Twin blades, one of body and one of mind, exist within us all. A true warrior is master of both.

Description: Daggerspell mages are wild cards, their magic comes in fits-and-starts, and few truly understand the strange bond they form with their blades. Like sorcerers, daggerspell mages seem to be born with this talent, but it is one that requires intense training a practice.  

Role: With a knife flurry, the daggerspell mage explodes into battle laying low even the most experienced combatants. They appear seemingly out of nowhere, striking where it is least expected and dispersing into shadow an instant later. In one breathe the daggerspell mage enhances his abilities and those of his allies, while berating his foes with an onslaught of deadly spells.

Alignment: Any non-lawful

Hit Die: d8

Class Skills

Acrobatics (Dex), Appraise (Int), Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Disguise (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (Arcana) (Int), Knowledge (Local) (Int), Linguistics (Int), Perception (Wis), Profession (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), Sleight of Hand (Dex), Spellcraft (Int), Stealth (Dex), Swim (Str), and Use Magic Device (Cha).

Skill Ranks Per Level: 6 + Int modifier

Level	Base Attack	Fort	Ref	Will	Special Abilities
1st	+0	+0	+2	+2	Cantrips, Daggercast, Spellscribed Daggers
2nd	+1	+0	+3	+3	Evasion, Cloak and Dagger
3rd	+2	+1	+3	+3	Sneak Attack +1d6
4th	+3	+1	+4	+4	Uncanny Dodge
5th	+3	+1	+4	+4	Advanced Learning, Quick Cast 1/day
6th	+4	+2	+5	+5	Sneak Attack +2d6
7th	+5	+2	+5	+5	Cloak of Invisibility
8th	+6/+1	+2	+6	+6	Improved Uncanny Dodge, Invocation of the Knife
9th	+6/+1	+3	+6	+6	Advanced Learning, Sneak Attack +3d6
10th	+7/+2	+3	+7	+7	Spell Mantle, Quick Cast 2/day
11th	+8/+3	+3	+7	+7	Improved Evasion
12th	+9/+4	+4	+8	+8	Sneak Attack +4d6
13th	+9/+4	+4	+8	+8	Advanced Learning
14th	+10/+5	+4	+9	+9	Arcane Throw
15th	+11/+6/+1	+5	+9	+9	Sneak Attack +5d6, Quick Cast 3/day
16th	+12/+7/+2	+5	+10	+10	Surprise Spells
17th	+12/+7/+2	+5	+10	+10	Advanced Learning
18th	+13/+8/+3	+6	+11	+11	Sneak Attack +6d6
19th	+14/+9/+4	+6	+11	+11	Penetrating Spells
20th	+15/+10/+5	+6	+12	+12	Quick Cast 4/day

Class Features

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A daggerspell mage is proficient with all simple weapons, plus the hand crossbow, sap, and shortbow. Daggerspell mages are also proficient with light armor. A daggerspell mage can cast sorcerer/wizard spells while wearing light armor without incurring the normal arcane spell failure chance. Like any other arcane spellcaster, a daggerspell mage wearing medium or heavy armor incurs a chance of arcane spell failure if the spell in question has a somatic component.

A multiclass daggerspell mage still incurs the normal arcane spell failure chance for arcane spells received from other classes.

Spells: A daggerspell mage casts arcane spells drawn from the sorcerer/wizard spell list. He can cast any spell he knows without preparing it ahead of time. To learn or cast a spell, a daggerspell mage must have a Charisma score equal to at least 10 + the spell level. The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against a daggerspell mage's spell is 10 + the spell level + the daggerspell mage's Charisma modifier.

	Spells Per Day
Level	0	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th
1st	3	2	-	-	-	-
2nd	4	3	-	-	-	-
3rd	5	4	-	-	-	-
4th	6	5	-	-	-	-
5th	6	5	2	-	-	-
6th	6	6	3	-	-	-
7th	6	6	5	-	-	-
8th	6	7	6	-	-	-
9th	6	7	6	2	-	-
10th	6	8	7	3	-	-
11th	6	8	7	5	-	-
12th	6	8	8	6	-	-
13th	6	9	8	6	2	-
14th	6	9	8	7	3	-
15th	6	9	8	7	5	-
16th	6	9	9	8	6	-
17th	6	10	9	8	6	2
18th	6	10	9	8	7	3
19th	6	10	10	9	7	5
20th	6	10	10	10	8	6

Like other spellcasters, a daggerspell mage can cast only a certain number of spells of each spell level per day. His base daily spell allotment is given on Table: Daggerspell Mage Spells Per Day. In addition, he receives bonus spells per day if he has a high Charisma score.

