Steel Falcon (Apath)

Unofficial rules compendium

Steel falcons constitute an elite military organization that strives to spread their ideological beliefs. The steel falcon is a spiritual and physical vanguard, spreading their philosophical ideologies by whatever means necessary, from convincing a foreign noble by giving him inside information, to breaking the chains of the enslaved, to orchestrating widespread rebellion in an unfriendly land.

Class Information

This is a prestige archetype. A steel falcon is an insurrectionist and guerrilla.

Publisher: Purple Duck Games.

Prestige Class: Steel falcon from Pathfinder Companion: Andoran, Spirit of Liberty with elements from Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Ultimate Magic.

Build Classes: Ranger.

Alignment: Any good. Steel falcons are idealists who selflessly sacrifice themselves for an ideology. The intent of their actions are always good, the results are sometimes less so.

Role: A steel falcon is a stealthy infiltrator and rabble-rouser, a capable diplomat, and an inspiring leader.

Hit Die: d10.

Class Skills

The steel falcon’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are: Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (geography) (Int), Knowledge (history) (Int), Knowledge (local) (Int), Knowledge (nature) (Int), Knowledge (nobility and royalty) (Int), Perception (Wis), Profession (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), Stealth (Dex), Survival (Wis), and Swim (Str).

Skill Ranks at Each Level: 6 + Int modifier.

Class Features

A steel falcon has all ranger class features, except as follows.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency

A steel falcon is proficient with all simple weapons and all martial weapons. He is proficient with all forms of armor and shields. This replaces wild empathy.

Enemy of Slavers (Ex)

A steel falcon treats “slavers” as a type of creature for favored enemy status. A slaver is any creature that the steel falcon knows captures sen­tient creatures for slavery or exploits them by coercion. The final decision about who counts as a slaver is up to the GM. A steel falcon must select slavers as his first favored enemy at level 1, and no bonus against another favored en­emy category can ever be higher than his bonus against slavers.

Sailor and Survivalist (Ex)

A steel falcon adds half his level to Profession (sailor) checks and Survival checks to survive and navigate in the wilderness. This replaces track.

Heroic Speech (Su)

At 2nd level, a steel falcon can inspire his allies with tales of greatness and heroism. This functions like the inspire courage aspect of bardic performances, treating the steel falcon as a bard one level lower than his steel falcon level for determining the effect; if the steel falcon is a bard, his class levels stack with his bard levels to determine the effect of this ability and the effect of his inspire courage bard ability. The steel falcon can use this ability a number of rounds per day equal to his class level plus his Charisma modifier. Heroic speech and natural traps together replaces the ranger's spells.

Heart of Freedom (Ex)

At third level a steel falcon gains a +4 morale bonus to saving throws against charm and compulsion effects and attempts to possess his body or mind. This replaces the ranger's first favored terrain.

Comrade’s Bond (Ex)

At 4th level, a steel falcon’s love of freedom and hatred of slavery is so great that he evokes similar feelings in his companions. At 4th level, a steel falcon’s love of freedom and hatred of slavery is so great that he evokes similar feelings in his companions. This allows him to spend a move action to grant half his favored enemy bonus against a single target of the appropriate type to all allies within 30 feet who can see or hear him. This bonus lasts for a number of rounds equal to the steel falcon's Charisma modifier (minimum 1). This bonus does not stack with any favored enemy bonuses possessed by his allies; they use whichever bonus is higher.

Natural Traps (Ex)

As part of their guerrilla warfare activities, starting at 4th level, steel falcons learn how to use the natural environment to create simple traps. At 4th level, and every 4 levels after, a steel falcon learns to craft one ranger trap. The steel falcon can only set extraordinary traps (not supernatural ones). Ranger traps are described in Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Ultimate Magic.

At level 8 natural traps causes double the indicated damage. At level 12, natural traps cause triple damage. At level 16, natural traps cause quadruple damage.

If the natural conditions are right (an existing pit for a pit trap, quicksand for a quicksand trap and so on, any steel falcon can set all of the following traps without needing regular components: limning trap, marker trap, pit trap, quicksand trap, sleet trap, tar trap, and toxic fumes trap. The GM is the final arbiter of what sort of trap the character can build in a particular environment (a barren desert landscape can support a pit trap but not a falling tree trap, while an overgrown swamp can have a falling tree trap but a pit trap is more difficult). Heroic speech and natural traps together replaces the ranger's spells.

Armor Training (Ex)

Starting at 5th level, a steel falcon learns to be more maneuverable while wearing armor. Whenever he is wearing armor, he reduces the armor check penalty by 1 (to a minimum of 0) and increases the maximum Dexterity bonus allowed by his armor by 1. In addition, a steel falcon can also move at his normal speed while wearing medium armor. This replaces the ranger's second favored terrain.

Luck of the Eagle (Ex)

At 6th level, once per day the steel falcon can re-roll any one d20 roll, but he must take the new roll, even if it is lower. This replaces swift tracker.

Superior Aid (Ex)

At 7th level, when performing the aid another action, the steel falcon grants a +4 bonus on the ally’s skill check, attack roll, or to the ally’s Armor Class instead of the normal +2.

