Champion of the Ferine (3.5e Class)

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Champion of the Ferine Version 2.0.0
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Champion of the Ferine

Wherever the wild's call whispers there are ears ready to listen; countless individuals follow the Druid's path, bending knee to the will of nature or those who call themselves its masters in the greater Divine, but others yet instead reach out to the untamed powers. The allure is not for those of weak will or pathetic stature, for nature favors those that are strong, and culls those that are weak, grooming and rewarding those who succeed with further chances for success... Or failure. However, to those that tap into the ferocity of beasts through such avenues and embrace the animal soul, they become unalike anything in their realm. And, with time, edge ever closer to becoming more alike the thing that they draw upon.

Champions of the Ferine, Aeron R'roth left and Sylania Andonai right, with both humanoid and Alternate Forms.

Making a Champion of the Ferine

Champions of the Ferine are powerful melee combatants with limited Divine spell casting abilities. Their innate connection to nature, namely the spirit of animal savagery, allows them to quickly overwhelm even the strongest foes in an onslaught of weapon strikes. Unlike Druids, Champions of the Ferine freely make use of highly protective metal heavy armor and bring to bear fierce greatswords.

Abilities: Strength is the priority of any Champion of the Ferine for it determines many of their offensive melee abilities, followed closely by Wisdom which enables their Divine spell casting and augmentation spells in addition to empowering some class features. However, a large Constitution score is essential to enhance their survivability against threats near and far along with improving crucial class functions, namely their Invocation ability.

Races: All but a handful of races hear the call of the wild and even less take up the predatory path of the Champion of the Ferine. The most common to heed the call are the Humans, far from single minded in this pursuit, many humans shun those who answer to the wild, even going so far as to hunt them as monsters and aberrations. Many Elves find themselves slipping away from their civilized cousins, content to lose themselves in a never ending hunt through the centuries. Very few of the other races hear the call and many that do never answer it, instead choosing to wrap themselves away as "civilized". Nothing prevents others from answering the call though and any race may be found as a Champion of the Ferine.

Alignment: Champions of the Ferine frequently abandon the morals and restrictions of civilization, but rarely do so completely. A Champion of the Ferine must be Neutral on at least one alignment axis, but may be any combination of alignments that satisfy this requirement.

Starting Gold: 6d4x10

Starting Age: Simple.

Table: The Champion of the Ferine

Hit Die: d10

Level Base
Attack Bonus 		Saving Throws Special Ferocious Assault
Attack Bonus 		Spells per Day
Fort Ref Will 0 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th
1st +1 +2 +0 +2 Manifest Feral Soul, Predator Empathy, Ferocious Assault -1/-1 3 2 — — — —
2nd +2 +3 +0 +3 Pounce, Woodland Stride, Keen Nature Sense +0/+0 4 3 — — — —
3rd +3 +3 +1 +3 Unshackled Movement +1/+1 5 4 — — — —
4th +4 +4 +1 +4 Blade of the Wild +2/+2 6 5 — — — —
5th +5 +5 +1 +5 Superior Manifestation of Feral Soul, Trackless Step, Resist Nature's Lure +4/+4 6 5 2 — — —
6th +6/+1 +5 +2 +5 Empowerment, Empowerment: Untamed Power +5/+5/+0 6 6 3 — — —
7th +7/+2 +5 +2 +5 Empowerment: Maiming Wounds, Empowerment: Primal Will +6/+6/+1 6 6 5 — — —
8th +8/+3 +6 +2 +6 Scent, Empowerment: Savage Strikes +7/+7/+2 6 7 6 — — —
9th +9/+4 +6 +3 +6 Greater Manifestation of Feral Soul, Natural Immunity, Unbound Agility +9/+9/+4 6 7 6 2 — —
10th +10/+5 +7 +3 +7 Timeless Body, Empowerment: Vengeful Return +10/+10/+5 6 8 7 3 — —
11th +11/+6/+1 +7 +3 +7 Shattering Roar, Greater Ferocious Assault +11/+11/+11/+6/+1 6 8 7 5 — —
12th +12/+7/+2 +8 +4 +8 Kindred Spirits +12/+12/+12/+7/+2 6 8 8 6 — —
13th +13/+8/+3 +8 +4 +8 Fierce Manifestation of Feral Soul, Empowerment: Reckless Onslaught +13/+13/+13/+8/+3 6 9 8 6 2 —
14th +14/+9/+4 +9 +4 +9 Sunder Nature's Lure +14/+14/+14/+9/+4 6 9 8 7 3 —
15th +15/+10/+5 +9 +5 +9 Wrath of the Wild +15/+15/+15/+10/+5 6 9 8 7 5 —
16th +16/+11/+6/+1 +10 +5 +10 Horrifying Roar +16/+16/+16/+11/+6/+1 6 9 9 8 6 —
17th +17/+12/+7/+2 +10 +5 +10 Embodiment of the Feral Soul, Invocation +17/+17/+17/+12/+7/+2 6 10 9 8 6 2
18th +18/+13/+8/+3 +11 +6 +11 Deafening Roar +18/+18/+18/+13/+8/+3 6 10 9 8 7 3
19th +19/+14/+9/+4 +11 +6 +11 +19/+19+19/+14/+9/+4 6 10 10 9 7 5
20th +20/+15/+10/+5 +12 +6 +12 Insurmountable +20/+20/+20/+15/+10/+5 6 10 10 10 8 6

Class Skills (4 + Int modifier per level, ×4 at 1st level)
Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Handle Animal (Cha), Gather Information (Cha), Heal (Wis), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Knowledge (Nature) (Int), Listen (Wis), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Spellcraft (Int), Spot (Wis), Survival (Wis), Swim (Str).

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the Champion of the Ferine.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Champions of the Ferine are strictly proficient with heavy armor and greatswords, along with any natural attacks they have.

Manifest Feral Soul (Ex): Starting at the 1st level and every four levels there after (5th, 9th, 13th, and 17th) the Champion of the Ferine further manifests the feral powers within them. These powers are always present and need not require the Champion of the Ferine being necessarily aware of them for them to function.

All increases to statistics, such as Natural Armor, Will, Reflex, Fortitude, Resistance, or Ability Scores, are additive in nature with all other sources unless specifically stated otherwise; this means that they stack with all other like effects regardless of their source unless it notes differently; for example the Natural Armor provided by Feral Soul stacks with other sources of armor, regardless of their origin, including worn armor unless stated otherwise.

At 1st level the Champion of the Ferine gains a permanent bonus of +2 bonus of Strength, Constitution, and +1 Natural Armor. She also begins to grow a pair of large predatory claws with which she becomes naturally proficient with, dealing 1d4 damage while attacking with them; the damage dealt by these claws may be piercing or slashing (which must be determined at the time of the attack), but cannot qualify as both for the purposes of overcoming damage reduction.

