PDA

View Full Version : Pathfinder Prestige Class: Dragoon Knight



IMpish
2010-11-17, 05:41 PM
Origins: Originally inspired by final fantasy, but it quickly changed into something else entirely.
I would like some insight into how well I did, both in terms of of how fun it would be, if it is too powerful, etc. My first attempt at something like this, so I don't expect high marks. Kind of long, but I would also like tips on how to shorten it.
Dragoon Knight
Dragoon Knights are an ancient order that developed to challenge a cabal of dragons that attempted to take over human lands. Few legends exist from that era, but they are still here and the cult has disappeared, so we can infer their success. Today they are some the fiercest warriors in the world, and have a hand in almost any dragon related conquest. Dragoons take an oath to protect the world from the spawn of Tiamat, but have no illusions that they do it for religion. They are strictly serving their own interests, or the interests of the people and countries they serve. Many of their abilities were developed to level the playing field when fighting dragons, such as jumping to reach a flying dragon or stopping them from flying away in the first place.

The path of the dragoon can be reached by any reasonably athletic class, but fighters and paladins make the best dragoons. The broad spectrum that comprises the fighter has the most benefit for the dragoon, and the abilities of the paladin complement the dragoon well. Dragoons garner a significant number of their ranks from those wishing to protect others without the stigma of zealotry. They come from all walks of life, and the only thing they have have in common is the willingness to hunt down the most dangerous creatures known to man.

Role: A dragoon serves as a specialist who closes in on the enemy and ensures they cannot escape. They developed this to prevent the dragons they hunt from escaping when they were worn down. He is a powerful warrior when alone, but truly excels when he sees comrades making use of his entrapping abilities. A dragoon can also reach places impossible to reach by normal means, with his jump abilities. This can later mimic the functions of the fly spell, and he can reach just about anywhere.

Alignment: Becoming a dragoon is a hard process which involves rigorous training at the hands of an experienced warrior trained in the dragoon´s methods. This training requires a high amount of discipline, and this leads to the responsibilities that they have to fulfill. Alignment has little to do with killing dragons, but the never ending quest usually infuriates anyone of the chaotic alignment. The oath to hunt evil dragons is a hard one to fulfill, and naturally dangerous, but it yields rewards that anyone can enjoy. For the good, there is the knowledge that many people who would have fallen shall not. Evil dragoons may enjoy the abilities freely and loot the hoards of the dragons they kill.

Hit Die: d10

Requirements
To qualify to become a dragoon, a character must fulfill all the following criteria.
Alignment: Any Non-Chaotic.
Skills: Acrobatics 5
Weapon Proficiency: Proficient with at least one polearm or spear.
Feats: Quick-draw, Weapon Focus(one polearm or spear), Dodge, Mobility
Special: You must gain the apprenticeship of an experienced Master Dragoon. You must do a service for the warrior of a martial nature, such as passing a physical test or killing a dangerous monster alone. Initial training takes one month. You may then have to periodically perform many such services for this Master, until you have reached Master level yourself.

Class Skills
The dragoon class skills are Acrobatics, Climb, Diplomacy, Escape Artist, Intimidate, Ride, Stealth, Swim.
Skill Ranks at Each Level: 2 + Int modifier
Dragoon Knight
{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special

1st|
+1|
+1|
+1|
+0|Jump, Dragon Hunter

2nd|
+2|
+1|
+1|
+1|Dive Bomb

3rd|
+3|
+2|
+2|
+1|Impale, Fast Movement

4th|
+4|
+2|
+2|
+1|Flying Charge

5th|
+5|
+3|
+3|
+2|Impale

6th|
+6|
+3|
+3|
+2|Steel Rain, Fast Movement

7th|
+7|
+4|
+4|
+2|Impale

8th|
+8|
+4|
+4|
+3|Dragoon Flight

9th|
+9|
+5|
+5|
+3|Impale, Fast Movement

10th|
+10|
+5|
+5|
+3|Dragoon Knight Master[/table]

Class Features
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Dragoons are proficient with all simple weapons and martial weapons of the polearm and spear groups, as defined by the Fighter Weapon Training list. Dragoons are proficient with light armor and medium armor, as well as light shields, but medium and heavy armor hinder some of his special abilities.

