Fighter

*As long as wars are raged on distant lands, there will be men and women who fight those wars. The fighter is no mere sword-swinger; he is a skilled combatant, combining strength of arm, knowledge of weaponry, and practiced maneuvers to slice or bludgeon his foes into little red bits. Devoted to the perfection of a single group of weapons, the fighter’s meditations upon his favored weapon border on the obsessive, but none can deny his consummate skill.*

**Role:** Fighters excel at combat—defeating their enemies, controlling the flow of battle, and surviving such sorties themselves. While their specific weapons and methods grant them a wide variety of tactics, few can match fighters for sheer battle prowess.

**Alignment:** Any

**Hit Die:** d10

**Starting Wealth:** 5d6 x 10 gil (average 175 gil.) In addition, each character begins play with an outfit worth 10 gil or less.

**Class Skills**

The fighter’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Acrobatics (Dex), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Handle Animal (Cha), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (dungeoneering) (Int), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Survival (Wis), and Swim (Str).

**Skill Points Per Level:** 4 + Int modifier

## 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 (light, medium, and heavy) and shields (except tower shields).

### Limit Breaks (Su)

At 1st level, the fighter receives the Limit Breaks (Critical Strikes and Omnistrike).

*Critical Strikes (Su):* This Limit Break causes the fighter to focus on the weakspots and deadly parts of an enemy to deal the most damage. For a duration of 1 round + 1 round per four fighter levels after 1st, the fighter counts his first successful attack as a confirmed critical hit, every attack thereafter gains a +4 competence bonus on confirmation checks. This limit break requires only a swift action.

*Omnistrike (Su):* This Limit Break hones the fighter’s speed, increasing their number of attacks. For a duration of 1 round + 1 round per four fighter levels after 1st, during a full-attack with his chosen weapon, the fighter can make 1 additional attack at his highest BAB, another at -5 at 6th level, another at -10 at 11th level, and one last one at -15 at 16th level. These attacks are not doubled by any other effect but otherwise stack with haste and similar effects. This limit break requires only a swift action.

### Chosen Weapon (Ex)

At 1st level, a fighter chooses one of the following weapon groups as his chosen weapons. He gains a +1 bonus on attack and damage rolls with his chosen weapon group. The bonus improves by +1 for every four fighter levels beyond 1st.

At 5th level, a fighter's specialization in his specific craft allows him access to feats of technical ability others might deem impossible, such as slicing an arrow out of the air mid flight. The fighter's chosen weapon class feature now counts as the weapon training class feature for the purposes of feats and items and interacts with or requires the weapon training class feature.

Weapon groups are defined as follows (GMs may add other weapons to these groups, or add entirely new groups):

**Axes**: bardiche, battleaxe, boarding axe, butchering axe, collapsible kumade, dwarven heavy axe-gauntlet, dwarven light axe-gauntlet, dwarven waraxe, galkan war pick, gandasa, greataxe, guitar axe, handaxe, heavy pick, hooked axe, horse butcher cleaver, knuckle axe, kumade, kumade, collapsible, light pick, mattock, orc double axe, pata, throwing axe, and tongi.

**Blades, Heavy**: ankus, buster swords, chakram, charge blades, combat spatula, double chicken saber, double cutlass, double scythe, double walking stick katana, dueling sword, elven curve blade, estoc, falcata, falchion, flambard, fuma shuriken, greatsword, great terbutje, katana, khopesh, klar, knight sword, longsword, nine-ring broadsword, nodachi, rhoka sword, sawtooth sabre, scimitar, scythe, seven-branched sword, shotel, sickle-sword, snake swords, split-blade sword, switchscythe, temple sword, terbutje, and two-bladed sword.

**Blades, Light**: bayonet, broken-back seax, butterfly knife, butterfly sword, chakram, dagger, deer horn knife, dogslicer, dueling dagger, fillet knife, flute dagger, gladius, hunga munga, kama, katar, kerambit, kukri, machete, madu, manople, pata, quadrens, rapier, sanpkhang, sawtooth sabre, scizore, shortsword, sica, sickle, spiral rapier, starknife, swordbreaker dagger, sword cane, wakizashi, and war razor.

