Eldritch Warder (Wizard/Paladin)

Weapon and Armor Proficiency

The eldritch warder is proficient with all simple weapons, his deity’s favored weapon, and with light armor, but not with shields. He can cast arcane spells while wearing light armor without incurring the normal arcane spell failure chance. Like any other arcane spellcaster, an eldritch warder wearing medium armor, heavy armor, or a shield incurs a chance of arcane spell failure if the spell in question has a somatic component. A multiclass eldritch warder still incurs the normal arcane spell failure chance for arcane spells received from other classes.

Code of Conduct

An eldritch warder follows his alignment as a strict code of honor, and must adhere to the guidelines presented in the paladin’s code of conduct as appropriate to his chosen alignment.

Thaumatheurgic Spellbook (Ex)

An eldritch warder has devised a method of recording his spells that combine both arcane symbols and holy runes into a new coherent language. At 1st level, the eldritch warder incorporates these thaumatheurgic runes into spellbook writings. Creatures take a –4 penalty on skill checks involving the eldritch warder’s spellbook, although creatures trained in either arcane or divine magic take only a –2 penalty on such checks. The eldritch warder’s spells take one extra page each in his spellbook. Like a wizard, whenever an eldritch warder gains a level, he adds two new spells of any spell level or levels he can cast to his spellbook, one of which must be from the Abjuration school. At any time, an eldritch warder can also add spells found in other wizards’ spellbooks or divine spells of the Abjuration school found upon scrolls to his own spellbook. In all other respects, an eldritch warder’s spellbook functions as a normal wizard’s spellbook.

Diminished Spellcasting

The eldritch warder casts arcane spells drawn from the wizard spell list and casts one fewer spell of each level than normal. If this reduces the number to 0, he may cast spells of that level only if they are arcane school spells or if his Intelligence allows bonus spells of that level. He otherwise learns, prepares, and casts spells as a wizard of equal level. He also gains bonus spells per day if he has a high Intelligence score.

Focused Arcane School

An eldritch warder must select the Warding focused arcane school at 1st level, but is restricted from learning spells of the Illusion and Necromancy schools. This otherwise functions as and replaces the wizard's arcane school ability.

Eldritch Smite (Su)

Once per day, an eldritch warder can call out to the powers of good to aid him in his struggle against evil spellcasters. As a swift action, the eldritch warder chooses one target within sight to smite. If this target is an evil spellcaster (including spellcasting creatures, or those with spell-like abilities), the eldritch warder adds his Intelligence bonus (if any) to his attack rolls and adds his eldritch warder level to all damage rolls made against the target of his smite. Regardless of the target, eldritch smite attacks automatically bypass any DR the creature might possess.

In addition, while eldritch smite is in effect, the eldritch warder gains spell resistance equal to 10 + his eldritch warder level against spells and spell-like effects made by the target of the smite. If the eldritch warder targets a creature that is not evil, the smite is wasted with no effect.

The eldritch smite effect remains until the target of the smite is dead or the next time the eldritch warder rests and regains his uses of this ability. At 6th level, and at every six levels thereafter, the eldritch warder may use eldritch smite one additional time per day, as indicated on Table: Eldritch Warder, to a maximum of four times per day at 18th level. This ability replaces arcane bond.

Ward (Su)

At 3rd level, and every four levels thereafter, an eldritch warder can select one ward. Each ward adds an effect to the eldritch warder’s eldritch smite ability. Whenever the eldritch warder uses eldritch smite to deal damage to one target, the target also receives the additional effect from one of the wards possessed by the eldritch warder. This choice is made when the smite is used. The target receives a Will save to avoid this ward. If the save is successful, the target takes the damage as normal, but not the effects of the ward. The DC of this save is equal to 10 + 1/2 the eldritch warder’s level + the eldritch warder’s Intelligence modifier. The effects of an individual ward remains for 1 round, plus an additional round for every five levels the eldritch warder possesses, to a maximum of 5 rounds at 20th level.

At 3rd level, the eldritch warder can select from the following initial wards.

• Disrupted Casting: The target’s DC to cast spells defensively increases by +2.

• Lessen Duration: The duration of the target’s spells or spell like effects are decreased 2 rounds (min 1 round).

