Noctemwolf
2011-09-06, 05:20 AM
This is my original class revamped somewhat to truly make him shine at what he's supposed to do best: Defending his teammates in battle and insuring they take as little damage as possible. Please, Discuss.
I will point out now that I did not try to create a taunt mechanic. I feel that to be a very clunky way of dealing with the problem, and that it takes away from the realism of the game. And, just as much, i would hate to see an opposing monster use the same taunt mechanic on a player and force him to attack it!
The Protectorate
http://fc06.deviantart.net/fs43/f/2009/139/e/9/Warforged_Juggernaut_by_BenWootten.jpg"My duty is to Protect you... And at that, I shall not fail!" - Morathor, at the battle of Northern hill.
GAME RULE INFORMATION
Prestige Class
Prerequisites:
Base Attack Bonus +5
Feats: Combat Expertise, Combat Reflexes, Improved Shield Bash, Two Weapon Fighting
proficient with shields (tower shields unnecessary)
Protectorate
The Protectorate's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are...
Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Knowledge: Dungeoneering (Int), Knowledge: History (Int), Knowledge: Nobility and Royalty (Int), Listen (Wis), Ride (Dex), Search (Int), Sense motive (Wis), Spot (Wis), and Swim (Str)/
Hit Dice: d12
Skill Points: 4 + Int modifier
{table=head]
Level|
Attack bonus|
Fortitude|
Reflex|
Will|
Class Features|
Speed bonus
1|+1|+2|+0|+2|Improved Bull Rush, Threatening Presence, Two Shield Fighting|+0 ft.
2|+2|+3|+0|+3|Quick-Step, Shield Style, Two Shield Defense|+0 ft.
3|+3|+3|+1|+3|Uncanny Dodge, Vigilant Defense, Defensive Smash|+5 ft.
4|+4|+4|+1|+4|Intuitive Reflexes, Stunning Shield, Parry|+5 ft.
5|+5|+4|+1|+4|Cunning Combat Expertise, Uncanny Strength, Stubborn Defense|+5 ft.
6|+6|+5|+2|+5|Block Damage, Swap|+10 ft.
7|+7|+5|+2|+5|My Body as Your Shield, Persistent Aid|+10 ft.
8|+8|+6|+2|+6|Mettle, Tough it Out|+10 ft.
9|+9|+6|+3|+6|Show me your Stuff, Come to Thy Aid, Clever Wrestling|+15 ft.
10|+10|+7|+3|+7|Guardian Style, Magical Parry, Powerful Build|+15 ft.
[/table]
Weapons and Armour: A Protectorate is proficient with shields (Not Tower shields) and all light, medium and heavy armours.
Speed Bonus: A Protectorate gains a small boost to his speed in order to help his movement around the field. He always gets this bonus (count as a competence bonus.).
A speed boost to help insure the Protectorate can get where he's needed.
Threatening Presence: Whenever you damage an opponent with a melee attack, the action that they were attempting is interrupted (Interrupted means that the action immediately ends). In addition, at level 5, spellcasters can no longer cast defensively in any space you threaten.
This, I think, makes a good replacement for a taunt mechanic. If you can't move, you can't get by. It's that simple. Pluses against spellcasters as well. hey, if they can completely lock us down why not us them?
Improved Bull rush: you gain Improved Bull Rush as a bonus Feat (You do not need to meet the prerequisites).
The class has a use for Bull rushing, But not really a need for power attack, seeing as it's a defensive class. However, Doesn't mean you couldn't take power attack if you wanted to.
Two Shield Fighting: You gain the ability to wield a heavy and a light shield together at the same time in ways unavailable to other classes. You may wield these shields regardless of any restrictions that would normally limit that. The heavy shield counts as your primary weapon while your light shield counts as your off-hand weapon. you also gain other benefits. First, you add the shield bonus of both shields together to determine your total shield bonus. Second, you may choose to deal lethal or nonlethal damage with your shields at no penalty. Finally, at level 5, the penalties for fighting with two weapons decreases by one when wielding both a heavy shield and a light shield (Bringing the penalty to -1/-1). At level 10, the penalty disappears.
Same as the original class. A different style of fighting than two handed or sword and board. Two weapon Boards!
Quick-Step: whenever an opponent attempts to move into a square adjacent to you, you may take a 5 foot step to move into the space the opponent would have otherwise moved into. the space you left counts as impassable until the start of your next turn. This uses one of your attacks of opportunity to activate.
This was also an original ability from the class. Useful in some ways: Free movement, and blocking an opponents way of travel.
