Athletics

When you gain the Athletics sphere, you gain one of the following packages with its included abilities. You may take the Expanded Training talent to gain additional packages.

Each package has an associated movement mode and an associated skill. Some abilities require you to be using an associated movement mode to function. When you gain a package, you gain 5 ranks in its associated skill, plus 5 ranks per additional talent spent in the Athletics sphere (maximum ranks equal to your total Hit Dice). If you already have ranks in the associated skill you may immediately retrain them, but you do not get to retrain when only temporarily gaining talents, such as through the armiger’s customized weapons class feature.

If you possess both the (leap) and (run) packages, you gain a competence bonus on Acrobatics checks equal to half your base attack bonus instead of retraining the ranks a second time.

In addition, you gain the following ability:

Coordinated Movement

Whenever you take the withdraw action, you regain your martial focus.

Athletics Packages

Climb

You retain your Dexterity bonus to AC while climbing and may climb at half your base speed instead of one-quarter and may move at your full speed instead of half speed when taking a -5 penalty. Associated Movement Mode

Climbing. Associated Skill

Climb.

Fly

You do not need to make a Fly check to remain flying when moving less than half your speed on your turn and count as being one size larger when determining the effects of wind on you while flying. This does not give you the ability to fly; it simply augments your movement abilities if you possess a means of flight. You may gain ranks in the Fly skill even if you do not possess a means of flight. Associated Movement Mode

Flying. Associated Skill

Fly.

Leap

You may reduce the effective height of any fall by 20 ft. on a successful DC 15 Acrobatics check rather than 10. In addition, the fall is reduced by an additional 10 ft. for every 10 points this check exceeds the target DC. Associated Movement Mode

Jumping. Associated Skill

Acrobatics.

Run

You move five times your normal speed while running if wearing medium, light, or no armor and carrying no more than a medium load, or four times your speed if wearing heavy armor or carrying a heavy load. If you make a jump after a running start (see Acrobatics), you gain a +4 bonus on your check. You retain your Dexterity bonus to your Armor Class while running. Associated Movement Mode

Ground. Associated Skill

Acrobatics. Associated Feat: Run.

Swim

You may perform the charge and withdraw actions while swimming, and can make standard actions and attack actions without decreasing the duration for which you can hold your breath. A successful Swim check means you may move up to your base land speed as a full-round action (as opposed to 1/2 your base land speed) or 1/2 your base land speed as a move action (as opposed to 1/4th your base land speed). Associated Movement Mode

Swimming. Associated Skill

Swim.

Athletics Talents

Talents possessing a tag matching one of the packages cannot be taken unless you possess that package. Some talents have the (motion) tag. You cannot apply more than one talent with the (motion) tag to a given movement.

Close Quarters Training

You can move into the space of another creature. You may end your movement in, and make attacks from, that space. You must succeed at the Acrobatics check for moving through an occupied square to move into a space occupied by an enemy; if you fail, your movement stops in the previous space and you provoke an attack of opportunity. Attacks made against a creature sharing your space in this way take a -4 penalty unless they are made with light or natural weapons. If two creatures sharing a space in this way are of the same size, they grant each other soft cover from all attack made by creatures not sharing the space. If one creature is larger, the smaller creature gains concealment (20% miss chance) against attacks made by creatures not sharing the space. Should this concealment cause an attack to miss, resolve the attack against the larger creature.

Expanded Training

Choose and gain two packages you do not already possess. You may select this talent multiple times, gaining two new packages each time.

Mighty Conditioning

You may add both your Strength and Dexterity modifiers to the skill checks corresponding to the packages you possess. Should you possess an ability that allows you to substitute a different attribute modifier, then you do not gain the modifier of the attribute that was replaced.

Mobile Striker

Your ability to twist and turn fluidly while moving allows you to take an attack action at any point during your movement. As a full-round action, you can move up to your speed and make a single attack action without provoking any attacks of opportunity from the target of your attack for your movement. You can move both before and after the attack, but you must move at least 10 ft. using a movement mode associated with a package you possess before the attack and the total distance that you move cannot be greater than your speed. You cannot use this ability to attack a foe that is adjacent to you at the start of your turn. Associated Feat: Spring Attack.

