Back in 2010, I wrote The Genius Guide to the Magus, which present a spellcasting class for the 1st edition Pathfinder Roleplaying Game that could draw spells (and abilities) from both an arcane class and a divine class. The idea was to make something like the mystic theurge but balanced to have access to two spell lists at 1st level. When Pathfinder Ultimate Magic came out, with an official (and very different) class titles the magus, I rewrote the book to be the Genius Guide to the Magister. You can still buy this revised version of it at either link provided (though I make more money on sales from the first link to the OGS 🙂 ).

Of course, a LOT of PF1 material has come out since 2010, and the magister could use a revision to its revision. For one thing, I’d like it to be able to take any 2 of 3 spellcasting sources (arcane, divine, or arcane), and still be, you know, balanced. It could also use some expanded class options.

So, without covering all the fluff and old design notes, let’s look at what it would take to update this popular, well-reviewed 3pp class. The class progression table from the original product is included below so folks can follow along, but I’ll do a new one if the redesign calls for it. Let’s start with some basic stuff, like HP, skills, and proficiencies.

Alignment: A magister may be of any alignment. If a magister worships a deity, her alignment must be within one step of her deity’s along either the law/chaos axis or the good/evil axis.
Hit Die: d6
Starting Wealth: At 1st level a magister begins play with 4d4 x 10 gp.
Class Skills: The magister’s class skills are Appraise (Int), Bluff (Cha), Craft (Int), Fly (Dex), Knowledge (arcana)(Int), Knowledge (history)(Int), Knowledge (local)(Int), Knowledge (planes) (Int), Knowledge (religion)(Int), Perform (oratory)(Cha), Perform (sing)(Cha), Profession (Wis), Spellcraft (Int), and Use Magic Device (Cha).
Skill Ranks per Level: 4 + Int modifier

Weapon and Armor Proficiency

Mastering two sources of magic leaves little time for weapon training—a magister is proficient with only the club, dagger, light crossbow, and quarterstaff. A magister is also proficient with light armor, but not with any shields.
A magister who casts arcane spells can, as a result of her mix of two magical power sources, cast arcane class spells while wearing light armor without incurring the normal arcane spell failure chance. However, a magister wearing medium or heavy armor incurs a chance of spell failure if the spell in question has a somatic component (even if casting a spell from a divine spell list).
A multiclass magister still incurs the normal arcane spell failure chance for arcane spells she casts as another class.

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