Roderick_BR
2012-10-29, 12:51 PM
Starting the week with another "fighter fix" (even though I already have rules for an high-powered meleer campaign), with some ideas for people that don't want magical fighters running around.
This is something I've been working on for some time, after I saw a post about gestalting the fighter class with all the other tier 5-4 classes.
The idea is not to "fix" melee, but increase the customization and versatility (as well as a small increase in power) for some classes.
Basically, fighters have feats, but no class features or good high level options. Others meelers have class features and some interesting high level options, but lack the ability to be customizable. These rules combine them into something more interesting to play without increasing even more the micromanagement.
As far as "tiers" go, I'm not expecting it to go into tier 3 or better, just give players more options to play with, and reasons to want to go up a level instead of obviously going into multiclass/PrC because the original class sucks.
As far as combat roles go, all three character's basic role is being a physical warrior that deals damange, with just different ways of doing it, with more or less out of combat abilities, so you pretty much chose a kind of fighter, and go with it (with possible multiclassing if you so desire/is allowed in the campaing world)
A very different approach from my other variant rules to make meelers be more powerful and casters being restricted for (more powerful) half-casters (that somehow I can't find, as the forum seems to have cleaned out older threads again...)
Copyright disclaimer: The following rules are fan-made and based mainly on the OGL rules found at (http://www.d20srd.org/). Knight's content can be found as excerpts at (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ex/20060501a&page=2) as well as in Player's Handbook 2. Scout doesn't have his abilities listed online, so you'll have to find it at Complete Adventurer. These rules I'm posting shows a list of abilities, but the complete ruleset can be found at the given links, on the official sites or books.
All three presented classes gains the Fighter Bonus Feats feature, gaining a bonus feat at levels 1st, 2nd, and every even level afterwards (4th, 6th, 8th, 10th, 12th, 14th, 16th, 18th, and 20th). All feats that present the text "Special: Fighters can select the feat (name) as one of his bonus feat" and variants apply to any of these three classes for these bonus feats.
Feats that have "fighter level (number)" as requisites just replace it with "Base Attack Bonus +(number)", as there will be no need for exclusive feats (and the ones that do exists are either weak feats or requires a lot of other feats anyway).
BARBARIAN
The barbarian as is, it's already high 4 tier. He does his job, but has little customization. Giving him fighter bonuses let him specialize in other areas other than übercharging.
This also changes the fluf a bit, making him a more generic brutal frontliner warrior, not necessarily a tribal barbarian.
Changes:
Removed Iliteracy. Iliteracy can be bought as a trait (Become iliterate and gain 2 skill points. Can become literate by spending 2 skill points as normal later), but it's not an automatic class feature now.
Removed alignment restriction. Barbarians can come from any background, besides the name. Even "civilized" lands have their die-hard hardcore berzerkers. Rage can be fluffed as an incontrolable anger, channeling spiritual totems, or entering a special warrior focus state.
Added Fighter Bonus Feats at 1st, 2nd, and every even level (4th, 6th, 8th...)
{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special
1st|+1|+2|+0|+0|Bonus fighter feat, fast movement, rage 1/day
2nd|+2|+3|+0|+0|Bonus fighter feat, uncanny dodge
3rd|+3|+3|+1|+1|Trap sense +1
4th|+4|+4|+1|+1|Bonus fighter feat, rage 2/day
5th|+5|+4|+1|+1|Improved uncanny dodge
6th|+6/+1|+5|+2|+2|Bonus fighter feat, trap sense +2
7th|+7/+2|+5|+2|+2|Damage reduction 1/—
8th|+8/+3|+6|+2|+2|Bonus fighter feat, rage 3/day
9th|+9/+4|+6|+3|+3|Trap sense +3
10th|+10/+5|+7|+3|+3|Bonus fighter feat, damage reduction 2/—
11th|+11/+6/+1|+7|+3|+3|Greater rage
12th|+12/+7/+2|+8|+4|+4|Bonus fighter feat, rage 4/day, trap sense +4
13th|+13/+8/+3|+8|+4|+4|Damage reduction 3/—
14th|+14/+9/+4|+9|+4|+4|Bonus fighter feat, indomitable will
15th|+15/+10/+5|+9|+5|+5|Trap sense +5
16th|+16/+11/+6/+1|+10|+5|+5|Bonus fighter feat, damage reduction 4/—, rage 5/day
17th|+17/+12/+7/+2|+10|+5|+5|Tireless rage
18th|+18/+13/+8/+3|+11|+6|+6|Bonus fighter feat, trap sense +6
19th|+19/+14/+9/+4|+11|+6|+6|Damage reduction 5/—
20th|+20/+15/+10/+5|+12|+6|+6|Bonus fighter feat, mighty rage, rage 6/day[/table]
SCOUT
Instead of the ranger, I'm using the scout, as the "light armored warrior", as I think he has better class features, and fits well the theme of these rules. He fills the swashbuckler style, seen in many classic stories, for those that want a fast and skillful warrior, but not necessarily a barbarian or someone heavy as the knight.