**Bows**: composite longbow, composite shortbow, greatbow, harp-bow, longbow, orc hornbow, and shortbow.

**Close**: bayonet, brass knuckles, cestus, dan bong, dwarven heavy axe-gauntlet, dwarven light axe-gauntlet, dwarven war-shield, emei piercer, fighting fan, gauntlet, heavy shield, iron brush, katar, klar, light shield, madu, man tongs, mere club, piston gauntlets, punching dagger, rope gauntlet, sap, scizore, spiked armor, spiked gauntlet, spiked shield, tekko-kagi, tonfa, tri-bladed katar, unarmed strike, wooden stake, waveblade, and wushu dart.

**Crossbows**: blaster edge, double crossbow, hand crossbow, heavy crossbow, launching crossbow, light repeating crossbow, heavy repeating crossbow, pelletbow (dwarven heavy), pelletbow (dwarven light), and tube arrow shooter, underwater heavy crossbow, and underwater light crossbow.

**Flails**: battle poi, bladed scarf, cat-o’-nine-tails, chain spear, combat yoyo, dire flail, double chained kama, dwarven dorn-dergar, flail, flying talon, heavy flail, kusarigama, kyoketsu shoge, lumen flindbar, meteor hammer, morningstar, nine-section whip, nunchaku, sansetsukon, scorpion whip, spiked chain, urumi, and whip.

**Hammers**: aklys, battle aspergillum, chain-hammer, club, combat wok, dwarven ram hammer, dwarven sphinx hammer, earth breaker, greatclub, heavy mace, hunting horn, lantern staff, light hammer, light mace, mere club, planson, quarterstaff, taiaha, tenderizer, tetsubo, wahaika, and warhammer.

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

**Polearms**: bardiche, bec de corbin, bill, boarding gaff, crook, dwarven giant-sticker, fauchard, glaive, glaive-guisarme, guisarme, halberd, hooked lance, horsechopper, lucerne hammer, mancatcher, monk’s spade, naginata, nodachi, ogre hook, qu battle fork, ranseur, rhomphaia, tepoztopilli, and tiger fork.

**Spears**: amentum, boar spear, chain spear, double spear, elven branched spear, harpoon, javelin, ladle of pain, lance, longspear, orc skull ram, pilum, planson, shortspear, sibat, spear, stormshaft javelin, tiger fork, totem spear, trident, and weighted spear.

**Tribal**: Club, dagger, greatclub, handaxe, heavy shield, light shield, shortspear, spear, throwing axe, and unarmed strike.

### Martial Flexibility (Ex)

A fighter can take a move action to gain the benefit of a combat feat he doesn’t possess. This effect lasts for 1 minute. The fighter must meet all the feat’s prerequisites. He may use this ability a number of times per day equal to 3 + half his fighter level. The fighter can use this ability again before the duration expires in order to replace the previous combat feat with another choice. If a combat feat has a daily use limitation (such as Stunning Fist), any uses of that combat feat while using this ability count toward that feat’s daily limit.

At 6th level, a fighter can use this ability to gain the benefit of two combat feats at the same time. He may select one feat as a swift action or two feats as a move action. He may use one of these feats to meet a prerequisite of the second feat; doing so means that he cannot replace a feat currently fulfilling another’s prerequisite without also replacing those feats that require it. Each individual feat selected counts toward his daily uses of this ability.

At 10th level, a fighter can use this ability to gain the benefit of three combat feats at the same time. He may select one feat as a free action, two feats as a swift action, or three feats as a move action. He may use one of the feats to meet a prerequisite of the second and third feats, and use the second feat to meet a prerequisite of the third feat. Each individual feat selected counts toward his daily uses of this ability.

At 12th level, a fighter can use this ability to gain the benefit of one combat feat as an immediate action or three combat feats as a swift action. Each individual feat selected counts toward his daily uses of this ability.

At 20th level, a fighter can use this ability to gain the benefit of any number of combat feats as a swift action. Each feat selected counts toward his daily uses of this ability.

### Sharp Reflexes (Ex)

At 1st level, training and battle hone a fighter’s reactions, he gains a +1 bonus on Reflex saves. At 7th level and every six fighter levels thereafter, this bonus increases by 1 (to a maximum of +4 at 19th level).

### Determination (Ex)

At 2nd level, a fighter gains a +1 bonus on Will saves. This bonus increases to +2 at 10th level and +3 at 18th level.

