The Lightspeed Hero (Speedster Prodigy) (Updated)

 My favored hero gains a new “light” here.

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The Lightspeed Hero (Speedster Prodigy)

Half-elf prodigy 1

NG Medium humanoid (elf, human)/celestial (native)

Init +3; Senses low-light vision, Perception +5

Defense

AC 13, touch 13, flat-footed 10 (+3 Dex)

hp 9 (1d8+1)

Fort +1, Ref +5, Will +3. +3 vs. enchantment spells and effects (+2 racial, +1 trait)

Defensive Abilities dual minded; Immune sleep

Offense

Speed 30 ft.

Melee unarmed strike +3 (1d3)

Ranged light crossbow +3 (1d8, 19-20)

Special Attacks inspired sequence, sequence (4 links)

Magic

Caster Level 1; MSB +1, MSD 12, Concentration +4
Tradition Monastic (Drawbacks: Somatic Casting (2), Lycanthropic (Alteration), Meld into Dark (Dark), Deathful Touch (Death), Destructive Touch (Destruction), Bodily Enhancement and Personal Magics (Enhancement), Personal Fate (Fate), Personal Illusion (Illusion), Touch of Light (Light), Regenerate (Life), Limited Nature x2 (Nature), Protected Soul (Protection), Personal Time (Time), Solo Combatant (War), Personal Warp (Warp); Boons: Easy Focus); CAM Wis
Spell Points 4

Time Sphere - DC 13; Duration Concentration (1 min/level); Range Close; Talents Improved Haste, Second Chance; Drawbacks Altered Time (slow), Personal Time

- Haste

- Improved Haste

- Second Chance

Warp Sphere - DC 13; Duration none; Range Close; Talents Emergency Teleport; Drawbacks Personal Warp

- Bend Space

- Teleport

- Emergency Teleport

Martial
Tradition Free Runner (Athletics sphere: (run) package, Expanded Training (leap, climb), Wall Stunt, Speed Boost); PAM Wis
Athletics Sphere - DC 13, Talents Expanded Training (leap, climb) Speed Boost, Wall Stunt, Drawbacks none

- coordinated movement (whenever you take the withdraw action, you regain your martial focus)

- climb package (retain your Dexterity bonus to AC while climbing and climb faster)

- leap package (reduce the effective height of any fall by 20 ft. on a successful DC 15 Acrobatics check rather than 10. In addition, the fall is reduced by an additional 10 ft. for every 10 points this check exceeds the target DC)

- run package (run at great speed)

- expanded training (select two more athletics packages)

- speed boost (run at 8-10 times your normal speed)

- wall stunt (run on or bounce against a wall)

Equipment sphere - DC 13, Talents Finesse Fighting
- finesse fighting (add your Dex bonus on attacks with finessable weapons)

Statistics

Str 10, Dex 16, Con 12, Int 10, Wis 16, Cha 13

Base Atk +0; CMB +0; CMD 13

Traits Adrift, Talented Knuckle

Feats Planar Heritage (aasimar)

Skills Acrobatics +7, Climb +4, Diplomacy +4, Knowledge (engineering) +4, Ride +7, Sense Motive +7

Languages Common, Elven

Gear firepowder (10 gp), light crossbow (35 gp) with 20 bolts (2 gp), monk’s’ kit (8 gp), potion of common cure (50 gp)

Special Abilities

Athletics Sphere When you gain the Athletics sphere, you gain one of the following packages with its included abilities. You may take the Expanded Training talent to gain additional packages.
Each package has an associated movement mode and an associated skill. Some abilities require you to be using an associated movement mode to function. When you gain a package, you gain 5 ranks in its associated skill, plus 5 ranks per additional talent spent in the Athletics sphere (maximum ranks equal to your total Hit Dice). If you already have ranks in the associated skill you may immediately retrain them, but you do not get to retrain when only temporarily gaining talents, such as through the armiger’s customized weapons class feature.
If you possess both the (leap) and (run) packages, you gain a competence bonus on Acrobatics checks equal to half your base attack bonus instead of retraining the ranks a second time.
In addition, you gain the following ability:

Athletics: Coordinated Movement Whenever you take the withdraw action, you regain your martial focus.

