Incomplete Soldier [ACFs, Feats]

[DaTedinator]

INCOMPLETE SOLDIER

A collection of warrior-themed goodies. Happy birthday!

ALTERNATE CLASS FEATURES

Alternate Class Feature: Arcane Vanguard

While some mages spent their time fostering a connection with an external creature, you practiced simplifying your motions to better channel your powers in situations where you'd otherwise be hindered.

Level: Sorcerer or Wizard 1st.

Replaces: If you select this alternative class feature, you do not gain the Familiar ability.

Benefit: As long as your Dexterity modifier is greater than the check penalty for the armor you're wearing or shield you're wielding, you my ignore the arcane spell failure chance of that armor or shield. You also gain proficiency with light armor.


Alternate Class Feature: Battlemage

Where your brethen focus on large-scale combat, functioning as magical artillery, you've mastered some of the basics of small-scale combat.

Level: Warmage 1st.

Replaces: If you select this alternative class feature, you do not gain Warmage Edge ability, and your Spells Per Day for each spell level is reduced by one.

Benefit: You gain +2 hit points per Warmage level, and your base attack bonus improves to that of a Bard (3/4 your class level instead of 1/2).


Alternate Class Feature: Beastmaster

Rather than improve your own combat capabilities, you've recruited some animal friends to do some fighting for you.

Level: Ranger 1st.

Replaces: If you select this alternative class feature, you do not gain the Ranger's favored enemy at first level (you gain your first favored enemy at 5th level, and the ability improves as normal from there). You also do not gain the Combat Style class feature, or any improvements thereafter.

Benefit: You gain an Animal Companion, as the Druid class feature. At 4th level, you still gain a new animal companion, but rather than your effective Druid level being 1/2 your class level, it is equal to your class level -3.


Alternate Class Feature: Brutal Charge

While it takes you longer to build up speed than other scouts, none can contest that once you get going, you hit harder.

Level: Scout 3rd.

Replaces: If you select this alternative class feature, you do not gain the Fast Movement ability, either at 3rd level or the improvement at 11th.

Benefit: You gain Pounce, and may make a full attack at the end of a charge. At 11th level, if you drop an opponent (typically by bringing them to below 0 HP) on the first attack of a charge and you still have movement remaining, you may immediately make another charge attempt against a different opponent. This may chain indefinitely, until either you fail to drop an opponent on the first attack, or you run out of movement for the round (you may move a total of no more than twice your speed).


Alternate Class Feature: Deity's Champion

You are truly a champion for your deity, able to face down any foe in combat.

Level: Favored Soul 1st.

Prerequiste: You must worship a specific deity.

Replaces: If you select this alternative class feature, your Spells Per Day for each spell level is reduced by one, and your Spells Known for each spell level is reduced by two (minumum 1).

Benefit: Your base attack bonus improves to that of a fighter (equal to your class level), and you gain one domain normally granted to Clerics of your deity. You may use the power of the domain as normal (using your Favored Soul levels instead of your Cleric levels), and you add all of the domain's spells to your spells known as soon as you are able to cast spells of that level.


Alternate Class Feature: Hunter's Trance

While some of your tribesmen learn to channel their inner fury to enhance their strength, you have learned to concentrate and focus yourself, greatly enhancing your senses and allowing for great feats of agility.

Level: Barbarian 1st.

Replaces: If you select this alternative class feature, you do not gain the Rage class ability, or any later improvements.

Benefit: As an immediate action usable once per day, you may enter a hunter's trance. You temporarily gain a +4 bonus to Dexterity and Wisdom, and all of your attacks deal +1d6 damage as long as you move at least 10 feet in a round under your own power.

A hunter's trance requires giving in to your instincts, so you cannot use any Charisma- or Intelligence-based skills, the Concentration skill, or any other ability that requires patience or concentration, nor can you cast spells or activate magic items that require a command word, a spell trigger, or a spell completion to function.

The trance lasts for a number of rounds equal to 5 + your newly improved Wisdom modifier (if positive). You may choose to prematurely end your hunter's trance as a free action performable even not on your turn. At the end of your trance, you must make a Will save (DC 5 + twice the number of rounds the trance lasted) or be dazed for one round; the save is made after the trance has ended, so you do not make the save while your Wisdom is increased by the trance.

You may only invoke your hunter's trance once per encounter. At 1st level you may use this ability once per day. At 4th level and every four levels thereafter, you can use it one additional time per day.

Greater Trance: At 11th level, your bonuses to Dexterity and Wisdom during a hunter's trance each increase to +6. In addition, you deal +3d6 damage as long as you move at least 10 feet under your own power. You also gain the Scent ability while in a trance.

Mastery of Senses: At 17th level, you no longer must save to avoid being Dazed at the end of a trance, and you gain the Scent ability even when not in a trance.

Perfect Trance: At 20th level, your bonuses to Dexterity and Wisdom during a hunter's trance each improve to +8, and you deal +5d6 damage as long as you move at least 10 feet under your own power.


Alternate Class Feature: Ill Omens

Whenever you or your opponents get a stroke of good luck, you're able to balance it out with some bad luck.

Level: Hexblade 4th.

Replaces: If you select this alternative class feature, you do not gain the Summon Familiar ability.

Benefit: Whenever you roll a natural 20 on an attack roll against an enemy, or an enemy rolls a natural 20 on an attack roll against you, that enemy must immediately save against your Hexblade's Curse. If they are already affected by your Hexblade's Curse, this has no effect.


Alternate Class Feature: Mountain Druid

You are just as comfortable clothed in the fruit of the mountains as with the skin of animals, and are comfortable with tools crafted from its ore as well.

Level: Druid 1st.

Replaces: If you select this alternative class feature, you do not gain the ability to summon an Animal Companion.

Benefit: You gain proficency with simple and martial weapons, and you may wear metal armor without violating your Druidic oath.


Alternate Class Feature: Rapid Blast

You've gained enough proficency with your eldritch blast that you're capable of firing it off much more quickly than normal.

Level: Warlock 4th.

Replaces: If you select this alternative class feature, you do not gain the Deceive Item ability.

