Sometimes born to greatness, and other times thrust into it, a pulse warden is known for their attention to detail. Every second that passes is precious, and a pulse warden can feel the ebb and flow of time as if it was their own blood. A pulse warden comprehends the ticking of a clock nearly so much as they understand themselves; and so they must: The cosmic metronome dictates all movement.
Having closely studied dozens of rare ancient codices on the flow of time, a pulse warden more completely understands the nature of the world than perhaps, they say, even a wizard. Though sorcerers invoke their inborn potential, and both wizard and magus dominate patterns built to control the world, a pulse warden rather manipulates rules of that world directly - watching and modifying time at perfect moments bypassing the rules rather than invoking them.
The pulse wardens are sageswords of time. As they become more experienced, their knowledge of the function of the world gradually becomes absolute. They see the world in discrete moments, inexorably moving forward. They understand the ticking of the cosmic metronome better than any other profession, and they become increasingly capable of stepping between the beats of time. With the ability to understand and bypass the restrictions of the world, a pulse warden forces every advantage.
Intended balance point: PF Inquisitor.
Brief description: The pulse warden is a mystic high-damage striker/"hammer" that seeks to evade rather than withstand damage. They can become more powerful as a combat goes on or sacrifice their built-up potential to delay enemies.
Notes: The pulse warden is a striker class with light controller elements. They are designed to be able to participate well in combat at earlier levels, before the power of spellcasting becomes an issue, and then transition into a heavy supporting fire plus supporting control role. Although resting at a d8 hit die, they avoid the worst of incoming fire with their Foil Plans ability, as well as advancements to skip a beat. The pulse warden becomes stronger as a combat continues and Clockwork Winding plays its
Flavour side-note: The pulse warden is designed as a more mystical take on a time-based opportunist. In parts, the pulse warden could be considered inspired by the tales of wuxia, calling on some of the flavour of the core monk, given a takeaway from the patience and discipline of the class. There are many influences, though, and a martial devotee could also be considered a pulse warden, as a similar description to a magus. Any character which applies mystical power to their fighting style could serve as a major influence to a player that wants to play a pulse warden.
Starting Age: As Wizard
Starting Equipment: As Rogue
Alignment: Pulse wardens step in time with the cosmos. As they appeal to this universal authority, so also are they often found to be lawful - though there are also pulse wardens who seek to subvert the local or even the universal order.
Hit Die: d8
Skill Points: 4+Int
Class Skills: Acrobatics (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Escape Artist (Dex), Heal (Wis), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Knowledge (history) (Int), Knowledge (local) (Int), Knowledge (nature) (Int), Knowledge (religion) (Int), Perception (Wis), Linguistics (Int), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Sense Motive (Wis), Swim (Str).
Weapon and Armor Proficiency.
Pulse wardens are proficient with all simple and martial weapons, and with light and medium armour, but not with shields.
Skip a Beat (Su).
Starting at 1st level, a pulse warden has the ability to briefly step outside of time, skipping past pre-emptive defenses. Once per day, as a free action before rolling to hit with any weapon she has proficiency in or an unarmed strike, she can choose to ignore all cover, deflection, dodge, insight, and shield bonuses to her target's AC on one attack. She gains an additional use per day of skip a beat for every two pulse warden levels above 1st she has.
Motion (Ex).
Starting at 1st level, a pulse warden learns that the guidance of the cosmic metronome is more valuable than the iron of mortals. Whenever a pulse warden is wearing no armour and is not carrying a medium or heavier load, she gains her Wisdom modifier plus half her pulse warden level (rounded down) plus 2 as a dodge bonus to AC.
While she is wearing armour with which she is proficient or is carrying a medium or heavier load, she gains half her pulse warden level (rounded down) as a dodge bonus to AC, but does not also gain her Wisdom modifier or the additional bonus of 2.
Clockwork Keys (Ex).
Starting at 1st level, the pulse warden learns to observe the weaknesses in nearby enemy's fighting styles and begins to strike at only the most perfect moments. These are indicated with Keys, which are abstract indicators, representing a growing understanding of the cosmic metronome's behaviour respective to her targets, as well as falling into its pattern of motion.
Once during each round in which she successfully damages an opponent with a manufactured weapon, natural weapon, or unarmed strike, and the pulse warden may choose to gain a Key as a free action. To gain a Key, the opponent must be of CR no less than her character level minus 5; she gains the Key before making her next attack.
A pulse warden may have a maximum of 1 Key per pulse warden level while in combat. Keys are lost whenever the pulse warden is not in combat, including as soon as the encounter ends.
For the purposes of this ability, CR 1/2 is treated as CR 0, CR 1/3 as CR -1, CR 1/4 as CR -2, CR 1/6 as CR -3, and CR 1/8 as CR -4.
