The Balistarius - A Ranged Martial Adept (3.5 Prestige, WIP, PEACH)

[Ruduen]

I haven't done a whole lot of homebrewing, but I've been a D&D player for a while. It's always bugged me that the Martial Adept classes, while quite interesting, had limited support if you wanted to do anything with ranged attacks. This is my small attempt at making something to work along those lines.

The main idea behind this was to make a rogue-ish class mesh with the abilities. A pure Swordsage could easily access the class, and its range meshes fairly well with other skirmishers.

I'm still undecided as to whether or not I want to change the entire weapon's focus for it. Originally, I was fond of the idea of a character who would be able to make tricky shots, and who would bridge the gap between mechanical tools and their own abilities. However, I could easily see it working where the Weapon Focus requirement was relaxed from a crossbow to any ranged weapon.

The other thing I'm thinking of is relaxing the strike/stance requirements somewhat, so that it would be possible to enter the class at a reasonable level, without needing martial adept class levels. This would allow characters to make a few trick shots a fight, without needing to have an extreme focus in it.

Balistarius

Hit Die: d8.

Requirements
To qualify to become a balistarius, a character must fulfill all the following criteria.
Skills: Bluff 8 Ranks, Martial Lore 4 Ranks
Feats: Weapon Focus (Any Crossbow), Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot
Martial Maneuvers: Must know at least two martial maneuvers, including one strike.
Martial Stances: Must know at least one martial stance.

Class Skills
The balistarius’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Balance (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Diplomacy (Cha), Disguise (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Hide (Dex), Jump (Str), Listen (Wis), Martial Lore (Int), Move Silently (Dex), Perform (Cha), Profession (Wis), Search (Int), Sleight of Hand (Dex), Spot (Wis), Tumble (Dex), and Use Rope (Dex).
Skill Points at Each Level: 4 + Int modifier.

{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Maneuvers Known|Maneuvers Readied|Special

1st|
+0|
+0|
+2|
+0|
+1|
+0|Martial Shot (30 ft)

2nd|
+1|
+0|
+3|
+0|
+0|
+0|Deceptive Shot (30 ft)

3rd|
+2|
+1|
+3|
+1|
+1|
+1|Safe Shot, Martial Shot (60ft)

4th|
+3|
+1|
+4|
+1|
+0|
+0|Improved Deceptive Shot (60ft)

5th|
+3|
+1|
+4|
+1|
+1|
+0|Bolt from the Blue[/table]

Class Features
All of the following are features of the balistarius prestige class.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Balistariuses gain proficiency with all types of crossbows. Balistariuses gain no proficiency with any armor.
Maneuvers: At each odd level, you gain a new maneuver known from the Desert Wind, Shadow Hand, or Diamond Mind disciplines. You must meet a maneuver’s prerequisite to learn it. You add your full balistarius levels to your initiator level to determine your total initiator level and your highest-level maneuvers known.
At 3rd level, you gain an additional maneuver readied per day.
Martial Shot (Ex): You can initiate a strike from the Desert Wind, Shadow Hand, or Diamond Mind disciplines at range. The strike must be one that has a target of one creature. The range on the strike changes from "Melee" to "30 ft". A strike that targets multiple creatures or objects cannot be used with martial shot. You must use a crossbow for this strike.
At 3rd level, the range of this ability increases to 60 ft.
Deceptive Shot (Ex): Starting at 2nd level, you can feint at range. If you are within 30 feet of a target, you can use the Bluff skill to feint in combat. (This feint attempt is otherwise treated like a normal feint attempt.) In addition to the normal benefits of a feint, the target is also denied its Dexterity bonus (if it has one) to AC for the next attack you make against it with a crossbow. You must remain within 30 feet of the target, and the attack must be made on or before your next turn.
Safe Shot (Ex): Starting at 3rd level, you do not provoke attacks of opportunity when firing a crossbow.
Improved Deceptive Shot (Ex): Starting at 4rd level, you can feint in combat as a move action instead of a standard action. If you have the Improved Feint feat, you can now feint in combat as a swift action.
In addition, the range of your Deceptive Shot ability increases to 60 feet.
Bolt from the Blue (Ex): Starting at 5th level, you are capable of firing off single powerful shot using the skills of multiple disciples. As a full-round action, you can combine the effects of two different strikes into a single crossbow shot. The strikes must be from the Desert Wind, Shadow Hand, or Diamond Mind disciplines, must be from different disciplines, must take no longer than a standard action to initiate, and must require an attack roll. The target must be within 60 ft., and you must use a crossbow for this strike. Only one attack roll is necessary, but both strikes deal full damage. Any saving throws are rolled separately.