Benefit: Instead of applying an eldritch essence to your eldritch blast, you may use two blasts simultaneously, each with a -4 to hit. Normally, both blasts must target the same opponent, but you may also use this ability as a full-round action, in which case you may choose two different targets.


Alternate Class Feature: Strength of Conviction

Your righteous zeal lends strength to your attacks and those of your allies.

Level: Paladin 3rd.

Replaces: If you select this alternative class feature, you do not gain the Aura of Courage ability.

Benefit: You may add your Charisma modifier to damage against any evil foe; any ally within 10 feet adds half your Charisma modifier to damage rolls against evil foes.


Alternate Class Feature: Templar

While you aren't as learned in your deity's ways as other clerics, you've taken the time to better train yourself for battle.

Level: Cleric 1st.

Replaces: If you select this alternative class feature, you only gain access to one domain.

Benefit: You gain proficiency with all martial weapons, and with tower shields. You may expend a use of Turn Undead as a free action once per round to add your Wisdom modifier to attack and damage with melee weapons instead of your Strength for one round.


Alternate Class Feature: Thug

You've spent more time roughhousing than other street urchins, but in exchange you find yourself less skilled in fewer areas.

Level: Rogue 1st.

Replaces: If you select this alternative class feature, you only gain 4 + Int modifier skills at each rogue level (x4 at first level as usual) rather than 8 + Int modifier.

Benefit: You gain +2 hit points per rogue level, proficiency with all martial weapons and proficiency with medium armor. You may use Rogue class abilities that normally require you to wear light armor in medium armor as well.


Alternate Class Feature: Warrior-poet

You are able to seamlessly mix combat and art, and work to further both your physical talents and your intellectual capacity.

Level: Bard 1st.

Prerequiste: Martial Lore 1 rank

Replaces: If you select this alternative class feature, you do not gain the ability to cast Bard spells, and your bard levels are no longer considered to have a spell list.

Benefit: You gain maneuvers known and readied and stances known as a Warblade. You may choose your manuevers from the Diamond Mind and White Raven schools, and one other school of your choice; if that school's associated skill is not a bard class skill, it becomes a class skill for your bard levels.

You may recover a maneuver by making a DC 10 Perform check as a full-round action; for every 5 you beat the DC by, you recover one additional maneuver. Additionally, you recover a single maneuver any time you activate your Bardic Music ability.


Alternate Class Feature: Weapon Savant

Your experience with weapons is both broader and narrower than other warriors.

Level: Fighter 1st.

Replaces: If you select this alternative class feature, you do not gain a fighter's normal proficiency with martial weapons.

Benefit: You gain profiency with one martial or exotic weapon of your choice, and you gain weapon focus with that weapon. You may change what weapon this is with an hour's worth of practice and meditation; when you do this, you may also change any number of other weapon-specific feats you have (such as Weapon Specialization, or even Melee Weapon Mastery) to focus on this weapon.

You reduce the nonproficiency penalty for using weapons you're not proficient with to -2. The penalty is lowered to -1 at 3rd level, and -0 at 5th, but you are still not considered proficient with the weapons (just in case it matters for feats or class features).


Alternate Class Feature: Yamabushi

You've found that one of the best ways to hone yourself spiritually is to perfect the vessel that your spirit dwells in, and that one of the best ways to do that is through combat training.

Level: Monk 1st.

Replaces: If you select this alternative class feature, you do not gain a monk's speed bonus or scaling AC bonus, and you forfeit your bonus feat gained at 1st level. You retain your Wisdom bonus to AC as usual, however.

Benefit: You gain proficiency with light armor and with martial weapons, and all monk abilities work in light armor and with all weapons.

[DaTedinator]

FEATS

A note on the feats: Every single stinkin' one of them can be selected by Fighters as a fighter bonus feat.

GENERAL FEATS

{table="head"] General Feats | Prerequisites | Benefit
Ambidexterity | Dexterity 17 | You have no "off-hand."
Armor Focus | BAB +1, proficient in chosen armor category | Improved AC and Reflex saves in certain armor.
- Greater Armor Focus | Fighter 8th, Armor Focus in the chosen category | Even greater AC and Reflex saves in certain armor.
- Second Skin | Fighter 4th, Armor Focus | Treat armor as a size lighter.
Calculated Shot | Int 13, BAB +1 | Add your Intelligence to ranged attack rolls.
Deft Shot | BAB +4, Spot 4 ranks | Take 10 on ranged attacks.
Deft Swing | BAB +4, Spot 4 ranks | Take 10 on melee attacks.
Fencing | Weapon Finesse OR Weapon Focus | Add Dexterity to melee damage.
Improved Snap Kick | BAB +11, Improved Unarmed Strike, Snap Kick | Reduce penalty for Snap Kick.
Greater Feint | BAB +8, Combat Expertise, Improved Feint | Feint as a swift action.
Greater Trip | Fighter 6th, Combat Expertise, Improved Trip | Attack an opponent other than the one you tripped.
Riposte | BAB +2, Sneak Attack, Sudden Strike or Skirmish +1d6 | Sneak Attack foe who misses you in melee.
Sudden Bash | BAB +6, Improved Shield Bash | Make an extra attack with shield, all attacks at -2.
- Improved Sudden Bash | BAB +11, Improved Shield Bash, Sudden Bash | Reduce penalty for Sudden Bash.
Sunder Magic | Power Attack; Mage Slayer OR Improved Sunder and Spellcraft 2 ranks | Successful Sunder can dispel instead of damage.
Superior Trip | Fighter 10th, Combat Expertise, Improved Trip | Trip on a succesful attack.
Supreme Unarmed Strike | BAB +12, Improved Unarmed Strike, Superior Unarmed Strike | Unarmed strikes penetrate all DR, deal more damage.
Sweeping Strike | Fighter 12th, Power Attack, Cleave | Gain a Cleave attack when you drop a foe below 1/2 HP.
Twin Strike | Fighter 8th, Dex 17, Two-Weapon Fighting, Improved Two-Weapon Fighting, Dual Strike | Attack a foe with each weapon as a standard action.
Two-Weapon Whirlwind | Fighter 16th, Dex 17, Combat Expertise, Dodge, Mobility, Whirlwind Attack, Two-Weapon Fighting, Improved Two-Weapon Fighting | Make a whirlwind attack and attack twice.
[/table]

Ambidexterity
You are equally skilled with both hands.
Prerequisite: Dexterity 17
Benefit: You are not treated as having an off-hand for any situation where you would experience negative modifiers. For example, you may add your full Strength modifier to damage with weapons in your "off-hand." For purposes of two-weapon fighting, a light weapon wielded in either hand counts as a light weapon in your off-hand.
Special: If you select this feat at first level, the prerequisite is only Dexterity 13.

