Brute Class [Archive] - Wizards Community

Brute Class [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Novacat
04-12-05, 05:01 AM After minimal searching, I have failed to find a solid "meat shield" class. The Barbarian is too offensively focus for my taste, and the Fighter doesn't cut it in so many areas. As such, I created a class which is meant to take damage, take more damage, and take lots of damage. Comments are appreciated.

The Brute
HD: d12
Skills: 2+INT; Class Skills: Climb, Intimidate, Sense Motive, Survival, Use Rope
Proficiencies: All simple and martial melee weapons, all light and medium armors, but no shields.
Restrictions: If a brute multiclasses into other base classes (other than barbarian), he loses his Tanking ability. The brute may never multiclass into a spellcasting class.

BAB Fort Ref Will Natural Armor Bonus Special
1 2 0 0 +0 Tanking, Toughness, Magic Blindness
2 3 0 0 +0 Great Fortitude
3 3 1 1 +0 Extra Toughness, Endurance
4 4 1 1 +1 Improved Toughness, Spell Resistance
5 4 1 1 +1 Protection, Matter Over Mind, DR 1/Magic
6 5 2 2 +1 Extra Toughness
7 5 2 2 +1 Improved Tanking
8 6 2 2 +2 Magic Resistance 13
9 6 3 3 +2 Extra Toughness
10 7 3 3 +2 Resilience, DR 2/Magic
11 7 3 3 +2 Diehard
12 8 4 4 +3 Extra Toughness, Spell Resistance 17
13 8 4 4 +3
14 9 4 4 +3 Greater Tanking
15 9 5 5 +3 Extra Toughness, DR 3/Magic
16 10 5 5 +4 Spell Resistance 21
17 10 5 5 +4
18 11 6 6 +4 Extra Toughness, Improved Resilience
19 11 6 6 +4
20 12 6 6 +5 Spell Resistance 25, DR 4/Magic

Tanking: The brute has conditioned his body to nearly inhuman limits. He adds twice his constitution bonus to HP when gaining new levels in Brute.

Magic Blindness: The brute is incapable of using magic. If he had any spellcasting capabilities from previous class levels, he loses them. The brute may never cast spells again, or take levels in spellcasting classes, even if those classes do not start as spellcasters (such as ranger or paladin).

Extra Toughness: This grants the brute +3 HP, just as normal Toughness does, but each time it is taken, the bonus increases by one (+4 the second time, +5 the third time). It should also be noted that each time the brute gains access to a new feat by normal character progression, even before level 3, he may choose Extra Toughness instead.

Spell Resistance: The indicated spell resistance only applies to spells and effects that deal damage.

Protection: If an ally adjacent to the brute is subject to a ranged attack (including rays and magic attacks that require a ranged touch attack), the brute may choose to interject himself, taking all damage and effects upon himself instead. The brute may choose to remain in his current space, or move no more than 5 feet into an interjecting space when protecting. The brute may only use Protection once per round.

Matter Over Mind: The brute's very body becomes a shell of protection for his mind. Whenever the brute is the subject of a mind-affecting spell or effect, he is allowed a Fortitude save before the normal Will save at the same DC. If the effect does not normally allow a Will save, use the DC that it would have if it did allow one. If the brute successfully makes his Fortitude save, the effect is negated.

Resilience: When making a successful save against an effect that normally deals half damage on a successful Fortitude save, the brute instead takes no damage. This ability also allows the brute to forgo a Reflex save against effects that would normally allow a Reflex save for half damage, in order to instead make a Fortitude save and reduce the damage taken by an equal amount.

Improved Tanking: The brute’s physical condition improves even further. Recalculate the brute’s HP, rerolling results less than 8. This only affects levels gained in Brute.

Improved Resilience: This ability works like Resilience, except that while the brute still takes no damage on a successful save, he takes only half damage on a failed save. This does not enhance his ability to reduce damage taken from effects that allow reflex saves.

Greater Tanking: The brute’s body is perfectly conditioned. Recalculate HP such that all levels gained in Brute are maximized (as though they were all 12s).
quaiven
04-12-05, 05:24 AM 1: A little overpowered, the limitations you put on multiclassing are meaningless since it works so well with the barbarian class anyway.

2: Suggest you replace Extra Toughness with regular Toughness.

3: Suggest you replace Tanking with Improved Toughness.

4: Protection is given at way to early a level, it is a prestige class ability available to only one class that I know of and they don't get it till like 10th character level.

5: Make Spell Resistance normal so it affects all spells that allow for spell resistance not just damage dealing spells.

6. Matter over mind is just ridiculously overpowered for a base class, particularly at 5th level.

7. Resilience? You effectively gave them Mettle and Evasion with this way over the top.

8: You cannot take Improved Toughness more than once.

9: You have basically created a class that is nearly immune to damage, and has so many hit points by 20th level that they shouldn't care if they take damage anyway. (Assuming 16 Con, by 20th level they would have 405hp) That's not even counting that you allow them to take Extra Toughness at 1st and 3rd also, so a human could have 432hp.

10: IMO Broken.
god the giant
04-12-05, 09:44 PM well what this does is it takes the barbarian, throws all his offensive power to the wind and just bulks his hitpoints. when you look at it there is really no way to have fun playing this calss. besides that he gets insane hit die. ive played a hill giant right out of the monster manual at 16th level and at like 10th you would have more hp than a hill giant. no matter what kind of game your playing this class is very unbalanced, making it an unfair character. its a good idea but you did on your first calss what everyone does you made it overpowered. just take the advice of others make adjustments little by little and it could be a very good class.
Urzza
04-12-05, 10:18 PM Well, when I took a look at it, I thought it was ok, but meh. Other people arn't. Maybe bringin down his B.A.B. to 3/4 would make it better?

