Dervish Defender

Not all warders find solace in a thick coat of steel on their body and a stout shield in hand, some warders eschew this for the more mobile fighting styles enjoyed by those who practice the Thrashing Dragon discipline.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency

Dervish defender are proficient in all simple weapons and martial melee weapons, double weapons, and with light armor. They are not proficient with shields.

This ability replaces the warder’s normal starting weapon and armor proficiencies.

Maneuvers

The dervish defender gains access to Thrashing Dragon and loses access to Iron Tortoise. Instead of adding either Eternal Guardian or Piercing Thunder to her list of available disciplines, a dervish dancer adds either Eternal Guardian or Riven Hourglass. If she does not have a discipline’s associated skill as a class skill, she gains it as a class skill.

This alters a warder’s maneuvers.

Bonus Feat

The dervish defender gains Two-Weapon Fighting as a bonus feat at 1st level.

Two-Weapon Defense (Ex)

While not all dervish defenders fight in the same manner, most do and all are extensively trained in these fighting philosophies. While wearing light armor or no armor, wielding a weapon in each hand (or using a double weapon), and not using a shield heavier than a buckler, the warder may add her warder initiation bonus (if any) to her Armor Class. She retains this bonus even against touch attacks or when flat-footed, but loses this bonus should she be rendered helpless by any means.

Dervish Defense (Ex)

A dervish defender is capable of an aggressive defense, attacking even as they defend. Starting at 4th level, whenever a dervish defender uses a counter to successfully negate an opponent’s attack and the opponent is threatened by her, she can make an attack of opportunity against that opponent.

This ability replaces the tactical acumen class feature.

Shield of Blades (Ex)

At 6th level, when fighting unarmed or with a weapon from the light blades, double weapon or close weapon weapon group in each hand, the dervish defender improves her shield bonus to AC by an amount equal to her aegis bonus. As an immediate action, the dervish defender may lose her shield bonus to armor class until the beginning of her next turn and grant an adjacent creature an equivalent shield bonus to armor class until the beginning of the dervish defender’s next turn.

This ability replaces the clad in steel class feature.

Grace of Blades (Ex)

At 15th level the dervish defender gains mastery over her two-weapon style. Whenever the dervish defender makes an attack with one weapon while holding two or more weapons or using a double weapon (such as during a full attack during which she is not two-weapon fighting, or using a strike that includes a melee attack) she deals additional damage as if she had hit with one of her off-hand weapons (including weapon special abilities and other bonuses). Whenever the dervish defender makes an attack with more than one weapon (such as when making a full attack while two-weapon fighting or a strike that includes an attack with two or more weapons) she increases the damage of her weapons (and their enhancements) by one die step (as if increasing in size).

This ability replaces the steel defense class feature.

Critical Evasion (Ex)

This functions as the born of steel class feature, but only functions if the character is wearing light armor or no armor.

This ability replaces the born of steel class feature.