Spellsword

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Spellsword is a custom base class with Arelith specific changes.

Introduction

The dream of melding magic and weaponplay is fulfilled in the person of the spellsword. A student of both arcane rituals and martial techniques, the spellsword is able to cast spells in armor with reduced chance of failure. Moreover, she can imbue her equipment with unique elemental properties, making her a daunting opponent. Mechanics are included in the #Class Mechanics on this page and explained in the #Arelith Changes section. The #Roleplay Tips section provides suggestions for character development.

Class Mechanics

Requirements

Alignment restrictions: none

Class Features

Hit die: d8

Proficiencies: armor (light, medium), weapons (martial, simple), and Shields

Skill points: 4 + int modifier ((4 + int modifier) * 4 at 1st level)

Class Skills: concentration, craft mastery, discipline, heal, leadership, listen, lore, parry, ride, sail, spellcraft, spot

Unavailable feats: weapon specialization, Whirlwind Attack, Improved Whirlwind Attack

Bonus feats: Abjurant Champion, Arcane Defense, Bladesong Style, Brew Potion, Combat Casting, Craft Wand, Greater Spell Focus, Greater Spell Penetration, Metamagic, Spell Focus, and Spell Penetration, Automatic Quicken/Still/Silent Spell

Primary saving throw(s): Fortitude, Will

Base attack bonus: +3/4 level

Spellcasting: Arcane (spell failure from armor is a factor), intelligence-based requiring a base (Hard) intelligence score of 10 + the spell's level to cast a spell, bonus spells are based on modified (Soft) intelligence and The intelligence modifier affects spell DCs. Spells require preparation and Spellswords can learn new spells from scrolls like Wizards.

• Note: The Spellsword class is not eligible for 9th level spells. Which also means that it is not eligible for Epic Spell Foci and Epic Spells. Partial access can be gained via #Spellsword_Path_Feats.

• Note: Unlike the old Spellsword Path, Spellsword are not restricted from casting summoning spells, however there are none available in the Spellsword spell list.

Level Progression

Hit points rolls on Arelith are always maximum.

							Weave Affinity			Base spells per day
Level	BAB	Fort	Ref	Will	Feats	HP	AB	Other **		0th	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th	6th	7th	8th
1st	+0	+2	+0	+2	Summon Familiar, Scribe Scroll, Imbue Weapon, Weave Affinity Arcane Flux	8	-	-		3*	2	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
2nd	+1	+3	+0	+3		16	-	-		4*	4	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
3rd	+2	+3	+1	+3		24	-	-		4*	4	2	-	-	-	-	-	-
4th	+3	+4	+1	+4		32	-	-		4*	6	4	-	-	-	-	-	-
5th	+3	+4	+1	+4		40	-	-		4*	6	4	2	-	-	-	-	-
6th	+4	+5	+2	+5	Arcane Bonus Feat, Elemental Strike	48	-	-		4*	6	6	4	-	-	-	-	-
7th	+5	+5	+2	+5		56	+1	+1		4*	6	6	4	2	-	-	-	-
8th	+6/+1	+6	+2	+6		64	+1	+1		4*	6	6	6	4	-	-	-	-
9th	+6/+1	+6	+3	+6		72	+1	+1		4*	6	6	6	4	-	-	-	-
10th	+7/+2	+7	+3	+7	Uncanny Dodge I	80	+1	+1		4*	6	6	6	6	1	-	-	-
11th	+8/+3	+7	+3	+7	Imbue Armor	88	+1	+1		4*	6	6	6	6	2	-	-	-
12th	+9/+4	+8	+4	+8	Arcane Bonus Feat, Combat Casting	96	+1	+1		4*	6	6	6	6	2	-	-	-
13th	+9/+4	+8	+4	+8		104	+1	+1		4*	6	6	6	6	3	1	-	-
14th	+10/+5	+9	+4	+9		112	+2	+2		4*	6	6	6	6	3	2	-	-
15th	+11/+6/+1	+9	+5	+9		120	+2	+2		4*	6	6	6	6	4	2	-	-
16th	+12/+7/+2	+10	+5	+10	Greater Elemental Strike	128	+2	+2		4*	6	6	6	6	4	3	1	-
17th	+12/+7/+2	+10	+5	+10		136	+2	+2		4*	6	6	6	6	5	3	2	-
18th	+13/+8/+3	+11	+6	+11	Arcane Bonus Feat	144	+2	+2		4*	6	6	6	6	5	4	2	-
19th	+14/+9/+4	+11	+6	+11		152	+2	+2		4*	6	6	6	6	5	4	3	1
20th	+15/+10/+5	+12	+6	+12		160	+2	+2		4*	6	6	6	6	5	5	3	2
21st	+16/+11/+6	+12	+6	+12		168	+3	+3		4*	6	6	6	6	5	5	4	2
22nd	+16/+11/+6	+13	+7	+13		176	+3	+3		4*	6	6	6	6	5	5	4	3
23rd	+17/+12/+7	+13	+7	+13	Epic Arcane Bonus Feat	184	+3	+3		4*	6	6	6	6	5	5	4	3
24th	+17/+12/+7	+14	+8	+14	Improved Combat Casting	172	+3	+3		4*	6	6	6	6	5	5	4	4
25th	+18/+13/+8	+14	+8	+14		200	+3	+3		4*	6	6	6	6	5	5	4	4
26th	+18/+13/+8	+15	+9	+15	Epic Arcane Bonus Feat, Greater Imbue Armor, Elemental Maelstrom Caster level against dispels increases by 3	208	+3	+3		4*	6	6	6	6	5	5	4	4
27th	+19/+14/+9	+15	+9	+15	Bonus Attack	216	+3	+3		4*	6	6	6	6	5	5	4	4
28th	+19/+14/+9	+16	+10	+16	Breach Resistance	224	+4	+4		4*	6	6	6	6	5	5	4	4
29th	+20/+15/+10	+16	+10	+16	Epic Arcane Bonus Feat	232	+4	+4		4*	6	6	6	6	5	5	4	4
30th	+20/+15/+10	+17	+10	+17		240	+4	+4		4*	6	6	6	6	5	5	4	4

