Dexterous Effort Talent Tree

The Hero is a master of nimble movements and swift grace and it can perform many skills with an air of superiority over others whom attempt them.

***Expert Acrobat (Ex):*** Gain a +3 bonus to acrobatics checks. This bonus increases by an additional +3 at levels 8 and 16.

***Expert Disabler (Ex):*** Gain a +3 bonus to disable device checks. This bonus increases by an additional +3 at levels 8 and 16.

***Expert Driver:*** Gain a +3 bonus to drive checks. This bonus increases by an additional +3 at levels 8 and 16.

***Master Escape Artist (Ex):*** Gain a +3 bonus to Escape artist checks. This bonus increases by an additional +3 at levels 8 and 16.

***Master Pilot (Ex):*** Gain proficiency in a single type of areal or nautical vehicle. You take no penalties to drive checks made to utilize that sort of vehicle and are considered licensed in it’s use. This can be selected multiple times, selecting a new vehicle each time.

***Expert Rider (Ex):*** Gain a +3 bonus to Ride checks. This bonus increases by an additional +3 at levels 8 and 16.

***Sleight of Hand Master (Ex):*** Gain a +3 bonus to Sleight of Hand checks. This bonus increases by an additional +3 at levels 8 and 16.

***Stealth Master (Ex):*** Gain a +3 bonus to Stealth checks. This bonus increases by an additional +3 at levels 8 and 16.

***Hide in plain sight (Ex):*** A  hero with this talent can select a single terrain from the favored terrain list for the field scientist. The hero is a master at hiding in that terrain, and while within that terrain, the hero can use the Stealth skill to hide, even while being observed. The Hero can select a new terrain that it can hide in while observed for every 4 levels it possesses. The Hero must possess stealth master to select this.

***Sleight of Hand Stunt (Ex):*** In place of an attack of opportunity, a hero with this talent can attempt a Sleight of Hand check against the CMD of an opponent that provokes an attack of opportunity. If the opponent is simply provoking an attack of opportunity, the hero can attempt to take a weapon or item from the enemy’s holster or sheath. If provoking an attack of opportunity by firing a projectile weapon while threatened, the hero plucks the ammunition from the provoking weapon, negating the attack. The hero may use this ability as many times in a round as it could make attacks of opportunity. At the GM’s discretion, certain projectile weapons may not be susceptible to this ability, such as siege engines or some kinds of firearms. The Hero must possess sleight of hand master talent to select this.

***Riding Stunt (Ex):*** A hero with this talent takes only a –2 penalty on Ride checks when riding a mount bareback instead of the normal –5 penalty. When using the Ride skill to make a mount leap, a hero with this talent can use its Ride modifier or its mount’s jump modifier, whichever is higher, instead of using the lower of the two. A hero with this talent gains a +5 competence bonus when using the Ride skill to soften a fall from its mount or to perform a fast mount or dismount. Finally, a hero with this talent can attempt a DC 15 Ride check to recover from a position of cover as a free action instead of as a move action. Failing this check results in the recovery requiring a move action as normal. The Hero must possess expert rider talent to select this.

***Escape Stunt (Ex):*** A hero with this talent can, as an immediate action, attempt an Escape Artist check in place of a Reflex saving throw against any effect that would impose the entangled condition on it. Additionally, once per day when it is the target of a grapple combat maneuver, a hero with this talent can attempt an Escape Artist check as an immediate action, using the result of the skill check in place of its CMD against that combat maneuver attempt. A hero can use this second ability one additional time per day for every 5 levels it possesses. The Hero must possess the Master Escape Artist talent to select this.

***Disabling Stunt (Ex):*** A hero with this talent can attempt a Disable Device check against a construct or vehicle’s CMD as a standard action that does not provoke attacks of opportunity. If the check is successful, the hero can ignore the vehicle or construct’s damage reduction when the construct or vehicle is caught flat footed for 1 minute. The normal penalties apply to this check if the hero attempts it without using the proper tools. The Hero must possess the Master Disabler talent to select this.

***Acrobatics Stunt (Ex):* O**nce per day, when flanked by at least two opponents, a hero with this talent can, as an immediate action when any of the threatening opponents attacks them, attempt an Acrobatics check against the highest CMD of the threatening creatures plus 2 per threatening creature beyond the second. If successful, the creature may take a 5-foot step in any direction, so long as it remains within the reach of the attacker triggering the movement. The hero’s final position is used to determine whether the attacker benefits from flanking. On a failed check, the hero falls prone in its original position and the attack resolves as normal (the opponent gains a +4 bonus for attacking a prone target). A hero can use this against a single enemy and the enemy must make a perception check against the hero’s acrobatics check or be caught flat footed against the hero’s next attack. A hero may use this ability one additional time per day for every 5 levels it possesses. The hero must possess the master acrobat talent to select this one.