Armor Focus
You've used a certain type of armor so long, you know how to better absorb and deflect blows with it.
Prerequisite: BAB +1, proficient in chosen armor category
Benefit: Choose a category of armor (light, medium or heavy) that you are proficient with. When wearing your chosen type of armor, you increase the armor bonus to AC it grants by +1, and gain a +1 bonus to Reflex saves.

Calculated Shot
You can shoot people with math.
Prerequisite: Int 13, BAB +1
Benefit: You can use your Intelligence modifier instead of dexterity on attack rolls with ranged weapons. You may spend one minute lining up a shot, and then make an attack as if you rolled a 20, though it doesn't threaten and it's not an automatic hit. While lining up the shot, you can undertake move actions so long as your attention stays focused on the target, but taking a standard or longer action, casting a spell or initiating a maneuver or anything else that would distract you (DM's discretion) forces you to start over anew.

Deft Shot
You know yourself well enough to know when there's a shot you can't make.
Prerequisite: BAB +4, Spot 4 ranks
Benefit: As a standard action, you may make take 10 a single ranged attack. Additionally, whenever you miss with a ranged attack, you're assumed to have not attacked at all; this means your ammo is not expended, you do not announce your presence if hidden, etc. Uses of abilities with limited uses per day have a 50% chance of being expended, otherwise they remain as well.

Deft Swing
You wait to strike until you're certain you'll connect.
Prerequisite: BAB +4, Spot 4 ranks
Benefit: As a standard action, you may make take 10 a single melee attack. Additionally, whenever you miss with a melee attack, you're assumed to have not attacked at all; this means you do not announce your presence if hidden, do not announce hostile intentions, etc. Uses of abilities with limited uses per day have a 50% chance of being expended, otherwise they remain as well.

Fencing
You're skilled in a style of fighting more elegant and civilized than most.
Prerequisite: Weapon Finesse OR Weapon Focus
Benefit: Whenever wielding a either finessable weapon or a weapon you have Weapon Focus with in one hand, and your off hand is empty, you may add your Dexterity bonus to damage (in addition to your Strength), and gain a +2 bonus to all opposed maneuvers the weapon is involved in (such as Disarm attempts, or Trip attempts with some weapons). You also gain a shield bonus to AC equal to 1/4 your BAB, rounded down.
Special: If you have either the Thornbush or Ambidexterity feat, you may wield a light weapon in your off hand and still benefit from this feat as long as you only use the off-hand weapon to make special attacks (such as Disarm or Trip attacks).

Improved Snap Kick
You can throw kicks and elbows like others throw glances.
Prerequisite: BAB +11, Improved Unarmed Strike, Snap Kick
Benefit: Whenever making the extra attack granted by Snap Kick, only the Snap Kick attack is made at a -2 penalty; other attacks are unaffected. The Snap Kick also adds your full Strength bonus to damage, rather than half.

Improved Sudden Bash
Your opponents have as much to fear from your shield as your sword.
Prerequisite: BAB +11, Improved Shield Bash, Sudden Bash
Benefit: Whenever making the extra attack granted by Sudden Bash, only the Sudden Bash attack is made at a -2 penalty; other attacks are unaffected. The Sudden Bash also adds your full Strength bonus to damage, rather than half.

Greater Armor Focus
Your mastery of armor is far beyond that of others.
Prerequisite: Fighter 8th, Armor Focus in the chosen category
Benefit: Choose a category of armor (light, medium or heavy) that you already have the Armor Focus feat for. When wearing your chosen type of armor, you increase the armor bonus to AC it grants by +3, and gain a +3 bonus to Reflex saves.

Greater Feint
Nobody is ever sure what you're going to do next.
Prerequisite: BAB +8, Combat Expertise, Improved Feint
Benefit: You can make a Bluff check to feint in combat as a swift action.

Greater Trip
Your motions are so fluid, you can trip one opponent and attack another in the same movement.
Prerequisite: Fighter 6th, Combat Expertise, Improved Trip
Benefit: You may target the bonus attack granted by Improved Trip at any opponent, not just the opponent you tripped.

Riposte
When you deflect an opponent's attack, you can open them up to a deadly blow.
Prerequisite: BAB +2, Sneak Attack, Sudden Strike or Skirmish +1d6
Benefit: Whenever an opponent misses you with a melee attack, your next successful melee attack against them adds your Sneak Attack, Sudden Strike or Skirmish damage to the damage roll as long as it is made within 1 round. If the attack would already otherwise qualify for any of the above abilities, there is no added benefit.

Second Skin
You can move in armor as though it were a light jacket.
Prerequisite: Fighter 4th, Armor Focus
Benefit: Whenever wearing armor that you have the Armor Focus feat for, it is treated as one size lighter for the purposes of movement, and has its armor check penalty reduced by 2.

Sudden Bash
You can strike with your shield almost as well as your sword.
Prerequisite: BAB +6, Improved Shield Bash
Benefit: When you make a melee attack with a melee weapon while wielding a shield in your off hand, you can make an additional attack with your shield at your highest attack bonus. This attack is a shield bash that deals damage equal to the shield's base damage (after accounting for shield spikes or whatnot) + 1/2 your Strength bonus. You take a -2 penalty to all attack rolls you make this round.

