Barbarian MD
2010-01-20, 03:05 PM
Current Iteration of the Project:
Martial Practice
Pre-requisite: At least one level in a martial adept class.
Benefit: Choose one of your martial adept classes, and any one other class you have. Your levels in the second class stack with your levels in the chosen martial adept class for the purpose of determining your Initiator Level in that class. Maneuvers readied by that class that depend on Initiator Level therefore gain the full level in the other chosen class, rather than half, and when taking new levels in the chosen martial adept class, or any Prestige Class that adds maneuvers to that class, the full level in the second class may be added to the Initiator Level to determine the highest level maneuver you may learn. Your levels in the second class also stack with your levels in the chosen martial adept class for determining when you may swap out maneuvers known.
Normal: Classes other than martial adept Prestige Classes add half their level to your Initiator Level.
Special: The stacking for maneuver swap progression is retroactive. On taking this feat, you may immediately replace the appropriate number of maneuvers known with other, potentially higher level, maneuvers. You may not gain more than two maneuvers of any given level higher than you could previously learn as a result of this immediate swap, though you may count maneuvers as higher level than they actually are for the purpose of this restriction. You may also replace one of your stances known.
OP:So, here's an idea I've had. I've seen a lot of ideas for bumping initiator levels on these boards, and the Penny Dreadful team came up with a beautiful monk variant that stacks levels for the purposes of a few, distinct disciplines. I began to wonder what a lumbering oaf of a barbarian would look like with martial maneuvers. When I saw the Demented One's Army of One (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=5710173) discipline, it seemed a pretty close fit, with its enormous charge attacks and power attacks against multiple foes.
I'd like a critique of the balance of this, and I'd also like some help with the wording. In deciding which class would match best with the barbarian, it seemed like the Crusader was the best fit, since it has the damage pool and the random (or chaotic) nature of the way Crusaders recover maneuvers.
A couple of Fluff notes:
I think the fluff of Army of One has to do with speed, but I think with a barbarian it would be useful to refluff it. Rather striking all opponents within reach because of speed, I'd suggest roleplaying that one strikes all opponents in reach because one swings such a giant club so hard.
I also think it might do to refluff the recovery method of the Crusader. Instead of prayer, it might be that some sort of frenzy might be more suitable.
Thanks, Playgrounders!
An edit: I'm not sure what the pre-req should be for this. I like the idea of being able to select this feat before taking the first Crusader level, rather than after... Is it asking too much?
From Chaos... Beauty
[General]
There is cruelty and violence when a barbarian fights, to be sure. But--occasionally--their lumbering begins to take on a beauty of its own. One the one hand is rage, anger, and violent emotion. On the other is the Sublime Way, harmony, peace, and grace. A barbarian who trains under a martial master welds two seemingly contradictory natures into one brutal fighting style.
Prerequisites: 5 levels in a class granting the ability to rage/frenzy.
Benefit: For the purposes of "Army of One" maneuvers and stances (or another discipline approved by your DM) your Barbarian level stacks with your Crusader levels (instead of 1/2 your Barbarian level) to determine your total Initiator level. This does not affect the total of number of maneuvers known, but only the power-level of those maneuvers.
Special Note: In gestalt play, Barbarian levels stack across the gestalt, but do not overlap, with Crusader levels for the purpose of determining Initiator level.
Normal: Only 1/2 your total levels count towards you Initiator level when multiclassing.
Example:
Let's take a level 6 barbarian as an example. If you have 6 Barbarian/1 Crusader, normally you would count as IL 4, giving you access to five 2nd level maneuvers and one 2nd level stance.
Now you have a barbarian with this feat. She takes her first level of Crusader, and now has an IL 6, giving her access to five 3rd level maneuvers and one 3rd level stance.
It's important (I think) that this feat be allowed to come before the first level of Crusader. Otherwise, by taking this feat, one would only gain four higher level maneuvers and two higher level stances over 10 levels, since so many are gained the first level.
