Daring Hero

There are some who adventure for wealth, for
glory, or at the order of a higher power. Some insane
men even delve into dangerous caves full of dragons’
pointy bits entirely for the fun of it, for no other
reason than that it is there. Daring heroes are not
these men, but to many, they seem quite close. Though
their individual motivations may vary, a daring hero
is one called by adventure for a specific purpose that
only they fully understand. Whether a famed hero or
a cunning villain, daring heroes universally strive to
snatch the shroud of myth for themselves—to carve
themselves into legend, or die trying.

**Hit Die:** d10.

### **Requirements**

To qualify to become a daring hero, a character must fulfill all the following criteria.

* **Skills:** Bluff 5 ranks, Linguistics 1 rank, Knowledge (history) 1 rank.
* **Feats:** Razor Wit.
* **Initiating:** Ability to initiate maneuvers, initiator level 5th.

**Class Skills:** The daring hero’s class skills are Acrobatics (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Diplomacy (Cha), Disguise (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Linguistics (Int), Knowledge (history) (Int), Knowledge (local) (Int), Knowledge (nobility) (Int), Perception (Wis), Perform (Cha), Sense Motive (Wis), Sleight of Hand (Dex), Stealth (Dex), Swim (Str), and Use Magic Device (Cha).

**Skill Ranks per Level**: 6 + Int modifier.

### **CLASS FEATURES**

All of the following are class features of the daring
hero.

### **Weapon and Armor Proficiency**

Daring heroes
gain no additional weapon or armor proficiencies.

### **Maneuvers**

At every even level, a daring hero gains
a new maneuver known. His available disciplines for
these maneuvers are Mithral Current, Scarlet Throne,
and two of his previously available disciplines,
chosen when he takes his first daring hero level. He
must meet a maneuver’s prerequisites to learn it,
as normal. He adds his full daring hero level to his
initiator level to determine his total initiator level and his highest-level maneuvers known.
At 3rd level and again at 6th level and 9th level, a daring hero gains an additional maneuver readied.

### **Stances**

At 4th level and again at 6th level and 10th
level, a daring hero learns a new stance from any of
the disciplines available to him as a daring hero. He
must meet the stance’s prerequisites to learn it, as
normal.

### **Cutting Words (Ex)**

Starting at 1st level, a daring
hero can use his Charisma instead of his other mental
ability scores as his initiation modifier with martial
maneuvers and for any class features granted by a
martial disciple class. In addition, once per encounter
when words fail him in his use of the Razor Wit feat, he can immediately make a second pun, quip, or insult
as a free action, treating his failure as if it had never
happened.

In addition, a daring hero with levels in soulknife
adds his class level to his soulknife level to determine
the effectiveness of his enhanced mind blade and
blade skills class features, as well as for the purposes
of meeting blade skill prerequisites, and can use his
Charisma instead of other mental ability scores for
soulknife class features.

### **Dramatic Entry (Ex)**

At 1st level, a daring hero
learns a few important tricks of his trade, including
how to appropriately drop through skylights and
swing from chandeliers. He becomes immune to
being damaged by glass (including magical glass,
such as that generated by the *shattered glass smite*
maneuver), and does not take falling damage when
entering a scene from above. In addition, he gains
a bonus on Acrobatics checks, Disguise checks, and
Strength checks to break through doors and windows
equal to his class level.

### **Fame and Fortune (Ex)**

At 2nd level, a daring
hero’s reputation begins to spread. The initial attitude
of NPCs regarding the daring hero is one step better
(if his reputation is positive in the opinion of the
NPC in question) or one step worse (if his reputation
is negative). Exactly who has heard of the daring
hero and in what ways is up to the GM, but a daring
hero is able to influence his reputation positively or
negatively through his actions and deeds.

### **Effortless Parry (Ex)**

At 3rd level, a daring hero
gains the ability to initiate a counter without using
an immediate action. This expends the counter as
normal. He can use this ability to initiate a counter
even if he has already used an immediate action this
round. The daring hero can use this ability once per
encounter at 3rd level, twice per encounter at 6th
level, and three times per encounter at 9th level.

### **No One Could Survive That (Su)**

Starting at 4th
level, a daring hero’s fate has become intertwined
with his story. He automatically stabilizes when
at negative hit points, and no longer takes falling
damage, regardless of how far he fell.

### **Plot Armor (Su)**

At 5th level, a daring hero’s
relevance enforces itself on the world. As a swift
action, he can abandon his current stance to assume
the *plot armor* stance. This ability is considered to be
a 5th-level stance of the Scarlet Throne and Sleeping
Goddess disciplines. While the daring hero maintains
this stance, attacks and abilities targeting him
suffer a 25% miss chance. Against opponents who
are not especially important, such as bandits, wild
animals, and conscripted soldiers, this miss chance is
doubled to 50%. In addition, the daring hero gains a
circumstance bonus equal to his class level on damage
rolls against opponents that are a significant part of
his personal story, such as a major villain, a recurring
nemesis, or perhaps even upstart weaklings that must
be crushed to show his dominance over the world (in
the case of a villainous daring hero).

### **In The Nick of Time (Su)**

At 7th level, a daring
hero’s very existence begins to warp his narrative.
When traveling outside of combat, a daring hero
always arrives at the point in time that is most
dramatically appropriate. This might mean, for
example, that his ship speeds him to arrive at a naval
battle as the tide turns, that his passage through the
dark lord’s castle is expedited enough that he bursts
into the throne room at the eve of the lord’s ascension,
or possibly even that he arrives too late—he may find
himself delayed, his allies scattered, or his ambush
failing entirely because the narrative demanded his
foes survive. The daring hero can make a Will save
(DC 10 + the daring hero’s class level + the daring
hero’s Charisma modifier) to suppress this ability’s
effect on a given situation. If this ability would work
in the daring hero’s favor, his most plot-relevant
opponent may also make a Will save with the same
DC to suppress its effects. The opponent does not
know whether or not they failed this saving throw, or
even that there was one at all (although they may get
a bad feeling or a chill down their spine).

### **Fan Fiction**

When a daring hero reaches 8th level,
a famed author takes up their pen and assembles
a series of novels or articles about his adventures.
Although some liberties may be taken with the story,
the daring hero is generally contacted for input and
information for these books. He is paid a number of
gold pieces (or an equivalent value of items) for the
rights to his story equal to 1,000 gp per point of his
Charisma bonus (minimum 1,000 gp).

### **A True Hero Never Dies (Su)**

At 10th level, a
daring hero’s place in his narrative is thoroughly
cemented. He cannot be killed (or destroyed, if he is
a construct or undead creature) unless the deathblow
takes place during a suitably climactic moment, such
as a showdown between an army of demons and the
hero’s party, the alignment of planets above the dark
lord’s foul ritual, or a dramatic showdown between
the hero and his father above a bottomless pit. In
addition, he gains a circumstance bonus to his AC
equal to his Charisma modifier against opponents
who are not especially important, such as demonic
footsoldiers, fearsome beasts, and a great old one’s
brood. Should the daring hero survive past his
maximum age, he cannot die of old age until after
he has passed on his wisdom and teachings to a
successor, at which point he expires as normal.