BruteSource Ultimate Intrigue pg. 54
Either through the results of magical experimentation or bizarre natural sparks, some vigilantes can transform into brutish versions of themselves, becoming larger, more terrifying in appearance, and far more formidable in combat—though at a price.
Chaotic Vigilante (Ex): A brute’s vigilante alignment must be chaotic, and his vigilante identity and his social identity must be within one step of each other on the alignment axis.
This ability alters dual identity.
Brutish Fortitude (Ex): A brute’s base Fortitude save bonus from his vigilante levels is equal to 2 + half his vigilante level, and his base Reflex and Will save bonuses are equal to 1/3 his vigilante level.
This ability alters the vigilante’s base saving throws.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A brute isn’t proficient with medium armor or martial weapons. However, he gains Improved Unarmed Strike as a bonus feat.
This alters the vigilante’s armor and weapon proficiencies.
Brute Form (Ex): Though it is sometimes difficult to maintain, a brute has a measure of control over his abilities.
While in his vigilante identity, a brute becomes one size category larger, gaining no ability score adjustments but otherwise gaining all adjustments for his new size, including additional reach, if appropriate. A brute’s vigilante identity is savage and dangerous. While in his vigilante identity, the brute takes a –2 penalty to AC, as well as to all ability checks and skill checks that rely on Charisma, Dexterity, or Intelligence. Furthermore, the brute cannot use any Charisma-, Dexterity-, or Intelligence-based skill (except Acrobatics, Fly, Intimidate, and Ride) or any ability that requires patience or concentration (such as spellcasting). When a brute is in mortal peril, such as when combat starts, if he is in his social identity, he must succeed at a Will save (DC = 20 + 1/2 his vigilante level) or enter his vigilante identity. Entering his vigilante identity in this way is a horrifying and painful process that takes 1 full round, during which he is flat-footed, and it typically allows his enemies to see his transformation and learn his identity. The brute’s vigilante identity can’t always tell friend from foe. While he still attacks enemies preferentially during a battle, when there are no more enemies around, each round he must succeed at a Will save (DC = 20 + 1/2 his vigilante level) or continue fighting against his allies or bystanders. Allies can use the aid another action to assist this saving throw with skills like Diplomacy, as they attempt to calm him down. On a successful save, he slowly turns back to his social identity over the course of 1 minute (or shorter if he has a social talent that reduces that time).
A brute uses his vigilante level as his base attack bonus, but only while he is in his vigilante identity. At 5th level, while in his vigilante identity, the brute gains a +1 bonus on melee attack and damage rolls. This bonus increases to +2 at 13th level and to +3 at 19th level. He uses his normal base attack bonus to qualify for feats and other abilities, although when in his vigilante identity, he uses his increased base attack bonus to determine the effects of feats (such as Power Attack) and other abilities.
A brute’s mundane clothes and armor do not increase in size with him, and any such items he wears while changing into his vigilante identity lose one-quarter of their hit points. Magical clothes and accessories increase in size with the vigilante, however (though his magical armor and weapons initially do not, as normal).
A brute can stay in his vigilante identity for up to 2 hours at a time, for a total of up to 6 hours in a 24-hour period. When threatened in his vigilante identity, he has the potential to damage bystanders or allies. After switching from his vigilante identity to his social identity, he is fatigued for the same amount of time (rounds, minutes, or hours) that he spent in his vigilante identity and cannot remove or ignore this fatigue by any means except by waiting the appropriate amount of time. If he enters his vigilante identity while fatigued, once he switches back to his social identity, he becomes exhausted for the amount of time he just spent in his vigilante identity, and he also can’t remove or ignore the exhaustion by any means other than waiting the appropriate length of time. A character with immunity to fatigue or exhaustion cannot adopt a brute form at all; that immunity prevents the transformation as an effect that would cause fatigue or exhaustion.
