Arcanist Exploits
By bending and sometimes even breaking the rules of magic, the arcanist learns to exploit gaps and exceptions in the laws of magic. Some of these exploits allow her to break down various forms of magic, adding their essence to her arcane reservoir. At 1st level and every 2 levels thereafter, the arcanist learns a new arcane exploit selected from the following list. An arcanist exploit cannot be selected more than once. Once an arcanist exploit has been selected, it cannot be changed. Most arcanist exploits require the arcanist to expend points from her arcane reservoir to function. Unless otherwise noted, the saving throw DC of an arcanist exploit is equal to 10 + 1/2 the arcanist's level + the arcanist's Charisma modifier.
Acid Jet
The arcanist can unleash a jet of acid by expending 1 point from her arcane reservoir and making a ranged touch attack against any one target within 30 feet. If the attack hits, it deals an amount of acid damage equal to 1d6 + the arcanist's Charisma modifier, plus an additional 1d6 points of acid damage for every 2 levels beyond 1st (to a maximum of 10d6 at 19th level). The target is also sickened for 1d4 rounds. It can attempt a Fortitude saving throw to negate the sickened condition.
As a swift action, the arcanist can expend 1 point from her arcane reservoir to create a barrier of magic that protects her from harm. This barrier grants the arcanist a number of temporary hit points equal to her arcanist level + her Charisma modifier, and lasts for 1 minute per arcanist level or until all the temporary hit points have been lost. Each additional time per day the arcanist uses this ability, the number of arcane reservoir points she must spend to activate it increases by 1 (so the second time it is used, the arcanist must expend 2 points from her arcane reservoir, 3 points for the third time, and so on). The temporary hit points from this ability do not stack with themselves, but additional uses do cause the total number of temporary hit points and the duration to reset.
As a standard action, the arcanist can expend 1 point from her arcane reservoir to enhance her weapon. The weapon is treated as magic for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction. At 5th level, the weapon gains a +1 enhancement bonus, which increases by 1 for every 4 levels beyond 5th (to a maximum of +4 at 17th level). These bonuses stack with any existing bonuses the weapon might have, to a maximum of +5. An arcanist can also use this exploit to add one of the following weapon special abilities: dancing, defending, distance, flaming, flaming burst, frost, icy burst, keen, shock, shocking burst, speed, spell storing, or throwing. Adding any of these special abilities consumes an amount of enhancement bonus equal to the ability's base price modifier. Duplicate special abilities do not stack. If the weapon is not magical, at least a +1 enhancement bonus must be added to it before any weapon special abilities can be added. The benefits are decided upon when the exploit is used, and they cannot be changed unless the exploit is used again. These benefits apply only to a weapon wielded by the arcanist; if another creature attempts to wield the weapon, it loses these benefits, though they resume if the arcanist regains possession of the weapon. The arcanist cannot have more than one use of this ability active at a time. This effect lasts for a number of minutes equal to the arcanist's Charisma modifier (minimum 1).
Bloodline Development
The arcanist selects one sorcerer bloodline upon taking this exploit. The arcanist gains that bloodline's 1st-level bloodline power as though she were a 1st-level sorcerer. The arcanist must select an ordinary bloodline with this ability, not one altered by an archetype. As a swift action, the arcanist can expend 1 point from her arcane reservoir to bolster her latent nature, allowing her to treat her arcanist level as her sorcerer level for the purpose of using this ability, which lasts for a number of rounds equal to her Charisma modifier (minimum 1).
She does not gain any other abilities when using this exploit in this way, such as bloodline arcana or bloodline powers gained at 3rd level or higher. If this ability is used to gain an arcane bond and a bonded item is selected, the arcanist can use that item only to cast spells that a sorcerer of that level could cast (limiting her to 1st-level spells unless she spends a point from her arcane reservoir).
If the arcanist already has a bloodline (or gains one later), taking this exploit instead allows her arcanist levels to stack with the levels of the class that granted her access to the bloodline when determining the powers and abilities of her bloodline.
