Post/Author/DateTime	Post
GinTonic 05-07-07, 11:01 PM	Three prestige classes to review for the price of one thread. First, let me present the Whirlwind of Steel Knight as created by another player in our group. This has been posted here before and modified since. ----- Whirlwind of Steel Knight Your weapon can reach further than any sword and yet looks to be as light as a short sword in your hands. As you start to whip your weapon around in battle you quickly impress your allies and bewilder your enemies with your devastating speed and how you seem to strike from afar as if you were a giant with arms twice the normal length. This class is meant for characters that use reach melee weapons. This type of character would be able to strike up close and far away in devastating fashion as well as help friends in need of a little extra defense. HD: d10 Alignment: Any Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 2+Int Modifier. Weapon and Armor Proficiency: No change, same and the class that the character already has. Requirements BAB +7 Feats of Whirlwind Attack and Weapon Focus in any reach weapon. Skills Balance 5 Class Skills The Whirlwind of Steel Knight class skills are Balance (Dex), Craft (Int), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Listen (Wis), Search (Int), Sense Motive (Wis), Spot (Wis), Tumble (Dex), and Use Rope (Dex). Level BAB Fort Ref Will Special 1st 1 2 0 0 Short Haft, Defensive Whirlwind +2 2nd 2 3 0 0 Flashing Steel Defense 3rd 3 3 1 1 Extended Reach, Defensive Whirlwind +3 4th 4 4 1 1 Sidestep 5th 5 4 1 1 Prison of Steel, Crushing Storm Attack, Defensive Whirlwind +4 Crushing Storm Attack: When wielding a reach weapon for which you have a Weapon Focus, this powerful attack will smash through your opponents defenses leaving them stunned on the floor, or better yet, dead. Five times per day this is full round action adds your dexterity bonus to your normal bonuses to your attack and damage roll. This attack will crush your opponent to the floor unless they make a Reflex save DC 10 plus the damage that you inflict. It also stuns them for 1 round unless they make a Fortitude save DC 10 plus the damage that you inflict from the pure force of the attack. The opponent can only be one size larger than you or below. There must be at least an additional 5’ of empty space above or to the side of your opponent due the space required of such a powerful swing. If the opponent can not be knocked down then it has no effect. Can not be used in heavy armor. Defensive Whirlwind: Flashing steel pushes your foes back forcing them to flinch before trying to strike your fiends. Utilize your move action to add a +2 deflection bonus to the AC of your allies. The number of allies you can protect is equal to your class level. Can not be used in heavy armor. Extended Reach: Whirlwind of Steel Knight can somehow make your weapon reach just that much further. This swift action increases your reach by 5’. Can not be used in heavy armor. Flashing Steel Defense: A Whirlwind of Steel Knight whips his weapon around from all angles distracting his opponent. During your action, you designate an opponent and will gain a +3 deflection bonus to your AC. Improved Uncanny Dodge: The Whirlwind of Steel Knight can no longer be flanked unless the attacker has at least 4 levels of Rogue above the character. Prison of steel: While wielding a reach weapon for which you have a Weapon Focus, no opponent can take a withdraw action to leave squares threatened by you. This ability can not be stacked with the Extended Reach feat. Additionally, Tumble DCs to travel through your threatened squares are increased by 5. Sidestep: Once per round, when you make an attack of opportunity, you may take a 5-foot step after you attack. This 5-foot step does not count against your limit of one 5-foot step per round or against any movement you take on your turn. Short Haft: As a swift action, you can choose to lose the benefit of wielding any reach weapon other than a spiked chain or a whip. In return, you can use that weapon to threaten and attack spaces adjacent to you. With another swift action, you can give up this feat’s benefit in order to regain the use of your weapon’s superior reach. Special thanks for all of the great suggestions by Marcus Majarra, Encard, and Leress. Thanks for the help that the Hand of Mystra gave me.
