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Dire Blade

(Source: Steel and Shadow)

Requirements

Race: Erunsil.
Base Attack Bonus: +7.
Feats: Combat Refelexes, Resign to Death, Toughness, Two-Weapon Fighting, Weapon Focus(Erunsil fighting knives)

Hit Die: d12.

Class Skills: Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Jump (Str), Listen (Wis), Profession (Wis), Spot (Wis), Swim (Str), and Tumble (Dex).
Skill Points at Each Level: 2 + Int modifier.

Class Features

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Dire blades are proficient with all simple and martial weapons and with all types of armor, but not with shields.

Holding Action (Ex): When called upon to cover his comrades' retreat, the dire blade becomes a resolute force. As a free action on his turn, the dire blade may enter a holding action. A holding action gives the dire blade phenomenal strength, durability, and reflexes, giving him a +2 to Strength and Constitution, a +2 morale bonus to all saves, and a +4 dogde bonus to AC. Furthermore, while the dire blade is holding action, foes that move out of multiple squares that he threatens may provoke multiple attacks of opportunity. For example, idf an orc were to attempt to run past a dire blade in a stragth line, it would suffer three attacks of opportunity. This is an exception to the normal rule that moving out of more than one square threatend by the same opponent in one round doesn't count as more than one attack of opportunity for that opponent.

A holding action last for a number of rounds equal to twice the dire blade's class level. When the holding action ends, the dire blade's Strength and Constitution drop back to normal and the dire blade becomes fatigued for the duration of the current encounter.

Respect: The dire blade is a respected but tragically necessary position in Erunsil society. As a result, all other snow elves are automatically freindly toward the dire blade. Additionally, dire blades gain a +4 bonus on Charisma-based skill checks when dealing with other elves.

Improved Combat Refelexes (Ex): At 2nd level, the dire blade's reflexes sharpen. Hereafter, he may make a number of additional attacks of opportunity each round to one-half his class levels (round down).

Intercept (Ex): At 3rd level, the dire blade learns to protect a wider area. Once per round when an enemy passes near him, the dire blade may move to intercept his foe even when it is not the dire blade's turn. This movement may interupt the enemy's action. At 3rd level, this movement may not exceed 5 ft. The movement of the intercept does not count as a 5-ft.-step and provokes attacks of opportunity as normal, but the Tumble skill may be used as part of the movement (at one-half speed, as normal).

At 6th and again 9th level, the dire blade becomes able to travel 5 ft. farther during the intercept.

Drive it Deep (Ex): At 4th level, the dire blade learns to make devasting blows with his fighting knives, despite their light weigth. When wielding fighting knives, the dire blade is treatend as having the Drive it Deep feat. If he already has the Drive it Deep feat, he may also wield a fighting knive as a two-handed weapon; when he deos so and takes a penalty to his attack roll using Drive it Deep, he adds twice the number subtracted from his attack roll to his damage roll with the weapon.

Ward the Blow (Ex): At 7th level, the dire blade learns to ward off enemies' attacks with his fighting knives. When wielding two fighting knives, the dire blade is treated as having Combat Expertise.

Dual Stance (Ex): The secret of a dire blade's effectiveness is a constant interplay of offense and defense. At 8th level, when wielding two fighting knives, the dire blade may designate one as a Drive it Deep weapon and one as a Combat Expertise weapon. Instead of using those feats normally, the dire blade may instead take a penalty equal to or less than his class level on all attack rolls for the round; the knife chosen for Drive it Deep receives a bonus on damage rolls equal to the penalty, while the knife chosen for Combat Expertise grants the dire blade a dodge bonus to AC equal to the penalty.

Class
Level		 Base
Attack
Bonus		 Fort
Save		 Ref
Save		 Will
Save		 Special
1st +1 +2 +0 +0 Holding action 1/day, respect
2nd +2 +3 +0 +0 Improved combat reflexes
3rd +3 +3 +1 +1 Intercept 5 ft.
4th +4 +4 +1 +1 Drive it deep
5th +5 +4 +1 +1 Holding action 2/day
6th +6 +5 +2 +2 Intercept 10 ft.
7th +7 +5 +2 +2 Ward the blow
8th +8 +6 +2 +2 Dual stance
9th +9 +6 +3 +3 Intercept 15 ft.
10th +10 +7 +3 +3 Holding action 3/day