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A grim, fatal figure, the dwarven Orcslayer is filled with unspeakable rage against orcs and other goblinoids, having suffered great personal tragedy due to their depredations, such as finding his family brutally butchered, losing cherished friends, or suffering disfigurement, defilement, or other great shame. Maddened with grief and rage, the Orcslayer devotes himself to dwarven war god, and vows to give his life to the destruction of the goblinoids, letting his hate and thirst for vengeance consume him. Violent, impulsive, and prone to alcoholism and fits of deep depression, Orcslayers are pitied by their kinfolk, and find themselves even more isolated. Death for them, some believe, is only a kindness, and the typical Orcslayer's attitude is one of almost suicidal recklessness. An orcslayer usually wears only handmade leather armor and ragged clothing, leaves his beard unbraided and uncombed, and allows personal hygiene to fall by the wayside. The Orcslayer may have the symbol of his deity painted on his forehead in ashes and blood before battle. Orcslayers disdain any non-thrown missile weapons as cowardly, and refuse to wear heavier armors for the same reason. Those with the greatest suicidal tendencies even refuse to wear magical versions of the lighter armors. Hit Die: d12 Requirements: The Orcslayer
Class Skills: Skill Points at Each Level: 2 + Int modifier. Class Features: All of the following are class features of the Orcslayer prestige class. Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Orcslayers are proficient with the battleaxe, dwarven urgrosh, dwarven waraxe, greataxe, throwing axe, and warhammer. Orcslayers are proficient with light armor, but no shields. 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. Orcsbane: All dwarves are trained in special combat techniques against orcs and goblinoids, but Orcslayers dedicate themselves to destroying these opponents. Orcslayers choose a particular type of weapon—usually a greataxe—and become intimately familiar with how to utilize that weapon to best effect when engaging their ancestral enemies. Orcslayers double the effective threat range of their chosen weapon when fighting orcs and goblinoids. For example, a greataxe usually threatens a critical on a 20. If the Orcslayer had selected the greataxe as his "Orcsbane" weapon, it would threaten a critical on a 19 or 20 when fighting orcs or goblinoids. The effects of this ability stack with those of the Improved Critical feat, if the weapon being used is of the appropriate type, and is being used against orcs and goblinoids. Orcslayer Rage: When he needs to, an Orcslayer can goad himself into a screaming blood frenzy. To enter this state of mindless savagery, the Orcslayer must sing a Dwarvish warsong at the top of his lungs while performing any activity—standing, walking or running, attacking, etc. After 2+1d4 rounds of singing, he abruptly enters the Orcslayer Rage. In a rage, an Orcslayer gains phenomenal strength and durability but becomes reckless and less able to defend himself. He temporarily gains a +4 to Strength, +4 to Constitution, and a +2 morale bonus on Will saves, but suffers a -2 penalty to AC. The increase in Constitution increases the Orcslayer's hit points by 2 points per level, but these hit points go away at the end of the rage, when the Constitution score drops back to normal. These extra hit points are not lost first the way temporary hit points are. While raging, an Orcslayer cannot use skills or abilities that require patience or concentration, such as moving silently or casting spells. He can use any feat he might have, except Expertise, item creation feats, metamagic feats, and Skill Focus (if it's tied to a skill that requires patience and concentration). A fit of rage lasts a number of rounds equal to 3 + the character's (newly improved) Constitution modifier. The Orcslayer may not prematurely end the rage voluntarily; he must ride it until it runs its course. At the end of the rage, the Orcslayer is fatigued (-2 to Strength, -2 to Dexterity, can't charge or run) for the duration of that encounter. The Orcslayer can goad himself into a rage only once per encounter. The Orcslayer continues to sing throughout his rage. A magical silence spell or power can prevent the Orcslayer Rage from occurring at the start, but cannot stop it once it has begun, even if the dwarf fights and "sings" silently. If the Orcslayer also has Barbarian levels, he may use both types of rage in the same day. For example, an 8th/1st level Barbarian/Orcslayer could undergo 3 Barbarian rages and 1 Orcslayer rage in a single day. Song of Wrath: When the Orcslayer sings, he gives full vent to his anguish, loss, and fury in a frightening song of bloodlust and death to come. Any opponents hearing the song suffer a -2 Morale penalty to Will saves, dropping to a -4 penalty when the dwarf enters his Orcslayer Rage. Stonehide: Orcslayers seem capable of ignoring all but the most severe of unarmed blows, hanging onto consciousness by dint of sheer stubborn hate, and near obliviousness to pain. They may never be staggered, and have the extraordinary ability of damage reduction 3/— vs. subdual damage. This damage reduction does stack with a Barbarian's damage reduction, but only in regards to subdual damage. For example, a 14th/4th level Barbarian/Orcslayer would have a damage reduction of 2/— vs. normal attacks, but 5/— vs. subdual attacks. Toughness Feat: Due to his preference for light armor and brutal melee, the Orcslayer gains the benefits of additional Toughness feats at 2nd, 6th, and 10th level. Uncanny Dodge: Starting at 3rd level, the Orcslayer gains the extraordinary ability to react to danger before her senses would normally allow her to do so. At 3rd level and above, she retains her Dexterity bonus to AC (if any) regardless of being caught flat-footed or being struck by an invisible attacker. She still loses her Dexterity bonus to AC if immobilized. At 7th level, the Orcslayer can no longer be flanked, as she can react to opponents on opposite sides of her as easily as she can react to a single attacker. This defense denies other characters the ability to use flank attacks to sneak attack her. The exception to this defense is that a Rogue at least four levels higher than the character can flank her (and thus sneak attack her). The character's Orcslayer levels are cumulative with her levels in any other class that has the uncanny dodge ability for the purposes of determining the character's total uncanny dodge. Wall of Fury: The rage that blinds an Orcslayer to practically everything except his desire for vengeance and the death of orcs and goblinoids, also acts as a powerful barrier against magical attempts to control or influence him. At 4th level, the Orcslayer gains a +2 bonus to all Will saves vs. Enchantment spells or effects, increasing to a +4 bonus when the Orcslayer is raging. At 8th level, the Orcslayer's bonuses against Enchantment increase to +4 normally, and complete immunity when raging. At 8th level the Orcslayer also gains a bonus of +4 to all saves vs. spells or powers causing blindness.
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