Awnetu
2010-08-04, 04:11 PM
My DMs 3.5 campaign features a group of guardians called Sword Saints. the guardians all represent different principles, such as Balance, Bravery, etc. In the last session, I became the Sword Saint Guardian.
The idea behind it is that it would take my former build as guidelines and use that to create an all new class. The Sword Saint Class is supposed to be on the power level of an average Gestalted Character of that level.
Looking at it, I was wondering what I should be looking at to maximize my potential with this build, not likely to get by with homebrew feats, but since it is a homebrew class, I figured it goes here. Opinions on it are of course, always welcome as well. Thanks in advance.
The Sword Saint Guardian
Alignment
Any good.
Hit Die
d10
{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special
1|+1|+1|+1|+1|Untapped Knowledge, Sacred Mantle; Saintly Focus
2|+2|+1|+1|+1|Uncanny Dodge; Bonus Feat; Steely Resolve(5)
3|+3|+2|+2|+2|Saintly Music;Inspire Courage; Furious Counterstrike
4|+4|+2|+2|+2|Sacred Mantle
5|+5|+3|+3|+3|Evasion; Saintly Aura; Steely Resolve (15);
6|+6/+1|+3|+3|+3|Sense Magic; Bonus Feat
7|+7/+2|+4|+4|+4|Improved Uncanny Dodge; Saintly Form
8|+8/+3|+4|+4|+4|Sacred Mantle
9|+8/+3|+5|+5|+5|Saintly Surge
10|+9/+4|+5|+5|+5|Inspire Recklessness; Steely Resolve (30); Bonus Feat
11|+10/+5|+6|+6|+6|Improved Saintly Aura
12|+11/+6|+6|+6|+6|Improved Saintly Form
13|+11/+6|+7|+7|+7|Shock and Awe;Battle Ardor;Bonus Feat
14|+12/+7/+2|+7|+7|+7|Sacred Mantle
15|+13/+8/+3|+8|+8|+8|Greater Saintly Aura; Steely Resolve (45)
16|+14/+9/+3|+8|+8|+8|Greater Saintly Form
17|+14/+9/+4|+9|+9|+9|Improved Evasion; Bonus Feat
18|+15/+10/+5|+9|+9|+9|Die Hard; Battle Cunning
19|+16/+11/+6/+0|+10|+10|+10|Sacred Mantle
20|+17/+12/+7/+2|+11|+11|+11|Master Saintly Aura; Master Saintly Form; Steely Resolve (60)[/table]
Class Skills
The Sword Saint of Guardianship's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Balance (Dex), Concentration (Int), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Heal (Wis), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Knowledge(History), Knowledge (Religion), Knowledge (Local), Listen (Wis), Martial Lore (Int), Psicraft(Int), Search (Int), Sense Motive (Wis), Spot (Wis), Tumble (Dex), and Use Psionic Device(Cha).
Skill points at 1st level
(6+ Int modifier) x4
Skill points at each additional level
6+ Int modifier
Class Features
Weapon and Armor Proficiency
A Sword Saint Guardian is proficient with all simple and martial weapons, with light and medium armor, and shields (excluding tower shields). In addition, the Sword Saint can use maneuvers in Medium Armor and still use maneuvers, also the Sword Saint is not hampered by Medium Armor for movement speed purposes.
Maneuvers Known:
You begin your career with knowledge of five martial maneuvers. The disciplines available to you are Devoted Spirit, Stone Dragon, and White Raven.
Once you know a maneuver, you must ready it before you can use it (see Maneuvers Readied, below). A maneuver usable by Sword Saints of Courage is considered an extraordinary ability unless otherwise noted in its description. Your maneuvers are not affected by spell resistance, and you do not provoke attacks of opportunity when you initiate one.
You learn additional maneuvers at higher levels. You must meet a maneuver’s prerequisite to learn it. See the Table 3-1 in Tome of Battle to determine the highest-level maneuvers you can learn.
Upon reaching 4th level, and at every even-numbered Sword Saint level after that (6th, 8th, 10th, and so on), you can choose to learn a new maneuver in place of one you already know. In effect, you lose the old maneuver in
exchange for the new one. You can choose a new maneuver of any level you like, as long as you observe your restriction on the highest-level maneuvers you know; you need not replace the old maneuver with a maneuver of the same level. For example, upon reaching 10th level, you could trade in a single 1st-, 2nd-, 3rd- or 4th-level maneuver for a maneuver of 5th level or lower, as long as you meet the prerequisite of the new maneuver.
You can swap only a single maneuver at any given level.
