Blade

From Cf

Revision as of 11:58, 16 March 2007

The blade is an expert combatant with archaic weapons such as as swords, flails, axes or polearms. She can be a savage fighter, a gallant swashbuckler, a member of an order that honors ancient fighting styles, or in dire times where firearms are rare and restricted, she can be a swordswoman out of mere neccessity.

Role

The blade is a light and swift combatant who uses archaic weapons and light armor to engage her enemies. She uses her defensive skills, her strength and her speed to strike hard and swiftly as a first-line fighter.

Abilities

Strength and Constitution are the blade's most important abilities. Strength is an important factor in all melee combat, providing bonuses to both her attack and damage rolls. Furthermore, being up-close to combat and often sustaining large amounts of injury, the blade is in need of a high Constitution score to increase her hit points. Blades who use light armor and focus on speed and agility instead of heavy armor and shields, are in need of a high Dexterity score as well. Dexterity also provides the blade with hand-to-eye coordination for ranged combat, as well as a better initiative score.

Game Rules

Hit Die

d10

Class Skills

The blade’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are:

• Balance (Dex)
• Jump (Str)
• Listen (Wis)
• Move silently (Dex)
• Ride (Dex)
• Spot (Wis)
• Tumble (Dex)

Skill Points

• First level: (2 + Int. modifier) x4.
• Additional levels: 2 + Int. modifier.

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the blade.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency

A blade has the following weapon and armor proficiency feats:

• Simple Weapons
• Archaic Weapons
• Light Armor
• Medium Armor
• Archaic Armor
• Archaic Shields

Grace

A blade gains an additional +2 competence bonus on all Reflex saving throws. This ability functions for a blade only when she is wearing light armor and carry small shields.

Agile

A blade gains Agile as a bonus feat at 2nd level.

Acrobatic

A blade gains Acrobatic as a bonus feat at 3rd level.

Uncanny Dodge

Starting at 4th level, a blade can react to danger before her senses would normally allow her to do so. She retains her Dexterity bonus to AC (if any) even if she is caught flat-footed or struck by an invisible attacker. However, she still loses her Dexterity bonus to AC if immobilized. If a blade already has uncanny dodge from a different class she automatically gains improved uncanny dodge instead.

Improved Reaction

At 5th level, a blade gains a +2 bonus on initiative checks. At 10th level, the bonus increases to +4. This bonus stacks with the benefit provided by the Improved Initiative feat.

Precise Strike

At 6th level, a blade gains the ability to strike precisely with a light or one-handed piercing weapon, gaining an extra 1d6 damage added to her normal damage roll. A blade's precise strike only works against living creatures with discernible anatomies. Any creature that is immune to critical hits is not vulnerable to a precise strike, and any item or ability that protects a creature from critical hits also protects a creature from a precise strike. At 12th level, the extra damage on a precise strike increases to +2d6 and at 18th level to +3d6.

Action Boost

This ability, gained at 7th level, allows a blade to spend 2 action points on a single action in a round. A blade can spend 1 action point, see the result of the roll, and then decide to spend a second point, as long as she does so before the Gamemaster reveals the result of the action.

Improved Uncanny Dodge

A blade of 8th level or higher can no longer be flanked. This defense denies another creature the ability to sneak attack the character by flanking her, unless the attacker has at least four more class levels in the class giving him the sneak attack ability than the target does.

If a character already has uncanny dodge from a second class, the character automatically gains improved uncanny dodge instead, and the levels from the classes that grant uncanny dodge stack to determine the minimum class level required to flank the character.

Adrenaline Rush

At 9th level, a blade can temporarily increase one of her physical ability scores (Strength, Dexterity, or Constitution). The blade spends 1 action point and gets to increase the selected ability score by 4 points. The increase lasts for a number of rounds equal to her class level. At the end of the duration, the blade is fatigued for 1d4+1 rounds.

Improved Adrenaline Rush

At 15th level, a blade can temporarily increase two physical ability scores.

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