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Morth
2010-04-16, 06:04 PM
Fighter


"Although we come from many walks of life, from the fancy to the desperate, there is one thing that unites us. The soul of the warrior." -Balthazar, legendary fighter

Alignment: Any

Hit Die: d10

Class Skills: The fighter’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Handle Animal (Cha), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Knowledge (Nobility, History and Martial Lore) (Int), Ride (Dex), and Swim (Str).
Skill Points at 1st Level: (2 + Int modifier) ×4.
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 2 + Int modifier.

The Fighter
{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special|Stances Known|L1 Readied|L2 Readied|L3 Readied|L4 Readied|L5 Readied|L6 Readied|L7 Readied|L8 Readied|L9 Readied

1st|
+1|
+2|
+0|
+0|Bonus Fighter Feat, Fighting Style|1|3||||||||

2nd|
+2|
+3|
+0|
+0|Bonus Fighter Feat|1|4|1|||||||

3rd|
+3|
+3|
+1|
+1|Martial Prowess|1|4|2|||||||

4th|
+4|
+4|
+1|
+1|Bonus Fighter Feat|1|4|2|1||||||

5th|
+5|
+4|
+1|
+1|Martial Prowess|1|4|3|2||||||

6th|
+6/+1|
+5|
+2|
+2|Bonus Fighter Feat|2|4|3|2|1|||||

7th|
+7/+2|
+5|
+2|
+2|Martial Prowess|2|4|4|3|2|||||

8th|
+8/+3|
+6|
+2|
+2|Bonus Fighter Feat|2|4|4|3|2|1||||

9th|
+9/+4|
+6|
+3|
+3|Martial Prowess|2|4|4|4|3|2||||

10th|
+10/+5|
+7|
+3|
+3|Bonus Fighter Feat|2|4|4|4|3|2|1|||

11th|
+11/+6/+1|
+7|
+3|
+3|Martial Prowess|3|4|4|4|4|3|2|||

12th|
+12/+7/+2|
+8|
+4|
+4|Bonus Fighter Feat|3|4|4|4|4|3|2|1||

13th|
+13/+8/+3|
+8|
+4|
+4|Martial Prowess|3|4|4|4|4|4|3|2||

14th|
+14/+9/+4|
+9|
+4|
+4|Bonus Fighter Feat|3|4|4|4|4|4|3|2|1|

15th|
+15/+10/+5|
+9|
+5|
+5|Martial Prowess|3|4|4|4|4|4|4|3|2|

16th|
+16/+11/+6/+1|
+10|
+5|
+5|Bonus Fighter Feat|4|4|4|4|4|4|4|3|2|1

17th|
+17/+12/+7/+2|
+10|
+5|
+5|Martial Prowess|4|4|4|4|4|4|4|4|3|2

18th|
+18/+13/+8/+3|
+11|
+6|
+6|Bonus Fighter Feat|4|4|4|4|4|4|4|4|3|2

19th|
+19/+14/+9/+4|
+11|
+6|
+6|Martial Prowess|4|4|4|4|4|4|4|4|4|3

20th|
+20/+15/+10/+5|
+12|
+6|
+6|Bonus Fighter Feat, Martial Prowess|4|4|4|4|4|4|4|4|4|3[/table]

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A fighter is proficient with all simple and martial weapons and with all armor (heavy, medium, and light) and shields (including tower shields).

Maneuvers and Stances: A fighter must choose 2 disciplines that are available to two of the following: Setting Sun, Diamond Mind, Tiger Claw, White Raven, and Stone Dragon. A fighter gains the associated skills as class skills. The fighter learns all the maneuvers from each as soon as he reaches a level in which he could ready them, and gains stances normally from these disciplines. Unlike other martial initiators, a fighter cannot recover maneuvers. Also unlike other initiators, the fighter can ready the same maneuver multiple times.

A fighter cannot benefit from the Adaptive Style feat.

