Armsman (P.E.A.C.H.) [Archive] - Wizards Community

Armsman (P.E.A.C.H.) [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
The_Apologist
10-12-07, 01:43 AM Thinking on a militaristic fighter-style reclass that would add some punch without being too restrictive. Let me know what you think... it's still in the sort of brainstorming stages. Also note that this assumes the Weapon Group Proficiency variant rules from UA. It also assumes usage of Rich Burlew's excellent Equipment Focus feats for Fighters. Just ignore all references to Armor Focus, Shield Specialization, etc. if you prefer. They're hardly vital to the class.

Armsman

The legendary soldier, the tough commando, the highly-trained shock troop: all of these are Armsmen. Anywhere you find men trained extensively in the ways of combat and dedicated to the ways of warfare, you find Armsmen. Armsmen are the warrior generals on the front lines, the aged masters of war schools and the great guardians of powerful men. They can draw more from their equipment than anyone, and their ability to use weapons with which they have trained heavily is the stuff of legends.
HD: d10

Prereqs:
BAB: +5
Feats: Proficient with Heavy Armor and at least one martial weapon group, Weapon Focus and Weapon Specialization
Special: Must spend at least 10 years in combat training under some kind of master or school

Lvl BAB F /R /W Special
1 +1 2 /0 /0 Weapon School Mastery
2 +2 3 /0 /0 Fruits of Combat
3 +3 3 /1 /1 Weapon School Mastery
4 +4 4 /1 /1 Fruits of Combat
5 +5 4 /1 /1 Weapon School Mastery
6 +6 5 /2 /2 Fruits of Combat
7 +7 5 /2 /2 Weapon School Mastery
8 +8 6 /2 /2 Fruits of Combat
9 +9 6 /3 /3 Weapon School Mastery
10 +10 7 /3 /3 Fruits of Combat

(In case my table gets messed up, it's a 10 level prestige class. It has the strong base attack bonus progression, strong Fortitude saves, weak Reflex and Will saves, and its class features are Weapon School Mastery on odd-numbered levels and Fruits of Combat on even-numbered levels.)

Weapon School Mastery: At each odd-numbered level, an armsman chooses a weapon group to attain mastery in. He must have weapon focus and weapon specialization with the weapon group. He may not take mastery more than once with any weapon group, and if he does not have any elligible weapon groups available to him when he attains a level of armsman that grants Weapon School Mastery he instead gains a bonus feat from the fighter list, for which he must meet all prerequisites. He adds his armsman level to all damage rolls with any weapon for which he has attained weapon school mastery and attains the following bonuses:

- Axes: Once per combat, an armsman with mastery in axes may automatically hit on any sunder attempt when wielding an axe.

- Bows: Once per combat, an armsman with mastery in bows may threaten all squares within one range increment of his bow for one round as a free action so long as he is wielding the bow and has an arrow knocked.

- Claw Weapons: Once per combat, an armsman with mastery in claw weapons may deal 2d4 constitution damage on a successful strike with a claw weapon. He can announce that he is using this attack after he actually strikes.

- Crossbows: Once per combat, an armsman with mastery in crossbows may make a full attack with their crossbow regardless of how many attacks they have and how long it normally takes to load the implement.

- Exotic Double Weapons: Once per combat, an armsman with mastery in exotic double weapons may take a five foot step in between each attack of their full attack action with an exotic double weapon, as well as ignore all two-weapon fighting penalties with the weapon for the duration of that full attack action.

- Flails and Chains: Once per combat, an armsman with mastery in flails and chains may deal 2d8 dexterity damage on a successful strike with a flail or chain. He can announce that he is using this attack after he actually strikes.

- Heavy Blades: Once per combat, an armsman with mastery in heavy blades may use a full-round action to quadruple his strength bonus to damage with a single attack with a heavy blade (quintuple if he is wielding the blade in two hands)

- Light Blades: Once per combat, an armsman with mastery in light blades may use a full-attack action to multiply the damage from a single attack with a light blade by his dexterity modifier.

