[Bo9S] New NPC Class: Initiate

[Shisumo]

INITIATE
Alignment: Any
Hit Die: d8

Class Skills
The initiate's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Balance (Dex), Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Diplomacy (Cha), Craft (Int), Heal (Wis), Hide (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Martial Lore (Int), Move Silently (Dex), Sense Motive (Wis), Swim (Str), Tumble (Dex).
Skill Points at 1st Level: (2 + Int modifier) x4
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 2 + Int modifier

{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special|Maneuvers Known|Maneuvers Readied|Stances

1st|
+0|
+0|
+2|
+0|Discipline Access|1|1|0

2nd|
+1|
+0|
+3|
+0||2|1|0

3rd|
+2|
+1|
+3|
+1||2|1|1

4th|
+3|
+1|
+4|
+1||3|2|1

5th|
+3|
+1|
+4|
+1||3|2|1

6th|
+4|
+2|
+5|
+2||4|2|1

7th|
+5|
+2|
+5|
+2||4|2|1

8th|
+6/+1|
+2|
+6|
+2||5|3|1

9th|
+6/+1|
+3|
+6|
+3||5|3|1

10th|
+7/+2|
+3|
+7|
+3||6|3|1

11th|
+8/+3|
+3|
+7|
+3||6|3|1

12th|
+9/+4|
+4|
+8|
+4||7|4|1

13th|
+9/+4|
+4|
+8|
+4||7|4|2

14th|
+10/+5|
+4|
+9|
+4||8|4|2

15th|
+11/+6/+1|
+5|
+9|
+5||8|4|2

16th|
+12/+7/+2|
+5|
+10|
+5||9|5|2

17th|
+12/+7/+2|
+5|
+10|
+5||9|5|2

18th|
+13/+8/+3|
+6|
+11|
+6||10|5|2

19th|
+14/+9/+4|
+6|
+11|
+6||10|5|2

20th|
+15/+10/+5|
+6|
+12|
+6||11|6|2[/table]

Class Features
All of the following are class features of the initiate.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: The initiate is proficient with all simple weapons, and with any weapons associated with their chosen discipline (see Discipline Access, below, and the list on pages 41-42 of Tome of Battle). They are proficient with light armor, but not with any type of shield.
If the initiate's chosen discipline is associated with the unarmed strike, the initiate gains Improved Unarmed Strike as a bonus feat.
Discipline Access: The initiate has limited access to maneuvers and stances. At 1st level, the initiate chooses a single martial discipline to pursue. This is the only discipline from which the initiate may select stances and maneuvers. (The initiate may select the Martial Study and Martial Stance feats to gain maneuvers or stances from other disciplines as normal.) The initiate gains proficiency with the weapons associated with the discipline as noted above.
Maneuvers: The initiate begins play with knowledge of a single maneuver from her chosen discipline. She must ready her maneuver before she can use it. A maneuver known by an initiate is considered an extraordinary ability unless noted otherwise in the maneuver's description. Her maneuvers are not affected by spell resistance, and she does not provoke an attack of opportunity when she uses one.
The initiate learns additional maneuvers as shown on the table. She must meet the maneuver's prerequisite to learn it. For the purposes of meeting prerequisites, the initiate's initiator level is equal to (one-half her class level) +1. For all other purposes, the initiate's initiator level is equal to her class level.
Maneuvers Readied: The initiate can ready her known maneuver at 1st level. As she advances in level and learns more maneuvers, she must choose which maneuvers to ready. The initiate readies her maneuvers by exercising or meditating for five minutes. The maneuvers she selects remain readied until she chooses to exercise again and change them. She need not sleep or rest for any long period of time to ready her maneuvers; any time she spends 5 minutes in practice, she may change her readied maneuvers.
The initiate begins each encounter with all her maneuvers readied, regardless of how many times she has used them since she readied them. When she initiates a maneuver, it is expended for the current encounter and may not be used again during that encounter. Unlike other martial adept classes, the initiate has no special actions or abilities that permit her to recover maneuvers during an encounter.
Stances Known: At 3rd level, the initiate gains knowledge of a single stance from her chosen discipline. She gains a second stance at 13th level. As with manuevers, the initiate must meet all prerequisites to learn a stance; for this purpose, her initiator level is (one-half her class level) +1.
Unlike maneuvers, stances are not expended and the initiate need not ready them. All the stances she knows are available to her at all times, and she may change the stance she is using as a swift action. A stance is an extraordinary ability unless otherwise noted in its description.

