Post/Author/DateTime	Post
ninjeff 01-01-06, 07:01 PM	Here's my attempt at a variant fighter class with some of the between-encounters flexibility of prepared spellcasters. Basically, this fighter gives up heavy armour and tower shield proficiency by default, in exchange for the ability to prepare a different "style" (set of bonus feats) each day. For example, one fighter might have a "tanking" style including Heavy Armour and Tower Shield Proficiencies, Dodge, Combat Expertise, etc. to use most of the time, while switching to his "archery" style with archery feats when he knows he'll be up against flying creatures. Comments, criticisms and flames are all welcome. :) The Fighter Hit die: d10 Level BAB Fort Ref Will Special 1 +1 +2 +0 +0 Styles, Style feat 2 +2 +3 +0 +0 Style feat 3 +3 +3 +1 +1 4 +4 +4 +1 +1 Style feat 5 +5 +4 +1 +1 6 +6/+1 +5 +2 +2 Style feat 7 +7/+2 +5 +2 +2 Extra style 8 +8/+3 +6 +2 +2 Style feat 9 +9/+4 +6 +3 +3 10 +10/+5 +7 +3 +3 Style feat 11 +11/+6/+1 +7 +3 +3 12 +12/+7/+2 +8 +4 +4 Style feat 13 +13/+8/+3 +8 +4 +4 Extra style 14 +14/+9/+4 +9 +4 +4 Style feat 15 +15/+10/+5 +9 +5 +5 16 +16/+11/+6/+1 +10 +5 +5 Style feat 17 +17/+12/+7/+2 +10 +5 +5 18 +18/+13/+8/+3 +11 +6 +6 Style feat 19 +19/+14/+9/+4 +11 +6 +6 20 +20/+15/+10/+5 +12 +6 +6 Style feat Class Skills (2 + Int modifier per level): Climb, Craft, Handle Animal, Intimidate, Jump, Ride, Swim. Alignment: Any. Class Features: All of the following are class features of the fighter. Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A fighter is proficient with all simple and martial weapons, light and medium armour, and shields (except tower shields). Styles and style feats: At 1st level, a fighter starts with two styles and one style feat in each. Each style consists of a separate combat-oriented feat selection, represting a distinct set of stances, maneuvers and attacks that cannot be used simultaneously. At 2nd level and every two fighter levels thereafter, the fighter gains an extra style feat in each style he knows. These bonus feats must be drawn from the feats noted as fighter bonus feats. A style feat can be used as a prerequisite for other feats in the same style, but not for the standard feats gained by every character at each third level, and not for feats in other styles. A standard feat can be used as a prerequisite for any style feat. A style feat cannot be used as a requirement to gain entry to a prestige class. Immediately upon waking up each morning, a fighter is considered to be using none of his styles. Once per day at any point thereafter, he can spend one hour stretching, practising, meditating and composing his equipment to prepare one style. Until the next morning, he is considered to have every feat in that style, if he meets the prerequisites. A fighter can don armour simultaneously while preparing a style. Extra style: At 7th level, a fighter gains the ability to remember a third style. He chooses style feats to make the new style have as many feats as the styles he already knows. At 13th level, the fighter gains access to his fourth style.
stabs 01-01-06, 07:35 PM	Well, I'll hold judgement until I see the style groupings, but I don't think I'd play this variant. It seems too complicated for me. I wouldn't want to bother with all the changing around, and I don't like it flavourwise (I'd rather have my fighter take off his full plate when facing touch-attackers, and take up his Tower Shield when fighting a horde of goblins with bows). But the style groups could impress me yet, so I'd like to see them ;)
ninjeff 01-01-06, 07:50 PM	I think you're misunderstanding slightly :) A fighter can pick whichever bonus feats he likes for his styles; there's no particular restrictions as long as he meets the prereqs. You could, for instance, have a Power Attack/archery style if you felt particularly masochistic (or specifically wanted one of your styles to allow you to switch back and forth between melee and ranged). Edit: with respect to being more complicated than the default fighter, yes that's intended. I often hear people talk about the fighter as a beginner's class, one with little depth. I wanted to make a fighter with more options.
ninjeff 01-02-06, 07:24 AM	shameless bump!
stabs 01-02-06, 07:20 PM	Ah right I see. Shouldn't there be something to balance this sudden gain in power and versatility then?
Seerow 01-02-06, 07:24 PM	Okay, now that Im done being an idiot... I originally interpreted this the same way Stabs did, and just missed your post clarifying. I think this could be rather interesting, as one of his styles could be a two weapon fighting style, another a mounted archery style, another a two handed weapon style, then his fourth be some general style that's the well rounded fighter people think he should be. My problem with this... it makes it -really- easy to qualify for prestige classes. Even easier than before, as you gain essentially double the feats. Unless you want to say they don't gain the benefits of their prestige class unless using the style their prestige class feats are in... but that kind of kills the point, doesn't it?
ninjeff 01-03-06, 09:14 AM	It's a bit hard to find in there, but it does say that you can't use style feats as requirements for PrCs. This actually makes it harder to get into some PrCs, as you need to give up one of your precious normal feat slots to a potentially sub-standard feat. The other change that makes this variant a bit weaker is the lack of heavy armour and tower shield proficiency by default. I don't think much more of a "nerf" is really in order, as a 20th-level human fighter would still have 19 feats at any time; just like adding extra spells in splatbooks doesn't improve spellcasters hugely.