Arcane Heirophant – Mystic Theurge Variant

Source: Adapted from the prestige class in Races of the Wild, WotC

“There’s nothing unnatural about magic. Magic ebbs and flows through the very earth where you stand, the air that your breathe, and the water that you drink. A fire has some magic of its own, as I’m sure you’ll agree when it warms you on a cold day or cooks your food.” – Altherion Duniiloli, arcane hierophant

Arcane hierophants wield a blending of arcane magic and divine magic with a heavy emphasis on nature and the elements. Though they possess the learning and discipline commonly associated with wizards, they also have practical knowledge of the natural world commonly associated with druids. Unlike either, they can channel both their arcane and divine power through the very deinzens of nature itself.

Requirements

• Skills: Knowledge (Arcana) 5 ranks, Knowledge (Nature) 5 ranks
• Spells: Must be able to cast both arcane and divine spells, one of them 2nd-level or higher and the other 1st-level or higher.
• Special: Wild Empathy, Animal Companion.

Class Skills: The Arcane Heirophant’s class skills are Handle Animal, Knowledge (arcana), Knowledge (nature), Sense Motive, Spellcraft, and Survival.
Skill ranks per level: 4 + Intelligence bonus.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: The arcane heirpohant gains no proficiency in any weapons or armor, and he must abide by the same armor restrictions that druids do. He loses his divine spellcasting ability and supernatural or spell-like class abilities if he wears prohibited armor or carries a prohibited shield. The arcane hierophant does not suffer arcane spell failure for wearing light armor or carrying a light shield, so long as these are compliant with the druid’s armor restrictions.

Companion Familiar (Su): Upon becoming an arcane hierophant, the character must dismiss any familiar he has, and forego any other opted arcane bond he had from his arcane casting class. He may retain an animal companion he already has, or dismiss it to gain a new one, as desired. The arcane hierophant adds his class level to the class level which granted him the animal companion, to determine the statistics of his animal companion, except for the number of tricks, or the special abilities of the companion. The arcane hierophant stacks his class level with his arcane caster level and uses the familiar table to determine the companion’s Intelligence, and the companion gains the special abilities of a wizard’s familiar instead of those of a companion. The familiar companion is a magical beast (augmented), but the arcane hierophant can bestow spells and other affects on the familiar companion as if it were an animal. If the familiar companion is killed or dismissed, it may be replaced one week later in an 8-hour prayer ritual that costs 200 gp per hit die of the companion.

Wild Empathy (Ex): The arcane hierophant’s level stacks with the levels in any class that grants him the Wild Empathy ability.

Hierophant Power: Starting at 2nd level, and every even level thereafter, the arcane hierophant gains a power fueled by the connections he makes between the natural world and arcane energies.

• Animal Channel (Su): With a touch, the arcane hierophant can establish a magical conduit between himself and a single animal (including his familiar companion). For each use of this class feature, a spell the arcane hierophant casts with a range of touch or greater can originate from the animal instead of from him, provided that the arcane hierophant has line of sight and line of effect to the animal. The spell’s line of effect then extends from the animal to the target based on the senses of the animal, not the arcane hierophant’s own. This power can also be used to channel the ability to deliver touch spells through the familiar companion, or to deliver a touch or ranged touch attack from the arcane hierophant’s arcane school. Once a spell or ability is channeled through the conduit, the animal is considered to be holding the charge for the spell; and once the spell is delivered by the target creature, the ability ends. The arcane hierophant must be at least 4th level to select this power. The arcane hierophant may use this ability a number of times per day equal to half his level.
• Bonus Feat: The arcane hierophant can select one of the following feats for which he qualifies as a bonus feat: Natural Spell, Wild Speech, any metamagic, item creation, spell mastery feat or summoning feat, or he may choose to learn an arcane discovery. He can select this power up to three times, and may not select it consecutively.
• Synthesized Focus: The arcane hierophant selects one of the following features of his arcane caster class: Arcane School, Bloodline, or Hex. Once the choice is made, it cannot be changed. He adds +1 to this chosen feature, as well as to his wild shape, animal focus, or similar ability or its archetype replacement. This level adjustment applies to both the level-dependent effects of these abilities, and the progression for gaining powers associated with these abilities. The arcane hierophant can select this power more than once, each time adding +1 to the effective level of the selected features.
• Lesser Spell Synthesis (Ex): Once per day as a full-round action, the arcane hierophant can cast two spells, each from a different spellcasting class. Both spells must have a casting time of 1 standard action and must be a spell level equal to or lower than the highest spell level he can cast in his lowest level spellcasting class. He can make any decisions concerning the spells, such as the spells’ targets, independently.
• Greater Spell Synthesis (Ex): The arcane hierophant can cast two spells, one from each of his spellcasting classes, using one spell casting action. Both of the spells must have the same casting time, and each spell can be up to the highest spell level the arcane heirophant can cast in each class. The arcane hierophant can make any decisions concerning the spells independently. Any target affected by both of the spells takes a –2 penalty on saves made against each spell. The arcane hierophant receives a +2 bonus on caster level checks made to overcome spell resistance with these two spells. A arcane hierophant may use this ability once per day. He must be at 10th level to select this power.
• Plant Channel (Su): This functions as the Animal Channnel ability, except arcane hierophant creates this conduit through a natural, nonanimated plant which he touches; this functions as the earlier usage of the ability for casting a spell through the conduit, though for an unanimated plant, line of sight from the plant is based on the caster’s own senses. Starting at 8th level, the arcane hierophant may establish this conduit between himself and a sentient creature of the Plant type, using the line of sight and effect of the creature. The arcane hierophant must have selected Animal Channel to select this power; each use of this power expends a use of his Animal Channel ability.
• Power of Nature (Su): This ability allows a hierophant to temporarily transfer one or more of his divine class features to a willing intelligent creature. The transfer lasts anywhere from 24 hours to one week (chosen at the time of transfer), and while the transfer is in effect, the hierophant cannot use the transferred power. He can transfer any of his druid powers except spellcasting and the animal companion ability. The arcane hierophant must be 6th level or higher to select this power.