Changes:
The original bonus feats are removed. (the added stuff ofsets this easily)
Base Attack Bonus increased to good (as fighter) instead of partial (as rogue).
Good Fortitude and Reflex instead of just Reflex.
Added Fighter Bonus Feats at 1st, 2nd, and every even level (4th, 6th, 8th...)
{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special
1st|+1|+2|+2|+0|Bonus fighter feat, skirmish (+1d6), trapfinding
2nd|+2|+3|+3|+0|Battle fortitude +1, bonus fighter feat, uncanny dodge
3rd|+3|+3|+3|+1|Fast movement +10 ft., skirmish (+1d6, +1 AC), trackless step
4th|+4|+4|+4|+1|Bonus fighter feat
5th|+5|+4|+4|+1|Evasion, skirmish (+2d6, +1 AC)
6th|+6/+1|+5|+5|+2|Bonus fighter feat, flawless stride
7th|+7/+2|+5|+5|+2|Skirmish (+2d6, +2 AC)
8th|+8/+3|+6|+6|+2|Bonus fighter feat, camouflage
9th|+9/+4|+6|+6|+3|Skirmish (+3d6, +2 AC)
10th|+10/+5|+7|+7|+3|Blindsense 30 ft., bonus fighter feat
11th|+11/+6/+1|+7|+7|+3|Battle fortitude +2, fast movement +20 ft., skirmish (+3d6, +3 AC)
12th|+12/+7/+2|+8|+8|+4|Bonus fighter feat
13th|+13/+8/+3|+8|+8|+4|Skirmish (+4d6, +3 AC)
14th|+14/+9/+4|+9|+9|+4|Bonus fighter feat, hide in plain sight
15th|+15/+10/+5|+9|+9|+5|Skirmish (+4d6, +4 AC)
16th|+16/+11/+6/+1|+10|+10|+5|Bonus fighter feat
17th|+17/+12/+7/+2|+10|+10|+5|Skirmish (+5d6, +4 AC)
18th|+18/+13/+8/+3|+11|+11|+6|Bonus fighter feat, free movement
19th|+19/+14/+9/+4|+11|+11|+6|Skirmish (+5d6, +5 AC)
20th|+20/+15/+10/+5|+12|+12|+6|Battle fortitude +3, blindsight 30 ft., bonus fighter feat[/table]
KNIGHT
Knight is kinda the spiritual sucessor of the fighter, so I'll use it as the "heavy armor" guy. I added more ways to resist effects, so this guy is more of a tank, but more useful, since he can use feats to custom his attacks, and he also already get some battlefield control effects.
Like the barbarian, this knight is more like a specialized defensive warrior, not necessarily a member of knighthood with a code of honor.
Changes:
Removed alignment restriction and code of honor rules (including rules to lose knight challenge uses through violation of code of honor. Special cases, like being defeated on a fighting challenge still applies).
Hit dice reduced to d10. I think the barbarian, as a front liner, should keep the d12 hit die. The knight will get other ways to resist attacks.
Good Fortitude, bad Reflex and Will. Kinda weird for a meleer with Fort and Will switched.
Removed Shield Block. Replaced with other abilities.
Removed the original bonus feats. Replaced with other abilities.
Added Steel Mind: Starting at 2nd level, the knight can, as an immediate action after failing a will save, spend one of his knight challenge's daily uses to make a new will save, adding a +1 bonus for every 3 knight levels (minimum +1, maximum +6).
Added Instant Reaction: Starting at 11th level, the knight can, as an immediate action after failing a Reflex save, spend one of his knight challenge's daily uses to make a new Reflex save, adding a +1 bonus for every 3 knight levels (minimum +1, maximum +6).
Added Tougher Vigor: At 20th level, the knight can, as an immediate action after failing a Fortitude save, spend one of his knight challenge's daily uses to make a new Fortitude save, adding a +1 bonus for every 3 knight levels (minimum +1, maximum +6).