Mobility

When using the movement mode corresponding to a package you possess, you gain a +2 dodge bonus to AC (and thus also to CMD) against any attacks of opportunity generated by your movement. When using a movement mode other than your land movement, you may make checks using the corresponding package’s associated skill in place of Acrobatics checks when moving through threatened squares. For every 4 ranks in a skill associated with a package you possess, this dodge bonus increases by +1. Associated Feat: Mobility.

Multiple Motion

When moving, you may expend martial focus as a free action to apply two (motion) talents to the movement.

Reactive Motion

You may ready an action to move up to your speed using a movement mode corresponding to a package you possess as a move action. If used to avoid an attack or area effect, this movement grants you evasion and a dodge bonus to AC and Reflex saves equal to half your ranks in the skill associated with the movement type you use to perform the move action (minimum 1). Creatures that already have evasion instead gain improved evasion. You may expend focus to instead ready the move action as a swift action, but doing so makes you staggered on your next turn even if you would normally be immune to the staggered condition. This ability does not allow you to maintain multiple readied actions at the same time. This readied action does not change your initiative count. For every 4 ranks in a skill associated with a movement type, you may assign an additional trigger to your readied action.

Reflexive Twist

As an immediate action, when a creature makes an attack against you while you are using a movement mode corresponding to a package you possess, you may expend focus to attempt a skill check with the corresponding skill for your present movement mode, using the result in place of your AC for the triggering attack.

Skillful Charge

You may make an attack action at the end of a charge in place of the normally granted attack. You may not combine this attack with the pounce ability. Abilities that multiply damage dealt on a charge, such as the Spirited Charge feat or wielding a lance while making a mounted charge, may not be used with this talent.

Additionally, you can use the charge rules to make a thrown weapon attack. All the parameters of a charge apply, except that you must only move closer to the creature, and you must end your movement within 30 ft. of that creature. If you do, you can make an attack action using a thrown weapon attack against that creature, gaining the +2 bonus on the attack roll and taking a –2 penalty to your AC until the start of your next turn. Associated Feat: Charging Hurler.

Swift Movement

When you have martial focus, while using movement modes associated with the packages you possess, you gain a competence bonus to your speed of +10 ft. When using the (leap) package with this ability, apply the bonus to the maximum distance you may travel while jumping and to your base speed when determining the bonus to Acrobatics checks made to jump granted by your speed even if you are not trained in the (run) package. For every 5 ranks you possess in the skill associated with a movement type, your speed with that movement type increases by an additional 5 ft.

Whirlwind Flip

Whenever you succeed at an Acrobatics check to move through the threatened area of a creature whose CR is no less than 1/2 your total character level as part of a move action, you regain your martial focus.

Climb Talents

Rope Swing (climb)

If you have a secured rope, a set piton, thrown a grappling hook, or wrapped a whip or similar weapon around a point, you may use the attached rope or weapon to spring around the battlefield.

There are five methods for securing a rope:

Flail Group Weapon

Weapons from the flails weapon group may be used as if they were a grappling hook, though applying them requires a melee attack roll rather than a ranged attack roll. A length of rope may be used in this way also, taking improvised weapon penalties as appropriate.

Grappling Hook

You may throw a held grappling hook as a swift action, making a grapple check against a creature or a ranged attack roll against an unattended object. This deals no damage. You may use your Dexterity modifier in place of your Strength modifier on this grapple check. A creature may remove a grappling hook as a move action with a Strength or Escape Artist check against this sphere’s DC or a grapple check against your grapple CMD. The range increment of a grappling hook is improved to 20 ft.

Grappling Weapon

If you are grappling a creature via the grappling special feature of a weapon, a rope attached to that weapon counts as secure for the duration of the grapple.

Piton

You may draw a piton and rope and attempt to set it in an object or creature within reach as a standard action, dealing 1d4 + Strength modifier damage. This does not provoke an attack of opportunity. You must succeed on a melee attack to place the piton on a creature. A creature can remove a set piton as a move action with a Strength check equal to this sphere’s DC. If you fail to deal damage, your attempt fails.

