Lion Blade (Apath)

Unofficial rules compendium

Lion Blades come from the most secretive schools of the fighting arts. They scoff at assassins, laughing at their poisons and blow guns — and they’re equally derisive of knights, stomping about the battlefield in burdensome armor and wielding huge, slow weapons. Lion Blades prefer crowded urban areas and are masters of motion, controlling both their own movement and those around them. With the flick of a blade, they can slow their enemy to a crawl and then step into a crowd and disappear from sight. They are quick, agile, knowledgeable, and masters of disguise.

Class Information

This is a prestige archetype.

Prestige Class: Lion blade from Pathfinder Companion: Taldor, Echoes of Glory.

Build Classes: Rogue.

Lion blades are rogues at home on on crowded streets.

Role: Lion Blade PCs are often on extended loan for a specific purpose or are given permission to adventure in order to perfect their art in real world settings.

Alignment: Any. Most lion blades begin with a lawful alignment, but can change alignment without direct consequence. A Lion Blade usually spends at least a year in training before taking on missions. A rare few Lion Blades shirk their responsibilities and work independently or even serve the enemies especially eager for these turncoats.

Hit Die: d8.

Class Features

The lion blade has all rogue class features, except as follows:

Lion Battle Language (Ex)

Lion blades are taught how to communicate with gestures and poses, and can rely information this way. This is most commonly used in combat, a lion blade can communicate simple tactical information and orders non-verbally. Anyone who knows the lion blade can understand this battle language. A lion blade can communicate more complex information non-verbally to another lion blade, this is the same as the Bluff task "convey secret message" but uses nonverbal means of communication. A non lion blade can learn lion battle language as a language, but lion blades can only teach this to very trusted allies approved by their organization.

Master of Crowds (Ex)

At second level a lion blade learns to perfectly alter her appearance in order to blend in to any crowd and any environment. A lion blade no longer suffers penalties to Disguise checks made to change her gender, race, or age. When moving through groups of humanoids that would normally count as difficult terrain, the lion blade instead moves normally. This replaces the rogue talent gained at level 2.

Inspire Self (Su)

At 3rd level, a lion blade learns a quiet, throaty chanting that puts her in a light trance as a standard action, increasing her focus on the task at hand. The lion blade gains a +1 competence bonus on skill checks with a particular skill as long as she is able to continue her chant (a free action each round), up to a maximum of 2 minutes. The chant is quiet enough to not interfere with Stealth, but prevents the lion blade from speaking. These bonuses rise to +2 when the lion blade reaches 6th level, to +3 when he reaches 9th level, to +4 when he reaches 12th level, to +5 at 15th, and to +6 at 18th level. Inspire self is a mind-affecting ability and replaces trap sense.

Slowing Strike (Su)

At 4th level, once per round on a successful sneak attack, a lion blade may choose to deal less dice of sneak attack damage and instead reduce the target’s speed by 5 feet per dice of damage she does not inflict. Once an opponent’s speed has been reduced to 0 feet, he is immobilized (but not helpless). The movement penalties imposed by slowing strike are removed once the creature fully heals or it receives a lesser restoration spell or other effect that restores attribute damage. This replaces the rogue talent gained at level 4.

Hide in Crowds (Su)

At 6th level, a lion blade can use the Stealth skill even while being observed. As long as there are at least 10 other humanoids of the same or larger size within 30 ft., a lion blade can hide herself from view in the open without anything to actually hide behind. Non-humanoid lion blades can hide in crowds of creatures that match their basic form (quadruped for a centaur lion blade, for example). This replaces the rogue talent gained at level 6.

Expeditious Advance (Ex)

At 8th level, a lion blade’s land speed is faster than the norm for her race by +10 feet. This benefit applies only when she is wearing no armor or light armor and not carrying a heavy load. Apply this bonus before modifying the lion blade’s speed because of any load carried or armor worn. This replaces the rogue talent gained at level 8.

Glean Information (Ex)

At 10th level, a lion blade’s study of body language gives her an advantage when observing or manipulating others. A lion blade gains a +2 bonus to Bluff, Diplomacy, Intimidate, and Sense Motive checks and to any Knowledge skill check relating to humanoids in her presence. This replaces advanced talents.

