Runescarred Fury (Wizard/Barbarian)

In many primitive societies, warriors receive personalized training from the greatest and strongest among them, while spellcasters, though feared and respected, are self-taught in their arcane schooling. With such disparagement between warrior and wizard, some spellcasters resort to dangerous and primal methods meant to challenge their mettle and unleash their often pent-up rage, often resulting in their own destruction. However, from the smoldering ashes of this inner conflict rises the runescarred fury. Wizards at heart, the runescarred fury embraces the often feared but respected internal rage of her people, in an attempt to harness and exploit it in her magic. Like other book-learned spellcasters, the runescarred fury relies upon a spellbook to recharge her arcane energies, but with one difference–her spells are permanently scribed in blood as runescars, into her very flesh. By employing or sacrificing magical spells, the runescarred fury can extend her rage, enhance her personal defenses, or increase her arcane might. (Original Concept by Elghinn Lightbringer)

Primary Class: Wizard.

Secondary Class: Barbarian.

Alignment: Any nonlawful.

Hit Dice: d8.

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

Table: Runescarred Fury

Weapon and Armor Proficiency

The runescarred fury is proficient with all simple and martial weapons, and with light armor, but not with shields. She can cast arcane spells while wearing light armor without incurring the normal arcane spell failure chance. Like any other arcane spellcaster, a runescarred fury 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 runescarred fury still incurs the normal arcane spell failure chance for arcane spells received from other classes.

Spellcasting

The runescarred fury casts arcane spells drawn from the sorcerer/wizard spell list. A runescarred fury can cast only a certain number of spells of each spell level per day. Her base daily spell allotment is given on Table: Runescarred Fury. A runescarred fury otherwise learns, prepares, and casts spells as a wizard equal to his runescarred fury level. She also receives bonus spells per day if she has a high Intelligence score.

Runescar Spellbook (Ex)

A runescarred fury has fewer resources and finds less time to research new spells than other spellcasters. Thus, she has mastered an unorthodox yet permanent manner of scribing those she learns. At 1st level, the runescarred fury incorporates primitive yet sophisticated runes into her arcane writings and scribes them into her skin as runescars. Creatures take a –4 penalty on skill checks involving the runescarred fury's runescars.

A runescar takes up very little space on the runescarred fury’s body, but due to their permanent nature and limited space, a runescarred fury must choose her spells carefully. For the purpose of scribing runescars, a runescarred fury’s body functions as a “spellbook” with 200 pages, and each spell (not including cantrips) is considered to take one less page each to scribe into her “spellbook” (minimum 1 page) than normal. At each new runescarred fury level, she gains only one new spell of any spell level or levels that she can cast (based on her new runescarred fury level) to her runescar “spellbook”. At any time, a runescarred fury can also add spells found in another wizard’s spellbook to her runescar “spellbook”. When scribing a runescar, the runescarred fury deals 1 point of bleeding damage for each level of the spell to herself. This bleeding damage can be healed through magical or normal means, but no form of healing (magical or otherwise) can remove a runescar once it is inscribed into her flesh. In all other respects, a runescarred fury's runescar “spellbook” functions as a normal wizard's spellbook. 

Note: Runescarred Furies greatly benefit from the use of a Runescar Folio to increase the complement of their spell capacity.  

Arcane Bond

At 1st level, a runescarred fury can form a powerful bond with her runescarred body or her inner fury. Once a runescarred fury makes this choice, it is permanent and cannot be changed. A runescarred fury that chooses to bond with her body gains the same benefits as those granted from a bonded object, except that the runescarred fury’s body cannot enhance her body like a magical item. Instead, she gains the Spell Mastery as a bonus feat at 5th level.

A runescarred fury that chooses to bond with her inner fury can, once per day, use any rage power that she qualifies for, even if she has not selected it as one of her rage powers.

The runecarred fury's arcane bond, regardless of which form is chosen, allows her to cast arcane spells while in rage without any ill effects. All other restrictions pertaining to skills, actions, and abilities requiring patience or concentration apply as normal while raging. This ability otherwise functions as the wizard’s arcane bond.

Scribe Runescar

This functions exactly like the Scribe Scroll item creation feat, except that the runescarred fury can scribe runescars. If a runescarred fury scribes a runescar into another spellcaster, the runscar can be used as a single use item like a scroll. This ability replaces Scribe Scrolls.

Rage (Ex)

Starting at 2nd level, a runescarred fury gains the barbarian’s rage ability, except that she only gains +2 morale bonus to Strength and Constitution, a +1 morale bonus on Will saves, and a –2 penalty to AC. She can rage for a number of rounds per day equal to 4 + her Constitution modifier. At each level after 2nd, she can rage for only 1 additional round. This ability otherwise functions as the barbarian’s rage ability.

Ragecaster (Su)

At 4th level, a runescarred fury’s spells grow more potent when she rages and adds 1/2 her Constitution bonus to the save DC of any spells cast while raging. At 11th level, she adds her full Constitution bonus to the save DC of any spells cast while raging.

Bonus Feat

This is exactly like the wizard ability of the same name, except that whenever the runescarred fury could select a bonus feat, she can select a rage power instead.

Spell Burner (Su)

At 6th level, as a free action, a runescarred fury can extend the duration of her rage by sacrificing a spell slot; this prolongs the duration of her rage for a number of rounds equal to the level of the spell slot used.

Scarification (Ex)

At 8th level, a runescarred fury becomes resistant to the effects of bleeding due to the constant scarring of her body. She can ignore 1 point of bleed damage per round. This amount increases by 1 every three levels beyond 8th. At 17th level, a runescarred fury can ignore 1 bleed effect each round.

Improved Rage (Ex)

At 9th level, when a runescarred fury enters rage, the morale bonus to her Strength and Constitution increases to +4 and the morale bonus on her Will saves increases to +2.4

At 11th level, a runescarred fury gains a +1 natural armor bonus to AC from the numerous runescars covering her body. This bonus increases by +1 for every four levels beyond 11th, to a maximum of +3 at 19th level.

Greater Rage (Ex)

At 17th level, when a runescarred fury enters rage, the morale bonus to her Strength and Constitution increases to +6 and the morale bonus on her Will saves increases to +3.