While most warriors draw on their strength, agility, and toughness in battle, a few learn to tap into the true potential of their minds. Somewhat like a monk, such a warrior supplements his physical practice with rigorous mental training to hone his fighting abilities. His mind and body become one as he fights, allowing him to achieve unparalleled levels of combat mastery. Being in this state of perfect mental and physical harmony is known as maintaining a combat focus. (Taking the feat called Combat Focus is how a character learns to achieve this state; all other combat focus feats have Combat Focus as a prerequisite.) The task of maintaining a combat focus is both difficult and straining. Thus, a warrior cannot remain in this state for long. While he does, however, he can use any combat focus feats he possesses. The six feats described below are combat focus feats.
When you maintain your combat focus, you have an uncanny ability to sense the ebb and flow of your opponents’ vitality.
As you attain greater mastery of this fighting style, you learn to sense a foe’s presence even with your eyes closed.
Prerequisite(s): Wis 13, Blind-Fight, Combat Focus, base attack bonus +6.
Benefit: While maintaining your combat focus, you learn the current hit point total of each adjacent opponent and ally.
If you have three or more combat focus feats, you gain blindsight out to 5 feet.
The state of keen focus and mental discipline you attain in combat allows you to shift the focus of your defense from one opponent to another with careful, precise maneuvers.
Prerequisite(s): Dex 13, Wis 13, Combat Focus, Dodge, base attack bonus +6.
Benefit: While you maintain your combat focus, you can change the target of your Dodge feat to a new opponent as an immediate action.
If you have three or more combat focus feats, you gain an additional +1 dodge bonus to AC against the target of your Dodge feat.
Normal: Designating or changing the target of your Dodge feat can only be done on your turn as a free action.
The way of the warrior requires more than simple, brute strength. Some warriors bring their minds to such keen focus during the heat of battle that they can attain superhuman levels of endurance, perception, and mental toughness. Through intense mental exercise and training, you learn to enter a state of perfect martial clarity.
Prerequisite(s): WIS 13
Benefit: In battle, you push aside the chaos of the fight and attain a focused state that grants you a keen, clear picture of the battle. Fear and pain ebb away as you focus solely on defeating your enemy. The first time you make a successful attack during an encounter, you gain your combat focus. In this state, your mind and body become one, allowing you to overcome mundane physical limits. You can maintain your combat focus for 10 rounds after entering it, +1 additional round per combat focus feat you possess aside from this one. You can only gain your combat focus once per encounter. While you are maintaining your combat focus, you gain a +2 bonus on Will saves. If you have three or more combat focus feats, this bonus increases to +4.
When you maintain your combat focus, you become difficult to dislodge. Your muscles lock into an unyielding position, granting you superior ability to resist trip attacks, bull rushes, disarms, and similar effects.
Prerequisite(s): Wis 13, Combat Focus, base attack bonus +3.
Benefit: You gain a +4 bonus on checks or rolls to resist bull rush, disarm, grapple, overrun, and trip attempts made against you.
If you have three or more combat focus feats, the bonus granted by this feat increases to +8.
Your intense, focused state allows you to see the one critical moment in a battle when you hang suspended between victory and defeat.
By pouring the energy required to maintain your focus into your assault, you batter through your foe’s defenses.
Prerequisite(s): Wis 13, Combat Focus, any two other combat focus feats, base attack bonus +15.
Benefit: If you choose to end your combat focus as a swift action, you gain a bonus on attack rolls and damage rolls equal to your total number of combat focus feats for the rest of your current turn. You immediately lose all benefits of combat focus feats that affect you only while you are maintaining your combat focus.
When you maintain your combat focus, your clarity of purpose and relentless drive allow you to overcome your body’s frailties.
Minor wounds heal in a matter of seconds, and you quickly recover from even a grievous blow.
Prerequisite(s): Wis 13, Combat Focus, base attack bonus +9.
Benefit: While you maintain your combat focus, you gain fast healing 2. You lose this benefit when your combat focus ends.
If you have three or more combat focus feats, the benefit of this feat improves to fast healing 4.