Pole-arm specialist, homebrew class

[gallagher]

hey playground, i saw sometime ago that there was a question about a build specifically for a polearm specialist, 3.5 style, so i decided to make a class for it, and i wondered what y'all think.

feel free to give any input, and if there is any question as to something included or omission of such things, please give a suggestion of what you would do for it...

Pole-arm Specialist
d8 hit die
6xint skills (x4 at 1st level)
can wear light and medium armor and shields, including tower shields tower shields
Good Fortitude and Reflex saves
Full BAB
Martial Class at half HD, because TOB is the ****

1st Level: Haft Strike. Tower Shield Awesomeness (can set a one handed pole-arm against a charge, must be prepared and cannot make a move action)
2nd Level: two weapon fighting, but only with a polearm held. Half level Martial ability
3rd Level: Improved Trip
4th Level: Fighter bonus feat
6th Level: Improved TWF with polearms only
5th Level: Dodge
7th Level: With a pole-arm, you can now threaten the space 5 feet in front of you, without having to hold the pole arm as a hafted weapon
8th Level: Fighter Bonus Feat
9th Level: Mirror Shield: with a silver or metal light shield, can reflect a ray spell or projectile weapon, such as arrows, bolts, and thrown weapons like knives and shuriken, in a 25 foot cone range at random direction based on full armor bonus instead of touch
10th Level: Devoted Mount. can have a devoted mount that progresses as a mount of his level as if a paladin of half his level, rounded down. Mobility
11th Level: Greater TWF, polearms only
12th Level: Fighter Bonus Feat
13th Level: Required that Specialist must have taken Power Attack for this ability. If you kill an opponent with a pole-arm at 5 feet, and there is someone who had they been an ally would have granted you flanking, you may cleave into them.
14th Level: Can now make a 5 foot step when using a pole-arm and a one-handed pole-arm
15th Level: Spring Attack
16th Level: Superior TWF, polearms only. Fighter Bonus Feat
18th Level: Improved Mirror Shield: can reflect a ray spell or projectile weapon back at its thrower, shooter, or caster as long as they are within 50 feet
20th Level: Fighter Bonus Feet

[gallagher]

also, if there is anything that i have in here that is incorrect (like, say, cleave already worked with a polearm to hit someone behind the dude you just killed) i claim ignorance or a simple oversight, as i do not have the books in front of me and this was done on a whim and slightly hurried so i could get input quicker

[Stormageddon]

Might add in somthing that allows polearms to be weilded with one hand besides just being set.

Also 6 skill points per level seems too high to me.

[absolmorph]

There's a forum with all sorts of stuff like this.

Of course, since I'm here, I might as well give my criticism.
First: Mirror Shield. It seems kinda... strange. And it makes me suspect you're a Zelda fan (which isn't a problem).

Second: I may be incorrect, but aren't most pole-arms two-handed weapons? As such, TWF is pretty useless for a pole-arm specialist. Especially since you're giving abilities that use a shield and abilities that use TWF. Either one or both of those will be useless when using this class as intended.

Third: The ability to threaten in front of you with pole-arms should probably come earlier; it's pretty major, and seems like a logical thing to learn early (as in, before learning to use two of 'em).

Fourth: How does the mount work? Is it a mount with the same HD (which would be the same level) with the extra HD of a paladin's mount (at half his level)? Or is it as a paladin's mount progresses, with his level being considered half for the sake of the progression?

Fifth: Is Haft Strike a bonus feat?

Sixth: What are the class skills?

Minor nitpicks:
*His skill points should be (6+int), not (6xint). The first gives logical amounts, the first gives 6, 12, 18, 24, etc. skill points per level. Unfair.
*You wrote tower shields twice for proficiencies.

[Math_Mage]

Does 3.5 implement rules for facing? Threatening the square in front of you sounds very nice, but only if you know which square is 'front'.

[absolmorph]

Does 3.5 implement rules for facing? Threatening the square in front of you sounds very nice, but only if you know which square is 'front'.
There's a variant ruleset that include it.

[gallagher]

Might add in somthing that allows polearms to be weilded with one hand besides just being set.

Also 6 skill points per level seems too high to me.
i thought certain ones could be one-handed, like a trident-net dual wielder. gladiator style---heck yeah

and 6 skill points is kinda part of the ranger flavor from this. i dont exactly know what skill-set i am planning on using, i was thinking paladin with some ranger skills thrown in there, or ranger all together

[gallagher]

There's a forum with all sorts of stuff like this.

Of course, since I'm here, I might as well give my criticism.
First: Mirror Shield. It seems kinda... strange. And it makes me suspect you're a Zelda fan (which isn't a problem).

Second: I may be incorrect, but aren't most pole-arms two-handed weapons? As such, TWF is pretty useless for a pole-arm specialist. Especially since you're giving abilities that use a shield and abilities that use TWF. Either one or both of those will be useless when using this class as intended.

Third: The ability to threaten in front of you with pole-arms should probably come earlier; it's pretty major, and seems like a logical thing to learn early (as in, before learning to use two of 'em).

Fourth: How does the mount work? Is it a mount with the same HD (which would be the same level) with the extra HD of a paladin's mount (at half his level)? Or is it as a paladin's mount progresses, with his level being considered half for the sake of the progression?

Fifth: Is Haft Strike a bonus feat?

Sixth: What are the class skills?

