Songblade (3.5e Class)

Songblade
So, your tank just dropped, huh? Tough luck. Now your squishy little wizard is two turns away from bloody obliteration by some orc who has only gotten angrier from your local dude in the heavy armor pounding on him for the last 20 minutes. What to do, what to do? This is when you need a songblade, from out of nowhere he comes, blazing past enemies poised at the ready to intercept him, and in one decisive blow, finishing what the guy with the huge weapon failed to.

Making a Songblade
Songblades in a party work like the proverbial short-stop, basically being a second line of defense so the enemies that get past the front line never make it to the arcane fire support.

Abilities: Dexterity and Intelligence hold sway as the most important abilities for a Songblade. Dexterity being applied to all melee attack rolls and their armor class. Intelligence Also being applied to their armor class and to all damage rolls. A smart and quick songblade has been known to fell entire armies before a lucky arrow strikes them in the back.

Races: A songblade's style and finesse paralell the blunt approach of most average soldiers, so dwarven and orcish songblades are rare. To the opposite extreme elves with their respect to art understand the subtle underhanded stylistic ways of the songblade, and make good candidates with their natural dexterity.

Alignment: Any.

Starting Gold: starting gold; 3d6&times;10 gp (95 gp)

Starting Age: Moderate

Class Features
All of the following are class features of the songblade.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A Songblade is proficient with all one handed and light slashing weapons. A songblade is proficient with no type of armor or shield.

 (Ex): Even at 1st level, songblades cross distances and clear gaps with un-paralelled efficency. A songblade hereby applies half his class level (rounded down) an enhancement bonus to the, , and  skills, as long as he is wearing no armor and carrying no more than a light load.

 (Ex): A songblade's training is more than learning to evade and attack, it is replete with study of human psychology, common tactics, and anatomy, this knowledge manifests as a songblade knowing what his opponent will do before he knows he will do it himself. Therefore at 1st level a songblade applies his Intelligence modifier as an insight bonus to his AC as long as he is wearing no armor and carrying no more than a light load.

 (Ex): At 1st level a songblade has begun his path down his own particular brand of the martial art of the singing razor, and may choose from one of the distinct variations. He either chooses the leaping sword and automatically gains Improved Initiative or the intuitive blade and gains Weapon Focus (Any Slashing).

 (Ex): Starting at 2nd level, a songblade can react to danger before his senses would normally allow him to do so. He retains his Dexterity bonus to AC (if any) even if he is caught flat-footed or struck by an invisible attacker. However, he still loses her Dexterity bonus to AC if immobilized.

 (Ex): At 2nd level, a songblade begins the main discipline of his craft, defeating the many, with the one. Thus granting the Combat Reflexes feat.

 (Ex): Songblades are steady, agile, dextrous, and above all else, efficient. With any weapon that is considered a one handed slashing weapon for the songblade, he may apply his dexterity modifier to all attack and damage rolls made in place of his strength modifier.

 (Ex): A Songblade's accuracy and intelligence are greater weapons than even the sharpest of swords, and armor is sometimes nothing to stop them. Once per encounter a songblade can take a standard action to take a Spot, Concentration, Search, or Knowledge (Architecture & Engineering) check equal to one opponent's flat-footed AC. If the songblade succeeds all opponents wearing the same specific type of armor as the target creature are treating as having an armor bonus lowered by the above amount for the purpose of only the songblade's attack rolls. If the perscribed penalty is more than the opponents actual armor bonus, it only reduces as much as the opponent has armor, no further. At 16th level, the songblade may ignore his opponents armor all together. This ability is only usable as long as he is wearing no armor and carrying no more than a light load.

 (Ex): A songblade's exstensive study of anatomy has taught him to strike where it will do the most damage to near any conceivable target. At 3rd level a songblade may take a standard action to survey his opponents and ascertain their anatomical weakspots, to do this, he makes either a Spot, Concentration, Sense Motive or Knowledge (Nature) check equal to one opponents touch AC. Upon Success, a songblade may apply his intelligence modifer to all damage rolls made against creatures of the same subtype as the creature upon whom the spot check was made. This ability is usable once per encounter and only as long as he is wearing no armor and carrying no more than a light load.

 (Ex): At 4th level a songblade can take a 5 foot step and draw his weapon as one, simultaneous, immediate action, once a day, as long as he is wearing no armor and carrying no more than a light load.