* Note: Cantrips on Arelith have been customized to allow infinite casting.

** Note: Weave Affinity 'Other' offers a primary attribute dependent bonus see #Arelith Changes for more details.

Epic Spellsword

Bonus feats: The epic Spellsword gains a bonus feat every three levels after 20th. In other words, at levels 23, 26 and 29.

Epic bonus feats: All Arcane Bonus Feats, as well as Armor Skin, Epic Prowess, Epic Spell Penetration, Epic Toughness, Epic Weapon Focus, Great Intelligence, Improved Combat Casting, and Overwhelming Critical.

Unavailable epic feats: epic weapon specialization, outsider shape, construct shape, dragon shape, undead shape, epic spell: dragon knight, epic spell: greater ruin, epic spell: hellball, epic spell: mummy dust

Spells

See Category:Spellsword_Spells for a list of all spells by category.

Cantrips	1st level spells	2nd level spells
Acid Splash Bestow Wound Blades of Fire Chill Touch Daze Electric Jolt Flare Light Ray of Frost Resistance Sustain Vicious Mockery	Burning Hands Charm Person Chromatic Orb Color Spray Detect Poison Endure Elements Entropic Shield Expeditious Retreat Faerie Fire Grease Horizikaul's Boom Ice Dagger Ironguts Mage Armor Magic Missile Magic Weapon Negative Energy Ray Protection from Alignment Ray of Enfeeblement Scare Shield Sleep True Strike Ultravision	Bear's Endurance Blindness/Deafness Blur Bull's Strength Cat's Grace Cloud of Bewilderment Combust Continual Flame Darkness Eagle's Splendor Elemental Weapon False Life Frigid Darkness Frostbite Fox's Cunning Gedlee's Electric Loop Ghostly Visage Ghoul Touch Gust of Wind Hold Person Invisibility Knock Melf's Acid Arrow Owl's Wisdom Resist Elements Scorching Ray See Invisibility Stone Bones Web
3rd level spells	4th level spells	5th level spells
Charm Monster Clarity Death Armor Displacement Find Traps Fireball Flame Arrow Frost Nova Greater Magic Weapon Halt Undead Haste Hold Monster Invisibility Sphere Keen Edge Lesser Dispel Life Transference Lightning Bolt Magic Circle Against Alignment Mestil's Acid Breath Negative Energy Burst Pacifying Shackle Protection from Elements Scintillating Sphere Slow Sound Lance Stoneskin Strangulate Vengeful Mount Water Breathing Hemorrhage	Bestow Curse Confusion Contagion Crushing Despair Dismissal Fear Finger of Agony Flame Shield Frost Shield Ice Storm Improved Invisibility Lesser Spell Breach Minor Globe of Invulnerability Remove Blindness/Deafness Remove Curse War Cry Wraith Stride Predator	Baleful Polymorph Ball Lightning Cone of Cold Dispel Magic Energy Buffer Evil Blight Firebrand Globe of Invulnerability Greater Life Transference Greater Stoneskin Illusory Fall Isaac's Lesser Missile Storm Lightning Shield Mind Fog Negative Energy Flood Nightmare Soul Scour Spinal Tap Sunfire Vampiric Touch Wall of Fire Wall of Ice
6th level spells	7th level spells	8th level spells
Acid Fog Blackstaff Chain Lightning Darkbolt Disintegrate Ethereal Visage Eyebite Flesh to Stone Freeze Greater Spell Breach Lesser Mind Blank Lesser Spell Mantle Mestil's Acid Sheath Phantom Wound Redbolt Stone to Flesh Transmute Blood True Seeing Vitriolic Sphere	Abi-Dalzim's Horrid Wilting Blackfire Burst of Glacial Wrath Cloudkill Delayed Blast Fireball Great Thunderclap Greater Dispelling Isaac's Greater Missile Storm Premonition Prismatic Spray Protection from Spells Shadow Shield Solipsism Spell Mantle Grim Terror	Avascular Mass Banishment Curse Storm Greater Spell Mantle Greater Mage Armor Incendiary Cloud Mass Blindness/Deafness Mass Charm Mass Haste Mass Hold Monster Mass Phantom Wound Maze Meteor Swarm Mordenkainen's Disjunction1 Shadow Plague Sunburst Tenser's Transformation2 Time Stop3 Transmute Breath