- Maces and Clubs: Once per combat, an armsman with mastery in maces and clubs may deal 2d6 strength damage on a successful strike with a mace or club. He can announce that he is using this attack after he actually strikes.

- Picks and Hammers: Once per combat, an armsman with mastery in picks and hammers may declare any critical threat with a pick or hammer a critical hit without confirming.

- Polearms: Once per combat, an armsman with mastery in polearms may automatically force all targets adjacent to himself into his threatened squares when wielding a polearm. This requires no checks; it automatically works.

- Slings and Thrown Weapons: Once per combat, an armsman with mastery in slings and thrown weapons may ricochet his shots, attacking a number of targets equal to his dexterity modifier with a single attack roll so long as no one target is more than 10 feet away from any other target. If one of the attacks misses, all targets further down the line from the one missed automatically dodge the attack.

- Spears and Lances: Once per combat, an armsman with mastery in spears and lances may charge one target within reach of his base land speed. This charge can cross any terrain and go over any creatures in the way of the target; it is a jumping charge. Treat this charge as though it occurred on horseback. This special attack is not dependent on any ranks in the jump skill or armor check penalty or encumbrance.

Fruits of Combat: At every even-numbered level, an armsman gains great prowess in combat due to extensive training. He may choose from the following list. All of the following may be taken multiple times; their effects stack.

- Damage Reduction: The armsman gains DR 2/- or his existing DR improves by 2.

- Hardiness: The armsman gains 1 more HP per HD. This is both retroactive and forward reaching.

- Accuracy: The armsman gains a +1 bonus to attack rolls with any weapon for which he has the Weapon Focus feat.

- Power: The armsman gains a +2 bonus to damage rolls with any weapon for which he has the Weapon Specialization feat.

- Pierce: The armsman ignores 2 points of any damage reduction (except DR/epic) with any weapon for which he has the Greater Weapon Specialization feat.

- Armor Freedom: The armsman ignores 1 additional point of armor check penalty with any armor for which he has the Armor Focus feat.

- Resist: The armsman gains a +2 bonus to AC when wearing any armor for which he has the Armor Specialization feat.

- Shield Freedom: The armsman ignores 1 additional point of armor check penalty with any shield for which he has the Shield Focus feat.

- Block: The armsman gains a +2 bonus to AC when wearing any shield for which he has the Shield Specialization feat.
Captain_Kobold
10-12-07, 08:22 AM If I'm reading this correctly, its like a fighter, but effectively gets a bonus feat at every level, rather than every two levels.
Some of the abilities they can choose are considerably better than any feat, providing they have the prerequisites.

Generally, a prestige class is overpowered when you cannot see any reason why a base class would not go into it.
What advantages would a pure fighter character have over one in this class?

How many skill points/level, and what are the class skills?
The_Apologist
10-12-07, 12:42 PM Haven't worked out the class skills exactly. I'm envisioning 2+ SP per level and roughly 3-5 class skills, even less than a fighter. Probably Craft, Climb, Jump, Ride and Profession.

As far as being "overpowered," they don't get a bonus feat at every level. They can, possibly, get a bonus feat every other level (odd-numbered levels) or Weapon Group Mastery. On even-numbered levels their class feature can be nice, but is not a bonus feat. It's similar, but much more limited in scope.

And yes, compared to the firepower of a regular fighter, this could be considered "overpowered," but compared to, say, multiclassing Cleric, not so much.
Captain_Kobold
10-14-07, 02:31 PM OK. Would you accept the phrase "feat-like ability every level" instead of "feat at every level"?

From the basis of a fighter-type character, both the Weapon School Mastery, and the Fruits of Combat abilities are at least as good, if not considerably better than most of the things avalable on the fighter bonus feat list.

I'm assuming that this class is based on progression of a fighter-type character. Thus it can have a tighter focus than the base fighter class.
The problem I am seeing here is that it gets everything that a fighter does, plus a lot more. How would you resolve the power-level difference between a pure-fighter character, and one who goes into this class?

