Whip Duelist (3.5e Class)

Whip Duelist

Masters and paragons at using Whips, these adepts learn at an early time how to wield them, and over time with practice and cleverness learn to perform amazing feats with these tools, from disarming and disrobing opponents with a flick of the wrist, to assisting them in acrobatic maneuvers, these masters often more then not discovering that the whip becomes an prehensile extension of themselves.

Making a Whip Duelist

A dexterity based class, a Whip Duelist should stay at mid range if it can be helped. Mid or long range at later levels.

Abilities: Primary attributes are Dexterity for damage and Intellect for class skills and features.

Races: Any, though races with naturally high dexterity or long limbs tend to be more common for this class.

Alignment: Usually, but not exclusive to, Chaotic or Neutral.

Starting Gold: 6d6x10 Gold

Starting Age: As Ranger

Table: The Whip Duelist

Hit Die: d8

Level	Base Attack Bonus	Saving Throws			Special
		Fort	Ref	Will
1st	+1	+0	+2	+0	Whip Training, Precise Strike
2nd	+2	+0	+3	+0	Whip Mastery, Lash Talent, Serpent Strikes +1d6
3rd	+3	+1	+3	+1	Whip Excellence
4th	+4	+1	+4	+1	Whip Trick, Lash Talent, Whip Excellence (+1)
5th	+5	+1	+4	+1	Greater Whip Mastery, Evasion, Serpent Strikes +2d6
6th	+6/+1	+2	+5	+2	Lash Talent
7th	+7/+2	+2	+5	+2	Whip Trick
8th	+8/+3	+2	+6	+2	Lash Talent, Serpent Strikes +3d6, Whip Excellence (+2)
9th	+9/+4	+3	+6	+3	Improved Evasion
10th	+10/+5	+3	+7	+3	Lash Talent, Whip Trick
11th	+11/+6/+1	+3	+7	+3	Serpent Strikes +4d6
12th	+12/+7/+2	+4	+8	+4	Lash Talent, Whip Excellence (+3)
13th	+13/+8/+3	+4	+8	+4	Whip Trick
14th	+14/+9/+4	+4	+9	+4	Lash Talent, Serpent Strikes +5d6
15th	+15/+10/+5	+5	+9	+5	Whip Excellence (+4)
16th	+16/+11/+6/+1	+5	+10	+5	Lash Talent, Whip Trick
17th	+17/+12/+7/+2	+5	+10	+5	Serpent Strikes +6d6
18th	+18/+13/+8/+3	+6	+11	+6	Lash Talent
19th	+19/+14/+9/+4	+6	+11	+6	Whip Trick, Whip Excellence (+5)
20th	+20/+15/+10/+5	+6	+12	+6	Serpent Strikes +7d6
Class Skills (6 + Int modifier per level, ×4 at 1st level) Balance (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Escape Artist (Dex), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Hide (Dex), Jump (Str), Knowledge (Dungeoneering) (Int), Knowledge (Geography) (Int), Knowledge (Nature) (Int), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Perform (Cha), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Search (Int), Knowledge (Local) (Int), Sense Motive (Wis), Spot (Wis), Survival (Wis), Swim (Str), Tumble (Dex), and Use Rope (Dex)

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the Whip Duelist

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A Whip Duelist is proficient with all simple and martial weapons and light armor, plus anything that counts as a whip.

Basic Whip Training: Freshly starting, at level 1 the Whip Duelist begins to focus more on their whip and the philosophies behind it and its use. The Whip Duelist gains Weapon Focus (Whip) and Weapon Finesse as bonus feats, and in addition you may deal lethal damage, as well as threaten and land critical hits, and make attacks of opportunity with a whip.

Precise Strike (Ex): A Whip Duelist gains the ability to precisely strike with a whip to such a degree in their target's defenses that it deals additional damage, adding their Whip Duelist levels to their damage roll.

Whip Mastery: The Whip Duelist gains Whip Mastery as a bonus feat. "You no longer provoke attacks of opportunity when attacking with a whip. Further, you can deal damage with a whip despite a creature’s armor bonus or natural armor bonus."

Lash Talents: The opposite of Whip Tricks, as a Whip Duelist gains experience she learns to make her whip act more and more in constant motion with less effort on her part, making it act as if it were alive. At 2nd level, and every two levels thereafter except 20th level, she gains a Lash Talent, a talent that manipulates how the end of the whip works. Unless otherwise specified, a Whip Duelist cannot select and individual talent more than once.

Churn (Ex): By keeping her whip constantly in motion, even when not attacking, the Whip Duelist makes it very difficult for foes to disarm or sunder her whip. She adds half her class level to her disarm and sunder maneuver checks made against her whip.

Fine Control (Ex): As a full-round action, the Whip Duelist may use her whip to manipulate an unattended object up to 15 feet away as if she were adjacent to it. The Whip Duelist is limited to manipulations she could accomplish in a single move action using only one hand. For example, the Whip Duelist can pick the object up, bringing it to her space (and even grabbing it with a free hand, if she has one).

