Focused Champion (3.5e Class)

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A martial tank that can contribute in multiple situations even with low gear. 20 0 Good Good Poor Poor

"Other." is not in the list (Prepared Arcane Spellcasting, Spontaneous Arcane Spellcasting, Prepared Divine Spellcasting, Spontaneous Divine Spellcasting, Arcane Spellcasting, Divine Spellcasting, Prepared Spellcasting, Spontaneous Spellcasting, Alternate Magic, Psionics, ...) of allowed values for the "Class Ability" property.

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Focused Champion

Focused Champions hone their focus to such an incredible extent that it affords them truly extraordinary prowess on the battlefield. They use this focus both continually and in bursts to supplement their offense and defense as well as for other uses. Their knack for hitting in just the right way to deal maximum damage seems to come from an uncanny sense of where to hit, but it is in fact partially derived from their subconscious concentration. The focused champion "feels" each strike as they make both the motions and while in contact, even at a distance, to a much greater extent than other martial artists due in part to the increased perception their concentration grants them and makes small adjustments that bring a strike ever closer to perfection.

Making a Focused Champion

Focused Champions are a mix between a resilient combatant and a striker. They tend to wear armor that offers a blend of protection and mobility while using both a one handed weapon and a shield.

Abilities: Many of the abilities of Focused Champion are dependant primarily on Constitution. A Focused Champion will generally depend on strength for their accuracy in melee combat. Strength is less useful than constitution for a Focused Champion given how their strikes function. However, with some training it is possible for the Focused Champion to use dexterity for accuracy in melee combat instead. Furthermore, a dextrous Focused Champion would have greater potential for ranged combat.

Races: Elves, despite their frail nature, have the inherent discipline and love of swordplay that can draw them towards the path of the focused champion. Generally it is the longer lived races that tend towards this path as well, but members of other races (humans in particular) who are known for being adaptable can be lead down this path as well. It is possible for races without these traits to become focused champions, but such cases are generally infrequent.

Alignment: With further similarities fighters a focused champion can be of any alignment and their motivations can range from those of a stalwart hero to a petty bandit.

Starting Gold: As Fighter 6d4×10 gp (150 gp).

Starting Age: Complex.

Table: The Focused Champion

Hit Die: d10

Level	Base Attack Bonus	Saving Throws			Special
		Fort	Ref	Will
1st	+1	+2	+0	+0	Combat Focus 1/Day, Combat Focus Aptitude, Focused Senses, Focused Strikes
2nd	+2	+3	+0	+0	Uncanny Dodge
3rd	+3	+3	+1	+1	Focused Mind +1
4th	+4	+4	+1	+1	Combat Focus 2/Day, Combat Focus Aptitude
5th	+5	+4	+1	+1	Focused Efficiency +1, Improved Focused Senses
6th	+6/+1	+5	+2	+2	Focused Mind +2, Improved Combat Focus
7th	+7/+2	+5	+2	+2	Combat Focus Aptitude
8th	+8/+3	+6	+2	+2	Combat Focus 3/Day
9th	+9/+4	+6	+3	+3	Focused Mind +3
10th	+10/+5	+7	+3	+3	Combat Focus Aptitude, Focused Efficiency +2
11th	+11/+6/+1	+7	+3	+3	Sudden Focus 1/Day
12th	+12/+7/+2	+8	+4	+4	Combat Focus 4/Day, Focused Mind +4
13th	+13/+8/+3	+8	+4	+4	Combat Focus Aptitude
14th	+14/+9/+4	+9	+4	+4	Tireless Focus
15th	+15/+10/+5	+9	+5	+5	Focused Efficiency +3, Focused Mind +5, Greater Focused Senses
16th	+16/+11/+6/+1	+10	+5	+5	Combat Focus 5/Day, Combat Focus Aptitude
17th	+17/+12/+7/+2	+10	+5	+5	Improved Uncanny Dodge
18th	+18/+13/+8/+3	+11	+6	+6	Focused Mind +6
19th	+19/+14/+9/+4	+11	+6	+6	Combat Focus Aptitude
20th	+20/+15/+10/+5	+12	+6	+6	Combat Focus 6/Day, Focused Efficiency +4, Limitless Focus
Class Skills (2 + Int modifier per level, ×4 at 1st level) Balance (Dex), Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Sense Motive (Wis), Swim (Str).

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the jade archer.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency:

A focused champion is proficient with all simple and martial weapons, light armor, medium armor, and shields (except tower shields).

