PDA

View Full Version : [PRC; TOB] Devout Commander



Satyr
2010-03-24, 05:23 AM
It's interesting what you find when you look up all the old stuff on your hard drive. I, for example, have found roughly half a dozen Tome of Battle Prestige classes I wrote before I strated to seriously work on Serpents and Sewers.

I have translated these classes yesterday, and updated them a bit, but really, they are in their core two or three years old. For me, it's somewhat interesting how a few ideas which were later copied in S&S appeared here for the first time. Seriously, these include my first step in homebrewing for D&D.

Now, these are Prestige Classes who I like them: focused on beating people up, and actually quite competent in this field of expertise. If you ask me, the overwhelming majority of prestige classes for the already underrepresented melee fighters are much too weak, especially when compared to *any* prestige class with full caster level progression. Therefore, they might appear a bit powerful when compared to other fighter -specific prestige classes.


The Devout Commander


http://img514.imageshack.us/img514/7450/szaboskommandant.png
"Any commander can lead his troops to victory. A good commander leads them home."

The Devout Commander is a leader of men who has internalized the old credo that power brings responsibilty. As a commander and officer, he has certain powers over his followers, but by his own standrds, this means that he is also responsble for them.
A Devout Commander is a passionate leader who rarely demands anything from his followers which he wouldn't do himself. As he leads by example, he can often be found in the frontlines, in the midst of his troops when he leads them to victory.

Design Notes:
The Devout Commander is a more leadership-oriented take on the Crusader. He somewhat sacrifices the usual reslience and counterstrike abilities of a standard crusader, but increases his leadership abilities. This class works best for crusaders who take a small dip in the Marshal class.

HD: D10

Requirements
Alignment: Any non-chaotic
BAB: +4
Skills:Diplomacy 6 ranks
Feats: Leadership, any 'warlike' Devotion feat (e.g. destruction, strength or war)
Maneuvers: One maneuver of third or higher level from the White Raven discipline
Special: Must have led a troop to a victory in a battle.

Class-Skills: Balance, Bluff, Concentration, Craft, Diplomacy, Handle Animals, Intimidate, Jump, Knowledge (History), Knowledge (nobility and royalty), Knowledge (religion), Martial Lore, Profession and Ride.

Skill-points per level: 4+Int modifier

Table: The Devout Commander
{table="head"]Level|BAB|Fort|Ref|Will|Special|Disciplines
1st|+1|+2|+0|+2|Mien of Leadership, Inspire Courage|+1 level of initiator class
2nd|+2|+3|+0|+3|Bonus Feat|+1 level of initiator class
3rd|+3|+3|+1|+3|Double Devotion|+1 level of initiator class
4th|+4|+4|+1|+4|Bonus Feat|+1 level of initiator class
5th|+5|+4|+1|+4|Triple Devotion, heroic leader|+level of initiator class
[/table]

Weapon and Armor Proficiencies: The Devout Commander gains no new weapon or armor proficiencies.

Disciplines: At each level, the Devout Commander gains new maneuvers, stances or readied maneuvers and an increase in his initiator level as if he had also gained a level in the initiator class he followed before. He does not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained.

Mien of Leadership (ex): If the Devout Commander has the ability of using commanding Auras, like the class abilities of the Marshal or Dragon Shaman classes, the class levels of the Devout Commander level stack with the levels of the class that granted the Aura to determine its effects. However, the Devout Commander does not learn any additional Auras.

Inspire Courage (ex): Starting at 1st level, a Devout Commander can use the bard's inspire Courage ability as if he were a bard with a class level equal to the Devout Commander's initiator level. The Devour Commader does not require any ranks in the Perform skill to use this ability nd can use it as a swift action instead of a standard action if he drops an enemy. The character can use this ability once per day per class level plus his charisma bonus (if any). It does not count as a Bardic Music class trait for the qualification of feats or classes.

Bonus Feats: At 2nd and 4th level, a Devout Commander can take any feat from the Fighter bonus feat list as a bonus feat.

Double Devotion: At 3rd level, the Devout Commander gains the Devotion Feat he already has for a second time as a bonus feat, allowing him to use the associated ability for a second time per day.

Triple Devotion: As double devotion above, but grants a third use of the feat in question.

Heroic Leader (ex): A Devout Commander may add a +3 bonus to his character level to determine his leadership score.