Viewtiful Warrior (3.5e Class)

Summary::A fleet-footed fighter who draws his or her strength from theatrics. Length::20 Base Attack Bonus Progression::Good Fortitude Save Progression::Poor Reflex Save Progression::Good Will Save Progression::Good Class Ability::VFX Class Ability Progression::Full



Viewtiful Warrior
There are many sources one can turn to for power. Some use magic to empower themselves, unlocking the secrets of the universe through study, inborn power, or faith in a deity or in nature. Some use their ki to empower themselves. Some use the power of their mind to break their enemies. Some simply master weapons, some get incredibly angry, and some use fancy special techniques. The Viewtiful Warrior is none of these (well, okay, he's kind of the last one, but those who follow the Sublime Way might be insulted by the comparison). No, the Viewtiful Warrior gets his strength from the force known only as "Viewtiful Effects", or "VFX". He fights with style, and this is the source of his power.

Making a Viewtiful Warrior
The Viewtiful Warrior uses VFX to enhance his effectiveness and do things that nobody else can. But he must do so judiciously, for VFX has its limits. If used too much, the VFX will temporarily leave him, and then he becomes vulnerable. He can fight well enough on his own, but he appreciates having friends to watch his back while he recharges, as regaining his power tends to take him a while.

Abilities: Charisma is by far the Viewtiful Warrior's most important ability, as many of his class abilities depend on it (his strength stems from living his life in the spotlight, after all). After that, he needs Dexterity to enhance his dodging abilities (and perhaps ranged attack rolls), and Strength to enhance his melee damage and chances of hitting (especially when he isn't using VFX). Constitution is (as always) useful for hit points and Fortitude saves, as the Viewtiful Warrior's hit die is a little small for a melee fighter. Last in the order of importance are Wisdom (for Will saves, Viewtiful Dodge at low levels, and Stunning Fist at high levels) and Intelligence (for skill points).

Races: Humans, with their love of being the center of attention, are very likely to pursue this path if they find they have the talent for it. Gnomes also find this path quite appealing, as it melds well with their natural abilities. Dwarves and elves don't quite get the appeal - they find Viewtiful Warriors a bit showoffish (which they are, and that's an understatement) and distasteful (which is a matter of opinion).

Alignment: Any.

Starting Gold: 6d6&times;10 gp (210 gp).

Starting Age: Simple.

Class Features
All of the following are class features of the Viewtiful Warrior.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Viewtiful Warriors are proficient with all simple weapons, four martial weapons, and one exotic weapon, but most prefer not to use them. Unarmed combat is the primary style of most, with a few Viewtiful Warriors choosing to supplement this with some sort of ranged weapon or sword (or staves, in a few cases). Viewtiful Warriors are not proficient with any armor or shields. A hero doesn't block, he dodges with style!

This mystical energy is born from the essence of drama and style. A Viewtiful Warrior has a pool of VFX that recharges over time - slowly at first, but eventually at a respectable rate. His VFX powers drain VFX for as long as they remain in use, with the rate decided by the VFX power in question. VFX upkeep costs are paid at the start of the Viewtiful Warrior's turn, before he can take any actions (even free actions). So long as he retains at least 1 point of VFX, a Viewtiful Warrior has abilities that easily match or exceed any other melee class (except perhaps for a martial adept or edgemaster), but if it runs out completely, he's reduced to a mere warrior (and a fairly frail one at that) until at least 4 points of VFX have recharged. This is very annoying at higher levels and outright devastating at lower levels, so be careful!

VFX does not recharge while any VFX power (Slow, Mach Speed, Replay, Zoom, and other long-term VFX powers granted by feats or prestige classes) is in use!!! For Viewtiful Warriors below 10th level without sufficient levels in prestige classes to enhance their recharge rate, the interval between regaining VFX points is paused, not restarted, while VFX is in use.

All long-term VFX powers require a free or immediate action to begin or end, depending on whether or not it's the Viewtiful Warrior's turn. (Yes, a Viewtiful Warrior can toggle VFX powers on and off repeatedly during his turn, but he uses up 1 point of VFX every 2 times he does this - even small VFX expenditures can add up when done in quick succession.) All VFX powers can be used in conjunction with each other, and their effects stack (the only exception is Slow and Mach Speed, which interact in a very limited way). However, using multiple VFX powers in conjunction requires the Viewtiful Warrior to pay all of their upkeep costs on each round, and if he cannot, he loses all of his remaining VFX (and suffers the previously-mentioned consequences).

Some VFX powers granted by feats or prestige classes may be instantaneous or only require a VFX cost upon initiation (the "pure" Viewtiful Warrior has only two such powers &mdash; Air Raid, which only counts as a "long-term" power if its dimension door ability is used, and Viewtiful Forever, which is performed as a reaction to a narrow dodge and consumes all remaining VFX upon use). These VFX powers cannot be used at all if the Viewtiful Warrior has insufficient VFX to pay their VFX cost. Whether or not the Viewtiful Warrior can use them if he has exactly enough VFX to pay for them depends on the power (the power will tell you whether or not a surplus is required). If he can, and he elects to do so, he is considered to have run out of VFX until he recharges at least 4 VFX points.

It's not immediately obvious to outside observers that a VFX power is in effect. Creatures must observe how the interactions between the Viewtiful Warrior and the world around him are changed, then succeed on a Knowledge (theatrics) or Knowledge (psionics) check, in order to notice that a VFX power is in effect. (The DC depends on the subtlety of the effect, as described below.)


 * Mach Speed: DC 10 - It's pretty obvious that the Viewtiful Warrior's sped himself up somehow. And when the fire aura shows up, that's a sure sign that Slow isn't being used.
 * Slow: DC 20 - From the perspective of everyone else, the Viewtiful Warrior just sped himself up. It takes a keen eye to notice that he doesn't seem to possess the blistering attack speed he possesses under Mach Speed. Of course, the Viewtiful Warrior punching someone across the room is a dead giveaway.
 * Replay: DC 15 - Onlookers can't necessarily see the action being replayed (you need the ability to sense psionic effects for that), but as soon as the lightning aura appears, the jig's pretty much up.
 * Zoom: DC 30 - You don't have to be a Viewtiful Warrior to perform a straightblast punch or to slam into someone with your shoulder and buttocks. Whirling about like a top windmill with your feet outstretched or spinning like a drill whenever you jump, on the other hand... well, at the very least, the Viewtiful Warrior will be mistaken for a monk.

Being able to use VFX counts as being able to manifest powers or psi-like abilities for the purpose of being able to take psionic feats. However, VFX use does not meet manifesting level requirements. Whether or not VFX in general is considered a psi-like ability is up to the DM. If it is, then the Viewtiful Warrior's class level is treated as his manifester level for the purpose of taking Psionic feats; if not, the Viewtiful Warrior needs to acquire a psi-like ability to count as having a manifester level. If a VFX ability mimics a specific power, it can meet a prerequisite dependent upon knowing that power. VFX points are not power points, and cannot be used as such (including for feat prerequisites) unless the Viewtiful Warrior has a specific feat. Even then, VFX points are considered a separate pool of power points from the pools of any actual psionic classes the Viewtiful Warrior may also have, akin to a psicrystal or other power point storage device. VFX points also cannot be stored within any power point storage device, including psicrystals, unless the device is specifically capable of storing VFX.

A Viewtiful Warrior gains Improved Unarmed Strike as a bonus feat at 1st level. He does not need to meet the prerequisites. He retains this even if he runs out of VFX.

