Knight Phantom

Description:

The Order of the Knight Phantom has served the crown of Aundair since the beginning of the Last War. Its roots lie in an order eldritch knights from Aundair with common aptitude for riding. When the Last War started, this order quickly sided with their fellows and became the Order of the Knight Phantom, serving the royal line of Aundair. Swift, silent and terrifying on the battlefield, the Order of the Knight Phantom would ride over rivers and lakes, swamps and marshes, outflanking and surprising the enemy. On more than one occasion, a single band of Knight Phantoms were known to route entire companies that would have easily slaughtered them if the knight phantoms met them head one. And even now that the Last War is over, these honorable knight still serve as the spear in Aundair's military.

Role: Knight phantoms are similar to the more traditional eldritch knights, but given the Aundairian love of horse and the need to traverse the many different kinds of terrain found in Aundair, it takes a different tone. They are still front-line combatants, armed with spells, but tend to take more subversive approach to combat then fireballs and lightning bolts.

Source: FN, pg. 41

Alignment: Knight phantoms are not bound by a specific alignment, only the duty to serve Aundair and the Aundairian crown.

Hit Dice: d10

Requirements:

To qualify to become a knight phantom, a character must fulfill all the following criteria.

Skills: Ride 5 ranks.

Feats: Still Spell.

Special: Region of Origin: Aundair, ability to cast phantom steed, proficiency with all martial weapons, swear loyalty directly to the Aundairian crown.

Class Skills:

The knight phantom's class skills (and the key abilities for each skill) are Craft (Int), Intimidate (Chr), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Knowledge (geography) (Int), Perception (Wis), Ride (Dex) and Spellcraft (Int)

Skill Points at Each Level: 2 + Int modifier.

Table: The Knight Phantom

Class Features:

All of the following are class features of the knight phantom prestige class.

Weapons and Armor Proficiency: Knight phantoms do not gain any new proficiencies with weapons or armor.

Spells per Day / Spells Known: At the indicated levels, a knight phantom gains new spells per day as if he had also gained a level in an arcane spellcasting class he belonged to before adding the prestige class. He does not, however, gain other benefits a character of that class would have gained, except for additional spells per day, spells known (if he is a spontaneous caster), and an increased effective level of spellcasting. If he had more than one arcane spellcasting class before becoming a knight phantom, he must decide to which class she adds the new level for the purpose of determining spells per day. Once this decision is made, it cannot be changed.

Call of the Phantom Steed (Su): At 1st level, the casting time for both Phantom Steed and Communal Phantom Steed is reduced to one standard action. All other aspects of these two spells remain the same.

Somatic Prowess (Ex): At 1st level, knight phantoms learn how to cast arcane spells while wearing light armor without incurring an arcane spell failure chance. This benefit does not apply to spell failure chances from medium or heavy armor or shields and does not stack with any other sources that remove the arcane spell failure chance.

Aspect of the Phantom (Su): At 5th level, knight phantoms learn how to become as insubstantial as their steeds. By using a free action that does not provoke, the knight phantom turns grey and wispy. He can then ignore any difficult terrain and any effect generated by crossing over terrain (such as caltrops or Spiked Stones), but not from effects generated by crossing through certain squares (like a Wall of Fire). He can also move over water as it was rolling ground. While the knight phantom is not incorporeal in this state, he is protected by 20% concealment, as per the Blur spell.

While in this form, the knight phatom's eyes glow red. Any creature within 10' of the knight phantom must make a Will save, DC 10 + the knight phantom's class level + his Chr modifier, or be shaken for 1 round. This is considered mind-affecting fear effect. Once someone has successfully saved against this ability, he is immune to it from that particular knight phantom. Knight phantoms will often use this ability on each other and their troops to make Aundairian units immune to the effects of knight phantoms.

This ability can be used for a number of rounds per day equal to the twice your knight phantom class level, activating and deactivating it via free action that does not provoke. These rounds do not need to consecutive.

Blade of the Phantom (Su): While the knight phantom has his Aspect of the Phantom class feature activated, a single melee weapon of his choice gains the brilliant energy special weapon quality. This choice can be changed anytime the Aspect of the Phantom ability is activated again.