Maneuvers Readied: You can ready all five maneuvers you know at 1st level, but as you advance in level and learn more maneuvers, you must choose which maneuvers to ready. You ready maneuvers by praying for 5 minutes. The maneuvers you choose remain readied until you decide to pray again and change them. You need not sleep or rest for any long period of time in order to ready your maneuvers; any time you spend 5 minutes in prayer, you can change your readied maneuvers.
You begin an encounter with all your readied maneuvers unexpended, regardless of how many times you might have already used them since you chose them. When you initiate a maneuver, you expend it for the current encounter, so each of your readied maneuvers can be used once per encounter (unless you recover them, as described below).
Sword Saints are similar to Crusaders among martial adepts, relying on flashes of divine inspiration to use their martial maneuvers. As such, you do not control access to your readied maneuvers. Before you take your first action in an encounter, two of your readied maneuvers (randomly determined) are granted to you. The rest of your readied maneuvers are withheld, currently inaccessible. At the end of each turn, one previously withheld maneuver (again, randomly determined) is granted to you, and thus becomes accessible for your next turn and subsequent turns. You can freely choose to initiate any maneuver that is currently granted when your turn begins, but you cannot initiate a withheld maneuver. If you choose
not to employ a maneuver in a given round, your currently granted maneuvers remain available, and a previously withheld maneuver is granted, as described above. In other words, it doesn’t matter if you use your maneuvers or not—at the end of each of your turns, one withheld maneuver from your selection of readied maneuvers is granted to you.
Over the course of a few rounds, all your maneuvers will eventually be granted. If, at the end of your turn, you cannot be granted a maneuver because you have no withheld maneuvers remaining, you recover all expended maneuvers, and a new pair of readied maneuvers is granted to you. Randomly determine which of your maneuvers are granted and which are withheld. At the end of your next turn, a withheld maneuver is granted to you, and the whole process of divine inspiration begins again.
You begin an encounter with an additional granted maneuver at 10th level (bringing your total to three), and again at 20th level (bringing your total to four).
Stances Known:
You begin play with knowledge of one 1st-level stance from the Devoted Spirit, Stone Dragon, or White Raven discipline. At 2nd, 8th, and 14th level, you can choose an additional stance. Unlike maneuvers, stances are not expended, and you do not have to ready them. All the stances you know are available to you at all times, and you can change the stance you currently use as a swift action. A stance is an extraordinary ability unless otherwise stated in the stance description.
Unlike with maneuvers, you cannot learn a new stance at higher levels in place of one you already know.
Saintly Focus
The Sword Saint's devotion to her cause prevents her from pursuing other paths. The Sword Saint is unable to multiclass or take prestige classes.
Untapped Knowledge
Acts as Bardic Knowledge; but instead is applicable to most knowledge checks unlike Bardic knowledge.
Sacred Mantle
At 1st Level, the Sword Saint gains a Sacred Mantle, which is equivalent to taking an Ardent's Psionic Mantle but grants only the granted power. The Sword Saint gains an additional Sacred Mantle at 4th, 8th, 14th, and 19th level.
Bonus Feats:
At 2nd level, a Sword Saint Guardian gets a bonus feat. The Sword Saint gains an additional bonus feat at levels 6, 10, 13, and 17. A Sword Saint must still meet all prerequisites for a bonus feat, including ability score and base attack bonus minimums.
Uncanny Dodge (Ex):
At 2nd level, the Sword Saint gains the ability to react to danger before his senses would normally allow him to do so. He retains his Dexterity bonus to AC (if any) even if he is caught flat-footed or struck by an invisible attacker. However, he still loses his Dexterity bonus to AC if immobilized. If the Sword Saint already has uncanny dodge from a different class (a barbarian with at least four levels of rogue, for example), he automatically gains improved uncanny dodge (see below) instead.
Steely Resolve (Ex):
Your supreme dedication and intense focus allow you to temporarily set aside the pain and hindering effects of injuries. When an opponent strikes you, the injury does not immediately affect you.
You have a delayed damage pool that allows you to forestall the effects of many injuries. This pool begins at 0 with each encounter. When you are attacked, any hit point damage the blow deals is added to your delayed damage pool. At the end of your next turn, you take damage equal to the total stored in your delayed damage pool, which then resets to 0. Any healing you receive can either increase your current hit point total as normal or reduce the total damage in your delayed damage pool. When you receive healing, you choose whether it affects your damage pool, your hit points, or both (you can split the amount of healing as you wish). Most Sword Saints opt to keep as much damage in their delayed damage pool as possible to maximize the benefit of their furious counterstrike ability (see below).
Special effects tied to an attack, such as energy drain, stun, and so forth, still affect you as normal, and their effects are not delayed by this ability. For example, if you are bitten by a venomous spider, you must still attempt a Fortitude save against the poison immediately, even though the bite damage shifts into your delayed damage pool. By the same token, any other special attack that imposes a condition, such as a medusa’s petrifying gaze, takes immediate effect on you.