Secret Step (Su)

A 10th level lion blade can slip through crowds with supernatural ease. A lion blade can take a move action to move up to double her speed through a crowd without provoking attacks of opportunity for this movement. For example, if a lion blade has a movement speed of 40, she can use secret step to move 80 feet as a move action. She can only use this ability to move through humanoid crowds that would otherwise count as difficult terrain. This is fast, agile movement, not teleportation, so she must physically traverse the intervening space (for example, she cannot use this ability to bypass a trapped floor or wall of fire, even if surrounded by crowds). This replaces the rogue talent gained at level 10.

Cloud the Mind (Su)

At 12th level, a lion blade becomes incredibly difficult to find. Whenever a lion blade is using Stealth, observers suffer a –5 on active Perception checks made to spot her. The caster of a divination spell must pass a caster level check (DC 15 + class level) or fail to register the lion blade. This replaces the rogue talent gained at level 12.

Unexpected Suggestion (Su)

At 14th level, once per day a lion blade can use suggestion on a target she catches flat-footed. Her caster level is equal to her class level. The saving throw DC of this ability is 10 + ½ the lion blade's level + her Charisma modifier. This replaces the rogue talent gained at level 14.

Narrow Miss (Su)

At 16th level, a lion blade can dodge swiftly and erratically as a swift action, gaining 20% concealment until her next turn. She may use this ability once per day per two class levels. This replaces the rogue talent gained at level 16.

Grandmaster of Disguise (Su)

At 18th level, a lion blade is able to improvise a disguise as effectively as disguise kit. She gains a +2 circumstance bonus to disguise checks (this does not stack with the bonus from an actual disguise kit). Once per day per class level she can make a Disguise check create a disguise as a full-round action with no penalty. This ability is supernatural, but does not radiate magic. This replaces the rogue talent gained at level 18.

Silent Soul (Ex)

At 20th level, a lion blade has mastered the ability to still her thoughts, her movement, and her sounds to such a point that she becomes harder to dominate, harder to see, and harder to hear. All Stealth checks made by the lion blade gain a +10 circumstance bonus (this is in addition to the –5 penalty imposed by cloud the mind) and the lion blade gains SR 30 against mind-affecting effects. This replaces the rogue talent gained at level 20.

Table: Lion Blade

Level	Base Attack Bonus	Fort Save	Ref Save	Will Save	Special
1st	+0	+0	+2	+0	Finesse training, lion battle language, sneak attack +1d6, trapfinding
2nd	+1	+0	+3	+0	Evasion, master of crowds
3rd	+2	+1	+3	+1	Inspire self +1, finesse training, sneak attack +2d6
4th	+3	+1	+4	+1	Debilitating injury, slowing strike, uncanny dodge
5th	+3	+1	+4	+1	Rogue's edge, sneak attack +3d6
6th	+4	+2	+5	+2	Inspire self +2, hide in crowds
7th	+5	+2	+5	+2	Sneak attack +4d6
8th	+6/+1	+2	+6	+2	Expeditious advance, improved uncanny dodge
9th	+6/+1	+3	+6	+3	Inspire self +3, sneak attack +5d6
10th	+7/+2	+3	+7	+3	Glean information, rogue's edge, secret step
11th	+8/+3	+3	+7	+3	Finesse training, sneak attack +6d6
12th	+9/+4	+4	+8	+4	Cloud the mind, inspire self +4
13th	+9/+4	+4	+8	+4	Sneak attack +7d6
14th	+10/+5	+4	+9	+4	Unexpected suggestion
15th	+11/+6/+1	+5	+9	+5	Inspire self +5, rogue's edge, sneak attack +8d6
16th	+12/+7/+2	+5	+10	+5	Narrow miss
17th	+12/+7/+2	+5	+10	+5	Sneak attack +9d6
18th	+13/+8/+3	+6	+11	+6	Grandmaster of disguise, inspire self +6
19th	+14/+9/+4	+6	+11	+6	Finesse training, sneak attack +10d6
20th	+15/+10/+5	+6	+12	+6	Master strike, rogue's edge, silent soul

Summary of Changed Class Abilities

These abilities of the rogue are lost or modified in this archetype:

• Rogue talents (all)
• Advanced rogue talent

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