Bonus Feats: At 1st level, a fighter gets a bonus combat-oriented feat in addition to the feat that any 1st-level character gets and the bonus feat granted to a human character. The fighter gains an additional bonus feat at 2nd level and every two fighter levels thereafter (4th, 6th, 8th, 10th, 12th, 14th, 16th, 18th, and 20th). These bonus feats must be drawn from the feats noted as fighter bonus feats. A fighter must still meet all prerequisites for a bonus feat, including ability score and base attack bonus minimums.

Fighting Style: Fighters come from many walks of life, and therefore learn to capitalize on their strengths. A fighter must choose a style at level one. You will use the associated score for martial discipline ability that require a stat modifier. Skills based on the chosen ability score are considered class skills.


Mighty (Str): You fight through strength and power. You may ignore up to 2 points of armor, natural armor, or damage reduction with your attacks.
Stalwart (Con): You are paragon of toughness and survivability. You have a d12 hit die.
Agile (Dex): You are a master of swift movement and attack control. You have a "good" reflex save.
Tactical (Int): You are a cunning master of tactics. You have 4 skill points per level base instead of 2. This gives you 16 base at level one. you also may add all skill tricks to your bonus feat list.
Zen (Wis): You are a warrior who battles through focus and determination. You have a "good" will save.
Dashing (Cha): You are known for your flash maneuvers and your scarring words. You may make an intimidate check once a round as a free action when drawing or sheathing your weapon.


Martial Prowess (Ex): Fighters aren't known to do magical or psionic stunts, or bending reality's laws, but they can do pretty amazing things through training and body control. At level 3 and every odd level afterwords, a fighter may choose an ability from the list below. You may only choose an ability once unless noted otherwise. Unless noted otherwise, all these abilities are extraordinary, and function inside an anti-magic field.