 : Viewtiful Warriors are natural experts at unarmed combat. In fact, their unarmed attack ability is equal to (if not superior to) a monk's! A Viewtiful Warrior is considered armed when making unarmed attacks and does not provoke attacks of opportunity. He can make unarmed attacks interchangeably with either fist or with elbows, knees, and feet (especially feet) - there's no such thing as an off-hand unarmed attack for a Viewtiful Warrior, so he may apply his full Strength modifier to all of his unarmed attacks, and he may use unarmed attacks even if his hands are full. He may choose whether to deal lethal or nonlethal damage for any given unarmed strike without taking a penalty for either (lethal damage is assumed to be the default), and his unarmed attacks are treated as both manufactured and natural weapons for the purposes of being enhanced by spells, maneuvers, powers, magic items, etc. A Viewtiful Warrior's unarmed attack damage and ability to penetrate damage reduction is equal to a monk of the same size category and class level. He loses this enhanced damage and damage reduction penetration if he runs out of VFX, but retains all other aspects of his Unarmed Mastery.

Viewtiful Warriors don't have the flurry of blows class feature, but can more than make up for that with VFX Mach Speed and VFX Zoom (especially Red Hot One Hundred), assuming that they are at a sufficiently high class level and choose the right class features. (...Admittedly, they can't keep it up for as long as a monk can...)

 : A Viewtiful Warrior takes "float like a butterfly" to its logical extreme, ducking under high attacks and leaping over low attacks with utterly breathtaking agility. The Viewtiful Warrior has a dodge bonus to AC equal to his Wisdom modifier or ½ his class level (rounded down), whichever is higher. He also gains a bonus to attack and damage rolls against stunned or paralyzed opponents equal to this dodge bonus. The dodge bonus granted by Viewtiful Dodge is reduced to ¼ his Wisdom modifier (rounded down) or ⅛ his class level (rounded down) if the Viewtiful Warrior has run out of VFX &mdash; he can technically still pull it off, but it's much more difficult without his VFX to augment his reaction time and guide his motions (he still adds the full dodge bonus he'd otherwise gain from this class feature to his attack and damage rolls against stunned or paralyzed opponents). Whether he has VFX or not, the Viewtiful Warrior can't gain a dodge bonus from Viewtiful Dodge while carrying a heavy load (but he still gets to add the dodge bonus he would receive from this class feature to attack and damage rolls against stunned or paralyzed opponents).

 : Any creature that misses the Viewtiful Warrior with all of its attacks for the round in melee is stunned for 1 round. This class ability is not lost if the Viewtiful Warrior runs out of VFX (though it might be harder to use).

 (VFX): A Viewtiful Warrior may jump while in the air. Once he does so, he must somehow stabilize his weight (typically by resting it on the ground, but anything that would allow him to use a movement speed he actually has works) before doing so again. When jumping from the ground, he may wait for the peak of his jump before jumping again. If falling, using this ability reduces falling damage to only apply from the point the jump was made from (which can negate it entirely, if the Viewtiful Warrior jumps close to the ground). This is a VFX ability, but does not actually consume any VFX points. Nonetheless, it can't be used if the Viewtiful Warrior has run out of VFX.

 : A Viewtiful Warrior may alter the details of any mundane clothing (including nonmagical armor) he wears any time he wants to do so. For example, he could change a purple outfit into a red one, or a yellow one, or a striped one, or a polka-dotted one, or a tie-dye one... He can also add or remove any small decorations (such as pins, emblems, or buttons) in this fashion. This ability is performed as a move action (which means that it takes enough time to provoke an attack of opportunity) and is the equivalent of a 0-level spell. The effect is instantaneous and can't be dispelled. The clothing is actually altered by this ability (which makes this a transmutation, not an illusion). This ability cannot alter the properties of a magic item (or even a mundane suit of armor) in any way that would alter its statistics, abilities, or interactions with other game mechanics. Using this ability emits a brief flash of light that, while short-lived, may be enough to give away the Viewtiful Warrior's position - certainly an inconvenience during those rare moments when he doesn't want to be seen.

At 4th level, Costume Swap becomes a swift action and no longer provokes attacks of opportunity. At 7th level, it becomes a free action. Its spell level doesn't rise as a result of this action cost reduction (as it's still really only useful for lampshading costume design changes, applying a flimsy disguise to yourself on the fly, or quickly changing your outfit to fit into a given social setting).

 (VFX): The first (and arguably most potent) VFX power a Viewtiful Warrior develops is VFX Slow. Using this power, the Viewtiful Warrior can tap into his VFX to slow down the world around him, out to a radius of 100 feet per level. VFX Slow costs 1 VFX point per round that it remains in effect. This has the following effects:


