Giulmariner Drowned Lady Blademaster Prestige Class
Sometimes called the City of the Drowned Lady, Giulmar is one of the most beautiful of the 9 Cities. Built atop a foundation of solid rock shaped by ancient arts to a perfect circle, the city is crafted largely of marble and other rare stones unavailable to younger cities, and is laid out in a circle with a 3.14 mile radius. The city is a single huge structure much like an arena, higher around the circumference, and descending inwards in terraces. The outer circumference is 50 feet tall and descends in 10 foot terraced increments towards the partially submerged middle in a sort of waterborne colonnade. At each of the 4 cardinal points a large fountain stands upon the wall, spouting thier water inwards to flow down the terraces in fluted waterfalls to replenish the waters at the bottom of the city. Twenty identical delicate marble bridges span the trickling waterfalls coursing down thru the city. In the partially submerged center nadir there stands the storied Temple of the Drowned Lady. Famed throughout the lands and a popular destination for pilgrimages by the faithful of Guilme, the water-goddess. Around the circumference of the city wall is an impressive and extensive pier and dock system, complete with warehouses, shipyards, and a thriving foreign district. Outsiders generally cannot afford to live inside the city proper, as space is at a premium, so most can be found living in the Docks here along with poorer natives. The entire dock structure is continuous and is an exact 3/4 of a mile in width from the city walls, with piers extending a uniform 1/4 of a mile from them in an evenly spaced pattern. It is said to be the largest docks in the world, and in fact the inhabitible area of the Docks is greater than that of some of the smaller cities. Four cubical double gates connected to the docks by pivoting ramps give access to the city. These gates are built in an ancient manner lost to modern understanding, with a double lock system that allows them to be compartmentalized and drained in case of flooding; this has saved the city proper from a watery doom several times when waters have risen. The docks and piers are built on floating supports and attached to the wall in specific locations by a groove and guider apparatus that allows them to rise and fall with the tides and occasional floods.
The city is open and clean, crime has little purchase, and the people are happy in thier belief that thier goddess watches over them. They are a friendly and generous people on average, and not given to violence. Natives are generally passive and approach life with a ‘what will be, will be’ mindset. It is quite possible that aside for the professional armsmen of the city's watch and the famous elite gaurds known as the Seaborne that stand viginlance over the Temple of the Drowned Lady, none of the natives would bother with arts of the blade if not for their adherence to tradition. The practice of the fighting technique called the Art of the Drowned Lady is older than living memory and stretches back into antiquity; it is seen as a holy observance to the water-goddess. Many devout worshipers learn the styles teachings to become closer to their chosen deity, though they avoid its use if at all possible. Pilgrims from faraway lands often seek out training in the style as part of their holy journey. Outsiders have learned to their regret that though not overly aggressive the style is deceptively dangerous and usually do not press a known master to cross blades unless sure of thier own skill.
The style is popular among Fighters, Warriors, Experts, and Commoners who are worshipers of Giulme, but it is certainly practiced by members of many other professions.
Prerequisites
Base Attack Bonus +3
Feats: Ambidexterity, Dodge, Expertise
Skills: Balance: 3 Ranks, Concentration: 3 Ranks
Level Attack Fortitude Reflex Will Abilities
1 +1 +0 +2 +0 Guilime’s Trident
2 +2 +0 +3 +0 Ebb & Flow
3 +3 +1 +3 +1 Guilime’s Tide
4 +4 +1 +4 +1 Flowing Step
5 +5 +1 +4 +1 Steel Waterfall
Hit Die D6
Skill Points Int Bonus + 4 / level
Skill List: Balance, Concentration, Heal, Knowledge: Religion (Giulme). Listen, Search, Sense Motive, Spot
Class Abilities
Weapon and Armor Proficiencies: This prestige class grants no additional weapon or armor proficiencies.
Giulme’s Trident At 1st level the Drowned Lady Blademaster has trained in the use of a strange tri-bladed dagger known as Giulme’s Trident. These daggers are treated in all ways as a normal dagger. The Blademaster gains Weapon Finesse: Giulme's Trident as a virtual feat. When using such a dagger in his off hand the practitioner may fight as if he had the Main Gauche Feat (listed below). Giulme's Tridents are common in Giulme, uncommon in adjacent lands, and rare to unavailable in more distant lands.
