Crack-jawed Ahto's page

Ahto remembers very little of his life before the night he crawled into the back of that merchant's wagon, squirming under the oil-cloth tarp and between the boxes and crates in order to keep warm and dry. He most certainly remembers being found the next day, when his scrawny, nine-year old frame was dragged out by rough hands, and then flung onto the cobblestone street. He remembers the breath being forced out of him as a boot connected with his ribs. What he remembers most about that moment, was his father's deep, booming voice ringing out a warning to his assailant. The kicking stopped; immediately followed by the sound of meaty fists striking flesh, and grunts of pain from someone other than himself.

From that day forward, Voltun Dûnhark assumed the role of the father Ahto never knew. Ahto accompanied Voltun on his travels, eating and sleeping when and wherever he did. With proper food, care, and honest hard work, Ahto's scrawny body began to grow and fill-out with muscle. By the time Ahto was taller than his adopted father, all evidence of malnutrition was gone. Voltun then took it upon himself to teach the boy his trade, that of a caravan guard. This took the form of sparring sessions with weapons, boxing and wrestling bouts, and target shooting.

One day, their travels brought them to a bustling community of dwarves, built in a valley near a series of caves that Ahto later learned were mines. Voltun bought Ahto before an assembly of greybearded dawrves, who regarded him with looks of suspicion and disdain. The conversation was entirely in dwarvish, and although Voltun had been teaching Ahto, he had not yet developed fluency in the tongue. As such, he caught only a few words in the exchanges. The tone of the elder dwarves made it clear that they found Voltun's request outside the norms of their society. Matters quickly devolved into shouting, both by Voltun and several of the elders. The presiding elder, in the end, made a pronouncement. Ahto understood two phrases, "your son" and "not Clan." Voltun gave a rumbling growl from deep in his chest, bowed, and lead him from the assembly.

Ahto later learned that Voltun had formally petitioned his clan elders to accept Ahto into the clan as Voltun's adopted son. Had Ahto been a dwarf, this would have been granted with little fanfare. However, since Ahto was human, the more traditional elders objected. In the end, a compromise was struck. Ahto would become Voltun's adopted son, but would not be accepted as a member of the Dûnhark Clan. This sort of thing happened when a dwarf child's legitimate parentage was called into question. The elders essentially ruled that Ahto was Voltun's adopted son, but a bastard son, with no right to claim the Dûnhark Clan as his own. Ahto accepted his fate, grateful to have a father, despite his second class status in the community.

Ahto continued to work and travel with Voltun, coming back to the valley in the winter when work got scarce. Ahto came of age right about the time Voltun decided to retire from traveling. Knowing that his presence there was merely tolerated, Ahto decided to continue traveling and working on his own. He bid farewell to his father, promising to stop and visit whenever he was nearby.

Brawler's Cunning (Ex): If the brawler's Intelligence score is less than 13, it counts as 13 for the purpose of meeting the prerequisites of combat feats.

Martial Flexibility (Ex): A brawler can take a move action to gain the benefit of a combat feat she doesn't possess. This effect lasts for 1 minute. The brawler must meet all the feat's prerequisites. She may use this ability a number of times per day equal to 3 + 1/2 her brawler level (minimum 1).

The brawler can use this ability again before the duration expires in order to replace the previous combat feat with another choice.

If a combat feat has a daily use limitation (such as Stunning Fist), any uses of that combat feat while using this ability count toward that feat's daily limit.

At 6th level, a brawler can use this ability to gain the benefit of two combat feats at the same time. She may select one feat as a swift action or two feats as a move action. She may use one of these feats to meet a prerequisite of the second feat; doing so means that she cannot replace a feat currently fulfilling another's prerequisite without also replacing those feats that require it. Each individual feat selected counts toward her daily uses of this ability.

At 10th level, a brawler can use this ability to gain the benefit of three combat feats at the same time. She may select one feat as a free action, two feats as a swift action, or three feats as a move action. She may use one of the feats to meet a prerequisite of the second and third feats, and use the second feat to meet a prerequisite of the third feat. Each individual feat selected counts toward her daily uses of this ability.