Flay (Ex): This talent allows the Whip Duelist to actually lift skin off her targets with well-struck attacks. When the Whip Duelist scores a critical hit on a target, it also suffers a bleed effect. This causes the target to take 1 additional point of damage each round for every 2 class levels of the Whip Master class. Bleeding creatures take this damage every round at the start of their turns. The bleeding can be stopped by a DC 15 Heal check or the application or any effect that heals hit point damage. Bleeding damage from this ability does not stack with itself. Bleeding damage bypasses any damage reduction the creature might possess.

Snatch (Ex): The Whip Master gains a bonus to disarm maneuvers made with a whip equal to 1/3 her level. Additionally, if she successfully disarms a foe with her whip, she can pull the disarmed object into her space. If she has a free hand she can grab the item, otherwise it falls at her feet.

Sting (Ex): With this talent a Whip Duelist can use her whip to cause painful welts that distract her foes. As a standard action the Whip Duelist may attempt to sting a single target within range of her whip. She must make a melee touch attack against the target. If the attack is successful, the target must make a Fortitude save (DC 10 + the Whip Duelist's Dexterity modifier + 1/2 the Whip Duelist's level + any enhancement bonus to attack of the whip). The target may add his armor or natural armor bonus (whichever is higher) as a bonus to this Fortitude save. On a failed save, the target drops any object he is holding, and provokes attacks of opportunity from anyone threatening him (including the Whip Duelist).

Swing Line (Ex): The Whip Duelist has mastered the art of using her whip as a swing line, allowing her to cross chasms and rapidly climb the length of her whip. As a standard action, the Whip Duelist can lash the end of her whip to any appropriate anchor point within range. As part of a move action, she can then move up to fifteen feet from her starting point as part of her normal movement without requiring Acrobatics or Climb checks that might normally be needed, moving at her full speed even up a wall, over a chasm, or across difficult terrain. She can even attach the whip to a point next to her, wrap the remaining length around herself, and jump down, unrolling the whip from her body as she goes. The Whip Duelist can detach the whip from its anchor point as a free action.

Whip Mastery: The Whip Duelist gains one of the following feats: Combat Expertise, Dazzling Display, Greater Disarm, Greater Feint, Greater Trip, Improved Disarm, Improved Feint, Improved Trip, Improved Sunder, Intimidating Prowess, Shatter Defenses, Weapon Finesse, or Whirlwind Attack. The Whip Duelist may select this talent multiple times. Each time it is selected, a different feat is gained. The Whip Duelist must meet all prerequisites to select a whip mastery feat except if Power Attack is required.

Serpent Strikes (Ex): At 2nd level, the Whip Duelist learns how to exploit an opening, dealing extra damage. The Whip Duelist may make this strike during an attack whenever his opponent is denied her Dexterity bonus to her armor class (whether the target actually has a Dexterity bonus or not) or when he flanks his opponent. This extra damage is indicated on Table: Whip Duelist. Should the Whip Duelist score a critical hit with a strike, this extra damage is not multiplied.

This may only apply to whips, and does not stack with rogue sneak attack or similar abilities. This damage cannot be added to Attacks of Opportunity unless combat has not started.

Whip Excellence (Ex): Starting at level three the Whip Duelist may add her dexterity modifier to any combat maneuvers made with a whip. Additionally at level 4, they get a +1 to this. At level 8 this becomes +2. At level 12 +3. At level 15 +4. At level 19 +5. These bonuses stack with any feats that grant similar bonuses.

Whip Trick: Beginning to understand the way a whip works and the energy that it works with when used, Whip Duelist can perform amazing tricks with their whip, capable of producing even supernatural tricks. Starting at 4th level and every third level after the Whip Duelist may select a trick to have learned.

Absolute Whip Mastery (Su): Your whip may overcome damage reductions based on your level. At level 6th, your whip's damage is counted as magic for bypassing damage reduction. At 16th it is counted as Adamantine.

Acrobatic Improvisation (Ex): You may use your whip to aid you in a balance, climb, jump, or any other form of acrobatic maneuver where a rope could help. This provides a +2 bonus on these skill checks, plus whatever enhancement bonus the whip also has.

Crippling Critical (Ex): When you confirm a critical hit using a whip, you can apply one of the following penalties in addition to the damage dealt: reduce all of the target's speeds by 10 feet (minimum 5 feet), 1d4 points of Strength or Dexterity damage, –4 penalty on all saving throws, –4 penalty to Armor Class, or 2d6 points of bleed damage. These penalties last for 1 minute, except for ability damage, which must be healed normally, and bleed damage, which continues until the target receives magic healing or a DC 15 Heal skill check. Must be at least level 10 to select this trick.

