Custom Class: The Elven Mage-Knight

Behind the Scenes: I wanted to make an elven magic-using class that had some combat ability while also having the ability to eventually access the highest forms of magic (ritual spells, etc.). What I ended up with was a cross between an Elven Spellsword and an Elven Courtier. The Build Point Allocations are: Hit Die 1, Fighting 1, Thievery 0, Divine 0, Arcane 0, Elf (High) 4. Placing all of the build points into Elf instead of placing some in Arcane allows for “Fighter” saves, “Fighter” proficiency progression, the ability to use Fighter magic items (just like the Spellsword) and a cheaper endgame progression (based upon a fighter’s 120k per level instead of a mage’s 150k per level). (It also causes the class to hit 11th level, and thus gain access to the most powerful spells in the game, slightly faster than the Elven Enchanter, which I find to be an odd artifact of the class creation system – unless, of course, I messed up the math somehow.) I will admit that this class started out as an attempt to “game the system” to see if the build is balanced against other builds (specifically the Spellsword and Enchanter).
Prime Reqs: STR and INT
Requirements: INT 9
Hit Dice: 1d6 (+2 after 9th)
Maximum Level: 11
Description: While the Spellsword is more common amongst elves (or it that “elven commoners”?), it is not the only type of war wizard amongst the elven people. Those elves that can trace their descent from ancient nobility are often formally trained as Elven Mage-Knights. While Mage-Knights receive a full arcane education, their combat training is limited to only those weapons and fighting styles of use to mounted combatants (in keeping with the whole “Knight” motif) and also eschews the heaviest forms of armor (as elven knights, as a rule, do not ordinarily make use of the heavy warhorses necessary to bear such weight in combat). (As an aside, these choices are identical to those of the Elven Courtier for what I assume are similar reasons.) This places them at a slight disadvantage (comparatively) against the more eclectic (and complete) combat training of the Elven Spellsword. However, because Mage-Knights are specifically trained (in the most exclusive elven academies, of course) to combine the arcane with martial pursuits (instead of simply learning both without any real integration, as with the Spellsword), they also eventually gain the ability to channel magic through their weapons in ways unavailable to the Spellsword.
Fights as: Cleric/Thief
Saves as: Fighter
Allowed Weapons: Composite Bow, Dagger, Lance, Spear, Short Sword, Sword (Narrow)
Allowed Armor: Chain Mail and Lighter (Broad)
Fighting Styles: Two Weapons, Weapon & Shield
Uses magic items restricted to Fighters and Mages
Learn and cast arcane spells as a mage of the same level
First Level: Animal Friendship, Attunement to Nature, Connection to Nature, Diplomacy and Protocol, Elf Tongues, Keen Eyes (all as an Elven Courtier)
Fourth Level: Arcane Striking (like the Zaharan Ruinguard)
Fifth Level: Magic Research (Minor) (as a Mage)
Ninth Level: Fastness (as an Elven Spellsword), Magic Research (as a Mage)
Tenth Level: Spell Storing (like the Zaharan Ruinguard)
Eleventh Level: Ritual Spells/Constructs/Cross-Breeds/Necromancy (as a Mage)
The titles (a combination of Courtier + Mage) and experience table:
1st: Attendant-Arcanist 0
2nd: Seer-Courtier 3525
3rd: Aristocrat-Theurgist 7050
4th: Noble-Magician 14,100
5th: Thaumaturge-Exemplar 28,200
6th: Patrician-Enchanter 56,400
7th: Sorcerer-Dignitary 115,000
8th: Mage-Consul 230,000
9th: Wizard-Lord 400,000
10th: Wizard-Lord, Level 10 570,000
11th: Wizard-Lord, Level 11 740,000
Elven Mage-Knight Proficiency List (a merging of the Spellsword and Courtier lists): Armor Training, Battle Magic, Beast Friendship, Black Lore of Zahar, Combat Trickery (Disarm, Sunder), Command, Elementalism, Familiar, Fighting Style, Healing, Leadership, Loremastery, Magical Engineering, Magical Music, Martial Training, Military Strategy, Mystic Aura, Naturalism, Precise Shooting, Prestidigitation, Quiet Magic, Riding, Sensing Power, Skirmishing, Soothsaying, Swashbuckling, Unarmed Fighting, Unflappable Casting, Weapon Finesse, Weapon Focus
What do people think? Given the stress on the endgame in ACKS, I like an elven warrior-wizard that eventually has access to the most important magical goodies in the game (6th-9th level spells, etc.). I like to think that the arcane strike and spell storing eventually makes up for the lack of the fighter damage bonus, so I see a tradeoff between a slower attack bonus and more limited weapons and armor vs. a slightly cheaper xp progression and a longer endgame.

I really like it! It’s a very flavorful class, with the application of the Ruinguard powers making it quite interesting.
One question: Did you note that Ruinguard channeling powers cost 2 class powers each when taken by full caster progression characters? It looks like you traded down for 1 class power (from full to broad armor), and then subbed that out for a power at 4th and 10th, but you actually need to do that twice because each power you want costs 2.
(Arcane striking, etc. costs more the better caster you are because it gets exponentially more powerful).
p.s. It’s late and I’m not at my work PC so I’m not actually sure if the current draft that’s been distributed has listed the power cost for the new class powers yet. If not I’ll distribute tomorrow.

Also you didn’t spend four points on the basic class abilities (or has that been removed in the latest draft?).

If you spend at least 4 points in total, including racial, then you’re good. You are limited to 4 pt max in the non-racial classes, and it must be 4 pts +/- 0 if there are no racial pts to spend.
So you could have an elven mage just by allocating Elf:4 and nothing else.

Alex:
Thanks for your comments.
Regarding your first question, I didn’t see that (it’s not listed in the draft I have :)). I had thought I accurately reverse-engineered the Ruinguard to work out the pricing – it sacrificed its Fighter 2 value to gain 5 power slots (3 from weapons unrestricted to narrow, 1 from no missile damage bonus and 1 from losing a style) and then spent them on 3 first level powers (dark blessing, quickening, weapon focus) and 2 on 3 delayed powers at 2, 4 and 9 (arcane striking, death healing and spell storing). Did I miss something with the Ruinguard, too?
To fix, I would adjust by removing Arcane Striking and just having Spell Storing available at 7th level.
Tywyll:
As to your question, under the current doc it is legal (the Elven Spellsword is constructed as HD 1, Fighter 2, Elf 4 and the Gnome Trickster as Fighter 1, Gnome 4 if I did the reserve enginnering correctly). I think it is also stated explicitly somewhere in the doc.