Everynone
2013-07-21, 05:20 PM
Warlord
"To me, my friends! This battle ends here!" - Rallying Cry of Antipater Eukleides, a Warlord
Leaders - true leaders - can be hard to come by in the adventuring profession. While most parties elect someone to speak for them or devise tactical appraisals (usually not both to one person), unconsciously or no, there are few classes wholly suited to providing an individual to turn to, and place one's faith in, when the going gets really rough. That would be where warlords step in. A warlord provides tactical advice, a stalwart presence on the battlefield, a party face, and a field commander with a slew of abilities capable of devastating the enemy or reinforcing the resolve of his allies, all in one form.
Traditionally, a warlord stays in the thick of battle, where he is needed the most. While they do not match the combat potential of a fighter themselves, their auras and special abilities are invaluable to an offensive of defensive effort. Given that a warlord can use these abilities on himself as well as his allies, he can turn himself into a true terror to behold.
Hit Die: d8
Class Skills
The warlord’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Gather Information (Cha), Handle Animal (Cha), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Knowledge (history) (Int), Knowledge (nobility and royalty) (Int), Knowledge (warfare), Profession (Int), Ride (Dex), Sense Motive (Wis), Spot (Wis), and Swim (Str).
Skill Points: 4 + Int modifier (× 4 at 1st level)
Class Features
The following are class features of the warlord class.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Warlords are proficient with all simple and martial weapons, with all armor, and shields (except tower shields).
Auras (Ex): A warlord has access to several Auras that he can use to bolster his allies' resolve in various ways. Activating an Aura is a standard action, but maintaining it is a free action so long as the warlord is not unconscious or helpless. At 10th level, activating an aura becomes a swift action. Each Aura's bonus is equal to 1 + 1/4 warlord levels the character possesses, and the warlord can only maintain one Aura at a time.
A warlord has a total pool of rounds that they can maintain an Aura per day. These rounds are replenished at a rate of 1 per 10 minutes spent at rest, or else they are replenished entirely by a normal period of rest like spells are. The round pool is equal to warlord level + 2 × Cha modifier. Thus, a 6th level warlord with 18 Charisma can maintain an aura for a total of 14 rounds per day. All uses of Auras are subtracted from the daily total, so switching Auras will not replenish the pool. A warlord need not maintain an Aura at all times - he can dismiss whatever Aura he is current using as a free action. Each Aura affects all allies within 30 feet that can see the warlord, including the warlord himself.
Aura of Might (Level 1): Add Aura bonus to damage rolls (including magical attacks) made by allies within the area of effect.
Aura of Competence (Level 3): Add Aura bonus to attack rolls (including magical attacks) made by allies within the area of effect.
Aura of Protection (Level 5): Add Aura bonus as a dodge AC bonus to all allies within the area of effect.
Aura of Intuition (Level 8): Add Aura bonus to all allies' Initiative (even if it has already been rolled) and twice this for bonuses to attack when making an attack of opportunity within the area of effect.
Aura of Resilience (Level 10): Add 3 × Aura bonus as damage reduction to physical damage or resistance to all elemental damage (chosen when the Aura is activated) and Aura bonus to all saving throws to all allies within the area of effect.
Aura of Legend (Level 14): Add one third (rounded down) Aura bonus to one ability (Str, etc.) chosen at the time of activation to all allies within the area of effect.
Commanding Presence (Ex): At 2nd level, the warlord instills a sense of respect towards him in almost everyone he meets, as a result of being so impressive a figure. He adds his Aura bonus to all Diplomacy, Bluff, Intimidate, and Gather Information checks he makes.
Charge! (Ex): At 4th level, the warlord can instill a sense of urgency in any companion he can see who can also hear him speak as a free action. For a number of rounds thereafter equal to his Cha bonus, they gain the listed bonus to their base land speed.
Rally (Ex): A number of times per day equal to his Cha modifier, a 5th level or higher warlord can bring disabled allies back in to the fight. The warlord selects one living ally he can see that is suffering from a hostile status effect (such as paralysis, sickened, exhausted, etc). They can then immediately reroll the saving throw that caused the effect with a +4 bonus. If they succeed, the effect ends or is halted from progressing further. Using Rally is a move action that does not provoke an attack of opportunity.
