"Soldier" core class, Fighter rebuild, now with reasons to play. [Archive] - Wizards Community

"Soldier" core class, Fighter rebuild, now with reasons to play. [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Dash Eleron
02-24-05, 02:24 AM When 3.0 first came out my first long string of characters were all fighters. However, they all sucked. Fighters are sorely gimped when it comes to anything NOT having to do with combat. Furthermore they truly lack anything to call their own. Aside from mountains of feats they get essetially nothing to look forward too. As a DM all that I have ever seen a fighter used for is a 6 level prestige class to get feats. Even players who wanted to play a fighter left most often after the second level, and allways by the tenth. The main problem IMHO was the lack of skills a fighter has. All they generally do outside of combat is mess things up. The flub moving silently, the fall into ravines and cant climb out and cant even make breakfast when the spellcasters are preparing their stuff. Then while every one else is talking about their new abilities they look at their character and think i get a feat next level :weep:

Basically the idea is to not only make a Fighter able to be role played all the way to level 20, but also make a player WANT to play it to 20. and without further moaning heres the class...

SOLDIER
Alignment: Any.
Hit Die: d10.

Class Skills
The Soldier’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Handle Animal (Cha), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Ride (Dex), and Swim (Str).
Skill Points at 1st Level: (2 + Int modifier) x4.
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 2 + Int modifier.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v495/DashPrime/Soldierlevels.gif

Class Features
All of the following are class features of the Soldier.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A Soldier is proficient with all simple and martial weapons and with all armor (heavy, medium, and light) and shields (including tower shields).

Bonus Feats: At 1st level, a Soldier gets a bonus combat-oriented feat in addition to the feat that any 1st-level character gets and the bonus feat granted to a human character. The Soldier gains an additional bonus feat at 2nd level and every two Soldier levels thereafter (4th, 6th, 8th, 10th, 12th, 14th, 16th, 18th, and 20th). These bonus feats must be drawn from the feats noted as "Fighter" bonus feats. A Soldier must still meet all prerequisites for a bonus feat, including ability score and base attack bonus minimums.These bonus feats are in addition to the feat that a character of any class gets from advancing levels. A Soldier is not limited to the list of Soldier bonus feats when choosing these feats.

Mental Discipline: Unlike standard warriors a soldier is trained in an organized militia, and must interact with various members of society. They are trained in adapting to changing physical environments and social interactions. Choose one of the following skills and make it a class skill. The soldier must have at least 1 rank in the skill before it becomes a class skill (meaning they had to spend 2 skill points in it as a cross class skill at least once).

Bluff (Cha), Diplomacy (Cha), Gather Information (Cha), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (dungeoneering) (Int), Listen (Wis), Search (Int), Sense Motive (Wis), Spot (Wis), Survival (Wis), and Use Rope (Dex).

The Soldier gains a +1 class bonus to this skill and considers it a class skill for further rank calculation. This does not apply retroactively. She gets an additional Mental Discipline at her 3rd, 7th, and 15th levels. The Soldier may apply this to a skill more than once gaining an additional +1 class bonus each time.

Armor Mobility: At third level the Soldier gains the ability to move freely in Medium armors. When calculating her base movement it is considered to be 30 for medium characters, and 20 for small characters while wearing Medium armors. The time it takes the Soldier to don their armor is also reduced by half. At 12th level this ability is applied to heavy armors as well. This does not apply to abilities that require the character to not be wearing any armor.

Armory Skill: Starting at 5th level and every 4 levels there after (9th, 13th, and 17th) a Soldier chooses one from the following list of skills that she already has one rank in.

Balance (Dex), Climb (Str), Escape Artist (Dex), Hide (Dex), Jump (Str), Move Silently (Dex), Swim (Str), Ride (Dex), and Tumble (Dex).

The armor check penalty applied to this skill is reduced by 1, however the Armor Check Penalty cannot be reduced below -1 in this manner. A player may choose to apply this ability multiple times to a skill; each time after the first lowers the Armor Check Penalty on that skill by an additional -2.

