Blade Master (Prestige Class)

Having used the various weapons of war throughout his/her career, the Blade Master has come to realize that a slashing blade offers the most versatility.  With that knowledge came the desire to master the Blade and the various fighting forms that exist through the different kingdoms with the goal of becoming one with the Blade.

A Blade Master is a traveling warrior, searching for different techniques in using a blade with that hope that one day he/she will master its use.  Although they do not shun the use of other weapons, after all, there is wisdom in using weapons to satisfy specific needs (blunt weapons for skeletons and missile weapons for aerial creatures), the Blade. Master given a choice will always use the Blade (Blade Master’s weapon of Choice).

What is a Blade?
To a Blade Master any weapon that does slashing damage only is a Blade.  The most common Blades are swords (that do slashing damage note short swords don’t do slashing damage), but a few Blade Masters exist that study the fighting forms of axes and even certain weapons such as slashing/cleaving pole arms (such as Glaives, Bills, Voulges, and Fouchards).  Once a Blade Master has selected his/her type of weapon choice (e.g., pole arm, long sword, bastard sword, two weapon sword, battle axe, etc.) he or she will exclusively choose to master that type of weapon for his/her fighting style indicated by most of the specials in the table below.

Hit Die: 1d8

Requirements: To qualify to become a Blade Master, a character must fulfill all the following criteria. 
Alignment: Any
Race: Any
Base Attack: +5
Great Cleave
Improved Initiative
Expertise
Weapon Focus with a Slashing Weapon (to become weapon of choice)
Weapon Finesse with a Slashing Weapon (to become weapon of choice not limited to list, but must be a “blade”)

Special restrictions
•	Must forgo learning any more weapons that do not do Slashing damage once this class is chosen nor can they improve upon the non-slashing weapons using feats and such.
•	Must forgo learning any ranged weapons that do not do slashing damage once this class is chosen nor can they improve upon their ranged weapons using feats and such.
•	Must forgo use of Armor other then Light Armor

Class Skills: Balance (Dex.), Climb (Str.), Craft (Int.) (Bladed weapons), Gather Information (Cha.), Sense Motive (Combat Prediction and Decipher Strategy) (Wis.), Knowledge (Hearth Wisdom, Streetwise, War) (Int.), Profession (Wis.), Spot (Wis.), Swim (Str.), and Tumble (Dex.)

Skill Points: The Blade Master gains 3 + INT modifier skill points per level.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Blade Masters are proficient with all Slashing Weapons  
Note that exotic weapons that do slashing damage should be considered as martial weapons in regards to the character being able to use them (character will not require the exotic weapons feat for such slashing exotic weapons).

Table: The Blade Master

Class
Level	Base
Attack
Bonus	Fort
Save	Ref
Save	Will
Save	Special	
1st	+1	+0	+2	+0	Detect Weakness, Bonus Feat	
2nd	+2	+0	+3	+0	Reflexive Defense, Bonus Feat	
3rd	+3	+1	+3	+1	Running Slash	
4th	+4	+1	+4	+1	Stunning Attack, Flat Blade	
5th	+5	+1	+4	+1	Deflect Arrows	
6th	+6	+2	+5	+2	Evasion, Bonus Feat	
7th	+7	+2	+5	+2 	Ki Slash	
8th	+8	+2	+6	+2	Reflex Attack	
9th	+9	+3	+6	+3	Deadly Strike, Bonus Feat	
10th	+10	+3	+7	+3	Crippling Strike	

Bonus Feats choices:  Can only choose a bonus feat from the following feats:  Alertness, Ambidexterity, Blind-Fight, Combat Reflexes, Death Blow, Dodge, Improved Disarm, Improved Sunder, Lightning Reflexes, Mobility, Prone Attack, Quick Draw, and Sunder. 

Detect Weakness: For every round spent observing your opponent you are able to detect a weakness in your opponent’s fighting style (e.g., repetitive attack maneuver, favoring a side, mode of attack, predictable feign and lunges, etc.).  This enables you to gain +1 to attack and damage as well as +1 to your defense (AC) that is cumulative per round spent on observing target.  A Blade Master can spend up to a total of 3 rounds of Detecting Weaknesses on his/her foe with a total bonus of +3 to attack, +3 damage and +3 to Defense (AC).  The Blade Master must do this for each individual opponent if he/she wishes to attain the Detect Weakness bonus on other targets since different people/creatures have different fighting styles or combat maneuvers.  Although the Blade Master can detect the targets fighting weakness, the Blade Master can only take advantage of such knowledge only by using the Blade Master’s weapon of Choice for which he/she has mastered.