Minimum Level 3Quick Footed
You gain a +10ft. insight bonus to move speed. You may take up to 3 times, and the benefits stack.
Improved Flanking
Your bonuses while flanking increase to +4.
Dirty Fighting
As a swift action that provokes an attack of opportunity, you kick sand into your opponent's eyes. You make a melee touch attack, and if it hits the target takes a -2 penalty to attack rolls, spot checks, and search checks for 1d4 rounds.
Great Leap
You always makes Jump checks as if running and as if it had the Run feat, enabling you to make long jumps without a running start and granting a +4 bonus on Jump checks.
Armored Charge
When you bull rush a target, you may make an attack, treating your armor as the weapon. Treat light armor as a club of the appropriate material, medium armor as a mace of the appropriate material, and heavy as a great-club of the appropriate material.
Press the Advantage
You may add your strength as a circumstance bonus to damage when charging.
Tactics Training
You may add your intelligence modifier instead of strength modifier to bull rush, grapple, trip, disarm, and sunder attempts.
Insightful Aim
You gain an insight bonus equal to your intelligence modifier to ranged attacks.
Zen Focus
You may spend a standard action to enter a zen focus. When in a zen focus, you may add your wisdom modifier to your attack rolls. This focus lasts for a number of rounds equal to one half your fighter levels plus your wisdom modifier.
Dazzling Display
You may make an intimidate check as a free action when making a full attack. If it succeeds, the target is shaken for 1d4 rounds.
Shield Adept
You may treat any non-tower shield as light for the purpose of Two Weapon Fighting, and may effectively apply spikes to tower shields and bucklers.
Wall of Blades
When you make a full round attack with two weapons you may add your dexterity modifier to your armor class as a shield bonus until your next round.
Minimum Level 9Powerful Build
You are considered one size category larger.
Stoic
You are immune to fear.
Battle-hardened
You gain spell resistance equal to your fighter level + 10.
Improved Dirty Fighting
Requires: Dirty Fighting
Activating Dirty Fighting no longer provokes an attack of opportunity, and the penalty increases to -4.
Invincible
You are never considered "dying" and don't die until you reach -20.
Weak Points
You may take a full round to study, and then make a Knowledge check of the kind associated with a nearby creature you are aware of. You gain an insight bonus equal to one fifth of the result, rounded down, to attack rolls against the target.
Pounce
You may make a full attack at the end of a charge.
Brutal Bleeding
You cause your targets to bleed when you score a critical hit against them, causing them to be fatigued and take 1d6 damage each round for 1d4+strength modifier rounds.
Second Skin
When wearing hide armor, you may add your constitution modifier to the armor bonus it provides.
Battlefield Command
You may make a Knowledge (History) check with a DC of 15. If you succeed, you may move one character you can see within 60ft. 5ft, and an additional 5ft. for each additional 5 over the DC you make. Enemies get a will save. (DC= 10+1/2fighter levels+Int modifier)
Shield Expert
Requires: Shield Adept
You consider tower shields light and may apply any enchantment bonuses as though the shield is both a weapon and a shield. (Ex: A +2 Shield would gain +2 to attack rolls, damage rolls, and AC)
Zen Striking
Requires: Zen Focus
When in a zen focus, you may apply your wisdom modifier to damage rolls.
Dazzling Defense
You may make an intimidate check as a free action while fighting defensively. You may add your charisma as a circumstance bonus to armor class against attacks made from the effected target.
Minimum Level 15
Free Movement
You are always considered under the effects of Freedom of Movement.
Consummate Assault
You may replace attacks in a full round action with trip, disarm, sunder, and grapple attempts.
Sleepless
You may simple stay still, laying or sitting, instead of really sleeping.
Shield Master
Requires: Shield Expert
You gain a bonus to attack and damage rolls equal to your constitution modifier when attacking with a shield. In addition, you may throw a shield with the range of a shuriken without penalty.
Zen Dodging
Requires: Zen Focus
While in a zen focus, you gain your wisdom modifier as an insight bonus to your armor class.
Dizzying Intellect
You may feint as a free action, and add your intelligence modifier to feinting attempts.
Dazzling Barrage
Requires: Dazzling Display
You may feint as a free action, and when you successfully feint against a target, you may add your charisma modifier to the damage rolls.
Steel Skin
Requires: Second Skin
You gain DR 5/Adamantium when wearing hide armor.
Brute Tactics
You may add your twice your strength modifier to bull rush, grapple, trip, disarm, and sunder attempts. This cannot be used in conjunction with Tactics Training
Massive Force
Requires: Brutal Blows
You may chose to push a target 5ft. back when you strike with an attack from a two-handed weapon, or a weapon of one or more size categories larger then you.
Minimum Level 20Mobile Fortress
Requires: Steel Skin, Shield Master
You gain DR 10/Adamantium, and may add the shield bonus from two shields to your armor class while wielding them. You also take no penalty to attacking with two shields of any type, beyond normal two weapon fighting penalties.
Zen Soldier
Requires: Zen Focus, Zen Striking, Zen Dodging
You may enter a zen focus as a free action, and may ignore up to your wisdom modifier of either armor bonus, natural armor, or damage reduction.
Exploit Opening
Requires: Weak Points
You may treat your first attack each round on the target of your Weak Points ability as a critical threat. If it misses, the next attack is not considered a critical threat unless it normally would be.
Bladestorm
Requires: Wall of Blades
You may move 10ft. between each attack in a full round attack while attacking with two weapons. This includes before the first attack.
Legendary Visage
Requires: Dazzling Barrage, Dazzling Display
You may make a single intimidate check against all people who see you and consider you hostile once a round as a free action. If successful, the targets are shaken. People who consider you friendly gain a +2 morale bonus to attack, and damage rolls, as well as armor class.
Might of the Dragons
You may apply twice your strength modifier to attack and damage rolls with two-handed weapons and one and one half your strength modifier to attack and damage rolls with one handed weapons.


Any comments will help.

Godskook
2010-04-16, 06:29 PM
Congratulations. I think this is the first fighter fix I've ever read that was both:

A)An actual attempt to fix the fighter.

-AND-

B)Quite possibly overpowered.

Have an internet.


If the fighter takes the Adaptive Style feat, he may take a full round action that provokes an attack of opportunity to search your mind for the right maneuver for the situation, letting him replace a readied maneuver with a known maneuver.

