PDA

View Full Version : The Lionheart [3.5 Base Class, Barbarian-type Marshal]



Ziegander
2011-03-22, 10:45 PM
The Lionheart

http://diablo.incgamers.com/gallery/data/509/medium/barbarian-stern-sternum.jpg

"This was my pride long before it was yours. It will yet be mine long after you have fallen," - Megiddo, Venerable Human Lionheart.

Hit Dice: d12
Alignment: Any

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

1st|+1|+2|+0|+2|Pride Leader's Command, War Cub's Challenge

2nd|+2|+3|+0|+3|Uncanny Dodge, Wild Empathy

3rd|+3|+3|+1|+3|Motivate Courage +1

4th|+4|+4|+1|+4|Golden Cub

5th|+5|+4|+1|+4|Lion's Majesty 1/day

6th|+6/+1|+5|+2|+5|Gather the Pride, Pounce

7th|+7/+2|+5|+2|+5|Improved Uncanny Dodge, Lion's Roar

8th|+8/+3|+6|+2|+6|Motivate Courage +2

9th|+9/+4|+6|+3|+6|Improved Command

10th|+10/+5|+7|+3|+7|Lion's Majesty 2/day

11th|+11/+6/+1|+7|+3|+7|Motivate Greatness

12th|+12/+7/+2|+8|+4|+8|Golden Majesty

13th|+13/+8/+3|+8|+4|+8|Motivate Courage +3

14th|+14/+9/+4|+9|+4|+9|Pride Leader's Grace

15th|+15/+10/+5|+9|+5|+9|Lion's Majesty 3/day

16th|+16/+11/+6/+1|+10|+5|+10|Free the Pride

17th|+17/+12/+7/+2|+10|+5|+10|Greater Command

18th|+18/+13/+8/+3|+11|+6|+11|Motivate Courage +4

19th|+19/+14/+9/+4|+11|+6|+11|Motivate Majestics

20th|+20/+15/+10/+5|+12|+6|+12|Kingly Majesty, Lion's Majesty 4/day[/table]

Class Skills (4+Int per level): Balance, Bluff, Climb, Craft, Diplomacy, Escape Artist, Gather Information, Handle Animal, Intimidate, Jump, Knowledge (dungeoneering), Knowledge (nature), Listen, Ride, Profession, Sense Motive, Spot, Survival, and Swim.

Proficiencies: All simple and martial melee weapons, light and medium armor, no shields.

Pride Leader's Command (Ex): Once per round, as a move action, a Lionheart may order a creature he can both see and hear and who can both see and hear the Lionheart to act. This ability takes effect in one of two ways, chosen by the Lionheart. Either the effected creature is granted an immediate extra move action, or is subject to a Command as the spell (saving throw DC 10+1/2Lionheart level+Lionheart's Charisma modifier).

A creature that succeeds on its saving throw against the Command is immune to that effect until the Lionheart deals that creature damage or 24 hours pass, whichever comes first.

This is a Mind-Afflicting, Language Dependent effect.

War Cub's Challenge (Ex): As a swift action a Lionheart may call out a single foe as his quarry. At the end of each of that foe's turns if it did not attack or include the Lionheart as a target of a harmful effect, allies of that foe that can both see and hear the foe and the Lionheart are Confused for 1 round. A foe remains the target of this challenge until the Lionheart issues another against a different foe or until the Lionheart defeats, kills, or forces the surrender of the targeted foe.

Furthermore, if the Lionheart defeats, kills, or forces the surrender of the targeted foe, allies of that foe that can both see and hear the Lionheart, are subject to a Charm Monster effect as the spell (saving throw DC 10+1/2Lionheart level+Lionheart's Charisma modifier) with an effective caster level equal the Lionheart's class level.

This is a Mind-Afflicting, Morale effect.

Uncanny Dodge (Ex): At 2nd level, a Lionheart retains his Dexterity bonus to AC (if any) even if he is caught flat-footed or struck by an invisible attacker. However, he still loses his Dexterity bonus to AC if immobilized. If a Lionheart already has uncanny dodge from a different class, he automatically gains improved uncanny dodge instead.

Wild Empathy (Ex): A 2nd level Lionheart can improve the attitude of an animal. This ability functions just like a Diplomacy check made to improve the attitude of a person. The Lionheart rolls 1d20 and adds his class level and Charisma modifier to determine the wild empathy check result.

The typical domestic animal has a starting attitude of indifferent, while wild animals are usually unfriendly.

To use wild empathy, the Lionheart and the animal must be able to study each other, which means that they must be within 30 feet of one another under normal conditions. Generally, influencing an animal in this way takes 1 minute but, as with influencing people, it might take more or less time.

