Ultimate Skirmisher
Skirmisher is a swift and agile warrior who uses her dexterity and reflexes to bring down foes, even clearly tougher ones. Skirmishers train hard to achieve their skill, and under the mask of a careless spirit hides focused mind and steady hand.
Adventures: Skirmishers can adventure for a variety of reasons. Some are employed by the rich to perform dangerous tasks, others work alone or are leaders themselves, often breaking local laws by ambushing unsuspecting travelers. Skirmishers have affinity for sea adventures because few others can match their fighting style on the difficult terrain that is a ship's deck.
Characteristics: Skirmishers have weak defenses but strong offensive capabilities, which leads them to two things. First, they readily join or form adventuring parties, as allies can provide them with protection and undo harmful effected the enemies inflict. Second, a skirmisher that enters combat will adopt an offensive stance and work outside any formation, much like the monk.
Alignment: All alignments are common among skirmishers and no particular point of view is preferred. On the one hand, training to become a skirmisher is difficult and requires a lot of devotion, which is easier for lawful characters. On the other hand their lifestyle and fighting techniques make them springy and independent, which favors chaotic approach to life.
Religion: Skirmishers have similar attitude toward divine matters to fighters. They usually pay tribute to the gods of luck, determination, glory, and martial skill, but are rarely pious followers, preferring more life more grounded in everyday reality.
Background: Many skirmishers hail from the same urban background as skillful rogues do. While more cunning, sly, and opportunistic people become rogues, those who prefer to end things dirty but show too much finesse to clad themselves in a suit of armor become skirmishers. Only the fastest of the fast youngsters might have what it takes to become a lighting-fast killer.
Races: Skirmishers are most common amongst humans, elves,and halflings. All those races value mobility the class offers. Skirmishers are uncommon among dwarves (who prefer more stationary stances), gnomes (who have more magical bend). Half-orcs and half-elves show neither predisposition nor dislike for the class, and can sometimes be encountered in human fencing schools. This class is also very popular among drow and githzerai.
Other Classes: Skirmishers get along well with people who value freedom, as well as charismatic types. They enjoy the company of bards, rogues, monks, paladins, and nexi. Skirmishers are not particularly at odds with spellcasters, but neither do they have much in common with mage types.
Starting Age: Moderate (same as bard, fighter, paladin, and others).
Starting Gold: 6d4 x 10 (average 150 gp)
Game Rule Information
Skirmishers have the following game statistics.
- Abilities: Dexterity is important for a skirmisher first and foremost. It affects her defenses, various abilities, and many skills. Intelligence helps skirmisher with some of her abilities, and improves skill selection. Strength and Constitution are also useful, since they help skirmisher deal and take more damage, thus making combat easier.
- Alignment: Any.
- Hit Points per Level: 1d8 + Con modifier.
- Hit points are maximized at 1st character level.
- Skill Points per Level: 4 + Int modifier.
- Skill points are multiplied by 4 at 1st character level.
Class Skills: The skirmisher's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Balance (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Escape Artist (Dex), Hide (Dex), Jump (Str), Move Silently (Dex), Perform (dance), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Sleigh of Hand (Dex), Swim (Str), and Tumble (Dex).
