Relic Hunter (Magus/Rogue)

Tunnel delvers, artifact seekers, and truth finders, relic hunters are ever watchful for signs of archaic knowledge, lost treasures, and relics of arcane or divine power. Skilled at enhancing the potency of certain magical items, a relic hunter is an explorer and purveyor of ancient magical lore. Like archaeologist from every age, the relic hunter seeks to find hidden and lost magical arts, and return them to their former glory. While not a powerful as other magi, relic hunters employ roguish tricks to ensure their survival as they skulk though ancient ruins and fallen kingdoms in search of those ever elusive magicks waiting to seek the light of day. (Original Concept by Elghinn Lightbringer)

Primary Class: Magus.

Secondary Class: Rogue.

Alignment: Any.

Hit Dice: d8.

Bonus Skills and Ranks: The relic hunter may select six rogue skills to add to his class skills in addition to the normal magus class skills. The relic hunter gains a number of ranks at each level equal to 4 + Int modifier.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: The relic hunter is proficient with all simple and martial weapons. A relic hunter is also proficient with light armor. He can cast arcane spells while wearing light armor without incurring the normal arcane spell failure chance. Like any other arcane spellcaster, a relic hunter wearing medium armor, heavy armor, or a shield incurs a chance of arcane spell failure if the spell in question has a somatic component. A multiclass relic hunter still incurs the normal arcane spell failure chance for arcane spells received from other classes.

Spellcasting: The relic hunter casts arcane spells drawn from the magus’s spell list and otherwise learns, prepares, and casts spells as a magus equal to his relic hunter level. A relic hunter receives bonus spells per day if he has a high Intelligence score.

Arcane Pool (Su): This is exactly like the magus ability of the same name, except that the relic hunter can also expend points from his arcane pool to use the following magical items in a unique way. Each of the following effects can only be use once per day.

Armor: As a swift action, a relic hunter of 3rd level or higher can convert the armor enhancement bonus of a suit of armor into a deflection bonus for 1 minute. He may choose to convert as much of the armor’s enhancement bonus as he desires, up to the total enhancement bonus of the armor. This expends a number of points from his arcane pool equal to the amount of armor enhancement bonus the relic hunter chooses to convert.

Metamagic Rod: As a swift action, when expending a charge from metamagic rod to enhance a spell being casting, a relic hunter of 9th level or higher can add an additional metamagic feat that he knows to the spell without increasing the spellcasting time required. This expends a number of points from his arcane pool equal to the level increase modifier of the additional feat.

Potions: As a swift action, the relic hunter can expend 1 point from his arcane pool to increase the effective caster level of a single potion by +2. This increases by an additional +2 for every four levels the relic hunter possesses to a maximum +10. The potion’s new effective caster level cannot to exceed the relic hunter’s level. This affects all aspects of the potion, including damage healed, duration, etc.

Rings: As a swift action, a relic hunter of 7th level or higher can expend 1 point from his arcane pool to gain 1 additional use of a ring with charges that are replenished each day. If the ring creates multiple effects, only one effect can be affected in this manner at a time. This does not affect rings with finite charges, such as a ring of wishes. In addition, he can expend 1 point of his arcane pool to increase a ring’s energy resistance by 5, or regeneration rate by 1 for 1 minute.

Wand (or Staff): As a standard action, a relic hunter of 5th level (9th level for staves) or higher can add a metamagic feat he knows to a spell cast from a wand or staff he is wielding. This expends a number of points from his arcane pool equal to the feat’s level increase modifier. This effect cannot be used with the Quicken metamagic feat.

Wondrous Item: As a swift action, a relic hunter of 3rd level or higher can expend 1 point from his arcane pool to create one of the following effects.

Detect Magic (Sp): At will, a relic hunter can use detect magic, as the spell. A relic hunter can, as a move action, concentrate on a single item or individual within 60 feet and determine if it is magical, learning the strength of its aura, and it’s properties as if having studied it for 3 rounds. While focusing on one individual or object, the relic hunter does not detect magic in any other object or individual within range. This ability replaces cantrips.

Master Explorer (Ex): A relic hunter adds 1/2 his level (minimum 1) as a bonus on all Disable Device and Perception checks. A relic hunter can disable intricate and complex traps in half the normal amount of time (minimum 1 round) and open a lock as a standard action instead of a full-round action. He can always take 10 on Disable Device and Stealth checks, even if distracted or endangered. A relic hunter can use Disable Device to disarm magical traps. This ability replaces spell combat.