[Siosilvar]

Feints can only be made in melee combat. Deceptive Shot doesn't change that, but it does let you take advantage of the flat-footed condition caused by it. Is this intended behaviour?

Ability to initiate some of the melee-range maneuvers while using a crossbow would be nice, too. If the Martial Shot currently in the post is the original version, then I just suck at reading comprehension. Sorry about that. Still, should probably clarify that the range of "melee attack" is changed to "30 feet", instead of just saying that you can use it on a target in 30 feet (if that makes sense).

[Stycotl]

it seems to me that martial shot should be the 1st level ability, or at least one of the 1st level abilities, as it is the crux of the whole class, more or less.

[Zeta Kai]

You should probably add the maneuvers to the table, for clarity's sake.

[Ruduen]

Feints can only be made in melee combat. Deceptive Shot doesn't change that, but it does let you take advantage of the flat-footed condition caused by it. Is this intended behaviour?

Ability to initiate some of the melee-range maneuvers while using a crossbow would be nice, too. If the Martial Shot currently in the post is the original version, then I just suck at reading comprehension. Sorry about that. Still, should probably clarify that the range of "melee attack" is changed to "30 feet", instead of just saying that you can use it on a target in 30 feet (if that makes sense).

Actually, as far as I can see in the SRD, Feinting can be done at any distance. The main issue is that normally, they're only flat-footed against the next melee attack that you make. Are the rules slightly different from what I'm seeing due to errata or the like?

I'll change the range indication. It's an improvement over the wording I've had.


it seems to me that martial shot should be the 1st level ability, or at least one of the 1st level abilities, as it is the crux of the whole class, more or less.

I was debating between swapping the levels of Martial Shot and Deceptive Shot. I'm just not sure whether it would be better enabling it for one level dips in that situation.


You should probably add the maneuvers to the table, for clarity's sake.

Maneuvers Known and Maneuvers Readied are both on the table... Which maneuvers are you talking about, specifically?

[DeAnno]

Since most characters entering this PRC are already ToB and therefore start off as melee, or at least with melee parts, requiring WF Crossbow, PBS, and Precise Shot and making them sit on it for a full extra level is pretty harsh. I would flip the martial abilities to 1/3 and the feinting to 2/4. I think the class has has enough in the way of power to make anyone doing ranged maneuvers definitely want the full 5 levels anyway, so dipping isn't so much a concern.

[Ruduen]

Since most characters entering this PRC are already ToB and therefore start off as melee, or at least with melee parts, requiring WF Crossbow, PBS, and Precise Shot and making them sit on it for a full extra level is pretty harsh. I would flip the martial abilities to 1/3 and the feinting to 2/4. I think the class has has enough in the way of power to make anyone doing ranged maneuvers definitely want the full 5 levels anyway, so dipping isn't so much a concern.

Looks like it's generally agreed that it should be swapped that way. I've tweaked the order of Deceptive Shot and Martial Shot.

[DeAnno]

As silly as it seems, something like Fighter 2/Monk 2/Crusader 1/Balistarius 5/Master of Nine 5/??? 5 could be pretty effective with the Crusader Recovery mechanic (You really need Fighter and Monk to get all the feats for qualifying).

