Stiq
2014-09-18, 05:25 PM
Hey everybody. For those of you who saw my previous threads, I'm back at it again. For the rest of you, the previous posts aren't really important for this, so don't worry about it.
This post we're gonna be covering homebrews pertaining to non-magical character classes (and also some stuff for the hybrids), hopefully the first in a series. I already have a lot of spellcaster content written up, and I hope to cover magic items, social systems (including social skills and Leadership), and other things in the future. I'll try to keep this introduction brief.
This thread has the following goals:
Provide tools for making non-magical characters more viable across all base classes in the PRD.
Rework certain combat-focused feats from the core rules
Provide tweaks to certain martial classes.
The core idea here is not that I think these are perfect solutions, but that I'm always interested in suggestions, questions, and thought-out critique.
For purposes of this post, the following defined (or re-defined) for your convenience:
Ninja and Samurai: For nearly all intents and purposes, Ninja count as a Rogue archetype and Samurai count as a Cavalier archetype for purposes of all contents of this document, and therefore any changes referring to Rogues or Cavaliers also apply to Ninja and Samurai, respectively.
The following feats have been edited for convenience, balancing purposes, or some other reason.
Combat Reflexes: The feat no longer grants extra attacks of opportunity within a round, but instead treats your target as though they were flat-footed. (It is highly recommended you read the revised rules for Sneak Attack.)
Combat Expertise: You do not need to make an attack or a full attack to benefit from this feat.
Dodge, Mobility: Dodge and Mobility have been combined into a single feat, called Mobility, with the prerequisites "Dex 13" and reads as follows: "You gain a +1 Dodge bonus to Armor Class. This bonus increases to +4 against attacks of opportunity provoked when you move out of or within a threatened area."
Deflect Arrows: This has been renamed to Deflecting Strike. It has the same prerequisites, and the following description: "When you would normally be hit with a melee attack or a ranged attack with a projectile (such as an arrow), you may instead make a single attack roll with any light melee weapon. If the attack roll exceeds the total attack roll of the enemy, the attack resolves as though it did not beat your Armor Class. Using this ability requires you to consume an Attack of Opportunity and prevents you from making any further Attacks of Opportunity this round. You cannot use this ability on an attack against which you're flat-footed."
Snatch Arrows: This feat's prerequisites have been changed to "Dex 13, Deflecting Strike, Improved Unarmed Strike." Its effects are unchanged, except catching a missile requires the creature to successfully execute an unarmed Deflecting Strike on the ranged attack.
Improved Unarmed Strike: This feat is granted at first level to any class that is proficient in all martial weapons.
Intimidating Prowess: This feat now uses the higher of Strength and Charisma, instead of both.
Two Weapon Fighting: This feat also includes the effect of Double Slice, which has been removed.
Improved Two-Weapon Fighting: This feat also includes the effect of Two-Weapon Defense, which has been removed.
Vital Strike: This feat is granted to any character that reaches +6 BAB, along with Improved Vital Strike at BAB +11 and Greater Vital Strike at BAB +16. Additionally, any Vital Strike feat you possess may be applied to Charges freely.
Weapon Finesse: All characters are considered to possess Weapon Finesse and may apply it to any attacks or combat maneuvers that utilize one of the weapons specified in the Weapon Finesse feat.
THE FOLLOWING FEATS HAVE BEEN REMOVED ENTIRELY: Manyshot, Natural Spell, Pinpoint Targeting, Spirited Charge
---
New Bonus Feats: The following is a list of bonus feats organized by class. All of these feats are granted at 2nd level. They are granted even if the class does not otherwise meet the prerequisites for the feat.
Barbarian: Point-Blank Shot, Power Attack
Cavalier: Combat Expertise, Power Attack, Point-Blank Shot
Fighter: Combat Expertise, Deadly Aim, Power Attack, Point-Blank Shot
Gunslinger: Deadly Aim, Point-Blank Shot
Monk: Combat Expertise, Deadly Aim, Point-Blank Shot, Power Attack
Paladin: Power Attack
Ranger: Combat Expertise, Deadly Aim, Point-Blank Shot
Rogue: Combat Expertise, Combat Reflexes, Deadly Aim, Point-Blank Shot
Base Attack Bonus and Extra Attacks: Extra attacks acquired at +11 and +16 BAB only take a -5 penalty instead of the listed penalty; a character with +13 BAB, for instance, would make their attacks at +13/+8/+8.