Combat Focus (Ex):

Focused champions effectively craft their concentration into a metaphorical suit of armor. A focused champion can enter a highly focused state a certain number of times per day. Upon entering a state of combat focus the focused champion makes a concentration check. For every 5 points above 10 of the concentration check the focused champion gains a focus point which they can spend on combat focus aptitudes they know (discussed later in this class). While in this state, attacks that use attack rolls have a 20% chance to miss the focused champion due to their ability to react to their environment more effectively and a certain degree of uncanny ability. This focused state lasts for a number of rounds equal to 3 + the focused champion's Constitution modifier. A focused champion may prematurely end this focused state. At the end of this focused state, the focused champion loses the evasion chance, all unspent focus points, and becomes fatigued (-2 penalty to Strength, -2 penalty to Dexterity, can’t charge or run) for the duration of the current encounter.

A focused champion can enter this state of focus only once per encounter. At 1st level a focused champion can enter this focused state once per day. At 4th level and every four levels thereafter, the focused champion can enter a focused state one additional time per day. Entering this focused state takes no time itself, but a focused champion can do it only during their action, not in response to someone else’s action.

Combat Focus Aptitude (Ex):

A focused champion can train in a few different areas with regards to their focused state to take advantage of different defensive possibilities. While in a state of combat focus, the focused champion may spend 1 focus point as a swift action at any time during their turn for some aptitudes or without an action at all at certain times for others to gain the benefit of a combat focus aptitude they have learned or 2 points to gain an improved benefit if they have refined that particular aptitude. At 1st level, the focused champion learns one combat focus aptitude. They may either learn an additional combat focus aptitude or refine one they know and have not yet refined at 4th level and every 3 levels thereafter (7th, 10th, 13th, 16th, 19th, etc.). The combat focus aptitude options are as follows:

Focused Toughness: You gain temporary hit points for the duration of the combat equal to your focused champion level. You may only activate either this aptitude or refined focused aptitude once per state of combat focus.

Refined Focused Toughness: You gain temporary hit points for the duration of the combat equal to twice your focused champion level. You may only activate either this aptitude or focused toughness once per state of combat focus.

Focused Mobility: You get dodge bonus to armor class against attacks of opportunity. The dodge bonus starts at +1 for 1st level and increases by 1 every 4 levels thereafter (5th, 9th, 13th, and 17th). This bonus lasts for 1 round.

Refined Focused Mobility: You get a +2 dodge bonus to AC against all attacks and the dodge bonus from focused mobility (these bonuses stack when both are applicable). These bonuses last for 1 round.

Focused Resilience: You get a resistance bonus on a saving throw of your choice. The resistance bonus starts at +1 for 1st level and increases by 1 every 4 levels thereafter (5th, 9th, 13th, and 17th). Unlike other aptitudes, you may activate this ability in response to making a saving throw before you learn the result of the saving throw without expending an action. You may not activate this aptitude more than once in a round and you cannot activate it if you have activated another aptitude that does not require an action to activate. This bonus lasts only for the saving throw which triggered it.

Refined Focused Resilience: You get a +2 resistance bonus on all saving throws. This bonus lasts for 1 round and stacks with the resistance bonus from focused resilience.

Focused Escape: You may make a concentration check in place of an escape artist check. You may activate this ability in response to being required to make an escape artist before you learn the result of the opposed check that required it without expending an action. You may not activate this aptitude more than once in a round and you cannot activate it if you have activated another aptitude that does not require an action to activate. If you did not activate this aptitude in response to an event requiring an escape artist check it instead uses a swift action as normal and does not prohibit the use of other aptitudes that do not require an action to activate. This bonus lasts for only one skill check.

Refined Focused Escape: You may make a concentration check in place of an escape artist check with a +1 competence bonus at 1st level and an increase in the bonus of 1 every 4 levels thereafter (5th, 9th, 13th, and 17th). You may activate this ability in response to being required to make an escape artist before you learn the result of the opposed check that required it without expending an action. You may not activate this aptitude more than once in a round and you cannot activate it if you have activated another aptitude that does not require an action to activate. If you did not activate this aptitude in response to an event requiring an escape artist check it instead uses a swift action as normal and does not prohibit the use of other aptitudes that do not require an action to activate. This bonus lasts for only one skill check.

Focused Parry: In response to a weapon attack you may attempt a parry with a concentration check without using an action and even when it isn't your turn. If the result of your concentration check is at least equal to the attack roll you parry the attack and it is treated as though it missed. If the attack would have been a critical hit there is a 50% chance that you fail even if your concentration check would be successful. You may only activate this aptitude once per combat (using focused parry does not prevent you from using refined focused parry) and you cannot activate it if you have activated another aptitude that does not require an action to activate. Unlike many other abilities, you activate this ability after seeing the result of the attack (you see the dice, know whether the attack would hit, and know whether it would be a critical hit, but the DM may choose whether to tell you what the dice represent (such as poison ability damage or other things)).

