Fencer (3.5e Class)

Author: the bluez in the dungeon (talk) Date Created: 4th December 2024 Status: Complete Editing: Clarity edits only please

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Two fencers challenge each other in the arms circle.

Fencer

Fencers are extremely capable and versatile combatants, who use only swords to fight, and have honed their prowess with them to the peak of mortals height. They are gallant fighters, who rely on duels to give their best in a battle.

Making a Fencer

Fencers are martial characters specialized in melee combat, who prefer to go one-on-one when possible, but may deal with multiple opponents as well thanks to their versatility. They have a good number of skills, and are capable of supporting a team even outside combat.

Abilities: They rely both on Strength and Dexterity, either focusing on one of them or balancing the two to achieve an unmatched quality of combat, and also to gain various fighting feats. They need Constitution as any martial character does, while they have no specific use for any mental score, except to help with saves or class skills.

Races: Almost any race may become a fencer, but they mostly arise in civilized societies, especially where swordmanship is treated as a refined and serious art. Most fencers are humans, elves, half-elves, halflings and gnomes. Orc and dwarf fencers are considered a rarity, while half-orcs are more common.

Alignment: Any

Starting Gold: 4d6 x 10 (120 gp).

Starting Age: Moderate.

Table: The Fencer

Hit Die: d10

Level	Base Attack Bonus	Saving Throws			Special
		Fort	Ref	Will
1st	+1	+0	+0	+0	Duelist, Martial Training, Fencing Stance
2nd	+2	+0	+0	+0	Adaptive Technique I, Fencer's Taunt
3rd	+3	+1	+1	+1	Advanced Sparring
4th	+4	+1	+1	+1	Combat Awareness
5th	+5	+1	+1	+1	Daring Parry
6th	+6/+1	+2	+2	+2	Swordplay
7th	+7/+2	+2	+2	+2	Multiduel
8th	+8/+3	+2	+2	+2	Adaptive Technique II
9th	+9/+4	+3	+3	+3	Evasive Footwork
10th	+10/+5	+3	+3	+3	Complex Fencing Stance
11th	+11/+6/+1	+3	+3	+3	Improved Daring Parry
12th	+12/+7/+2	+4	+4	+4	Duelling Presence
13th	+13/+8/+3	+4	+4	+4	Superior Evasive Footwork
14th	+14/+9/+4	+4	+4	+4	Master of Stance
15th	+15/+10/+5	+5	+5	+5	Perfect Reflexes
16th	+16/+11/+6/+1	+5	+5	+5	Adaptive Technique III
17th	+17/+12/+7/+2	+5	+5	+5	Master Duelist
18th	+18/+13/+8/+3	+6	+6	+6	Fencing Charge
19th	+19/+14/+9/+4	+6	+6	+6	Master of the Blade
20th	+20/+15/+10/+5	+6	+6	+6	Eternal Duel
Class Skills (6 + Int modifier per level, ×4 at 1st level) Appraise (Int), Balance (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Disguise (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Forgery (Int), Gather Information (Cha), Handle Animal (Cha), Hide (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Knowledge (History) (Int), Knowledge (Local) (Int), Knowledge (Nobility and royalty) (Int), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Perform (Cha), Profession (Wis), Search (Int), Sense Motive (Wis), Sleight of Hand (Dex), Speak Language (None), Spot (Wis), Swim (Str), Tumble (Dex).

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the fencer.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Fencers are proficient with all swords and sword-like weapons, regardless of their type. They are proficient in the use of all armors and shields.

Variable Saves: A fencer may choose two of its saves to have a good progression instead of poor. Once this choice has been made it can't be changed.

Duelist (Ex): A fencer fights best against an opponent it has challenged to a duel. As a swift action it may challenge an opponent in sight to a duel, which is then called the challenger. It gains the benefits of the Adaptive Dodge and Adjusted Accuracy against the challenger and a number of duel dice based on its level, while suffering -4 to AC and to attacks against other opponents. The effects of the duel go on on until either one of the participants is dead, unconscious or the combat otherwise ends, and the fencer may change its target by expending another duel use. It may use this feature once per day per fencer level. If the fencer fights a single opponent alone, it always starts a duel, without wasting any duel uses, though, if at least an ally joins the fight, it must use, as an immediate action, one of its duels per day to keep the current duel going.

The duel dice pool starts at 1d6 and increases by +1d6 at each odd level in this class. The basic function of these dice is to increase the damage dealt with a sword, adding duel dice to the damage roll, up to the available pool (this extra damage is not multiplied on a critical hit, but it's not precision damage). Duel dice may be rolled once per turn, choosing to which attacks each dice apply, and are expended for that turn. Duel dice can be added to other rolls or value, drawing from the limited pool-per-round. If, due to some effects, duel dice are rolled out of the fencer's turn, the dice are expended until the end of the fencer's next turn.

