The Ice Knight is a first-level sample character for Spheres of Power, suitable for use as a PC or as an NPC. Information on its build rules, and how to adjust for different rules, is included below. This character was created by the community.
The Ice Knight (Elemental-Focused Mageknight)
Elf mageknight 1
CG Medium humanoid (elf)
Init +3; Senses low-light vision, Perception +4
Defense
AC 14, touch 13, flat-footed 11 (+1 armor, +3 Dex)
hp 10 (1d10)
Fort +2, Ref +3, Will +3; +2 racial bonus vs. enchantment spells and effects, +1 vs. magic, spells, spell-like abilities, and sphere effects.
Immune sleep
Offense
Speed 30 ft.
Melee elven curve blade +1 (1d10, 18-20)
Ranged shortbow +4 (1d6, x3)
Magic
Caster Level 1; MSB +1, MSD 12, Concentration +4
Tradition Water-Magi (Boons: Easy Focus; Drawbacks: Somatic Casting x2); CAM Int
Spell Points 4
Destruction Sphere - DC 13; Duration None; Range Close (25 ft), Touch; Talents Frost Blast, Energy Blade, Energy Sphere; Drawbacks Energy Focus (cold)
- Destructive Blast (Frost Blast, Energy Blade, Energy Sphere)
Nature Sphere - DC 13; Duration 1 round, concentration; Range Close (25 ft); Talents Chill Metal, Drawbacks Limited Nature
- freeze
- chill metal
Statistics
Str 10, Dex 16, Con 11, Int 16, Wis 12, Cha 14
Base Atk +1; CMB +1; CMD 14
Traits Destructive Reservoir, Inspired
Feats Weapon Focus (elven curve blade)
Skills Acrobatics +7, Diplomacy +6, Knowledge (arcana) +7, Perception +4, Spellcraft +7/+9
Languages Celestial, Common, Draconic, Elven, Sylvan
SQ elven magic
Gear elven curve blade, haramaki, magus’ kit, moonrod, shortbow with 20 arrows, 4 gp.
Special Abilities
Destruction Sphere You have access to the Destruction Sphere.
Destruction: Destructive Blast As a standard action, you may deliver a burst of blunt magical force as a melee touch attack or a ranged touch attack within Close range. A destructive blast deals bludgeoning damage as indicated on the table. This damage bypasses DR/magic, but being bludgeoning in nature, does not automatically bypass other forms of damage resistance. A ranged destructive blast counts as a ray attack.
When augmenting a destructive blast with Destruction talents, you may only apply 1 blast type talent and 1 blast shape talent to each individual destructive blast.
You may spend 1 spell point when making a destructive blast to increase the damage dealt to one damage die per caster level (minimum: 2d6).
Destruction: Energy Blade (blast shape) As a standard action, you may make a single weapon attack in conjunction with making a destructive blast. Any creature damaged by the attack is also struck by the destructive blast.
Destruction: Energy Sphere You may spend a spell point to shape your destructive blast into a non-instantaneous sphere that fills a 5 ft square. Any creature within this space is dealt damage from your destructive blast (Reflex negates). This sphere lasts for 1 round per caster level and has a 20 ft fly speed +5 ft per 2 caster levels and Perfect maneuverability. Wind does not affect its course.
As a move action, you may direct this sphere to move to a new location and strike a new target. Your sphere stops to attempt to deal damage whenever it enters a space with a creature. Your sphere has no mass and does not impede movement, and your sphere must stay within your destructive blast range or disappear.
Destruction: Frost Blast (blast type) You may change the damage type of your destructive blast to frost. Targets who take damage from your frost blast must make a Fortitude save or be staggered for 1 round.
Easy Focus When maintaining a sphere ability through concentration, you only need to spend a move action to maintain concentration instead of a standard action. This does not decrease the sphere ability’s casting time, only the action used to maintain concentration.
Energy Focus You may only make a destructive blast of a single energy type. You may not gain any blast type talents, except with the bonus talent gained from this drawback.