Or he could just use the feat's normal ability to refresh all his maneuvers?:smallconfused::smallconfused::smallconf used::smallconfused:

-----------------

General thoughts:

1.No one should have a worse recovery system than a Swordsage. Period. Swordsage sets the low-end worst that you can get, which is "Spend a feat, recover everything as a full-round action(which doesn't provoke)

2.Honestly, first thought, it looks like you merged a warblade with the fighter, and took away the minor class features a warblade gets(the major class features are the maneuver progression). And *THEN* you add unique homebrew class features on top of that.

3.*ANY* 4 disciplines???? Are you freaking nuts? Shadow Hand, Iron Heart and Devoted Spirit are all class unique disciplines for a reason. Giving this fighter access to all 3 without charge or effort is ridonkulous(Yes, I spelled that right).

4.The level 1 choice for Fighting style is just too awesome. Really it is. Balance-wise, it is a fine ability on its own(combined with the rest of this monstrosity, not so much, but meh), and has a lot of flavor in the crunch. I approve.

5.Martial Prowess is interesting and I should spend more time reading it. However, no matter what it gives, you've already power-loaded the class, so if you want to keep this one safe, you might want to cut down on the maneuvers a bit.

Frozen_Feet
2010-04-16, 06:33 PM
So your fix is effectively granting Fighter a bonus feat at every level, and then slapping a maneuver progression on top of it? While Martial Prowess certainly makes the class more powerful and increases customability, it feels a bit bland is a bit redundant with maneuvers. You might want to prune the Prowess choices a bit - I'd advice against making so many of them be flat numerical bonuses or special attacks. Maybe you could make some of them skill-based, to make use of the more expansive class skill list?

TheYoungKing
2010-04-16, 07:03 PM
Remove manuevers and this isn't half bad.

With Manuevers.... what is wrong with a Warblade?

Morth
2010-04-16, 07:16 PM
Congratulations. I think this is the first fighter fix I've ever read that was both:

A)An actual attempt to fix the fighter.

-AND-

B)Quite possibly overpowered.

Have an internet.



Or he could just use the feat's normal ability to refresh all his maneuvers?:smallconfused::smallconfused::smallconf used::smallconfused:

-----------------

General thoughts:

1.No one should have a worse recovery system than a Swordsage. Period. Swordsage sets the low-end worst that you can get, which is "Spend a feat, recover everything as a full-round action(which doesn't provoke)

2.Honestly, first thought, it looks like you merged a warblade with the fighter, and took away the minor class features a warblade gets(the major class features are the maneuver progression). And *THEN* you add unique homebrew class features on top of that.

3.*ANY* 4 disciplines???? Are you freaking nuts? Shadow Hand, Iron Heart and Devoted Spirit are all class unique disciplines for a reason. Giving this fighter access to all 3 without charge or effort is ridonkulous(Yes, I spelled that right).

4.The level 1 choice for Fighting style is just too awesome. Really it is. Balance-wise, it is a fine ability on its own(combined with the rest of this monstrosity, not so much, but meh), and has a lot of flavor in the crunch. I approve.

5.Martial Prowess is interesting and I should spend more time reading it. However, no matter what it gives, you've already power-loaded the class, so if you want to keep this one safe, you might want to cut down on the maneuvers a bit.

With the maneuvers, I was trying to experiment with a wizard-esque initiator... one that only gets a set number per encounter, and can only swap, not refresh. Maybe all of it at once is a little over the top...

Godskook
2010-04-16, 07:23 PM
With the maneuvers, I was trying to experiment with a wizard-esque initiator... one that only gets a set number per encounter, and can only swap, not refresh. Maybe all of it at once is a little over the top...

Swordsage already fills that role.

Assuming you wanted something even farther down that road than a swordsage, you'd need a maneuver progression that's better than a swordsage's to make up for it. However, I'm going with what I said to start, Swordsage already fills that role.

TheYoungKing
2010-04-16, 07:27 PM
And then this isn't a Fighter fix- its a ToB fix.

