Sightless Blademaster (Samurai/Oracle)

Vision is a tool, like all other senses and weapons, but some are not as reliant on it as others. Whether by choice or by fate, the sightless blademaster forsakes his sense of vision in favor of honing his other senses into tools far too powerful to fool. Sightless blademasters use their humble appearance and apparent weakness to provoke their enemies into grossly underestimating their battle prowess. (Original concept by Taco Man)

Primary Class: Samurai.

Secondary Class: Oracle.

Alignment: Any.

Hit Dice: d10.

Bonus Skills and Ranks: The sightless blademaster selects three oracle skills to add to his class skills in addition to the normal samurai class skills. The sightless blademaster gains a number of ranks at each level equal to 4 + Int modifier.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: The sightless blademaster is proficient with all simple and martial weapons, plus the double walking stick katana, katana, naginata, sword cane, wakizashi, zatoichi-bo, and zatoichi-hanbo. This proficiency also extends to a sword cane’s, zatoichi-bo’s, and zatoichi-hanbo’s scabbard, should they be used in combat. The sightless blademaster is proficient with all types of armor (heavy, light, and medium), but not with shields.

Blind: A sightless blademaster is blind and automatically fails any visual Perception checks. He cannot use scrolls or any other magical item requiring reading or functioning eyes. However, he is immune to gaze attacks and other effects which target the eyes. The sightless blademaster is trained to use his other senses to perceive the world around him, particularly his ears, and gains a +10 competence bonus to all auditory Perception checks. A trained sightless blademaster's other senses are so acute that, unless a target succeeds on a Stealth check, he can identify, by sound (and sometimes smell), any creature within 20 feet and suffers no penalties in melee combat from being blind or when attacking invisible creatures. A sightless blademaster can target creatures he can identify with spells or ranged attacks but all creatures outside of the sightless blademaster’s sensory range benefit from full concealment. All Disguise skill checks made against him suffer a –10 penalty. An effect which nullifies sound or renders a sightless blademaster deaf suppresses this ability. A sightless blademaster's ability to audibly discern an individual's location and identity improves by 5 feet at 5th level and every five levels thereafter, to a maximum of 40 feet at 20th level. This ability and blind fight replace mount.

Blind Fight: At 1st level, a sightless blademaster is an expert at blind fighting and gains Blind Fight as a bonus feat.

Stratagem (Ex): Starting at 1st level, a sightless blademaster’s enhanced senses grants him great insight and mental focus which allows him to learn certain abilities meant to increase his prowess in battle. These abilities are similar to an oracle’s revelations, but are extraordinary in nature. At 1st level and every three levels thereafter, the zatocihi blademaster may select one of the following stratagems.

Battlecry (Ex): As a standard action, you can unleash an inspiring battlecry. All allies within 100 feet who hear your cry gain a +1 morale bonus on attack rolls, skill checks, and saving throws for a number of rounds equal to your Charisma modifier. At 10th level, this bonus increases to +2. You can use this ability once per day, plus one additional time per day at 5th level and for every five levels thereafter.

Battlefield Clarity (Ex): Once per day, as an immediate action, whenever you fail a saving throw that causes you to become deafened, frightened, panicked, paralyzed, shaken, or stunned, you may attempt that saving throw again, with a +4 insight bonus on the roll. You must take the second result, even if it is worse. At 7th and 15th level, you can use this ability one additional time per day.

Dance of the Blades (Ex): Your base speed increases by 10 feet. At 7th level, you gain a +1 bonus on attack rolls with either part of a sword cane or its scabbard in any round in which you move at least 10 feet. This bonus increases by +1 at 11th level, and every four levels thereafter. At 11th level, as a move action, you can maneuver your weapon to create a shield of whirling steel and wood around yourself until the start of your next turn; non-incorporeal melee and ranged attacks against you have a 20% miss chance while the shield is active. You must be wielding a sword cane, and its scabbard to use this ability.

Focused Trance (Ex): You can enter a deep meditation, blocking out visual and auditory stimuli and allowing you to concentrate on a single problem, philosophical issue, or memory. This trance lasts 1d6 rounds, during which time you can only take move actions. During this period, you gain a bonus equal to your level on all saves against sonic effects and gaze attacks. When you come out of your trance, you may make a single Intelligence-based skill check with a +20 circumstance bonus. You may enter your focused trance a number of times per day equal to your Charisma modifier.

Maneuver Mastery (Ex): Select one type of combat maneuver. When performing the selected maneuver, you add half your sightless blademaster level to your base attack bonus when determining your CMB. At 7th level, you gain the Improved feat (such as Improved Trip) that grants you a bonus when performing that maneuver. At 11th level, you gain the Greater feat (such as Greater Trip) that grants you a bonus when performing that maneuver. You do not need to meet the prerequisites to receive these feats.

Resiliency (Ex): You are not disabled and you do not gain the staggered condition if you are reduced to exactly 0 hit points. At 7th level, you gain Diehard as a bonus feat. At 11th level, you do not lose a hit point when you take a standard action while disabled. You do not need to meet the prerequisite to receive the Diehard feat.

Surprising Charge (Ex): Once per day, you can move up to your speed as an immediate action. You can use this ability one additional time per day at 7th level and 15th level.

Swift of Foot (Ex): Gain 5 feet to your base land speed. At 12th level, you gain an additional 5 feet, at 18th level, you gain an additional 10 feet.

Unstoppable Overrun (Ex): You can attempt overrun combat maneuvers against opponents that are up to two size categories larger than you. At 5th level, you gain Improved Overrun as a bonus feat. At 10th level, you gain Greater Overrun as a bonus feat. You don't need to meet the prerequisites to gain these feats.

War Sight (Ex): Whenever you roll for initiative, you can roll twice and take either result. At 7th level, you can always act in the surprise round, but if you fail to notice the ambush, you act last, regardless of your initiative result (you act in the normal order in following rounds). At 11th level, you can roll for initiative three times and take any one of the results.

This ability replaces resolve, banner, greater resolve, demanding challenge, and true resolve.

Weapon Expertise (Ex): The sightless blademaster adds the sword cane, zatoichi-bo, and zatoichi-hanbo to the list of weapons he can select with this ability.

Blindsight (Ex): At 4th level, a sightless blademaster gains blindsight up to 30 feet. This increases to 40 feet at 9th level, 50 feet at 14th level, and 60 feet at 19th level. This ability replaces mounted archer and greater banner.

Improved Blind Fight: At 6th level, a sightless blademaster gains Improved Blind Fight as a bonus feat, even if he does not meet the requirements. This ability replaces the bonus feat gained at 6th level.

Greater Blind Fight: At 12th level, a sightless blademaster gains Greater Blind Fight as a bonus feat, even if he does not meet the requirements. This ability replaces the bonus feat gained at 12th level.

Master Blind Fight: At 18th level, a sightless blademaster gains Teleport Tactician as a bonus feat, even if he does not meet the requirements. This ability replaces the bonus feat gained at 18th level.

Perfect Clarity (Ex): At 20th level, a sightless blademaster may enter a trance of sorts, focusing in on every minute detail of his surroundings, taking in and perfectly defining all they can. Whenever the sightless blademaster declares a challenge, his blindsight increases to 100 feet until the end of combat, he gains the scent ability, and tremorsense 40 feet. If he already has scent or tremorsense ability, the range of that ability is doubled. All critical hits made against the target of his challenge are automatically confirmed, and all corporeal attacks directed at the sightless blademaster have a 50% chance of being completely avoided. This ability replaces last stand.

Table: Sightless Blademaster