At 2nd level, your delayed damage pool can hold up to 5 points of damage. Any damage beyond that comes off your hit points as normal. The maximum damage your pool holds increases to 15 at 5th, 30 at 10th, 45 at 15th, and 60 at 20th level.
Saintly Music
Once per day per Sword Saint level, he can use his song or poetics to produce magical effects on those around him (usually including himself, if desired). While these abilities fall under the category of bardic music and the descriptions discuss singing or playing instruments, they can all be activated by reciting poetry, chanting, singing lyrical songs, singing melodies (fa-la-la, and so forth), whistling, playing an instrument, or playing an instrument in combination with some spoken performance. Each ability requires both a minimum Sword Saint level and a minimum number of ranks in the Perform skill to qualify; if a Sword Saint does not have the required number of ranks in at least one Perform skill, he does not gain the Saintly music ability until he acquires the needed ranks.
Starting a Saintly music effect is a standard action. Some Saintly music abilities require concentration, which means the Saint must take a standard action each round to maintain the ability. Even while using Saintly music that doesn’t require concentration, a Sword Saint cannot cast spells, activate magic items by spell completion (such as scrolls), or activate magic items by magic word (such as wands). Just as for casting a spell with a verbal component, a deaf Sword Saint has a 20% chance to fail when attempting to use Saintly music.
If he fails, the attempt still counts against his daily limit. Saintly Music counts as Bardic Music for the purposes of satisfying Pre-requisites.
Inspire Courage (Su):
A Sword Saint with 3 or more ranks in a Perform skill can use song or poetics to inspire courage in his allies (including himself ), bolstering them against fear and improving their combat abilities. To be affected, an ally must be able to hear the Sword Saint sing. The effect lasts for as long as the ally hears the bard sing and for 5 rounds thereafter. An affected ally receives a +1 morale bonus on saving throws against charm and fear effects and a +1 morale bonus on attack and weapon damage rolls. At 8th level, and every six bard levels thereafter, this bonus increases by 1 (+2 at 8th, +3 at 14th, and
+4 at 20th). Inspire courage is a mind-affecting ability.
Inspire Recklessness (Su):
A Sword Saint Guardian of 10th level or higher with 12 or more ranks in any Perform skill can use her song or poetics to inspire an often dangerous, but very effective, ferocity in one of her allies within 60 feet (or in himself). The effect lasts for as long as the ally hears the war chanter sing and for 5 rounds thereafter. An affected ally (or the Sword Saint herself) is inspired to recklessness, gaining the ability to decrease her Armor Class by a number less than or equal to her base attack bonus and add the same number to
her melee attack rolls as a morale bonus. On her action, before making any attack rolls in a round, the affected character must choose to subtract a number from her Armor Class and add the same number to all melee attack rolls (this number may be 0). The penalty to Armor Class and the bonus on attack rolls apply until the character’s next action.
Shock And Awe (Su):
A Sword Saint Guardian of 13th level or higher with 15 or more ranks in any Perform skill can inspire uneasiness, fear, or even terror in her foes. To be affected, a foe must be within 60 feet of the Sword Saint Guardian and must be able to hear the Sword Saint Guardian. Foes get a Will save (DC 10 + Sword Saint's class level + Sword Saint’s Cha modifier) to resist the effect.
The severity of the effect depends on the difference between the foe’s Hit Dice and the Sword Saints’s Hit Dice (character level). Subtract the foe’s HD from the Sword Saint’s HD and consult the following table.
The effect lasts for as long as the foe can hear the Sword Saint and 1 round thereafter. If a foe’s hearing of the Sword Saint’s song is interrupted, the foe needs to make another saving throw when he hears the Sword Saint’s song again.
{table=Head]HD Difference| Effect
+10 or more| Foe is paralyzed with fear
+1 to +9| Foe is panicked
0 to –5| Foe is frightened
–6 or less| Foe is shaken[/table]
Furious Counterstrike (Ex):
You can channel the pain of your injuries into a boiling rage that lets you lash out at your enemies with renewed vigor and power. Each attack
that strikes you only pushes you onward to greater glory. During your turn, you gain a bonus on attack rolls and damage rolls equal to the current value of your delayed damage pool (see steely resolve, above) divided by 5, and
rounding down (minimum +1).
Evasion (Ex):
At 5th level and above, if the Sword Saint is subjected to an attack that normally allows a Reflex saving throw for half damage, he takes no damage if he makes a successful saving throw.