 * Time itself slows down - objects fall slower, projectiles move slower, creatures move slower, everything moves slower. One second under VFX Slow is equivalent to several seconds of normal time - the exact factor is hard to determine, but it's perfectly possible to react to bullets traveling several hundred feet per second (or miles per hour) under VFX Slow's effects, and supersonic jets are slowed down so much that they might as well be flying through molasses. The Viewtiful Warrior himself loses 10 feet of movement speed while this power is in effect, but everything around him behaves as if slowed, even if otherwise immune to such effects. Except where otherwise noted, this doesn't affect the "actual" movement speed of anything significantly enough to alter their inertia; for instance, a flying creature continues flying even if reduced to less than its minimum flight speed.
 * Starting from level 7, the slowdown from VFX Slow becomes more extreme. Creatures and characters other than the Viewtiful Warrior have their movement speed reduced by 40 feet plus 5 feet per two character levels past 7th, to a maximum of 60 feet at 15th level, or to ½ of their movement speed, whichever is less, relative to the Viewtiful Warrior. Starting from 17th level, VFX Slow reduces the movement speed of creatures and characters other than the Viewtiful Warrior by 60 feet (to a minimum of 5 feet) or to ¼ of their normal speed, whichever is less, relative to the Viewtiful Warrior.
 * The Viewtiful Warrior's attacks become more dramatic, and therefore more powerful. He adds his Charisma modifier (minimum +1) to all attack and damage rolls that he himself makes or which stem from sources that he is directly or indirectly responsible for (including spell-like effects, launched opponents, and redirected projectiles).
 * The dodge bonus from Viewtiful Dodge is doubled, and the Viewtiful Warrior gains improved uncanny dodge while VFX Slow is in effect. With everything slowed down, even the most rapid attack is outrageously slow and easy to see coming.
 *  (VFX, Ex): The Viewtiful Warrior can dodge just about anything, but at a price. As long as VFX Slow remains in effect, the Viewtiful Warrior gains a +20 dodge bonus to AC and Reflex saves (in addition to the bonuses from Viewtiful Dodge). However, anything that misses him by 20 or less is not subject to the "You're Too Slow!" ability (which means that he can't stun that foe on that round) and immediately costs him a move action from his next round (which he spends performing Matrix-style acrobatics) and 4 VFX points (or all of his VFX points if he has less than that remaining). The move action and VFX cost for a narrow dodge can only be incurred once per round. If the Viewtiful Warrior runs out of VFX, his powers are suppressed and VFX Slow immediately ends (but if he has Viewtiful Forever and an immediate action to spare, he can immediately use Zoom In and perform Viewtiful Forever before he actually loses his powers).
 *  (VFX, Ex): The Viewtiful Warrior can, with good timing, strike a projectile (such as a bullet or arrow) to send it in the opposite direction. To pull this off, he must make an attack roll that equals or exceeds the attack roll result or Reflex save DC +10 of the projectile attack (this can be done as an immediate action, a swift action, or an attack action (a standard action or part of a full attack)). A redirection attempt can be performed as either an immediate action or an attack of opportunity - whatever the Viewtiful Warrior feels like he can comfortably spare. If the Viewtiful Warrior misses, that means he messed up the timing; the projectile's trajectory is unaffected, and the Viewtiful Warrior takes a &minus;10 penalty to AC and Reflex saves against that projectile (he can technically still dodge it if he has enough time, and even if he doesn't, he may be able to pull off a narrow dodge anyways, but there's a limit to how fast he can react even with VFX Slow, and the failed attempt to redirect the projectile has subtracted a lot of precious time from his window of opportunity to get out of the way). If the Viewtiful Warrior hits, he has successfully redirected the projectile. The projectile's trajectory depends on how the Viewtiful Warrior strikes it. If he punches, shoots, or slashes the projectile, it goes back the way it came at a 0-degree angle (parallel to level ground). If he kicks it, it flies upwards the way it came at a 45-degree angle. If he hits it with an uppercut, it flies upwards at a 90-degree angle (that is, straight up). If he hits it with a Red Hot Kick, it flies downward the way it came at a 45-degree angle. The redirected projectile is even more dangerous than it was originally. It uses the Viewtiful Warrior's attack roll as its new attack roll or save DC (a save DC is the attack roll &minus;10), the Viewtiful Warrior's Charisma modifier is added to its damage, and if the redirected projectile strikes any enemy (especially the one who originally launched it), it stuns its victim (as a stunning fist attack) for 1 round with no save allowed. Projectiles whose size is equal to or greater than the Viewtiful Warrior (such as a boulder thrown by a giant) and projectiles that are not actually tangible (such as a magical ray) cannot be reflected with VFX Slow.
 *  (VFX, Ex): Whenever the Viewtiful Warrior strikes a stunned or paralyzed creature, that creature is launched away from the sheer force of the drama (the Viewtiful Warrior sees it slowly fly away, but to everyone else, the victim flies away at mach speed). The hapless creature is launched along the same trajectory as a reflected projectile, and continues traveling for 50 feet per level unless it hits a solid obstacle first. All other creatures in the way must succeed on a Reflex save (DC = 15 + ½ the Viewtiful Warrior's class level + the Viewtiful Warrior's Strength or Charisma modifier, whichever is higher + the launched creature's size modifier to grapple checks) to get out of the way; failure means that the creature is struck, and both the launched creature and the creature it struck take 2d8 damage + 1d8 damage for every three class levels the Viewtiful Warrior has. The launched creature travels right through other creatures in its path, regardless of whether or not they dodge it. If the launched creature strikes a solid obstacle that can stop its movement, it takes 1d6 damage for every 20 feet it had left to travel. Once one stunned creature has been launched in this way, all creatures that the Viewtiful Warrior strikes are launched in a similar fashion until the VFX Slow effect ends.
 * At level 20, the Viewtiful Warrior has mastered the art of hitting things so hard they get launched into the horizon. Creatures launched by being hit during VFX Slow (whether due to being stunned or paralyzed or the Viewtiful Warrior having already hit a stunned or paralyzed creature during that usage of VFX Slow) continue flying out to the edge of the VFX Slow radius unless they hit a solid obstacle first.
 * The Viewtiful Warrior's falling speed is reduced fivefold while VFX Slow is in effect. This can (and usually does) reduce falling damage sustained (every 50 feet fallen is treated as 10 feet).
 * Explosions in the area of VFX Slow become bigger and more dramatic, and do more damage as a result. The area and damage of all explosions subjected to a VFX Slow effect are doubled (if the Viewtiful Warrior himself caused the explosion or tampered with the explosive before it went off, the damage is doubled before the Viewtiful Warrior's Charisma modifier is applied). Needless to say, fireball and related spells subjected to this effect become ludicrously deadly. However, timed explosives are delayed by VFX Slow, just like everything else; the time until detonation is effectively doubled (2 rounds are counted as 1).
 * Propellers are slowed down and stop generating lift. Anything dependent on a propeller to fly is brought down to the ground (or at least loses a lot of altitude). This effect ends when VFX Slow does, allowing the object or creature to return to its original altitude.
 * Liquids flow more slowly, potentially causing input to exceed output and causing the liquid's volume to expand. A pool of liquid can expand to cover up to 50 additional cubic feet per Viewtiful Warrior level, but only if its level is determined by some sort of input-output balance (such as a lake being fed and drained by rivers, or the water in a sewer system). The liquid shrinks down to its original volume when the VFX Slow effect ends. Very large liquid bodies, such as an ocean, aren't strongly affected by this.
 * Balloons swell up (yet somehow never burst as a result of this), and anything being carried by said balloons is hoisted higher up into the air. When VFX Slow ends, the balloons return to their original proportions and altitude.
 * Spinning creatures or objects are drastically slowed down, to the point that the Viewtiful Warrior can perceive the object's "facing" at any given moment. For instance, he could predict which face a dreidel will land on. He also gains a +1 dodge bonus to AC against spinning-based attacks (such as Whirlwind Attack), and ignores bonuses to AC derived from spinning (as well as the effects of Barrel Roll and its more powerful variants). Tumble checks made to avoid provoking attacks of opportunity from the Viewtiful Warrior while he uses VFX Slow have a +5 increase to the DC for the Viewtiful Warrior's threat only (attacks of opportunity from other characters can be avoided with the same DCs as normal).
 * Another benefit of this aspect of VFX Slow is that slot machine reels slow down, with each reel advancing 1 space per round (each space being a possible reel reel result, though reel results with a higher probability than 1/X occupy a number of spaces equal to the number before the X). This lets the Viewtiful Warrior pick out any result he wants, as long as he can maintain the VFX Slow long enough (otherwise, he might have to use it multiple times, letting his VFX recharge between each Slow session). The reel result currently shown when the Viewtiful Warrior initiates VFX Slow is randomly determined as if the reel was being stopped.
 * Anything that gets sent flying by an attack or thrown by a creature travels twice as far as it otherwise would. This does not apply to opponents that the Viewtiful Warrior launches by hitting them until he reaches level 20, at which point it is already accounted for in the Viewtiful Warrior's ability to launch stunned creatures by having them travel out to the edge of the Viewtiful Warrior's range. This doesn't apply to anything that's fired rather than thrown, such as an arrow from a bow.

Time stop, haste, and other effects that temporally accelerate a creature can cancel out VFX Slow (and are likewise canceled out by VFX Slow), but only for the creatures or objects under said effects. (Many casino owners who know about Viewtiful Warriors have haste cast on their slot machines so that Viewtiful Warriors can't cheat them.)

The Voomerang is a V-shaped shuriken-like weapon that the Viewtiful Warrior is automatically proficient with. The Viewtiful Warrior throws it as a standard action that provokes attacks of opportunity, making a ranged attack roll, and it hits everything in its path whose AC it beats for 2d8 slashing damage. The Voomerang alters its flight path to hit as many creatures as it can, as many times as it can, with average maneuverability, but it's worn out after it's flown 300 total feet. Alternatively, the Viewtiful Warrior may use a full-round action when throwing the Voomerang to extend two more blades from its frame before throwing, increasing its damage to 4d8, its maneuverability to good, and its range to 600 feet. A single Voomerang takes 5 minutes and costs 150 gp for a Viewtiful Warrior to create.

A Viewtiful Warrior who prefers swords may instead elect to use  . He generates one blade of force per Viewtiful Warrior level as a full-round action, then launches them one at a time during the following rounds (one blade per round). Each sword flies at a single creature or object within 300 feet and attacks, as if it was the Viewtiful Warrior himself attacking with his own weapon. The Viewtiful Warrior must concentrate on this attack as a standard action each round, or it ends and the remaining blades are wasted. Round Trip may not be used for 5 rounds after it is concluded, and is the equivalent of a 2nd-level spell. The Viewtiful Warrior's caster level for this effect is equal to his Viewtiful Warrior class level. A Viewtiful Warrior who selects Round Trip can still use Voomerangs, but he cannot craft them himself, nor is he proficient with them.