Eldonauran
2010-04-16, 07:27 PM
With the maneuvers, I was trying to experiment with a wizard-esque initiator... one that only gets a set number per encounter, and can only swap, not refresh. Maybe all of it at once is a little over the top...

That's what I thought you were trying to do, a wizard-esque type initiator. I liked it for the most part though it can use a bit more reworking. I like the no refreshing, don't even let them swap. Also, I would suggest giving them initiator levels sort of like a bard has spell casting (6th level manuevers but full initiator level) and limiting them to only 2 disciplines.

Not sure how that would work out, but its a few thoughts

Milskidasith
2010-04-16, 08:05 PM
Comment time! First off, it seems like, from the class features, it's the warblade in maneuvers (or therabouts; I can't recall the exact numbers, but that's what others are saying), with fighter stats. That alone bumps it up to T3, although the recovery mechanic is crap.


Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A fighter is proficient with all simple and martial weapons and with all armor (heavy, medium, and light) and shields (including tower shields).

Generic! No problems here.


Maneuvers and Stances: A fighter must choose 4 disciplines at level 1. A fighter gains the associated skills as class skills. The fighter may learn maneuvers and stances from these disciplines. Unlike other martial initiators, a fighter cannot recover maneuvers, unless he has the Adaptive Style feat. (See below) Also unlike other initiators, the fighter can ready the same maneuver up to 5 times.

Taking the class only disciplines allows you to build a MUCH stronger fighter than the warblade; as Godskook said, Shadow Hand, Iron Heart, and Devoted Spirit are all very powerful unique disciplines, and getting all of them plus one more to fit your taste is very powerful.


If the fighter takes the Adaptive Style feat, he may take a full round action that provokes an attack of opportunity to search your mind for the right maneuver for the situation, letting him replace a readied maneuver with a known maneuver.

Adaptive style already lets you ready *all* maneuvers as a full round. Why would you use this?


Bonus Feats: At 1st level, a fighter gets a bonus combat-oriented feat in addition to the feat that any 1st-level character gets and the bonus feat granted to a human character. The fighter gains an additional bonus feat at 2nd level and every two fighter levels thereafter (4th, 6th, 8th, 10th, 12th, 14th, 16th, 18th, and 20th). These bonus feats must be drawn from the feats noted as fighter bonus feats. A fighter must still meet all prerequisites for a bonus feat, including ability score and base attack bonus minimums.

Woo, fighter! Generic but no flaws, again. Can't really be the fighter without bonus feats, anyway.


Fighting Style: Fighters come from many walks of life, and therefore learn to capitalize on their strengths. A fighter must choose a style at level one. You will use the associated score for martial discipline ability that require a stat modifier. Skills based on the chosen ability score are considered class skills.


Mighty (Str): You fight through strength and power. You may increase the max dexterity bonus of your armor by your strength modifier.
Stalwart (Con): You are paragon of toughness and survivability. You have a d12 hit die.
Agile (Dex): You are a master of swift movement and attack control. You have a "good" reflex save.
Tactical (Int): You are a cunning master of tactics. You have 4 skill points per level base instead of 2. This gives you 16 base at level one.
Zen (Wis): You are a warrior who battles through focus and determination. You have a "good" will save.
Dashing (Cha): You are known for your flash maneuvers and your scarring words. You may make an intimidate check as a free action when drawing or sheathing your weapon.


Tactical could probably be improved; no class should have 2+int skill points anyway. Mighty is really pointless; fighters with high strength wear heavy armor and dump dex, so there's no point to having it, and why would a str focused warrior get a benefit to dex, anyway? Dashing is broken because with quick draw you can infinitely intimidate every round.

Martial Prowess (Ex): Fighters aren't known to do magical or psionic stunts, or bend reality's laws, but they can do pretty amazing things through training and body control. At level 3 and every odd level afterwords, a fighter may choose an ability from the list below. You may only choose an ability once unless noted otherwise. Unless noted otherwise, all these abilities are extraordinary, and function inside an anti-magic field.


Quick Footed
You gain a +10ft. insight bonus to run speed. You may take up to 3 times, and the benefits stack.

Unless you want the class to only be faster while taking a run action, I think you mean move speed.


