The Curse Connoisseur
Hello everyone, and welcome to another exciting edition of Best in Class, where we bring you new class features, archetypes, and prestige classes each and every week. We’ve been on vacation for a while now, so I bet you’re keen to see what we’ve been up to! The perceptive among you will no doubt by now have noticed we have a new book out this week, The Ebon Vault: Fantastic Footgear, and we’ve decided to devote this week to promoting that book with an array of supporting articles.
Some of you will no doubt be wondering exactly how we intend to talk about boots with Best in Class, an article that is devoted to class features and archetypes. Well, in addition to providing you with a sweet suite of new boots, as well as a collection of magical horseshoes, The Ebon Vault: Fantastic Footgear also contains a host of cursed boots to enhance your gaming experience. It is from these that we draw our inspiration for tonight’s article: we’ve got a new wizard archetype all about dealing with the hazards of cursed items.
New Wizard Archetype
Curse Connoisseur
Curse connoisseurs are wizards who make a lifetime study of curses, particularly those placed on magical items. Experts at identifying and dealing with cursed items and artifacts, curse connoisseurs are highly in demand across the world. Uniquely gifted in the art of identifying and removing curses, curse connoisseurs even learn to bypass curses, and often go to great lengths to collect and preserve cursed magical items for further study.
Curse Spotter (Su): Beginning at 1st level, whenever the curse connoisseur identifies a magic item with Spellcraft, he does not need to exceed the DC by 10 or more in order to detect any curses on that item. Instead, as long as he meets the normal DC to identify the item, he detects any and all curses on that item.
This ability replaces the Scribe Scroll class feature.
Curse Resistant (Su): Beginning at 5th level, the curse connoisseur becomes better able to resist the harmful effects of curses. He gains a +4 bonus on all saving throws made to resist curses. This benefit applies to curses, spells with the curse descriptor, and the effects of cursed magic items.
This ability replaces the bonus feat gained at 5th level.
Curse Breaker (Sp): Beginning at 10th level, the curse connoisseur learns the secret of dispelling curses without expending magical energy. Once per day, the curse connoisseur can perform a one-minute ritual to remove a curse from an item, as though with the spell remove curse. In order to use this ability, he must succeed on a caster level check with a DC equal to 5 + the caster level of the item or spell. If the curse connoisseur is using this ability to remove a curse from a cursed shield, weapon, or suit of armor, and the result of his caster level check exceeds the DC by 10 or more, then he dispels the curse entirely, instead of simply allowing the item to be removed, as normal for remove curse. Any items that have their curses removed entirely as a result of this ability become a typical example of the items they were intended to become when they were created. If the curse connoisseur fails his caster level check, he cannot use this ability again on the same item until his caster level has increased.
This ability replaces the bonus feat gained at 10th level.
Curse Wielder (Su): Beginning at 15th level, the curse connoisseur can suppress the curses of items in his possession with his thoughts. The curse connoisseur ignores the cursed effects of any item he is currently wielding, and treats cursed items he is wielding, wearing, or using as typical examples of items of the type intended when they were created. This ability only functions so long as the item is in the possession of the curse connoisseur, and has no effect on items that leave his possession.
This ability replaces the bonus feat gained at 15th level.
Curse Master: Beginning at 20th level, the curse connoisseur becomes able to both remove and create curses on items. In order to use this ability, the curse connoisseur must touch the target item and succeed on a caster level check with a DC equal to 5 + the item’s caster level.
If he succeeds on this check, and the target item was cursed, the curse is suppressed for 1 minute. If the result of the caster level check exceeds the DC by 10 or more, the curse is permanently removed.
If the curse connoisseur succeeds on this check, and the target item was not cursed, the item instead becomes cursed for 1 minute. In order to determine the exact nature of the curse, roll a d% and consult the Common Item Curses table from the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Core Rulebook, or, if desired, the GM can select a curse that seems appropriate. The curse connoisseur cannot choose or influence the exact nature of the curse that is created. If the result of the caster level check exceeds the DC by 10 or more, the curse lasts indefinitely, instead of for 1 minute.
Using this ability is a standard action that provokes attacks of opportunity. It has no effect on non-magical items.
This ability replaces the bonus feat gained at 20th level.