PDA

View Full Version : THH's first homebrew [Class] IT COUNTERATTACKS!



thehothead
2007-06-06, 12:18 AM
This is my first attempt at home brewing anything. I haven’t really thought of a name for the class yet. Suggestions on name would be appreciated. The focus of the class is counterattacking. I also don’t know how to format the table, but bear with me.



The ????
Alignment: any
Hit Dice: d8
Class Skills: Bluff, Climb, Craft, Handle animal, Hide, Intimidate, Move silently, Ride, and Swim.
Skill points at first level: (4+Int modifier)*4
Skill points each additional level: 4+Int modifier
Weapon proficiencies: This class is proficient with daggers, Longswords, rapiers, Scimitars, as well as one light or martial ranged weapon.

Level BAB Fort-save Ref-Save Will-save Special
1 +1 +0 +2 +0 Counter
2 +2 +0 +3 +0
3 +3 +1 +3 +1
4 +4 +1 +4 +1 Improved trip
5 +4/1 +1 +4 +1
6 +5/2 +2 +5 +2
7 +6/3 +2 +5 +2 Improved counter
8 +7/4 +2 +6 +2
9 +7/4/1 +3 +6 +3
10 +8/5/2 +3 +7 +3 Improved feint
11 +9/6/3 +3 +7 +3
12 +10/7/4 +4 +8 +4
13 +10/7/4/1 +4 +8 +4 Greater counter
14 +11/8/5/2 +4 +9 +4
15 +12/9/6/3 +5 +9 +5
16 +13/10/7/4 +5 +10 +5 Improved disarm
17 +13/10/7/4/1 +5 +10 +5
18 +14/11/8/5/2 +6 +11 +6
19 +15/12/9/6/3 +6 +11 +6 Perfect counter
20 +16/13/10/7/4 +6 +12 +6

Counter: At first level, this class gains the ability to counterattack at a -4 penalty. This counterattack may only be made when an opponent fails to beat your AC by at least 10.
Improved trip: at 4th level, this class may make a trip attack with any weapon they are proficient with.
Improved counter: at 7th level, this class’s counterattack ability is reduced to a -3 penalty, and may be made when an opponent fails to beat your AC by at least 6.
Improved feint: at 10th level, this class gains Improved Feint, as the feat.
Greater counter: at 13th level, this class’s counterattack ability is reduced to a -2 penalty, and may be made when an opponent fails to beat your AC by two.
Improved disarm: At 16th level, this class gains Improved Disarm, as the feat.
Perfect counter, at 19th level, this class’s counter attack ability has no penalty, and can be made whenever an opponent fails to beat your AC.




So what do you think? Overpowered? Underpowered? Useless? Downright insane? To stupid to be worthy of the RAM it's using up? All opinions are welcome, as long as they aren't pure hate.

Closet_Skeleton
2007-06-06, 05:49 AM
Not really worth it due to feats like Karmic strike and Robilar's Gambit or the Tome of Battle classes.

I'm not sure why people make this base classes that do stuff normal base classes should be able to do anyway and often can do with feats.

Caewil
2007-06-06, 06:55 AM
The BAB is unusual, most classes (well all, actually) have either full BAB, three quarters or hald. Since this class is a fighting one, I suggest changing it to full. (20/15/10/5) Otherwise it just looks odd. So is the skill selection, I don't really know why what looks like a fighting class would need hide and move silently. Is it meant to be a counter-attacking hunter? A what? There's no fluff to go on, so I have no idea what you intended. Is it meant as a sort of human "dwarven defender"?

In addition, is there a reason they can only wield such a small array of weapons? It really weakens the class, unless you give it something to compensate. You also left out shield and armour proficiencies. A counter-attacking focused character really shouldn't have to go into battle naked. The rest of the crunch is okay, but fairly weak, and nothing a fighter can't do while having loads more bonus feats to blow. Since fighters are barely useful past level fifteen, and your class has even less going for it, I do not think anyone would play this.

You also need to be more specific with the special abilities.


Counter: At first level, this class gains the ability to counterattack at a -4 penalty. This counterattack may only be made when an opponent fails to beat your AC by at least 10.
Should be-

Counter: At first level, "this class" gains the ability to counterattack an enemy who misses his ac by at least 10. The counter-attack is made at a -4 penalty and occurs immediately after the opponent's attack. Both "this class" and the opponent must be wielding melee weapons.

Replace "this class" with whatever you're going to call it.

Anyway, some additional suggestions from my critique above would be to boost it, severely. Counter-attacking is completely useless against magic, and it's weapons, armour and abilities are overall too limited. You may want to think about making it a Prc as it's simply too focused at the moment to be of much use as a base class. The current abilities could be squeezed into a three levels without any problems.

Matthew
2007-06-06, 07:07 AM
I would tend to agree with Closet Skeleton. Is there really a need to build a whole Base Class around this concept? A Feat Chain would probably suffice. On the other hand, this could be a Class Feature for some sort of Duelist Prestige Class.

Caewil
2007-06-06, 09:14 AM
I believe there is a similar ability. I can't remember who made it, but this homebrewed class has been sitting around in my bookmarks folder for awhile.

The Paragon of Finesse (http://boards1.wizards.com/leaving.php?destination=http://www.cinga.ch/DnD/Paragon_of_Finesse.html)

Under special abilities, riposte.

Matthew
2007-06-06, 09:53 AM
Heh, well, if we're going to cite examples of previous attempts, here's mine: Parry and Counter Attack (Amongst Other Feats) (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=280065#post280065). I think there are also Counter Attack chains attached to some of the Active Parry/Block attempts over the years:

Talanic & Erk (Interception) (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=44108)
Tough Tonka (D20 Parry) (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=38214)
Elliott20 (Parry System) (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=36139)
Magic8Ball (A parry type feat) (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=34053)
Munchy (Fighter Parry Feats) (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=23175&page=2)
Matthew (Active Block) (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=22979&page=2)

Closet_Skeleton
2007-06-06, 11:56 AM
d20 Modern has the Improved Combat throw (make a grapple attempt once per round when someone misses you) and Agile Repost (make an attack of opportunity when someone misses you, counts against attacks of opportunity and only once per round) feats.