There were a fair number of rules that had to be cut from the Beta Playtest Edition of the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game. Prestige classes were one of the unfortunate casualties. Fortunately, along with the magic of the Internet, we can release these rules to you for playtesting and review. This document will be available on Monday, October 27th from paizo.com, but in anticipation, we thought we might give you a sneak peak at one of the classes in the document. Take a look at some of these new powers for the duelist prestige class.
Precise Strike (Ex): A duelist gains the ability to strike precisely with a light or one-handed piercing weapon, adding her duelist level to her damage roll.
When making a precise strike, a duelist cannot attack with a weapon in her other hand or use a shield. A duelist's precise strike only works against creatures with discernible anatomies. Any creature that is immune to critical hits is not vulnerable to a precise strike, and any item or ability that protects a creature from critical hits also protects a creature from a precise strike.
Parry (Ex): At 2nd level, a duelist learns to parry the attacks of other creatures, causing them to miss. Whenever the duelist takes a full attack action with a light or one-handed piercing weapon, she can elect not to take one of her attacks. At any time before her next turn she can attempt to parry an attack against her or an adjacent ally as an immediate action. To parry the attack, the duelist makes an attack roll, using the same bonuses as the attack she chose to forego during her previous action. If her attack roll is greater than the roll of the attacking creature, the attack automatically misses. For each size category the attacking creature is larger than the duelist, the duelist takes a –4 penalty on her attack roll. The duelist also takes a –4 penalty when attempting to parry an attack made against an adjacent ally. The duelist must declare the use of this ability after the attack is announced, but before the roll is made.
Riposte (Ex): At 5th level, a duelist can make an attack of opportunity against any creature whose attack she successfully parries, so long as the creature is within reach.
No Retreat (Ex): At 9th level, enemies adjacent to the duelist that take a withdraw action provoke an attack of opportunity from the duelist.
Make sure to stop by on Monday to grab this free pdf to add to your game. The playtest period for these rules begins on November 24th and will run through December 7th.
