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Aleolus
2015-11-19, 01:07 PM
Hey all. Some time back, I was looking at the Elemental Savant, and I started wondering why there wasn't a warrior friendly version. Obviously, it won't have the degree of mastery that the Savant does, but this is what I came up with. Let me know what you think!

Elemental Blade

Entry Requirements:
Base Attack Bonus: +5
Weapon Focus (Any melee weapon)

Statistics:
BAB: Full (As Fighter)
Saves: Good Fort, Good Will
HD: d10
Skill Points: 2+int per level
Class Skills: ? (Not sure what I should have as class skills for this class)

Special Abilities:
Chosen Element: Upon entering the class, an Elemental Blade must choose an element (Acid, Cold, Electricity, or Fire). Every ability they gain based off of an element is based off the element chosen at this point.

Elemental Strike (Su): Starting at first level, an Elemental Blade deals an additional 1d6 points of elemental damage with any weapon that they have the Weapon Focus feat for. This damage stacks with any elemental properties the weapon may possess. This damage increases to 1d8 at level 3, then to 2d6 at level 5, 2d8 at level 7, and 3d6 at level 9.

Elemental Guard (Ex): Starting at level 2, an Elemental Blade takes less damage from their chosen element. This resistance starts off at 5 points, then increases to 10 at level 6, and finally to 15 at level 10.

Bonus Feats: At levels 3, 6 and 9 an Elemental Blade gains a bonus feat chosen from any of those available to a Fighter. They must meet the feats prerequisites normally.

Elemental Burst (Su): At level 5, an Elemental Blades critical hits explode with their chosen element. Every critical hit confirmed by an Elemental Blade deals an additional 1d10 points of elemental damage. This damage stacks with any properties the weapon may possess. At level 10, this damage increases to 2d10.

Flickerdart
2015-11-19, 01:13 PM
You may be looking for the homebrew forum (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?15-Homebrew-Design).

Anyway, this class is...really weak. Let's compare it to fighter (which is itself an awful class):

Gains:
+4 Will save
+10.5 damage (avg), +11 on a critical hit (avg).
15 points of energy resistance.

Loses:
3 feats (1 to enter, 2 during class progression)
Access to Weapon Supremacy and other feats with fighter level prerequisites, delayed access to ACFs

The benefits are so unbelievably minor that I see no reason to take this.

Aleolus
2015-11-19, 01:22 PM
I had thought the Homebrew forum was for homebrewed games or settings for some reason...

Anyways, perhaps having these levels count as Fighter levels for purposes of meeting feat requirements?

ComaVision
2015-11-19, 01:28 PM
You don't have anything in the entry requirements that has anything to do with the class. No ranks in Arcana or Planes, no peaceful contact with an elemental, and no investment into a chosen element.

Aleolus
2015-11-19, 01:31 PM
Ok, so two to three ranks in Knowledge (either Planes or Arcana). Easily doable by when you have a 5 BAB

ComaVision
2015-11-19, 01:37 PM
Ok, so two to three ranks in Knowledge (either Planes or Arcana). Easily doable by when you have a 5 BAB

Make it 4 ranks. Make the capstone way more interesting, like you acquire the subtype of your chosen element.

EDIT: Additional Thoughts
Change the BaB requirement to +4, and require 1st level casting and at least 1 spell with the descriptor of your chosen element. As a class ability, have it so the Elemental Blade can cast arcane spells with that elemental descriptor while ignoring Arcane Spell Failure chance from armour. Add 1/2 caster progression to the class.

Aleolus
2015-11-19, 01:39 PM
Ok, maybe change the resistance so at level 10 you just take half damage from your element as well?

ComaVision
2015-11-19, 01:41 PM
Ok, maybe change the resistance so at level 10 you just take half damage from your element as well?

Why not just make it full immunity? Full immunity to one element at level 15 is not a big deal.

Aleolus
2015-11-19, 01:55 PM
Maybe. I was wanting the abilities to be somewhat lesser than what the Elemental Savant gets, but a bit of overlap wouldn't hurt.

Vhaidara
2015-11-19, 02:14 PM
Maybe. I was wanting the abilities to be somewhat lesser than what the Elemental Savant gets, but a bit of overlap wouldn't hurt.

So your looking to make a weaker version of a very weak PrC?

Aleolus
2015-11-19, 02:34 PM
Not a weaker one, just one that was less magic based and more martial based, while still having the elemental feel

Flickerdart
2015-11-19, 02:40 PM
Not a weaker one, just one that was less magic based and more martial based, while still having the elemental feel

Take a look at the pyrokineticist - they get a 10d6 laser, a whip made of fire, the ability to set their weapons on fire, the ability to walk on air, and they can make your blood explode just by looking at you. Pyrokineticists are miles ahead of the class you've drafted up, and yet they are still considered pretty lame as far as PrCs go. Taking it as an example and improving its abilities should get you a pretty good elemental warrior.

DrMotives
2015-11-19, 03:34 PM
You should look in the Planar Handbook. It has a 5 level class that does exactly what you want called Elemental Warrior. It is only 3/4th BAB, but I would chalk that up to 3.0 editors overrating how powerful martials are, and adjust to full BAB.

nonsi
2015-11-20, 02:20 AM
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Any PrC that has "Elemental" in its name should end up w/ powers that relate to more than a single element.

Vhaidara
2015-11-20, 06:55 AM
.
Any PrC that has "Elemental" in its name should end up w/ powers that relate to more than a single element.

I disagree completely. It could be all elements, or it could, as in this case, be so that we don't need 4 nearly identical "Fire Blade", "Frost Blade", "Lightning Blade", and "Terra Blade" PrCs.

nonsi
2015-11-20, 07:35 AM
I disagree completely. It could be all elements, or it could, as in this case, be so that we don't need 4 nearly identical "Fire Blade", "Frost Blade", "Lightning Blade", and "Terra Blade" PrCs.

4 nearly identical <SOMETHING> is definitely not what I had in mind. It could be 4 aspects... or 3... or 2, with each one being expressed differently (e.g. Nature's Warrior PrC).

Aleolus
2015-11-20, 05:11 PM
Well, as I said in the opening that I based this off of the Elemental Savant from Complete Arcane, which is one element