Unless specified, all the duelist features only apply against their current challenger.

Martial Training: All fencers have received an extensive formal training in the art of swordmanship and so they can apply their class features only to swords, not other weapons. They are also treated as if having the feats Assured Strike, Combat Expertise, Improved Disarm, Improved Feint, Improved Grapple, Improved Trip, Combat Reflexes, Power Attack, Improved Bull Rush, Improved Overrun, Improved Sunder, Quick Draw, Two-Weapon Fighting, and Weapon Finesse and gain their benefits, which they may use against any opponent.

Fencer levels count as fighter levels and they also count as if having proficiency with all martial weapons for the purpose of meeting requirements.

Fencing Stance: The fundamental of any fight is the footwork and blade position and fencers know it well. When in combat, as a move action, they may enter, or change, a stance to gain various benefits:

• Iron Gate: When in this stance, a fencer that fights defensively, performs a total defense or uses the Combat Expertise feat, beside the normal benefits, may roll duel dice and add the result to its AC as a dodge bonus, which lasts until the end of its next turn.

• Pointed Sword: This kind of stance is bold, with the sword raised high, or directly pointed to the opponent's face. The fencer increases the weapon critical range by one point (after any other similar effects) and may roll duel dice as a bonus to the roll for confirming critical hits.

• Long Tail: Even bolder than an offensive stance, this guard leaves the fencer purposefully open to attacks to gain the upper hand. When the opponents attacks, the fencer may roll duel dice, one per attack. The enemy gains a bonus to the attack and the damage equal to the result, but the fencer may make an attack of opportunity in retaliation immediately after the attack (the normal rules for attacks of opportunity apply).

• Trick Blade: This stance allows the fencer to use its special maneuvers more effectively. In this stance the fencer may add one or more of its duel dice for the round to a combat maneuver.

Whenever they are in a stance, they add two extra duel dice to their dice pool that they might use only for the effects of the stance they are currently in.

They count as if having the Dodge and Mobility feats for the purpose of requirements (but don't actually gain them).

Adaptive Technique: Starting at 2nd level a fencer gains a virtual feat, that it may use to gain a [Fighter] feat for which it meets the requirements. To do so, it must spend 30 minutes in training, or half that time if it trains with someone that has the feat. It gains that feat and its benefits, but it may not use it for the purpose of feat, prestige classes, or special abilities's requirements (instead, it may do so for temporary benefits). It may later change the feat to another one within the same limitations. They gain additional uses of this feature at level 8th and 16th, allowing them to gain other versatile feats, with the same limitations (though they may be requirements for each other, becoming unusable if they lose their requirements).

They may use these feats against any opponent.

Fencer's Taunt: Starting at 2nd level, fencers gain the Goad for free, but the save DC is 10 + 1/2 fencer level + the number of duel dice in their total pool. They may always goad all their challengers, with the same action, but the feat works also with other opponents, within the normal limitations.

By level 6th, their wit is as sharp as their sword and they may reserve some duel dice to their Fencer's Taunt feature, allowing them to roll the dice as added non-lethal damage against the target of the taunt (if more than one, the may divide the dice among the targets). This damage bypasses immunity to non-lethal damage if the target has at least 3 Intelligence and isn't immune to the taunt's effects. Any target can suffer the non-lethal damage only once per day, and becomes immune to it for the rest of the day if it passes the save. It may still be goaded as normal.

Advanced Sparring: At 3rd level a fencer gains the Advanced Sword Technique and Battlefield Agility feats for free and they may deal piercing and slashing damage with their swords, regardless of their original damage type. Additionally, the fencer may now add either its Strength or Dexterity to attacks and damage rolls with its sword, whichever is more beneficial. If the fencer has the same score in both it may add them together for attacks and damage. If the sword is wielded two-handed, only Stregth is multiplied by the two-handed weapon increase, unless it could do so with Dexterity beforehand, in which case the highest one is multiplied (but never both).

This feature applies to all opponents.

Combat Awareness (Ex): By level 4th, fencers gain a bonus on initiative rolls equal to the number of duel dice in their pool, up to +10 at 19th level. This feature counts as having Improved Initiative for requirements. They can also stand up from prone as a free action without provoking attacks of opportunity.

Daring Parry: At level 5th, the combat ability of a fencer allows it to avoid even ranged attacks. They gain the Armed Deflect Arrows and Deflect Blow feats for free, but may use them only with swords. They may deflect magic attacks with a magical sword. They may not deflect ranged siege weapons, or any similar big weapons.

Swordplay (Ex): From the 6th level, a fencer gains the Tactical Striker feat for free, and can choose to use its iterative attacks in any order it likes, even to perform combat maneuvers that expend an attack from the routine (it may also use this ability for two-weapon fighting). For example, at this level, it may first use the +1 bonus to perform a bull-rush, and only then attack with its +6 bonus. This feature applies against all opponents.