These claw attacks may be utilized as an additional pair of attacks following a Ferocious Assault; the attack roll penalty for her claw attacks is her base attack bonus -5 as normal, and are affected by her penalty to attack rolls following the use of Ferocious Assault.

These added claw attacks are treated as a separate attack, but allows her to make attacks, such as an attack of opportunity, with her equipped weapon afterward and with no added penalty from this additional attack - this however does not remove the penalty to attack rolls before her next turn caused by Ferocious Assault, if any.

The Champion of the Ferine may improve her natural claw attack through the Improved Natural Attack feat as normal, stacking its benefits with any others gained; Feral Soul may be treated as the Improved Natural Attack feat for the purpose of allowing feats with that prerequisite to be taken or whenever it proves beneficial to her. In the event the Champion of the Ferine had claws prior to her 1st class level in Champion of the Ferine, regardless of source, the damage dealt by her claws is increased to the next largest value by Feral Soul.

In addition to these qualities, a Champion of the Ferine gains Low-Light Vision; if she already had Low-Light Vision, its range is doubled and a permanent bonus of +2 to Spot checks is gained.

The Champion of the Ferine finds herself in receipt of a +5 bonus of fire, frost, acid and lightning Resistance, which is additive with all other Resistance effects that she has through Feral Soul and Invocation's Alternate Form but stacks with no other sources.

Because a Champion of the Ferine finds herself an exemplar of natural animal ferocity and anchored directly in body and soul to the feral powers that drive the beasts of the wild, she is rendered immune to being raised in undeath should she die and may not be an undead creature of any sort. Resurrection spells, or the overall reuniting of soul to body and returning to life, function as normal for her, but she cannot be transformed willingly or unwillingly into an undead creature at any point. Attempts to do so simply fail with no further effect, be it beneficial or harmful, to herself or the individual attempting to raise her as undead.

Additionally, her soul cannot be contained, controlled, corrupted or destroyed by any means and she actively retains her free will as a spirit even if it is severed from her body; this anchoring of soul is so tremendous that even she cannot elect to take such actions if desired, for her essence belongs to the will of animal ferocity.

Ferocious Assault (Ex): A Champion of the Ferine can channel her wild soul into a ferocious onslaught of attacks, battering the helpless prey before it can retaliate. When doing so, she may make one extra attack in a round at her highest base attack bonus, but this attack takes a -2 penalty, as does each other attack made that round. The resulting modified base attack bonuses are shown in the Ferocious Assault Attack Bonus column. This penalty applies for 1 round, so it also affects attacks of opportunity the Champion might make before her next action. When a Champion reaches 5th level, the penalty lessens to -1, and at 9th level it disappears. A Champion must use a full attack action to strike with such an onslaught. The attacks unleashed by Ferocious Assault are of one type and cannot be freely interchanged once initiated, thus she may not freely switch between her equipped weapon and claws during a Ferocious Assault and must select one to deal Ferocious Assault's damage with.

Predator Empathy (Ex): A Champion of the Ferine can improve the attitude of a predatory animal as a Druid can with her Animal Empathy Extraordinary ability. Predator Empathy only functions when dealing with predatory animals, but gains a +4 circumstance bonus with beasts that are of canine, feline or ursine nature.

Pounce (Ex): Beginning at 2nd level, a Champion of the Ferine gains the benefit of Pounce, allowing her to make a full attack following a charge, including any rake attacks she may have.

Woodland Stride (Ex): Starting at 2nd level, a Champion of the Ferine may move through any sort of undergrowth (such as natural thorns, briars, overgrown areas, and similar terrain) at her normal speed and without taking damage or suffering any other impairment. However, thorns, briars, and overgrown areas that have been magically manipulated to impede motion still affect her.

Keen Nature Sense (Ex): At 2nd level a Champion of the Ferine gains a +4 bonus on all Knowledge (nature) and Survival checks made by her.

Unshackled Movement (Ex): At 3rd level a Champion of the Ferine’s movement speed is faster than the norm for her race by +10 feet. This benefit applies only when she is not wearing armor or is in heavy armor and not carrying a heavy load in either case. Continued, a Champion of the Ferine no longer suffers a penalty to movement while wearing heavy armor, but still does as normal while she is carrying a heavy load.

Blade of the Wild (Su): At the 4th level the Champion of the Ferine is able to make a number of additional attacks of opportunity equal to her Dexterity bonus, ignoring the penalty provided by her worn armor if any, even while flat-footed. The damage dealt by these attacks may be nature (acid) damage or physical damage as selected by her at the time of the attack, these attacks however still remain basic melee attacks regardless of their actual damage type.

Blade of the Wild qualifies the Champion of the Ferine for any features associated with the Combat Reflexes feat as if she had taken that feat. In the event she already had taken Combat Reflexes as a feat, she loses Combat Reflexes at 4th level (when she gains Blade of the Wild) and is refunded the feat she spent on Combat Reflexes.

Superior Manifestation of Feral Soul (Ex): At 5th level the Champion of the Ferine gains an additional permanent +1 bonus of Natural Armor, in addition to +2 Strength and +2 Constitution along with advancing her claw attack by one rank (to 1d6 from 1d4 for example) as if she had taken the Improved Natural Attack feat.

The Champion of the Ferine's natural claws now indefinitely count as magical +1 weapons, allowing them to be enchanted accordingly, however, her claws display no alterations when enchanted and outwardly appear non-magical. The magical potency of the claws cannot be disenchanted or otherwise removed from her being, but may be re-enchanted to replace old effects or include new ones without being destroyed; however, their magical properties are temporarily nullified as normal if she were to cross into an Antimagic Field.

The Champion of the Ferine also begins to grow more in size, stature and musculature, with her taking on a more lean, animal build, and beginning to express a gold coloration to the irises of her eyes and subtle pronunciation of her canine and incisor teeth, causing her to gain the Shapechanger Subtype if she did not already have it. These effects increase the Champion of the Ferine's skill in Intimidation by +2, but reduces the effectiveness of all of her other Charisma-based checks, such as Diplomacy, by -2 when dealing with creatures other than animals.

She also gains another +5 bonus to fire, frost, acid and lightning Resistance, which is additive with all other Resistance effects she has through Feral Soul previously and Invocation's Alternate Form.

Trackless Step (Ex): Starting at 5th level, a Champion of the Ferine leaves no trail in natural surroundings and cannot be tracked. She may choose to leave a trail if so desired.

Resist Nature’s Lure (Ex): Starting at 5th level a Champion of the Ferine gains a +4 bonus on all saving throws made by her against the spell-like abilities of Fey.

