Legendary Fighter Prowess

Prowess options are augmentation abilities that demonstrate a legendary fighter’s dedicated training and mastery of specialized tactics and battle techniques.

Prowess options represent a fighter’s essential skillfulness in the ways of the warrior. You could call many of these ‘meta-feat’ options. As described in the feats section, a fighter really should be a master of feats and these prowess options allow a fighter to gain more from combat feats or do more with the combat feats he possesses. Some even allow a fighter to recall a half-remembered fighting technique to aid in a difficult battle. Other prowess options can grant the fighter extra skills or allow him to use his skills or other class features in new ways. There is a fine line between an ability that improves weapon use (an advanced weapon training option) and an ability that improves combat feats (a prowess option) especially if the combat feat is weapon oriented. In these cases (which are marked with an asterisk * below), these prowess options can also be taken as advanced weapon training options, allowing the fighter to be flexible in timing when he takes these class features.

In terms of power level, prowess options are the equivalent of a decent feat, but are most useful if a fighter has feats or abilities of a certain type, such as the fighter’s tactics prowess option only being beneficial if the fighter has teamwork feats to take advantage of it.

On average, a prowess option isn’t quite as good as an advanced weapon training option, but is better than an advanced armor training option.

Unless indicated, a fighter cannot select an option more than once.

Abundant Tactics (Ex)

The fighter adds his weapon training bonus to the number of times per day he can use any combat feat he possesses that allows a limited number of daily uses, such as the Stunning Fist feat.

Adaptable Training (Ex)

The fighter can use his base attack bonus in place of his ranks in one skill of his choice from the following list: Acrobatics, Bluff, Climb, Diplomacy, Disable Device, Disguise, Escape Artist, Fly, Handle Animal, Intimidate, Knowledge (engineering), Perception, Profession (driver, engineer, soldier, or stable master), Ride, Sense Motive, Sleight of Hand, Stealth, Survival, or Swim. When using adaptable training, the fighter substitutes his total base attack bonus (including his base attack bonus gained through levels in other classes) for his ranks in this skill, but adds the skill’s usual ability score modifier and any other bonuses or penalties that would modify that skill.

Once a skill has been selected, it cannot be changed and the fighter can immediately retrain all of his ranks in the selected skill at no additional cost in money or time.

In addition, the fighter adds the skill chosen with this option to his list of class skills. A fighter can choose this option multiple times.

Armament Item Mastery

The fighter chooses one of the following types of magic item: armor, shields, or weapons. He gains an item mastery feat as a bonus feat, which functions with any magic item of the chosen type when he wields or wears it, even if the magic item does not meet the feat’s normal requirements. He must meet all of the feat’s prerequisites. A fighter can choose this option multiple times.

Combat Competence (Ex)

The fighter chooses a weapon group he possesses and becomes proficient with all the weapons in this weapon group. A fighter must have the weapon group advanced weapon training option before taking this option and can choose this option multiple times. A fighter can select this option as an advanced weapon training option if he wishes.

Combat Spontaneity (Ex)

Once per day as a move action, the fighter gains the benefit of a combat feat that he does not possess for 1 minute. He must meet the feat’s requirements. Any latent feat the fighter has, but doesn’t currently gain the benefits of, can also be chosen with this ability. If a combat feat has a daily use limitation (such as Stunning Fist), any uses of the combat feat gained while using this ability count toward that feat’s daily limit.

Critical Master (Ex)

The fighter gains the Critical Mastery feat. He doesn’t have to meet the prerequisites of this feat. At 18th level when the fighter scores a critical hit, he can apply the effects of three critical feats in addition to the damage dealt. The fighter must be at least 8th level to select this option.

Effortless Dual-Wielding (Ex)

The fighter treats all onehanded weapons he is proficient with as though they were light weapons when determining his penalties on attack rolls for fighting with two weapons. A fighter can select this option as an advanced weapon training option if he wishes.

