Azure Phoenix

    The Azure Phoenix is arcane caster that has found favor with Hypatia the goddess of magic in the Imperial Pantheon. As the azure phoenix advances in this prestige class he or she slowly undergoes a metamorphous into a shapechanger that can assume the form of azure flaming eagle.
    Wizards are the most likely class to pursue the prestige class with sorcerers being a close second. Some multiclassed arcane spellcasters are also found within this prestige class. It is rare to find a bard that has found favor of Hypatia.
    Hit Dice: d4.

Requirements
    To qualify to become an azure phoenix, a character must fulfill the following criteria.
    Alignment: Any good alignment
    Knowledge (arcana): 10 ranks
    Spellcraft: 10 ranks
    Spot: 6 ranks
    Feats: Alertness, Still Spell
    Spells: Ability to cast arcane spells of 5th level
    Special: A character can only gain this prestige class if one of the following conditions are meet: First Hypatia the goddess of magic of the imperial pantheon in either her true form or an avatar invites the arcane spellcaster to pursue the path of the azure phoenix or character beseeches a priest of Hypatia to cast a commune to the goddess and seek her favor. In either case the character in question should have researched some spells (about 7 levels worth of spells) and then scribed them and presented them to the church/goddess or created and donated 2,000 xp of magic items that they themselves have crafted to the church/goddess.

Class Skills
    The azure phoenix's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Alchemy (Int), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Knowledge (all skills, taken individually), Profession (Wis), Scry (Int, exclusive skill), Spellcraft (Int), and Spot (Wis).

    Skill Points at each level: 2 + Int modifier.

Class Features
    Weapon and Armor Proficiency: The azure phoenix gains no additional proficiencies in any weapon or armor.
    Spells per Day: An azure phoenix continues training in magic as well as gaining the abilities of his new class. Thus, when a new azure phoenix level is gained (except for 5th and 10th level), the character gains new spells per day as if he had also gained a level in whatever arcane spellcasting class she belonged to before she added the prestige class. She does not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained. This essentially means that she adds the level of azure phoenix to the level of whatever other arcane spellcasting class the character has, and then determines spells per day accordingly. For example, if Cleo, a 10th level wizard, gains a level as an azure phoenix, she gains new spells as if he had risen to 11th level as a wizard, but uses the other azure phoenix aspects of level progression such as base attack bonus and save bonuses. If she next gains a level as a wizard, making her an 11th level wizard/1st level azure phoenix, she gains spells as if he had risen to 12th level as a wizard.
    If a character had more then one arcane spellcasting class before he became an azure phoenix, the player must decide which class to assign each level of azure phoenix for purpose of determining spells per day.
    Fire Resistance (Ex): As the azure phoenix gains levels in this prestige class, she becomes more resistant to fire. At 1st level, she gains fire resistance 5, and rises to fire resistance 10 at 3rd level, fire resistance 15 at 5th level, fire resistance 20 at 7th level, and complete immunity to fire when she reaches 9th level.
    Natural Armor: At 2nd level and every four levels thereafter the azure phoenix hide becomes tougher. This provides increasing natural armor bonuses to his base Armor Class, as indicated in the table below.
    Damage Reduction: Starting at 4th level, azure phoenixes have the ability to shrug off some amount of injury from each blow or attack. Subtract 1 from the damage the azure phoenix takes each time she is dealt damage. At 8th level and every four levels thereafter, this damage reduction is increased by 1 (i.e. at 8th level the azure phoenix has damage reduction 2/—)
    Cold Resistance (Ex): As the azure phoenix gains levels in this prestige class, she becomes more resistant to cold. At 5th level, she gains cold resistance 5, and rises to cold resistance 10 at 7th level, and finally at 9th level cold resistance 15.
    Azure Phoenix (Su): At 10th level the azure phoenix gains the Azure Phoenix template, which is shown below.

The Azure Phoenix

	Base	Fort	Ref	Will
Level	Attack Bonus	Save	Save	Save	Special	Spells per day
1st	+0	+2	+2	+0	Fire resistance 5	+1 level of existing class
2nd	+1	+3	+3	+0	Natural armor +1	+1 level of existing class
3rd	+2	+3	+3	+1	Fire resistance 10	+1 level of existing class
4th	+3	+4	+4	+1	Damage reduction 1/—	+1 level of existing class
5th	+3	+4	+4	+1	Cold resistance 5, fire resistance 15
6th	+4	+5	+5	+2	Natural armor +2	+1 level of existing class
7th	+5	+5	+5	+2	Cold resistance 10, fire resistance 20	+1 level of existing class
8th	+6	+6	+6	+2	Damage reduction 2/—	+1 level of existing class
9th	+6	+6	+6	+3	Cold resistance 15, fire immunity	+1 level of existing class
10th	+7	+7	+7	+3	Azure Phoenix, natural armor +3

CREATING AN AZURE PHOENIX
    “Azure Phoenix” is a template that is only achieved by arcane spellcasting characters that have advanced sufficiently high in the azure phoenix prestige class. The arcane spellcaster (referred to hereafter as the “character”) must have at have advanced to 10th level in the Azure Phoenix prestige class. The creature's type changes to “shapechanger”. It otherwise uses all the base creature's statistics and special abilities except as noted here.