Empowerment (Su): At 6th level a Champion of the Ferine learns how to draw upon untapped primal energy, empowering her combat prowess. Empowerment temporarily grants a Champion of the Ferine a chosen passive attack effect for a short duration. Empowering a weapon is a swift action and does not provoke an attack of opportunity for doing so. Empowerment lasts for 3 rounds when activated; Empowerment cannot be activated again until 3 rounds after its effects fade. She may only chose one Empowerment to be active at a time, but may freely switch between them whenever activating them next.

Empowerment: Untamed Power (Su): At 6th level a Champion of the Ferine may use Empowerment: Untamed Power: Successful melee attacks by the Champion of the Ferine now deal damage as nature (acid) instead of physical, and reduce the target's AC by -2 until the end of the Champion of the Ferine's next turn.

Empowerment: Maiming Wounds (Ex): At 7th level a Champion of the Ferine may access Empowerment: Maiming Wounds: Successful melee attacks by the Champion of the Ferine slow the victim's movement speeds by 1/2 until the start of her next turn.

Empowerment: Primal Will (Ex): At 7th level a Champion of the Ferine may access Empowerment: Primal Will: For the duration of Empowerment: Primal Will, a Champion of the Ferine's movement speed cannot drop below her base movement speed, and any effect which would slow or otherwise reduce or halt movement speed does not effect her.

Empowerment: Savage Strikes (Ex): At 8th level Champion of the Ferine may use Empowerment: Savage Strikes: The critical threat range on all of the Champion of the Ferine's attacks are doubled, and all critical strikes gain a +4 confirmation bonus to succeed. This increase to threat range and confirmation of critical hits does not stack with any source except for Scent of Blood.

Scent (Ex): Upon reaching 8th level the Champion of the Ferine gains the Scent Extraordinary ability.

Greater Manifestation of Feral Soul (Ex): At 9th level the Champion of the Ferine gains a permanent bonus of +1 Natural Armor, +2 Strength, and +2 Constitution, and further advances her claw attack to the next largest die (for example, 1d8 from 1d6) as if she had taken the Improved Natural Attack feat again.

She also gains the benefit of Fast Healing in the form of Animal Metabolism; the amount of health regained per turn is 2 hit points per every 4 levels of Champion of the Ferine; the minimal amount regenerated by Animal Metabolism is 1 hit point per turn. Animal Metabolism's effect occurs even while the Champion is unconscious or otherwise unable to act, and is not effected by any means which prevent healing, and may only be reduced to the aforementioned 1 hit point per turn.

It is at this point she bears significantly more beastly qualities for her race and is more easily identified by them; which may include, but are not limited to, a more robust build and greater height for her race, pronounced and thickened fingers with rough palms and clawed digits, including those on her feet, along with the whites of her eyes becoming gold. She might begin to express coarse hair of any natural shade such as black, blonde, white, or brown should she not already display such qualities, and finds herself with a more pronounced set of carnivorous teeth, reducing her Charisma based checks (except for Intimidate) by a further -4 when dealing with humanoids, and instead increasing her total Intimidate by another +4.

The Champion of the Ferine gains an additional +5 bonus to fire, frost, acid and lightning Resistance to herself, which is additive with all other Resistance effects she has through Feral Soul previously and Invocation's Alternate Form.

Natural Immunity (Ex): When having reached 9th level a Champion of the Ferine gains passive immunity to all forms of diseases and poisons. Any effect which would be cured or ended by a successful Neutralize Poison or Remove Disease spell is also effectively canceled by the Champion of the Ferine's Natural Immunity; these effects are automatic and take place immediately upon attempted infliction. This effect cannot be suppressed by any means, including death or any form of helplessness, and functions regardless of the Champion of the Ferine's awareness.

Unbound Agility (Ex): At the 9th level a Champion of the Ferine advances beyond the limits imposed by her worn heavy armor, allowing her to ignore the Armor Check Penalties of it so long as she is not carrying a heavy load.

Timeless Body (Ex): After attaining 10th level, a Champion of the Ferine no longer takes ability score penalties for aging and she cannot be magically aged. Any penalties she may have already incurred, however, remain in place.

Bonuses still accrue, and the Champion of the Ferine still dies of old age when her time is up.

Empowerment: Vengeful Return (Su): Having achieved 10th level, a Champion of the Ferine learns Empowerment: Vengeful Return: Any enemy who strikes the Champion of the Ferine immediately takes 1/2 her Strength modifier in physical damage; each attacker can trigger this effect against them once a round. While Vengeful Return is active, all successful melee attacks by her, including Vengeful Return, heal the Champion of the Ferine for 1/2 of her Constitution modifier.

Greater Ferocious Assault (Ex): When a Champion of the Ferine reaches 11th level, her Ferocious Assault ability improves. In addition to the standard single extra attack she gets from Ferocious Assault, she gets a second extra attack at her full base attack bonus.

Shattering Roar (Ex): At the 11th level a Champion of the Ferine may immediately attempt to interrupt any spell, spell-like ability, or any other magical effect which provokes an attack of opportunity, while it is being cast by any target within 15 ft once per turn. Shattering Roar deals damage equal to the Champion of the Ferine's weapon damage plus her Wisdom modifier as Sonic damage to all enemies in a 15ft burst around the Champion of the Ferine who fail their Will save (DC is 20 + the Champion of the Ferine's Strength modifier), and the casting individual in melee range who triggered Shattering Roar must succeed a Concentration check of DC 15 + casting spell's level + the Champion of the Ferine's Strength modifier or lose the spell, causing it to be lost and have no effect.

Shattering Roar does not interfere with the ability of a Champion of the Ferine to make an attack of opportunity against a target which is not defensively casting a spell; both effects may trigger at the same time, and may be utilized one after another in any order desired, even if the spell is foiled by the attack of opportunity or Shattering Roar. In the event the spell is successfully interrupted by either the attack of opportunity or Shattering Roar, the targeted caster does not need make another Concentration check as the spell's effect has already been lost.

Kindred Spirits (Su): Upon reaching the 12th level all Charisma-based checks which would be negatively effected by any Champion of the Ferine class features no longer applies to Magical Beasts in addition to animals as normal.

Fierce Manifestation of Feral Soul (Ex): At the 13th level the Champion of the Ferine gains an added, permanent +1 bonus of Natural Armor and +2 to Strength, Constitution and Dexterity, and her claw attack is advanced one final time to the next largest hit die (such as 1d8 into 2d6) as if she had taken the Improved Natural Attack feat, along with increasing her close quarters prowess in the form of having her Grapple checks increased by +6.

The Champion of the Ferine now begins to radiate an Unsettling Aura which reduces creatures saves against fear effects by -4, and reduces all of their Will save rolls by an additional -2. This presence effects any creature except for those explicitly chosen by her out to 25ft; the Unsettling Aura is an Extraordinary ability, of which other creatures are conscious and or aware of if they succeed on their perception of its origin through a Spot check (DC 15 + Champion of the Ferine's level); in order to avoid the effects of the Unsettling Aura a creature must succeed on a Will save (DC 10 + 1/2 the Champion of the Ferine's level + the Champion of the Ferine's Strength modifier).