Tactician (Ex): The warlord is a distinguished master of tactical appraisal, able to form plans and take advantage of weaknesses in the blink of an eye. At 6th level, for the purposes of any attacks his allies within range of his Aura (whether one is active or not) make, any enemy the warlord threatens is considered flanked and flat-footed. Likewise, if two or more allies aside from himself threaten the same opponent, the warlord and all of those allies gain the standard flanking bonus to attacks plus another 4 to attack that foe.
Multifaceted Command: Starting at 7th level, the warlord can maintain two Auras at a time. The time necessary to activate the Auras does not change, and the cost from the round pool remains on a 1:1 basis.
At 17th level, the warlord can maintain a total of 3 Auras at any given time.
Aura Improvement: At 7th and 14th level, the warlord can choose a permanent improvement to the function of his Auras. Once chosen, the bonus cannot be changed.
Empower Aura: The warlord's Aura bonus number is considered to be 1 higher than normal.
Extend Aura: For every round spent from the warlord's round pool, the Aura lasts for 2 rounds.
Enlarge Aura: The Aura's area of effect increases to 60'.
Intensify Aura: At the warlord's discretion, he can quadruple the round cost for an Aura in order to double his Aura bonus for as long as he can maintain it.
Undermine Opponent (Ex): As part of his normal Aura, the warlord can, at 9th level and up, choose one Aura effect that he is using and apply the reverse effect to any opponent within the area of effect.
At 18th level, the warlord can select 2 of his Auras currently in effect to apply in reversed form to his enemies.
Signal (Ex): A 10th level warlord can use hand motions to bring about his point as easily as his voice. He does not need to be able to speak to activate abilities such as Charge! and Rally - an ally only needs to be able to see him.
Improved Rally (Ex): An 11th level warlord does not need to rely on his allies' capabilities in order to assist them. He can target a living ally suffering from a hostile status effect as a move action that provokes an attack of opportunity a number of times per day equal to his Cha modifier, as with the normal Rally. However, rather than allowing his ally a reroll, the warlord makes a roll of 1d20 + his Cha modifier + his class level against the caster level of the creature who caused the effect. If the creature does not have a caster level, it uses its HD instead. If the warlord wins the opposed roll, the effect is immediately negated. The warlord can attempt to remove up to two effects per use of Improved Rally in this manner, and if there are more than two, he decides which ones are removed.
Charismatic Command: A 12th level or higher warlord adds half his Cha modifier to his Aura bonus.
Reliability (Ex): Of what use is a warlord who is incapacitated in the middle of battle? At 13th level, the warlord can use Improved Rally on himself (if he has uses left) as an immediate action after being successfully affected by any status effect that would render him incapable (unconscious or helpless) of using his Auras.
Ineffable Presence (Ex): A 15th level warlord had learned to exude his Auras in such a way that his companions can feel him, even if they can't see him. Any ally within the area of effect of an Aura is affected by it, whether or not they can see or hear the warlord. Enemies, however, are unaffected if they cannot see him.
Greater Rally (Ex): The warlord, at 18th level, can expend a use of Rally to make a single roll of 1d20 + Cha modifier + half his class level. He then applies this as an opposed roll (as per Improved Rally) to all allies affected by a hostile status effect against the creature who caused its caster level (or HD) within the area of effect of his Aura (whether his Aura is active or not). In effect, his single roll becomes the DC a creature must beat with their opposed roll. If the creature fails, one status effect of the warlord's choice is removed.
Example: Antipater is an 18th level warlord with a 20 Charisma. His companions are Ember and Dalius. Ember has been paralyzed and poisoned by a 17th level kobold sorcerer. Dalius has been frightened by the same kobold. Antipater rolls a 10 on his d20, making his DC total a 33. The kobold rolls a 19 on his opposed roll for Dalius' effect, for a total of 36. Thus, Antipater fails to remove the frightened status of that companion. However, the kobold rolls a 3 on his roll for Ember's status effects, not nearly enough to succeed. Thus, Antipater can immediately remove either the poison or the paralysis, but not both. Jessica, another companion affected by fright, was outside Antipater's Aura radius, and was thus unaffected by his Rally.