Sunder Magic
Your strikes are capable of rending the magic out of your opponents' equipment.
Prerequisite: Power Attack; Mage Slayer OR Improved Sunder and Spellcraft 2 ranks
Benefit: Whenever you make a successful Sunder attempt against a magic item, instead of dealing damage to the item, you may render its magic useless for a number of rounds equal to your damage roll, reduced by the item's hardness.

Superior Trip
You place your blows in such a way that a successful blow can bowl your enemies over.
Prerequisite: Fighter 10th, Combat Expertise, Improved Trip
Benefit: Whenever you successfully hit an opponent with a weapon capable of making trip attempts, you can attempt to trip them as a free action without making a touch attack or provoking an attack of opportunity. If the trip attempt succeeds, you do not get a bonus attack on the opponent from your Improved Trip feat. If the trip attempt fails, the opponent may not attempt to trip you in reaction.

Supreme Unarmed Strike
Your fists are vicious weapons, far more deadly than a mere sword.
Prerequisite: BAB +12, Improved Unarmed Strike, Superior Unarmed Strike
Benefit: Your unarmed strikes penetrate all metallic damage reduction (DR X/Silver, or X/Adamantine, but not X/Silver and Good, and not hardness), and are treated as two-handed weapons for any situation where it would be beneficial (Strength bonus to damage, Power Attack, disarm attempts, etc.).
Special: Monks may ignore the Superior Unarmed Strike prerequisite. Monks with the Ki Strike (lawful) class feature may also ignore the BAB prerequisite.

Sweeping Strike
Even the follow-through on your attacks is deadly.
Prerequisite: Fighter 12th, Power Attack, Cleave
Benefit: If you deal a creature enough damage to make it drop from above to below half its maximum hit points, you may make a Cleave attack as though you'd dropped it, following all the normal rules for Cleave. You may not target the same creature that triggered the Cleave attack with the Cleave attack.

If you happen to deal enough damage to both drop a creature below half its maximum hit points and make it drop, technically triggering both this feat and Cleave, you only gain one Cleave attack, not two.

Note: Note that unless they receive healing of some sort, you can only benefit from this feat against a single creature once, as it only functions for the transition from above half to below half (in 4E parlance, in only functions when you first make them bloodied, and it doesn't function if you're not the one to bloody them), not every time you deal them damage that brings them below half.

Twin Strike
Your arms work independently, deflecting and attacking completely different opponents.
Prerequisite: Fighter 8th, Dex 17, Two-Weapon Fighting, Improved Two-Weapon Fighting, Dual Strike
Benefit: When you use the Dual Strike feat, you can make each attack at a different target instead of aiming them both at the same target. You make a separate attack roll for each attack, regardless of whether you aim them at separate targets or the same target. Your precision-based damage applies to each attack, and, if you score a critical hit with both of the attacks, each critical hit deals critical damage.

Two-Weapon Whirlwind
You're a blur of spinning steel on the battlefield.
Prerequisite: Fighter 16th, Dex 17, Combat Expertise, Dodge, Mobility, Whirlwind Attack, Two-Weapon Fighting, Improved Two-Weapon Fighting
Benefit: Whenever you make a whirlwind attack while fighting with two weapons, you may make two attacks against each opponent, one with each weapon. All attacks suffer the normal dual wielding penalties.

TACTICAL FEATS

{table="head"] Tactical Feats | Prerequisites | Benefit
Battlefield Bully | Power Attack, Improved Bull Rush | Bull rush related benefits.
Thornbush | BAB +8, Combat Expertise | Light weapon related benefits.
[/table]

Battlefield Bully
You're used to pushing everybody around, and you've gotten pretty good at it.
Prerequisite: Power Attack, Improved Bull Rush
Benefit: The Battlefield Bully feat allows the use of two tactical options.
Mighty Blow: Whenever you successfully deal damage to a foe with a melee attack while using the Power Attack feat to take at least a -3 penalty, you may immediately initiate a Bull Rush against the foe at your full BAB as an immediate action. You needn't move along with the foe to move them more than five feet.

Painful Charge: Whenever you successfully Bull Rush your opponent at least 10 feet, you may make a melee attack against them at your full attack bonus as a swift action.

Thornbush
You're skilled in a style of fighting with a light weapon in your off-hand, not for direct attacks, but to harass your enemies.
Prerequisite: BAB +8, Combat Expertise
Benefit: The Thornbush feat allows the use of three tactical options.
Endless Spines: Whenever you make a full attack action with a single, one-handed weapon, you may make an extra attack with a light weapon in your off-hand, at your full BAB -5.

Thorn in Their Side: Whenever you make attempt a Disarm, Sunder or Trip attempt with a light weapon against an opponent you've already hit this round, you gain a +4 bonus to all opposed rolls.

---

So yeah, that's it. Just some stuff I've been working on. PEACH and/or enjoy!

[Frog Dragon]

Holy monkeybees!! That's a lot of stuff. I haven't yet read through all of it, but most of it looks pretty nice. Greater Trip doesn't really make sense in fluff though, and I can see it being open to abuse.
Also, Ambidexterity makes the first TWF feat completely useless, but you still have to take the now useless TWF as prerequisite to the feats that grant you extra off-hand attacks. You might want to do something about that.

[DaTedinator]

Greater Trip does seem like it could be abused, but I don't think it really opens up vast new avenues of abuse that Improved Trip can't already screw with. It requires DM sanity just like tripping in general.

Also, the main problem with Ambidexterity is the wording, really. The primary effect I was really going for was to give you your full Strength bonus for your off-hand, letting you use one-handed weapons in your off-hand, and eliminating the -4 penalty for the off-hand. I suppose that might be a bit much for one feat, and there is already Oversized two-weapon fighting; I'll eliminate the one-handed weapon in your off-hand bit.

So now all it'll grant is full Strength bonus, and no -4 for the off hand if you haven't already taken TWF. TWF still reduces the penalty for each hand by 2, and opens up the TWF tree. Does that seem better?

[Lapak]

I like Arcane Vanguard a lot, but I'd be inclined to make the relevant ability modifier their DEX rather than their casting stat; it makes more sense and it makes them somewhat less SAD.

