Hida Senzoku (3.5e Prestige Class)

Hida Senzoku

“	I am Hida! We are power! Bakemono and Oni fear us, for we will destroy you all. These lands will be freed once again!	”
—Hida Shinae, human samurai

Deep in the valleys between the mountains, there lies one Bushi unlike any other. We are the few, the strongest, the Hida Senzoku. The Crab have defended these lands of Rokugon for many years. But oni break our lines. They use demon magic to aid their cause. More and more have our brothers fallen to this evil. The wall must not fall! For the sake of Rokugan, for the sake of the rest of the slumbering world, the wall must not fall!
So many do not even know of the wall, and the oni infestation on our lands. Many know, but do not fight. They bicker and squabble over land or control. The Crab do not care for these things. The Crab only fight for power, for the honor of our ancestors and for the lives of our families. The Crab fight for the lives of our brothers and sisters who have called these lands home for many generations. We the Hida Senzoku fight for the glory of battle. We fight because we are the strongest. And we fear that without us, the wall may fall.

Only the strongest, and most power warriors are selected for this noble and glorious path. If you can prove your loyalty and strength in battle, then you may be chosen to learn the ways of the Hida Senzoku. All in Rokugon know of the awesome power we command. All who threaten the Crab will fall before our might.

Becoming a Hida Senzoku

Alignment:	Any Lawful.
Base Attack Bonus:	+5.
Race:	Humanoid non demon.
Skills:	Knowledge (Shadowlands) 4 ranks, Spot 4 ranks.
Feats:	Way of the Crab, Power Attack, Proficiency with Martial Weapons, Proficiency with Heavy Armor.
Patron:	No Requirement.
Domains:	No Requirement
Special:	Must be Crab clan or train in a Crab bushi dojo.

Table: The Hida Senzoku

Hit Die: d12

Level	Base Attack Bonus	Saving Throws			Special
		Fort	Ref	Will
1st	+1	+2	+0	+2	Senzoku Technique +1, The First Shout, Armor Focus (heavy armor)
2nd	+2	+3	+0	+3	Bulwark of Defense
3rd	+3	+3	+1	+3	Senzoku Technique +2, The Second Shout
4th	+4	+4	+1	+4	Shield Ally, adjacent
5th	+5	+4	+1	+4	Senzoku Technique +3, The Third Shout
6th	+6	+5	+2	+5	Shield Ally, 10' radius
7th	+7	+5	+2	+5	Senzoku Technique+4, Senzoku Hidden Shout
8th	+8	+6	+2	+6	Shield Ally, 15' radius
9th	+9	+6	+3	+6	Senzoku Technique+5, Senzoku Forbidden Shout
10th	+10	+7	+3	+7	Shield Ally 20' radius, Improved Shield Ally
Class Skills (2 + Int modifier per level) Climb, Intimidate, Jump, Knowledge (Shadowlands), Listen, Spot, Survival, Swim.

Class Features

Senzoku Technique

Beginning at level 1, your dauntless fighting spirit plays a major role in your fighting style, as important as the strength of your arm or the sharpness of your blade. In battle, you draw upon the force of your Chi to deliver powerful shouts that ring across the battlefield. You can call out a foe, shouting a challenge that boosts his confidence, or issue a general challenge that strikes fear into weak opponents and compels strong opponents to seek you out for personal combat. By pressing upon your enemies with the force of your mighty Chi, you can manipulate your foes.
You can use this ability a number of times per encounter equal to your technique bonus. As you gain levels, you gain a number of options that you can use in conjunction with this ability. The target of this technique must have an intelligence of 5 or higher. Even if you and your foes lack a shared language, you can still effectively communicate through body language, tone, and certain oaths and challenges you learn from a variety of languages.

The First Shout (Su)

At level 1, using the most basic lessons of the Senzoku technique, you can issue a challenge against a single opponent as a swift action, loudly proclaiming your past deeds on the battlefield and insulting the courage of your opponent. Until the end of the encounter, you gain a your technique bonus as a morale bonus on Will saves, attack rolls and damage rolls against the target of this ability. If you initiate a new First Shout during the encounter, the effects of your current First Shout immediately expire.