Disrobe (Ex): You may make a combat maneuver check against an opponent who is wearing armor (treated as a sunder attempt). If you succeed, then they lose a part of their armor, taking a -1 Penalty to AC. If the opponent is wearing metal armor, they can take a standard action to fix this armor break, which provokes attacks of opportunity. If the total penalty to AC reaches what the armor provides, the armor is either sundered or cut so much that it falls to the ground useless.

Disrupting Crack (Su): You may make a Perform (Dance) check to use your whip in a way that it makes a alarmingly loud crack of thunder. Any creature within 30ft of the Whip Duelist may use this performance check result in place of a Will based saving throw if, after the saving throw is rolled, the Perform check result proves to be higher. If performed not immediately after a roll, it can act as a new attempt to save in the same manner. Requires the Loud Crack trick. Can be done a number of times per day equal to 1/2 their Whip Duelist levels + their Intelligence Modifier.

Flowing Draw (Ex): You may draw your whip as a free action or sheath it as a standard action. If you have the feat Quick Draw, you may draw it as an immediate action and sheath it as a free action. Must be level 10 to select this trick.

Lightning Fast (Su): Your whip seems to strike your opponents at blindingly fast speeds, giving it the Shock property for one minute. You may do this a number of times per day equal to 1/2 their Whip Duelist levels + their Intelligence Modifier.

Loud Crack (Su): When your whip snaps against an opponent, it makes a deafening sound, treating it as if it has the Thundering property for one minute. You may do this a number of times per day equal to 1/2 their Whip Duelist levels + their Intelligence Modifier.

Second Defense (Ex): Once per round, if you are aware of it, you may make an attack roll to deflect ranged attacks with your whip, and whatever ammunition was used falls harmlessly to the ground. You may make additional rolls equal to your dexterity if you have the feat Combat Reflexes, but doing so counts against the number of attacks of oppertunity you get from the feat.

Viper's Strike (Ex): You may poison your whip, and without risk of accidentally poisoning yourself. Because a whip's tip is generally made of leather, the poison applied lasts for two uses as the leather has soaked the poison in, holding it in longer. You may do this a number of times per day equal to your Intelligence Modifier.

Whip Stretch (Ex): Your reach with the whip increases by five feet. However, you may only deal critical hits to targets within the whip's normal reach. This Trick may be taken multiple times to a max range of +20 ft, and may be used in combination with other whip tricks or Lash Talents.

Greater Whip Mastery: At 5th level, while wielding a whip, you threaten the area of your natural reach plus 5 feet. You can also use a whip to grasp an unattended object up to two size categories smaller then you within your whip’s reach and pull that object into your square. To do so, you must hit AC 10 with a melee touch attack. It is a free action to pick up the object. Further, you can use the whip to grasp onto an object within your whip’s reach, using 5 feet of your whip as if it were a grappling hook, allowing you to use the rest of your whip to swing on like a rope. As a free action, you can release the object your whip is grasping, but you cannot use the whip to attack while the whip is grasping an object.

Evasion (Ex): At 5th level and higher, a Whip Duelist can avoid even magical and unusual attacks with great agility. If she makes a successful Reflex saving throw against an attack that normally deals half damage on a successful save, she instead takes no damage. Evasion can be used only if the Whip Duelist is wearing light armor or no armor. A helpless Whip Duelist does not gain the benefit of evasion.

Improved Evasion (Ex): This works like evasion, except that while the Whip Duelist still takes no damage on a successful Reflex saving throw against attacks, she henceforth takes only half damage on a failed save. A helpless Whip Duelist does not gain the benefit of improved evasion.

Campaign Information

Playing a Whip Duelist

Religion: Whip Duelists can come from any Religion background. Some come from druid or nature worshiping temples all ready having a bond with an animal.

Other Classes: Druids and Rangers with pets understand the bond between the Whip Duelist and there pet the easiest. Bards love there dance like movements in battle while Rogues appreciate using there pet as an advantage to hurt there enemies more.

Combat: A Whip Duelist in combat is delicate dance between the Whip Duelist and there pet or allies. Fighting together in tandem with their team that runs around keeping enemies distracted and open for the Whip Duelist to take advantage. While the Whip Duelist may seem weak to the eye there strength comes from using there whip to move and throw there opponents whichever way they choose.

Advancement: Druid and Ranger backgrounds are not uncommon, with some even coming from Bards and Swashbuckler backgrounds as well. Though Whip Duelists can come from almost any background.

Whip Duelists in the World

“	Do not fear the pet in front of you, but the Whip user you dismissed.	”
—Skretch, Harpy Gunslinger/Whip Duelist

Typically, a Whip Duelist learns their art from other Whip Duelists, Weapon Masters, Blacksnakes, or even circus performers, learning to perfect the use of their whip, and any team or pet they may be with.

Whip Duelist Lore

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

Knowledge (Dungeoneering)

DC	Result
5	<-common knowledge->.
10	<-not so common knowledge->.
15	<-rare information->.
20	<-very rare information->.

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