Refined Focused Parry: In response to a weapon attack you may attempt a parry with a concentration check without using an action and even when it isn't your turn. You gain a competence bonus on this concentration check of +1 at 1st level and the amount of this bonus increases by 1 every 4 levels thereafter (5th, 9th, 13th, and 17th). If the result of your concentration check is at least equal to the attack roll you parry the attack and it is treated as though it missed. If the attack would have been a critical hit there is a 50% chance that you fail even if your concentration check would be successful. You may only activate this aptitude once per combat (using refined focused parry does not prevent you from using focused parry) and you cannot activate it if you have activated another aptitude that does not require an action to activate. Unlike many other abilities, you activate this ability after seeing the result of the attack (you see the dice, know whether the attack would hit, and know whether it would be a critical hit, but the DM may choose whether to tell you what the dice represent (such as poison ability damage or other things)).

Focused Discernment: You may make a concentration check in place of a sense motive check against a feint attempt. You may activate this ability in response to being required to make a sense motive check before you learn the result of the feint attempt without expending an action. You may not activate this aptitude more than once in a round and you cannot activate it if you have activated another aptitude that does not require an action to activate. This bonus lasts for only one skill check.

Refined Focused Discernment: You may make a concentration check in place of a sense motive check with a +1 competence bonus at 1st level and an increase in the bonus of 1 at 5th level and every 5 levels thereafter (5th, 10th, 15th, and 20th). You may activate this ability in response to being required to make a sense motive check before you learn the result of the feint attempt without expending an action. You may not activate this aptitude more than once in a round and you cannot activate it if you have activated another aptitude that does not require an action to activate. This bonus lasts for only one skill check.

Focused Stability: You may use your constitution modifier in place of your strength modifier (not the follow up one if you fail the first strength check) against a trip attempt. You may activate this ability in response to being required to make the strength check you learn the result of the opponent's trip attempt without expending an action. You may not activate this aptitude more than once in a round and you cannot activate it if you have activated another aptitude that does not require an action to activate. This bonus lasts for only one check.

Refined Focused Stability: You may use your constitution modifier in place of your strength modifier (not the follow up one if you fail the first strength check) against a trip attempt. You gain a +1 competence bonus to this check at 1st level which increases by 1 every 4 levels thereafter (5th, 9th, 13th, and 17th). You may activate this ability in response to being required to make the strength check you learn the result of the opponent's trip attempt without expending an action. You may not activate this aptitude more than once in a round and you cannot activate it if you have activated another aptitude that does not require an action to activate. This bonus lasts for only one check.

Focused Senses (Ex):

The focused champion learns to anticipate trouble by using a portion of their focus to be more aware of their surroundings. A focused champion may use their ranks in concentration (up to their focused champion level + 3) in place of their ranks in their listen, search, and spot skills.

Focused Strikes (Ex):

Where the focus of the focused champions conscious mind is their armor, their subconscious focus is their weapon. A focused champion can make alterations in the moments of when their strike make contact to exploit weaknesses in their targets by very briefly and swiftly readying their minds as they swing. They also benefit from an uncanny sense of being able to track the movements of an opponent when attempting to hit them. When a focused champion makes their first attack in a round they may roll a concentration check as well. For every 3 points above 10 of the result of that concentration check they get a +1 bonus to hit (concentration check results below 13 indicate no bonus to hit for that round and the maximum bonus to hit cannot exceed +1 per odd numbered focused champion level as shown in the table above). In addition, they have a bonus damage pool of 1d6 per odd numbered focused champion level that can be split up among attacks or focused in a single attack as detailed further in this ability. The focused champion may divide the damage dice and attack bonus among any attacks they make in that round as they choose, but they must declare how many damage dice and how much attack bonus they intend to use on an attack before rolling any dice for the attack. Unused damage dice and attack bonuses are lost at the end of the round, and once the concentration check is made for the round all melee attacks the focused champion makes are treated as though made with one hand (using a weapon in two hands only affords the strength bonus of using it in one hand, power attacks are less effective, etc.). The focused champion may make ranged weapon attacks with half these bonuses (rounded down, 2d6 of damage dice must be invested per +1d6 to ranged damage and +2 bonus to hit per +1 to hit with ranged), but these attacks cannot benefit from strength in any way (including the power attack feat regardless of feats or any other means that would allow usage of power attack with ranged attacks) due to this method of attack relying much more heavily on uncanny prowess on the part of the focused champion.

Uncanny Dodge (Ex):

At 2nd level, a focused champions subconscious focus enables them to retain their Dexterity bonus to AC (if any) even if they are caught flat-footed or struck by an invisible attacker. However, a focused champion still loses their Dexterity bonus to AC if immobilized. If a focused champion already has uncanny dodge from a different class, they automatically gain improved uncanny dodge instead.

Focused Mind (Ex):

Starting at 3rd level, focused champions finds themselves with stronger will while in their focused state and gain a +1 resistance bonus on Will saves made while in combat focus. These bonuses rise by +1 every three focused champion levels thereafter (6th, 9th, 12th, 15th, and 18th level). This bonus stacks with the bonuses from both the focused resilience and refined focused resilience aptitudes.

