Flamboyant Challenger (Swashbuckler/Cavalier)

Swashbucklers can be paragons of grace when dueling on foot, but the flamboyant challenger goes a step further in her boastful deeds. With a merry smile upon her face, she delivers death blows with her rapier as she gallops onto the battlefield astride her faithful mount. Often, the flamboyant challenger’s steed is just as renowned as its master, and only slightly less feared for its deeds and fearlessness. (Original Concept by Bardess)

Primary Class: Swashbuckler.

Secondary Class: Cavalier.

Alignment: Any.

Hit Dice: d10.

Bonus Skills and Ranks: The flamboyant challenger adds Handle Animal to her list of class skills, in addition to those gained from her chosen order. The flamboyant challenger gains a number of ranks at each level equal to 4 + Int modifier.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: The flamboyant challenger is proficient with all simple and martial weapons, with light armor, but not with shields.

Deeds: A flamboyant challenger swaps three deeds for the following deeds.

Jump On (Ex): At 7th level, a swashbuckler can spend 1 panache point to jump in the saddle from a distance or from above. The swashbuckler attempts an Acrobatics check and gains a bonus on this check equal to her Charisma bonus. With a successful check, she manages to mount as a swift action, and negates all falling damage she could have sustained. This deed replaces the superior feint deed.

Steed Shield (Ex): At 11th level, a mounted swashbuckler can spend 1 panache point to use the Cover task granting herself an AC bonus equal to her Dexterity bonus if she makes a successful Ride check with DC 20. Recovering from the cover is a swift action rather than a move action (no check required). This deed replaces bleeding wounds deed.

Saving Charge (Ex): At 19th level, when the swashbuckler is not astride her mount, she can spend 2 panache points to call her steed to charge through and save her. The steed can move up to its movement rate, adds the master’s Dexterity bonus to its overrun maneuver check, and must end its movement adjacent to its master. This deed replaces the stunning stab deed.

Mount (Ex): At 1st level, a flamboyant challenger gains the cavalier’s mount ability. While mounted, the flamboyant challenger can use her derring–do, dodging panache, kip–up, swashbuckler’s grace, evasive, and swashbuckler’s edge deeds as if she was on foot. A flamboyant challenger’s mount also gains the following ability.

Share Deeds (Ex): The flamboyant challenger can allow her mount to use any deed that she has access to instead of herself as a swift action. The flamboyant challenger must have or spend the appropriate amount of panache points for the mount to perform the deed. If the flamboyant challenger is mounted, the mount uses her master’s attack bonuses, ability scores, and bonuses to determine the deed’s effect. If the flamboyant challenger is not mounted, the mount uses it own attack bonus, ability scores, and bonus to determine the deed’s effect. This ability does not allow the mount to share abilities that are not deeds, even if they function like deeds.

This ability and charmed challenge replace charmed life 3/day, charmed life 6/day, and the bonus feats gained at 8th and 20th level.

Charmed Challenge (Ex): Starting at 2nd level, the flamboyant challenger gains the cavalier’s challenge ability. As an immediate action, the flamboyant challenger can end her challenge before attempting a saving throw against the target of her challenge, adding her Charisma modifier to the result of the save. She must choose to do this before the roll is made. At 8th level and every 4 levels thereafter, the flamboyant challenger can use charmed challenge one additional time per day, up to four times per day at 20th level.

Order (Ex): A 2nd level, a flamboyant challenger gains the cavalier’s order ability, but applies her challenge bonuses to her charmed challenge ability. At 4th level, the flamboyant challenger gains her 2nd level order ability and each subsequent ability at 10th and 16th level. The flamboyant challenger may select from any order allowed to the cavalier or the new Order of the Winged Steed. This ability replaces the bonus feats gained at 4th and 16th level, and charmed life 5/day.

Nimble Rider (Ex): This is exactly like the swashbuckler’s nimble ability, except that the flamboyant challenger only gains this bonus while mounted or adjacent to her mount.

Expert Trainer (Ex): At 6th level, a flamboyant challenger gains the cavalier’s expert trainer ability. This ability replaces charmed life 4/day.

Daring Tactician (Ex): At 12th level, a flamboyant challenger’s bold actions becomes a symbol of inspiration to his allies and companions. As long as the flamboyant challenger is clearly visible, all allies within 60 feet receive a +2 morale bonus on saving throws against fear and a +1 morale bonus on attack rolls made as part of a charge. At 15th and again at 18th level, these bonuses increase by +1. At 16th level, these bonuses also apply to saving throws against charm and compulsion spells and effects. The flamboyant challenger must be at least Small or larger size or atop his mount for this ability to function. This ability replaces the bonus feat gained at 12th level.

Demanding Challenge (Ex): At 18th level, a flamboyant challenger gains the cavalier’s demanding challenge ability. This ability replaces charmed life 7/day.

Master Challenger (Ex): At 20th level, when a flamboyant challenger threatens a critical hit with a light or one-handed piercing melee weapon, that critical is automatically confirmed. Furthermore, if the flamboyant challenger is mounted, the critical modifiers of such weapons increase by 1 (×2 becomes ×3, and so on) and the target is stunned for 1d4 rounds. A Will save reduces this to staggered for 1d4 rounds. The DC is equal to 10 + the flamboyant challenger’s base attack bonus. This ability otherwise functions and replaces swashbuckler weapon mastery.

Table: Flamboyant Challenger