Ziegander
2011-07-21, 05:08 PM
THE FIGHTER
Action Hero Variant
An exercise in action economics.
http://fc00.deviantart.net/fs71/i/2013/150/3/7/the_hero_of_time_by_srdunko-d67709o.jpg
Alignment: Any
Hit Die: 1d10
Level
BAB
Fort
Ref
Will
Special
1st
+1
+2
+2
+2
Bonus Feat, Weapon Aptitude
2nd
+2
+3
+3
+3
Bonus Feat, Forge Lore
3rd
+3
+3
+3
+3
Always Ready
4th
+4
+4
+4
+4
Bonus Feat
5th
+5
+4
+4
+4
Superior Reactions
6th
+6/+1
+5
+5
+5
Bonus Feat
7th
+7/+2
+5
+5
+5
Snap Decision
8th
+8/+3
+6
+6
+6
Bonus Feat
9th
+9/+4
+6
+6
+6
Array of Stunts I
10th
+10/+5
+7
+7
+7
Bonus Feat
11th
+11/+6/+1
+7
+7
+7
Decisive Strike
12th
+12/+7/+2
+8
+8
+8
Bonus Feat
13th
+13/+8/+3
+8
+8
+8
Tide of Battle
14th
+14/+9/+4
+9
+9
+9
Bonus Feat
15th
+15/+10/+5
+9
+9
+9
Array of Stunts II
16th
+16/+11/+6/+1
+10
+10
+10
Bonus Feat
17th
+17/+12/+7/+2
+10
+10
+10
Surge of Effort I
18th
+18/+13/+8/+3
+11
+11
+11
Bonus Feat
19th
+19/+14/+9/+4
+11
+11
+11
Surge of Effort II
20th
+20/+15/+10/+5
+12
+12
+12
Bonus Feat, Combat Supremacy
Class Skills (4+Int per level, x4 at first level): Appraise (Int), Balance (Dex), Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Escape Artist (Dex), Handle Animal (Cha), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Knowledge (all skills, taken individually) (Int), Listen (Wis), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Sense Motive (Wis), Spot (Wis), Survival (Wis), Swim (Str), and Tumble (Dex).
Weapons and Armor Proficiency
A fighter is proficient with all simple and martial weapons and with all armor (heavy, medium, and light) and shields (including tower shields).
Bonus Feats*
At 1st level, a fighter gets a bonus combat-oriented feat in addition to the feat that any 1st-level character gets and the bonus feat granted to a human character. The fighter gains an additional bonus feat at 2nd level and every two fighter levels thereafter (4th, 6th, 8th, 10th, 12th, 14th, 16th, 18th, and 20th). These bonus feats must be drawn from the feats noted as fighter bonus feats. A fighter must still meet all prerequisites for a bonus feat, including ability score and base attack bonus minimums.
These bonus feats are in addition to the feat that a character of any class gets from advancing levels. A fighter is not limited to the list of fighter bonus feats when choosing these feats.
*(Borrowed from Pathfinder Fighter, of all things, then tweaked.)
Upon reaching 4th level, and every even level thereafter, a fighter can choose to learn a new bonus feat in place of a bonus feat he has already learned. In effect, the fighter loses the bonus feat in exchange for the new one. The old feat cannot be one that was used as a prerequisite for another feat, prestige class, or other ability. A fighter can only change one feat at any given level and must choose whether or not to swap the feat at the time he gains a new bonus feat for the level.
Weapon Aptitude (Ex)
(Borrowed from Warblade, then tweaked.)
With 1 hour of practice with a new weapon a Fighter may change the designated weapon for any feat he possesses that applies only to a single weapon (such as Weapon Focus or Boomerang Daze) replacing one weapon for another in both the prerequisites and the feat's description. He must have the newly designated weapon in hand during his practice and he must be proficient with it to make this change.
A Fighter can adjust any number of feats with a single practice in this way, but he doesn't have to adjust them all in the same way. He cannot change the designated weapons in such a way that he no longer meets the prerequisites for another feat he possesses. Feats adjusted in this way remain so designated for as long as he likes. He may re-adjust to a previously designated weapon as a swift action within 1 day per Fighter level of adjusting from that weapon, otherwise he must spend another hour in practice to adjust his feats.
