Swordsman (3.5e Prestige Class)

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Specialists in the art of swordsmanship, whether with rapiers, longswords or mercurial greatswords.

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Swordsman

Watch out for the pointy end.

“	Your life. This blade will spill it.	”
—Dakkon Blackblade, Swordsman

Every fantasy story needs a guy who's really good at wielding a sword. You're that guy.

Becoming a Swordsman

Becoming a swordsman pretty much comes down to owning a sword and training, whether through learning under an old mentor on a mountain, from a training manual which has been passed down for generations, or through simply going into battle and surviving.

Entry Requirements

Base Attack Bonus:	+4
Feats:	Weapon Focus (any bladed weapon),Power Attack

Table: The Swordsman

Hit Die: d8

Level	Base Attack Bonus	Saving Throws			Special
		Fort	Ref	Will
1st	+1	+2	+2	+2	Parry 1/encounter, Lead Blades, Blade Trick, Sword Mastery
2nd	+2	+3	+3	+3	Blade Trick, Called Strike (arms, legs), Bonus Feat
3rd	+3	+3	+3	+3	Parry 2/encounter, Sword Trance
4th	+4	+4	+4	+4	Blade Trick, Called Strike (head, torso), Bonus Feat
5th	+5	+4	+4	+4	Parry 3/encounter, Sword Master
Class Skills (6 + Int modifier per level.) Autohypnosis (Wis), Balance (Dex), Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Escape Artist (Dex), Gather Information (Cha), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Knowledge (all skills, taken individually) (Int), Listen (Wis), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Search (Int), Sense Motive (Wis), Speak Language (None), Spot (Wis), Survival (Wis), Spellcraft (Int), Swim (Str), Tumble (Dex), Use Rope (Dex).

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the Swordsman.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A swordsman gains proficiency in all bladed weapons, simple, martial and exotic.

Parry (Ex): At 1^st level, you've learnt that getting hit hurts. As an immediate action, whenever you are about to be hit by an ability that requires an attack roll, you may make an opposed attack roll. If your attack roll is equal to or exceeds the attack's, you effectively parry the attack and take no damage or other associated effect. You may use this ability once per encounter at level one and an additional time at levels three and five.

Lead Blades (Ex): Whenever you're wielding a bladed weapon and use the Power Attack feat, you may treat it as if you were wielding it with two hands.

Blade Trick (Ex): Beginning at 1^st level, you learn a wide variety of tricks that only someone with an unhealthy obsession would have time to practice. At 1^st, 2^nd, and 4^th level, you may pick one of the following abilities:

Always in Hand (Ex): You may pick up and draw your weapon as a free action as long as it is within your reach.

Thrown Blade (Ex): You may throw your weapon as a ranged attack with a range of 30 feet.

Pole Vault (Ex): You may ignore up to 10 feet of rough terrain while wielding a bladed weapon. Additionally, you gain a competence bonus to Jump (Str) checks equal to four times your class levels.

Just Like Butter (Ex): Whenever you're wielding a bladed weapon, you may ignore the hardness of an object when striking it.

Flourish (Ex): When wielding a bladed weapon, you may make an Intimidate (Cha) check as a move action once per round, gaining a bonus to the check equal to the enhancement bonus on the weapon.

Slow Fall (Ex): You gain the monk ability of the same name, with unlimited fall distance.

Versatile Weapon (Ex): You may use a bladed weapon to deal piercing, slashing, blunt, and non-lethal damage; you choose which type of damage to deal when declaring an attack.

Sword Mastery (Ex): At 1^st level, you may pick a specific type of bladed weapon, such as a longsword, gaining several abilities while wielding said weapon. At 1^st level, you treat levels of swordsman as fighter; furthermore, your weapon gains an enhancement bonus equal to 1/3^rd your character level.

At 2^nd level, you are treated as having Improved Disarm, Improved Feint, Improved Trip, and Improved Sunder while wielding your chosen weapon.

At 3^rd level, you are treated as having Greater Weapon Specialization while wielding your weapon.

At 4^th level, you gain Improved Critical while holding that weapon.

At 5^th level, you gain Greater Weapon Focus with that weapon.

You qualify as having these feats for any prerequisites.

With a one hour training ritual, you may change which type of bladed weapon this ability applies to. This also changes what weapon your Weapon Focus and Weapon Specialization apply to, assuming you have them.

Called Strike (Ex): At 2^nd level, you gain the ability to make called strikes. A called strike is a standard action that deals normal damage and has additional effects. The Fortitude Save DC for any effect is equal to 10 + 1/2 Character Level + Str. At 2^nd level, you have access to the following called strikes:

Arms (Ex): You may cripple your opponent's arms, causing them to take a −2 penalty to attack rolls, skills involving arms, and giving them a 10% spell failure chance per class level for any spell that has somatic components.

Legs (Ex): You cripple your opponent's legs, halving their movement speed and preventing them from taking the Run, Withdraw, and 5-Foot Step actions.

At 4^th level, you gain access to these called strikes:

Torso (Ex): You may force your opponent to move 10 ft/character level in any direction. If said creature hits a wall or other solid object, it takes 1d6 per 10 feet they would have otherwise moved.

Head (Ex): You cause your opponent to be your choice of blinded for 1d4 rounds or stunned for 1.

Bonus Feats: At 2^nd and 4^th level, you may choose a bonus Combat Feat. If you are not using Tome, you may choose a Fighter Bonus Feat that you qualify for.

Sword Trance (Ex): At 3^rd level, you gain the ability to enter a meditative state where your fighting ability is truly unmatched. Entering a sword trance is a move action. During a sword trance, you gain several benefits while wielding a bladed weapon. You gain a +4 bonus to Strength and Dexterity, increase your reach by 5 feet, ignore all damage reduction, and lastly, gain the ability to take a full attack action as a standard action. You may end your sword trance as a free action, and can be in sword trance for a total number of rounds equal to 4+your Strength modifier rounds per day. Each level of swordsman adds 2 rounds to the number of rounds you may sword trance.

Sword Master (Ex): At 5^th level, you no longer need to pick a weapon for your Sword Mastery ability. It applies to any bladed weapon you wield. Additionally, any bladed weapon you wield has its critical multiplier increased by one (×2→×3, for example) and has its damage dice increased by two size categories.

Playing a Swordsman

Combat: In combat, you're the frontline of the frontline, as you always rely on getting up close and personal.

Advancement: Anything that makes you better at sticking your sword into people is desirable.

Swordsmen in the World

“

Round One. Fight!

”

Swordsmen follow battle. Whether they are wars, special missions, or heroic quests, they go where they can put their sword skills to the test.

NPC Reactions: NPCs that know that a character is a swordsman will usually treat them like any other adventurer, unless they are particularly interested in swordsmanship. Then they might challenge them to a duel, ask them to train them, or just pick a fight with them.

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