Class Table
Base Fort Ref Will Fast Level Attack Bonus Save Save Save Special Movement 1st +1 +0 +2 +0 Deadly trance, weapon finesse +10 ft. 2nd +2 +0 +3 +0 Swift grace - 3rd +3 +1 +3 +1 Lesser reel - 4th +4 +1 +4 +1 Marvelous charge - 5th +5 +1 +4 +1 Lesser reel +10 ft. 6th +6/+1 +2 +5 +2 Skirmish +1 - 7th +7/+2 +2 +5 +2 Lesser reel - 8th +8/+3 +2 +6 +2 Remember the pain - 9th +9/+4 +3 +6 +3 Lesser reel +10 ft. 10th +10/+5 +3 +7 +3 Trance technique - 11th +11/+6/+1 +3 +7 +3 Greater reel - 12th +12/+7/+2 +4 +8 +4 Skirmish +2 - 13th +13/+8/+3 +4 +8 +4 Trance technique +10 ft. 14th +14/+9/+4 +4 +9 +4 Greater reel - 15th +15/+10/+5 +5 +9 +5 Kill and kill again - 16th +16/+11/+6/+1 +5 +10 +5 Trance technique - 17th +17/+12/+7/+2 +5 +10 +5 Greater reel +10 ft. 18th +18/+13/+8/+3 +6 +11 +6 Skirmish +3 - 19th +19/+14/+9/+4 +6 +11 +6 Trance technique - 20th +20/+15/+10/+5 +6 +12 +6 Greater reel -
Class Features
All of the following are class features of the skirmisher.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Skirmishers are proficient with all simple and martial weapons, and light armors.
Skirmisher and rapid abilities: A number of abilities granted by the skirmisher class require her not to be seriously encumbered to work. Any ability with [Rapid] descriptor works only when a skirmisher is wearing light or no armor, and carries light or no load.
Deadly Trance (Ex) [Rapid]: At 1st level, a skirmisher can become deadly whirling acrobat. While in a trance, a skirmisher who performs full attack action with a slashing or piercing weapon (or weapons) gains additional melee attack at full attack bonus. She also receives a +4 bonus to Dexterity regardless of the actions she takes. A skirmisher can be in a trance a total number of rounds per day equal to her skirmisher level + her Dexterity bonus (bonus granted by this ability does not increase the duration). Activating this ability is a free action usable only during skirmisher's turn and can be ended prematurely. For example, a skirmisher could enter deadly trance for 3 rounds, then act without it for the next 2 rounds, and then enter it again if she only has rounds to use left.
Weapon Finesse (Ex): At 1st level, a skirmisher gains this feat for free.
Fast Movement (Ex) [Rapid]: At 1st level, a skirmisher gains a +10 enhancement bonus to her speed. This bonus increases by 10 ft. every 4 levels thereafter.
Swift Grace (Ex) [Rapid]: At 2nd level, a skirmisher can add her base Reflex save to all Initiative checks and to AC (as a dodge bonus) against one attack per round.
Lesser Reel (Ex) [Rapid]: A skirmisher can adopt a specific way of moving to become more adept at combat. At 3rd, 5th, 7th, and 9th levels, she learns one reel from the list below. At the beginning of each turn, a skirmisher can activate any lesser reel she knows as a free action, and benefits from its effects until the beginning of her next turn.
- Blade Block: A skirmisher gains +3 shield bonus to AC. This bonus increases to +6 if she fights defensively or takes full defense action. This bonus is not effective against weapons 2 or more sizes bigger (3 if a skirmisher wields 2 weapons) than the weapon she is using to defend herself.
- Blitz Strike: A skirmisher can make 2 attacks (second with a -5 penalty) when charging, instead of usual one.
- Cling: A skirmisher gains a climb speed of half her land speed. At the end of her turn she loses this climb speed and may need to make a climb check to stay on the surface.
- Complete Determination': A skirmisher gains +3 morale bonus on Reflex and Will saves.
- Dance of Steel: If a skirmisher takes a move action to moves at least 10 feet, her melee attacks in the same turn cause +1 point of precision damage per skirmisher level (maximum +10). Creatures immune to critical hits are immune to precision damage.
- Flying Steps: A skirmisher is immune to trip attempts and gains +2 bonus on saves and checks against effects that stop or slow her down.
- Improved Articulation': A skirmisher ignores arcane spell failure, armor check penalty, and weight of light armors.
- Longshot: Every weapon a skirmisher holds without range increment has range increment 10 ft.
- Perfection in Movement: A skirmisher adds her class level (maximum +10) as a competence bonus on Balance, Jump, and Tumble checks.