• Lesser Expend Spell: The target expends one prepared spell or spell slot, or one use of a spell-like ability of up to 2nd level. In the case of casters who prepare spells, the spell which is expended is randomly chosen from the highest level of spells prepared (up to 2nd level) that have not already been expended. For example, an eldritch warder using this ability on a 3rd-level wizard would cause one of that wizard's prepared 2nd-level spells to be expended at random, unless the wizard had already expended all of his daily allotment of 2nd-level spells, in which case a random 1st-level spell would be expended. In the case of a spontaneous caster, one spell slot of the highest level of spells that creature can cast (up to 2nd level) is expended. In the case of a creature which uses spell-like abilities, a single use of any spell-like ability emulating a 2nd-level or lower spell that cannot be cast at will is randomly selected to be expended. If the eldritch warder is aware that a creature possesses a specific spell-like ability, (through knowledge checks or by seeing the creature use it), he may choose to expend a use of that specific ability, so long as the spell which it emulates is a 2nd-level spell or lower.

• Lesser Spell Penetration: The eldritch warder gains a +2 bonus on caster level checks (1d20 + caster level) made to overcome the target’s spell resistance.

• Save Reduction: The save DC of the target’s spells or spell-like effects are reduced by 2.

At 7th level, an eldritch warder adds the following wards to the list of those that can be selected.

• Energy Penetration: One type of the target’s energy resistance is lowered by 5. If the eldritch warder is aware of the creature's energy resistances (through knowledge checks or other interactions with such creatures), he may choose the energy resistance type affected by this ability. Otherwise, one random energy resistance that the creature possesses is reduced (the eldritch warder is aware what type of energy resistance was affected.

• Greater Spell Penetration: The eldritch warder gains a +4 bonus on caster level checks (1d20 + caster level) made to overcome the target’s spell resistance. The eldritch warder must have the spell penetration ward to select this ward.

• Improved Lessen Duration: The duration of the target’s spells or spell like effects are decreased 4 rounds (min 1 round). The eldritch warder must have the lessen duration ward to select this ward.

• Lower Spell Resistance: The target’s spell resistance is lowered by 2.

• Power Reduction: The target’s effective caster level is reduced by 2.

• Expend Spell: This functions as lesser expend spell, except that it expends one prepared spell, spell slot, or one use of a spell-like ability of up to 3rd level. The eldritch warder must have the lesser expend spell ward to select this ward.

At 11th level, an eldritch warder adds the following wards to the list of those that can be selected.

• Greater Disrupted Casting: If the target fails its check to cast spells defensively, the target provokes attacks of opportunity from any enemy (including the eldritch warder) that threatens it. The eldritch warder must have the disrupted casting ward to select this ward.

• Greater Lessen Duration: The duration of the target’s spells or spell like effects are decreased 6 rounds (min 1 round). The eldritch warder must have the improved lessen duration ward to select this ward.

• Greater Save Reduction: The save DC of the target’s spells or spell-like effects are reduced by 4. The eldritch warder must have the save reduction ward to select this ward.

• Improved Energy Penetration: This functions as energy penetration, except that two types of the target’s energy resistance are lowered by 5, or one type is lowered by 10. The eldritch warder must have the energy penetration ward to select this ward.

• Improved Lower Spell Resistance: The target’s spell resistance is lowered by 4. The eldritch warder must have the lower resistance ward to select this ward.

• Improved Expend Spell: The functions as lesser expend spell, except that it expends one prepared spell, spell slot, or one use of a spell-like ability of up to 4th level. The eldritch warder must have the expend spell ward to select this ward.

At 15th level, an eldritch warder adds the following wards to the list of those that can be selected.

• Greater Energy Penetration: This functions as energy penetration, except that three types of the target’s energy resistance are lowered by 5, or one type is lowered by 15. The eldritch warder must have the improved energy penetration ward to select this ward.

• Greater Lower Resistance: The target’s spell resistance is lowered by 6. The eldritch warder must have the improved lower resistance ward to select this ward.

• Greater Power Reduction: The target’s effective caster level is reduced by 4. The eldritch warder must have the power reduction ward to select this ward.

• Greater Expend Spell: The functions as lesser expend spell, except that it expends one prepared spell, spell slot, or one use of a spell-like ability of up to 5th level. The eldritch warder must have the improved expend spell ward to select this ward.

• Superior Spell Penetration: The eldritch warder gains a +6 bonus on caster level checks (1d20 + caster level) made to overcome the target’s spell resistance. The eldritch warder must have the greater spell penetration ward to select this ward.

These wards are not cumulative. For example, a 12th-level eldritch warder’s eldritch smite deals +12 points of damage and might also increase the target’s DC to cast defensively by 2, force it to expend one of its 4th level spells, or lower the target’s spell resistance by 4. Once a ward is chosen, it can’t be changed. An eldritch warder who selects the Extra Mercy feat gains an extra ward instead.