For example, Scathwell, human Fighter 6, possesses the Power Attack, Improved Bull Rush, Improved Sunder, Weapon Focus (warhammer), Weapon Focus (handaxe), Weapon Focus (longsword), Anvil of ThunderCW, and Hammer's EdgeCW feats. He finds a pair of enchanted shortswords and decides to practice with them for 1 hour to designate (shortsword) in place of any other weapons in the prerequisites and descriptions of a few of his feats, to the point that when he hits a foe with both shortswords in a round it must make two Fortitude saving throws (DC 10 + 1/2 character level + his Str bonus), one to avoid falling prone, the other to avoid being dazed for 1 round.
Forge Lore (Ex)
(Borrowed from Frank & K's Tome Fighter, then tweaked.)
A 2nd level Fighter gains Craft Magic Arms and Armor as a bonus feat and can produce alchemical or magical items and equipment as a spellcaster with an Effective Caster Level equal to his ranks in any relevant Craft skill (examples given below). This allows him to create items without needing to cast any of the required spells, though he must still take item creation feats to craft items other than weapons or armor.
EXAMPLES
Craft (Armorsmithing) - Covers armors and shields as well as bracers, gauntlets, greaves, helmets, and other similar items.
Craft (Bowmaking) - Covers longbows, shortbows, crossbows, arrows, bolts, and other related or similar items.
Craft (Haberdashery) - Covers all cloth and leather articles of clothing such as boots, cloaks, gloves, pants, and shirts, as well as other related or similar items.
Craft (Metalwork) - Covers metal jewelry such as amulets, bracelets, or rings, and other simple metal tools and goods like spades or manacles and bells or chimes.
Craft (Weaponsmithing) - Covers melee or thrown weapons.
Always Ready (Ex): Starting at 3rd level, a Fighter cannot be surprised, though he may still be flat-footed. Additionally, he doesn't provoke attacks of opportunity for retrieving items stowed on his person. Furthermore, he may spend an immediate action at any time to move up to his speed. If he does, he loses his move action on his next turn.
Superior Reactions (Ex): Starting at 5th level, a Fighter cannot be flanked and retains his Dexterity modifier to AC even while flat-footed. Furthermore, whenever an enemy provokes an attack of opportunity from the Fighter, instead of taking the attack he may perform any standard or move action. If he does, this action counts against his number of attacks of opportunity for the round.
Snap Decision (Ex): Starting at 7th level, a Fighter no longer loses his next move action when he uses Always Ready to move as an immediate action. Furthermore, he may spend an immediate action at any time to perform a standard or move action. If he does, he loses his standard action on his next turn.
Array of Stunts I (Ex): Starting at 9th level, a Fighter may take a free 5ft step at any time in the round regardless of any other movement he has made that round. Additionally, he does not give up his next swift action when he uses an immediate action. Furthermore, his reach extends by 5ft.
Decisive Strike (Ex): Starting at 11th level, anytime a Fighter makes an attack against a creature when it isn't his turn (such as with an attack of opportunity or through Snap Decision) his target is entitled to a Reflex save (DC 10 + 1/2 Fighter level + Fighter's Constitution modifier).
If the save fails, the Fighter's attack resolves before any actions being performed by the targeted creature and is treated as if it were readied to interrupt that creature's actions, such that if the Fighter's attack hits the creature's actions utterly fail.
If the save succeeds the Fighter still makes his attack, but it resolves after any actions being performed by the targeted creature and does not interrupt it's actions (the attack deals all its normal damage).
Tide of Battle (Ex): Starting at 13th level, a Fighter may move up to his speed as part of any standard or full round action he performs. Furthermore, he no longer loses his next standard action when he uses Snap Decision to perform a standard or move action as an immediate action.
Array of Stunts II (Ex): Starting at 15th level, a Fighter may take one free 5ft step at any time in the round per five Fighter levels regardless of any other movement he has made that round. Additionally, his reach extends by 10ft per ten Fighter levels. Furthermore, he may take one additional swift or immediate action each round per fifteen Fighter levels.