Saintly Aura (Ex):
Starting at 5th level, the Sword Saint exerts an effect on allies in his vicinity. The Saintly aura remains in effect until the Sword Saint uses a concentration check for a full round to suppress it (Activating the aura is a Swift Action). If the Sword Saint leaves this aura suppressed, he must make concentration checks of increasing difficulty in order to keep it suppressed. If the aura is suppressed for too long, the Sword Saint begins to take damage from the buildup of energy. A Sword Saint can have an aura active continually; thus, an aura can be in effect at the start of a combat encounter even before the Sword Saint takes his first turn.
Activating an aura involves haranguing, ordering, directing, encouraging, cajoling, or calming allies. A Sword Saint sizes up the enemy, allies, and the terrain, then gives allies the direction that they can use to do their best.
The marshal’s aura affects all allies within 10 feet (including himself ) who can hear the Sword Saint, this radius expands by 5 feet at levels 11, 15, and 20. An ally must have an Intelligence score of 3 or higher and be able to understand the Sword Saint’s language to gain the bonus. A Sword Saint’s aura is dismissed if he is dazed, unconscious, stunned, paralyzed, or otherwise unable to be heard or understood by his allies.
The Saintly Aura grants DR 2 to all allies and the Sword Saint, and transfers 1/4th of the damage taken by allies(after DR), has been applied to the Sword Saint. The bonus DR increases to 4 at Level 11, 6 at Level 15, and 8 at Level 20.
Sense Magic (Su):
Beginning at 6th level, you can spend 10 minutes focusing upon a weapon or suit of armor. If you succeed on a level check (DC 10 + the caster level of the weapon or armor), you can identify the properties of that item, including its enhancement bonus and special abilities. This ability does not reveal the properties of artifacts or legacy weapons, though it does indicate that such items are significantly powerful.
Improved Uncanny Dodge (Ex):
At 7th level and higher, a Sword Saint Guardian can no longer be flanked; he can react to opponents on opposite sides of him as easily as he can react to a single attacker. This defense denies a rogue the ability to sneak attack the Sword Saint by flanking him, unless the attacker has at least four more rogue
levels than the target has Sword Saint levels.
If a character already has uncanny dodge (see above) from a second class, the character automatically gains improved uncanny dodge instead, and the levels from the classes that grant uncanny dodge stack to determine the minimum level a rogue must be to flank the character.
Saintly Form (Su):
Starting at 7th Level, the Sword Saint has the ability to assume her saintly form. The form grants DR 2/--; and the ability to at any time, take the damage from an attack or spell for an ally within 10' of yourself; The form also grants a +2 Sacred bonus to AC and all saves. These powers improve to DR 4/--; take the damage from an attack or spell for an ally within 15' of yourself; +4 Sacred bonus to AC and Saves at level 12. DR 6/--;take the damage from an attack or spell for an ally within 20' of yourself; +6 Sacred bonus to AC and Saves at level 16. And to DR 8/--; take the damage from an attack or spell for an ally within 25' of yourself; +8 Sacred bonus to AC and Saves at level 20. The DR granted by this ability stacks with the DR for the Saintly Aura.
This abililty is available to the Sword Saint 3 + Charisma modifier times a day, and lasts for 3 + Charisma modifier rounds, it takes a swift action to start and requires a full round Concentration check to suppress.
Saintly Surge (Ex):
Your boundless energy and dedication to your cause allow you to exert a tremendous amount of effort to achieve your goals. Once per day, from 9th level on, you can opt to reroll a single d20 roll, whether it be an Attack, Saving Throw, or Skill Check. You must abide by the result of the new, second roll, even if it is lower than the first. This ability does not require an action. You simply decide to use it after seeing the result of your die roll but before the DM tells you if it fails or succeeds.
Battle Ardor (Ex):
The sheer love of battle lends uncanny strength to your blows. Starting at 13th level, you gain an insight bonus equal to your Intelligence bonus on rolls made to confirm critical hits.
Die Hard (Ex):
At Level 18, the Sword Saint's determination grants her the feat Diehard. When the Sword Saint is reduced to somewhere between -1 and -9 Hit Points, the Sword Saint is automatically stable, and treated is she were disabled. The Sword Saint may take either a move action or a standard action each round while between -1 and -9 Hit Points, but standard actions cause 1 point of damage. If the Sword Saint reaches -10 Hit Points, she dies.
Improved Evasion (Ex):
When subjected to an attack that normally allows a Reflex saving throw for half damage, the Sword Saint takes no damage if she makes a successful saving throw and only half damage if the saving throw fails.
Battle Cunning (Ex):
Your instinct for seizing the moment gives you a significant advantage over foes unprepared for your attack. At 18th level, you gain an insight bonus equal to your Intelligence bonus on melee damage rolls against flat-footed or flanked opponents.
All Credit for putting together the class goes to my GM and the text for a large number of the abilities is the work of Wizards of the Coast. All I did was collect information and put it in one place. If any of this violates the rules, I will edit it accordingly. (From what I understand this would not be, but I've been wrong before.)