Limited Nature Whenever you would gain a geomancing package, you gain only a single base ability of that package. For example, if you have the plantlife package, you gain only entangle, growth, or pummel. You cannot take this drawback if you took the Nature Spirit drawback.
Nature Sphere You can command the very terrain to do your bidding.
Nature: Freeze (Instantaneous, requires water) You may spend a spell point to flash freeze water, turning it into ice. You may freeze a 1 inch thick, 5 ft by 5 ft square of water per caster level. Alternately, you may cover a wet medium-sized creature with 1 inch of ice per caster level. You may increase the size of the frozen area or size/number of the frozen creatures, but every extra medium-sized creature or extra 5 ft square divides the ice’s thickness in half.
Creatures smaller than medium count as medium-sized creatures for this effect, with the exception of multiple creatures occupying the same space. Add the sizes of multiple creatures occupying the same space together when determining their size for this purpose. For swarms, count each 5 ft square as being 2 medium-sized creatures occupying the same space. You may affect both squares and creatures, but all affected targets and spaces must be contiguous and must have the same thickness of ice.
Nature: Waterlord (water) When using freeze, you may affect twice as many equivalent medium-sized creatures without affecting the thickness of the ice.
Somatic Casting You must gesture to cast spells—a process that requires you to have at least 1 hand unoccupied. When using magic, you cannot wear armor heavier than light without incurring a chance of arcane spell failure. You may select this drawback twice. If taken a second time, you cannot wear any armor or use a shield without incurring a chance of arcane spell failure.
Build
The Ice Knight is built with a 20-point buy and 150 gp starting wealth. Favored Class Bonus is +½ to all Acrobatics checks made to avoid attacks of opportunity, and to Escape Artist checks made to escape a grapple. If using a lower point buy, you can lower Strength and Constitution. If using a higher point buy (or rolling really well), your most important attributes are Intelligence and Dexterity. Intelligence is your casting statistic and affects the save DCs of all your magic talents and your spell pool; Dexterity makes you a great finesse warrior and archer, increases your initiative, and bolsters AC. Charisma is important for diplomatic relationships and to intimidate your enemies in combat, and Wisdom is useful to resist magic domination and make the right choices in the intricate social settings you often have to attend.
Playing an Ice Knight
You are a knight in shining icy armor, raised and trained at the elven courts to defend and spread the ideals of beauty, harmony with nature, and chivalry. Like many elven warrior/mages, you dedicated to deepen your magic knowledge about one element. Sent as an ambassador of your sovereign in the lands of other races or just guided by your free spirit and desire for adventure, you embody the epitome of elemental fury, epic combat, gentleness, and freedom. Even if you know how to defend yourself with a bow in ranged combat, your specialization is in your people’s traditional weapon, the beautiful and agile curved blade, the only two-handed finesse sword, that gives you the look of a graceful and lethal hurricane in battle.
Future Abilities
Magic Talents Creation sphere (Limited Creation drawback - ice), Energy Aura, Energy Bomb, Energy Nova, Energy Satellite, Energy Wall, Explosive Orb, Extended Blast, Forge, Penetrating Blast, Selective Blast
Mystic Combat Arcane Strike, Aura of Chaos, Champion Feat (Mystic Focus), Combat Talent x2 (Equipment: Finesse Fighting x2), Elemental Defense.
Feats Agile Maneuvers, Arcane Armor Training, Champion’s Strike*, Combat Expertise, Endurance, Elven Battle Training*, Extra Mystic Combat, Free Spirit, Improved Mystic Assault, Mystic Assault, Sphere Focus (Destruction), Swordplay Deflection*, Swordplay Style*, Swordplay Upset*
Skills Knowledge and Spellcraft are the most useful skills for you. Acrobatics, Survival and Ride are also important to cross the arctic terrains that are your home. Diplomacy and Intimidate are crucial skills for an elven ambassador too.
U: Part of Ultimate Spheres of Power and does not need to be bought separately from that book