 (Ex): A 4th level a songblade’s land speed is faster than the norm for his race by +15 feet. This benefit applies only when he is wearing no armor and not carrying any more than a light load.

 (Ex): At 5th level, songblades who chose Improved Initiative at 1st level gain the Dodge feat, regardless of the prerequisites. Songblades who chose Weapon Focus at 1st level gain the Weapon Specialization feat, regardless of the prerequisite.

 (Ex): In the hands of a songblade, a blade isn't just a strip of metal with a long tapered edge, it is the potential for harm. Because of their extensive training with all forms of sharp objects, whenever a songblade attacks with a slashing weapon he adds a +1 competence bonus to the damage roll at 6th level. This bonus increases to +2 at 10th level, +3 at 10th level, +4 at 15th, and +5 at 20th level.

 (Ex): A songblade of 6th level or higher can no longer be flanked.

This defense denies a rogue the ability to sneak attack the character by flanking him, unless the attacker has at least four more rogue levels than the target does.

If a character already has uncanny dodge (see above) 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 rogue level required to flank the character.

 (Ex): At 6th level a songblade no longer incurs penalties to his movement speed for moving over difficult terrain.

 (Ex): At 7th level a songblade goes beyond a mere fighter and becomes what he groomed to be, a killing machine. He thus gains the Cleave feat, even if he doesn't meat the prerequisite.

 (Ex): A songblade's speed is his strongest weapon, and sometimes the best way to use a weapon is to throw it right in your opponents face. At 7th level when a songblade charges instead of being capable of moving a total of double his base land speed he can move 3 times this speed. This ability has the added bonus of adding a +1 bonus to the damage to the target at the end of the charge for every 10 feet the songblade has traversed. This damage can be stacked to a limit of the songblade's intelligence modifier.

 (Ex): At 7th level during a songblade's full attack action, with any weapon that is considered a one handed slashing weapon for him, he can attack as many opponents as he has attacks, as long as they are with in melee range.

 (Ex): A songblade of 9th level or higher can charge in situations where others cannot. He may charge over difficult terrain that normally slows movement or allies blocking his path. This ability enables his to run down steep stairs, leap down from a balcony, or to tumble over tables to get to his target. Depending on the circumstance, he may still need to make appropriate checks (Jump or Tumble checks, in particular) to successfully move over the terrain.

 (Ex): At 8th level a songblade who chose Improved Initiative at first level gains the Mobility feat, regardless of the prerequisites. A songblade who chose Weapon Focus At first level gains the Greater Weapon Focus Feat, regardless of the prerequisites.

 (Su): At 9th level a songblade's accuracy with his blades are so powerful, he can cut down things that are barely there. All weapons that are considered one handed slashing weapons for the songblade are treated as if they have the ghost touch ability.

 (Su):At 10th level, a songblade can take part of one of your move actions to traverse a wall or other relatively smooth vertical surface if you begin and end your move on a horizontal surface. The height you can achieve on the wall is limited only by this movement restriction. If you do not end your move on a horizontal surface, you fall prone, taking falling damage as appropriate for your distance above the ground. Treat the wall as a normal floor for the purpose of measuring your movement. Passing from floor to wall or wall to floor costs no movement; you can change surfaces freely. Opponents on the ground can make attacks of opportunity as you move up the wall.

 (Ex): At 11th level, a songblade has near mastered his unique fighting style, and for a number of rounds per encounter equal to the songblade's dexterity modifier can become a whirling combination of grace and keen fury. Fellow songblades call this all important move, the blade dance. While in this dance, he can take a full attack action (for melee attacks only) and still move up to his speed. However, the songblade must move a minimum of 5 feet between each attack when using this ability, and he cannot return to a square he just exited (though he may return to that square later during his full attack). The songblade is subject to attacks of opportunity while dancing, but may tumble normally as part of his move. A songblade prevented from completing his move is also prevented from finishing his full attack.

 (Ex): At 11th level a songblade who chose Improved Initiative at first level Gains the Spring Attack feat, regardless of the prerequisites. A songblade who chose Weapon Focus at 1st level gains the Greater Weapon Specialization feat regardless of the prerequisites.