Ability Score Boosts: Creatures with levels in certain base classes now gain one or more extra +1 ability score boosts at levels 2, 6, 10, 14, and 18 within a character class. These bonuses take the form of one or more +1 bonuses that must each be spent on different ability scores.
Three Boosts: Monk
Two Boosts: Barbarian, Cavalier, Fighter, Gunslinger, Paladin, Ranger, Rogue
One Boost: Alchemist, Bard, Magus, Inquisitor, Summoner
Skill Points: The following new skill point progressions are in effect:
4 + int: Barbarian, Cleric, Druid, Paladin, Sorcerer, Wizard, Oracle, Summoner, Witch, Magus
6 + int: Bard, Fighter, Monk, Ranger, Cavalier/Samurai, Gunslinger
8 + int: Rogue/Ninja
Barbarian
Rage changed as follows: +4 Constitution replaced with “+2 to Fortitude saves, Constitution based skills, and constitution checks. Additionally, the Barbarian does not lose consciousness or become staggered from falling into negative hit points while raging and instead acts normally until the Rage ends. A Barbarian who is still at negative hit points when the rage ends immediately loses consciousness and is dying.”
Monk
Monks now have Full Base Attack Bonus (+1/lvl).
The existing monk bonus feats are removed. When a monk would receive one of their bonus feats, they instead receive any one combat bonus feat that they qualify for.
Immunity from “Purity of Body” and “Diamond Body” class features replaced with a +6 bonus.
Flurry requires at least two monk weapons (or a double weapon) to perform. A monk's unarmed strike counts as a monk weapon for this purpose, allowing a monk to flurry using only unarmed strikes, or unarmed strikes in conjunction with any single monk weapon.
Ranger
The existing Combat Style bonus feats are removed. When a ranger would receive one of their bonus feats, they instead receive any one combat bonus feat that they qualify for.
Rogue
Sneak Attacks now require a standard action to perform on a flat-footed or flanked opponent. However, a Rogue now applies their Sneak Attack damage to all Attacks of Opportunity, even if the opponent is not flat-footed or flanked.
Please critique honestly. I am prepared to defend my decisions if need be, but I'm interested in keeping the discussion civil and I will be more than happy to consider anything that seems to be a glaring problem.
This post we're gonna be covering homebrews pertaining to non-magical character classes (and also some stuff for the hybrids), hopefully the first in a series. I already have a lot of spellcaster content written up, and I hope to cover magic items, social systems (including social skills and Leadership), and other things in the future. I'll try to keep this introduction brief.
This thread has the following goals:
Provide tools for making non-magical characters more viable across all base classes in the PRD.
Rework certain combat-focused feats from the core rules
Provide tweaks to certain martial classes.
The core idea here is not that I think these are perfect solutions, but that I'm always interested in suggestions, questions, and thought-out critique.
For purposes of this post, the following defined (or re-defined) for your convenience:
Ninja and Samurai: For nearly all intents and purposes, Ninja count as a Rogue archetype and Samurai count as a Cavalier archetype for purposes of all contents of this document, and therefore any changes referring to Rogues or Cavaliers also apply to Ninja and Samurai, respectively.
The following feats have been edited for convenience, balancing purposes, or some other reason.
Combat Reflexes: The feat no longer grants extra attacks of opportunity within a round, but instead treats your target as though they were flat-footed. (It is highly recommended you read the revised rules for Sneak Attack.)
Combat Expertise: You do not need to make an attack or a full attack to benefit from this feat.
Dodge, Mobility: Dodge and Mobility have been combined into a single feat, called Mobility, with the prerequisites "Dex 13" and reads as follows: "You gain a +1 Dodge bonus to Armor Class. This bonus increases to +4 against attacks of opportunity provoked when you move out of or within a threatened area."
Deflect Arrows: This has been renamed to Deflecting Strike. It has the same prerequisites, and the following description: "When you would normally be hit with a melee attack or a ranged attack with a projectile (such as an arrow), you may instead make a single attack roll with any light melee weapon. If the attack roll exceeds the total attack roll of the enemy, the attack resolves as though it did not beat your Armor Class. Using this ability requires you to consume an Attack of Opportunity and prevents you from making any further Attacks of Opportunity this round. You cannot use this ability on an attack against which you're flat-footed."