Two-Shield Defense: You gain an additional +1 shield bonus. This stacks with your total shield bonus.
Carried over from the original. Useful to have an extra +1 in there, aye?
Shield Style: your Shields count as one size larger for the purpose of damage. At level 7, your shields instead count as two sizes larger for the purpose of damage. This ability stacks with anything else that improves weapon damage.
More damage, more use.
Uncanny Dodge: You retains your Dexterity bonus to AC (if any) even if you are caught flat-footed or struck by an invisible attacker. However, you still loses your Dexterity bonus to AC if immobilized.
A good ability every bodyguard should have.
Vigilant Defense: Whenever an ally is attacked by an opponent, they provoke an attack of opportunity from you. You may move as part of these attacks of opportunity, as long as your movement brings you within reach of the attacking opponent. However, you cannot move more than your base land speed, and you do subtract the movement made in this way from your base speed during your next turn.
This really is a powerful ability, allowing you to rush to an ally's defense if someone managed to get by you or snuck up from behind. Combine with Threatening presence, it should be very difficult to get an attack off on one of your allies. I think this ability was heavily influenced by a PathFinder feat: Combat Patrol.
But, what about ranged attacks? We shall see...
Defensive Smash: You can make a bull rush as an attack of opportunity. However, you cannot move more than 5 feet during the bull rush. This does limit the range you can push your opponent until you gain Uncanny Strength. Your opponent's action is also interrupted (The action is lost).
Bull rushing. The idea behind the class in the first place. I think this is a pretty neat ability.
Intuitive Reflexes: Add your wisdom modifier to the number of attacks of opportunity you can make per round.
A wise bodyguard. Combines well with ranks in spot and listen.
Stunning Shield: You gain Stunning Fist as a bonus feat (You do not need to meet the prerequisites). However, you can only use this ability with a shield. The number of Stunning fist attacks you can make per round is not restricted, though you still have a daily limit. Count your levels of protectorate as monk levels for determining the number of times per day you can use Stunning fist.
Another means of stopping attacks, and stunning them at the same time. Two bonuses in one. And can help with a crowd if the enemy starts bunching up.
Parry: Whenever an opponent hits you with a melee attack, as an immediate action, you can make an attack roll. If your attack roll is higher than your opponents, his attack misses. You can parry the attack of any enemy smaller than you and up to one size larger than you. at level 6, you can parry a melee attack that targets an adjacent ally. at level 8, you can parry nonmagical ranged attacks, aimed at you or at an adjacent ally. at level 10, you can parry magical ranged attacks, such as ray or touch attacks.
A final layer of defense to keep the damage off.
Cunning Combat Expertise: whenever you use Combat Expertise or fight defensively, you take only half the normal penalty to your attack rolls (round down).
Good at defensive fighting.
Uncanny Strength: When you bull rush an opponent, you may choose to deal lethal or nonlethal damage equal to your heavy shield damage. In addition, you do not have to move with your opponent in order to push him more than 5 feet, and he must make a reflex check (DC=10+Protectorate Level+strength Modifier) Or be knocked prone whenever you bull rush him.
I always wondered why bull rushing didn't actually cause any damage. Thus, I made this ability.
Stubborn Defense: whenever an opponent attempts to bull rush you, the total distance you are pushed decreases by 5 feet. This can cause your opponent's bull rush to fail if he managed to push you no further than 5 feet.
Harder to move you, harder to get around you.
Swap: whenever an adjacent ally is chosen as the target of an attack, you make swap places with him as a free action. The attack now instead targets you. You take no movement penalties associated with the use of this ability.
Against the ranged attacks, we have this! You can take the shot instead.
Block damage: whenever an adjacent ally takes damage, you may choose to take half the damage that would have been applied to them and instead take it yourself.
If, somehow, an ally manages to get harmed, you can still help alleviate it.
My Body as Your Shield: Whenever you are effected by an Area of Effect Ability (Whether magical or Mundane), you can cause an area opposite the point of origin in relation to you to be unaffected by the attack. This area is treated a cone emanating from you out to the border of the original effect.
A means of stopping areas of effect from harming allies. Line up, everyone!
Persistent Aid: Any 2 allies adjacent to you always count as though you are using the aid another action on them. However, you cannot use this ability to help with skill checks.
Carried over from the original class. Useful, I would say.
Mettle:Any time you succeed on a fortitude or will save to resist an effect, you instead take none of the effect. (Instead of half damage, no damage for example. Instead of partial entanglement, no entanglement).
Mettle should be a standard on all fighting chassis, I say. I'm not sure if I got the effect of this ability right, though. Is it correct?