Subtle Manipulator (Ex)

Starting at 11th level, if the steel falcon spends a full-round action studying a target, he may make a Sense Motive check opposed by the target’s Will save. If the check succeeds, the steel falcon gains a +5 circumstance bonus on Diplomacy checks made against that opponent for a number of days equal to his Charisma modifier. This ability can only be used on any one target once per day. This replaces quarry.

Avoral's Blessing (Su)

At 13th level, a steel falcon gains the blessing of an avoral patron. He gains a +10 competence bonus to Acrobatics checks to make high or long jumps, a +4 bonus to Perception checks, and the protection of a feather fall effect at all times. This replaces the rangers 3rd favored terrain.

Chainbreaker (Ex)

At 18th level, a steel falcon’s attacks against bindings, chains, and manacles bypass up to 10 points of hardness. This includes weapons with chains (such as flails, nunchaku, and spiked chains), a kyton’s armor and weapons, chain animated by animate objects, and so on. He also gains a +10 bonus on Escape Artist checks to escape manacles or ropes. This replaces the rangers 4th favored terrain.

Avoral Fury (Su)

At 19th level, as a free action, a steel falcon can channel his rage at the injustice in the world, transforming his countenance into a terrifying display of righteous fury. Enemies within this radius are affected by a fear spell (caster level 10, Will DC 15 + the steel falcon’s Charisma bonus). All other creatures in the area (including the steel falcon) are bolstered by the steel falcon’s wrath and may immediately re-roll their saving throws against any charm, compulsion, or possession effects affecting them. The steel falcon can use this ability if he is conscious, even if paralyzed or under the effect of a charm, compulsion, or possession that affects his judgment. He may use this ability once per day. This replaces improved quarry.

Slavers' Doom (Ex)

A steel falcon of 20th level be­comes the doom of slavers everywhere. He can always move at full speed while using Survival to follow tracks without penalty. He can, as a standard action, make a single attack against a slaver at his full attack bonus. If the attack hits, the target takes damage normally and must make a Fortitude save or die. The DC of this save is equal to 10 + 1/2 the steel falcon’s level + the steel falcon’s Charisma modifier. A steel falcon can choose instead to deal an amount of nonlethal damage equal to the creature’s cur­rent hit points. A successful save negates this damage. A steel falcon can use this ability against a particular slaver no more than once in a 24-hour period.

Favored Class Bonuses

Instead of received an additional hit point or skill rank when he gains a level of steel falcon, the following races have the option of choosing from the following.

Dwarf: Add +1/4 to your enemy of slavers ability when applicable against creatures with the giant, goblinoid, or orc subtypes.

Elf: Select a single specific type of creature (drow, hill giant, wight, and so on). Gain half your steel falcon level on Perception skill checks against your selected type of creature. You must select a new type of creature each time you take this ability.

Gnome: Add +1 to the number of rounds per day you may use your heroic speech ability.

Half-Elf: Select one weapon you are not proficient with. Against slavers, you are considered proficient with selected weapons.

Half-Orc: Select a single specific type of creature (drow, hill giant, wight, and so on). Gain half your steel falcon level on Intimidate skill checks against your selected type of creature. You must select a new type of creature each time you take this ability.

Halfling: Add +1/6 to the number of times per day you may use your luck of the eagle ability, to a maximum of four times per day at 18th-level.

Human: Gain 1/6 of a new combat style feat.

Table: Steel Falcon

Level	Base Attack Bonus	Fort Save	Ref Save	Will Save	Special
1st	+1	+2	+2	+0	1st favored enemy, wild empathy, sailor and survivalist, Enemy of slavers,
2nd	+2	+3	+3	+0	Combat style feat, heroic speech (+1)
3rd	+3	+3	+3	+1	Endurance, heart of freedom
4th	+4	+4	+4	+1	Comrade's bond, natural traps
5th	+5	+4	+4	+1	2nd favored enemy, armor training
6th	+6/+1	+5	+5	+2	Combat style feat, luck of the eagle
7th	+7/+2	+5	+5	+2	Woodland stride
8th	+8/+3	+6	+6	+2	Heroic speech (move), natural trap
9th	+9/+4	+6	+6	+3	Evasion
10th	+10/+5	+7	+7	+3	3rd favored enemy, combat style feat
11th	+11/+6/+1	+7	+7	+3	Subtle manipulator
12th	+12/+7/+2	+8	+8	+4	Camouflage
13th	+13/+8/+3	+8	+8	+4	Avoral blessing
14th	+14/+9/+4	+9	+9	+4	Combat style feat, heroic speech (swift), natural trap
15th	+15/+10/+5	+9	+9	+5	4th favored enemy
16th	+16/+11/+6/+1	+10	+10	+5	Improved evasion
17th	+17/+12/+7/+2	+10	+10	+5	Hide in plain sight
18th	+18/+13/+8/+3	+11	+11	+6	Chainbreaker, combat style feat, heroic speech (+4)
19th	+19/+14/+9/+4	+11	+11	+6	Avoral fury
20th	+20/+15/+10/+5	+12	+12	+6	5th favored enemy, natural trap, slaver's doom

Summary of Changed Class Features

• Class skills
• Spells
• Track
• Favored Terrain (all)
• Hunter's Bond
• Swift Tracker
• Quarry
• Improved Quarry

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