¹ Mordenkainen's Disjunction reduced effectiveness, when cast via the Spellsword Spellbook OR by a character with > 80% Spellsword class levels:

- The amount of breached spell effects is reduced from 6 to 4

- When targeting enemies, the dispel caster level drops gradually with each successfully dispelled effect

² Spellsword counts as Wizard/Sorcerer levels for the 80% requirement needed for Tenser's Transformation. Additionally Tenser's Transformation also prevents use of spells and Elemental Strike while active. Imbue damage is unaffected.

³ When cast by Spellswords, the spell's effect is delayed by one round, and only creatures in a 20m radius around the original target location are affected.

Arelith Changes

Change	Level	Description
Proficiencies	-	Gain Simple and Martial Weapon proficiency and Light and Medium Armor proficiency, and Shields.
Arcane Spell Failure reduction	-	Arcane Spell Failure is reduced by 20% for pure-classed Spellswords and multi-classed characters with 6+ Spellswords levels. This applies both to the armor and the shield for a total -40% reduction. Like all ASF, it can be stacked with equipment that has ASF reduction properties. This does not stack with other class-based ASF reduction.
Weave Affinity	-	A Spellsword can manipulate the weave to gain primary attribute dependant bonuses as follows: Strength as a Primary Attribute +1 AB and Damage per 7 class levels, limited to her base (Hard) intelligence modifier. Dexterity as Primary Attribute +1 AB and AC (Dodge) per 7 class levels, limited to her base (Hard) intelligence modifier. Note: Weave Affinity is disabled for all characters with Monk levels.
Imbue Weapon	-	Gains the ability to Imbue Weapon. See #Imbue Weapon for more details.
True Strike	-	With 80% of levels in Spellsword, for the short duration True Strike is active, the Spellsword's attacks per round goes up by 1. This benefit cannot be from potions, wands or scrolls; only cast from the Spellsword's spellbook.
Protection from Spells	-	When cast via the Spellsword spellbook, this spell now only affects the targeted creature - or the caster, if a location was targeted. Scrolls and items are unaffected.
Blackstaff	-	Characters with at least 80% Spellsword levels now use the Elemental Strike DC formula for Blackstaff DCs, i.e. 10 + Spellsword levels / 2 + INT modifier.
Bonus Language	-	Draconic same as Wizard.
Spell changes	-	For specifics, see Category:Spellsword_Spells.
Spellbook	-	Can save and load Spellbooks through the Crafting Skills menu. Special Abilities > Crafting Skills > Choose "Spellbooks" from the menu.
Spell components	-	Requires spell components (made with Alchemy or Art Crafting) to cast spells greater than level 6. Level 7 spells cost 1. Level 8 spells cost 2.
Familiar	-	Familiar changes and notes.
Arcane Flux	-	Type of feat: Spellsword Class, Wizard Class, Sorcerer Class, Wild Mage Class Automatically granted by: Spellsword 1, Wizard 1, Sorcerer 1, Wild Mage 1 Required for: None Specifics: A Spellsword's Elemental Strikes or a Wizard's cantrips have a chance to activate the Arcane Flux effect on the caster. When activated, Arcane Flux will replenish the next hostile spell cast via the Spellsword or Wizard spellbook. Dispels and spell breaches are exempt. The current Arcane Flux effect status can be displayed via the -cooldown command. Works on "hostile" spells only, see Arcane Flux for a full list. Spellsword: Arcane