A Lionheart can also use this ability to influence a magical beast with an Intelligence score of 1 or 2, but he takes a -4 penalty on the check.

Motivate Courage (Ex): Starting at 3rd level, whenever the Lionheart is dealt damage by another creature, until the end of that creature's next turn, allies of the Lionheart gain a +1 morale bonus to attack rolls, to Fortitude and Will saving throws, and deal +1 damage per die on all damage rolls. These bonuses increase by +1 at 8th, 13th, and 18th levels.

Golden Cub (Ex): A 4th level Lionheart is immune to Confusion, Disease, Fear, and Poison and adds his Charisma modifier to all saving throws.

Lion's Majesty (Ex): Starting at 5th level, as a free action a Lionheart may enter a frenzied state, similar to a Barbarian's Rage in some ways. After activating Lion's Majesty a Lionheart temporarily gains a +4 bonus to Strength and Charisma, and benefits from the Powerful Build trait. Unlike a Barbarian's Rage, the Lionheart may use any skills he likes, he may use abilities which require patience or concentration, and he may cast spells and activate magic items.

This Lion's Majesty effect lasts a number of rounds equal to 5+the Lionheart's Constitution modifier, but unlike a Barbarian's Rage, after the effect is over, the Lionheart suffers no ill effects. At 5th level a Lionheart may activate his Lion's Majesty once per day, but gains an additional daily use of this ability every five levels thereafter. A Lionheart may only activate Lion's Majesty once per encounter regardless of how many uses per day he has.

Pounce (Ex): Starting at 6th level, when the Lionheart makes a charge, he can follow with a full attack.

Gather the Pride (Ex): A 6th level Lionheart also benefits from the Leadership feat, except that he may never gain a cohort, not from this ability or any similar ability or feat which would grant a cohort. A Lionheart is able to summon familiars or acquire animal companions without hindrance and may benefit from the Wild Cohort feat as an exception to this rule.

Lion's Roar (Ex): When a 7th level Lionheart selects a foe with his War Cub's Challenge feature, if the Lionheart defeats, kills, or forces the surrender of the targeted foe, allies of that foe are Frightened for 1 minute if they succeed on their Will save against the Charm Monster effect (but not if they fail).

This is a Mind-Afflicting, Morale effect.

Improved Uncanny Dodge (Ex): At 7th level and higher, a Lionheart can no longer be flanked. This defense denies a rogue the ability to sneak attack the Lionheart by flanking him, unless the attacker has at least four more rogue levels than the target has Lionheart levels. If a character already has uncanny dodge from a second class, the character automatically gains improved uncanny dodge instead, and the levels from the classes that grant uncanny dodge stack to determine the minimum level a rogue must be to flank the character.

Improved Command (Ex): When a 9th level Lionheart uses his Pride Leader's Command feature he may order up to one creature per level, no two of which may be more than 30ft apart. When he does this he must choose whether to grant all of the ordered creatures an immediate extra move action or to effect them as the Greater Command spell with an effective caster level equal the Lionheart's class level.

A creature that succeeds on its saving throw against the Greater Command is immune to that effect and to the standard Command effect of the Lionheart's Pride Leader's Command feature until the Lionheart deals that creature damage or 24 hours pass, whichever comes first.

Motivate Greatness (Ex): Starting at 11th level, whenever the Lionheart is dealt damage by another creature, afterward, as long as the Lionheart is threatened by at least one creature, allies of the Lionheart gain two bonus Hit Dice (d10s), the commensurate number of temporary hit points (apply the target’s Constitution modifier, if positive), and a +2 morale bonus to any one ability score, chosen separately by each ally.

Golden Majesty (Ex): Starting at 12th level, the bonuses to Strength and Charisma granted by the Lionheart's Lion's Majesty feature increase to +6 and while his Lion's Majesty is activated he is immune to the Dazed, Fatigued, Exhausted, Paralyzed, and Stunned conditions.

Pride Leader's Grace (Ex): A Lionheart of 14th level and higher inspires his allies to press through difficulties. When a Lionheart selects a foe with his War Cub's Challenge feature, at the end of each of that foe's turns if it did not attack or include the Lionheart as a target of a harmful effect, allies of the Lionheart that can see and hear him are immune to the Confused, Fatigued, Exhausted, Shaken, Frightened, Dazzled, Stunned, and Sickened conditions until the start of the targeted foe's next turn.

Furthermore, if the Lionheart defeats, kills, or forces the surrender of the targeted foe, allies of the Lionheart may remove any or all of the above conditions and also make an additional saving throw against any or all other afflictions currently effecting them with a +2 bonus to their saving throws.