Tough it Out: whenever you make a reflex save, you may replace it with a fortitude save.
Based on one of the militant feats I came up with.
Show me your Stuff: Make an intimidate roll against a number of foe's up to your Protectorate level. If you succeed in an opposed check against their sense motive rolls, the opponent/s gains a +4 bonus to hit you, and a -4 penalty to hit any of your allies. You can have a number of foes affected with this ability equal to your Protectorate level. This lasts until the end of combat.
Almost like a taunt, but not a forced attack on you. instead, you simply make yourself a better target.
Come to Thy Aid: double your threat range. You may move as part of any attack of opportunity given to you through use of this ability, though you may not move more than your base speed, and subtract any movement you make from your move speed during your next turn.
Improved threat range, equal more stopping power. Literally!
Clever Wrestling: you gain clever Wrestling as a bonus feat.
Well, i thought it was thematic.
Powerful Build: You gain the Powerful build Ability. If you already had this ability, then the two stack, allowing you to count as up to a huge creature whenever it would be beneficial for you.
Guardian Style: This ability grant you access to two Stances. Activating a stance is a swift action. You cannot have both a Guardian style stance and a Tome of Battle stance active at the same time. You can only have a Guardian Style stance activated during combat.
Assault: you gain a +4 bonus to your strength and constitution (Increase you HP accordingly.) You may make full attacks as a standard action, rather than as a full round action. In addition, you gain another attack, usable as an immediate action at your full base attack bonus.
Defense: You gain a +4 bonus to your Dexterity and Wisdom. You take no attack penalty from the use of combat Expertise or fighting defensively. In addition, You gain two other abilities:
You may shout as an immediate action. Any allies within 60 feet of you may immediately take a 5 foot step. If this would cause an opponent to be unable to complete an action (Attacking, for example,) the action is lost.
You may move up to 15 feet as an immediate action while in this stance.
The icing on the cake, the capstone. Better than the original one, I must day.
A clarification on standard action full attacks:
Readying a full attack: when you ready a full attack as a standard action, you can make each attack at any point before your next turn (They do not need to be consecutive, though you may choose them to be if you wish). In addition, any attack form that would normally allow you one attack (Such as a charge) will allow you a full attack instead.
Just an idea on standard action full attacks.
This was thrown together a little quickly, so there might be something missing, or something that could be fine tuned. Let me know if you find anything!
I will point out now that I did not try to create a taunt mechanic. I feel that to be a very clunky way of dealing with the problem, and that it takes away from the realism of the game. And, just as much, i would hate to see an opposing monster use the same taunt mechanic on a player and force him to attack it!
The Protectorate
http://fc06.deviantart.net/fs43/f/2009/139/e/9/Warforged_Juggernaut_by_BenWootten.jpg"My duty is to Protect you... And at that, I shall not fail!" - Morathor, at the battle of Northern hill.
GAME RULE INFORMATION
Prestige Class
Prerequisites:
Base Attack Bonus +5
Feats: Combat Expertise, Combat Reflexes, Improved Shield Bash, Two Weapon Fighting
proficient with shields (tower shields unnecessary)
Protectorate
The Protectorate's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are...
Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Knowledge: Dungeoneering (Int), Knowledge: History (Int), Knowledge: Nobility and Royalty (Int), Listen (Wis), Ride (Dex), Search (Int), Sense motive (Wis), Spot (Wis), and Swim (Str)/
Hit Dice: d12
Skill Points: 4 + Int modifier
{table=head]
Level|
Attack bonus|
Fortitude|
Reflex|
Will|
Class Features|
Speed bonus
1|+1|+2|+0|+2|Improved Bull Rush, Threatening Presence, Two Shield Fighting|+0 ft.
2|+2|+3|+0|+3|Quick-Step, Shield Style, Two Shield Defense|+0 ft.
3|+3|+3|+1|+3|Uncanny Dodge, Vigilant Defense, Defensive Smash|+5 ft.
4|+4|+4|+1|+4|Intuitive Reflexes, Stunning Shield, Parry|+5 ft.
5|+5|+4|+1|+4|Cunning Combat Expertise, Uncanny Strength, Stubborn Defense|+5 ft.
6|+6|+5|+2|+5|Block Damage, Swap|+10 ft.
7|+7|+5|+2|+5|My Body as Your Shield, Persistent Aid|+10 ft.
8|+8|+6|+2|+6|Mettle, Tough it Out|+10 ft.
9|+9|+6|+3|+6|Show me your Stuff, Come to Thy Aid, Clever Wrestling|+15 ft.
