Eldritch Scion Remake

Design Notes: What follows is a rework of the eldritch scion magus archetype to address a couple of glaring omissions that were never clarified or corrected in FAQs (bonus spell acquisition, and failure to address what happens with the spell recall gain at 11th level, or how to even use it with spontaneous casting), as well as to rebalance the signature feature into something that’s actually enjoyable to play at low level, without significantly tilting the power level at higher levels (keying mystic focus duration to Charisma bonus, rather than a flat 2 rounds). Some of this revision (including bloodline spell fix) is taken from the Owlcat rendition of the archetype in Wrath of the Righteous and Kingmaker.

Unlike typical magi, eldritch scions do not study tomes of magic to acquire their spells. Rather, eldritch scions have found a way to use the innate magical abilities of their bloodline in combination with the techniques of mixing sword and spell just as effectively.

Spells: An eldritch scion casts arcane spells drawn from the magus spell list. He may also select spells from the bloodrager spell list that are not already on the magus spell list, using the bloodrager spell level as the magus spell level. He can cast any spell he knows without preparing it ahead of time. To learn or cast a spell, an eldritch scion must have a Charisma score equal to at least 10 + the spell’s level. The DC for a saving throw against an eldritch scion’s spell is 10 + the spell’s level + the eldritch scion’s Charisma modifier. An eldritch scion can cast only a certain number of spells of each spell level per day. He uses the spells known and spells per day tables of the bard, and he receives bonus spells per day if he has a high Charisma score.

An eldritch scion’s selection of spells is limited. He has the same number of spells known as a bard of the same level, and can choose new spells to replace old ones at 5th level and every 3 class levels after that, just as a bard does. See the bard (Core Rulebook 35) for more information on swapping spells known.

This alters the magus’ spells and replaces greater spell access. Archetypes that alter the magus spell list can also alter the eldricth scion spell list.

Bloodline: An eldritch scion gains a bloodrager bloodline. The bloodline is selected at 1st level, and this choice cannot be changed. An eldritch scion’s treats his class level as his effective bloodrager level for his bloodline abilities. He does not gain any bonus feats, but he may select these bloodline feats as one of the magus’ bonus combat feats (see below). He gains bonus spells from his bloodline at different levels than the bloodrager (see below). To use any ability that normally functions when in a bloodrage, an eldritch scion must spend a point from his eldritch pool (see below). If an eldritch scion takes levels in another class that grant a bloodline, the bloodlines must be the same type, even if that means that the bloodline of one of the classes must change.

This ability replaces improved spell recall, and increases the level at which spell recall is gained to 11th level.

Eldritch Pool (Su): An eldritch scion gains an eldritch pool of personal magical energy, equal to 1/2 his eldritch scion level (minimum 1) + his Charisma modifier. This eldritch pool functions as the magus’ arcane pool, with any magus abilities and arcana keyed to Intelligence instead keyed upon the eldritch scion’s Charisma modifier. As a swift action, the eldritch scion can spend a point from his eldritch pool to draw on the power of his bloodline with a state of mystical focus for a number of rounds equal to his Charisma modifier, granting him the abilities from his bloodrager bloodline as though he were in a bloodrage, though he gains none of the other benefits or drawbacks of bloodraging. Dismissing this mystical focus is a free action, but reactivating it again requires again expending an eldritch point and a swift action.

At 4th level, an eldritch scion can also use his eldritch pool to gain the benefits listed with the magus’s arcane pool class feature, as a magus equal to his level -3.

This ability replaces arcane pool, and abilities, effects and  that modify arcane pool also modify eldritch pool. Archetypes that alter arcane pool, may also alter eldritch pool.

Spell Combat (Ex): An eldritch scion can only use spell combat while in a state of mystic focus (see eldritch pool, above). At 8th level, an eldritch scion can use spell combat at any time. This alters spell combat.

Bonus Spells: At 4th level, an eldritch scion gains the bonus spell from his bloodrager bloodline that the bloodrager would gain at 7th level as a bonus spell known. He gains the next three bonus spells from his bloodrager bloodline at 7th, 10th, and 13th levels, respectively. At 16th level, he gains the bonus spell from the sorcerer of the same bloodline that the sorcerer would normally gain at 11th level, and at 19th level gains the 13th level sorcerer bloodline spell. This replaces knowledge pool.

Bonus Feats: The eldritch scion may select one of the bloodline feats from his chosen bloodline as a bonus feat in place of a bonus combat feat. This alters bonus feats.

Spell Recall (Su): At 11th level, an eldritch scion gains the spell recall class feature, and he may use it to cast a spell that he has already cast that day without the use of a spell slot, at a cost of 1 point per spell level. This alters spell recall.

Improved Spell Combat (Ex): At 14th level, an eldritch scion gains the improved spell combat class feature. This alters improved spell combat.

Greater Spell Combat (Ex): At 18th level, an eldritch scion gains the greater spell combat class feature. This alters greater spell combat.