Athletics: Climb You retain your Dexterity bonus to AC while climbing and may climb at half your base speed instead of one-quarter and may move at your full speed instead of half speed when taking a -5 penalty. Associated Movement Mode: Climbing. Associated Skill: Climb.

Athletics: Leap You may reduce the effective height of any fall by 20 ft. on a successful DC 15 Acrobatics check rather than 10. In addition, the fall is reduced by an additional 10 ft. for every 10 points this check exceeds the target DC. Associated Movement Mode: Jumping. Associated Skill: Acrobatics.

Athletics: Run You move five times your normal speed while running if wearing medium, light, or no armor and carrying no more than a medium load, or four times your speed if wearing heavy armor or carrying a heavy load. If you make a jump after a running start (see Acrobatics), you gain a +4 bonus on your check. You retain your Dexterity bonus to your Armor Class while running. Associated Movement Mode: Ground. Associated Skill: Acrobatics. Associated Feat: Run.

Athletics: Expanded Training Choose and gain two packages you do not already possess. You may select this talent multiple times, gaining two new packages each time.

Athletics: Speed Boost (run)
Prerequisites: Athletics sphere.
When running, you move ten times your normal speed (if wearing medium, light, or no armor and carrying no more than a medium load) or 8 times your speed (if wearing heavy armor or carrying a heavy load). If you make a jump after a running start you gain a +8 bonus on your Acrobatics check.
You may expend your focus as a swift action to increase your base speed by 50 ft. for a number of rounds equal to your Constitution modifier. This increase is not limited to only land speed. After these rounds end, you are fatigued for 1d4 rounds. You are fatigued even if you are usually immune to the fatigued condition. You cannot use this ability if you are fatigued or exhausted.
If you possess the Strong Lungs talent, you can replace its usual bonus to rounds you may run to instead be able to run for a number of hours equal to your Constitution modifier.

Athletics: Wall Stunt (leap or run) If you possess the (leap) package, when jumping or falling, you may make an Acrobatics check to jump as a swift action, provided there is a solid surface other than a ceiling (wall, floor, etc.) adjacent to you at that point. You may treat spaces occupied by creatures of your size or larger as containing such an object but your movement provokes attacks of opportunity as normal. Any fall damage that would be incurred is calculated after removing the height of the swift action jump.
If you possess the (run) package, as long as there is a wall adjacent to you, you may run along the wall for all or part of your movement, including vertically. A square of vertical movement costs two squares of movement. You may treat spaces occupied by creatures of your size or larger as containing a wall, but your movement provokes attacks of opportunity as normal. Doing so bypasses any obstacle on the ground. You must end your movement on the ground as normal; if there is no ground present, you fall.
If you also possess the (climb) package, you may attempt to cling to the wall at the end of your movement. If you possess the (leap) package, you may make Acrobatics checks to jump as part of this movement as normal. If you possess the Mobile Striker talent, you can kick off of a wall for the rest of your movement, gaining a +1 circumstance bonus to your damage roll if you make an attack while airborne. For every 5 ranks in Acrobatics you possess, this bonus increases by +1.

Easy Focus When maintaining a sphere ability through concentration, effects that normally require a standard action to concentrate on only require a move action for you. This does not decrease the sphere ability’s casting time, only the action used to maintain concentration.

Equipment: Finesse Fighting You may use your Dexterity modifier in place of your Strength modifier when calculating your melee attack rolls with light weapons and weapons with the finesse weapon special feature. You may take this talent a total of two times. If taken a second time, whenever you make an attack using your Dexterity bonus on attack rolls and your Strength bonus on melee damage rolls, you may also add 1/2 your base attack bonus (minimum 1) as a bonus on that damage roll. Associated Feat: Weapon Finesse.

Inspired Sequence (Ex) While the prodigy has an active sequence, she gains an insight bonus on attack and damage rolls and caster level equal to half the length of her sequence (minimum 1).