Elven Shadow Hand initiate 4
Medium Humanoid (Elf)
HD 4d8 (hp 18)
Speed 30 ft. (6 squares)
Init: +6
AC 16; touch 12; flat-footed 14 (Dex +2, mithral shirt +4)
BAB +3; Grp +3
Attack Siangham +4 melee (1d6+2) or unarmed strike +3 melee (1d3+2)
Full-Attack Siangham +4 melee (1d6+2) or unarmed strike +3 melee (1d3+2)
Space 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft.
Special Attacks: N/A
Special Qualities: Discipline access, elf traits
Saves Fort +1 Ref +6 Will +1
Abilities Str 11, Dex 15, Con 10, Int 10, Wis 10, Cha 8
Skills Hide +9, Martial Lore +4, Move Silently +5
Feats Improved Initiative, Improved Unarmed Strike, Shadow Blade
Environment Any
Organization Solitary, pair, or squad (3-6)
Challenge Rating 3
Treasure Standard
Alignment Usually lawful evil
Advancement by class
Level Adjustment +0
Maneuvers and Stances Known (IL 4th) - Discipline: Shadow Hand
Stances - Child of Shadow (1st)
Strikes - Clinging Shadow Strike (1st), Drain Vitality (2nd)*, Shadow Blade Techique (1st)* [*Readied Maneuver]

Hobgoblin Iron Heart initiate 8
Medium Humanoid (goblinoid)
HD 8d8+16 (hp 52)
Speed 30 ft. (6 squares)
Init: +1
AC 16; touch 11; flat-footed 15 (Dex +1, +1 mithral shirt +5)
BAB +6; Grp +8
Attack +1 bastard sword +10 melee (1d10+4, 19-20/x2)
Full-Attack +1 bastard sword +10/+5 melee (1d10+4, 19-20/x2)
Space 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft.
Special Attacks N/A
Special Qualities Darkvision 60 ft., discipline access
Saves Fort +4 Ref +7 Will +2
Abilities Str 15, Dex 13, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 9, Cha 8
Skills Balance +14, Concentration +3, Martial Lore +5, Move Silently +5, Tumble +6
Feats Blade Meditation (Iron Heart), Sudden Recovery, Weapon Focus (bastard sword)
Environment Any
Organization Solitary, pair, or squad (3-6)
Challenge Rating 7
Treasure Standard
Alignment Usually lawful neutral
Advancement by class
Level Adjustment +1
Maneuvers and Stances Known (IL 8th) - Discipline: Iron Heart
Stances - Punishing Stance (1st)
Strikes - Disarming Strike (2nd), Iron Heart Surge (3rd)*, Steel Wind (1st)*, Steely Strike (1st)
Counters - Wall of Blades (2nd)* [*Readied Maneuver]

[Legoman]

Wow, I totally hadn't thought about this, but it makes perfect sense! Every temple has hordes of students to serve as 'mooks,' why should the temples of the sublime way be any different?

I like it a lot! Would some recovery mechanism be good though? Even if it's something ridiculous like two consecutive full round actions, if it's a large-scale encounter, you want at least some methods for re-gaining actions.

[Hyrael]

So, as adept is to cleric, magewright to wizard, expert to rogue, gleaner to druid, warrior to fighter, we now have initiate to Warblade. Very nice. very usefull. Saved onto my computer for future use. Ah, the glories of the Inverse Ninja Law.

[Shisumo]

Wow, I totally hadn't thought about this, but it makes perfect sense! Every temple has hordes of students to serve as 'mooks,' why should the temples of the sublime way be any different?

Ah, the glories of the Inverse Ninja Law.
Ah, good. The point came through. I always hope that my mechanics convey the idea I'm aiming for...


I like it a lot! Would some recovery mechanism be good though? Even if it's something ridiculous like two consecutive full round actions, if it's a large-scale encounter, you want at least some methods for re-gaining actions.

Given the sucktastic nature of of the NPC caster classes as compared to their PC versions, I really thought the initiate needed to suffer in that department as well. There is the Sudden Recovery feat, which these guys can take as easily as anyone else, and I thought that was good enough.

If you really want one, I was thinking that provoking an AoO might be a good price for allowing the initiate to regain a maneuver, probably as a full-round action. Even so, I think that would boost their power significantly. Still nowhere near PC level, of course, so it's probably not an issue if you do it.

[Gralamin]

*blink*
I was just gonna make something like this for my campaign setting.

oh and yoink.

[Shisumo]

After a little thought, I decided to bump the hit die up to d8. I was thinking that only warriors got a d8, but since I realized that aristocrats get it too, a d8 for these guys doesn't seem so bad. They are intended as a combat-primary class, 3/4 BAB notwithstanding. This puts them up maneuvers, but down 2 skill points and two levels of armor proficiency, from the aristocrat, which I think is pretty balanced.