Array of Stunts II does not stack with Array of Stunts I.
Surge of Effort I (Ex): Starting at 17th level, a Fighter may spend a swift action to gain either one full round action or a move action and a standard action. If he does, he is Fatigued (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/conditionSummary.htm#fatigued) after he completes his turn and may not take actions in the next round.
The Fatigue wears off after 8 hours of complete rest and using Surge of Effort again while Fatigued, or doing anything else that would Fatigue the Fighter, causes him to become Exhausted (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/conditionSummary.htm#exhausted) until he takes 1 hour of complete rest.
Surge of Effort II (Ex): Starting at 19th level, the first time each round the Fighter uses Surge of Effort he is still Fatigued, but he may act normally in the next round. If he uses it again he becomes Exhausted and may not take actions in the next round.
Combat Supremacy (Ex): Starting at 20th level, a Fighter may use Surge of Effort as an immediate action. Furthermore, the first time each round that he uses it he is not Fatigued and may act normally in the next round. The second time, he becomes Fatigued, but he may act normally in the next round. The third time, he becomes Exhausted and may not take actions in the next round.
Additional Material
Combat Superiority [General]
Prerequisites: Base Attack +6, Combat Expertise, Combat FocusPHB2, Combat Reflexes
Benefit: You may make a full attack as a standard action or at the end of a charge.
Normal: You may make a single attack as a standard action or at the end of a charge.
Special: A fighter may select Combat Superiority as one of his fighter bonus feats.
Samurai Action Hero Alternate Class Features
Alignment: Any non-chaotic. Even ronin are disciplined and dedicated to often strict personal codes.
HD: d10
Saving Throws: Lower Reflex save to Poor progression.
Class Skills: Increase to 6+Int per level. Add Autohypnosis (Wis), Decipher Script (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Heal (Wis), Iaijutsu Focus (Cha), Perform (Cha), and Speak Language (N/A) to the list of class skills.
Proficiencies: A Samurai is proficient with his Ancestral Weapon but is not proficient with Heavy Armor or with Tower Shields.
Bonus Feats
A Samurai may take [Psionic] feats in place of Fighter bonus feats and may also gain Psionic Focus (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/skills/concentration.htm#gainPsionicFocus) without the need of a power point reserve.
Ancestral Weapon (Ex)
(Replaces Weapon Aptitude.)
A Samurai begins play with either a Masterwork Daisho set (a Katana and Wakazashi) or any other Masterwork weapon of his choice. This weaponry is considered his Ancestral Weapon. At any time he may go on a spiritual retreat and spend time in prayer devoted to his ancestral weapon for enhancement. This requires a sacrifice of valuables with a total worth equal to 1/2 the price of the effective weapon enhancement bonus the Samurai wishes to obtain (or 1/4 the price when enhancing the Katana or the Wakazashi of an Ancestral Daisho). This sacrifice can be of pure coinage, or it can be made with items as well.
This ritual requires 1 hour to perform and during the Samurai must spend the entire time in supplications before his weapon. Enhancements chosen for his weaponry go into effect 24 hours after the ritual is completed. A Samurai with an Ancestral Daisho must enhance both the Katana and Wakazashi at once. When he does he does not need to choose the same enhancements for each weapon.
As normal, the actual enhancement bonus of a weapon cannot be increased beyond +5 in this way, however weapon properties may be added to the weapon in their place.
A Samurai must be at least 2nd level to grant his Ancestral Weapon a +1 enhancement bonus. Every two levels after 2nd, the enhancement bonus the Samurai is able to grant his Ancestral Weapon increases by 1. Whenever the Samurai performs this ritual he can remove old enhancement bonus to exchange them for an equal amount of new enhancement bonuses.
Enhanced Ancestral Weapons are treated as magical weapons for all purposes except that their magic cannot be dispelled or suppressed, not even by an Antimagic Field. Any spell-like or supernatural abilities or effects produced by the weaponry are considered extraordinary in nature rather than magical. Out of the Samurai's hands his Ancestral Weapons are ordinary, if Masterwork, weapons.
Ancestral Guide (Su)
(Replaces Forge Lore.)