[Siosilvar]

Actually, as far as I can see in the SRD, Feinting can be done at any distance. The main issue is that normally, they're only flat-footed against the next melee attack that you make. Are the rules slightly different from what I'm seeing due to errata or the like?

"You can also use Bluff to mislead an opponent in melee combat (so that it can’t dodge your next attack effectively)." implies that you can't do it at range. It doesn't state it explicitly, but it could be read that way, so you should make it clear that you can use it at range with the Deceptive Shot ability, not just benefit from it if you move to range.

[Ruduen]

"You can also use Bluff to mislead an opponent in melee combat (so that it can’t dodge your next attack effectively)." implies that you can't do it at range. It doesn't state it explicitly, but it could be read that way, so you should make it clear that you can use it at range with the Deceptive Shot ability, not just benefit from it if you move to range.

Odd. I thought I looked over both the bluff and the special actions in combat page, and somehow missed that. I'll toss in a line just in case.

[Analytica]

No Stances in the table?

[PEACH]

I like the concept of this; ranged martial adepts are cool, after all. But making it a 5 level, crossbow only PrC really hurts it. Anybody who wants to be a crossbow wielding martial adept is going to want more support than a 5 level PrC and is going to want to get in earlier than 5th level (with a non negligable feat tax as well), and anybody who just wants to grab a bit of range for their manuevers isn't going to pick up the crossbow only class that requires three feats they aren't going to use. The fact crossbows aren't all that well supported in 3.5 doesn't help this class, either.

My suggestion is that, basically, this needs to either become a full base class using homebrew ranged disciplines (they are out there), to just use the homebrew ranged disciplines, or to make this much, much easier to get into and, seeing as it's a 5 leve PrC, making it dippable and giving it useful, minor ranged abilities to all martial adepts. At the moment, this PrC has the problem where it's a 5 level PrC that almost requires you to define your PC by it if you want to get anywhere.

[Ruduen]

No Stances in the table?

I didn't add stances because it was a short class with a fair number of benefits as is. As it stands, I don't think it's that much of a disadvantage, and since it's a brief, level 5 access class to begin with, I didn't really see it as too much of a disadvantage.


I like the concept of this; ranged martial adepts are cool, after all. But making it a 5 level, crossbow only PrC really hurts it. Anybody who wants to be a crossbow wielding martial adept is going to want more support than a 5 level PrC and is going to want to get in earlier than 5th level (with a non negligable feat tax as well), and anybody who just wants to grab a bit of range for their manuevers isn't going to pick up the crossbow only class that requires three feats they aren't going to use. The fact crossbows aren't all that well supported in 3.5 doesn't help this class, either.

My suggestion is that, basically, this needs to either become a full base class using homebrew ranged disciplines (they are out there), to just use the homebrew ranged disciplines, or to make this much, much easier to get into and, seeing as it's a 5 leve PrC, making it dippable and giving it useful, minor ranged abilities to all martial adepts. At the moment, this PrC has the problem where it's a 5 level PrC that almost requires you to define your PC by it if you want to get anywhere.

I didn't look into homebrew disciples, and that's an option. However, that's something else to try to look up and balance around, things could get a whole lot trickier.

The things I'm considering:

1. Relax weapon restrictions. Remove the Weapon Focus and allowing the class features to apply to more than just crossbows. This was originally a fluff decision, but it wouldn't be too much of a stretch to remove it. I'd have to do some fluff rework, but it wouldn't be too bad.

2. Relax maneuver/stance requirements. It would make it possible for some non-martial classes to dip into it, giving a few more options for a shooter-type build.

3. Allow earlier entry. I've considered relaxing skill requirements to allow entry at level 4, but that brings up different balance issues where people might just try to get in early, and because the feat tax isn't that bad for a pure martial disciple. There are enough trade-offs that it might be doable.

I'm leaning towards 1 and 2 more than 3, but it's a bit tricky to figure out the proper balance.