[Zom B]

Alternate Class Feature: Brutal Charge

Benefit: Whenever using your Skirmish ability as a part of a charge attack, you roll d8s instead of d6s.

Might want to clarify how or if this works with the Improved Skirmish feat.

I like almost all of these.

[DaTedinator]

I like Arcane Vanguard a lot, but I'd be inclined to make the relevant ability modifier their DEX rather than their casting stat; it makes more sense and it makes them somewhat less SAD.

Hmm, that might be a good idea, yeah. I think I'll do it.


Might want to clarify how or if this works with the Improved Skirmish feat.

I like almost all of these.

The intent would be that it works fine with it, turning the extra 2d6 into 2d8, but I should note that somehow, yeah.

And thank you! :smallbiggrin:

I'm probably gonna try to get a chart up soon so things will be more organized. Or something.

[Temotei]

The warmage already gets 3/4 BAB, I thought.

[DaTedinator]

It would make sense, but no, they do not. Perhaps they did in the miniature's handbook? But not in Complete Arcane.

[Magnor Criol]

I like these a lot. Haven't made it through the feats yet - I'll have to hit them up tomorrow - but here's my thoughts on a few of the ACFs.

Arcane Vanguard - I have no idea about how this is balance-wise, but I like the fresh pairing of mechanics. I don't think I've seen the idea of checking Dex mod against ACP anywhere before.

Templar and Thug - both of these seem to be a low return for the cost. Giving up a whole domain just for martial weapons and tower shields? While I know it's quite useful to have that proficiency, especially if you want to be a frontliner, I don't know that it's worth a whole domain. Likewise I don't know if 4 skill points/level are worth 2 HP and martial weapons.

Weapon Savant: I like it. I like it a lot. Makes the fighter into the versatile multi-weapon-wielder warrior I think the designers envisioned him being. An interesting feat idea: a feat that grants you one additional "weapon slot", so to speak, so you can have another weapon you treat like this.

[Dante & Vergil]

You need to give some of these varients increased BAB, like the monk to full.

[DaTedinator]

Magnor Criol: I'm glad you like them! Templar and Thug, yes, do need to be better. Templar I'd always been iffy about, Thug, I didn't even think about it, I don't know why. Both of those will be fixed.

Dante & Vergil, I dunno. Average to Good is a bigger change than Poor to Average. I'll consider it though. EDIT: Actually, it's not a large change for Clerics, given Divine Power. Perhaps I'll slip it into Templar?

[Fizban]

Allright, let's do this:

Arcane Vanguard: ironically, though I'm annoyed at how many different ways there are to try and avoid ASF (and how none of them stack), adding yet another just pushes it over the edge to whatever. No problems here anyway.

Battlemage: not bad, more useful than Battle or Stalwart Sorcerer since you don't lose spells known. Should make people who thought the Warmage was supposed to be a gish happy.

Beastmaster: while I like an ACF that makes the Ranger's companion not suck, I don't think favored enemy is as good as two companions. It's definitely worth bumping up the one though. Combine with Wildshape Ranger and you can be a Druid without spells, but more awesome from not being broken.

Brutal Charge: increasing the d6's to d8's is hardly worth anything, since it's only an average of +1 per die, and you get less dice than a rogue would. Getting pounce however, is quite useful. How about pounce at 3rd level and the ability to pounce and keep moving at 11th, so you can pounce every round?

Deity's Champion: hmm. On the one hand, no full casting base class has full BAB, and frankly this variant should just make fighters cry. On the other hand, even with the domain the BAB boost isn't worth the spells known loss, especially when you could just learn Divine Power. I've got nothing here.

Hunter's Trance: another alternate rage. Dexterity, wisdom, and skirmish aren't doing it for me, and I don't think they would for most other people. Can't say it's overpowered though, so if someone want's it that's fine by me.

Ill Omens: Arcane Resistance is one of the few reasons to be a Hexblade, and you're giving it up to force a save or suck on a blow that should already be a near-lethal crit? I'd suggest looking up one of the Hexblade fixes (IIRC, the class's creator suggested changing it to curses/encounter and a swift action) and using those instead. I don't see anyone taking this.

Mountain Druid: nice. This'll make the dwarves happy, and as far as I'm concerned the absolute oaths against metal were dumb anyway (sure, non-proficiency, but none ever period? why?). Works as a great stealth fix too: it makes sense to give up the companion's combat power to do it yourself, and a lot of players won't realize just how unbalancing the companion would have been anyway.

Witty Jab: unless the Swashbuckler's int based ability replaced strength (I can't remember), there's no reason to take this unless you really need the cha synergy. Int gives you extra skill points that you won't get from cha, so the only reason I can see to use this is to affect foes that are immune to sneak attack but not mind affecting. I'd also point out that sentient undead, while able to understand your puns, are still immune to mind affecting, so it may not work out how you intended with all foes.

Rapid Blast: I've seen this suggested as an invocation before, and I like it. My only gripe is giving up Deceive Item, naturally, but that does make up for the fact that you're getting it in place of a lower level invocation. Unless you have a specific reason for trying to make warlocks choose between UMD and Eldritch Blast, I'd just make it a Greater Invocation instead, especially since losing Deceive Item won't slow them down anyway.

Strength of Conviction: me likey. Considering the number of anti-fear spells, you can probably do away with the aura of courage without too much loss. It mostly depends on what you're fighting I suppose, but extra damage is always good, and I'm a sucker for stuff that relies on "strength of conviction".

Templar: same problems as Deity's Champion. You now have the same average hp as a Barbarian (1d8+2=1d12), full BAB, heavy armor, martial weapons, and full spellcasting. Loss of domain's isn't going to slow you down even in core, let alone if you've got the Spell Compendium and other sources. The only way I could see letting this through is by dropping spellcasting to 6th level spells, like the Bard. Otherwise, no way.

Thug: you changed this one and the Templar from when I last read. I liked the old Thug better: this one has more skill points but needs to multiclass to actually get full martial weapons and trapfinding. The Assassin only get's 4+int skill points, and arguably he doesn't get as much as the Thug is getting. Effective d10 hit die is a serious upgrade for someone who's currently getting bard level skill points and only knows one martial weapon.