AC Bonus: As the Soldier goes up in levels they learn how to use their armor to its maximum effectiveness. How to keep it where it needs to be and out of the way where it isn’t. She gets a +1 Dodge bonus to AC. This bonus is only applied when the Soldier is wearing a physical suit of armor. This bonus stacks with bonuses from magic items, but not when the Soldier is flat footed or otherwise denied her Dex bonus to AC. This bonus increases by +1 every five levels (+1 at 5th, +2 at 10th, +3 at 15th, and +4 at 20th.)

Continual Training: In order to gain the benefits from Armor Mobility, Bonuses to AC, Armory Skills, Mental Disciplines, and Armored Mastery the Soldier must spend 30 minutes each morning on equipment maintenance and both physical and mental exercise. If the soldier neglects this daily routine the lowered armor check penalties, class skill bonuses and increased movement rate are not applied until the soldier is able to do so. These exercises can be done while on the move as well but it extends the time to 1 hour. During this time the soldier cannot be engaged in any other activity other than maintaining his equipment, and going over his regimen.

Armored Mastery: Upon reaching her 20th level a Soldier is so attuned to wearing armor in all situations that she reduces all Armor Check Penalties in any skill she has trained ranks in by an additional 1. Armor check penalties may be reduced to zero in this way only. The soldier is also able to rest in their armor without incurring the regular penalties.

Mostly the problem is I am having a tough time deciding where to put the 4 armory skills and the 4 Mental Disciplines... Crits? Coments? Suggestions?
fractal
02-24-05, 03:58 AM I don't have time to give you a careful analysis, but here are a few thoughts:
Armor Mobility: At third level the Soldier gains the ability to move freely in Medium armors. When calculating her base movement it is considered to be 30 for medium characters, and 20 for small characters while wearing Medium armors. The time it takes the Soldier to don their armor is also reduced by half. At 12th level this ability is applied to heavy armors as well. This does not apply to abilities that require the character to not be wearing any armor.
This ability doesn't seem very nice to Dwarves, who even happen to be the only race with Fighter as a favored class. Unless you're saying that a Dwarf in medium armor has speed 30? I wouldn't set speed to a fixed amount, not everyone of a certain size has the same base speed.
AC Bonus: As the Soldier goes up in levels they learn how to use their armor to its maximum effectiveness. How to keep it where it needs to be and out of the way where it isn?t. She gets a +1 Deflection bonus to AC. This bonus is only applied when the Soldier is wearing a physical suit of armor. This bonus stacks with deflection bonuses from magic items and applies even vs touch attacks, but not when the Soldier is flat footed or otherwise denied her Dex bonus to AC. This bonus increases by +1 every five levels (+1 at 5th, +2 at 10th, +3 at 15th, and +4 at 20th.)
It sounds like you've almost perfectly described a dodge bonus. You want it to stack, and apply vs touch attacks but not when flatfooted. Why is this deflection and not dodge?
Dash Eleron
02-24-05, 12:07 PM I don't have time to give you a careful analysis, but here are a few thoughts:

This ability doesn't seem very nice to Dwarves, who even happen to be the only race with Fighter as a favored class. Unless you're saying that a Dwarf in medium armor has speed 30? I wouldn't set speed to a fixed amount, not everyone of a certain size has the same base speed.

It sounds like you've almost perfectly described a dodge bonus. You want it to stack, and apply vs touch attacks but not when flatfooted. Why is this deflection and not dodge?

thanks for the dwarf tip i had not noticed they got that. Your right i will have to tweak it so they get something more.

your also correct on the dodge bonus to AC i geuss the only reason i called it that because i like the sound of it better, more like they were putting their armor in the way of attacks more often, but then it doesnt make much sense for the flatfooted does it...ok fixed this one.

My friend and I are arguing that I need to remove more of the feats and create more "level holes" where you get nothing.... I say you dont becuase half the point of the class is the feats, and the things i added are highly situational. Besieds the AC bonus all they are getting is some skills over time. What do you guys think?

