Duellist

Blade-duelist and counter-fighter.

The Duellist is the person who accepts the challenge, kills the challenger, and walks away without breaking stride. In the Nine's corporatocracy, disputes between corporations, between Families, and between warlords are sometimes settled the old way: two people, one weapon each, one survivor. The Duellist is the specialist the corp sends for these engagements -- the blade artist who lives for the single perfect engagement and has the record to prove it. The duel is a legal instrument on half the Rim: a challenge answered in front of witnesses settles a claim that would otherwise take a court eleven months and a bribe. The Kadiss grid tracks duelling records, challenge registries, and the kill tallies that make a Duellist's reputation; a Duellist with a clean record and a known name is an asset that opens doors without firing a shot. They operate on the Combat chassis (d10 HD, full BAB, Fort good, Ref/Will poor) because the blade takes hits as well as delivers them. Light armour only -- a Duellist's defense is the blade, not the plate. The Will poor save is the class's deliberate weakness: a Duellist who fails a Will save against fear cannot Riposte, and a Duellist who cannot Riposte is just a person with a sword. Prime requisites: DEX and STR.

Rules Reference

Field	Value
Armor Allowance	Light
Bab Tier	full
Base Skill Points	4
Hd	d10
Hd Sides	10
Max Level	20
Primary Abilities	DEX, STR
Prime Requisites	DEX, STR
Save Tiers / Fortitude	good
Save Tiers / Reflex	poor
Save Tiers / Will	poor
Weapon Allowance	One-handed melee weapons, Pistol

Notes

Archetype Niche: The Duellist is the single-target elimination expert. Riposte creates a punishing defensive-offense: every enemy miss becomes free damage, and the Duellist's AC investment pays double dividends. Feint Mastery denies enemy DEX to AC, enabling precision damage against high-DEX targets that would normally shrug off melee attacks. Honour Duel is the Duellist's signature: a taunt that forces the enemy into single combat, protecting the party by isolating the biggest threat. The Duellist's niche is winning the one-on-one fight, then moving to the next.

Multiclass Notes: Duellists can multiclass with Blademaster and Gunslinger archetypes. Non-human duellists use simultaneous multiclassing rules.

Level Table

Fencer

Field	Value
bab	1
fortitude	2
level	1
reflex	0
skillPoints	16
title	Fencer
will	0
xp	0

Blade

Field	Value
bab	2
fortitude	3
level	2
reflex	0
skillPoints	4
title	Blade
will	0
xp	2000

Duellist

Field	Value
bab	3
fortitude	3
level	3
reflex	1
skillPoints	4
title	Duellist
will	1
xp	4000

Master Fencer

Field	Value
bab	4
fortitude	4
level	4
reflex	1
skillPoints	4
title	Master Fencer
will	1
xp	8000

Champion

Field	Value
bab	5
fortitude	4
level	5
reflex	1
skillPoints	4
title	Champion
will	1
xp	16000

Blade Champion

Field	Value
bab	6
fortitude	5
level	6
reflex	2
skillPoints	4
title	Blade Champion
will	2
xp	32000

Master Duellist

Field	Value
bab	7
fortitude	5
level	7
reflex	2
skillPoints	4
title	Master Duellist
will	2
xp	64000

Grand Duellist

Field	Value
bab	8
fortitude	6
level	8
reflex	2
skillPoints	4
title	Grand Duellist
will	2
xp	125000

Ironlord

Field	Value
bab	9
fortitude	6
level	9
reflex	3
skillPoints	4
title	Ironlord
will	3
xp	250000

High Ironlord

Field	Value
bab	10
fortitude	7
level	10
reflex	3
skillPoints	4
title	High Ironlord
will	3
xp	500000

Steel Saint

Field	Value
bab	11
fortitude	7
level	11
reflex	3
skillPoints	4
title	Steel Saint
will	3
xp	750000

High Steel Saint

Field	Value
bab	12
fortitude	8
level	12
reflex	4
skillPoints	4
title	High Steel Saint
will	4
xp	1000000

Blade Paragon

Field	Value
bab	13
fortitude	8
level	13
reflex	4
skillPoints	4
title	Blade Paragon
will	4
xp	1250000

High Paragon

Field	Value
bab	14
fortitude	9
level	14
reflex	4
skillPoints	4
title	High Paragon
will	4
xp	1500000

Death's Edge

Field	Value
bab	15
fortitude	9
level	15
reflex	5
skillPoints	4
title	Death's Edge
will	5
xp	1750000

Death's Apex

Field	Value
bab	16
fortitude	10
level	16
reflex	5
skillPoints	4
title	Death's Apex
will	5
xp	2000000

Grandmaster of Blades

Field	Value
bab	17
fortitude	10
level	17
reflex	5
skillPoints	4
title	Grandmaster of Blades
will	5
xp	2250000

High Grandmaster

Field	Value
bab	18
fortitude	11
level	18
reflex	6
skillPoints	4
title	High Grandmaster
will	6
xp	2500000

Iron Saint

Field	Value
bab	19
fortitude	11
level	19
reflex	6
skillPoints	4
title	Iron Saint
will	6
xp	2750000

Supreme Duellist

Field	Value
bab	20
fortitude	12
level	20
reflex	6
skillPoints	4
title	Supreme Duellist
will	6
xp	3000000

Special Abilities

Riposte

Field	Value
level	1
name	Riposte

description: When an enemy within melee reach makes an attack roll against the Duellist and misses, the Duellist may make an immediate attack of opportunity against that enemy. This does not count against the Duellist's attacks of opportunity per round. The Riposte attack gains +1 to the attack roll at levels 1, 5, 10, 15, and 20. At level 6, the Duellist may Riposte against attacks that miss by 5 or more even if the Duellist has already used their attack of opportunity for the round. At level 12, the Duellist may Riposte against a single missed attack with two counter-attacks (one at full BAB, one at BAB -5). The Riposte is the Duellist's economy: every miss by the enemy is a free attack by the Duellist. The enemy's failure is the Duellist's currency.

Feint Mastery

Field	Value
level	3
name	Feint Mastery

description: As a move action, the Duellist makes a Deception check opposed by the target's Perception (or Sense Motive if the target has it). On success, the target is denied their DEX bonus to AC against the Duellist's next melee attack, and that attack deals +1d6 precision damage. At level 8, the Feint may be performed as a swift action once per encounter. At level 13, Feint affects all the Duellist's attacks against that target for the round. At level 18, Feint may be performed as a free action once per encounter. The Feint is the Duellist's opening: the misdirection that creates the gap in the guard, the feint that makes the opponent commit to the wrong parry.

Honour Duel

Field	Value
level	5
name	Honour Duel

description: As a full-round action, the Duellist issues a formal challenge to one enemy within 30 feet who can understand or perceive the challenge. The target must succeed on a Will save (DC = 10 + Duellist level + CHA modifier) or be compelled to engage the Duellist in single combat for 1 minute. The target suffers -4 to attack rolls against any creature other than the Duellist and cannot willingly move more than 60 feet from the Duellist. The effect ends if the Duellist attacks any other creature or if an ally attacks the challenged target. Usable once per encounter. At level 14, the Duellist gains +2 to AC and +2 to damage against the challenged target. The Honour Duel is the Duellist's signature: the formal challenge that isolates the biggest threat and forces them to fight on the Duellist's terms. In the Nine's domain, the challenge is a legal instrument -- and the Duellist is the person who enforces it.