True fighters are a rare breed. They are trained masters of armed combat, able to wield any of a number of dizzying weapons to bring fights to a decisive end.

Fighter

Alignment: Any.

Hit Die: d10.

Class Skills

Fighter class skills (and key ability for each skill) are Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Handle Animal (Cha), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Knowledge (dungeoneering) (Int),  Ride (Dex), and Swim (Str).

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the fighter.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency

A fighter is proficient with all simple and martial weapons and with all armor (heavy, medium, and light) and shields (including tower shields).

Bonus Feats

At 1st level, and at every even level thereafter, a fighter gains a bonus feat in addition to those gained from normal advancement (meaning that the fighter gains a feat every level). These bonus feats must be selected from those listed as combat feats, sometimes also called “fighter bonus feats.”

     At 4th level, and every four levels thereafter (8th, 12th, 16th, and 20th), a fighter can choose to learn a new bonus feat in place of a bonus feat he has already learned. In effect, the fighter loses the bonus feat in exchange for the new one. The old feat cannot be one that was used as a prerequisite for another feat, prestige class, or other ability. A fighter can only change one feat at any given level and must choose whether or not to swap the feat at the time he gains a new bonus feat for the level.

Find Fighter (Ex)

At 1st level, as a move action, a fighter may discern if anyone within 60 feet, in line of sight, has levels in fighter, paladin, or ranger classes.

Bravery (Ex)

Starting at 2nd level, a fighter gains a +1 bonus on Will saves against fear. This bonus increases by +1 for every four levels beyond 2nd.

Armor Training (Ex)

Starting at 3rd level, a fighter learns to be more maneuverable while wearing armor. When wearing armor, the fighter reduces the armor check penalty by 1 (to a minimum of 0) and increases the maximum Dexterity bonus allowed by 1. Every four levels thereafter (7th, 11th, and 15th), these bonuses increase by +1 each time, to a maximum –4 reduction of the armor check penalty and a +4 increase of the maximum Dexterity bonus allowed. In addition, a fighter can also move at his normal speed while wearing medium armor. At 7th level, a fighter can move at normal speed while wearing heavy armor.

Weapon Training (Ex)

Fighters train obsessively with armor and weapons of all kinds, and using a new weapon is easy and fun. Starting at 5th level, a fighter may spend an entire day (doing nothing else but resting) practicing with a weapon he is not proficient with. At the end of the day, the fighter may make a fighter level check (d20 + fighter level) against DC 20. If he succeeds, he gains proficiency with that weapon. If he fails, he may retry the next day with a cumulative +1 bonus.

     Furthermore, a fighter can select a group of weapons, as noted below. When attacking with a weapon from this group, he gains a +1 bonus on attack and damage rolls. Every four levels thereafter (9th, 13th, and 17th), a fighter becomes trained in another group of weapons. He gains a +1 bonus on attack and damage rolls when using a weapon from this group.

     In addition, bonuses granted by previous weapon groups increase by +1 each. For example, when a fighter reaches 9th level, he receives a +1 bonus on attack and damage rolls with one weapon group and a +2 bonus on attack and damage rolls with the weapon group selected at 5th level. Bonuses granted from overlapping groups do not stack. Take the highest bonus granted for a weapon if it resides in two or more groups.

     A fighter also adds this bonus to combat maneuver checks made with weapons from this group. This bonus also applies to the fighter’s Combat Maneuver Defense when defending against disarm and sunder attempts made against weapons from this group.

Weapon groups include:

Axes: battleaxe, dwarven waraxe, greataxe, handaxe, heavy pick, light pick, orc double axe, and throwing axe.

Blades, Heavy: bastard sword, elven curve blade, falchion, greatsword, longsword, scimitar, scythe, and two-bladed sword.

Blades, Light: dagger, kama, kukri, rapier, sickle, starknife, and short sword.

Bows: composite longbow, composite shortbow, longbow, and shortbow.

Close: gauntlet, heavy shield, light shield, punching dagger, sap, spiked armor, spiked gauntlet, spiked shield, and unarmed strike.

Crossbows: hand crossbow, heavy crossbow, light crossbow, heavy repeating crossbow, and light repeating crossbow.

Double: dire flail, dwarven urgrosh, gnome hooked hammer, orc double axe, quarterstaff, and two-bladed sword.

Flails: dire flail, flail, heavy flail, morningstar, nunchaku, spiked chain, and whip.

Hammers: club, greatclub, heavy mace, light hammer, light mace, and warhammer.

Monk: kama, nunchaku, quarterstaff, sai, shuriken, siangham, and unarmed strike.

Natural: unarmed strike and all natural weapons, such as bite, claw, gore, tail, and wing.

Pole Arms: glaive, guisarme, halberd, and ranseur.

Spears: javelin, lance, longspear, shortspear, spear, and trident.

Thrown: blowgun, bolas, club, dart, dagger, halfling sling staff, javelin, light hammer, net, shortspear, shuriken, sling, spear, starknife, throwing axe, and trident.

Armor Mastery (Ex)

At 19th level, a fighter gains DR 5/— when wearing armor or using a shield.

Weapon Mastery (Ex)

At 20th level, a fighter chooses one weapon, such as the longsword, greataxe, or longbow. Attacks made with that weapon automatically confirm all critical threats and have their damage multiplier increased by 1 (×2 becomes ×3, for example). In addition, he cannot be disarmed while wielding a weapon of this type.

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