The Charming Blade
There are a lot of different swashbucklers out there; there’s the one-handed rapier guy, the jumps around a lot guy, the two daggers-no armor guy, the pistol and cutlass guy… the list goes on and on. One thing all these great swashbucklers have in common is their style and social grace. This week’s new archetype focuses more on the style side of things, and somewhat less on combat. They’re called charming blades, and if the other characters in your game somehow don’t find them charming, well, they can still stab you to death.
New Swashbuckler Archetype
The Charming Blade
Charming blades are swashbucklers who devote themselves to the style of combat. Everything they do, whether on the battlefield or off, is designed to do one thing: impress people. Perhaps the charming blade is less able than those who focus strictly on the martial side of swashbuckling, but few can argue that charming blades aren’t able to hold their own in the fight, and they are far more adept at bringing people around to their point of view and are sure to cause more than one swoon with their dashing presence.
Panache: A charming blade gains no panache from a killing blow, but does gain a point of panache whenever she successfully raises a character’s attitude to helpful using the Diplomacy skill, in addition to gaining one whenever she confirms a critical hit with a light or one-handed weapon.
This ability modifies the charming blade’s panache class feature.
Deeds: A charming blade has access to a handful of deeds to help her in her stylistic pursuits.
Honeyed Words (Ex): A charming blade can expend one point of panache in order to gain a bonus equal to her level on all Charisma-based skill checks, except Use Magic Device, for 1 minute per point of Charisma modifier she possesses. This bonus stacks with all other skill bonuses, but not with itself.
This ability replaces the derring-do deed.
Silver Tongue (Ex): At 3rd level, as long as a charming blade has at least 1 point of panache, she gains a +2 bonus on all Bluff and Diplomacy checks made against targets that are of indifferent or better disposition.
This ability replaces the kip-up deed.
Fast Talker (Ex): At 7th level, a charming blade can spend 1 point of panache in order to make a Diplomacy or Intimidate check to influence a creature’s attitude as a full-round action, instead of taking a minute to do so. She can use this ability during combat without hindering its effectiveness, though hostile actions undertaken by the charming blade or her allies may modify the DCs of any such check.
This ability replaces the swashbuckler’s grace deed.
Promises, Promises (Ex): At 11th level, as long as a charming blade has at least 1 point of panache, she is immune to the effects of detect lies, zone of truth and any other magical affect used to determine whether or not she is lying, unless the effect has a caster level at least 4 higher than the charming blade’s class level. Additionally, the charming blade may spend 1 point of panache in order to reroll a Bluff check she just made. She must choose to use this ability before the results of the check are known.
This ability replaces the evasive deed.
Charming Flourish (Ex): At 15th level, a charming blade can spend 1 point of panache as part of making an attack roll in order to make an exceptionally impressive flourish. If she does, she makes a Bluff check to feint as a free action against the target of the attack, and may make a Diplomacy check as a free action in order to influence the attitudes of all non-hostile creatures within 30 feet. She must make the Bluff check to feint before the results of the attack are determined.
This ability replaces the swashbuckler’s edge deed.
Impressive Display (Ex): At 19th level, a charming blade can spend 1 point of panache in order to undertake an impressive display capable of ending a bout with minimal bloodshed. She may use this ability as a free action whenever she confirms a critical hit with a light or one-handed piercing weapon. If she does, the target of the attack must succeed on a Will save (DC 10 + 1/2 the charming blade’s level + the charming blade’s Charisma modifier) or be so impressed with the charming blade’s attack that he backs down from combat. This causes the target’s attitude toward the swashbuckler and her allies to increase to unfriendly and forces the target to be willing to listen to any diplomatic overtures the charming blade wishes to make. Both these effects last for 1 minute. This is a mind-affecting effect. Any hostile action undertaken by the charming blade or her allies immediately ends this effect.
This ability replaces the deadly stab deed.
Extremely Charming (Ex): At 2nd level, the charming blade’s natural charm begins to shine through, allowing her to influence people easily. As a swift action, the charming blade can choose to exercise her charm over another creature. The target must succeed on a Will save (DC 10 + 1/2 the charming blade’s level + the charming blade’s Charisma modifier) or be treated as though his attitude towards the charming blade were 1 step higher than it actually is (to a maximum of friendly). She may use this ability 3 times per day at 2nd level, and an additional time per day every 4 levels thereafter (to a maximum of 7 times at 19th level).
This ability replaces the charmed life class feature.