The Storm of Blades - Shuriken PrC, inc Giant Shuriken

[Lix Lorn]

Storm of Blades
‘Any weapon you can’t throw away and forget is a crutch.’

Background: Those who wield shuriken are given to subtlety, secrecy. They appear from the shadows, sneak in through the back door. However, some of their number eschew such tactics. They prefer to go in through the front door, and to defeat all those who move into their path. While their fellows find their methods unsavoury, they recognise their usefulness.
Races: Any race can become a Storm of Blades, although they are most often the odd ones out in groups normally dedicated to secrecy, spying, and assassination.
Other Classes: Most Storm of Blades are rogues and ninjas, although some take the path from the life of a warrior, simply seeking to master an obscure weapon.
Role: A Storm of Blades is a powerful ranged combatant, capable of taking on many foes at once. They are especially skilled against other ranged characters, capable of deflecting shots from midair.
Storms of Blades in the World: As well as serving as a direct, unsubtle alternative to their colleagues, Storms of Blades can be found in the military, especially those that make use of less traditional fighting styles. By specialising in their defensive traits, they can make excellent bodyguards.
Inspiration: Shuriken are an evocative weapon. They kinda suck though.

Prerequisites
BAB: +5 OR Sneak Attack/Sudden Strike +3d6
Proficiency: Shuriken
Feat: Rapid Shot
Skill: Sleight of Hand 4 ranks

Hit Die: d8
Class Skills: The Storm of Blade’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Balance (Dex), Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Disable Device (Int), Escape Artist (Dex), Hide (Dex), Jump (Str), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Open Lock (Dex), Perform (Cha), Search (Int), Sense Motive (Wis), Sleight of Hand (Dex), Spot (Wis), Swim (Str), Tumble (Dex) and Use Rope (Dex).
Skill Points per Level: 4 + Int Modifier

Level	Base Attack Bonus	Fort Save	Ref Save	Will Save	Special
1st	+1	+0	+2	+0	Bladestorm
2nd	+2	+0	+3	+0	Biting Blades, Lucky Blade
3rd	+3	+1	+3	+1	Blade Typhoon
4th	+4	+1	+4	+1	Defensive Flurry
5th	+5	+1	+4	+1	Greater Bladestorm

Weapon and Armour Proficiency: The Storm of Blades gains no new weapon or armor proficiencies.

Bladestorm (Ex): Whenever the Storm has the opportunity to make an attack with a shuriken, she may instead make two attack rolls, with the same bonuses and penalties, throwing two shuriken. Each one hits, gets critical threats, and deals damage separately. However, any bonus damage, such as that from high ability modifiers, weapon enchantments (such as Collision or Shock), or class features (such as Sudden Strike or Punishing Stance), is halved.

Biting Blades (Ex): At second level, a Storm of Blades may use her dexterity modifier instead of her strength modifier on damage rolls with shuriken, including typhoon shuriken.

Lucky Blade (Ex): A Storm of Blades often has a single shuriken that she keeps as a form of totem. Starting at second level, she may have this weapon, which must be masterwork, enchanted, at the full price of an enchanted weapon rather than the normal cost for enchanted ammunition. If she does, she applies any bonuses from magical enhancements to all shuriken attacks she makes, including typhoon shuriken.

Blade Typhoon: At third level, a Storm of Blades may use her Bladestorm ability with Typhoon Shuriken. She becomes proficient with them, if she isn’t already,
When she uses normal shuriken, she increases their critical threat range and damage modifier by one, normally to 19-20x3. This effect applies before other, similar effects.

New Weapon: Typhoon Shuriken
Shuriken are secretive weapons, used subtly. However, some adepts wield
strange, four bladed shuriken of excessive size. While some variants can be
folded up small, a nod to their secretive origins, these ‘Typhoon’ Shurikens
are larger and more destructive.

A Typhoon Shuriken is a two handed exotic throwing weapon. No-one can be proficient
with a Typhoon Shuriken without already being proficient with normal shuriken.

A Typhoon Shuriken for a medium character has blades of up to a foot in
length, and deals 1d8 damage. It has a range increment of 20ft, and deals
piercing/slashing damage.

Defensive Flurry : A fourth level Storm of Blades can attempt to defend herself with her weapons, striking physical ranged attacks out of the air. When she does this, she makes an attack roll. If her result is higher than the foe’s attack roll, the attack is deflected.
She may do this once a round for free. However, each subsequent time she does this in a round, she may throw one less shuriken in the next round.
For example, a Fighter 6/Storm of Blades 4 has Dexterity 18, giving her an attack bonus of +15/+10. With the Bladestorm ability, she may throw four shuriken in a round. This means she can deflect up to four attacks. Each attack she attempts to deflect reduces her attacks next round by one.

