Dueling Mage (3.5e Prestige Class)

Dueling Mage

“	"He thought he was fast with fireballs, hehe, he wasn't fast enough"	”
—Dimitri, apprentice to Noit Elfer famous Mage Dueler , Half Elf, Evoker, Wander Wizards Journal of Waterdeep

Culture drove mages to challenge each other during the times of plenty, when magic and lives were cheap, and such saw the rise of Dueling Mage. Dueling Mages are fleet of foot casters known for one line threats, quick reactions, and vivid show downs. The black hats cast first, the white hats cast careful but it was the Dueling Mage who knocked both down a notch.

Becoming a Dueling Mage

Quickness and command of magic take a Dueling Mage far but attitude, is the intangible aspect that separates a 'paper' wizard from the real deal.

Entry Requirements

Skills:	Concentraion 9, Knowledge (Arcanum) 5, Spellcraft 9
Feats:	Improved Counter Spell, Dodge
Spellcasting:	Must be able to cast Dispel Magic

Table: The Dueling Mage

Hit Die: d4

Level	Base Attack Bonus	Saving Throws			Special	Spellcasting
		Fort	Ref	Will
1st	+0	+0	+2	+0	Arcane Foil, Trick Ray	-
2nd	+1	+0	+3	+0	Dash Caster	+1 to Spellcasting level
3rd	+1	+1	+3	+1		+1 to Spellcasting level
4th	+2	+1	+4	+1		+1 to Spellcasting level
5th	+2	+1	+4	+1		+1 to Spellcasting level
6th	+3	+2	+5	+2		+1 to Spellcasting level
7th	+3	+2	+5	+2	Spell Evasion	+1 to Spellcasting level
8th	+4	+2	+6	+2		+1 to Spellcasting level
9th	+4	+3	+6	+3		+1 to Spellcasting level
10th	+5	+3	+7	+3	Switch Target	+1 to Spellcasting level
Class Skills (2 + Int modifier per level, ×4 at 1st level) Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Decipher Script (Int), Knowledge (all skills, taken individually) (Int), Profession (Wis), Spellcraft (Int), Tumble (Dex).

Class Features

Variant Counting Rules:

• A Dueling Mage use variant rules to counter spells.

In order to attempt to counter a spell a Dueling Mage must first identify a spell being cast with a Spellcraft Check of 15+ Level of Spell being cast.
Additionally, they must make have counter spell Action Readied or the Arcane Foil Ability.

Condition	Modifier
Same School	+1
Same Spell used to Counter	+3
Opposite Spell used to Counter	+4
Lower Spell Level used to Counter	-4 per level lower
High Spell Level used to Counter	+1 per level higher
Spell is Dispell Magic*	+1
Spell is Great Dispell Magic*	+3
MetaMagic Feat used with Spell*	-1 per Metamagic Feat
Level of Dueling Mage	+1 per Level
Cast by Divine Magic	-10

• Dispell Magic & Greater Dispell Magic do not need to identify the spell with a Spell Craft check in order to attempt to counter it. If they fail to identify the spell with a spell craft check, they do gain the associated bonuses.
• Quicken Spells can not be counter

If the Dueling Mage successfully identifies the spell, then makes an opposed concentration checks, AND beats the caster of the spell, then the spell is counter.

Arcane Foil(Su):
A Dueling Mage has a much improved chance against a wizard or sorcerer fighting fire with fire.
At 1st level a Dueling Mage may use Arcane Foil. Arcane foil allows a spell caster to make an opposed Counter Spell Attempt as swift action. A Dueling Mage can use this ability until they fail to counter a spell, after they fail to counter a spell they must spend 1 hour in contemplation to regain the ability.
At 5th level a Dueling Mage does not lose the ability to use Arcane Foil until they fail to counter two spells.
At 10th level a Dueling Mage does not lose the ability to use Arcane Foil until they fail to counter three spells.

Spells per Day: From 2nd level on, when a new Dueling Mage level is gained, the character gains new spells per day as if he had also gained a level in whatever arcane spellcasting class she belonged to before she added the prestige class. He does not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained. This essentially means that he adds the level of Dueling Mage to the level of whatever other arcane spellcasting class the character has, then determines spells per day and caster level accordingly.

If a character had more than one arcane spellcasting class before she became an Dueling Mage, he must decide to which class he adds each level of Dueling Mage for the purpose of determining spells per day.

Trick Ray(Ex):
A Dueling Mage is handy with rays.
At 1st level a Dueling Mage can convert spells with a range of touch into a ray with a range equal to 30 feet plus 10 feet per level of Dueling Mage. Additionally they gain a +2 to hit with all Ray attacks. Dueling Mages can convert one spell per level of Dueling Mage per day.
At 3rd, 6th and 9th level a Dueling Mage may pick from the following effects:

• Ray attacks gain an additional +1 to hit, increasing the total to +3.
• Rays do +1d6 Damage (of the same type delivered by the spell) Negate this effect if no damage is caused by the spell.
• Rays also knocks prone target if target failed the save or took more than 10 hit points damage.
• Rays doesn't need to be in a straight line, there by granting Precise Shot feat with Rays only and allowing the ray to travel around corners, Ray is still limited by its range.
• Rays can now come out of the eyes, adding plus +1 to the DC for saves.
• Rays may be extended (on the same target only) with a full round action lasting 1/2 the level of Dueling Mage. Requiring an additional attack roll each round, and additional save.
• May counter ray spells with any ray spell as if it was the same spell, +3 to counter spell rolls.
• The range for all rays are doubled or silenced.
• Rays can harm objects doing 1d8 per spell level + Dueling Mage and bypassing hardness.
• +2 to AC of Caster for 1 round after casting a Ray.

Anytime the Dueling Mage gains a feat they may take one of the effects as Trick Ray Feat.

Dash Casting(Ex):
A Dueling Mage keeps moving to keep alive by Dash Casting.
At 2nd level a Dueling Mage may ready an action to counter a spell or use Arcane Foil and make their normal move. Additionally, Dueling Mages may cast spells of 2nd level or lower and make their full normal move.
At 4th level any round where a Dueling Mage move more than 5 feet they gain +2 to their Armor Class.
At 8th level Dueling Mages may cast 5th level or spells and make their full normal move.

Spell Evasion(Ex):
A Dueling Mage gets out of the way, when they can't counter a spell.
At 7th level a Dueling Mage gains Spell Evasion, granting the Evasion ability similar to Rogues, except they may only evade spells cast which require a reflex save.

Switch Target(Su):
A Dueling Mage gets so good at countering magic that they can switch up targets instead of out and out knocking them down.
At 10th level anytime a Dueling Mage counters a spell using the opposed counter spell concentration roll by more than 10, they can redirect targets or area of effect.

Ex-Dueling Mages

Playing a Dueling Mage

These ambrays walk around with a chip on their shoulder. They sling magic like noble disdains filth, and make no apologies for being better than others.

Combat: Dueling Mages don't shy from combat, and fire off spells quickly while on the run.

Advancement: Wizards and Sorcerers make equal portions of this class, it is very rare that bards find themselves as dueling Mages but it does happen.

Resources: Not unlike fencing schools, magic Schools originally taught the art, etiquette and way of the Dueling Mage but it is also knows its self taught, self reliant renegades.

Dueling Magi in the World

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NPC Reactions:

Dueling Mage Lore

Characters with ranks in can research to learn more about them. When a character makes a skill check, read or paraphrase the following, including information from lower DCs.

DC	Result
11	.
16	.
21	.
26	.

Dueling Magi in the Game

Adaptation:

Sample Encounter:

EL whatever:

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