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malykoth 05-22-07, 04:06 PM

The Ravenwing: This small group of hexblades, sometimes known as the "Unkind", have taken up the deceptively deadly war fan as their weapon of choice, and make secret pacts with raven spirits to gain a more focused set of abilities. Most ravenwings like to maintain a simple, harmless appearance, the better to slice with their hidden wings. Some disguise themselves as performers. Nearly all favor agility and dexterity over brute strength and power. A prospective ravenwing performs a simple ritual over her corvid familiar, just before midnight. At the stroke of midnight, the familiar speaks in the voice of an entity that calls itself the First Raven. If the entity finds the applicant acceptable, she is initiated into the ravenwings. This ritual need only be performed once, upon gaining her first level in this class. War Fan (light exotic melee weapon): Cost 40 gp, Dmg 1d4 (S)/ 1d6 (M), Crit 20/x3, Wt 2 lb., Type: Slashing. - When a war fan is first brought into melee, the wielder may attempt a Bluff check against an opponent's Sense Motive check. If the wielder wins the contest, he adds a +4 bonus to the attack roll for his first round's attacks(s). Requirements: Skills: Knowledge (arcana) 8 Special: Hexblade’s curse class feature; raven familiar with a master level equal to a 5th level sorcerer/wizard. If the ravenwing ever loses his raven familiar, he does not lose his abilities in this class, but he cannot advance further until he once more has a raven familiar. Hit Points per Level: d8 Skill Points per Level: 2 + Int modifier. Class Skills: The ravenwing's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Balance (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Climb (Dex), Concentration (Con), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Perform (dance) (Cha), Sense Motive (Wis), Spellcraft (Int), Spot (Wis), and Tumble (Dex). Base Fort Ref Will Level Attack Bonus Save Save Save Special 1st +1 +0 +2 +2 Fluttering wing style, Heightened Familiar, Hexblade’s Curse progression 2nd +2 +0 +3 +3 +1 to existing class 3rd +3 +1 +3 +3 Wing shield 4th +4 +1 +4 +4 +1 to existing class 5th +5 +1 +4 +4 Summon raven swarm 6th +6 +2 +5 +5 +1 to existing class 7th +7 +2 +5 +5 Greater wing shield 8th +8 +2 +6 +6 +1 to existing class 9th +9 +3 +6 +6 Black feather discorporation 10th +10 +3 +7 +7 Greater fluttering wing style, +1 to existing class CLASS FEATURES All of the following are class features of the ravenwing. Unless otherwise stated, the caster level of any effect is equal to the ravenwing’s familiar level (see Heightened Familiar). Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Ravenwings gain proficiency with the war fan (sometimes called a “wing”) and shuriken. Traditionally, a ravenwing’s war fan will be fashioned so that the individual vanes resemble black feathers, and are usually decorated with an outer layer of such feathers. The special throwing blades of the ravenwings also look like stylized black feathers, but are treated as shurikens, and should be no harder to procure. They refer to these blades as “pinions”. Fluttering Wing Style: The ravenwings have a strange affinity with the wing and the pinion, the weapons they are schooled in by their corvid spirit allies. When wielding these weapons, a ravenwing is treated as having the following feat: Quick Draw and Two-Weapon Fighting. These feat only apply to the war fan and pinion (as well as any other type of shuriken). If the ravenwing already has Quick Draw, then she gains no other benefit in its place. If she already has Two-Weapon Fighting, then she gains Improved Two-Weapon Fighting instead, following the same restrictions, even if she does not meet the other requirements of the feat. Heightened Familiar: The ravenwing’s class level stacks with her hexblade level to determine the strength of her bond with her familiar. In addition, when this class is first taken, raise her hexblade familiar level by 3 (effectively removing the -3 level modifier imposed on other hexblades in regards to their familiar’s level). This bonus only applies when the familiar in question is a raven (or other corvid). Hexblade’s Curse Progression: For purposes of the hexblade’s curse class ability, levels of this class stack with hexblade to determine number of uses per day and saving throw DC of the curse. This ability has no effect on any other hexblade class abilities, including aura of unluck, bonus feat, or gaining access to dire hexblade’s curse. Spells per Day/Spells Known: At 2nd level, and each even numbered level after that, a ravenwing gains new spells per day (and spells know, if applicable) as if she had also gained a level in an arcane spellcasting class she belonged to before adding the prestige class level. If she has more than one arcane spellcasting class before becoming a ravenwing, she must decide to which class to add each level for the purpose of