Most competent DMs will be able to balance casters against other classes.
If you are starting from a basis of a house-ruled adjustment (like the "fighters get a bonus feat every level" one) then fair enough. But you should mention this, since if you don't, people will assume that you will want things balanced along the base system.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
The_Apologist 10-12-07, 01:43 AM	Thinking on a militaristic fighter-style reclass that would add some punch without being too restrictive. Let me know what you think... it's still in the sort of brainstorming stages. Also note that this assumes the Weapon Group Proficiency variant rules from UA. It also assumes usage of Rich Burlew's excellent Equipment Focus feats for Fighters. Just ignore all references to Armor Focus, Shield Specialization, etc. if you prefer. They're hardly vital to the class. Armsman The legendary soldier, the tough commando, the highly-trained shock troop: all of these are Armsmen. Anywhere you find men trained extensively in the ways of combat and dedicated to the ways of warfare, you find Armsmen. Armsmen are the warrior generals on the front lines, the aged masters of war schools and the great guardians of powerful men. They can draw more from their equipment than anyone, and their ability to use weapons with which they have trained heavily is the stuff of legends. HD: d10 Prereqs: BAB: +5 Feats: Proficient with Heavy Armor and at least one martial weapon group, Weapon Focus and Weapon Specialization Special: Must spend at least 10 years in combat training under some kind of master or school Lvl BAB F /R /W Special 1 +1 2 /0 /0 Weapon School Mastery 2 +2 3 /0 /0 Fruits of Combat 3 +3 3 /1 /1 Weapon School Mastery 4 +4 4 /1 /1 Fruits of Combat 5 +5 4 /1 /1 Weapon School Mastery 6 +6 5 /2 /2 Fruits of Combat 7 +7 5 /2 /2 Weapon School Mastery 8 +8 6 /2 /2 Fruits of Combat 9 +9 6 /3 /3 Weapon School Mastery 10 +10 7 /3 /3 Fruits of Combat (In case my table gets messed up, it's a 10 level prestige class. It has the strong base attack bonus progression, strong Fortitude saves, weak Reflex and Will saves, and its class features are Weapon School Mastery on odd-numbered levels and Fruits of Combat on even-numbered levels.) Weapon School Mastery: At each odd-numbered level, an armsman chooses a weapon group to attain mastery in. He must have weapon focus and weapon specialization with the weapon group. He may not take mastery more than once with any weapon group, and if he does not have any elligible weapon groups available to him when he attains a level of armsman that grants Weapon School Mastery he instead gains a bonus feat from the fighter list, for which he must meet all prerequisites. He adds his armsman level to all damage rolls with any weapon for which he has attained weapon school mastery and attains the following bonuses: - Axes: Once per combat, an armsman with mastery in axes may automatically hit on any sunder attempt when wielding an axe. - Bows: Once per combat, an armsman with mastery in bows may threaten all squares within one range increment of his bow for one round as a free action so long as he is wielding the bow and has an arrow knocked. - Claw Weapons: Once per combat, an armsman with mastery in claw weapons may deal 2d4 constitution damage on a successful strike with a claw weapon. He can announce that he is using this attack after he actually strikes. - Crossbows: Once per combat, an armsman with mastery in crossbows may make a full attack with their crossbow regardless of how many attacks they have and how long it normally takes to load the implement. - Exotic Double Weapons: Once per combat, an armsman with mastery in exotic double weapons may take a five foot step in between each attack of their full attack action with an exotic double weapon, as well as ignore all two-weapon fighting penalties with the weapon for the duration of that full attack action. - Flails and Chains: Once per combat, an armsman with mastery in flails and chains may deal 2d8 dexterity damage on a successful strike with a flail or chain. He can announce that he is using this attack after he actually strikes. - Heavy Blades: Once per combat, an armsman with mastery in heavy blades may use a full-round action to quadruple his strength bonus to damage with a single attack with a heavy blade (quintuple if he is wielding the blade in two hands) - Light Blades: Once per combat, an armsman with mastery in light blades may use a full-attack action to multiply the damage from a single attack with a light blade by his dexterity modifier. - Maces and Clubs: Once per combat, an armsman with mastery in maces and clubs may deal 2d6 strength damage on a successful strike with a mace or club. He can announce that he is