A swordsman of mind and steel. Studying the arts of magic and the employ of their use in melee combat is essential to those who choose to take up both arts. Blade Sages do just that, switching between their two forms of combat to blend tactical swordplay with the intuition of magecraft.
The blade sage is an archetype of the scholar class.
Archetype Main Ability Scores:
The blade sage mainly focuses on STR/DEX for martial combat and INT and WIS for their class features and spells.
Archetype Feature Replacements:
1st – Limit Breaks (From Dusk Til Dawn and Tabula Rasa), Class Skills, Weapon and Armor Proficiency, Grimoire, Arcane Hypothesis, Light Arts/Dark Arts. 2nd – Arcane Reservoir, Scholar Exploits. 3rd – Light Arts: Penury, Dark Arts: Parsimony. 7th – Light Arts: Accession, Dark Arts: Manifestation. 11th – Light Arts: Celerity, Dark Arts: Alacrity. 15th – Light Arts: Rapture, Dark Arts: Ebullience. 19th – Magical Supremacy.
Limit Breaks (Su)
At 1st level, the blade sage receives the Limit Breaks (Arts of War and Might and Magic).
Arts of War (Su): This Limit Break allows the blade sage to use both blade arts and magic arts at the same time without penalty. This limit break lasts for 1 round + 1 round per four scholar levels after 1st. This limit break requires only a swift action to activate.
Might and Magic (Su): This Limit Break allows the blade sage to use a fighter limit break while under blade arts, or a red mage limit break while under magic arts. If the limit break has a duration, it lasts for 1 round + 1 round per four scholar levels after 1st. Action required is determined by the limit break the blade sage has chosen.
This ability replaces the scholar’s standard limit breaks.
Class Skills
The blade sage gains Acrobatics and Climb as class skills.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency
The blade sage can use all simple and martial weapons and light armor. He does not incur spell failure while wearing light armor.
This ability modifiers the scholar’s normal proficiencies.
Sage Prowess
The blade sage’s base attack bonus increases by 1 step (1/2 to 3/4). Additionally, his hit die increases by 1 step (d6 to d8).
This ability replaces grimoire and arcane hypothesis.
Blade Arts/Magic Arts (Su)
At 1st level, the blade sage can adopt extraordinary forms that gives him an edge in battle when the time comes, known as Blade Arts and Magic Arts. As standard action, the blade sage can switch to either art and when switched, gains bonuses and penalties according to that art. While in Blade Arts, the blade sage excels at melee combat but takes penalties to his casting, while in Magic Arts, gains bonuses to casting but penalties in melee. (see below).
At 7th level, he can switch between these forms as a move action, at 13th level, he can switch between them as a swift action.
Table: Blade Arts/Magic Arts Bonuses
| Current Form | Bonuses | Penalties |
|---|---|---|
| Blade Arts | All melee attack rolls and CMB gain a +1 bonus plus an additional +1 bonus per four scholar levels after 1st. All melee damage rolls gain a +2 bonus plus an additional +1 bonus per four scholar levels after 1st. AC and CMD increases by 1 plus 1 per four scholar levels after 1st. The blade sage gains DR 1/- plus 1 per four scholar levels after 1st. | All attack rolls made with spells take a -1 penalty plus an additional -1 penalty per four scholar levels after 1st. The blade sages caster level is treated as 1 less for the purpose of determining bonuses to spells. This decreases by an additional 1 per four scholar levels after 1st. (Minimum 1) Saving throws against spells and spell like abilities take a -1 penalty plus an additional -1 penalty per four scholar levels after 1st. The blade sage takes an additional 1 point of damage from magic damage be it spells or spell-like abilities, plus an additional point per four scholar levels after 1st. |
| Magic Arts | All attack rolls made with spells gain a +1 bonus plus an additional +1 per four scholar levels after 1st. The blade sages caster level is treated as 1 higher for the purpose of determining bonuses to spells. This increases by an additional 1 per four scholar levels after 1st. Gain a +1 bonus on saving throws against spells and spell like abilities plus an additional +1 bonus per four scholar levels after 1st. The blade sage gains Elemental Resistance 2 plus 2 per four scholar levels after 1st. (All elements except Non-Elemental) | All melee attack rolls and CMB take a -1 penalty plus an additional -1 penalty per four scholar levels after 1st. All melee damage rolls take a -2 penalty plus an additional -1 penalty per four scholar levels after 1st. AC and CMD decrease by 1 and by an additional 1 per four scholar levels after 1st. The blade sage takes an additional 1 point of damage from physical attacks plus an additional point per four scholar levels after 1st. |
This ability replaces light arts/dark arts.
Arcane Reservoir (Su)
This ability functions as normal, except he can also spend 1 point of his arcane reservoir to increase a bonus granted by an art by 1 (such as the bonus to AC and CMD in blade arts). This is a swift action that lasts for 1 round.
This ability modifies arcane reservoir.
Sword and Magic (Ex or Su)
At 2nd level, the blade sage can select a warrior talent or a black mage talent or white mage talent in place of a scholar exploit. The blade sage uses his Blade Arts bonus to attack rolls and CMB to determine chosen weapon bonuses from warrior talents and such talents work with the heavy blade and light blades weapon group.
This ability may replace scholar exploits.
Blade Arts: Alber (Su)
At 3rd level, up to 3 times a day as a move action, the blade sage can make an attack of opportunity against enemies that make a melee attack against him. This lasts until the blade sage’s next turn.
This ability replaces light arts: penury.
Magic Arts: Charge (Su)
At 3rd level, up to 3 times a day as a move action, the blade sage lowers the MP cost of his next spell by half. (minimum 1). This MP reduction is applied after any metamagic cost increases. Additional metamagic cannot be applied after this cost reduction.
This ability replaces dark arts: parsimony.
Blade Arts: Abwesden (Su)
At 7th level, 3 times a day as a move action, until the blade sage’s next turn, he gains a dodge bonus equal to his Intelligence or Wisdom modifier (whichever is higher) and cannot be flanked.
This ability replaces light arts: accession.
Magic Arts: Leylines (Su)
At 7th level, up to 3 times a day, as a move action, the blade sage can treat his next spell as if it was Empowered. Metamagic feats cannot be applied to this spell.
This ability replaces dark arts: manifestation.
Blade Arts: Flourish (Su)
At 11th level, up to 3 times a day as a full-round action, the blade sage can make a single attack with a melee weapon at his highest base attack bonus. If successful, the attack is a critical threat.
This ability replaces light arts: celerity.
Magic Arts: Celerity (Su)
At 11th level, up to 3 times a day, the blade sage can cast a spell as a swift action. Metamagic feats cannot be applied to this spell.
This ability replaces dark arts: alacrity.
Blade Arts: Blitzen (Su)
At 15th level, up to 3 times a day, when the blade sage makes a full attack, he can treat his base attack bonus as full instead of 3/4. This can give him an additional attack during the full attack action.
This ability replaces light arts: rapture.
Magic Arts: Altima (Su)
At 15th level, up to 3 times per day, as a move action, a blade sage can maximize his next healing white mage spell or elemental black mage spell. Metamagic feats cannot be applied to this spell.
This ability replaces dark arts: ebullience.
Supreme Duality (Ex)
At 19th level, the blade sage increases the critical multiplier of any weapon he wields by 1 while in blade arts. When in magic arts. he can roll twice when rolling caster level checks for spell resistance and take the better result.
This ability replaces magical supremacy.
