Steel Falcon (Apath)

	Unofficial rules compendium
	Contents 1 Class Information 1.1 Class Skills; ; 2 Class Features 2.1 Weapon and Armor Proficiency; 2.2 Enemy of Slavers (Ex); 2.3 Sailor and Survivalist (Ex); 2.4 Heroic Speech (Su); 2.5 Heart of Freedom (Ex); 2.6 Comrade’s Bond (Ex); 2.7 Natural Traps (Ex); 2.8 Armor Training (Ex); 2.9 Luck of the Eagle (Ex); 2.10 Superior Aid (Ex); 2.11 Subtle Manipulator (Ex); 2.12 Avoral Blessing (Su); 2.13 Chainbreaker (Ex); 2.14 Avoral Fury (Su); ; 3 Table: Steel falcon; 4 Summary of Changed Class Features;
	Contents 1 Class Information 1.1 Class Skills; ; 2 Class Features 2.1 Weapon and Armor Proficiency; 2.2 Enemy of Slavers (Ex); 2.3 Sailor and Survivalist (Ex); 2.4 Heroic Speech (Su); 2.5 Heart of Freedom (Ex); 2.6 Comrade’s Bond (Ex); 2.7 Natural Traps (Ex); 2.8 Armor Training (Ex); 2.9 Luck of the Eagle (Ex); 2.10 Superior Aid (Ex); 2.11 Subtle Manipulator (Ex); 2.12 Avoral Blessing (Su); 2.13 Chainbreaker (Ex); 2.14 Avoral Fury (Su); ; 3 Table: Steel falcon; 4 Summary of Changed Class Features;

Steel falcons constitute an elite military organization that serves to spread their ideological beliefs of their country while protecting its interests both at home and abroad. The steel falcons are the 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 class archetype.

Prestige Class: Steel falcon.

Build Classes: Ranger.

A steel falcon is an insurrectionist and guerrilla.

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 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 a creature that captures sentient creatures and exploits them by coercion. 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 get along in the wild 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’s 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. This is the same as the companion bond variant of the nature's bond ranger class feature. A steel falcon cannot choose an animal companion.

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).

At level 8 natural traps causes double the indicated damage. At level 12, natural traps cause double 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 the following traps: limning trap, marker trap, over-sized barbs, 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 attack 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 target fails, the steel falcon gains a +5 circumstance bonus on Diplomacy checks made against that opponent for a number of days equal to his Wisdom modifier. This ability can only be used on any one target once per day. This replaces quarry.

Avoral 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 harm. 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, a steel falcon can channel his rage at the injustice in the world, transforming his countenance into a terrifying display of righteous fury, giving him a fear aura with a range of 30 feet. 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.

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 traps
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 traps
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, master hunter, natural traps

Summary of Changed Class Features

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