Pit Fighter Prestige Class
by Vernon GeiszHit Die: d10
Requirements:
To qualify to become a Pit Fighter, a character must fulfil the following requirements.
Attacks: character must have at least two attacks per round that use different attack bonuses, whether through natural weaponry or iterative attacks. Two weapon and double weapon fighting do not count towards this requirement
Feats: Endurance, any two Exotic Weapon Proficiencies.
Special: Character must have survived at least five fights in the gladiatorial arena.
Class Skills
The pit fighters class skills are Bluff(Cha), Climb(Str), Craft(Int), Handle Animal(Cha), Intimidate(Cha), Jump(Str), Ride(Dex), and Tumble(Dex)
Skill points at each level: 2+ Int modifier
Class Features
All of the following are class features of the pit fighter prestige class.
Weapons and armour Proficiency: A pit fighter is proficient with all simple and martial weapons, light armour, medium armour, and shields. Note the armour check penalties for armour heavier than leather apply to the skills Balance, Climb, Escape artist, Hide, Hump, Move Silently, Pick Pocket, and Tumble. Also Swim checks suffer a -1 penalty for every 5 pounds of armour and equipment carried.
Battle Sense: Beginning at 1st level, the pit fighter is increasingly aware of the space around him, giving him the ability to react in situations that a normal combatant would not. The advantages he gains are listed below.
At 1st level, the pit fighter cannot be caught flat-footed in combat, as life in the pits has trained him to be constantly on the lookout for ambush. This works exactly like the rogue’s Uncanny Dodge ability.
At 4th level, the pit fighter cannot be flanked. He understands and instinctively utilises special techniques in combat versus multiple opponents. This works exactly like the rogue’s Uncanny Dodge ability.
At 7th level, if two or more opponents within his reach have attacked the pit fighter since his last action, he gains an extra partial action that can only be used to attack one of these opponents. This extra partial action is lost if the number of valid targets is brought below two before the pit fighter’s action
Weapon Sense: At 1st level, the pit fighter begins to learn how to use any available weapon effectively. Therefore he only suffers a -2 penalty when using a weapon in which he is not proficient, as apposed to the normal -4.
At 3rd level, the pit fighter no longer suffers any non-proficiency penalties and is effectively proficient with all weapons.
Armour Adjustment: Because of the lack of reliable equipment found in most pits, the pit fighter is incredibly adept at adapting bits and pieces of armour to maximise his protection. As a result, starting at 2nd level the pit fighter may add a bonus to his AC when he is wearing any type of armour. Creatures with natural armour may also apply this bonus.
Skewer: At 2nd level, the pit fighter learns to drive his blade deep into his opponent and keep it there until his opponent stops struggling. Any time the pit fighter damages a foe with a piercing weapon he may attempt to skewer as a free action. He and his opponent make an opposed Strength check. If the pit fighter is successful he has lodged his weapon inside his opponent’s body
Every round thereafter the pit fighter may use a full round action to twist the weapon and press it deeper into his opponent, automatically delivering damage as if he had rolled a successful hit.
An opponent caught in this manner may make an opposed strength check to pull the weapon from his body. The pit fighter receives a +2 bonus to this check due to his improved leverage. Either character can make an opposed strength check to move up to ¼ speed while the skewer is maintained. If successful, both creatures move the same distance.
Fighter Feat: The pit fighter may select a feat from the list of fighter bonus feats
Savage Strike: This crippling blow is meant to disable the pit fighter’s opponent so that he may finish him off more easily. Once per day at 5th level and then twice pre day at 9th, the pit fighter may declare one of his attacks as a savage strike. If the attack hits, it deals 2d4 temporary damage to Strength, Dexterity or Constitution in addition to the normal damage. The pit fighter may choose which ability score he wishes dot damage.
The savage strike can only affect opponents of medium-size or smaller, and any creature that is immune to critical hits is also immune to the savage strike.
Poison Use: The pit fighter learns to look for any advantage he can get. Therefore at 6th level he no longer risks poisoning himself when applying poison to his weapon
Steal the Kill: Pit fighters quickly learn that the less opponents they have to fight the better, so they train themselves to finish off the weak and wounded first. A pit fighter may use an attack of opportunity to strike an opponent who has been damaged by another source in the same round. This counts as the pit fighter’s attack of opportunity fort the round.
Pure Form: At 10th level the pit fighter’s combat training gives him the extraordinary ability to stay alive during the fiercest of combats. As a full round action, the pit fighter may designate each opponent within 10 feet and either take an attack against that opponent or gain a +4 dodge bonus to his AC against that opponent until his next action. He must still be abele to reach an opponent to attack him and may use his 5 ft step any time during his round.
Table PF1
| Level | Base Attack | Fort Save | Ref Save | Will Save | Special |
| 1 | +1 | +2 | +0 | +0 | Battle Sense, Weapon Sense |
| 2 | +2 | +3 | +0 | +0 | Armour Adjustment +1, Skewer |
| 3 | +3 | +3 | +1 | +1 | Fighter Feat, Weapon Sense |
| 4 | +4 | +4 | +1 | +1 | Battle Sense |
| 5 | +5 | +4 | +1 | +1 | Armour Adjustment +2, Savage Strike 1/day |
| 6 | +6 | +5 | +2 | +2 | Fighter Feat, Poison Use |
| 7 | +7 | +5 | +2 | +2 | Battle Sense |
| 8 | +8 | +6 | +2 | +2 | Armour Adjustment +3, Steal the Kill |
| 9 | +9 | +6 | +3 | +3 | Fighter Feat, Savage Strike 2/day |
| 10 | +10 | +7 | +3 | +3 | Armour Adjustment +4, Pure Form |
Source: Legends and Lairs, Path of the Sword by Fantasy Flight Games. This prestige class is open source.