Table: Prowess Options

Name	Benefit
Abundant Tactics	Add weapon training bonus to uses of feats with a daily use limit.
Adaptable Training	Gain a class skill with skill ranks equal to BAB.
Armament Item Mastery	Gain an item mastery feat.
Combat Competence*	Gain proficiency with an entire weapon group.
Combat Spontaneity	Gain a combat feat temporarily for a minute as a move action.
Critical Master	Gain the Critical Mastery feat.
Effortless Dual-Wielding*	One-handed weapons as light weapons for dual wielding.
Fighter’s Finesse*	Use Weapon Finesse with a weapon group, even non-light weapons.
Fighter’s Tactics	The fighter treats allies as having his teamwork feats.
Friendly Persuasion	Use Intimidate bonus on Diplomacy checks.
Impulsive Spontaneity	Gain two combat feats temporarily as a swift action.
Inspiring Confidence	Allow allies to make an extra saving throw against fear.
Latent Recall	Gain a latent feat and gain benefits of a latent feat as a move action.
Master Armorer	Use BAB for ranks in Craft (armor). Create magic armor and shields.
Master Bowyer	Use BAB for ranks in Craft (bows). Create magic bows and arrows.
Master Weaponsmith	Use BAB for ranks in Craft (weapons). Create magic weapons.
Spontaneous Mastery	Add weapon training bonus to daily uses of combat spontaneity.
Style Mastery	Gain the benefits of more than one style feat simultaneously.
Style Training	Enter a style stance as a free action, always have one style active.
Tactical Training	Give teamwork feats to allies.
Weapon Specialist*	Specific weapon feats apply to an entire weapon group.

* These options can also be selected as advanced weapon training options.

Fighter’s Finesse (Ex)

The fighter selects a weapon group he possesses and gains the benefits of the Weapon Finesse feat with all melee weapons which belong to that weapon group (even if they cannot normally be used with Weapon Finesse). The fighter must have the Weapon Finesse feat and the weapon group advanced weapon training option before choosing this option. A fighter can choose this option multiple times and can select it as an advanced weapon training option if he wishes.

Fighter’s Tactics (Ex)

All of the fighter’s allies are treated as if they had the same teamwork feats as the fighter for the purpose of determining whether the fighter receives a bonus from his teamwork feats. His allies do not receive any bonuses from these feats unless they actually have the feats themselves. The allies’ positioning and actions must still meet the prerequisites listed in the teamwork feat for the fighter to receive the listed bonus.

Friendly Persuasion (Ex)

The fighter can use his Intimidate skill bonus in place of his Diplomacy bonus.

When substituting in this way, the fighter uses his total Intimidate skill bonus, including class skill bonus and bonuses from feats and other abilities, in place of his Diplomacy skill bonus, whether or not he has ranks in Diplomacy or if it is a class skill. Whenever the fighter makes a Diplomacy check against creatures with a hostile attitude toward him, this also counts as an Intimidate check to demoralize those creatures.

Impulsive Spontaneity (Ex)

When the fighter uses his combat spontaneity prowess option he can gain the benefits of two applicable feats. She may use one of these feats to meet a prerequisite of the second feat.

This still only counts as one daily use of combat spontaneity. Additionally, the fighter can use his combat spontaneity prowess option as a move action or a swift action. The fighter must have the combat spontaneity prowess option before taking this option.

Inspiring Confidence (Ex)

As a swift action or move action, the fighter can allow one ally within 30 feet that can see or hear him to attempt a new saving throw against an ongoing fear effect that causes the ally to cower or to become frightened, panicked, or shaken. If the ally succeeds at the save, the effect ends. A fighter can only grant an ally one new saving throw against a specific feat effect with this prowess option. If the fighter uses the fearless zeal perseverance option, their ally gains a bonus on this saving throw equal to the fighter’s bonus from the bravery perseverance option. The fighter cannot use this prowess option if he is suffering from a feat effect himself. The fighter must have the bravery perseverance option to choose this prowess option.

Latent Recall (Ex)

The maximum number of latent feats the fighter can possess increases by 1. As a move action the fighter gains the benefits of one of his latent feats. The fighter retains the benefits of this feat until he uses this ability again to gain the benefits of another latent feat. If a feat has a daily use limitation (such as Stunning Fist), any uses of the feat while using this ability count toward that feat’s daily limit.

Master Armorer (Ex)

The fighter can use his base attack bonus in place of his ranks in the Craft (armor) skill. The fighter substitutes his total base attack bonus (including his base attack bonus gained through levels in other classes) for his ranks in this skill, but adds the skill’s usual ability score modifier and any other bonuses or penalties that would modify that skill. Additionally, the fighter is treated as having the Craft Magic Arms and Armor and Master Craftsman feats (choosing Craft [armor]). The fighter does not need to meet these feats’ prerequisites for the purpose of making magic armor or magic shields. If the fighter has 5 or more ranks in a Craft skill, he doesn’t have to meet these feats’ prerequisites for the purpose of making magic armor, shields, or weapons provided those armors, shields, or weapons can be manufactured using that Craft skill.

