Bo9S:Arcane Swordsage

Thanks for the replies, the text recommends that you only take abjuration, evocation, and transformation spells with a range of personal or touch.

And you average about 3 spells per spell level (assuming one trades out 1st level spells for higher level spells as you get them). At level 10, you get 3 of each, at level 20, you could know 6 9th level spells, but zero 1st, and one 2nd.

Looking at a 10th level build, I've selected these spells
1) Deflect, lesser; Mage Armor*; Shocking Grasp
2) Rope Trick, Combust, Belker's Claws
3) Dragon Skin, Magic Wpn, Grtr; Haste
4) Res Energy Mass; Heart of Earth; Flight of the Dragon
5) Fire Shield, Mass; Enlarge Person, Grtr; Draconic Polymorph
*Yes, it's a conjuration spell, but I'm taking it anyway.

Casting all the long duration spells as buffs, that leaves me exactly 8 spells to cast in combat, which happens to be exactly as many as I could prepare.

Still get to take stances, looking at Step of the Wind, Hunter's Stance, Giant Killing style**, Shifting Defense, Stance of Clarity, Pearl of Doubt. It's hard to qualify for stances when you can't take maneuvers also.

**originally considered when I was thinking about playing a small character, but now that I'm considering grtr enlarge and draconic polymorph, I may reconsider.
 

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Well, here's a reformatted part of what I had for spell maneuvers. As I said, it could probably use some work, but I tried to have the rules for making spell maneuvers keep the spirit of the "adaption" text while allowing a greater range of spells to be used (hence rules for converting ray spells into touch spells). (The locking maneuver part could probably be cleaned up the most...it might be a bit confusing).

Spell Maneuvers(Sp): Spell Maneuvers are a special type of Maneuver some Martial Adepts can learn and use. They are not Martial Maneuvers exactly, as they are directly based on spells, but they function similarly. Unlike Martial Maneuvers, however, Spell Maneuvers are Spell-Like abilities similar to an Invocation. They can be interrupted like a normal Spell-like ability, as they require concentration, and they also suffer Arcane Spell Failure when the user is wearing armor.
There are only two basic types of Spell Maneuvers, expended and locking.
An Expended Spell Maneuver works just like a normal Martial Maneuver. It is readied, and expended when used, after which it must be recovered to be used again.
A Locking Spell Maneuver functions differently. A Locking Spell Maneuver is based on a non-attack spell with a finite duration. They must be readied just like a normal maneuver to use them. A Locking Maneuver is always in one of two states, Open or Locked.

Open: A Locking Maneuver is always Open when it is having no effect; e.g. Any previous uses of it have been dismissed, dispelled, or the like. If unexpended, a maneuver that is Open can be used like any other Maneuver, whereupon it immediately becomes Locked.

Locked: The Maneuver is in use, meaning it is having an effect on a valid target. One round after first becoming locked, a Locking Maneuver starts to use up its duration. When its duration is used up, its effects immediately end, as if it had been dismissed or dispelled. A maneuver that is Locked cannot be used again, even if it becomes unexpended. All Locking Spell Maneuvers can have their effects dismissed, just like a spell but it is a free action to do so. Whenever the effects of a Locked Maneuver end, it becomes Open.
The effects of any Locking Maneuver can be dispelled like any normal Spell-Like ability, also, if the Maneuver itself is no longer readied, then all of its effects likewise end – A Locking Maneuver must be readied to have any effect at all. A Locking Maneuver's duration remains used until you rest for 1 hour, during which time you cannot travel or engage in any other strenuous activity.
Range of Spell Maneuvers: Spell Maneuvers can have a range of Personal, Touch, or Melee Attack. These work just like the range of Martial Maneuvers.

Making a Spell into a Spell Maneuver: To convert such a spell to a Spell Maneuver, use the guidelines below, but note that not all Spells can become Spell Maneuvers (see requirements). Note that for the following, a spell is an attack if it would end an invisibility spell.


Requirements: The spell must be on the Wizard/Sorcerer list. It must have a range of personal, touch, or require a ranged touch attack (such as a ray).

School: This is unchanged. All Spell Maneuvers have a school.
Maneuver Type: A spell that isn't an attack, with a non-instantaneous and non-permanent duration becomes a Locking Spell Maneuver. Otherwise it is an Expended Spell Maneuver.

Spell Level: This becomes the Maneuver level

Components: Remove Material and Focus components. If the spell requires an expensive material component or XP component, then it cannot become a maneuver.

Casting Time: This becomes the initiation time for the Spell Maneuver
Range: If the range was Personal this remains unchanged. Otherwise, if it was not an attack, then it has a range of touch. If it was an attack, then it has a range of Melee Attack.

Effect: If this is a ray, change the range to touch, and remove the “effect: ray”. But the effect largely does not change otherwise.

Duration: This doesn't change, but a non-attack spell with a duration longer than instantaneous that is not permanent becomes a Locking Maneuver.

Saving Throw and Spell Resistance: All Spell Maneuvers allow Spell Resistance, whether or not the original spell did. Unlike regular Martial Maneuvers, Spell Maneuvers are spell-like abilities. For Spell Maneuvers with saving throws, the DC for a Spell Maneuver saving throw is equal to 10 + Spell Maneuver Level + Intelligence Modifier
For Caster Level, use your Mage Knight initiator level.
Spell Maneuvers, like spells, have an Arcane Failure Chance when wearing armor. Like Spells and Spell-like abilities, using it provokes an attack of opportunity unless it is used on the defensive.

Spells with Multiple Touch Attacks:
A Spell that grants multiple touch attacks or ranged touch attacks does not give you multiple attacks instantaneously. If the Initiation Time is a Full Round Action or less, change it to a Full Round Action. You make your normal Full Attack with a such a maneuver, and each successful attack uses up one of the attacks the spell grants. You keep the remaining attacks, using up one each time you hit an enemy, until you have used up all attacks the spell grants or until you initiate a maneuver that is either an Expandable Spell Maneuver that's an attack or a Martial Strike. Effectively you are considered to be holding a “charge” until you use up all of the attacks the spell would have granted or initiate a maneuver that is an attack.
 


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