Cogidubnus
2011-11-05, 01:20 PM
Hero of Epic
Epic poems need heroes. Some abound in them, possessing a roll-call of champions beyond the peer of mortal men. Others possess but a single hero for their epic, a man far beyond what anyone expects of him. Somewhere, the hero of an epic will likely possess a divine ancestor, however remote. These heroes all possess different fighting styles, but all are experts with their chosen weapons and deadly to face in single combat.
Prerequisites: BAB +7, proficiency with at least 2 martial or exotic weapons, must have performed a deed worthy of commemoration (slain an enemy champion, slain a powerful monster, saved a town/city), 10 ranks in any two skills.
Skill Points per level: 4 + Int modifier.
Class Skills: Balance (Dex), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Jump (Str), Knowledge: History, Nobility and Religion (Int), Listen (Wis), Ride (Dex), Spot (Wis), Survival (Wis), Swim (Str), Tumble (Dex).
Alignment: Any.
HD: d12
{table=head]Level|Base Attack<br>Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special
1st|
+1|
+2|
+0|
+2|Hero and Weapon, Rite of Combat
2nd|
+2|
+3|
+0|
+3| Rite of Combat
3rd|
+3|
+3|
+1|
+3| Skilled Rite of Combat, Weapon Mastery
4th|
+4|
+4|
+1|
+4 | Skilled Rite of Combat
5th|
+5|
+4|
+1 |
+4 | Skilled Rite of Combat, A Good Death
[/table]
Weapon and Armour Proficiencies: A Hero of Epic gains no new weapon or armour proficiencies.
Hero and Weapon: Every hero in every epic needs his weapons. Choose two weapons with which you are proficient. You gain Weapon Focus and Weapon Specialisation with those weapons, even if you do not meet the prerequisites. When your Base Attack Bonus reaches +10, as long as you have at least 2 levels in Hero of Epic, you gain Greater Weapon Focus with those weapons, and when it reaches +14, as long as you have you have at least 3 levels in Hero of Epic, you gain Greater Weapon Specialisation with those weapons, once again without needing to meet the prerequisites. When your Base Attack Bonus reaches +20, as long as you have 5 levels in Hero of Epic, you gain Weapon Supremacy with one of these weapons.
Rite of Combat: Heroes have individual combat styles, each unique to themselves. Some fight like wild beasts, others are coldly calculating. At first and second level, select one of the following abilities:
Baresark Fury: If the Hero of Epic already possess Rage, or a similar ability, their Hero of Epic levels stack with their levels in the class they gained Rage from for the purposes of determining how powerful their Rage is. If they do not, they gain either Rage or Whirling Frenzy (their choice) as a barbarian of their class level.
Continued Training: Choose a class feature granted by a class you had before entering Hero of Epic, with the exception of spellcasting, manifesting or martial initiating. Your Hero of Epic levels stack with your levels in that class for the purposes of that class feature.
Martial Student: Choose a class that grants martial initiating that you have levels in. At 1st, 3rd and 5th levels in this class, you gain bonus manoeuvres known and readied, and stances known, as well as an increase in initiator level, as though you had gained a level in this class.
Warp Spasm: Some epic heroes twist and malform when they wage war. The Hero of Epic may use the Druid Wild Shape Variant: Aspect of Nature as a Druid of his class level, once per day per class level. He treats his effective Druid level for prerequisites as equal to his Base Attack Bonus.
Physical Superiority: Many Heroes of Epics are far larger than their counterparts, towering over them and striking with power they could not understand. The Hero of Epic’s weapons (including natural weapons) deal damage as though one size category larger, and the Hero of Epic is treated as one size larger for the purpose of grappling.
Skilled Rite of Combat: At 3rd, 4th and 5th level, the Hero of Epic chooses one of the following advancements to his combat style, or he may choose another ability from the Rite of Combat list.
Divine Rage: Requires: Baresark Fury. The Hero of Epic treats his class level as twice what it actually is for the purposes of his Baresark Fury class feature.
Swift-Footed: The Hero of Epic gains a bonus to his base land speed equal to 5ft x his class level. In addition, he gains the Pounce ability.
Lord of Monsters: The Hero of Epic gains the ability to use Summon Monster as an SLA. The level of the Summon Monster is half his HD, up to Summon Monster IX at 18 HD. He may use this ability once per day per 5 HD he possesses.
