3E Skylis Rules
Chapter 3: Classes.
Prestige Classes
JAGDKAMFEN
Pit GladiatorA long time ago, when there was a realm ruled by orcs, they used to keep humans as pets and force them to fight against each other. They called their favourite battleground 'Nykar Toshek', or the Pits of Nykar. After the orcs were driven from the mainland, and the area was absorbed into Steafanoes, there was no way to integrate these humans into modern society. They were given their freedom and left to live their lives as they pleased. They chose to keep many of the customs they had under the rule of the orcs, including the gladiatorial games.
In time, other cultures intermingled with Nykar, and the ready and willing crop of seasoned, battle-hardened warriors attracted many parties looking to hire such help. In recent times, the former despot of Steafanoes pressed all the gladiators of Nykar that he could find into service for his armies. After the despot was removed from power, many of the gladiators chose to leave their homes, tired of the historical exploitation their generations had endured.
Unlike an Arena Gladiator, a Jagdkamfen is a master of pure killing with little show or flare. They are trained to strike fast, hard and with unabashed brutality. Combat is a test of will and honour, not of performance or exhibition. Those who fall in the struggle are unfit for life anyway. The adventuring pit gladiator is one who sees life as such a struggle and seeks out situations where his will and skills are put to the test. He often hires himself out as a mercenary would, acting as such and with appropriate humility. Only those who know to look for the tattoos would be able to tell him apart from the rest. Or those who know what Busho Akani is.
JAGDKAMFEN Lvl Base Att Fort/Ref/Will Special & Other 1 +1 +2/+1/+0 Busho Akani +2; Improved Feint 2 +2 +3/+1/+0 Study Opponent +1; Improved Initiative 3 +3 +3/+2/+1 Busho Akani +3; Cleave 4 +4 +4/+2/+1 Finishing Stroke +2 5 +5 +4/+3/+2 Busho Akani +4 6 +6 +5/+3/+2 Study Opponent +2; Greater Initiative 7 +7 +5/+4/+3 Busho Akani +5 8 +8 +6/+4/+3 Make Them Bleed 9 +9 +6/+4/+4 Busho Akani +6 10 +10 +7/+5/+4 Study Opponent +3; Finishing Stroke +3 11 +11 +7/+5/+5 Busho Akani +7 12 +12 +8/+5/+5 Killing Stroke 13 +13 +8/+6/+5 Busho Akani +8 14 +14 +9/+6/+6 Study Opponent +4; Instant Focus 15 +15 +9/+6/+6 Busho Akani +9 16 +16 +10/+7/+6 Finishing Stroke +4 17 +17 +10/+7/+7 Busho Akani +10 18 +18 +11/+7/+7 Study Opponent +5 19 +19 +11/+8/+7 Busho Akani +11 20 +20 +12/+8/+8 Akani Armour; Finishing Stroke +5 NB: Beyond 20th level, only Base Attack and Saves increase. There are no further Class Features beyond 20th level. REQUIREMENTS
To qualify to become a pit gladiator, a character must fulfill the following criteria;
Alignment: Any non-Lawful.
Race: Human (or half-elf that can pass as human).
Gender: Male (or rarely female).
Base Attack Bonus: +4.
Feats: Combat Reflexes, Dodge.
Skills/Ranks: Concentration/2, Intimidate/4, Tumble/2.
Other: At least 1 year's training by a Pitmaster of Nykar, as well as traditional body art.CLASS SKILLS
The pit gladiator’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Handle Animal (Cha), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Knowledge (Nykar History) (Int), Meditation (Wis), Ride (Dex), Sense Motive (Wis), Spot (Wis), Swim (Str) and Tumble (Dex). See Chapter 4: Skills, PH for skill descriptions. See Chapter 4: Skills, Skylis for a description of Meditation.
Skill Points at Each Level: 2 + Int modifier.
CLASS FEATURES
The following are the class features of the pit gladiator Prestige class.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: The pit gladiator is proficient in the use of all simple and martial weapons and all types of armor, and shields. Also, he can become proficient in any exotic weapon or armour given 10 rounds of use.
Busho Akani: The pit gladiator is trained in the art of Busho Akani, better known as martial-magic. One focuses the mind, through a series of practiced martial gestures, to cause injury to an opponent without actually touching them. For a more complete description, see Chapter 8: Combat, Busho Akani. Martial-magic is only useful against humanoid creatures, and is ineffective against constructs, undead and creatures immune to critical hits. Furthermore, to effectively use martial magic, one must have empty hands and a certain degree of physical mobility. It is impossible to use martial magic in armour other than light armour, hide or scale mail, or while prone, held, or otherwise restrained, or while holding weapons or any shiled other than a buckler. Finally, the target must be clearly visible to the Martial-magic artist (no more than 25% cover or concealment).
The number listed at each level indicates the Busho Akani modifier, which applies to several aspects of the art, and will be referred to as the BA Mod from this point on.
The BA Mod determines the number of disciplines that can be learned, (once learned, these are immutable) and also determines the number of Martial-magic attacks that are usable until after the next full period of sleep. If used as a standard action, the Martial-magic attack is treated as a normal attack with a bonus of the Pit Gladiator’s base attack + BA Mod + Wis Mod. If used as a full round action, the Martial-magic attack hits automatically. To determine the effective distance of the attack, treat it as a thrown weapon with a range increment equal to 10-feet + BA Mod + Wis Mod, and apply the normal penalties for distance to the attack roll (if any). Round the distance down when necessary.
