Gold Falcon (Apath)
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Gold falcons are champions against slavery.
Background
The Gold Legion is an alliance of mercenary companies that despise slavery. Originally a mercenary guild with unusual loyalty and determination, the Gold Legion gradually shifted to an anti-slavery focus.
The gold falcons are the Gold Legion's spiritual and physical vanguard, spreading their philosophical ideologies by whatever means necessary. This can be anything from bribing a foreign noble with inside information, to breaking the chains of the enslaved, to orchestrating widespread rebellion in an unfriendly land. Less concerned with pretensions of professional neutrality than other members of the Gold Legion, gold falcons stand up for what they believe is right.
While they occasionally serve as envoys and diplomats, gold falcons must be skilled at a variety of techniques if they expect to survive in hostile lands and accomplish their missions. The ability to utilize traps is as important to the gold falcon as the camaraderie she shares with her fellows. And while manipulating an enemy’s emotions and seeking diplomatic solutions can solve some problems, others present no solution other than battle.
Among the Gold Legion, gold falcons have a reputation for being egotistical and self-aggrandizing, while see gold falcons as the voice of the Gold Legion. While occasionally braggadocios, gold falcons are more aptly characterized by their zeal, dedication, selflessness, and diplomatic acumen. The perception that they are braggarts is simply because they speak out against slavery every chance they get, and use stories of their exploits as inspiration for others, sometimes exaggerating for effect. They are certainly aware of their reputation among the other branches of the Gold Legion, but bear this knowledge stoically and patiently, knowing that all three branches of the group are necessary to ensure the legion’s continued success—they do not hold grudges.
Other prestige archetypes of the Gold Legion include gold legionnaire (from Warrior Prestige Archetypes, also by Purple Duck Games), gold corsair, and gold talon. There is a certain rivalry between gold falcons and gold talons about the leadership of the Gold Legion. In practice, gold falcons are usually tactical leaders in command of battles, while gold talons handle strategy and lead the legion as a whole.
Gold Falcons on Porphyra
The Gold Legion started as a mercenary company fighting the Oncoming Wave of Mâl. The exceptional team loyalty their battle cry "Leave no-one behind" made the legion famous. Later, when they were involved in other conflicts where members of the legion were captured and made slaves, this turned into a rallying cry against slavers and slavery everywhere. Today the Gold Legion has a global perspective and is as much an alliance of adventurers and abolitionists as a mercenary league.
Class Information
This is a prestige archetype built on the steel falcon prestige class from Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Adventurer’s Guide and the ranger class.
Alignment: Any good or chaotic. Gold falcons are the idealists and propagandists of the Gold Legion. A gold falcon that changes to a non-good, non-chaotic alignment can continue to advance in the class but loses the superior aid, Talo's blessing, liberator's cry, and Talo's fury abilities.
Hit Die: d10.
Starting Wealth: 5d6 × 10 (average 175 gp). In addition, each character begins play with an outfit worth 10 gp. or less.
Class Skills
The gold falcon’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Heal (Wis), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (geography) (Int), Knowledge (history) (Int), Knowledge (local) (Int), Knowledge (nature) (Int), Knowledge (nobility) (Int), Perception (Wis), Perform (Cha), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Sense Motive (Wis), Stealth (Dex), Survival (Wis), and Swim (Str).
Skill Ranks At Each Level: 6 + Int Modifier.
Class Features
The following are all the class features of the gold falcon prestige archetype.
Favored Enemy: Slavers (Ex)
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Aberration |
From the start, the gold falcon focuses much of her training on how to interact with slavers, both in combat and in diplomatic confrontations. The gold falcon gains the ranger's favored enemy ability. The first favored enemy is not a creature type or subtype. Instead the gold gold falcon has slavers and slave owners as their first favored enemy. This includes those who work for slavers without being slavers themselves and anyone who holds an ally of the gold falcon captive for any reason. He gains a +2 bonus on Bluff, Knowledge, Perception, Sense Motive, and Survival checks against creatures of his selected type. Likewise, he gets a +2 bonus on weapon attack and damage rolls against them. A gold falcon may make Knowledge skill checks untrained when attempting to identify these creatures.
At 5th level and every five levels thereafter (10th, 15th, and 20th level), the gold falcon may select a type of creature as a favored enemy. In addition, at each such interval, the bonus against any one favored enemy (including the one just selected, if so desired) increases by +2.
If the gold falcon chooses humanoids or outsiders as a favored enemy, he must also choose an associated subtype, as indicated on Table: Favored Enemies. (Note that there are other types of humanoid to choose from—those called out specifically on the table below are merely the most common.) If a specific creature falls into more than one category of favored enemy, the gold falcon’s bonuses do not stack; he simply uses whichever bonus is higher.
| Because of their long tradition of fighting mâlites, gold falcons on Porphyra can choose all creatures with the mâlite template as a favored enemy. |
Heart of Freedom (Ex)
A gold falcon gains a +4 bonus on saving throws against charm and compulsion effects and against attempts to possess her body.
Sailor and Survivalist (Ex)
A gold falcon adds half her class level to Profession (sailor) checks and Survival checks.
Combat Style
At 2nd level, the gold falcon gains the ranger's combat style ability, giving her bonus feats at 2nd, 6th, 10th, 14th, and 18th level.
Alternatively, the gold falcon can choose mariner tricks (see the mariner prestige archetype) instead of a combat style, replacing all combat style feats with mariner's tricks. At level 10 she can choose advanced mariner's tricks. At level 18, she can choose a legendary mariner's trick.