Fact Finder (Ex): Starting at 2nd level, a relic hunter can roll twice on any Diplomacy check made to gather information, and receives the information for both results. This takes the same amount of time as one check. If the lesser of the two checks reveals false information, the relic hunter is aware of it. False information is not revealed in this way if the people she questioned do not know it to be false. This ability replaces spellstrike.

Stonecunning (Ex): At 2nd level, a relic hunter is well versed in the signs of strange or ancient stonework and gains the stonecunning ability. This functions exactly like the dwarf racial trait of the same name, except that the check modifiers are competence bonuses rather than racial bonuses. This ability replaces the bonus feat gained at 11th level.

Magus Arcana: This is exactly like the magus ability of the same name, except that whenever a relic hunter could select a magus arcana, he can select a rogue talent for which he qualifies instead. He can also select from the following new magus arcana restricted to the Relic Hunter multiclass archetype.

Arcane Trap Sense (Ex): The relic hunter gains an intuitive sense that alerts him to danger from mundane and magical traps, giving him a +1 bonus on Reflex save made to avoid traps and a +1 dodge bonus to AC against attacks made by traps. This bonus increases by an additional +1 every three levels beyond 3rd, to a maximum of +6 at 18th level. 

Artifact Intuition (Ex): Relic hunters are so well versed in the signs, legends, and history of forgotten relics that they gain a +4 competence bonus to all Gather Information, Search, and Spot checks, in regards to locating lost artifacts.

Ancient Relic Lore: As a seeker of lost artifacts, relic hunters are able to garner stray knowledge while wandering the land and learning old legends from sages, bards, or through their own study of ancient tomes. He may make a special ancient relic lore check with a bonus equal to his relic hunter level + his Intelligence modifier to see whether he knows some relevant information about last known locations, legends, and powers of ancient relics. (If the relic hunter has 5 or more ranks in Knowledge [history], he gains a +2 bonus on this check). A successful ancient relic lore check will not reveal the powers of an artifact, but does give witnessed effects preformed by the artifact. A relic hunter may not take 10 or 20 on this check; this sort of knowledge is essentially random. The DM can determine the Difficulty Class of the check by referring to the table above.

Ancient Knowledge: +2 to Knowledge (history) pertaining to lore, rumors, etc. related to ancient relics and artifacts

Evasion (Ex): At 5th level, a relic hunter gains the rogue’s evasion ability. This ability replaces the bonus feat gained at 5th level.

Uncanny Dodge (Ex): At 7th level, a relic hunter gains the rogue’s uncanny dodge ability. This ability replaces medium armor.

Archaic Lore (Ex): At 8th level, a relic hunter adds 1/2 his level to all Knowledge skill checks and may make such checks untrained. The bonuses gained from this ability stack with those gained from the Ancient Knowledge magus arcana. This ability replaces improved spell combat.

Improved Uncanny Dodge (Ex): At 10th level, a relic hunter gains the rogue’s improved uncanny dodge ability. This ability replaces fighter training.

Artifact Intuition (Ex): At 13th level, a relic hunter gains the ability to understand magic items. Whenever a relic hunter examines a magic item to determine its properties, he gains a +10 competence bonus on his Spellcraft skill check. This ability replaces improved spell combat.

Ruins Walker (Ex): At 14th level, a relic hunter has developed an uncanny knack for navigating through ancient ruins and following antiquated maps. The relic hunter may ignore difficult terrain penalties if that terrain is due to ruins, rubble, or other artificial debris. In addition, a relic hunter gains a +5 bonus to his Survival checks to avoid getting lost in ruins or dungeons. This ability replaces greater spell combat.

True Archaic Lore (Ex): At 17th level, a relic hunter's knowledge becomes vast indeed. Once per day a relic hunter can use his knowledge to gain the effect of a legend lore spell or an analyze dweomer spell. If used to create a legend lore effect, this ability has a casting time of 1 minute, regardless of how much information is already known about the subject in question. This ability replaces the bonus feat gained at 17th level.

Sage of the Ages (Ex): At 20th level, a relic hunter is a master of finding exactly what he is looking for. Once per day, a relic hunter can use his knowledge to gain the effect of a discern location spell. This can only be used on a single object that the relic hunter desires to obtain above all others. This ability replaces true magus.

Table: Relic Hunter