Added Damage Reduction 1/- starting at 2nd level, then increasing the defense value at 5th, 10th, 15th, and 20th levels.
Added Fighter Bonus Feats at 1st, 2nd, and every even level (4th, 6th, 8th...)
Added Tower Shield proficiency at 1st level.
Skill points per level increased to 4.
{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special
1st|+1|+2|+0|+0|Bonus fighter feat, fighting challenge +1, knight's challenge
2nd|+2|+3|+0|+0|Bonus fighter feat, damage reduction 1/-, steel mind
3rd|+3|+3|+1|+1|Bulwark of defense
4th|+4|+4|+1|+1|Bonus fighter feat, armor mastery (medium), test of mettle
5th|+5|+4|+1|+1|Damage reduction 2/-, vigilant defender
6th|+6/+1|+5|+2|+2|Bonus fighter feat, shield ally
7th|+7/+2|+5|+2|+2|Fighting challenge +2
8th|+8/+3|+6|+2|+2|Bonus fighter feat, call to battle
9th|+9/+4|+6|+3|+3|Armor mastery (heavy)
10th|+10/+5|+7|+3|+3|Bonus fighter feat, Damage reduction 3/-
11th|+11/+6/+1|+7|+3|+3|Instant reaction
12th|+12/+7/+2|+8|+4|+4|Bonus fighter feat, daunting challenge
13th|+13/+8/+3|+8|+4|+4|Fighting challenge +3
14th|+14/+9/+4|+9|+4|+4|Bonus fighter feat, improved shield ally
15th|+15/+10/+5|+9|+5|+5|Damage reduction 4/-
16th|+16/+11/+6/+1|+10|+5|+5|Bonus fighter feat, bond of loyalty
17th|+17/+12/+7/+2|+10|+5|+5|Impetuous endurance
18th|+18/+13/+8/+3|+11|+6|+6|Bonus fighter feat
19th|+19/+14/+9/+4|+11|+6|+6|Fighting challenge +4
20th|+20/+15/+10/+5|+12|+6|+6|Bonus fighter feat, damage reduction 5/-, loyal beyond death, tougher vigor[/table]
What you guys think? Once again, this is not a be all end all fighter fix, just an idea to make it more fun to play, and easier to make it easier to custom your class, without sucking too terrible as the basic 3.x fighter.
Next: The other non-magic meelers, and half-casters.
This is something I've been working on for some time, after I saw a post about gestalting the fighter class with all the other tier 5-4 classes.
The idea is not to "fix" melee, but increase the customization and versatility (as well as a small increase in power) for some classes.
Basically, fighters have feats, but no class features or good high level options. Others meelers have class features and some interesting high level options, but lack the ability to be customizable. These rules combine them into something more interesting to play without increasing even more the micromanagement.
As far as "tiers" go, I'm not expecting it to go into tier 3 or better, just give players more options to play with, and reasons to want to go up a level instead of obviously going into multiclass/PrC because the original class sucks.
As far as combat roles go, all three character's basic role is being a physical warrior that deals damange, with just different ways of doing it, with more or less out of combat abilities, so you pretty much chose a kind of fighter, and go with it (with possible multiclassing if you so desire/is allowed in the campaing world)
A very different approach from my other variant rules to make meelers be more powerful and casters being restricted for (more powerful) half-casters (that somehow I can't find, as the forum seems to have cleaned out older threads again...)
Copyright disclaimer: The following rules are fan-made and based mainly on the OGL rules found at (http://www.d20srd.org/). Knight's content can be found as excerpts at (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ex/20060501a&page=2) as well as in Player's Handbook 2. Scout doesn't have his abilities listed online, so you'll have to find it at Complete Adventurer. These rules I'm posting shows a list of abilities, but the complete ruleset can be found at the given links, on the official sites or books.
All three presented classes gains the Fighter Bonus Feats feature, gaining a bonus feat at levels 1st, 2nd, and every even level afterwards (4th, 6th, 8th, 10th, 12th, 14th, 16th, 18th, and 20th). All feats that present the text "Special: Fighters can select the feat (name) as one of his bonus feat" and variants apply to any of these three classes for these bonus feats.
Feats that have "fighter level (number)" as requisites just replace it with "Base Attack Bonus +(number)", as there will be no need for exclusive feats (and the ones that do exists are either weak feats or requires a lot of other feats anyway).
BARBARIAN
The barbarian as is, it's already high 4 tier. He does his job, but has little customization. Giving him fighter bonuses let him specialize in other areas other than übercharging.
