acedrow
2009-12-01, 04:48 PM
Recently, my friends and I made a hybrid base class of the Paladin and Knight, as these classes never really seemed all that great to us as they were.
All we did was take our a few select features from both classes (the paladin's healing, and alignment detection/aura, and the knight's challenge), and put the rest of the class features together at the same levels. There are a few minor changes (see smite, and courageous heart), and, most obviously, we replaced the paladin's spell casting with martial maneuvers.
The only thing I'm on the fence about at this point (although I hope you guys will raise a few issues that I can improve) is the maneuver progression, I'm concerned it may be to high.
Love it? Hate it? Win? Fail? Tell me what you think, Just be honest!
Sorry about the image link, I wasn't able to copy/paste the table into my browser without losing all the formatting.
http://i45.tinypic.com/34et6i0.jpg
- Recovering Maneuvers: You can recover all expended maneuvers with a single swift action, which must be immediately followed in the same round with a melee attack or using a standard action to do nothing else in the round (such as executing a quick, harmless flourish with your weapon). You cannot initiate a maneuver or change your stance while you are recov- ering your expended maneuvers, but you can remain in a stance in which you began your turn.
- Smite (Su): Once per day, a Templar may attempt to make a smite attack with one normal melee attack. He adds his Charisma bonus (if any) to his attack roll and deals 1 extra point of damage per Templar level. For example, a 13th-level Templar armed with a longsword would deal 1d8+13 points of damage, plus any additional bonuses for high Strength or magical affects that would normally apply. At 5th level, and at every five levels thiseafter, the Templar may make one additional smite attack per day, as indicated on Table above, to a maximum of five times per day at 20th level.
- Divine Grace (Su): At 2nd level, a Templar gains a bonus equal to his Charisma bonus (if any) on all saving throws.
- Mounted Combat: At 2nd level, you gain Mounted Combat as a bonus feat.
- Shield Block (Ex): Starting at 2nd level, you excel in using your armor and shield to frustrate your enemy’s attacks. During your action, designate a single opponent as the target of this ability. Your shield bonus to AC against that foe increases by 1, as you move your shield to deflect an incoming blow, possibly providing just enough protection to turn a telling swing into a near miss.
- Courageous Heart (Su): Beginning at 3rd level, a Templar is immune to fear (magical or othiswise). He gains a +4 bonus on saving throws against fear effects. This ability functions while the Templar is conscious, but not if he is unconscious or dead.
- Turn Undead (Su): When a Templar reaches 4th level, he gains the supernatural ability to turn undead. he may use this ability a number of times per day equal to 3 + his Charisma modifier. he turns undead as a cleric of three levels lower would. (See Turn or Rebuke Undead, page 159.)
- Special Mount (Sp): Upon reaching 5th level, a Templar gains the service of an unusually intelligent, strong, and loyal steed to serve his in his crusade against evil (see the sidebar). This mount is usu- ally a heavy warhorse (for a Medium Templar) or a warpony (for a Small Templar).
Once per day, as a full-round action, a Templar may magically call his mount from the celestial realms in which it resides. The mount immediately appears adjacent to the Templar and remains for 2 hours per Templar level; it may be dismissed at any time as a free action. The mount is the same creature each time it is summoned, though the Templar may release a particular mount from service (if it has grown too old to join his crusade, for instance). Each time the mount is called, it appears in full health, regardless of any damage it may have taken previously. The mount also appears wearing or carrying any gear it had when it was last dismissed )including barding, saddle, saddlebags, and the like). Calling a mount is a conjuration (calling) effect. Equal to a spell level 1/3 the Templar level.
Should the Templar’s mount die, it immediately disappears, leav- ing behind any equipment it was carrying. The Templar may not summon anothis mount for thirty days or until he gains a Templar level, whichever comes first, even if the mount is somehow returned from the dead. During this thirty-day period, the Templar takes a –1 penalty on attack and weapon damage rolls.
- Bonus Feat: At 5th level, you gain a bonus feat chosen from the following list: Animal Affinity, Diehard, Endurance, Great Fortitude, Iron Will, Quick Draw, Ride-By Attack, Spirited Charge, Trample, or Weapon Focus (lance). You must still meet any prerequisites for the feat. You gain an additional bonus feat from this list at 10th level and again at 15th level.
- Shield Ally (Ex): Starting at 6th level, as an immediate action you can opt to absorb part of the damage dealt to an adjacent ally. Each time this ally takes damage from a physical attack before your next turn, you can take half this damage on yourself. The target takes the othis half as normal. You can only absorb damage from physical melee attacks and ranged attacks, such as an incoming arrow or a blow from a sword, not from spells and othis effects.
- Improved Shield Ally (Ex): At 14th level, your ability to absorb damage increases. Once per round you can absorb all the damage from a single attack directed against an adjacent ally. In addition, you continue to absorb half the damage from othis physical attacks on an adjacent ally, if you so choose. You must decide whethis to use this ability after the attacker determines that an attack has succeeded but before he rolls damage.
- Impetuous Endurance (Ex): Starting at 17th level, your fighting spirit enables you to push your body beyond the normal limits of endurance. You no longer automatically fail a saving throw on a roll of 1. You might still fail the save if your result fails to equal or beat the DC.
