Canine Affinity

An apex warrior with the canine affinity exhibits the traits and behaviors of dogs, hyenas, wolves, and other canine species. He tends to be unkempt and ragged in appearance though muscled, snaps at friends and foes alike, and possesses a pack mentality that applies to both his allies and his tactics in combat. The following affinity traits, combat style feats, and apex powers emulates creatures of the canine species.

Affinity Traits

Agile Moves: The apex warrior gains a +2 bonus on Acrobatics and Climb checks.

Cave Born: The apex warrior gains a +2 bonus on Knowledge (dungeoneering) and Survival checks made underground.

Fleet-Footed: The apex warrior gains Run as a bonus feat and a +2 bonus on initiative checks. The apex warrior must have the canine or feline affinity to select this trait.

Hardy: The apex warrior gains a +2 bonus on saving throws against poison (magical or otherwise). The apex warrior must have the canine or ursine affinity to select this trait.

Improved Flanker: The apex warrior gains a +4 bonus when his opponent is flanked by an ally instead of the normal +2. The apex warrior must have the canine affinity to select this trait.

Improved Scent (Ex): The apex warrior gains the Keen Scent ability. The apex warrior must have the scent trait to select this trait.

Keen Senses: The apex warrior gains a +2 bonus on Perception checks.

Natural Swimmer: The apex warrior gains a +2 bonus on Swim checks.

Night Vision: The apex warrior gains low-light vision. If the apex warrior already has low-light vision, its range doubles.

Scent (Ex): The apex warrior gains the Scent ability.

Sprinter: The apex warrior gains a 10-foot bonus to his speed when using the charge, run, or withdraw actions. The apex warrior must have the canine or feline affinity to select this trait.

Sure-Footed: The apex warrior does not lose his Dexterity bonus to AC when making Climb or Acrobatics checks to cross narrow or slippery surfaces. The apex warrior must have the canine or feline affinity to select this trait.

Toothy: The apex warrior grows large, sharp teeth, granting a bite attack. This is a primary natural attack that deals 1d4 points of piercing damage.

Tough Hide (Ex): The apex warrior gains a +1 bonus to his natural armor.

Unwilling Flanker: The apex warrior gains a +2 flanking bonus when his current opponent is adjacent to another opponent. The apex warrior must have the canine affinity and the improved flanker trait to select this trait.

Wildcraft: The apex warrior gains a +2 bonus on Knowledge (nature) and Survival checks made above ground.

Combat Style Feats

An apex warrior with the canine affinity may select the Natural Weapon style or one of the following Combat Styles.

Canine Style: If the apex warrior selects canine style, he can choose from the following list whenever he gains a combat style feat: Greater Feint, Greater Trip, Spring Attack, and Underfoot*. At 6th level, he adds Crippling Critical and Disengaging Flourish† to the list. At 10th level, he adds Lightning Stance and Pinning Rend† to the list. (*Advanced Player’s Guide, †Ultimate Combat)

Pack Master Style: If the apex warrior selects pack master style, he can choose from the following list whenever he gains a combat style feat: Improved Back to Back†, Outflank*, Paired Opportunist*, and Team Up*. At 6th level, he adds Combat Patrol* and Seize the Moment† to the list. At 10th level, he adds Coordinated Charge† and Improved Feint Partner† to the list. (*Advanced Player’s Guide, †Ultimate Combat)

Apex Powers

Counterstrike (Ex): When an enemy that is adjacent to the apex warrior hits an ally with a melee or ranged attack, the apex warrior can make a single melee attack with a natural weapon or melee weapon at his highest base attack bonus against the creature who attacked his ally. The apex warrior must have the toothy trait to be able to use this power with natural weapons.

Covered Retreat (Ex): When the apex warrior takes a move action, the square he starts out in is not considered threatened by any opponent it can see, and therefore visible enemies do not get attacks of opportunity against him when he moves from that square. The apex warrior must end this movement in a square adjacent to an ally.

Distracting Attack (Ex): The apex warrior can make a single attack with a natural weapon or melee weapon, as a free action. If the attack hits, the target takes a –2 penalty on all attack rolls for 1 round. The apex warrior must have the toothy trait to use this power with natural weapons.

