Ward Speaker

A ward speaker can perform a special ritual to propitiate kami and gain a sliver of their power. This ritual must be performed at a shrine or a location warded by a specific type of kami. The propitiation takes 1 minute and involves clapping, ringing bells, bowing, and token offerings of coins, food, incense, or other gifts. The ward speaker's propitiation must be performed uninterrupted to receive any benefits from it. At the end of this ritual, the ward speaker immediately gains a fortune depending on the type of kami he sought to propitiate. As an immediate action, the ward speaker can dismiss the fortune to reroll one d20 roll before the results of the roll are revealed; he must use the result of the second roll, even if it's worse. If not dismissed, a fortune remains in effect until the ward speaker regains the use of his daily abilities, at which point the fortune and its benefits end. If a ward speaker dismisses a fortune to receive a benefit based on the specific kami he propitiated (see below), he does not also gain the reroll described here. The ward speaker can perform this ritual once per day at 1st level, plus one additional time per day for every 3 levels beyond 1st, to a maximum of seven times per day at 19th level. He can maintain only one fortune at a time; performing a propitiation while he already has a fortune active ends the previous fortune and its benefits. This replaces resolve, greater resolve, and true resolve. Jinushigami (Ex, Sp) The ward speaker (and his mount, if he has one) gains a 10-foot enhancement bonus to base speed. At 9th level, this enhancement bonus increases to 20 feet. At 17th level, once per day, he can dismiss this fortune as an immediate action to cast earthquake as a spell-like ability, using his samurai level as his caster level. Kodama (Su) As a standard action, the ward speaker can afflict one target that can see him with a distracting gaze. If the target fails a Will save (DC = 10 + half the ward speaker's samurai level), it is staggered for 1d4 rounds. At 9th level, it is instead staggered for 2d4 rounds. At 17th level, it is instead staggered for 1 minute. Once a creature has been targeted by this ability, it cannot be targeted by it again for 24 hours. Shikigami (Ex) The ward speaker gains Catch Off-Guard and Throw Anything as bonus feats. At 9th level, he gains Toughness and Step Up. At 17th level, he gains Following Step and Step Up and Strike, even if he does not meet the prerequisites. Toshigami (Sp) The ward speaker can speak with plants, as the speak with plants spell. At 9th level, the ward speaker can dismiss this fortune as an immediate action to cast haste as a spell-like ability. Once per day at 17th level, the ward speaker can instead dismiss this fortune to cast temporal stasis as a spell-like ability. The ward speaker's caster level for these spell-like abilities is equal to his samurai level. Zuishin (Sp) As an immediate action, the ward speaker can dismiss this fortune to cast cure light wounds as a spell-like ability. At 9th level, the ward speaker can dismiss this fortune to cast cure serious wounds, lesser restoration, remove curse, or remove disease; at 17th level, he also adds breath of life and heal to this list. The ward speaker's caster level for these spell-like abilities is equal to his samurai level.

At 11th level, the spirits can bolster a ward speaker's willpower and resolve, granting him an inner reservoir he can use when he needs it most. If a ward speaker has not expended his daily uses of propitiation, he can call upon the spirits to reroll a saving throw during an honorable stand instead of expending a use of resolve to do so. He must take the result of the second roll, even if it is worse. This expends a daily use of propitiation. This alters honorable stand.