The Viewiful Warrior cannot initiate Round Trip in the area of effect of an antmagic field, but he can continue to concentrate on a Round Trip in progress while within an antimagic field (however, the blades themselves can't enter the antimagic field, which may thwart his attempts to launch them; this wastes the blades in question but doesn't end the attack).

These are small explosives that pack just enough of a punch to break stubborn objects and tear mooks apart. The Viewtiful Warrior is automatically proficient with his Shocking Pinks. Deploying a Shocking Pink is a standard action that provokes attacks of opportunity, and the Shocking Pink can be tossed out to a range of 30 feet. A Shocking Pink explodes in 3 rounds and does 5d6 fire damage to all except the Viewtiful Warrior himself within a 10-foot radius (Reflex save for half, DC = 10 + ½ of the Viewtiful Warrior's class levels + the Viewtiful Warrior's Charisma modifier). The Viewtiful Warrior can strike the Shocking Pink before it explodes to reposition it, moving it up to 5 feet per 3 points of damage the attack would have dealt (this distance can be modified by his VFX powers). A single Shocking Pink takes 5 minutes and costs 200 gp for a Viewtiful Warrior to create.

 : A Viewtiful Warrior of 3rd level or higher is highly skilled at dodging attacks &mdash; even moreso than he was at 1st level, which says a lot. If subject to an effect that would ordinarily allow a Reflex save for half damage, he instead takes no damage on a successful save. If he already had evasion, he gains improved evasion instead; if he already had improved evasion, his Viewtiful Dodge bonus is increased by +2. The Viewtiful Warrior does not gain the benefit of evasion if he's lost his VFX due to overuse, nor can he use it if he wears heavy armor or carries a heavy load.

 : Starting at 3rd level, a Viewtiful Warrior is just as skilled at launching multiple attacks in the air as he is on the ground. Even without a fly speed, he can make a full attack while in midair. Furthermore, while in midair, he can descend at a mere 5 feet per round simply by repeatedly making attacks &mdash; even if those attacks are aimed at empty space. He must use a full attack action in order to utilize this benefit, and he cannot move from the square he occupies while using this technique, even if he's able to make full attacks as a standard action or take more than a single full-round action in a round.

 : Starting at 3rd level, each time the Viewtiful Warrior strikes an opponent with any attack, he gains a +1 bonus to attack and damage rolls against that opponent for the rest of the round. This bonus is not retroactively applied to the initial attack. If the Viewtiful Warrior hits the foe more than once, the bonus he gains to attack and damage rolls is cumulative (+1 on the second attack, +2 on the third attack, +3 on the fourth attack, and so on and so forth).

He does not need to meet the prerequisites for it.

 : The signature move of the Viewtiful Warrior (other than his VFX), this fanciful move, earned at 5th level, is a midair kick that drops to the ground at a 45-degree angle until it reaches the ground or something that can be attacked. The attack is initiated as a standard action and uses a melee attack roll to make contact. Once impact against the target is made, the Viewtiful Warrior bounces off the target and may perform the attack again. Red Hot Kick may only be performed 2 times before the Viewtiful Warrior needs to restabilize himself (in the same way that he restabilizes himself for the Double Jump, which usually means touching the ground). A Red Hot Kick may be canceled at any point before impact by performing any other attack action, a double jump, or by restabilizing himself. Compared to any other unarmed attack, a Red Hot Kick does damage as though the Viewtiful Warrior is two sizes larger than he actually is.

This move is the Red Hot Kick if the Viewtiful Warrior develops VFX Mach Speed, but it can also be known as the if the Viewtiful Warrior chooses to develop the Replay power. That choice isn't made until 6th level. Whether the move is the Red Hot Kick or Cool Blue Kick is unimportant until VFX Zoom is developed (at 8th level).

At 6th level, the Viewtiful Warrior chooses either VFX Mach Speed or VFX Replay. This choice impacts some of his future class features.

 (VFX): The Viewtiful Warrior speeds everything (but especially himself) up. VFX Mach Speed requires 2 VFX points per round to maintain. VFX Mach Speed has the following effects:


 * The Viewtiful Warrior gains a 100-foot enhancement bonus to movement speed. This enhancement bonus is increased by +10 feet per class level. (At 6th level, the enhancement bonus is +160 feet.)
 * If the Viewtiful Warrior doesn't have the Run feat, he is treated as though he has it (without requiring its prerequisites) while VFX Mach Speed is in effect. If he does have it, his running speed multiplier is increased by 1 (&times;6 if unencumbered, &times;5 if in heavy armor or carrying a heavy load) while using VFX Mach Speed.
 * The Viewtiful Warrior gets two extra attacks at his full BAB if attacking with a standard action, or six extra attacks at his full BAB if making a full attack action. This doesn't apply to Red Hot Kick. With Red Hot One Hundred, the Viewtiful Warrior can get four extra attacks at his full BAB if attacking with a standard action, or twelve extra attacks at his full BAB if making a full attack action (this isn't possible until 8th level, and only applies to unarmed attacks).
 * The Viewtiful Warrior falls five times as quickly as usual.
 *  (VFX, Su): When the Viewtiful Warrior manages to connect with four or more attacks in a single round, he gains a fiery aura for five rounds. While covered with this fiery aura, his attacks deal an additional 2d6 fire damage, and he gains immunity to fire and fire anti-resistance equal to 5&times; his class level that can overcome fire immunity and fire absorption. He can refresh the duration of his fiery aura before it vanishes simply by connecting with four or more attacks in a single round while under the effects of Mach Speed, but he does not need to continue using VFX Mach Speed to keep the fire aura active (at least until its duration runs out). If he runs out of VFX, the fire aura is immediately dispelled. The Viewtiful Warrior must be attacking something to generate or refresh the fire aura, but that something doesn't have to be a creature - it could be anything capable of taking damage or responding to being attacked (like a pillar, a chest, a wall without magical reinforcement, or even a slot machine or Shocking Pink).
 *  (VFX): When the Viewtiful Warrior connects with four or more attacks in a single round, he rapidly emits clones of himself. These clones rush out up to 150 feet away from the Viewtiful Warrior to fight for him. Each clone makes a single attack against a single creature or object, then vanishes. The Viewtiful Warrior makes two clones per round, assuming that he connects with four or more of his own attacks. The clones preferentially attack whatever is closest, other than what the Viewtiful Warrior himself is attacking, but he can direct them to attack anything within 30 feet of their chosen target or choose the direction(s) in which the clones move out to attack. The clones actually move along the air itself; they don't need to move along the ground, and can even be used to retrieve things that are out of reach. (A clone can be directed to retrieve a single object, which is done instead of attacking a creature or object, and bring it to the Viewtiful Warrior). The Viewtiful Warrior must be attacking something to generate clones, but that something doesn't have to be a creature - it could be anything capable of taking damage or responding to being attacked (like a pillar, a chest, a wall without magical reinforcement, or even a slot machine or Shocking Pink). Likewise, the clones can attack anything that can take damage or respond to being attacked (but they won't attack something that there's no point in attacking, like a random wall).
 * This ability improves at later levels. At 10th level, the Viewtiful Warrior generates 4 clones per round and they can move out to 300 feet away. At 13th level, the Viewtiful Warrior generates 6 clones per round and they can move out to as much as 450 feet away.


