Not a Fighter. Really. (3.5) (Base, rework)

[Xerlith]

So I heard once that to become a full-fledged adult (or something like that) around here you had to create a fighter fix.
And since I've been playing too much DMC4 lately...
Combo-based armsman. Bookkeeper extraordinaire. The master of mundane.

The Fighter

{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special

1st|
+1|
+2|
+2|
+0|Bonus Feat, Momentum (+1, 1d4)

2nd|
+2|
+3|
+3|
+0|Weapon Aptitude

3rd|
+3|
+3|
+3|
+1|Uncanny Dodge

4th|
+4|
+4|
+4|
+1|Bonus Feat, Weapon Training

5th|
+5|
+4|
+4|
+1|Combat Experience

6th|
+6/+1|
+5|
+5|
+2|Momentum (+2, +1d6)

7th|
+7/+2|
+5|
+5|
+2|Bonus Feat

8th|
+8/+3|
+6|
+6|
+2|Resolve

9th|
+9/+4|
+6|
+6|
+3|Improved Uncanny Dodge

10th|
+10/+5|
+7|
+7|
+3|Bonus Feat, Improved Weapon Aptitude

11th|
+11/+6/+1|
+7|
+7|
+3|Quick Shuffle

12th|
+12/+7/+2|
+8|
+8|
+4|Momentum (+3, +1d10)

13th|
+13/+8/+3|
+8|
+8|
+4|Bonus Feat

14th|
+14/+9/+4|
+9|
+9|
+4|Crippling Strikes

15th|
+15/+10/+5|
+9|
+9|
+5|Focused Mind

16th|
+16/+11/+6/+1|
+10|
+10|
+5|Bonus Feat

17th|
+17/+12/+7/+2|
+10|
+10|
+5|Combat Mastery

18th|
+18/+13/+8/+3|
+11|
+11|
+6|Momentum(+4, +2d6)

19th|
+19/+14/+9/+4|
+11|
+11|
+6|Bonus Feat

20th|
+20/+15/+10/+5|
+12|
+12|
+6|Art of War[/table]

Strikes
{table=head]Level|Combination Strikes|Tier

1st|
5|
I|

2nd|
5|
I|

3rd|
5|
I|

4th|
5|
I|

5th|
6|
I|

6th|
6|
II|

7th|
6|
II|

8th|
6|
II|

9th|
7|
II|

10th|
7|
II|

11th|
7|
III|

12th|
7|
III|

13th|
8|
III|

14th|
8|
III|

15th|
8|
III|

16th|
8|
IV|

17th|
9|
IV|

18th|
9|
IV|

19th|
9|
IV|

20th|
9|
IV|[/table]

HD: d10

Starting Gold: 5d4x10

Class Skills (4+Int Skill Points per level): Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Knowledge (History) (Int), Martial Lore (Int), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Sense Motive (Wis), Spot (Wis), Use Magic Device (Cha)

Class Features:

Weapon and armor proficiency: Fighters are proficient with all armor and shields, all simple and martial weapons, all discipline weapons and one exotic weapon of their choice.

Strikes: As a fighter, you're able to perform special attacks, known as Strikes.
You begin your career with access to I tier Strikes, of which you can ready five.
As you progress in levels, you gain access to higher tiers of Strikes.
You know all the strikes available to you, but must ready them before using.
Doing so requires half an hour of uninterrupted training.

Executing a strike requires a number of attacks listed in its description.
Doing so opens a Combination.
A Combination may consist of any kinds of attack actions.
It may contain a number of attacks equal to 1/2 your Fighter level +1 (minimum 2).
A combination ends if you do not make any attack in a round, miss two attacks in a row or come to the limit of attacks.

All strikes are considered extraordinary abilities unless stated otherwise.

Fighter and Martial Adepts: While you are not a Martial Adept yourself, you as a Fighter may be treated as an Initiator with a level equal to your Fighter Level.
Also, your Fighter levels count as 3/4 Initiator Levels in any Martial Adept classes.
Finally, you are always considered as having knowledge of two martial maneuvers of a level equal to 1/2 your Fighter level.
If you enter a prestige class that progresses martial maneuvers, you may instead have it progress your strikes as if you gained a fighter level on every class level you gain a new maneuver readied, maneuver known or a new stance.

