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View Full Version : Falling Spider- a prone attacker PrC (PEACH)



adriankas
2006-07-19, 05:20 AM
I wanted to make a character that can exploit trip attacks and prone characters without using the damned spiked chain. So I brewed this PrC up, with a specific eye towards preventing reach weapon trip abuse.

The Falling Spider

The Captain of the Guard took a puff from his pipe, blowing a smoke ring. He watched it float lazily away, and then, quick as an eye, sliced his long sword, cutting it in half.
“Hello, Captain,” said a sultry voice behind him. He swiveled around in anger, “Who the hell… how did you get in here?” he barked. The woman was dressed in a sleeveless, black leather vest, and a black, tight-fitting cat suit. A hood was pulled over her pale face, and a bit of hair tumbled down the sides of her neck. Two kukris hung loosely around her hips.
“Give me the keys to the cell of Jaken Rahk, and I might just let you live.”
“I think I would rather keep the keys and take your life instead, missy”, he snarled, as he advanced upon her with his blade held high. She merely shrugged, “Your loss”. Quick as lightning, her foot snapped into the captain’s knee, sending him falling to the ground. She descended upon him, kukris out…

These menacing combatants have perfected the art of attacking a fallen enemy. They have discerned how to best take advantage of a knocked down target, furiously exploiting their lack of mobility. They require an advantage in movement, and so clumsy reach weapons actually get in the way of their special attacks, which require them to get close, down, and dirty with their prey. Thus they have perfected the ability to quickly trip others using their legs. Rogues find this prestige class most beneficial, but fighters, barbarians, rangers and many other melee classes also find these abilities useful.

This is a prestige class that specializes on attacking prone creatures
Requirements: Balance 8 Ranks, Improved Trip, Sneak Attack +1d6

Base Attack Bonus: As a Fighter’s
Hit Dice: d6
Saves: Reflex Good, Fort Bad, Will Bad
Skills: 4 + Int
The Falling Spider gains no weapon or armor proficiencies

1: Descending Attack +1d6
2: Uncanny Trip, Trip Mastery
3: Descending Attack +2d6
4: Improved Uncanny Trip, Drop Shot
5: Descending Attack +3d6, Eviscerate

Descending Attack (Ex): The Falling Spider can add 1d6 amount of damage to their attacks when attacking a prone enemy. The Falling Spider must be adjacent to the target to perform a descending attack, and must be using a light melee weapon. This damage increases to 2d6 damage at level 3, and 3d6 damage at level 5.

Uncanny Trip (Ex): If the Falling Spider is wearing light armor or less, the Falling Spider may make an unarmed trip attack as a move action. They still require a standard action to trip with a weapon.

Trip Mastery (Ex): The Falling Spider cannot be tripped on their own trip attack, and can use their dexterity modifier when performing trip attacks instead of their strength modifier if they so wish.

Improved Uncanny Trip (Ex): If the Falling Spider is wearing light armor or less, the Falling Spider may make an unarmed trip attack as a swift action. They still require a standard action to trip with a weapon.

Drop Shot (Ex): The Falling spider loses their -4 penalty to hit prone targets. Also, they can now make sneak attacks with ranged attacks from 30 feet away against prone targets, but not reach weapons.

Eviscerate (Ex): The Falling Spider can now perform sneak attacks on prone characters. Add sneak attack damage to any situation in which descending attack would activate.

EDIT1: Changed Drop Shot's to hit modifiers and edited Drop Shot to deal sneak attack damage instead of descending attack damage.

Altair_the_Vexed
2006-07-19, 05:38 AM
This looks nice and nasty...

Now the PEACHy bit:
After a Descending Attack, is the Falling Spider prone as well?
The Drop Shot ability effectively gives a +8 to attack, which seems a bit high. What about just eliminating the -4 penalty? Also, the ranged Descending Attack linked to Drop Shot is a little confusing - how is it meant to work? I can't think how a prone opponent is going to be more vulnerable to damage from ranged weapons...

adriankas
2006-07-19, 06:04 AM
After a Descending Attack, is the Falling Spider prone as well?

I did not intend that, but that's an interesting idea: do you think that would help balance the class? I would imagine that the Falling Spider wouldn't actually lie on top of the prone target while attacking (that seems really inefficient and stupid) but rather be squatting.

The Drop Shot ability effectively gives a +8 to attack, which seems a bit high. What about just eliminating the -4 penalty? Also, the ranged Descending Attack linked to Drop Shot is a little confusing - how is it meant to work? I can't think how a prone opponent is going to be more vulnerable to damage from ranged weapons...
True. I'll just eliminate the -4 penalty since then a Falling Spider will find equivalent proficiency at attacking prone targets from melee and ranged, which wouldn't make sense... and instead make ranged attacks towards prone creatures activate sneak attack. It's not got anything to do with the actual descending attack which I imagine is more about preventing the prone character from defending themselves, but I can imagine that Falling Spiders are so used to combat against prone enemies that they can aim shots to hit vital spots.
Thanks!

adriankas
2006-08-07, 01:43 AM
Mods: move thread into homebrew? Please? Thanks

Single Shot Zombie
2006-08-07, 09:11 AM
You forgot class skills.

Abardam
2006-08-07, 11:08 AM
On a kinda related note, Falling Spider is also the name of a skill (http://gw.gamewikis.org/wiki/Falling_Spider) in another game that involves attacking knocked-down foes.

kailin
2006-08-07, 07:06 PM
Awesome. I'd love to give that class a whirl. It's cool, quick and direct, and it seems well-balanced, though it's so very, very good at its narrow specialty that I'd have to see it play before I'd know for sure whether it's as good as it reads.

One thing: does Drop Shot automatically deal sneak attack damage? 'Cause it shouldn't, until the falling spider gets Eviscerate. Losing the -4 penalty is plenty good as it is. You might consider making precise shot a prereq for this class, as a falling spider at range will need an ally in melee with the opponent to trip him, and he won't like the -4 penalty from that.