All we did was take our a few select features from both classes (the paladin's healing, and alignment detection/aura, and the knight's challenge), and put the rest of the class features together at the same levels. There are a few minor changes (see smite, and courageous heart), and, most obviously, we replaced the paladin's spell casting with martial maneuvers.
The only thing I'm on the fence about at this point (although I hope you guys will raise a few issues that I can improve) is the maneuver progression, I'm concerned it may be to high.
Love it? Hate it? Win? Fail? Tell me what you think, Just be honest!
Sorry about the image link, I wasn't able to copy/paste the table into my browser without losing all the formatting.
http://i45.tinypic.com/34et6i0.jpg
- Recovering Maneuvers: You can recover all expended maneuvers with a single swift action, which must be immediately followed in the same round with a melee attack or using a standard action to do nothing else in the round (such as executing a quick, harmless flourish with your weapon). You cannot initiate a maneuver or change your stance while you are recov- ering your expended maneuvers, but you can remain in a stance in which you began your turn.
- Smite (Su): Once per day, a Templar may attempt to make a smite attack with one normal melee attack. He adds his Charisma bonus (if any) to his attack roll and deals 1 extra point of damage per Templar level. For example, a 13th-level Templar armed with a longsword would deal 1d8+13 points of damage, plus any additional bonuses for high Strength or magical affects that would normally apply. At 5th level, and at every five levels thiseafter, the Templar may make one additional smite attack per day, as indicated on Table above, to a maximum of five times per day at 20th level.
- Divine Grace (Su): At 2nd level, a Templar gains a bonus equal to his Charisma bonus (if any) on all saving throws.
- Mounted Combat: At 2nd level, you gain Mounted Combat as a bonus feat.
- Shield Block (Ex): Starting at 2nd level, you excel in using your armor and shield to frustrate your enemy’s attacks. During your action, designate a single opponent as the target of this ability. Your shield bonus to AC against that foe increases by 1, as you move your shield to deflect an incoming blow, possibly providing just enough protection to turn a telling swing into a near miss.
- Courageous Heart (Su): Beginning at 3rd level, a Templar is immune to fear (magical or othiswise). He gains a +4 bonus on saving throws against fear effects. This ability functions while the Templar is conscious, but not if he is unconscious or dead.
- Turn Undead (Su): When a Templar reaches 4th level, he gains the supernatural ability to turn undead. he may use this ability a number of times per day equal to 3 + his Charisma modifier. he turns undead as a cleric of three levels lower would. (See Turn or Rebuke Undead, page 159.)
- Special Mount (Sp): Upon reaching 5th level, a Templar gains the service of an unusually intelligent, strong, and loyal steed to serve his in his crusade against evil (see the sidebar). This mount is usu- ally a heavy warhorse (for a Medium Templar) or a warpony (for a Small Templar).
Once per day, as a full-round action, a Templar may magically call his mount from the celestial realms in which it resides. The mount immediately appears adjacent to the Templar and remains for 2 hours per Templar level; it may be dismissed at any time as a free action. The mount is the same creature each time it is summoned, though the Templar may release a particular mount from service (if it has grown too old to join his crusade, for instance). Each time the mount is called, it appears in full health, regardless of any damage it may have taken previously. The mount also appears wearing or carrying any gear it had when it was last dismissed )including barding, saddle, saddlebags, and the like). Calling a mount is a conjuration (calling) effect. Equal to a spell level 1/3 the Templar level.
Should the Templar’s mount die, it immediately disappears, leav- ing behind any equipment it was carrying. The Templar may not summon anothis mount for thirty days or until he gains a Templar level, whichever comes first, even if the mount is somehow returned from the dead. During this thirty-day period, the Templar takes a –1 penalty on attack and weapon damage rolls.
- Bonus Feat: At 5th level, you gain a bonus feat chosen from the following list: Animal Affinity, Diehard, Endurance, Great Fortitude, Iron Will, Quick Draw, Ride-By Attack, Spirited Charge, Trample, or Weapon Focus (lance). You must still meet any prerequisites for the feat. You gain an additional bonus feat from this list at 10th level and again at 15th level.
- Shield Ally (Ex): Starting at 6th level, as an immediate action you can opt to absorb part of the damage dealt to an adjacent ally. Each time this ally takes damage from a physical attack before your next turn, you can take half this damage on yourself. The target takes the othis half as normal. You can only absorb damage from physical melee attacks and ranged attacks, such as an incoming arrow or a blow from a sword, not from spells and othis effects.
- Improved Shield Ally (Ex): At 14th level, your ability to absorb damage increases. Once per round you can absorb all the damage from a single attack directed against an adjacent ally. In addition, you continue to absorb half the damage from othis physical attacks on an adjacent ally, if you so choose. You must decide whethis to use this ability after the attacker determines that an attack has succeeded but before he rolls damage.
- Impetuous Endurance (Ex): Starting at 17th level, your fighting spirit enables you to push your body beyond the normal limits of endurance. You no longer automatically fail a saving throw on a roll of 1. You might still fail the save if your result fails to equal or beat the DC.