Starting at 2nd level, a Samurai's Ancestral Weapon may begin to take on a spiritual intelligence all its own. It gains Ego, Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma scores each equal to twice the Ancestral Weapon's total effective enhancement bonus (do not add the Katana and Wakazashi bonuses together), and an alignment no more than one step away from the Samurai's (given by the DM).
An Ancestral Weapon never thinks that it is superior to the Samurai, but it can come into conflict with the Samurai or other wielders.
At first, this intelligence may seem to do very little, however as the Samurai grants his Ancestral Weapon greater and greater enhancements the effect grows more pronounced.
Once per day per +1 of the weapon's effective enhancement the Samurai, while wielding the weapon, may re-roll any one d20 roll.
Furthermore, an Ancestral Weapon with at least a +1 enhancement has the Empathy ability outlined here (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems/intelligentItems.htm).
An Ancestral Weapon with at least a +2 enhancement gains hearing and vision out to 30ft.
An Ancestral Weapon with at least a +3 enhancement is able to speak to its wielder telepathically in Common.
An Ancestral Weapon with at least a +4 enhancement gains the ability to speak Common and its hearing and vision increase to a 60ft radius.
An Ancestral Weapon with at least a +5 enhancement gains its first Lesser Power as listed here (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems/intelligentItems.htm).
As the Ancestral Weapon's enhancement grows beyond +5 consult the table, "Intelligence, Wisdom, Charisma, and Capabilities," to determine additional effects gained by the Ancestral Weapon.
An Ancestral Weapon with at least a +6 enhancement also gains a Special Purpose (to defend the Samurai and creatures of the same race and alignment as the Samurai) and a Dedicated Power along with it. Roll randomly to determine the Dedicated Power. Each time the Ancestral Weapon's enhancement bonus increases beyond +6 roll to receive an additional Dedicated Power. If a given Dedicated Power is rolled more than once re-roll.
An Ancestral Weapon's intelligence, communication, and senses cannot be dispelled or suppressed, not even by an Antimagic Field, however it's Lesser, Greater, and Dedicated Powers can.
Action Hero Variant
An exercise in action economics.
http://fc00.deviantart.net/fs71/i/2013/150/3/7/the_hero_of_time_by_srdunko-d67709o.jpg
Alignment: Any
Hit Die: 1d10
Level
BAB
Fort
Ref
Will
Special
1st
+1
+2
+2
+2
Bonus Feat, Weapon Aptitude
2nd
+2
+3
+3
+3
Bonus Feat, Forge Lore
3rd
+3
+3
+3
+3
Always Ready
4th
+4
+4
+4
+4
Bonus Feat
5th
+5
+4
+4
+4
Superior Reactions
6th
+6/+1
+5
+5
+5
Bonus Feat
7th
+7/+2
+5
+5
+5
Snap Decision
8th
+8/+3
+6
+6
+6
Bonus Feat
9th
+9/+4
+6
+6
+6
Array of Stunts I
10th
+10/+5
+7
+7
+7
Bonus Feat
11th
+11/+6/+1
+7
+7
+7
Decisive Strike
12th
+12/+7/+2
+8
+8
+8
Bonus Feat
13th
+13/+8/+3
+8
+8
+8
Tide of Battle
14th
+14/+9/+4
+9
+9
+9
Bonus Feat
15th
+15/+10/+5
+9
+9
+9
Array of Stunts II
16th
+16/+11/+6/+1
+10
+10
+10
Bonus Feat
17th
+17/+12/+7/+2
+10
+10
+10
Surge of Effort I
18th
+18/+13/+8/+3
+11
+11
+11
Bonus Feat
19th
+19/+14/+9/+4
+11
+11
+11
Surge of Effort II
20th
+20/+15/+10/+5
+12
+12
+12
Bonus Feat, Combat Supremacy
Class Skills (4+Int per level, x4 at first level): Appraise (Int), Balance (Dex), Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Escape Artist (Dex), Handle Animal (Cha), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Knowledge (all skills, taken individually) (Int), Listen (Wis), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Sense Motive (Wis), Spot (Wis), Survival (Wis), Swim (Str), and Tumble (Dex).
