Warrior Poet

You add Perform to your list of samurai class skills.

Most warrior poets wade into combat unarmored, weaving through the battlefield with unmatched grace and poise. When wearing armor no heavier than light and not using a shield, you add your Charisma bonus, if any, to your AC. This bonus to AC applies even against touch attacks or when you are flat-footed. You lose the bonus when you are immobilized or helpless.

In addition, you are able to distract an attacker with a Perform check. When attacked, you can use an immediate action to make a Perform check opposed by the enemy’s Insight. You add +1 to your AC and saves against all attacks made by that enemy for every 5 points by which your Perform check result exceeds the DC of the opposed check. You must be aware of the attack to make this check.

This ability replaces your proficiency with medium and heavy armor and Adamant Resolve.

The warrior poet is skilled at performing elegant moves in battle. At 2nd level, you gain a flourish of your choice from the list below. You gain another flourish at each even-numbered level.

Chrysanthemum’s Blooming

You gain Vital Strike as a bonus feat, even if you don’t meet the prerequisites. You can select this flourish a second time at 10th level or higher to gain Improved Vital Strike, even if you don’t meet the prerequisites. You can select this flourish a second time at 14th level or higher to gain Greater Vital Strike as a bonus feat, even if you don’t meet the prerequisites.

Grass in the Wind

You add your samurai level to your damage rolls on your first successful attack against a challenged enemy each round. If you attack more than one challenged enemy, you deal this damage to each one you strike.

Exodus of Speed

As long as you are wearing light or no armor and carrying no more than a light load, you gain a +10-ft. insight bonus to land speed. You can select this flourish up to three times, and the bonus from this flourish stacks with itself to a maximum of +30 ft.

Harmony of the Tranquil Garden

You can focus your senses as a move action to gain blindsense out to 10 feet for a number of rounds equal to your Charisma bonus, minimum 1. For every 5 samurai levels you have, the range of this blindsense increases by 5 feet.

Uncanny Guidance

You gain uncanny dodge. This flourish can be selected up to twice; selecting it a second time grants improved uncanny dodge. You must be at least 6th level to select this flourish the second time.

Kitsune’s Mystique

You gain Improved Feint as a bonus feat, even if you don’t meet the prerequisites. Whenever you take an action to move, you can spend a point of zeal to attempt to feint against one creature you threatens during her movement as part of that action. This feint attempt uses Perform rather than Deception.

Petals on the Wind

Whenever a foe provokes an attack of opportunity from you, you can move 5 feet before making the attack of opportunity. This movement does not provoke attacks of opportunity. You may only use this movement once per turn.

Wrath of the Heavens

You gain Spring Attack as a bonus feat, ignoring its prerequisites. You must be at least 4th level to select this flourish. You can select this flourish a second time at 10th level or higher to gain Springing Assault as a bonus feat, even if you don’t meet the prerequisites.

This ability replaces Ancestral Weapon and Ancestral Scion.