Prestige Classes -- Blade Monarch 

Blade Monarch
Shin rolled, avoiding the stream of flying daggers that flitted past his head like steel butterflies. “The was a cute trick, woman, but surely you’re out of weapons now.” The foreigner just grinned at him, a wreath of short swords suddenly appearing to crown her head. “No, Mr. Shin. I am a Queen – and my minions never desert me.”

The Order of the Sword are an eccentric cult who worship the Mother of Blades, a legendary general during the Draconic Control. They possess a fanatic devotion to bladed weapons of all types and have long practiced rituals to transform these weapons into true minions on their behalf. Blade Monarchs are the Masters of this art, swords, their servants.

The single most enduring feature of the blade monarch is their spiritual connection with the nature of their weapons. Many allow this odd relationship with inanimate objects (save for their blade companion) overshadow even their personal relationships.

In battle, most Monarchs chose to still attack in melee instead of using their powers; ‘using a sword the way it wants to be used’ they would put it. Blade Monarchs attack with flare and gusto, plowing into enemies along with a cadre of animated swords to back them. Only when it is deeply needed, do blade monarchs demonstrate their true power.

Blade Monarchs are usually found where battle is to be had or combat prowess is to be tested. Almost all are adventurers, though some are former adventurers turned leaders and generals. The might of Blade Monarchs are much sought after by world leaders.

Becoming a Blade Monarch
Fighters, barbarians, combatants and other martial classes are most likely to develop the necessary personal connection and appreciation for their weapons characteristic of Blade Monarchs.

At times, rangers and rogues come to the Order to learn the abilities of the blade monarch, seeking to gain the incredible power so possessed. Occasionally, an inborn, intuitive, or sorcerer will develop a strange affinity for swords and thus become the mightiest of Blade Monarchs, tempering swordplay with magic.

The Blade Monarch

Hit Die: d10.

Requirements
To qualify to become an Blade Monarch, a character must fulfill all the following criteria.

Feats: Quick Draw, Weapon Focus (any sword or dagger), Expertise
BaB: +8
Special: A perspective Blade Monarch must Endure a three day trek to a holy site in the Chordini glacier under the tutelage of a Blade Monarch.

Class Skills
The blade monarch’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Balance (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Knowledge (local) (Int), Listen (Wis), Perform (Cha), Profession (Wis), Search (Int), Sense Motive (Wis), Spot (Wis), Swim (Str), Tumble (Dex), and Use Rope (Dex).

Skill Points at Each Level: 4 + Int modifier.

Level BAB Fort Ref Will
Special
1 +1 +2 +0 +0

Blade Vault, Summon Sword
2 +2 +3 +0 +0

Blade Companion, Awaken Swords (1/day)
3 +3 +3 +1 +1

Blade Lash (1/day)
4 +4 +4 +1 +1

Blade Shield (1/day), Awaken Swords (2/day)
5 +5 +4 +1 +1

Sword Storm (1/day)
6 +6 +5 +2 +2

Awaken Swords (3/day), Blade Lash (2/day)
7 +7 +5 +2 +2

Blade Backlash
8 +8 +6 +2 +2

Blade Shield (2/day), Awaken Swords (4/day)
9 +9 +6 +3 +3

Blade Lash (3/day)
10 +10 +7 +3 +3

Regalia of the Monarch, Awaken Swords (5/day), Sword Storm (2/day)


Class Features
All of the following are Class Features of the blade monarch prestige class.

Weapon and Armor Proficiencies: Blade monarchs gain no additional weapon or armor proficiencies.

Blade Vault (Su): Blade Monarchs all have access to a special extra dimensional space they use to hold their vast collections of swords and daggers. The Vault can hold 10 non-magical swords and one magical sword per Blade Monarch level. Weapons and items that are not swords or daggers cannot be stored in the Blade Vault. For the purposes of the Blade Vault, daggers count as half a sword.

Summon Sword (Su): A Blade Monarch can call a sword in her Blade Vault into her hand as a free action. She can make a full attack the turn she calls her sword.

Blade Companion (Su): At 2nd level, one of the Blade Monarch’s non-magical weapons gains a semblance of sentience and becomes Intelligence as if it had rolled a 1 on the Intelligent item table.

Awaken Swords (Su): At 2nd level, A Blade Monarch can command unattended swords to come to life. Unattended swords and daggers within 20ft of her ( Up to 1 per class level) become animated as if by the animate objects spell. They follow her orders and attack with a base attack bonus equal to her class level, but cannot move 20ft +5ft/ class level from her. The Blade Monarch can use this ability once per day for every 2 class levels. This effect lasts 1 round per class level

Blade Lash(Su): At 3rd level, the Blade Monarch can throw a sword and have it attack all the creatures in her path. The sword moves in a 50ft (+5ft/ class level) line and attacks each enemy along that line at the Blade Monarch’s highest attack bonus. The throw weapon lands in a square at the end of this line. The Blade Monarch can use this ability once per day per 3 class levels.

Blade Shield (Sp): At 4th level, The Blade Monarch can call her blades to defend her. She may cast blade barrier as a spell like ability except that the barrier is centered around the Blade Monarch, deals no damage to her and lasts 1round per class level. She may use this ability once per day at 4th level and an additional time per day every 4 class levels thereafter.

Sword Storm (Su): At 5th level, The Blade Monarch can cause all unattended bladed weapons to come to violent life. The weapons rotate around her in a 30ft radius, slashing any creature unlucky enough to get caught in the flurry. Any creature that is not the Blade Monarch in the area of effect takes 1d6/ class level slashing damage. Reflex (DC equals 15 + Cha modifier) for half. The Blade Monarch can use this ability once per day for every 5 class levels

Blade Backlash (Su): At 7th level, whenever the Blade Monarch uses her Blade Lash, the weapon returns to her hand, making a second attack on each enemy along the line at the Blade Monarch’s highest attack bonus -5.

Regalia of the Monarch (Su): At 10th level, the Blade Monarch can choose to wear her blade vault as proof of her power. As a full round action, she can summon or dismiss all her weapons in her Blade Vault to form jewelry, crowns and rotating orbits that make up her regalia.

While wearing her regalia, she gains a +4 deflection bonus to AC. In addition, any creature attempting an unarmed attack on the Blade Monarch take 1d4 + 1/class level piercing damage as they are impaled on her swords. A Blade Monarch attempting to sleep in her Regalia suffers as if sleeping in plate mail.

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