LibraryOgre
2014-02-22, 08:00 PM
Ok, new version; I opted not to fiddle with making a table.
Marshal
Hit Die (d8) Attack Bonus Speed Initiative Initiative Die
1
1+rr
2 +1 -1
2+rr 1 -1
3 2 -1 1 die better
3+rr 2 -1 1 die better
4 2 -1 -1 1 die better
4+rr 3 -1 -2 1 die better
5 3 -1 -2 1 die better
5+rr 3 -1 -2 1 die better
6 4 -1 -2 1 die better
6+rr 4 -1 -2 1 die better
7 4 -1 -2 1 die better
7+rr 5 -1 -3 1 die better
8 5 -1 -3 2 dice better
8+rr 6 -2 -3 2 dice better
9 6 -2 -3 2 dice better
9+rr 6 -2 -3 2 dice better
10 7 -2 -3 2 dice better
10+rr 7 -2 -4 2 dice better
Combat:
Like a thief or rogue, a Marshal learns to react quickly, gaining improved initiative dice and a reduction of initiative. Their skill at arms also results in a sizable attack bonus, and an eventual speed reduction. Adept at exploiting an opening, they may strike Fleeing Opponents like a thief (effectively allowing a backstab on fleeing opponents with whatever weapon the Marshal wields; see page 52 of the PH).
Weaponry and Armor
Weapons: Marshals may learn proficiency in any weapon at half the usual BP cost.
Armor: Marshals begin with proficiency in shields and all armors.
Specialization: Marshals may specialize in any weapon they are proficient in at an initial cost of 6 BP for Attack, Defense, Speed and Damage. Further purchases cost 2x, 3x, and 4x, as normal.
Talents and Proficiencies
Marshals have reduced access to a variety of talents. Any of the below talents may be purchased at half the usual cost:
Hiking/Roadmarching, Polyglot, Laborer, Phalanx Fighting, Attack Bonus, Parry Bonus, Swiftblade, Damage Bonus, Crack Shot, Greased Lightning
Marshal's Command
As much as anything, good leadership involves capitalizing on opportunities; Marshals and their allies seem to have more than their share of these. Each level, Marshals have 12 command points (+1 per even level). These command points may be spent by the Marshal similarly to a thief's luck points (see pages 52 and 53), either to their own benefit or to the benefit of anyone whose Honor score affects them through group honor, including those in their chain of command (either above or below them) and fellow adventurers.
Skills
Marshals make use of a wide variety of skills, and study extensively. As such, they have a variety of skills.
At 1st level, a Marshal receives the following skills for free:
Literacy (Native Language, or another language they speak if the native language is not written)
Appraisal: Arms and Armor
Leadership
Four Skills from the following list:
Administration, Diplomacy, Engineering, First Aid, Intimidation, Interrogation, Language, Literacy, Oration, Recruiting
They also make 4 rolls of the mastery dice for History, Ancient, either in different eras or several for the same era.
At each subsequent level, they may make 2 free rolls from their core skills (Administration, Diplomacy, Engineering, First Aid, Intimidation, Interrogation, Language, Leadership, Literacy, Oration, Recruiting), as well as a free mastery die in any History, Ancient skill they possess or have been exposed to.
Other Skills: Marshals are exposed to a large number of other skills. These are secondary areas of specialization that they have some familiarity with: Appraisal, Arcane Lore, Blacksmithing/Metalworking, Carpentry/Woodworking, Cartography, Current Affairs, Divine Lore, Fire Building, Leatherworking, Listening, Mathematics, Mining, Monster Lore, Musician, Observation, Religion, Resist Persuasion, Riding and Torture. If the Marshall purchases one of these skills, or one of the ones from their class lists, they receive a +2 modifier to the mastery die (or their attribute modifier, whichever is better). Furthermore, all purchases of Appraisal: Arms and Armor are made at half price.
Knowledge
A Marshal is a learned individual who has been exposed to a great deal of information; as such, they may use the Knowledge ability as a rogue (page 56), though Marshals are less likely to exaggerate their knowledge.