Tie

You also may simply secure a rope to a suitable point within reach (a pillar, post, chandelier, etc.) as a standard action. Any creature within reach may untie this rope as a standard action.

Once your rope is secured by any of the above methods, you may, as a move action, attempt to move to any other legal square within the rope or weapon’s reach (as determined from the anchor point), to a maximum of 30 ft. without provoking an attack of opportunity, regardless of your normal move speed, by making a Climb check and comparing the result to the CMD of each creature adjacent to the start and destination points; success on this check allows you to complete the movement, and failure causes you to fall prone in a square adjacent to the creature whose CMD you failed to beat. Use your reach (not threatened area) to determine the maximum movement length when using a weapon from the flail group for this ability. This movement can include squares on elevated or recessed surfaces, or even walls. You may even end this movement on a wall or ceiling if you succeed on a Climb check against the surface’s DC. You must have a clear path towards the destination (this ability does not allow you to pass through solid obstacles or creatures, though it may allow you to circumvent an enemy if you have a clear path around them within the rope’s reach).

You must have a free hand to use this ability. Movement using this ability counts as climbing for the purpose of the (climb) package’s movement bonuses. For every 4 ranks in Climb you possess, you may move an additional 5 ft. with this talent. If you possess the Mobile Striker talent, you may replace the movement portion of that talent with the movement granted by this talent.

Ropes or weapons affixed to creatures by any method above allow both the creature to which the rope is affixed (the target) and the creature holding the rope or weapon (the holder) to attempt drag and reposition combat maneuvers against each other. The holder may always choose to drop the rope or weapon as a free action on his turn or as an immediate action off-turn.

Example: Azeem the conscript is facing a force of kobolds in a tunnel. Two of them, wielding clubs, have moved adjacent to attack him, while two more are behind a barricade 30 ft. down the tunnel with crossbows. Jorr draws (a move action) and throws (a swift action) his grappling hook to attach it to the overhead scaffolding 25 ft. away, then attempts to swing to just behind the crossbow-wielding kobolds to a space 35 ft. from his current position, 10 ft. beyond the anchor point. Jorr must make a Climb check and compare it to the CMDs of all four kobolds, since two are adjacent to his starting position and two adjacent to his ending position. If he succeeds, he moves without provoking attacks of opportunity, springing over the heads of the nearby kobolds, swinging over the barricade and kicking off the tunnel wall to land beyond the far foe.

Scale Foe (climb, motion)

You may, as a move action, make a Climb check against the CMD of a creature within your natural reach that is at least one size larger than you to climb onto that creature, entering its space without provoking an attack of opportunity; failure on this check means that you provoke an attack of opportunity and fail to scale the creature, remaining in your current space. For every size the creature is larger than you, you gain a +3 bonus on your Climb check against that creature. You can climb with only one hand as part of using this ability, but you must have at least one hand free.

While you are on a creature, you move with it whenever it moves. For every size larger that the creature is than you, the creature takes a -2 penalty on all attack rolls and combat maneuver checks against you. The creature is also flat-footed against your attacks. You may climb down the creature to an unoccupied adjacent square as a swift action, taking no damage, or jump off as a free action that can be taken even when it’s not your turn, taking falling damage as appropriate to the creature’s height. The creature may make a combat maneuver check against your CMD to dislodge you, causing you to fall into an adjacent square; you may substitute your Climb skill modifier + 10 in place of your CMD for this check (this includes the +3 bonus per size category). If the creature spends a full-round action to drop prone and roll, it gains a +10 bonus on this check and you take 1d6 bludgeoning damage for each size category larger than you the creature is unless you choose to jump off. If you are grappled by a creature while scaling a different creature, if the scaled creature leaves the reach of the grappling creature, the grapple ends instantly. If you are subject to an effect originating from another creature that would move you while scaling an enemy and you are moved so that the scaled creature is no longer within your natural reach, this ability ends instantly.

