Some lizardmen use a fighting style of darting in and out of melee range and thrusting or throwing deadly spears at their prey, rather than standing and trading blows in melee combat.
The scaly skirmisher is an archetype of the fencer class, available only to lizardman fencers.
Archetype Main Ability Scores
The scaly skirmisher mainly focuses on DEX for martial combat and DEX and INT for their class features.
Archetype Feature Replacements
1st – Weapon Proficiencies, Duelist Stance, Einhander, Fencer Weapon Training. 2nd – Deflect Arrows, Lunge Technique. 3rd – Elaborate Parry, Finesse Training. 4th – Lunge Technique, Precise Strike. 5th – Masterful Feint. 6th – Lunge Technique. 8th – Lunge Technique. 8th – Extended Reach. 10th – Lunge Technique. 11th – Subtle Blade. 12th – Lunge Technique. 14th – Lunge Technique, Science of the Blade. 15th – Superior Reach. 16th – Lunge Technique. 17th – Surgical Strike. 18th – Lunge Technique. 20th – Fencer Weapon Mastery, Lunge Technique.
Weapon Proficiencies
Scaly skirmishers gain proficiency with longspears.
This ability modifies weapon proficiencies.
Skirmisher Duelist
A scaly skirmisher uses her Intelligence modifier instead of Charisma for all fencer class features.
Skirmisher Duelist Stance (Ex)
A scaly skirmisher’s duelist stance applies whenever she is wearing no armor or light armor and wielding a spear.
This ability modifies duelist stance.
Skirmisher Weapon Training (Ex)
At 1st level, a scaly skirmisher can use her Dexterity modifier instead of her Strength modifier for melee attack rolls with all weapons from the spears weapon group. This ability counts as having the Weapon Finesse feat for purposes of meeting feat prerequisites.
At 5th level, she gains a +1 bonus on attack rolls and damage rolls with all spears, plus an additional +1 bonus for every four fencer levels after 5th. A scaly skirmisher also adds this bonus to any combat maneuver checks made with spears. This bonus also applies to the skirmisher’s Combat Maneuver Defense when defending against disarm and sunder attempts made against weapons from this group. If she is using her duelist stance, this attack and damage bonus increases by 2.
At 9th level, she also gains the benefits of the Improved Critical feat with all spears.
This ability replaces fencer weapon training.
Skirmisher’s Skills (Ex)
A scaly skirmisher may use Parry and Riposte or Precision Strike as long as she is fighting with any spear.
This ability modifies einhander and replaces the narrow profile, off-hand balance, and off-hand swap einhander abilities.
Lunge Techniques
At 2nd level, a scaly skirmisher gains access to the following lunge techniques. She cannot select any lunge technique more than once.
Advancing Steps (Ex): Once per round, when the scaly skirmisher reduces a creature to 0 or fewer hit points with an attack made with a spear, she may take a 5-ft. step. She may do this even if she has already moved this round.
Critical Strike (Ex): The scaly skirmisher can choose to take a cumulative –2 penalty on all attack rolls and combat maneuver checks to gain a +1 bonus onto her critical threat range on all attacks with spears, to a maximum of +5. This bonus is applied after doubling the critical threat range of the weapon from the Improved Critical feat. Prerequisite: The scaly skirmisher must be at least 12th level to select this technique.
Greater Skirmisher Step (Ex): When a scaly skirmisher uses Skirmisher Step, she may make a fourth melee attack at a -15 penalty. Prerequisites: The scaly skirmisher must be at least 16th level and have the improved skirmisher step and skirmisher step lunge techniques to select this technique.
Improved Skirmisher Step (Ex): When a scaly skirmisher uses Skirmisher Step, she may make a third melee attack at a -10 penalty. Prerequisites: The scaly skirmisher must be at least 12th level and have the skirmisher step lunge technique to select this technique.
Javelin (Ex): The scaly skirmisher treats all spears’ range increments as being 10 feet greater than normal, or as having a range increment of 10 feet if they have none.
