The following materials background is derived from the works of Vrylakos on Eric Noah’s Unofficial 3e News Board. All else is the work of Ed Hastings, aka the Killer Shrike.

Phanoshani Ribboned Blademaster Prestige Class

Phanosh is a city peopled with entertainers, dancers, artisans, and folk of culture and learning. The people of Phanosh tend to have a lust for travel and new sites. Many natives make their way to other nations as part of traveling shows or even lone minstrels. The Phanoshani as a people love glitz and glam, and are appreciative of flair and panache. Therefore it is hardly surprising that even their martial studies contain as much performance art as combat effectiveness.

The Phanoshani Ribboned Blade style is the predominant Fencing school of Phanosh. It is most easily recognized by the long colored ribbons attached to the practitioners sword hilts, and the strange dance-like katas employed therein. This Phanoshani technique focuses on swirling, highly energetic foot and blade work, and the snapping of the long ribbons in the face of opponents to cause confusion.

The style is popular amongst Bards and Performers, but has it’s practitioners amongst other professions as well.

Prerequisites
Base Attack Bonus +5
Feats: Dodge, Expertise, Mobility, Weapon Finesse or Weapon Focus: Any Medium or Light Sword
Skills: Bluff: 5 Ranks, Perform (Dancing, any 4 others): 5 Ranks
Abilities: Dex 13+ and Cha 13+

Level    Attack   Fortitude   Reflex    Will    Abilities
1    +1    +0    +2    +0    The Ribboned Blade
2    +2    +0    +3    +0    Spring Attack
3    +3    +1    +3    +1    The Ribboned Toss
4    +4    +1    +4    +1    Whirlwind Attack
5    +5    +1    +4    +1    The Ribboned Dance


Hit Die: D8
Skill Points Int Bonus + 2 / level
Skill List: Balance, Bluff, Craft, Jump, Perform, Sense Motive, Spot, Tumbling

Class Abilities
Weapon and Armor Proficiencies: The practitioner gains the Exotic Weapon Proficiency: Ribboned Sword, which applies to all Martial and Simple swords which the practitioner is proficient with that also have Ribbons affixed to thier hilt and/or pommel. This prestige class grants no other additional weapon or armor proficiencies.

'Ribboned' abilities: At 1st, 3rd, and 5th level the Phanoshani Ribboned Blademaster learns a technique developed around the use of 3'-6' long colored ribbons or scarfs attached firmly to the hilt and/or pommel of a Medium or Light sword they are particularly proficient with by a trained weaponsmith. These abilities may only be used when the user is wielding such a weapon that he has Weapon Focus or Weapon Finesse with. Anyone else trying to employ such a Ribboned Sword suffers penalties exactly as if they were non-proficient with the weapon. Proficiency with a Ribboned Sword is an Exotic Weapon Proficiency that has no special inherent benefits; its usefulness is limited to a combat style such as the Phanoshani's.

The Ribboned Blade: At 1st level the Ribboned Blademaster has learned to swirl his sword's ribbons around and distract his opponent through a variety of footwork, blade flashes, and ribbon pops. The Ribboned Blademaster gains Weapon Flurry as a virtual Feat (listed below).

quote:

 

New Feat by Ed Hastings
Weapon Flurry [Fighting Style]
You are skilled at performing complex displays of weapon flairs that disorient foes.
Prerequisites: Dexterity 13+, Base Attack +6
Benefit: The practitioner may choose to execute a weapon flurry as a move-equivalent action, granting a competence bonus to hit equal to the practitioners Dexterity bonus on their next melee attack. This melee attack must be made in the same round or be the first action made in the following round. Any greater interval of time negates the bonus. This is usable in conjunction with Weapon Finesse.

Spring Attack: At 2nd level the Ribboned Blademaster has learned to leap and dance about the battlefield, warding off foes and striking where least expected. The practitioner gains Spring Attack as a virtual Feat.

The Ribboned Toss: At 3rd level the Ribboned Blademaster has learned a difficult and tricky maneuver whereby they launch their sword at their opponent while maintaining a grip on the end of its pommel ribbon. This enables the practitioner to fling his sword at an opponent up to 10 feet away as a standard attack option for a single attack, and then return the sword to his hand; the sword counts as being thrown for this purpose and therefore the practitioners strength bonus (if any) applies to any damage inflicted.

Whirlwind Attack: At 4th level the Ribboned Blademaster has learned to swirl his sword about in confusing arcs to all sides in a whirling dance of pain. The practitioner gains Whirlwind Attack as a virtual Feat.

The Ribboned Dance: At 5th level the Ribboned fighting style has completed its growth and can now be indistinguishable from a very complex and intricate dance if the practitioner so wishes. The practitioner’s strange deportment when using this ability can offset less able opponents, granting the practitioner an almost impossible to match grace upon the battlefield, but leaves him dreadfully undefended against more able foes. The Ribboned Blademaster gains Unorthodoxed Attacks as a virtual Feat (listed below).

quote:

 

New feat by Ed Hastings
Unorthodox Attacks [Fighting Style]
You are skilled at adopting strange poses, moving unusually, and generally adopting bizarre positions in combat. This can sometimes disconcert foes for significant advantage but can also make you dangerously vulnerable to more skilled opponents.
Prerequisites: Expertise, Dexterity 13+, Base Attack +6
Benefit: To use this Feat, the practitioner must declare that he is using it and pass a Reflex Save versus a his opponents highest attack bonus before making his own attack. If facing multiple opponents, use the single highest attack bonus of all the opponents. If he succeeds the practitioner gains a +5 circumstance bonus to both his attack rolls and to his AC until his next action in the following round. Should he fail his Reflex save then the practitioner suffers a –5 circumstance penalty to hit and to AC until his next action in the following round.