Succumbing to or seeking the power of their Inner Darkness, those jet-black dragonhunters use this abyssal power to protect those they hold dear and eradicate those in their way.
The dark dragoon is an archetype of the dragoon class.
Archetype Main Ability Scores:
The dark dragoon mainly focuses on STR/DEX for martial combat and CON, and CHA for his class features.
Archetype Feature Replacements:
1st – Class Skills, Pole Fighting, Strengthened Agility. 4th – Elusive Jump, Dragoon Talent. 8th – Dragoon Talent. 9th – Wall Jumping. 12th – Dragoon Talent. 15th – Flawless Lancer. 16th – Dragoon Talent. 20th – Dragoon Talent, Master Dragoon.
Class Skills
A dark dragoon adds Knowledge (nobility), Knowledge (religion), and Spellcraft to his list of class skills but loses Handle Animal, Knowledge (local), and Ride as class skills.
Harm Touch (Su)
At 1st level, a dark dragoon surrounds his hand with a dark power, causing terrible wounds to open on those he touches. Each day he can use this ability a number of times equal to half his dragoon level (minimum 1) + his Charisma modifier. Using this ability is a standard action that does not provoke attacks of opportunity.
As a melee touch attack, a dark dragoon can cause 1d6 points of shadow damage. This amount increases by 1d6 for every two dragoon levels beyond the 1st.
Alternatively, a dark dragoon can use this power to heal undead creatures, restoring 1d6 hit points + 1d6 for every two levels the dark dragoon possesses after 1st.
This ability replaces pole fighting and strengthened agility.
Grit Stance (Ex)
At 4th level, the dark dragoon adopts an aggressive stance which slows his enemies’ ability to advance or retreat and reduces the damage he take while dealing less damage as well. While the dark dragoon maintains this stance, he take a -2 penalty to all damage rolls and halves his total movement speed, but gains DR 2/-. This bonus and penalty increases by 1 per three dark dragoon levels after 1st. Entering and leaving grit stance is a move action. The dragoon’s bonus to Acrobatics checks is unaffected by this change in movement speed.
At 5th level, any space he threatens is treated by hostile creatures as though it was difficult terrain for enemies. If a creature would not be affected by difficult terrain due to its movement type, the effects still apply. In addition, whenever the dark dragoon hits an opponent with an attack of opportunity, that opponent becomes flat-footed until the end of the dragoon’s next turn. If mounted or otherwise not on his feet for any reason other than jumping, this stance ends automatically.
This ability replaces elusive jump.
Dark Magic
Beginning at 4th level, a dark dragoon gains the ability to cast dark knight spells, which are drawn from the dark knight spell list. A dark dragoon begins play with 1 1st level dark knight spell of his choice. Each time a character attains a new dragoon level, he gains one spell of his choice to add to his list of spells. The free spell must be of spell levels he can cast. Like most spellcasters, a dark dragoon can find or purchase scrolls with spells to add to his repertoire. Unlike other spellcasters, a dark dragoon wearing armor does not affect his spellcasting ability.
To learn or cast a spell, the dark dragoon must have a Charisma score equal to at least 10 + the spell level (Cha 11 for 1st-level spells, Cha 12 for 2nd-level spells, and so forth). The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against a dark dragoon’s spell is 10 + the spell level + the dark dragoon’s Charisma modifier. In addition, a dark dragoon gains additional MP for having a high attribute (Charisma—see Table: Bonus MP per Day (by Spell Level) on the MP System page).
Table: 1/2 MP Chart
| Level | MP | Spell Level |
|---|---|---|
| 4th | 1 | 1st |
| 5th | 2 | 1st |
| 6th | 3 | 1st |
| 7th | 4 | 2nd |
| 8th | 5 | 2nd |
| 9th | 6 | 2nd |
| 10th | 7 | 3rd |
| 11th | 8 | 3rd |
| 12th | 10 | 3rd |
| 13th | 12 | 4th |
| 14th | 14 | 4th |
| 15th | 16 | 4th |
| 16th | 19 | 4th |
| 17th | 22 | 4th |
| 18th | 25 | 4th |
| 19th | 29 | 4th |
| 20th | 33 | 4th |
Through 3rd level, a dark dragoon has no caster level. At 4th level and higher, his caster level is equal to his dragoon level – 3.
This ability replaces dragoon talents gained at 4th, 8th, 12th, 16th, and 20th levels.
Jump Cast (Ex)
Beginning at 9th level, a dark dragoon can cast one spell up to 4th level spells from the dark knight spell list as a swift action while mid-air during a jump, so long as the casting time of the spell is 1 standard action or less. He can use this ability a number of times per day equal to 3 + his Charisma modifier.
This ability replaces wall jumping.
Shadow Wall (Su)
At 15th level, as a swift action, if under the Grit Stance, the dark dragoon can double the damage reduction and damage penalties for a number of rounds equal to his Charisma modifier up to 3 times per day.
This ability replaces flawless lancer.
Abyssal Leap (Su)
At 20th level, the dark dragoon has learned to augment his jumps with dark power. When utilizing his Deadly Lancer class feature, the dragoon may choose to deal all of his damage as shadow damage (including his normal damage).
This ability replaces master dragoon.