Free the Pride (Ex): When a 16th level Lionheart selects a foe with his War Cub's Challenge feature, if the Lionheart defeats, kills, or forces the surrender of the targeted foe each of the Lionheart's allies benefits from the effects of both a Break Enchantment spell and a Freedom spell each with an effective caster level equal to the Lionheart's class level. The Break Enchantment effect has no maximum bonus to the Lionheart's opposed caster level check and works against spells of any level whether they can be removed with Dispel Magic or not.

Greater Command (Ex): When a 17th level Lionheart uses his Pride Leader's Command he may use a standard action rather than a move action. If he does he may only order a single creature at a time, but he may grant that creature an immediate extra standard action, or he may subject them to a Geas/Quest effect as the spell (although ordered creatures are allowed a Will save to avoid the effect at DC 10+1/2Lionheart level+Lionheart's Charisma modifier) with an effective caster level equal the Lionheart's class level.

A creature that succeeds on its saving throw against the Geas/Quest is immune to that effect for 24 hours, but may still be affected by a Lionheart's Command or Greater Command.

Motivate Majestics (Ex): Starting at 19th level, while the Lionheart benefits from his Lion's Majesty class feature, whenever the Lionheart is dealt damage by another creature, until the end of that creature's next turn, allies of the Lionheart also gain all of the benefits of the Lionheart's Lion's Majesty feature, including his Golden Majesty and Kingly Majesty class features.

Kingly Majesty (Ex): Starting at 20th level, the bonuses to Strength and Charisma granted by the Lionheart's Lion's Majesty feature increase to +8 and while his Lion's Majesty is activated he is treated as two size categories larger in the situations outlined by his Powerful Build trait, he is immune to Charms and Compulsions, and he benefits from a Freedom of Movement effect as the spell.

Blynkibrax
2011-03-23, 09:24 AM
Was I the only one reading this, hoping for a lion animal companion class feature? Or a 'form of a lion' ability? :smallconfused:

Barbarian MD
2011-03-23, 11:14 AM
It honestly didn't cross my mind... But the leadership stuff does leave it open for an animal cohort, so...

All in all, I really like this class. I'll need to read it a couple of times before I have a good grasp of its balance, but it's a class I'd definitely be interested in playing.

Merk
2011-03-23, 11:45 AM
Golden Cub makes 4 levels a very potent dip. Consider spreading some of those immunities out over the course of the progression. Also, you may want to consider a line preventing the Cha to saves stacking with similar abilities (like Paladin 2 / Lionheart 4).

Ziegander
2011-03-23, 03:42 PM
Golden Cub makes 4 levels a very potent dip. Consider spreading some of those immunities out over the course of the progression. Also, you may want to consider a line preventing the Cha to saves stacking with similar abilities (like Paladin 2 / Lionheart 4).

A 3rd level Paladin offers all of those immunities except immunity to Confusion making Golden Cub comparable but with a larger level commitment. Since neither the Paladin nor any other class has the nonstacking clause I see no issue here.

Added Wild Empathy at 2nd level and made a minor edit to a couple class features.

Pride Leader's Grace and Free the Pride are a bit redundant. I might fold them into each other and then find a replacement class feature for 16th level. What does everyone think?

Shark Uppercut
2011-03-24, 08:04 PM
Nice.
Wulfgar, son of Beornegar, was more of a Lionheart than a barbarian, IMO. Kudos.

I don't know about you, but the class and the picture of the dude just screams CHAOTIC GOOD. So if it were me, I would change the alignment to "any non-lawful". It just seems more fitting.

I think Pride Leader's Command should be given a X/day or 1/encounter limit. Otherwise, a Lionheart could simply spam Command/Greater Command/Geas every round on humanoid targets. Or am I misreading it?

Ziegander
2011-03-24, 10:24 PM
I think Pride Leader's Command should be given a X/day or 1/encounter limit. Otherwise, a Lionheart could simply spam Command/Greater Command/Geas every round on humanoid targets. Or am I misreading it?

How about I make it somewhat similar to Frightful Presence so that targets who have made their saves are immune until the Lionheart deals them damage? For the Geas effect, I'd make them immune for 24 hours if they successfully save. Oh, and remember, it's Language Dependent, meaning that if his targets don't understand the language the Lionheart is speaking (I can think of two common humanoids that can't speak, er, Common), or if the Lionheart cannot himself speak (silence) then his targets are automatically immune.

The idea is that, sure he can spam them, but Command isn't a particularly powerful effect, and given that he's a melee character, even with all of his synergy, Charisma is never going to be his highest ability score.

Venardhi
2011-03-24, 11:18 PM
Was I the only one reading this, hoping for a lion animal companion class feature? Or a 'form of a lion' ability? :smallconfused:
You could easily fluff the Lion's Majesty feature to also give him leonine features, or a glowing aura in the form of a humanoid lion.