Flux will randomly trigger when using Elemental Strike or Elemental Maelstrom. The chance is 10% for non-critical Elemental Strikes and 20% for Elemental Maelstroms and critical Elemental Strikes. There is an internal cooldown to prevent the effect from triggering more than once every couple rounds. Wizard: Casting a wizard cantrip has a 10% chance to activate Arcane Flux. For Generalist Wizards, this chance increases to 15%. Sorcerer: Casting a cantrip has a 10% chance to activate Arcane Flux. Wild Mages have a 5% chance to activate Arcane Flux. Use: Automatic
Elemental Strike	06	Gains the ability to Elemental Strike. See #Elemental Strike for more details.
Uncanny dodge	10	Gain Uncanny Dodge I.
Armor Imbue	11	Gains the ability to Imbue your Armor. See #Imbue Armor for more details.
Combat Casting	12	Gain Combat Casting.
Greater Elemental Strike	16	Upgrade to Elemental Strike. See #Elemental Strike for more details.
Improved Combat Casting	24	Gain Improved Combat Casting.
Elemental Maelstrom	26	This ability allows the spellsword to perform an instant whirlwind attack. See #Elemental Maelstrom for more details.
Greater Armor Imbue	26	Upgrade to Imbue Armor. See #Imbue Armor for more details.
Bonus Attack	27	Spellsword receives a bonus attack per round (granted in the Free Attack sequence). Monk levels will disable.
Breach resistance	28	Spellsword now become more resilient against spell breaches. The amount of breached wards is reduced by 1, to a minimum of 1.
Inficasting	-	The Greater Spell Foci of every school that they take, additionally to the normal effects that they grant, will unlock a spell which the sorcerer, spellsword or wizard may cast freely and without limit as a special ability, that works identically as a spell casted from their spellbooks. Cannot be targeted at fixtures. GSF Abjuration grants Endure Elements. GSF Conjuration grants Melf's Acid Arrow. GSF Divination grants See Invisibility. GSF Enchantment grants Blindness/Deafness. GSF Evocation grants Magic Missile. GSF Illusion grants Color Spray. GSF Necromancy grants Ray of Enfeeblement. GSF Transmutation grants Burning Hands. To cast the spells, look for them in your radial menu of abilities. The subclasses and paths also benefit from this effect. These spells are lost if they are interrupted, but they can be refreshed by casting another infispell.

Imbue Weapon

This ability allows the Spellsword to empower her weapon with elemental properties.

• This ability has One use/day

• Abjurant Champion: grants 1 additional use/day
• Two-Weapon Fighting Feat: grants 1 additional use/day

• Increases Weapon Attack Bonus to +1 per 6 class levels and adds elemental bonus damage (see below).
• The fixed damage (i.e. +1 or +2) is applied as a damage increase effect, allowing it to pierce damage resistance and immunity.
• The Imbue Weapon lasts for 24 real life hours. Check with -weapon (or -wp) if in doubt.

Imbue Weapon Damage Scaling

Damage increases with class levels and intelligence:

• Class level 1-5 & base (Hard) INT 13+: 1d4 + 1 damage
• Class level 6-10 & base (Hard) INT 14+: 1d6 + 1 damage
• Class level 11-15 & base (Hard) INT 15+: 1d8 + 1 damage
• Class level 16-20 & base (Hard) INT 16+: 2d4 + 2 damage
• Class level 21-25 & base (Hard) INT 17+: 2d6 + 2 damage
• Class level 26-30 & base (Hard) INT 18+: 2d8 + 2 damage

Weapons can only be imbued once per rest, and active imbues cannot be replaced.

