Gladiator

You show off your fighting style to discourage your foes. You can use Performance to Demoralize.

Trigger You reduce an enemy to 0 Hit Points during a non-trivial combat encounter with spectators.

You show off for the crowd. Attempt a Performance check; the DC is determined by the GM but is typically the standard DC for your level or the DC to Make An Impression on the spectators, whichever is higher. On a success, choose one of the following benefits; on a critical success, choose two benefits:

• A number of temporary Hit Points equal to your character level; these last for 1 minute.

  Effect: Play To The Crowd (Temporary Hit Points)

• A +1 circumstance bonus to AC until the end of your next turn.

  Effect: Play To The Crowd (AC Bonus)

• A +1 circumstance bonus to your next attack roll before the end of your next turn.

  Effect: Play To The Crowd (Attack Roll Bonus)

You pull punches to give a better show. You don't take the usual -2 circumstance penalty when making a nonlethal attack with a weapon or unarmed attack that doesn't have the nonlethal trait.

You're skilled with flashy weapons and can use them to great effect. You have familiarity with the Bo Staff, Dueling Cape, Spiked Chain, Sword Cane, Trident, War Flail, and Whip. For the purposes of proficiency, you treat these as simple weapons. The GM may add other martial weapons to this list as appropriate for the world or region you are playing in.

Whenever you get a critical hit with one of these weapons, you get its critical specialization effect.

When you successfully Play to the Crowd, add the following to the list of benefits you can choose from:

• Choose a creature within 30 feet that can see you to become Frightened 2. This effect has the emotion, fear, mental, and visual traits.

Frequency once per day

Trigger You would be reduced to 0 Hit Points (but not immediately killed) during a combat encounter that has spectators.

Nothing can stop you as long as you have an audience cheering you on. The attention reinvigorates you and keeps you from being knocked out. You remain at 1 Hit Point, and your Wounded condition increases by 1.

In addition, attempt a Performance check; the DC is determined by the GM but is typically the standard DC for your level or the DC to Make An Impression on the spectators, whichever is higher. On a success, the crowd erupts in applause and cheers at your comeback, much to the dismay of your enemies. Concern for the crowd's reaction should your opponent deliver a finishing blow gives you a +1 circumstance bonus to AC until the end of your next turn. On a critical success, you don't expend your daily use of Living for the Applause and can use the reaction an additional time on the same day.

Effect: Living For The Applause

Frequency once per day

Trigger You're about to roll initiative.

Now's your chance! You're a Firebrand, and the world must know it. You strike a dramatic pose, deliver a snappy quip, or reveal a shocking new costume, captivating everyone who can see you. You don't roll initiative. Instead, you voluntarily go last. Enemies who can see you must attempt a Will saving throw against your class DC or spell DC, whichever is higher. On a failure, the enemy is overcome with anticipation for what you'll do next on the battlefield and becomes Stunned 1 (Stunned 2 on a critical failure). As your first action on your first turn, you can Interact to draw or stow an item of light Bulk as a free action; if this item is a small garment or accessory, such as a fan, a pair of gloves, or a wine glass, you gain a +1 circumstance bonus on Charisma-based skill checks until the end of your turn.

Effect: Big Debut

Your training has focused you for the opera, and it certainly shows. You become master in Performance, and at 15th level your skill in Performance increases to Legendary. You also become expert in Theater Lore or become master in Theater Lore if you were already expert. When you're on a stage, in an arena, or otherwise at the focus of a crowd there to see you perform, your eagerness to begin grants a +3 circumstance bonus to initiative rolls if you roll Acrobatics, Intimidation, or Performance for initiative.

Frequency once per day

You can project your voice into a high-pitched screech that damages your foes. Your roar can be heard twice as far as normal, and creatures within a 15-foot cone take 6d10 sonic damage and must attempt a Fortitude save against your class DC or spell DC, whichever is higher. If your Gladiator's Roar triggers Play to the Crowd, you gain a +2 status bonus to your Performance check to do so.

Critical Success The creature is unaffected.

Success The creature takes half damage and becomes Frightened 1

Failure The creature takes full damage and becomes Frightened 2.

Critical Failure The creature takes double damage, becomes Frightened 3, and is Stunned 1.

Enough of your life has been spent performing that you've mastered the art of the quick change—especially when it comes to armor or invested items. You can remove any armor as a 3-action Interact activity. You can don light armor in 2 rounds, or in 1 minute for medium or heavy armor. You gain the Impromptu Investment activity.

Trigger You Delay.

Frequency once per hour

You are always ready to embrace to a change in tempo and adapt your actions to take advantage of unforeseen developments. When you return to the initiative order after you Delay, you do so in an unpredictable way. All enemies are Off Guard to you until the start of your next turn, and you become Quickened for the current round but can only use the extra action to Stride or Strike.

You've spent enough time training in stage fighting and teaching a wide range of stunts that you can prepare your companions with directions on how to avoid peril in battle. You can Aid an ally's Acrobatics or Athletics check with a Theater Lore check. You gain the Swift Choreography reaction.

Your performances aren't just well-known, they're famous across the land and beyond. Your ability to make people believe the stories you perform has taken on supernatural power. You gain the ability to cast Fabricated Truth once per day as an occult innate spell.