Bonus Feats: At 1st level, you get a bonus combat-oriented feat in addition to the feat that any 1st-level character gets and the bonus feat granted to a human character. The you gain an additional bonus feat at 2nd level and every three fighter levels thereafter (4th, 7th, 10th, 13th, 16th, and 19th).
These bonus feats must be drawn from the feats noted as fighter bonus feats or from the following list: Martial Study*, Martial Stance*, Extra Readied Maneuver, Evasive Reflexes, Blade Meditation, Adaptive Style, Rapid Assault, White Raven Defense, Vital Recovery.
You must still meet all prerequisites for a bonus feat except ability score requirements.
Once per day, after a rest, you may exchange any feat you know for another fighter bonus feat.
You cannot do so with a feat which is a prerequisite for any other feat you have.

*There is no limit of how many times you can choose this feat as a Fighter bonus feat.


Momentum (Ex): Every attack in a combination (except the first) gains a cumulative bonus to hit and damage equal to +1/1d4. This resets when your combination ends.
This damage isn't multiplied on critical hits.

This improves to +2/+1d6 at 6th level, +3/+1d10 at 12th level and +4/+2d6 points at 18th.

Weapon Aptitude (Ex): Beginning at 2nd level you may change the designated weapon for any feat you possess that applies only to a specific weapon to any other weapon you are proficient with.
Beginning at 10th level you instead apply the benefits of the applicable feats to all weapons you are proficient with.

Uncanny Dodge (Ex): Starting at 3rd level, you can react to danger before your senses would normally allow you to do so. You retain your Dexterity bonus to AC (if any) even if you are caught flat-footed or struck by an invisible attacker. However, you still lose your Dexterity bonus to AC if immobilized.
If you already have uncanny dodge from a different class you automatically gain improved uncanny dodge instead.

Weapon Training (Ex): Beginning at 4th level any weapon specific feat that grants a numerical bonus has the bonus increased by 1/4 your Fighter level.

Combat Experience (Ex): From 5th level onwards you add your Intelligence bonus (if any) to your attack and damage rolls.

Resolve (Ex): Starting at 8th level, whenever you are forced to make a saving roll, you may, as an immediate action, roll again and take the higher result.

Improved Uncanny Dodge (Ex): Beginning at 9th level, you can no longer be flanked, since you can react to opponents on your opposite sides as easily as you can react to a single attacker. This defense denies rogues the ability to use flank attacks to sneak attack you. The exception to this defense is that a rogue at least four levels higher than you can flank you (and thus sneak attack you).
If you have another class that grants this ability, the levels from those classes stack to determine the minimum rogue level required to flank you.

Quick Shuffle (Ex): Starting at 11th level, you may make an additional move action in a round.

Crippling Strikes (Ex): beginning at 14th level, your weapon's critical multiplier is increased by one.
Additionaly, if you score a critical hit on a foe, they become dazed for a round.

Focused Mind (Ex): At 15th level you become immune to all mind-affecting spells and effects.
Beneficial spells and effects may still affect you, if you are willing.
This is an extraordinary ability.

Combat Mastery (Ex): Starting at 17th level you may take an additional swift or standard action in a round.

Art Of War(Ex): Beginning at 20th level, you revel in battle. You are automatically proficient with all and every weapon in existence and apply all your weapon-specific feats to all the weapons as well. You gain a +6 perfection bonus to your AC and Initiative and you are never considered flatfooted.

STRIKES:

I

Disrupting Flurry:
You must be wielding two weapons to execute this strike.
You make two attacks, each with different weapon. If they both hit, the first one deals no damage, but instead the enemy is considered flat-footed against your next two attacks.

Duelist's Cunning:
You attack your enemy with a flashy flourish of your weapon. For the combination's duration you gain a Dodge bonus to AC against that particular enemy's attacks equal to your Intelligence bonus.

Spot the Weakness:
This and attack is made at -4 penalty, but it gains a number of Sneak Attack dice equal to 1/3 your Fighter Level (minimum one).

Wide Swing:
You must be wielding a two-handed melee weapon to execute this strike.
This attack is made with a -4 penalty, but affect all squares you threaten in front of you.
You roll your attack once and apply it to all squares it affects.

Staggering Blow
To execute this attack you must wield a shield or have one hand free.
You attack with your off-hand.
The target hit, along with taking the normal damage, must make a Fortitude save equal to 10+1/2 your fighter level + your Strength modifier or become staggered for a round.
If you miss, this has no effect.
You retain your shield bonus to AC after performing a shield bash in conjunction with this strike.

Chance Shot
You must be wielding a ranged weapon to execute this strike.
The shot you make has a -4 penalty to hit, but its critical range is increased by 2.
This stacks with Keen weapon property.

Twin Bite
You must be two-weapon fighting to execute this strike.
While attacking with both weapons, you make two rolls and apply the higher one to both attacks.
This applies to every main-hand/off-hand pair of attacks you can make in a round in a round.

