I had a rule of thumb for the capstone abilities: if a player read the ability I was trying to give them and their only response was “are you high?”, I did it right. Each capstone is ludicrously powerful, able to swing a battle all on its own. They’re basically custom 10th-level spells, atomic representations of the characters both by the dictionary definition of atomic and the fact that they’ll blow up an entire combat. With that in mind, I love this capstone. Of all the things I’ve written for D&D, this ranks among my favorites, alongside the healer class or spells like Grog’s audible profanity.
Angeline’s item is something like the opposite of Jace’s. Jace wanted to be good at one specific spell, but Angeline could end up with any spell in the book, so she needed an item that would complement almost anything and everything Pathfinder had to offer. Also, it had to be pretty. As if that wasn’t rough enough, Angeline is also the party’s smart guy by omission (Liam, the bard, is actually the chick, and Sarai, the scholar, is actually the big guy) but had exactly zero ability to perform that role. The solution I got was to ignore the build entirely and focus on the character. Angeline isn’t a sorcerer, she’s a magical girl, so I looked for neat magical girl powers and translated them into Pathfinder rules. That’s what I did the whole time, really, but here it stands out more than in other places.
Glitterborn Staff
Though this ornate staff looks like a children’s toy, it’s as sturdy as steel. It glows subtly with the power and energy of pure goodness—represented best by you, obviously.
Astonishing Light (Su): Your staff’s most basic power is a simple, glittering beam of light. You can use the staff to shoot a magical bolt of energy as a standard action, targeting any foe within close range as a ranged touch attack. This beam deals 1d6 points of damage at 1st level, and the damage increases by 1d6 for every three class levels thereafter.
Astonishingly Light (Ex): It feels like this staff weighs nothing at all! You may use your Dexterity modifier instead of your Strength modifier on attack rolls with the staff.
Magical Girl Transformation (Su): No self-respecting magical girl only has one set of clothes. Beginning at 3rd level, once per day as a standard action you can transform your staff and your clothing into a new form that grants you new powers. The transformation lasts until the end of the encounter or until you fall unconscious. You may use this ability one additional time per day for every six class levels you have, but no more than once per encounter.
When you transform you may choose one of the following forms:
Elemental Sparkle: You tap into the most fundamental powers of elemental magic. Select one type of elemental energy (acid, cold, electricity, or fire). You gain resist 5 + your caster level to that energy type. Your astonishing light deals the energy damage you choose, and any spells you cast that deal damage of that type gain a +2 bonus to caster level checks. Your staff and clothing transform to a style befitting your energy type.
Speed of Light: At 6th level, you can make yourself almost impossible to pin down. You gain a +20 enhancement bonus to your base speed and a +4 dodge bonus to Armor Class against attacks of opportunity. When you cast an instantaneous spell that requires a Reflex saving throw, you add +2 to the Difficulty Class for that saving throw. You can make two astonishing light attacks as a standard action, but each attack must target a different creature and you take a -2 penalty on both attacks. At 16th level you can make three astonishing light attacks as a standard action and each attack takes a -4 penalty. Your staff and clothing become a sleek, modern style.
Gold Gleam: At 10th level, your love of finer things manifests in your powers. You gain DR/adamantine equal to one-third your caster level and you add your caster level to your Combat Maneuver Defense. Your astonishing light deals magical bludgeoning damage, and whenever you hit a target with it you can make a Combat Maneuver check to push it 5 feet regardless of its size. Your Combat Maneuver Bonus for this check is equal to your caster level + your Charisma modifier. You treat your caster level as two higher whenever you cast a spell with a material component with a cost greater than 25 gp. Your staff and clothing transform to an expensive-looking gold.
Swarm of Beauty: At 14th level, nature’s most delicate creatures flock to you. Attacks against you have a 20% miss chance. You gain a fly speed of 30 feet, but if you are flying when you end your turn you fall to the ground. When you damage a creature with your astonishing light, allies gain a +2 bonus on attack rolls against that creature and you add +2 to the Difficulty Class for all saving throws that creature makes against your spells. Both bonuses last for one round. Your staff and clothing take on a butterfly motif.