 * If the Viewtiful Warrior is on fire, he can put himself out simply by activating Mach Speed. He cannot be set on fire while Mach Speed is active. However, this is only as effective as jumping into water, so it may not be helpful against supernatural fires (such as the blackfire spell). Mach Speed also grants no fire resistance in and of itself (that requires the fire aura).
 * The following effects occur within a radius of 100 feet per class level:
 * Propellers are sped up, causing anything using them to fly to gain altitude. When VFX Mach Speed ends, the propellers return to their original speed and altitude.
 * The flow of liquids is accelerated, potentially causing output to exceed input. In a body of water whose level is dependent on an input-output balance (such as a lake fed and drained by rivers or a sewer system), the water can recede up to 50 cubic feet of volume per class level. This reverses itself when VFX Mach Speed ends. Very large bodies of water, such as the ocean, aren't strongly affected by this.
 * Balloons leak air and shrink, causing anything using them to fly to lose altitude or even hit the ground. A balloon that wasn't completely deflated will reinflate when VFX Mach Speed ends.
 * Explosions become rather small and pathetic. The area and damage of all explosion effects in range of VFX Mach Speed are halved. Timed explosives are hastened in VFX Mach Speed's area, and go off in half as much time (1 round is counted as 2).
 * Spinning objects and creatures (including slot machine reels) are sped up (as if the one-armed bandit wasn't unfair enough already). As far as game mechanics are concerned, this doesn't do anything important.
 * Anything that gets sent flying by an attack or thrown by a creature only travels half of the distance it otherwise would. (This doesn't apply to anything that's "fired", such as an arrow from a bow.)

VFX Mach Speed's effects and costs are greatly reduced when used in combination with VFX Slow; the only effect of VFX Mach Speed during VFX Slow is that the Viewtiful Warrior's movement speed is not reduced, and VFX Mach Speed only costs 1 VFX point per round to maintain when used in combination with VFX Slow. (In total, the Viewtiful Warrior uses 2 VFX per round.) VFX Mach Speed doesn't stack with haste or similar effects. Also, VFX Mach Speed cancels out slow and other such effects; however, these effects also cancel VFX Mach Speed.

 (VFX): This power records the action around the Viewtiful Warrior and repeats big moments for the audience's viewing pleasure. It costs 1 VFX point every round to maintain. While VFX Replay is in effect, whenever the Viewtiful Warrior lands a successful attack or is struck by an attack, that attack is repeated 2 times and the Viewtiful Warrior spends 1 point of VFX (the Viewtiful Warrior cannot choose whether or not this happens). Attacks that miss or otherwise fail to have any effect are not repeated by VFX Replay. If the Viewtiful Warrior runs out of VFX at any point, the Replay power immediately ends and the Viewtiful Warrior suffers the usual consequences of running out of VFX. The variables of the repeated attacks are the same as the original (attack roll result, damage roll result, critical hit status, etc.), but VFX Replay can force a target to make 3 saves or opposed rolls to avoid an effect. Effectively, VFX Replay triples damage (including damage from critical hits) and makes secondary effects of attacks 3 times more likely to happen (or can triple their effects, if the effects can stack and the target is really unlucky).


 *  (VFX, Su): If the Viewtiful Warrior himself directly made the attack that got tripled by VFX Replay, he gains a lightning aura for 5 rounds. This lightning aura adds an additional 2d6 electricity damage to the Viewtiful Warrior's attacks, and he gains immunity to electricity and electricity anti-resistance equal to 5&times; his class level that can overcome electricity immunity and electricity absorption. He can refresh the duration of his lightning aura by successfully making another Replay-enhanced attack. He does not lose the aura if he stops using Replay (at least, not until its duration runs out). However, if he runs out of VFX, he immediately loses the lightning aura. The Viewtiful Warrior must attack something to generate or maintain the lightning aura, but that something doesn't have to be a creature - it could be anything capable of taking damage or responding to being attacked (like a pillar, a chest, a wall without magical reinforcement, or even a slot machine or Shocking Pink).
 * : At 10th level, a Viewtiful Warrior who chose VFX Replay increases his threat range and critical multiplier by 1 (for example, from 20/&times;2 to 19-20/&times;3) while using VFX Replay. The threat range increase stacks with any other effects that increase threat range, such as Improved Critical, and is applied after effects that multiply threat range (such as keen edge). At 13th level, a Viewtiful Warrior who threatens a critical hit while using VFX Replay automatically confirms said critical hit.

At 7th level, the Viewtiful Warrior chooses either Yamaarashi, Desperado, or Stinger.

 : As a full-round action that provokes attacks of opportunity, the Viewtiful Warrior cloaks himself in an orange glow, then lunges forward and makes a melee touch attack on an opponent within twice his melee range. (He moves to a space adjacent to his target if he is not adjacent to them already as he performs the attack, and if anything else is between him and his target, he performs Yamaarashi on whatever got in his way instead.) If Yamaarashi hits, the Viewtiful Warrior grabs the foe and hurls them over his shoulder, hurling the opponent 120 feet away and dealing triple his unarmed strike damage. The opponent must be the same size category as the Viewtiful Warrior or smaller for Yamaarashi to work properly. If the foe is one size category larger, the Viewtiful Warrior takes a &minus;4 penalty on the attack roll. If the foe is two or more size categories larger, the Viewtiful Warrior takes a &minus;4 penalty on the attack roll and is unable to grab the foe, instead simply dealing his standard unarmed strike damage (his attack is still considered a touch attack, and thus bypasses armor and natural armor bonuses to AC).

When grabbed and thrown with Yamaarashi, the foe hits the ground after flying 20 feet, then rolls the rest of the way and falls prone at the end of its movement. It is considered to have fallen prone at the moment it hits the ground for the purposes of abilities that can negate falling prone (such as Ukemi), and provokes attacks of opportunity while rolling. It may attempt a Tumble check (DC equal to the damage inflicted by Yamaarashi) after the first 10 feet and every 30 feet of rolling afterwards to stop itself, but it still falls prone when its movement ends. If it hits another creature, the consequences are the same as if it had been whacked into that creature via VFX Slow; the Reflex save DC for the other creature to get out of the way before impact is 10 + ½ the Viewtiful Warrior's class level + the Viewtiful Warrior's Strength modifier. If the thrown creature hits a wall, it takes 1d6 points of damage for every 10 feet it had left to travel.

At 12th level, if the Viewtiful Warrior chose Yamaarashi at 7th level, he gains Improved Grapple as a bonus feat. He does not need to meet the prerequisites. (Yamaarashi still provokes attacks of opportunity.) If he already has Improved Grapple, he can pick any other feat that pertains to grappling or unarmed attacks as a bonus feat, though he must still meet the prerequisites.

At 15th level, Yamaarashi becomes . While it still provokes attacks of opportunity, the Viewtiful Warrior has damage reduction 20/adamantine while performing the attack, and he can grab opponents up to one size larger than himself without penalty. He takes a &minus;4 penalty when grabbing an opponent two or more sizes larger than himself with Yamaarashi, and he makes a melee touch attack at a &minus;4 penalty to deal standard unarmed strike damage (rather than actually managing to grab the foe) if the target is three or more size categories larger. A foe tossed by Improved Yamaarashi continues rolling until it is made to stop by another creature (for example, using the Stand Still feat), it succeeds on a Tumble check to right itself, it falls far enough to take 10d6 or more falling damage, or it hits a wall. Until then, it moves 120 feet per round on the Viewtiful Warrior's turn, moving in a straight line, and can do nothing on its own turn except for attempt a Tumble check to stop rolling. Once it hits a wall, the victim takes 1d12 points of damage for each class level the Viewtiful Warrior has. In any case, it falls prone when it stops.