Sequence (Ex) A prodigy may string together actions in combat, building momentum, setting her position, and unbalancing enemies to be able to execute powerful offensive and defensive techniques. Sequences have three parts: openers, link components, and finishers. The maximum length of a sequence is 4 links plus 1 link per 3 class levels. Attempts to add additional links have no effect and anything that would cause the sequence to lose a link acts normally. A prodigy may only have one sequence active at a time; any actions affect the currently active sequence. Any time a prodigy begins her turn without having added a link to her sequence since the beginning of her last turn, her active sequence loses one link. Should this reduce the sequence to 0 links, the sequence ends and must be started again. If the prodigy becomes dazed, dead, helpless, paralyzed, stunned, or unconscious, the sequence immediately ends.
A sequence requires the rush induced by real danger. As such, a sequence cannot be started prior to rolling initiative and ends automatically 1 round after there is no longer any apparent immediate threat (such as a hostile creature capable of making an attack or casting a spell or sphere effect).
Openers
An opener begins a new sequence. A newly started sequence is one link in length. The following are basic openers:
Attack: Dealing damage to one or more hostile creatures with an attack action, charge attack (performed as a standard or full-round action), with a sphere ability with a casting time of a standard action or greater, or with another ability with a standard action or greater activation time.
Critical Hit: Confirming a critical hit against a hostile creature.
Defeat: Reducing a hostile creature with a CR equal to or greater than half the prodigy’s character level to 0 or fewer hit points.
Heal: Restore hit points to an ally or remove ability drain, ability damage, or the blinded, dazed, frightened, nauseated, shaken, sickened, or stunned conditions with an ability that requires at least a standard action.
Maneuver: Succeeding on a combat maneuver check against a hostile creature.
Magic Save: A hostile creature failing a save against a magic sphere effect. This sphere effect must have a casting time of a standard action or greater. This opener may only be used the first time any hostile creature fails a save against that casting.
Reflection: Successfully use the reflect spell class feature.
Some abilities, such as possessing certain spheres, may grant additional opener options. Such options have the (opener) tag.
Link Components
Successfully performing a link component increases the length of the prodigy’s active sequence by 1 link. A given action may not add more than 1 link even if it fulfills the conditions of more than one link component, such as dealing damage to a hostile creature and that hostile creature failing a save granted by that same effect. Bonus attacks granted by or made as part of a given action (such as the Barrage or Dual Wielding spheres or the Armiger’s rapid assault ability) count as part of the original action for this purpose, though attacks of opportunity do not. All openers function as link components if performed after a sequence has been started. No link component may grant a link more than once per turn. The following are your basic link components:
Abandon Focus: As a free action, the prodigy may expend martial focus.
Adopt Form: [Youxia HB] Expend martial focus as part of activating a (stance) talent.

