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Soliloquy
2014-05-01, 04:38 PM
Who here remembers the lasher? Master of Chains anyone? In 3.5 this sort of PrC was bundled up into the Exotic Weapon Master. Recently, someone posting a homebrew for better exotic weapons (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?343908-Bastards-complex-uses-for-simple-weapons) made me feel that I should make some PrCs for them. But there are a lot of exotic weapons. So I figured I would hoist this responsibility onto the Playground. :smallbiggrin:
Anyway, I was thinking 10 levels, due June first, (open to negotiations if anyone has a problem), everyone gets three votes like in the BCC Temotei runs, and each person can only submit one class (although if you have more I'd be interested to see them). What do you guys say?

Glimbur
2014-05-03, 07:33 AM
Seems reasonable. I'll see what I can come up with.

Soliloquy
2014-05-03, 09:10 AM
Okay, but if nobody else shows up, you win by default, and if less then six do, I think it will be one vote each.

Jormengand
2014-05-03, 09:28 AM
I have an idea for this. Was originally going to be for pretty much any weapons, but... well, you'll see, I guess.

Glimbur
2014-05-03, 06:20 PM
Bigger is better – Lisa of Greendell, after winning the Annual Staff-Fighter's Extravaganza

The longstaff is generally regarded as the over-sized and unwieldy big brother of the quarter staff. The Longstaff Devotee makes it look light as feather and impenetrable as a wall.

Becoming a Longstaff Devotee
Longstaff Devotees typically either belong to a monastery known for the longstaff or have developed the style on their own.

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
Special: Proficiency with the longstaff (Complete Adventurer)
Feat: Combat Expertise

Class Skills
The Class Name's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Balance (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Jump (Str), Listen (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), Sleight of Hand (Dex), Spot (Wis), Swim (Str), and Tumble (Dex).
Skills Points at Each Level: 4 + Int mod

Hit Dice: d8

LevelBABFortRefWillSpecial
1st+1+2+2+0Stances, Novice Stance x2
2nd+2+3+3+0Novice Stance
3rd+3+3+3+1Novice Stance, Kip Up
4th+4+4+4+1Intermediate Stance
5th+5+4+4+1Intermediate Stance
6th+6+5+5+2Intermediate Stance, Agile Fighter
7th+7+5+5+2Expert Stance
8th+8+6+6+2Expert Stance
9th+9+6+6+3Expert Stance
10th+10+7+7+3Stance Master



Weapon Proficiencies: A Longstaff Devotee gains no additional weapon or armor proficiencies.

Stances (Ex): A longstaff can be used in many different ways, but not all at once. A Longstaff Devotee may select a stance he has available as a swift action, and he gains the benefits of it as long as he is wielding a long staff and conscious. He may change stances as a swift action. He may only gain the benefit of a Stance in light or no armor, and while carrying no more than a light load. Stances are broken into three categories. The Longstaff Devotee learns stances as governed by the table, but he may choose to learn a lower-level stance if desired; he could learn a Novice stance when he is entitled to an Intermediate stance.

Novice Stances

Balanced Stance (Ex): A Longstaff Devotee first develops his defenses. The Defensive Stance makes the Longstaff Devotee immune to being flanked by any creatures he is aware of.

Athlete's Stance (Ex): Jumpers and tightrope walkers use a modified longstaff to aid in their craft. The Longstaff Devotee in the Athlete's stance gains a competence bonus to balance, jump, and tumble checks equal to his class level.

Baffling Stance (Ex): Most opponents are not used to fighting against such a long but nimble weapon. A Longstaff Devotee in the Baffling Stance may feint as a swift action and gains a competence bonus to feinting equal to his class level.

Spinning Stance (Ex): The longstaff is a very long lever. By foregoing the more interesting things that can be done with it, the Longstaff Devotee can hit extra hard with it. A Longstaff Devotee in this stance gains a competence bonus to his damage rolls equal to his class level.

Defensive Stance (Ex): The longstaff is well suited to foiling an enemy's attack. As an immediate action, when someone within the Longstaff Devotee's threatened area makes a melee attack against him, he may attempt to parry it. This replaces his AC with the result of his attack roll for that one attack (without taking into account penalties from Combat Expertise). This decision must be made before the to-hit of the original attack is announced.

Doubled Stance (Ex): The longstaff has two ends. A Longstaff Devotee in this stance may use the longstaff as a double weapon as though he had Two Weapon Fighting. When his BAB is at least +8, he also gains the benefit of Improved Two Weapon Fighting. When his BAB is at least +13, he also gains the benefit of Superior Two Weapon Fighting.


