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dali_ance
2013-04-03, 08:22 PM
Hi! first post. My goal for this particular bit of homebrew was to create a tier 3 or higher combat class. Things I want to brush up include balance, abilities, and the name of the class, as I think "Mercenary" is a little limited, fluff-wise. I tried to make this class familiar, but also unique, so many abilities are somewhat similar to existing base classes (esp. adrenaline rush). Please let me know if I shagged up anything or was too vague in the abilities. It is on the OP side right now I think - I find it easier to subtract than to add or change.

Mercenary
Whether they do it for the thrill of combat or the desire to make easy gold, mercenaries are the craftiest soldiers-for-hire. While barbarians and fighters rely on brute force and rangers rely on asymmetric combat, mercenaries make use of tactics and skills to give them an edge. Most mercenaries have extensive skill sets, allowing companies to operate as independent engines of destruction. Mercenaries take the jobs that regular soldiers will not touch, so most mercenaries are of ambiguous moral character at best. They favor mixed company, as they do not cover all roles. Mercenaries work well with other frontline combatants, and have a special affinity with rogues.

Alignment: Any chaotic OR any nongood.
Hit die: d10.
Base Attack: Best
Saves: Reflex
Class Skills:
Appraise (INT), Balance (DEX), Climb (STR), Concentration (CON), Craft (INT), Disable Device (DEX), Gather Information (WIS), Hide (DEX), Intimidate (CHA), Jump (STR), Knowledge (architecture and engineering), Knowledge (geography), Knowledge (Local), Listen (WIS), Move Silently (DEX), Search (WIS), Sleight of Hand (DEX), Spot (WIS), Survival (WIS), Swim (STR), Tumble (DEX), Use Rope (DEX)
Skill points per level: 6 + INT
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A mercenary is proficient with all simple weapons, as well as six martial or exotic weapons. A mercenary is proficient in light armor and medium armor, as well as shields. Some mercenaries take Tower Shield Proficiency, but they are specialists. A mercenary that multiclasses has their martial training superseded by the other class’s proficiencies.
Class Features:The following are class features of the mercenary.
Adrenaline Rush (Ex): To be a mercenary of any skill is to love the thrill of combat. Few who take up the life of a sellsword dislike combat. Several times a day, a mercenary can tap in to this rush, entering a heightened state of awareness and competence. During an adrenaline rush, a mercenary gains +4 bonus to Strength, a +4 bonus to Dexterity, and movement speed increases by 10ft. An adrenaline rush lasts 3 rounds + the mercenary’s CON modifier. After the adrenaline rush times out, the mercenary becomes fatigued until the end of the current encounter. He can use any feat he has, with the exception of item creation feats and metamagic feats. At first level, a mercenary can use adrenaline rush once per day. Every four levels, he gains another use of the ability. Entering adrenaline rush takes on action, but the mercenary may only use it during their own turn. Feats that modify rages apply to adrenaline rush, but adrenaline rush does not count as rage for the purpose of meeting prestige class prerequisites.

Combat Expertise (Ex): It is assumed that all mercenaries are skilled combatants. Mercenaries receive Combat Expertise as a bonus feat at 1st level.

Uncanny Dodge (Ex): Starting at 2nd level, a mercenary can react to danger before her senses would normally allow her to do so. She retains her Dexterity bonus to AC (if any) even if she is caught flat-footed or struck by an invisible attacker. However, she still loses her Dexterity bonus to AC if immobilized.
If a mercenary already has uncanny dodge from a different class she automatically gains improved uncanny dodge instead.

Grit (Ex): Starting at 3rd level, the mercenary gains a +1 bonus on Fortitude saves to resist stunning and paralysis and on Will saves to resist fear effects. This bonus increases by +1 every three levels thereafter.

Battle Cunning (Ex): At 5th level, a mercenary can exploit almost any opening. They receive their INT bonus on damage rolls against flat-footed or flanked opponents. This is identical to the warblade’s ability of the same.

Combat Pragmatism (Ex): At 7th level, a mercenary has mastered the art of fighting dirty. The mercenary gains a +2 competence bonus on disarm, feint, and trip attempts.

Improved Uncanny Dodge (Ex):A mercenary of 10th level or higher can no longer be flanked. This defense denies another mercenary the ability to sneak attack the character by flanking her, unless the attacker has at least four more rogue levels than the target does. If a character already has uncanny dodge from a second class, the character automatically gains improved uncanny dodge instead, and the levels from the classes that grant uncanny dodge stack to determine the minimum rogue level required to flank the character.

Greater Adrenaline Rush (Ex): At 11th level, the bonuses to STR and DEX conferred by adrenaline rush rise to +6. The movement bonus rises to +15ft.

Dominance (Ex): At 13th level, a mercenary may take 10 on Intimidate checks, even if they are threatened or stressed.

