Forbidden Arcana: Eater of the Arcane
Forbidden Arcana:
Eater of the Arcane
It was then that I was most offended by Halagran s actions. Taking a
glowing dagger from his belt and turning away from us, the mad elf began to
convulse, his entire body shaking in an obvious fit of pain and rage. While
Halagran thought he had concealed his actions from us I had a brief glimpse
as he held the dagger in his fists. After a few brief seconds he dropped the no-
longer glowing dagger to the ground. I am ready, he said as he turned back
to us.
I think only I noticed the glowing of his eyes.
The ability to consume the power of magic items and convert that energy
into special powers is the domain of those known as eaters of the arcane.
Eaters of the arcane are a rare breed and few of them survive once they
descend down the path of magic dependence.
While not evil, eaters of the arcane are most definitely not good. These
spellcasters, surviving off of power drained from magic items, are substance
abusers of the worst possible kind. Few eaters of the arcane manage to shake
their addiction and those who do carry the scars of their former addiction for
life.
Hit Dice: d4.
Requirements
The requirements to become an eater of the arcane are many and difficult to
fulfill. The rewards — a dependency on magic items and being shunned by most
of society — are not worth the effort for many. Those few who do choose to
become eaters of the arcane are blessed and cursed with a powerful ability.
Alignment: Any non-good.
Concentration: 3 ranks.
Knowledge (Arcana): 8 ranks.
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Requires the use of the
Dungeons and Dragons®
Player’s Handbook,
Third Edition, Published by
Wizards of the Coast.®
Spellcraft: 6 ranks.
Feats: Four metamagic feats.
Spellcasting: Ability to cast 6th level or higher arcane spells.
Special: A character must have been the victim of a transfer addiction
attack by another eater of the arcane.
Class Skills
The eater of the arcane s class skills (and the key attribute for each skill)
are: Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Knowledge (Arcana) (Int), Spellcraft
(Int), Use Magic Device (Cha).
Skill Points at Each Level: 2 + Int modifier.
Class Features
The following are class features of the eater of the arcane prestige class.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Eaters of the arcane gain no proficien-
cy in any weapons or armors.
Spellcasting: Eaters of the arcane do not advance in spellcasting ability.
They cast spells using their highest spellcaster level.
Consume Arcane Power (Su): At first level eaters of the arcane gain the
ability to consume the arcane powers of up to two magic items per day. To
consume power the character must hold the item in his hands for a number of
combat rounds equal to the required caster level to create the item (as detailed
in the item s description). This is treated as casting a spell and can be inter-
rupted (high Concentration is important to eaters of the arcane). At the end of
this time the eater of the arcane has consumed the power and can use that
power in any one of the following ways (must be determined and written
down at the time the item is consumed):
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 Forbidden Arcana: Eater of the Arcane

