Aldori Duelist

You're always ready for a new duel, and you've been trained to start and end fights quickly. When you're in a duel or can see exactly one creature, you can always roll Dueling Lore for initiative. If you do so while in a duel, you must choose from either Deception, Intimidation, or Perception when you roll for initiative; you're considered to have rolled the chosen skill for initiative for the purpose of dueling actions.

Requirements You are wielding only an Aldori dueling sword.

You can parry attacks against you with your Aldori dueling sword. Aldori dueling swords you're wielding gain the parry trait. If you have your other hand or hands free while wielding an Aldori dueling sword, you gain a +2 circumstance bonus to AC while parrying instead of the usual +1.

Trigger You roll initiative, and you are observing at least one opponent.

You hone your reaction time through duels and learn to draw your weapon seamlessly as you begin a fight. You gain a +2 circumstance bonus to the triggering initiative roll, and you can immediately Interact to draw an Aldori dueling sword.

Trigger An opponent within your reach critically fails a Strike against you.

Requirements You are using an Aldori Dueling Sword to parry.

You riposte with your Aldori dueling sword when your enemy leaves an opening. Make a melee Strike against or attempt to Disarm the triggering opponent using your Aldori dueling sword.

Trigger You critically succeed at a Strike or Disarm with your Aldori Dueling Sword, or succeed at a Strike or Disarm attempt with your Aldori dueling sword against an opponent during your first turn of an encounter.

Your incredible skill with your blade unnerves your foes. You attempt to Demoralize the target of your Strike or Disarm. This Demoralize attempt does not have the auditory trait, nor do you take a penalty to the check if the target doesn't understand your language.

Trigger An opponent critically hits you with a melee attack.

You quickly whirl your blade, trying to deflect enough momentum to avoid the worst of the attack. Attempt a DC 15 Flat. If you succeed, the attack becomes a normal hit, instead of a critical hit.

Frequency once per round

Your true skill can be seen in a one-on-one fight where you have room to dance around your opponent. You attempt to Feint and then Strike an adjacent creature with an Aldori Dueling Sword. The Feint attempt must be against the same target as your Strike.

You can flow through combat reactions with graceful ease. At the start of each of your turns, you gain an additional reaction that you can use only for Aldori Riposte, Saving Slash, or any dueling action.

Requirements You are wielding only an Aldori Dueling Sword and have your other hand or hands free; you are not Fatigued.

Many assume that a duelist's habit of fighting with one hand behind their back or on their hip is an insult or self-restriction. This could not be further from the truth. Fighting with a single hand dictates mastery and heightens the duelist's focus by narrowing points of interest, allowing them to move and react to changing situations with unnatural speed. While in this stance, you are Quickened. You can use this extra action only to Step or use a single-action activity gained from the Aldori duelist archetype. If you use your free hand for anything, this stance ends. When this stance ends, you become fatigued until you rest for at least 10 minutes.

You move with an unpredictable tempo, shifting between unnervingly slow and rapid movements. You are Concealed for 1 round. As the nature of this effect still leaves your location obvious, you can't use this concealment to Hide or Sneak.

You pointedly note your enemy's deficiencies, filling them with fear and dismay. Strike an opponent with your Aldori Dueling Sword.

If the Strike is successful, attempt a Dueling Lore check against the target's Will DC. On a success, the target becomes Frightened 2. This is an emotion, fear, and mental effect.

You are an Aldori swordlord. You can always obtain free room and board at the Aldori Academy for yourself and your allies.

You can use Dueling Lore instead of Diplomacy to Make an Impression or Request provided that the target you are Making an Impression on would be aware of the Aldori swordlords or your Request is related to your standing as a swordlord.

Whenever you successfully Strike a creature with an Aldori Dueling Sword, you gain 5 temporary Hit Points (or 10 temporary Hit Point on a critical success) that last for 1 round.

Effect: Aldori Swordlord (Temporary Hit Points)

Special You can't take both this feat and Swordlord Exile.

You are a swordlord exile. You have abandoned or been abandoned by the Aldori Academy. Aldori swordlords are honor-bound to challenge you on sight. Additionally, your unbridled skill strikes terror in those around you. You can use Dueling Lore instead of Intimidation to Coerce and Demoralize while your Aldori Dueling Sword is visible to the target of your attempt.

With broken pride, your blade is now a disgraced tool used to remove obstacles between you and your goals, whatever they may be. The first time you hit a creature with an Aldori dueling sword each round, you deal 5 additional precision damage.

Special You can't take both this feat and Aldori Swordlord.