On My Mark (Ex): Three times per day, a 19th level warlord can take a move action to grant all allies within his Aura's radius an immediate standard action or move action as chosen by the individual character. These actions take place outside the standard initiative order, and a move action used to move into or out of a threatened area is not met by an attack of opportunity.
Master and Commander (Ex): A 20th level warlord is an awesome sight to behold, capable of almost godly feats of inspirational and tactical proficiency. On this level, the warlord gains a permanent +4 to his Charisma, an extra 10 rounds added to his total Aura round pool, and he can always take 10 on his opposed rolls when using Improved or Greater Rally.
Table: The Warlord
{table=head]Level|BAB|Fort|Refl|Will|Special
1st|+0|+2|+0|+2|Auras, Aura of Might
2nd|+1|+3|+0|+3|Commanding Presence
3rd|+2|+3|+1|+3|Aura of Competence
4th|+3|+4|+1|+4|Charge! (+10ft)
5th|+3|+4|+1|+4|Aura of Protection, Rally
6th|+4|+5|+2|+5|Tactician
7th|+5|+5|+2|+5|Multifaceted Command (2), Aura Improvement
8th|+6/+1|+6|+2|+6|Aura of Intuition
9th|+6/+1|+6|+3|+6|Undermine Opponent (1)
10th|+7/+2|+7|+3|+7|Charge! (+20ft), Aura of Resilience, Signal
11th|+8/+3|+7|+3|+7|Improved Rally
12th|+9/+4|+8|+4|+8|Charismatic Command
13th|+9/+4|+8|+4|+8|Reliability
14th|+10/+5|+9|+4|+9|Aura Improvement, Aura of Legend
15th|+11/+6/+1|+9|+5|+9|Ineffable Presence
16th|+12/+7/+2|+10|+5|+10|Charge! (+30ft)
17th|+12/+7/+2|+10|+5|+10|Greater Rally, Multifaceted Command (3)
18th|+13/+8/+3|+11|+6|+11|Undermine Opponent (2)
19th|+14/+9/+4|+11|+6|+11|On My Mark
20th|+15/+10/+5|+12|+6|+12|Master and Commander[/table]
"To me, my friends! This battle ends here!" - Rallying Cry of Antipater Eukleides, a Warlord
Leaders - true leaders - can be hard to come by in the adventuring profession. While most parties elect someone to speak for them or devise tactical appraisals (usually not both to one person), unconsciously or no, there are few classes wholly suited to providing an individual to turn to, and place one's faith in, when the going gets really rough. That would be where warlords step in. A warlord provides tactical advice, a stalwart presence on the battlefield, a party face, and a field commander with a slew of abilities capable of devastating the enemy or reinforcing the resolve of his allies, all in one form.
Traditionally, a warlord stays in the thick of battle, where he is needed the most. While they do not match the combat potential of a fighter themselves, their auras and special abilities are invaluable to an offensive of defensive effort. Given that a warlord can use these abilities on himself as well as his allies, he can turn himself into a true terror to behold.
Hit Die: d8
Class Skills
The warlord’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Gather Information (Cha), Handle Animal (Cha), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Knowledge (history) (Int), Knowledge (nobility and royalty) (Int), Knowledge (warfare), Profession (Int), Ride (Dex), Sense Motive (Wis), Spot (Wis), and Swim (Str).
Skill Points: 4 + Int modifier (× 4 at 1st level)
Class Features
The following are class features of the warlord class.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Warlords are proficient with all simple and martial weapons, with all armor, and shields (except tower shields).
Auras (Ex): A warlord has access to several Auras that he can use to bolster his allies' resolve in various ways. Activating an Aura is a standard action, but maintaining it is a free action so long as the warlord is not unconscious or helpless. At 10th level, activating an aura becomes a swift action. Each Aura's bonus is equal to 1 + 1/4 warlord levels the character possesses, and the warlord can only maintain one Aura at a time.
A warlord has a total pool of rounds that they can maintain an Aura per day. These rounds are replenished at a rate of 1 per 10 minutes spent at rest, or else they are replenished entirely by a normal period of rest like spells are. The round pool is equal to warlord level + 2 × Cha modifier. Thus, a 6th level warlord with 18 Charisma can maintain an aura for a total of 14 rounds per day. All uses of Auras are subtracted from the daily total, so switching Auras will not replenish the pool. A warlord need not maintain an Aura at all times - he can dismiss whatever Aura he is current using as a free action. Each Aura affects all allies within 30 feet that can see the warlord, including the warlord himself.
