Among the myriad beasts of Tural, a select few awaken to preternatural power, becoming what are known as tural vidraal. To overcome the threat of these almighty beings, hunters studied one of nature’s deadliest predators─one capable of overcoming foes greater even than themselves: the Viper. They are swift and agile, with dual blades like fangs to bite, or combine into a single weapon to weave about the battlefield. Named for the serpent that inspired their fighting style, the Vipers of Tural remain steadfast in their duty to defend the people.
The viper is an archetype of the ninja class.
Archetype Main Ability Scores:
The viper mainly focuses on STR or DEX for martial combat, and WIS for his class features.
Archetype Feature Replacements:
1st – Weapon Proficiency, Limit Break, Ninjutsus, Sneak Attack, Throw Anything. 2nd – Ninja Tricks, Ki Pool. 3rd – No Trace. 5th – Death Mark. 10th – Cloaked in Shadows. 14th – Hide in Plain Sight. 16th – Shadow Step. 17th – Certain Demise. 19th – Hidden Master.
Limit Break (Su)
At 1st level, the viper receives the Limit Break (Reawaken).
Reawaken (Su): This Limit Break allows the viper to temporarily harness his Serpent’s Lineage to grant incredible speed and power. For the duration of 1 round + 1 round per four ninja levels after 1st, the viper’s BAB is treated as equal to his ninja level, and during a full-attack with two weapons or a double weapon, the viper can make 1 additional attack at his highest BAB, another at -5 at 6th level, another at -10 at 11th level, and one last one at -15 at 16th level. These attacks are not doubled by any other effect but otherwise stack with haste and similar effects. This limit break requires only a swift action.
This ability replaces the ninja’s Limit Break (Missile Barrage).
Weapon Proficiency
Vipers are also proficient with thief swords and two-bladed swords, and treat them as Martial Weapons. Vipers lose proficiency with the shortbow and all thrown weapons that ninjas are typically proficient with.
Hunter’s Lineage
At 1st level, a viper gains the Two-Weapon Fighting feat and the Two-Weapon Grace feat as bonus feats, ignoring prerequisites. A viper does not take the additional -2 penalty on attacks when using Two-Weapon Grace, and is treated as having both Fencing Grace and Slashing Grace for the purposes of the feat’s effects.
At 4th level, the viper gains the Double Slice feat as a bonus feat, ignoring prerequisites.
At 7th level, the viper gains the Improved Two-Weapon Fighting feat as a bonus feat, ignoring prerequisites.
At 10th level, the viper gains the Two-Weapon Rend feat as a bonus feat, ignoring prerequisites.
At 13th level, the viper gains the Greater Two-Weapon Fighting feat as a bonus feat, ignoring prerequisites.
At 16th level, the viper gains any one feat that has “Two-Weapon Fighting” as a prerequisite, ignoring any other prerequisites.
This ability replaces throw anything, ninjutsu, and MP pool. Vipers do not gain any ninjutsu or spellcasting ability, do not have a caster level, and do not count as having a ninjutsu list for spell trigger or spell completion magic items.
Lesser Sneak Attack (Ex)
A viper’s Sneak Attack scales at a slower progression than the typical ninja. At 1st level, his sneak attack damage is +1d6. This increases by 1d6 at 6th, 10th, 12th, and 20th levels. If he gets a sneak attack bonus from another source, the bonuses on the damage stack.
This ability modifies sneak attack.
Ki Pool (Su)
At 2nd level, a viper may spend ki points on Bushido Arts instead of Bushido points.
This ability modifies ki pool.
Serpent Training (Ex/Su)
At 2nd level, a viper loses access to all ninja tricks that require ninjutsu, but gains access to Bushido Arts, as a samurai. Bushido Arts taken this way scale off of Wisdom instead of Charisma, and the viper treats his viper level as his samurai level. Any caveat that requires an “Eastern Melee Weapon” can instead be used with “Any Double Weapon,” but all other prerequisites (including Bushido Point usage) must still be met.
This ability may replace ninja tricks and master tricks.
Twinfang (Ex)
At 3rd level, a viper forms his own style that unites both double weapons and dual-wielding. As a free action, a viper can treat any double weapon as two individual one-handed finesse weapons (and thus occupying both hands), or treat two one-handed melee weapons he is wielding as a single double weapon, if the two weapons are the same (such as two shortswords, or two clubs). A viper may choose to alter what his weapons are treated as many times as he likes per turn, even in between iterative attacks. If a viper is disarmed while treating two weapons as a double weapon, or treating a double weapon as two weapons, both of his weapons are disarmed simultaneously.
This ability replaces no trace.
Noxious Gnash (Ex)
At 5th level, any time the viper successfully damages a creature with a weapon attack, the creature is denied their Dexterity bonus to AC for the next attack the viper makes that turn. This continues applying as long as the viper continues to land attacks. This does not work on targets that are immune to being flanked or flat-footed. Additionally, if a viper makes a full-round attack action with a double weapon and does not use the other side of the Double Weapon as part of the full attack, he adds the damage profiles of the two sides together (a thief sword [1d6/1d6] would become a 2d6 weapon) for the purposes of that action. Enchantments from both sides of the weapon are not shared with this.
This ability replaces death mark.
Uncoiled Fury (Ex)
At 10th level, the viper treats all double weapons as thrown weapons, granting them a range increment of 20 ft. Double weapons thrown by the viper return automatically as if the viper had the Ricochet Toss feat. A viper may not make use of the extra attacks from Two-Weapon Fighting while making ranged attacks with double weapons.
This ability replaces cloaked in shadows.
Serpent’s Legacy (Ex)
At 14th level, whenever the viper takes a full-attack action and successfully lands at least 4 attacks, he may spend a swift action to make an additional two attacks at his highest BAB. These attacks do not have to target the same creature.
This ability replaces hide in plain sight and certain demise.
Slither (Su)
At 16th level, as a move action, the viper can move up to his movement speed without provoking attacks of opportunity for the duration of the movement, but must end his movement adjacent to a creature.
This ability replaces shadow step.
World-Swallower (Su)
At 19th level, when making a full-round attack, the viper may make double his normal amount of attacks gained from his BAB and Two-Weapon Fighting; these additional attacks are made at their own progression, similar to Two-Weapon Fighting (-0, -5, -10, -15, etc.). However, all attacks made by the viper during this action may not confirm critical hits or deal precision damage, and he is Staggered for 1 round after using this ability. This ability doesn’t double extra attacks gained through haste or any other similar effects that grants additional attacks, nor does it stack with any other class feature that doubles a number of attacks. This Staggered effect cannot be reduced or mitigated in any way and applies even to normally staggered-immune characters. This ability may only be used when wielding a double weapon or two-weapon fighting, and does not double the additional attacks from the his Reawaken Limit Break.
This ability replaces hidden master.