Arcanist Exploits
Generally, in Best in Class, we try to focus more on providing new archetypes than on providing additional abilities like rogue talents, hexes, and so on, that one can pick from a list. There are a few different reasons for this, but sometimes, certain classes really want the extra versatility, or we just find a selection of these abilities that we feel should really get made. The arcanist is just such a class, and I wanted to make sure that before the year was out, we got some new arcanist exploits. Well, here they are.
New Arcanist Exploits
Arcane Armor (Su): The arcanist can expend 1 point from her arcane reservoir in order to surround herself with protective force armor. She gains a deflection bonus to her AC equal to 4 + her Charisma modifier (maximum bonus +10), which lasts for 1 minute.
Hex Development (Su): The arcanist selects a single witch hex upon taking this exploit. If the hex lists any specific prerequisites, the arcanist must meet them in order to select it. Major hexes and grand hexes cannot be selected in this way. By spending 1 point from her arcane reservoir, the arcanist can use the selected hex. The arcanist uses her arcanist level for her witch level, and uses her Charisma modifier instead of her Intelligence modifier for the purposes of determining the hex’s effects and saving throw DC. Any restrictions included in the hex about how often it can be used still apply, in addition to needing to spend a point from her arcane reservoir.
Instill Reality (Su): Whenever the arcanist casts a spell of the shadow subschool, which states in the spell’s description that it is only a certain percent real (such as shadow conjuration or shadow evocation), she can expend 1 point from her arcane reservoir. If she does, the spell is 10% more real than it would otherwise be (it deals more damage, has more hit points, etc., if it is disbelieved).
Obscure Sensor (Su): Whenever the arcanist casts a spell of the scrying subschool, she can expend 1 point from her arcane reservoir. If she does, the Perception check to notice the scrying sensor increases by an amount equal to her class level + her Charisma modifier (for a total DC equal to 20 + the spell’s level + the arcanist’s class level + the arcanist’s Charisma modifier). Additionally, this grants the spell a 40% chance to function through lead barriers of up to 3 inches in thickness.
Supportive Summoner (Su): The arcanist can expend 1 point from her arcane reservoir in order to heal a creature that she has summoned. The creature regains a number of hit points equal to twice the arcanist’s class level. The creature to be affected must be within 30 feet of the arcanist, and must be a creature that she summoned with a spell of the summoning subschool.
New Greater Exploits
Imbue Familiar (Sp): As a standard action, the arcanist can expend 3 points from her arcane reservoir in order to imbue her familiar with a single 1st-level spell. Doing so requires that she touch her familiar. The spell in question must be one that the arcanist currently has prepared. The familiar gains the ability to cast the chosen spell once. The caster level, saving throw DC, and all other aspects of the spell are calculated as though the arcanist were the one who had cast the spell. The familiar must still provide any components required by the spell (any familiar that has the speak with master ability is considered able to “speak” for the purposes of verbal components; the familiar is able to provide somatic components as long as it is able to move freely, regardless of its anatomy, but cannot do so if bound or otherwise made immobile). If the familiar does not cast the imbued spell within 24 hours, this ability is wasted.
At 15th level, the arcanist can expend 5 points from her arcane reservoir in order to imbue her familiar with a 2nd-level spell, instead. This otherwise functions identically to imbuing a 1st-level spell.
The arcanist must have a familiar in order to select this exploit.
Prepared Spell Defense (Su): Whenever the arcanist makes a saving throw to resist a spell, if she currently has that spell prepared, she can expend 1 point from her arcane reservoir in order to use her practical knowledge of that spell to help her resist it. The arcanist must successfully identify the spell in question in order to use this ability, and must do so before making her saving throw. She gains a bonus equal to 2 + her Charisma modifier on the saving throw made to resist the spell. Additionally, if she succeeds on the saving throw, and the spell would normally have a lesser effect on her (such as a fireball spell dealing half damage on a successful saving throw, or an irresistible dance spell, which would cause her to dance for 1 round even if she succeeded on the saving throw), the spell has no effect on her, instead.