Widowman

Even the most devoted law enforcer has limits. Family life, lust, vices, and emotional scars provide a foundation of inherent weakness that clever crooks can exploit. Widowmen are the answer to this inherent flaw in mankind. Widowmen candidates are taken from orphanages before they reach one month of age (supremely patriotic families have been known to give their children to be trained as widowmen).

Widowmen-in-training train for decades with the goal of total mental and physical perfection. Widowmen perfect the art of hand-to-hand combat, especially removing a criminal from their weapon and binding them to be taken for questioning or punishment.

Weapon Proficiency

Widowmen are proficient with the widowman baton only. A widowman does not suffer a penalty on his attack rolls when wielding an improvised weapon, and he treats improvised weapons as monk weapons. In the hands of a widowman, a widowman baton becomes the ultimate combat tool. In melee combat, a widowman baton is utilized to lock an opponent and target pressure points, granting the widowman a +2 bonus on combat maneuver checks to disarm or grapple, and allowing him to treat the baton as trip weapon. If the situation so calls, a widowman baton can be thrown at no penalty with a range increment of 10 feet.

This replaces the normal monk weapon proficiencies.

Bonus Feat

A widowman replaces the normal monk bonus feats with the following: Agile Maneuvers, Catch Off-Guard, Combat Reflexes, Deflect Arrows, Dodge, Improved Disarm, Improved Grapple, Nimble Moves, Throw Anything, and Weapon Finesse.

At 6th level, the following feats are also available: Acrobatic Steps, Bodyguard, Improved Feint, Improved Trip, Ki Throw, Mobility, Second Chance, and Sidestep. At 10th level, the following feats are added: Disarming Strike, In Harm’s Way, Snatch Arrows, Spring Attack, and Tripping Strike.

Pacify Suspect (Ex)

At 1st level, as an immediate action, a widowman can attempt a disarm or grapple combat maneuver against a creature that the widowman threatens and that attacks him. If the combat maneuver is successful, the attacker is staggered for 1 round (Reflex DC = 10 + 1/2 the widowman’s level + widowman’s Wisdom modifier to halve the duration), plus 1 additional round at 4th level and for every four levels afterward (to a maximum of 6 rounds at 20th level). The widowman gains a +2 bonus on the disarm or grapple combat maneuver check and the save DC for pacify suspect increases by 2 if the attacker is using Power Attack or is charging when attacking him. The benefit increases to a +4 bonus and an increase of the saving throw by 4 if both apply.

At 4th level, a widowman can use pacify suspect against an opponent that the widowman threatens and that attacks an ally with a melee attack. At 8th level, a widowman can make both a disarm and grapple maneuver, as part of a single immediate action with this ability. At 12th level, a widowman can use pacify suspect against any opponent that attacks him in melee, even if the widowman is not threatening the opponent who attacks him. A widowman can use this ability once per day per monk level, but no more than once per round.

This ability replaces stunning fist.

Restraining Technique (Ex)

At 3rd level, a widowman takes no penalties to Dexterity or on attack rolls while grappled, and retains his Dexterity bonus to AC while pinning an opponent. The widowman can make attacks of opportunity even when grappled and even against creatures attempting to grapple him if the opponent has the Improved Grapple feat or the grab ability.

This ability replaces fast movement.

Subdue Expert (Ex)

Starting at 4th level, when the widowman makes an attack with a monk weapon, he takes no penalty on the attack roll when he is attempting to make an attack that deals nonlethal damage. In addition, the widowman gains a +2 bonus to damage rolls on attacks he makes that deal nonlethal damage. At 8th level, and every four levels thereafter, this bonus increases by +2, to a maximum of +10 at 20th level.

This ability replaces slow fall.

Elusive Target (Ex)

At 5th level, as an immediate action, a widowman may spend 2 points from his ki pool to attempt a Reflex save opposed by an attacker’s attack roll to halve damage from that attack. At 11th level and above, the widowman suffers no damage on a successful save, or half damage on a failed save. If the attacker is flanking the widowman, the flanking opponent who is not attacking becomes the target of the attack. Use the same attack roll, and if the attack hits the new target, that creatures takes half damage (or full damage if the attack is completely avoided). Any associated effects from the attack (such as bleed, poison, or spell effects) apply fully even if the attack deals only half damage.

This ability replaces purity of body and diamond body.

Surveillance (Ex)

At 5th level, a widowman adds half his level to all Perception and Sense Motive checks. In addition, he may take 10 on Perception and Sense Motive checks, even under adverse conditions. By spending 1 point from his ki pool as an immediate action, a widowman gains a +10 bonus on either Perception checks or Sense Motive checks (his choice) for 1 round.

This ability replaces high jump.

Battle Calculus (Ex)

After years of service, the widowman has seen virtually every martial application, and knows how to counter each and every foe effortlessly. At 19th level, as a free action once per round, a widowman may force one opponent to reroll any one roll and take the lower result. A widowman can use this ability a number of times per day equal to his Wisdom modifier.

This ability replaces empty body.

Section 15: Copyright Notice

Pure Steam Campaign Setting. Copyright 2012 ICOSA Entertainment, LLC; Author(s): Brennan Ashby.

scroll to top