as his ward is within 30 feet of the sorceress knight.
This ability modifies aurora.
Keen Edge (Ex)
When adjacent to his ward, the sorceress knight can choose to apply his keen edge shield AC bonus to his ward instead.
This ability modifies keen edge.
Magical Selection (Su)
At 3rd level, when the sorceress knight’s ward would cast a spell that would affect the sorceress knight due to being in the area of effect, the sorceress knight is excluded from the spell’s effect. The ward can choose to include the sorceress knight in the effect if desired.
This ability replaces jugular rip.
Mana Draw (Su)
At 10th level, when the sorceress knight expends magicked ammo by firing his gun arm or using class features, excess aether is scattered into the air that the ward can then benefit from. As long as the ward is within 30 feet, they can draw upon this aetherial residue to ease the burden of casting their own magicks. For every 3 magicked ammo spent, the next spell cast by the ward has its MP cost lowered by 1. This cost is factored in after all other costs such as metamagic feat increases. This doesn’t allow the ward to cast spells of a higher level than they are otherwise already able to. The residue lasts until the beginning of the sorceress knight’s next turn.
This ability replaces continuation.
Royal Guard (Ex)
At 11th level, the sorceress knight grants his ward his own Heart of Stone and Heart of Light bonuses, as long as the ward is within 30 feet.
This ability modifies royal guard.
