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Demonman
2010-09-14, 02:36 AM
Could not think of what else to call it. Simply put, it's a strict upgrade to the 3.5 fighter. Hopefully atleast turning him into a tier 3 class. (As I don't think it's good enough for tier 2)

The concept is to take the artificer's imbuing capabilities and apply them to the fighter. The difference is the fighter does not craft magic items. He simply powers them up. (Mostly for himself) As well, the imbuing powers of a fighter are not a flat list like the artificer's imbue list. But rather, level 0 to 9 spells that act like their spell counterpart, but perhaps more limited. Here are some examples...

Fireball (Level 3 Imbue Power)
Piercing damage dealing weapon.
Along with weapons normal damage, the target is dealt +1d6 per fighter level (max 10d6) additional fire damage. Reflex save halves.

Blindness/Deafness (Level 2 Imbue Power)
Slashing damage dealing or martial weapon.
Along with the weapon's normal damage, target must make a fortitude save or become blinded or deafened.

Shield (Level 1 Imbue Power)
Shields. (Except tower shields)
Increase the shield bonus of a shield by +4.

Mage Armor (Level 1 Imbue Power)
Armor (Except heavy armor)
Increase the armor bonus of an armor by +4.


I'm thinking a fighter has a number of "slots" he can imbue into items to emulate spells when he strikes opponents, (or alternatively into his armor/shields to defend) The imbue power will list what sortof weapons/armor it can be used on. The number of slots a fighter can use at a time are equal to his fighter level. (A feat will allow him to increase the number of slots he has by one. Finally a reason for bonus feats!) The number of slots an imbue power takesup is equal to it's level+1. So those three listed would cost eleven slots.

To imbue a weapon would take a full-round action per level (starting at zero) of the imbued power. Essentially having to "prepare" like vancian magic if it's high enough level. (As they'll be eating up entire rounds to imbue at higher levels!) You may dismiss at anytime an imbued item's power as a free action.

So this example alone. Without taking feats to improve the potential for slots further... a level 11 fighter is granted a total +8 to his AC from mage armor/shield imbues, is whipping out 10d6 extra fire damage with a reflex have, and a possible blinding/defening effect. While it certainly sounds psychodramatic. I'm not trying to compare him to the mundaneness of a normal fighter, but to the theatrics of tome and battle or even other casters. Can he compete?

As far as which key stat is used to determine an imbue power's DC. That should be based on the weapon you're wielding.

Ranged or light weapons: Dexterity.
Melee weapons: Strength

As part of this new phenomona, weapon finesse will now allow you to use your dexterity for DC of imbued powers for weapons that would otherwise be strength based. (Just like you're not using attack rolls based off dex)



In some ways, I still think it's a bit less fantastic then spellcasters. It requires time, (though not as much arbitary time as a preperation caster, but spontanous casters have abstract per day that exceeds imbue slots) the limited imbue slots will be far more noticable when you start using higher end spells and you simply use multiple low level to accomodate... and the fact that most of them are either defensive, or require first a successful attack roll. A caster does not have to wait to see if his attack succeeds to use fireball, and has a much farther range then any arrow. But the fighter's dishing out more damage on average, and has the benefits of a plethora of weapons, armor, high hit die, and bonus feats to choose from.



Ofcourse, if boundaries are not set, it could become a tier 2, maybe even tier 1 class. Because it could do anything a wizrard or cleric could do, just one at a time. (Or should I say two at a time. A Level 20 fighter could forge his weapon with two level 9 spells. Whilest it would seem silly to let him attach wish to his bastard sword, he could put power word: kill and energy drain on it, and if they're not at <100HP, they soon will be with 2d4 negative levels with four friggin' attacks!)


Mindyou, I do not think about the full consequinces of my ideas. While certainly that does sound broken, my thought is; "it's level 20, it's SUPPOSED to be broken". People have a very slanted view toward the fighter, and I'm not sure why. But I understand how the implications of a player who knows what he's doing invites too much abuse to let them go haywire. Which is why the spells have limitations in what weapons they can be imbued in, and ontop of that, I encourage maybe some sortof "imbue limited spell list" like a sorcerer. Maybe half the sorcerer's known spell list.






If you like this idea, I have some other great ideas for lower tier classes and even some higher tier. For example, the ninja class of complete adventurer getting to summon poisons for use and having higher critical hit success then any other class. Or expanding the warlock's invocation list and introducing recharge magic like in unearthed arcana to some of them if they're fairly powerful. (Basically turning D&D into WoW)

Morph Bark
2010-09-14, 05:37 AM
Imbuing spells into weapons to add damage and effects to attacks? That is already the Duskblade's shtick, so adding that to the Fighter AND make it all wizard/cleric stuff up to level 9 makes a perfectly good Tier 3 class completely overshadowed in his own particular niche. Plus, two spells at a time, permanently, in those strikes? If he can then also imbue his boots so he can fly and then get in enough speed to reach his foes, the Wizard will also feel small in the pants.

Tetrasodium
2010-09-14, 10:13 AM
Shield and mage armor don't stack with actual armor and actual shields since they give an armor/shield bonus. Casting mage armor on a fighter in any kind of armor that grants 4 or more AC does nothing except protect him a bit against incorporeal attacks, likewise with shield plus some magic missile defense.

Fireball and blindness on every attack?!?! Most spell-like weapon enhancements are one of a few types:
- A minor all the time bonus like +1d6 fire damage from flaming
- A large sometimes bonus against certain types of targets like +2d6 damage & +2 tohit(?) for mage-slayer or whatever it is or some of the alignment effects.
- A spiffy on-crit effect with a reasonable save they might fail at certain levels or certain targets, destruction for example.
- A large spike of damage on crit, flaming/holy/anarchic birst type effects for example.
- An all the time every strike effect with a low save, everyone rolls a 1 eventually.
- An all the time every strike effect that does something minor, -1 strength/hit.
- An all the time effect that does something major and might hurt the wielder too, the lifedrinker axe that bestows negative level each attack for example.

Flaming burst does 1d10-4d10 (average 5-20) depending on the crit multiplier for example. Fireball does up to 10d6 with a higher minimum, average, and max on every strike is way too powerful, essentially you would be creating an epic weapon if it had even a low + to it already.