Aura of Might (Level 1): Add Aura bonus to damage rolls (including magical attacks) made by allies within the area of effect.
Aura of Competence (Level 3): Add Aura bonus to attack rolls (including magical attacks) made by allies within the area of effect.
Aura of Protection (Level 5): Add Aura bonus as a dodge AC bonus to all allies within the area of effect.
Aura of Intuition (Level 8): Add Aura bonus to all allies' Initiative (even if it has already been rolled) and twice this for bonuses to attack when making an attack of opportunity within the area of effect.
Aura of Resilience (Level 10): Add 3 × Aura bonus as damage reduction to physical damage or resistance to all elemental damage (chosen when the Aura is activated) and Aura bonus to all saving throws to all allies within the area of effect.
Aura of Legend (Level 14): Add one third (rounded down) Aura bonus to one ability (Str, etc.) chosen at the time of activation to all allies within the area of effect.
Commanding Presence (Ex): At 2nd level, the warlord instills a sense of respect towards him in almost everyone he meets, as a result of being so impressive a figure. He adds his Aura bonus to all Diplomacy, Bluff, Intimidate, and Gather Information checks he makes.
Charge! (Ex): At 4th level, the warlord can instill a sense of urgency in any companion he can see who can also hear him speak as a free action. For a number of rounds thereafter equal to his Cha bonus, they gain the listed bonus to their base land speed.
Rally (Ex): A number of times per day equal to his Cha modifier, a 5th level or higher warlord can bring disabled allies back in to the fight. The warlord selects one living ally he can see that is suffering from a hostile status effect (such as paralysis, sickened, exhausted, etc). They can then immediately reroll the saving throw that caused the effect with a +4 bonus. If they succeed, the effect ends or is halted from progressing further. Using Rally is a move action that does not provoke an attack of opportunity.
Tactician (Ex): The warlord is a distinguished master of tactical appraisal, able to form plans and take advantage of weaknesses in the blink of an eye. At 6th level, for the purposes of any attacks his allies within range of his Aura (whether one is active or not) make, any enemy the warlord threatens is considered flanked and flat-footed. Likewise, if two or more allies aside from himself threaten the same opponent, the warlord and all of those allies gain the standard flanking bonus to attacks plus another 4 to attack that foe.
Multifaceted Command: Starting at 7th level, the warlord can maintain two Auras at a time. The time necessary to activate the Auras does not change, and the cost from the round pool remains on a 1:1 basis.
At 17th level, the warlord can maintain a total of 3 Auras at any given time.
Aura Improvement: At 7th and 14th level, the warlord can choose a permanent improvement to the function of his Auras. Once chosen, the bonus cannot be changed.
Empower Aura: The warlord's Aura bonus number is considered to be 1 higher than normal.
Extend Aura: For every round spent from the warlord's round pool, the Aura lasts for 2 rounds.
Enlarge Aura: The Aura's area of effect increases to 60'.
Intensify Aura: At the warlord's discretion, he can quadruple the round cost for an Aura in order to double his Aura bonus for as long as he can maintain it.
Undermine Opponent (Ex): As part of his normal Aura, the warlord can, at 9th level and up, choose one Aura effect that he is using and apply the reverse effect to any opponent within the area of effect.
At 18th level, the warlord can select 2 of his Auras currently in effect to apply in reversed form to his enemies.
Signal (Ex): A 10th level warlord can use hand motions to bring about his point as easily as his voice. He does not need to be able to speak to activate abilities such as Charge! and Rally - an ally only needs to be able to see him.
Improved Rally (Ex): An 11th level warlord does not need to rely on his allies' capabilities in order to assist them. He can target a living ally suffering from a hostile status effect as a move action that provokes an attack of opportunity a number of times per day equal to his Cha modifier, as with the normal Rally. However, rather than allowing his ally a reroll, the warlord makes a roll of 1d20 + his Cha modifier + his class level against the caster level of the creature who caused the effect. If the creature does not have a caster level, it uses its HD instead. If the warlord wins the opposed roll, the effect is immediately negated. The warlord can attempt to remove up to two effects per use of Improved Rally in this manner, and if there are more than two, he decides which ones are removed.