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Dash Eleron 02-24-05, 02:24 AM	When 3.0 first came out my first long string of characters were all fighters. However, they all sucked. Fighters are sorely gimped when it comes to anything NOT having to do with combat. Furthermore they truly lack anything to call their own. Aside from mountains of feats they get essetially nothing to look forward too. As a DM all that I have ever seen a fighter used for is a 6 level prestige class to get feats. Even players who wanted to play a fighter left most often after the second level, and allways by the tenth. The main problem IMHO was the lack of skills a fighter has. All they generally do outside of combat is mess things up. The flub moving silently, the fall into ravines and cant climb out and cant even make breakfast when the spellcasters are preparing their stuff. Then while every one else is talking about their new abilities they look at their character and think i get a feat next level :weep: Basically the idea is to not only make a Fighter able to be role played all the way to level 20, but also make a player WANT to play it to 20. and without further moaning heres the class... SOLDIER Alignment: Any. Hit Die: d10. Class Skills The Soldier’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Handle Animal (Cha), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Ride (Dex), and Swim (Str). Skill Points at 1st Level: (2 + Int modifier) x4. Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 2 + Int modifier. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v495/DashPrime/Soldierlevels.gif Class Features All of the following are class features of the Soldier. Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A Soldier is proficient with all simple and martial weapons and with all armor (heavy, medium, and light) and shields (including tower shields). Bonus Feats: At 1st level, a Soldier gets a bonus combat-oriented feat in addition to the feat that any 1st-level character gets and the bonus feat granted to a human character. The Soldier gains an additional bonus feat at 2nd level and every two Soldier levels thereafter (4th, 6th, 8th, 10th, 12th, 14th, 16th, 18th, and 20th). These bonus feats must be drawn from the feats noted as "Fighter" bonus feats. A Soldier must still meet all prerequisites for a bonus feat, including ability score and base attack bonus minimums.These bonus feats are in addition to the feat that a character of any class gets from advancing levels. A Soldier is not limited to the list of Soldier bonus feats when choosing these feats. Mental Discipline: Unlike standard warriors a soldier is trained in an organized militia, and must interact with various members of society. They are trained in adapting to changing physical environments and social interactions. Choose one of the following skills and make it a class skill. The soldier must have at least 1 rank in the skill before it becomes a class skill (meaning they had to spend 2 skill points in it as a cross class skill at least once). Bluff (Cha), Diplomacy (Cha), Gather Information (Cha), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (dungeoneering) (Int), Listen (Wis), Search (Int), Sense Motive (Wis), Spot (Wis), Survival (Wis), and Use Rope (Dex). The Soldier gains a +1 class bonus to this skill and considers it a class skill for further rank calculation. This does not apply retroactively. She gets an additional Mental Discipline at her 3rd, 7th, and 15th levels. The Soldier may apply this to a skill more than once gaining an additional +1 class bonus each time. Armor Mobility: At third level the Soldier gains the ability to move freely in Medium armors. When calculating her base movement it is considered to be 30 for medium characters, and 20 for small characters while wearing Medium armors. The time it takes the Soldier to don their armor is also reduced by half. At 12th level this ability is applied to heavy armors as well. This does not apply to abilities that require the character to not be wearing any armor. Armory Skill: Starting at 5th level and every 4 levels there after (9th, 13th, and 17th) a Soldier chooses one from the following list of skills that she already has one rank in. Balance (Dex), Climb (Str), Escape Artist (Dex), Hide (Dex), Jump (Str), Move Silently (Dex), Swim (Str), Ride (Dex), and Tumble (Dex). The armor check penalty applied to this skill is reduced by 1, however the Armor Check Penalty cannot be reduced below -1 in this manner. A player may choose to apply this ability multiple times to a skill; each time after the first