Influence
Marshals have a way with words. They may, by addressing troops, attempt to bolster or restore their morale. If they address common (non-player character) troops for five minutes within a day before a battle, they may increase their effective morale for that battle by one level if the troops fail a saving throw; if the Marshall rolls a 1 for their opposed roll, the troop morale instead decreases by one level (this may be avoided by spending a command point). If a unit begins to break or rout during battle, a Marshall may attempt to rally them. This 5 second action resets the Marshall's and the unit's count, but stops the break or rout for those five seconds, and allows a new morale check (using any Charisma modifier the Marshall gains to Morale). This may only be done once per unit per battle, and has no effect on magical losses of morale.
Design notes:
I think this new version incorporates a lot of the comments from the previous version. I removed the free TPs, but gave them a big list that they can get for a reduced cost. Their luck points were changed into command points, with a similar function but a broader application (they don't get any more, but they can also spend them to help allies). I limited them like luck points instead of Chivalry points, both because it's less useful offensively and because a Marshal will wind up in situations where they're overseeing skill-based situations (sapping, siege engine or field fortification construction), rather than purely combat.
To that end, I also rearranged some skills. I incorporated Leadership as a core skill for them, and put Engineering in the core list instead of Torture (which got downgraded to an "other" skill). I was reluctant to include something as useful as Engineering, but given the steep prerequisites (Literacy, Mathematics, and Cartography), I figured it as something like Trap Design for thieves... something on their core list, but that they're unlikely to take advantage of early. I also removed Animal Training from their list of "Other" skills, though I kept the variety of
I specifically allowed them to take any of the standard weapon talents at half cost, which may seem like a big advantage. However, it makes up for their higher cost of specialization than a regular fighter, or the great talents of a ranger or knight within their sphere of weapons, without allowing them to get really cheap mastery. I considered allowing those bonuses to be used only with 2 weapons, but figured the cost would be a sufficient deterrent to someone becoming moderately competent in a lot of weapons, rather than concentrating. It also mimics the effects of having culturally favored weapons without having to make a specific list for every culture. It does have the side effect of making certain weapons REALLY cheap for some demi-humans (like a dwarf with hammers or axes).
I'd specifically like comment on the Influence ability, though I welcome comment on the rest.
Marshal
Hit Die (d8) Attack Bonus Speed Initiative Initiative Die
1
1+rr
2 +1 -1
2+rr 1 -1
3 2 -1 1 die better
3+rr 2 -1 1 die better
4 2 -1 -1 1 die better
4+rr 3 -1 -2 1 die better
5 3 -1 -2 1 die better
5+rr 3 -1 -2 1 die better
6 4 -1 -2 1 die better
6+rr 4 -1 -2 1 die better
7 4 -1 -2 1 die better
7+rr 5 -1 -3 1 die better
8 5 -1 -3 2 dice better
8+rr 6 -2 -3 2 dice better
9 6 -2 -3 2 dice better
9+rr 6 -2 -3 2 dice better
10 7 -2 -3 2 dice better
10+rr 7 -2 -4 2 dice better
Combat:
Like a thief or rogue, a Marshal learns to react quickly, gaining improved initiative dice and a reduction of initiative. Their skill at arms also results in a sizable attack bonus, and an eventual speed reduction. Adept at exploiting an opening, they may strike Fleeing Opponents like a thief (effectively allowing a backstab on fleeing opponents with whatever weapon the Marshal wields; see page 52 of the PH).
Weaponry and Armor
Weapons: Marshals may learn proficiency in any weapon at half the usual BP cost.
Armor: Marshals begin with proficiency in shields and all armors.
Specialization: Marshals may specialize in any weapon they are proficient in at an initial cost of 6 BP for Attack, Defense, Speed and Damage. Further purchases cost 2x, 3x, and 4x, as normal.
Talents and Proficiencies
Marshals have reduced access to a variety of talents. Any of the below talents may be purchased at half the usual cost:
Hiking/Roadmarching, Polyglot, Laborer, Phalanx Fighting, Attack Bonus, Parry Bonus, Swiftblade, Damage Bonus, Crack Shot, Greased Lightning
Marshal's Command
As much as anything, good leadership involves capitalizing on opportunities; Marshals and their allies seem to have more than their share of these. Each level, Marshals have 12 command points (+1 per even level). These command points may be spent by the Marshal similarly to a thief's luck points (see pages 52 and 53), either to their own benefit or to the benefit of anyone whose Honor score affects them through group honor, including those in their chain of command (either above or below them) and fellow adventurers.
