Phoenix Champion

The Phoenix Champions are a loose organization of master archers and thrown weapon users dedicated to spreading the light of the sun into the deepest and darkest places of the world. Though not necessarily religious in nature, the organization reveres the phoenix as a symbol of the sun and of life. Phoenix Champions often work as travelling heroes, moving from place to place at a whim and putting down any evil they find there with fire, both in the form of actual flames and in terms of the sheer amount of ammunition they unload.Though the Phoenix Champions may seem the type to stand boldly before any odds, unyielding forces or foes which oppose them, they are generally more practical about their heroism than other champions of good. A Phoenix Champion is just as likely to sneak into a city or abandoned mausoleum undetected and remove the monster or villain with a single, unseen shot as they are to announce their presence in a hail of flaming arrows or spears. In short, the Phoenix Champions value results more than methods.

The Phoenix Champions are made up of a large variety of heroes. Stalkers and warlords are common, as are mystics and the occasional warder who expresses interest in ranged combat. But the Phoenix Champions accept anyone with skill with a bow and a will to better the world around them. With the advent of guns, some Phoenix Champions have grown enamored of their firepower and welcomed gunslingers and their like into the fold.

Hit Die: d10.

Requirements

To qualify to become a Phoenix Champion, a character must fulfill all of the following criteria:

Class Skills

The phoenix champion’s class skills are Diplomacy (Cha), Perception (Wis), Sleight of Hand(Dex), Stealth (Dex), and Survival (Wis).

Skill Points at Each Level: 4 + Int modifier.

Class Features

The following are class features of the Phoenix Champion.

Weapon Proficiency

Phoenix champions gain no additional weapon or armor proficiencies.

Maneuvers and Stances

Maneuvers: At every even level, a phoenix champion gains a new maneuver known. His available disciplines for these maneuvers are Solar Wind, Tempest Gale, and two of his previously available disciplines, chosen when he takes his first phoenix champion level. He must meet a maneuver’s prerequisites to learn it, as normal. He adds his full phoenix champion level to his initiator level to determine his total initiator level and his highest- level maneuvers known.

At 3rd level and again at 6th level and 9th level, a phoenix champion gains an additional maneuver readied.

Stances: At 4th level and again at 6th level and 10th level, a phoenix champion learns a new stance from any of the disciplines available to him as a phoenix champion. He must meet the stance’s prerequisites to learn it, as normal.

Burning Bow (Su)

Starting at first level, a phoenix champion deals an additional 1d6 points of fire damage on any ranged attack he makes as part of a maneuver. This stacks with the flaming weapon special ability and similar effects.

Eye of the Heavens (Su)

Phoenix champions lead the light into the darkest places of the world, and their vision can pierce even the most opaque shadows. At 2nd level, a phoenix champion gains darkvision with a range of 60 feet. If he already has darkvision, the range of his darkvision instead increases by 30 feet. At 5th level, the phoenix champion gains blindsense with a range of 30 feet, and at 8th level, he gains the effects of the true seeing spell out to a distance of 60 feet at all times.

Phoenix Wing Strike (Su)

At 3rd level, a phoenix champion learns the first of his order’s secret maneuvers, the phoenix wing strike. The phoenix champion can expend a readied strike of any level as a standard action to use this ability. When he does so, he creates a 30-foot cone of mystical fire and light that deals 1d6 points of damage per initiator level to any creature caught within the area. Half of this damage is fire damage and the other half is sacred damage. Creatures caught within the blast can make a Reflex save (DC 10 + 1/2 the phoenix champion’s initiator level + the phoenix champion’s highest initiation modifier) to take half damage. This ability is considered to be a 5th-level strike of the Silver Crane, Solar Wind, and Tempest Gale disciplines. Once the phoenix champion has used this ability, he cannot use it again until he recovers his maneuvers.

At 6th level, the phoenix champion further unlocks the power of his order. When he expends a Silver Crane, Solar Wind, or Tempest Gale maneuver to use his Phoenix Wing Strike, he applies one of the following effects to the blast:

• Silver Crane: One ally within 30 feet of the phoenix champion is healed a number of hit points equal to 1/2 the damage roll of the blast. If that ally is within the area of the blast, they do not take damage from it.

• Solar Wind: Any creature that fails its save is also blinded for one round.

• Tempest Gale: The phoenix champion makes trip attempt against each creature that fails its save. He makes a single combat maneuver check with a sacred bonus equal to his initiation modifier and compares it to the CMDs of an affected creature. These combat maneuver attempts do not provoke attacks of opportunity.

Phoenix’s Cunning (Ex)

Starting at 4th level, a phoenix champion adds 1/2 his class level as a bonus on combat maneuver checks made with ranged weapons.

Rising Phoenix Dance (Su)

At 7th level, a phoenix champion learns the signature stance of his society. As a swift action, he can abandon his current stance to assume the rising phoenix dance stance. This ability is considered to be a 6th-level stance of the Silver Crane, Solar Wind, and Tempest Gale disciplines. While the phoenix champion maintains this stance, he gains a fly speed equal to his land speed with good maneuverability and gains a bonus on Fly checks equal to 1/2 his initiator level. In addition, all allies within 30 feet gain the benefits of the protection from evil spell and a +1 bonus on attack and damage rolls against evil creatures for every three phoenix champion levels. The phoenix champion can maintain this stance for as long as he likes.

Cleansing Flames (Su)

At 9th level, a phoenix champion gains access the revitalizing fires of his namesake legend. Whenever the phoenix initiates a maneuver that requires a ranged attack, one ally within 60 feet of him can attempt another saving throw against an ongoing condition affecting them. The DC for this saving throw is the same as the original effect that caused the condition, and a successful save ends the condition. This ability cannot be used to end conditions that allowed no saving throw.

Solar Inspiration (Ex)

At 10th level, the light of the sun fills the phoenix champion with wisdom and fury. He gains a +10 insight bonus on Perception and Diplomacy checks, and when he uses his Phoenix Wing Strike ability, the Reflex saving throw only halves the fire damage from the blast.