Imbue Weapon Damage Types

• Imbue Weapon: Cold
• Imbue Weapon: Fire
• Imbue Weapon: Acid
• Imbue Weapon: Electrical
• Imbue Weapon: Negative
• Imbue Weapon: Magic

Limitations

• You can only imbue melee weapons.
• You cannot imbue gloves.
• The imbue can stack with nearly any weapon buff. Restrictive weapon buffs (those that require the weapon to be blank) must be cast BEFORE imbuing.
• Permanent weapon essences to not interfere with Imbue, but any shared damage types will only choose the highest damage and disregard the lowest; they do not stack.
• These effects may or may not work with imbue:
  • Temporary essences do not work with Imbues.
  • The Elemental Weapon spell can be used with Imbue as well as the -stream ability for different elements besides fire.
  • Arelith's Custom Poisons needs further testing. Default poisons can stack.
  • Assassin's assassinate ability does stack.
  • Barbarian passive and rage damage do stack.
  • Swashbuckler's Insightful Strike does stack, but may require that you re-equip for the IS bonus damage.
  • Harbinger curse weapon does not work with imbue.
  • Blackguard's inflict wounds negative weapon damage does not work with imbue.

Elemental Strike

This ability allows the character to perform an instant melee attack using an Imbued Weapon and empowering the attack with elemental properties.

• Elemental Strike can only be activated once per round.
• Elemental Strike can only be used with an Imbued Weapon.
• Elemental Strike does not show size attack bonus in the action log, but rather reduces the target's AC accordingly.*
• Elemental Strike will enable synergy for both imbue elements on a dual-wield Spellsword.
• Critical hits with Elemental Strike while wielding a weapon with Magic Imbue will empower Elemental Strike bonus damage and inflict the Greater Elemental Strike secondary effects as if the weapon was imbued with the corresponding Elemental Strike Damage Type.

• Synergy bonuses granted by Magic Imbue critical hits do not increase the DC of the secondary effects, only the damage and duration.

Instant Attack:

Instant Attack Feats (Activated): Instant attacks share a cooldown timer: Dirty Fighting, Divine Smite, Eldritch Blast, Eviscerate, Elemental Maelstrom, Elemental Strike, Misericorde, Whirlwind Attack Using instant attacks lower attacks in the following round by 1. This is meant to offset the free attack gained by activating them. Instant attacks are made to look and feel like regular melee attacks while actually being an entirely independent feature. Cannot trigger cleave and similar abilities for this reason. Instant attacks mirror the animation delay of regular attacks via a short cooldown after casting a spell. Parrying instant attacks works differently the normal parry mechanics because it is scripted and implemented differently. Parry cannot riposte instant attacks, but parrying the instant attack does not count against parries-per-round. Against a character that has 4 APR and additionally uses an instant attack every round (like a hasted Spellsword), parry builds can parry 4 of these 5 attacks per round and riposte three of them. Most instant attacks (except Whirlwind Attack) ignore Weapon Master crit feats. Exception is elemental strike/maelstrom which only allows Ki Critical for Bladesingers (where the feat is built-in to the path) to enable their extra threat range. If an attacker is running, their melee instant special attacks against PCs now roll at a disadvantage. This disadvantage applies to both attack and threat rolls, causing the attacker to roll a d20 twice and proceed with the lower result. Replaces a prior 0.5 second movement speed penalty. Epic Dodge does not cause Instant Attacks to automatically miss due to an engine limitation (Epic Dodge is hard coded to affect normal flurry attacks). It instead forces any Instant Attack to roll at disadvantage until it causes one to miss. Then it goes on cooldown for 6 seconds. This means attacking a target that has Epic Dodge while moving will roll twice at disadvantage. Effectively rolling four times. Instant Attacks can apply Sneak Attacks if the requirements to perform a Sneak Attack are met.

Elemental Strike Damage Scaling

Damage increases with class levels and intelligence:

• Level 6-10 & base (Hard) INT 14+: +2 elemental damage
• Level 11-15 & base (Hard) INT 15+: +2d2 elemental damage
• Level 16-20 & base (Hard) INT 16+: +2d4 elemental damage
• Level 21-25 & base (Hard) INT 17+: +2d6 elemental damage
• Level 26-30 & base (Hard) INT 18+: +2d8 elemental damage

The above damage is empowered (+50%) when combined with a Weapon Imbue that matches the Strike's element.