If they are unaware of her aura, they simply feel a powerful and dominating presence in the area which unsettles them but cannot pinpoint who or what it is originating from; this aura cannot be scryed, traced, or divined by magical or supernatural means. A creature unable to perceive the Champion's Unsettling Aura (or failed its save against the effect) must wait 24 hours before attempting to recognize its origin again or attempt another save to defeat the negative effects.

The further ascendancy of the Champion of the Ferine reduces all of her Charisma-based checks, except for Intimidate, with creatures other than animals by an additional -4, but further increases her Intimidate by +4.

The Champion of the Ferine further gains a +5 bonus to her fire, frost, acid and lightning Resistance, which is additive with all other Resistance effects she has through Feral Soul previously and Invocation's Alternate Form.

Empowerment: Reckless Onslaught (Ex): Having achieved 13th level, a Champion of the Ferine learns Empowerment: Reckless Onslaught: Successful melee attacks deal half of the Champion of the Ferine's Strength modifier in physical damage to all creatures other than her within 5ft of her primary target.

Sunder Nature's Lure (Ex): When having reached the 14th level a Champion of the Ferine gains an additional +4 bonus to her saving throws against the spell-like abilities of Fey.

Wrath of the Wild (Su): At the 15th level a Champion of the Ferine learns how to focus her vengeful, primal nature into her attacks of opportunity when at her strongest; Blade of the Wild's effect now deals 1/2 more damage, rounding up, if Empowerment: Untamed Power is active when an attack of opportunity is triggered.

Horrifying Roar (Ex): When reaching the 16th level a Champion of the Ferine gains access to Horrifying Roar. Once per round she may forgo using her Shattering Roar to instead unleash a bloodcurdling roar that terrifies all creatures deemed hostile within a 15ft burst surrounding her. After making use of her Horrifying Roar she must wait 1d4 turns before attempting to do so again, but may still make use of her Shattering Roar as normal.

The save DC for a creature to not become Panicked by Horrifying Roar is Will vs 15 + the Champion of the Ferine's Strength modifier; should a creature fail its save it is immediately Panicked for 1d3 rounds. If a creature succeeds on its Will save against Horrifying Roar it instead becomes Shaken for 1d3 rounds; the damage taken by creatures which fail their Will saves is equal to the Champion of the Ferine's weapon damage plus her Wisdom modifier as Sonic damage, and those that succeed is 1/2 of that Sonic damage.

Embodiment of the Feral Soul (Ex): At the 17th level the Champion of the Ferine reaches the peak of her synergy with her Feral Soul, gaining an additional stacking +1 bonus of Natural Armor, and a +4 bonus to Strength, Constitution, Dexterity, Wisdom, along with an added +6 to Grapple checks; the Natural Armor gained through this source stacks with all prior Feral Soul benefits of the same type along with worn armor and Invocation as normal.

She gains the final benefit of another +5 bonus to fire, frost, acid and lightning Resistance, which is additive with all other Resistance effects she has through Feral Soul previously and Invocation's Alternate Form.

Invocation (Su): At the 17th level a Champion of the Ferine may, three times per day, invoke her Feral Soul, transforming into an Alternate Form (Su) for rounds equal to 3 + her Constitution modifier. This Alternate Form is acquired through Divine magic, specifically through an invocation by the Champion of the Ferine which rends raw bestial energy from existence and focuses it into her; individuals who view this Alternate Form through a spell such as the True Seeing spell view this form as her natural form, even if she is not transformed into this Alternate Form.

While under the effects of this Alternate Form, she qualifies as a Magical Beast and is now considered one whenever beneficial to her, but she retains all of the qualities and traits native to her normal form and class, even while in this Alternate Form, along with her weapon and armor proficiencies and the ability to wield them effectively.

If attempting to cross an Antimagic Field while in Alternate Form or if one is summoned in the Champion of the Ferine's location, she must succeed a DC 20 Will save or be locked out of her Alternate Form until the field dissipates or she leaves the location in which it resides; if she succeeds the save, her Alternate Form is immune to that Antimagic Field for 24 hours.

While in her Alternate Form a Champion of the Ferine gains a +4 increase to Strength, Constitution, and Dexterity, +3 AC bonus in the form of Dodge, +10 stacking fire, frost, acid and lightning Resistance, +10 movement speed, Damage Reduction 15/Cold Iron, +2 bonus to all saves (Fortitude, Reflex and Will), and immunity to Fear, Sleep and Transmutation effects (unless desired); all of which are cumulative to any other beneficial effects applied to the Champion of the Ferine.

Any equipment, such as armor, worn by her is adjusted supernaturally to fit her new form, which appears similarly to a powerful cat of the wild in bipedal form and lacking a tail. When assuming this Alternate Form for the first time, she may choose the appearance of the Alternate Form, such as natural coloration and markings, of which must be possible and credible for that species she has selected; once the decision has been made, her Alternate Form will remain this way indefinitely and express the chosen appearance every time it is assumed.

Should the Champion of the Ferine find herself slain, she immediately assumes death in the shape of her Alternate Form and not her mortal form; this does not count against the maximum allotted uses per day, and when returned to life from death she resumes her normal humanoid form. Effects which normally destroy the body upon death such as Disintegrate do not apply, and her body is left whole at death; it may however be damaged or otherwise harmed after death as normal.

Assuming Alternate Form through Invocation is an Immediate Action which may be accomplished at any time instantaneously by the Champion of the Ferine and is treated as shapeshifting when it benefits the Champion of the Ferine.

Deafening Roar (Ex): Having achieved 18th level, a Champion of the Ferine learns how to unleash a Deafening Roar; this ability may be used once per round instead of her Shattering Roar or Horrifying Roar. All hostile creatures in the 15ft burst area of her location must succeed a Fortitude save of DC 20 + the Champion of the Ferine's Strength modifier, or take damage equal to the Champion of the Ferine's weapon damage plus her Wisdom modifier as Sonic damage and be Deafened for 1d3 rounds.

After making use of a Deafening Roar a Champion of the Ferine must wait 1d4 turns before she may attempt to do so again, but may still make use of her Shattering Roar, along with Horrifying Roar, provided Horrifying Roar is not already expended and waiting to refresh.

Insurmountable (Ex): The Champion of the Ferine at 20th level gains Insurmountable, which causes her to become immune to attacks, spells, and effects that would kill her while she is in her Alternate Form; upon Alternate Form ending, she will die as normal. This effect cannot be suppressed, stalled or otherwise removed in any manner, and will always function; the state of being dead is only temporarily suppressed. If the Champion of the Ferine is afflicted by other death effects, such as (but not limited to) spells or hit point loss, after having already triggered Insurmountable, they have no effect and she will still expire as determined by the remaining duration of her Alternate Form. A Champion of the Ferine who is holding death off temporarily via Insurmountable must die first before she can be resurrected or healed; she is treated as if she were alive while under the effects of Insurmountable until its duration expires. The healing provided by her Animal Metabolism does not act as an effect which can prevent her death if Insurmountable is triggered, and it ceases to function for the duration of Insurmountable.