Close the Gap: As a move action, the prodigy may move up to her speed, ending the movement with a hostile creature within her threatened area. She may sheath one weapon and draw another as a free action as part of this movement.
Counting Coup: As a swift action, a prodigy may make a touch attack against a creature using a wielded weapon. If successful, this attack deals no damage but completes this (link). Weapons that require ammunition expend one attack’s worth of ammunition when used with this ability. Such an attack is too glancing to deliver a held touch spell, trigger ammunition properties that function on hit, utilize a thrown splash weapon, or similar effects.
Disengage: As a move action, the prodigy may move up to half her speed. She does not provoke attacks of opportunity for leaving her starting squares. She may sheath one weapon and draw another as a free action as part of this movement.
Preparation: Whenever the prodigy would be granted an attack of opportunity against a hostile creature, she may choose to expend an attack of opportunity without making an attack to complete this (link). She must be capable of making the attack to use this ability.
Save: Succeed on a save against a non-harmless effect originating from a hostile creature.
Swift Heal: Restore hit points to an ally or remove ability drain, ability damage, or the blinded, dazed, frightened, nauseated, shaken, sickened, or stunned conditions with an ability that requires at least an immediate action.
Steel Mind: Pass a concentration check to maintain concentration on a sphere effect when taking damage.
Some abilities, such as possessing certain spheres, may grant additional link component options. Such options have the (link) tag.
Finishers
A sequence may be ended to activate a finisher. Each finisher has a required activation action and some have a minimum sequence length. Once a finisher has been used, the prodigy’s sequence is ended. Actions taken as part of a finisher do not count toward the current sequence nor begin a new sequence.
The following are your basic finishers:
Adroit Momentum: A prodigy may end her sequence as part of making a skill check to gain a competence bonus equal to the number of links in the sequence on that skill check.
Arcane Apocalypse: As a 5 link finisher, the prodigy may cast a sphere effect as a move action. As a 7 link finisher, the prodigy may cast a sphere effect as a swift action. As a 9 link finisher, the prodigy may cast up to three sphere effects, one as a standard, one as a move, and one as a swift action. Each sphere effect cast in this way must have a normal casting time of no more than 1 standard action.
Certain Strike: As a 3 link finisher, the prodigy may spend a swift action to resolve her next attack roll before the start of her next turn as a touch attack.
Doombringer: As a 3 link finisher, the prodigy may make a single attack as a swift action. If the sequence is at least 5 links, the prodigy may make an attack action in place of a move action. If the sequence is at least 7 links, this attack action may instead be done as a swift action. As a 9 link finisher, the prodigy may make up to three attack actions, one as a standard, one as a move, and one as a swift action. Each attack action must have an activation time of no more than a standard action.
Executioner: As a 5 link finisher, the prodigy may spend a move action to automatically threaten a critical on the next attack roll before the end of her turn. If this attack misses, the ability is wasted. If the sequence is at least 7 links, this may instead be done as a swift action. This effect may not be combined with any ability or effect that automatically confirms critical threats.
Focus: As a 3 link finisher, the prodigy may regain martial focus as a free action.
Ironhide: The prodigy may end her sequence as an immediate action to gain temporary hit points equal to her level that last for a number of rounds equal to the number of links in her sequence. This finisher may be used after the result of an attack is revealed and may keep the prodigy from dying.
Penetrating Magic: The prodigy may end her sequence as part of casting a sphere effect to gain a bonus equal to the length of her sequence on any MSB checks made to overcome spell resistance made as part of that effect.
Prodigy’s Reflexes: As a 3 link finisher, when targeted by an attack or forced to make a Reflex save, the prodigy may spend an immediate action to make an Acrobatics check and use the result in place of her AC or Reflex save. She must use the skill check result even if it is lower than her AC. If the sequence is at least 5 links, she may instead activate this ability as a free action usable even when it is not her turn.
Resilience: If the prodigy has a sequence of at least 5 links, when failing a saving throw, she may end the sequence as an immediate action to reroll the save. For every link beyond 5, you gain a +1 competence bonus on the reroll.
Some abilities, such as possessing certain spheres, may grant additional finisher options. Such options have the (finish) tag.

Integrated Techniques A prodigy gains additional sequence options if she possesses certain spheres:

Athletics
Hard Target (link): Once per movement, if the prodigy is attacked as part of an attack of opportunity provoked by her movement and the attack fails to hit her AC or if she succeeds on an Acrobatics check (or other associated skill if possessing the Mobility talent) to move through a threatened square without provoking, she adds a link to her sequence.

Somatic Casting You must gesture to cast spells—a process that requires you to have at least 1 hand unoccupied. When using magic, you cannot wear armor heavier than light without incurring a chance of arcane spell failure.

You may select this drawback twice. If taken a second time, you cannot wear any armor or use a shield without incurring a chance of arcane spell failure.

Time Sphere You can alter the flow of time itself.

Altered Time Choose either Haste or Slow. You lose this ability. You may take this drawback twice, losing both Haste and Slow.

Personal Time You may only affect yourself when using alter time abilities that affect creatures. You cannot gain the Ranged Time or Mass Time talents. You must select a (time) talent or Improved Haste with the bonus talent gained from this drawback.

Time: Alter Time The base Time sphere grants you two methods to alter time. All alter time effects require a standard action to activate (unless otherwise stated) and have a range of touch, and are subject to spell resistance. Effects that target an area are centered on you. Effects maintained through concentration require you to remain within close range of the target or location after placing the effect.