Skills
Marshals make use of a wide variety of skills, and study extensively. As such, they have a variety of skills.
At 1st level, a Marshal receives the following skills for free:
Literacy (Native Language, or another language they speak if the native language is not written)
Appraisal: Arms and Armor
Leadership
Four Skills from the following list:
Administration, Diplomacy, Engineering, First Aid, Intimidation, Interrogation, Language, Literacy, Oration, Recruiting
They also make 4 rolls of the mastery dice for History, Ancient, either in different eras or several for the same era.
At each subsequent level, they may make 2 free rolls from their core skills (Administration, Diplomacy, Engineering, First Aid, Intimidation, Interrogation, Language, Leadership, Literacy, Oration, Recruiting), as well as a free mastery die in any History, Ancient skill they possess or have been exposed to.
Other Skills: Marshals are exposed to a large number of other skills. These are secondary areas of specialization that they have some familiarity with: Appraisal, Arcane Lore, Blacksmithing/Metalworking, Carpentry/Woodworking, Cartography, Current Affairs, Divine Lore, Fire Building, Leatherworking, Listening, Mathematics, Mining, Monster Lore, Musician, Observation, Religion, Resist Persuasion, Riding and Torture. If the Marshall purchases one of these skills, or one of the ones from their class lists, they receive a +2 modifier to the mastery die (or their attribute modifier, whichever is better). Furthermore, all purchases of Appraisal: Arms and Armor are made at half price.
Knowledge
A Marshal is a learned individual who has been exposed to a great deal of information; as such, they may use the Knowledge ability as a rogue (page 56), though Marshals are less likely to exaggerate their knowledge.
Influence
Marshals have a way with words. They may, by addressing troops, attempt to bolster or restore their morale. If they address common (non-player character) troops for five minutes within a day before a battle, they may increase their effective morale for that battle by one level if the troops fail a saving throw; if the Marshall rolls a 1 for their opposed roll, the troop morale instead decreases by one level (this may be avoided by spending a command point). If a unit begins to break or rout during battle, a Marshall may attempt to rally them. This 5 second action resets the Marshall's and the unit's count, but stops the break or rout for those five seconds, and allows a new morale check (using any Charisma modifier the Marshall gains to Morale). This may only be done once per unit per battle, and has no effect on magical losses of morale.
Design notes:
I think this new version incorporates a lot of the comments from the previous version. I removed the free TPs, but gave them a big list that they can get for a reduced cost. Their luck points were changed into command points, with a similar function but a broader application (they don't get any more, but they can also spend them to help allies). I limited them like luck points instead of Chivalry points, both because it's less useful offensively and because a Marshal will wind up in situations where they're overseeing skill-based situations (sapping, siege engine or field fortification construction), rather than purely combat.
To that end, I also rearranged some skills. I incorporated Leadership as a core skill for them, and put Engineering in the core list instead of Torture (which got downgraded to an "other" skill). I was reluctant to include something as useful as Engineering, but given the steep prerequisites (Literacy, Mathematics, and Cartography), I figured it as something like Trap Design for thieves... something on their core list, but that they're unlikely to take advantage of early. I also removed Animal Training from their list of "Other" skills, though I kept the variety of
I specifically allowed them to take any of the standard weapon talents at half cost, which may seem like a big advantage. However, it makes up for their higher cost of specialization than a regular fighter, or the great talents of a ranger or knight within their sphere of weapons, without allowing them to get really cheap mastery. I considered allowing those bonuses to be used only with 2 weapons, but figured the cost would be a sufficient deterrent to someone becoming moderately competent in a lot of weapons, rather than concentrating. It also mimics the effects of having culturally favored weapons without having to make a specific list for every culture. It does have the side effect of making certain weapons REALLY cheap for some demi-humans (like a dwarf with hammers or axes).
I'd specifically like comment on the Influence ability, though I welcome comment on the rest.