Skirmisher Step (Ex): Twice per day, plus an additional time for every three fencer levels past 6, a scaly skirmisher who moves 10 feet or more during a round and is able to use her Skirmish ability may make two melee attacks as a standard action, one at her full base attack bonus, plus one additional attack at a -5 penalty. Prerequisite: The scaly skirmisher must be at least 6th level to select this technique.
These abilities may replace lunge techniques and replace access to the advancing steps, critical strike, hustle, and unnaturally distracting lunge techniques.
Deflect Arrows (Ex)
A scaly skirmisher of 2nd level or higher may use Deflect Arrows even with a two-handed weapon in her hands, as long as it is a spear.
This ability modifies deflect arrows.
Skirmisher’s Finesse (Ex)
Beginning at 3rd level, a scaly skirmisher selects one type of spear that she is proficient with. Once this choice is made, it cannot be changed. Whenever she makes a successful melee attack or ranged attack (if the weapon is a thrown weapon) with the selected weapon, she adds her Dexterity modifier instead of her Strength modifier to the damage roll (this bonus is halved if she has a level in another non-prestige class and this is not her favored class). If any effect would prevent the fencer from adding her Strength modifier to the damage roll, she does not add her Dexterity modifier. The fencer can select an additional weapon at 7th level and every four fencer levels thereafter, to a maximum of five weapons at 19th level.
This ability replaces finesse training.
Skirmisher’s Parry (Ex)
At 3rd level, a scaly skirmisher may benefit from Elaborate Parry even with a two-handed weapon in her hands, as long as it is a spear.
This ability modifies elaborate parry.
Spear Skirmish (Ex)
At 4th level, a scaly skirmisher learns to take advantage of her mobile fighting style. She deals an extra 1d6 points of precision damage on all attacks she makes with a spear during any round in which she moves at least 10 feet away from where she was at the start of her turn. The extra damage applies only to attacks made on the scaly skirmisher’s turn after the scaly skirmisher has moved at least 10 feet. The skirmish ability cannot be used while mounted. This extra damage increases by 1d6 for every three fencer levels gained above 4th.
At 7th level, a scaly skirmisher gains a +1 competence bonus to Armor Class during any round in which she moves at least 10 feet. The bonus applies as soon as the scaly skirmisher has moved 10 feet, and lasts until the start of her next turn. This bonus improves by 1 for every four fencer levels gained above 7th.
A scaly skirmisher loses this ability when wearing medium or heavy armor, when carrying a medium or heavy load. If she gains the skirmish attack ability from another class, the bonuses stack.
This ability replaces precise strike.
Skirmisher’s Reach (Ex)
The reach of a spear in the hands of a 5th level or higher scaly skirmisher is increased by 5 ft, but only on the scaly skirmisher’s turn.
At 9th level, masterful reach applies even when it isn’t the scaly skirmisher’s turn.
This ability replaces masterful feint and extended reach.
Subtle Spear (Ex)
At 11th level, a scaly skirmisher may benefit from Subtle Blade even with a two-handed weapon in her hands, as long as it is a spear.
This ability modifies subtle blade.
Science of the Spear (Ex)
At 14th level, a scaly skirmisher may use Science of the Blade even when fighting with a two-handed weapon, as long as it is a spear.
This ability modifies science of the blade.
Reach Mastery (Ex)
The reach of a spear in the hands of a 15th level or higher scaly skirmisher is increased by an additional 5 ft., but only on her turn. In addition, if her spear is a reach weapon, she may also use it to attack targets adjacent to her, or otherwise too close for her to reach, without penalty.
This ability replaces superior reach.
Skirmisher’s Surgical Strike (Ex)
At 17th level, a scaly skirmisher may use Surgical Strike even when fighting with a two-handed weapon, as long as it is a spear.
This ability modifies surgical strike.
Skirmisher Weapon Mastery (Ex)
At 20th level, when a scaly skirmisher threatens a critical hit with a spear, that critical hit is automatically confirmed. Furthermore, the critical multipliers of such weapons increase by 1. (×2 becomes ×3, and so on to a max of ×5)
This ability replaces fencer weapon mastery.