Flourish
As an attack action you make a feint attempt with your BAB + your Dex modifier instead of a bluff check.

Helm Breaker
You must be wielding a two-handed weapon to execute this strike.
You leap in the air vertically, making a Jump check.
You then make an attack roll against the enemy. If it hits, you add 1/4 your Jump roll to the damage dealt and treat the weapon as one size category larger for damage rolls.

For the round's duration you take a -2 penalty to your AC.


II

Furious Assault
You must be wielding a melee weapon to execute this strike.
For the duration of this combination you are considered to be under effects of a barbarian's Rage.

Leaping Strike:
You must be wielding a melee weapon and be at least 10 feet from the enemy to execute this strike.
Doing so is a standard action.
You leap at your enemy. If your Jump check is succesfull, you make an attack roll. If you hit, you deal additional damage equal to half the distance travelled and the target is staggered for a round.

Defender's Resolve
For every attack you make during the combination (including this one) you gain a cumulative DR 2/-. It lasts for a round after you finish the combination.

Wind Cut
You must be wielding a melee slashing or piercing weapon to execute this strike.
For this attack your weapon gains a 5ft reach increase, +5ft per five fighter levels.

Entangling Shot
You must be wielding a ranged weapon to execute this strike.
The enemy hit by this attack, along with being dealt normal damage, must make a Reflex save equal to 10+1/2 your Fighter level + your Dex modifier or have his movement speed halved.

Rending Cuts
You must be two-weapon fighting to execute this strike.
You attack once with both weapon. If both of them hit, the off-hand attack is a confirmed critical regardless of your actual roll.



III

Blinding Flurry
For the duration of this combination you are treated as under an extraordinary Haste and blur effect.
This stacks with the benefits of the Haste spell.

Vital Hits
You must be wielding a slashing or piercing weapon to execute this strike.
For the duration of the following combination combination your weapon is treated as having the wounding magic property.

Lunging Strikes
You must be wielding a melee weapon to execute this strike.
For the duration of this round your weapon's reach is doubled.

Overwhelming Assault
You must be wielding a melee two-handed weapon to execute this strike.
Every attack you make during this combination is also a bull rush attempt.

Ascending Blow
You must be wielding a two-handed weapon to execute this strike.
With a powerful blow you launch your enemy to the air.
Make an attack roll. If the attack hits, it deals damage and you may make a Jump check. Your foe moves up a number of feet equal to half of the Jump check's result. If they are unable to stay in the air, they take normal damage from their fall.

Shield Bash
You must have a shield equipped to execute this strike.
You make a melee attack with your shield.
The target hit must make a Fortitude save equal to 10+1/2 your fighter level + your Str modifier or be Dazed for a round.

Elemental Wind
You must be wielding a weapon enchanted with the Elemental or Elemental Burst property.
You make a slash that is a 30ft cone or a 60ft line and deals your normal weapon damage as the damage of the element your weapon is enchanted with.
Targets in the area may attempt a Reflex save equal to 10+1/2 your BAB + your Strength modifier for half damage.

Spellbane
You know a bit of magic - just that bit that makes it not work.
If your attack hits, the target is affected by a targeted Greater Dispel Magic with a caster level equal to your Fighter level.
This is a supernatural ability.

Swift Advance
You must be wielding a melee weapon to execute this strike.
As a full-round action you move across the battlefield, up to four times your base speed, without provoking Attacks of Opportunity. At the end of your move you may still make a full attack.
This counts as a charge.


IV

Reaping Blows
You must be two-weapon fighting to execute this strike.
You attack with both your weapons as a standard action. If both attacks hit, you diminish your enemy's current health by half if they do not make a Fortitude save equal to 10+1/2 your Fighter level + your Strength modifier. If the save is succesful, you still deal normal damage.

Slash Magic
You must be wielding a magic weapon to execute this strike.
All your attack in this round ignore any bonuses to Armor Class granted by spells (including spell trigger or spell completion effects created by magic items such as wands or potions) and miss chance granted by spells or spell-like abilities such as darkness, blur, invisibility, or obscuring mist.
Furthermore, the creature you attack with this initiation attack cannot cast defensively for as long as this combination lasts, but only if you attack it at least once in a round.

Scything Cut
You must be wielding a melee slashing weapon.
For the attack the weapon gains the Vorpal property and has its critical threat range doubled (This stacks with any other property or feat that enhances the threat range).

Piercing Shot
You must be wielding a ranged weapon to execute this strike.
Your attack flies in a 60ft straight line. You make an attack roll and apply it to the AC of all the creatures in its way.
It deals normal damage.