At 12th level, a brawler can use this ability to gain the benefit of one combat feat as an immediate action or three combat feats as a swift action. Each individual feat selected counts toward her daily uses of this ability.

At 20th level, a brawler can use this ability to gain the benefit of any number of combat feats as a swift action. Each feat selected counts toward her daily uses of this ability.

Martial Training (Ex): At 1st level, a brawler counts her total brawler levels as both fighter levels and monk levels for the purpose of qualifying for feats. She also counts as both a fighter and a monk for feats and magic items that have different effects based on whether the character has levels in those classes (such as Stunning Fist and a monk's robe). This ability does not automatically grant feats normally granted to fighters and monks based on class level, namely Stunning Fist.

Unarmed Strike: At 1st level, a brawler gains Improved Unarmed Strike as a bonus feat. A brawler may attack with fists, elbows, knees, and feet. This means that a brawler may make unarmed strikes with her hands full. A brawler applies her full Strength modifier (not half) on damage rolls for all her unarmed strikes.

Usually, a brawler's unarmed strikes deal lethal damage, but she can choose to deal nonlethal damage instead with no penalty on her attack roll. She has the same choice to deal lethal or nonlethal damage while grappling.

A brawler's unarmed strike is treated as both a manufactured weapon and a natural weapon for the purpose of spells and effects that modify either manufactured weapons or natural weapons.

Brawler's Flurry (Ex): Starting at 2nd level, a brawler can make a brawler's flurry as a full-attack action. When doing so, a brawler has the Two-Weapon Fighting feat when attacking with any combination of unarmed strikes, weapons from the close fighter weapon group, or weapons with the "monk" special feature. She does not need to use two different weapons to use this ability.

A brawler applies her full Strength modifier to her damage rolls for all attacks made with brawler's flurry, whether the attacks are made with an off-hand weapon or a weapon wielded in both hands. A brawler can substitute disarm, sunder, and trip combat maneuvers for unarmed attacks as part of brawler's flurry. A brawler with natural weapons can't use such weapons as part of brawler's flurry, nor can she make natural weapon attacks in addition to her brawler's flurry attacks.

At 8th level, the brawler gains use of the Improved Two-Weapon Fighting feat when using brawler's flurry. At 15th level, she gains use of the Greater Two-Weapon Fighting feat when using brawler's flurry.

SLAYER ABILITIES:

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A slayer is proficient with all simple and martial weapons, as well as with light armor, medium armor, and shields (except tower shields).

Studied Target (Ex): A slayer can study an opponent he can see as a move action. The slayer then gains a +1 bonus on Bluff, Knowledge, Perception, Sense Motive, and Survival checks attempted against that opponent, and a +1 bonus on weapon attack and damage rolls against it. The DCs of slayer class abilities against that opponent increase by 1. A slayer can only maintain these bonuses against one opponent at a time; these bonuses remain in effect until either the opponent is dead or the slayer studies a new target.

If a slayer deals sneak attack damage to a target, he can study that target as an immediate action, allowing him to apply his studied target bonuses against that target (including to the normal weapon damage roll).

At 5th, 10th, 15th, and 20th levels, the bonuses on weapon attack rolls, damage rolls, and skill checks and to slayer DCs against a studied target increase by 1. In addition, at each such interval, the slayer is able to maintain these bonuses against an additional studied target at the same time. The slayer may discard this connection to a studied target as a free action, allowing him to study another target in its place.

At 7th level, a slayer can study an opponent as a move or swift action.

Track (Ex): A slayer adds 1/2 his level (minimum 1) to Survival skill checks made to follow tracks.

Slayer Talents: As a slayer gains experience, he learns a number of talents that aid him and confound his foes. Starting at 2nd level and every 2 levels thereafter, a slayer gains one slayer talent. Unless otherwise noted, a slayer cannot select an individual talent more than once. Talents marked with an asterisk add effects to a slayer's sneak attack. Only one of these talents can be applied to an individual attack, and the decision of which to use must be made before the attack roll is made.

See the Slayer Talents section for a full list of Talents from all sources.

