Martial Adept-ing the other Base Classes [3.5]

[Greymane]

For a campaign I'm currently working on, I will not be using Crusaders, Swordsages or Warblades. Really, the biggest reason is that various martial disciplines have not been united by someone like Reshar yet. Mechanically, I'm giving myself more work for a little bit of fluff, and I don't mind that, so please don't just tell me to use Warblades and what-not. I've gotten that already.

So, to remedy this, I've gone to going about adding disciplines and maneuver mechanics to other base classes, but making them function slightly different.

For example, my Fighters get access to two different schools of their choice (picking schools is uniquely theirs), however one of them is typically flavored by what race you are/region you hail from. Hobgoblins almost always have access to Iron Heart, as it was invented by them.

To better hit the notion home that people are masters of their discipline and not dipping all over the place like normal Martial Adepts, you gain access to very few disciplines, which I've divided into primary and secondary disciplines.

When a class has a primary discipline, that class gets every maneuver from that discipline as they level. Completely. They learn the entire maneuver list as they level. Now, most classes also have disciplines listed as secondary, meaning that every odd-numbered level, they are allowed to select a maneuver from a secondary discipline for free.

For example: Rogues select either Diamond Mind or Shadow Hand for a Primary Discipline. However, they get the one they did not select as a Secondary Discipline, and so can pick a maneuver from that list every odd-numbered level. Whereas he gets full access to the one he does pick. Rogues use the Warblade maneuver recovery mechanic

Now, I can finally get to the root of this post: I'm having trouble deciding how to handle multi-classing under this system. I don't use XP penalties, and I'm not sure if I want someone dipping into a few base classes late in their career for complete access to a few other schools; but I want there to be reason to multi-class too, as that adds delightful diversity and flavor to a lot of character concepts.

Assuming I haven't put you all to sleep with that exposition, would you fair folks of the Playground lend me your creative genius?

[DracoDei]

Of the top of my head: Track IL seperately for each discipline for what maneuver may be learned classes advance IL for both their disciplines. Thus you can do late dips... and get all the 1st level maneuvers.
To go even further, don't limit it just to for purposes of learning maneuvers... make it flat out seperate IL for each discipline.
To not go as far as the first option, make IL count half, like non-initiating classes do, so you get all the maneuvers up to about half your character level if you start dipping around.

[Greymane]

That's... an excellent idea that I never even thought of. I guess I'd gotten really used to the idea of IL counting universally across the board. Unless something more brilliant comes my way, I just might go with that.

Thanks, DracoDei!

[DracoDei]

Which of the three options I suggested are you going to use?
Please tell us all how it goes.
The idea probably started with me when I created the "Sublime Form Master" which counts as non-initiator for purposes of everything but stances.



How are you doing stances from secondary disciplines?

How are you doing numbers of maneuvers readiable?

[Greymane]

1. I'll be going with the third option.

2. I'll be sure to mention how it works, but the campaign could be awhile off from being run at this point, considering time restraints on some of the players.

Stances were another problem I've been puzzling through, to be honest. At first, I thought I'd just allow you to pick them up the same as a maneuver, but going with that method, you could pick up quite a bit of stances, and having enough could be... too good.

Maneuvers readiable at this point is determined on what recovery method the class has. So the above example rogue can ready as many maneuvers as a Warblade of his level. The exception being Barbarians, who recover as Swordsages but ready like Warblades.

Though, the trouble with that so far is that it's too good in the beginning, as some classes will be readying all of their maneuvers from the get-go.

[DracoDei]

Though, the trouble with that so far is that it's too good in the beginning, as some classes will be readying all of their maneuvers from the get-go.
Crusaders and Warblades do that anyway, so it shouldn't be that bad.