Fencer (3.5e Prestige Class)

Author: Eiji-kun (talk) Date Created: 10-13-16 Status: Complete Editing: Mechanical changes on Talk

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You are supreme with rapiers and rapier-like weapons. 10 4 Good Good Good Poor Other Other

Fencer

“	My name is Indigo Motorola. You killed my mother. Prepare to die.	”
—Indigo Motorola, Human Fencer, The Prince Groom

Master of the finessed blade, fencers excel in the parry and riposte.

Becoming a Fencer

Entry Requirements

Base Attack Bonus:	+4.
Feats:	Combat Reflexes, Einhander, Weapon Finesse.

Table: The Fencer

Hit Die: d10

Level	Base Attack Bonus	Saving Throws			Special
		Fort	Ref	Will
1st	+1	+2	+2	+0	Combat Stance (Novice), Improved Weapon Finesse, Kip Up, Parry and Riposte
2nd	+2	+3	+3	+1	Advancing Strikes, Evasion
3rd	+3	+3	+3	+1	Daring Deflection, Penetrating Strike
4th	+4	+4	+4	+1	Combat Stance (Adept)
5th	+5	+4	+4	+2	Combat Dance, Steel Rain
6th	+6	+5	+5	+2	Improved Daring Deflection, Phantom Strike
7th	+7	+5	+5	+2	Combat Stance (Expert)
8th	+8	+6	+6	+3	Improved Evasion, Unlimited Reflex
9th	+9	+6	+6	+3	Greater Daring Deflection
10th	+10	+7	+7	+3	Combat Stance (Master)
Class Skills (6 + Int modifier per level.) Appraise (Int), Balance (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Heal (Wis), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Knowledge (local) (history) (nobility) (Int), Listen (Wis), Martial Lore (Int), Perform (Cha), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Sense Motive (Wis), Sleight of Hand (Dex), Spot (Wis), Swim (Str), Tumble (Dex), Use Rope (Dex).

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the fencer.

Combat Stance: The fencer can adopt various stances which change their combat abilities. They are the equivalent of 5th level martial initiator stances, and operate on the same principle (and thus don't stack with maneuver stances). They can be entered into as a swift action or a move action, and last until you switch or become immobilized. As you level, you unlock greater and greater tiers of power from the same stance.

Dazzling Dance (Ex): This stance is all about glamour and style. It is often used for show battles, but also has some function in real combat.

• Novice: You may flourish your weapon as a standard action, and make either a feint, intimidate, or perform check against all creatures within 60 ft. Creatures which can see you are dazzled for 1 round, no save. You also benefit from the False Swipe feat.

• Adept: You benefit from the Goad feat.

• Expert: You may make a fancy attack against a creature you have goaded as a standard action. In addition to normal damage, the creature takes 1d4 daunt levels. You may now flourish (as the novice ability) as a move action.

• Master: When you defeat an enemy by any means, you may choose to leave them at 0 hp, and with enough daunt levels equal to their HD. You may now goad all creatures within 30 ft, with each new instant of using goad replacing the old one.

Royal Guard (Ex): This stance focuses on defense, parries, and counterattacks. Attacking someone in this stance is dangerous.

• Novice: Your movement speed is cut in half, but any attacks against you provoke an opposed attack roll. Your attack roll is your new AC.

• Adept: Once per round per attacker, creatures which successfully attack you provoke an attack of opportunity. The attack of opportunity occurs after they attack you.

• Expert: The attack of opportunity now occurs regardless if they hit or miss. You may choose to perform an action which takes a standard action or less as your attack of opportunity, as long as it is an attack against the provoker.

• Master: You now have a 20% chance of your attack of opportunity going off before the provoking attack. If your attack is successful you negate the would-be provoking attack.

Swordbreaker Stance (Ex): This stance focuses on disarming, and taking advantage of the resulting confusion.

• Novice: You gain Improved Disarm, which stacks with the normal feat.

• Adept: When you successfully disarm a creature they provoke an attack of opportunity from you.

• Expert: When you successfully disarm a creature, you can toss their weapon up to 30 ft away in the direction of your choice.

