Chasseur (3.5e Prestige Class)

Summary::A nimble epic level warrior who strikes his foes down with a flurry of steel and extraordinary expertise. Length::10 Minimum Level::20 Base Attack Bonus Progression::Good Fortitude Save Progression::Good Reflex Save Progression::Good Will Save Progression::Poor Class Ability::Other Class Ability Progression::Other

This article use rules from Complete Epic.

Chasseur
"You talk big, but can you back up your bark with your bite? Come on, let's dance."

Chasseurs are masters of melee combat who use quick reflexes to make up for poor armor, and a flurry of weapon blows. Mobility is key, for they can't hurt you when you're always on the move. With weapon in hand, chasseurs can defeat entire armies single handed.

Becoming a Chasseur
Chasseurs usually value Dexterity to make up for low armor, while others value Strength. Most use either sword & board or two-weapon fighting to maximize their attacks against as many targets as possible. As melee fighters, Constitution is always important, with mental ability scores varying on their selection of skills.

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

Choose one of the following which you possess: Skirmish, Sneak Attack (or similar), or Initiator/Fighter levels. You continue to gain skirmish, sneak attack, initiator levels, or fighter levels as if you were taking the class which granted the ability. In the case of initiator and fighter levels, the chasseur gets a fighter bonus feat at 2nd and even even level beyond.

Choose from one of the styles below:


 * Einhander: Whenever you are fighting with a weapon in one hand and nothing in your other hand, you gain 1d6 extra damage to your attacks per class level.


 * Sword & Shield: The miss chance granted by evasive motion rises by 5% when using a shield, or 10% while using a tower shield.


 * Two-Weapon Fighting: You ignore all the penalties for two-weapon fighting, and may use your full strength to damage on your off hand weapon.

The power of your choice grows as you obtain the improved and greater combat style class features.

 : A chasseur must be fast on her feet in order to survive. If a chasseur moves 20 feet or more in a round, she gains a 20% concealment from physical attacks for 1 round. True seeing and the like do not bypass this miss chance as it is simply rapid movements and not illusion.

At 4th level, the 20% miss chance now applies against magical effects.

At 7th level, the miss chance for physical attacks rises to 50% miss chance.

At 10th level, the miss chance for magical attacks rises to 50% miss chance.

 : A chasseur must be swift and fast on his feet. She increases her movement speed by 5 feet per class level.

Some quick rush abilities may be selected multiple times with scaling benefits, as noted below.

 : As an immediate action a chasseur can make a 5 foot step, usually to avoid an attack.

 : If you moved last round, you can move half that amount next round as a free action (round down, minimum 0 feet). For example, last round you moved 40 feet, so this round you can move 20 feet and full attack, or move 20 feet and take a move and standard action, or some other combination.

 : As a move action, the chassuer can teleport up to its move speed, though they need line of sight to teleport. It can double more or even "run" with its teleportation, which does not provoke attacks of opportunity.

 : Once per minute the chassuer can increase her speed by x100 for 1 round. Such movement does not provoke attacks of opportunity and must be made in a straight line.

 : You do best when surrounded. You gain a +1 dodge bonus to AC for every hostile creature which threatens you beyond one. The creature must pose actual danger, and thus must have a CR equal to your character level -5 or greater.

 : Mark one place within your movement range beyond where you are. You are considered to be occupying said square for the purposes of flanking and threatening. Using this, you can even flank with yourself as you rapidly flicker back and forth between areas.

 : A chassuer can fall under the effects of freedom of movement for up to 1 round per character level. The duration need not be continuous, and is activated as a free action on the chassuer's turn.

 : The chassuer can stand on any incline, even upside down, as if he were in a subjective gravity environment. She can "fly" as a move action by allowing herself to fall in a direction (though she may take falling damage by falling too far).

 : The chassuer can stand on any surface, even if it shouldn't support her. She can stand on liquids like water or lava and opaque gases such as clouds and smoke, though turbulent surfaces may need balance checks to stay on top.

 : Whenever the opponent provokes an attack of opportunity, you can instead make a move action of your choice.

 : You can run through solid objects and creatures as if they weren't there (though you may provoke for running through enemy creature's squares). For every 10 feet you've moved in the round, your momentum can carry you through 5 feet of solid material as if you were ethereal. You do not harm the substance or yourself in your passing, but if you run out of movement or you don't have enough movement to end your turn in a valid space, you are violently jaunted out to the nearest empty space and take 1d6 points of damage for every 10 feet you are jaunted away.

 : At 2nd level, a chasseur can perform a blade dance attack as a full-round action. A chasseur can make a single attack roll and move up to her move speed in a straight line. The attack applies to every creature within reach along that line. You provoke attacks of opportunity as normal.