Spells: Champions of the Ferine spontaneously cast Divine spells, drawing any she wishes from her entire selection available, for however many times a day she is capable of for that spell slot, meaning a Champion of the Ferine may cast any spell she knows without preparing it ahead of time to the maximum in the Spells per Day column appropriate to the cast spell. When she gains access to a new level of spells she automatically knows all the spells she can cast from that level, which can be seen listed below. To cast a spell, a Champion of the Ferine must have a Wisdom score of 10 + the spell's level. The Difficulty Class for saving throws against a Champion of the Ferine's class spells is 10 + the spell's level + two times the Champion of the Ferine's Wisdom modifier.

The following spells can be cast by a Champion of the Ferine:

0—

1st—

2nd—

3rd—

4th—

5th—

Ex-Champions of the Ferine

A Champion of the Ferine who ceases to revere the ferocious beasts of nature or changes to a prohibited alignment will lose access to all of her class features until she atones. She must return to a proper alignment and seek out someone to cast an Atonement spell for her in addition to completing an appropriate quest to reconnect herself with her predatory nature.

A character who takes at least 1 level of Champion of the Ferine must continue to increase their levels in Champion of the Ferine, or she may not take further levels in it. For example, if Sayla, a 1st level Champion of the Ferine and 5th level Fighter, takes another level of Fighter instead of Champion of the Ferine when having reached sufficient experience to gain a new level, she may not progress further in the Champion of the Ferine class.

Epic Champion of the Ferine

Table: The Epic Champion of the Ferine

Hit Die: d10

Level Special
21st Empowerment: Wild Nullification, Scent of Blood
22nd
23rd Sanguine Inheritance (3/day)
24th
25th Greater Blade of the Wild
26th
27th Overwhelming Presence
28th
29th
30th Ascendance

4 + Int modifier skill points per level.

Empowerment: Wild Nullification (Ex): Empowerment: Wild Nullification is achieved by the Champion of the Ferine at level 21 (Epic Tier). Empowerment: Wild Nullification: All hostile spells or spell-like effects, including psi abilities and psi-like abilities, which include the Champion of the Ferine as a target, have a 25% chance to be reflected back to their caster and cause the Champion of the Ferine no harm. Targets critically struck by the Champion of the Ferine while Wild Nullification is active are Dazed until the start of her next turn.

Scent of Blood (Ex): Upon reaching the 21st level, a Champion of the Ferine gains access to Scent of Blood; if any attack in a Ferocious Assault made by her critically strikes, the next attack made by her gains a +5 attack roll bonus, and a +10 critical hit confirmation bonus if it also critically strikes.

Sanguine Inheritance (Ex): At level 23 (Epic Tier) the Champion of the Ferine's Strength, Dexterity, Constitution and Wisdom ability scores improve by +2.

It is at this level Animal Metabolism is improved in effectiveness, and now also provides the following benefits in addition to its previous qualities. Three times per day while benefiting from Animal Metabolism and gaining hit points that turn, a Champion of the Ferine may, as a swift action, heal herself for three times the amount provided by Animal Metabolism as bonus healing, of which cannot be reduced or prevented in any way. Additionally, if she is Fatigued or Exhausted when she utilizes this surge of healing provided by Animal Metabolism, she immediately recovers from those effects.

Greater Blade of the Wild (Ex): At the 25th level (Epic Tier), the Champion of the Ferine's exploits of combat are so ferocious that her natural stamina inflicts additional damage through the attack, causing Blade of the Wild to now also deal her Constitution modifier in bonus damage.

Overwhelming Presence (Ex): Overwhelming Presence is achieved at level 27 (Epic Tier). In addition to its normal effects, the Champion of the Ferine's Unsettling Presence now increases her Will, and that of anyone deemed her ally, by +4 while they are within the effect range of Unsettling Presence, along with doubling the effectiveness of her Unsettling Presence to -8 for saves against Fear effects and Will saves by -4 against targets she deems hostile inside her Unsettling Presence's range.

Ascendance (Ex): At the 30th level (Epic Tier) a Champion of the Ferine's Alternate Form now lasts indefinitely; however, Insurmountable lasts only the duration of rounds Alternate Form would last if she lacked Ascendance, and activates its countdown upon assuming her Alternate Form; along with this, Insurmountable can only be triggered 3 + the Champion of the Ferine's Constitution modifier times a day. The Champion of the Ferine may freely call upon Invocation and dismiss it at will as an Immediate Action as normal, allowing her to enter and exit her Alternate Form when desired and as many times per day as she desires. In addition her Alternate Form gains the following increases; an additional +4 Strength, Constitution, and Dexterity, +3 more bonus AC in the form of Dodge, +10 additional stacking fire, frost, acid and lightning Resistance, +10 movement speed, further Damage Reduction +15/Cold Iron, and another +2 bonus to all saves (Fortitude, Reflex and Will).

Bonus Feats: The epic Champion of the Ferine gains a bonus feat every four levels after 20th.

Campaign Information

Playing a Champion of the Ferine

Religion: Unlike the majority of wielders of Divine magic, Champions of the Ferine find themselves without indenture to deities great and small; in many aspects the tremendous will to draw power directly from the natural world around them without the blessing of some greater celestial or abyssal being is a point of pride, and a matter of disgust for the zealous, pious types that dominate many corners of the world. While perfectly willing to accept the assistance of such greater beings, Champions of the Ferine strictly adhere to a working relationship; reverence and worship of any being severs the tie between the Champion and the feral energy of the universe, preventing them from tapping into even the most lesser of powers. However, their awesome will allows them to sunder even the most fearsome of influences, for the animal soul is not one easily broken, and many a God has found that a Champion of the Ferine will resist even the most subtle of demands outright.

While passive, at times humored by the individuals who consider themselves followers of some higher power, Champions of the Ferine make no attempt to sway any to their side; either one comes to embrace all that is primal, savage, and bloodthirsty on their own accord, or one takes up the mantle of restraint and devotion. From the eyes of another, the view on the Champions of the Ferine are, at best, neutral, for countless organizations have listed them as aberrations of soul and form, or heretics for siphoning the powers of the Divine without greater guidance.

Other Classes: Where as many others find themselves hunting for glory, wisdom, wealth, adventure, or the divine, Champions of the Ferine are born wanderers; just as many great beasts roam the wilds on a hunt, the Champion of the Ferine does much the same. To further the connection to the feral powers, Champions must strive to grow in strength and spirit, trying themselves against various threats and scourges, regardless of their origin. While many situations must be resolved by force alone, Champions of the Ferine often make dedicated efforts to bring bloodless solutions to bear, but fail to find themselves ever idly standing by; conflict is always an option.

