Resonant Warrior (Fighter/Bard)

The fighter is primarily concerned with skill at arms, the optimization of his armor, and developing and perfecting his battlefield tactics. However, certain warriors seek to enhance their battle prowess in a very different way. These few endeavor to learn and manipulate the intricacies of sound harmonics inherent to the musically inclined. Through strange and unorthodox methods, these warriors learn to control sonic energy for both offensive and defensive means. By combining their martial training with the reverberations emitted through sound and voice, the resonant warrior can unleash blasts of destructive resonance, empower his weapons with sonic energy, or use his voice to beguile and fascinate his enemies. Although few choose to follow the difficult discipline of the resonant warrior, those who do realize tremendous power and learn to use sound to devastating effect. (Origial Concept by Elghinn Lightbringer)

Primary Class: Fighter.

Secondary Class: Bard.

Alignment: Any.

Hit Dice: d10.

Bonus Skills and Ranks: The resonant warrior may select three bard skills to add to his class skills in addition to the normal fighter class skills. The resonant warrior gains a number of ranks at each level equal to 4 + Int modifier.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: The resonant warrior is proficient with all simple and martial weapons, with light armor, medium armor, and with shields (except for tower shields).

Bonus Feats: This is exactly like the fighter ability of the same name, except that the resonant warrior gains a bonus feat at 1st level and again at 3rd level and every five levels thereafter.

Harmonic Voice: At 2nd level, a resonant warrior gains the bard’s bardic performance ability, except that he can only use the Perform (oratory) or Perform (sing) skills to create his magical effects. He can use this ability for a number of rounds per day equal to 4 + his Charisma modifier, plus an additional 2 rounds per day every level beyond 2nd. Each round, the resonant warrior can produce any one of the types of bardic performance that he has mastered, as indicated by his level. This ability replaces bravery.

Expedite (Sp): At 2nd level, the resonant warrior can use his performance to create a cadence that puts a spring in the step of weary travelers. As a standard action, the resonant warrior begins a bright and sprightly tune that mimics the sound of human feet, slowly building to a steady, ground-eating pace. When the resonant warrior completes this performance, he can affect one ally in hearing range per resonant warrior level. This effect increases the affected target’s base land speed by 10 feet for 1 hour. This adjustment is treated as an enhancement bonus. There is no effect on other modes of movement, such as burrow, climb, fly, or swim. As with any effect that increases your speed, this performance affects your jumping distance (see Acrobatics). This performance requires 1 round to perform. Expedite relies on audible components in order to function. This ability replaces bonus feat at 2nd level.

Fascinate (Su): At 2nd level, the resonant warrior gains the bard’s fascinate performance. This ability and expedite replace bonus feat at 4th level.

Charm (Sp): At 6th level, the resonant warrior can use his performance to charm (as the charm person spell) a creature that he has already fascinated (see above). Using this ability does not disrupt the fascinate effect, but it does require a standard action to activate (in addition to the free action to continue the fascinate effect). This charm effect last for as long as the performance is maintained, or for 1 minute per level once the performance has ended. At 12th level, this ability functions as the charm monster spell, but its effect lasts for 1 hour per level once the performance has ended. Charm is an enchantment (charm), mind-affecting, language dependent ability that relies on audible components. This ability replaces bonus feat at 8th level.

Suggestion (Sp): At 10th level, the resonant warrior gains the bard’s suggestion performance. This ability replaces bonus feat at 12th level.

Displacement (Sp): At 14th level, the resonant warrior of can use his performance to displace himself or another creature (as the displacement spell) for 1 hour per level. This performance requires 1 round to perform. This ability replaces bonus feat at 16th level.

Mass Charm (Sp): This ability functions just like charm, but allows a resonant warrior of 18th level or higher to simultaneously charm any number of creatures that he has already fascinated. Mass charm is an enchantment (charm), mind-affecting, language dependent ability that relies on audible components. This ability replaces bonus feat at 20th level.

Resonant Blast (Su): At 3rd level, a resonant warrior has learned to harness the sonic energies that resonate within him. With a guttural bark, the resonant warrior can unleash a sudden blast of sonic energy that strikes his opponent, as a standard action. This blast deals 1d6 points of sonic damage at 3rd level, plus an additional 1d6 points of sonic damage every four resonant warrior levels thereafter, and the target is also stunned for 1 round. The target can make a Fortitude save (10 + 1/2 the resonant warrior’s level, + the resonant warrior’s Charisma modifier) to reduce the damage by half and negate the stun effect. The resonant warrior can use this ability a number of times per day equal to 3 + his Charisma modifier. This ability replaces armor training and armor mastery.

Thundering Blade (Su): Beginning at 4th level, a resonant warrior can expend one use of his resonant blast ability to infuse his weapon with sonic energy, causing it to vibrate for a number of rounds equal to his Charisma modifier (minimum 1). Whenever the resonant warrior makes a successful attack, the target takes 1d6 points of sonic damage and must succeed on a Fortitude save (DC 10 + 1/2 the resonant warrior’s level + his Charisma modifier) to avoid being stunned for 1 round. Creatures that cannot hear are not stunned but are still damaged. When infused with this thunder effect, the weapon is considered to be magic for the purpose of bypassing DR. This ability replaces weapon training 1.

Sonic Shield (Su): At 8th level, a resonant warrior can spend one use of his resonant blast to surround himself with a vibrating shield of sonic energy, for a number of rounds equal to his resonant warrior’s level, as a swift action. This shield grants the resonant warrior sonic resistance 5 while it remains in effect, and increases by 5 every five levels thereafter, to a maximum of sonic resistance 15 at 18th level. This ability replaces weapon training 2.

Greater Thundering Blade (Su): At 12th level, in addition to the extra sonic damage from the thundering blade ability, the resonant warrior’s weapon deals an extra 1d8 points of sonic damage on a successful critical hit. If the weapon’s critical modifier is ×3, add an extra 2d8 points of sonic damage instead, and if the modifier is ×4, add an extra 3d8 points. Subjects dealt critical hits by a thundering weapon must also make a DC 14 Fortitude save or be deafened permanently. This ability replaces weapon training 3.

Sonic Thrust (Sp): At 16th level, a resonant warrior of can spend one use of his resonant blast to unleash a burst of sound that hurls creatures or objects away from him. This ability functions like the sonic thrust spell, using his resonant warrior level as his caster level. This ability replaces bonus feat at 16th level.

Deadly Resound (Su): At 20th level, the resonant warrior’s control over his inherent sonic energy becomes deadly. Once per day, the resonant warrior can spend two uses of his resonant blast to perform one of the following actions, using his resonant warrior level as the caster level. This ability replaces weapon mastery.

As a standard action, the resonant warrior can use his thunder blade ability to make a single attack against an opponent at his full attack bonus. If the attack hits, the target takes damage normally and must make a Fortitude save or be subject to disintegrate (as the spell). A successful save negates this effect.

Alternatively, as a standard action, the resonant warrior can emit an ear-splitting yell in a 30-foot cone-shaped burst that deafens and damages creatures in its path, as the greater shout spell. Any creature within the area takes 10d6 points of sonic damage (or 1d6 points of sonic damage per caster level, maximum 20d6, against exposed brittle or crystalline objects or crystalline creatures). It also causes creatures to be stunned for 1 round and deafened for 4d6 rounds. A creature in the area of the cone can negate the stunning and halve both the damage and the duration of the deafness with a successful Fortitude save. A creature holding vulnerable objects can attempt a Reflex save to negate the damage to those objects. A greater shout spell cannot penetrate a silence spell.

Table: Resonant Warrior