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Diovid
2013-08-23, 02:52 PM
Brute

Design notes
General goals I tried to follow were the following:

1. A class should be worth taking to 20th level.
2. A class should give something every level.
3. In the high fantasy world of dnd mundanes should, at least at 20th level, feel like superheroes or like the half-gods of greek mythology.
4. Tier 3 is the most fun tier.

Class specific goals I tried to follow were:

1. I tried to make a class centered around strength and constitution. Those looking for a class that can also be built as a dexterous or intelligent or charismatic fighter should look elsewhere.
2. I tried making a class which kept the supernatural stuff to a minimum, instead focusing on boosting the extraordinary to superhuman levels. If that makes sense?

How well I managed to reach those goals are up to you.

Hit Die: d12

Class Skills
The brute's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Handle Animal (Cha), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Listen (Wis), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Spot (Wis), Survival (Wis), Swim (Str).

Skill Points at First Level: (4 + Int modifier) x 4
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 4 + Int modifier

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

1st|
+1|
+2|
+0|
+0|Bonus Feat, Exotic Proficiency, Overwhelming Presence

2nd|
+2|
+3|
+0|
+0|Armorborn, Tough

3rd|
+3|
+3|
+1|
+1|Bonus Feat, Resilient

4th|
+4|
+4|
+1|
+1|

5th|
+5|
+4|
+1|
+1|Bonus Feat

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

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

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

9th|
+9/+4|
+6|
+3|
+3|Bonus Feat

10th|
+10/+5|
+7|
+3|
+3|

11th|
+11/+6/+1|
+7|
+3|
+3|Bonus Feat

12th|
+12/+7/+2|
+8|
+4|
+4|

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

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

15th|
+15/+10/+5|
+9|
+5|
+5|Bonus Feat

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

17th|
+17/+12/+7/+2|
+10|
+5|
+5|Bonus Feat

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

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

20th|
+20/+15/+10/+5|
+12|
+6|
+6|Immortality[/table]

Class Features
All of the following are class features of the brute.


Weapon and Armor Proficiencies: A brute is proficient with all simple and martial weapons and with all armor (heavy, medium, and light) and shields (including tower shields).


Note
For the purpose of qualifying for feats and the effects of feats, the brute counts as a fighter of his brute level.


Bonus Feat
At 1st level, a brute gets 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 brute gains an additional bonus feat at 3rd level and every two brute levels thereafter (5th, 7th, 9th, 11th, 13th, 15th, 17th and 19th). These bonus feats must be drawn from the feats noted as fighter bonus feats. A brute must still meet all prerequisites for a bonus feat, including ability score and base attack bonus minimums.

These bonus feats are in addition to the feat that a character of any class gets from advancing levels. A brute is not limited to the list of fighter bonus feats when choosing these feats.


Exotic Proficiency
The brute gains proficiency with a single type of exotic medium or exotic heavy armor of his choice. Furthermore the brute also gains proficiency with either a single type of exotic shield and a single type of exotic one-handed melee weapon of his choice or with a single type of exotic two-handed melee weapon of his choice.


Overwhelming Presence
The brute may use his strength modifier or his charisma modifier (whichever is higher) for intimidate checks.


Tough (Ex)
At 2nd level and every 2 levels after that the brute gains a +1 bonus to the following checks:

- Climb, Intimidate, Jump and Swim checks.
- Bull rush, disarm, grapple, overrun, sunder and trip checks.
- Strength checks (such as those to break and burst doors and items).
- Constitution checks (such as those to keep marching or to hold one’s breath)

Furthermore, starting at 9th level a brute may always take 10 on these checks.


Armorborn (Ex)
Starting at 2nd level the brute may sleep in armor without penalty.

Starting at 4th level the brute may ignore the armor check penalty on climb, jump and swim checks.

Starting at 6th level the brute’s speed is no longer impeded by medium and heavy armor, nor by medium and heavy loads.

Starting at 8th level the brute may run at quadruple his speed instead of triple his speed when wearing heavy armor and when carrying a heavy load. In addition when wearing heavy armor which would disallow the brute from running completely (for example Mountain Plate) the brute may run at twice his speed instead of not at all.

Starting at 10th level the brute may choose to add his Constitution bonus or his Dexterity bonus (whichever is higher) to AC. Furthermore, the brute retains his Dexterity or Constitution bonus to AC (if any) even if he is caught flat-footed or struck by an invisible attacker. However he still loses his Dexterity or Constitution bonus to AC if immobilized.