The arcanist can consume the power of potions, scrolls, staves, and wands, using them to fill her arcane reservoir. She can use this ability a number of times per day equal to her Charisma modifier (minimum 1). Using this ability is a move action that provokes an attack of opportunity. When using this exploit, the arcanist adds a number of points to her arcane reservoir equal to 1/2 the level of the spell contained in the item (0-level and 1st-level spells do not recharge the arcanist's arcane reservoir). If used on a potion or scroll, the item is destroyed. If used on a wand, the wand loses 5 charges; if it has fewer than 5 charges, the wand is destroyed and the arcanist gains no benefit. If used on a staff, it loses 1 charge and the arcanist gains a number of points to his arcane reservoir equal to the level of the highest-level spell the staff can cast using only 1 charge; if the staff has no spells that require only 1 charge, the arcanist cannot consume that staff's magic. No more than 1 charge can be drawn from a staff each day in this way. Points gained in excess of the arcanist's reservoir's maximum are lost. This exploit has no effect on magic armor, weapons, rings, rods, wondrous items, or other magic items besides those noted above.
By expending 1 point from her arcane reservoir, the arcanist can attempt to counter a spell as it is being cast. She must identify the spell being cast as normal. If she successfully does so, the arcanist can attempt to counter the spell as an immediate action and by expending an available arcanist spell slot of a level at least one higher than the level of the spell being cast. To counterspell, the arcanist must attempt a dispel check as if using dispel magic. If the spell being countered is one that the arcanist has prepared, she can instead expend an available arcanist spell slot of the same level, and she receives a +5 bonus on the dispel check. Counterspelling in this way does not trigger any feats or other abilities that normally occur when a spellcaster successfully counters a spell.
The arcanist can expend 1 point from her arcane reservoir to create a dimensional crack that she can step through to reach another location. This ability is used as part of a move action or withdraw action, allowing her to move up to 10 feet per arcanist level to any location she can see. This counts as 5 feet of movement. She can only use this ability once per round. She does not provoke attacks of opportunity when moving in this way, but any other movement she attempts as part of her move action provokes as normal.
The arcanist can protect herself from energy damage as a standard action by expending 1 point from her arcane reservoir. She must pick one energy type and gains resistance 10 against that energy type for 1 minute per arcanist level. This protection increases by 5 for every 5 levels the arcanist possesses (up to a maximum of resistance 30 at 20th level).
An arcanist with this exploit can acquire a familiar as the arcane bond wizard class feature, using her arcanist level as her wizard level to determine any of the statistics and abilities of the familiar. If the arcanist receives a familiar from another class, her levels of arcanist stack with the levels from that class when determining the familiar's statistics and abilities (this ability does not stack with a familiar gained through the bloodline development exploit; she must choose one or the other).
The arcanist can unleash an arc of flame by expending 1 point from her arcane reservoir. This creates a 30-foot line of flame that deals a number of points of fire damage equal to 1d6 + the arcanist's Charisma modifier, plus an additional 1d6 points for every 2 levels beyond 1st (to a maximum of 10d6 at 19th level) to each target in the line. Creatures in the area of effect can attempt a Reflex saving throw to halve the damage.
The arcanist can unleash a blast of force by expending 1 point from her arcane reservoir. This attack automatically strikes one target within 30 feet (as magic missile) and deals a number of points of force damage equal to 1d4 + 1 per arcanist level. Spells and effects that negate magic missile also negate this effect.
Ice Missile
The arcanist can unleash a freezing projectile by expending 1 point from her arcane reservoir and making a ranged touch attack against any one target within 30 feet. If the attack hits, it deals a number of points of cold damage equal to 1d6 + the arcanist's Charisma modifier, plus an additional 1d6 points for every 2 levels beyond 1st (to a maximum of 10d6 points at 19th level). In addition, the target is staggered for 1 round. It can attempt a Fortitude saving throw to negate the staggered condition.
Item Crafting
The arcanist can select one item creation feat as a bonus feat. She must meet the prerequisites of this feat.
The arcanist can unleash a lance of lightning by expending 1 point from her arcane reservoir and making a ranged touch attack against any one target within 30 feet. If the attack hits, it deals a number of points of electricity damage equal to 1d6 + the arcanist's Charisma modifier, plus an additional 1d6 points for every 2 levels beyond 1st (to a maximum of 10d6 at 19th level). The target's vision is also impaired, causing the target to treat all creatures as if they had concealment (20% miss chance) for 1 round. It can attempt a Fortitude saving throw to negate the impaired vision.