Clockwork Winding (Ex).
Whenever the pulse warden successfully damages an opponent with a manufactured weapon, natural weapon, or unarmed strike, she may add a bonus 1d4 precision damage for every Key she had when making that attack.
The pulse warden is considered to gain the Key from clockwork keys immediately after she deals damage. She adds precision damage from clockwork winding to any additional attacks in the same round, as well as in future rounds.
Disciplined Beat (Ex).
At 2nd level, a character using the Power Attack feat to strike the pulse warden provokes an attack of opportunity from the pulse warden. This attack of opportunity resolves after the Power Attack is attempted.
Mystic Garb (Su).
At 2nd level, the pulse warden gains the ability to imbue a bracer, a light robe, or a mask with the mystic power of the cosmic metronome. This is a ritual costing 150gp in special inks and ritualistic gears that takes 4 hours during an otherwise restful day to perform (she may not perform any other crafting, travelling or combat). After she has done so, the bracer, robe, or mask may be enchanted with enhancements to armour bonus and with special qualities just as if it were armour (although in lieu of such it grants a +0 armour bonus to AC). The item does not impede rest if worn overnight and, when enchanted, consumes the armour magic slot in place of its normal slot.
Foil Plans (Su).
At 3rd level, whenever the pulse warden would be hit by a readied attack, she too anticipates the attack and can step around the moment of impact. She may expend a single use of her skip a beat ability to cause that attack to miss. She must choose to use this ability before damage is rolled.
At 9th level, the pulse warden has become familiar with fighting styles similar to her own, and can see incoming blows in time to skip around them. Whenever the pulse warden would be hit by an attack by any weapon she has proficiency in or an unarmed strike, she may expend a single use of her skip a beat ability to cause that attack to miss. She must choose to use this ability before damage is rolled.
At 15th level, the pulse warden has begun to perfect her understanding of the flow of time. Whenever the pulse warden would be hit by anything requiring an attack roll (including touch attacks), including attacks, spells, spell-like abilities, or other abilities or actions requiring an attack roll, she may expend a single use of her skip a beat ability to cause that roll to result in a miss. She still may not use her foil plans ability against combat maneuvers or against spells that do not require an attack roll. She must choose to use this ability before its effects, such as damage or saving throws, are rolled.
Guarded (Ex).
At 4th level, the pulse warden begins to feel the flow of time through her very being. She adds half her pulse warden level to her Initiative, and begins every encounter with 1 Key for every 4 pulse warden levels she has (rounded down).
Skip a Beat, Improved (Su).
At 5th level, the pulse warden becomes so familiar with the motion of time that she learns to step in and out of phase for an even longer period of time. Whenever she activates her skip a beat ability, the first attack against her before her next turn has a 20% chance to miss as if she was under the effect of blur. This stacks with any concealment, blur, displacement, or similar effect (do not add the percentages together; roll separately for each).
Double-Tick (Su).
At 6th level, the pulse warden can repeat a moment in time just as she hits in order to exacerbate a strike. Whenever the pulse warden uses her skip a beat ability, she may add twice her pulse warden level in precision damage and, if she successfully deals damage, gains an additional Key, on her first attack after use. If she would miss on this attack by 5 or less, she instead hits, but does not deal bonus precision damage. She may only gain these bonuses on one attack per use of her skip a beat ability and must choose to use them before rolling for the attack.
Clockwork Chains (Su).
At 7th level, the pulse warden gains the ability to both understand and restrict her enemies' motion through time.
Whenever an enemy would be damaged by clockwork winding, if she has at least 1 Key, she may choose to roll 1d4 less damage and lose a corresponding Key in order to lock the enemy she strikes in temporal chains, physically lashing them with dark, translucent bonds.
These chains last 1 round and apply the entangled and sickened conditions, as the creature is dragged through time at an unpredictable and slowed rate. A flying creature must also make a Reflex save (DC 10 + your Wisdom modifier + 1/2 pulse warden level) or stall and fall up to 300 feet, suffering falling damage as appropriate, and unable to retake ascent until this effect ends. A character flying without the use of wings gains a +5 to this check.
An entangled creature moves at half speed, cannot run or charge, and takes a –2 penalty on all attack rolls and a –4 penalty to Dexterity. An entangled character who attempts to cast a spell must make a concentration check (DC 15 + spell level) or lose the spell. A sickened character takes an additional –2 penalty on all attack rolls, weapon damage rolls, saving throws, skill checks, and ability checks.
Winding Clarity (Su).
At 8th level, the pulse warden learns to peer through the beat of combat to predict future opportunities.