Greater Bladestorm: A fifth level Storm of Blades can attack with truly tremendous speed. When she uses the Bladestorm ability, she may throw three shuriken instead of two. Otherwise, this ability functions the same way as Bladestorm.

Feats

Spoiler

Show

Guardian Blades
Prerequisites: Dex 15, Defensive Flurry
Benefit: A character with this feat may use their Defensive Flurry ability to deflect attacks made at other characters within range. In addition, they may use it one additional time in a round without reducing the attacks they get to make next round.
Normal: You may only use Defensive Flurry to deflect attacks made at yourself.

Magic Blades
Prerequisites: Dex 15, Defensive Flurry
Benefit: A character with this feat may use their Defensive Flurry ability to deflect attacks of a magical nature, such as Scorching Rays or Disintegrates. They may only do this when their weapon is magical, and doing it is considered a supernatural ability. They may also use Defensive Flurry one additional time in a round without reducing the attacks they get to make next round.
Normal: You can only deflect physical objects with your physical objects.

Distracting Flurry
Prerequisites: Dex 15, Defensive Flurry
Benefit: A character with this feat may use their Defensive Flurry ability to distract foes even at melee range. They make an attack roll as normal. If it is higher than the enemy’s attack roll, the attack roll is treated as if it were four lower before it is compared to the target’s AC. They may also use Defensive Flurry one additional time in a round without reducing the attacks they get to make next round.
Normal: You may only use Defensive Flurry against ranged attacks.

[anacalgion]

Do you want people to PEACH this? I'd be happy to if you want.

[Lix Lorn]

I'd never object.

[anacalgion]

PEACHing!

Inspiration: Shuriken are an evocative weapon. They kinda suck though.

Ain't that the truth?

Prerequisites
BAB: +5 OR Sneak Attack/Sudden Strike +3d6
Proficiency: Shuriken
Feat: Rapid Shot

Looks good. I like the two methods of entry. You might want to add some slight of hand ranks though, as is all you really need is a feat.

Hit Die: d8
Class Skills: The Storm of Blade’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Balance (Dex), Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Disable Device (Int), Escape Artist (Dex), Hide (Dex), Jump (Str), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Open Lock (Dex), Perform (Cha), Search (Int), Sense Motive (Wis), Sleight of Hand (Dex), Spot (Wis), Swim (Str), Tumble (Dex) and Use Rope (Dex).
Skill Points per Level: 4 + Int Modifier

All good.

{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special
1st|

+1

|

+0

|

+2

|

+0

| Bladestorm
2nd|

+2

|

+0

|

+3

|

+0

| Biting Blades, Lucky Blade
3rd|

+3

|

+1

|

+3

|

+1

| Blade Typhoon
4th|

+4

|

+1

|

+4

|

+1

| Defensive Flurry
5th|

+5

|

+1

|

+4

|

+1

| Greater Bladestorm[/table]

Weapon and Armour Proficiency: The Storm of Blades gains no new weapon or armor proficiencies.

Everything looks good here.

Bladestorm (Ex): Whenever the Storm has the opportunity to make an attack with a shuriken, she may instead make two attack rolls, with the same bonuses and penalties, throwing two shuriken. Each one hits, gets critical threats, and deals damage separately. However, any bonus damage, such as that from high ability modifiers, weapon enchantments (such as Collision or Shock), or class features (such as Sudden Strike or Punishing Stance), is halved.

Very cool. I like this a lot. Plus, it encourages poison and things without feeling forced.

Biting Blades (Ex): At second level, a Storm of Blades may use her dexterity modifier instead of her strength modifier on damage rolls with shuriken, including typhoon shuriken.

Very nice. You might want to add weapon finesse to the prerequisites for the class then, just to clarify that it's dexterity focus.

Lucky Blade (Ex): A Storm of Blades often has a single shuriken that she keeps as a form of totem. Starting at second level, she may have this weapon, which must be masterwork, enchanted, at the full price of an enchanted weapon rather than the normal cost for enchanted ammunition. If she does, she applies any bonuses from magical enhancements to all shuriken attacks she makes, including typhoon shuriken.

Now this is just beautiful. Love it. Fantastic idea.

Blade Typhoon: At third level, a Storm of Blades may use her Bladestorm ability with Typhoon Shuriken. She becomes proficient with them, if she isn’t already,
When she uses normal shuriken, she has a +1 competence bonus on attack rolls.

Fun, although why the +1 to attack rolls?