Warrior-Poet: this one's pretty dang awesome. I've heard it said many times that 9th level maneuvers are roughly equivalent to 6th level spells, so I won't argue with granting full Warblade progression like I normally would. The reduced recovery rate makes up for higher skill points and nifty class features, and they have a unique recovery method that includes perform checks. Pretty much perfect. Only thing I'd add would be a note about allowing some Bard themed PrCs to progress your maneuvers.

Weapon Savant: doesn't the Warblade get to do this in like, 5 minutes? Anyway, only being proficient with one weapon at a time could be a lot bigger problem than you might think outside the vacuum of optimization. I do like reducing non-proficiency penalties though. I'd suggest making the Warblades adaptation into a feat, but I won't argue with this, since it's such an easy cost to make up with a single dip in another class that you'll undoubtedly take at some point.

Yamabushi: not a monk fix, but for what you give up I think it's a fair trade. The monk's AC bonus+Light Armor still isn't going to make a ridiculous tank, and whoever decided getting a single weapon to work with flurry should cost a whole feat must really hate monks as well.

And on to feats:

Ambidexerity: I agree.

Armor Focus: pretty sure this is better than the standard Armor Specializations, but it's still just +1 AC and reflex for a single feat. Not enough to be worth it.

Calculated Shot: int based Zen Archery, nice. You're going to have to define what lining up a shot means, cause right now it doesn't exist. I'd suggest pulling from the Death Attack.

Deft Shot/Deft Swing: the base idea is very interesting. You should probably be more specific about how this works with limmited ammunition, weapons with limited charges, how it interacts with things that you have to declare before swinging, and so on. Taking 10 on an attack has appeared at the end of a feat tree in PHBII, but this takes a whole standard action. I see either everyone taking it so they can gauge weather or not to power attack after the first swing, or no one using it at all. Depends on your players.

Fencing: oh this is swanky indeed. The only problem is that it's one of those "replacement" feats: it gives you nifty things, but only when you refuse to use other things. A TWF'er would love the dex bonus to damage, but you can't use two weapons. A tripper/disarmer would love the + on maneuvers, but you lose the +4 for using both hands. And the shield bonus while scaling, doesn't come close to what you'd get with a shield. I think it's a good feat that's on par with a lot of WoTC work, but I'd only suggest taking it if you were already going to refuse to use any of the things that it precludes.

Improved Snap Kick/Sudden Bash: letting one use their full strength is nice and goes with the Ambidexterity above, so that's good. The penalty shuffle is kinda wonky, but unless you remove it entirely it's always going to. I don't think it would break anything if you did: finishing a 3 or more feat chain with a single extra attack with no penalties is fine with me.

Greater Feint: been needed for a long while, but why the heck does it require Fighter 4th? No fighter uses feint, and losing 2 sneak attack dice to get it for a rogue when there are easier ways to do so isn't gonna happen.

Greater Trip: I'm pretty sure this isn't needed when you can full attack everyone else before tripping someone with your lowest attack (for a touch). If you know of a use then it's probably fine.

Greater Unarmed Strike: not enough benefit to be worth a feat in my opinion, I'd roll it into Superior Unarmed Strike. Kinda funny how you need Superior before Greater, heh. Improved Unarmed Strike is another replacement feat, so the chain's already getting a bit too long...

Riposte: I like this, a lot. There's a Riposte ACF for the Scout in a Wizards article, but it requires more hoop jumping for less benefit. While the 1/turn limit is annoying, the base mechanic is really simple and easy to use. It also gives you one of those setups where you want to live dangerously by getting yourself surrounded to riposte more people per turn: bonus if they're mooks that go down with a single sneak attack. Extra bonus for giving Ninja's a way to Sudden Strike in melee without shenanigans. The only thing it needs is an improved version... I'm thinking either a riposte for every time they miss, or just a flat 2 ripostes if that's too good (consider how likely it is they'll miss twice: they have to full attack, and that means your squishy hide is about to get ate).

Second Skin: I like feats that make armor lighter, and this one looks okay.

Sudden Bash: hey, you read my mind! I'd been thinking we need some sort of Turtle Snap (shameless ripoff from the turtle discipline from a few weeks back) feat, like snap kick but with a light weapon. A Sudden Bash is a great idea, and it has my seal of approval. I wouldn't want more than one prerequisite though, otherwise it starts becoming strictly worse than Snap Kick. Improved Shield Bash should be enough.

Sunder Magic: holy crap this is awesome! You've single handedly (featedly?) made sundering an actual useful choice in combat. I'm not sure if I'm reading your alternate costs right, but if you're allowing either Improved Sunder or Mage Slayer to qualify, that sounds good to me.

Supreme Unarmed Strike: four feats to beat DR? I'm sure it's not worth it for some reason or another. Count unarmed strikes as two-handed? Monks have been wanting that so they could power attack well for ages, but again, four feats is a really stiff charge. The chain now requires, for non monks: a replacement feat, a replacement upgrade, another weak feat, and finally the ability to two hand your fists. For something that should really be allowed for free, that's a lot of cost. Monks still need three feats, one of which actually becomes useless if they take their class all the way to 20. Make it one feat after Superior Unarmed Strike, penetrate all materials and count as magic, and two hand it. This leaves alignment (usually comes from spells), and epic undefeated, and that seems appropriate.

Seeping Strike: more cleave triggers are great. Does sweeping strike trigger every time you reduce them to something below half (or, every time you hit them once they're below half), or does it only work the first time you drop them below half? The first one basically doubles your attacks with Great Cleave, so the second is probably what you meant. Still pretty nifty, even if it's not uber powerful.

Twin Strike: Dual Strike sucks, so I don't even bother paying attention to it. As far as I can tell, this feat is what it should have been, so I'd just replace it.

Two-Weapon Whirlwind: on the off chance that someone actually takes all of those feats, sure, why not. Still not gonna be as good as focusing on one at a time though.