Once per round, as a move action or in place of an attack, she may make a Sense Motive check (DC 10 + 1/2 enemy HD + 1/2 enemy BAB) on a target she can see or otherwise accurately detect. If she succeeds on this check and the target has CR of at least her pulse warden level minus 5, she gains a Key.
She may not use this ability again until she successfully damages an enemy with CR of at least her pulse warden level minus 2 or the encounter ends. This use of clockwork keys does not alert the creature to her presence.
If she replaces an attack in a full attack action, she takes a penalty on the check equal to any penalty to her BAB on the iterative attack she would have taken. She does not take a penalty to the check for using two-weapon fighting, power attack, or similar effects, although in the case of two-weapon fighting and similar effects she still applies the normal penalty to her weapon attacks as if she was using an off-hand weapon. In this case, she must be armed with a second weapon which she could use to attack with, such as a parrying dagger, spiked shield, or improved unarmed strike (although it must be made once again clear that she does not actually make an attack with that weapon).
The pulse warden may use this ability to gain a single Key before combat begins, if and only if she has the opportunity to do so as described above. She maintains this Key until combat begins - despite the normal rules on the matter - at which point the Key is treated as others are. She loses this Key if the anticipated combat is then avoided rather than engaged, and cannot otherwise apply it to combats not involving the chosen target. This Key stacks with those from on guard.
Skip a Beat, Greater (Su).
At 10th level, the pulse warden is capable of dashing in and out of time many times in quick succession. When the pulse warden uses her skip a beat ability, it applies to all attacks she makes until the beginning of her next turn.
In addition, the miss chance gained from her improved skip a beat ability now applies to spells, spell-like abilities, supernatural abilities, and extraordinary abilities targeting her. She may choose to negate this miss chance for any such ability if she is aware of the ability.
Wild Chains (Su).
At 11th level, the pulse warden learns how to manipulate the ticking of the world around her, and can reach out to quell the motions of those around her. As a move action or in place of an attack, she may expend any number of Keys to affect an equal number of targets within 60' as if with clockwork chains, as the dark bonds shoot out from her being and wrap around their targets. Targets beyond the first receive a Reflex save (DC 10 + 1/2 pulse warden levels + Wisdom modifier) to negate the effects. The range of this ability increases by 5' for every pulse warden level above 11th. Although ranged, this does not provoke attacks of opportunity.
Clockwork Oblivion (Su).
At 12th level, the pulse warden controls the futility of her opponent's actions.
Whenever she would apply clockwork chains, if she has at least 2 Keys, she may instead roll an additional 1d4 less damage and lose an additional Key to also apply the staggered and flat-footed conditions for 1 round, as the creature skips a crucial moment in their near future.
A staggered creature may take a single move action or standard action each round (but not both, nor can he take full-round actions). A staggered creature can still take free, swift, and immediate actions. A flat-footed character loses his Dexterity bonus to AC and Combat Maneuver Defense (CMD) (if any) and cannot make attacks of opportunity, unless he has the Combat Reflexes feat or Uncanny Dodge class ability.
Rapid Winding (Ex).
At 13th level, the pulse warden learns to accelerate her comprehension of her enemies and their motions. She may now gain a Key up to twice per round from clockwork keys rather than once per round. She may only gain this second Key if she has dealt weapon damage at least twice, through separate attacks.
Skip a Beat, True (Su).
At 14th level, the pulse warden has incorporated the broken clock of time into her very being. She is treated as if she used her skip a beat ability at the beginning of every round, although she does not expend uses of her skip a beat ability to do so and cannot spend uses of her skip a beat ability to increase the effects further. She may instead spend a use of her skip a beat ability as a free action on her turn to raise the chance to miss her with attacks to 50% until the beginning of her next turn and to give all further attacks the lesser 20% miss chance. Additionally, whenever she does so, she may apply double-tick to every attack before the beginning of her next turn, rather than only the first.
Wild Oblivion (Su).
At 16th level, the pulse warden's control over the swinging pendulum of time becomes ever stronger, learning to force an entire arena to skip across a vital tick of time.
As a move action or in place of an attack, she may expend any number of Keys to affect an equal number of targets within 85' as if with Clockwork Chains and Clockwork Oblivion, phasing opponents out of time for disjoint moments. Targets beyond the first receive a Reflex save (DC 10 + 1/2 pulse warden levels + Wisdom modifier) to negate the effects. The range of this ability increases by 5' for every pulse warden level above 16th. Although ranged, this does not provoke attacks of opportunity.
Clockwork Puppeteering (Su).
At 17th level, the pulse warden has learned how to cause a terrible winding-down of her opponents. Whenever she would apply Clockwork Oblivion, if she has at least 3 Keys, she may instead roll an additional 1d4 less damage and lose an additional Key to also apply enervation to the target (CL equal to her pulse warden level). This does not provoke attacks of opportunity.