Destructing Blow
You must be wielding a piercing or bludgeoning melee weapon to execute this strike.
You make an attack. If you hit, the target must make a Fortitude save equal to 10+1/2 your fighter level + your Dex modifier or be reduced to -1 hitpoints. Even if the save is succesful, they suffer 1d4 damage to their Constitution and dexterity scores.



==============================================

Yes, Martial Maneuver Strikes CAN be used as progressing strikes.
Hey, is it still a Fighter?

[toapat]

its Diptastic (sadly, Its the DIppiest sounds terrible)


rewording of the manuvers for readability:

A Fighter begins his career with 5 strikes known, of which he permanently designates 2 as opening manuevers and 3 as follow through maneuvers.

other advice: to protect from table overload, move bonus feats into a side collumn

[Xerlith]

Yes, I noticed the dippability (sounds funny) just as I posted it. I think that either making Momentum a 4th level ability or starting the Precise Strikes off at 6th level (Not really my favourite option, but I guess its THE dipping reason here) will reduce the frontload. Also clearing up the table a bit.
Thanks for the maneuver clarification, I'll edit the OP with it.

EDIT: Changes made. Reduced the 1st level Precise Strikes to a point of damage.

[Yitzi]

I believe one of the requirements for the standard fighter fix is that it does not use maneuvers, at least not as a major part of its concept; someone who wants to play a maneuver-based class will probably be perfectly happy with a warblade.

[Pramxnim]

You have yet to explain how a combination works. Why can it contain more than 1 maneuver when the only visible way a Fighter can use multiple maneuvers in one round manifests at level 20?

What is the point of Momentum? As written, the class cannot initiate more than one maneuver in a round until level 20. They would have to wait a round to use a followup strike and benefit from a bonus to attack. Next round, they cannot use another followup strike due to the opening strike restriction, so the bonus would reset itself. You again mention a combination here, but nowhere in the class did you explain how a combination works.

Finally, the class involves a lot of bookkeeping (not as much as spellcasters, but I feel it's not intuitive enough). For example, Precise Strike requires you to know the AC of an opponent, which may or may not be something the DM wishes to divulge to his or her players. If he or she chooses not to impart this information, this creates more details for the DM to keep track of, and savvy players will take note anyways due to the bonus added. This sort of tracking can bog down play, as players can find themselves more concerned with the numbers aspect of the battle rather than the battle itself.
Then, for the Bonus Feats section, I'd waive the requirement for ability scores altogether, since it creates needless tracking of numbers when selecting feats. I understand not wishing for Fighters with 8 Dexterity to get Two-Weapon Fighting or other feats on that line too early, but why invent a new restriction for something that only comes up once in a few levels?

Weapon Training can get pretty obnoxious if it grants the bonus to both Weapon Focus and Greater Weapon Focus and Weapon Mastery (Melee or Ranged), granting a total of +15 bonus to attack (or +6 at level 8). This works incredibly well with your current iteration of Precise Strikes, creating numbers you might not have anticipated. I think the intention here was to give the Fighter a scaling bonus so he doesn't need to invest in additional feats along the Weapon Focus line, but with this wording, it has created an even greater need to go down that feat tree since the benefits are so huge. I think the solution would be to just give them scaling bonuses to Attack and Damage (maybe more bonus on the damage side) to simplify things and discourage abuses. Since this bonus is static it's not hard to keep track of, unlike Precise Strikes, which has to be determined again for every attack roll.

My suggestion for Precise Strikes would be to increase the damage but remove the scaling based on how much you exceed the target's AC. Instead, you could have it so that if you exceed the target's AC by a static number, you get the bonus damage. You could, for example, require the attack to exceed the AC by 5 and grant +3 bonus damage at level 1, +2d6 at level 6, +2d10 at level 10 and +3d12 at level 18. Or you could use DnD Next's Deadly Strike class feature and have the character roll his or her weapon damage die multiple times.

To recap, I think the class could be more intuitive and require less bookkeeping by changing Precise Strikes, removing ability score requirements for Fighter Bonus Feats. I also think that maneuver combinations should be explained and clarified, since currently I don't see how the class pulls off these combinations and how Momentum is supposed to work.

EDIT: Weapon Training definitely needs to change, since it has unintended (I assume) interactions with numerous other weapon-specific feats which can be a nightmare for DMs and players alike to figure out. Some examples:

Twin Sword Style (http://dndtools.eu/feats/ghostwalk--94/twin-sword-style--3583/)
Spear of Doom (http://dndtools.eu/feats/dragonlance-campaign-setting--98/spear-doom--3618/)
Shield Specialization (http://dndtools.eu/feats/players-handbook-ii--80/shield-specialization--2594/) (if the player uses his shield as a weapon, he may argue about this feat, which makes it an unnecessary point of contention
Single Blade Style (http://dndtools.eu/feats/dragon-compendium--109/single-blade-style--3398/)

[Xerlith]

Thanks for your responses.

