Battle Sage base class

[Drake Gryphon]

Hi this is my 1st attempt at posting a homebrew.

Battle Sage
Fluff:
For some reason, whether it be much training, natural talent, divine grace, or some combination of the three, the Battle Sage gains the ability to understand combat and those who participate in it. They seem to instinctively know when and how a battle will happen. Then threw the chaos of battle, a Battle Sage gains an inner calm. This Calm allows them to be like the eye of a storm, where they and what they stand to protect pass threw the tide of battle more or less unharmed, while those that stand against them may never be seen again.

Game Rule Information
Abilities: Wisdom is the most important for class features, followed by strength for better melee attacks, and 3rd is con for more health.
Alignment: Any
Hit Die: d10

Class Skills

Climb
Craft (any)
Jump
Listen
Profession (any)
Ride
Search
Sense Motive
Spot
Survival
Swim

Skill Points at 1st Level: (4 + Int modifier) x 4.
Skill Points at Each Level: 4 + Int modifier

Weapon Prof: Simple and Martial
Armor Prof: Light and Medium, as well as shield (not including tower)
Starting Money: 3d4*10

Battle Sage
{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Battle Sense|Special

1st|
+1|
+0|
+2|
+2|
+0|Battle Sense (Defense), Wise Dodge

2nd|
+2|
+0|
+3|
+3|
+1|Block What You Cannot Dodge

3rd|
+3|
+1|
+3|
+3|
+1|Uncanny Dodge

4th|
+4|
+1|
+4|
+4|
+1|Battle Sense (Offense)

5th|
+5|
+1|
+4|
+4|
+1|Evasion

6th|
+6/+1|
+2|
+5|
+5|
+2|Shielded Strike

7th|
+7/+2|
+2|
+5|
+5|
+2|Battle Sense (Damage)

8th|
+8/+3|
+2|
+6|
+6|
+2|Improved Uncanny Dodge

9th|
+9/+4|
+3|
+6|
+6|
+2|Water Mind 1/day

10th|
+10/+5|
+3|
+7|
+7|
+3|Wise Skill Usage

11th|
+11/+6/+1|
+3|
+7|
+7|
+3|Blind Sense

12th|
+12/+7/+2|
+4|
+8|
+8|
+3|Improved Evasion

13th|
+13/+8/+3|
+4|
+8|
+8|
+3|Water Mind 2/day

14th|
+14/+9/+4|
+4|
+9|
+9|
+4|Control the Field

15th|
+15/+10/+5|
+5|
+9|
+9|
+4|Improved Water Mind

16th|
+16/+11/+6/+1|
+5|
+10|
+10|
+4|Blind Sight

17th|
+17/+12/+7/+2|
+5|
+10|
+10|
+4|Water Mind 3/day

18th|
+18/+13/+8/+3|
+6|
+11|
+11|
+5|Exploit the Opening

19th|
+19/+14/+9/+4|
+6|
+11|
+11|
+5|Hold the Pass

20th|
+20/+15/+10/+5|
+6|
+12|
+12|
+5|Perfect Water Mind[/table]

Class Features

Battle Sense: This allows you to add your wisdom modifier to different aspects of combat, as long as you are wearing medium armor or less. At level 1 you may add it to your AC, At level 4 you may add it to any attacks you make, and at level 7 you may add it to any damage that you deal. Also Starting at level 2 you may add an additional +1 to anything your battle sense modifies. This bonus increases by one every 4th level from then one (6, 10, 14, 18) till it caps at +5 at level 18. You may use all the Battle Sense forms (Defense, Offense, and Damage) at the same time.

Wise Dodge: A Battle Sage may add their wisdom modifier instead of dexterity to their reflex saves.

Block What You Cannot Dodge: Starting at 2nd level, when ever you are using a shield you may double the shield bonus to your AC.

Uncanny Dodge: At 3rd level the Battle Sage gains Uncanny Dodge.

Evasion: At 5th level the Battle Sage gains Evasion.

Shielded Strike: Starting at 6th level you may wield your weapon with 2 hands, without penalty, while still using a shield.

Improved Uncanny Dodge: At 8th level the Battle Sage gains Improved Uncanny Dodge.

Water Mind: At 9th level you gain the ability to use Water Mind. While in water mind your wisdom score is temporarily increased by 6, and you may continue to act normally, until you die, even once you reach 0 or less HP. Once you you exit Water Mind you become fatigued for a number of minutes equal to the number of rounds you used Water Mind. You may stay in Water Mind for a number of hours equal to your level. Also you must make a DC 15 + (number of rounds in Water Mind) Will check or take 1d8/(rounds in Water Mind) damage. You may use Water Mind 1/day at level 9, 2/day at level 13, and 3/day at level 17.

Wise Skill Usage: Any skill that uses your Intelligence or Charisma modifier, you may instead substitute your Wisdom modifier.

Blind Sense: You gain blind sense out to a number of feet equal to your Wisdom modifier * 5. At level 16 this goes up to Wisdom modifier * 10.

Improved Evasion: At 12th level the Battle Sage gains Improved Evasion.

Control the Field: When you use a full attack, any enemy you hit must make a will save with a DC of 15+your Wisdom modifier, if they fail you may shift them a number of squares equal to your Wisdom modifier, when moved this way, they do not provoke attacks of opportunity.