GinTonic 05-07-07, 11:02 PM	I thought it was a tad overpowered and perhaps would have been better as a 10 level PrC. In light of that, I created two PrCs in the same vein, one that focused on offensive skills, the Tornado of Steel Knight; and one that focused on defensive skills, the Cyclone of Steel Knight. You can take either one interchangeably and essentially make it a 10 level PrC, or you can stick to one. We're looking for comments on any of the three classes. We're hoping to use this class shortly. ----- Tornado of Steel Knight Your weapon can reach further than any sword and yet looks to be as light as a short sword in your hands. As you start to whip your weapon around in battle you quickly astound your allies and bewilder your enemies with your devastating speed. You can use your weapon for an impressive array of offensive maneuvers. This class is meant for characters that use reach melee weapons. HD: d10 Alignment: Any Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 2 + Int Modifier. Weapon and Armor Proficiency: No change, same and the class that the character already has. Requirements BAB +7 Feats of Whirlwind Attack and Weapon Focus in any reach weapon. Skills Balance 2 Class Skills The Whirlwind of Steel Knight class skills are Balance (Dex), Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Perform [Weapon Drill] (Cha), and Swim (Str). Level BAB Fort Ref Will Special 1st 1 2 0 0 Tornado-style 2nd 2 3 0 0 Gust of Wind 3rd 3 3 1 1 Storm Attack, Defensive Sweep 4th 4 4 1 1 Prison of Steel 5th 5 4 1 1 Crushing Storm Attack, Swath of Destruction Tornado-style: Whenever the Tornado of Steel Knight uses a Tornado-style attack or ability, he adds +1 point of damage per ToSK level to each successful attack that occurs until his next turn. The bonus is not doubled on a critical hit. Tornado-style attacks are required to use large, sweeping weapons movements. Uses of the Whirlwind, Spring Attack, or Power Attack feats are Tornado-style attacks. Any Tornado of Steel Knight class abilities are also considered to be Tornado-style. Gust of Wind: Three times per day, the Tornado of Steel Knight may create a gust of wind as per the spell by waving his reach weapon around. Storm Attack: As a full-round attack, the Tornado of Steel Knight can wind-up his attack and deliver a single powerful blow. A successful hit deals an additional 3d6 points of damage. Defensive Sweep: At 3rd level, a Tornado of Steel Knight gains the Defensive Sweep feat, even if he does not meet the prerequisites. Prison of Steel: The Tornado of Steel Knight can take an Attack of Opportunity against withdrawing opponents located within squares he threatens. This ability does not grant extra Attacks of Opportunity. Additionally, Tumble DCs to travel through squares he threatens are increased by 5. Crushing Storm Attack: As a full-round attack, the Tornado of Steel Knight can wind-up his attack and deliver a single powerful blow. A successful hit deals an additional 5d6 points of damage and the opponent must make a Fortitude saving throw or be stunned for one round. The DC of the saving throw is 10 + STR + BAB of the Tornado of Steel Knight. Creatures immune to critical hits cannot be stunned. Swath of Destruction: At 5th level, the Tornado of Steel Knight is capable of cutting through a horde of enemies. This ability allows him to move his regular speed while doing a Whirlwind attack. He must move in a straight line. He begins by making a regular Whirlwind attack from his starting position. He then moves 5 feet at a time, making additional attacks. Each opponent can only be attacked once. Opponents who are in his path who are killed or knocked unconscious immediately collapse to the ground. If the opponent does not die from the attack, it must make a Fortitude saving throw, DC 10 + damage done to it, or fall to the ground. If the Tornado of Steel Knight misses, the DC on the Fortitude save is still 10 to avoid being run over. Any opponents, alive or dead, who are collapsed to the ground, do not impede his progress. If at any point in the combat an opponent in his path does not collapse, his attack is stopped short. That opponent gets an immediate Attack of Opportunity if he has one available. For the next round, the Tornado of Steel Knight is at -2 AC. The ability can only be used once per day. ----- Cyclone of Steel Knight Your weapon can reach further than any sword and yet looks to be as light as a short sword in your hands. As you start to whip your weapon around in battle you quickly astound your allies and bewilder your enemies with your devastating speed. You can use your weapon for an impressive array of defensive maneuvers. This class is meant for characters that use reach melee weapons. All class abilities require the Cyclone of Steel Knight to be using a reach weapon for which he has a weapon focus; he cannot be wearing heavy armor. HD: d10 Alignment: Any Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 2 + Int Modifier. Weapon and Armor Proficiency: No change, same and the class that the character already has. Requirements BAB +7 Feats of Whirlwind Attack and Weapon Focus in any reach weapon. Skills Balance 2 Class Skills The Whirlwind of Steel Knight class skills are Balance (Dex), Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Perform [Weapon Drill] (Cha), and Swim (Str). Level BAB Fort Ref Will Special 1st 1 2 0 0 Cyclone-style 2nd 2 3 0 0 Wind Wall 3rd 3 3 1 1 Minor Flashing Steel Defense, Minor Cocoon 4th 4 4 1 1 Fascinating Weapon Drill 5th 5 4 1 1 Major Flashing Steel Defense, Major Cocoon Cyclone-style: Whenever the Cyclone of Steel Knight uses a Cyclone-style attack or ability, he gains +1 to his Armor Class per CoSK level until his next turn. Cyclone-style attacks are required to use large, sweeping weapons movements. Uses of the Whirlwind, Spring Attack, or Combat Expertise feats are Cyclone-style attacks. Any Cyclone of Steel Knight class abilities are also considered to be Cyclone-style. Wind Wall: Three times per day, the Cyclone of Steel Knight may create a wind wall as per the spell by waving his reach weapon around. Flashing Steel Defense, Minor: The Cyclone of Steel Knight defends nearby allies by whirling his weapon around. Each ally within the limit of the reach of the Cyclone of Steel Knight gains a +2 deflection bonus to his AC even if he cannot threaten the square. In addition, everyone within the limit of the reach of the Cyclone of Steel Knight, ally or opponent, gains concealment (20% miss chance) versus ranged attacks. Cocoon, Minor: The Cyclone of Steel Knight whips his weapon around himself in a tight pattern, lessening the damage from attacks. He receives Damage Reduction 5/magic. Minor Cocoon can be done as a move action; it counts as a Cyclone-style maneuver. Fascinating Weapon Drill: At 4th level, a Cyclone of Steel gains the Fascinating Weapon Drill feat, even if he does not meet the prerequisites. See here. (http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?t=797775) Flashing Steel Defense, Major: Same as the minor version, except that the deflection bonus is +4 and the concealment is total (50% miss chance). Cocoon, Major: Same as the minor version, except that the Damage Reduction is 10/magic.