Weapons and Armor Proficiency
A fighter is proficient with all simple and martial weapons and with all armor (heavy, medium, and light) and shields (including tower shields).
Bonus Feats*
At 1st level, a fighter gets a bonus combat-oriented feat in addition to the feat that any 1st-level character gets and the bonus feat granted to a human character. The fighter gains an additional bonus feat at 2nd level and every two fighter levels thereafter (4th, 6th, 8th, 10th, 12th, 14th, 16th, 18th, and 20th). These bonus feats must be drawn from the feats noted as fighter bonus feats. A fighter must still meet all prerequisites for a bonus feat, including ability score and base attack bonus minimums.
These bonus feats are in addition to the feat that a character of any class gets from advancing levels. A fighter is not limited to the list of fighter bonus feats when choosing these feats.
*(Borrowed from Pathfinder Fighter, of all things, then tweaked.)
Upon reaching 4th level, and every even level thereafter, a fighter can choose to learn a new bonus feat in place of a bonus feat he has already learned. In effect, the fighter loses the bonus feat in exchange for the new one. The old feat cannot be one that was used as a prerequisite for another feat, prestige class, or other ability. A fighter can only change one feat at any given level and must choose whether or not to swap the feat at the time he gains a new bonus feat for the level.
Weapon Aptitude (Ex)
(Borrowed from Warblade, then tweaked.)
With 1 hour of practice with a new weapon a Fighter may change the designated weapon for any feat he possesses that applies only to a single weapon (such as Weapon Focus or Boomerang Daze) replacing one weapon for another in both the prerequisites and the feat's description. He must have the newly designated weapon in hand during his practice and he must be proficient with it to make this change.
A Fighter can adjust any number of feats with a single practice in this way, but he doesn't have to adjust them all in the same way. He cannot change the designated weapons in such a way that he no longer meets the prerequisites for another feat he possesses. Feats adjusted in this way remain so designated for as long as he likes. He may re-adjust to a previously designated weapon as a swift action within 1 day per Fighter level of adjusting from that weapon, otherwise he must spend another hour in practice to adjust his feats.
For example, Scathwell, human Fighter 6, possesses the Power Attack, Improved Bull Rush, Improved Sunder, Weapon Focus (warhammer), Weapon Focus (handaxe), Weapon Focus (longsword), Anvil of ThunderCW, and Hammer's EdgeCW feats. He finds a pair of enchanted shortswords and decides to practice with them for 1 hour to designate (shortsword) in place of any other weapons in the prerequisites and descriptions of a few of his feats, to the point that when he hits a foe with both shortswords in a round it must make two Fortitude saving throws (DC 10 + 1/2 character level + his Str bonus), one to avoid falling prone, the other to avoid being dazed for 1 round.
Forge Lore (Ex)
(Borrowed from Frank & K's Tome Fighter, then tweaked.)
A 2nd level Fighter gains Craft Magic Arms and Armor as a bonus feat and can produce alchemical or magical items and equipment as a spellcaster with an Effective Caster Level equal to his ranks in any relevant Craft skill (examples given below). This allows him to create items without needing to cast any of the required spells, though he must still take item creation feats to craft items other than weapons or armor.
EXAMPLES
Craft (Armorsmithing) - Covers armors and shields as well as bracers, gauntlets, greaves, helmets, and other similar items.
Craft (Bowmaking) - Covers longbows, shortbows, crossbows, arrows, bolts, and other related or similar items.
Craft (Haberdashery) - Covers all cloth and leather articles of clothing such as boots, cloaks, gloves, pants, and shirts, as well as other related or similar items.
Craft (Metalwork) - Covers metal jewelry such as amulets, bracelets, or rings, and other simple metal tools and goods like spades or manacles and bells or chimes.
Craft (Weaponsmithing) - Covers melee or thrown weapons.
Always Ready (Ex): Starting at 3rd level, a Fighter cannot be surprised, though he may still be flat-footed. Additionally, he doesn't provoke attacks of opportunity for retrieving items stowed on his person. Furthermore, he may spend an immediate action at any time to move up to his speed. If he does, he loses his move action on his next turn.
