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ringsnake
2007-07-15, 02:44 PM
NOTE: The gameworld that I'm creating has no Monks, and Rangers that have been heavily altered. This class replaces a lot of the features of each class for players that want a character that can fight well unarmed, or that has dual wield abilities.

The Champion (New Class)
Across the Mending Lands are arenas, fighting pits, and places where trial by combat is the norm. These places draw a variety of warriors. The undisputed masters of these places are the champions. Champions are experts in fighting with weapons in a way that is non-lethal with little to no armor. They can fight in a manner that is more flamboyant and showy than effective, but are fearsome combatants when pressed into a real fight.

Champions often leave the arenas, or find that the rewards of adventure exceed those of the pits. Though often derided by professional soldiers they can perform feats of prowess that no professional soldier can manage.

Game Rule Information
Abilities: As warriors Champions rely on strength, dexterity, and constitution the most. Most champions use finesse weapons, and need dexterity more than strength. The champion's special abilities and skills also rely on them having a good intellegence or charisma as well.
Alignment: Any
Hit die: d8

Class Skills
The champion's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Balance (DEX), Bluff (CHA), Craft(INT), Escape Artist(DEX), Heal (WIS), Intimidate (CHA), Jump (STR), Knowledge – Local (INT) , Knowledge-Law (INT), Perform (CHA), Sense Motive (WIS), Slight of Hand (DEX), and Tumble (DEX).
Skill points at first level: (4 + INT modifier) x 4
Skill points at each additional level: 4 + INT modifier

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the champion.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A champion is proficient with all simple weapons, and all Light martial melee weapons including those that can be thrown. They are also proficient with the trident, whip, spiked chain, and net. The champion is proficient with light armor and shields, but not tower shields.
Improved Unarmed Strike: At first level the champion has improved unarmed strike as a bonus feat.

Mercy Killer (Ex): At first level a Champion takes no attack roll penalty for making lethal attacks with non-lethal weapons, or for making non-lethal attacks with lethal weapons.

Fast Healing (Ex): At first level the Champion gets the ability to heal more quickly than normal. The Champion can heal two points per character level with a full night's rest instead of just one point, and four points per character level with a complete day and night of bed rest.

Exceptional Dodge (Ex): As a Champion increases in level he gets more and more able to evade blows of enemies. Even against large numbers of enemies all at once. So long as the Champion is not immobilized or unconscious he has this bonus to AC, which is listed in the Champion table. This ability is only in effect while the champion is wearing no armor or light armor, but it can be used while the champion uses a light shield or buckler.

Exceptional Dodge provides this bonus to armor class against touch attacks. It starts as a +1 to AC at first level, and increases to +2 at fifth level. The bonus increases by one point for every five levels thereafter, and a bonus point is gained at level twenty. Exceptional Dodge provides no bonus if the Champion is somehow caught flat footed or unawares. This does not happen to champions of third level or more because they also have the Uncanny Dodge ability.

Dual Wield (Ex): At second level, a Champion gains the benefits of the Two Weapon Fighting feat even if she does not have the required prerequisites for that feat. However, this ability only functions when the Champion wears light armor or no armor. At third level the Champion gains the benefits of the Two Weapon Defense feat, but only while wearing no armor or light armor. At sixth level she has the Improved Two Weapon Fighting feat, and at eleventh level gains the benefit of the Greater Two Weapon Fighting feat. Again ignoring prerequisites, but only if wearing no armor or light armor.

Uncanny Dodge (Ex): The Champion gains the uncanny dodge ability at third level. A Champion retains her bonus to dexterity even if caught unawares, struck by an invisible attacker, or flat footed. If the champion has Uncanny Dodge from another class such as Rogue then she gains the Improved Uncanny Dodge ability (described below).

Damage Reduction (Ex): At fourth level the Champion gains damage reduction 1/-, and every four class levels after that the damage reduction improves by one point.

Improved Uncanny Dodge (Ex): The Champion gains the improved uncanny dodge ability at seventh level. She can no longer be flanked, and can react to opponents on either side as easily as a single attacker. This denies a rogue the ability to sneak attack by flanking, unless the attacker has at least four more rogue levels than the champion has class levels that provide this ability (Barbarian, Champion, Rogue)

Weapon of Preference (Ex): At ninth, thirteenth, and seventeenth levels the champion gains a weapon of preference. This can be any weapon that the champion is familiar with, and can also be applied to unarmed attacks. The Champion has a +1 to hit and damage with attacks made by that type of weapon.

Shrug it Off (Ex): At tenth level the champion gets an ability that allows him to ignore damage that might otherwise be lethal. Once per day, when he would be reduced to 0 hit points or less by damage in combat (from a weapon or other attack, not spells or special abilities), the champion can attempt to ignore the damage. To use this ability the champion must make a fortitude save (DC=damage dealt). If the save succeeds he only takes half damage from the blow; if it fails he takes the full damage.

Great Reputation (Ex): The champion is an icon much as a star athlete in our own culture is. Within his own culture the champion can never get less than a neutral reaction from the vast majority of NPCs, and has a +4 to any CHA based skill in that culture. The champion enjoys many minor perks and privileges such as access to the upper levels of society, free goods and services, the ability to command higher than normal prices for his services, and so forth.