This also changes the fluf a bit, making him a more generic brutal frontliner warrior, not necessarily a tribal barbarian.
Changes:
Removed Iliteracy. Iliteracy can be bought as a trait (Become iliterate and gain 2 skill points. Can become literate by spending 2 skill points as normal later), but it's not an automatic class feature now.
Removed alignment restriction. Barbarians can come from any background, besides the name. Even "civilized" lands have their die-hard hardcore berzerkers. Rage can be fluffed as an incontrolable anger, channeling spiritual totems, or entering a special warrior focus state.
Added Fighter Bonus Feats at 1st, 2nd, and every even level (4th, 6th, 8th...)
{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special
1st|+1|+2|+0|+0|Bonus fighter feat, fast movement, rage 1/day
2nd|+2|+3|+0|+0|Bonus fighter feat, uncanny dodge
3rd|+3|+3|+1|+1|Trap sense +1
4th|+4|+4|+1|+1|Bonus fighter feat, rage 2/day
5th|+5|+4|+1|+1|Improved uncanny dodge
6th|+6/+1|+5|+2|+2|Bonus fighter feat, trap sense +2
7th|+7/+2|+5|+2|+2|Damage reduction 1/—
8th|+8/+3|+6|+2|+2|Bonus fighter feat, rage 3/day
9th|+9/+4|+6|+3|+3|Trap sense +3
10th|+10/+5|+7|+3|+3|Bonus fighter feat, damage reduction 2/—
11th|+11/+6/+1|+7|+3|+3|Greater rage
12th|+12/+7/+2|+8|+4|+4|Bonus fighter feat, rage 4/day, trap sense +4
13th|+13/+8/+3|+8|+4|+4|Damage reduction 3/—
14th|+14/+9/+4|+9|+4|+4|Bonus fighter feat, indomitable will
15th|+15/+10/+5|+9|+5|+5|Trap sense +5
16th|+16/+11/+6/+1|+10|+5|+5|Bonus fighter feat, damage reduction 4/—, rage 5/day
17th|+17/+12/+7/+2|+10|+5|+5|Tireless rage
18th|+18/+13/+8/+3|+11|+6|+6|Bonus fighter feat, trap sense +6
19th|+19/+14/+9/+4|+11|+6|+6|Damage reduction 5/—
20th|+20/+15/+10/+5|+12|+6|+6|Bonus fighter feat, mighty rage, rage 6/day[/table]
SCOUT
Instead of the ranger, I'm using the scout, as the "light armored warrior", as I think he has better class features, and fits well the theme of these rules. He fills the swashbuckler style, seen in many classic stories, for those that want a fast and skillful warrior, but not necessarily a barbarian or someone heavy as the knight.
Changes:
The original bonus feats are removed. (the added stuff ofsets this easily)
Base Attack Bonus increased to good (as fighter) instead of partial (as rogue).
Good Fortitude and Reflex instead of just Reflex.
Added Fighter Bonus Feats at 1st, 2nd, and every even level (4th, 6th, 8th...)
{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special
1st|+1|+2|+2|+0|Bonus fighter feat, skirmish (+1d6), trapfinding
2nd|+2|+3|+3|+0|Battle fortitude +1, bonus fighter feat, uncanny dodge
3rd|+3|+3|+3|+1|Fast movement +10 ft., skirmish (+1d6, +1 AC), trackless step
4th|+4|+4|+4|+1|Bonus fighter feat
5th|+5|+4|+4|+1|Evasion, skirmish (+2d6, +1 AC)
6th|+6/+1|+5|+5|+2|Bonus fighter feat, flawless stride
7th|+7/+2|+5|+5|+2|Skirmish (+2d6, +2 AC)
8th|+8/+3|+6|+6|+2|Bonus fighter feat, camouflage
9th|+9/+4|+6|+6|+3|Skirmish (+3d6, +2 AC)
10th|+10/+5|+7|+7|+3|Blindsense 30 ft., bonus fighter feat
11th|+11/+6/+1|+7|+7|+3|Battle fortitude +2, fast movement +20 ft., skirmish (+3d6, +3 AC)
12th|+12/+7/+2|+8|+8|+4|Bonus fighter feat
13th|+13/+8/+3|+8|+8|+4|Skirmish (+4d6, +3 AC)
14th|+14/+9/+4|+9|+9|+4|Bonus fighter feat, hide in plain sight
15th|+15/+10/+5|+9|+9|+5|Skirmish (+4d6, +4 AC)
16th|+16/+11/+6/+1|+10|+10|+5|Bonus fighter feat
17th|+17/+12/+7/+2|+10|+10|+5|Skirmish (+5d6, +4 AC)
18th|+18/+13/+8/+3|+11|+11|+6|Bonus fighter feat, free movement
19th|+19/+14/+9/+4|+11|+11|+6|Skirmish (+5d6, +5 AC)
20th|+20/+15/+10/+5|+12|+12|+6|Battle fortitude +3, blindsight 30 ft., bonus fighter feat[/table]
KNIGHT
Knight is kinda the spiritual sucessor of the fighter, so I'll use it as the "heavy armor" guy. I added more ways to resist effects, so this guy is more of a tank, but more useful, since he can use feats to custom his attacks, and he also already get some battlefield control effects.