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Novacat 04-12-05, 05:01 AM	After minimal searching, I have failed to find a solid "meat shield" class. The Barbarian is too offensively focus for my taste, and the Fighter doesn't cut it in so many areas. As such, I created a class which is meant to take damage, take more damage, and take lots of damage. Comments are appreciated. The Brute HD: d12 Skills: 2+INT; Class Skills: Climb, Intimidate, Sense Motive, Survival, Use Rope Proficiencies: All simple and martial melee weapons, all light and medium armors, but no shields. Restrictions: If a brute multiclasses into other base classes (other than barbarian), he loses his Tanking ability. The brute may never multiclass into a spellcasting class. BAB Fort Ref Will Natural Armor Bonus Special 1 2 0 0 +0 Tanking, Toughness, Magic Blindness 2 3 0 0 +0 Great Fortitude 3 3 1 1 +0 Extra Toughness, Endurance 4 4 1 1 +1 Improved Toughness, Spell Resistance 5 4 1 1 +1 Protection, Matter Over Mind, DR 1/Magic 6 5 2 2 +1 Extra Toughness 7 5 2 2 +1 Improved Tanking 8 6 2 2 +2 Magic Resistance 13 9 6 3 3 +2 Extra Toughness 10 7 3 3 +2 Resilience, DR 2/Magic 11 7 3 3 +2 Diehard 12 8 4 4 +3 Extra Toughness, Spell Resistance 17 13 8 4 4 +3 14 9 4 4 +3 Greater Tanking 15 9 5 5 +3 Extra Toughness, DR 3/Magic 16 10 5 5 +4 Spell Resistance 21 17 10 5 5 +4 18 11 6 6 +4 Extra Toughness, Improved Resilience 19 11 6 6 +4 20 12 6 6 +5 Spell Resistance 25, DR 4/Magic Tanking: The brute has conditioned his body to nearly inhuman limits. He adds twice his constitution bonus to HP when gaining new levels in Brute. Magic Blindness: The brute is incapable of using magic. If he had any spellcasting capabilities from previous class levels, he loses them. The brute may never cast spells again, or take levels in spellcasting classes, even if those classes do not start as spellcasters (such as ranger or paladin). Extra Toughness: This grants the brute +3 HP, just as normal Toughness does, but each time it is taken, the bonus increases by one (+4 the second time, +5 the third time). It should also be noted that each time the brute gains access to a new feat by normal character progression, even before level 3, he may choose Extra Toughness instead. Spell Resistance: The indicated spell resistance only applies to spells and effects that deal damage. Protection: If an ally adjacent to the brute is subject to a ranged attack (including rays and magic attacks that require a ranged touch attack), the brute may choose to interject himself, taking all damage and effects upon himself instead. The brute may choose to remain in his current space, or move no more than 5 feet into an interjecting space when protecting. The brute may only use Protection once per round. Matter Over Mind: The brute's very body becomes a shell of protection for his mind. Whenever the brute is the subject of a mind-affecting spell or effect, he is allowed a Fortitude save before the normal Will save at the same DC. If the effect does not normally allow a Will save, use the DC that it would have if it did allow one. If the brute successfully makes his Fortitude save, the effect is negated. Resilience: When making a successful save against an effect that normally deals half damage on a successful Fortitude save, the brute instead takes no damage. This ability also allows the brute to forgo a Reflex save against effects that would normally allow a Reflex save for half damage, in order to instead make a Fortitude save and reduce the damage taken by an equal amount. Improved Tanking: The brute’s physical condition improves even further. Recalculate the brute’s HP, rerolling results less than 8. This only affects levels gained in Brute. Improved Resilience: This ability works like Resilience, except that while the brute still takes no damage on a successful save, he takes only half damage on a failed save. This does not enhance his ability to reduce damage taken from effects that allow reflex saves. Greater Tanking: The brute’s body is perfectly conditioned. Recalculate HP such that all levels gained in Brute are maximized (as though they were all 12s).
quaiven 04-12-05, 05:24 AM	1: A little overpowered, the limitations you put on multiclassing are meaningless since it works so well with the barbarian class anyway. 2: Suggest you replace Extra Toughness with regular Toughness. 3: Suggest you replace Tanking with Improved Toughness. 4: Protection is given at way to early a level, it is a prestige class ability available to only one class that I know of and they don't get it till like 10th character level. 5: Make Spell Resistance normal so it affects all spells that allow for spell resistance not just damage dealing spells. 6. Matter over mind is just ridiculously overpowered for a base class, particularly at 5th level. 7. Resilience? You effectively gave them Mettle and Evasion with this way over the top. 8: You cannot take Improved Toughness more than once. 9: You have basically created a class that is nearly immune to damage, and has so many hit points by 20th level that they shouldn't care if they take damage anyway. (Assuming 16 Con, by 20th level they would have 405hp) That's not even counting that you allow them to take Extra Toughness at 1st and 3rd also, so a human could have 432hp. 10: IMO Broken.
god the giant 04-12-05, 09:44 PM	well what this does is it takes the barbarian, throws all his offensive power to the wind and just bulks his hitpoints. when you look at it there is really no way to have fun playing this calss. besides that he gets insane hit die. ive played a hill giant right out of the monster manual at 16th level and at like 10th you would have more hp than a hill giant. no matter what kind of game your playing this class is very unbalanced, making it an unfair character. its a good idea but you did on your first calss what everyone does you made it overpowered. just take the advice of others make adjustments little by little and it could be a very good class.
Urzza 04-12-05, 10:18 PM	Well, when I took a look at it, I thought it was ok, but meh. Other people arn't. Maybe bringin down his B.A.B. to 3/4 would make it better?