Kip Up (Ex): The longstaff requires nimbleness and flexibility. As a side effect of developing some skills with it, the Longstaff Devotee can stand from prone as a swift action and does not provoke attacks of opportunity with this ability. This ability only works in light or no armor, and while carrying no more than a light load.

Intermediate Stances

Batter's Stance (Ex): Projectiles are a common hazard of adventuring, and the Longstaff Devotee uses his unusual weapon to reduce the risk. As an immediate action, the Longstaff Devotee may attempt to parry a projectile weapon. He sets his AC to the result of his attack roll for that one projectile attack (without taking into account penalties from Combat Expertise). As with the Defensive Stance, his decision must be made before the to-hit of the original attack is announced.

Ally's Stance (Ex): Sometimes it is important to protect people near you. A Longstaff Devotee may parry an attack against anyone within his threatened range, using the same rules as the Defensive Stance. Note that this allows him to parry attacks against himself from a reach weapon, which is an improvement over the Defensive Stance. As with the Defensive Stance, his decision to parry must be made before the to-hit of the original attack is announced.

Lunging Stance (Ex): A longstaff is long. By gripping it differently and with special footwork, it can be used at a distance. The Longstaff Devotee in this stance threatens area as though he were wielding a reach weapon, but he also threatens squares which we would reach without a reach weapon. This is similar to how a spiked chain works, but a large Longstaff Devotee unambiguously threatens every square within 20'.

Lever Stance (Ex): The longstaff is long but quite small at the end. This can be used to prod at an opponent's grip on their weapon in a way they are not used to. A Longstaff Devotee in this stance gains the benefits of Improved Disarm; if he already has this feat he gains an additional +4 competence bonus to disarm. The leverage of the longstaff allows you to make the disarmed weapon land up to 10' away from the Longstaff Devotee in any direction he chooses.

Whirling Stance (Ex): Sometimes you just need to spin in a circle and hit everyone. A Longstaff Devotee in this stance gains the benefit of the Whirlwind Attack feat; in addition he can choose one creature within his reach to attack twice as part of the Whirlwind Attack. The second attack happens at no penalty to hit, unlike an iterative attack.


Agile Fighter (Ex): The longstaff requires fluid movement and careful control of your body. An additional side benefit is that small adjustments can be made very quickly. A Longstaff Devotee can take an additional 5' step in a round as a swift action. He can do this even if he took a normal move action to move his normal move speed, or even if he took a run or charge action. This ability only works in light or no armor, and while carrying no more than a light load.

Expert Stances

Improved Batter's Stance (Ex): Magic is like a projectile, at least if you are skilled enough. A Longstaff Devotee in this stance may attempt to block a ray or line which passes through his threatened area as an immediate action; if he hits 10+caster level of the spell with an attack roll (without taking into account penalties from Combat Expertise) the spell stops at the square where he blocked it. This would, for example, stop a Disintegrate entirely but only shorten a Lightning Bolt. He also gains the benefits of the normal Batter's Stance while in this stance, and must know the Batter's Stance before he selects this one.

Improved Athlete's Stance (Ex): Expert Longstaff Devotees can vault and tumble around a battlefield at will. As a swift action, a Longstaff Devotee may move as though he were using a move action. This allows him to jump, tumble, or otherwise maneuver. He still gains the benefits of the Athlete's Stance, and he must know that stance in order to learn this one.

Improved Defensive Stance (Ex): Longstaff masters can make a wall of their staff, intercepting many strikes in an eyeblink. A Longstaff Devotee in this stance may, as a swift action replace his AC versus melee attacks with the results of his attack roll (without taking into account penalties from Combat Expertise). This replacement continues until he switches stances or re-activates it (probably to get a better roll on the d20).

Improved Spinning Stance (Ex): Some masters of the longstaff practice shattering boards, boulders, and golems. A Longstaff Devotee in this stance, when attacking with a longstaff, ignores all DR and ignores any hardness less than 20. He also gains the benefit of the Spinning Stance but he must know the Spinning Stance to select this stance.

Fortitude Stance (Ex): Longstaff fighting requires agility, strength, and determination. A Longstaff Devotee in this stance gains a number of temporary hit points equal to twice his class level; he gains these temporary hit points every round (so a 10th level Longstaff Devotee has 20 temporary hit points at the start of each of his turns) but he loses them immediately when he changes stances.


Stance Master (Ex): A 10th level Longstaff Devotee may be in two stances at once.

