Martial classes got screwed in 3.5, there's just no doubt about it. Rather then attempt to fix every class, it'd be more plausible to just fix one class, and make it diverse enough to be as several classes. No one is a better candidate then the 3.5 fighter. Who's entire thing was "more feats". (Which psychic warrior did better as it had other things it could rely on) However, if the fighter has access to feat trees others do not, then that can compensate. And in order for the fighter to have access to these feat trees, he has to invest in fighter levels, and take some "normal" feats.
I got this idea from Blue Dragon. At least what the feats are named after. The fighter now functions like a jrpg character, with feat trees as "jobs" that he invests in.
I have not yet fully tested these feats, or how they could be exploited. For example, support magic was extremely broken, the one you see before you is a greatly nerfed version. It was too easy in it's original incarnation for casters to dip in it, get spell resistance, and still throw down spells! It was also way too good in the amount you got.
If there are any other Blue Dragon class types I can expose myself too, I will update with even more feat trees for the fighter. I hope to one day try out my creation in game. Maybe getting a group together online or irl where we all play fighters, and we take feat trees from these and diversify the fighter, show that fighters can be fun AND useful, and that you can have an entire team of fighters, but none of them are alike!!
Inb4 "this is why we have tome of battle". I like tome of battle, but rather then me attempting to try to squeeze these things into the fluff and crunch of the maneuvers list, or create new manuever lists that aren't going to be relevant for more then the first few levels, it just makes more sense for them to be feats. As well, I don't like the way some of the things were done in tome of battle. For example, warblade's "I recharge my manuevers by doing a standard action". While the whole "recharge magic" is not a new concept, he recharges a manuever once per round? That essentially turns even his most powerful manuevers into a "per encounter" thing. There's no scaling. Daily units are the only way to scale because whether or not you got something stronger, when you've expended your daily lot, you're done. So if I was going to make these manuevers, (which I might if people don't find the feat trees appealing) I'd only do so if I altered the weaboo fighting mages as a whole.
Warblades would get more manuevers (possibly double their normal), but can only use each one once per day.
Swordsages would have "mana", and their manuevers would expend mana.
Crusaders would remain the same. Random assortment of manuevers/auras they can use based off dice rolls for that day, notes out of a hat, or the DM just chooses for him.
Auras would have to be changed too to befit this where they last rounds rather then "until you switch it out". In crusader's case, he could just activate it again, in warblade/swordsage's, they only use it when they really need it. As you can see, for this to befit Tome of Battle, it would require more rule changes and more alterations then just making new feats. THAT is why I chose to just use the fighter!
Also, before proclaiming them broken, I only consider it broken if it could exceed CoDzilla. If it isn't comparible to at least a tier 4 class, then it isn't broken. It's merely powerful, and that's the point. Also, I figure if this were a fighter campaign with this variety... when everybody is super, no one will be.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=leGv-e1KwgA
Blue Dragon tends to be more light hearted, and I hope to make a D&D game like that too. But I want it too also have a lot of action, intensity, and death metal... lol! Sort of like a Tenacious D version of Blue Dragon. Forging a bastard sword out of The Devil's horn. XD
SWORDMASTER FEAT TREE Preq: Power Attack, Weapon Specilization.
After you have those feats, you can take any of these as feats below.
Magic Sword. (Su)
Effect: As a move action, you can give your melee weapon an enhancement bonus of +1, plus an additional +1 per extra fighter level. (max +5) This bonus lasts for one minute, and the enhancement bonus stacks with any other enhancement bonuses on your weapon. You can use this ability 1/day, plus an additional 1/day for every four fighter levels. (Max 5/day)
Mow Down. (Ex)
Effect: As a free action, instead of your attack roll vs AC, you make an attack roll vs the target's reflex saving throw. You may only use this ability once per round.
Absorb HP. (Su)
Effect: When you successfuly hit target for damage with a melee weapon, you heal 1d10 HP. You can use this ability 1/day as a free action.
Special: At the cost of two skillpoints, you can increase Absorb HP's dice by an additional d10, or increase the times per day by an additional 1. The amount of dice or times per day cannot exceed your fighter level divided by half. (Rounded down.)
Absorb MP. (Su)
Effect: 1/day, as a swift action, when you attack a foe, they must make a will save, DC 8+fighter level. If they fail, they cannot cast spell-like or supernatural abilities on the next round.
Special: At the cost of two skillpoints, you can increase Absorb MP's use by an additional time per day.
GUARDIAN FEAT TREE: Preq: Toughness, Improved Toughness.
Guard. (Ex)
You gain damage reduction 5/x. (X=slashing, piercing, or bludgeon damage. Your choice.)
Special: You may take this feat multiple times, each time increasing the damage reduction by 1.
Max HP Boost. (Ex)
Effect: Your constitution modifier provides 50% (rounded down) more HP per hit die then what it normally would. (So say you have +4 modifier and level 20, thats +60 HP instead of +40 HP.)
Charged Defense. (Ex)
Effect: You may expend a move action in order to improve the armor bonus your shields and armor provide by +100%. (So say you're wearing a chainskirt, the armor bonus is +8 AC instead of +4.) You may only use this ability once per round. The duration of charged defense is one round.
Total Guard. (Ex)
Effect: When you successfuly attack, target that you attacked's next attack deals -4 in damage.
MONK FEAT TREE: Preq: Iron Will, Lightning Reflexes.
Charged Attack. (Ex)
Effect: You may expend a move action in order to give yourself a bonus to your next attack roll equal to your fighter level. You may only use this ability once per day, and when you take the feat, must choose a damage source you can use this ability with. (Bludgeon, Slashing, or Piercing.)