 : A Viewtiful Warrior must have proficiency in a martial or exotic ranged weapon to take this class feature. As a full-round action that provokes attacks of opportunity (even if his regular ranged attacks do not), the Viewtiful Warrior may charge up power within himself and his ranged weapon and prepare up to four shots against any target within range, then fire. All four shots are made at the full base attack bonus, and they also home in on targets, therefore ignoring Dexterity and dodge bonuses to AC. (The targets aren't actually denied their Dexterity bonus to AC - the Dexterity bonus is simply ignored - so Desperado can't be used to sneak attack unless the targets would be denied their Dexterity bonus to AC for some other reason.)

At 12th level, the Viewtiful Warrior can fire up to six shots in this attack. At 15th level, the Viewtiful Warrior can fire up to eight shots in this attack.

 : A Viewtiful Warrior must have proficiency with a martial or exotic sword to take this class feature. The Viewtiful Warrior may charge and move up to twice his speed as a standard action, and he gains a +4 bonus to both the attack and damage roll (instead of the usual +2 bonus), even when not limited to only a standard or move action, as long as he uses a sword to execute his attack at the end of the charge.

At 12th level, if the Viewtiful Warrior took Stinger at 7th level, he gains Improved Charge as a bonus feat. He does not need to meet the prerequisites. If he already has Improved Charge, he may instead select any feat that pertains to charging or using a sword, as long as he meets the prerequisites. However, he may take Weapon Specialization for any sword type in this way even if he has no levels in fighter, as long as he meets the other prerequisites (including having Weapon Focus for that sword type).

 : This class feature is gained at 15th level, but only if the Viewtiful Warrior took Stinger at 7th level. The Viewtiful Warrior launches a 120-foot line of lightning down at a 45-degree angle from his position as a standard action, dealing 6d8 points of damage. (True to its name, Air Raid is intended to be used from midair.) Targets are entitled to a Reflex save (DC = 16 + the Viewtiful Warrior's Charisma modifier) for half damage. The Viewtiful Warrior may fire a number of lightning bolts equal to half his Viewtiful Warrior class level, rounded down. He launches one bolt per round as a standard action (the attack immediately ends if he elects not to fire the bolt, and all remaining bolts are lost), and after the attack is done, he must wait a number of rounds equal to half the number of bolts he fired (minimum 1 round) to use the attack again. Air Raid is the equivalent of a 6th-level spell (caster level equal to the Viewtiful Warrior's class level), has the [Electricity] descriptor, and costs 1 point of VFX to use (this cost is for the ability as a whole, not for each bolt, and Air Raid may not be used if the Viewtiful Warrior has only 1 point of VFX remaining). While using Air Raid, the Viewtiful Warrior may spend 1 VFX point to use dimension door as a move action once per round (this doesn't automatically end his turn), which enables him to reposition himself with great precision (the cost for using dimension door is paid once per round). If he does so, his VFX stops recharging, and he must refrain from using dimension door for at least 1 round before his VFX will begin recharging again. The dimension door ability is considered to be part of the Air Raid ability, not a spell-like ability in and of itself, so it has no spell level of its own and its caster level is equal to the caster level of the Air Raid ability.

 (VFX): This VFX power (also called Zoom In) is a straight-up boost, gained at level 8, that zooms in the camera to emphasize how awesome sexy viewtiful the Viewtiful Warrior is. It requires 2 VFX per round to maintain. VFX Zoom provides the following effects:
 * The Viewtiful Warrior adds 1 and 1/2 times his Charisma bonus (rounded down, minimum +1) to all of his attack rolls and damage rolls by infusing his attacks with drama. This stacks with the bonuses granted by VFX Slow.
 * The Viewtiful Warrior adds 1 and 1/2 times his Charisma bonus (rounded down, minimum +1) to all attack rolls and damage rolls that stem from sources that he is directly or indirectly responsible for (including spell-like effects, launched opponents, and redirected projectiles). This does not stack with the above ability.
 * All enemies with HD equal to or less than the Viewtiful Warrior's class level &minus;6 that wind up within Zoom In's area of effect must succeed on a Will save (DC = 10 + ½ the Viewtiful Warrior's class level + the Viewtiful Warrior's Charisma modifier) or become frozen in fear. As long as the Zoom In effect remains, enemies that fail this Will save helplessly cower in fear. This is a [Fear, Mind-Affecting] effect.
 * The Viewtiful Warrior changes his upper-body unarmed attacks to one of the following, chosen at 8th level. This choice cannot be changed once it's made. The change is only in effect during VFX Zoom.
 *  : The Viewtiful Warrior is capable of performing high-powered rapid-fire punches. The Viewtiful Warrior is able to make two attacks for each one attack he would otherwise be entitled to, but these attacks must be unarmed attacks and each pair of attacks must be made against the same target. In addition, the Viewtiful Warrior's unarmed attacks made via RHOH are treated as though the Viewtiful Warrior was 1 size category larger.
 *  : The Viewtiful Warrior makes a single unarmed attack that deals 10 times the damage of a normal unarmed attack. This is a full-round action that replaces all of the attacks he would normally be entitled to for a full attack. (It can be executed as a standard action if using VFX Mach Speed.) ...On second thought, the mental image of a male performing this move is slightly disturbing.
 *  : The Viewtiful Warrior changes his lower-body unarmed attacks to a whirlwind kick. He may make a Whirlwind Attack as a regular attack action (which means that he may do so multiple times per round and interchangeably with RHOH attacks), but each Whirlwind Attack must be an unarmed attack, and he cannot combine this attack with either of the attack options presented above. The Viewtiful Warrior can do this even if he lacks the Whirlwind Attack feat. The change is only in effect during VFX Zoom.
 *  : When the Viewtiful Warrior jumps while zoomed in, he becomes a twirling drill of destruction. He makes an attack roll as he jumps, and anything he collides with while ascending whose AC is defeated by his attack roll takes damage equivalent to that of his unarmed attack.
 *  : When the Viewtiful Warrior Zooms In while falling, he becomes a piledriver of doom. He makes an attack roll when he begins his dive, and anything he collides with on the way down whose AC is defeated by his attack roll takes unarmed strike damage. When he hits the ground, he generates a shockwave with a radius of 40 feet centered on himself that affects all creatures in range other than the Viewtiful Warrior himself. This shockwave does unarmed strike damage as if the Viewtiful Warrior was one size category larger and knocks victims prone. A Reflex save (DC = 10 + ½ the Viewtiful Warrior's class level + the Viewtiful Warrior's Strength or Charisma modifier, whichever is higher) halves the damage and negates being knocked prone.
 *  : The Red Hot Kick and Cool Blue Kick become Spiral Dragon Kicks if Zoom In is activated during the attack. These attacks blow through everything in their path with a single attack roll, though they can't be (voluntarily) canceled once initiated. Anything they hit takes unarmed strike damage as though the Viewtiful Warrior was three sizes larger, plus 3d8 energy damage. The Red Hot Spiral Dragon Kick deals fire damage, while the Cool Blue Spiral Dragon Kick deals electricity damage. (This is the only difference between the Red Hot Kick and Cool Blue Kick.) The energy damage is in addition to energy damage from a fire aura from VFX Mach Speed or a lightning aura from VFX Replay.
 * A Spiral Dragon Kick isn't completely unstoppable. A creature in the Spiral Dragon Kick's path whose flat-footed AC is greater than the Spiral Dragon Kick's attack roll result can allow the Viewtiful Warrior to harmlessly collide with its armor, causing the Viewtiful Warrior to bounce off and provoke an attack of opportunity. The creature which deflected the Viewtiful Warrior takes 5 energy damage, but gains a +2 circumstance bonus to the attack roll for its attack of opportunity against the Viewtiful Warrior, should it choose to take it. A creature whose AC is greater than the Spiral Dragon Kick's attack roll but whose flat-footed AC would be defeated by said attack roll must let the Viewtiful Warrior past (and if it's flat-footed or otherwise unable to use its Dexterity and dodge bonuses to AC, it gets hit instead). A creature must have a "standard" AC greater than its flat-footed AC to be able to choose whether to let the Viewtiful Warrior past or to deflect him; if its flat-footed AC equals its "standard" AC, it must deflect the Viewtiful Warrior.