Unified Practise: Select one other class in which you have levels. This may not be a class that grants spellcasting, manifesting or martial manoeuvres. Your Hero of Epic levels stack with levels in that class for the purpose of determining any level-dependent benefits of that class’ class features, and your levels in that class stack with your levels in Hero of Epic for determining level-dependent benefits of this class’ class features.
True Weapon Master: Choose one weapon for which you have the Weapon Focus feat. Whenever use an attack action with that weapon, you may make one extra attack with it at the same Base Attack Bonus (this only grants one extra attack on full attacks). This ability may be used in conjunction with martial manoeuvres.
Wielder of Unknown Power: Requires: levels in a class which grants spellcasting or manifesting ability. This ability allows the 3rd, 4th and 5th levels of Hero of Epic to stack with your previous levels in one spellcasting or manifesting class for the purpose of spells/powers known and spells/power points per day.
Terrifying Aspect: Some heroes are so terrifying to behold in battle that enemies quiver to face them. When the Hero of Epic deals damage with a melee weapon, he may choose to force every enemy with line of sight to him to make a Will Save (DC = 10 +1/2 his HD + Charisma modifier) or be Shaken. If the Hero of Epic kills the enemy he is attacking when he activates this ability, this is instead a save against being Frightened. This ability functions once per day per 4 HD the Hero of Epic possesses.
Weapon Mastery: At 3rd level, pick one of the two weapons you selected for your Hero and Weapon class feature. You gain Melee Weapon Mastery or Ranged Weapon Mastery, as applicable, for weapons of that type.
A Good Death: In an epic, it is expected the hero will die a “good death”, on the battlefield, in his prime, not surrendering easily to old age. Multiply the length of all the Hero of Epic’s age categories by 3. In addition, the Hero of Epic is rewarded for dying a good death – he may be raised from the dead (such as by Raise Dead, Resurrection) by someone who knows of him even if his body is destroyed or not present. He is always raised in an adjacent square to the person casting the spell. At 20 HD, if the Hero of Epic wishes, he may return as though by a True Resurrection the dawn after his death with no penalty or need for a casting of True Resurrection.
There are more abilities to come, I’m just having an off day. Going to add more active things, like the ability to frighten enemies with a martial display or goad them into attacking, just having a slightly odd day so taking a break for now. For the same reason, apologies if the wording’s a bit off, mention anything that’s confusing.
Epic poems need heroes. Some abound in them, possessing a roll-call of champions beyond the peer of mortal men. Others possess but a single hero for their epic, a man far beyond what anyone expects of him. Somewhere, the hero of an epic will likely possess a divine ancestor, however remote. These heroes all possess different fighting styles, but all are experts with their chosen weapons and deadly to face in single combat.
Prerequisites: BAB +7, proficiency with at least 2 martial or exotic weapons, must have performed a deed worthy of commemoration (slain an enemy champion, slain a powerful monster, saved a town/city), 10 ranks in any two skills.
Skill Points per level: 4 + Int modifier.
Class Skills: Balance (Dex), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Jump (Str), Knowledge: History, Nobility and Religion (Int), Listen (Wis), Ride (Dex), Spot (Wis), Survival (Wis), Swim (Str), Tumble (Dex).
Alignment: Any.
HD: d12
{table=head]Level|Base Attack<br>Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special
1st|
+1|
+2|
+0|
+2|Hero and Weapon, Rite of Combat
2nd|
+2|
+3|
+0|
+3| Rite of Combat
3rd|
+3|
+3|
+1|
+3| Skilled Rite of Combat, Weapon Mastery
4th|
+4|
+4|
+1|
+4 | Skilled Rite of Combat
5th|
+5|
+4|
+1 |
+4 | Skilled Rite of Combat, A Good Death
[/table]
Weapon and Armour Proficiencies: A Hero of Epic gains no new weapon or armour proficiencies.
Hero and Weapon: Every hero in every epic needs his weapons. Choose two weapons with which you are proficient. You gain Weapon Focus and Weapon Specialisation with those weapons, even if you do not meet the prerequisites. When your Base Attack Bonus reaches +10, as long as you have at least 2 levels in Hero of Epic, you gain Greater Weapon Focus with those weapons, and when it reaches +14, as long as you have you have at least 3 levels in Hero of Epic, you gain Greater Weapon Specialisation with those weapons, once again without needing to meet the prerequisites. When your Base Attack Bonus reaches +20, as long as you have 5 levels in Hero of Epic, you gain Weapon Supremacy with one of these weapons.
