Astral Captain (Summoner/Fighter)

Some summoners lean more toward a martial path. Amongst these, a more specialized group devotes extra time to bonding with a variety of extra-planar creatures, the better to cooperate with them in battle. These astral commanders eschew the summoner's usual eidolon companion in favor of extensive combat training with their extra-planar coterie. When the time is right, the astral captain can rally them to his cause and amass a small but powerful strike force. (Original Concept by Flak)

Primary Class: Summoner.

Secondary Class: Fighter.

Alignment: Any.

Hit Dice: d8.

Bonus Skills and Ranks: The astral captain may select three fighter skills to add to his class skills in addition to the normal summoner class skills. The astral captain gains a number of ranks at each level equal to 2 + Int modifier.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: The astral captain is proficient with all simple and martial weapons. The astral captain is also proficient with light armor. An astral captain can cast arcane spells while wearing light armor without incurring the normal arcane spell failure chance. Like any other arcane spellcaster, an astral captain wearing medium or heavy armor, or using a shield, incurs a chance of arcane spell failure if the spell in question has a somatic component. A multiclass astral captain still incurs the normal arcane spell failure chance for arcane spells received from other classes.

Diminished Spellcasting: An astral captain may cast one fewer spell of each level than normal. If this reduces the number to 0, he may cast spells of that level only if his Charisma allows bonus spells of that level. Some summoner spells that interact specifically with an eidolon may be useless to the astral captain.

Astral Legion (Ex): At 1st level, the astral captain selects one monster he can summon with his summon monster I spell-like ability (such as a fiendish dire rat) to be a member of his astral legion. This monster is an extraplanar friend or ally of the astral captain's. Whenever the astral captain gains another level of his summon monster spell-like ability, he may select a new ally from the list of monsters that he can summon at that level. (For example, a 3rd-level astral captain could have a fiendish dire rat as his summon monster I ally and a fiendish hyena as his summon monster II ally.) Every time the astral captain uses his summon monster ability or casts an appropriately-leveled summon monster spell, he may choose to summon one of the members of his astral legion. Allies summoned in this way possess all the teamwork feats the astral captain has; this represents the fruits of joint training. The astral captain need not summon members of his astral legion when summoning monsters; he may summon any level-appropriate monster(s) as normal. This ability replaces life link.

Bonus Feats: At 2nd level and every two levels thereafter, the astral captain gains a bonus feat. These bonus feats must be combat feats, teamwork feats, or the Extra Summons feat. This ability replaces bond senses, shield ally, maker's call, transposition, aspect, greater shield ally, life bond, merge forms, and greater aspect.

Fighter Training (Ex): Starting at 2nd level, the astral captain counts 1/2 his total astral captain level as his fighter level for the purpose of qualifying for feats with fighter levels as their prerequisites. If he has levels in fighter, these levels stack. This ability, captain’s grace, improved teamwork, and improved leadership replace eidolon.

Captain's Grace (Ex): At 3rd level, the astral captain receives a +1 bonus on Diplomacy, Intimidate, and opposed Charisma checks. These bonuses increase by +1 at 7th, 11th, 15th, and 19th level.

Training (Ex): At 5th level, the astral captain can select either armor training 1 or weapon training 1, as the fighter abilities of the same name. At 11th and 17th level, the astral captain may select the other of these two options, or he may advance the training he already chose by 1 level. This ability, medium armor, and heavy armor replace spells lost due to diminished spellcasting.

Medium Armor (Ex): At 7th level, an astral captain gains proficiency with medium armor. He can cast summoner spells while wearing medium armor without incurring the normal arcane spell failure chance.

Improved Teamwork (Ex): At 9th level, whenever an astral captain receives a numeric bonus from a teamwork feat, he increases this bonus by +1. Any monsters he summons also receive this benefit.

Heavy Armor (Ex): At 13th level, an astral captain gains proficiency with heavy armor. He can cast summoner spells while wearing heavy armor without incurring the normal arcane spell failure chance.

Improved Leadership (Ex): At 17th level, an astral captain with the Leadership feat adds his captain's grace bonus to his leadership score. If he does not possess Leadership, he receives no benefit from this ability.

Mastery (Ex): At 20th level, an astral captain receives either armor mastery or weapon mastery, as the fighter abilities of the same names. This ability replaces twin eidolon.

Table: Astral Captain