 (Ex): At 12th level a songblade has become so fast, most enemies don't even see him coming. In addition to increasing the total charge distance to 4&times; the songblade's base land speed, when charging past a threatened square, the threatener must make a reflex save equal to 10 + the songblade's dex modifier + 1/2 the songblade's class level. Upon failure the threatener cannot make an attack of oppurtunity against the songblade. Upon success the attacker may roll to make his attack of opportunity as normal.

 (Ex): At 13th level, a songblade can avoid even magical and unusual attacks with great agility. If he makes a successful Reflex saving throw against an attack that normally deals half damage on a successful save, he instead takes no damage. Evasion can be used only if the songblade is wearing no armor. A helpless songblade does not gain the benefit of evasion.

 (Ex): At 13th level, the songblade can make a full attack at the end of his charge. These additional attacks do not gain any of the movement dependant bonuses that the first attack does.

 (Ex): At 14th level, a songblade can make a number of ninety degree direction changes equal to half the songblade's dexterity modifier (rounded down) during all his charge attacks. However, he may not return to a square he just exited. He may return to that square later, however.

 (Su): At 15th level a songblade has the ability to move so fast people he passes need to fight for their balance. When charging, all people he passes within 10 feet of must succeed on a Fortitude save equal to 12 + the songblade's dexterity modifier or are affected as if by the Gust of Wind spell.

 (Su): Songblades have learned to move so quickly that they have transcended normal means of movement. At 16th level as a move action a songblade can instantly teleport a number of feet equal to his Songblade class level &times; 20 per day. This distance needn't be traversed all at once, and distance not teleported does not carry over to the next day.

 (Su): Nothing is beyond a songblades reach, not even the sky itself. At 17th level a songblade may make one melee attack per encounter that is effectively a line attack with a distance equal to his twice his dexterity modifier. The songblade uses the same attack and damage result for every object (including allies) in the line of effect.

 (Ex): At 18th level when a songblade moves into a threatened square and provokes an attack of opportunity, the attacker must make a reflex save equal to 10 + the songblade's dex modifier + 1/2 the songblade's class level to have the privelege of taking the attack of opportunity.

 (Su): A songblade's speed at 19th level is beyond speed, it is transcendence. Once per day a songblade from this level on may take an immediate action to inherit the Incorporeal subtype and all it's benefits for a number of rounds equal to the songblade's dexterity modifier per day. This ability can be spread out over multiple uses, and rounds not used do not carry over to the next day.

 (Su): At 20th level, a songblade's edge is so sharp, he can slice the fabric of reality itself. Once a day, at the end of a charge made at the maximum possible distance a songblade may make an attack against his opponent, if the attack lands the opponent must succeed on a will save with a DC equal to 10 + 1/2 the songblade's class level + the songblade's intelligence modifier or act as if touched by a sphere of annihilation.

Playing a Songblade
Religion: Songblades are similiar to fighters in their need for strength, and so Kord is always an option in terms of worship, unlike fighters, a songblade's strength comes from all around different places, so Boccob is an option. Evil songblades, like any evil class with a sharp object lean toward Erythnull and Nerull.

Other Classes: Songblades as a rule garner the most respect from fighters and wizards. Fighters who respect their intense training, and sheer ability to wipe out large amounts of people in small amounts of time, and wizards, who have much respect for their method of fighting, using beyond conventional wisdom to find weakspots to bring down even the largest of foes. Monks have some respect for the songblade both being highly trained and evasive, but monks have a much more pacifistic mentality in comparison to the "kill everything in the room" approach the best of the songblade martial art subscribe to. Barbarians needn't be mentioned, as the obvious ipmplication is the question "Why think? Just kill!"

Combat: There are two situations where a songblade finds himself most useful. You open a door, and immediately your DM goes to great lengths to describe to you the sheer number of enemies there are behind the door. With the numerous amounts of attacks of opportunity permitted to the songblade, his all but unlimited mobility, and ability to fight up to four opponents in one turn, you have nigh unbeatable crowd control. On other hand, a situation where you find yourself faced with one, very big, very angry monster who you just don't seem to meet eye to eye with, you become the equivalent of an ICBM at a distance, building up damage from long distance charges, standard actions to ascertain his weak spots and reducing his undoubtedly high AC, to take down the big bad before he has the chance to consider you a threat.

Advancement: Multiclassing into a monk offers a significant bonus to the songblade who is lucky enough to have a high enough wisdom score, the combination of there different stats being applied to one's AC is a very powerful combination. Those who want to maximize their combat potential find a barbarian a viable option.