Flare Buster (3.5e Prestige Class)

Flare Buster
"PAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAWNCH!!!!"

Flare Busters are warriors whose souls are tied to the element of fire, transforming their hotblood spirits into literal fire. Rather than turn to spellcasting, they maintain their martial background and meld fire magic into raw physical might. With raging spirit ready to fight all odds, there is nothing a flare buster isn't willing to bust through head first.

Class Features
All of the following are class features of the Flare Buster.

 (Su): The zeal of the flare buster manifests as glowing heat and fire when they strike with force. A flare buster adds +1 of fire damage per class level to all his attacks.

 (Ex): A flare buster's land speed is faster than the norm for his race by +10 feet. This benefit applies only when he is wearing no armor, light armor, or medium armor and not carrying a heavy load. Apply this bonus before modifying the barbarian’s speed because of any load carried or armor worn.

 (Su): Once per encounter, a flare buster may attempt to deal additional damage upon one of her normal melee attacks as part of the attack. He adds his Charisma bonus (if any) to her attack roll and deals 1d6 extra points of fire damage per flare buster level. In addition any targets (besides the one you struck) within 10 ft. take 1 point of splash damage per class level, with a Reflex save for half (the saving throw is Charisma based). If the flare buster misses the splash effect goes off as normal and it is still used up for that encounter. You are immune to your own flare buster, and you may only use flare buster once per round.

At 3th level, and at every two levels thereafter, the flare buster may use the flare buster ability one additional time per encounter, as indicated on Table: The Flare Buster.

 (Ex): At 2nd level a flare buster can use his inner fires to drive on whatever task he attempts. Whenever attempting a physical, non-complex skill check such as jumping, climbing, or concentrating against a single event, he may burst with energy to perform better at it. As a free action he gains a +2 bonus on a single physical skill check or ability check. He may perform this at will, once every 1d4 rounds. At 6th level, the bonus increases to +4, and at 8th level the bonus becomes +8.

 (Ex): At 3rd level a flare buster can channel their fires behind them, projecting them ahead at great speed to strike with tremendous force. Whenever they make a charge attack they may attack and immediately make a bull rush against the target. If successful, they do not have to move with the target as they blast them away with explosive force. Many combine it with a flare buster attack.

 (Ex): At 4th level a flare buster never gives up, never surrenders! As a standard action you may select one spell, effect, or other condition currently effecting you and with a duration of 1 or more rounds. That effect ends immediately. You surge with furious confidence and gain a +2 morale bonus on attack rolls and saving throws for 1 round. You may use this ability 1/encounter.

At 7th level, this becomes a swift action, and at 10th level you may use it as an immediate action.

 (Su): At 5th level you may release a plume of flame across a wide area. Select between a 30 ft cone of fire or a 60 ft line of fire when you obtain this ability. You deal 1d6 points of fire damage per character level level with a Reflex save for half, DC 10 + 1/2 HD + Charisma, and targets catch on fire if they fail the saving throw. Using this ability draws out of your uses of the flare buster ability, if you lack at least 1 use of flare buster, you cannot use flamethrower.

 (Ex): At 5th level a Flare Buster may shrug off attacks which would hamper his body of steel and iron mind. If an effect offers a Fortitude or Will saving throw for half on a successful save, the flare buster instead takes no damage.

 (Su): At 6th level a flare buster may choose to be on fire continously. He sheds light as a torch, and may ignite anything flammable with a touch. Attackers striking him in combat with natural weapons, unarmed strikes, and non-reach weapons take 1 point of fire damage per class level, and those struck by the flare busters attacks must succeed on a DC 15 Reflex save or catch on fire. He may suppress or start the flames again as a free action.

At 10th level when he is on fire, he may take a full round action to self destruct. His body immolates, and explodes, dealing 2d6 points of hellfire damage in a 20 ft. radius burst from his body, with a Reflex save for half damage. Hellfire bypasses resistances and immunity to fire. All creatures in the area catch on fire, regardless of their saving throw, and continue to burn with hellfire until the fire is put out. His body is destroyed utterly. However 1 minute after the explosion he returns anew, appearing from a sudden conflageration within the air, completely healed of all hp damage (but retaining any status effects he has been under at time of explosion). He may only use the self-destruct ability 1/week.

 (Ex): At 10th level, an flare buster binds with the elemental plane of fire and becomes something more than human. They become an outsider with the [Fire] subtype, gain immunity to fire and vulnerability to cold, gain damage reduction 10/magic, and gain a fire elemental's burn ability. All of a flare buster's attacks must succeed on a Reflex save DC 10 + 1/2 HD + charisma or catch on fire. The flame burns for 1d4 rounds. A burning creature can take a move action to put out the flame. Creatures hitting a flare buster with natural weapons or unarmed attacks take fire damage as though hit by burning strike, and also catch on fire unless they succeed on a Reflex save. They often have a minor physical change associated with their ascension, such as smoke in their breath, or burning hair.

The epic flare buster gains a bonus feat (selected from the list of epic flare buster feats) every 4 levels after 12th.

Epic Flare Buster Bonus Feat List: <-list of bonus epic feats->

Playing a Flare Buster
Combat: ATTACK! Flare Busters take it to melee, with high powered smiting and exploding! Thats what fire is best for!

Advancement: Melee prestige classes and classes which smite or focus on a single heavy attack do fine with this class.

Resources: Flare Busters are not universally organized, but can and do recognize others of their kin, and any elemental focused class. Out of the various elemental focused classes they find those which are focused on water to be cold, boring, and unemotional. Flare Busters as a whole tend to be a passionate lot.

Flare Busters in the World
"Why burn stuff when you could, like, burn way more stuff."

NPC Reactions: Flare Busters do not appear to be an abnormal member of their race or previous class until late, and thus are treated no differently, but even a commoner can identify a mysterious quality to a high level flare buster. It is not baneful or beneficial, but certainly something which may give you a reputation and make you easy to identify in a crowd.

Flare Buster Lore
Characters with ranks in Knowledge The Planes can research flare busters to learn more about them. When a character makes a skill check, read or paraphrase the following, including information from lower DCs.

Flare Busters in the Game
Sample Encounter: PENDING

EL 10: PENDING