The idea behind it is that it would take my former build as guidelines and use that to create an all new class. The Sword Saint Class is supposed to be on the power level of an average Gestalted Character of that level.
Looking at it, I was wondering what I should be looking at to maximize my potential with this build, not likely to get by with homebrew feats, but since it is a homebrew class, I figured it goes here. Opinions on it are of course, always welcome as well. Thanks in advance.
The Sword Saint Guardian
Alignment
Any good.
Hit Die
d10
{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special
1|+1|+1|+1|+1|Untapped Knowledge, Sacred Mantle; Saintly Focus
2|+2|+1|+1|+1|Uncanny Dodge; Bonus Feat; Steely Resolve(5)
3|+3|+2|+2|+2|Saintly Music;Inspire Courage; Furious Counterstrike
4|+4|+2|+2|+2|Sacred Mantle
5|+5|+3|+3|+3|Evasion; Saintly Aura; Steely Resolve (15);
6|+6/+1|+3|+3|+3|Sense Magic; Bonus Feat
7|+7/+2|+4|+4|+4|Improved Uncanny Dodge; Saintly Form
8|+8/+3|+4|+4|+4|Sacred Mantle
9|+8/+3|+5|+5|+5|Saintly Surge
10|+9/+4|+5|+5|+5|Inspire Recklessness; Steely Resolve (30); Bonus Feat
11|+10/+5|+6|+6|+6|Improved Saintly Aura
12|+11/+6|+6|+6|+6|Improved Saintly Form
13|+11/+6|+7|+7|+7|Shock and Awe;Battle Ardor;Bonus Feat
14|+12/+7/+2|+7|+7|+7|Sacred Mantle
15|+13/+8/+3|+8|+8|+8|Greater Saintly Aura; Steely Resolve (45)
16|+14/+9/+3|+8|+8|+8|Greater Saintly Form
17|+14/+9/+4|+9|+9|+9|Improved Evasion; Bonus Feat
18|+15/+10/+5|+9|+9|+9|Die Hard; Battle Cunning
19|+16/+11/+6/+0|+10|+10|+10|Sacred Mantle
20|+17/+12/+7/+2|+11|+11|+11|Master Saintly Aura; Master Saintly Form; Steely Resolve (60)[/table]
Class Skills
The Sword Saint of Guardianship's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Balance (Dex), Concentration (Int), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Heal (Wis), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Knowledge(History), Knowledge (Religion), Knowledge (Local), Listen (Wis), Martial Lore (Int), Psicraft(Int), Search (Int), Sense Motive (Wis), Spot (Wis), Tumble (Dex), and Use Psionic Device(Cha).
Skill points at 1st level
(6+ Int modifier) x4
Skill points at each additional level
6+ Int modifier
Class Features
Weapon and Armor Proficiency
A Sword Saint Guardian is proficient with all simple and martial weapons, with light and medium armor, and shields (excluding tower shields). In addition, the Sword Saint can use maneuvers in Medium Armor and still use maneuvers, also the Sword Saint is not hampered by Medium Armor for movement speed purposes.
Maneuvers Known:
You begin your career with knowledge of five martial maneuvers. The disciplines available to you are Devoted Spirit, Stone Dragon, and White Raven.
Once you know a maneuver, you must ready it before you can use it (see Maneuvers Readied, below). A maneuver usable by Sword Saints of Courage is considered an extraordinary ability unless otherwise noted in its description. Your maneuvers are not affected by spell resistance, and you do not provoke attacks of opportunity when you initiate one.
You learn additional maneuvers at higher levels. You must meet a maneuver’s prerequisite to learn it. See the Table 3-1 in Tome of Battle to determine the highest-level maneuvers you can learn.
Upon reaching 4th level, and at every even-numbered Sword Saint level after that (6th, 8th, 10th, and so on), you can choose to learn a new maneuver in place of one you already know. In effect, you lose the old maneuver in
exchange for the new one. You can choose a new maneuver of any level you like, as long as you observe your restriction on the highest-level maneuvers you know; you need not replace the old maneuver with a maneuver of the same level. For example, upon reaching 10th level, you could trade in a single 1st-, 2nd-, 3rd- or 4th-level maneuver for a maneuver of 5th level or lower, as long as you meet the prerequisite of the new maneuver.
You can swap only a single maneuver at any given level.
Maneuvers Readied: You can ready all five maneuvers you know at 1st level, but as you advance in level and learn more maneuvers, you must choose which maneuvers to ready. You ready maneuvers by praying for 5 minutes. The maneuvers you choose remain readied until you decide to pray again and change them. You need not sleep or rest for any long period of time in order to ready your maneuvers; any time you spend 5 minutes in prayer, you can change your readied maneuvers.
