Savage Savant
Those martial adepts who follow the discipline of the Tiger Claw often seek to tap into their inner, bestial nature. After all, the maneuvers of the Tiger Claw discipline have their inspiration in the pouncing of the tiger, the pack formations of the wolf, the mauling strength of the bear–it is only reasonable that a man must become more like a beast if he is to truly master the Tiger Claw techniques. Savage Savants are the epitome of that school of thought. They use psionic powers to transform their bodies, giving them claws with which to fight. A Savage Savant can be truly brutal in combat, attacking relentlessly with his claws, leaving his foes shocked and terrified.
Hit Dice
d10
Requirements
To qualify to become a Savage Savant, you must fulfill all the following criteria.
Feats: Mental Leap, Psionic Fist
Skills: Jump 9 ranks, Autohypnosis 4 ranks, Martial Lore 4 ranks
Maneuvers: Must know at least one maneuver of the Tiger Claw discipline.
Manifesting: Must be capable of manifesting the claws of the beast power.
Class Skills
The Savage Savants’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Autohypnosis (Wis), Balance (Dex), Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Knowledge (Local), Knowledge (Nature), Knowledge (Psionics) (Int), Martial Lore (Int), Profession (Wis), Swim (Str), and Tumble (Dex).
Skill Points per Level
4 + Int modifier.
{table=head]Level|BAB|Fort|Ref|Will|Special|Maneuvers[br]Known|Maneuvers[br]Readied|Stances|Manifesting
1st|+1|+2|+0|+0|Feral Boost, Savage Claws|0|0|1|+1 level of manifesting class
2nd|+2|+3|+0|+0|Psionic Healing, Reaping Talons|1|0|1|+1 level of manifesting class
3rd|+3|+3|+1|+1|Instinctive Focus|1|1|1|+1 level of manifesting class
4th|+4|+4|+1|+1|Loose the Beast|2|1|1|+1 level of manifesting class
5th|+5|+4|+1|+1|Pouncing Strike|2|1|2|+1 level of manifesting class
6th|+6|+5|+2|+2|Feral Hunter Stance|3|1|2|–[/table]
Class Features
All the following are class features of the Savage Savant prestige class.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency
You gain no additional weapon or armor proficiencies.
Maneuvers
At each even-numbered level, you gain one new maneuver known from the Diamond Mind, Stone Dragon, or Tiger Claw disciplines. You must meet a maneuver’s prerequisites to learn it. You add your full Savage Savant level to your initiator level to determine your total initiator level and the highest level of maneuver you can learn. If you have levels in an initiator class that allows you to exchange out maneuvers at certain levels, your Savage Savant levels stack with your levels in that class for determining when you may exchange maneuvers. At 3rd level, you gain an additional maneuver readied each day.
Stances
At 1st level, and again at 5th level, you gain a new martial stance known from the Diamond Mind, Stone Dragon, or Tiger Claw disciplines. You must meet a stance’s prerequisites to learn it.
Manifesting
Whenever you gain a new Savage Savant level, except at 6th levels, you gain new power points per day and powers known as if you had also gained a level in a manifesting class you belonged to before you added the prestige class level. You do not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained.
Feral Boost (Su)
Whenever you make a claw attack as part of a martial maneuver, you may expend a number of power points up to your manifester level. For every two power points you expend, the attack deals an additional 1d4 damage with that attack, to a maximum of +10d4 damage. If the maneuver allows you to make multiple attacks, you must expend power points separately for each attack.
Savage Claws (Ex)
At 1st level, you can use your psionic powers to greater effect when in a martial stance of the Tiger Claw discipline. Rounds spent in a Tiger Claw stance do not count against the duration of any of the following powers: claw of energy, claws of the beast, claws of the vampire, duodimensional claw, metaphysical claw, prevenom, and truevenom. At your DM’s discretion, you may add other powers that enhance your natural weapons to this list.
Psionic Healing (Su)
At 2nd level, you can use your psychic energy to heal yourself. Whenever you manifest a psionic power while in a Tiger Claw stance, you are healed an amount of hp equal to the power’s level.
Reaping Talons (Ex)
At 2nd level, you gain Reaping Talons as a bonus feat. You do not need to meet the feat’s requirements.
Instinctive Focus (Ex)
At 3rd level, whenever an enemy provokes an attack of opportunity, you may choose to make a Concentration check to gain psionic focus instead of making the attack. Doing so counts as your attack of opportunity for that round.
Loose the Beast (Su)
At 4th level, you can use your psionic powers to take on a more bestial form with great ease. Whenever you initiate a maneuver of the Tiger Claw discipline or enter a Tiger Claw stance, you may expend your psionic focus to manifest any of the powers to which your savage claws ability applies as part of the action you take to initiate the maneuver. You must still expend power points normally.
Pouncing Strike (Su)
At 5th level, whenever you make an attack as part of a Tiger Claw maneuver, you may expend your psionic focus. If you do, then either immediately before or immediately after you make the attack, you may make a Jump check as a swift action to make a long jump. You are treated as having a running start for the check.
Feral Hunter Stance (Su)
At 6th level, you learn the feral hunter stance, allowing you to use your bestial strength to shake the resolve of even the fiercest of opponents. While you are in a martial stance of the Tiger Claw discipline, you may, as a swift action, forgo its normal benefit to gain the effects of the feral hunter stance. You can also end the feral hunter stance and resume the normal benefit of the stance you were in as a swift action. While in the feral hunter stance, whenever you initiate a Tiger Claw strike, you intimidate all enemies within 30 ft of you. They must make a Will save, DC 10 + your class level + your Wisdom modifier, or become frightened for 1d10 rounds. If you are psionically focused, the DC increases by 2. Even if they successfully save, they are shaken for 1 round. Creatures whose HD exceed yours are immune to this effect. Once a creature has successfully saved against this stance, it is does not have to save against it again for 24 hours.