Special: You may take this feat multiple times, each time choosing a new damage source you can deal the attack bonus with, or gain an additional time per day you can use this ability.
Attack Amp. (Ex)
Effect: If you are under any conditions, (such as sickened, fatigue, etc) your attacks deal an additional +1d6 damage, plus an additional +1d6 per fighter level beyond the first. (To a maximum of +4d6 damage.)
Repel Aura. (Su)
Effect: Whenever you are dealt damage by a melee attack, the attacker must make a fortitude save DC 5+fighter level, or become sickened for 1d4 rounds.
Special: You may take this feat an additional time. If you do, the attacker becomes naseated instead.
Absolute Counterattack. (Ex)
Effect: 1/day, as a swift action, you can treat yourself as if you were under concealement for the purpose of avoiding attacks. (20% miss chance) This effect lasts for one round.
Special: You can take this feat multiple times. Choose to either take it an additional time to increase it to total conceament (50%), or to gain absolute counterattack an additional time per day.
ASSASSIN FEAT TREE: Preq: Weapon Focus with a ranged weapon, Farshot.
Long Range Attack. (Ex)
Effect: You no longer have to roll confirmation attacks inorder to trigger critical hit damage with a ranged weapon.
Steal. (Su)
Effect: 1/day, you may choose a target within 10ft, and as a standard action use steal, and they make a will saving throw, DC equal to 10+fighter level. If they fail, you gain access to any spell-like or supernatural abilities they have for one minute. The spell-like and supernatural's abilities are treated just as their's of equal caster level, DC, etc.
Special: You can take this feat multiple times, each time gaining the steal ability an addtional time per day.
Stun Bomb. (Ex)
Effect: 1/day, as a free action, your ranged attack is treated as having a poison coating on it. Fortitude DC 11+fighter level. Initial damage: 0 Secondary: 2d4 rounds.
Special: You may take this feat multiple times, each time being able to use the ability an additional time per day.
Double Strike. (Ex)
Effect: You gain an additional attack for your attack round at your highest BaB. You may only use this attack as a ranged attack.
BLACK MAGIC FEAT TREE: Preq: Weapon Specilization, Greater Weapon Specialization.
Black Magic. (Su)
Effect: Whenever you make an attack roll against a living creature, that target makes a will save DC 9+fighter level. If they fail, the target becomes shaken.
Boost MP. (Su)
Effect: Once per round as a free action, all your attacks can be considered an element damage type of your choosing instead of it's normal damage type. (Cold, Lightning, Fire, Acid, Sonic)
Special: If you take this feat an additional time. You gain the added benefit of an effect based on which element you've chosen for that round to forgo turning your attack's damage into.
Cold: Fortitude save DC 8+fighter level. If target fails, their base land and fly speed is halved for one minute.
Lightning: Reflex save DC 8+fighter level. If target fails, they a -4 AC penalty for one minute.
Fire: Your attack deals an additional +1d6 fire damage.
Acid: Reflex save DC 8+fighter level. If target fails, they take 1d4 dexterity and 1d4 constitution damage. If they succeed, they are immune to this effect for the next 24 hours.
Sonic: Fortitude save DC 8+fighter level. If target fails, they become defeaned for one minute.
Regenerate MP. (Ex)
Effect: Improve the critical hit modifier of your attacks with a damage source of your choice, (bludgeon, slashing, piercing) by x1. (Such as spear's x3, becomes x4)
Special: You may take this feat multiple times, each time increasing the critical hit modifier by x1, or choose an additional damage source Regenerate MP applies too.
WHITE MAGIC FEAT TREE: Preq: Great Fortitude, Weapon Finesse.
Double Item. (Ex)
Effect: You can treat your weapon as one size category higher in damage then it actually is. (For example, a longsword's 1d8 damage can be treated now as 2d6.)
Special: You can take this feat multiple times, each time increasing the size category damage by one.
White Magic. (Su)
Effect: Choose any two conditions. (Such as sickened, fatigue, petrified, etc) You are immune to them.
Special: You can take this feat multiple times, each time gaining immunity to an additional condition.
Regenerate HP. (Ex)
Effect: You gain fast healing 1.
Special: You can take this feat multiple times, each time increasing your fast healing by one.
BARRIER MAGIC FEAT TREE: Preq: Dodge, Mobility.
Field Barrier. (Ex)
Effect: All allies within 30ft of you gain a +4 AC bonus. This effect lasts for as long as they are within 30ft of you.
Barrier Magic. (Ex)
Effect: You are immune to critical hits.
Distress Barrier. (Ex)
Effect: You do not lose your AC bonus against touch attacks.
SUPPORT MAGIC FEAT TREE: Preq: Persuasive, Skill Focus, Self-Sufficient.
Support Magic. (Su)
Effect: You may make two saving throws and take the better result instead of one against a spell, spell-like, or supernatural ability. (For example, fireball reflex save halves, now you can make two reflex saves taking the better one!)
Spell Duration. (Ex)
Effect: You gain spell resistance 5.
Special: You may take this feat multiple times, each time increasing your spell resistance by 5.
- kill (think 'save or die')
- cheat (think 'fly', 'invisibility', etc ...)
- 1-up monsters (think 'see invisibility', ...)
- have versility to change (prepare 'invisibility' instead of 'fly' for dungeon crawling)
- ...
*one must also not forget that spellcasters use daily resources.
A lvl 5 wizard can do 5d6 fireball twice per day, as most powerful attack (granted, multiple targets).
But a lvl 5 fighter (a very sub-par level) easely gets 3d6+7 at will (using a +1 flaming greatsword, 16 strength and Weapon Specialisation). (and next level, he gets 2 attacks and a feat ...)
(also, regenerate HP is an underpowered feat. check out the combat focus chain from PHB2)