You begin an encounter with all your readied maneuvers unexpended, regardless of how many times you might have already used them since you chose them. When you initiate a maneuver, you expend it for the current encounter, so each of your readied maneuvers can be used once per encounter (unless you recover them, as described below).
Sword Saints are similar to Crusaders among martial adepts, relying on flashes of divine inspiration to use their martial maneuvers. As such, you do not control access to your readied maneuvers. Before you take your first action in an encounter, two of your readied maneuvers (randomly determined) are granted to you. The rest of your readied maneuvers are withheld, currently inaccessible. At the end of each turn, one previously withheld maneuver (again, randomly determined) is granted to you, and thus becomes accessible for your next turn and subsequent turns. You can freely choose to initiate any maneuver that is currently granted when your turn begins, but you cannot initiate a withheld maneuver. If you choose
not to employ a maneuver in a given round, your currently granted maneuvers remain available, and a previously withheld maneuver is granted, as described above. In other words, it doesn’t matter if you use your maneuvers or not—at the end of each of your turns, one withheld maneuver from your selection of readied maneuvers is granted to you.
Over the course of a few rounds, all your maneuvers will eventually be granted. If, at the end of your turn, you cannot be granted a maneuver because you have no withheld maneuvers remaining, you recover all expended maneuvers, and a new pair of readied maneuvers is granted to you. Randomly determine which of your maneuvers are granted and which are withheld. At the end of your next turn, a withheld maneuver is granted to you, and the whole process of divine inspiration begins again.
You begin an encounter with an additional granted maneuver at 10th level (bringing your total to three), and again at 20th level (bringing your total to four).
Stances Known:
You begin play with knowledge of one 1st-level stance from the Devoted Spirit, Stone Dragon, or White Raven discipline. At 2nd, 8th, and 14th level, you can choose an additional stance. Unlike maneuvers, stances are not expended, and you do not have to ready them. All the stances you know are available to you at all times, and you can change the stance you currently use as a swift action. A stance is an extraordinary ability unless otherwise stated in the stance description.
Unlike with maneuvers, you cannot learn a new stance at higher levels in place of one you already know.
Saintly Focus
The Sword Saint's devotion to her cause prevents her from pursuing other paths. The Sword Saint is unable to multiclass or take prestige classes.
Untapped Knowledge
Acts as Bardic Knowledge; but instead is applicable to most knowledge checks unlike Bardic knowledge.
Sacred Mantle
At 1st Level, the Sword Saint gains a Sacred Mantle, which is equivalent to taking an Ardent's Psionic Mantle but grants only the granted power. The Sword Saint gains an additional Sacred Mantle at 4th, 8th, 14th, and 19th level.
Bonus Feats:
At 2nd level, a Sword Saint Guardian gets a bonus feat. The Sword Saint gains an additional bonus feat at levels 6, 10, 13, and 17. A Sword Saint must still meet all prerequisites for a bonus feat, including ability score and base attack bonus minimums.
Uncanny Dodge (Ex):
At 2nd level, the Sword Saint gains the ability to react to danger before his senses would normally allow him to do so. He retains his Dexterity bonus to AC (if any) even if he is caught flat-footed or struck by an invisible attacker. However, he still loses his Dexterity bonus to AC if immobilized. If the Sword Saint already has uncanny dodge from a different class (a barbarian with at least four levels of rogue, for example), he automatically gains improved uncanny dodge (see below) instead.
Steely Resolve (Ex):
Your supreme dedication and intense focus allow you to temporarily set aside the pain and hindering effects of injuries. When an opponent strikes you, the injury does not immediately affect you.
You have a delayed damage pool that allows you to forestall the effects of many injuries. This pool begins at 0 with each encounter. When you are attacked, any hit point damage the blow deals is added to your delayed damage pool. At the end of your next turn, you take damage equal to the total stored in your delayed damage pool, which then resets to 0. Any healing you receive can either increase your current hit point total as normal or reduce the total damage in your delayed damage pool. When you receive healing, you choose whether it affects your damage pool, your hit points, or both (you can split the amount of healing as you wish). Most Sword Saints opt to keep as much damage in their delayed damage pool as possible to maximize the benefit of their furious counterstrike ability (see below).
Special effects tied to an attack, such as energy drain, stun, and so forth, still affect you as normal, and their effects are not delayed by this ability. For example, if you are bitten by a venomous spider, you must still attempt a Fortitude save against the poison immediately, even though the bite damage shifts into your delayed damage pool. By the same token, any other special attack that imposes a condition, such as a medusa’s petrifying gaze, takes immediate effect on you.
