The skies above and the seas below, and the marvels of nature that dwell within, they all have a power they represent, and there are many who covet it, if they only could have it. There are mystic knights who strive to embody these powers, focusing on the elements upon which all explorers rely, and by bending the elements to their will, they command them just as readily as a crew of iron men to conquer all who would cross their path.
The dread pirate is an archetype of the mystic knight class.
Class Skills:
The dread pirate loses Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Knowledge (planes), and Ride as class skills and gains Bluff (Cha), Diplomacy (Cha), Knowledge (geography) (Int), Knowledge (nature) (Int), and Survival (Wis) as class skills. She also gains 6 + Int mod skill points per level.
This changes the mystic knight’s class skills.
Weapon and Armor Proficiencies:
A dread pirate is proficient with all simple and martial weapons, gunblades, light handguns, one-handed handguns, double barrel shotguns, and sawn-off shotguns. They are proficient with light armor, armoured coats and ice coats but not with shields. Dread pirates treat armoured coats and ice coats as light armour for all purposes (Such as determining her speed or if she can use her dread pirate abilities.)
This changes the mystic knight’s proficiencies.
Limit Breaks (Su):
At 1st level, alongside the generic limit breaks available to mystic knights (those of the Arcane, Battle, or Stoic modes), the dread pirate also gains access to the Pollywogs, the Lot of Them limit break.
Pollywogs, the Lot of Them (Su): This limit break lets the dread pirate cripple and humiliate her enemies by warping them through intense elemental surges. For 2 rounds per stack spent as a swift action, the dread pirate can, once per turn, add the effects of her elemental grasp ability to an attack roll she makes with a weapon, whether melee or ranged. As well, depending on her current element, the attack also has one of the following effects:
Wind: The swirling air howls in the target's ears, leaving them deafened for 1 minute.
Water: The target feels as though they are being surrounded by water, inflicting the shaken condition for 1 minute.
Poison: The toxicity of your magically envenomed strike inflicts the sickened condition for 1 minute.
The duration of these abilities are increased by 1 round for every hit while attuned to the proper element. At 9th level, the dread pirate can spend 5 MP to make the attack that channels her elemental grasp ability also inflict the following status effects, based on her current element:
Wind: The target is confused for 1 minute.
Water: The target is panicked for 1 minute.
Poison: The target is afflicted with the Toad condition for 1 minute.
Additional hits do not further extend the duration of these extra conditions. The target can make a Will save (DC 10 + ½ mystic knight level + Focus modifier) to avoid the confused, panicked, or Toad conditions.
This replaces the elemental buster limit break.
Elemental Attunement (Su):
This ability works as normal, except that the dread pirate can only attune to the wind, water, and poison elements.
This modifies elemental attunement.
A Pox Upon Ye (Su):
At 2nd level, the dread pirate can deliver swift and severe punishment to the mutinous. When the dread pirate is targeted by an attack roll, she can make an opposed attack roll of the same type (such as firing a gun when an arrow is shot at her, or attacking with her sword in response to a monster swiping at her with its claws) as an immediate action; if she does not have a weapon that makes the appropriate attack in hand but has one on her person, she can drop whatever may be in her hand and draw the appropriate weapon. If the dread pirate’s attack roll meets or surpasses the attack roll it opposes, the attack targeting her is negated.
If the dread pirate successfully negated the attack and the enemy who attacked her is within 30 feet of her, the dread pirate can spend 1 MP, inflicting a condition upon the enemy based on her current element:
Wind: The target is knocked prone.
Water: The target is rendered flat-footed until the beginning of the dread pirate’s next turn.
Poison: The target is fatigued for a number of rounds equal to half of the dread pirate’s mystic knight level.
If the dread pirate fails to negate the attack, she can spend 2 MP to inflict the appropriate condition upon the target anyway, albeit with a Reflex save when the dread pirate is attuned to wind or water, or a Fortitude save when the dread pirate is attuned to poison; in any case, the DC to avoid the effect is 10 + ½ mystic knight level + Focus modifier.