Improved Focused Senses (Ex):

At 5th level, the focused champion can catch themselves when would ordinarily miss a detail in their surroundings. While using their listen, search, or spot skills a focused champion may roll twice and take the greater of the two results.

Focused Efficiency (Ex):

At 5th level, the focused champion can exploit smaller, yet more predictable areas of weakness in their targets upon landing a hit and strike them for devastating effect. Add 1 point of damage per damage die dealt by your focused strikes. If you split up the damage dice over multiple attacks this bonus is split among those attacks accordingly. This damage is increased by 1 per dice at 10th level and every 5 levels thereafter. This bonus damage follows the halved damage dice for ranged weapon attacks rather than the full bonus damage dice for melee weapon attacks (4d6 bonus damage invested to deal 2d6 would be treated as 2 dice rather than 4). Because this damage is added to the dice rather than afterwards it is not multiplied by critical hits.

Improved Combat Focus (Ex):

At 6th level, the focused champion can make minor adjustments to his immediate surroundings with simple actions that can help allies avoid being hit. While in a state of combat focus, all adjacent allies of the focused champion also gain the same 20% chance to avoid attacks that use attack rolls.

Sudden Focus (Ex):

At 11th level, a focused champions experience in entering a focused state affords them the ability to enter a state of combat focus once per day as an immediate action in response to a threat. For the purposes of this ability a threat is defined as when an attack roll is made against the focused champion or if they would be required to make a saving throw. Entering a state of combat focus in this manner must be done before the roll for the attack or saving throw is made.

Tireless Focus (Ex):

By 14th level, a focused champion has entered their focused state so often that they are no longer fatigued when it ends. Though they still may not enter their focused state more than once in an encounter.

Greater Focused Senses (Ex):

At 15th level, the focused champion has vastly more developed senses through their focus. The focused champion may make concentration checks in place of listen, search, and spot checks. They also roll concentration checks for these purposes twice and take the better of the two results (this does not apply to any other concentration checks).

Improved Uncanny Dodge (Ex):

At 17th level and higher, a focused champion subconscious focus makes all flanking attempts against them useless. This defense denies a rogue the ability to sneak attack a focused champion by flanking them, unless the attacker has at least four more rogue levels than the target has focused champion levels. If a character already has uncanny dodge from a second class, the character automatically gains improved uncanny dodge instead, and the levels from the classes that grant uncanny dodge stack to determine the minimum level a rogue must be to flank the character.

Limitless Focus (Ex):

At 20th level, a focused champion's mastery over their focus enables them to prolong their focused state or even re-enter it in the midst of combat after ending a previous instance. To prolong an instance of combat focus, the focused champion expends a daily use of that ability and then rolls for a new allotment of focus points (the focus points from the previous instance do not carry over).

Focused Champion Feats

Improved Focused Strikes [General]

Your practice in focused striking improves your abilities derived from your focus of both defensive and offensive nature.

Prerequisite

Focused Strikes 3d6, base attack bonus +8.

Benefit

Your focused strikes damage pool is increased by 1d6, maximum possible attack bonus pool is increased by +1, and you get a +1 bonus on concentration checks.

Allied Parry [General]

Your improved perception allows you to defend others as easily as yourself.

Prerequisite

Improved Focused Senses, Refined Focused Parry.

Benefit

You may use your focused parry and refined focused parry against an attack targeting an ally within the reach of a melee weapon you are wielding.

Normal

You can only use focused parry and refined focus parry against attacks that target you.

Epic Focused Efficiency [Epic]

Your focused strikes can exploit ever smaller weaknesses, perhaps even vulnerabilities in a targets very existence.

Prerequisite

Focused Efficiency +1, Focused Strikes 8d6.

Benefit

The bonus damage per damage dice from your focused efficiency ability increases by 1.

Special

You can gain this feat multiple times. Its effects stack.

Focused Champion Items

Circlet of the Focused Champion

This silver circlet with a diamond embedded in the front grants the wearer an increase to their focused strikes damage pool of 1d6, 2d6, or 3d6 (for the lesser, normal, and greater versions respectively). It also grants a +1, +2, or +3 bonus to concentration checks and to the maximum possible attack bonus pool (for the lesser, normal, and greater versions respectively). If the wearer has no focused champion levels, it instead grants them the ability to make focused strikes with the same restrictions and requirements a focused champion would have for up to 1, 2, or 3 rounds per day (for the lesser, normal, and greater versions respectively).

Strong (Divination); CL 5th (lesser), 10th (normal), 15th (greater); Craft Wondrous Item, True Strike; Price 12,500 gp (lesser), 25,000 gp (normal), 50,000 gp (greater).

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