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View Full Version : The Combatant [fighter variation - though they could co-exist]



Baron Corm
2007-06-19, 05:41 PM
So I was sitting thinking to myself... what's everything I could want from a bland fighter-type class? Why do I play them in the first place? I decided that it would give me greater martial prowess than any other class of my level, making me truly feel like a useful member of the party when facing other fighter-types. I also decided it would be mostly Dexterity-based, as I can't really imagine a brute swinging a club around like an ogre being respected as a man of great skill. This class was, I guess, meant to be better than other classes, so it might be too good, but I like it and I think it's simple and it perfectly fits my idea of a skilled fighter that you don't want to mess with. Thanks to Sweet Rein's website and popular demand I now make tables...


Combatant
{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special

1st|
+1|
+2|
+2|
+0|Combat mastery

2nd|
+2|
+3|
+3|
+0|Uncanny dodge

3rd|
+3|
+3|
+3|
+1|Precise strike +1d6

4th|
+4|
+4|
+4|
+1|Armor mastery

5th|
+5|
+4|
+4|
+1|Combat mastery

6th|
+6/+1|
+5|
+5|
+2|Lithe combat

7th|
+7/+2|
+5|
+5|
+2|Skilled movement

8th|
+8/+3|
+6|
+6|
+2|Precise strike +2d6

9th|
+9/+4|
+6|
+6|
+3|Armor mastery

10th|
+10/+5|
+7|
+7|
+3|Combat mastery

11th|
+11/+6/+1|
+7|
+7|
+3|Greater lithe combat

12th|
+12/+7/+2|
+8|
+8|
+4|Precise strike +3d6

13th|
+13/+8/+3|
+8|
+8|
+4|Armor mastery

14th|
+14/+9/+4|
+9|
+9|
+4|Assess weakness

15th|
+15/+10/+5|
+9|
+9|
+5|Combat mastery

16th|
+16/+11/+6/+1|
+10|
+10|
+5|Precise strike +4d6

17th|
+17/+12/+7/+2|
+10|
+10|
+5|Eye of the tiger

18th|
+18/+13/+8/+3|
+11|
+11|
+6|Armor mastery

19th|
+19/+14/+9/+4|
+11|
+11|
+6|Precise strike +5d6

20th|
+20/+15/+10/+5|
+12|
+12|
+6|Greater assess weakness, combat mastery

[/table]

Alignment: Any
Hit Die: d12
Class Skills: Appraise, Balance, Climb, Concentration, Diplomacy, Heal, Intimidate, Jump, Listen, Perform (weapon drill), Sense Motive, Sleight of Hand, Spot, Swim, Tumble
Skill Points at 1st Level: (4 + Int modifier) × 4.
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 4 + Int modifier.


Weapon Proficiencies

A combatant is proficient with all simple and martial weapons, as well as one exotic weapon per point of Intelligence bonus. He does not gain or lose exotic weapon proficiencies if his Intelligence score later changes. A combatant is proficient with all armors and shields (except tower shields).

Combat Mastery

A combatant receives a +1 bonus to his base attack bonus. At levels 5, 10, 15, and 20, he receives an additional +1 bonus. This is in addition to the base attack bonus normally gained at those levels. A combatant may therefore gain interative attacks a few levels early. A base attack bonus over 20 does not grant an additional iterative attack.

Uncanny Dodge (Ex)

A combatant receives the Uncanny Dodge ability at level 2.

Precise Strike (Ex)

A 3rd level combatant is able to deal 1d6 extra damage with each attack against any living creature who has a discernable anatomy. At levels 8, 12, 16, and 19 this damage increases by 1d6. A combatant may only strike precisely with weapons which the Weapon Finesse feat may be applied to or ranged weapons (if within 30 feet of the target).

Armor Mastery (Ex)

At level 4, a combatant may move in Medium armor with no speed penalties. In addition, he increases the maximum Dexterity bonus in all armors by 1 and decreases all armor check penalties by 2 (minimum 0).

At level 9, a combatant may move in Heavy armor with no speed penalties. He furthur increases the maximum Dexterity bonus of all armors by 1 and decreases all armor check penalties by an additional 2 (minimum 0). He may wear light armor as if wearing no armor at all.