Armor Focus (Heavy Armor)

Starting at level 1, the senzoku gains this feat as a bonus feat, ignoring prerequisites.

Bulwark of Defense (Ex)

When you reach 2nd level, an opponent that begins its turn in your threatened area treats all of the squares that you threaten as difficult terrain. Your brutal swings and wild assault force your opponents to move with care.

The Second Shout (Su)

Starting at 3th level, you can shout a challenge to all enemies as a swift action, calling out for the mightiest among them to face you in combat. All enemies within 100 feet must make a Will save (DC 10 + Hida senzoku class level + your Str modifier). Creatures that fail this save are forced to attack you with their ranged or melee attacks in preference over other available targets. If a foe attacks by casting a spell or using a supernatural ability, he must target you with the attack or include you in the effect's area.
An opponent compelled to act in this manner is not thrown into a mindless rage and does not have to move to attack you in melee if doing so would provoke attacks of opportunity against him. In such a case, he can use ranged attacks against you or attack any opponents he threatens as normal. If anyone other than you attacks the target, the effect of the Second Shout ends for that specific target.

Shield Ally (Su)

Starting at 4th level, as an immediate action you can opt to absorb part of the damage from a attack dealt to an adjacent ally. Each time this ally takes damage from a physical attack before your next turn, you can take half this damage on yourself. The target takes the other half as normal. At higher levels, you can extend your chi across a greater area and protect your allies across a short distance.

The Third Shout (Su)

Starting at 5th level, you can extend your Chi and shout a cry of encouragement to an ally. As a swift action, grant a target ally who can hear you another save against a fear effect. The target gains a bonus on this save equal to your Constitution bonus.

The Senzoku Hidden Shout (Su)

Starting at 7th level, the senzoku masters teach you the secret senzoku technique, the Hidden Shout, granted only to the most advanced students of the school. As a swift action, you gather your chi and utter a mighty shout, affecting all creatures within 100 feet of you. All targets must make Will Saves (DC 10 + Hida senzoku class level + your Str bonus) or become shaken until the end of the encounter. Creatures can only be targeted by this effect once per day. This is a mind-affecting fear effect.

The Senzoku Forbidden Shout (Su)

At 9th level, this technique was developed centuries ago by a forgotten senzoku master, and its teaching has been forbidden to all but the highest-ranking masters (upon reaching 9th level). The masters use it only in times of greatest need, for this shout can shatter the chi of an unprepared warrior. As a swift action, your focus your chi into a concentrated, white-hot point of rage and release it in a thunderous roar, instilling such fear in the opponent that you shake their very soul, leaving the body an empty husk, quivering in terror. A target enemy within close range must make a Fort save (DC 10 + Hida senzoku class level + your Str bonus) or die. On a successful save, the enemy is instead shaken until the end of the encounter. This is a mind-affecting fear effect. Using the Forbidden Shout saps the chi of the senzoku master; it can only be attempted once per day.

Improved Shield Ally (Su)

At 10th level, your ability to absorb damage increases. Once per round you can absorb all the damage from a single attack directed against an ally. In addition, you continue to absorb half the damage from other attacks on the ally, if you so choose. You must decide whether to use this ability after the attacker hits but before he rolls damage.

Ex-Hida Senzoku

No man leave the Hida Senzoku. If any choose to abandon the cause, they are either dead or have become mad and joined the Oni. Then they are no better than the oni and deserve a swift and painful end. Only the strongest survive, and they are the Hida Senzoku. Leaving the Hida Senzoku causes all bonuses gained by the shouts to be reduced by -2 as well as the loss of the magical enchantment of their daisho. (same effect as the ex-samurai) Also, anyone who leaves will be hunted down by their master and killed. The Hida Senzoku master is a 10th level Hida Senzoku requiring at minimum, a level 15 charactor of Samurai 5 Hida Senzoku 10.

Campaign Information

Playing a Hida Senzoku

Headstrong, over confident and dominating. Battle tactics are a must. Usually works best with a healer or some good support classes.

Combat: Try to improve initiative. Hit first, hit hard, rince and repeat until all opponents are dead.

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