### Fighter Talents

As a fighter gains experience, he learns a number of talents that aid him and confound his foes. Starting at 2nd level, the fighter gains one fighter talent. He gains an additional fighter talent for every 2 levels of fighter attained after 2nd level. Unless specified otherwise, a fighter cannot select an individual talent more than once.

* A complete list of fighter talents can be found here: Fighter Talents

### Overhand Chop (Ex)

At 3rd level, when a fighter makes a single attack (with the attack action or a charge) with a weapon from his chosen weapon group, he adds double his Strength bonus on damage rolls instead. This ability doesn’t stack with any other ability that applies a different ability score (or ability score as a different type) to damage.

### Dogged Obstinacy (Ex)

At 3rd level, the fighter gains a +1 morale bonus when repeating an attack roll, ability check, skill check, or saving throw he performed in the previous round. This bonus increases by +1 for every five fighter levels beyond 3rd. This bonus applies to the following rolls made in the current round, starting from the start of the fighter’s turn, if the fighter attempted the same type of roll in the previous round, as listed below:

* Saving throws made against the same effect and saving throws of the same type (Fort, Reflex, or Will) against the same creature or situation. For example, a fighter who had to make a Reflex save against a black mage’s lightning bolt in the previous round would gain the bonus when making a Reflex save against the same black mage’s burning hands spell in this round.
* Attack rolls (except combat maneuver checks) made against the same creature with the same type of weapon (longsword etc.)
* Combat maneuver checks of the same type (trip, sunder, etc.) made against the same creature.
* Skill or ability checks of the same type (Acrobatics, Strength, etc.) that require at least a move action to perform. Opposed checks only gain the bonus if performed against the same creature.

This morale bonus also increases by an additional +1 for the first time it applies in the current round if the fighter failed the same attack roll, check, or saving throw in the previous round. The fighter can also apply his dogged obstinacy bonus to an activity that takes place over a longer period of time that requires checks or saves and involves the continually doing the same thing, even though the fighter may not be making rolls each round. These include Swim checks to swim for hours, Fortitude saves made against the effects of a forced march, and so on.

### Physical Resilience (Ex)

At 4th level, if the fighter takes ability damage, ability drain, or a temporary penalty to an ability score, this damage, drain, or penalty is reduced by 1 point. This reduction improves by 1 at 8th level and for every four fighter levels beyond that (to a maximum reduction of 5 at 20th level).

### Reliable Strike (Ex)

At 5th level, once per round, a fighter gains the lucky status effect for attack rolls. This ability is automatically used for a number of times per day equal to 3 + his Constitution modifier.

### Weapon Guard (Ex)

At 5th level, a fighter adds his chosen weapon bonus on saves against any effect that target his held weapons.

### Robust Physique (Ex)

At 6th level, whenever the fighter takes lethal damage, 1 point of this damage may be converted to nonlethal damage, fighter’s choice. The amount of damage that may be converted increases to 2 points of damage at 10th level, 3 points of damage at 14th level, and 4 points of damage at 18th level. This damage conversion has no effect on bleed damage or damage that is already nonlethal.

### Backswing (Ex)

At 7th level, when a fighter makes a full-attack with a weapon from his chosen weapon group, he adds double his Strength bonus on damage rolls for all attacks after the first with a two-handed weapon, 1 1/2 times his Strength bonus with a one-handed weapon, and full Strength bonus on all off-handed attacks. This ability doesn’t stack with any other ability that applies a different ability score (or ability score as a different type) to damage.

### Weapon Adaption (Ex)

At 7th level, when a fighter wields a weapon he isn’t proficient with, he reduces the non-proficiency penalty by 2 (to a minimum of 0). At 15th level, he instead reduces the penalty by 4. Even if this reduces the penalty to 0, the fighter doesn’t count as being proficient with these weapons.

### Secure Weaponry (Ex)

At 8th level, a fighter defensively counters when an opponent uses an effect which would harm his held weapon or cause him to drop it. If the effect is a spell, spell-like ability, or supernatural ability which doesn’t grant the fighter or his weapon a saving throw, the fighter gains a Reflex save to negate the effect, calculating the DC as if the effect did allow a save. Otherwise, if the effect is an extraordinary or non-magical ability that doesn’t require the opponent to succeed at a check against the fighter’s CMD (such as the fencer’s precise strike ability) then the opponent must succeed at a combat maneuver check against the fighter as if attempting a disarm, steal, or sunder combat maneuver, as appropriate for the effect, or the effect is negated.