Reflexive Defense: The Blade Master gains the extra-ordinary ability to react to danger before his senses would normally allow him to even is aware of it. This enables the Blade Master to retain his Dexterity bonus to AC (if any) regardless of being caught flat-footed or struck by an invisible attacker. (He still loses any Dexterity bonus to AC if immobilized).  This ability does not require for the Blade Master to have his/her weapon of choice.

Running Slash:  The Blade Master is able to attack at targets in his/her path while running.  The character may move his/her normal distance and can make a single attack at each opponent that is in his/her path assuming that they are within the threat range of the weapon.  Similar to the Ride-by Attack feat, the Blade Master does not provoke an attack of opportunity for the opponent that the character attacks.  Note that the character must be using his/her weapon of choice to be able to do such attacks and for each opponent after the initial one that he Blade Master attacks this way, the Blade Master receives a cumulative –2 to attack.

Stunning Attack: The Blade Master can use this ability once per round, but no more than once per level per day. The Blade Master must declare she is using a stun attack before making the attack roll (thus, a missed attack roll ruins the attempt). A foe struck by a Blade Master’s slashing weapon is forced to make a Fortitude saving throw (DC 10 + one-half the Blade Master’s level + Wisdom modifier). In addition to receiving normal damage, if the saving throw fails, the opponent is stunned for 1 round. The stunning attack is a supernatural ability and can only be done using the character’s weapon of choice.

Flat Blade: The Blade Master has mastered his/her weapon of choice that if he/she wishes to do subdual damage instead of normal damage.  The Blade Master must indicate that he/she will attack with the flat of her weapon of choice and if hit and damage is allocated, then all the damage becomes subdual damage 

Deflect Arrows:  Once per round when the character would normally be hit with a ranged weapon, the character may make a Reflex saving throw against a DC of 20 (if the ranged weapon has a magical bonus to attack, the DC increases by that amount).   The Blade Master uses his/her weapon of choice to accomplish this and can decrease the DC by an equal amount to the magical weapon bonus if the weapon used is magical.  If the character succeeds, the character deflects the weapon. The character must be aware of the attack and not flat-footed. Attempting to deflect a ranged weapon doesn’t count as an action. Exceptional ranged weapons can’t be deflected. 

Evasion: If a Blade Master makes a successful Reflex saving throw against an attack that normally deals half damage on a successful save, the Blade Master instead takes no damage. Evasion can only be used if the Blade Master is wearing light armor or no armor. It is an extraordinary ability and does not require that Blade Master to have a weapon of choice to perform.

Reflex Attack: The Blade Master can no longer be caught flat-footed.  He/she is able to attack when attacked even when caught flat-footed but does so at the end of the round.  If the Blade Master is attacked by multiple attackers within the same round and is Flat-footed, then Blade Master can only counter attack against one character.  If the Blade Master is attacked by multiple attackers within the same round and is not caught flat-footed, then the Blade Master can make a counter attack against each individual opponent with a cumulative penalty of –2 to attack after the first initial opponent who is being counter-attacked.  The Blade Master can only do this using his/her weapon of choice.  Note: The Blade Master can only make a reflex attack only after being the recipient to a melee attack.

Ki Slash: The Blade Master is able to focus his/her Ki into his/her weapon of choice, enabling to make a single slashing attack per every other round per Blade Master level per day at targets/opponents that would normally be beyond normal reach.  As a result, consider that the threat range of the character’s slashing weapon to now be 3x its normal range.  For example, the threat range of a Long sword is now 15 feet instead of 5 while a Pole Arm would be 30 feet instead of 10.

Deadly Strike: By foregoing initiative, the character places himself/herself in a position to better react to an attack and counter attack.  As a result, when the Blade Master attacks, he/she increases the chance to hit and do critical damage.  The Blade Master gains +1 to attack and increase the chance to do critical damage by a factor of 1  (e.g., If it took a 19-20 to do critical damage, it would now take 18-20).  The Blade Master can only use this extraordinary ability his/her weapon of choice.

Crippling Strike:  By foregoing initiative, the character places himself/herself in a position to better react to an attack and counter attack.   As a result, when the Blade Master attacks, he/she increases the chance to hit and do critical damage.  The Blade Master gains +2 to attack and increase the chance to do critical damage by a factor of 3  (e.g., If it took a 19-20 to do critical damage, it would now take 17-20).  The Blade Master can only use this extraordinary ability his/her weapon of choice.