At 2nd level, your delayed damage pool can hold up to 5 points of damage. Any damage beyond that comes off your hit points as normal. The maximum damage your pool holds increases to 15 at 5th, 30 at 10th, 45 at 15th, and 60 at 20th level.
Saintly Music
Once per day per Sword Saint level, he can use his song or poetics to produce magical effects on those around him (usually including himself, if desired). While these abilities fall under the category of bardic music and the descriptions discuss singing or playing instruments, they can all be activated by reciting poetry, chanting, singing lyrical songs, singing melodies (fa-la-la, and so forth), whistling, playing an instrument, or playing an instrument in combination with some spoken performance. Each ability requires both a minimum Sword Saint level and a minimum number of ranks in the Perform skill to qualify; if a Sword Saint does not have the required number of ranks in at least one Perform skill, he does not gain the Saintly music ability until he acquires the needed ranks.
Starting a Saintly music effect is a standard action. Some Saintly music abilities require concentration, which means the Saint must take a standard action each round to maintain the ability. Even while using Saintly music that doesn’t require concentration, a Sword Saint cannot cast spells, activate magic items by spell completion (such as scrolls), or activate magic items by magic word (such as wands). Just as for casting a spell with a verbal component, a deaf Sword Saint has a 20% chance to fail when attempting to use Saintly music.
If he fails, the attempt still counts against his daily limit. Saintly Music counts as Bardic Music for the purposes of satisfying Pre-requisites.
Inspire Courage (Su):
A Sword Saint with 3 or more ranks in a Perform skill can use song or poetics to inspire courage in his allies (including himself ), bolstering them against fear and improving their combat abilities. To be affected, an ally must be able to hear the Sword Saint sing. The effect lasts for as long as the ally hears the bard sing and for 5 rounds thereafter. An affected ally receives a +1 morale bonus on saving throws against charm and fear effects and a +1 morale bonus on attack and weapon damage rolls. At 8th level, and every six bard levels thereafter, this bonus increases by 1 (+2 at 8th, +3 at 14th, and
+4 at 20th). Inspire courage is a mind-affecting ability.
Inspire Recklessness (Su):
A Sword Saint Guardian of 10th level or higher with 12 or more ranks in any Perform skill can use her song or poetics to inspire an often dangerous, but very effective, ferocity in one of her allies within 60 feet (or in himself). The effect lasts for as long as the ally hears the war chanter sing and for 5 rounds thereafter. An affected ally (or the Sword Saint herself) is inspired to recklessness, gaining the ability to decrease her Armor Class by a number less than or equal to her base attack bonus and add the same number to
her melee attack rolls as a morale bonus. On her action, before making any attack rolls in a round, the affected character must choose to subtract a number from her Armor Class and add the same number to all melee attack rolls (this number may be 0). The penalty to Armor Class and the bonus on attack rolls apply until the character’s next action.
Shock And Awe (Su):
A Sword Saint Guardian of 13th level or higher with 15 or more ranks in any Perform skill can inspire uneasiness, fear, or even terror in her foes. To be affected, a foe must be within 60 feet of the Sword Saint Guardian and must be able to hear the Sword Saint Guardian. Foes get a Will save (DC 10 + Sword Saint's class level + Sword Saint’s Cha modifier) to resist the effect.
The severity of the effect depends on the difference between the foe’s Hit Dice and the Sword Saints’s Hit Dice (character level). Subtract the foe’s HD from the Sword Saint’s HD and consult the following table.
The effect lasts for as long as the foe can hear the Sword Saint and 1 round thereafter. If a foe’s hearing of the Sword Saint’s song is interrupted, the foe needs to make another saving throw when he hears the Sword Saint’s song again.
{table=Head]HD Difference| Effect
+10 or more| Foe is paralyzed with fear
+1 to +9| Foe is panicked
0 to –5| Foe is frightened
–6 or less| Foe is shaken[/table]
Furious Counterstrike (Ex):
You can channel the pain of your injuries into a boiling rage that lets you lash out at your enemies with renewed vigor and power. Each attack
that strikes you only pushes you onward to greater glory. During your turn, you gain a bonus on attack rolls and damage rolls equal to the current value of your delayed damage pool (see steely resolve, above) divided by 5, and
rounding down (minimum +1).
Evasion (Ex):
At 5th level and above, if the Sword Saint is subjected to an attack that normally allows a Reflex saving throw for half damage, he takes no damage if he makes a successful saving throw.
Saintly Aura (Ex):
Starting at 5th level, the Sword Saint exerts an effect on allies in his vicinity. The Saintly aura remains in effect until the Sword Saint uses a concentration check for a full round to suppress it (Activating the aura is a Swift Action). If the Sword Saint leaves this aura suppressed, he must make concentration checks of increasing difficulty in order to keep it suppressed. If the aura is suppressed for too long, the Sword Saint begins to take damage from the buildup of energy. A Sword Saint can have an aura active continually; thus, an aura can be in effect at the start of a combat encounter even before the Sword Saint takes his first turn.
