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Black Mages (also known as Black Sorcerers) are the foremost practitioners of arcane magicks in the wide world. Their arcane theories, along with the astral causologies of the White Mages, were lauded as the first real traditions of magic. A true black mage can conjure multiple forms of destruction, often taking the form of the very elements that make up the universe. Any who would challenge them, be warned; though they may be casters of the oldest kind, even armies flinch at the presence of a master mage on the field.

Role: Black mages are impressive debuffers, but focus on big blasty spell damage

Alignment: Any

Hit Die: D6

Starting Wealth: 2d6 × 10 gp (average 70 gp.) In addition, each character begins play with an outfit worth 10 gp or less.

Class Skills

The Black Mage’s class skills are Appraise (Int), Craft (Int), Fly (Dex), Knowledge (all) (Int), Linguistics (Int), Perception (Wis), Profession (Wis), Spellcraft (Int) and Use Magic Device (Cha)

Skill Ranks Per Level: 4 + Int modifier

Table: Black Mage

Class Features

Weapon and Armor Proficiencies

Black mages are proficient in simple and Mage weapons, mage armour and the mage's buckler

Limit Break

At 1st level, a Black Mage gains the ability to use limit breaks. At the start of each day the Black Mage chooses Arcane or Battle as his limit break mode. When a Black Mage uses a limit break, they may use a limit break from their chosen mode or the following limit break, unique to them:

Onyx Explosion (Su): As a standard action, the Black Mage creates a 15 foot burst at any point within medium range. All targets within the burst take 2d6 non elemental damage per stack of limit break, with a Reflex save (DC 10 + Intelligence Modifier + ½ Black Mage level + 1 per stack consumed) for half.

Spellcasting

The number of times a Black Mage can cast spells in a day is limited only by his daily MP. A Black Mage simply knows his spells; they are ingrained in his mind. He does not need to prepare them, though he must get a good night’s sleep each day to regain all his spent magic points. The Difficulty Class for saving throws against black mage spells is 11 + half the MP spent to cast the spell + the black mage’s Intelligence modifier.

A black mage can learn or cast any spell with a base MP cost of his black mage level. Black mages gain bonus MP for having a high Intelligence score.

The Black Mage spell list can be found here

Characters gain bonus MP for having a high ability score. The ability score for the black mage class is intelligence. Determining how much bonus MP you get is actually a very simple calculation: Your intelligence modifier x your caster level x 0.5.

Spells Known

A Black mage begins play with 3 black mage spells, with an additional number of spells equal to their Intelligence modifier. Each time a black mage levels up, they learn two more spells to their list of spells known

Cantrips

Black mages learn a number of cantrips, or 0-level spells. These spells are cast like any other spell, but they do not consume MP and may be used again. Black mages begin with 3 0-level spells and gain an additional 0-level spell every three levels after 1st level. The Difficulty Class for saving throws against black mage cantrips is 10 + the black mage's Intelligence modifier.

Arcane Barrage (Sp)

Black mages are capable of spending a little more energy to make their magics go that bit further. Whenever casting a Black Mage spell of base cost 1 or higher, the Black Mage increases the range of that spell by 30 feet. He may also spend 1 MP to increase the spell’s range further by 30 feet. This can be done once per spell at level 1, and increases by one at 6th and every 5 levels after, to a max of 4 times at 16th level. MP spent on Arcane barrage counts towards Passive Augments of Black Mage spells. MP spent in this way is in addition to the MP he spends on casting his black mage spells. Arcane Barrage also adds 1d6 of damage, and adds an additional 1d6 damage for each MP spent via the class feature.

Spell Proficiency (Ex)

From 1st level, Black mages are considered to have the Precise Shot feat while casting spells, using class features that require ranged touch or using any magical items that require ranged touch. In addition, Black Mages use their Class level in place of BAB for calculating to hit with Black Mage spells.

Magic Arrow (Sp)

At 1st level, the black mage learns to unleash pure destructive energy at no cost to his magical reserves. Magic Arrow is a ray that can be used at-will with a range of 60ft that deals 1d6 points of non-elemental damage plus an additional 1d6 per three levels of Black Mage he has. Magic Arrow is the equivalent of a spell of a base cost equal to the black mage's class level.

Magic Arrow is subject to spell resistance, although the Spell Penetration feat and other effects that improve caster level checks to overcome spell resistance also apply to magic arrow. Magic Arrow deals half damage to objects.

For the purposes of the Arcane limit break mode, using Magic Arrow counts as casting a spell with an MP cost equal to his class level.