If the target creature is impaled per the impale ability of the Lancer sphere, you gain a +4 circumstance bonus to CMD against grapple checks made by the target to remove you and count any hand being used to control the weapon used to impale the target as being used for the climb check. If you possess the (leap) package, you may make the required Climb check as part of any jump that would carry you through a space that would put the target within your reach. If you possess the Bronco Buster talent of the Beastmastery sphere, you may use Ride skill checks in place of Climb checks for this talent.

Sure Grip (climb)

Once per round when a creature attempts a disarm or steal combat maneuver against you, or uses a similar ability that would remove a weapon or item from your grasp, you may attempt a Climb check as a free action that can be taken even when it’s not your turn, using the result in place of your CMD for the triggering maneuver. In addition, you never drop held items when subject to the panicked, unconscious, or stunned conditions and gain a +10 competence bonus on Climb checks to catch yourself or another creature when falling (or when ending your movement when using the Rope Swinger or Wall Stunt talents).

Fly Talents

Diving Strike (leap or fly)

You may charge an enemy by rapidly descending from above them (such as when jumping out of a tree or deliberately entering a fall while flying or gliding). You may fly above the target or use the Acrobatics skill to leap as part of this charge.

If the attack at the end of your charge hits, the attack deals damage as normal and also adds the appropriate amount of falling damage (1d6 points for a 10-ft. fall, 2d6 points for a 20-ft. fall, and so on), to your damage roll, to a maximum of 1d6 per rank in Acrobatics or Fly (whichever is higher) you possess. This falling damage is not multiplied on a critical hit. After the attack is resolved, you land in an unoccupied square of your choosing adjacent to the target, and you take falling damage as if you had fallen 10 fewer ft.

You can attempt an Acrobatics check as normal to treat the fall as being shorter for the purpose of determining the damage you take from the fall, and you treat the first 1d6 points of damage you take from the fall as nonlethal damage. If your attack misses, you land prone in a random square adjacent to the target and automatically take the full amount of falling damage. If you are subject to an ability or effect that negates or reduces falling damage (other than the normal Acrobatics check to reduce fall height), such as the feather fall spell or the boots of the cat, your bonus damage dice from this talent are also negated or reduced in a similar fashion. Associated Feat: Branch Pounce.

Powerful Wings (fly)

While flying, you may ascend vertically without making a Fly check.

You may halt your movement while flying, hovering without needing to make a Fly skill check. If you are Large or larger and use wings to fly, when you hover within 20 ft. of the ground in an area with lots of loose debris, the draft from your wings creates a hemispherical cloud with a radius of 60 ft. The winds generated can snuff torches, small campfires, exposed lanterns, and other small, open flames of non-magical origin. Clear vision within the cloud is limited to 10 feet. Creatures have concealment at 15 to 20 ft. (20% miss chance). At 25 ft. or more, creatures have total concealment (50% miss chance, and opponents cannot use sight to locate the creature). Associated Feat:Hover.

Leap Talents

Diving Strike (leap or fly)

You may charge an enemy by rapidly descending from above them (such as when jumping out of a tree or deliberately entering a fall while flying or gliding). You may fly above the target or use the Acrobatics skill to leap as part of this charge.

If the attack at the end of your charge hits, the attack deals damage as normal and also adds the appropriate amount of falling damage (1d6 points for a 10-ft. fall, 2d6 points for a 20-ft. fall, and so on), to your damage roll, to a maximum of 1d6 per rank in Acrobatics or Fly (whichever is higher) you possess. This falling damage is not multiplied on a critical hit. After the attack is resolved, you land in an unoccupied square of your choosing adjacent to the target, and you take falling damage as if you had fallen 10 fewer ft.

You can attempt an Acrobatics check as normal to treat the fall as being shorter for the purpose of determining the damage you take from the fall, and you treat the first 1d6 points of damage you take from the fall as nonlethal damage. If your attack misses, you land prone in a random square adjacent to the target and automatically take the full amount of falling damage. If you are subject to an ability or effect that negates or reduces falling damage (other than the normal Acrobatics check to reduce fall height), such as the feather fall spell or the boots of the cat, your bonus damage dice from this talent are also negated or reduced in a similar fashion. Associated Feat: Branch Pounce.