Metamagic Knowledge
The arcanist can select one metamagic feat as a bonus feat. She must meet the prerequisites of this feat.
The arcanist can expend 1 point from her arcane reservoir to add a metamagic feat that she knows to a spell as she casts it without affecting the casting time (though using a higher-level spell slot as normal). She can use this ability to add a metamagic feat to a spell that she prepared using a metamagic feat, although she cannot add the same metamagic feat to a given spell more than once.
Whenever the arcanist expends 1 point from her arcane reservoir to increase the caster level of a spell, the caster level increases by 2 instead of 1. Whenever she expends 1 point from her arcane reservoir to increase a spell's DC, it increases by 2 instead of 1.
The arcanist can prepare a spell in place of an existing spell by expending 1 point from her arcane reservoir. Using this ability is a full-round action that provokes an attack of opportunity. The arcanist must be able to reference her spellbook when using this ability. The spell prepared must be of the same level as the spell being replaced.
School Understanding
The arcanist can select one arcane school from any of the schools available to a character with the arcane school wizard class feature, but does not have to select any opposition schools. The arcanist gains one ability of that arcane school as though she were a 1st-level wizard, using her Charisma modifier in place of her Intelligence modifier for this ability. The ability must be one gained at 1st level and is limited in its use per day to 3 + the arcanist's Charisma modifier. As a swift action, the arcanist can expend 1 point from her arcane reservoir to bolster her understanding, allowing her to treat her arcanist level as her wizard level for the purpose of using this ability for a number of rounds equal to her Charisma modifier (minimum 1). During this time, she also gains use of the other ability gained at 1st level for her selected school. She does not gain any other abilities when using this exploit in this way, such as those gained at 8th level.
If the arcanist already has an arcane school (or gains one later), taking this exploit instead allows her arcanist levels to stack with the levels of the class that granted the arcane school when determining the powers and abilities of her arcane school.
See Magic
The arcanist can see magical auras. If she expends 1 point from her arcane reservoir, for 1 minute she instantly recognizes magic item auras and spell effects (as per detect magic). During this time, she is treated as if she had studied each aura for 3 rounds, and she treats her Knowledge (arcana) check as if she had rolled a 15 on the d20. In addition, if she touches a magic item during this time, she can immediately identify its properties using Spellcraft without needing to spend 3 rounds examining the object. If an enemy possesses the object, the arcanist must first succeed at a melee touch attack in order to touch the item.
The arcanist can temporarily disrupt a spell by expending 1 point from her arcane reservoir and succeeding at a dispel check against the spell, as dispel magic. This ability suppresses a spell effect for a number of rounds equal to the arcanist's Charisma modifier (minimum 1). If the spell affects multiple creatures, this ability only suppresses the spell for one creature. At the end of this duration, the spell resumes and the suppressed rounds do not count against its total duration. This ability can be used on unwilling targets, but the arcanist must succeed at a melee touch attack, and the target may attempt a Will saving throw to negate the effect. This ability has no effect on spells that are instantaneous or have a duration of permanent.
The arcanist can grant herself spell resistance for a number of rounds equal to her Charisma modifier (minimum 1) as a standard action by expending 1 point from her arcane reservoir. This spell resistance is equal to 6 + her arcanist level and cannot be suppressed, but it can be ended as a free action on her turn.
The arcanist can alter an existing spell effect by expending 1 point from her arcane reservoir. To use this ability, she must be adjacent to the spell effect (or the effect's target) and be aware of the effect. She can choose to increase or decrease the remaining duration of the spell by 50%. This ability can be used on unwilling targets, but the arcanist must succeed at a melee touch attack, and the target may attempt a Will saving throw to negate the effect. This ability cannot be used on a given spell effect more than once. This ability has no effect on spells that are instantaneous or have a duration of permanent.
The arcanist can use the consume spells class feature or the consume magic items exploit as swift actions instead of as move actions.