Magus of the Scales (3.5e Prestige Class)

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Spellcasters that wield powers over both life and death 10 6 Poor Poor Poor Good Prepared Arcane Spellcasting Spontaneous Arcane Spellcasting Prepared Divine Spellcasting Spontaneous Divine Spellcasting Full

Magus of the Scales

“

There is so little difference, between the living dead and the dying living. One fades smoothly to the other.

”

There is a dark symmetry between the magics of healing and necromancy. For every horror the necromancer inflicts, there is a tool for healer to undo it. Some spellcasters are intrigued by this duality, and find their studies in one area drawing them into the other. These practictioners refer to themselves as Magi of the Scales, and they wield powers over both life and death. Some begin life as healers who seek greater understanding of the necromantic creatures they confront, others as necromancers who seek protection from the dangers of the undead with which they deal. But by the end of their paths, many of them find there is no difference at all between the two disciplines.

Becoming a Magus of the Scales

Entry Requirements

Skills:	Knowledge (Religion) 9 ranks
Spellcasting:	Must be able to cast 3rd level spells. Must know Necromancy spells at each level of spells he can cast or must know (Healing) spells at each level of spells he can cast.

Table: Magus of the Scales:

Hit Die: d6

Level	Base Attack Bonus	Saving Throws			Special	Spellcasting
		Fort	Ref	Will
1st	+0	+0	+0	+2	Turning/Rebuking, Dual Channel, Spell Knowledge I	+1 level of existing class
2nd	+1	+0	+0	+3	Lay on Hands	+1 level of existing class
3rd	+1	+1	+1	+3	Preserve the Flesh, Spell Knowledge II	+1 level of existing class
4th	+2	+1	+1	+4	Improved Lay on Hands	+1 level of existing class
5th	+2	+1	+1	+4	Distant Channeling, Spell Knowledge III	+1 level of existing class
6th	+3	+2	+2	+5	True Return	+1 level of existing class
7th	+3	+2	+2	+5	Final Death, Spell Knowledge IV	+1 level of existing class
8th	+4	+2	+2	+6	Restore the Spirit	+1 level of existing class
9th	+4	+3	+3	+6	Mastery of Undeath, Spell Knowledge V	+1 level of existing class
10th	+5	+3	+3	+7	Perfected Channeling	+1 level of existing class
Class Skills (2 + Int modifier per level.) Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Heal (Wis), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Knowledge (religion) (Int), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Spellcraft (Int).

Class Features

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: The magus of the scales gains no proficiency with any weapon or armor.

Spellcasting: Every level, the magus of the scales casts spells (including gaining any new spell slots and spell knowledge) as if he had also gained a level in a spellcasting class he had previous to gaining that level.

Turning/Rebuking (Su): The magus of the scales learns to both control and destroy undead creatures. He can either turn or rebuke undead creatures (choosen with each use of this ability). His level for the purpose of turning or rebuking is his character level plus his magus level. This ability is separate from any existing turning or rebuking he has.

Dual Channel (Su): The magus of the scales sees a fundamental symmetry between the energies of life and death and can transmute one to the other with a thought. He can channel positive energy in place of negative energy, or negative energy in place of positive energy. For example, a dread necromancer/magus of the scales could use their Charnel Touch ability to heal living creatures instead of damaging them, and a healer/magus of the scales could use close wounds to heal an undead ally. If an effect channels energy into multiple creatures (such as mass cure light wounds), the magus may select which type of energy is channeled into each creature individually.

Spell Knowledge: The magus of the scales's unique approach to magic provides them with an expanded set of known spells. Spells that appear on the cleric spell list are added at the level where they appear there. Spells that do not appear on the cleric spell list are added at the level they appear on the dread necromancer spell list. Spells that appear on neither list are added at the level indicated.