Unwilling Boost (leap)

You may spend a move action to provoke an attack of opportunity from a creature that threatens you that is your size or larger. You may roll an Acrobatics check to jump and use the result in place of your AC when resolving this attack. If the attack of opportunity misses, you may use the creature’s weapon, limb, and motion to give you a boost. Use the result of the Acrobatics check to determine the distance of the jump, adding the creature’s Strength score (not Strength modifier) as a circumstance bonus to the check. This circumstance bonus only applies to the distance of the jump, not determining if the attack of opportunity hits. You may choose to use this ability on an ally; if so, the ally may choose to automatically miss on the attack of opportunity. Should the creature choose not to make the attack of opportunity provoked with this talent, you may choose to make an Acrobatics check to jump as part of the move action, but do not gain any additional bonus on the check. You may expend martial focus to use this ability whenever a creature misses you with an attack of opportunity provoked by your movement.

Wall Stunt (leap or run)

If you possess the (leap) package, when jumping or falling, you may make an Acrobatics check to jump as a swift action, provided there is a solid surface other than a ceiling (wall, floor, etc.) adjacent to you at that point. You may treat spaces occupied by creatures of your size or larger as containing such an object but your movement provokes attacks of opportunity as normal. Any fall damage that would be incurred is calculated after removing the height of the swift action jump.

If you possess the (run) package, as long as there is a wall adjacent to you, you may run along the wall for all or part of your movement, including vertically. A square of vertical movement costs two squares of movement. You may treat spaces occupied by creatures of your size or larger as containing a wall, but your movement provokes attacks of opportunity as normal. Doing so bypasses any obstacle on the ground. You must end your movement on the ground as normal; if there is no ground present, you fall.

If you also possess the (climb) package, you may attempt to cling to the wall at the end of your movement. If you possess the (leap) package, you may make Acrobatics checks to jump as part of this movement as normal. If you possess the Mobile Striker talent, you can kick off of a wall for the rest of your movement, gaining a +1 circumstance bonus to your damage roll if you make an attack while airborne. For every 5 ranks in Acrobatics you possess, this bonus increases by +1.

Motion Talents

Dizzying Tumble (motion)

Your rapid spins and twists leave a creatures reeling. As long as you move no more than your base speed, when you exit a square adjacent to a hostile creature, that creature must succeed on a Will save or be sickened for one round. If you move no more than half your base speed, they are instead nauseated for 1 round on a failed save; this talent cannot be used with the 5-foot step action. You may not nauseate an individual creature with this talent more than once per hour.

Moving Target (motion)

When moving more than 5 ft. during your turn using the movement mode corresponding to a package you possess, you gain a 20% miss chance against ranged attacks until the start of your next turn. If you move more than 20 ft., you may expend your martial focus as a free action to increase this miss chance to 50%. If you take this talent a second time, the miss chance applies to all attacks made against you. Associated Feat: Wind Stance.

Scale Foe (climb, motion)

You may, as a move action, make a Climb check against the CMD of a creature within your natural reach that is at least one size larger than you to climb onto that creature, entering its space without provoking an attack of opportunity; failure on this check means that you provoke an attack of opportunity and fail to scale the creature, remaining in your current space. For every size the creature is larger than you, you gain a +3 bonus on your Climb check against that creature. You can climb with only one hand as part of using this ability, but you must have at least one hand free.

While you are on a creature, you move with it whenever it moves. For every size larger that the creature is than you, the creature takes a -2 penalty on all attack rolls and combat maneuver checks against you. The creature is also flat-footed against your attacks. You may climb down the creature to an unoccupied adjacent square as a swift action, taking no damage, or jump off as a free action that can be taken even when it’s not your turn, taking falling damage as appropriate to the creature’s height. The creature may make a combat maneuver check against your CMD to dislodge you, causing you to fall into an adjacent square; you may substitute your Climb skill modifier + 10 in place of your CMD for this check (this includes the +3 bonus per size category). If the creature spends a full-round action to drop prone and roll, it gains a +10 bonus on this check and you take 1d6 bludgeoning damage for each size category larger than you the creature is unless you choose to jump off. If you are grappled by a creature while scaling a different creature, if the scaled creature leaves the reach of the grappling creature, the grapple ends instantly. If you are subject to an effect originating from another creature that would move you while scaling an enemy and you are moved so that the scaled creature is no longer within your natural reach, this ability ends instantly.

