Useful Fighters

[BardicDuelist]

I am not saying that fighters are not useful. The fact that my group tends to play games Lv. 1-13 means that I could never consider them so. My idea is to try and make them more useful, especially as you advance in levels.

In my group ToB classes are banned. That isn't changing. The main reason is because we do not want more mechanics. I did manage, however, to convince my DM that allowing Martial Study, Martial Stance, and Sudden Recovery would be a happy middle ground.

Because the classes are banned, I was wondering if treating non-adept level as full, instead of 1/2 for the purposes of qualifying for maneuvers would be a bad idea. Would it be better (and perhaps make fighters more attractive) to treat only fighter levels as full and other classes as 1/2?

What about using BAB as a prereq. instead of adept level?

[IonizedChicken]

I think you should give classes full initiator level progression in some disciplines but not in others -- Paladins should get Crusader disciplines (Devoted Spirit, Stone Dragon, White Raven), for example.

Fighters should get to choose a couple of disciplines (3?) and gain bonus disciplines at certain levels (8th and 16th, for example)*. Also, you might want to add in the house rule: whenever you pick the Martial Study feat you can replace one of your maneuvers known with another of any level.

Also, I recommend changing fighter HD to d12s and granting them 4 + INT skill points at least... and yeah, you'll need to add some new skills to their class list, probably depending on the disciplines you choose.

*alternatively, you could make a feat: Extra Discipline that allows fighters you gain an additional discipline in which they use their full class level as their initiator level.

[Matthew]

Giving Fighters access to Tome of Battle abilities is a good idea. Don't use them alongside those Base Classes, though, as they will be more powerful, as a result. I also support the idea of increasing Skill Points and Skill Access for all Base Classes, in general, but I wouldn't make it a matter of course, but subject to training and DM approval.