At 10th level, the dread pirate can instead spend 3 MP to inflict one of the following conditions:
Wind: The target is Miniaturized for a number of rounds equal to half of the dread pirate’s mystic knight level.
Water: The target is Imped for a number of rounds equal to half of the dread pirate’s mystic knight level.
Poison: The target is Pigged for a number of rounds equal to half of the dread pirate’s mystic knight level.
The dread pirate can spend 5 MP to inflict one of these effects upon the target if she fails to negate the attack, requiring a Will save for all three effects.
This replaces the reversal ability.
Swordplay (Su):
The dread pirate loses access to the following swordplay techniques: Ashura, Blood Sword, Excalibur, Flametongue, Gorgon Gaze, Gran Fissure, Icebrand, Icebound Blade, Muramasa, Raikiri, Thunderblade, and Zanmato. In exchange, she gains access to the following swordplay techniques.
Ame-no-Murakumo: The wind that speaks of home becomes an overwhelming squall, forcing the otherworldly to their place of origin rather than merely suggesting it. When using the Djinn Flyssa swordplay technique, extraplanar or summoned creatures with HD lower than your mystic knight level do not receive a saving throw to avoid banishment, and if the creature has enough HD to still make a save and you are either attuned to an element they are vulnerable to or your attack is made of a material that bypasses a particular damage reduction they have, the save DC increases by 2. Prerequisite: Djinn Flyssa, Dread Pirate 12
Black Widow: Amongst the most feared of arachnids, the bite of the black widow causes great pain and sickness, assuming the venom does not kill the victim outright. When using the Spider’s Kiss swordplay technique, on a failed save, the target is also nauseated for 1d4 rounds, and all attacks they make suffer a 50% miss chance from the vivid hallucinations for a number of rounds equal to your Focus modifier. Prerequisite: Spider’s Kiss, Dread Pirate 10
Brotherhood: Though it is the ultimate source of all life, and a necessary facet of survival, water can be just as much an instrument of destruction, and by your comrades sharing their essence with you, your enemies are sure to be swallowed up. Make an attack; if successful, you inflict the damage of the attack, plus 1d6 water damage for every three mystic knight levels (minimum 1d6) and an additional 1d6 water damage for every living ally within 30 feet of you. By spending 1 MP, you can increase the water damage by 1d6.
Djinn Flyssa: The wind spirits for which the sword and its technique are named are known to have a world all their own homeland, and you can make the breeze carry a song that makes they and other denizens of outer worlds feel the undeniable pull of home. Make an attack; if successful, you inflict the damage of the attack, plus 1d6 wind damage for every two mystic knight levels. If the target is an extraplanar or summoned creature, then they must make a Will save (DC 10 + ½ mystic knight level + Focus modifier) or be banished to whence they came. By spending 1 MP, you can increase the wind damage by 1d6, or by spending 2 MP, you can increase the DC by 1 (to a maximum of 6 MP spent). Prerequisite: Dread Pirate 6
Galatyn: Just as the ocean is brimming with life, so too does it bring death without mercy. When using the Brotherhood swordplay technique, allies who are within range and alive but at 0 hit points or lower grant 2d6 additional water damage instead of 1d6. Prerequisite: Brotherhood, Dread Pirate 6
Gale Sword: Such great mass as the largest warship is easily carried across the ocean by so much as a breeze, and the wind you employ is more than fierce enough to sling your foes as a storm would a frigate. Make an attack, melee or ranged, and apply it to any single target within a range of Close (25 ft. + 5 ft for every two mystic knight levels); if successful, you inflict the damage of the attack, plus 1d6 wind damage for every two mystic knight levels, and can make a reposition attempt as a free action that ignores size limitations and does not provoke attacks of opportunity, also treating you as being adjacent to the enemy for the purposes of the combat maneuver. By spending 1 MP, you can increase the wind damage by 1d6, or gain a +2 bonus to the reposition attempt, for every MP spent.