If the target creature is impaled per the impale ability of the Lancer sphere, you gain a +4 circumstance bonus to CMD against grapple checks made by the target to remove you and count any hand being used to control the weapon used to impale the target as being used for the climb check. If you possess the (leap) package, you may make the required Climb check as part of any jump that would carry you through a space that would put the target within your reach. If you possess the Bronco Buster talent of the Beastmastery sphere, you may use Ride skill checks in place of Climb checks for this talent.

Sudden Flank (motion)

When you successfully move through an enemy’s threatened space, you may count your beginning square and any squares you passed through during that movement as being occupied by an ally for the purpose of determining flanking bonuses until the end of your turn.

Run Talents

Sharp Turn (run)

You may change direction up to 90 degrees once at any point during a charge or while taking the run action. For every 7 ranks in Acrobatics you possess, the number of times you may change direction during a charge increases by 1, to a total maximum of 3 times. You still must be able to see the target of your charge when you begin the charge action.

Strong Lungs (run or swim)

You are practiced at quickly collecting a deep breath, drawing in more air in less time. You gain a circumstance bonus on any save against an effect that requires inhalation or causes suffocation equal to your half your ranks in Acrobatics or Swim (whichever is higher).

If you possess the (run) package, you treat your Constitution score as being twice what it actually is for the purposes of determining how many rounds you can run without resting. This multiplier increases by 1 (x3, x4, etc.) for every 4 ranks in either Acrobatics or Swim you possess.

If you possess the (swim) package, you treat your Constitution score as being twice what it actually is for the purposes of determining how long you can hold your breath. This multiplier increases by 1 (x3, x4, etc.) for every 4 ranks in Acrobatics or Swim you possess.

Tumbling Recovery (run)

You may drop prone as a free action, even when it is not your turn. Whenever you are knocked prone or drop prone, you may spend an immediate action to move up to 10 ft. in any direction. If used to avoid an attack or area effect, this talent grants you a dodge bonus to AC and Reflex saves equal to half your ranks in Acrobatics (minimum 1). You may expend your martial focus to perform this movement without provoking attacks of opportunity. For every 5 ranks in Acrobatics you possess, you may move an additional 5 ft. with this talent.

Additionally, at any time you may expend your martial focus to stand up from prone as an immediate action that does not provoke attacks of opportunity.

Wall Stunt (leap or run)

If you possess the (leap) package, when jumping or falling, you may make an Acrobatics check to jump as a swift action, provided there is a solid surface other than a ceiling (wall, floor, etc.) adjacent to you at that point. You may treat spaces occupied by creatures of your size or larger as containing such an object but your movement provokes attacks of opportunity as normal. Any fall damage that would be incurred is calculated after removing the height of the swift action jump.

If you possess the (run) package, as long as there is a wall adjacent to you, you may run along the wall for all or part of your movement, including vertically. A square of vertical movement costs two squares of movement. You may treat spaces occupied by creatures of your size or larger as containing a wall, but your movement provokes attacks of opportunity as normal. Doing so bypasses any obstacle on the ground. You must end your movement on the ground as normal; if there is no ground present, you fall.

If you also possess the (climb) package, you may attempt to cling to the wall at the end of your movement. If you possess the (leap) package, you may make Acrobatics checks to jump as part of this movement as normal. If you possess the Mobile Striker talent, you can kick off of a wall for the rest of your movement, gaining a +1 circumstance bonus to your damage roll if you make an attack while airborne. For every 5 ranks in Acrobatics you possess, this bonus increases by +1.

Swim Talents

Strong Lungs (run or swim)

You are practiced at quickly collecting a deep breath, drawing in more air in less time. You gain a circumstance bonus on any save against an effect that requires inhalation or causes suffocation equal to your half your ranks in Acrobatics or Swim (whichever is higher).

If you possess the (run) package, you treat your Constitution score as being twice what it actually is for the purposes of determining how many rounds you can run without resting. This multiplier increases by 1 (x3, x4, etc.) for every 4 ranks in either Acrobatics or Swim you possess.