Speed: Same as character, but when in its fiery avian form it has a 10 ft., fly 150 ft. (average) .
AC: Same as base character.
Attack: Same as the character or when in fiery avian form it can attack with its claws and bite. Its claw attacks use the full attack bonus while its bite is at a –5 to attack bonus.
Damage: Same as the character or when in fiery avian form its claws deal 1d4 points of damage plus its strength bonus and its bite does 1d6 points of damage plus half the azure phoenix's Strength bonus (rounded down).
Face/Reach: Same as character or when in fiery avian form 5 ft. by 10 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: An azure phoenix retains all the character's special attacks and also gains those listed below.
    Fire Corona (Ex): The magical fires that radiate from the azure phoenixes' avian form, sends forth waves of heat dealing 2d4 points of fire damage to all creatures within 10 feet and 1d4 points of fire damage to those past 10 feet but within 20 feet. This damage is dealt every time a creature enters the area of effect of the fire corona and each round it remains within the fire corona. In addition the fire corona cause additional 1d6 + 1 hit point/level of the azure phoenix of fire damage to each creature that strikes the azure phoenix in melee while in its avian form. Note that melee weapons with exceptional reach, such as two-handed spears do not endanger their user to this additional fire damage.
    Spells: The azure phoenix when in its fiery avian form can cast spells that not require somatic components (its wings and claws are not suited for this).
Special Qualities: An Azure Phoenix retains all the character's special qualities and those listed below, and also gain the shapechanger type (See page 6 of the MM).
    Alternate Form (Su): An azure phoenix's natural form is the form it was before acquiring the azure phoenix template. It can assume its fiery azure phoenix form, which requires a standard action. The azure phoenix's avian form is a large blue flamed firebird. An azure phoenix remains in one form until it chooses to assume a new one. A change in form cannot be dispelled, nor does the azure phoenix revert to its natural form when killed. A true seeing spell, however, reveals its non-fiery avian form. An azure phoenix gains no hit points when changing between its natural from and that of the azure phoenix fiery azure form.
    Spelljamming Ability (Ex): Because of the great amount of magical fire generated by the azure phoenix while it is in its avian form allows it to achieve spelljamming speed when not within 3,750 feet of a ship/object of 10-ton or greater size or within an atmosphere, this allows the azure phoenix the ability to move across great distances of wildspace. When not moving at spelljamming speed the azure moves either by flight (when in azure phoenix form) or running (when in humanoid form). For spelljammer D20 an azure phoenix has a natural gravity of 1.
Saves: Same as character plus modification for Reflex and Fortitude save when in its fiery avian form.
Abilities: Same as base character.
Skills: Same as base character.
Feats: Same as the base character.

Climate/Terrain: Any
Organization: Solitary or Adventuring Group (Azure Phoenix plus 1d3 other adventures of the same level as the azure phoenix).
Challenge Rating: Same as base character
Treasure: Triple standard
Alignment: Any good
Advancement: Same as base character

Epic Azure Phoenix
    The epic azure phoenix loves magic and soaring the solar winds wildspace. They are a powerful force for good in any crystal sphere where the religion of Hypatia is found and even beyond.
    In general most gravitate to pursuing magic over the love of the wildspace and learn feats that allow them to become powerful spellcasters.
    Other Options: A few azure phoenix really love their fiery avian form and will gain feats such as Armor Skin, Flyby Attack, and Wingovers.
    Hit Die: d4.
    Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 2 + Int modifier
    Spells: The epic azure phoenix's caster level increases by one level every time he gains a class level ending in 1,2,3,4, 6, 7, 8, and 9. The epic azure phoenix's number of spells per day increases until his caster level reaches 20th.
    Damage Reduction: The epic azure phoenix 's damage reduction increases by 1 point for every 4 levels above 8th level.
    Natural Armor: The epic azure phoenix's natural armor bonus increases by 1 point for every 4 levels above 10th level
    Bonus Feats: The epic azure phoenix gains a bonus feat (selected from the list of epic azure phoenix feats) every three levels after 10th.
    Epic Azure Phoenix Feat List: Armor Skin, Automatic Quicken Spell, Automatic Silent Spell, Automatic Still Spell, Combat Casting, Craft Epic Magic Arms and Armor, Craft Epic Rod, Craft Epic Staff, Craft Epic Wondrous Item, Efficient Item Creation, Enhance Spell, Epic Spell Focus, Epic Spell Penetration, Epic Spellcasting, Familiar Spell, Forge Epic Ring, Ignore Material Components, Improved Combat Casting, Improved Heighten Spell, Improved Metamagic, Improved Spell Capacity, Intensify Spell, Multispell, Permanent Emanation, Scribe Epic Scroll, Spell Focus, Spell Knowledge, Spell Mastery, Spell Penetration, Spell Stowaway, Spell Opportunity, Spontaneous Spell, Tenacious Magic.
    In addition to the feats on this list, the azure phoenix may elect any item creation feat or metamagic feat not listed here.

The Epic Azure Phoenix

Level	Special
11th	—
12th	Damage reduction 3/—
13th	Bonus Feat
14th	Natural armor +4
15th	—
16th	Bonus Feat, damage reduction 4/—
17th	—
18th	Natural armor +5
19th	Bonus Feat
20th	Damage reduction 5/—

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