***Driving Stunt (Ex):*** Select two of the following options; Sideswipe, Jump, Hard Turn, Hard Break, Dash, Bootleg Turn, or Avoid Hazard. The hero can always take 20 when making those specific driving stunts. This can be selected multiple times, each time selecting a new result. The hero must possess the drive master talent to select this.

***Stealth Stunt (Ex):*** When benefiting from concealment, a hero with this talent can forgo an attack of opportunity to attempt a Stealth check against the provoking opponent’s CMD. Success allows the hero to treat its opponent as flat-footed against the hero’s first melee attack before the end of its next turn. Using this ability does not count against the hero’s available attacks of opportunity for the round. The hero must possess the stealth master talent to select this.

***Showdown:*** By selecting this feat you gain access to the secret skill Showdown (Dex). The Showdown skill is a dexterity based skill and upon selecting this talent it becomes a class skill for you.

The Showdown skill is utilized for scenarios such as duels or trick shooting. A character can utilize a showdown check in the following ways.

***Duel:*** If a hero gets in a classic duel as per the rules for dueling. The character can make a showdown check in place of an initiative check. When making a check for a Dueling Parry or Dueling Resolve the character can use a Showdown check instead.

***Act Immediately:*** If a hero is caught in a surprise round, the hero can make a showdown check as an immediate action. If this showdown check is higher than the highest opponent’s initiative, the hero can make a single attack roll as a part of that quick draw on a single opponent within it’s range. This can only be initiated during a surprise attack.

***Quick Draw:*** A hero can use the showdown skill in place of the bluff skill to feint an opponent. This is opposed to the opponent’s perception check instead of it’s sense motive. When making a showdown skill check to bluff, if successful and the enemy is caught flat footed, you deal damage based on the check result whenever you land your attack. This additional damage is precision damage and can apply only once per successful feint. If this attack is made as a vital strike, the extra damage from the showdown check is multiplied as well.

 15—19
 20—24
 25—29
 30—35
 35—39
 40—44
 45—49
 50+

***Trickshot:*** When making a showdown check, you can choose to attempt to make a trick shot against an opponent. This must be with a ranged attack. It is a standard action to use and cannot be combined with Quick Draw or abilities such as vital strike. The following trick shots can be made.

*Around the Corner:* By making a showdown check with a DC equal to a target’s CMD +2 per 10 feet away the target is. You can choose a single square within your weapon’s range. That square is where the attack is coming from, and if a line of sight can be drawn to the target from that square, then they do not benefit from any sort of cover. A failed check means the attack is made normally.

*Ultra Quickshot:* By making a showdown check with a DC of 25, you can swap weapons between each attack in a full attack. Doing this is a free action, but can only be done once per round.

*Aquadynamic Shot:* By making a showdown check DC 15, the ranged attack is unimpeded by water or liquid that it passes through. If the water is in motion or moving, the DC becomes equivalent to the swim DC to traverse the water.

*Readied:* By making a showdown check DC: 10+ ½ enemy level+ Enemy dexterity modifier as an immediate action. You can make an attack against the enemy within range. This attack takes place before any readied action the creature may be taking and interrupts that target’s current action. This is often used for instances in which a captor is attempting to kill a hostage and not enough time was had to ready an action to stop the attacker. If the attacker is killed by this attack, then the action they were performing does not go through. When using showdown in this way, your standard action on your next turn is considered to have already been used. Alternatively if you had another kind of action readied, this can be used to instead take the action to attack instead of whatever the action was readied for.

**Try Again?**: Yes. The Showdown skill can be attempted again, however it requires another check and often times is utilized as part of a different encounter or action.

**Special**: A character with the quick draw feat or improved initiative feat gains a +2 bonus to showdown checks for each feat it has.

A character with levels in the gunslinger archetype gains a +2 bonus to showdown checks at level 1.

A character with the Country Kid, Loner, Outsider, Rebel, or Military kid racial archetypes gains a +2 bonus to showdown checks whenever it gains this talent.

**Time**: A showdown check takes different amounts of time, depending on how it’s utilized.