Minor nitpicks:
*His skill points should be (6+int), not (6xint). The first gives logical amounts, the first gives 6, 12, 18, 24, etc. skill points per level. Unfair.
*You wrote tower shields twice for proficiencies.

yeah, i posted this in the homebrew section after i did this, im a little forgetful sometimes and this part is the part that is bookmarked, so i was a bit hasty. interestingly enough, nobody posted in the homebrew section yet.

mirror shield is a bit of zelda flavor, OoT is one of my favorite games. it also is a way that helps a martial class be able to still have a shot against casters for a while.

most pole-arms are, i am thinking of a way to take that problem of the board. make a regular pole-arm be onehanded, and have a light polearm as an offhand isnt a far stretch.

shields are in there because it is sometimes an advantage, they will sometimes be a mounted class, and it helps the AC since you dont get that great of a selection for armor at low levels.

i like your third idea. i was thinking haft strike could be used as an immediate action to hold it halfway...

half of level counts like a paladin for HD, but i dont know how this guy would be able to summon a mount, ideas are welcome.

haft strike is a bonus feat

last one described above

[gallagher]

There's a variant ruleset that include it.what is that variant? i was thinking that it would only really matter when, say, setting against a charge, where the direction is irectly implied where you are facing

[gallagher]

i'm bumping the thread so that the day people get a chance to read this. not everyone can read forums on a week night at 4 am (depending on your time zone

[togapika]

Put the class into a table, reduce the skill points if you're giving them full BAB and lots of class features, explain what TOB abilities they get and why. (For a reason other than because it is the ****)
Also if you're going to give them an ability that requires power attack to use, give them power attack.
Finally, give them an actual capstone ability, and check your spelling. (Bonus feet?)

[gallagher]

Put the class into a table, reduce the skill points if you're giving them full BAB and lots of class features, explain what TOB abilities they get and why. (For a reason other than because it is the ****)
Also if you're going to give them an ability that requires power attack to use, give them power attack.
Finally, give them an actual capstone ability, and check your spelling. (Bonus feet?)

full bab and good skills is given to the ranger, and some argue that this is because of the MADness of him. This character needs a good strength for mele, a good dex because of the lack of good armor available, a good Con because they are melee characters and therefor will get hit. they need a decent wisdom because they have poor will saves. the good skills somewhat counterbalances the need to put alot of points in places other than intelligence.

and i was hoping that maybe people could give ideas on the TOBness of this character, like which disciplines they get and so forth, and what a good capstone for this class would be

[Heliomance]

If you're focusing on polearms, focus on polearms. Lose the mirror shield thing, it doesn't fit with the class at all. The mount is also odd.

Dual-wielding polearms is a truly ridiculous mental image. A polarm is, and should be, a two-handed weapon. You really couldn't get enough strike force out of one if you were one-handing it, let alone using it in your off-hand. Drop that entirely.

Pretty sure this should be a PrC, not a base class. Apart from anything else, that would allow you to remove all the abilities which don't fit without creating dead levels.

[gallagher]

If you're focusing on polearms, focus on polearms. Lose the mirror shield thing, it doesn't fit with the class at all. The mount is also odd.

Dual-wielding polearms is a truly ridiculous mental image. A polarm is, and should be, a two-handed weapon. You really couldn't get enough strike force out of one if you were one-handing it, let alone using it in your off-hand. Drop that entirely.

Pretty sure this should be a PrC, not a base class. Apart from anything else, that would allow you to remove all the abilities which don't fit without creating dead levels.
you are saying that you havent heard of or seen pictures of spearmen on a horse (http://americangallery.files.wordpress.com/2009/12/small_indian-on-horse-with-spear.jpg)or using a shield (http://www.mlahanas.de/Greeks/images/Hoplite4thcentury.jpg)...

[AtwasAwamps]

you are saying that you havent heard of or seen pictures of spearmen on a horse (http://americangallery.files.wordpress.com/2009/12/small_indian-on-horse-with-spear.jpg)or using a shield (http://www.mlahanas.de/Greeks/images/Hoplite4thcentury.jpg)...

I think you need to make it clear that you don't intend to have anyone dual-wielding polearms...

I believe the TWF feats are intended to be used for shield bashing.

If not, then I stand by the statement that wielding two spears is ludicrous and fine for a gimmick concept, but not a base class.

[gallagher]

I think you need to make it clear that you don't intend to have anyone dual-wielding polearms...

I believe the TWF feats are intended to be used for shield bashing.

If not, then I stand by the statement that wielding two spears is ludicrous and fine for a gimmick concept, but not a base class.

oh now i see where some of this confusion hits... yes, this is where it makes sense. there are some opportunities that arise where one can dual wield with polearms, but only when dual wielding is in the RAW. like a trident and net guy

[drengnikrafe]

Please give it a real capstone ability. I mean, there's not a lot of reason, in theory, to take the 19th or 20th level.

[Endarire]

Why reinvent the Hood (http://community.wizards.com/go/thread/view/75882/19872838/Little_Red_Raiding_Hood:_A_Tale_of_38;_Guide_to_th e_3.5_Dragoon?pg=1)?

[Pluto]

I don't understand why this should be a class.

I get the impression this is basically supposed to be a Ranger with a Polearm specialization. There's already a Ranger.

Make Haft Strike a feat; call it a day.

[Heliomance]

you are saying that you havent heard of or seen pictures of spearmen on a horse (http://americangallery.files.wordpress.com/2009/12/small_indian-on-horse-with-spear.jpg)or using a shield (http://www.mlahanas.de/Greeks/images/Hoplite4thcentury.jpg)...

Spears, on the whole, are used very differently from, say, halberds or glaives. And yes, polearm users can use shields. Pretty much only if they're either using a shortspear or setting against a charge though. They certainly shouldn't be better with a shield then Fighter McSwordandboarder.