¥ For a period of 24 hours the eater of the arcane has the powers of the item can cast spells of that level). This spell may be cast at anytime within the next
consumed. These are considered to be SU abilities. At anytime during this 24-hour 24 hours as if it were cast by the original caster.
period the character may use one of these abilities as a free action but, once used, ¥ Charge mundane item. On the round immediately after the spell is
that exact same ability cannot be used again. absorbed the eater of the arcane may transfer the power to any mundane
¥ The character s highest spellcaster level is temporarily increased by a num- weapon or armor. For a number of rounds equal to the eater of the arcane s
ber of levels equal to one-third (rounded up) of the caster levels required to create character level this weapon or armor is a magic item with an enhancement
the item consumed. This increase is for a number of hours equal to the character s bonus equal to the level of the absorbed spell (limit of 5). Anyone may use
Int bonus. this item. This will not work with a magic item.
¥ The power of the consumed item can be released as an arcane blast. This
arcane blast function likes the spell burning hands using the eater of the arcane s Transfer Addiction (Su): At fourth level, once per day, the eater of the
class level as the spellcasting level of the spell. The damage of the spell is arcane is capable of converting his Arcane Addiction Level into a magical
increased by 1 point per caster level of the item consumed. This arcane blast must attack. The character must make a successful touch attack against an oppo-
be released within one hour of the item being consumed or the power is lost. nent who must then make a Will save (DC is the eater of the arcane s level +
his Wisdom modfier). If the save fails the eater of the arcane s Addiction
At third level the character may consume up to four magic items a day. At fifth Level is reduced by 1 and the target gains an Arcane Addiction Level equal
level he may consume up to six magic items a day. to the eater of the arcane s level at the time of the touch attack. Characters
without an Arcane Addiction Level now have one and must follow the rules
Immune to Dispel Magic (Su): The effects of dispel magic, or items that above if their Arcane Addiction Level is equal to or greater than their
duplicate the effects of this spell, do not affect an eater of the arcane. Wisdom.
Antimagic effects still function normally against an eater of the arcane. This newly-inflicted Arcane Addiction Level decreases automatically by 1
at the end of each 24-hour period after the attack.
Absorb Spell Energy (Su): At second level an eater of the arcane can If the character meets the requirements to become an eater of the arcane
absorb any arcane spell cast within 20 ft. +5 ft./level of him. Absorbing this he does when he next gains a level. Until that time the character s Arcane
spell energy counts as a full-round action. The eater of the arcane selects a Addiction Level is increased by 1 each time he casts a spell or is the recipi-
spellcaster within range and, as soon as the spellcaster completes the spell, ent of a spell effect.
the two make a Spellcraft check. If the eater of the arcane s result is equal to If the character does not meet the requirements to become an eater of the
or higher than the targeted spellcaster he has absorbed the energy released by arcane he suffers no ill effects beyond those inflicted by his temporary Arcane
the spell and the spell has no effect. Addiction Level.
This energy can be used in one of the following ways (which must be
determined as soon as the spell is absorbed): Table: Eater of the Arcane
Class Base Fort Ref Will
¥ Heal damage. A number of points equal to 2x the level of the spell Level Attack Bonus Save Save Save Special
absorbed are instantly added to the eater of the arcane s hit points. These 1 +0 +0 +0 +2 Consume Arcane Power,
points can take the character s hit point total over the character s maximum Immune to Dispel Magic
hit points. Any points over the character s maximum are lost at a rate of 1 2 +1 +0 +0 +3 Absorb Spell Energy
point per round. 3 +1 +1 +1 +3 Consume Arcane Power
¥ Memorize spell. The eater of the arcane now has the absorbed spell com- 4 +2 +1 +1 +4 Transfer Addiction
mitted to memory (as long as he has an open slot of the appropriate level and 5 +2 +1 +1 +4 Consume Arcane Power

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 Forbidden Arcana: Eater of the Arcane

NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF CONSUMED MAGIC ITEMS

An eater of the arcane, each time he consumes a magic item or absorbs a spell, just reinforces his addiction to magic. Eaters of the arcane have an Arcane
Addiction Level. As long as this addiction level remains below the Wisdom score of the character he has nothing to fear. As soon as this level is equal to or
greater than his Wisdom score he begins suffering the effects of magic addiction.
All eaters of the arcane begin with a score of one in Arcane Addiction Level. This increases by 1 for every one caster level of an item absorbed or spell
level of a spell absorbed. This decreases by 1 for each full day that the character does not use his consume arcane power ability or absorb spell ability.
Also, at the beginning of each day, the eater of the arcane makes an Arcane Addiction Level check by rolling 1d20. If this roll is equal to or greater than
his Arcane Addiction Level reduce the Arcane Addiction Level by 1.
Once the eater of the arcane s Arcane Addiction Level is equal to or greater than his Wisdom score the following negative effects are inflicted on the char-
acter.

Addiction Level Effect

Equal to Wisdom -1 to all Will saves.
Wisdom +1 50% chance any prepared spell is lost when the character attempts to cast it.
Wisdom +2 -1 to Wis.
Wisdom +3 -1 to Int.
Wisdom +4 -1 to Wis.
Wisdom +5 -1 to Int.
Wisdom +6 -1 to Wis and ability to cast prepared spells is lost.
Wisdom +7 -1 to Int and —1 to all Will saves.
Wisdom +8 Character loses 100 XP every hour that he does not consume a magic item or absorb a spell
Wisdom +9 Character loses 200 XP every hour that he does not consume a magic item or absorb a spell
Wisdom +10 Character loses 400 XP every hour that he does not consume a magic item or absorb a spell.

XP loss is permanent. All attribute losses are recovered as soon as the character s Arcane Addiction Level drops below the specified level on the table.
Example: A character with an Arcane Addiction Level at Wisdom +7 who manages to drop to Wisdom +6 will recover one point of Intelligence.

All effects are cumulative so a character with an Arcane Addiction Level 4 higher than his Wisdom would suffer all effects listed from Wisdom +4 and
lower.

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 Forbidden Arcana: Eater of the Arcane
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