Rite of Combat: Heroes have individual combat styles, each unique to themselves. Some fight like wild beasts, others are coldly calculating. At first and second level, select one of the following abilities:
Baresark Fury: If the Hero of Epic already possess Rage, or a similar ability, their Hero of Epic levels stack with their levels in the class they gained Rage from for the purposes of determining how powerful their Rage is. If they do not, they gain either Rage or Whirling Frenzy (their choice) as a barbarian of their class level.
Continued Training: Choose a class feature granted by a class you had before entering Hero of Epic, with the exception of spellcasting, manifesting or martial initiating. Your Hero of Epic levels stack with your levels in that class for the purposes of that class feature.
Martial Student: Choose a class that grants martial initiating that you have levels in. At 1st, 3rd and 5th levels in this class, you gain bonus manoeuvres known and readied, and stances known, as well as an increase in initiator level, as though you had gained a level in this class.
Warp Spasm: Some epic heroes twist and malform when they wage war. The Hero of Epic may use the Druid Wild Shape Variant: Aspect of Nature as a Druid of his class level, once per day per class level. He treats his effective Druid level for prerequisites as equal to his Base Attack Bonus.
Physical Superiority: Many Heroes of Epics are far larger than their counterparts, towering over them and striking with power they could not understand. The Hero of Epic’s weapons (including natural weapons) deal damage as though one size category larger, and the Hero of Epic is treated as one size larger for the purpose of grappling.
Skilled Rite of Combat: At 3rd, 4th and 5th level, the Hero of Epic chooses one of the following advancements to his combat style, or he may choose another ability from the Rite of Combat list.
Divine Rage: Requires: Baresark Fury. The Hero of Epic treats his class level as twice what it actually is for the purposes of his Baresark Fury class feature.
Swift-Footed: The Hero of Epic gains a bonus to his base land speed equal to 5ft x his class level. In addition, he gains the Pounce ability.
Lord of Monsters: The Hero of Epic gains the ability to use Summon Monster as an SLA. The level of the Summon Monster is half his HD, up to Summon Monster IX at 18 HD. He may use this ability once per day per 5 HD he possesses.
Unified Practise: Select one other class in which you have levels. This may not be a class that grants spellcasting, manifesting or martial manoeuvres. Your Hero of Epic levels stack with levels in that class for the purpose of determining any level-dependent benefits of that class’ class features, and your levels in that class stack with your levels in Hero of Epic for determining level-dependent benefits of this class’ class features.
True Weapon Master: Choose one weapon for which you have the Weapon Focus feat. Whenever use an attack action with that weapon, you may make one extra attack with it at the same Base Attack Bonus (this only grants one extra attack on full attacks). This ability may be used in conjunction with martial manoeuvres.
Wielder of Unknown Power: Requires: levels in a class which grants spellcasting or manifesting ability. This ability allows the 3rd, 4th and 5th levels of Hero of Epic to stack with your previous levels in one spellcasting or manifesting class for the purpose of spells/powers known and spells/power points per day.
Terrifying Aspect: Some heroes are so terrifying to behold in battle that enemies quiver to face them. When the Hero of Epic deals damage with a melee weapon, he may choose to force every enemy with line of sight to him to make a Will Save (DC = 10 +1/2 his HD + Charisma modifier) or be Shaken. If the Hero of Epic kills the enemy he is attacking when he activates this ability, this is instead a save against being Frightened. This ability functions once per day per 4 HD the Hero of Epic possesses.
Weapon Mastery: At 3rd level, pick one of the two weapons you selected for your Hero and Weapon class feature. You gain Melee Weapon Mastery or Ranged Weapon Mastery, as applicable, for weapons of that type.
A Good Death: In an epic, it is expected the hero will die a “good death”, on the battlefield, in his prime, not surrendering easily to old age. Multiply the length of all the Hero of Epic’s age categories by 3. In addition, the Hero of Epic is rewarded for dying a good death – he may be raised from the dead (such as by Raise Dead, Resurrection) by someone who knows of him even if his body is destroyed or not present. He is always raised in an adjacent square to the person casting the spell. At 20 HD, if the Hero of Epic wishes, he may return as though by a True Resurrection the dawn after his death with no penalty or need for a casting of True Resurrection.
There are more abilities to come, I’m just having an off day. Going to add more active things, like the ability to frighten enemies with a martial display or goad them into attacking, just having a slightly odd day so taking a break for now. For the same reason, apologies if the wording’s a bit off, mention anything that’s confusing.