Duelist (Apath)

Unofficial rules compendium

Duelists represent the pinnacle of elegant swordplay. They move with a grace unmatched by most foes, parrying blows and countering attacks with swift thrusts of their blades. They may wear armor, but generally eschew such bulky protection as their grace allows them to dodge their opponents with ease. While others flounder on treacherous terrain, duelists charge nimbly across the battlefield, leaping and tumbling into the fray. They thrive in melee, where their skill with the blade allows them to make sudden attacks against clumsy foes and to cripple opponents with particularly well-placed thrusts of the blade.

Class Information

This is a merged prestige class.

Prestige Class: Duelist.

Build Classes: Fighter.

A duelists is a fighter that specializes in light armor and weapons.

Role: The abilities of duelists complement those rogues or bards who wish to accentuate their fighting prowess but, because of their lack of heavy armor, are afraid to leap into combat. Duelists fight in the forefront alongside fighters, barbarians, and other melee combatants, deftly avoiding the blades of their opponents while expertly targeting their vulnerabilities.

Alignment: Any.

Hit Die: d10.

Class Abilities

This archetype has all normal class abilities, except as noted.

Class Skills

The duelist's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Acrobatics (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Handle Animal (Cha), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (local) (Int), Knowledge (nobility) (Int), Perform (Cha), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Sense Motive (Wis), Swim (Str),

Skill Ranks at Each Level: 4 + Int modifier.

Armor and Weapon Proficiency

Duelists are proficient with all simple and martial weapons and with light armor and shields (excluding tower shields).

Archery Style Feats (Ex)

At 2nd level, a duelist gains expertise in archery. This manifests in the form of bonus feats at 2nd, 6th, 10th, 14th, and 18th level. He can choose feats from his selected combat style, even if he does not have the normal prerequisites.

The benefits of the duelist's chosen style feats apply only when he wears light or no armor. He loses all benefits of his combat style feats when wearing medium or heavy armor.

A duelist can choose from the following list whenever he gains a combat style feat:

• Far Shot, Focused Shot, Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot.

• At 6th level, he adds Improved Precise Shot, Mounted Archery, Parting Shot, Point Blank Master, and Manyshot.

• At 10th level, he adds Pinpoint Targeting and Shot on the Run to the list.

This replaces the uses of wild shape gained at level 4, 6, 10, 14, 18.

Mystic Spellstrike (Su)

At 5th level, whenever a duelist casts a spell casts a spell with a range of “touch” from the druid spell list, he can deliver the spell through any bow he is wielding as part of a ranged attack. Instead of the free melee touch attack normally allowed to deliver the spell, a duelist can make one free ranged attack with his weapon (at his highest base attack bonus) as part of casting this spell. If successful, this ranged attack deals its normal damage as well as the effects of the spell.

If the duelist makes this attack in concert with duelisty, this ranged attack takes all the penalties accrued by duelisty. This attack uses the weapon’s critical range (20, 19–20, or 18–20 and modified by the keen weapon property or similar effects), but the spell effect only deals ×2 damage on a successful critical hit, while the weapon damage uses its own critical modifier. This otherwise functions as a magus' spellstrike ability, see FAQ/Errata for that ability for more information. This replaces the new wild shape abilities gained at level 6.

Duelisty

At 7th level, a duelist learns to cast spells and shoot his bow at the same time. This functions much like Rapid Shot, but the extra attack is a spell that is being cast. To use this ability, the duelist must be wielding a bow. As a full-round action, he can make all of his attacks with his bow at a –2 penalty and can also cast any spell from the duelist spell list with a casting time of 1 standard action (any attack roll made as part of this spell also takes this penalty). If he casts this spell defensively and fails, the spell is wasted, but the attacks still take the penalty.

A duelist can choose to cast the spell first or make the weapon attacks first, but if he has more than one attack, he cannot cast the spell between weapon attacks.

This replaces the use of wild shape gained at level 8.

Seeker Arrow (Su)

At 11th level, a duelist can launch an arrow at a target known to him within range, and the arrow travels to the target, even around corners. Only an unavoidable obstacle or the limit of the arrow's range prevents the arrow's flight. This ability negates cover and concealment modifiers, but otherwise the attack is rolled normally. Using this ability is a standard action (and shooting the arrow is part of the action). A duelist can use this ability once per day at 11th level, and one additional time per day for every two levels beyond 11th, to a maximum of five times per day at 19th level.

