PDA

View Full Version : D&D 5e/Next The Myrmidon, Determination Personafied.



SodaDarwin
2015-08-17, 04:59 PM
Myrmidons were, in real history, those men who followed the great Greek hero Achilles into battle, warriors from Thessaly. As the times changed, the meaning came to mean ‘Minion’ and ‘Ruffian’. Here, the meaning changes again, for your playing pleasure.

The Myrmidon, a 5E Fighter Archetype
“The truest wisdom is a resolute determination.” –Napoleon Bonaparte.

Wielding the biggest weapon they can, and relying on their training and force of will, the Myrmidon sacrifices raw armour for lasting power and escalating offensive capability. To be a Myrmidon, however, calls for discipline despite the aggressive nature. To fall too deep into the lust for battle would make them no more than a mediocre barbarian.
The important stats for a Myrmidon are Strength, Constitution, and Wisdom. Dexterity helps to an extent with their AC, as they wear medium armour, but is not a focus.
Strength is for damage, Constitution surviving, and Wisdom buffs their Myrmidon abilities.

Determination
On taking this archetype at 3rd level, you gain access to Determination. Determination is a pool of points equal to your level in the fighter class, with a bonus equal to your Constitution modifier. Determination can be spent when certain events occur, granting bonuses based on your choice of effect. These will be outlined further on.
You regain a number of points equal to your Wisdom modifier at the end of the encounter, and all your points on finishing a long rest.

Foresight
Upon taking this archetype at 3rd level, you gain a bonus to your AC equal to your Wisdom modifier so long as you are not wearing Heavy Armour.

Keep on Trucking
A Myrmidon soon learns to survive the harshest of impacts and worst of obstacles. At level 7, the Myrmidon can add their Wisdom modifier to any check involving a grapple, escaping a trap, or making a Strength or Constitution saving throw.

Hindsight
At the 10th level, the Myrmidon learns that hindsight is 20/20. With each successful attack roll against the Myrmidon, the Myrmidon gains a cumulative bonus to their AC equal to half their Wisdom modifier. This bonus resets upon ending a turn without having been hit by a successful attack roll during that turn.

Speak Softly, and Carry a Big Stick
At 15th level, Myrmidons learn to wield truly oversized weapons. They can carry and wield a weapon of one size category above normal at no penalty, treating its weight as though it were normal for them. They use its attack die, but still take up the same space and have the same reach as before.
To clarify, say the Myrmidon is of medium size. Upon reaching this level, they can use a large sized greatsword at no penalty, using its damage die. However, they remain with the reach they had before, and to the Myrmidon the large greatsword will weigh only as much as a medium.
Additionally, gain proficiency in Intimidate. If you already have that, gain proficiency in Diplomacy. If you already have that, you already speak softly and thus do not need help here.

To the Bitter End
The Myrmidon is the master of never giving in, and so at level 18 they gain the ability to refuse to die until they say it’s over. Once per day, upon reaching 0 or fewer hitpoints, the Myrmidon can voluntarily enter a Last Stand. While in a Last Stand, the Myrmidon cannot take damage, and is unhindered by movement impeding effects. This last stand lasts for a number of rounds equal to 1d4 plus their Constitution modifier, and drains two Determination point per turn.
During the Last Stand, they still make death saving throws, but ignore failures. Critical hits dealt to them and rolling a 1 on the death saving throw will cause one failure, rather than two. A kill the Myrmidon makes will give them one success. At the end of the duration, the Myrmidon assumes the same state everyone else does, and falls unconscious. Should they successfully reach three successes, the Myrmidon heals to a quarter of their health instead and becomes combat ready, with full points of Determination.
The Last Stand can also end early, if you run out of Determination points.
This can only occur once per long rest.

Determination Effects
Determination can be activated immediately upon triggers, taking place before or after the activator has occurred. Myrmidon’s choice. To use one always costs one point of Determination, unless otherwise stated. You can only use one per turn.

As One: On an adjacent ally making a melee attack against an enemy that is adjacent to you, you can expend a Determination point to immediately make a single basic attack.

