Rebuilding knight base class into prestige class

[Noodles2375]

In the game I'm DM'ing now for mostly new players, we started with all base classes available only from the SRD. As they've played a bit, I've wanted to open up some prestige classes and other content to them, in particular, the fighter, who is a big fan of Dragon Age, asked if there is any in-game way he could try to draw enemy attackers away from the squishy folk. I was thinking about rebuilding the Knight base class into a prestige class for him to get into around level 6/7:

All of the class abilities are just taken from the web excerpt here:
http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ex/20060501a&page=2

Knight, Prestige Class

Requirements:
BAB: +5
Alignment: Any Non-chaotic
Skills: Knowledge (nobility and royalty) 4 ranks.
Feats: Armor Proficiency (Heavy), Shield Proficiency(all),
Special: Must have voluntarily followed the Knight's Code of Conduct for the entire previous level with few-to-no lapses.

Class Skills: Climb, Diplomacy, Handle Animal, Intimidate, Jump, Knowledge (nobility and royalty), Ride, and Swim

Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 2 + Int modifier

Hit Die: 1d12

{table="head"]Level|BAB|Fort|Ref|Will|Special

1st|+1|+2|+0|+2| Knight's Code, Knight's Challenge - Fighting Challenge, Shield Ally

2nd|+2|+3|+0|+3| Shield Block +1

3rd|+3|+3|+1|+3| Knight's Challenge - Test of Mettle, Bulwark of Defense

4th|+4|+4|+1|+4| Armor Mastery (medium)

5th|+5|+4|+1|+4| Knight's Challenge - Call to Battle, Vigilant Defender

6th|+6|+5|+2|+5| Shield Block +2

7th|+7|+5|+2|+5| Knight's Challenge - Bonds of Loyalty

8th|+8|+6|+2|+6| Armor Mastery (heavy), Imp Shield Ally

9th|+9|+6|+3|+6| Knight's Challenge - Loyal Beyond Death,

10th|+10|+7|+3|+7| Shield Block +3, Impetuous Endurance
[/table]

Knight's Code - See above link for code of behavior

Knight's Challenge - See above link. They may be used a number of times per day equal to your class level + cha modifier.



Fighting Challenge - lasts for 5 + cha mod rounds. Gives you +1 to attack, damage, and will saves from the target. Increases to +2 at 4th, +3 at 7th, +4 at 10th. Target must be CR >= character level - 2.

Test of Mettle - Everything within 100 ft and with CR >= character level - 2, makes a will save against DC 10 + class level + cha mod. Creatures that fail must attack you in preference to all other targets.

Call to Battle - Grants an ally another save against a fear effect. They get a bonus equal to cha mod.

Bonds of Loyalty - Grant yourself an additional save against mind affecting spell or ability. Usable only once per round. Can be used even if someone is controlling your mind or actions.

Loyal Beyond Death - Each round you're below 0 hp, you can spend a knight challenge to remain conscious and continue to act.

Shield Block - The Knight's shield provides an additional +X against one chosen foe.

Bulwark of Defense - Enemies treat threatened square around the Knight as difficult terrain.

Armor Mastery - The Knight ignores speed restrictions from med, heavy armor

Vigilant Defender - Enemies tumble DC's to avoid AoO's from the Knight increase by 10 + class level. ex. A rogue that tried to tumble through an 8th level Knight's threatened squares must succeed on a tumble check vs. DC33.

Shield Ally - As an immediate action, until his next turn, the knight may absorb half of the physical damage one adjacent ally would take.

Improved Shield Ally - As an immediate action, after an attack has succeeded on an adjacent ally but before damage is rolled, the Knight may choose to absorb all of the physical damage that would be dealt by the attack. Moreover, he may continue absorbing half the damage from other physical attacks as per Shield Ally.

Impetuous Endurance - The Knight no longer automatically fail savings throws on a natural 1.