At 1st level, he adds animate dead, contagion, cure light wounds, cure moderate wounds, cure serious wounds, cure critical wounds, death ward, enervation, inflict light wounds, inflict moderate wounds, inflict serious wounds, inflict critical wounds, neutralize poison poison, remove curse, remove disease, lesser restoration, and restoration to his list of spells known.

At 3rd level, he adds break enchantment, mass cure light wounds, mass inflict light wounds, raise dead, revenance, revivify, and revive undead* to his list of spells known.

At 5th level, he adds create undead, harm, heal, mass cure moderate wounds, and mass inflict moderate wounds to his list of spells known.

At 7th level, he adds greater restoration, resurrection, mass cure serious wounds, and mass inflict serious wounds to his list of spells known.

At 9th level, he adds mass cure critical wounds, energy drain, create greater undead, mass inflict critical wounds, mass heal, mass harm, and true resurrection to his list of spells known.

∗: Learned as a 5th level spell.

Lay on Hands (Su): At 2nd level, the body of a magus of the scales becomes so infused with positive and negative energy that it begins to spill out when he touches others. He may channel a number of points of positive or negative energy equal to twice his character level times his Charisma bonus. For example, a dread necromancer 6/magus of the scales 2 with 18 Charisma has a total pool of 64 points of damage or healing. You must make a melee touch attack to use this ability offensively. The pool refreshes when the magus regains spells for the day.

Preserve the Flesh (Su): At 3rd level, the magus of the scales learns to hold the forces of decay at bay. He can use gentle repose at will as a supernatural ability. The caster level is equal to his character level, though it lasts until dismissed. A corpse turned into an undead creature retains the effect.

Improved Lay on Hands (Su): At 4th level, the magus gains greater control over the energies within his body. He can cure (or inflict) more serious conditions. By expending 5 points from his pool, he may remove a point of ability damage, or the conditions fatigued, shaken, sickened, or deafened. By expending 10 points from his pool, he may remove a point of ability drain, or the conditions exhausted, frightened, nauseated, or blinded. He may instead expend twice as many points to inflict the same condition. If he does this, the target is entitled to a fortitue save (DC 10 + 1/2 caster level + charisma bonus) to negate the effect. Conditions other than ability damage last for a number of rounds equal to his caster level.

Distant Channeling (Su): At 5th level, the magus can project the energies he channels out to a great distance. When he casts any cure or inflict spell, or when he uses his Lay on Hands ability, he may do so at a distance of up to 30ft (instead of touch). Any touch attacks required are now ranged touch attacks.

True Return (Su): At 6th level, the magus of the scales's familiarity with the paths of death is such that he can mitigate the suffering of those who pass back through them. When he returns a creature to life (or undeath), that creature does not lose levels or hit dice or ability scores. Additionally, when he himself is returned to life (or undeath), he never loses levels for doing so.

Final Death (Su): At 7th level, the magus of the scales finds that there is nothing in this world that is truly beyond death's grasp. Undead are not immune to his [Death] effects, and their immunity to Fortitude saves that do not effect objects does not extend to these effects.

Restore the Spirit (Su): At 8th level, the magus of the scales learns to call the spirits of the undead back when he animates their bodies. Any mindless undead he creates is awakened, as by awaken undead. Uncontrolled undead effected in this way are Helpful towards him.

Mastery of Undeath (Su): At 9th level, the magus of the scales has total command over his powers of turning and rebuking. Any creature he rebukes successfully is commanded. Any creature he turns successfully is destroyed. He ignores turn resistance when determining how many HD of undead he effects with a turn or rebuke attempt, or how many undead he can control (but not when determining if undead are effected by turning or rebuking at all).

Perfected Channeling (Su): At 10th level, the magus of the scales becomes even more adept at channeling positive and negative energy. For the purposes of preparing and casting spells, each cure or inflict spell he knows is considered one level lower than it actually is. This only applies for the purposes of determining the spell slot expended. For example, he cannot create scrolls of these spells at lower level and the DCs for saves are not reduced.

References

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