Living Blade

The Quintessential Fighter
Author Matthew Sprange
Series The Quintessential Series
Publisher Mongoose Publishing
Publish date 2001

Dedicating their lives to honing skill in a single edged weapon, the living blade is the master of combat, the very epitome of all fighters. Coming from a variety of backgrounds and disciplines, the living blade pursues battle, always seeking ever-greater enemies against which to test his mettle and fighting capabilities. Few will cross swords with him and live to tell the tale, for the living blade thrives on challenge, realising that to not test himself every day is to begin to fade from the world.

Living blade NPCs can be found almost anywhere, for they are driven to test their skills against the most dire of foes. Where a great enemy exists, a living blade will be sure to soon Track it down.

The Living Blade
Level	Base Attack	Fort	Ref	Will	Special
1	+1	+2	+0	+0	weaponmastery
2	+2	+3	+0	+0	superb specialisation
3	+3	+3	+1	+1	deadly opponent
4	+4	+4	+1	+1	web of death
5	+5	+4	+1	+1	furious strike

Hit Die: d10

Requirements

To qualify to become a living blade, a character must fulfill all the following criteria.

Base Attack Bonus: +7 or higher

Feats: Weapon Focus (slashing weapon), Weapon Specialisation (slashing weapon), Whirlwind Attack

Class Skills

The living blade’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Balance (Dexterity), Climb (Strength), Concentration (Constitution), Heal (Wisdom), Jump (Strength), Swim (Strength), and Tumble (Dexterity).

Skill points at each level: 2 + Intelligence modifier

Class Features

All of the following are class features of living blade prestige class.

Weapon and Armour Proficiency: The living blade is proficient in all simple and martial weapons, and all armour and shields.

Weaponmastery: The living blade chooses one slashing weapon. He will gain a +1 competence bonus to all attack rolls while using this weapon.

Superb Specialisation: At 2nd level, the living blade learns how to concentrate his attacks to do lethal damage against an enemy. He gains a +2 competence bonus to all damage rolls made with his chosen weapon.

Deadly Opponent: On reaching 3rd level, the living blade is skilled enough in combat to deny an enemy the chance to attack him. He may always remove one attack from an enemy in melee combat, at the expense of one of his own. Both removed attacks must be at the lowest base attack bonus possible for each combatant. The use of this ability must be declared at the start of a combat round.

Web of Death: The living blade is able to construct a web of death with his chosen weapon, daring enemies to approach and meet their own end. All enemies fighting the living blade in melee combat suffer a -1 circumstance penalty to their Armour Class.

Furious Strikes: At 5th level, the living blade is able to an make additional attack roll at his lowest base attack bonus when making a full attack action.