Kensai

A kensai spends their life focusing their training and meditation into a rapturous perfection of the use of a single weapon, which is usually but not always a sword, channeling their arcane might through it in a dizzying and deadly dance beyond the abilities of even the greatest of mundane warriors.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency

A kensai is proficient in simple weapons and in a single martial or exotic melee weapon of their choice. A kensai is not proficient with armor or shields and suffers normal arcane spell failure chance when casting magus spells while armored.

Diminished Spellcasting

A kensai may cast one fewer spell of each level than normal. If this reduces the number to 0, they may cast spells of that level only if their Intelligence allows bonus spells of that level.

Canny Defense (Ex)

At 1st level, when a kensai is wielding their chosen weapon, they gain the canny defense ability. This is identical to the duelist prestige class ability of the same name, save that their chosen weapon may be of any type.

Weapon Focus (Ex)

At 1st level, a kensai gains Weapon Focus with their chosen weapon as a bonus feat.

Perfect Strike (Ex)

At 4th level, when a kensai hits with their chosen weapon, they can spend 1 point from their arcane pool in order to maximize their weapon damage. Don’t roll for damage—the weapon deals maximum damage. This affects only the weapon’s base damage dice, not additional damage from sneak attack, magical weapon properties, spellstrike, or critical hits. If the kensai confirms a critical hit, they can instead spend 2 points from their arcane pool to increase their weapon’s critical multiplier by 1.

This ability replaces spell recall.

Fighter Training (Ex)

Starting at 7th level, a kensai counts their magus level –3 as their fighter level for the purpose of qualifying for feats (if they have levels in fighter, these levels stack), but forfeits the benefit of such feats with weapons other than their favored weapon.

This ability replaces knowledge pool.

Iaijutsu (Ex)

At 7th level, a kensai applies their Intelligence modifier as well as their Dexterity modifier on initiative rolls (minimum 0). A kensai may make attacks of opportunity when Flat-Footed, and may draw their favored weapon as a Free Action as part of taking an attack of opportunity.

This ability replaces the medium armor ability.

Critical Perfection (Ex)

At 9th level, a kensai adds their Intelligence bonus (minimum 0) on critical hit confirmation rolls with their favored weapon. In addition, the kensai may use their magus levels in place of their base attack bonuses to qualify for Critical Focus and any feat for which it is a prerequisite; these feats apply only with a kensai’s favored weapon.

This ability replaces the magus arcana normally gained at 9th level.

Superior Reflexes (Ex)

At 11th level, kensai can make a number of attacks of opportunity in a round equal to their Intelligence modifier (minimum 1). This effect stacks with the Combat Reflexes feat.

This ability replaces improved spell recall.

Iaijutsu Focus (Ex)

At 13th level, a kensai may always act and may draw their weapon as a Swift Action during a surprise round, though they are considered Flat-Footed until they act. During a surprise round or when attacking a Flat-Footed opponent, they add their Intelligence modifier on damage with their chosen weapon (minimum 0).

This ability replaces heavy armor.

Iaijutsu Master (Ex)

At 19th level, a kensai’s initiative roll is automatically a natural 20 and they are never surprised.

This ability replaces greater spell access.

Weapon Mastery (Ex)

At 20th level, a kensai gains weapon mastery with their favored weapon, as the fighter class ability.

This ability replaces true magus.

Magus Arcana: The following magus arcana complement the kensai archetype: concentrate, critical strike, deadly follow-up, precise prowess, prescient attack, prescient defense, spell shield.

Parent Class

Magus