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Loyalty, courage, and resolve–these are all quintessential qualities of the noble samurai. However, there are those select few who are called to serve the emperor on behalf of the people by bonding with the land and wildlife of his homeland. The imperial pathfinder is by nature a rover, trained to ferret out the enemies of the empire from the most remote parts of the land. With his trusted animal companion at his side, he is able to track down elusive criminals high in the mountains, locate encampments of rebel armies in the deep forests, or expose traitors from within the imperial court itself. (Original Concept by Elghinn Lightbringer)
Primary Class: Samurai.
Secondary Class: Ranger.
Alignment: Any.
Hit Dice: d10.
Bonus Skills and Ranks: The imperial pathfinder may select three ranger skills to add to his class skills in addition to the normal samurai class skills, one of which must be Survival. The imperial pathfinder gains a number of ranks at each level equal to 4 + Int modifier.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: The imperial pathfinder is proficient with all simple and martial weapons, plus the katana, naginata, and wakizashi. The imperial pathfinder is proficient with light and medium armor, but not with shields.
Animal Companion (Ex): At 1st level, an imperial pathfinder forms a close bond with an animal companion. An imperial pathfinder can choose from the following list: badger, bird, camel, cat (small), dire rat, dog, horse, pony, snake (viper or constrictor), or wolf. If the campaign takes place wholly or partly in an aquatic environment, the imperial pathfinder may choose a shark instead. This animal is a loyal companion that accompanies the imperial pathfinder on his adventures as appropriate for its kind. An imperial pathfinder's animal companion shares his challenge, favored challenge, and favored terrain bonuses. This ability functions like the druid animal companion ability (which is part of the Nature Bond class feature). The imperial pathfinder's effective druid level is equal to his imperial pathfinder level. The imperial pathfinder’s animal companion does not gain the share spells ability. This ability replaces mount.
Order: An imperial pathfinder can select any order he qualifies, including the new Order of the Green Warrior.
Subsistence (Ex): Starting at 1st level, an imperial pathfinder gains expertise that he can call upon to survive in the wild. He can use this ability once per day at 1st level, plus one additional time per day for every two imperial pathfinder levels beyond 1st. Whenever the imperial pathfinder defeats the target of his challenge, he regains one daily use of subsistence, up to his maximum number of uses per day. Defeating the target of his challenge usually involves reducing the target to 0 hit points or fewer, but the GM might rule that an enemy who surrenders or flees the battle is also defeated. He can use subsistence in a number of ways.
Hazard Sense: As a standard action, when the imperial pathfinder is in a natural environment, he can spend one use of subsistence to detect simple pits, deadfalls, and snares as well as mechanical traps constructed of natural materials. This functions as the detect snares and pits spell.
Internal Compass: As a standard action, the imperial pathfinder can spend one use of subsistence to instantly know the direction of north from his current position. This is effective in any environment in which "north" exists, but it may not work in extraplanar settings. His knowledge of north is correct at the moment of its use, but the imperial pathfinder can get lost again within moments if he doesn't find some external reference point to help him keep track of his direction.
Track: When following tracks, the imperial pathfinder can spend one use of subsistence as a swift action to gain a bonus on his Survival check equal to 1/2 his imperial pathfinder level. This bonus lasts for 10 minutes. He must decide to use this ability before he rolls the Survival check.
This ability replaces resolve.
Weapon Expertise (Ex): This is exactly like the samurai ability of the same name, but the imperial pathfinder adds crossbow to the list of weapons he can select.
Favored Challenge (Ex): At 5th level, an imperial pathfinder selects a type of creature from the ranger’s favored enemies table. He gains a +2 bonus on Bluff, Knowledge, Perception, Sense Motive, and Survival checks against creatures of his selected type. An imperial pathfinder may make Knowledge skill checks untrained when attempting to identify these creatures.
At 14th level, the imperial pathfinder may select an additional favored enemy. In addition, the bonus against his previous favored enemy (including the one just selected, if so desired) increases by +2.
If the imperial pathfinder chooses humanoids or outsiders as a favored enemy, he must also choose an associated subtype. (Note that there are other types of humanoid to choose from—those called out specifically on the table below are merely the most common.) If a specific creature falls into more than one category of favored enemy, the imperial pathfinder's bonuses do not stack; he simply uses whichever bonus is higher.
This ability replaces banner and greater banner.
Combat Style Feats: At 6th level, an imperial pathfinder gains the ranger’s combat style feat ability and must select one combat style to pursue. The imperial pathfinder's expertise manifests in the form of bonus feats at 6th, 12th, and 18th level. He can choose feats from his selected combat style, even if he does not have the normal prerequisites. The benefits of the imperial pathfinders chosen style feats apply only when he wears light, medium, or no armor. He loses all benefits of his combat style feats when wearing heavy armor. Once an imperial pathfinder selects a combat style, it cannot be changed.
The imperial pathfinder must choose one of the following combat styles according to his weapon expertise or his choice of animal companion: archery (longbow), crossbow (crossbow), mounted combat (horse companion), two-handed weapon (katana or naginata), two-weapon combat (katana or wakizashi), or weapon and shield (katana or wakizashi). This ability replaces bonus feats.
Greater Subsistence (Ex): At 9th level, when an imperial pathfinder spends his subsistence, he can move at his normal speed while using Survival to follow tracks without taking the normal –5 penalty. He takes only a –10 penalty (instead of the normal –20) when moving at up to twice normal speed while tracking. Additionally, the imperial pathfinder learns how to create a snare trap and one other ranger trap of his choice from the following list: alarm trap, fire trap, marking trap, pit trap, poison trap, tripwire, trap, or wounding trap. Once a trap is learned, it can’t be unlearned and replaced with a different type of trap. The imperial pathfinder cannot select an individual trap more than once. He can spend one use of his subsistence to create any trap that he knows as a standard action. These traps are extraordinary, not supernatural. This ability replaces greater resolve.
True Subsistence (Ex): At 17th level, when an imperial pathfinder spends his subsistence, he can move at full speed while using Survival to follow tracks without penalty. In addition, the imperial pathfinder learns two more ranger traps of his choice. This ability replaces true resolve.
RONIN PATHFINDER
While most samurai belong to the order of the warrior, dedicating their considerable skills to the service of a lord, land, and people, some find themselves without a master, either as a result of disgrace or death, or occasionally by choice. Known as ronin, these samurai wander the lands, serving their own code of ideals. While ronin are significantly freer to do as they please, they do not receive the same respect and support that a more dedicated samurai can count on.
Orders: Ronin typically choose the Ronin Order, but they may also choose the Order of the Green Warrior. Those who do are known as Ronin Pathfinders and tend to hire themselves out to less influential lords, mercenary bands, or pursue their own purposes in the greenwoods of the world. A ronin pathfinder replaces the edicts and challenge of the Order of the Green Heart with those of the Ronin order, as noted below.
Edicts: Ronin follow their own personal code of ethics and honor. As such, their edicts are extremely flexible and subject to change. Each ronin should determine his own edicts, which should include at least three provisions. These edicts are subject to GM approval.
Challenge: Whenever a ronin is the target of a challenge, a smite, a quarry, or similar effect, and he issues a challenge against that character in return, the ronin receives a +1 morale bonus on attack rolls made against the target of his challenge and a +1 dodge bonus to his AC against attacks made by the target of his challenge. These bonuses increase by +1 for every four class levels the ronin possesses (to a maximum of +6 at 20th level).
Table: Imperial Pathfinder
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