Natural Traps (Ex)
As part of their guerilla warfare activities, gold falcons learn how to use the natural environment to create traps. At 3rd level, the gold falcon gains Learn Ranger Trap as a bonus feat (ignoring prerequisites). As per the rules for that feat, she learns one extraordinary ranger falcon trap (chosen from the following: alarm trap, burning trap, exploding trap, fire trap, marking trap, poison trap, snare trap, and swarm trap). At 8th level, and every five levels thereafter, the gold falcon learns an additional trap. At level 8, all her traps that deal damage deal double damage and at level 18 triple damage. At level 13, she learns to set supernatural traps, removing the penalty for exceptional traps and the need for parts. The total number of times per day she can use traps is equal to her class level + her wisdom bonus.
Superior Aid (Ex)
At 3rd level, when performing the aid another action, a gold falcon grants a +4 bonus on the ally’s attack roll or to the ally’s armor class instead of the normal +2.
Heroic Speech (Su)
A 4th level gold falcon can take a swift action to inspire her allies (including herself) for one round with tales of greatness, heroism, and the ideals of the gold legion, bolstering them against fear and improving their combat abilities. An affected ally receives a +1 morale bonus on saving throws against charm and fear effects and a +1 competence bonus on attack and weapon damage rolls. At 10th level and 16th level, this bonus increases by +1, to a maximum of +3 at 16th level. Heroic speech is a mind-affecting ability, language-dependent, sonic ability. The gold falcon can use this ability a number of rounds per day equal to her class level + her Charisma modifier. This is a variant of the bard's inspire courage bardic performance and works with abilities that improve that ability, such as the Extra Performance feat.
Comrade’s Bond (Ex)
At 4th level, a gold falcon’s love of freedom and hatred of slavery are so great that she evokes similar feelings in her companions. As a swift action, she can grant her allies half her favored enemy bonus against all appropriate targets in sight for a single round; the allies must be within 30 feet and able to see or hear her. This bonus lasts for a number of rounds equal to the gold falcon’s Charisma bonus (minimum 1). This bonus does not stack with any favored enemy bonuses her allies have; they use whichever bonus is higher. Each use of this ability counts as a round of heroic speech against the limitation on that ability.
Chainbreaker (Ex)
At 7th level, a gold falcon’s attacks against bindings, chains, and manacles bypasses up to 10 points of hardness. This includes weapons with chains (such as flails, nunchaku, and spiked chains), a kyton’s armor and weapons, chains animated by animate objects, and so on. The gold falcon also gains a +10 bonus on all checks to escape bindings, such as manacles or ropes.
Uncanny Dodge
At 7th level, a gold falcon gains the ability to react to danger before her senses would normally allow her to do so. She cannot be caught flat-footed, nor does she lose her Dexterity bonus to AC if immobilized. A gold falcon with this ability can still lose her Dexterity bonus to AC if she is immobilized or an opponent successfully uses the feint action against her. If a gold falcon already has uncanny dodge from a different class, she automatically gains improved uncanny dodge (see below) instead.
Subtle Manipulator (Ex)
At 8th level, if the gold falcon spends a full-round action studying a target, she can attempt a Sense Motive check (DC 10 + 2x the target's Will save bonus). If she succeeds, she gains a +5 circumstance bonus on Diplomacy checks against that opponent for one hour. This ability can be used on a given target only once per day.
Luck of the Falcon (Ex)
At 9th level, once per day, a gold falcon can reroll any one d20 roll before she learns the result of that roll, but she must take the new roll, even if it is lower. At 18th level, the gold falcon can use luck of the falcon twice per day.
Talo's Blessing (Su/Sp)
At 11th level, a gold falcon gains the blessing of Talo, the avoral patron of the Gold Legion. She gains a +10 competence bonus on Acrobatics checks to make high or long jumps, a +4 bonus on Perception checks, and constant feather fall. If this effect is dispelled, she can reactivate it as a swift action.
Crowd Camouflage (Ex)
A gold falcon of 12th level or higher can use Stealth to hide (as if she had concealment) as long as she has at least 2 other creatures within 10 ft. that have an attitude of indifferent or better.
Improved Uncanny Dodge
At 13 level, a gold falcon can no longer be flanked. This defense denies enemies the ability to sneak attack the gold falcon by flanking her, unless the attacker has at least 4 more levels in classes that provides sneak attack than the gold falcon has in classes that provide uncanny dodge.
Liberator's Cry (Su)
At 16th level, as a swift action, the gold falcon can inspire liberty in all creatures within 30 ft. Any creature in the area that is bound, grappled, entangled, or otherwise restrained can make an Escape artist check to escape as a free action. Allies can use the gold falcon's skill bonus in Perform (oratory) if that is better. This is a sonic effect and counts as one round of heroic speech.
Hide in Plain Sight (Ex)
While using crowd camouflage, a gold talon of 17th level or higher can use the Stealth skill even while being observed.
Talo's Fury (Su)
At 20th level, as a swift action, a gold falcon can channel her rage at the injustice in the world, transforming her countenance into a terrifying display of righteous fury, giving her a fear aura with a range of 30 feet. Enemies within this radius are affected as by a fear spell (cl equal to the gold falcon's class level, Will DC 15 + the gold falcon’s Charisma bonus). All other creatures in the area (including the gold falcon) are bolstered by the gold falcon’s wrath and can immediately attempt new saving throws against any charm, compulsion, or possession effects currently affecting them. Allies can use half the gold falcon's skill bonus in Perform (oratory) instead of their Will save if that is better. The gold falcon can use this ability if she is conscious, even if paralyzed or under the effect of a charm, compulsion, or possession that affects her judgment. This is a sonic effect and counts as one round of heroic speech.