If you possess the (swim) package, you treat your Constitution score as being twice what it actually is for the purposes of determining how long you can hold your breath. This multiplier increases by 1 (x3, x4, etc.) for every 4 ranks in Acrobatics or Swim you possess.

Legendary Talents

Afterimage (motion)

Prerequisite(s): Athletics sphere.

When moving more than 5 ft. during your turn using the movement mode corresponding to a package you possess, the speed of your motion causes you to leave behind an afterimage, which may foil your foe’s attacks. If you move more than 20 ft., you may expend your martial focus as a free action to leave behind an additional afterimage. These afterimages disappear at the start of your next turn.

Whenever you are attacked or are the target of a spell that requires an attack roll, there is a possibility that the attack targets one of your afterimages instead. If the attack is a hit, roll randomly to see whether the selected target is real or an afterimage.

If it is an afterimage, the afterimage is destroyed. If the attack misses by 5 or less, one of your afterimage is destroyed by the near miss. Area spells affect you normally and do not destroy any of your afterimages. Spells and effects that do not require an attack roll affect you normally and do not destroy any of your afterimages. Spells that require a touch attack are harmlessly discharged if used to destroy an afterimage. For every 6 ranks in Acrobatics you possess, you may leave an additional afterimage.

An attacker must be able to see the afterimages to be fooled. If you are invisible or the attacker is blind, this ability has no effect (although the normal miss chances still apply).

Air Stunt (leap, run)

Prerequisite(s): Athletics sphere, Wall Stunt, Acrobatics 5 ranks.

If you possess the (leap) package, you no longer require a solid surface to make your swift action jump with the Wall Stunt talent. While you have martial focus, the DC for Acrobatics checks to determine jump height have their DC reduced to 1 per 1 ft. of height. Additionally, you may reduce the effective height of any fall by an additional 10 ft. on a successful Acrobatics check.

If you possess the (run) package, you may run over the air as if it were ground. You do not fall when moving, though if you are not supported at the end of your turn you fall as normal.

You may ascend or descend up to 45 degrees as part of this movement, though ascending costs 2 squares of movement per 5 ft. of additional elevation. Additionally, you may balance on any solid surface, even those unable to support your weight, such as a taught string, a narrow tree branch, etc.

Bomb Jump (leap)

Prerequisite(s): Athletics sphere, Acrobatics 3 ranks.

Whenever you are affected by an area attack that allows a Reflex save, you may use the force of the effect to make an Acrobatics check to jump as a free action. This movement provokes attacks of opportunity as normal. If you attack your own space with such an area effect, you may use your Acrobatics check as your Reflex saving throw against that effect. You may target your own space even if you are in the air to use this talent.

If you are carrying an ‘improved’ splash weapon created via the Alchemy sphere, you may treat it as an appropriate effect for this talent when affecting your own space. You may make an Acrobatics check to jump even if the item does not ask for a Reflex save, and do not suffer the effects of the item so long as your Acrobatics check is enough to remove you from the item’s area of effect.

Dragoon Leap (leap)

Prerequisite(s): Athletics sphere, Air Stunt, Wall Stunt, Acrobatics 9 ranks.

As a full-round action, you may expend your martial focus to make an even greater jump. The DC for this jump becomes 1 point per 100 ft. of horizontal distance or 1 point per 10 ft of vertical distance. You do not suffer falling damage for the height jumped with this action, and can jump beyond your usual maximum movement in a round.

Eagle’s Path (fly)

Prerequisite(s): Athletics sphere, Sparrow’s Path, Fly 9 ranks. Your fly speed increases to become equal to your base speed, and your maneuverability improved to (average).

Falling Mountain

Prerequisite(s): Athletics sphere, Diving Strike, either Shatter Earth from the Berserker sphere or Earthquake Stomp from the Brute sphere, base attack bonus +5.

When using Diving Strike, you may treat the attack granted at the end of the charge as a valid attack to use either Shatter Earth or a valid action to perform an Earthquake Stomp, and may target the ground in place of a creature when cushioning your fall, and are always considered to have made a successful attack.