lowers the Armor Check Penalty on that skill by an additional -2. AC Bonus: As the Soldier goes up in levels they learn how to use their armor to its maximum effectiveness. How to keep it where it needs to be and out of the way where it isn’t. She gets a +1 Dodge bonus to AC. This bonus is only applied when the Soldier is wearing a physical suit of armor. This bonus stacks with bonuses from magic items, but not when the Soldier is flat footed or otherwise denied her Dex bonus to AC. This bonus increases by +1 every five levels (+1 at 5th, +2 at 10th, +3 at 15th, and +4 at 20th.) Continual Training: In order to gain the benefits from Armor Mobility, Bonuses to AC, Armory Skills, Mental Disciplines, and Armored Mastery the Soldier must spend 30 minutes each morning on equipment maintenance and both physical and mental exercise. If the soldier neglects this daily routine the lowered armor check penalties, class skill bonuses and increased movement rate are not applied until the soldier is able to do so. These exercises can be done while on the move as well but it extends the time to 1 hour. During this time the soldier cannot be engaged in any other activity other than maintaining his equipment, and going over his regimen. Armored Mastery: Upon reaching her 20th level a Soldier is so attuned to wearing armor in all situations that she reduces all Armor Check Penalties in any skill she has trained ranks in by an additional 1. Armor check penalties may be reduced to zero in this way only. The soldier is also able to rest in their armor without incurring the regular penalties. Mostly the problem is I am having a tough time deciding where to put the 4 armory skills and the 4 Mental Disciplines... Crits? Coments? Suggestions?
fractal 02-24-05, 03:58 AM	I don't have time to give you a careful analysis, but here are a few thoughts: Armor Mobility: At third level the Soldier gains the ability to move freely in Medium armors. When calculating her base movement it is considered to be 30 for medium characters, and 20 for small characters while wearing Medium armors. The time it takes the Soldier to don their armor is also reduced by half. At 12th level this ability is applied to heavy armors as well. This does not apply to abilities that require the character to not be wearing any armor. This ability doesn't seem very nice to Dwarves, who even happen to be the only race with Fighter as a favored class. Unless you're saying that a Dwarf in medium armor has speed 30? I wouldn't set speed to a fixed amount, not everyone of a certain size has the same base speed. AC Bonus: As the Soldier goes up in levels they learn how to use their armor to its maximum effectiveness. How to keep it where it needs to be and out of the way where it isn?t. She gets a +1 Deflection bonus to AC. This bonus is only applied when the Soldier is wearing a physical suit of armor. This bonus stacks with deflection bonuses from magic items and applies even vs touch attacks, but not when the Soldier is flat footed or otherwise denied her Dex bonus to AC. This bonus increases by +1 every five levels (+1 at 5th, +2 at 10th, +3 at 15th, and +4 at 20th.) It sounds like you've almost perfectly described a dodge bonus. You want it to stack, and apply vs touch attacks but not when flatfooted. Why is this deflection and not dodge?
Dash Eleron 02-24-05, 12:07 PM	I don't have time to give you a careful analysis, but here are a few thoughts: This ability doesn't seem very nice to Dwarves, who even happen to be the only race with Fighter as a favored class. Unless you're saying that a Dwarf in medium armor has speed 30? I wouldn't set speed to a fixed amount, not everyone of a certain size has the same base speed. It sounds like you've almost perfectly described a dodge bonus. You want it to stack, and apply vs touch attacks but not when flatfooted. Why is this deflection and not dodge? thanks for the dwarf tip i had not noticed they got that. Your right i will have to tweak it so they get something more. your also correct on the dodge bonus to AC i geuss the only reason i called it that because i like the sound of it better, more like they were putting their armor in the way of attacks more often, but then it doesnt make much sense for the flatfooted does it...ok fixed this one. My friend and I are arguing that I need to remove more of the feats and create more "level holes" where you get nothing.... I say you dont becuase half the point of the class is the feats, and the things i added are highly situational. Besieds the AC bonus all they are getting is some skills over time. What do you guys think?