Martial Practice
Pre-requisite: At least one level in a martial adept class.
Benefit: Choose one of your martial adept classes, and any one other class you have. Your levels in the second class stack with your levels in the chosen martial adept class for the purpose of determining your Initiator Level in that class. Maneuvers readied by that class that depend on Initiator Level therefore gain the full level in the other chosen class, rather than half, and when taking new levels in the chosen martial adept class, or any Prestige Class that adds maneuvers to that class, the full level in the second class may be added to the Initiator Level to determine the highest level maneuver you may learn. Your levels in the second class also stack with your levels in the chosen martial adept class for determining when you may swap out maneuvers known.
Normal: Classes other than martial adept Prestige Classes add half their level to your Initiator Level.
Special: The stacking for maneuver swap progression is retroactive. On taking this feat, you may immediately replace the appropriate number of maneuvers known with other, potentially higher level, maneuvers. You may not gain more than two maneuvers of any given level higher than you could previously learn as a result of this immediate swap, though you may count maneuvers as higher level than they actually are for the purpose of this restriction. You may also replace one of your stances known.
OP:So, here's an idea I've had. I've seen a lot of ideas for bumping initiator levels on these boards, and the Penny Dreadful team came up with a beautiful monk variant that stacks levels for the purposes of a few, distinct disciplines. I began to wonder what a lumbering oaf of a barbarian would look like with martial maneuvers. When I saw the Demented One's Army of One (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=5710173) discipline, it seemed a pretty close fit, with its enormous charge attacks and power attacks against multiple foes.
I'd like a critique of the balance of this, and I'd also like some help with the wording. In deciding which class would match best with the barbarian, it seemed like the Crusader was the best fit, since it has the damage pool and the random (or chaotic) nature of the way Crusaders recover maneuvers.
A couple of Fluff notes:
I think the fluff of Army of One has to do with speed, but I think with a barbarian it would be useful to refluff it. Rather striking all opponents within reach because of speed, I'd suggest roleplaying that one strikes all opponents in reach because one swings such a giant club so hard.
I also think it might do to refluff the recovery method of the Crusader. Instead of prayer, it might be that some sort of frenzy might be more suitable.
Thanks, Playgrounders!
An edit: I'm not sure what the pre-req should be for this. I like the idea of being able to select this feat before taking the first Crusader level, rather than after... Is it asking too much?
From Chaos... Beauty
[General]
There is cruelty and violence when a barbarian fights, to be sure. But--occasionally--their lumbering begins to take on a beauty of its own. One the one hand is rage, anger, and violent emotion. On the other is the Sublime Way, harmony, peace, and grace. A barbarian who trains under a martial master welds two seemingly contradictory natures into one brutal fighting style.
Prerequisites: 5 levels in a class granting the ability to rage/frenzy.
Benefit: For the purposes of "Army of One" maneuvers and stances (or another discipline approved by your DM) your Barbarian level stacks with your Crusader levels (instead of 1/2 your Barbarian level) to determine your total Initiator level. This does not affect the total of number of maneuvers known, but only the power-level of those maneuvers.
Special Note: In gestalt play, Barbarian levels stack across the gestalt, but do not overlap, with Crusader levels for the purpose of determining Initiator level.
Normal: Only 1/2 your total levels count towards you Initiator level when multiclassing.
Example:
Let's take a level 6 barbarian as an example. If you have 6 Barbarian/1 Crusader, normally you would count as IL 4, giving you access to five 2nd level maneuvers and one 2nd level stance.
Now you have a barbarian with this feat. She takes her first level of Crusader, and now has an IL 6, giving her access to five 3rd level maneuvers and one 3rd level stance.
It's important (I think) that this feat be allowed to come before the first level of Crusader. Otherwise, by taking this feat, one would only gain four higher level maneuvers and two higher level stances over 10 levels, since so many are gained the first level.