Krysta: Your mastery over the four winds is such that all who feel its push are swept off their feet. When using the Gale Sword swordplay technique, creatures against whom the reposition attempt succeeds are also knocked prone. Prerequisite: Gale Sword
Mesa: From the very earth itself, one can find fantastically virulent and corrosive toxins, bestowing upon hapless creatures a painful, miserable death and disintegrating solids. Make an attack; if successful, you inflict the damage of the attack, plus 1d6 poison damage for every two mystic knight levels. The damage inflicted by the attack ignores all damage reduction and hardness, and constructs or undead creatures still suffer the poison damage as any other creature, despite normally being immune to poison. By spending 1 MP, you can make the target suffer an additional 1d6 poison damage at the beginning of their next turn for every MP spent. Prerequisite: Dread Pirate 4
Shear Trigger: With enough force behind it, water is just as able to cut into metal and stone as the finest and hardest of blades. Make an attack, ignoring any armor bonus or natural armor the target may have; if successful, you inflict the damage of the attack, plus 1d6 water damage for every two mystic knight levels. By spending 1 MP, you can increase the water damage by 1d6 for every MP spent.
Sidewinder: Inspired by the swiftness of a viper’s whipping bite, your weapon lashes out at a blinding speed to deliver a vicious blow faster than the human eye. Make an attack, targeting the opponent’s flat-footed AC; the target is not actually flat-footed against the attack, and thus abilities such as sneak attack, as well as others that rely on the target being flat-footed, do not trigger. If successful, you inflict the damage of the attack, plus 1d6 poison damage for every two mystic knight levels. By spending 1 MP, you can increase the poison damage by 1d6 for every MP spent.
Spider’s Kiss: Even for those who are in no danger of being bitten, there is no fear more primal, more absolute, than that of the visage of a spider, filling them with overwhelming dread. Make an attack; if successful, you inflict the damage of the attack, plus 1d6 poison damage for every two mystic knight levels, and force a Fortitude save (DC 10 + ½ mystic knight level + Focus modifier). Failure indicates that the target is frightened for a number of rounds equal to your Focus modifier, whereas success leaves the target shaken for 1 round. This is a poison-based fear effect, and thus bypasses mind-affecting immunities, but is affected by resistance or immunity to poison. By spending 1 MP, you can increase the poison damage by 1d6 for every MP spent, or by spending 2 MP, you can increase the save DC by 1 for every two MP spent.
Tear Saber: The force behind your watery assault shreds your opponent’s defenses, destroying their chances of survival. When using the Shear Trigger swordplay technique, you can also make a sunder attempt on a successful hit, targeting either the opponent’s armor or natural armor. If choosing the latter, a successful sunder attempt reduces the target’s natural armor bonus to half, rounded down. Prerequisite: Shear Trigger, Dread Pirate 8
This modifies swordplay.
Agility Training (Ex):
At 3rd level, while wearing light or no armour and while not using a shield, the dread pirate gains a +1 dodge bonus to AC and increases the maximum Dexterity bonus of any light armor she wears by 1. Every four levels thereafter (7th, 11th, 15th and 19th), these bonuses increase by +1 to a maximum of a +5 dodge bonus to AC and a +5 to the maximum Dexterity bonus allowed. This dodge bonus is doubled against attacks of opportunity the dread pirate provokes by moving. In addition, she gains a +5ft enhancement bonus to her base land speed. At 7th level, this increases to +10ft.
This replaces the armor training ability.