Blitz (Ex): At 14th level, a mercenary always receives a surprise round at the beginning of combat. In addition, the mercenary receives a +10ft speed bonus during surprise rounds.

Tireless Adrenaline Rush (Ex): At 17th level, a mercenary is no longer fatigued after an adrenaline rush.

Dire Strike (Ex): At 19th level, a mercenary has grown so hardened and vicious that they receive no longer need to confirm critical threats on a natural 20. Instead, a natural 20 is counted as an automatic critical. The expanded threat range of keen weapons, rapiers, etc. is treated as normal.

Mighty Adrenaline Rush (Ex): At 20th level, the mercenary’s bonuses to STR and DEX rise to +8 during an adrenaline rush. The movement bonuses increases to +20ft.


{table=head]Level|BAB|Fort|Ref|Will|Special

1st|+1|+0|+2|+0| Combat Expertise, Adrenaline Rush 1/day

2nd|+2|+0|+3|+0| Uncanny Dodge

3rd|+3|+1|+3|+1| Grit +1

4th|+4|+1|+4|+1| Adrenaline Rush 2/day

5th|+5|+1|+4|+1| Battle Cunning, Extended Intimidation

6th|+6/+1|+2|+5|+2| Grit +2

7th|+7/+2|+2|+5|+2| Combat Pragmatism

8th|+8/+3|+2|+6|+2| Adrenaline Rush 3/day

9th|+9/+4|+3|+6|+3| Grit +3, Swift Demoralization

10th|+10/+5|+3|+7|+3| Improved Uncanny Dodge

11th|+11/+6/+1|+3|+7|+3| Greater Adrenaline Rush

12th|+12/+7/+2|+4|+8|+4| Grit +4, Adrenaline Rush 4/day

13th|+13/+8/+3|+4|+8|+4| Dominance

14th|+14/+9/+4|+4|+9|+4| Blitz

15th|+15/+10/+5|+5|+9|+5| Grit +5

16th|+16/+11/+6/+1|+5|+10|+5| Adrenaline Rush 5/day

17th|+17/+12/+7/+2|+5|+10|+5| Tireless Adrenaline Rush

18th|+18/+13/+8/+3|+6|+11|+6| Grit +6

19th|+19/+14/+9/+4|+6|+11|+6| Dire Strike

20th|+20/+15/+10/+5|+6|+12|+6| Mighty Adrenaline Rush, Adrenaline 6/day

[/table]

Humble Master
2013-04-03, 09:11 PM
Adrenaline Rush and variants: I will be franks, this is too much like a Rage. Mabey change it to modify attack bonus for full attacks of something.
Combat Expertise: A bonus feat.
Uncanny Dodge and variants: Feels a little out of place. When I think of mercenaries I think of big burly people not agile quick to react fighters.
Grit: A simple bonus to some saves. Ok at best.
Battle Cunning: Taken from Warblade and as I said above with Uncanny Dodge feals a little out of place for the Mercenary archetype.
Combat Pragmatism: This one seems to fit though it is a little underwhelming in power. Maby let the Mercenary get a free attack when they trip, disarm ect.
Dominance: Again this one fits but it feels underwhelming. Too little too late.
Blitz: Defiantly powerful and also a nice ability. Still this could be seen as OP as it basically gives the Mercenary a weaker version of Celerity.
Dire Strike: At this point confirming crits is not the problem. Getting crits in the first place is what is hard. This little add on feel very underpowered.
Finally where is the Swift Demoralization ability?

Overall: A brave first start. You have some good ideas here but they feel unrefined (for instance it's a melee class that doesn't get a good Fort save). Try changing the abilities to focus around intimidation and taking out foes very quickly. Please don't be demoralized by this post. Keep trying!

Hawk7915
2013-04-03, 09:26 PM
Welcome to the world of homebrewing! Humble Master's comments are spot-on: I don't actually mind that Adrenaline Rush is a lot like Barbarian Rage, but I do agree that it would be nice if it did something different. Going with Humble Master's advice, how about this?

Adrenaline Reflexes (Ex): Starting at 6th level, while a Mercenary is in an Adrenaline Rush they take a -2 penalty on iterative attacks during a full-attack, rather than the usual -5.

Additionally, this class falls well short of Tier 3, and is probably just a solid Tier 4. It's leaps and bounds better than a Fighter, Samurai, or Paladin, and it's probably better than a Core-only Barbarian, but the definition of "Tier 3" is, " Capable of doing one thing quite well, while still being useful when that one thing is inappropriate, or capable of doing all things, but not as well as classes that specialize in that area. Occasionally has a mechanical ability that can solve an encounter, but this is relatively rare and easy to deal with". From what I can see here, the Merc is capable of doing gritty, tank-and-spank combat very well and can contribute as the party's scout due to a solid class skill list with Spot, Listen, Hide, and Move Silently, but we're comparing him to a Warblade, Crusader, Swordsage, and Wild-shaping Ranger at Tier 3 and he just doesn't stack up as a melee combatant. He's not even necessarily better than a Barbarian once you factor in SPLAT book support for him (Spirit Lion Totem, Whirling Frenzy, various PrCs). Blitz is the Merc's one claim to fame, and it simply doesn't stack up.