Starting at 12th level the brute gains damage reduction /- equal to (armor bonus + shield bonus) divided by 2, rounded down.

Starting at 14th level the brute may apply his armor bonus and his shield bonus to touch attacks.

Starting at 16th level, the brute becomes immune to critical hits, precision-based damage, nonlethal damage, paralysis and stunning but only when wearing medium or heavy armor.

Starting at 18th level the brute ignores the maximum dexterity bonus for armor, but not for shields.


Resilient (Ex)
At 3rd level and every 4 levels after that the brute gains a +1 bonus to all saves.

Starting at 5th level the brute does not automatically fail fortitude saves on a roll of natural 1.

Starting at 13th level if the brute succeeds on a Fortitude save with a "Fortitude save: half" or "Fortitude save: partial" effect, he suffers no ill effect or damage at all. If he fails the save, he is still affected by the effect as normal.

Starting at 17th level if the brute fails on a Fortitude save with a "Fortitude save: half" or "Fortitude save: partial" effect, he only suffers the half or partial effect.

Starting at 20th level whenever the brute would make a reflex save or a will save, he may make a fortitude save instead.


Immortality (Ex)
After attaining 20th level, a brute no longer takes ability score penalties for aging and cannot be magically aged. Any penalties he may have already incurred, however, remain in place.

Bonuses still accrue but the brute no longer dies of old age when his time would be up.

Furthermore, the brute no longer needs to eat, sleep or breathe.

Lastly, the brute is no longer considered a mortal for the effects of Salient Divine Abilities.

Diovid
2013-08-23, 02:53 PM
Epic Brute

Hit Die: d12

Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 4 + Int modifier

Tough (Ex)
The brute’s tough class feature continues to increase in strength at 22nd level and every two levels after that.

Resilient (Ex)
The brute’s resilient class feature continues to increase in strength at 23rd level and every four levels after that.

Bonus Feats
The epic brute gains a bonus feat (selected from the list of epic brute bonus feats) every two level after 21st.

Epic Brute Bonus Feat List
Armor Skin, Damage Reduction, Devastating Critical, Dire Charge, Epic Endurance, Epic Leadership, Epic Prowess, Energy Resistance, Epic Toughness*, Fast Healing*, Greater Immortality**, Legendary Climber, Legendary Commander, Legendary Leaper, Legendary Rider, Legendary Wrestler, Overwhelming Critical, Penetrate Damage Reduction, Perfect Health, Piercing Intimidation**, Shared Toughness**, Spellcasting Harrier, Superior Initiative, Unstoppable Tenacity**.

In addition to the feats on this list, the brute may treat any feat designated as a fighter bonus feat, but not listed here, as being on his or her bonus feat list.

* Changed Feat (see below).
** New Feat (see below).


Feats

Combat Rider

Prerequisites
Heavy Cavalry, ride 8 ranks.

Benefit
When riding on a mount, that mount gains the benefits of the tough and resilient class feature as if it was a brute of half your brute level, rounded down.


Heavy Cavalry

Prerequisites
Tough class feature, ride 4 ranks.

Benefit
This feats gives you three benefits. First, you may ignore the armor check penalty on ride checks.

Second, when making handle animal checks made in conjunction with your mount and when making ride checks you may use your strength modifier or their original modifier (whichever is higher).

Third, the benefits of the Tough class feature also apply to handle animal checks made in conjunction with your mount and to ride checks.

Special
A fighter may select Heavy Cavalry as one of his fighter bonus feats.


Professional Soldier

Prerequisites
Tough class feature, craft 4 ranks.

Benefit
This feats gives you three benefits. First, when making a perform or profession check to make money you may make a climb, intimidate, jump or swim check instead (and thus, for example, the benefits of the Tough class feature would apply to the check).

Second, when making Craft checks that are related to stone or metal you may use your strength modifier or your intelligence modifier (whichever is higher).

Third, the benefits of the Tough class feature also apply to craft checks that are related to stone or metal.


Weapon Focus

Prerequisites
Proficiency with the selected weapon

Benefit
Choose one type of weapon. You can also choose unarmed strike or grapple (or ray, if you are a spellcaster) as your weapon for purposes of this feat.

You gain a +1 bonus on all attack rolls you make using the selected weapon. For every 5 levels of Fighter you gain an additional +1 bonus on all attack rolls you make using the selected weapon.