Press the Advantage
You may add your strength as a circumstance bonus to damage when charging.

That's pretty nice for chargers; +10~15 damage per attack on a pounce is pretty nice


Brawling
You deal 1d6 damage while unarmed. You also can attack with unarmed strikes while armed.

So... does this add to your full attack, or is it just that you can use unarmed attacks while armed? If so, I'm pretty sure you can already do that (or at least, monk's can) by knee bashing somebody. Unless this gives you extra attacks, it's pretty worthless.


Tactics Training
You may add your intelligence modifier to bull rush, grapple, trip, disarm, and sunder attempts.

It's like being a factotum, but without the factotum levels! This is very useful for any of those types of builds, because even if they don't have super high int, 14 int and a +4 item of int is a +4 to everything, which is pretty nice.


Insightful Aim
You gain an insight bonus equal to your intelligence modifier to ranged attacks.

And with this one (though insight seems to be more about wisdom) you can ignore dex for ranged builds.


Zen Focus
You may spend a standard action to enter a zen focus. When in a zen focus, you may add your wisdom modifier to your attack rolls.

How long does zen focus last? You might as well just say you add wisdom to all attack rolls, though splitting it into ranged and melee like the int one would still keep it useful.


Dazzling Display
You may make an intimidate check as a free action when making a full attack. If it succeeds, the target is dazzled for 1d4 rounds.

Isn't an actual intimidate attempt better than this? A -1 penalty to attack rolls just doesn't stack up to all the other abilities thus far.


Unrelenting Strikes
When making a full round attack, you may make an additional attack at your highest bonus, but you take a -2 penalty to armor class for the following round.

So you double your damage output at level one for a -2 penalty to AC... this is pretty nuts. Especially since most charger builds rely on shock troopering their AC to all hell anyway, and an extra attack never hurts.


Dirty Fighting
As a swift action that provokes an attack of opportunity, you kick sand into your opponent's eyes, making them take a -2 penalty to attack rolls, spot checks, and search checks.

So is there any counter to this? If you get hit, does it not work? How long does the penalty last? It's basically super dazzling, making your flourish thing earlier even more redundant.



Shield Adept
You may treat any non-tower shield as light for the purpose of Two Weapon Fighting, and may effectively apply spikes to tower shields and bucklers.

Shield bashers rejoice! How do bucklers work, though; can't you already wear them with two weapons and not bash with them?


Wall of Blades
When you make a full round attack with two weapons you may add your dexterity modifier to your armor class as a shield bonus until your next round.

With a way to get shield to touch AC, this is pretty good for TWF tanks. Even without it, it's not bad.


Powerful Build
You are considered one size category larger.

So are you one size larger, or just one size larger when beneficial like powerful build? There is a difference.


Martial Artist
Requires: Brawl
You deal 1d8 damage with unarmed strikes.

Stop making these crappy things. I can deal 1d8 with a simple weapon, why would I want to spend two bonuses, which can get me a lot more, to get the same damage with unarmed? What it probably should be is something like "you gain the monk unarmed strike progression" as one ability (still not that useful) and then other benefits with it; 2x power attacks, unarmed deflections, etc. Stuff that makes unarmed strikes cool and useful, not 1 average damage more.


Brutal Bleeding
You cause your targets to bleed when you score a critical hit against them, causing them to take 1d4 damage each round for 1d4+strength modifier rounds.

This is not really that useful. It's not reliable, the damage is low, and a duration longer than five rounds will probably never happen anyway.


Second Skin
When wearing hide armor, you may add your constitution modifier to the armor bonus it provides.

That is pretty nice. Not sure why it only works with hide armor, but it's not bad for tankey builds.


Improved Dirty Fighting
Requires: Dirty Fighting
Activating Dirty Fighting no longer provokes an attack of opportunity, and the penalty increases to -4.

So it's a free -4 to the enemies attack rolls? Useful.


Battlefield Command
You may make a Knowledge (History) check with a DC of 15. If you succeed, you may move one character 5ft, and an additional 5ft. for each additional 5 over the DC you make.

