blackmage
2012-03-30, 11:05 AM
<insert generic lament regarding Fighter class>
<insert generic statement that I have found the magic solution>
This is not a massive change to the fighter class rules text, just adding 1 ability and changing 2 others, but it is a change that I hope makes the class more variable and more interesting. Part of the reason for such a small change is that my own playgroup, and probably many others, are resistant to homebrew. I am hoping that a small change will improve the class without scaring conservative players away.
Where not specified the class is unchanged, so it still has full BAB, d10 Hit Dice, and 2 + Int skill points per level. This change is compatible with basically all archetypes.
The Fighter
Versatile Fighter:
A fighter is infinitely adaptable, and can adjust his style and technique to best take advantage of a situation. As a swift action, the fighter gains the use of one Combat feat he meets the prerequisites for. In subsequent rounds he can use another swift action to change that feat into another Combat feat he meets the prerequisites for. The fighter can use this ability for a number of minutes per day equal to his level. These minutes do not need to be consecutive, but they must be spent in 1-minute increments.
This is the major change to the class. It replaces the 1st level bonus feat, but basically acts as a flexible feat that you can change on the fly. It gives the class something to do with Swift actions, and since there's nothing else making use of them you could change your feat during every single round of combat to whatever is most useful at the moment.
I considered not having a duration at all, and I could be convinced to go back that way. But, having a level-based duration keeps it from being a super-strong 1 level dip, just a useful one. For a single-class Fighter, my thinking is that most combat encounters are less than 10 rounds, so you can have the ability active for an entire combat encounter for a single 1 minute use. After just a couple of levels the ability would be available for every combat encounter of the day, and isn't much different from being 'always on'.
Bonus Feats:
At 2nd level, and at every even level thereafter, a fighter gains a bonus feat in addition to those gained from normal advancement (meaning that the fighter gains a feat at every level). These bonus feats must be selected from those listed as Combat Feats, sometimes also called “fighter bonus feats.”
Upon reaching 4th level, and every four levels thereafter (8th, 12th, and so on), a fighter can choose to learn a new bonus feat in place of a bonus feat he has already learned. In effect, the fighter loses the bonus feat in exchange for the new one. The old feat cannot be one that was used as a prerequisite for another feat, prestige class, or other ability. A fighter can only change one feat at any given level and must choose whether or not to swap the feat at the time he gains a new bonus feat for the level.
The only change to this is getting the first bonus feat at level 2 instead of level 1, due to Versatile Fighter.
Weapon Training:
Starting at 5th level, the fighter becomes more effective when attacking. He gains a +1 bonus on all attack and damage rolls. Every four levels thereafter (9th, 13th, and 17th) this bonus increases by 1. This bonus also applies to the fighter's combat maneuver checks.
No more weapon-type restrictions at all. Instead of two paragraphs and a table, just 1 paragraph that does the same thing. I actually don't think this is much of a buff, the only real benefit is allowing a single Fighter to use a wider variety of weapons at equal effectiveness.
From a class design perspective, this sort of gives the Fighter a 5/4 BAB progression. In fluff the Fighter is described as being some sort of combat god, and mechanically everything in the class is about combat, so let's just make them better at it than anybody else. It's their superpower, let it be super.
<insert generic statement that I have found the magic solution>
This is not a massive change to the fighter class rules text, just adding 1 ability and changing 2 others, but it is a change that I hope makes the class more variable and more interesting. Part of the reason for such a small change is that my own playgroup, and probably many others, are resistant to homebrew. I am hoping that a small change will improve the class without scaring conservative players away.
Where not specified the class is unchanged, so it still has full BAB, d10 Hit Dice, and 2 + Int skill points per level. This change is compatible with basically all archetypes.
The Fighter
Versatile Fighter:
A fighter is infinitely adaptable, and can adjust his style and technique to best take advantage of a situation. As a swift action, the fighter gains the use of one Combat feat he meets the prerequisites for. In subsequent rounds he can use another swift action to change that feat into another Combat feat he meets the prerequisites for. The fighter can use this ability for a number of minutes per day equal to his level. These minutes do not need to be consecutive, but they must be spent in 1-minute increments.
This is the major change to the class. It replaces the 1st level bonus feat, but basically acts as a flexible feat that you can change on the fly. It gives the class something to do with Swift actions, and since there's nothing else making use of them you could change your feat during every single round of combat to whatever is most useful at the moment.
I considered not having a duration at all, and I could be convinced to go back that way. But, having a level-based duration keeps it from being a super-strong 1 level dip, just a useful one. For a single-class Fighter, my thinking is that most combat encounters are less than 10 rounds, so you can have the ability active for an entire combat encounter for a single 1 minute use. After just a couple of levels the ability would be available for every combat encounter of the day, and isn't much different from being 'always on'.
Bonus Feats:
At 2nd level, and at every even level thereafter, a fighter gains a bonus feat in addition to those gained from normal advancement (meaning that the fighter gains a feat at every level). These bonus feats must be selected from those listed as Combat Feats, sometimes also called “fighter bonus feats.”
Upon reaching 4th level, and every four levels thereafter (8th, 12th, and so on), a fighter can choose to learn a new bonus feat in place of a bonus feat he has already learned. In effect, the fighter loses the bonus feat in exchange for the new one. The old feat cannot be one that was used as a prerequisite for another feat, prestige class, or other ability. A fighter can only change one feat at any given level and must choose whether or not to swap the feat at the time he gains a new bonus feat for the level.
The only change to this is getting the first bonus feat at level 2 instead of level 1, due to Versatile Fighter.
Weapon Training:
Starting at 5th level, the fighter becomes more effective when attacking. He gains a +1 bonus on all attack and damage rolls. Every four levels thereafter (9th, 13th, and 17th) this bonus increases by 1. This bonus also applies to the fighter's combat maneuver checks.
No more weapon-type restrictions at all. Instead of two paragraphs and a table, just 1 paragraph that does the same thing. I actually don't think this is much of a buff, the only real benefit is allowing a single Fighter to use a wider variety of weapons at equal effectiveness.
From a class design perspective, this sort of gives the Fighter a 5/4 BAB progression. In fluff the Fighter is described as being some sort of combat god, and mechanically everything in the class is about combat, so let's just make them better at it than anybody else. It's their superpower, let it be super.