This replaces the use of wild shape gained at level 12.

Imbue Arrow (Su)

At 13th level, a duelist gains the ability to place an area spell upon an arrow. When the arrow is fired, the spell's area is centered where the arrow lands, even if the spell could normally be centered only on the caster. This ability allows the archer to use the bow's range rather than the spell's range. A spell cast in this way uses its standard casting time and the duelist can fire the arrow as part of the casting. The arrow must be fired during the round that the casting is completed or the spell is wasted. If the arrow misses, the spell is wasted. This replaces a thousand faces. This replaces the new wild shape abilities gained at level 12.

Phase Arrow (Su)

At 15th level, a duelist can launch an arrow once per day at a target known to him within range, and the arrow travels to the target in a straight path, passing through any barrier or wall in its way. This ability negates cover, concealment, armor, and shield modifiers, but otherwise the attack is rolled normally. It does full damage to incorporeal or ethereal creatures. It is stopped normally by ghost touch armor, force armor, or barriers made of force effects, which makes it similar to an incorporeal touch attack.

Using this ability is a standard action (and shooting the arrow is part of the action). A duelist can use this ability once per day at 15th level, and one additional time per day for every two levels beyond 15th, to a maximum of three times per day at 19th level.

This replaces the use of wild shape gained at level 16.

Hail of Arrows (Su)

Once per day as a full-round action, a duelist of 17th level or higher can fire an arrow at each and every target within range, to a maximum of one target for every duelist level she has earned. Each attack uses the archer's primary attack bonus, and each enemy may only be targeted by a single arrow. This replaces the new wild shape abilities gained at level 8.

Venom Immunity (Ex)

At 19th level, a duelist gains immunity to all poisons. This is the same as the ability druids gain at level 9.

Arrow of Death (Su)

At 20th level, a duelist can create a special type of slaying arrow that forces the target, if damaged by the arrow's attack, to make a Fortitude save or be slain immediately. The DC of this save is equal to 20 + the duelist's Wisdom modifier. It takes 1 day to make a slaying arrow, and the arrow only functions for the duelist who created it. The slaying arrow lasts no longer than 1 year, and the archer can only have one such arrow in existence at a time. This replaces the use of wild shape gained at level 20.

Table: Duelist

Level	Base Attack Bonus	Fort Save	Ref Save	Will Save	Special	Spells per Day
						0	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th	6th	7th	8th	9th
1st	+0	+2	+0	+2	Nature bond, nature sense, orisons, wild empathy	3	1	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
2nd	+1	+3	+0	+3	Archery style feat, woodland stride	4	2	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
3rd	+2	+3	+1	+3	Trackless step	4	2	1	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
4th	+3	+4	+1	+4	Resist nature's lure	4	3	2	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
5th	+3	+4	+1	+4	Mystic spellstrike	4	3	2	1	—	—	—	—	—	—
6th	+4	+5	+2	+5	Archery style feat	4	3	3	2	—	—	—	—	—	—
7th	+5	+5	+2	+5	Duelisty	4	4	3	2	1	—	—	—	—	—
8th	+6/+1	+6	+2	+6		4	4	3	3	2	—	—	—	—	—
9th	+6/+1	+6	+3	+6	Venom immunity	4	4	4	3	2	1	—	—	—	—
10th	+7/+2	+7	+3	+7	Archery style feat	4	4	4	3	3	2	—	—	—	—
11th	+8/+3	+7	+3	+7	Seeker arrow	4	4	4	4	3	2	1	—	—	—
12th	+9/+4	+8	+4	+8		4	4	4	4	3	3	2	—	—	—
13th	+9/+4	+8	+4	+8	Imbue arrow	4	4	4	4	4	3	2	1	—	—
14th	+10/+5	+9	+4	+9	Archery style feat	4	4	4	4	4	3	3	2	—	—
15th	+11/+6/+1	+9	+5	+9	Timeless body	4	4	4	4	4	4	3	2	1	—
16th	+12/+7/+2	+10	+5	+10		4	4	4	4	4	4	3	3	2	—
17th	+12/+7/+2	+10	+5	+10	Hail of arrows	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	3	2	1
18th	+13/+8/+3	+11	+6	+11	Archery style feat	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	3	3	2
19th	+14/+9/+4	+11	+6	+11	Phase arrow	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	3	3
20th	+15/+10/+5	+12	+6	+12	Arrow of death	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	4