Snatch Arrows: This feat's prerequisites have been changed to "Dex 13, Deflecting Strike, Improved Unarmed Strike." Its effects are unchanged, except catching a missile requires the creature to successfully execute an unarmed Deflecting Strike on the ranged attack.
Improved Unarmed Strike: This feat is granted at first level to any class that is proficient in all martial weapons.
Intimidating Prowess: This feat now uses the higher of Strength and Charisma, instead of both.
Two Weapon Fighting: This feat also includes the effect of Double Slice, which has been removed.
Improved Two-Weapon Fighting: This feat also includes the effect of Two-Weapon Defense, which has been removed.
Vital Strike: This feat is granted to any character that reaches +6 BAB, along with Improved Vital Strike at BAB +11 and Greater Vital Strike at BAB +16. Additionally, any Vital Strike feat you possess may be applied to Charges freely.
Weapon Finesse: All characters are considered to possess Weapon Finesse and may apply it to any attacks or combat maneuvers that utilize one of the weapons specified in the Weapon Finesse feat.
THE FOLLOWING FEATS HAVE BEEN REMOVED ENTIRELY: Manyshot, Natural Spell, Pinpoint Targeting, Spirited Charge
---
New Bonus Feats: The following is a list of bonus feats organized by class. All of these feats are granted at 2nd level. They are granted even if the class does not otherwise meet the prerequisites for the feat.
Barbarian: Point-Blank Shot, Power Attack
Cavalier: Combat Expertise, Power Attack, Point-Blank Shot
Fighter: Combat Expertise, Deadly Aim, Power Attack, Point-Blank Shot
Gunslinger: Deadly Aim, Point-Blank Shot
Monk: Combat Expertise, Deadly Aim, Point-Blank Shot, Power Attack
Paladin: Power Attack
Ranger: Combat Expertise, Deadly Aim, Point-Blank Shot
Rogue: Combat Expertise, Combat Reflexes, Deadly Aim, Point-Blank Shot
Base Attack Bonus and Extra Attacks: Extra attacks acquired at +11 and +16 BAB only take a -5 penalty instead of the listed penalty; a character with +13 BAB, for instance, would make their attacks at +13/+8/+8.
Ability Score Boosts: Creatures with levels in certain base classes now gain one or more extra +1 ability score boosts at levels 2, 6, 10, 14, and 18 within a character class. These bonuses take the form of one or more +1 bonuses that must each be spent on different ability scores.
Three Boosts: Monk
Two Boosts: Barbarian, Cavalier, Fighter, Gunslinger, Paladin, Ranger, Rogue
One Boost: Alchemist, Bard, Magus, Inquisitor, Summoner
Skill Points: The following new skill point progressions are in effect:
4 + int: Barbarian, Cleric, Druid, Paladin, Sorcerer, Wizard, Oracle, Summoner, Witch, Magus
6 + int: Bard, Fighter, Monk, Ranger, Cavalier/Samurai, Gunslinger
8 + int: Rogue/Ninja
Barbarian
Rage changed as follows: +4 Constitution replaced with “+2 to Fortitude saves, Constitution based skills, and constitution checks. Additionally, the Barbarian does not lose consciousness or become staggered from falling into negative hit points while raging and instead acts normally until the Rage ends. A Barbarian who is still at negative hit points when the rage ends immediately loses consciousness and is dying.”
Monk
Monks now have Full Base Attack Bonus (+1/lvl).
The existing monk bonus feats are removed. When a monk would receive one of their bonus feats, they instead receive any one combat bonus feat that they qualify for.
Immunity from “Purity of Body” and “Diamond Body” class features replaced with a +6 bonus.
Flurry requires at least two monk weapons (or a double weapon) to perform. A monk's unarmed strike counts as a monk weapon for this purpose, allowing a monk to flurry using only unarmed strikes, or unarmed strikes in conjunction with any single monk weapon.
Ranger
The existing Combat Style bonus feats are removed. When a ranger would receive one of their bonus feats, they instead receive any one combat bonus feat that they qualify for.
Rogue
Sneak Attacks now require a standard action to perform on a flat-footed or flanked opponent. However, a Rogue now applies their Sneak Attack damage to all Attacks of Opportunity, even if the opponent is not flat-footed or flanked.
Please critique honestly. I am prepared to defend my decisions if need be, but I'm interested in keeping the discussion civil and I will be more than happy to consider anything that seems to be a glaring problem.