Like the barbarian, this knight is more like a specialized defensive warrior, not necessarily a member of knighthood with a code of honor.
Changes:
Removed alignment restriction and code of honor rules (including rules to lose knight challenge uses through violation of code of honor. Special cases, like being defeated on a fighting challenge still applies).
Hit dice reduced to d10. I think the barbarian, as a front liner, should keep the d12 hit die. The knight will get other ways to resist attacks.
Good Fortitude, bad Reflex and Will. Kinda weird for a meleer with Fort and Will switched.
Removed Shield Block. Replaced with other abilities.
Removed the original bonus feats. Replaced with other abilities.
Added Steel Mind: Starting at 2nd level, the knight can, as an immediate action after failing a will save, spend one of his knight challenge's daily uses to make a new will save, adding a +1 bonus for every 3 knight levels (minimum +1, maximum +6).
Added Instant Reaction: Starting at 11th level, the knight can, as an immediate action after failing a Reflex save, spend one of his knight challenge's daily uses to make a new Reflex save, adding a +1 bonus for every 3 knight levels (minimum +1, maximum +6).
Added Tougher Vigor: At 20th level, the knight can, as an immediate action after failing a Fortitude save, spend one of his knight challenge's daily uses to make a new Fortitude save, adding a +1 bonus for every 3 knight levels (minimum +1, maximum +6).
Added Damage Reduction 1/- starting at 2nd level, then increasing the defense value at 5th, 10th, 15th, and 20th levels.
Added Fighter Bonus Feats at 1st, 2nd, and every even level (4th, 6th, 8th...)
Added Tower Shield proficiency at 1st level.
Skill points per level increased to 4.
{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special
1st|+1|+2|+0|+0|Bonus fighter feat, fighting challenge +1, knight's challenge
2nd|+2|+3|+0|+0|Bonus fighter feat, damage reduction 1/-, steel mind
3rd|+3|+3|+1|+1|Bulwark of defense
4th|+4|+4|+1|+1|Bonus fighter feat, armor mastery (medium), test of mettle
5th|+5|+4|+1|+1|Damage reduction 2/-, vigilant defender
6th|+6/+1|+5|+2|+2|Bonus fighter feat, shield ally
7th|+7/+2|+5|+2|+2|Fighting challenge +2
8th|+8/+3|+6|+2|+2|Bonus fighter feat, call to battle
9th|+9/+4|+6|+3|+3|Armor mastery (heavy)
10th|+10/+5|+7|+3|+3|Bonus fighter feat, Damage reduction 3/-
11th|+11/+6/+1|+7|+3|+3|Instant reaction
12th|+12/+7/+2|+8|+4|+4|Bonus fighter feat, daunting challenge
13th|+13/+8/+3|+8|+4|+4|Fighting challenge +3
14th|+14/+9/+4|+9|+4|+4|Bonus fighter feat, improved shield ally
15th|+15/+10/+5|+9|+5|+5|Damage reduction 4/-
16th|+16/+11/+6/+1|+10|+5|+5|Bonus fighter feat, bond of loyalty
17th|+17/+12/+7/+2|+10|+5|+5|Impetuous endurance
18th|+18/+13/+8/+3|+11|+6|+6|Bonus fighter feat
19th|+19/+14/+9/+4|+11|+6|+6|Fighting challenge +4
20th|+20/+15/+10/+5|+12|+6|+6|Bonus fighter feat, damage reduction 5/-, loyal beyond death, tougher vigor[/table]
What you guys think? Once again, this is not a be all end all fighter fix, just an idea to make it more fun to play, and easier to make it easier to custom your class, without sucking too terrible as the basic 3.x fighter.
Next: The other non-magic meelers, and half-casters.