What is the range on this, the action, can an enemy save, and can it put them in lethal situations? By which I mean, as it is worded, for a standard action (since it's not mentioned) you can move anybody in the world 5 feet or more with no save, into lava, or acid, or something else lethal. It should probably have a range and, on enemies, a saving throw/be unable to put them in directly harmful areas.


Weak Points
You may make a Knowledge check of the kind associated with a nearby creature you are aware of. You gain an insight bonus equal to half the result, rounded down to attack rolls against the target.

It's like knowledge devotion but it makes you automatically hit instead of "just" a +5. This is pretty OP. What is the action, by the way?


Shield Expert
Requires: Shield Adept
You consider tower shields light and may apply any enchantment bonuses as though the shield is both a weapon and a shield.

Uhh... how does that work, exactly? Does that mean that a +2 shield is now +2 AC and +2 attack and damage? Can I apply both attack and defensive things to it, like a +2 flaming animated shield? What's the cost; shield cost, or weapon cost? The extra benefit isn't that useful, anyway; you can just enchant the spikes and get the bonuses anyway. All this does is save you some money in exchange for having a much lower enhancement threshold.


Zen Striking
Requires: Zen Focus
When in a zen focus, you may apply your wisdom modifier to damage rolls.

This is useful, however, how long does it take?


Dazzling Defense
You may make an intimidate check as a free action while fighting defensively. You ma add your charisma as a circumstance bonus to attacks made from the effected target.

The way it's worded, your charisma bonus benefits the guy attacking you if you succeed. I think you might want to reword this one, because I can't tell what it means.


Shield Master
Requires: Shield Expert
You gain a bonus to attack and damage rolls equal to your constitution modifier when attacking with a shield. In addition, you may throw a shield with the range of a shuriken without penalty.

All these "X stats to Y" are nice, but don't solve the underlying melee problem; this just gives you higher numbers than everybody else, but it's still only the warblade part making this better than a fighter.


Improved Martial Artist
Requires: Martial Artist
Your unarmed strikes deal 2d6. You also may apply your choice of strength, wisdom, or dexterity modifier to bull rush, grapple, trip, disarm, and sunder attempts.

Why does it take three feats just to get unarmed strikes up to the par you can get with one weapon (actually worse for PAing and charging)?


Greater Unrelenting Strikes
Requires: Unrelenting Strikes
You may make another attack at highest bonus in addition to the one made from Unrelenting Strikes.

Holy crap, two free attacks? I know by this time you have four iteratives, but for a very small AC penalty, getting two free attacks is nuts.


Zen Dodging
Requires: Zen Focus
While in a zen focus, you gain your wisdom modifier as an insight bonus to your armor class.

Again, what is the duration?


Dizzying Intellect
You may add your intelligence modifier to feinting attempts.

People use feints?


Dazzling Barrage
Requires: Dazzling Display
You may bluff as a free action, and when you successfully feint against a target, you may add your charisma modifier to the damage rolls.

People use feints? It seems like without a way to make them free, they're useless.


Steel Skin
Requires: Second Skin
You gain DR 5/Adamantium when wearing hide armor.

DR, useful, but again, all of these are just numerical bonuses, with no way to make the fighter more unique than "warblade with higher numbers."


Brute Tactics
You may add your twice your strength modifier to bull rush, grapple, trip, disarm, and sunder attempts.

OK, this is pretty amazingly powerful for any of those. Combine that with the int one and you are absurd at all of these.


Greater Martial Artist
Requires: Improved Martial Artist
You deal 2d8 damage with unarmed strikes, and you may add your dexterity modifier as precision based damage when attacking unarmed. Your unarmed strike also deals x3 damage on a critical.

OK, four tactics in, and you've got less than you can get with one for melee, and the stats required are worse than the stats for the melee ones, and the only thing you get is your dex modifier as precision damage, which probably isn't all that huge considering it doesn't affect your attack rolls.

[
B]Massive Swing[/B]
Requires: Brutal Blows
You may chose to push a target 5ft. back with an attack from a two-handed weapon, or a weapon of one or more size categories larger then you.