I believe one of the requirements for the standard fighter fix is that it does not use maneuvers, at least not as a major part of its concept; someone who wants to play a maneuver-based class will probably be perfectly happy with a warblade.

That I didn't know. I'll have the maneuver idea put into another class then, I think.


Weapon Training definitely needs to change, since it has unintended (I assume) interactions with numerous other weapon-specific feats which can be a nightmare for DMs and players alike to figure out. Some examples:

Weapon training was intended to work this way with the latter feats. I guess my math was off while I calculated Precise Strikes, though.


As written, the class cannot initiate more than one maneuver in a round until level 20.

As written... As written I have made a great mistake in the way I wrote this. I will change that if the maneuvers stay (not sure if they do, though).


My suggestion for Precise Strikes would be to increase the damage but remove the scaling based on how much you exceed the target's AC. Instead, you could have it so that if you exceed the target's AC by a static number, you get the bonus damage. You could, for example, require the attack to exceed the AC by 5 and grant +3 bonus damage at level 1, +2d6 at level 6, +2d10 at level 10 and +3d12 at level 18. Or you could use DnD Next's Deadly Strike class feature and have the character roll his or her weapon damage die multiple times.

Yea, I think I'll make it so it needs a static number and make it multiply on crit. OR make it a part of Momentum (stacking +1dx to damage) if I do this:

Scrap maneuvers, since they have too much, too good synergy with that Weapon Training+Precise Strikes (This was semi-intended, though). Instead I will write a short list of attack-action moves from the scratch to substitute them.

It maybe would be better for this class' ability set than being a martial adept.


*hangs a "Work in Progress" sign*

[toapat]

As written... As written I have made a great mistake in the way I wrote this. I will change that if the maneuvers stay (not sure if they do, though).

At least for me, typically a topic would take a few days of editing and review before id post it. I think in total one class topic ive written actually needed rules revision directly for poor readability.

The most useful homebrewing tool ever (http://pifro.com/dnd/NEW/)
there is a second godlike tool for Homebrewing, however i can not link that though.

[Xerlith]

I usually do proofread. This particular case was just an overlook. Also, thanks for the link, but I'm already using this. :smalltongue:
I'd like to hear input about the combination mechanic. I feel that it's... Too much of a headache to manage the way it is now, but I may be wrong.

[toapat]

I usually do proofread. This particular case was just an overlook. Also, thanks for the link, but I'm already using this. :smalltongue:
I'd like to hear input about the combination mechanic. I feel that it's... Too much of a headache to manage the way it is now, but I may be wrong.

we would need more rules on the combinations to understand how they work, but as is Reaping Blows + Overwhelming Assault + Archery basically can force something to stop moving entirely

oh, also, seeing this made me dig up this old topic (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=265779) which is the sum of ideas for how to fix fighter

[TechyKat]

As I read it currently, a combination can last forever because you can just keep attacking and hope you don't miss. I assume that you would use the progressions by using them instead of an attack, would these work into a full attack or would they be standard attacks that go by themselves.

This needs clarification on how the combos work, also being a DMC player myself, it would feel really strange if these works with arrows, so you may wish to clarify that. I also feel that rather than just increases in numbers, there should be actual class features but that may just be me (by increases in numbers I mean features similar to weapon training).

I do like the concept, also I would still call this a fighter but if you wish to give it a different name you could easily just call it a Combomaster or something less lame than that :tongue:.

P.S Needs some awesome Ninja Gaiden inspired combo moves.

[Xerlith]

If you execute an Opening Strike during a combination, it automatically ends.
A combination also ends if you do not make any attack in a round or miss two attacks in a row.

Your combination may contain a number of Progressions equal to 1/2 your Fighter level (minimum 1). When you end a combination, all the progression strikes it included become unavailable to you for the next combination.

Three different restrictions right here :smalltongue:
EDIT: nvm, I see what you meant. Changed it, the Momentum windup was getting ridiculous.

You know, these are kind of meant to be class features. Together with bonus feats (because Fighter's spirit must live on!).

I was reluctant to make some for archers, but I DID want the class to be an all-around weaponmaster like the original fighter was intended.


as is Reaping Blows + Overwhelming Assault + Archery basically can force something to stop moving entirely

You're right. I will make Overwhelming Assault melee only and add a general rule that there cannot be more than one Initiating Strike per round.

[Xerlith]

Finished now. I'd be happy if PEACHed.