Mysterious Sage (Wizard/Monk)

During the course of his arcane research, a wizard might come to lodge at a monastery, temple, or dojo. There he sees things that forever alter the course of his study. Through poring over what scrolls he finds, receiving the teachings of the temple, and exercising with his hosts, the mysterious sage notices a bond forming between arcana and the power of his own body. While they are still wizards before anything else, mysterious sages perfect a number of offensive and defensive techniques that blend the arcane and martial arts. (Original Concept Flak and Raiderrpg)

Primary Class: Wizard.

Secondary Class: Monk.

Alignment: Any lawful.

Hit Dice: d6.

Bonus Skills and Ranks: The mysterious sage may select three monk skills to add to his class skills in addition to the normal wizard class skills. The mysterious sage gains a number of ranks at each level equal to 2 + Int modifier.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: The mysterious sage is proficient with brass knuckles*, cestus*, club, crossbow (light or heavy), dagger, handaxe, javelin, kama, nunchaku, quarterstaff, sai, shortspear, short sword, shuriken, siangham, sling, spear, and temple sword*. Mysterious sages are not proficient with any armor or shields. Armor interferes with a mysterious sage’s movements, which can cause his spells with somatic components to fail. (*Advanced Player’s Guide)

Spellcasting: A mysterious sage casts arcane spells drawn from the sorcerer/wizard spell list. However, due to his training in the monastic arts, he can no longer cast cantrips, but adds detect magic and read magic to his spellbook as 1st–level spells. The mysterious sage otherwise learns, prepares, and casts spells as a wizard equal to his mysterious sage level.

Meditate (Su): A number of times per day equal to his Wisdom modifier, a mysterious sage may enter a deep trance for 1d6+2 rounds as a swift action. This trance does not negatively affect the mysterious sage's abilities; rather, it improves his defenses. During this time, he adds his Wisdom modifier to AC and does not provoke attacks of opportunity when casting spells that require a standard action or less to cast. The AC bonus is untyped and applies both while the mysterious sage is flat-footed and against touch attacks. The mysterious sage loses the bonus to AC while wearing armor, using a shield, or carrying more than a light load. As a free action, the mysterious sage may expend his meditative state prematurely; if he does, the next spell he casts that round has its DC increased by 2.

At 10th level, the duration of the trance extends to 2d6+4 rounds and causes the mysterious sage's melee attacks are considered magical for the purpose of bypassing DR. This ability replaces arcane bond.

Unarmed Strike: At 1st level, the mysterious sage gains the Improved Unarmed Strike as a bonus feat. This functions exactly like the monk's ability by the same name. A mysterious sage's attacks may be made with any body part, and there is no such thing as an off-hand attack for a mysterious sage striking unarmed. The mysterious sage's unarmed strikes can deal either lethal or nonlethal damage, as he chooses. His unarmed strike is treated as both a manufactured weapon and a natural weapon for the purpose of spells and effects that enhance or improve either of those weapon types.

The mysterious sage's unarmed strikes also deal more damage than a normal person's would. The damage die for a mysterious sage's unarmed strike is 1d6 at 1st level, and increases at 4th level and every four levels thereafter, as a monk of his level.

Finally, if the mysterious sage takes the Stunning Fist, Elemental Fist, Perfect Strike, Touch of Serenity, or Punishing Kick feats, he treats his mysterious sage levels as monk levels for the purposes of determining how many times per day he can use those feats. This ability replaces cantrips (but see Spellcasting above).

School of the Fist: Because he instead labors to weave the energy of his body and soul into his arcana, the mysterious sage never unlocks all schools of magic. At 1st level, the mysterious sage forsakes three schools of magic; these cannot include transmutation. Once chosen, these opposition schools cannot be changed. A mysterious sage who prepares spells from his opposition school must use two spell slots of that level to prepare the spell. In addition, the mysterious sage takes a -4 penalty on any skill checks made when crafting a magic item that has a spell from one of his opposition schools. This ability and perfection of body and mind replace arcane school.

Perfection of Body and Mind (Sp): Channeling arcane power through their very bodies, the mysterious sage gains a variety of unusual powers. A mysterious sage may utilize these powers a total number of times per day equal to 3 + his Wisdom modifier.

At 1st level, the mysterious sage may sacrifice a prepared spell of at least first level to create the effects of true strike or feather fall as a swift action.

At 5th level, a mysterious sage may sacrifice a prepared spell of at least 3rd–level as a swift action to enhance their bodies. For two rounds, he gains untyped DR (such as 3/—) or a resistance bonus to saving throws equal to the level of the sacrificed spell.

At 10th level, the mysterious sage may sacrifice a prepared spell of at least 5th level to teleport 40 feet as a swift action, as dimension door; or to cast magic missile as a swift action.

At 15th level, the mysterious sage may gain the effects of mind blank for 1 round as an immediate action without sacrificing a prepared spell. He also gains the ability to sacrifice a prepared spell of at least 7th-level as a swift action, recovering hit points equal to twice the spell's level.

At 20th level, a mysterious sage has learned an even deeper art. While benefiting from his meditative state, a mysterious sage may spend a full round to become incorporeal, his body morphing into pure arcane matter. This effect lasts until the trance ends or until the mysterious sage dismisses it (a standard action). During this time all spells he casts affect incorporeal and corporeal beings equally, and he otherwise enjoys the benefits and suffers the drawbacks of being incorporeal. Mysterious sages may still take arcane discoveries as normal feats. This ability replaces Scribe Scroll and the wizard's bonus feats.

Table: Mysterious Sage