### Rapid Attack (Ex)

At 9th level, a fighter can combine a full attack with a single move. He must forgo an attack at his highest bonus but may take the remaining attacks at any point during his movement. In addition, a fighter that dual-wields or uses a double weapon also must forgo the first off-hand attack he can make. This movement provokes attacks of opportunity as normal.

### Tenacious Grip (Ex)

At 9th level, a fighter doesn’t drop held weapons when panicked or stunned. If the fighter gains the ability to retain his weapons when panicked or stunned from another source, then he also gains the autonomic grasp class feature (see below) and gains the weapon unity class feature at 11th level (instead of 13th).

### War Cry (Ex)

At 10th level, as a swift action, a fighter can give a war cry to his allies, inspiring them to fight better. His allies (the fighter is unaffected) that can hear him gains a +2 competence bonus on attack rolls, +2 morale bonus on saving throws, and a +2 dodge bonus to AC. The effect lasts for 1 round per two fighter class levels. A fighter can use War Cry a number of times per day equal to 3 + his Constitution modifier.

### Retaliation (Ex)

At 11th level, once per round, a fighter can make a melee attack as an immediate action against an opponent who hits the fighter with a melee attack, so long as the attacking creature is within the fighter’s reach.

### Autonomic Grasp (Ex)

At 11th level, a fighter clings to his weaponry even when on the brink of death. A fighter can choose to retain his hold on his wielded weapons when he is knocked unconscious or succumbs to a sleep effect. While the fighter is asleep or unconscious, attackers must succeed at combat maneuver checks to disarm him, but they gain relevant bonuses for attacking a helpless target, including treating the fighter’s Dexterity as 0 when determining his CMD.

### Fighter Advanced Talents

At 12th level, and every two levels thereafter, a fighter can choose one of the following fighter advanced talents in place of a fighter talent.

* A complete list of advanced fighter talents can be found here: Fighter Advanced Talents

### Piledriver (Ex)

At 13th level, as a standard action, a fighter can make a single melee attack with a weapon from his chosen weapon group. If the attack hits, he may make a bull rush or trip combat maneuver against the target of his attack as a free action that does not provoke an attack of opportunity.

### Weapon Unity (Ex)

At 13th level, a fighter’s preferred weapons become almost an extension of his body. A fighter is immune to steal and sunder combat maneuvers made against a weapon he is wielding, provided the fighter has Weapon Focus with the weapon or the weapon belongs to weapon group which he possesses. A helpless fighter does not gain the benefits of this ability.

### Unstoppable Strike (Ex)

At 15th level, a fighter can take a standard action to make one attack with a weapon from his chosen weapon group as a touch attack that ignores damage reduction (or hardness, if attacking an object).

### Combat Composure (Ex)

At 15th level, a fighter can take 10 on skill checks during combat even if the situation or immediate danger wouldn’t normally allow him to do so, provided the skill is a class skill, he is trained in the skill, and he could take 10 on the check outside of combat. The fighter cannot use this ability if he currently has any of the following conditions: confused, cowering, dazed, disabled, exhausted, fascinated, fatigued, flat-footed, frightened, helpless, nauseated, panicked, paralyzed, shaken, sickened, staggered, or stunned.

### Devastating Blow (Ex)

At 17th level, as a standard action, a fighter may make a single melee attack with a weapon from his chosen weapon group at a –5 penalty. If the attack hits, it is treated as a critical hit and deals double damage.

### Flawless Technique (Ex)

At 17th level a fighter doesn’t automatically miss an attack roll when he rolls a natural 1.

### Assured Strike (Ex)

At 19th level, once per round before making an attack roll, a fighter can choose to treat the d20 result as a 10.

### Doublestrike (Ex)

At 19th level, once per day, a fighter can spend a full-round action to make a full attack with double his normal number of attacks. He must declare his opponent beforehand and cannot switch targets while he executes his Doublestrike ability. Doublestrike doesn’t double extra attacks gain through *haste* or any other similar effects that grants additional attacks nor does it stack with any other class feature that doubles a number of attacks.