Jump: As a supernatural ability, a dragoon may use Jump as per the spell, except he may only use it for 1 action per dragoon level per day. He uses it as a caster equal to his total dragoon level. If he has the spell Jump cast on him, the bonuses stack. He can only use this ability on himself, but he can carry up to his heavy load in weight. This ability disappears when wearing medium or heavy armor.

Dragoons are also naturally more skilled at jumping. As an extraordinary ability, a dragoon jumps a number of feet equal to his acrobatics check. This means if he rolls 10 and has a modifier of 8, he can jump a total of 18 feet, horizontally or vertically. He does not have take the total number, this is just his maximum distance. This ability goes away when using medium or heavy armor. They also ignore any armor or weight penalty for jumping when wearing light armor. Additionally, he has a bonus to his acrobatics check when jumping or lessening a fall equal to his Dragoon level.

The dragoon does not have to initiate a long jump with a running start. He can instead propel himself from a standing position, in any direction he wishes. Any jump he makes counts as a move action. Due to the great distance dragoons can jump, they have the possibility of making long high jumps. Treat this the same as moving diagonally through squares, with every five feet in height counting as five feet in in the second direction. If he makes a long high jump at a diagonal angle, count every 5 foot square twice, rather than every other 5 foot square.

Dragoons are still subject to distance restrictions based on movement speed, and so cannot jump higher or further than his move. If he makes a jump check that is greater than his move speed, he does not gain any more distance beyond his move speed. As soon as he has made the decision to jump, he must make an acrobatics check, and must state the target number. He then must either take that number, if he makes the check, or whatever the result is, unless it is higher than his target. He may also claim his target distance as his move speed, so he will always take the result.

A dragoon may use a standard action in the same round as a jump action, including normal attacks and grabbing onto things. On the fall from jump, or any other fall, he can make an acrobatics check to divert falling damage he would take. Rather than only being able to ignore the first 10 feet with a DC 15 check, he can ignore 10 feet for every 15 he exceeds the DC 15 check. So, a 30 allows him to ignore 20 feet, a 45 allows him to ignore 30 feet, and so on. The bonus he gets from a jump cast does apply, but only at half potency. He can only do this if he forgoes any other action in that turn.

Fast Movement: At every 3rd level, a dragoon's leg muscles become so developed that his speed is increased. At each of those levels, his base speed increases by 10 feet, to a total 30 feet by 9th level. This ability only works when he is wearing light or no armor, and goes away when he is carrying a medium or heavy load.

Dragon Hunter: The main purpose behind a dragoon´s power is to hunt down evil dragons, even though their abilities work on just about any creature they fight. However, they do gain specific training against dragons, be they good or evil. This takes the form of the ability to evade many of the dragons attacks and magic, and the ability to deal extra damage to dragons.

A dragoon automatically gains the benefits of the Evasion feat against a dragon´s breath attack. This does not grant him the feat or the virtual feat, but is good against any dragon breath attack. They also gain a dodge bonus to their AC when fighting a creature with the dragon subtype of half their dragoon level. This bonus goes from +0 at 1st level to +5 at 10th level. Finally, he gains SR against a dragons spells and spell-like-abilities of 10+dragoon level. This does not stack with any other SR, and is only good against dragons.

Additionally, they gain bonuses to attack and defense when fighting creatures with the draconic subtype. They gain a bonus of half their dragoon level to attack and damage. This bonus goes from +0 at 1st level to +5 at 10th level. This bonus is derived from training, and so is considered non-magical, but surpasses damage reduction as a magical bonus would. This bonus does stack with other bonuses. Only count the highest bonus when determining whether or not the weapon will break damage reduction.

Jump Attack: A dragoon may use four different special abilities in concert with a Jump action. In the same turn that he made a jump move action, depending on the type of jump, he may use one of these abilities. All of these actions take a full round with the jump included, and can be used in concert with an impale maneuver. He gains one of these attacks at 2nd level and at each even level until 8th, in a set order. These attacks may only be used with polearms or spears.

