The Focus Knight
http://i.imgur.com/RvCgXl.jpg
"You took his weapons? His armor? And you were surprised when that didn't stop him? Fools!"
The focus knight is a quick, lightly armored warrior who draws upon his ki to power his abilities. Ki is existent in everyone, and it generally just provides the body with the energy it needs to survive. However, ki can become far more powerful than that and the focus knight learns how to change the flow of his inner ki and channel it in such a way that he creates abilities like his focus blade.
Adventures: Focus knights adventure for many different reasons, but the main ones that drive them are usually alignment based. Others wish to test out their abilities and prove themselves in combat.
Characteristics: The focus knight is best known for his ability to create a sword made purely out of ki. They have more versatile powers than just that though, for they can channel their key to use abilities from the Sublime Way, to enter a state of supernatural power and speed, and to create blasts of ki energy.
Alignment: Focus knights can be of any alignment, although they tend heavily towards lawful due to the discipline channeling ki requires.
Religion: Focus knights generally worship gods of similar ideas and alignments. In Eberron, the Path of Light has a small following of focus knight worshippers.
Background: Focus knights never discover their power on their own, but instead are taught at small monasteries. Many begin their training as monks but are pulled out when their true potential is realized.
Races: Elves, due to their general connection with the world around them, produce more focus knights than any other race. Humans, due to their versatility, are also fairly common focus knights. Dwarves make up a surprisingly large number of focus knights as well since they're generally very disciplined and, well, grounded.
Other Classes: Focus knights identify best with other ki using classes like ninjas, monks, and sohei. They respect magicians and manifesters as well as shapers and initiators, but often hold normal melee classes in relatively low regard unless they prove themselves otherwise.
Role: Focus knights are front line fighters whose main advantage (over other melee classes) is incredible mobility. They can't just sit there and suck up damage and block hits like, say, a fighter or a barbarian, but as long as they keep moving they're more effective than either of them.
GAME RULE INFORMATION
Focus knight's have the following game statistics.
Abilities: Strength and dexterity are both important to the focus knight since he's a front line combatant, if a sort of quick, light armored one. Wisdom is also important for his (relatively limited) maneuvers.
Alignment: Any, but usually lawful.
Hit Die: d10
Starting Age: As fighter.
Starting Gold: As fighter.
Class Skills
The focus knight's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are...
Climb, Concentration, Craft, Hide, Iaijutsu Focus, Jump, Listen, Move Silently, Profession, Sense Motive, Spot, and Tumble.
Skill Points at First Level: (4 + Int modifier) x 4
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 4 + Int modifier
Focus Knight
{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special|Maneuvers Known|Maneuvers Readied|Stances Known
1st|+1|+0|+2|+2|Focus Blade, Burst Strike, Weapon Focus (Focus Blade)|1|1|0
2nd|+2|+0|+3|+3|Focus Blast +1d6, Ki Frenzy 1/day|1|1|0
3rd|+3|+1|+3|+3|Free Draw, Focus Blade Enhancement +1|2|1|0
4th|+4|+1|+4|+4|Improved Initiative, Skirmish (+1d6)|2|1|0
5th|+5|+1|+4|+4|Fast Movement +10 feet, Ki Frenzy 2/day|3|1|0
6th|+6|+2|+5|+5|Focus Blast +2d6, Focus Blade Enhancement +2|3|2|0
7th|+7|+2|+5|+5|Multiple Throw, Skirmish (+1d6, +1 AC)|4|2|0
8th|+8|+2|+6|+6|Focus Blade Enhancement +3, Ki Frenzy 3/day|4|2|1
9th|+9|+3|+6|+6|Skirmish (+2d6, +1 AC)|5|3|1
10th|+10|+3|+7|+7|Focus Blast +3d6|5|3|1
11th|+11|+3|+7|+7|Evasion|6|3|1
12th|+12|+4|+8|+8|Focus Blade Enhancement +4, Ki Frenzy 4/day|6|4|1
13th|+13|+4|+8|+8|Skirmish (+2d6, +2 AC)|6|4|1
14th|+14|+4|+9|+9|Focus Blast +4d6|7|4|2
15th|+15|+5|+9|+9|Focus Blade Enhancement +5, Ki Frenzy 5/day|7|5|2
16th|+16|+5|+10|+10|Skirmish (+3d6, +2 AC), Improved Evasion|8|5|2
17th|+17|+5|+10|+10|Fast Movement +20 feet|8|5|2
18th|+18|+6|+11|+11|Focus Blast +5d6|9|6|2
19th|+19|+6|+11|+11|Skirmish (+3d6, +3 AC)|9|6|2
20th|+20|+6|+12|+12|Focus Blade Enhancement +6, Ki Frenzy 6/day|10|6|3[/table]
Class Features
All of the following are class features of the focus knight.
Weapon and Armor Proficiencies: The focus knight is proficient with simple weapons, light armor, and shields (but not tower shields). In addition, he's proficient with his Focus Blade no matter what form it takes.
Focus Blade: This ability is identical to the soulknife's mind blade ability with a few exceptions. Instead of taking the form of a short sword, an incarnum blade can take any the form of any weapon associated with his known disciplines. In addition, it does not take a power point to create.
Burst Strike: A focus knight can, as a move action a number of times per day equal to his wisdom modifier, make an Iaijutsu Focus check. His next attack with his focus blade deals additional damage according to the Iaijutsu Focus table even if he doesn't catch his enemy flat-footed. Even if the focus knight misses with this attack a use of the ability is expended.
Maneuvers: A focus knight can learn maneuvers from the Desert Wind, Diamond Mind, Setting Sun, and Shadow Hand disciplines. A focus knight can recover all of his expended maneuvers as a move action which must be followed by an attack with his focus blade. In addition, anytime a soulblade enters a ki frenzy he chooses 1 maneuver to recover.
Weapon Focus: At 1st level the focus knight receives weapon focus with his focus blade as a bonus feat. (so much focus!)
Ki Frenzy: This ability is identical to the sohei ability of the same name, and progresses as indicated on the table above. A focus knight can still use his maneuvers while frenzying.
Focus Blast: At 2nd level the focus knight can "shoot" his focus blade off of his hand in a huge blast that uses up all of the energy in the blade. This requires a ranged touch attack, and it deals damage as if he'd hit with his focus blade plus additional damage according to the table above.
Free Draw: From 3rd level onward the focus knight can create his focus blade as a free action instead of a move action.
Focus Blade Enhancement: At 3rd level a focus knight's focus blade is treated as a +1 weapon. This bonus increases as shown on the table above, but it does not allow him to bypass the normal limits on enhancement bonuses. Unlike the soulknife, a focus knight can apply any special ability that he wants to his focus blade (provided it works with the bonus) whenever he manifests it.
Improved Initiative: At 4th level a focus knight gains Improved Initiative as a bonus feat.
Skirmish: This ability functions identically to the scout ability of the same name. However, it progresses according to the table above.
Fast Movement: At 5th level a focus knight gains a +10 bonus to speed. The bonus increases to +20 at 17th level. He looses this bonus if he wears medium or heavier armor.
Evasion: At 11th level the focus knight gains evasion, as a rogue. This improves to Improved Evasion at 16th level.
Switched incarnum for ki and maneuvers. Hope you like :smallsmile: Added fluff, although I'm not sure I like it. Needs work...PEACH please.