Is this a free action? Is there no save?


[/spoiler]Minimum Level 20[spoiler]Mobile Fortress
Requires: Steel Skin, Shield Master
You gain DR 10/Adamantium, and may add the shield bonus from two shields to your armor class while wielding them. You also take no penalty to attacking with two shields of any size beyond normal two weapon fighting penalties.

OK, you get no penalty from shields of any size? I attack you with my colossal ++++++++++++++++ tower shields. I think you meant of any type, not size. This is... useful? Dual shield bashing is very useful with this line, but the DR/adamantium isn't all that great.


Grandmaster of Martial Arts
Requires: Greater Martial Artist
Your unarmed strikes deal 3d6 and now critical on roll of 19-20. You also may make an additional attack at your highest bonus.

Five tactics into the chain, and you now deal slightly higher base damage with your attacks than with a weapon, can't do anything but punch as well as them, you're more MAD than the others, and you get the extra attack far later than you could by just getting unrelenting strikes. Even in your fighter fix, the monk analogue chain is bad.


Zen Soldier
Requires: Zen Focus, Zen Striking, Zen Dodging
You may enter a zen focus as a free action, and may ignore up to your wisdom modifier of either armor bonus, natural armor, or damage reduction.

OK, so you get essentially your wisdom bonus to attack rolls a second time, meaning that you get wisdom to damage, AC, and attack rolls twice.


Exploit Opening
Requires: Weak Points
You may treat your first attack each round on the target of your Weak Points ability as a critical threat.

Free criticals = LIGHTNING MACES. Combine with lightning mace, enjoy extra attacks. Since weak point lets you autohit, this is pretty powerful.


Bladestorm
Requires: Greater Unrelenting Strikes, Wall of Blades
You may move 10ft. between each attack in a full round attack while attacking with two weapons. This includes before the first attack.

Well, that's useful, I guess.


Legendary Visage
Requires: Dazzling Barrage, Dazzling Display
You may make a single intimidate check against all people who see you and consider you hostile once a round as a free action. If successful, the targets are shaken. People who consider you friendly gain a +2 morale bonus to attack, and damage rolls, as well as armor class.

+2 aura to AC, attack, and damage for you and your allies, and finally actually shakening people with an intimidate attempt, and it's a check every round. This is pretty powerful.


Might of the Dragons
You gain a +4 bonus to strength, and may apply twice your strength modifier to attack and damage rolls with two-handed weapons and one and one half your strength modifier to attack and damage rolls with one handed weapons.


Holy crap you basically just doubled the use of a melee classes key stat. This is pretty nuts.

Here are my overall comments: All this is, balance wise, is a warblade with bigger numbers, a worse refresh mechanic, (but surmountable, by refreshing as a full round action) and big numbers tacked on. It doesn't make the fighter T2, it just makes it a higher 3 because, again, it's a warblade with bigger numbers, which is hardly going to let it get past the magic defenses that plague all melee classes.

As far as a fighter remake goes, it's... well, it's the fighter, with a warblade taped on, and then some bonuses to numbers taped on the odd levels. Not really a remake so much as a "pile numbers on until the numbers work" thing, and if it didn't have maneuvers, it would probably still be T4 just because it doesn't have anything unique to add besides hitting stuff (and maneuvers).

Mongoose87
2010-04-16, 08:30 PM
I'd try something like this for the maneuvers:

Choose one discipline, excluding Shadow Hand, Iron Heart and Devoted Spirit.

Each time you reach high enough initiator level, you learn the new level of maneuvers from that discipline.

You can ready as many maneuvers as a Warblade, but refresh as a Swordsage.

Morth
2010-04-16, 08:35 PM
I'd try something like this for the maneuvers:

Choose one discipline, excluding Shadow Hand, Iron Heart and Devoted Spirit.

Each time you reach high enough initiator level, you learn the new level of maneuvers from that discipline.

You can ready as many maneuvers as a Warblade, but refresh as a Swordsage.

Okay, major part of the overhaul complete.