Around others they are predatory and vigilant, continuously studying friend and foe alike, and often remain quiet, contemplative and composed; provocation, however, varies by individual, with some quick to lunge into a bestial frenzy, whereas others can be found with tempers as steeled as the finest of Adamantine metals. Unpredictable to those with little to no tie to animal nature, Druids and Rangers find the most understanding and appreciation for a Champion of the Ferine among their ranks. Those of fine martial skill, Fighters, Rogues, Monks, note the unusual synergy between themselves and Champions of the Ferine with varying respect; it would be of little surprise for a particularly savvy and confident Fighter to wish to meet a Champion of the Ferine at blade's edge in a duel to hone his own talents, just as much as it would be for the same Fighter to speak to a Champion of the Ferine with condescending ire. Those of Arcane nature, such as Wizards and Sorcerers, often follow two trains of thought when dealing with Champions of the Ferine; they are either subjects of intrigue, given their unusual talent for rending power from natural existence, or individuals best left unaccosted; after all, Champions of the Ferine fear no magic.

Combat: Champions of the Ferine are formidable melee combatants who rely on minor spell casting to further expand their already lethal capability; their progression through Feral Soul enables them to deal constant and powerful bouts of damage in combination with Ferocious Assault. Empowerment expanding their utility in the fray, a Champion of the Ferine presents a grave threat to the smallest of smalls and greatest of greats through various avenues; not alone is Empowerment, for one of the signature traits of the Champion of the Ferine is the roar, which varies from spell crushing power to terror inflicting dread. But most iconic of the Champion of the Ferine is their Alternate Form drawn through Invocation; when conflict arises a Champion of the Ferine sheds the illusion of civility and takes on the aspect of the wild, becoming more than mortal and more than beast.

Champions of the Ferine in the World

“ Where as many find themselves progressing further into civilization, others of us find ourselves further progressing into the wild. ”
—Aeron R'roth, Human Champion of the Ferine

The few that are Champions of the Ferine are as much an order as they are not; while no structure dictates their actions, they share common universal purposes and goals among themselves freely and act in aid to one another with little question. To those outside of this association, namely those with poor ties to nature itself, they may appear highly unified and regulated given that they have simple but overarching objectives that is found in all Champions of the Ferine. Most notably (and relatively well kept) Champions of the Ferine are often guardians for sources of animal power; objects and artifacts of predatory beasts are frequently held secure by the most elite and experienced. Just as feral relics are kept under close watch, there are select Druidic shrines (namely those of feline) which find themselves protected by some of the most talented and fierce of the Champions of the Ferine.

Younger members, those of least experience, are wanderers who feel the continual compulsion to test themselves against various threats in a tireless pursuit of bonding further with their restless animal soul. Maturing into the blend of mortal race and beast, they take up the duties of those before them and stand ready at locales of power, ever vigilant for those who would defile or defy the savage realities.

Most notably for the youngest, newest of members, they are presented a greatsword of which they will wield against all enemies, be them natural or supernatural. This greatsword, as typical for a Champion of the Ferine, is inscribed and ornate in design, featuring feline inspired livery in its cross-guard and hilt; yet most notable of this weapon's qualities is its finely engraved runes marking the blade down the fuller, closest to the cross-guard, which take on many jagged, irregular shapes. Each rune inscription is symbolic in quality and unique unto the Champion of the Ferine who wields it.

Daily Life: Much of early life is spent overcoming trial after trial, seeking greater and greater enemies of natural order and selection, followed by quickly eliminating them with overwhelming force, where as the seasoned and tested spend much of their days drawing from the limitless pool of bestial nature by will alone. Between wandering and hunting in their early stages and embracing their soul's ties, Champions of the Ferine safeguard ancient relics and sites from would-be treasure hunters and lore seekers to the corrupting undead, studying enemy and ally alike for the most expedient solution.

Notables:

The Alternate Form of Aeron R'roth.

Sylania Andonai, Female Elven Champion of the Ferine: The head envoy to the elder Druids on behalf of the Champions of the Ferine.

Aeron R'roth, Male Human Champion of the Ferine: The de facto representative of the Champions of the Ferine in the war against undeath.

Vann Tyar, Male Human Champion of the Ferine: One of the few born Champions of the Ferine, reaching spiritual synergy at an early age.

Andarra Bloodmane, Female Half Elf Champion of the Ferine: Harsh and savage, Andarra Bloodmane exemplifies the fearless fury of her animal spirit to all those who lay eyes upon her.

The Mortal Form of Sylania Andonai, wielding Talarr, the Wild's Edge.

Organizations: While no established collective of Champions of the Ferine exists, many gather in small groups, often not numbering beyond fifty, to accomplish some specific task. Individuals such as Sylania Andonai and Aeron R'roth are notable examples of "leaders" among the fractured community and are what many common individuals recognize as the most idealistic of the Champions of the Ferine who are more content to take to action than to be reactive.

NPC Reactions: The civilized and wild worlds often find themselves at arms, perpetually conflicting to various extents, with the former of the two forces often taking the advantage. In this, a Champion of the Ferine symbolizes all that the "civilized" commoner fears about the wilderness embodied; the ferocity of a predator and the intelligent tact of a sentient being. Aversion is the most common reaction short of fear; the overwhelming desire to simply have nothing to do with a Champion of the Ferine at all or the cowering at their mere presence. As much expected, a Champion of the Ferine arrives only to civilization with business to attend to, and nothing more; so much as speaking in their faintly growled tone can shut out the recipient from wanting further conversation.

However, races of the wild, or those much attuned to it, look upon Champions of the Ferine with begrudging respect for their pure ties to a force otherwise near impossible to tap. Druids of note, and even those not, find it difficult to admit that a Champion succeeds in tying all the more closely to a select few elements of nature than themselves, but acknowledge it is clear that they have the wild's favor all the same. As such, a Champion of the Ferine among Druids is not terribly uncommon, and some may, at times, serve as a personal guardian to a Druid with an unusually strong bond to the feline, canine or ursine.

Champion of the Ferine Lore

Characters with ranks in Knowledge (Nature) can research Champions of the Ferine to learn more about them. When a character makes a skill check, read or paraphrase the following, including information from lower DCs.

Knowledge (Nature)
DC Result
11 Champions of the Ferine are elusive, savage warriors of nature who will their immense power into existence.
16 Atypically, Champions of the Ferine are Divine spell casters without ties to any deities, and break many boundaries and sanctions set on their closest relatives, the Druids, simply by force of will alone.
21 The most powerful Champions of the Ferine willfully transform their spirit into a fusion of mortal race and savage animal, and show a small fragment of this transformation when they enter their Alternate Form.
26 Champions of the Ferine, when having reached enough spiritual maturity, are no longer mortal races taking on animal forms; they are beast spirits taking on mortal forms.

