Arcane Rider – Magus Archetype

Design Notes: Adapted from Owlcat’s Wrath of the Righteous arcane rider archetype, flavored for our setting. Changed the dimensional ride abilities to arcana, retaining the magus’ armor proficiencies and abilities.

Arcane riders originated with the mounted cavalry of Aryvandaar before the age of the Crown Wars, and passed down their traditions for millenia, including contemporary legions such as the Eagle Knights of Evermeet. Mounted elven knights melded techniques decended from bladesong with the husbandry of a specially bonded mount. This bond forged them into a single arcane entity — able to sense each other’s emotions, and share the magus’ arcane pool and arcana to become a fleet juggernaut upon the battlefield. While their techniques have found their way outside of elven communities, much as the magus descended from the bladesinger, they are still a reminder of a glorious period of the elven knights of ancient kingdoms.

Companion Steed: At 1st level, the arcane rider gains the service of a loyal steed. This mount is usually a heavy horse (for a Medium magus) or a pony (for a Small magus), although more exotic mounts with GM permission are also suitable. This mount functions as a druid’s animal companion, using the magus’ level as her effective druid level. Bonded mounts have an Intelligence of at least 6.

At 11th level, this companion steed gains the celestial creature simple template and becomes a magical beast for the purposes of determining which spells affect it. Alternately, elves or half-elves may gain the service of a giant eagle as their companion steed by dismissing their previous companion; likewise elven or half-elven females may gain the service of a unicorn as their companion steed.

At 15th level, the companion steed gains spell resistance equal to the magus’ level + 11.

Should this companion steed die, the arcane rider cannot find another for 30 days or until she gains a level, whichever comes first, until which time she suffers a -1 to attack and weapon damage rolls.

This and Shared Arcana replace Spell Recall, Improved Spell Recall and Counterstrike. Further, an arcane rider may not select the Familiar magus arcana.

Shared Arcana (Su): Any benefits gained by magus arcana that cost points from the arcane rider’s arcane pool can affect the arcane rider’s steed as well as the magus. By spending twice the point cost, the arcana can affect both mount and rider with a single action.

Coordinated Spell Combat (Ex): The arcane rider and his steed have honed the melding of sword, spell and hoof to become a harmonized unit. By taking a -2 penalty on his attack rolls, the arcane rider may cast a spell in the same round in which he takes a move action to control his mount and makes a standard attack action or makes the charge action. As with the magus spell combat ability, the arcane rider can take an additional penalty on his attack rolls to gain the same number of points as a circumstance bonus on both Concentration and Ride checks. While mounted and using a lance, spear, or similar charging weapon one-handed, it counts as a one-handed weapon for the purposes of spell combat and the magus’ spellstrike. This replaces spell combat, and counts as, and is modified by effects and items which modify spell combat.

Bonus Feats: Starting at 5th level, an arcane rider may choose from any mounted feat as a bonus feat in addition to those considered combat feats.

Improved Spell Combat (Ex): This functions as the magus ability of the same name, except that it modifies coordinated spell combat, and the bonus also applies to the arcane rider’s Ride checks.

Greater Spell Combat (Ex): This functions as the magus ability of the same name, except that it modifies coordinated spell combat, and the bonus also applies to the arcane rider’s Ride checks.

Arcane Rider Arcana: In addition to the standard magus list of magus arcana, the arcane rider may select from the following arcana.

• Dimensional Ride: The arcane rider can expend 1 point from his arcane pool as part of a move action to contol his mount, to create a dimensional rift that they can step through to reach another location. This ability can only be used as part of a move action or withdraw action, allowing steed and rider to move up to 10 feet per magus level to a location the magus can see. He can only use this ability once per round. He does not provoke attacks of opportunity when making this movement, but any additional movement attempted in that round provokes as normal. The magus must be 9th level to select this arcanum.
• Dimensional Charge: The arcane rider can spend two points from his arcane pool to use the movement of dimensional ride as part of a charge action — effectively extending the range which he may make a mounted charge. As with dimensional ride, he does not provoke attacks of opportunity for the distance traversed by this dimensional rift, though the remaining movement of the charge draws attacks of opportunity as normal. The magus must be 15th level and have the dimensional ride arcanum to select this arcanum.
• Shared Spells: The arcane rider may cast a spell with a target of “You” on his bonded mount (as a touch range spell) instead of on himself. He may cast spells on his mount even if the spells normally do not affect creatures of the companion’s type. This can only be done with spells he casts from the magus spell list, or those from a class in which he has taken the Broad Study arcanum. By spending a point from his arcane pool during the casting, he may instead cast this spell to affect both himself and his mount, dividing the duration evenly between them.