Improved Water Mind: You are only fatigued for a number of rounds equal to the number of rounds you used Water Mind. Also the damage upon a failed save is lowered to 1d6/(rounds in Water Mind).

Blind Sight: You gain blind sight out to a number of feet equal to your Wisdom modifier * 5.

Exploit the Opening: When ever you make an Attack of Opportunity you make make a 2nd attack against that target.

Hold the Pass: You may make Attacks of Opportunity against targets that enter your threatened area. This does not grant you any more Attacks of Opportunity.

Perfect Water Mind: You are no longer fatigued by using your Water Mind ability. Your bonus to your wisdom score is increased to +8. Also the damage upon a failed save is lowered to 1d4/(rounds in Water Mind).

Questions, comments, cares, concerns?

[Draken]

I think once you get water mind you can and probably would enter the state and never leave it again (nothing says you can't).

Six dead levels to boot. Two of which come one after the other, right at the end of the class too. That is not very proper.

To me it looks like you tried to make something similar to a Barbarian with an anti-rage, a state of perfect combat concentration perhaps? The name Water Mind is somewhat bland.

[Drake Gryphon]

Hmmm, true enough, I should probably put a limit on the water wind. As for the name, I based the class off of the Knight Mage from The obsidian trilogy. As for the dead levels, I placed them where the battle sense bonus raises thinking that would help, any ideas on what I should fill them with?

[Temotei]

Battle Sense: This allows you to add your wisdom modifier to different aspects of combat, as long as you are wearing medium armor or less. At level 1 you may add it to your AC, At level 4 you may add it to any attacks you make, and at level 7 you may add it to any damage that you deal. Also Starting at level 2 you may add an additional +1 to anything your battle sense modifies. This bonus increases by one every 4th level from then one (6, 10, 14, 18) till it caps at +5 at level 18.

Does a battle sage get these bonuses all at the same time, or do they have to choose which to apply the bonus to?


For some reason, whether it be much training, natural talent, divine grace, or some combination of the 3 the Battle Sage gains the ability to understand combat and those who participate in it. They just seem to know when and how a battle will happen. It is like a 6th sense that allows them to avoid blows and exploit weaknesses that no one else seems to see.

This section is a little lacking. You should look up the fluff in the Player's Handbook when you have the chance, and use that as a reference for making fluff.


Improved Uncanny Dodge: At 3rd level the Battle Sage gains Improved Uncanny Dodge.

Should be 8th.

Water mind is missing a time limit. There are daily limits on the uses, but an amount of rounds it lasts would help a lot. Otherwise it's basically a free +6 bonus to Wisdom...forever. And you can act when below 0 hp. All the time.


Blind Sight: You gain blind sight out to a number of feet equal to your wisdom modifie * 5.

Should be modifier. I think ability scores are capitalized in the books, no matter the placement. I'll have to check on that, though.

That's all I've got so far. I'll come back. Oh, and for dead levels, insert something unique. Right now, the class doesn't have many unique abilities. It would be nice to see some cool "clarity of mind" abilities or something.

[JKTrickster]

Hi! I really like how this class is looking out; an "opposite" to the barbarian seems like a sweet idea...

Just for some ideas at the end, it would seem that a sword and board character might be the best for this. A perfect blend of offense and defense, to max the clarity of a battle sage.... (or maybe this is just me....:smallredface:)

For abilities, you want to come up with one more combat related ability that scales and perhaps one "non combat" but still useful ability for utility.

[Drake Gryphon]

Ok, I made some adjustments. I added 4 new abilities (Block What You Cannot Dodge, Shielded Strike, Wise Skill Usage, and Control the Field) also I added a time limit to Water Mind. (1 hour/level) I realize that is probably a bit much, but the way I'm looking at it, if there is any limit, it will be enough to keep someone from trying to abuse it.

Ex: if Joe the level 9 Battle Sage stays in Water Mind for 1 hour, at the end he has to make a DC 615 will save or take 600d8. So he is looking at a nat 20 on his will save or death.

Temotei: They get the bonuses to all at once

JKTrickster: I took your advice and started giving it bonuses for fighting sword and board.

Any other ideas?

[Temotei]

Ex: if Joe the level 9 Battle Sage stays in Water Mind for 1 hour, at the end he has to make a DC 615 will save or take 600d8. So he is looking at a nat 20 on his will save or death.

Ouch. You're a harsh man. :smallwink:


Temotei: They get the bonuses to all at once

I see. Perhaps make it clear that that's the purpose of it.


Shielded Strike: Starting at 6th level you may wield your weapon with 2 hands, without penalty, while still using a shield.

Tower shield included, assuming someone takes a feat for it?

[Drake Gryphon]

It may be harsh, but that kind of thinking is why I forgot to put a time limit on it at all to start with:smallbiggrin:. I think i cleared up the issues with the bonuses. As for two handing a weapon with a tower shield, unless someone has a good reason against it, I say why not, it would by no means be the weirdest thing running around in dnd.

Any ideas oh what I could do to fill those last 2 levels?

[Drake Gryphon]

Ok I added in abilities to the dead level's, and I filled out the fluff some more. Any more thoughts?

[Temotei]

Synergistic abilities. Nice. I like it now more than ever, with the dead levels completely...alive. The only thing now is to change the column of Base Attack Bonus to have numbers like this: "+6/+1" or "+14/+9/+4," instead of "+14."