Mysticisms (Su):
The dread pirate loses access to the following mysticisms: Runeblade, Runecast, Runefeast, and Runemend. In exchange, she gains access to the following mysticisms:
Flower of the Sea: A dread pirate with this mysticism can, as a standard action, make a Diplomacy check. She then divides the result by the number of allies within a 60 ft. radius, granting them a morale bonus to all saving throws equal to the quotient (minimum 1, with a maximum equal to the dread pirate’s Focus modifier). MP Cost: 4 MP
Kindred Spirit: A dread pirate with this mysticism can, as an immediate action, make a Spellcraft check when granted a positive condition. The result is divided by the number of allies within a 30 ft. radius, and the resulting number is the number of rounds that the dread pirate and her allies enjoy the effect, or the original duration, whichever is shorter. MP Cost: 5 MP
Landlubber Lambast: A dread pirate with this mysticism can, as a standard action, make an Intimidate check. Targeting any single creature with whom she has line of sight, the Intimidate check has a DC of 15 + the creature’s HD, and if the Intimidate check succeeds, the creature loses any and all forms of movement aside from their base land speed, as well as any modifiers to their land speed (such as the fast movement ability or the effects of the haste spell). If they do not have a base land speed, then they simply hit the ground and cannot move. Creatures in the air touch down to the ground, but do not take falling damage. This effect lasts for 1d3+1 rounds, and cannot be inflicted upon the same creature until at least 1 minute has elapsed after the effect wears off. MP Cost: 6 MP
Pirate’s Daring: A dread pirate with this mysticism can, as a swift action, make a Bluff check. The result is divided by four (minimum 1), and applies as an insight bonus to the dread pirate’s AC and CMD. This bonus lasts for a number of rounds equal to her Focus modifier, and is doubled against attacks of opportunity or combat maneuvers made in place of attacks of opportunity. MP Cost: 2 MP
This modifies the mysticism ability.
Uncanny Dodge (Ex):
At 5th level, a dread pirate can react to danger before her senses would normally allow her to do so. She cannot be caught flat-footed, nor does she lose her Dexterity bonus to AC if the attacker is invisible. She still loses her Dexterity bonus to AC if immobilized. A dread pirate with this ability can still lose her Dexterity bonus to AC if an opponent successfully uses the feint action against her.
If a dread pirate already has uncanny dodge from a different class, she automatically gains improved uncanny dodge (see below) instead.
This replaces the elemental empowerment ability.
Land, Sea, and Sky (Su):
At 7th level, the dread pirate has begun to exert her will over the natural forces that hold the fate of all mariners in their hands, and move with the same grace and power. Depending on her current element, the dread pirate enjoys the following effects:
Wind: The dread pirate increases her base land speed by 10 feet.
Water: The dread pirate gains a swim speed equal to her land speed.
Poison: The dread pirate can move up to 10 feet through threatened squares on her turn without provoking an attack of opportunity.
At 12th level, she also gains the following benefits:
Wind: For up to 10 minutes per level, the dread pirate gains a fly speed of her base land speed +20 feet with average maneuverability by spending a standard action that does not provoke attacks of opportunity. After the duration of this ability ends, she must wait 1 minute per level before being able to use it again.
Water: The dread pirate’s swim speed is equal to twice her land speed, and she can breathe underwater with no fear of drowning.
Poison: The dread pirate can move up to 20 feet through threatened squares on her turn without provoking an attack of opportunity, and as a standard action, can move up to half her base land speed and make a single attack. This does not allow for special attacks, such as the Vital Strike feat or a charge.
At 17th level, she also gains the following benefits:
Wind: While flying, if the dread pirate moves half of her fly speed or more on her turn, she gains a 20% miss chance on all attacks made against her until the beginning of her next turn.
Water: While in the water or underwater, the dread pirate cannot be entangled or grappled.
Poison: Once per round, the dread pirate can move through a square occupied by an enemy, and in doing so inflicts 3d6 + Focus modifier poison damage to the enemy she passes through. She must be able to actually make physical contact with the enemy to use this ability, cannot end her movement in an occupied space, and can only use it on one creature per round.
This replaces the assault, improved assault, and greater assault abilities.
Improved Uncanny Dodge (Ex):
At 8th level, a dread pirate can no longer be flanked.
This defense denies a thief the ability to sneak attack the character by flanking her, unless the attacker has at least four more thief levels than the target’s mystic knight level.
If a character already has uncanny dodge from another class, the levels from the classes that grant uncanny dodge stack to determine the minimum thief level required to flank the character.
This replaces the swordplay technique gained at 8th level.