Battlefield Bully: I'm pretty sure I've already seen an infinite loop involving bull rushes, so I'm not sure they need more enablers. I'm seeing someone attack, bull rush, dungeoncrash, attack, bull rush, dundgeon crash, begin second iterative attack.... too much damage.

Thornbush: cool name. I like the snap/flurry-esque extra attack, with increased penalty because it's one of multiple options. I also like increasing your chances of a combat maneuver against someone you've already damaged this turn. I don't like referencing use of a specific feat that's not required for this one, and I don't like granting bonuses the only make up for using a suboptimal weapon for the job. Even if you required Fencing, you'd still only end up with a net +2 bonus over a person just using a large weapon in two hands, for the cost of two feats. Thornbush actually does make sense though: it's a tactical feat that gives you three much weaker feats for the price of one, like many others. I still don't get why you're requiring fighter 6th on a feat that's meant for light weapon use, something that other classes are much better at. Yes, you can use light weapons and armor as a fighter, but there's no reason to do so when you're better off with heavy weapons, armor, and power attack. People using light weapons shouldn't be fighters, it makes no sense.

Aaaaand, done. That took a while. To sum up: some good stuff, some great stuff, some awesome stuff, and a little bad stuff. I especially like the Beastmaster, Warrior Poet, Riposte, Sudden Bash, and Sunder Magic. Good ACFs and feats that change the game for their users, and a great companion for Snap Kick.

[Melamoto]

I really like pretty much all of these; they add new combat options, improve on old ones, and allow characters to have all sorts of new builds. Great job!

[DaTedinator]

Alright Fizban! Let's do this indeed!

Beastmaster: I think you missed the losing the combat style too? But regardless, your point about the wildshaping ranger is a good one, and should definitely be a viable option. I'll try to figure out a way to keep the combat style so you could trade it for Wildshape. Or worst case, just take away the second companion.

Brutal Charge: Very good points. That was one of the first ones I'd come up with, before I'd decided on what I was trying to accomplish with all this; making a melee Scout viable is definitely in line with what I wanted to do, and giving Pounce at 3rd fits that nicely. I had been worried about Pounce so early, but then I remembered that Barbarian ACF that gives it at first, so. :smallbiggrin:

Deity's Champion: I don't mind making Fighters cry. :-P

Ill Omens: Good point. I'll look at some of the fixes, consider my options.

Witty Jab: I was definitely counting on undead somewhat for that, forgot they were immune to mind-affecting crap. May have to completely ditch that one. We'll see.

Rapid Blast: I have a surprising number of players who don't take full advantage of UMD, I figure they must exist elsewhere as well. This is more aimed at those who underutilize UMD than those who want multiple blasts, though naturally, since it grants multiple blasts, they can benefit as well. :smalltongue:

Templar and Thug: Yeah... they both needed fixing, but in my haste to fix them, I put up changes that were actually worse, really. I'll revert them until I can think of something that's actually better.

Armor Focus: I know it's not *really* worth it, but I'm trying to not just keep things balanced, but keep them balanced compared to feats already published. The closest parallel for this is Weapon Focus, so. :smallsigh:

Calculated Shot: Good point about lining up the shot. I'll add that.

Deft Shot/Swing: You know, those were some of the first feats I came up with, and originally I'd planned out exactly how it interacted with ammo, martial maneuvers, etc., but then I never typed it out. /facepalm

Fencing: As I said above, on par with WotC work is what I was aiming for! :smallbiggrin: So even though I know it's not phenomenal, got what I was aiming for! Woohoo!

Improved Snap Kick/Sudden Bash: I'll consider removing the penalty entirely.

Greater Feint: Yeah, making Fighter required was a bad idea. I'll fix that.

Greater/Supreme Unarmed Strike: You're absolutely right about the length of the chain. These'll be revised.

Sudden Bash: Good point about the Snap Kick comparison, prerequisites-wise. I'll make it just Improved Shield Bash.

Sweeping Strike: Only the first time they're knocked below half. I'll clarify that.

Twin Strike, I agree, but we've got the manyshot/greater manyshot dealie, so. Any DMs out there, though, keep in mind: perfectly reasonable to houserule it to not require Dual Strike!

Battlefield Bully: Ooh, forgot about Dungeoncrasher. Still, I don't entirely mind giving the Fighter nice things. I'll keep an eye on it and pay close attention to any other feedback about it.

Thornbush: The fencing thing was somewhat of an afterthought, and it doesn't hurt anything. I think you're right, it's safe to remove the fighter prereq, though.

Summary and Melamoto: Thank you! That's what I was aiming for with (almost) all of this: to let old classes play the game differently. Good to know it works! :smallcool:

[Fizban]

Beastmaster: ah, I didn't notice it took the combat style too. It's not too hard to get two companions with a feat or PrC, so getting two for losing both your main class features should be okay. Alternatively: have you considered dropping the spells somewhere instead?

Rapid Blast: that makes sense.

Armor Focus: oh, well then... success? Trying to balance things against weapon focus is never fun :smallfrown:. The nice thing about armor boosting feats is that it usually doesn't matter much: people that want the AC will jump all over it, and everyone else will just skip past, so no worries.

Calculated Shot: yup, that works.

Deft Shot/Swing: 50% seems like a fair compromise. Not as elegant as going one way or the other, but I like it when my feats get a little random sometimes :smallwink:

Sweeping Strike: I think this got lost in the shuffle, it's different but it doesn't specify only triggering once before they've dropped. Funny, when I suggested multiple sweeps after they're below half, I didn't even realize you could set up a loop with it :smallbiggrin:

Twin Strike: good points.

Thanks for reading all my comments! I love it when the homebrewer agrees with me, it makes it feel more legitimate when I make my own stuff :smallbiggrin:.

[DaTedinator]

Alright, finally returned, and made a couple changes, mostly just in line with my comments with Fizban. The only thing I was planning on changing that I didn't was Beastmaster; I decided to leave that one as-is for now, still perhaps pending change in the future.