10|+10|+7|+3|+7|Guardian Style, Magical Parry, Powerful Build|+15 ft.
[/table]
Weapons and Armour: A Protectorate is proficient with shields (Not Tower shields) and all light, medium and heavy armours.
Speed Bonus: A Protectorate gains a small boost to his speed in order to help his movement around the field. He always gets this bonus (count as a competence bonus.).
A speed boost to help insure the Protectorate can get where he's needed.
Threatening Presence: Whenever you damage an opponent with a melee attack, the action that they were attempting is interrupted (Interrupted means that the action immediately ends). In addition, at level 5, spellcasters can no longer cast defensively in any space you threaten.
This, I think, makes a good replacement for a taunt mechanic. If you can't move, you can't get by. It's that simple. Pluses against spellcasters as well. hey, if they can completely lock us down why not us them?
Improved Bull rush: you gain Improved Bull Rush as a bonus Feat (You do not need to meet the prerequisites).
The class has a use for Bull rushing, But not really a need for power attack, seeing as it's a defensive class. However, Doesn't mean you couldn't take power attack if you wanted to.
Two Shield Fighting: You gain the ability to wield a heavy and a light shield together at the same time in ways unavailable to other classes. You may wield these shields regardless of any restrictions that would normally limit that. The heavy shield counts as your primary weapon while your light shield counts as your off-hand weapon. you also gain other benefits. First, you add the shield bonus of both shields together to determine your total shield bonus. Second, you may choose to deal lethal or nonlethal damage with your shields at no penalty. Finally, at level 5, the penalties for fighting with two weapons decreases by one when wielding both a heavy shield and a light shield (Bringing the penalty to -1/-1). At level 10, the penalty disappears.
Same as the original class. A different style of fighting than two handed or sword and board. Two weapon Boards!
Quick-Step: whenever an opponent attempts to move into a square adjacent to you, you may take a 5 foot step to move into the space the opponent would have otherwise moved into. the space you left counts as impassable until the start of your next turn. This uses one of your attacks of opportunity to activate.
This was also an original ability from the class. Useful in some ways: Free movement, and blocking an opponents way of travel.
Two-Shield Defense: You gain an additional +1 shield bonus. This stacks with your total shield bonus.
Carried over from the original. Useful to have an extra +1 in there, aye?
Shield Style: your Shields count as one size larger for the purpose of damage. At level 7, your shields instead count as two sizes larger for the purpose of damage. This ability stacks with anything else that improves weapon damage.
More damage, more use.
Uncanny Dodge: You retains your Dexterity bonus to AC (if any) even if you are caught flat-footed or struck by an invisible attacker. However, you still loses your Dexterity bonus to AC if immobilized.
A good ability every bodyguard should have.
Vigilant Defense: Whenever an ally is attacked by an opponent, they provoke an attack of opportunity from you. You may move as part of these attacks of opportunity, as long as your movement brings you within reach of the attacking opponent. However, you cannot move more than your base land speed, and you do subtract the movement made in this way from your base speed during your next turn.
This really is a powerful ability, allowing you to rush to an ally's defense if someone managed to get by you or snuck up from behind. Combine with Threatening presence, it should be very difficult to get an attack off on one of your allies. I think this ability was heavily influenced by a PathFinder feat: Combat Patrol.
But, what about ranged attacks? We shall see...
Defensive Smash: You can make a bull rush as an attack of opportunity. However, you cannot move more than 5 feet during the bull rush. This does limit the range you can push your opponent until you gain Uncanny Strength. Your opponent's action is also interrupted (The action is lost).
Bull rushing. The idea behind the class in the first place. I think this is a pretty neat ability.
Intuitive Reflexes: Add your wisdom modifier to the number of attacks of opportunity you can make per round.
A wise bodyguard. Combines well with ranks in spot and listen.
Stunning Shield: You gain Stunning Fist as a bonus feat (You do not need to meet the prerequisites). However, you can only use this ability with a shield. The number of Stunning fist attacks you can make per round is not restricted, though you still have a daily limit. Count your levels of protectorate as monk levels for determining the number of times per day you can use Stunning fist.
Another means of stopping attacks, and stunning them at the same time. Two bonuses in one. And can help with a crowd if the enemy starts bunching up.
Parry: Whenever an opponent hits you with a melee attack, as an immediate action, you can make an attack roll. If your attack roll is higher than your opponents, his attack misses. You can parry the attack of any enemy smaller than you and up to one size larger than you. at level 6, you can parry a melee attack that targets an adjacent ally. at level 8, you can parry nonmagical ranged attacks, aimed at you or at an adjacent ally. at level 10, you can parry magical ranged attacks, such as ray or touch attacks.