 : By the time he reaches 9th level, a Viewtiful Warrior has made smooth, slick dodging into a mesmerizing art form. He has improved evasion from level 9 onwards. Improved evasion is like evasion, except that even on a failed saving throw, the Viewtiful Warrior takes only half damage. If the Viewtiful Warrior already had improved evasion, his Viewtiful Dodge bonus increases by +2 (this stacks with the potential increase from 3rd level). The Viewtiful Warrior cannot benefit from improved evasion if he runs out of VFX, wears heavy armor, or carries a heavy load, and it's downgraded to regular evasion if he carries a medium load.

He gains Stunning Fist as a bonus feat, even if he doesn't meet the prerequisites. Viewtiful Warrior levels are equivalent to monk levels for determining how many times Stunning Fist can be used per day. A Viewtiful Warrior can still use Stunning Fist even after running out of daily uses, but each use beyond his daily limit costs him 4 VFX points. (Because of this, Wisdom isn't as important for a Viewtiful Warrior as it would be for a monk.)

If the Viewtiful Warrior already has Stunning Fist, he may instead select any other unarmed strike-related feat for which he meets the prerequisites.

However, unless he meets the prerequisites, he cannot use VFX while wearing heavy armor, while carrying a heavy load, or while out of VFX.

If the Viewtiful Warrior already has Ukemi, he instead gains Dodge, another feat that counts as Dodge for the purpose of feat prerequisites, or a feat that has Dodge as a prerequisite. Dodge can be gained even if the Viewtiful Warrior doesn't meet the prerequisites, but he must meet the prerequisites of any other feat he may choose to gain at this level.

 (VFX): From 16th level onwards, a Viewtiful Warrior may unleash a torrent of pure awesome after performing a narrow dodge via VFX Slow. When the Viewtiful Warrior performs a narrow dodge (usually, but not always, when his Armor Class beats a foe's attack roll by 20 or less while he's using VFX Slow), if he's also using VFX Zoom, then he may spend a standard action (from his next turn if necessary) and all of his remaining VFX to strike a pose that overwhelms everything. Viewtiful Forever does 2d10 typeless damage to all creatures and objects other than the Viewtiful Warrior and his allies within range of his VFX Slow. This damage is increased by 1d10 for every point of VFX that he spent to activate the effect. A Will save (DC = 10 + ½ the Viewtiful Warrior's class level + the Viewtiful Warrior's Charisma modifier) is allowed to halve the damage. All creatures damaged by Viewtiful Forever are also knocked prone with no save allowed. Since he spends all of his VFX to perform this attack, the Viewtiful Warrior is left vulnerable afterwards, but he has a +10 deflection bonus to AC for 1 round after using Viewtiful Forever to help him cope.

He must meet the prerequisites of the feat in question in order to select it (and no, his Viewtiful Warrior levels do not count as fighter levels for this purpose).

 : A Viewtiful Warrior attacks quite fast. Starting at 18th level, he may make one extra attack when using a standard action to attack, but the second attack is made at a -5 penalty (just as it would be if he were making that second attack in a full attack; thus, feats, variant rules, etc. that reduce secondary attack penalties during a full attack do the same for this attack). This extra attack is made in addition to the extra attacks granted by Mach Speed, and can be repeated as normal when using the Red Hot One Hundred.

 (VFX): At 20th level, a Viewtiful Warrior who falls in battle (or anywhere else, really) gets one last chance to clean up his act. When the Viewtiful Warrior is incapacitated for an indefinite duration in any way (including being killed, knocked unconscious, or petrified, but not any sort of immobilization that lasts for an indefinite duration but allows a saving throw at least once every two rounds to break free (such as galaxy stop), he immediately regains all of his hp, loses all nonlethal damage, and is cured of all negative status afflictions (including negative levels, ability damage, ability burn, and ability drain). However, Take 2 only functions once per week, so the Viewtiful Warrior needs to make sure that he doesn't screw up again - if he does, the last thing he hears is bound to be "Cut! Cut! Cut!"

Take 2 does not allow a Viewtiful Warrior to avoid death due to old age.

Ex-Viewtiful Warrior
Viewtiful Warriors temporarily lose most of their class features if they run out of VFX, but this is only until they can recharge to basic capacity (4 VFX points). Rumor has it that a strong incursion of reality can deactivate a Viewtiful Warrior's powers unless he has a supportive audience; his powers may be suppressed in a dead psionics zone or null psionics field. But really, it's not possible to be an ex-Viewtiful Warrior... well, not unless you somehow lose your V-Watch... but especially strong Viewtiful Warriors don't even lose their powers then. Once you can activate the power of Henshin, it's always a part of you.

Epic Viewtiful Warrior
VFX: VFX doesn't recharge any faster after 20th level, though the maximum VFX limit still increases by 1 point for every 2 levels. The radius of all VFX ability effects continues to expand proportionally to the Viewtiful Warrior's class level.

Viewtiful Dodge: The Viewtiful Warrior's dodge bonus from Viewtiful Dodge is equal to ½ his Viewtiful Warrior class levels or his Wisdom modifier, whichever is higher. If out of VFX, the dodge bonus for the purpose of AC is equal to ¼ his Wisdom modifier or ⅛ his class level, whichever is higher, until his VFX has recharged.

VFX Slow: Damage sustained as a result of creatures colliding with one another after being launched by the Viewtiful Warrior continues to increase by 1d8 per 3 class levels.

Round Trip: The maximum number of blades thrown is 1 per class level.

VFX Mach Speed: The Viewtiful Warrior's enhancement bonus to movement speed is 100 feet + 10 feet per class level. (By this point, he might actually be able to win a race against a Garchomp.)

Yamaarashi: Damage sustained as a result of creatures colliding with one another after being thrown by the Viewtiful Warrior continues to increase by 1d8 per 3 class levels. Damage sustained as a consequence of hitting a wall increases by 1d12 per class level.

Air Raid: The Viewtiful Warrior can launch one bolt for every two class levels he has.

 (Ex): A Viewtiful Warrior of 24th level or higher adds his Charisma modifier to his maximum number of VFX points. This class feature can only be gained once from any source; it does not stack with itself.

This is treated as an ability score increase due to leveling up.



Epic Viewtiful Warrior Bonus Feat List: Armor Skin, Blinding Speed, Combat Archery*, Devastating Critical, Dire Charge, Distant Shot, Energy Resistance, Epic Dodge**, Epic Endurance, Epic Leadership, Epic Prowess, Epic Reflexes, Epic Reputation, Epic Toughness, Epic Weapon Focus, Exceptional Deflection, Improved Combat Reflexes, Improved Manyshot, Improved Stunning Fist, Improved Whirlwind Attack, Infinite Deflection, Instant Reload, Legendary Commander, Legendary Leaper, Legendary Wrestler, Overwhelming Critical, Penetrate Damage Reduction, Reflect Arrows, Shattering Strike, Spellcasting Harrier, Storm of Throws, Superior Initiative, Swarm of Arrows, Ultimate Find the Weak Spot, Uncanny Accuracy, VFX Turbo Charger

* Combat Archery's benefit extends to any ranged weapon, not just bows. (Ignore this if this clause is already part of your house rules and/or you are using an alternate version of the feat.) ** VFX Slow (more specifically, its narrow dodge ability) counts as the defensive roll class feature for the purpose of feat and prestige class prerequisites; however, all other prerequisites must be met as is.

