The Blademaster
Blademasters are a legendary band of swordsmen from Al'Kar. They are renowned for their dedication to the art of the blade, and for their devotion to the defeat of evil users of the arcane arts.
The came into existence during the Reign of Darkness, when the Towers of Sorcery rose above the cities of the land, and the tribes were groaning under the tyrannical rule of their sorcerous overlords. A warrior of the Nedor clan, whom the blademasters refer to as "The First," rebelled against the Sorceror King that oppressed his people.
The legend says that he fled to the Tomb of Turik, deep in the Mountains of the Moon, when the Sorceror destroyed his first rebellion with negligent ease. The shade of Turik himself revealed the secret of the Blade Bond, and taught the rebel the art of forging a blade.
Armed with this new weapon, and new hope, The First Blade returned to the Nedor, and taught others. The resulting war lasted a generation, and The First Blade did not live to see its end. But the Towers fell, and the Sorceror Kings fell with them.
The blademasters have carried on this tradition for centuries, from the Tower of the Blade, in the shadow of Mountains of the Moon. Evil arcane casters are their foes, especially those who use their talents to oppress those who are helpless to stop them.
The Blademaster
Hit Dice: d10
Requirements:
To qualify to become a blademaster, a character must fulfill all the following criteria.
Alignment: Lawful or Neutral Good
BAB: +8
Feats: Weapon Focus: Any sword, Combat Expertise, Iron Will
Skills: Concentration 8 ranks, Craft: Weaponsmith 8 ranks
Special: A blademaster must be initiated into the Order of the Blade, and sponsored by a current member.
Abilities:
BAB: As fighter
Good Saves: All
Class Skills: The Blademaster's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Concentration (Con), Handle Animal (Cha), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Knowledge - Arcana (Int), Ride (Dex), Spellcraft (Int), and Swim (Str).
Skill points per level: 4 + INT bonus
Blademasters are proficient with all martial weapons, and with all armor types. However, if they wear greater then light armor, they cannot use the Blade Trance ability.
1: Blade Bond +1, Magic Sense, Fighter Bonus Feat
2: Blade Trance 1x daily
3: Spell Strike 1x daily
4: Blade Trance 2x daily
5: Blade Bond +2, Detect Evil, Fighter Bonus Feat
6: Blade Trance 3x daily, Spell Strike 2x daily
7: Just Retribution
8: Blade Trance 4x daily
9: Blade Bond +3, Spell Strike 3x daily, Fighter Bonus Feat
10: Final Justice, Blade Trance 5x daily
Blade Bond: A Blademaster forges his own blade, and is bound to it, body and soul. The Blade Bond is the heart of the Blademaster's abilities. The Blademaster receives the listed bonus to hit and damage with a sword that he has personally forged and bonded. This bonus is an insight bonus, and therefore stacks with magical bonuses that might also apply. The Blade Bond bonus also counts as a level of enchantment for purposes of defeating DR, and similar determinations. If a Blademaster's Bound blade is destroyed, he immediately suffers two negative energy levels, with a DC of 25 to avoid loss of level if they are not removed magically. This is an extraordinary ability.
Magic Sense: The Blademaster has a continual detect magic effect. This always allows him to see magical emanations. He can concentrate on an object or person for the requisite time, and gain the information a detect magic spell can offer with continued observation. (See spell description for details) This is a supernatural ability.
Blade Trance: When using his bonded blade, the Blademaster can go into a Blade Trance, drawing on the mystic bond between himself and his weapon. While in this Trance, he receives his Wisdom bonus as an insight bonus to armor class and all saving throws. The Blademaster also gains the benefits of the Combat Reflexes and Blindfighting Feats, while in Trance. To begin the trance, he must make a Concentration check (DC 15), as a standard action. The trance can continue for a maximum of 3 rounds + Wisdom bonus. The wearing of any armor beyond light makes this ability unusable, as the blademaster is unable to react as fast as he must to utilize the Trance's benefits. This is an extraordinary ability.
Spell Strike: When using his bonded blade, the Blademaster can use his ability to sense magic and his bond with his blade to literally cut the magical energy of a spell, destroying it. This can be used in two ways. First, it can be used defensively. When a spell is cast at the Blademaster directly, he may, as a free action, make a spellcraft check to determine what the spell is. If the spellcraft check succeeds, he may strike the spell, rolling 1d20 + his Blademaster level + Wisdom bonus against the spell's caster level +10+ any spell focus the caster may have with that spell. If the Blademaster is successful the spell is lost, and never takes effect. The second use is offensive. When the Blademaster strikes a target in melee, he may declare a Spell Strike, and in addition to any normal melee damage, the strike is also treated as a dispel magic cast directly on the target, using the Blademaster's character level as the level of the dispeller. This is a supernatural ability
Just Retribution: Once per day, the Blademaster may turn an evil caster's spell back on its source. This is a free action, and the spell need only include the Blademaster in its area of effect. The Blademaster must succeed at a Concentration check (DC 20) to perform this action. The spell's area effect, if any, is then centered on the caster, and all relevant saving throws, SR, etc, apply. This is a supernatural ability.
Detect Evil: As the Paladin ability.
Final Justice: This ability is what makes Blademasters so feared by even the most powerful of evil arcanists. Any evil arcanist slain by a Blademaster who has achieved this ability is utterly destroyed. He may not be brought back by any means, and this applies even to the undead. Liches and vampires do not rise again when this ability is used against them. This is a supernatural ability.
