Blade
From Cf
The blade is an expert in the use of archaic weapons such as as swords, flails, axes or polearms. She can be a savage warrior, a gallant swashbuckler or a noble kendoka.
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Role
The blade is a swift and light combatant who uses archaic weapons and fairly light armor when she engages her enemies in melee. She uses her agility, her strength and her speed to strike hard, precise and swiftly as a first-line fighter.
Abilities
Strength, Dexterity 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. Dexterity is important both for defense, initiative and with the use of weapon finesse amd any ranged weapons. 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.
Game Rules
Hit Die
d10
Class Skills
The blade’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are:
- Balance (Dex)
- Craft (archaic weapons) (Wis)
- 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:
Sure Footed
A blade gains Skill Focus: Balance as a bonus feat.
Acrobatic
A blade gains Acrobatic as a bonus feat at 2nd 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 11th level, the bonus increases to +4 and at 20th level to +6. This bonus stacks with the benefit provided by the Improved Initiative feat.
Precise Strike
At 7th 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 14th level, the extra damage on a precise strike increases to +2d6 and at 19th level to +3d6.
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 10th 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.
Evasion
At 13th level, a blade can avoid unusual attacks with great agility. If she makes a successful Reflex saving throw against an attack that normally deals half damage on a successful save, she instead takes no damage. Evasion can be used only if the blade is wearing light armor or no armor. A helpless blade does not gain the benefit of evasion.
Acrobatic Charge
At 16th level, a blade gains the ability to charge in situations where others cannot. She may charge over difficult terrain that normally slows movement. Depending on the circumstance, she may still need to make appropriate checks to successfully move over the terrain.
Improved Adrenaline Rush
At 17th level, a blade can temporarily increase two physical ability scores.
| Level | Base Attack Bonus | Fort Save | Ref Save | Will Save | Special | Defense Modifier |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | +1 | +2 | +2 | +0 | Sure Footed | +1 |
| 2 | +2 | +3 | +3 | +0 | Acrobatic | +2 |
| 3 | +3 | +3 | +3 | +1 | +3 | |
| 4 | +4 | +4 | +4 | +1 | Uncanny Dodge | +4 |
| 5 | +5 | +4 | +4 | +1 | Improved Reaction +2 | +5 |
| 6 | +6/+1 | +5 | +5 | +2 | +6 | |
| 7 | +7/+2 | +5 | +5 | +2 | Precise Strike +1d6 | +7 |
| 8 | +8/+3 | +6 | +6 | +2 | Improved Uncanny Dodge | +8 |
| 9 | +9/+4 | +6 | +6 | +3 | +9 | |
| 10 | +10/+5 | +7 | +7 | +3 | Adrenaline Rush | +10 |
| 11 | +11/+6/+1 | +7 | +7 | +3 | Improved Reaction +4 | +11 |
| 12 | +12/+7/+2 | +8 | +8 | +4 | +12 | |
| 13 | +13/+8/+3 | +8 | +8 | +4 | Evasion | +13 |
| 14 | +14/+9/+4 | +9 | +9 | +4 | Precise Strike +2d6 | +14 |
| 15 | +15/+10/+5 | +9 | +9 | +5 | +15 | |
| 16 | +16/+11/+6/+1 | +10 | +10 | +5 | Acrobatic Charge | +16 |
| 17 | +17/+12/+7/+2 | +10 | +10 | +5 | Improved Adrenaline Rush | +17 |
| 18 | +18/+13/+8/+3 | +11 | +11 | +6 | +18 | |
| 19 | +19/+14/+9/+4 | +11 | +11 | +6 | Precise Strike +3d6 | +19 |
| 20 | +20/+15/+10/+5 | +12 | +12 | +6 | Improved Reaction +6 | +20 |