Human Viewtiful Warrior Starting Package
Weapons: None, pistol, or greatsword.

Skill Selection: Pick a number of skills equal to 4 + Int modifier.

Feat: Combat Reflexes.

Bonus Feats: Improved Unarmed Strike (Viewtiful Warrior 1).

Gear: <-Starting armor and other equipment outside of weapons.->.

Gold: <-Starting gold using this package.->.

Playing a Viewtiful Warrior
Religion: Viewtiful Warriors are no more or less likely to be religious than other members of their race. Viewtiful Warriors who do follow a religion often try to preach the viewty of their god to the masses, sometimes to the embarrassment of that god's clerics.

Other Classes: Viewtiful Warriors find fighters and barbarians to be boring simpletons; fighters and barbarians tend to be just a tad jealous of the abilities Viewtiful Warriors get from VFX, but also think the Viewtiful Warrior is a little too squishy for the big leagues. On the other hand, Viewtiful Warriors are often fascinated by the Sublime Way, as maneuvers can enable their users to pull off stunts that rival what VFX is capable of. Unfortunately for them, martial adepts usually don't like Viewtiful Warriors very much, finding the gung-ho attitude of the Viewtiful Warrior to be quite off-putting. Viewtiful Warriors and warblades often have essentially the same motivations, and the relationship between a Viewtiful Warrior and a warblade tends to be very similar to the relationship between two warblades - that is, the Viewtiful Warrior and the Warblade are constantly trying to one-up each other. Viewtiful Warriors appreciate the company of monks, whose ki grants unarmed combat mastery that rivals the Viewtiful Warrior's. The monks usually don't reciprocate the admiration, as they are typically bewildered or irritated by the Viewtiful Warrior's exuberance. However, monks do find Viewtiful Warriors to be worthwhile sparring partners. Viewtiful Warriors, depending on their alignment, either get along very well or very poorly with paladins. As for rogues... well, the rogue really appreciates the distraction that the Viewtiful Warrior can provide, and respects his abilities, but is often consternated by the Viewtiful Warrior's straightforwardness. The Viewtiful Warrior often wonders if the rogue suffers from stage fright, but knows that the stage superstar lifestyle isn't for everyone and that stealth is sometimes the best solution. The Viewtiful Warrior has a similar relationship with lurks.

As for non-melee characters... Sorcerers and Viewtiful Warriors tend to be great buddies, pulling off tandem stunts that leave the common people scratching their heads or staring in awe. Wizards, whose magic is derived from study rather than talent, work well with Viewtiful Warriors on the field but really wish that the Viewtiful Warrior would let them carry out their research in peace during downtime. As already mentioned, clerics often find the Viewtiful Warrior's antics to be embarrassing, though the clerics of certain deities (such as Garl Glittergold, Kord, and Olidammara) often find Viewtiful Warriors to be kindred spirits. Druids and rangers find Viewtiful Warriors to be utterly exasperating, due to the Viewtiful Warrior's tendency to treat the world like a giant playground. Psions, wilders, and psychic warriors don't like to admit it, but they have a lot in common with Viewtiful Warriors - VFX is quite similar to psionic power. Bards and Viewtiful Warriors get along like peas in a pod, as both have very similar outlooks on life and share a love of theatrics.

Combat: The Viewtiful Warrior is a "burst damage" combatant. He dishes out heavy damage with his VFX powers, then darts out of harm's way before his VFX can run out. He does a lot of damage in a short amount of time, but then he has to back off and go on the defensive for a while. His ability to stun enemies just by dodging their attacks can prove very useful, as it enables him and his allies to dish out a world of hurt on unwary foes.

Advancement: The abilities of the Combo Maker work wonderfully with the abilities of the Viewtiful Warrior; the Viewtiful Warrior's fast attacks build up combo points really quickly, after which he can pull off some incredible battle stunts. Viewtiful Warriors who choose to use weapons often find themselves attracted to the awe-inspiring abilities available to edgemasters and martial adepts; however, the road to becoming an edgemaster is very hard for anyone who didn't start out as a fighter or warblade, so very few Viewtiful Warriors actually take that path. Viewtiful Warriors see martial maneuvers as a way to pull off stunts that otherwise would be impossible even for them; even though the path of the Sublime Way is a little hard for the Viewtiful Warrior and somewhat contrary to their nature, a somewhat small yet quite significant proportion of Viewtiful Warriors buckle down and develop a respectable measure of skill in it anyways. Viewtiful Warriors also sometimes multiclass into spellcasting classes (especially bard or sorcerer) for the same reason that they may follow the Sublime Way, though the loss of physical combat ability is something that most Viewtiful Warriors balk at.

The Viewtiful Warrior has some specialized paths of his own - the Viewtiful Shogun, Viewtiful Captain, and Viewtiful Monarch.

Viewtiful Warriors in the World
"There's always a plot twist before the happy ending!"

Viewtiful Warriors, true to their name, are highly skilled combatants, and can often be found in city watches, armies, and pretty much any group with a strong need for someone who can fight well. However, they are even more likely to be found in performing troupes.

Notables: Captain Blue is a legendary Viewtiful Warrior and movie director who spends his retirement days training the next generation of superheroes. Joe Black is a Viewtiful Warrior who, along with his girlfriend Silvia, is the strongest candidate for inheriting Captain Blue's legacy. Jet Black, Joe's father, was tainted by a corrupt film and rampaged on a brief reign of terror until Joe and Silvia bashed him back to his senses. Alastor is an electrical half-fiend Viewtiful Warrior whose weapon of choice is a greatsword, rather than his fists. Junko Black, Jet's wife, is technically deceased, but caused a fairly infamous incident when she returned to the world of the living for a single day in the guise of "Queen Heinderella" to test the strength of her children.

Organizations: Viewtiful Warriors are usually found in bardic colleges (where they are most welcome) or monasteries (where they're significantly less welcome), rather than having any major organizations of their own.

NPC Reactions: Viewtiful Warriors love the spotlight and tend to show off in front of NPCs. The reaction tends to depend on the NPC in question - some love to watch the Viewtiful Warrior in action, while others think of the Viewtiful Warrior as a prat.

Viewtiful Warrior Lore
Characters with ranks in Knowledge (theatrics) can research Viewtiful Warriors to learn more about them. When a character makes a skill check, read or paraphrase the following, including information from lower DCs.

Instead of Knowledge (theatrics), Gather Information can be used to research individual Viewtiful Warriors. This is possible because Viewtiful Warriors tend to be highly prominent individuals if not celebrities, and details about their everyday lives (if not their superheroics or supervillainy) tend to be common knowledge as a result. Gather Information cannot be used to gain information on Viewtiful Warriors in general (as described on the above table).

Viewtiful Warriors in the Game
Viewtiful Warriors are capable of doing a lot of damage in a very short amount of time. However, due to their limited pool of VFX - and the consequences of running out of it - they can't stay on the offensive for long. After a while, they'll have to back off, deactivate the VFX powers, and start playing defense while their VFX recharges. A Viewtiful Warrior faced with a blistering barrage of attacks may activate VFX Slow to cope with it, but being forced to resort to this puts him at a disadvantage, as he pays a heavy VFX cost whenever VFX Slow causes him to dodge an attack that he otherwise wouldn't. Overall, the Viewtiful Warrior is an extremely interesting contributor to any fight he participates in, though his VFX does tend to steal the show while it lasts.

Adaptation: VFX is the power of drama and coolness - both concepts that only really exist within the sentient mind. This makes VFX very similar to psionics, and VFX can therefore be considered a highly specialized form of psionics if it's appropriate for the campaign. If you do this, it may cause stuff that has special effects on psionics to have similar effects on VFX.