In addition, the size of the effect increases depending on how much falling damage you inflict to the floor. Radius effects increase by 5 ft. per 2d6, cones increase by 5 ft. per 1d6, and lines increase by 10 ft. per 1d6.

Flash Step (motion)

Prerequisite(s): Athletics sphere, 5 ranks in either Acrobatics, Climb, or Fly.

When using a movement mode associated with a package you possess, you may expend martial focus as a swift action to complete your movement without passing through any intervening squares. This does not allow you to reach any space you would not normally be able to reach with associate movement modes you posses. You may use this ability to charge through difficult or obstructed terrain as long as you are aware of the position of your target. This is a supernatural teleportation effect.

Shark Swim (swim)

Prerequisite(s): Athletics sphere.

While swimming, you move at your full base speed as a move action rather than half speed, or double your base speed as a full-round action. You may perform the run action while swimming, may take 10 on Swim checks even when threatened or endangered, and do not need to make swim checks each hour to avoid taking damage from fatigue. Making standard or full-round actions no longer reduces how long you can hold your breath.

If you possess the Strong Lungs talent, you can replace its usual bonus to holding breath and instead hold your breath for a number of hours equal to your Constitution modifier.

Sparrow’s Path (fly)

Prerequisite(s): Athletics sphere, Fly 3 ranks.

You gain a fly speed equal to half your base speed, with a maneuverability of clumsy. The fly speed only functions during your turn; if you are not on a surface that can support you at the end of your turn, you fall. If you deal damage to a hostile creature with a melee attack during your turn, you may choose not to fall at the end of that turn.

At 8 ranks in Fly, this fly speed becomes permanent. This is a supernatural effect.

Speed Boost (run)

Prerequisite(s): Athletics sphere.

When running, you move ten times your normal speed (if wearing medium, light, or no armor and carrying no more than a medium load) or 8 times your speed (if wearing heavy armor or carrying a heavy load). If you make a jump after a running start you gain a +8 bonus on your Acrobatics check.

You may expend your focus as a swift action to increase your base speed by 50 ft. for a number of rounds equal to your Constitution modifier. This increase is not limited to only land speed. After these rounds end, you are fatigued for 1d4 rounds. You are fatigued even if you are usually immune to the fatigued condition. You cannot use this ability if you are fatigued or exhausted.

If you possess the Strong Lungs talent, you can replace its usual bonus to rounds you may run to instead be able to run for a number of hours equal to your Constitution modifier.

Sky Spider’s Touch (climb)

Prerequisite(s): Athletics sphere, Climb 5 ranks.

You can climb at your full base speed with no penalty, and may always take 10 on Climb checks, even when rushed or threatened. In addition, all base DCs for climbing all surfaces are reduced by half. This division happens before applying modifier such as from bracing between two walls, climbing a slippery surface, or when catching oneself while falling. You can climb with only one hand free with no penalty, or no hands free at a -5 penalty.

In addition to the uses of Climb described by that skill, you also gain several new ones; specifically, you may climb smooth vertical walls or inverted surfaces with a DC 30 Climb check (reduced to 15 with this talent), ceilings without handholds with a DC 40 Climb check (reduced to 20 with this talent), and even climb on nothing but air with a DC 60 Climb check (reduced to 30 with this talent).

Wind speed penalties to Fly checks also apply to Climb checks made to cling to air. If you fail a Climb check when climbing on air, you fall 10 ft. plus 10 ft. per 5 points by which you failed the check.

Terrain Glide (swim)

Prerequisite(s): Athletics sphere, Swim 5 ranks.

Your skills and muscles honed by swimming allow you to cleave through soil and snow with ease. You gain a 10 ft. burrow speed. If you already possess a burrow speed, it increases by 5 ft.

This talent does not grant the ability to see through earth nor to breath without a source of air, so creatures without tremorsense or another similar ability are blind while underground and creatures that need to breathe must hold their breath.

Section 15: Copyright Notice

Spheres of Might, © 2017, Drop Dead Studios LLC; Authors: Adam Meyers, Michael Sayre, Andrew Stoeckle, N. Jolly

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