And Fizban, no no, thank you for leaving all the comments in the first place! I love it when people leave obviously solid, thought-out comments on my work, as that makes me feel legit as well. :smallsmile:

[Fizban]

Took a look back over everything, and everything looks good :smallcool: Now all I need to do is go build a character for every ACF and feat. On second thought that could take a while...

[arguskos]

I have a REALLY minor nitpick.

In Sudden Bash... it never specifies you have to have a shield equipped. Now, it's pretty easy to assume that, since you make direct reference to a shield bash, BUT, it probably would be worth saying "if you have a melee weapon and a shield...", just to cut down on possible confusion.

Also, uh... I like this stuff. Just stole it for personal use. Also, why didn't they just PRINT Greater Feint? It's such a basic feat, you'd think someone would have said "hey guys, free action feint, whadda think?" :smallsigh:

[Geiger Counter]

Arcane Vanguard: Play test it and tell me how balanced it is.

Battle Mage: I'd rather keep my spells per day and just take improved toughness thank you.

Beast master: way too powerful. I'd say whenever you give up a favored enemy for those next five levels your animal companion advances at full pace rather than half pace. For example a 20th level ranger who gave up two favored enemies has an animal companion equal to a druid or level 15.

Ill Omens: hexblades are terrible.

Mountain Druid: I wouldn't take this. Druids are proficient with scimitars and that's the only weapon they'll ever need. Wildshape quickly makes this choice unviable.

Rapid Blast: I'd make them -3 to hit.

strength of conviction: way too overpowered.

Templar: Way too overpowered. Also you do know clerics have to have a free hand to cast spells. with a buckler or small shield you can shift your weapon to your off hand to cast spells, however you no longer threaten anything in range.

Thug: I don't think you can tumble in medium armor.

weapon savant: include improved critical. I'd Allow him to change his favored weapon every new level he gains in fighter. This incentivises players to not just take fighters for a two level dip.

Yamabushi: I don't see anyone ever taking this.

[imp_fireball]

I think the thug should get bonus feats to compliment their altered roll - maybe to give leeway for the incredibly large feat chain required for something like two-weapon whirlwind.


Thug: I don't think you can tumble in medium armor.

You can, there's just ACP, like everything done in armor.


it probably would be worth saying "if you have a melee weapon and a shield...", just to cut down on possible confusion.

Doesn't it say 'you get an extra shield bash' which more then implies referring to shield bash? Everyone who reads that will know that they have to refer to rules on shield bash.

[Geiger Counter]

You can, there's just ACP, like everything done in armor.

"You can’t use this skill if your speed has been reduced by armor"
"Medium or heavy armor slows the wearer down."

So yeah, your wrong.

[DaTedinator]

arguskos: I suppose it's worth mentioning. Rarely hurts to be too specific, often hurts to be too broad. EDIT: Also, thank you! :smallbiggrin: I agree about Greater Feint. I mean, only giving free action feints to a single class, that's a full caster? What in the what? Who thought that was a good idea?

Geiger Counter:

Beastmaster: We already have the Beastmaster PrC that grants multiple animal companions. Taking this ACF takes away much of the Ranger's ability to contribute to combat, but in return gives him minions that can. However, I could see just ditching Favored Enemy completely to get one, full-power Animal Companion (which would then let them Wildshape as well, which I'd wanted). I'll think on it.

Templar: I'm aware of that, yes, but it's not anything Clerics didn't deal with before, and besides, there are featy ways to get around it.

Thug: What does that have to do with the Thug ACF? And really, if you want to get technical, you're both right. The average person can't tumble in medium or heavier armor, but there are feats and class abilities that let you move full speed, and heck, all dwarves can.

imp_fireball: Ehh... I dunno. That'd be a pretty dang significant change to the class. And besides, I already see these guys multiclassing with more combative classes (particularly the Thug fighter variant from Unearthed Arcana), and Unearthed Arcana also gives Rogues the ability to ditch Sneak Attack for fighter feats. So I think it's probably a'ight as-is.

[imp_fireball]

imp_fireball: Ehh... I dunno. That'd be a pretty dang significant change to the class. And besides, I already see these guys multiclassing with more combative classes (particularly the Thug fighter variant from Unearthed Arcana), and Unearthed Arcana also gives Rogues the ability to ditch Sneak Attack for fighter feats. So I think it's probably a'ight as-is.


It's not always a good idea to force people to multiclass.

And UA's concept is quite unattractive for exactly the reason that it ditches SA.

Maybe give them a smaller bonus feat progression from a smaller list that might include some general feats like alertness as well as some higher level rogue-specific stuff at higher BAB like homebrewed sneak attack tactical feats (on the vein of crippling strike)? Also, they still won't have full BAB or feat progression equal to the fighter so it's not too significant.

Not to mention people generally multiclass to open up their options rather then supplement - supplementation is usually a bad idea (except in the case of barbarian/frenzied berserker; but that's due to barb suckery). Multiclassing Thug/fighter is like sorceror/wizard in that sense.


"You can’t use this skill if your speed has been reduced by armor"
"Medium or heavy armor slows the wearer down."

So yeah, your wrong.

Seems kinda redundant. I think the fact that you can only tumble at half speed plus ACP seems enough of a reason to tell players it's a bad idea - doesn't require telling them that it can't be done period.


(particularly the Thug fighter variant from Unearthed Arcana),

Which is pretty much identical to this with the exception of no rogue abilities at 10th level and up. People would only concievably do it for higher HD. The sheer redundancy of it would convince me not to, personally.


Templar: Way too overpowered. Also you do know clerics have to have a free hand to cast spells. with a buckler or small shield you can shift your weapon to your off hand to cast spells, however you no longer threaten anything in range.

Would ambidexterity eliminate that?

Maybe a templar specific feat would help.

[Glimbur]

Seems kinda redundant. I think the fact that you can only tumble at half speed plus ACP seems enough of a reason to tell players it's a bad idea - doesn't require telling them that it can't be done period.

By the base rules, you can't tumble if you are being slowed down by armor or a heavy load. This isn't a new idea he's proposing. This is RAW.

That said, it's probably ok to allow this ACF to let people ignore that, because as you said it's already unattractive.