The Dark Fiddler
2012-07-19, 12:03 PM
Combat Pragmatist
"Why would I limit myself in battle to what you consider 'honorable'? In a true fight, where it's a matter of life or death, you do what you need to win, use whatever advantage you can get. It doesn't matter if your opponent thinks you're cheating; better dishonest than dead." -Quinn Adora, combat pragmatist
Hit Die: d8
Requirements: To qualify to become a combat pragmatic, a character must fulfill all the following criteria.
Feats: Improved Unarmed Strike and Combat Expertise
Base Attack Bonus +5 or Sneak Attack +3d6 or Tumble, 8 ranks
Class Skills: The Combat Pragmatist's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Balance (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Hide (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Listen (Wis), Profession (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), Sleight of Hand (Dex), Spot (Wis), Tumble (Dex), Use Magic Device (Cha), and Use Rope (Dex)
Skill Points at Each Level: 4 + Int modifier.
LevelBase Attack BonusFortRefWillSpecial
1st+1+2+2+0Pragmatic Weapon Choice
2nd+2+3+3+0Pragmatic Flanking
3rd+3+3+3+1Pragmatic Feint
4th+4+4+4+1Pragmatic Maneuver
5th+5+4+4+1Pragmatic Dodge
Pragmatic Weapon Choice: Although many traditional warriors swear by their sword and would never use anything else, you are smart enough and skilled enough to use whatever you have on hand. A combat pragmatist deals damage with her unarmed strike as a monk with a level equal to twice her class level. If she has levels in other classes that progress unarmed strike damage, this stacks with them, but her effective monk level may not exceed her effective character level due to this ability. Additionally, she may use improvised weapons without penalty, and deals damage equal to her unarmed strike with them if that would be greater than their normal damage.
Pragmatic Flanking: There are many warriors who consider one-on-one duels to be the pinnacle of combat, but you respectfully disagree. Starting at second level, a combat pragmatist may apply the bonus from flanking to damage rolls, and benefits fully from flanking with more than one ally. Additionally, she may give up the benefits of flanking with one ally in place of a die of sneak attack damage for the purpose of ambush feats (including the Hamstring and Arterial Strike feats from Complete Warrior).
Pragmatic Feint: You are particularly skilled at misleading your opponent in combat. Starting at third level, a combat pragmatist may feint as a move action (or a swift action, with the Improved Feint feat) and may use skills other than bluff to feint. Your DM may decide that certain skills are opposed by skills other than sense motive (e.g. sleight of hand by spot) or that certain skills are unsuitable for feinting (e.g. search).
Pragmatic Maneuver: You are no stranger to manipulating your foe for an advantage in combat. At fourth level, a combat pragmatist gains a +2 bonus on all combat maneuvers (that is, all bull rushes, disarms, feints, grapples, sunders, and trips, as well as all rolls made to resist these maneuvers). If the target is flat-footed when she makes the attempt, this bonus improves to +4 and she may make an immediate attack at her full base attack bonus if she succeeds (this attack is in addition to the extra attack granted by Improved Trip). Additionally, she may trip with any weapon; any weapon that could normally be used by tripping grants her an additional +2 circumstance modifier to the check.
Pragmatic Dodge: You duck and dodge in such a way that you can trick your opponent into hitting his own ally. Starting at fifth level, any enemy that misses the combat pragmatist while flanking has a 50% chance of hitting his ally instead. If the enemy is flanking with multiple creatures, choose one at random. The attack uses the same attack roll, it is simply compared against the armor class of its new target.
"Why would I limit myself in battle to what you consider 'honorable'? In a true fight, where it's a matter of life or death, you do what you need to win, use whatever advantage you can get. It doesn't matter if your opponent thinks you're cheating; better dishonest than dead." -Quinn Adora, combat pragmatist
Hit Die: d8
Requirements: To qualify to become a combat pragmatic, a character must fulfill all the following criteria.
Feats: Improved Unarmed Strike and Combat Expertise
Base Attack Bonus +5 or Sneak Attack +3d6 or Tumble, 8 ranks
Class Skills: The Combat Pragmatist's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Balance (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Hide (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Listen (Wis), Profession (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), Sleight of Hand (Dex), Spot (Wis), Tumble (Dex), Use Magic Device (Cha), and Use Rope (Dex)
Skill Points at Each Level: 4 + Int modifier.
LevelBase Attack BonusFortRefWillSpecial
1st+1+2+2+0Pragmatic Weapon Choice
2nd+2+3+3+0Pragmatic Flanking
3rd+3+3+3+1Pragmatic Feint
4th+4+4+4+1Pragmatic Maneuver
5th+5+4+4+1Pragmatic Dodge
Pragmatic Weapon Choice: Although many traditional warriors swear by their sword and would never use anything else, you are smart enough and skilled enough to use whatever you have on hand. A combat pragmatist deals damage with her unarmed strike as a monk with a level equal to twice her class level. If she has levels in other classes that progress unarmed strike damage, this stacks with them, but her effective monk level may not exceed her effective character level due to this ability. Additionally, she may use improvised weapons without penalty, and deals damage equal to her unarmed strike with them if that would be greater than their normal damage.
Pragmatic Flanking: There are many warriors who consider one-on-one duels to be the pinnacle of combat, but you respectfully disagree. Starting at second level, a combat pragmatist may apply the bonus from flanking to damage rolls, and benefits fully from flanking with more than one ally. Additionally, she may give up the benefits of flanking with one ally in place of a die of sneak attack damage for the purpose of ambush feats (including the Hamstring and Arterial Strike feats from Complete Warrior).
Pragmatic Feint: You are particularly skilled at misleading your opponent in combat. Starting at third level, a combat pragmatist may feint as a move action (or a swift action, with the Improved Feint feat) and may use skills other than bluff to feint. Your DM may decide that certain skills are opposed by skills other than sense motive (e.g. sleight of hand by spot) or that certain skills are unsuitable for feinting (e.g. search).
Pragmatic Maneuver: You are no stranger to manipulating your foe for an advantage in combat. At fourth level, a combat pragmatist gains a +2 bonus on all combat maneuvers (that is, all bull rushes, disarms, feints, grapples, sunders, and trips, as well as all rolls made to resist these maneuvers). If the target is flat-footed when she makes the attempt, this bonus improves to +4 and she may make an immediate attack at her full base attack bonus if she succeeds (this attack is in addition to the extra attack granted by Improved Trip). Additionally, she may trip with any weapon; any weapon that could normally be used by tripping grants her an additional +2 circumstance modifier to the check.
Pragmatic Dodge: You duck and dodge in such a way that you can trick your opponent into hitting his own ally. Starting at fifth level, any enemy that misses the combat pragmatist while flanking has a 50% chance of hitting his ally instead. If the enemy is flanking with multiple creatures, choose one at random. The attack uses the same attack roll, it is simply compared against the armor class of its new target.