Blademasters are a legendary band of swordsmen from Al'Kar. They are renowned for their dedication to the art of the blade, and for their devotion to the defeat of evil users of the arcane arts.
The came into existence during the Reign of Darkness, when the Towers of Sorcery rose above the cities of the land, and the tribes were groaning under the tyrannical rule of their sorcerous overlords. A warrior of the Nedor clan, whom the blademasters refer to as "The First," rebelled against the Sorceror King that oppressed his people.
The legend says that he fled to the Tomb of Turik, deep in the Mountains of the Moon, when the Sorceror destroyed his first rebellion with negligent ease. The shade of Turik himself revealed the secret of the Blade Bond, and taught the rebel the art of forging a blade.
Armed with this new weapon, and new hope, The First Blade returned to the Nedor, and taught others. The resulting war lasted a generation, and The First Blade did not live to see its end. But the Towers fell, and the Sorceror Kings fell with them.
The blademasters have carried on this tradition for centuries, from the Tower of the Blade, in the shadow of Mountains of the Moon. Evil arcane casters are their foes, especially those who use their talents to oppress those who are helpless to stop them.
The Blademaster
Hit Dice: d10
Requirements:
To qualify to become a blademaster, a character must fulfill all the following criteria.
Alignment: Lawful or Neutral Good
BAB: +8
Feats: Weapon Focus: Any sword, Combat Expertise, Iron Will
Skills: Concentration 8 ranks, Craft: Weaponsmith 8 ranks
Special: A blademaster must be initiated into the Order of the Blade, and sponsored by a current member.
Abilities:
BAB: As fighter
Good Saves: All
Class Skills: The Blademaster's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Concentration (Con), Handle Animal (Cha), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Knowledge - Arcana (Int), Ride (Dex), Spellcraft (Int), and Swim (Str).
Skill points per level: 4 + INT bonus
Blademasters are proficient with all martial weapons, and with all armor types. However, if they wear greater then light armor, they cannot use the Blade Trance ability.
1: Blade Bond +1, Magic Sense, Fighter Bonus Feat
2: Blade Trance 1x daily
3: Spell Strike 1x daily
4: Blade Trance 2x daily
5: Blade Bond +2, Detect Evil, Fighter Bonus Feat
6: Blade Trance 3x daily, Spell Strike 2x daily
7: Just Retribution
8: Blade Trance 4x daily
9: Blade Bond +3, Spell Strike 3x daily, Fighter Bonus Feat
10: Final Justice, Blade Trance 5x daily
Blade Bond: A Blademaster forges his own blade, and is bound to it, body and soul. The Blade Bond is the heart of the Blademaster's abilities. The Blademaster receives the listed bonus to hit and damage with a sword that he has personally forged and bonded. This bonus is an insight bonus, and therefore stacks with magical bonuses that might also apply. The Blade Bond bonus also counts as a level of enchantment for purposes of defeating DR, and similar determinations. If a Blademaster's Bound blade is destroyed, he immediately suffers two negative energy levels, with a DC of 25 to avoid loss of level if they are not removed magically. This is an extraordinary ability.
Magic Sense: The Blademaster has a continual detect magic effect. This always allows him to see magical emanations. He can concentrate on an object or person for the requisite time, and gain the information a detect magic spell can offer with continued observation. (See spell description for details) This is a supernatural ability.
Blade Trance: When using his bonded blade, the Blademaster can go into a Blade Trance, drawing on the mystic bond between himself and his weapon. While in this Trance, he receives his Wisdom bonus as an insight bonus to armor class and all saving throws. The Blademaster also gains the benefits of the Combat Reflexes and Blindfighting Feats, while in Trance. To begin the trance, he must make a Concentration check (DC 15), as a standard action. The trance can continue for a maximum of 3 rounds + Wisdom bonus. The wearing of any armor beyond light makes this ability unusable, as the blademaster is unable to react as fast as he must to utilize the Trance's benefits. This is an extraordinary ability.
Spell Strike: When using his bonded blade, the Blademaster can use his ability to sense magic and his bond with his blade to literally cut the magical energy of a spell, destroying it. This can be used in two ways. First, it can be used defensively. When a spell is cast at the Blademaster directly, he may, as a free action, make a spellcraft check to determine what the spell is. If the spellcraft check succeeds, he may strike the spell, rolling 1d20 + his Blademaster level + Wisdom bonus against the spell's caster level +10+ any spell focus the caster may have with that spell. If the Blademaster is successful the spell is lost, and never takes effect. The second use is offensive. When the Blademaster strikes a target in melee, he may declare a Spell Strike, and in addition to any normal melee damage, the strike is also treated as a dispel magic cast directly on the target, using the Blademaster's character level as the level of the dispeller. This is a supernatural ability
Just Retribution: Once per day, the Blademaster may turn an evil caster's spell back on its source. This is a free action, and the spell need only include the Blademaster in its area of effect. The Blademaster must succeed at a Concentration check (DC 20) to perform this action. The spell's area effect, if any, is then centered on the caster, and all relevant saving throws, SR, etc, apply. This is a supernatural ability.
Detect Evil: As the Paladin ability.
Final Justice: This ability is what makes Blademasters so feared by even the most powerful of evil arcanists. Any evil arcanist slain by a Blademaster who has achieved this ability is utterly destroyed. He may not be brought back by any means, and this applies even to the undead. Liches and vampires do not rise again when this ability is used against them. This is a supernatural ability.