The daggerspell mage begins play knowing all cantrips and two 1st level spells, and an additional number of 1st level spells equal to his Charisma modifier. Whenever the daggerspell mage gains a level, he learns a spell of his choice of up a spell level which he is capable of casting. Upon reaching 5th level, and at every subsequent odd-numbered level, the daggerspell mage can choose to learn a new spell in place of one he already knows. In effect, you lose access to the old spell in exchange for gaining the new one. The new spell must be of the same level as the spell being exchanged, or lower. Also, the spell to be exchanged cannot be of the highest spell level the daggerspell mage can cast.

Cantrips: Cantrips, or "0th level" spells, are cast like any other spell, but they do not consume any slots and may be used again.

Daggercast (Ex): A daggerspell mage seamlessly weaves together the use of both spell and dagger. He can cast spells with a somatic compounds and material components, even when holding a dagger in each hand.

In addition, a daggerspell mage can channel a touch spell into his dagger, storing it until a successful melee attack is made, at which point the spell is discharged against the creature or object struck in addition to the normal damage that would be dealt by the dagger. A dagger may hold only one charge, but a daggerspell may carry any number of daggers possessing a charge on his person. The charge held in a dagger discharges harmlessly if weapon leaves the daggerspell mage's person.

Alternatively, the daggerspell mage may use a dagger to deliver a touch attack as part of the casting of a spell. In this case, the attack is made against the target's touch AC with all the bonuses applied to the attack roll associated with using a dagger (like Weapon Focus). If the attack roll is successful, the dagger deals no damage but the spell is discharged against the creature or object struck.

Spellscribed Daggers (Ex): A daggerspell mage forms a powerful bond with a pair of twin masterwork daggers, with which he begins play with at no cost.

A daggerspell mage's spellscribed daggers function as an arcane focus, allowing him to cast spells with without the need for inexpensive material components, though any component worth 100 gp or more must be supplied as normal. However, if a daggerspell mage attempts to cast a spell without his daggers on his person, he must make a concentration check or lose the spell. The DC for this check is equal to 20 + the spell's level.

Furthermore, the spellscribed daggers can be used once per day to cast any one spell that the daggerspell mage is capable of casting. This spell is treated like any other spell cast by the daggerspell mage, including casting time, duration, and other effects dependent on the his level, however, it does not take up a spell slot for the day. This spell cannot be modified by metamagic feats or other abilities, though.

At 5th level and higher, the daggerspell mage can add magic abilities to his spellscribed daggers as if he had the Craft Magic Arms and Armor feat. When the mage uses this ability to enhance his daggers, their shape changes, and they take on new properties. They might develop a wrist guard along their hilts, or their blades might elongate or curve. Any number of transformations might occur, the effects of which are determined by the GM.

Any magic abilities added to the daggers only function for the daggerspell mage. In the hands of anyone other than the mage, his daggers are treated simply as masterwork daggers (with a -4 penalty to attack rolls if the altered shape is unfamiliar to the user). In the event that the daggerspell mage dies or the daggers are replaced, they revert to being ordinary masterwork daggers.

If these daggers are damaged, they are restored to full hit points the next time the daggerspell mage rests for 8 hours. If a spellscribed dagger is lost or destroyed, it can be replaced after 1 week in a special ritual that costs 200 gp per daggerspell mage level plus the cost of a masterwork dagger. This ritual takes 8 hours to complete. A dagger replaced in this way does not possess any of the additional enchantments of the previous spellscribed dagger.

Evasion (Ex): At 2nd level and higher, a daggerspell mage can avoid even magical and unusual attacks with great agility. If he makes a successful Reflex saving throw against an attack that normally deals half damage on a successful save, he instead takes no damage. Evasion can be used only if the daggerspell mage is wearing light armor or no armor. A helpless daggerspell mage does not gain the benefit of evasion.

Cloak and Dagger  (Ex): Starting at 2nd level, when a daggerspell mage successfully uses the Bluff skill to feint in combat, the target is denied its Dexterity bonus (if it has one) to AC for the next melee attack the daggerspell mage makes against it, or the next spell the daggerspell mage casts with it as the target. The daggerspell mage must remain in melee with the target, and the attack must be made or the spell cast on or before the daggerspell mage's next turn. The target is not considered flat-footed and therefore can make attacks of opportunity against the daggerspell mage if he does not cast defensively.

At 6th level, the daggerspell mage gains the ability to feint in combat as part of a move action instead of a standard action. If he possesses the Improved Feint feat, the daggerspell mage can feint in combat as a swift action.

Sneak Attack: Starting at 3rd level, if a daggerspell mage can catch an opponent when it is unable to defend itself effectively from his attack, he can strike a vital spot for extra damage.