Multiduel (Ex): At 7th level and higher, a fencer may choose additional targets for its duel ability. It may apply its duel effects to two targets (but the number of duel dice per round it has access to doesn't change), chosen when expending the use. At level 10th it may target three, four at level 13th, five at level 16th and a maximum of six targets at level 19th.

Evasive Footwork (Ex): By level 9th a fencer reduces the penalty to AC against opponents it is not duelling by 2. They may use the withdraw action as a standard action.

Complex Fencing Stance (Ex): By level 10, the fencer may hold two different stances at once, allowing it to benefit from both, though they still gain only the standard number of extra duel dice, which may be used for the benefits of any of the stances, distributed as they like. They may enter these stances together with the same action.

The following it's a list of all dual stances, and their effects:

• Blade Thicket: When using the Iron Gate and Pointed Sword stances together, the area the fencers threathens counts as difficult terrain for all enemies, any sort of movement from the challenger you threathen provokes an attack of opportunity and the enemy may not take the withdraw action to safely move away from the fencer.

• Fancy Footwork: By combining the Iron Gate and Trick Blade stances, the fencer gains the additional benefit of avoiding attacks of opportunity due to movement against the challenger and it may make a single attack of opportunity against the challenger as a part of the movement.

• Iron Clasp: By combining the Pointed Sword and Trick Blade, the fencer facilitates the control of its enemy, while keeping an aggressive swordplay. The weapon it wields allows the fencer to make a bull rush, disarm or trip attempt for free whenever it successfully strikes its challenger.

• Lunging Step: When the fencer uses the Trick Blade and Long Tail stances together, its wielded weapon gains the reach property and, once per round, it may make a free 5-feet step towards the opponent it has hit. In addition, using the the attack of opportunity granted by Long Tail happens before the enemy's attacks, which must always be its challenger

• Precise Cut: The fencer adopts a mix between the Long Tail and Pointed Sword stances to strike unerringly fast and aggressively. It gains the benefits of the Double Slice feat. They also treat the roll to confitm a critical hit as a touch attack.

• Whirling Defense: Whenever the fencer combines the Iron Gate and Long Tail stances it tries to take the best from two opposites. The fencer may make, as part of the attack of opportunity from Long Tail, a single attack against all adjacent opponents (using the same roll for everyone) by swinging its sword around, keeping them at bay. If the attack misses, the enemies that avoid it must take a step back, or fall prone if it's impossibile to do so.

Improved Daring Parry (Ex): By level 11th, fencers may deflect more than one attack, but doing so wastes one attack of opportunity per each attempt after the first and they must succeed on an opposite attack roll to avoid the attack or it will hit.

Duelling Presence (Ex): Starting from level 12th, their presence during the battle becomes impossible to ignore. They count as one size larger for the purpose of combat maneuvers and Intimidate checks. When challenging enemies to a duel, they may goad them at the same time. Lastly, they may enter or change one or both of their active stances as a swift action, once per round.

Superior Evasive Footwork (Ex): By level 13th, when the fencer moves, it dashes so rapidly that it confuses its targets. Challenged opponents suffer a 20% miss chance against the fencer for one round. As this is the result of speed rather than concealment, true seeing does not bypass it. They also gain the Dash feat for free. If the fencer already has the feat, it may choose another Fighter feat it meets the requirements for.

Master of Stance: At level 14th a fencer gains increased benefits from its stances, thanks to its exceptional footwork and posture. It gains four extra duel dice instead of two for the purpose of the stances' benefits. It may also change its stances (one or both) out of its round, as an immediate action.

Perfect Reflexes (Ex): By level 15th, a fencer has virtually unlimited attacks of opportunity. This means that it can keep using any feature or ability that wastes attacks of opportunity, but it loses all uses for the round if it misses even one attempt, after the standard number of attempts it has.

Master Duelist: By level 17th, initiating a duel, or changing the challenged opponent, is a free action for a fencer and they don't suffer any penalties to AC against non-challenged opponents. They can't be caught flat-footed by their challengers.

Fencing Charge: At level 18th, fencers are able of incredible feat of mobility and fast attacks. They gain the Greater Spring Attack feat for free. They may also divide their attacks through their challengers, provided that they may reach them.

Master of the Blade: By level 19th, fencers can ignore up to 25% of fortification, and creature immune to critical hit are treated as if having 50% fortification instead and they may also coup-de-grace them. Once per round fencers may ignore part of the AC bonus of a challenger. As a standard action they may hit an enemy either ignoring their armor, shield and natural armor bonuses (a touch attack), their dodge and Dexterity bonuses, or their magical AC bonus (such as deviation and divine bonuses).

Eternal Duel (Ex): By level 20, the fencer isn't limited by its duel uses anymore and it's always considered under the effect of a duel, meaning that there are no limits in the number of targets for class features that depends on the Duelist feature.

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