determining spells per day/spells known. Wing Shield: Starting at 3rd level, when wielding a pair of war fans, the ravenwing is treated as having the Two-Weapon Defense feat. If the ravenwing already has this feat, then he gains no other benefit from this ability. Summon Raven Swarm (Su): Starting at 5th level, as a standard action, the ravenwing can use one of her daily uses of hexblade’s curse to summon a flock of ravens. This is a conjuration effect. The ravens always appear within 30 feet of the ravenwing, but can attack the same round they are summoned if they share a square with an opponent. The swarm will attack any foe of the ravenwing’s choice, but will not travel farther than 30 feet from her. She may change their target as a free action on her turn. The swarm remains for a number of rounds equal to her class level. Raven Swarm Tiny Animal (Swarm) Hit Dice: 7d8 (39 hp) Initiative: +2 Speed: 10 ft. (1 square), fly 40 ft. (average) Armor Class: 14 (+2 size, +2 Dex), touch 14, flat-footed 12 Base Attack/Grapple: +7/– Attack: Swarm (1d6) Full Attack: Swarm (1d6) Space/Reach: 10 ft./0 ft. Special Attacks: Distraction, pluck eyes Special Qualities: Half damage from slashing and piercing, low-light vision, swarm traits Saves: Fort +3, Ref +7, Will +4 Abilities: Str 3, Dex 15, Con 12, Int 2, Wis 14, Cha 6 Skills: Listen +10, Spot +12 Feats: Weapon Finesse Alignment: Always neutral - Distraction (Ex): Any living creature that begins its turn with a raven swarm in its space must succeed on a DC 12 Fortitude save or be nauseated for 1 round. The save DC is Constitution-based. Spellcasting or concentration on spells within the area of the swarm requires a Concentration check (DC 20 + spell level). - Pluck Eyes (Ex): Each round the raven swarm deals damage to a creature, there is a 20% chance that it plucks out the creature’s eyes, blinding it permanently. At 7th level, the swarm gains 1 HD (including the following advances: 1d8+1 hp, +1 to base attack bonus, +1 to Ref saves, +1 to Listen and Spot skill checks, and a +1 increase to Dexterity. The Dexterity increase includes: +1 to initiative, +1 to AC , +1 to base attack [for a +2 combined increase this level], +1 to Ref saves [for a +2 combined increase this level]). The swarm also increases its swarm damage to 1d8. At 9th level, the swarm gains 1 HD (including the following advances: 1d8+1 hp, +1 to Fort and Will saves, +1 to Listen and Spot skill checks, and the Weapon Focus/swarm feat [adding a +1 to its swarm attack roll]). The swarm also increases its swarm damage to 2d6. Greater Wing Shield: At 7th level, increase the bonus granted by [I]wing shield to +2. If the ravenwing chooses to only attack with one war fan, using the other for defense, the shield bonus granted increases to +3. Black Feather Discorporation (Su): Starting at 9th level, as a standard action, the ravenwing can use one of his daily uses of hexblade’s curse to transform himself into a swarm of Tiny, ravenlike shadows that fill two 10-foot squares (or eight contiguous 5-foot squares, shapeable as he desires). He can only take move actions in this state. The duration of this ability is 1 hour. In this swarmlike form, he gains the following characteristics and traits. - Abilities: Strength drops to 1, but Dexterity increases by 6. - Armor Class: He loses any natural armor bonus or armor bonus to AC. He gains a +2 size bonus to AC, and a deflection bonus to AC equal to his Charisma modifier. - Movement: He gains a fly speed of 40 feet with average maneuverability. He can pass through openings a Tiny creature could pass through. - Swarm Traits: As listed in the MM. Unlike other swarms of Tiny creatures, he is not vulnerable to wind effects. If reduced to 0 hp or less, or rendered unconscious by nonlethal damage, he instantly returns to his normal form in a square of his choice that was formerly covered by the swarm. - Swarm Attack: He gains a swarm attack that deals 4d6 points of damage to any creature whose space he occupies at the end of his turn. This swarm attack strikes as a magic weapon of his alignment. - Distraction: Any living creature that begins its turn in a square occupied by the swarm must succeed on a DC 18 (+ ravenwing’s Constitution modifier) Fortitude save or be nauseated for 1 round. Spellcasting or concentration on spells within the area of the swarm requires a Concentration check (DC 20 + spell level). - Possessions: All of his worn or carried equipment and items become nonfunctional, absorbed into his new form. Greater Fluttering Wing Style: When wielding war fans or pinions (shurikens), a ravenwing is treated as having the Improved Two-Weapon Fighting feat, even if he doesn’t meet the other prerequisites for the feat. The feat only applies to the war fan and shurikens. If the ravenwing already has this feat, then she gains Greater Two-Weapon Fighting, following the same restrictions. If he already has that feat, then he gains no other benefit from this ability.