Thoughts on this re-building of the Knight as a prestige class? Is it way more powerful than I think for a melee player? Considering there is a wizard 5, a druid 5, a Fighter 1/Wilder 4, a Fighter 2/Rogue 3, and a Bard 5 in the party, would this be unbalancing considering the player who was interested in it is currently a Fighter 5?

Edit 1: Changed requirements to eliminate the mounted combat theme. Unnecessary.

[Realms of Chaos]

I can't help but notice that you've posted this class up twice. :smallwink:

[Noodles2375]

Ah! My bad, my internet has been really laggy today, and I must have double posted by accident :smalleek:

[Realms of Chaos]

What bonus does fighting challenge give you? I remember it scaling up with your level but nothing here is mentioned? What are you planning on using here? +1 per 2 levels? Your charisma modifier? What?

[Noodles2375]

Thank you for bringing that to me attention.

Summary:

fighting challenge - lasts for 5 + cha mod rounds. Gives you +1 to attack, damage will saves from the target. Increases to +2 at 4th, +3 at 7th, +4 at 10th.

Test of Mettle - Everything within 100 ft and with CR >= character level - 2, makes a will save against DC 10 + class level + cha mod. Creatures that fail must attack you in preference to all other targets.

Call to Battle - Grants an ally another save against a fear effect. They get a bonus equal to cha mod.

Bonds of Loyalty - Grant yourself an additional save against mind affecting spell or ability. Usable only once per round. Can be used even if someone is controlling your mind or actions.

Loyal Beyond Death - Each round you're below 0 hp, you can spend a knight challenge to remain conscious and continue to act.

[boomwolf]

Well, my take on this is that this is balance if if the player that took it was not a fighter 5.

After all, the Knight base class is, despite its great concept, a pretty lame class. and of the lowest tiers.

I'd rather play this version of the knight then the former, as it is so much better, and actually makes a lot ore sense then the current version.

However I would have changed the requirements NOT to include ride and mounted combat (a knight is not necessary riding one, you can be a non-mounted knight. and while the original had a bit on Calvary it was weak and pointless)

Instead I would have added a special requirements "Must have willingly followed the Knight Code of Honor the entire previous level", and the shield feats from PHB2 or complete warrior (like shield charge+slam or Shield Specialization), makes alot more sense then ride with the shield focus of the knight.

[Noodles2375]

Boomwolf:

I hear you loud and clear on the tier disparity in the group. If I had my way completely, I'd like everyone to be tier 2-4ish , but since two of the players were just getting into 3.X from 2nd edition they felt like familiar classes would be helpful. I've banned Natural Spell, the Wizard likes making things go boom more than he likes shaping the battlefield, so I think for a time we may be ok.

Mechanically, I really like your suggestions for the pre-req's and I think I'm going to change them accordingly. I was sort of on auto-pilot writing them, and thinking carefully about it, the mounted combat thing doesn't even fit particularly well into our campaign or with what this guy likes to do anyway.

Thanks for chiming in!

[boomwolf]

Well, glad to hear you like it, its always nice to be appreciated, even if they only appreciate your own appreciation of their work. :P

Anyway, as-is entry is a bit easy, especially for games that might start later on. (say, level 7 games.) you might want to add SOMETHING to it. (probably something your buddy already has. does he have Combat Expertise?)

Anyway, I'm adding this to my list of homebrews (despite not being mine), its just too much of a good base-to-prc conversion.

Actually you gave me an idea to start making my own base-to-prc conversions.

[Noodles2375]

He does already have Combat Expertise, he is the most experienced other player and is big on "Keeping Squishy People Alive", so he hops into the front lines with CE online. The whole defensive fighting/tanking seems to work really well for this class so I think I might add that also.

I think the base-to-prc idea is a very very good itch to scratch, I've noticed anytime I start a game, especially with new people, it is almost always easiest to tell them to check out the SRD, but then once they've played a little bit and gotten a feel for the game they really enjoy/appreciate the existence of options. At that point they've sort of missed the prime opportunity for exploring base classes.

Glad you liked it, thanks for the feedback!