Elemental Strike Damage Type

• Icethorn Strike: Cold
• Incendiary Strike: Fire
• Vitriolic Strike: Acid
• Lightning Strike: Electrical
• Necrosis Strike: Negative

Greater Elemental Strike

At Spellsword level 16, Elemental Strike becomes Greater Elemental Strike and inflicts additional element-specific penalties to the target. Once again the effects are empowered when using a matching Weapon Imbue:

• Acid: 20% Acid Vulnerability and -1 AC for 1 round (2 rounds with Acid Imbue). These penalties are halved by a successful Fortitude saving throw. The -1 AC penalty is applied as an Armor AC Penalty.
• Cold: -1 attack per round and -20% movement speed for 1 round (-2 attacks per round and -40% movement speed with Cold Imbue). These penalties are halved by a successful Fortitude saving throw (Freedom of Movement offers protection against all maluses). When used against PCs, the movement speed penalty is entirely by a successful saving throw.
• Electrical: Lightning arcs at up to 3 nearby targets, inflicting twice the above bonus damage (up to 6 targets and empowered damage with any Imbue). This damage is halved by a successful reflex saving throw and is subject to Evasion. Reduces Elemental Maelstrom cooldown by 6 seconds on critical hits, if combined with Electrical Imbue. (Magic Imbue and Elemental Maelstrom will not trigger this feature.)
• Fire: The target catches fire for 1 round, taking twice the above bonus damage twice per round (double duration with Fire Imbue). This damage is halved by a successful initial reflex saving throw. Targets with Improved Evasion or Evasion quarter the damage on a successful save. On a failed save, Improved Evasion still halves the damage ticks. Burn damage ticks are never empowered (i.e. 4d8 at maximum), regardless of active imbues.
• Negative: Vampiric Regeneration equal to the above bonus damage. The effect is halved by a successful will saving throw. (No saving throw when using Negative Imbue.) Healing scales with a target's immunity/vulnerability against negative energy damage. Strips Negative Energy Protection on critical hits, if combined with Negative Imbue. (Magic Imbue will not trigger this feature.)

The DC for saving throws is 10 + class level / 2 + INT modifier.

If the Weapon Imbue matches the Elemental Strike's element, the DC increases by 5.

The ability can also be activated with the chat command "-elestrike [acid/cold/fire/elec/negative]". If no element is specified, it will default to the last used one.

Auto Elemental Strike

Autostrike Mode: See -elestrike for more details.

Imbue Armor

Once per rest, this ability allows the Spellsword to empower her armor with elemental properties, increasing its AC bonus to +1 per 6 class levels and granting additional elemental protection as follows:

• Class level 10-14 & base (Hard) INT 15+: 5% immunity and 2/- resistance against the chosen element
• Class level 15-19 & base (Hard) INT 16+: 10% immunity and 5/- resistance against the chosen element
• Class level 20-24 & base (Hard) INT 17+: 20% immunity and 10/- resistance against the chosen element
• Class level 25-30 & base (Hard) INT 18+: 30% immunity and 15/- resistance against the chosen element

Greater Imbue Armor

Imbue Armor improves to Greater Imbue Armor at class level 26, causing attackers to take 1 elemental damage per base (Hard) intelligence modifier. Additionally, the Spellsword gains element-specific bonuses:

• Acid: The above retaliation damage increases by 1d8.
• Cold: Spellsword armor class increases by 1 (AC Dodge Modifier).
• Electrical: Spellsword movement speed increases by 20%.
• Fire: Spellsword attack bonus increases by 1.
• Negative: Spellsword gains regeneration equal to her base (Hard) intelligence modifier, up to a maximum of +5. Healing scales with a target's immunity/vulnerability against negative energy damage.

Elemental Maelstrom

This ability allows the spellsword to perform an instant whirlwind attack, adding their base (Hard) intelligence modifier to the attack roll and empowering the attack with elemental properties corresponding to their active Weapon Imbue in their main hand. Elemental Maelstrom can only be activated once per minute instead of a regular Elemental Strike.

Note: Maelstrom and Whirlwind share this cooldown and using either feat will result in a Maelstrom upon obtaining Maelstrom.

Note: When dual wielding, Maelstrom always defaults to the main hand element unless the main hand is not imbued but the off hand is imbued.

