Fencer (3.5e Class)

Author: the bluez in the dungeon (talk) Date Created: 25/3/2023 Status: Complete Editing: Clarity edits only please

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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
3rd	+3	+1	+1	+1	Advanced Sparring
4th	+4	+1	+1	+1
5th	+5	+1	+1	+1
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
10th	+10/+5	+3	+3	+3	Dual Stance
11th	+11/+6/+1	+3	+3	+3
12th	+12/+7/+2	+4	+4	+4
13th	+13/+8/+3	+4	+4	+4
14th	+14/+9/+4	+4	+4	+4	Master of Stance
15th	+15/+10/+5	+5	+5	+5
16th	+16/+11/+6/+1	+5	+5	+5	Adaptive Technique III
17th	+17/+12/+7/+2	+5	+5	+5
18th	+18/+13/+8/+3	+6	+6	+6
19th	+19/+14/+9/+4	+6	+6	+6
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), Concentration (Con), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Disguise (Cha), Forgery (Int), Gather Information (Cha), Handle Animal (Cha), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Knowledge (Arcane) (Int), Knowledge (Dungeon) (Int), Knowledge (History) (Int), Listen (Wis), Perform (Cha), Profession (Wis), Search (Int), Sense Motive (Wis), Speak Language (None), Spot (Wis), Swim (Str), Tumble (Dex), Use Magic Device (Cha).

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. It gains the benefits of the Adaptive Dodge and Adjusted Accuracy against that opponent and a number of duel dice based on its level, while suffering -2 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, or the fencer may change its target buy 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.

The duel dice pool starts at 1d6 and increases by +1d6 at each odd level in this class. The main function of these dice is to increase the damage dealt with a sword, adding duel dice to the danage roll, up to the available pool (this extra damage is not multiplied on a critical hit, but it's not precision damage). Duelist 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.

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 Trip, Combat Reflexes, Power Attack, Improved Bull Rush, Improved Overrun, Improved Sunder, Quick Draw, Two-Weapon Fighting, and Weapon Finesse and gain their benefits.

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 duelist dice, one per attack. The enemy gains a bonus to the attack and the damage equal to the result, but the fencer may strike in retaliation immediately after the attack. If the enemy strikes the fencer, it must exits this stance.

• 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.

Fancy Footwork (avoid opportunity attacks from movement against the enemy you are duelling

Whenever they enter a stance, they gain two extra duel dice 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).

Advanced Sparring: At 3rd level a fencer gains the Advanced Sword Technique and Battlefield Agility feats for free. 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).

Swordplay (Ex): From the 6th level, a fencer 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.

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, three at level 13th, four at level 16th and a maximum of five at level 19th.

Dual Stance (Ex): By level 10, the fencer may hold tow 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.

Master of Stance (Ex): 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.

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.

Additional Options

Feats

• Extra Secret Technique