Meteor Strike: At 2nd level, he can dive at an enemy from great heights. If he makes a jump height of at least 10 feet, he can land using his polearm and an enemy as a cushion. He translates all falling damage he would normally take into piercing damage from his weapon. This counts as a charge action, incurring all the normal bonuses and penalties. This attack may not be used with a height greater than the physical ceiling. He may also use this ability if he just drops on an enemy, and only has to make an attack. If he fails, he takes falling damage and misses the target. This only works with melee weapons, as he needs to put his body weight behind the attack.

Flying Charge: At 4th level, he gains the ability to jump at an enemy from a great distance and attack. A dragoon makes a long jump, and makes an attack as part of a charge action. He gains a bonus to his attack equal to the number of feet he crossed in the jump divided by ten, which does not stack with the normal charge bonus. This attack incurs attacks of opportunity from anyone at the launch of his jump and at the landing, but all between do not get an attack. In order to use this ability, a dragoon must make an acrobatics check of at least 20, which is the minimum number of feet he can jump and use the ability. If he does not make both checks, he lands in the closest square according to his check, and misses the attack.

Raining Steel: At 6th level, he can make a full attack in place of a normal attack or impale maneuver at the end of any other jump attack. He can make this attack according to his full base attack bonus, and each attack still benefits from the jump. For each subsequent attack, reduce the gained attack or damage dice by one. This reduction cannot put the attack or damage below the normal amount. So, if a dragoon's base attack is 12 and his bonus is 4, his attacks are at +16, +10 and +4. Likewise, if his normal damage is 2d6 and his falling damage is 2d6, his damage is 4d6, 3d6 and 2d6.

Dragoon Flight: At 8th level, as a full move action, a dragoon can execute a second jump in midair, at the expense of a Jump cast. He makes another acrobatics check at the peak of his first jump, and can then propel himself in any direction, even down for double fall damage. The second jump does not get the bonus from the cast, but he may cast it a third time to gain the bonus. He may do this as many times as he wants to, and at any point, but only as long as he has at least one jump cast left. He may even cast it to soak up fall damage, by subtracting the acrobatics check from the fall height, up to his move speed. He may only use 2 jump actions in a round, and 4 jump casts to supplement them. His round ends when he reaches the end of the last action, even if he in the air. His round resumes with him in the same position, and his natural action is to fall downward or towards a specific target, if he initiates another jump attack. This counts as a supernatural ability.

Impale: At 3rd level and every odd level after, the dragoon gains the ability to lodge polearms and spears in their target. As a combat maneuver, instead of just attacking the enemy, he can attempt to drive the weapon into the target's body and use the weapon as a tool. He can gain these abilities in any order, and has all by 9th level. Any of these abilities may be used by ranged and melee weapons. These abilities may be used in place of the attack in a Jump Attack, and any bonuses still apply.

On a successful check, the weapon pierces through the targets entire body, or is embedded in part of the target's body. This does not invoke an attack of opportunity. One of several things can happen from this point. Most piercing combat maneuvers deal 1d6 points of bleed damage per round while impaled, on the turn of the creature. Any creature immune to critical hits is immune to any extra damage from this attack, and any creature with no solid physical form is immune to any of these effects, unless special properties of the weapon allow normal attacks. Multiple polearms or spears may be used for any number of these attacks. There are four impale attacks available to a Dragoon.

Pin Down: If the target is at most one size larger than him, the dragoon may pierce the target and pin them to a nearby object. The target is immobilized and loses any Dexterity or dodge bonuses to their AC. They may still make single attacks at a -4 penalty, or use a combat maneuver to attempt to slide off the other end. The action to remove yourself of the weapon invokes an attack of opportunity, and can be prevented by a any character on the end of the shaft. CMD to get off is 15 or the CMD of that character, whichever is higher. Each attempt can only remove one weapon at a time. This ability cannot be used to pin targets to materials which cannot be pierced, such as stone or metal.