Instant Attack:

Instant Attack Feats (Activated): Instant attacks share a cooldown timer: Dirty Fighting, Divine Smite, Eldritch Blast, Eviscerate, Elemental Maelstrom, Elemental Strike, Misericorde, Whirlwind Attack Using instant attacks lower attacks in the following round by 1. This is meant to offset the free attack gained by activating them. Instant attacks are made to look and feel like regular melee attacks while actually being an entirely independent feature. Cannot trigger cleave and similar abilities for this reason. Instant attacks mirror the animation delay of regular attacks via a short cooldown after casting a spell. Parrying instant attacks works differently the normal parry mechanics because it is scripted and implemented differently. Parry cannot riposte instant attacks, but parrying the instant attack does not count against parries-per-round. Against a character that has 4 APR and additionally uses an instant attack every round (like a hasted Spellsword), parry builds can parry 4 of these 5 attacks per round and riposte three of them. Most instant attacks (except Whirlwind Attack) ignore Weapon Master crit feats. Exception is elemental strike/maelstrom which only allows Ki Critical for Bladesingers (where the feat is built-in to the path) to enable their extra threat range. If an attacker is running, their melee instant special attacks against PCs now roll at a disadvantage. This disadvantage applies to both attack and threat rolls, causing the attacker to roll a d20 twice and proceed with the lower result. Replaces a prior 0.5 second movement speed penalty. Epic Dodge does not cause Instant Attacks to automatically miss due to an engine limitation (Epic Dodge is hard coded to affect normal flurry attacks). It instead forces any Instant Attack to roll at disadvantage until it causes one to miss. Then it goes on cooldown for 6 seconds. This means attacking a target that has Epic Dodge while moving will roll twice at disadvantage. Effectively rolling four times. Instant Attacks can apply Sneak Attacks if the requirements to perform a Sneak Attack are met.

In addition to the weapon damage, nearby enemies take damage scaling with the Spellsword's intelligence:

• Base (Hard) INT 14: 2 elemental damage
• Base (Hard) INT 15: 2d2 elemental damage
• Base (Hard) INT 16: 2d4 elemental damage
• Base (Hard) INT 17: 2d6 elemental damage
• Base (Hard) INT 18+: 2d8 elemental damage

Elemental Maelstrom inflicts additional element-specific penalties to affected targets:

• Acid: 20% Acid Vulnerability and -2 AC for 2 rounds, halved by a successful Fortitude saving throw.
• Cold: -2 attacks per round and -40% movement speed for 1 round, halved by a successful fortitude saving throw (Freedom of Movement offers protection against all maluses).
• Electrical: Lightning arcs between up to 6 nearby targets, inflicting twice the above bonus damage per target, halved by a successful reflex saving throw and is subject to Evasion.
• Fire: Affected creatures catch fire for 2 rounds, taking twice the above bonus damage twice per round. This damage is halved by a successful initial reflex saving throw. Targets with Improved Evasion or Evasion quarter the damage on a successful save. On a failed save, Improved Evasion still halves the damage ticks.
• Negative: Vampiric Regeneration equal to the above bonus damage. No saving throw. Healing scales with a target's immunity/vulnerability against negative energy damage. Strips Negative Energy Protection on critical hits, if combined with Negative Imbue.
• Magic: Two breached spell effect.

The DC for saving throws is 15 + class level / 2 + (Soft) INT modifier.

Spellsword Path Feats

Abjurant Champion

• Prerequisites:

• Spellsword 12+
• Armor Proficiency (Heavy) Feat
• Greater Spell Focus: Abjuration
• Base (Hard) Strength: 13+

• Specifics: An abjurant champion's abilities are focused on melding arcane defenses and martial offense into a deadly alloy, a fierce combination of techniques allowing them to overpower or outlast their opponents.
• Passive Bonuses: None
• Active Bonuses:

• Shield Imbue: Can Imbue shields using the #Imbue Weapon ability

• Adding 1 +1 per 8 class levels Shield AC Bonus (does not stack with existing Shield AC Bonus, the higher of the two is counted)
• Grants 5/+[base (Hard) INT modifier + 1] Damage Reduction (Caps at 5/+4)
• Grants Elemental Damage Immunity and Damage Reduction equal to to 1/2 the Spellsword's #Imbue Armor bonus

• Bonus feats:

• Spellsword Level 14: Automatic Still Spell I
• Spellsword Level 21: Automatic Still Spell II
• Spellsword Level 28: Epic Spell Focus: Abjuration

• Limitations: Cannot activate #Elemental Maelstrom ability
• Additional Notes:

• As this path nets Automatic Still Spell I and II, the requirements for the purchase of Automatic Still Spell III as an epic general feat are considered met (epic arcane feats cannot be used for this purpose), allowing it to be purchased.
• Elemental Strike and Maelstrom are subject to Arcane Spell Failure (ASF).