### Weapon Mastery (Ex)

At 20th level, the fighter has mastered his chosen weapon group. Any attacks made with his chosen weapon group automatically confirm all critical threats and have their critical hit threat range increased by 2. This stacks with Improved Critical and similar abilities, but is calculated after all other modifiers. In addition, he cannot be disarmed while wielding a weapon from his chosen weapon group.

## Favored Class Bonuses

Instead of receiving an additional skill rank or hit point whenever they gain a level in a favored class, some races have the option of choosing from a number of other bonuses, depending upon their favored classes. The following options are available to the listed race who have fighter as their favored class, and unless otherwise stated, the bonus applies each time you select the listed favored class reward.

* **Aegyl:** Add +1 to the fighter’s CMD when resisting a disarm or sunder attempt.
* **Amalj’aa:** Add +1 to the fighter’s CMD when resisting a disarm or sunder attempt.
* **Antica:** Add +1 to the fighter’s CMD when resisting two combat maneuvers of the character’s choice.
* **Au Ra:** Add +1 to CMD against bull rush or overrun maneuvers.
* **Bangaa:** Add +1/2 to damage rolls the fighter makes with weapon attacks against an opponent she is flanking or an opponent that is denied its dexterity bonus to AC.
* **Burmecian:** Add +1 to the Fighter’s CMD when resisting a bull rush or grapple attempt.
* **Dwarf:** Add +1 to the Fighter’s CMD when resisting a bull rush or trip.
* **Elvaan:** Add +1 to the fighter’s CMD when resisting a disarm or sunder attempt.
* **Galka:** Add +1 to CMD against bull rush or overrun maneuvers.
* **Garif:**  Add +1 to the  fighter’s CMD when resisting a  disarm or  sunder attempt.
* **Garlean:** Add +1 to the fighter’s CMD when resisting a bull rush or dirty trick.
* **Gnath:** Add a +1/2 circumstance bonus to confirm critical hits when attacking with weapons from the close or light blade weapon groups (maximum bonus +4). This bonus does not stack with Critical Focus.
* **Gria:** Add +1 to the fighter’s CMD when resisting a disarm or sunder attempt.
* **Half-Breed:** Add +1 to the fighter’s CMD when resisting a disarm or overrun combat maneuver.
* **Hume:** Add +1 to the fighter’s CMD when resisting two combat maneuvers of the character’s choice.
* **Immortal:**  Add +1 to the fighter’s CMD when resisting two combat maneuvers of the character’s choice.
* **Ixal:** Add +1 to the fighter’s CMD when resisting a disarm or sunder attempt.
* **Kobold:** Add one Martial or Eastern Weapon to be proficient with (Can only be used twice).
* **Kojin:** Add a +1 bonus to the fighter’s CMD when resisting grapple and a +1 bonus on Escape Artist checks.
* **Mithra:** Add a +1/2 circumstance bonus to confirm critical hits when attacking with weapons from the close or light blade weapon groups (maximum bonus +4). This bonus does not stack with Critical Focus.
* **Moogle:** Add +1 to the fighter’s CMD when resisting a dirty trick or steal attempt.
* **Moomba:** Add +1 to the fighter’s CMD when resisting a disarm or sunder attempt.
* **Orc:** Add a +1/2 circumstance bonus to confirm critical hits when attacking with weapons from the close or light blade weapon groups (maximum bonus +4). This bonus does not stack with Critical Focus.
* **Palico:** Add a +1/2 circumstance bonus to confirm critical hits when attacking with weapons from the close or light blade weapon groups (maximum bonus +4). This bonus does not stack with Critical Focus.
* **Roegadyn:** Add +1 to CMD against bull rush or overrun maneuvers.
* **Ronso:** Add +1/2 to damage dealt on a charge attack.
* **Seeq:** Add +1 to the fighter’s CMD when resisting a bull rush or grapple attempt.
* **Shindroid:** Add +1 to the fighter’s CMD when resisting a bull rush or dirty trick.
* **Tarutaru:** Add +1 to the fighter’s CMD when resisting a disarm or sunder attempt.
* **Tonkin:** Add +1 to the fighter’s CMD when resisting a dirty trick or steal attempt.
* **Varg:** Add +1 to the fighter’s CMD when resisting a grapple or trip attempt.
* **Viera:** Add +1 to the fighter’s CMD when resisting a disarm or sunder attempt.

## Archetypes

* A complete list of fighter archetypes can be found here: Fighter Archetypes