Evasion (Ex): The apex warrior gains the ranger’s evasion ability.

Improved Natural Weapon (Ex): The apex warrior’s natural weapon increases by one damage die (1d3 to 1d4, 1d4 to 1d6, and so on). The apex warrior may select this power multiple times, but each time it applies to a different natural weapon.

Natural Savagery (Ex): An apex warrior gains a +2 bonus on attack and damage rolls with natural weapons. This bonus also applies to CMB and CMD for grappling.

Pack Leader (Ex): The apex warrior’s allies are treated are considered to have the same teamwork feats that he has for the purpose of determining whether he receives a bonus from his teamwork feats. The apex warrior’s allies do not receive any bonuses from these feats unless they actually possess the feats themselves. The allies’ positioning and actions must still meet the prerequisites listed in the teamwork feat for the apex warrior to receive the listed bonus.

Rend (Ex): The apex warrior gains the Rend special attack (see Universal Monster Rules) and can use it with either his natural weapons or a single melee weapon. The apex warrior must have the toothy trait to use this power with natural weapons.

Savage: The apex warrior deals +1d6 extra points of damage on his first attack in a round against a prone opponent.

Take Down (Ex): When the apex warrior succeeds on a Trip attack, the target is pinned for 1d4+1 rounds. The apex warrior must have the Trip power to select this power.

Trip (Ex): The apex warrior gains the Trip special attack. The apex warrior must have the canine affinity to select this power.

Uncanny Dodge (Ex): The apex warrior gains the rogue’s uncanny dodge ability.

Advanced Powers

Greater Savage Charge (Ex): When using savage charge, the AC penalty is reduced to 1/4 his apex warrior level instead of 1/2 his apex warrior level. In addition, the apex warrior can charge through friendly creatures and difficult terrain. The apex warrior must have the savage charge power to select this power.

Impromptu Flanking (Ex): Whenever the apex warrior misses with an attack on a flanked opponent, he can designate a single ally who is also flanking the target that his attack missed. That ally can make a single melee attack against the opponent as an immediate action. The apex warrior can use this power once per day at 9th level, and an additional time per day every three levels thereafter.

Improved Evasion (Ex): The apex warrior gains the ranger’s evasion ability. The apex warrior must have the evasion power and be at least 15th level to select this power.

Improved Uncanny Dodge (Ex): The apex warrior gains the rogue’s improved uncanny dodge ability. The apex warrior must have the uncanny dodge power to select this power.

Opportunist (Ex): Once per round, the apex warrior can make an attack of opportunity against an opponent who has just been struck for damage in melee by another character. This attack counts as an attack of opportunity for that round. Even an apex warrior with the Combat Reflexes feat can't use the opportunist ability more than once per round.

Rapid Attack (Ex): The apex warrior can combine a full-attack action with a single move. He must forgo the attack at his highest bonus but may take the remaining attacks at any point during his movement. This movement provokes attacks of opportunity as normal. (Mobile Fighter ability)

Ruthless Hunter (Ex): Once per day, the apex warrior can designate a single enemy he is adjacent to as his prey. Until the end of his next turn, he can add his apex warrior level as bonus damage to all his attacks made against his prey.

Savage Charge (Ex): Whenever an apex warrior attacks with a natural weapon at the end of a charge, he gains a bonus on his natural weapon attack rolls equal to 1/2 his apex warrior level, while suffering a penalty to his AC equal to 1/2 his apex warrior level. These replace the normal attack roll bonus and AC penalty for charging. This bonus also applies to his CMB for a bull rush or overrun combat maneuvers made when charging. Savage charge can only be used on a single attack at the end of the charge, and cannot be combined with Pounce or any other power that allows more than one attack after a charge. The apex warrior must have the clawed trait or the toothy trait to use this power with natural weapons. (Savage Warrior ability)

Vicious Bite (Ex): When the apex warrior attacks with a natural weapon, he treats all 1s and 2s on his natural weapon damage rolls as 3s.

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