Giving him maneuvers and stances or a meager spell-list inspired by the Assassin is sort of low-hanging fruit, so here's some suggestions that might be better for him and could help to bump the tier up a little bit:


- Get a free follow-up attack after using a combat maneuver (Disarm, Trip, Sunder, Grapple)

- "Floating feats" that the Mercenary can change each morning, letting him customize and specialize his "feat load-out".

- Roll attacks twice and take the highest result (maybe only during Adrenaline Rush)

- Roll saving throws twice and take the highest result (maybe only during adrenaline rush)

- Mettle

- Pounce (maybe only during Adrenaline Rush)

- Swift action demoralize

- Expanded crit range and or crit multipliers with all weapons (again, maybe only in an Adrenaline Rush)

I wouldn't add all of those things, of course, but you get the idea.

bobthe6th
2013-04-03, 09:51 PM
See, this is an archetype I like. I have made a couple barbarians using wirling frenzy+wolf totem... and I think they run a bit like this.
I like the rush, and agree that a spell list would be a good way to round out the class. half caster might work, if you keep it to pure utility.

Also, I feel like dire strike should offer a Save or Die DC10+1/2 BAB+Str mod.

other fun thing to throw in there would be a

Grit scales poorly... and it is rather specific. I sugest by 2s, but in 6 level jumps. up to +6 at the high end.

Humble Master
2013-04-03, 10:18 PM
Perhaps an ability for intimidation where when you strike you make an Intimidation check. The target must then make a Will save against the DC of your check or become shaken or something.

tilionvevfet
2013-04-03, 10:53 PM
The class feels unfocused. I can't tell whether it wants to deal lots of damage, strike first, or keep the opponent off-balance. If you can get a better feeling for what the class does, it will be much better.

That said, it probably could be played in a game and it would work fine. I applaud you for having this be your first post.

Welcome to the playground and have fun!

Ir0npanda
2013-04-04, 03:04 AM
The ultimate "mercenary" fantasy world character is Bronn of the Blackwater from ASOIAF. He is definitely not some big muscly dude. He relies on dodging and dirty fighting to beat those big muscly dudes.

This Merc class goes a long way to depicting Bronn. Great start

dali_ance
2013-04-04, 10:28 PM
The ultimate "mercenary" fantasy world character is Bronn of the Blackwater from ASOIAF. He is definitely not some big muscly dude. He relies on dodging and dirty fighting to beat those big muscly dudes.

This Merc class goes a long way to depicting Bronn. Great start

Hahaha I'd say this is probably the most accurate assessment of this base class, or at least my goals for it. My mental image of a mercenary is definitely a wiry, mean dude who can run circles around and fight harder than the beefy, better-fed combatants.

Hawk, your suggestions are much appreciated. I was concerned that adding Pounce would be unbalancing, but I guess my grasp of the tiers isn't as good as I thought it was. Making it a rush-specific goodie would be really fun, I think. I also really like the idea of floating feats - different jobs mean adapting to different situations. I definitely want to avoid maneuvers and spells, that feels too easy to me.

What do you think of the skills and saves? Should I make Fortitude a good one as well? Also, should I keep battle cunning? I want them to synergize well with rogues, and I'm trying to get a sucker punch-flavored ability. I think I want to keep uncanny dodge, but I might bump dominance up a few levels and give it some more oomph.

bobthe6th
2013-04-04, 10:35 PM
Fort would probably not be an issue. I suggest putting some kick in Battle cunning, like +4 damage/4-5 levels.

You could offer the black knight ability to make an intimidate check as a swift action after you hit with an attack, and possibly let him use the "never outnumbered" skill trick a few more times per combat then normal.

Ir0npanda
2013-04-05, 02:28 AM
Hahaha I'd say this is probably the most accurate assessment of this base class, or at least my goals for it. My mental image of a mercenary is definitely a wiry, mean dude who can run circles around and fight harder than the beefy, better-fed combatants.

Bronn the sellsword vs a Knight


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ERwaN8H3zv8

Complete with dodging, tripping, disarming, and a coup de grace!

:elan:

Shyftir
2013-04-05, 02:43 AM
Also Sell-sword is a much better class name than mercenary. (despite the fact they have identical meanings.)

Ir0npanda
2013-04-06, 11:45 PM
man how about an ability for every X rounds during you fight a target in heavier armor than you (or an encumbered enemy), you get a stacking buff to DEX up to some limit?

This would be really cool for showing how you outlast stronger foes using nimble tricks