- Riposte: Whenever an opponent attacks a skirmisher and misses, she gains attack of opportunity against that opponent as a immediate action. This attack of opportunity does not count against the character's attacks of opportunity for that round.
- Tango of Death: A skirmisher adds her Intelligence modifier instead of Strength modifier to weapon damage.
- Tread Lightly: A skirmisher gains +8 dodge bonus to AC against attacks of opportunity caused by movement.
- Vanishing Target: A skirmisher gains benefits of evasion and uncanny dodge abilities.
Marvelous Charge (Ex) [Rapid]: At 4th level, a skirmisher can charge in situations where others cannot. She may charge over difficult terrain that normally slows movement or creatures blocking her path. She can charge down steep stairs, leap down from a deck to pier, or tumble over tables to get to opponent. Depending on the circumstance, she may still need to make appropriate checks (Jump or Tumble checks, in particular) to successfully move over the terrain.
Skirmish (Ex): A 6th level skirmisher is trained to fight without a formation. When there is no ally within 20 feet from him, the skirmisher gains +1 morale bonus on all iterative melee attack rolls and saves against fear. This bonus increases by +1 every 6 more levels the skirmisher has (+2 at 12th level, +3 at 18th level). Iterative attacks cannot have higher bonus than 1st attack, which means that this ability can add maximum +5 to the 2nd attack, +10 to the third attack, and +15 to the fourth attack.
Remember the Pain (Ex): At 8th level, a skirmisher learns how to discourage monsters from attacking her by inflicting wracking pain they will remember for a long time. Whenever a skirmisher deals at least 10 points of damage with a single attack to a living creature with Intelligence score of at least 1, the creature must make a Will save (DC = damage dealt) or it's shaken until end of the round each time it attacks the skirmisher, for 1 hour. If a creature makes the save, it becomes immune to remember the pain for the next 24 hours. This is mind-affecting ability.
Trance Technique (Ex) [Rapid]: At 10th, 13th, 16th, and 19th levels, a skirmisher picks up one technique to improve or modify her deadly trance. All those abilities can be used only when a skirmisher is under effects of deadly trance.
- Disorienting Assault: By sacrificing 1 round of deadly trance’s duration as a swift action, a skirmisher makes a creature she threatens confused for 1 round (Will save negates, DC is 10 + half skirmisher's levels + skirmisher's Intelligence modifier).
- Ever-Moving: By sacrificing 1 round of deadly trance’s duration as a immediate action, a skirmisher can move 5 feet. This is not 5-feet movement action, but it can be performed even during other character’s turn.
- Impossibly Fast: By sacrificing 8 rounds of deadly trance’s duration as a swift action, a skirmisher gains one extra turn after the current one. This ability can only be used once per minute.
- Lucky Roll: By sacrificing 1 round of deadly trance’s duration as a non-action, a skirmisher can re-roll any Reflex save.
- Nimble Charge: By sacrificing 2 rounds of deadly trance's duration as a part of charge, the skirmisher doesn't have to charge in a straight line as long as each square she move into is not be farther from the target than the previous one. In addition, she can charge through difficult terrain (including squares occupied by her allies).
- Storm of Strikes: By sacrificing 1 round of deadly trance’s duration as a non-action, a skirmisher can make one additional attack of opportunity this round.
- Puncturing Blow: By sacrificing 1 round of deadly trance’s duration as a free action, a skirmisher makes her next attack within the same round ignore all hardness and Damage Reduction.
- Reach the Sky: By sacrificing 1 round of deadly trance’s duration as a part of jump action, a skirmisher gains +50 competence bonus on the Jump check.
- Surge of Agility: By sacrificing 1 round of deadly trance’s duration as a swift action, Dexterity bonus granted by deadly trance improves to +8 until the beginning of next turn.
- Sure Strike: By sacrificing 2 rounds of deadly trance’s duration as a swift action, a skirmisher makes her next attack within the same round ignore all dodge, deflection, and luck bonuses to AC, as well as concealment other than total.