An exhausted brute can only enter his vigilante identity for a number of rounds equal to half his vigilante level (minimum 1); following these rounds, the brute immediately falls unconscious, or into a stupor if he is somehow prevented from falling unconscious. In this state, a brute can be healed as normal (and, if he has 0 hit points or more, he returns to consciousness after receiving any amount of magical healing or a DC 15 Heal check), but he cannot enter his vigilante identity for 1 hour.
This ability replaces vigilante specialization.
Brute Talents: A brute can select from any of the following vigilante talents, in addition to general vigilante talents.
This alters vigilante talents.
Awesome Blow (Ex): The brute has learned that his body is his most formidable weapon. He gains the Awesome Blow monster feat as a bonus feat, but only while in his vigilante identity. He can ignore the feat’s prerequisites. His awesome blow combat maneuver deals an amount of damage equal to 1d6 plus his Strength modifier, or his unarmed strike damage, whichever is better. At 16th level, the brute can use Awesome Blow against a creature of any size, and he can bull rush, dragAPG, repositionAPG, and trip creatures of any size. A brute must be at least 8th level to select this talent.
Heavy Punches (Ex): The brute eschews civilized combat and prefers to wade into a fight with his fists swinging. While in his vigilante identity, the brute’s unarmed strikes deal damage as if he were a monk of his size and vigilante level. If he has levels in other classes that provide monk advancement for unarmed strike damage, his vigilante level stacks with those levels whenever he is in his vigilante identity.
Scale Surroundings (Ex): Instead of letting physical barriers stop him, the brute can simply climb over them. He gains a climb speed of 30 feet when he is in his vigilante identity. A brute must be at least 4th level to select this talent. Sizing Equipment (Ex): The brute has learned how to adjust his magic armor so that it provides him some protection while in his vigilante identity. Magic armor the brute wears that is sized for his social identity provides an armor bonus equal to its normal armor bonus – 1 while he is in his vigilante identity. In addition, wielding a magic weapon properly sized for his social identity deals damage as if it were a magic weapon properly sized for his vigilante identity, but it imposes a –1 penalty on attack rolls. At 6th level, he takes no penalties when using such weapons and armor, and his weapons and armor work in all ways (including damage dice) as if they were of the vigilante’s new size. This talent only applies to magic arms and armor; inappropriately sized mundane arms and armor are not affected.
Total Destruction (Ex): The brute is adept at rampaging through an area, throwing whatever is available at his opponents. The brute gains Throw Anything as a bonus feat. As a standard action, while in his vigilante identity, he can throw any unattended object up to two size categories smaller than he is up to 60 feet if he is Medium and 80 feet if he is Large. This deals 1d6 points of bludgeoning damage if he is Medium or 1d8 if he is Large, and the brute adds 1-1/2 times his Strength modifier to this damage. At 8th level, he can also throw a creature up to two size categories smaller than himself, but he must succeed at a combat maneuver check against that creature’s CMD to do so. The thrown creature lands prone and takes an amount of damage equal to the damage dealt to the target of the throw (as noted above), whether the brute hits or misses. At 16th level, he can instead throw an object one size category larger than himself at creatures within a 10-foot radius from the object’s point of impact. These creatures must succeed at a Reflex save (DC = 10 + 1/2 the brute’s vigilante level + his Strength modifier) or take 1d6 points of damage per vigilante level.
Tear Them Apart (Ex): At 20th level, a brute has learned how to tear at his enemies’ bodies when he hits with multiple attacks. When he takes a full attack action while in his vigilante identity, if a brute hits an opponent with at least two attacks, he deals an additional 1d10 points of damage plus 1-1/2 times his Strength modifier. If he hits an opponent with four attacks during a full attack action while in his vigilante identity, he instead deals an additional 3d10 points of damage plus 1-1/2 times his Strength modifier. The damage occurs after he has taken his last attack with the full attack action. This counts as a rend and does not stack with other abilities that grant rend.
This ability replaces vengeance strike.
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