1) Interesting. I am not particularly familiar with the Magus, but it looks as if you lose any additional bonus on the attack, such as from a stat. I also realize now that not all touch spells just do damage. my initial response had been from thinking that it was basically a double-attack, using two added hit chances (making it way too easy to hit something), then double damage. Re-reading it, it makes more sense. 2) I'm not sure. I would consider maybe Str->Int->Con, forgetting Dex for a bit. Dex already improves AC, which lowers the value the player gets from the improved mage armor, and Str is going to aid their melee damage, while decent Con can help keep them alive in place of Dex. This is a matter of personal taste though i think, and I'd be more likely to make con and dex interchangeable, rather than dex and str. 3) That's a good list, no worries. 4) If mage-armor is a cantrip, maybe the class ability could be to choose either the bonus to the mage-armor spell OR the ability to wear light armor without spell failure chance (other restrictions still apply). This would perhaps allow the player to choose some flavor of his protection, but ensure he gets some form of it. 5) I see what you're saying, and I'm not looking to make it entirely a heavy-armor caster (it looks like the Magus can already do this eventually). I was just thinking that for certain races (maybe Dwarves?) the ability to gradually lower the penalties for armor as a favored-class option would be thematically appropriate. Favored-Class options are a choice that can be made when leveling up instead of an extra hitpoint, and are often in fractional increments. For example, if you go here and look at the rogue favored class option partway down the page, it adds a half bonus on disable device checks, meaning that if you take this option for two levels, you are gaining +1 to disable device checks. It stands to reason that a Dwarf battle-mage would be proficient enough and comfortable enough in armor, and experienced enough in spellcasting that he could reduce the spell-fail by some percentage. This would allow someone willing to make a specialized character, if they wanted to use this class to work as a heavy-armor caster (eventually). 7) My favorite example of this is the third party class of Gladiator, who thematically makes combat into a performance for entertainment value, and can use this performance skill to aid him in battle (partway down the page, under Bloodsport Showman). If you're worried that adding said skill would make it overpowered, you could take half of it, or make sure it only applies to situational rolls. Also, i do see the class skills now, i may have just overlooked them. Cool. I thought of another possibility that might help differentiate this class a bit from a Magus. Please bear in mind that I'm just sort of outputting my own thoughts here, and I'm not looking to hijack your idea or thread, and if you dislike what i'm suggesting, or it doesn't fit with what you visualize for a battle-mage thematically, then don't use it. I won't be offended. What if your battle-mage's weapon served the same role as a Witch's familiar? In case you're not familiar with familiars (heh), the Witch's animal companion acts as her spellbook. The creature stores her spells (and all the cantrips, and her domain spells), and instead of studying a book, she communes with her familiar to change spells and prepare them for the day. This means that if her familiar is harmed or killed, until such time as another can be bonded, she lacks her spellbook, and opens some plot hooks for a crafty (or evil) GM to make the familiar wonder off or do something unexpected. In the same vein, suppose your chosen weapon as a battle-mage would become bonded as your spell-focus. This means that you have to take care, as being disarmed, or your weapon stolen, lost, or broken could impact the use of your magic (maybe a -1 or -2 when unarmed). To counterbalance this (ie, ensure that the battle-mage still needs to be in melee combat) you could simply need to use the weapon at least once a day for it's spell capability to function, and undergo a ritual when you need to bind a new weapon (possibly limited to the same type as your previous one). This thematically would mean that instead of augmenting your weapon attack with a touch spell, you're simply letting your weapon cast it (same effect, different description). It also means that the act of preparing spells for the day could thematically be done via polishing, sharpening, or otherwise maintaining your weapon. Of note, with the witch, if her companion dies, she doesn't lose the spells she has, and can re-use the exact same prepared-spell list the next day, she simply can't change it, which would be even more frustrating if she levels up and can't prepare new spells. Sorry if i rambled or that didn't make sense. :-)