At level 13, a combatant may wear medium armor as if wearing no armor at all, and furthur increases the maximum Dexterity bonus of heavy armors by 1 and decreases their armor check penalties by 2 (minimum 0).

At level 18, a combatant may wear heavy armor as if wearing no armor at all.

Lithe Combat (Ex)

Beginning at level 6, a combatant may apply the Weapon Finesse feat to any one-handed weapon. He may also apply it to any two-handed weapon which deals piercing damage. He does not receive the Weapon Finesse feat if he does not already have it.

Skilled Movement (Ex)

A 7th level combatant may charge over difficult terrain that normally slows movement.

Greater Lithe Combat (Ex)

An 11th level combatant may add his Dexterity bonus to damage rolls with any one-handed or light weapon or any other weapon that the Weapon Finesse feat may be applied to. He may also apply it to damage rolls with ranged weapons if he is within 30 feet of his target. Creatures immune to critical hits or without discernable anatomies do not take this damage.

Assess Weakness (Ex)

A 14th level combatant may make a Heal check as a swift action with a DC equal to the HD of the creature to discover how many hit points it has remaining. Succeeding on this Heal check also enables the combatant to add 1 to his critical threat range against that creature during the round that he makes it. This stacks with other effects that increase critical threat range; it is applied after all others.

Eye of the Tiger (Ex)

A 17th level combatant's focus is so great that he reduces the attack penalty on iterative attacks by 5. For example, a 17th level combatant would have a base attack bonus of +21/+21/+16/+11. Every time the combatant enters an encounter, he may make a Concentration check at DC 30 as a full-round action to obtain this focus. It lasts throughout the encounter, and ends when the encounter is over. The combatant may make a new Concentration check each round if he fails the initial one.

Greater Assess Weakness (Ex)

A 20th level combatant is so experienced in the art of combat that he can discern the special weaknesses of creatures with unusual body structures. He can deal critical hits and precision damage as normal to any creature immune to critical hits, unless they have their immunity from magic. A combatant with the Pierce Magical Protection feat can critical hit even those who have their immunity from magic. The combatant may only do this if he succeeds on the Heal check described under the Assess Weakness class feature.

Deepblue706
2007-06-19, 06:10 PM
Seems okay, but I have to ask a few questions:

Why the boost in BAB? I thought a full BAB was only reserved for those with great martial skill - this class' benefits imply that any non-"Combatant" is pretty clumsy in comparison.

Why Appraise, Balance, Diplomacy, Search, Sleight of Hand, and Survival as class skills? Alright, this character is supposed to be more about prowess rather than mere strength - but I don't see the connection here.

Why "Eye of the Tiger"?

Baron Corm
2007-06-19, 06:33 PM
1. this is a good question that i cannot answer

2. Appraise - yeah i've seen that weapon before, it's a .92 hawkeye crossbow from the palleonic wars. (would've made it Appraise (weapons and armor only) but i don't think you can do that plus the skill is useless enough)

Balance - jumping around combat, balancing on things... this might be taken out

Diplomacy - for the fighter who is a pacifist, solving his problems with words, but on the one occasion he is forced to protect an innocent he becomes as a god

Search - hmm just more aware in combat in general... i put this in along with Spot and Listen without really thinking...

Sleight of Hand - even the masters have concealed daggers and stuff. maybe best left to rogues? i noticed that a lot of exotic weapons or warrior feats or whatever used Sleight of Hand as i was going through the PHB II, Complete Warrior, Races of books, and so on.

Survival - again probably creeping into ranger like Balance and Sleight of Hand are creeping into rogue, but a warrior often needs to feed himself in the wild or follow tracks, whether he's a mercenary with no home, a bodyguard who is escorting someone through a forest... maybe best left to ranger.

3. i was thinking of the Wheel of Time series a lot as i made this class, with their master swordsmen with the heron-mark blades. this happens to refer to the inner calm they seem to get while in battle which helps them focus and such. i don't know if i can really explain it. there's a line of Combat Focus feats in... PHB II maybe which back up this idea.

Khantalas
2007-06-19, 06:39 PM
Search doesn't have much to do with awareness, but rather, knowing where to look for hidden things. There's a reason why its key attribute is Intelligence and not Wisdom.

Matthew
2007-06-21, 09:40 PM
Not bad this. Some good ideas in here, though I have to agree with deep Blue that the extra BAB stuff seems needless.