Glittering Princess: At 18th level, you become an archetypal princess. Any enemy attempting to directly attack you must succeed on a Will save, as the spell sanctuary. Any creature you damage automatically succeeds on this saving throw. When you reduce a creature to 0 hit points or lower with your astonishing light, that creature must make a Will save. On a failed save the creature’s attitude toward you changes to helpful. The DC of both saves is equal to 10 + 1/2 your level + your Charisma modifier. Your staff and clothing transform into royal regalia.
Ladylike Identity (Su): Your staff also gives you other kinds of power. Beginning at 4th level, you can transform your staff into a necklace, brooch, or other piece of jewelry. Transforming the staff into jewelry or back again is a move action. As long as you are wearing this jewelry prominently, you receive a circumstance bonus on Disguise checks equal to one-half your class level when you disguise yourself as a member of the opposite sex.
Consultation (Ex): Your familiar is full of information, and not all of it is correct. Beginning at 5th level, as a free action you can consult with your familiar to gain a +5 bonus to an Intelligence-based skill check. If you do, you take a -5 penalty to the next Intelligence-based check you make while you can hear your familiar. You cannot use your familiar to gain a bonus on this check. At 10th level and again at 15th level, this bonus increases by +5; the penalty does not increase.
Armor of Fashion (Su): Sufficiently fabulous clothes enhance your defense. Beginning at 5th level, you gain an additional +1 armor bonus to AC when you cast mage armor. You can only use this ability when your mundane clothing costs more than 100 gp per caster level. At 10th level, and every five levels thereafter, this bonus increases by +1.
Reluctant Sacrifice (Ex): Your familiar supports you, not the other way around. Beginning at 8th level, when you take damage that would bring you below 0 hit points, your familiar can take the damage instead. Your familiar cannot reduce or prevent this damage in any way. You can only use this ability if the damage would not bring your familiar below 0 hit points.
Finishing Attack (Su): You have a powerful ability you only use to finish off opponents. Beginning at 9th level, you can expend a spell slot of the highest level you can cast to target one creature within close range and roll 1d8 per caster level. If the total of your roll is equal to or higher than the target’s hit points, the target dies. If the target is immune to death effects because of its creature type, it is destroyed. Because this is neither damage nor a spell, damage reduction, energy immunity, spell resistance, and similar effects cannot prevent it. You may determine the form of this attack when you receive this ability and you may change it whenever you gain access to a new level of spells.
Three Faces of Eve (Su): You can tweak your identity to get what you want. Beginning at 11th level, you gain a +4 bonus to Bluff, Diplomacy, or Intimidate checks while you are in your ladylike identity. This bonus is doubled on checks made against creatures sexually attracted to you. Each day when you regain your spells, you can change the skill to which this bonus applies.
The Friendship of Power (Ex): There’s benefit to keeping your allies alive. Beginning at 12th level, when you cast a spell with an area of effect you can choose one ally in that area. That ally automatically succeeds at any saving throw required by the spell and gains a +2 bonus to one d20 roll of their choice before the end of their next turn.
Flawless (Ex): You can’t fail if you don’t try. Beginning at 17th level, whenever you fail a skill check you can retroactively decide not to make the skill check at all. You still lose the action you used to make the check, but you suffer no consequences from failure.
Queen of Forever (Su): You can steal from the future to benefit yourself now. Beginning at 20th level, once per day as a full-round action you can transform into an older, more mature version of yourself. The transformation lasts until the end of the encounter or until you fall unconscious. While transformed, all spells you cast are empowered, extended, enlarged, and widened as by the relevant metamagic feats. Each time you use this ability, your maximum age decreases by five years.
I demand sacrifices to this perfection!