Onyx Talents (Ex)

At 2nd level, and every even level afterwards, the Black Mage may select one Onyx Talent. Each talent can only be selected once unless specified afterwards. The list of Onyx Talents can be found here

Focused Caster (Ex)

From 3rd level onwards, the Black Mage may roll twice and take the better result whenever he rolls a concentration check.

Bonus Conservation Feat (Ex)

At 3rd level, the black mage gains a conservation feat as a bonus feat. At 5th level, 8th level and every three levels thereafter, he gains an additional conservation feat. He must qualify for the chosen conservation feat normally.

Aetheric Focus (Ex)

At 3rd level, choose one of the following Schools: Abjuration, Enfeebling, Transmutation, and Evocation (Elemental: Fire, Ice, Water, Thunder, Earth, Wind, Poison, and Dark). Once this choice is made, it cannot be changed. You become more versed on the arcane theories and manipulations of magic for that element. Whenever you gain a level, you may learn an additional spell that has a descriptor of the chosen school; this is in addition to the spells normally learned upon leveling. A spell learned in this way must still be of a spell that you could cast and learn normally. In addition, when performing independent research to learn a spell that has that descriptor, you reduce the amount of hours to do so by 4 per five black mage levels you possess. You must still pass any checks to learn a spell, as directed by your GM should learning a spell require it. Spells learned in this way must originate from the black mage spell list.

Aetherial Reservoir (Su)

At 5th level, the Black mages’ manipulation of magic improves. He gains a smaller, secondary pool of MP, called the Aetherial Reservoir. This pool’s cap is equal to his Black Mage Level + Intelligence modifier. He can put MP from his normal pool into his Aetherial reservoir as a full round action. MP in the reservoir is not lost when resting, nor does it refill from a night’s rest. Taking MP from the Reservoir is a swift action, with a maximum MP taken equal to the Black Mage’s Intelligence Modifier in one round.

Aetheric Attunement (Su)

At 5th level, you become more instinctively attuned to the arcane fluctuations that invoke the elements. Choose a second school from Aetheric Focus. That school gains the same benefits as the first (this is retroactive, in terms of spells learned from the second school). In addition, Whenever you spend MP from your Aetherial Reservoir to cast a spell with a school that you chose, it counts as spending 2MP instead of 1 for all purposes. This ability does not allow the black mage to cast a spell with an amount of MP above their caster level.

Obsidian Seal (Su)

From 7th level onwards, the black mage can empower their spells with aetherial MP. When casting a spell, the Black Mage may choose to spend the same amount of aetherial MP as they did normal MP (Including MP spent on augmentions or metamagic feats, but not MP spent to use Arcane Barrage). If they do so, the creature's interaction with the spell is reduced by one step (Absorb>Immune>Strong>Neutral>Weak). Status effect interactions do not drop below neutral, however.

Onyxian Schorl (Su)

At 9th level, the Black Mage’s reservoir can be channeled to protect him. At the start of combat, the Black Mage can expend Aetherial MP to cast Mage Armor as an immediate action, spending twice the MP they normally would. The Black Mage may spend more to augment this casting of Mage Armor, but this is also doubled.

Obsidian Expulsion (Su)

At 13th level, the Black Mage can detonate his Aetherial Reservoir to protect himself from enemies at close range. As a standard action, the Black Mage may expend all of his Aetherial MP, dealing 1d6 non-elemental damage for every 5 MP expended (Minimum 1d6) to all creatures within 5 feet, with a reflex save (DC 10 + Intelligence modifier + ½ Black Mage level) to half damage. Failing the save also knocks all creatures back 15 feet + 5 per 5 Aetherial MP spent.

Aetheric Absorption (Su)

At 15th level, whenever the Black Mage casts a spell, for every 5 MP he spends on the spell, he gains 1 Aetherial MP in his Reservoir.

Onyx Efficiency (Su)

At 17th level, whenever the black mage casts a spell with a base cost of 11 or less, the spell is automatically augmented as though he had spent additional MP equal to the base cost, to a maximum of his black mage level. The black mage may still spend MP in excess of this to augment the spell further. In order to make use of passive augmentations, the black mage must still spend MP to use them. However, in such a case the spell is still augmented for free. (For example, if the Black Mage spends 5MP to cast Fira, the spell deals 10d6 points of damage.)

Aetheric Expansion (Su)

At 19th level, the Black Mage’s Aetheric Reservoir doubles in capacity

Onyx Mastery (Su)

The black mage finally hits the pinnacle of arcane destruction. At 20th level, The Black Mage may apply Obsidian Seal to all spells he casts for free, and can cast using his Aetherial MP as if it was normal MP without having to move it.

Archetypes

Class Templates

Favoured Class Bonus

A character of any race may choose to gain +1 MP whenever they take a level of black mage, rather than any other favoured class bonus.