Note: Only Automatic Still Spell III completely removes the ASF effect on Elemental Strike.

Arcane Marauder

• Prerequisites:

• Spellsword 12+
• Toughness Feat
• Weapon Focus (Melee Weapon)

Note: Unarmed Weapon Focus does NOT meet this prerequisite

• Base (Hard) Constitution: 13+

• Specifics: Some spellswords strive to use heavier weaponry for taking down foes, preferring a brute-force approach to combat that most magi shy away from. These arcane marauders trade defensive abilities for more powerful attacking strength.
• Passive Bonuses:

• 1 Physical Damage Resistance per base (Hard) Intelligence modifier, up to 5/-

• Active Bonuses: N/A
• Bonus feats:

• Spellsword Level 14: Weapon Specialization
• Spellsword Level 21: Power Attack
• Spellsword Level 28: Epic Weapon Specialization.

• Limitations:

• The Spellsword can no longer #Imbue Armor.
• Weave Affinity bonuses to attack and defense are lost while NOT wielding a two-handed (or -twohand) weapon.

Note: This means Two-handed weapons, not Large weapons and not Double-sided weapons.

• Additional Notes: N/A

Bladesinger

• Prerequisites:

• Elf or Half-Elf (Not Drow)
• Spellsword 12+
• Dodge Feat
• Base (Hard) Dexterity: 13+

• Specifics: Bladesingers are elves who have blended art, swordplay, and arcane magic into a harmonious whole. In battle, a bladesinger's lithe movements and subtle tactics are beautiful, belying their deadly martial efficiency.
• Passive Bonuses:

• A lightly armored Bladesinger wielding a longsword or rapier with an empty offhand gains a 10% bonus to movement speed and Shield AC equal to 3 + base (Hard) intelligence modifier (up to +1 per 8 class levels) with a maximum bonus of +6.

• Note: For balance reasons, this AC bonus is also disabled for characters with Monk levels.
• Mastery Elven Chainmail is considered light armor for this

• Active Bonuses: None
• Bonus feats:

• Bladesinger: Now grants the Deflect Arrows feat.
• Spellsword Level 14: Automatic Quicken Spell I
• Spellsword Level 21: Automatic Quicken Spell II
• Spellsword Level 28: Ki Critical, Weapon of Choice: Longsword & Rapier

• Limitations: The Spellsword's Arcane Spell Failure reduction is disabled while wearing medium or heavy armor or not wielding a rapier or longsword with an empty offhand.

Roleplay Tips

Spellswords, also known as spellblades, are arcane warriors; students of both might and magic that combine their arts to retain the massive array of abilities of the mage and the prowess of a martial fighter. Whilst their art is unique, they do not excel at neither form of their disciplines, often cutting edges to meet ends, not only having to sacrifice one whole school of magic, but for either code, ritual, choice or dogma, they are forced to forego the use of creation and summoning spells.

The following is a view on spellswords that may help you put the class in perspective. It is not the only way to play them or explain their abilities, at all.

Wizardry is often regarded as a highly intellectual study that takes many, many years to even become an initiate in. It is truly a feat and an achievement to become a proper wizard, and advance through the many echelons of magic. Spellswords, under this light, are a rare breed of mage, for not only they manage to keep up and pay the incredible mental toll that is the study of magic, but at the same time they prove capable fighters, apt in the use of either blade or staff as it personally suits them.

This doesn't mean that they favor one side more to the other. No, the true power of the spellsword is not merely setting things on fire and then stabbing them - from their two arts, their true power is born - the power known as imbuing. This unique characteristic allows them to reduce spells to their basic semantics and charge their equipment with different effects.

Their duality and versatility of trade, however, comes at a cost. They often find themselves taking shortcuts and cutting corners to meet ends and keep up with their studies. It is common for them to disregard a whole school of magic, and even more - all of them are completely cut off from summoning and creation magic, either by their choice to remain independent and mark the distinction from the cowardly wizard that hides behind their towering elementals, or simply as another price to pay for their uncanny versatility.

The greatest and most powerful spellswords realize, once the mysteries of the higher magic unfold to them, that they have cut too many corners on their journey to manage a true grasp on all epic magic. But where their grasp in magic is lacking, there is still the potential to become a true force to be reckoned, bearing enchanted blades and enough spells to worry both the dedicated mage and the martial master. After all, they know exactly what both worlds can offer - the spellsword carries them in each hand.

External Links

Neverwinter Nights wikia wizard article.