New Weapon: Typhoon Shuriken
Shuriken are secretive weapons, used subtly. However, some adepts wield
strange, four bladed shuriken of excessive size. While some variants can be
folded up small, a nod to their secretive origins, these ‘Typhoon’ Shurikens
are larger and more destructive.

A Typhoon Shuriken is an exotic weapon. No-one can be proficient with a
Typhoon Shuriken without already being proficient with normal shuriken.

A Typhoon Shuriken for a medium character has blades of up to a foot in
length, and deals 1d8 damage. It has a range increment of 20ft, and deals
piercing/slashing damage.

Very nice. I like it, although there isn't a ton of reason to use normal shuriken once you can start picking these up.

Defensive Flurry : A fourth level Storm of Blades can attempt to defend herself with her weapons, striking physical ranged attacks out of the air. When she does this, she makes an attack roll. If her result is higher than the foe’s attack roll, the attack is deflected.
She may do this once a round for free. However, each subsequent time she does this in a round, she may throw one less shuriken in the next round.
For example, a Fighter 6/Storm of Blades 4 has Dexterity 18, giving her an attack bonus of +15/+10. With the Bladestorm ability, she may throw four shuriken in a round. This means she can deflect up to four attacks. Each attack she attempts to deflect reduces her attacks next round by one.

Flavorful, if situational. Cool though. Sort of a nice treat if you're planning on taking the class to 5.

Greater Bladestorm: A fifth level Storm of Blades can attack with truly tremendous speed. When she uses the Bladestorm ability, she may throw three shuriken instead of two. Otherwise, this ability functions the same way as Bladestorm.

And here we go. This is exciting. I'm assuming this works with the typhoon shuriken too, is that right?

Feats

Spoiler

Show

Guardian Blades
Prerequisites: Dex 15, Defensive Flurry
Benefit: A character with this feat may use their Defensive Flurry ability to deflect attacks made at other characters within range. In addition, they may use it one additional time in a round without reducing the attacks they get to make next round.
Normal: You may only use Defensive Flurry to deflect attacks made at yourself.

Magic Blades
Prerequisites: Dex 15, Defensive Flurry
Benefit: A character with this feat may use their Defensive Flurry ability to deflect attacks of a magical nature, such as Scorching Rays or Disintegrates. They may only do this when their weapon is magical, and doing it is considered a supernatural ability. They may also use Defensive Flurry one additional time in a round without reducing the attacks they get to make next round.
Normal: You can only deflect physical objects with your physical objects.

Distracting Flurry
Prerequisites: Dex 15, Defensive Flurry
Benefit: A character with this feat may use their Defensive Flurry ability to distract foes even at melee range. They make an attack roll as normal. If it is higher than the enemy’s attack roll, the attack roll is treated as if it were four lower before it is compared to the target’s AC. They may also use Defensive Flurry one additional time in a round without reducing the attacks they get to make next round.
Normal: You may only use Defensive Flurry against ranged attacks.

And suddenly defensive flurry is an awesome ability. Nice! I like the class. Fun, flavorful, and well presented.

[Lix Lorn]

Looks good. I like the two methods of entry. You might want to add some slight of hand ranks though, as is all you really need is a feat.

Hmm. I want it enterable from straight killy classes and from subtle classes, so I can't make it full 8 ranks. It makes a lot of sense though. A 4 ranks prereq shouldn't hurt anything.

Very cool. I like this a lot. Plus, it encourages poison and things without feeling forced.

Very nice. You might want to add weapon finesse to the prerequisites for the class then, just to clarify that it's dexterity focus.

Thanks, but that's a pure tax feat. If you're focussed on ranged weapons, weapon finesse has literally no benefit for you. I don't think it's powerful enough that it needs a tax feat.

Now this is just beautiful. Love it. Fantastic idea.

Aww, thanks.

Fun, although why the +1 to attack rolls?

Very nice. I like it, although there isn't a ton of reason to use normal shuriken once you can start picking these up.

There's your answer. If you think smaller shuriken are just plain caller, you can at least console yourself with a +1 to hit in exchange for the two, three damage per shot you lose.
Edit: Changed for something more interesting.

Flavorful, if situational. Cool though. Sort of a nice treat if you're planning on taking the class to 5.

This was actually the last feature I added, and it gave an entirely separate direction to the class! Before, you just pointed them at an army and watched them get cut to ribbons, but now they can specialise for defence!

And here we go. This is exciting. I'm assuming this works with the typhoon shuriken too, is that right?

Yup!

And suddenly defensive flurry is an awesome ability. Nice! I like the class. Fun, flavorful, and well presented.

Thanks muchly!