Casting In Combat
While you still won’t find many wizards on the front lines of skirmishes (unless, of course, they are packing some transformation spells or similar), there are a number of class options for those who want to play more combat-ready spellcasters. From buffed-up clerics and druids to battle-ready paladins and rangers, you see a lot of magic users toe-to-toe with the big baddies. This week’s article is celebrating those spellcasters who get their hands dirty with a selection of spelld for the mage truly devoted to combat. To test this devotion, each of these spells requires that the caster get his sword wet before he can unleash the magic.
BLOOD BOLSTER
School transmutation; Level alchemist 1, antipaladin 1, bard 1, bloodrager 1, cleric 1, druid 1, inquisitor 1, magus 1, medium 1, occultist 1, ranger 1, spiritualist 1, summoner 1
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S, M (a drop of fresh blood from a wounded enemy)
Range personal
Target you
Duration 1 round/level
You infuse the blood of your enemies with your arcane energy in order to gain a potent boost to your combat potential against that particular foe. In order to cast this spell, you must have dealt damage with a weapon attack within the last round. You gain a +4 bonus on all weapon damage rolls against the character whose blood you use as a focus for this spell, as well as against all other creatures you dealt damage to with a melee attack within the last round. Whenever you kill a creature with a weapon attack, the duration of this spell increases by 1 round.
DEFENDER’S EDGE
School abjuration; Level alchemist 2, bard 2, cleric 2, druid 2, inquisitor 2, medium 2, mesmerist 2, occultist 2, paladin 2, ranger 2, shaman 2, spiritualist 2, summoner 2
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S, M (a drop of your own blood)
Range personal
Target you
Duration 1 round/level
You suffuse your magical defenses with wounds from your injuries, granting you greater defense the more harm you suffer. You must have suffered at least 1 point of damage from a non-spell source within the last round in order to cast this spell. You gain a +1 dodge bonus to AC and a +1 luck bonus on saving throws. For the duration of the spell, whenever you suffer damage from a weapon attack, this dodge bonus to AC increases by +1 (to a maximum of your caster level). Whenever you make a saving throw, the luck bonus on saving throws increases by a further +1 (to a maximum of +5). Finally, whenever you suffer at least 20 points of damage, the duration of this spell increases by 1 round.
DIRE BLADE
School transmutation; Level antipaladin 3, bloodrager 3, medium 3, paladin 3, ranger 3
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S, F (a melee or ranged weapon worth at least 300 gp)
Range personal
Target you
Duration 1 round/level
You combine the sublime joy of combat with your own magical energies to produce ever more devastating attacks. In order to cast this spell, you must have either suffered damage from a confirmed critical hit or confirmed a critical hit in the last round. You gain a +20 bonus on attack rolls made to confirm critical hits, and critical hits threatened against you must roll twice to confirm, taking the worse result. Additionally, you deal an additional 1d6 points of damage per 2 caster levels with your weapon whenever you confirm a critical hit. If your weapon has a critical multiplier of higher than x2, the dice size of this additional damage is increased by 1 step for each point the critical multiplier is higher than x2 (for example, a battleaxe with a critical multiplier of x3 would deal an additional 1d8 points of damage per 2 caster levels, while a scythe with a critical multiplier of x4 would deal an additional 2d6 points of damage per 2 caster levels, etc.). Whenever you kill a creature with a critical hit, the duration of this spell is increased by a number of rounds equal to the critical multiplier of your weapon.