Superior Reactions (Ex): Starting at 5th level, a Fighter cannot be flanked and retains his Dexterity modifier to AC even while flat-footed. Furthermore, whenever an enemy provokes an attack of opportunity from the Fighter, instead of taking the attack he may perform any standard or move action. If he does, this action counts against his number of attacks of opportunity for the round.
Snap Decision (Ex): Starting at 7th level, a Fighter no longer loses his next move action when he uses Always Ready to move as an immediate action. Furthermore, he may spend an immediate action at any time to perform a standard or move action. If he does, he loses his standard action on his next turn.
Array of Stunts I (Ex): Starting at 9th level, a Fighter may take a free 5ft step at any time in the round regardless of any other movement he has made that round. Additionally, he does not give up his next swift action when he uses an immediate action. Furthermore, his reach extends by 5ft.
Decisive Strike (Ex): Starting at 11th level, anytime a Fighter makes an attack against a creature when it isn't his turn (such as with an attack of opportunity or through Snap Decision) his target is entitled to a Reflex save (DC 10 + 1/2 Fighter level + Fighter's Constitution modifier).
If the save fails, the Fighter's attack resolves before any actions being performed by the targeted creature and is treated as if it were readied to interrupt that creature's actions, such that if the Fighter's attack hits the creature's actions utterly fail.
If the save succeeds the Fighter still makes his attack, but it resolves after any actions being performed by the targeted creature and does not interrupt it's actions (the attack deals all its normal damage).
Tide of Battle (Ex): Starting at 13th level, a Fighter may move up to his speed as part of any standard or full round action he performs. Furthermore, he no longer loses his next standard action when he uses Snap Decision to perform a standard or move action as an immediate action.
Array of Stunts II (Ex): Starting at 15th level, a Fighter may take one free 5ft step at any time in the round per five Fighter levels regardless of any other movement he has made that round. Additionally, his reach extends by 10ft per ten Fighter levels. Furthermore, he may take one additional swift or immediate action each round per fifteen Fighter levels.
Array of Stunts II does not stack with Array of Stunts I.
Surge of Effort I (Ex): Starting at 17th level, a Fighter may spend a swift action to gain either one full round action or a move action and a standard action. If he does, he is Fatigued (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/conditionSummary.htm#fatigued) after he completes his turn and may not take actions in the next round.
The Fatigue wears off after 8 hours of complete rest and using Surge of Effort again while Fatigued, or doing anything else that would Fatigue the Fighter, causes him to become Exhausted (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/conditionSummary.htm#exhausted) until he takes 1 hour of complete rest.
Surge of Effort II (Ex): Starting at 19th level, the first time each round the Fighter uses Surge of Effort he is still Fatigued, but he may act normally in the next round. If he uses it again he becomes Exhausted and may not take actions in the next round.
Combat Supremacy (Ex): Starting at 20th level, a Fighter may use Surge of Effort as an immediate action. Furthermore, the first time each round that he uses it he is not Fatigued and may act normally in the next round. The second time, he becomes Fatigued, but he may act normally in the next round. The third time, he becomes Exhausted and may not take actions in the next round.
Additional Material
Combat Superiority [General]
Prerequisites: Base Attack +6, Combat Expertise, Combat FocusPHB2, Combat Reflexes
Benefit: You may make a full attack as a standard action or at the end of a charge.
Normal: You may make a single attack as a standard action or at the end of a charge.
Special: A fighter may select Combat Superiority as one of his fighter bonus feats.
Samurai Action Hero Alternate Class Features
Alignment: Any non-chaotic. Even ronin are disciplined and dedicated to often strict personal codes.
HD: d10
Saving Throws: Lower Reflex save to Poor progression.
Class Skills: Increase to 6+Int per level. Add Autohypnosis (Wis), Decipher Script (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Heal (Wis), Iaijutsu Focus (Cha), Perform (Cha), and Speak Language (N/A) to the list of class skills.
Proficiencies: A Samurai is proficient with his Ancestral Weapon but is not proficient with Heavy Armor or with Tower Shields.