Sneak Attack: At 3rd level, if a slayer catches an opponent unable to defend itself effectively from his attack, he can strike a vital spot for extra damage. The slayer's attack deals extra damage anytime his target would be denied a Dexterity bonus to AC (whether the target actually has a Dexterity bonus or not), or when the slayer flanks his target. This additional damage is 1d6 at 3rd level, and increases by 1d6 every 3 levels thereafter. Should the slayer score a critical hit with a sneak attack, this additional damage is not multiplied. Ranged attacks can count as sneak attacks only if the target is within 30 feet.

With a weapon that deals nonlethal damage (like a sap, whip, or unarmed strike), a slayer can make a sneak attack that deals nonlethal damage instead of lethal damage. He cannot use a weapon that deals lethal damage to deal nonlethal damage in a sneak attack, not even with the usual –4 penalty.

The slayer must be able to see the target well enough to pick out a vital spot and must be able to reach such a spot. A slayer cannot use sneak attack while striking a creature with concealment.

Acrobatics (dex): +10 (5 rank, 3 class, 2 dex)

Intimidate (cha): +10 (5 rank, 3 class, 2 cha)

Perception (wis): +11 (5 rank, 3 class, 2 wis, 1 trait)

Knowledge, local (int): +7 (3 rank, 3 class, 1 int)

Sense Motive (wis): +10 (5 rank, 3 class, 2 wis)

Stealth (dex): +10 (5 rank, 3 class, 2 dex)

Survival (wis): +10 (5 rank, 3 class, 2 wis) +1 more if wilderness survival roll, and/or +1 if tracking (slayer ability)

Background Skill - Handle Animal (cha): +10 (5 rank, 3 class, 2 cha)

Background Skill - Knowledge, Geography (int): +9 (5 rank, 3 class, 1 int)

Blind-fight: In melee, every time you miss because of concealment (see Combat), you can reroll your miss chance percentile roll one time to see if you actually hit.

An invisible attacker gets no advantages related to hitting you in melee. That is, you don't lose your Dexterity bonus to Armor Class, and the attacker doesn't get the usual +2 bonus for being invisible. The invisible attacker's bonuses do still apply for ranged attacks, however. You do not need to make Acrobatics skill checks to move at full speed while blinded.

Bodyguard (2nd level Slayer Talent, Combat Trick): When an adjacent ally is attacked, you may use an attack of opportunity to attempt the aid another action to improve your ally’s AC. You may not use the aid another action to improve your ally’s attack roll with this attack.

Combat Reflexes: You may make a number of additional attacks of opportunity per round equal to your Dexterity bonus. With this feat, you may also make attacks of opportunity while flat-footed. Special: The Combat Reflexes feat does not allow a rogue to use her opportunist ability more than once per round.

Deflect Arrows (2nd level Brawler bonus feat): You must have at least one hand free (holding nothing) to use this feat. Once per round when you would normally be hit with an attack from a ranged weapon, you may deflect it so that you take no damage from it. You must be aware of the attack and not flat-footed. Attempting to deflect a ranged attack doesn't count as an action. Unusually massive ranged weapons (such as boulders or ballista bolts) and ranged attacks generated by natural attacks or spell effects can't be deflected.

Improved Initiative: +4 to initiative rolls.

Improved Unarmed Strike (Brawler bonus feat): You are considered to be armed even when unarmed—you do not provoke attacks of opportunity when you attack foes while unarmed. Your unarmed strikes can deal lethal or nonlethal damage, at your choice.

Godless Healing: Prerequisite: Cannot have a patron deity.
Benefit: Once per day when you have half your total hit points or fewer, you may heal yourself of an amount of damage equal to 1d8 plus your total Hit Dice as a move action. This is a supernatural ability. Special: You can take this feat more than once. Each time you do, you may heal yourself one additional time per day.

Toughness: You gain +3 hit points. For every Hit Die you possess beyond 3, you gain an additional +1 hit point. If you have more than 3 Hit Dice, you gain +1 hit points whenever you gain a Hit Die (such as when you gain a level).