Playing a Longstaff Devotee
Combat: Get near things and hit them. Change your stances to match the situation.
Advancement: Take some Exotic Weapon Master maybe. Or Warblade, that's nice. You would have two different kinds of stances though, which would get confusing.
Resources: Depends on the back story, but a monastery is not generally big on supporting its members out in the world.

Longstaff Devotees in the World
It was uncanny. I was sure those three orcs would chop that long stick into kindling, and then chop up the fool wielding it. But that fool dropped all three of them.

Daily Life: Wake up. Meditate. Practice staff fighting. Alternately, go adventuring.
Notables: A cadre of longstaff devotees from the infamous Black Monastery played a vital role slowing down the forces of Good during the Summoning of Tizak'kun.
Organizations: In addition to the Black Monastery, the Royal Guard of Mendelia also practices longstaff fighting.

NPC Reaction
About the same reaction as a monk gets; the signature weapon is a little distinctive but in a world with dragons and wizards a guy with a long stick just doesn't stand out.

Longstaff Devotees in the Game
They get a number of feats more easily than a fighter, which is a conscious design choice. They also get a variety of abilities, or can just focus on doing more damage. They should perform decently in the same sorts of situations a fighter or a monk would be expected to help in.
Adaptation: Just file off the serial numbers, add a monastery or other martial order who trains people in weird weapons, and slide them into your world.
Encounters: These guys are kind of annoying to run as an encounter; they should be met in a group but tracking which stance each of them is in would be kind of a headache. Maybe have one of these people in a martial arts tournament or in some other excuse for a 1 v 1 fight.


New Feat

Extra Stances
Prerequisite: Levels in Longstaff Devotee
Benefit: You learn two additional stances which you qualify for as a Longstaff Devotee. This means you can learn two additional novice stances, or if you are at least level 4 in Longstaff Devotee you can learn two intermediate stances, or at class level 7 you can learn two expert stances or an expert and an intermediate or whatever.

ngilop
2014-05-04, 12:23 AM
Im not sure if one can submit previous work or not. The OP doesn't say one way or another.

But here is a link to my own version of the lasher.
http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=16444858&postcount=32

Im sorry it uses the old code and I have no idea how to even get close to making the new code
work for me. Ive tried so many times.

Adam1949
2014-05-04, 12:31 AM
Im not sure if one can submit previous work or not. The OP doesn't say one way or another.

But here is a link to my own version of the lasher.
http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=16444858&postcount=32

Im sorry it uses the old code and I have no idea how to even get close to making the new code
work for me. Ive tried so many times.


LevelBABFortRefWillSpecial
1st+1+0+2+0 Sudden Whip Attack +1d6, Close Combat, Wound
2nd+2+0+3+0 Improved Trip, Third hand
3rd+3+1+3+1 Lightning Crack, Lashing Whip
4th+4+1+4+1Improved Disarm
5th+5+1+4+1 Sudden Whip Attack +2d6, Sonic Crack
6th+6+2+5+2 Stunning Snap
7th+7+2+5+2 Death Spiral
8th+8+2+6+2 Evasion
9th+9+3+6+3 Sudden Whip Attack +3d6
10th+10+3+7+3 Crack of Doom


There you go!

Soliloquy
2014-05-04, 06:30 AM
I don't think I'll allow previous work for the contest, but it is very nice, and I'm glad you posted it.:smallbiggrin:

Glimbur
2014-05-04, 08:32 AM
Im not sure if one can submit previous work or not. The OP doesn't say one way or another.

But here is a link to my own version of the lasher.
http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=16444858&postcount=32

Im sorry it uses the old code and I have no idea how to even get close to making the new code
work for me. Ive tried so many times.

Go here (http://pifro.com/dnd/NEW/), set formatting to PIFBB, Class Type to Homebrew, push Custom class, and after that it's pretty self explanatory.

I wouldn't mind any PEACHes for the class, and I might take a look at the re-imagined Lasher you posted.

Avalon®
2014-05-04, 10:02 AM
Color me interested. I think there are some magical exotics in Magic of Eberron that I can fiddle with.

Soliloquy
2014-05-04, 01:11 PM
Go here (http://pifro.com/dnd/NEW/), set formatting to PIFBB, Class Type to Homebrew, push Custom class, and after that it's pretty self explanatory.

I wouldn't mind any PEACHes for the class, and I might take a look at the re-imagined Lasher you posted.

Also converter (http://makaze-kanra.tumblr.com/ForumTableConverter)