Special
You can gain this feat multiple times. Its effects do not stack. Each time you take the feat, it applies to a new type of weapon. A fighter may select Weapon Focus as one of his fighter bonus feats.


Weapon Specialization

Prerequisites
Fighter level 4th, proficiency with the selected weapon, weapon focus with the selected weapon

Benefit
Choose one type of weapon for which you have already selected the Weapon Focus feat. You can also choose unarmed strike or grapple as your weapon for purposes of this feat. You deal extra damage when using this weapon.

You gain a +1 bonus on all damage rolls you make using the selected weapon. For every 5 levels of Fighter you gain an additional +1 bonus on all damage rolls you make using the selected weapon.

Special
You can gain this feat multiple times. Its effects do not stack. Each time you take the feat, it applies to a new type of weapon. A fighter may select Weapon Specialization as one of his fighter bonus feats.


Epic Feats

Epic Toughness [Epic]

Prerequisites
Immortality class feature

Benefit
When taking 10 with on any check that benefits from your tough class feature you can treat the die roll as a 15 instead of as a 10. (In effect "taking 15.")

Special
The benefit of this feat also applies to the Heavy Cavalry and Professional Soldier feats if you have them.


Fast Healing [Epic]

Prerequisites
Con 25

Benefit
You gain fast healing equal to your con modifier.


Greater Immortality [Epic]

Prerequisites
Con 29, Fast Healing, Unstoppable Tenacity

Benefit
Once per day if you are dead, you are immediately restored to life (as true resurrection).


Piercing Intimidation [Epic]

Prerequisites
Cha 21 or str 21, Intimidate 23 ranks.

Benefit
You gain the ability to intimidate creatures normally immune to intimidation, for example undead, paladins above 3rd level, mindless creatures and creatures under the effect of the Mind Blank spell. Creatures who have their immunity negated by this feat gain a +10 bonus to resist your intimidation.


Shared Toughness [Epic]

Prerequisites
Immortality class feature

Benefit
Allies within 60 feet gain the benefits of the tough and resilient class features as if they were a brute of half your brute level, rounded down.

Special
If you have the Heavy Cavalry feat your allies also gain it’s benefits while within 60 feet.


Unstoppable Tenacity [Epic]

Prerequisites
Con 21, the Immortality class feature.

Benefit
You can fight when you should be dead. You don't die when you reach -10 hit points. Instead, you die when you have negative hit points equal to half your full normal hit points.

Furthermore, you can keep fighting when you are below 0 hit points. When reduced to -1 or fewer hit points, you automatically become stable and can choose to keep fighting. If you keep fighting while below 0 hit points, you take a -1 penalty on attacks, saves, and checks.

Also, you are no longer subject to death from massive damage.

Hanuman
2013-08-23, 03:09 PM
I'd rename this "Brute".

The problem with a fighter is that he's a beatstick that gets outshined in all ways by other classes, that's the reason he is tier 5.

http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=276280

http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=192596

The issue is that what a fighter really needs is more than "I attack again.", giving him tankier isn't a fix, it just gives the party more combat inertia which will need to be balanced out by the DM. Adding more tankyness to a tank is going to result in an arms race of offense vs defense or defense vs defense with the DM.

Go for action economy, making use of situation, and generally being able to be useful in more situations with tactical effort.

Diovid
2013-08-24, 07:24 AM
Alright, changed the name to brute and removed the reference to it being a fighter fix. Let's pretend it has always been that way. Also made some minor changes.

What do you think? How does it stack up to the likes of the Crusader, the Duskblade, the Psychic Warrior, the Wildshape Ranger and the Warblade?

Hanuman
2013-08-24, 08:52 AM
Alright, changed the name to brute and removed the reference to it being a fighter fix. Let's pretend it has always been that way. Also made some minor changes.

What do you think? How does it stack up to the likes of the Crusader, the Duskblade, the Psychic Warrior, the Wildshape Ranger and the Warblade?
Duskblade and psionic warrior have spells and powers, this gives them far more utility and presence.

Crusader and Warblade have maneuvers, highly increased action economy and scaling flat damage, a 18th level warblade will be able to cast save-or-die maneuvers with raw output of damage or effect, crusaders when built right have many more times the sustain rather than the passive tankiness, they can work with the party and support their efforts in multiple ways.
Can't say I've heard much about wildshape ranger.

Anyway, this is my last post for 2 weeks, I am leaving for the desert in 7 hours and I have errands.