Master Bowyer (Ex)

This option functions as the master armorer option except that it applies to Craft (bows) rather than Craft (armor) and the fighter doesn’t have to meet the prerequisites of the Craft Magic Arms and Armor and Master Craftsman feats for the purpose of making magic weapons that can be manufactured with Craft (bows).

Master Weaponsmith (Ex)

This option functions as the master bowyer option except that it applies to Craft (weapons) rather than Craft (bows).

Spontaneous Mastery (Ex)

The fighter adds his weapon training bonus to the number of times per day he can use the combat spontaneity prowess option. The fighter must have the combat spontaneity prowess option before taking this option.

Style Mastery (Ex)

A fighter can enter or switch the stance employed by a fighting style as a free action. If the fighter has an ability that allows him to have more than one style stance active simultaneously, he can enter or switch all of his allowed stances as a free action. At the start of a combat the fighter picks one of the style feats he knows. He starts the combat in that style, even in a surprise round or if he is otherwise unaware of his attackers. The fighter must have at least one style feat to select this option.

Style Training (Ex)

The fighter can blend style feats that he knows into a more flexible style. The fighter can have an additional style feat stance active simultaneously. He can enter all of his allowed stances as a move action or one stance as a swift action. A fighter can select this prowess option up to three times, each time increasing the number of additional stances he can have simultaneously active by one. The fighter must have at least two style feats to select this option.

Tactical Training (Ex)

As a move action, the fighter can select a teamwork feat he knows and grant that feat to all allies within 30 feet who can see and hear him for 3 rounds plus 1 round for every two fighter levels. Allies do not need to meet the prerequisites of this feat. The fighter can use this prowess option twice per day and at 10th level and every 5 levels thereafter (15th and 20th) the fighter gains an additional use per day of this ability.

At 9th level, using this ability becomes a swift action and at 17th level the fighter can grant any two teamwork feats he knows when using this ability. If the fighter gains the tactician ability from levels in another class, these levels stack for the purpose of determining his effective fighter level with this prowess option.

If the fighter gains the tactician ability from a fighter archetype, his fighter level increases by half (+50%) when determining his effective level with this prowess option.

For example, a 7th fighter with the tactical training prowess option and a fighter archetype that grants the tactician ability counts as 10th level for the purpose of this prowess option.

If the fighter gains the greater tactician ability from a class or archetype, he also gains an additional use per day of this prowess option. If the fighter gains the master tactician ability from a class or archetype, he also gains an additional use per day of this prowess option and he can grant any three teamwork feats he knows when using this prowess option.

Weapon Specialist (Ex)

The fighter selects a weapon group he possesses. If the fighter has combat feats that apply to a specific type of weapon (such as Weapon Focus and Weapon Specialization), and that type of weapon is in the selected weapon group then the fighter is treated as having the selected feats for all the weapons in that weapon group that are legal choices for those feats. The fighter is also considered to have those feats with these weapons for the purpose of meeting prerequisites. A fighter must have the weapon group advanced weapon training option before taking this option. A fighter can choose this option multiple times and can select it as an advanced weapon training option if he wishes.

Implementation

Distributing these prowess options across fighter class levels not taken up by weapon, armor, or perseverance options means placing them at 4th, 8th, 12th, and 16th level. This gives the fighter ‘fighter specific’ class features at nearly all class levels and grants the fighter useful abilities at higher levels.

A number of these prowess options replace the equivalent published advanced weapon training: options. GMs should allow one or the other of these but not both. The combat spontaneity prowess option is essentially the same as the Barroom Brawler feat.

As a GM if you allow both, then the abundant tactics option should not increase the number of times per day that Barroom Brawler can be used.

Removing adaptable training as an advanced weapon training option prevents the corner case of PCs using the Barroom Brawler feat to gain the Advanced Weapon Training feat to spontaneously obtain the adaptable training option and then permanently retrain skill ranks on the fly, and learn an entirely new skill in seconds. The same goes for versatile training as an advanced armor training option. It’s a weird roundabout combination, and it’s far simpler to increase the number of skill ranks a fighter receives each level.