The daggerspell mage's attack deals extra damage anytime his target would be denied a Dexterity bonus to AC (whether the target actually has a Dexterity bonus or not), or when the daggerspell mage flanks his target. This extra damage is 1d6 at 3rd level, and increases by 1d6 every three daggerspell mage levels thereafter. Should the daggerspell mage score a critical hit with a sneak attack, this extra damage is not multiplied. Ranged attacks can count as sneak attacks only if the target is within 30 feet.

With a weapon that deals nonlethal damage, a daggerspell mage an make a sneak attack that deals nonlethal damage instead of lethal damage. He cannot use a weapon that deals lethal damage to deal nonlethal damage in a sneak attack, not even with the usual -4 penalty.

The daggerspell mage must be able to see the target well enough to pick out a vital spot and must be able to reach such a spot. A daggerspell mage cannot sneak attack while striking a creature with concealment.

Uncanny Dodge (Ex): Starting at 4th level, a daggerspell mage can react to danger before his senses would normally allow him to do so. He cannot be caught flat-footed, nor does he lose his Dex bonus to AC if the attacker is invisible. He still loses his Dexterity bonus to AC if immobilized. A daggerspell mage with this ability can still lose his Dexterity bonus to AC if an opponent successfully uses the feint action against him.

If a daggerspell mage already has uncanny dodge from a different class, he automatically gains improved uncanny dodge instead.

Advanced Learning (Ex): At 5th level, the daggerspell mage can add a new spell to his list of spells known, representing the result of his personal study and experimentation. The spell must be a sorcerer/wizard spell and of a level no higher than that of the highest-level spell he can cast.

The Daggerspell mage adds an additional new spell to his spell every four levels after 5th (9th, 13th, and 17th level).

Quick Cast: Starting at 5th level, the daggerspell mage can cast one spell each day as a swift action, so long as the casting time of the spell is a standard action or less.

You can use this ability an additional time per day for every five Daggerspell mage levels after 5th (twice per day at 10th, three times per day at 15th, and four times per day at 20th).

Cloak of Invisibility (Su): A daggerspell mage of 7th level and higher can become invisible, as if under the effects of Greater Invisibility, as a free action.

He can remain invisible for a number of rounds per day equal to 1/2 his daggerspell mage level. His caster level for this effect is equal to his daggerspell mage level. These rounds need not be consecutive.

Improved Uncanny Dodge (Ex): A daggerspell mage of 8th level or higher can no longer be flanked. However, if an attacker has four more levels in a class that grants the sneak attack ability than the daggerspell mage, he can be flanked (for purposes of dealing sneak attack damage).

If a character already has uncanny dodge from another class, the levels from the classes that grant uncanny dodge stack to determine the minimum level required to flank the character.

Invocation of the Knife (Su): Starting at 8th level, whenever a daggerspell mage casts an arcane spell that deals energy damage, he can turn half of the damage dealt by the spell into magic slashing damage rather than energy damage. Energy resistance does not apply to this damage, but damage reduction might. This power does not affect a creature's ability to resist the affected spell with a saving throw or spell resistance.

Using this ability does not require an action; its use is part of the action required to cast the affected spell. Only spells with a duration of instantaneous can be modified by this ability.

Spellmantle (Su): At 10th level and higher, the daggerspell mage may choose to automatically succeed a saving throw against a spell once per day. The daggerspell mage need not declare he is using this ability until after the roll is made.

Improved Evasion (Ex): At 11th level and higher, whenever the daggerspell mage succeeds a Reflex saving throw against an attack, he henceforth takes only half damage on a failed save against a similar attack. A helpless daggerspell mage does not gain the benefit of improved evasion.

Arcane Throw (Ex): Starting at 14th level, a daggerspell mage can imbue arcane spell power into his thrown daggers. The daggerspell mage can deliver touch or area burst spells with a thrown dagger. If the dagger hits, the spell is discharged against the creature or object struck. In the case of an area burst spell, the creature or object struck acts as the point of origin for the burst. After the dagger is thrown, it returns to the mage just before his next turn (as if it had the returning special ability).

Additionally, charges held within the daggerspell mage's daggers do not discharge when not on his person. If the charge is not used within the day, it is wasted.

Surprise Spells: A daggerspell mage of 16th level or higher may add his sneak attack damage to any spell that deals damage, if the targets are flat-footed. This additional damage only applies to spells that deal hit point damage, and the additional damage is of the same type as the spell. If the spell allows a saving throw to negate or halve the damage, it also negates or halves the sneak attack damage.

Penetrating Spells: At 19th level and higher, spells cast by the daggerspell mage automatically bypass spell resistance, if the targets are flat-footed.

Additional Ratings
Balance:	1 2 3 4 5 ( 15 Votes )
Utility:	1 2 3 4 5 ( 12 Votes )
Clarity:	1 2 3 4 5 ( 11 Votes )