Charismatic Command: A 12th level or higher warlord adds half his Cha modifier to his Aura bonus.
Reliability (Ex): Of what use is a warlord who is incapacitated in the middle of battle? At 13th level, the warlord can use Improved Rally on himself (if he has uses left) as an immediate action after being successfully affected by any status effect that would render him incapable (unconscious or helpless) of using his Auras.
Ineffable Presence (Ex): A 15th level warlord had learned to exude his Auras in such a way that his companions can feel him, even if they can't see him. Any ally within the area of effect of an Aura is affected by it, whether or not they can see or hear the warlord. Enemies, however, are unaffected if they cannot see him.
Greater Rally (Ex): The warlord, at 18th level, can expend a use of Rally to make a single roll of 1d20 + Cha modifier + half his class level. He then applies this as an opposed roll (as per Improved Rally) to all allies affected by a hostile status effect against the creature who caused its caster level (or HD) within the area of effect of his Aura (whether his Aura is active or not). In effect, his single roll becomes the DC a creature must beat with their opposed roll. If the creature fails, one status effect of the warlord's choice is removed.
Example: Antipater is an 18th level warlord with a 20 Charisma. His companions are Ember and Dalius. Ember has been paralyzed and poisoned by a 17th level kobold sorcerer. Dalius has been frightened by the same kobold. Antipater rolls a 10 on his d20, making his DC total a 33. The kobold rolls a 19 on his opposed roll for Dalius' effect, for a total of 36. Thus, Antipater fails to remove the frightened status of that companion. However, the kobold rolls a 3 on his roll for Ember's status effects, not nearly enough to succeed. Thus, Antipater can immediately remove either the poison or the paralysis, but not both. Jessica, another companion affected by fright, was outside Antipater's Aura radius, and was thus unaffected by his Rally.
On My Mark (Ex): Three times per day, a 19th level warlord can take a move action to grant all allies within his Aura's radius an immediate standard action or move action as chosen by the individual character. These actions take place outside the standard initiative order, and a move action used to move into or out of a threatened area is not met by an attack of opportunity.
Master and Commander (Ex): A 20th level warlord is an awesome sight to behold, capable of almost godly feats of inspirational and tactical proficiency. On this level, the warlord gains a permanent +4 to his Charisma, an extra 10 rounds added to his total Aura round pool, and he can always take 10 on his opposed rolls when using Improved or Greater Rally.
Table: The Warlord
{table=head]Level|BAB|Fort|Refl|Will|Special
1st|+0|+2|+0|+2|Auras, Aura of Might
2nd|+1|+3|+0|+3|Commanding Presence
3rd|+2|+3|+1|+3|Aura of Competence
4th|+3|+4|+1|+4|Charge! (+10ft)
5th|+3|+4|+1|+4|Aura of Protection, Rally
6th|+4|+5|+2|+5|Tactician
7th|+5|+5|+2|+5|Multifaceted Command (2), Aura Improvement
8th|+6/+1|+6|+2|+6|Aura of Intuition
9th|+6/+1|+6|+3|+6|Undermine Opponent (1)
10th|+7/+2|+7|+3|+7|Charge! (+20ft), Aura of Resilience, Signal
11th|+8/+3|+7|+3|+7|Improved Rally
12th|+9/+4|+8|+4|+8|Charismatic Command
13th|+9/+4|+8|+4|+8|Reliability
14th|+10/+5|+9|+4|+9|Aura Improvement, Aura of Legend
15th|+11/+6/+1|+9|+5|+9|Ineffable Presence
16th|+12/+7/+2|+10|+5|+10|Charge! (+30ft)
17th|+12/+7/+2|+10|+5|+10|Greater Rally, Multifaceted Command (3)
18th|+13/+8/+3|+11|+6|+11|Undermine Opponent (2)
19th|+14/+9/+4|+11|+6|+11|On My Mark
20th|+15/+10/+5|+12|+6|+12|Master and Commander[/table]