[D&D 3.5] If you were a Shifter Fighter...

[CinuzIta]

Hello everyone

In the campaign I'm running, my players are gonna be sent as diplomats to a Shifter tribe. In my setting the Shifter culture is loosely based upon that of the indian tribes of Northern America [like, say, Iroquises] so warriors in the tribe have somewhat an important status.

Anyway, being my players not that diplomatic, I believe they'll start a diplomatical incident and they'll have to fight their way out of the tribe. Not a big deal for the story as this is a sort of side quest and the tribe itself is not powerfull enough to pose a serious threat to the kingdom my players are serving.

Anyway the point is this: since the fighters are highly valued in this society I didn't wanted them to be just plain fighters, so I thought about creating some alternative class features [3 or 4 should do].

Here comes the problem: the only things I came out with are to remove the medium and heavy armours proficiency to let the shifters select even Shifters' feat as their Fighter's bonus feats. Then I thought about replacing the 4th level feat with the Pounce ability.

Now I cannot think at any other ability. I'd like to have suggestions for some good abilities for level 1, 2 and 6 or 8. Even more powerful abilities [like level 12 or 14] could work, so present me all of your ideas please.

So, if you were a Shifter Fighter, what do you think your specialities would be?

[genericwit]

Since they're for a more Native American style thing, I'd recommend throwing in some abilities to give them survival style bonuses, Track as a bonus feat, and sent. Favored Terrain could be really cool, given that many native americans knew their land very well [and used it to their advantage in combat].

Pounce is a good idea, I think. Lots of Native Americans were very competent mounted warriors, so maybe some bonuses to mounted combat or interesting options for that might be in order [maybe even a special mount of some sort?].

I know it's not really Fighter, but you could add some things speaking to their spiritual abilities--maybe a commune type spell, or a spirit guide like the spirit shaman. They should probably get Uncanny Dodge, too.

An interesting idea might be to also have war paint with cool abilities. Like, you could give them various war paints that gain abilities at higher and higher levels. Starting out early could give them Natural Armor, then at higher levels something like deflection/ghost touch armor, damage reduction, spell resistance, etc.

You could also come up with a couple of packages that would be different tribes.

For example: Anasazi could get spiritual abilities [spirit guide, badass warpaint], Iroquois could get favored terrain/track and survival feats, Sioux could get mounted combat/archery bonuses, etc.

[CinuzIta]

uhm I don't like the idea to remove a bonus feat to replace it with a preselected feat. Those shifters who fight on horse could take the mounted combat feat as one of their fighter bonus feat.

But I like the war paint idea! What about something like these:

War Paint:
Replace: 2nd level Fighter's bonus feat
Benefit: the Fighter can add his Wisdom [or Constitution?] modifier to his natural armor.

Improved War Paint
Replace: 8th level Fighters bonus feat.
Benefits: the character gains Intimidating Presence (DC 10+1/2 Character HD+ Cha modifier) [i think that in battle indians were kinda scary, but if anyone have better ideas please tell me]

Superior War Paint
Replace: 12th level Fighter's bonus feat
Benefits: gain SR 10+HD

Again, if anyone have good ideas please tell me!:)

[vasharanpaladin]

If I were a Shifter fighter, I'd burn my character sheet and roll up a warblade instead. Much more fun and interesting.

Also, Tiger Claw for this, they like handaxes. :smalltongue:

[CinuzIta]

okay but let pretend you just HAVE to be a fighter!:p

[vasharanpaladin]

okay but let pretend you just HAVE to be a fighter!:p

Wonder what I've done with my life and voluntarily commit to a sanitarium? :smallconfused:

[CinuzIta]

that is an option, but if you were stronger than this and decided to not let the mediocrity of the fighter wins, what would you do?:smallamused:

[vasharanpaladin]

that is an option, but if you were stronger than this and decided to not let the mediocrity of the fighter wins, what would you do?:smallamused:

Find the nearest spellcaster and indenture myself to pay for a ritual to exchange all my fighter levels for warblade levels. I do not use fighters, full stop. :smallannoyed:

That said, I'd also consider using scout instead of fighter for this. One, it has ACTUAL CLASS FEATURES, and two, it's got a more appropriate skill set for what you're trying to represent. I think I saw a "supplement" with ACFs for it somewhere around here...

[Pyromancer999]

Ranger would probably do the job better than the fighter, if you're set on a fighter-ish class. Otherwise, Scout would do. It's just that not really any fighter feats would really work for a Native-American stereotype warrior, excepting maybe an archery-focused fighter or a charge-based fighter, in many cases which can be done much better by a Warblade.

[CinuzIta]

Find the nearest spellcaster and indenture myself to pay for a ritual to exchange all my fighter levels for warblade levels. I do not use fighters, full stop. :smallannoyed:

That said, I'd also consider using scout instead of fighter for this. One, it has ACTUAL CLASS FEATURES, and two, it's got a more appropriate skill set for what you're trying to represent. I think I saw a "supplement" with ACFs for it somewhere around here...

Okay okay you got a point! :smalltongue:

I had already thought about rangers and scouts, and they'll be definitely in of course, but I wanted to get in some Fighters to get all those handy bonus feats!

Anyway genericwit gave me a good idea and I'll be definitely changing the rangers' animal companion with a spirit guide! Just need to tweak it a little bit so that is more viable for a fighting class! As usual, if you have ideas please tell them to me!

Maybe I'll add even some Tiger Claw Warblade to represent the elite warriors of the tribe (even tough, I'll be honest, I don't like ToB that much...)