New Feat by Ed Hastings aka Killer Shrike
Main Gauche [Fighting Style]
You are skilled at using a dagger in your off hand.
Prerequisite: Ambidexterity, Weapon Focus: Dagger or Weapon Finesse: Dagger
Benefit: The practitioner of this type of style is adept at employing a small bladed weapon in the off hand. The practitioner may fight with any sort of dagger in the off hand as if he had Two-Weapon Fighting when using the Dagger in the off-hand. If the practitioner's Base Attack Bonus is equal to +8 or greater the practitioner may fight as if he also has Improved Two Weapon Fighting when using the Dagger in the off-hand. This may only be used with a dagger; all other weapons take the standard penalties for fighting 2 handed.
Ebb and Flow: At 2nd level the Drowned Lady Blademaster has learned a subtle defensive blade technique. The practitioner gains En Garde as a virtual Feat (listed below) when fighting with any one handed sword wielded in the practitioners primary hand that he is proficient with.
New Feat by Ed Hastings aka Killer Shrike
En Garde [Fighting Style]
You are able to assume a defensive stance that allows you to react to the enemy.
Prerequisites: Expertise
Benefit: At his initiative, the practitioner may assume an ‘en garde’ position as a full attack action, with a 5 foot step allowed. When doing this, the practitioner holds position until the first opponent moves to attack him in melee. When the first opponent makes their first melee attack against the practitioner after he has taken this stance, the practitioner must make a resisted attack roll against the opponents attack roll. If the practitioner equals or exceeds the opponents attack roll with his own his en gard attempt was succesful, otherwise it was unsuccesful.
If successful the opponents first melee attack is negated totally and the practitioner must immediately take a single standard action attack against that opponent (and that opponent only); this attack may be used to intiate a Disarm or a Trip, which if succesful can often halt an opponents offensive. After the practitioner has taken his attack, the opponent may finish their action minus their first attack.
If the en garde attempt was unsuccesful the opponents attack is handled as normal and the practitioners action for the round is lost.
This Feat is usable in conjunction with Improved Trip and Improved Disarm. This Feat may only be used once in a round regardless of circumstances.
Guilime’s Tide: At 3rd level the Drowned Lady Blademaster has learned to use a special weighted cloak when fighting for greater protection. He is able to use this cloak to turn blows. Such a cloak is made of heavy leather reinforced with metal and treated in all ways as a Buckler except that the practitioner may attack with their off hand and still gain the AC benefit of the cloak.
Additionally, the as the practitioner gains experience he is able to use the cloak to greater effect; at 4th level the practitioner gains +2 AC from the cloak, and at 5th level gains +3 AC. This is an extrodinary ability and is stackable with enhancement bonuses.
Finally, while using this cloak and equipped with Guilme's Trident in thier off-hand the Drowned Lady Blademaster may use the Off-Hand Parry feat (Sword & Fist pg 7).
The cloaks are common in Giulmar, uncommon in adjacent Cities, and rare to non-existent beyond.
Flowing Step: At 4th level the Drowned Lady Blademaster has learned to float about in combat like water through a narrows, finding a way past intervening obstacles. The Blademaster gains Mobility as a Bonus Feat.
Steel Waterfall: At 5th level the Drowned Lady Blademaster has learned a frightening technique, mimicking the flow of a river and the fury of a waterfall, they hurl themselves into a rush, landing blows upon opponents as water splashes from a fall. The practitioner gains Passing Attack as a virtual Feat (listed below) when fighting with any one handed sword wielded in the practitioners primary hand that he is proficient with.
New Feat by Ed Hastings aka Killer Shrike
Passing Attack [Fighting Style]
You are skilled at moving through a melee and striking foes as you go.
Prerequisites: Dodge, Mobility
Benefit: The practitioner of this type of style may move his normal movement as a full action, making a single standard action attack on each opponent as he wishes along his path of movement until he runs out of attacks or movement. The practitioner does draw Attacks of Opportunity, but may use other abilities such as the prerequisite Mobility Feat to offset this. This Feat is usable in conjunction with Improved Trip and Improved Disarm.