- Tiny Threat: By sacrificing 1 round of deadly trance's duration as a free action, a skirmisher gains the Slight Build racial ability until the beginning of her next turn.
Greater Reel (Ex) [Rapid]: A skirmisher can adopt a specific way of moving to become even more adept at combat. At 11th, 14th, 17th, and 20th levels, she learns one reel from the list below. At the beginning of each turn, a skirmisher can activate any greater reel she knows as a free action, and benefits from its effects until the beginning of her next turn. A skirmisher can be under effects of one lesser and one greater reel at one time.
- Blade Wall: A skirmisher gains +6 shield bonus to AC. This bonus increases to +9 if she fights defensively or takes full defense action. This bonus is not effective against weapons 2 or more sizes bigger (3 if a skirmisher wields 2 weapons) than the weapon she is using to defend herself. A skirmisher must have lesser reel: blade block to take this ability.
- Constant Adjustment: A skirmisher can make two 5-foot step actions per round, instead of one.
- Elusive Target: A skirmisher gains benefits of improved evasion and improved uncanny dodge abilities. She must have lesser reel: vanishing target to take this ability.
- Feel the Enemy: Skirmisher's attacks ignore concealment.
- Get Behind the Shell: Skirmisher's attacks ignore natural armor bonuses to AC.
- Moment of Inattention: A skirmisher does not provoke attacks of opportunity. She must have lesser reel: tread lightly to take this ability.
- Perfect Riposte: Whenever an opponent attacks a skirmisher and misses, she gains attack of opportunity against that opponent. This attack of opportunity counts against the character's attacks of opportunity for that round. A skirmisher must have lesser reel: riposte to take this ability.
- Roam: A skirmisher is under constant effects of freedom of movement spell. This is a supernatural ability.
- Seeking Blade: Skirmisher's attacks ignore dodge and deflection bonuses to AC.
- Swirling Cape: A skirmisher has 40% concealment. He cannot use this concealment to hide though.
Kill and Kill Again (Ex): At 15th level, a skirmisher fuels his trance by slaying his opponents in combat. Whenever he kills an enemy with 5 or more Hit Dice who dealt at least 20 points of damage to the skirmisher within 1 minute before her death, he regains 1 extra round of deadly trance.
Epic Skirmisher
The epic skirmisher is a living lighting of speed and death. Her ability to quickly dispatch of enemies and avoid their dangerous attacks at the same time has no equals, even among spellcasters.
Skirmisher Level Special 21st Fast movement +10 ft. 22nd Bonus feat 23rd Reel or technique 24th Fast movement +10 ft. skirmish +4 25th Bonus feat 26th Reel or technique 27th Fast movement +10 ft. 28th Bonus feat 29th Reel or technique 30th Fast movement +10 ft. skirmish +5
Bonus Feat: An epic skirmisher gains bonus feat at 22nd level and every 3 levels thereafter (25th, 28th, 31st, and so on). The available epic feats are: Blinding Speed, Devastating Critical, Dire Charge, Epic Fortitude, Epic Prowess, Epic Reflexes, Epic Reputation, Epic Speed, Epic Toughness, Epic Will, Improved Combat Reflexes, Legendary Leaper, Overwhelming Critical, Penetrate Damage Reduction, Perfect Two-Weapon Fighting, Spellcasting Harrier, Superior Initiative, and Two-Weapon Rend.
Reel or Technique: An epic skirmisher gains extra ability at 23rd level and every 3 levels thereafter (26th, 29th, 32nd, and so on). She can freely choose that ability from lesser reels, greater reels, and trance techniques.
Fast Movement: An epic skirmisher's speed increases by 10 feet at 21st level and every 3 levels thereafter (27th, 30th, 33rd, and so on).
Skirmish: An epic skirmisher's bonuses to attack rolls and fear saves continue to improve at the rate of +1 every 6 levels up to 90th level.