Activating an aura involves haranguing, ordering, directing, encouraging, cajoling, or calming allies. A Sword Saint sizes up the enemy, allies, and the terrain, then gives allies the direction that they can use to do their best.
The marshal’s aura affects all allies within 10 feet (including himself ) who can hear the Sword Saint, this radius expands by 5 feet at levels 11, 15, and 20. An ally must have an Intelligence score of 3 or higher and be able to understand the Sword Saint’s language to gain the bonus. A Sword Saint’s aura is dismissed if he is dazed, unconscious, stunned, paralyzed, or otherwise unable to be heard or understood by his allies.
The Saintly Aura grants DR 2 to all allies and the Sword Saint, and transfers 1/4th of the damage taken by allies(after DR), has been applied to the Sword Saint. The bonus DR increases to 4 at Level 11, 6 at Level 15, and 8 at Level 20.
Sense Magic (Su):
Beginning at 6th level, you can spend 10 minutes focusing upon a weapon or suit of armor. If you succeed on a level check (DC 10 + the caster level of the weapon or armor), you can identify the properties of that item, including its enhancement bonus and special abilities. This ability does not reveal the properties of artifacts or legacy weapons, though it does indicate that such items are significantly powerful.
Improved Uncanny Dodge (Ex):
At 7th level and higher, a Sword Saint Guardian can no longer be flanked; he can react to opponents on opposite sides of him as easily as he can react to a single attacker. This defense denies a rogue the ability to sneak attack the Sword Saint by flanking him, unless the attacker has at least four more rogue
levels than the target has Sword Saint levels.
If a character already has uncanny dodge (see above) from a second class, the character automatically gains improved uncanny dodge instead, and the levels from the classes that grant uncanny dodge stack to determine the minimum level a rogue must be to flank the character.
Saintly Form (Su):
Starting at 7th Level, the Sword Saint has the ability to assume her saintly form. The form grants DR 2/--; and the ability to at any time, take the damage from an attack or spell for an ally within 10' of yourself; The form also grants a +2 Sacred bonus to AC and all saves. These powers improve to DR 4/--; take the damage from an attack or spell for an ally within 15' of yourself; +4 Sacred bonus to AC and Saves at level 12. DR 6/--;take the damage from an attack or spell for an ally within 20' of yourself; +6 Sacred bonus to AC and Saves at level 16. And to DR 8/--; take the damage from an attack or spell for an ally within 25' of yourself; +8 Sacred bonus to AC and Saves at level 20. The DR granted by this ability stacks with the DR for the Saintly Aura.
This abililty is available to the Sword Saint 3 + Charisma modifier times a day, and lasts for 3 + Charisma modifier rounds, it takes a swift action to start and requires a full round Concentration check to suppress.
Saintly Surge (Ex):
Your boundless energy and dedication to your cause allow you to exert a tremendous amount of effort to achieve your goals. Once per day, from 9th level on, you can opt to reroll a single d20 roll, whether it be an Attack, Saving Throw, or Skill Check. You must abide by the result of the new, second roll, even if it is lower than the first. This ability does not require an action. You simply decide to use it after seeing the result of your die roll but before the DM tells you if it fails or succeeds.
Battle Ardor (Ex):
The sheer love of battle lends uncanny strength to your blows. Starting at 13th level, you gain an insight bonus equal to your Intelligence bonus on rolls made to confirm critical hits.
Die Hard (Ex):
At Level 18, the Sword Saint's determination grants her the feat Diehard. When the Sword Saint is reduced to somewhere between -1 and -9 Hit Points, the Sword Saint is automatically stable, and treated is she were disabled. The Sword Saint may take either a move action or a standard action each round while between -1 and -9 Hit Points, but standard actions cause 1 point of damage. If the Sword Saint reaches -10 Hit Points, she dies.
Improved Evasion (Ex):
When subjected to an attack that normally allows a Reflex saving throw for half damage, the Sword Saint takes no damage if she makes a successful saving throw and only half damage if the saving throw fails.
Battle Cunning (Ex):
Your instinct for seizing the moment gives you a significant advantage over foes unprepared for your attack. At 18th level, you gain an insight bonus equal to your Intelligence bonus on melee damage rolls against flat-footed or flanked opponents.
All Credit for putting together the class goes to my GM and the text for a large number of the abilities is the work of Wizards of the Coast. All I did was collect information and put it in one place. If any of this violates the rules, I will edit it accordingly. (From what I understand this would not be, but I've been wrong before.)