Source Starfinder #30: Puppets Without Strings pg. 50 The magic academies in the Pact Worlds, Near Space, and the Vast take many forms, and each has a distinct culture. Some, like the Arcanamirium or the Eclipse Academy, emphasize time-honored traditions that have lasted for centuries or even millennia. Others, like the Preita Institute of Technology, are quicker to embrace new ways to teach, learn, and work magic. A prospective student of one of these schools has a hard decision to make: they might choose a campus based on family history and connections, the chance to work with a famous faculty member, job placement rates after graduation, or the financial scholarship help an academy can offer. Some students, of course, throw all academic qualifications out the window and just pick a school where they can have a good time—like SENOT or Nerundel Halls. An academy student must balance the demands of classroom instruction and homework with the need for a personal life. There are always new books to read, new assignments to complete, and a new round of examinations. But for many students, this is the first opportunity they’ve had to live on their own, apart from family, and the temptation to ignore all rules and regulations can be difficult to resist. They’re assisted by academy staff, who watch over and nurture students, ensuring that day-to-day operations of the academy run smoothly, and by faculty, who challenge students every day and prepare them for an unpredictable future. At a good magic academy, even the most wayward student is exposed to a galaxy’s worth of new ideas, experiences, and methods. The career of an academy student ends relatively quickly; some programs last less than a year, though most continue for two or four. Typically, a student authors a final thesis that leads to graduation. Some alumni, however, choose to continue their research even after graduation.
PrerequisitesOnly characters who have the spells class feature can take this archetype.Alternate Class FeaturesThis archetype grants alternate class features at 2nd, 4th, and 6th level.
Cram (Ex) - 2nd LevelYou’re a quick study when you have to be. Spend 1 Resolve Point and 10 minutes in study, meditation, or practice, then choose one spell you know. You swap out that spell for a single new spell of the same level from the same class spell list. After 1 hour, you lose the new spell from your known spells and regain the original spell.
Interdisciplinary Studies (Ex) - 4th LevelTraining in a magic academy has exposed you to students and professors outside your spellcasting tradition. Select one spell from a spell list other than your own. It must be of a level no greater than 1 lower than the highest level spell you can cast. Add this to your list of spells known. Each time you gain the ability to cast a higher level of spells, you can swap out the spell gained with this alternate class feature for a new spell of a maximum level no greater than 1 lower than the highestlevel spell you can cast.
Spell Thesis (Ex) - 6th LevelYou have researched a single spell in great detail. Select a single spell you know. When you cast this spell, its DC is increased by 1 and you have a +1 bonus to caster level checks to overcome a creature’s spell resistance. In addition, once per day, you can cast this spell without expending a spell slot. Each time you gain the ability to cast a higher level of spells, you can swap out the spell associated with this ability for a new spell that you know.
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