• Master: You can disarm creatures of any size, and wound their hand in the process of disarming. The creature takes a -4 penalty on attack rolls until they receive at least 5 points of healing.

Threatening Stinger (Ex): This stance focuses on offense and mobility.

• Novice: Your threatened range expands by +5 ft, and you can move 5 ft as a free action as part of making an attack. This movement does not provoke attacks of opportunity.

• Adept: Your threatened range is now +10 ft, and you can move 10 ft as part of attacking.

• Expert: Your threatened range is now +15 ft, and you can move 15 ft as part of attacking.

• Master: Your threatened range is now +20 ft, and you can move 20 ft as part of attacking.

Improved Weapon Finesse (Ex): The fencer may now add Dexterity to damage in addition to attack rolls, and in place of any Strength skill checks and ability checks. If they could already do this, they add an additional 1/2 Dexterity to damage.

Kip Up (Ex): The fencer can stand up from prone as a free action without provoking attacks of opportunity.

Parry and Reposte (Ex): The fencer gains Parry and Riposte as a bonus feat.

Advancing Strikes (Ex): At 2nd level the fencer can force the enemy back with every strike. On a successful attack they can push a creature up to two size categories larger back 5 ft without a check, and you move forward 5 ft following them up to twice your movement speed. This forced movement does not provoke attacks of opportunity. If you force them into a hazardous area, they get a Reflex save (DC 10 + 1/2 BAB + Dex modifier) to avoid being pushed.

Evasion (Ex): At 2nd level the fencer gains evasion like a rogue.

Daring Deflection (Ex): At 3rd level the fencer gains Armed Deflect Arrows as a bonus feat.

Penetrating Strike (Ex): The 3rd level fencer can make a lunging strike as a standard action, moving up to 10 ft as part of the attack. This movement does not provoke. This attack ignores armor and natural armor bonuses to AC.

Combat Dance (Ex): The 5th level fencer is constantly a blur of blades as they move. They have a 50% miss chance whenever they are in movement. As this is the result of speed rather than concealment, true seeing does not bypass.

Steel Rain (Ex): At 5th level the fencer can unleash a torrent of attacks as a 1 round action. If any creatures remain in range they perform the Diamond Mind maneuver Avalanche of Blades. After you perform this ability you are staggered for 1 round.

Improved Daring Deflection (Ex): A 6th level fencer improves their Daring Deflection ability. They may make additional deflection attempts by consuming attacks of opportunity (effectively giving you 1 + your Dex modifier in deflections).

Phantom Strike (Su): The 6th level fencer can make a single attack as a standard action. This attack is considered ghost touch, and a touch attack. In addition to normal damage, the target takes 1d4 ability damage to a single mental ability score of your choice.

Improved Evasion (Ex): At 8th level the fencer gains improved evasion as a rogue.

Unlimited Reflex (Ex): The 8th level fencer now has effectively infinite attacks of opportunity available to them. Subsequently, it renders them all but immune to ranged attacks thanks to Daring Deflection.

Greater Daring Deflection (Ex): A 9th level fencer can deflect and send back any deflected attack as if they had Snatch Arrows.

Campaign Information

Playing a Fencer

Combat: You are melee, and a dexterous melee. Ranged attacks soon become no worry for you, forcing opponents to come into melee or use non-attack options.

Advancement: Any melee friendly class will do.

Resources: Fencers often like to compete against each other, and often gather to do just that.

Fencers in the World

“	En guarde!	”
—Unknown

NPC Reactions: You like to show off. If you're charismatic enough, it works too.

Fencer Lore

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

Knowledge Nobility

DC	Result
10	Fencers are masters of finesse. They can spring up to their feet, parry, and counterattack with ease.
15	Using their various stances fencers can switch up their fighting style on the fly. They can perform a dizzyingly impossible number of attacks.
20	Powerful fencers can not only deflect arrows, but magical rays as well. And they can do this all day.
30	Those who reach this level of success can research specific fencers, their whereabouts, trivia, and behavior.

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