using this attack after he actually strikes. - Picks and Hammers: Once per combat, an armsman with mastery in picks and hammers may declare any critical threat with a pick or hammer a critical hit without confirming. - Polearms: Once per combat, an armsman with mastery in polearms may automatically force all targets adjacent to himself into his threatened squares when wielding a polearm. This requires no checks; it automatically works. - Slings and Thrown Weapons: Once per combat, an armsman with mastery in slings and thrown weapons may ricochet his shots, attacking a number of targets equal to his dexterity modifier with a single attack roll so long as no one target is more than 10 feet away from any other target. If one of the attacks misses, all targets further down the line from the one missed automatically dodge the attack. - Spears and Lances: Once per combat, an armsman with mastery in spears and lances may charge one target within reach of his base land speed. This charge can cross any terrain and go over any creatures in the way of the target; it is a jumping charge. Treat this charge as though it occurred on horseback. This special attack is not dependent on any ranks in the jump skill or armor check penalty or encumbrance. Fruits of Combat: At every even-numbered level, an armsman gains great prowess in combat due to extensive training. He may choose from the following list. All of the following may be taken multiple times; their effects stack. - Damage Reduction: The armsman gains DR 2/- or his existing DR improves by 2. - Hardiness: The armsman gains 1 more HP per HD. This is both retroactive and forward reaching. - Accuracy: The armsman gains a +1 bonus to attack rolls with any weapon for which he has the Weapon Focus feat. - Power: The armsman gains a +2 bonus to damage rolls with any weapon for which he has the Weapon Specialization feat. - Pierce: The armsman ignores 2 points of any damage reduction (except DR/epic) with any weapon for which he has the Greater Weapon Specialization feat. - Armor Freedom: The armsman ignores 1 additional point of armor check penalty with any armor for which he has the Armor Focus feat. - Resist: The armsman gains a +2 bonus to AC when wearing any armor for which he has the Armor Specialization feat. - Shield Freedom: The armsman ignores 1 additional point of armor check penalty with any shield for which he has the Shield Focus feat. - Block: The armsman gains a +2 bonus to AC when wearing any shield for which he has the Shield Specialization feat.
Captain_Kobold 10-12-07, 08:22 AM	If I'm reading this correctly, its like a fighter, but effectively gets a bonus feat at every level, rather than every two levels. Some of the abilities they can choose are considerably better than any feat, providing they have the prerequisites. Generally, a prestige class is overpowered when you cannot see any reason why a base class would not go into it. What advantages would a pure fighter character have over one in this class? How many skill points/level, and what are the class skills?
The_Apologist 10-12-07, 12:42 PM	Haven't worked out the class skills exactly. I'm envisioning 2+ SP per level and roughly 3-5 class skills, even less than a fighter. Probably Craft, Climb, Jump, Ride and Profession. As far as being "overpowered," they don't get a bonus feat at every level. They can, possibly, get a bonus feat every other level (odd-numbered levels) or Weapon Group Mastery. On even-numbered levels their class feature can be nice, but is not a bonus feat. It's similar, but much more limited in scope. And yes, compared to the firepower of a regular fighter, this could be considered "overpowered," but compared to, say, multiclassing Cleric, not so much.
Captain_Kobold 10-14-07, 02:31 PM	OK. Would you accept the phrase "feat-like ability every level" instead of "feat at every level"? From the basis of a fighter-type character, both the Weapon School Mastery, and the Fruits of Combat abilities are at least as good, if not considerably better than most of the things avalable on the fighter bonus feat list. I'm assuming that this class is based on progression of a fighter-type character. Thus it can have a tighter focus than the base fighter class. The problem I am seeing here is that it gets everything that a fighter does, plus a lot more. How would you resolve the power-level difference between a pure-fighter character, and one who goes into this class? Most competent DMs will be able to balance casters against other classes. If you are starting from a basis of a house-ruled adjustment (like the "fighters get a bonus feat every level" one) then fair enough. But you should mention this, since if you don't, people will assume that you will want things balanced along the base system.