My goal for class design is simply this- D&D and other tabletop games have contributed much to the mediums of live-action, animation, and video games. It is my goal to take what these mediums have accomplished and returns to D&D in equal favor what was given to them. Hence many of my classes will have themes and abilities reminiscent of these mediums in an attempt to integrate them into the game while still retaining D&D flavor and mechanical balance.
At present, I have bare basic knowledge of the 4.0 mechanical balance and will be working one step at a time (and rather slowly) in working through issues and errors in my classes presented. Hence at the time I am only presenting the class features and basic information for the Brave Lancer class for the community to PEACH and help me work out the bugs. Once that is complete I will move onto powers. Thank you for your patience and please enjoy.
Brave Lancer
Class Traits
Role: Striker. Regardless of your specialization path the Brave Lancer's job in combat is to get in, deal damage, and get out. Ground BLs depend on mass amounts of direct damage, Aerial BLs rely on having combat advantage to reliably use their powers, while Mounted BLs use their mount's mobility to their advantage.
Power Source: Martial. Your lifelong training with the lance is the source of your amazing powers and skills.
Key Abilities: Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Wisdom
Armor Proficiencies: Cloth, leather, hide, chainmail
Weapon Proficiencies: Simple melee, military melee, simple ranged, military ranged
Bonuses to Defense: +1 Fortitude, +1 Reflex
Hit Points at 1st Level: 12 + Constitution score
Hit Points per Level Gained: 5
Healing Surges per Day: 6 + Constitution score
Trained Skills: Atheltics. From the class skills list below, choose three more trained skills at 1st level.
Class Skills: Acrobatics (Dex), Dungeoneering (Wis), Endurance (Con), Heal (Wis), Intimidate (Cha), Nature (Wis), Perception (Wis), Streetwise (Cha)
Build Options: G.A.M: Ground, Aerial, Mounted
Class Features: Fast Movement, G.A.M Specialization, Lance Proficiency
Role: Striker. Regardless of your specialization path the Brave Lancer's job in combat is to get in, deal damage, and get out. Ground BLs depend on mass amounts of direct damage, Aerial BLs rely on having combat advantage to reliably use their powers, while Mounted BLs use their mount's mobility to their advantage.
Power Source: Martial. Your lifelong training with the lance is the source of your amazing powers and skills.
Key Abilities: Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Wisdom
Armor Proficiencies: Cloth, leather, hide, chainmail
Weapon Proficiencies: Simple melee, military melee, simple ranged, military ranged
Bonuses to Defense: +1 Fortitude, +1 Reflex
Hit Points at 1st Level: 12 + Constitution score
Hit Points per Level Gained: 5
Healing Surges per Day: 6 + Constitution score
Trained Skills: Atheltics. From the class skills list below, choose three more trained skills at 1st level.
Class Skills: Acrobatics (Dex), Dungeoneering (Wis), Endurance (Con), Heal (Wis), Intimidate (Cha), Nature (Wis), Perception (Wis), Streetwise (Cha)
Build Options: G.A.M: Ground, Aerial, Mounted
Class Features: Fast Movement, G.A.M Specialization, Lance Proficiency
Up Until you explain the class features, I think everything is fine...but...
Fast Movement: As a static bonus that's ridiculously fast. That means at some point I think an Elf Vampire is moving somewhere along at 16 squares. That's ridiculous. Not in a bad way no, but it's crazy. But I think it's a little too fast in game terms. I think what you could do, to simulate that, though I'm not really sure what you're going for in terms of speed, is to make either that a power that's granted by class features, like lay on hands or something like a wizard cantrip..
Jump Thrust
At-Will; Martial
Minor Action Personal
Effect: Shift a number of squares equal to you speed.
If they spend a move action and a minor action it's effectively moving double, and half of it they don't take Opportunity attacks. With three minor actions, it's triple their speed. Also, to make it a little faster, you can add like "+ Dex modifier" so that it's a little better.
Now, the Ground Lancer:
The part about all lances being treated as high crit is fine... or you could effectively do it like... +1 to damage with lances per tier. It's only an idea...
(In fact it sounds like it should be part of the general class features.)
The part about Charging... hmmm... it could feasibly an at-wil power.
Charging Lance
At-will; Martial, Weapon
Standard Action (special) Melee Weapon
Target: One creature
Attack: Strength -2 vs. AC
Hit: 2[W] + Strength modifier; 4[W] + strength modifier at level 21
Special: This attack much be performed as part of a charge.
-2 is pretty significant penalty, regardless of anything.
Aerial Lance:
Once again, it sounds like it should be an at-will power maybe.
Flying Lance
At-will; Martial, Weapon
Standard Action Melee Weapon
Target: One creature
Attack: Dexterity -2 vs. AC
Hit: 2[W] + Dexterity modifier; 4[W] + Dexterity modifier at level 21
Effect: You shift a number of squares up to your speed, ignoring terrain, before this attack.
Mounts are something I'm completely in the dark about in 4e.
Now lances:
It seems that all you really need are two Lances, Heavy and Light.
Heavy Lance
Prof.: +2
Damage: 1d8
Range: -
Price: 25 gp
Weight: 15 lb.
Group: Two-handed, Heavy Blade, Polearm
Properties: Reach
Light Lance
Prof.: +2
Damage: 1d8
Range: -
Price: 25 gp
Weight: 15 lb.
Group: Two-handed, Light Blade Blade, Polearm
Properties: Reach
The other properties can be dealt with as enchantments. It really differentiates them a lot more. Shielding especially sounds like a good enchantment.
If I could figure out tables, I'd probably put one up for Shielding.
These are well intentioned suggestions, so take what you want. Like I said, I love your work in 3.5 and I'm looking forward to your work in 4E, also I think you should disregard those that say "either make this a build of fighter or rogue, or You can make a tweaked barbarian like this!" or something. I think it's great work to make something interesting.
-The speed was just a "static boost" much like the 3.5 class had. However since class features are dumped on you right out of the gate instead of being dispersed over 20 levels I was trying for a "catch all" straight up conversion. The base for this was trying to make your average race as fast as a Quickling at 11 and even faster at 21, although I think I'll save such speed for the Supersonic Warrior (which will probably end up as a paragon path for the fighter or monk) and lower this to a simple 2,4,6 progression.
-The alternate ability you suggested is nice but personally I think that might make a better utility power at a slightly higher level than offering it right out the gate. Otherwise the rogue might be green with envy over that much early evasion as a minor. :D
-Your version of the Charging Lance is a bit easier to read than my idea and conveys the same principle, I'll probably yank it here in a few days if you don't mind.
-Flying Lance on the other hand is more like a power I would add to the list rather than the Class Ability for the Aerial Brave Lancer for this reason: I'm trying to create a mechanic similar to the Ranger's Quarry and Rogue's Sneak Attack. The concept is you get a better chunk of damage than they do but the down fall is unless you have combat advantage there's a chance the attack will fail via a badly timed OA. Simply because if you see something come flying through the air at your face, what's to stop you from trying to play a game of baseball with it?
-Enchantments over individual weapons huh? I'm still used to the 3.5 stuff where usually you didn't see enchants til level 5, but since they do have Level 1 enchants in 4.0 that's not a bad idea actually. I'll see what I can cook up.