Challenge: You can expend a Determination point on striking a target. The target must make a save equal to 8+Proficency+Wisdom modifier. If they fail, they must target you, remaking the save each turn.

Curbstomp: Expend a Determination point on attacking a prone enemy, and automatically crit. The damage is based off your weapon. You can only use this ability once per encounter.

Deep Wounds: Upon striking a target, expend a Determination point. The target must make a save equal to 8+Proficency+Wisdom modifier. If they fail, they take damage every turn equal to your Wisdom modifier until they make the save. They can retry at the start of every turn.

Down but Not Out: On being knocked prone, expend a Determination point to immediately stand back up.

Get Behind Me: On an ally taking damage, you can expend a Determination point to take the blow for yourself. If both of you are the target of the attack, you take the lesser of the two damages, and they take none of it.

Mindblock: Upon being Charmed, Frightened, or suffering other mentally impairing effects, the Myrmidon can expend a Determination point to immediately cancel the effect.

Nevermiss: On rolling a 1 on an attack roll, expend a Determination point to re-roll. This can only be used once per encounter.

Only One: If attacked by multiple enemies in a round, you can expend a Determination point to only take the single highest amount of damage of the bunch. This can only be done once per encounter.

Overkill: On an adjacent enemy dying, you can choose to expend a Determination point and regain hit points equal to the damage left over from the attack. If you killed the enemy, add your wisdom modifier to the gain.

Third Wind: Upon using your Second Wind, expend a Determination point to gain both your Constitution modifier and Wisdom modifier in health.

Walk it Off: On moving while suffering from any negative effect, expend a Determination point to attempt the save again.

Welcome to Die: Expend a Determination point before attacking to deal an additional attack to the target. If this attack kills them, gain the benefit of Overkill for free.

You Will Not Escape: On an enemy moving away from you, you can expend a Determination point to reduce their movement speed to five feet, and follow them by the same amount.


Inspired heavily by http://www.dandwiki.com/wiki/Myrmidon_%283.5e_Class%29

Sorry if it's at all hard to understand, my friend told me the grammar is awkward and I'm unsure how. Have fun tearing this idea apart.

JNAProductions
2015-08-17, 05:57 PM
Foresight is greatly overpowered. You get Medium Armor, +2/3 Dexterity, and Wisdom? Too much AC. It's MAD, but it's also on the most ASI heavy class in the game.

Flashy
2015-08-17, 06:24 PM
Since weapon size categories have been removed from the player side of 5e the Big Stick feature doesn't appear to do anything.

SodaDarwin
2015-08-17, 06:44 PM
Foresight is greatly overpowered. You get Medium Armor, +2/3 Dexterity, and Wisdom? Too much AC. It's MAD, but it's also on the most ASI heavy class in the game.

Point. Alright. Would it be much better if foresight let you replace Dex with Wis for AC?



Since weapon size categories have been removed from the player side of 5e the Big Stick feature doesn't appear to do anything.

Reading the DMG, page 278, it says just double the damage if you go from Medium weapon to Large weapon.
...that's probably a bit much, now that I think about it more.

JNAProductions
2015-08-17, 06:48 PM
Point. Alright. Would it be much better if foresight let you replace Dex with Wis for AC?

That'd be fine. Dexterity is usually more useful for Fighters, so it'd just be a boon to multiclassers.

One thing, though-how would it work with Monks?

SodaDarwin
2015-08-17, 11:49 PM
That'd be fine. Dexterity is usually more useful for Fighters, so it'd just be a boon to multiclassers.

One thing, though-how would it work with Monks?

Oh wow, that's a good question... As written, right now, that means that a Monk/Myrmidon gets their wisdom score twice if unarmoured. That's loco, so I'd say it should probably only apply once.
Unsure how to word that for this, though.

Flashy
2015-08-18, 02:05 AM
Reading the DMG, page 278, it says just double the damage if you go from Medium weapon to Large weapon.
...that's probably a bit much, now that I think about it more.

Yeah, those rules were intended for monster creation not player use. As far as the PHB is concerned there's no difference in damage die between a longsword wielded by a goliath and a longsword wielded by a halfling.