When you gain the Time sphere, you gain the following ways to alter time:

Time: Haste You grant the target increased speed. The target gains a +10 feet enhancement bonus to all forms of movement, as well as a +1 bonus to attack rolls and a +1 dodge bonus to AC and Reflex saves. This increases by +10 feet per 5 caster levels, and a +1 bonus per 10 caster levels. You must concentrate to maintain this effect, but may spend a spell point as a free action to allow it to remain for 1 round per caster level without concentration.

Time: Improved Haste When you use Haste on a target, that target may either make an additional attack at their highest base attack bonus when making a full attack, or make additional attacks of opportunity during the round (+1 attack of opportunity, +1 for every 5 caster levels you possess). The target may only benefit from one such benefit per round; if they make a full attack with a bonus attack, they do not gain additional attacks of opportunity that round. This effect is not cumulative with similar effects, such as that provided by the haste spell or a speed weapon, and taking a full attack with a bonus attack from such a source counts as choosing that option for Haste for that round.

Time: Second Chance As an immediate action, you may spend a spell point to allow any creature currently benefiting from one of your alter time effects to reroll a saving throw they just failed. They must accept the new result even if it is worse than the original roll.

Warp Sphere You can twist space to your whim.

Personal Warp You may only target yourself with your teleport ability. You cannot gain talents that specifically target others such as Mass Teleport, Swap Placement, or Unwilling Teleport, and cannot gain a (space) talent as the talent gained from this drawback.

Warp: Teleport You can spend a standard action to teleport yourself and up to a heavy load to any place within close range. Alternatively, you may teleport a touched willing creature and their carried equipment instead of yourself. You may spend a spell point to increase your teleport range to medium instead of close. You must have line of sight to your destination.

Warp: Emergency Teleport You may spend a spell point to perform a teleport as an immediate action. The range is decreased to 5 feet per 2 caster levels (minimum 5 feet) and cannot be coupled with talents that would increase its range. If used to avoid an attack or area effect (or to move the attacker), this grants the defender evasion and a dodge bonus to AC and Reflex saves equal to half your caster level (minimum 1). You cannot touch a target as part of this teleport, but you may affect another creature if you are already touching them.

Build
The Lightspeed Hero is built with a 20-point buy and 105 gp starting wealth. Favored Class Bonus is +⅙ bonus magic talent (elf FCB). If using a lower point buy, you can lower Strength and Constitution. If using a higher point buy (or rolling really well), your most important attributes are Wisdom, Charisma and Dexterity. Wisdom  is your casting statistic, affects the save DCs of all your magic and martial talents and your spell pool, and boosts your Will save; Dexterity makes you a great finesse warrior, increases your initiative and bolsters your Reflex save. Intelligence and Charisma are important too, to have better knowledge and understanding of the world and to use diplomacy and intimidation with friends and foes alike.

How to Play a Lightspeed Hero

Scorned by your parents and people from birth for your mixed heritage, you grew up in a monastery and learned combat arts, then left the monks because of their rigid views. The mistreatments you underwent only made you discover your deepest compassionate nature. You became a champion of the oppressed, a soldier of peace, and a fascinating presence- the fastest of all on the battlefield, the strongest of will, and the most caring and charismatic of heroes. Many fall in love with you, but you are too naive to notice. Friends are your greatest asset and concern, you render good for evil, and you’re ready for any sacrifice to protect the innocents. Unbeknownst to you, a celestial ancestor watches over your growth and waits for you to be ready to save the world one day.

Future Abilities

Magic Talents After Image, Blink, Distant Teleport, Pouncing Teleport, Quick Teleport, Rapid Response, Repetition

Martial Talents Bomb Jump, Finesse Training (2nd), Flash Step, Mighty Conditioning, Mobile Striker, Mobility, Moving Target, Hurricane Kick, Iron Fist, Kick-off, Open Hand Sphere, Overhead Flip, Sharp Turn, Swift Movement, Unarmored Training

Feats Acrobatic, Agile Maneuvers, Change of Heart, Combat Expertise, Dimensional Athlete, Dodge, Swift Warrior, Weapon Focus (Unarmed Strike), Whirlwind Attack

Skills Athletics, Climb, and Diplomacy are the best skills to invest in. Knowledge (any) is useful for your heroic deeds too.