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View Full Version : D&D 3.x Class [ACF, Fighter, PEACH] The Sound of One Hand Smashing: The Ironarm Fighter



Adam1949
2014-03-13, 08:39 PM
Hey everyone! After looking into one thread that asked "How Do We Make Fighters Better" (of which there's about a thousand of those threads), I was inspired by one poster's comment that explained why the Dungeoncrasher ACF is so popular; it gives life to one previously-neglected style of fighting. Taking that to heart, I decided to try my hand at making an Alternate Class Feature for the Fighter that made use of what is often considered the absolute worst fighting style in the game: one-handed weapon in the main hand, nothing in the other. While the original goal was lost to time, I think I found something that I'd still like to play. Please critique at your leisure, as I'm not sure how bad (or good!) this is. Thank you in advance! And now, without further ado...



Alternate Fighter Class Feature: The Ironarm Fighter

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jltUykKfCqo/UZyuSe1c7wI/AAAAAAAAAM8/9JTDCKvBhVU/s1600/Fallen+hero.JPG

"'One Hand Empty'? My friend, I prefer to look at it as never being without the best weapon of all."

It's practically a stereotype: whoever dons the mantle of the Fighter also wields as big a weapon as he can handle... generally of the spiky and chained variety. For those that wish to go unarmed, it's a dangerous and difficult route.
But why should it? After all, the first weapon that mankind ever mastered was his own body, and it is with this at the forefront of his mind that the Ironarm Fighter makes his way into the world. Make no mistake about his empty hand; he's no monastic spiritualistic Monk. Rather, through simple and brute power, the Ironarm can show his foes how dangerous a single hand can be.

Class: Fighter
Proficiencies: An Ironarm Fighter loses proficiency with heavy armor. They gain proficiency with the Bastard Sword and the Whip.
Hit Die: d8.
Saves: An Ironarm Fighter's Reflex save follows the "Good" progression (the same as his Fortitude save).
Skills: An Ironarm Fighter loses Craft, Handle Animal, and Ride as class skills; in their place they gain Bluff, Tumble, and Sleight of Hand.
Levels:1st, 4th, 8th, 10th
Replaces: The Fighter Bonus Feats gained at those levels

Benefits: At the cost of your adaptability in styles, you gain more potency when wielding a one-handed weapon and having nothing (or a gauntlet) as an off-hand.

At 1st level, you gain the Knifefighter (PGtF) and Improved Unarmed Strike (both PH) feats without needing to meet their prerequisites. In addition, you gain a shield bonus to AC equal to one-third of your class level, so long as you are wielding a light or one-handed weapon in one hand and nothing in the other (having a foe in a grapple, or having a gauntlet or some other fist-like weapon, counts as having 'nothing' in your hand).
At 4th level, you gain the Superior Unarmed Strike (ToB) feat. In addition, you gain a bonus to attack rolls and deal damage with an unarmed strike (or other fist-like weapon) as though you were 'holding' it in two hands (including for the purpose of feats such as Power Attack).
At 8th level, you gain Einhander (PH II) and Improved Grapple (PH) as bonus feats without needing to meet the prerequisites.
At 10th level, you gain DR X/Magic, where X is equal to one-third of your class level, so long as you have at least one empty hand (grappling a foe, or having a fist-like weapon, counts as having an empty hand; wielding a shield on your arm does not); having trained your skin to withstand blows and scrapes, you use your calloused and scarred arm as a makeshift shield.

Tempestfury
2014-03-13, 08:50 PM
DR X/+3? I'm pretty sure that style of DR isn't really used in 3.5...

Ziegander
2014-03-13, 09:49 PM
So, in exchange for four feats you gain seven feats, as well as three powerful class features (one of which breaks the rules for how DR works in D&D 3.5)? Seems... poorly designed, just to be honest.

Adam1949
2014-03-13, 10:28 PM
Edited to make less stupidly OP!

Realms of Chaos
2014-03-13, 11:09 PM
I might be missing something here but I really don't see how all of this gels together. I can see that the extra hand is being made usable as a weapon and I can see that there's grappling going on but... it doesn't really get anywhere.

1. You don't get two-weapon fighting so you can't combine slashes with punches or grabs. With that said, your one-handed weapon is likely to be much better than your unarmed strike (especially at later levels with magic items) so your unarmed strike seems vestigial.

2. Knife fighter and improved grapple both help you grapple but I'm not quite certain if it works as intended (though I'm bad with grapple rules). If you're using a free hand to keep someone grappled and your other hand is busy holding a one-handed weapon that you can't use in grapples and you can only unarmed strike with fists because you aren't a monk... how are you hurting people in grapples?

Mavakith
2014-03-14, 01:09 AM
Hit Die: d8.
Saves: An Ironarm Fighter's Reflex save follows the "Good" progression (the same as his Fortitude save).
Skills: An Ironarm Fighter loses Craft, Handle Animal, and Ride as class skills; in their place they gain Bluff, Tumble, and Sleight of Hand.


So the fighter's hit die get lowered to d8, changes his reflex save and loses the above mentioned class skills at "Levels:1st, 4th, 8th, 10th" only right?

Other level the fighter's hit die, saves and class skills remains the same?