General Prestige Class : Reaping Mauler
Truly wise adventurers are always wary of unarmed opponents, for such adversaries are almost always more than they seem. Such an opponent might even be a reaping mauler - the worst nightmare of a character who depends on weapon skills to win. Anyone who dares to wield a weapon against a reaping mauler had better make use of it quickly, because the opportunity won't last long.
Reaping maulers are the back-breakers, the limb-twisters, and the neck-snappers among pit fighters. Grapplers of the highest order, they wear nothing heavier than light armor in combat to maximize their flexibility, and they use no weapons to achieve their gruesome victories, for they prefer the intimacy of a barehanded kill. Reaping maulers want to be close enough to taunt their opponents in whispers while crushing the life out of them, to smell their fear, and to watch the despair creep over their faces when they realize just how useless their weapons are during a grapple.
Fighters are most often attracted to the reaping mauler prestige class, but it is not uncommon for barbarians or rangers to embrace this path. Paladins and clerics have also been known to dabble in this prestige class, treating the combat style as both good, hearty sport and a means to render their opponents unconscious without killing them. Druids sometimes become reaping maulers to enhance their ability to tame animals by hand, and even rogues and monks occasionally adopt the class. Bards, sorcerers, and wizards usually lack the physical strength to be good candidates for the class, but they respect reaping maulers for their obvious spell-disrupting abilities.
NPC reaping maulers are burly, rowdy individuals who carry themselves with an air of invulnerability. When it comes to the simple pleasures of life - drink and food - they believe the world exists for their convenience. In the reaping mauler's mind, there is no problem that can't be solved with brawn. If something can be taken by force, he feels that it must naturally belong to him, and rarely does anyone openly oppose this concept.
Requirements
To qualify to become a Reaping Mauler, a character must fulfill all the following criteria:
- Skills: Escape Artist 8 ranks, Tumble 5 ranks
- Feats: Clever Wrestling, Improved Unarmed Strike,
- Base Attack Bonus: +5
- Special: The candidate must have defeated at least three opponents one size category larger than himself with his bare hands.
Class Skills
The reaping mauler's class skills are Climb, Craft, Escape Artist, Intimidate, Jump, Profession, Swim, and Tumble.
Skill Points at Each Level: 2 + Int modifier.
Class Features
All the following are class features of the reaping mauler prestige class.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: The reaping mauler is proficient with light armor but gains no new weapon or shield proficiencies. Note that armor check penalties for armor heavier than leather apply to the skills Balance, Climb, Escape Artist, Hide, Jump, Move Silently, Pick Pocket, and Tumble. Also, the reaping mauler takes a -1 penalty on Swim checks for every 5 pounds of armor or equipment carried.
Improved Grapple (Ex): Beginning at 1st level, whenever a reaping mauler makes a successful unarmed strike, he can immediately attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. No initial touch attack is required. In addition, he can deal normal damage rather than subdual damage while grappling without taking the usual penalty on his grapple checks.
Mobility (Ex): When wearing light armor or no armor, a 1st-level reaping mauler gains the benefits of the Mobility feat, even if he does not meet the prerequisites.
Adept Wrestling (Ex): Beginning at 2nd level, a reaping mauler who is wearing light armor or no armor gains a +1 bonus on all opposed grapple checks and opposed Dexterity or Strength checks he makes. This bonus increases to +2 at 4th level.
Counter Grapple (Ex): When held or pinned, a 3rd-level reaping mauler wearing light armor or no armor can attempt either a grapple check or an Escape Artist check opposed by his opponent's grapple check result to free himself as normal. If he fails the check he has chosen, he can immediately attempt the other check as a free action.
Sleeper Lock (Ex): At 3rd level, a reaping mauler learns how to render an opponent unconscious with pressure. If the reaping mauler pins his opponent while grappling and maintains the pin for 1 full round, the opponent must make a successful Fortitude save (DC 10 + the reaping mauler's class level + the reaping mauler's Wisdom modifier) at the end of the round or fall unconscious for 1d3 rounds.
Devastating Grapple (Ex): If a 5th-level reaping mauler pins his opponent while grappling and maintains the pin for 3 full rounds, the opponent must make a Fortitude save (DC 10 + the reaping mauler's class level + the reaping mauler's Wisdom modifier) at the end of the round or die.
| Reaping Mauler | Hit Die: d10 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CL | BAB | Fort | Ref | Will | Special |
| 1st | +1 | +2 | +2 | +0 | Improved grapple, Mobility |
| 2nd | +2 | +3 | +3 | +0 | Adept wrestling +1 |
| 3rd | +3 | +3 | +3 | +1 | Counter grapple, sleeper lock |
| 4th | +4 | +4 | +4 | +1 | Adept wrestling +2 |
| 5th | +5 | +4 | +4 | +1 | Devastating grapple |
Source: Compete Warrior