NAME OF CLASS
{table=head]Level|BAB|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special|Exceptional Dodge

1st|
+1|
+2|
+2|
+0|Mercy Killer, Improved Unarmed Strike, Fast Healing|+1

2nd|
+2|
+3|
+3|
+0|Dual Wield – Two Weapon Fighting|+1

3rd|
+3|
+3|
+3|
+1|Dual Wield – Two Weapon Defense, Uncanny Dodge|+1

4th|
+4|
+4|
+4|
+1|Damage Reduction 1/-|+1

5th|
+5|
+4|
+4|
+1||+2

6th|
+6/+1|
+5|
+5|
+2|Dual Wield – Improved Two Weapon Fighting|+2

7th|
+7/+2|
+5|
+5|
+2|Improved Uncanny Dodge|+2

8th|
+8/+3|
+6|
+6|
+2|Damage Reduction 2/-|+2

9th|
+9/+4|
+6|
+6|
+3|First Weapon of Preference|+2

10th|
+10/+5|
+7|
+7|
+3|Shrug it Off|+3

11th|
+11/+6/+1|
+7|
+7|
+3|Dual Wield – Greater Two Weapon Fighting|+3

12th|
+12/+7/+2|
+8|
+8|
+4|Damage Reduction 3/-|+3

13th|
+13/+8/+3|
+8|
+8|
+4|Second Weapon of Preference|+3
14th|
+14/+9/+4|
+9|
+9|
+4||+3

15th|
+15/+10/+5|
+9|
+9|
+5|Great Reputation|+4

16th|
+16/+11/+6/+1|
+10|
+10|
+5|Damage Reduction 4/-|+4

17th|
+17/+12/+7/+2|
+10|
+10|
+5|Third Weapon of Preference|+4

18th|
+18/+13/+8/+3|
+11|
+11|
+6||+4
19th|
+19/+14/+9/+4|
+11|
+11|
+6||+4

20th|
+20/+15/+10/+5|
+12|
+12|
+6|Damage Reduction 5/-|+5
[/table]

jindra34
2007-07-15, 02:47 PM
Not a monk replacement. FALSE ADVERTISING
Blank levels are bad.

ArmorArmadillo
2007-07-15, 03:11 PM
Not a monk replacement. FALSE ADVERTISING
Blank levels are bad.
No they are not, that is a myth of game design. Do not add abilities to arbitrarily avoid having "dead levels", build a class that progresses normally and steadily, and don't add just to add.

If a player is upset because they aren't getting a class ability this level, they shouldn't be any happier if they instead get a +1 to Knowledge (Architecture).

TheEscapist
2007-07-15, 03:41 PM
I like this class, and feel that it is fairly balanced. I do agree that 'blank levels' aren't desirable, but this class doesn't have any blank levels - you get an extra point of base attack bonus on every level where you don't get a class ability. The only situation where I could see a 'blank level' underpowering a class would be if a level gave the class no BAB progression, no save progression, and no special ability, which is not the case with the Champion.

The main problem I have with the class is that I personally feel the exceptional dodge and damage reduction abilities are gained too early. I haven't done any hardcore number-crunching as far as comparing it to other classes, it just seems to me that this class would be overpowered at lower levels.

Another suggestion I have is you may want to think about changing the name of the class. 'Champion' is more of a title than a class name, and is also generally associated with a specific cause a la the 'Complete Champion' sourcebook. I think a name like 'Pit Fighter' or 'Arena Battler' might suit the class a bit better. Maybe even 'Arena Champion,' but again, that seems like an honorary title one would have to earn, rather than an entry-level job title.

Of course, these are just my opinions, so you can take or leave them. All in all, though, great class, and with some minor tweaking I would definitely allow it in a campaign.

Alfryd
2007-07-15, 03:43 PM
Not a monk replacement. FALSE ADVERTISING
Seems monky enough to me. Unarmed strike/nonlethal damage, rapid healing, AC bonus etc. A quasi-monk. A sort-of monk. Monk lite. Just one calorie- not quite enough Monk. Etc.

ringsnake
2007-07-15, 04:40 PM
The main problem I have with the class is that I personally feel the exceptional dodge and damage reduction abilities are gained too early. I haven't done any hardcore number-crunching as far as comparing it to other classes, it just seems to me that this class would be overpowered at lower levels.

I have some concerns along those lines myself, however I thought that I'd gotten the balance about right by making the HPs d8s and making most all of the class features only work in light armor. Also, there is no extra bonus to AC like there is for the Monk.

There is a "blank" at nineteenth level providing nothing but an increase in BAB, but a player could be expected to wait it out for for the extra AC and damage reduction bonuses at twentieth. Not that most campaigns get to that level anyway. The rest of the "blanks" are in places where the dodge bonus goes up, the saves go up, or just before a big payoff in more powers glommed together at higher levels.

As to the "false advertising" this class is intended to stand in for the Monk for players that want a character with a similar theme and set of powers. Personally, I loathe the pseudo Asian monk class and it didn't fit thematically in my gameworld, but had to give the players something to stand in. I've edited the title anyway.

Capt .12 Gauge
2007-07-26, 03:28 PM
as far as blank levels go, (IMHO) there fine if you don't have two in a row like 18 and 19 here. Fighter has 9 blank levels so It is not that big a deal, as long as you dont go two levels without gain(bab, skills and saves excepted). Just move third weapon of choice to 18 and then you have something atleast every other level. aside from that, Even if it is not a monk replacement, I like the class, amusing, strong without being broke, full bab, all hallmarks that I personally look for in a base class. (what can I say, I like me some full BAB)