A final layer of defense to keep the damage off.
Cunning Combat Expertise: whenever you use Combat Expertise or fight defensively, you take only half the normal penalty to your attack rolls (round down).
Good at defensive fighting.
Uncanny Strength: When you bull rush an opponent, you may choose to deal lethal or nonlethal damage equal to your heavy shield damage. In addition, you do not have to move with your opponent in order to push him more than 5 feet, and he must make a reflex check (DC=10+Protectorate Level+strength Modifier) Or be knocked prone whenever you bull rush him.
I always wondered why bull rushing didn't actually cause any damage. Thus, I made this ability.
Stubborn Defense: whenever an opponent attempts to bull rush you, the total distance you are pushed decreases by 5 feet. This can cause your opponent's bull rush to fail if he managed to push you no further than 5 feet.
Harder to move you, harder to get around you.
Swap: whenever an adjacent ally is chosen as the target of an attack, you make swap places with him as a free action. The attack now instead targets you. You take no movement penalties associated with the use of this ability.
Against the ranged attacks, we have this! You can take the shot instead.
Block damage: whenever an adjacent ally takes damage, you may choose to take half the damage that would have been applied to them and instead take it yourself.
If, somehow, an ally manages to get harmed, you can still help alleviate it.
My Body as Your Shield: Whenever you are effected by an Area of Effect Ability (Whether magical or Mundane), you can cause an area opposite the point of origin in relation to you to be unaffected by the attack. This area is treated a cone emanating from you out to the border of the original effect.
A means of stopping areas of effect from harming allies. Line up, everyone!
Persistent Aid: Any 2 allies adjacent to you always count as though you are using the aid another action on them. However, you cannot use this ability to help with skill checks.
Carried over from the original class. Useful, I would say.
Mettle:Any time you succeed on a fortitude or will save to resist an effect, you instead take none of the effect. (Instead of half damage, no damage for example. Instead of partial entanglement, no entanglement).
Mettle should be a standard on all fighting chassis, I say. I'm not sure if I got the effect of this ability right, though. Is it correct?
Tough it Out: whenever you make a reflex save, you may replace it with a fortitude save.
Based on one of the militant feats I came up with.
Show me your Stuff: Make an intimidate roll against a number of foe's up to your Protectorate level. If you succeed in an opposed check against their sense motive rolls, the opponent/s gains a +4 bonus to hit you, and a -4 penalty to hit any of your allies. You can have a number of foes affected with this ability equal to your Protectorate level. This lasts until the end of combat.
Almost like a taunt, but not a forced attack on you. instead, you simply make yourself a better target.
Come to Thy Aid: double your threat range. You may move as part of any attack of opportunity given to you through use of this ability, though you may not move more than your base speed, and subtract any movement you make from your move speed during your next turn.
Improved threat range, equal more stopping power. Literally!
Clever Wrestling: you gain clever Wrestling as a bonus feat.
Well, i thought it was thematic.
Powerful Build: You gain the Powerful build Ability. If you already had this ability, then the two stack, allowing you to count as up to a huge creature whenever it would be beneficial for you.
Guardian Style: This ability grant you access to two Stances. Activating a stance is a swift action. You cannot have both a Guardian style stance and a Tome of Battle stance active at the same time. You can only have a Guardian Style stance activated during combat.
Assault: you gain a +4 bonus to your strength and constitution (Increase you HP accordingly.) You may make full attacks as a standard action, rather than as a full round action. In addition, you gain another attack, usable as an immediate action at your full base attack bonus.
Defense: You gain a +4 bonus to your Dexterity and Wisdom. You take no attack penalty from the use of combat Expertise or fighting defensively. In addition, You gain two other abilities:
You may shout as an immediate action. Any allies within 60 feet of you may immediately take a 5 foot step. If this would cause an opponent to be unable to complete an action (Attacking, for example,) the action is lost.
You may move up to 15 feet as an immediate action while in this stance.
The icing on the cake, the capstone. Better than the original one, I must day.
A clarification on standard action full attacks:
Readying a full attack: when you ready a full attack as a standard action, you can make each attack at any point before your next turn (They do not need to be consecutive, though you may choose them to be if you wish). In addition, any attack form that would normally allow you one attack (Such as a charge) will allow you a full attack instead.
Just an idea on standard action full attacks.
This was thrown together a little quickly, so there might be something missing, or something that could be fine tuned. Let me know if you find anything!