At 4th level, the ability improves. You may make a full attack and move up to your move speed, and apply all the attacks to creatures you pass within reach.

At 6th level, you no longer need to move in a straight line and you can move up to twice your move speed, but you can only make one attack against each creature and only one creature each time no matter how many times you pass by them.

At 8th level, you can now make a full attack against every creature up to double your move speed, and need not move in a straight line.

 : At 2nd level, a chasseur must have quick reflexes. At every even level a chasseur gains a +1 bonus to initiative.

If she already has Whirlwind Attack she can select any other feat she qualifies for.

 : At 3rd level, a chasseur can never stay still, bounding from place to place in the battle and threatening all that she sees. A chasseur now threatens out to 1/4th her movement speed (minimum 5 feet) if better than her current threatened area. A chasseur must have line of effect.




 * Einhander: Your weapon is your shield. You gain a shield bonus to AC equal to your weapon's enhancement bonus + 2, and you may enhance your weapon as if it were a +X heavy shield, where X is the weapon's enhancement.


 * Sword & Shield: You may apply your shield bonus to all allies within the range of your (lesser/normal/greater) bounding threat area.


 * Two-Weapon Fighting: You gain the additional attacks granted by the two-weapon fighting feats on a standard action as well as a full attack. A creature with all three two-weapon fighting feats would make a normal attack, and three off-hand attacks.

 : At 6th level, a chasseur's threat range from lesser bounding threat improves out to 1/2 their movement range. They can threaten a great deal, snapping to and fro almost instantly.

 : At 6th level, a chasseur gains an improved form of whirlwind attack. Treat the vortex attack like a whirlwind attack, except creatures up to 30 feet outside of your attack range must make Fortitude saves (DC 10 + 1/2 HD + your modifier to attack rolls) or be sucked inward until they are in your attack range (and are subsequently hit by your vortex attack). If a creature cannot be sucked into range, it will come as close as it can.

 : At 9th level, a chasseur's threat range is amazing, up to their movement speed. No one will be safe!




 * Einhander: Your weapon can never be sundered or disarmed, and the additional damage from the lesser combat style is now maximized. However it is still bonus dice and thus is not multiplied on a critical hit.


 * Sword & Shield: You can hold a move action on your turn.  If you do so, you can let one ally in your bounding threat range benefit from your miss chance as you fly to intercept the attack before the end of your next turn.  After the failed or successful attack block you can choose to remain next to your ally or return to your spot.


 * Two-Weapon Fighting: When you use Whirlwind Attack (or any of its variants) you get a second attack at your highest attack bonus for free.

 : At 10th level, a chasseur's whirlwind attack ability improves again. Whenever using whirlwind or vortex attack, the chasseur can choose to rip a hole in space and time open at her location. Creatures in your attack range (regardless if they've been hit or not) must make a Will save DC 10 + 1/2 HD + your modifier to attack rolls) or be thrown into the depths of the astral plane far far away. You may use this ability at will, but a successful save renders them immune to the plane shifting ability of wormhole attack for 24 hours.  Alternatively, the chasseur can open up a stable version of gate (travel only) as a full-round action, with a caster level equal to your character level.

The advanced chasseur gains a bonus feat (selected from the list of advanced chasseur feats) at 13th and every 3 levels beyond.

Advanced Chasseur Bonus Feat List: <-list of bonus epic feats->

Playing a Chasseur
Combat: A chasseur is a skirmisher, a fighter who focuses on mobility to avoid damage and bounce from location to location. They tend to be skillful as well as strong, belonging on the front lines.

Advancement: Melee friendly classes are a good option to pursue, especially ones which benefit your lightly higher dexterity and don't focus on heavy armor.

Resources: Chasseur's are warriors of legend whose numbers are not many, but some are known to fight in the name of other epic level powers as soldiers and scouts. As a one-man army, a chasseur rarely needs re-enforcements.

Chasseurs in the World
"Keep up!"

NPC Reactions: Most NPCs probably wouldn't believe a chasseur's exploits, for they are a melee class who is capable of dodging titan's and cutting them with a mere dagger. Few know how true their tales are until they witness them.

Chasseur Lore
Characters with ranks in Knowledge Local can research chasseurs to learn more about them. When a character makes a skill check, read or paraphrase the following, including information from lower DCs.

Chasseurs in the Game
Sample Encounter: The legendary devil hunter Dante has gone missing, and an evil clone known as Donte has appeared. Dante was famous for his nimble high action fighting style and now that he has an evil doppleganger the world is in danger.

EL 30: PENDING.