Bonus Feats
A Samurai may take [Psionic] feats in place of Fighter bonus feats and may also gain Psionic Focus (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/skills/concentration.htm#gainPsionicFocus) without the need of a power point reserve.
Ancestral Weapon (Ex)
(Replaces Weapon Aptitude.)
A Samurai begins play with either a Masterwork Daisho set (a Katana and Wakazashi) or any other Masterwork weapon of his choice. This weaponry is considered his Ancestral Weapon. At any time he may go on a spiritual retreat and spend time in prayer devoted to his ancestral weapon for enhancement. This requires a sacrifice of valuables with a total worth equal to 1/2 the price of the effective weapon enhancement bonus the Samurai wishes to obtain (or 1/4 the price when enhancing the Katana or the Wakazashi of an Ancestral Daisho). This sacrifice can be of pure coinage, or it can be made with items as well.
This ritual requires 1 hour to perform and during the Samurai must spend the entire time in supplications before his weapon. Enhancements chosen for his weaponry go into effect 24 hours after the ritual is completed. A Samurai with an Ancestral Daisho must enhance both the Katana and Wakazashi at once. When he does he does not need to choose the same enhancements for each weapon.
As normal, the actual enhancement bonus of a weapon cannot be increased beyond +5 in this way, however weapon properties may be added to the weapon in their place.
A Samurai must be at least 2nd level to grant his Ancestral Weapon a +1 enhancement bonus. Every two levels after 2nd, the enhancement bonus the Samurai is able to grant his Ancestral Weapon increases by 1. Whenever the Samurai performs this ritual he can remove old enhancement bonus to exchange them for an equal amount of new enhancement bonuses.
Enhanced Ancestral Weapons are treated as magical weapons for all purposes except that their magic cannot be dispelled or suppressed, not even by an Antimagic Field. Any spell-like or supernatural abilities or effects produced by the weaponry are considered extraordinary in nature rather than magical. Out of the Samurai's hands his Ancestral Weapons are ordinary, if Masterwork, weapons.
Ancestral Guide (Su)
(Replaces Forge Lore.)
Starting at 2nd level, a Samurai's Ancestral Weapon may begin to take on a spiritual intelligence all its own. It gains Ego, Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma scores each equal to twice the Ancestral Weapon's total effective enhancement bonus (do not add the Katana and Wakazashi bonuses together), and an alignment no more than one step away from the Samurai's (given by the DM).
An Ancestral Weapon never thinks that it is superior to the Samurai, but it can come into conflict with the Samurai or other wielders.
At first, this intelligence may seem to do very little, however as the Samurai grants his Ancestral Weapon greater and greater enhancements the effect grows more pronounced.
Once per day per +1 of the weapon's effective enhancement the Samurai, while wielding the weapon, may re-roll any one d20 roll.
Furthermore, an Ancestral Weapon with at least a +1 enhancement has the Empathy ability outlined here (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems/intelligentItems.htm).
An Ancestral Weapon with at least a +2 enhancement gains hearing and vision out to 30ft.
An Ancestral Weapon with at least a +3 enhancement is able to speak to its wielder telepathically in Common.
An Ancestral Weapon with at least a +4 enhancement gains the ability to speak Common and its hearing and vision increase to a 60ft radius.
An Ancestral Weapon with at least a +5 enhancement gains its first Lesser Power as listed here (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems/intelligentItems.htm).
As the Ancestral Weapon's enhancement grows beyond +5 consult the table, "Intelligence, Wisdom, Charisma, and Capabilities," to determine additional effects gained by the Ancestral Weapon.
An Ancestral Weapon with at least a +6 enhancement also gains a Special Purpose (to defend the Samurai and creatures of the same race and alignment as the Samurai) and a Dedicated Power along with it. Roll randomly to determine the Dedicated Power. Each time the Ancestral Weapon's enhancement bonus increases beyond +6 roll to receive an additional Dedicated Power. If a given Dedicated Power is rolled more than once re-roll.
An Ancestral Weapon's intelligence, communication, and senses cannot be dispelled or suppressed, not even by an Antimagic Field, however it's Lesser, Greater, and Dedicated Powers can.