Spearing Prison: Instead of pinning the enemy to something, the dragoon may just run the target through. The weapon sticks out both sides of the enemy freely. The target has full movement, but any character may make a free trip or grapple attempt at a +4 circumstance bonus without invoking an attack of opportunity. Multiple weapons used in this manner allow do not stack bonuses, but each allow 2 people to make use of the bonuses, one at each end of the polearm or spear. It is a move action to get rid of an imprisoning weapon, and cannot be done at all if there is a person using either end.

Dragon Climber: On a target two or more size categories larger than him, a dragoon can only stick a weapon in so far. He makes a use of this impalement by modifying how he moves. First, he or any other character can use the acrobatics skill to balance on the pole now protruding from the targets body to hold on to it. In this position, they gain from ˝ cover from the creatures own body, and can make a single attack in their turn with a one handed or smaller weapon, and has a +4 bonus against that target on all attacks and combat maneuvers. Any person attempting to balance on or hang off of one of these weapons must make a grapple check each turn, and can make use of that bonus. Each weapon may only support one person, and each person may use one weapon in this maneuver.

En Passant: By quickly vaulting through an enemy, a dragoon may change his position relative to the target as an immediate action. When making an attack of opportunity, he has the choice of making a move during the attack that places him in a different square. This is a combat maneuver that places him in any square the target passed through before he made his attack. A dragoon may move a maximum of 20 feet during this maneuver. This maneuver never invokes an attack of opportunity, counts as a normal attack of opportunity in terms of order, deals no extra damage and does not debilitate the target in any other way. He may only do this once, even if he can make multiple attacks of opportunity. This counts as the dragoon's move action for the round after the attack, but he may still take a full round action.

Dragoon Knight Master: At 10th level, the dragoon has reached Master level. He can deal enormous damage through falling on the enemy and can use his weapon as a tool to move around the battlefield, not to mention the prodigious ability to jump several hundred feet high. He now gains two special privileges, one a modification to his powers and the other a social power with other dragoon's as well as those who wish to become dragoons themselves

First, he has progressed so far with his abilities that he can make multiple uses of his impale maneuvers, as with a full attack. He quickly draws a new weapon for each attack, with blinding speed. This works with his Raining Steel ability and his En Passant abilities as well, as long as he can make multiple attacks in a jump and multiple attacks of opportunity. He can use different abilities in a turn, such as a Pin Down and a Spearing Prison. Additionally, a Master Dragoon may use the Meteor Strike and Flying Charge in tandem, converting each die to attack bonus or vice-verse.

Second, he gains renown among nobility and knightly orders. The Master has a +2 bonus on all diplomacy checks against anyone who follows a code of honor, such as other dragoons, monks, chevaliers, knights, paladins, clerics and priests. This bonus also applies to nobility of his home country.

Third, the Master Dragoon is no longer indebted to his former Master. He may take an apprentice who wishes to become a dragoon. This means he must immediately spend 1000 gold and one month of training with his pupil, and gets to extract one service from his pupil. From then on, he may extract 2d8 services from the apprentice, at a rate of one per month at most. After this, the pupil becomes a Master, and is free from any control. A Master may teach only one student per year. The services he may extract from the student dragoon include joining the Master for a certain battle, fetch a guarded minor magic item, or retrieve a valuable piece of information. Other tasks may be undertaken, but if the apprentice falls in the line of duty to the Master, the master may not take another until he has used the Atonement spell to make up to the warrior he sent to his death.

Ex-Dragoons: Any dragoon who becomes chaotic in alignment or does not attempt to fulfill his Master's request cannot gain any more levels in dragoon or loses some of the benefits of being a Master. All of their abilities still function as normal.

Under the first situation, a Master may no longer take an apprentice. He may not take a new apprentice, and if he already has one, they are no longer indebted to him. Atoning means the Master can teach new dragoons again, but he does not regain the servitude of a lost apprentice.

An apprentice dragoon who commits one of these infractions may no longer gain levels in the dragoon class. He may fix this by doing a service for his Master or changing his alignment back from chaotic.