Damage from a successful attack is assigned based on the discipline being used, and is then modified by the BA Mod + Wis Mod (+Str Mod if physical contact is made). With most disciplines, there is a chance to either stun or kill the target. The attacker declares beforehand which mode of attack he is using (stun OR kill OR neither) and the target makes a Fortitude save against a DC of the listed number + BA Mod + Wis Mod. A failure indicates success of the stun or kill attempt. A successful stun puts the victim in a stunned state (see Appendix, pg 282, PH for more info) for 2d4 rounds. A successful kill immediately drops the victim to –1 hit points (dying but stable). If no number is listed for the stun or kill, then this option is not available for that particular discipline.
Some disciplines have additional effects that are adjudicated using save(s) listed in the description. The DC for this additional save is always 10 + BA Mod + Wis Mod.
(NB: Only 30% of NPC pit gladiators select Busho Akani. The rest gain feat slots in place of Busho Akani slots and do not gain the Akani Armour skill at 20th. These feats can only be from the Fighter bonus feat list on p.37 of the PH. PCs may also choose to forego Busho Akani in favour of these feats.)
Improved Feint: At 1st level, the pit gladiator learns sneaky tactics such as kicking dirt in a foe’s face, pretending to be badly wounded, or forcing an opponent to stare into the sun. He can use the feinting in combat Bluff technique on p.64 of the PH as a move-equivalent action.
Study Opponent: The pit gladiator learns, at 2nd level, to become adept at spotting weaknesses in his foes’ fighting styles. If he takes an all-out defense action, the pit gladiator gains a dodge bonus to his AC against any single opponent who attacks him in melee combat that round. The dodge bonus begins the round after that opponent attacks the gladiator and last for the duration on the fight.
Improved Initiative: The pit gladiator gains this feat automatically at 2nd level, which provides a +4 bonus to initiative checks.
Cleave: At 3rd level, the pit gladiator automatically gains this feat.
Finishing Stroke: Beginning at 4th level, the pit gladiator develops a style that is personal to him. When the gladiator drops an opponent, he may add a Finishing Stroke (which counts as an attack of opportunity and is treated as such). This is a signature move used immediately after bringing the opponent below 0 hit points, such as a stab through the heart, a roundhouse kick or a body flip (no beheading or dismemberment). This move requires a successful attack roll and causes 10 points of damage. To others, the moment between the damaging blow and the Finishing Stroke is imperceptible. The Finishing Stroke gives a morale bonus to attack rolls for allies who witness it. The bonus lasts for 1 round/bonus number, and is not stacked with any other Finishing Stroke morale bonues. Cleave capabilities and Coupe de Grace cannot be combined with a Finishing Stroke.
Greater Initiative: The pit gladiator gains this feat automatically at 6th level, which provides a +6 bonus to initiative checks. This feat supercedes Improved Initiative.
Make Them Bleed: At 8th level, the pit gladiator becomes skilled at dealing wounds that cause extra blood loss. When he deals damage with a slashing weapon, the wound bleeds for one point of damage per round thereafter until a Heal check (DC 15) is made, any cure spell is applied, or 10 rounds minus the victim’s Constitution modifier elapse. Multiple wounds are cumulative, but creatures without discernable anatomies such as constructs, undead, and plants are immune to this effect.
Killing Stroke: At 12th level, the pit gladiator gains the ability to add his Finishing Stroke to the end of a coupe de grace. The coupe de grace is treated normally, as is the Finishing Stroke. Cleave abilities cannot be combined with Killing Stroke.
Instant Focus: The pit gladiator gains this feat automatically at 14th level, which allows him to substitute any of his initiative rolls for an automatic 20, plus any applicable bonuses. This feat cannot be used in conjunction with Improved Initiative or Greater Initiative.
Akani Armour: At 20th level, if the gladiator has studied Busho Akani, he becomes an Akani Master, fully able (and more importantly permitted) to teach the secrets of martial magic. As well, he attains the ability to deflect blows with the same power that allows him to attack with his mind. When attacked, he can make a Will Save where the DC equals the total of the attack roll, to completely avoid being hit. This Akani Armour only works when the gladiator is aware the foe who is attacking, and cannot be used when he is flat-footed.
NB: If the Pit Gladiator already has the Akani Armour Feat, this class ability cannot be substituted for another feat. If, for any reason (level drain, etc.) the Pit Gladiator loses the previous feat, this class ability will not take effect until at least one Pit Gladiator level is gained therafter.
Body Artistry: As part of their initial training, the pit gladiator is taught to tattoo themselves. This is a ritual undertaking, and marks the warrior to his Pit Clan (or simply Klan), his heritage, his skills, his victories, his Busho Akani attack forms and any other defining characteristic of his gladiatorial life. The large Pit Clan tattoo is always placed on the back, by the Clan Artisan, on the first day of training, but all else is by choice.Hit Die: d10.
NPC PROGRESSION
The following Feats and Ability Scores suggested for NPC pit gladiators in the order they are listed, to fulfill the standard character progression.
Feats: Ambidexterity, Two-Weapon Fighting, Mobility, Improved Two-Weapon Fighting, Spring Attack.
Ability Scores: Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Wisdom, Wisdom.