Calad

In ancient times a warrior spent their life honing their mind and body into the perfect weapon. When they met on the field of battle, the victor was decided by the human element. Consequently, a warrior’s worth could be measured by the blood they spilled. There was honor and glory found within the struggle unfathomable to those who did not take up the mantle of the warrior. Then some damn-fool invented gunpowder, and the world turned away from the warrior and his sword.

In the modern era, a proud few cling to tradition. While their compatriots fight with bullets and bayonet, these warriors charge into the frey with ancient weapons, for such displays of courage, valor, and dedication bring glory to a cadre of gods who appreciate the few warriors left in the world. This appreciation is born both of tradition and prophecy. In ancient times, the Warrior Goddess Theckle’s apprentice Calad fell in battle when they attempted to fulfill their destiny before they were ready. Calad’s divine destiny was placed before all mortal kind as a prize by Theckle herself. One which any warrior could claim if they were worthy.

This prize drives many gods to instill a small spark of divinity into the few mortals who seek to learn the ways of the sword. A spark which can be fostered into something greater with dedication, training, and acts of courage. A spark which may one day grow into the fires of divinity.

Role: Calad are powerful front-line combatants who have forged their prowess of battle not by might but by cunning and dedication. Their prowess comes from their bag of magical, physical, and marshal tricks, which they employ to face each challenge before them while armed with the correct tool.

Alignment: Any

Hit Die: d10

Starting Wealth: 5d6 x 10 gp. In addition, Calad begin with a single melee weapon of their choice.

Class Skills

Skill Ranks Per Level: Acrobatics (Dex), Appraise (Int), Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Disable Device (Dex), Disguise (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (dungeoneering) (Int), Knowledge (local) (Int), Linguistics (Int), Perception (Wis), Perform (Cha), Profession (Wis), 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

The following are class features of the Calad.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Calad are proficient with all simple and martial weapons, as well as with light and medium armor, and with shields (except tower shields).

Inner Force: Calad are able to concentrate and manifest their will in the form of energy which they can use to augment their weapons. This takes the form of an ethereal glowing mass of light that surrounds the weapon. When augmenting a weapon, this energy coats the striking face/edge and is expended when the weapon’s striking face/edge comes into contact with any non-gaseous medium^*. The charge can also be expended by projecting the energy as a beam or bolt a short distance from the Calad.

Inner Force adds 1d4+CHA force damage^** to the Calad’s melee attacks 1st level and adds an additional d4 every two Calad levels thereafter. Should the Calad score a critical hit with Inner Force, this extra damage is multiplied as normal. Inner Force’s damage is halved when projecting the attack by removing half of the damage dice it would normally apply (IE; 2d4 becomes 1d4 and 4d4 becomes 2d4). The damage from Inner force is added to the damage dealt by the Calad’s weapon as if it were an enchantment on the weapon^***. The Calad’s weapon damage is added to Inner Force even when using Inner Force as a ranged attack.

When using Inner Force as a ranged attack, the Calad projects Inner Force as a beam or bolt (the difference is cosmetic), which grants their melee attacks reach equal to half their Calad level (minimum 1 square). This stacks with any other sources of reach the Calad may have.

Activating Inner Force is a swift action. Once expended, Inner force requires 1d6 rounds before it can be drawn upon again.

Spellcasting: A Calad casts divine spells drawn from the Calad Spell List. She can cast any spell she knows without preparing it ahead of time. To learn or cast a spell, a Calad must have a Charisma score equal to at least 10 + the spell level. The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against a Calad’s spell is 10 + the spell level + the Calad’s Charisma modifier.

Like other spellcasters, a Calad can cast only a certain number of spells of each spell level per day. Her base daily spell allotment is given on Table: Calad. In addition, she receives bonus spells per day if she has a high Charisma score (see Table: Ability Modifiers and Bonus Spells).

A Calad knows all spells on the Calad spell list which are of a level they can cast. A Calad need not prepare her spells in advance. She can cast any spell she knows at any time, assuming she has not yet used up her spells per day for that spell level.