Champions of the Ferine in the Game

Champions of the Ferine hail from the wildest regions of the world, those inhabited by great beasts feline, canine and ursine, and may even spend time among their animal allies; but to this, a Champion of the Ferine is not limited. They can be encountered standing watchfully in the halls of a Shrine of Obad Hai or a Temple of Ehlonna in the busiest of cities, not out of service to the deity, but out of service to nature's wishes. However, they are most commonly unseen, for their numbers, as notable as they are, are few and those that are among their ranks often are individuals of tremendous prowess and power.

Adaptation: Champions of the Ferine blend well with any campaign provided their lore is employed well. Much of their neutrality, for example, can border from outright slaughter of innocents who dared encroach in on wild sanctuaries to being local but obscure heroes who rise from the wild, ready to vanquish some unnatural threat. Campaigns making much use of the Fey can find Champions of the Ferine as a major source of interaction; the two factions, more or less friendly among one another, can act interesting and unintentional enemies to players. Just as Fey heavy worlds favor the employment of Champions of the Ferine, a world under the tightening grasp of the dead does too, as Champions of the Ferine are vehement enemies of the unliving and take little convincing to be roused into a fury against the undead.

Sample Encounter: A few of those who consider themselves men of savvy nature sat drunkenly upon their chairs in the dreariest corner of the smoke choked bar; others, between taking long gulps of ale from tankards, smoked pipes and traded tales new and old. To the glossy, dull eyes of the inebriated men in the corner, they hadn't but any care in their mind barring that which concerned the shrouded woman far across the room, with drawn ash hood fallen over her features and face; but a few bronze strands of hair found themselves exposed and hanging just over hands, which busied themselves with a leather bound book. With candle alight above her, she turned a page in its orange glow, and unlike the other patrons, hadn't even one sip of the tavern's liquor. One of the groggy men, leaning across the battered, uneven table, muttered to the other in his drunken slur about how she was clearly ignoring them both in particular, to which the other man, in drunken stupor, blinked angrily and nodded whilst replying; "She can't go about ignoring us like that. This is our grounds." He spat, rising from the table unsteadily, to which his companion followed.

Sauntering across the bar, the other patrons paid no attention, and went about smoking and babbling as they had done before; each footstep creaked the worn wooden floor beneath. Nearing as they did, she took no added action, and kept her eyes fixated to the book as they had been prior; a slender finger turning yet another page over, withered parchment scratching gently across its kin. Thumbs firmly placed in the leather of his belt, the first man, his words plagued with alcohol challenged the woman's attention.

"We've been watching you, and we know you're ignoring us in our tavern."

Quietly and with but a hand she closed the halves of the cracked, bound book, hood shifting slightly as if she was nodding, but clearly providing no answer. Licking his cracked lips and glancing to his cohort, the more heavy man seemed uneasy, as if a bizarre presence had begun to wash over him, to which his partner responded with an equally befuddled expression, but the two drunkards pressed further.

"Just like that," He began as his expression frowned and brow furled at the gray figure, "And... We don't like it." Continuing, his compatriot folded his arms atop one another, doing his best to compliment the other man's demeanor.

"Are you going to do something about it?" A calm, composed voice replied; startled the two men seemed moderately shaken at her tone, as it fluctuated with a strange but violent perfection. However, the alcoholic haze barred them from further reasonable choices and the larger, closer man, with dense arms of both fat and muscle, rendered his answer, along with beginning to stretch his arm in her direction.

"We're about to now-"

Words cut short, he found his outstretched arm now fearfully batting around an arm much greater than his own, which sported a crushing grip upon his throat; hand clawing at the enormous pawed digit which clenched his neck, he struggled with both legs, finding them lifted from the wood flooring and into the air where they kicked helplessly. Darting around, his panicked eyes caught note of a distantly red, blonde muzzle with fiery golden eyes set into its skull, but did not linger long as they rushed to see the fate of their friend; with arms up at chest level and palms facing out, the second man found the leading edge of a massive, irregular blade pressed to his throat.

EL 17:

Andarra Bloodmane

CR 17

Female Half Elf Champion of the Ferine 17
CN Medium Humanoid (Half Elf)
Init/Senses +4/Low-Light Vision 60ft, Scent 30ft; Listen +14, Spot +16
Languages Common, Elven
AC 35, touch 14, flat-footed 35; Damage Reduction 3/—
hp 289 (17d10+119 HD)
Fort/Ref/Will 27/14/18; +8 against the Spell-Like Abilities of the Fey
Speed 40 ft. (8 squares)
Melee +5 Greatsword +25/+25/+25/+20/+15/+10 (2d6+17) 19-20/x2 or
Melee +3 Claws +23 (3d6+7) 20/x2
Base Atk/Grp +17/+37
Special Actions Shattering Roar, Horrifying Roar, Empowerment, Alternate Form
Spells Known (CL 17th):
Abilities Str 27, Dex 18, Con 24, Int 10, Wis 17, Cha 8
SQ Immune to Sleep, Fire/Cold/Acid/Lightning Resistance 25, Immune to Undeath, Pounce, Unshackled Movement, Predator Empathy, Woodland Stride, Trackless Step, Evasive Instinct, Blade of the Wild, Empowerment, Natural Immunity, Timeless Body, Fast Healing 3 (Animal Metabolism), Unsettling Aura, Kindred Spirits, Horrifying Roar, Alternate Form
Feats Power Attack, Improved Sunder, Combat Brute (Complete Warrior), Martial Stance: Thicket of Blades (Tome of Battle: Book of Nine Swords), Leap Attack (Complete Adventurer), Stand Still (Expanded Psionics Handbook)
Skills Concentration +24, Intimidate +20, Jump +21, Knowledge (Nature) +14, Listen +14, Spot +16, Survival +17, Swim +15
Possessions +5 Fortified Healing (Magic Item Compendium) Adamantine Plate Armor, +5 Wounding-Collision (Magic Item Compendium) Adamantine Greatsword, Belt of Battle (Magic Item Compendium), Steadfast Boots (Magic Item Compendium), Scabbard of Keen Edges, Armbands of Might (Magic Item Compendium)
Patron Deity —

Alternate Class Features

Not all adventures are made the same, neither are the adventurers partaking in them. Some will find that while they wish to play a Champion of the Ferine, they desire minor alterations in their character's traits and features. Some range from the most minor and others to the significant, but all the same, each and every Alternate Class Feature can be put to good use. It should be noted, however, some Alternate Class Features are radically more powerful than others and are intended for higher than average difficulty games.

Minor Alternate Class Features

The following Minor Alternate Class Features are aesthetic in property and are considered non-canonical to the class. However, players are free to choose from these other options should they wish to do so.