Calad Spells are not granted to them by a god, but are rather manifestations of their own inner power as it develops and matures. Thus their spellcasting is unaffected by any effect which would ordinarily sever contact between a divine caster and their god. This means a Calad will regain their spells even if they cannot commune with their divine. However, any effect which nullifies divine magic will still nullify a Calad’s spells. Furthermore, placing Dimensional Anchor on a Calad will give the Calad a 50% spell failure chance until dispelled or the caster is slain.

Evasion: At 2nd level and higher, a Calad can avoid even magical and unusual attacks with great agility. If she makes a successful Reflex saving throw against an attack that normally deals half damage on a successful save, she instead takes no damage. Evasion can be used only if the rogue is wearing light armor or no armor. A helpless Calad does not gain the benefit of evasion.

In the event a Calad is using a Tower Shield, they can spend a use of Inner Force as an immediate action to hunker down behind their shield and gain the effects of evasion from a single direction until the start of their next turn. This ability works in tandem with the Tower Shield’s ability to provide Total Cover in one direction.

Calad Talent: As a Calad gains experience, she learns a number of talents that aid her and confound her foes. Starting at 2nd level, a Calad gains one rogue talent. She gains an additional rogue talent for every 2 levels of Calad attained after 2nd level. A Calad cannot select an individual talent more than once.

For the purpose of rogue talents requiring the use of, or modifying the behavior of sneak attack, a Calad’s use of Inner Force counts as a sneak attack and benefits from the rogue talent in place of a sneak attack.

• A complete listing of rogue talents can be found here: Rogue Talents

Calad Specific Talents:

Rapid Force (Ability to call upon Inner Force) You can spend 1d6 hitpoints to immediately use Inner Force, even if it is on cooldown. Using this ability cannot trigger any effects which might occur upon the loss of hit points, other than those relating to the Calad dying from the loss of these hit points. Using this talent requires Inner Force’s cooldown to be re-rolled after this ability has been used.

Project Force: Starting at 5th level, a Calad gains the ability to project their Inner Force over a wide area. This can take the form of either a line or cone originating from the Calad when used as an attack, or a spherical shell surrounding them when used defensively. 

Offensively, Project Force takes the form of a cone equal in distance to the reach granted by Inner Force, or a line of twice that distance. In both cases, the attack originates from the Calad and a single attack roll is made against all creatures within the area of effect. Likewise, all creatures hit by Project Force take the same damage from a single attack roll. Any weapon abilities, enchantments, class abilities, and feats that would normally take effect on a melee attack also function against targets within the area of a Project Force attack.

Defensively, Project Force takes the form of a spherical shell with a diameter equal to the distance of reach granted by Inner Force. The sphere originates from the Calad’s square, and is activated as an immediate action. Any attack, spell, or spell-like effect which would effect any target within the area covered by the sphere must make a will save* (DC 10 + the Calad’s level + CHA), or be negated. This ability only shields things within its area of effect, if the attack, spell, or spell-like effect is able to strike multiple targets, any targets outside of the Calad’s shield are not projected. However, any attacks which require “chaining” between several targets to effect multiple targets are halted by the Calad’s sphere if there isn’t another suitable target for the attack to “cain” through. Lastly, any physical effect such as a collapsing wall that Project Force blocks will be entirely negated by it, and pose no danger on subsequent turns, though this can leave the Calad buried alive in a small bubble within rubble.

Using Project Force consumes a use of Inner Force.

Matured Force: Starting at 10th level, a Calad’s Inner Force can be used every 1d4 rounds.

Maior Inversa Vita: At 10th level, and every two levels thereafter, a Calad can choose one of the following advanced talents in place of a rogue talent.

A complete listing of advanced rogue talents can be found here: Rogue Advanced Talents

Improved Evasion: At 15th level, a Calad gains the benefits of Improved Evasion.

True Force: At 20th Level, a Calad’s inner force has fully developed. They no longer possess a cool down on their uses of Inner Force, and may use a number of Inner Force effects equal to their CHA modifier within a single turn. Furthermore, the gods deem of sufficient might to compete for the divine destiny left behind by the first Calad. Soon they will come to the Calad with a grand quest to test their might, knowledge, and courage. A test which if passed will lead to immortality, great power, a place in the divine order, and of course, the responsibility of facing great evils in battle.

Calad Feats