Wolf Champion:

Your feline-esque traits gained through Feral Soul appear wolfish and canine instead, and your Alternate Form takes on the shape of a large wolf in bipedal form instead of a fierce cat. When assuming Alternate Form for the first time, you may choose the appearance of your Alternate Form, such as natural coloration and markings, of which must be possible and credible for the species you have selected; once the decision has been made, your Alternate Form will remain this way indefinitely and express the chosen appearance every time it is assumed. Wolf Champion must be selected at 1st level.

Bear Champion:

Your feline-esque traits gained through Feral Soul appear ursine, bear-like instead, and your Alternate Form takes on the shape of a mighty bear in bipedal form instead of a fierce cat. When assuming Alternate Form for the first time, you may choose the appearance of your Alternate Form, such as natural coloration and markings, of which must be possible and credible for the species you have selected; once the decision has been made, your Alternate Form will remain this way indefinitely and express the chosen appearance every time it is assumed. Bear Champion must be selected at 1st level.

Major Alternate Class Features

The following Major Alternate Class Features are class changing in property and are considered plausible and canonical to the class. These class features replace existing class features.

Beastly Endurance:

You no longer gain Natural Armor through the progression of Feral Soul, instead gaining +3 Damage Reduction/Cold Iron each time you would have benefited from an increase in Natural Armor because of Feral Soul. This damage reduction is additive with all other alike damage reduction gained through Feral Soul and Invocation.

Spell Warded:

You no longer gain Resistance to fire/cold/acid/lightning damage through Feral Soul, Alternate Form and Invocation, and instead benefit from Spell Resistance of the same value increase that you would have received from those sources to Resistance. This Spell Resistance is treated as Resistance for the purposes of advancement through class features, and as such, does not stack with sources other than Feral Soul, Alternate Form and Invocation.

Enrage:

You no longer gain Unshackled Movement, but instead gain the effects of Enrage as an Extraordinary feature. When struck by an invisible attacker, sneak attack, or are critically struck, or suffer an attack while denied your Dexterity bonus, you become furious, immediately gaining +10 movement speed and removing any effect which reduces your movement speed, immobilizes, restrains or otherwise prevents you from moving or hampers your movement; however you are not immune to these effects while Enrage is active. Enrage lasts for 3 rounds, fading at the end of your 3rd round, and cannot be triggered again for 3 rounds after that time.

Tempered Will:

You no longer gain the benefit of Resist Nature's Lure and Sunder Nature's Lure, instead gaining Tempered Will and Greater Tempered Will at the levels you would have gained Resist Nature's Lure and Sunder Nature's Lure. Tempered Will increases your saves against fear effects by +2, and Greater Tempered Will provides you with a +4 bonus against fear effects. You no longer automatically fail your save against a fear effect on a natural dice roll of 1.

Expanded Class Features

Expanded Class Features are designed to further both the lore and functionality of a Champion of the Ferine. These features increase the potency of the class and should only be considered if the character is to be played in a lore heavy and or high powered campaign.

Inscription:

At 1st level a Champion of the Ferine gains the Inscription class feature, which allows her to inscribe upon her greatsword various mythic markings of power at the same time she receives her greatsword. These markings are unique to her weapon as a Champion of the Ferine and otherwise impossible to replicate, for her handiwork is distinct among any greatsword she inscribes; thus she cannot attempt to imitate, successfully, any other Champion of the Ferine's greatsword. Should she attempt to do so, the owner would recognize by instinct alone which of the two swords would be their own. These rune-like inscriptions are arcane and unbeknownst to those outside of the Champions of the Ferine, and are inherent to them only. However, one who is not a Champion of the Ferine may attempt to recognize an Inscribed Greatsword with a successful Decipher Script skill check (DC 20 + Champion of the Ferine's current level) as a weapon belonging to a specific individual based on the unique but universal process used by the Champions of the Ferine, provided they are familiar with the individual or know their weapon.
When inscribing her greatsword she must commit 24 full hours of work to doing so or the inscription process must be started anew; during this time she may take only minor breaks from the process or it fails. The action of restarting her inscription upon the weapon does not damage, destroy or deface the greatsword or its blade unless she is attempting to do so when the weapon has already been inscribed completely. The act of trying to inscribe a new inscription upon the blade when it already has a complete one destroys the weapon, which cracks under the tremendous weight of the power she is physically imbuing into it. Whenever she inscribes a new weapon, one other than her currently inscribed weapon, the old weapon loses its inscribed changes such as Hardness and Hit Point modifications, etc, and uniquely designed inscription, thus the Champion of the Ferine may only ever have one inscribed greatsword of her design in her possession. She may, however, freely carry or wield a greatsword of another Champion of the Ferine without harming their weapon, but she does not gain the specific benefits of their inscription unless noted in the weapon's description, provided it has one. Her allies however, those who are not Champions of the Ferine, may not freely wield an Inscribed Greatsword unless she specifically notes that they may, but they do not benefit from its inscriptions.
Should an individual who is not a Champion of the Ferine wield a Champion of the Ferine's Inscribed Greatsword without her blessing or permission, the wielder suffers 1 Negative Level until they no longer attempt to wield the weapon; the Negative Level gained by wielding her weapon does not require a Fortitude save, and immediately leaves the individual when they release the weapon from their grasp. This negative level never results in actual level loss, but it cannot be overcome in any way (including restoration spells) while the weapon is wielded.
Every rune-like marking upon the Champion of the Ferine's blade is a blend of rounded strokes and sharp angles, with each having a personal, innate meaning to the wielder who inscribed it. When inscribing the weapon, its wielder is unknowing of what symbols they will place and what decoration and livery will take shape. Regardless of its appearance, she is aware of the Inscribed Greatsword's qualities through inscription at all times.
All Inscribed Greatswords gain the following changes;
The greatsword's Hardness and Hit Points are increased by 1.5x and the greatsword becomes Masterwork in quality, regardless of what quality it was previously; weapons which were previously Masterwork remain so through this process with no change other than the increase to Hardness and Hit Points. Even worn greatswords can be repaired by this means, but they retain their physical appearance and still bear the scars of their past conflicts; these weapons must not have lost as many, or more than, 1/2 of their total Hit Points or they cannot be inscribed successfully.
An Inscribed Greatsword is treated as if the weapon has the Returning property; any Inscribed Greatsword thrown, lost, or otherwise not in possession of the Champion of the Ferine, will return to them as a free action immediately before the start of the Champion of the Ferine's turn. A Champion of the Ferine may leave her sword in a location without it immediately reappearing with in arm's reach if she wishes to do so and later will it to her location regardless of the distance between her and the Inscribed Greatsword, however she must be on the same plane as her Inscribed Greatsword in order for this feature to succeed. This Returning property is a supernatural effect, and does not count as a magical enchantment placed upon the weapon.

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