Dragoon (FF IX Inspired)

[artimus261]

So this class I'm about to present is something I got inspired to do by Freya from Final Fantasy IX and the FF dragoon class. They are skilled monster hunters, though they lack the rangers ability to track and locate the beasts and the toughness of other more heavily armored combatants. They also have something I'm sure will make some people confused and that's spells that are considered divine and arcane. In most ways this only helps in allowing them to qualify for prestige classes. In the end this class is meant to offer interesting mobility options, techniques to bypass the defenses of monsters, create weaknesses within them, or even helpfully heal and remove statuses from her allies. Anyway, you all can read for yourselves, hope this intrigues some people. Would love some feedback how it worked out if anyone bothers using it <3

HD: d8
Base Attack Bonus: Good
Fort: Good
Ref: Poor
Will: Good

Skill Points at 1st Level: (4 + Int) x4
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 4 + Int

Class Skills: Balance, Climb, Concentration, Craft, Intimidate, Jump, Knowledge(arcana), Knowledge(dungeoneering), Knowledge(nature), Knowledge(religion), Knowledge(the planes), Ride, Spellcraft, Spot, Swim, Tumble

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: The Dragoon gains proficiency with the following weapons: dagger, club, shortspear, longspear, spear, greatspear(CmpWar), heavy poleaxe(CmpWar), duom(Arms&EqG), javelin, shortsword, glaive, guisarme, ransuer, halberd, and trident. The dragoon is also proficient with all light and medium armors but no shields except buckler.

Polearm Expert(Ex): The Dragoon is highly skilled in all uses of polearm weapons and as such has uses with it that others couldn’t muster. The following weapons gain a range increment of 10ft which allows her to hurl these weapons with deadly precision: longspear, greatspear, duom, glaive, guisarme, ranseur, heavy poleaxe, and halberd. This increases to a 20ft range increment at 5th level and a 30ft range increment at 8th level. This distance is added to the range increments of the following weapons: javelin, shortspear, spear, trident.
Additionally the Dragoon can pick up an unattended weapon with which she is proficient with as a free action.

Skill Focus(jump): At 1st level the Dragoon gains Skill Focus(jump) as a bonus feat.

The Bigger They Are(Ex): The Dragoon is especially capable of fighting larger beasts and creatures, dealing grievous blows and avoiding their blows in turn. Beginning at 1st level the Dragoon gains a +2 bonus on weapon damage rolls made against non-humanoid creatures larger than medium and to his AC and Reflex saves against attacks made by creatures larger than medium. This bonus increases as the Dragoon gains levels, increasing to +3 at 7th, +4 at 13th, and +5 at 19th.

Slow Fall(Ex): The dragoon is highly trained in combat involving leaping strikes and falling attacks. Due to this they are able to treat falls as far shorter distances and avoid injuring themselves. At 4th level they can reduce the distance fallen by 25ft to determine falling damage. This increases to 50ft at 7th level, and finally at 11th level the Dragoon can ignore any fall from any height as if she was always under the effect of the feather fall spell.

Powerful Bounds(Ex): Due to the dragoon’s training they are capable of amazing jumps and leaps. All of the Dragoon’s jump checks are made as if is she had a running start. Additionally the distance a dragoon can high jump is now equal to ½ of her jump check instead of ¼. Finally if the Dragoon moves at least 10ft in a round she gains a bonus to a jump check made in the same round equal to ½ her class level. At 6th level the Dragoon is able to always take 10 on her jump checks. Finally at 12th level the Dragoon can make her jump checks as a move action. If the Dragoon is in heavy armor or carrying a heavy loud she loses the benefit of this ability.

Short Hop(Ex): Beginning at 2nd level the Dragoon has learned to move a short distance in a swift motion fluidly. As a swift action the dragoon can move 10ft in any direction a quick dash. This movement ignores difficult terrain but provokes attacks of opportunity as normal. At 8th level the dragoon can perform this movement as an immediate action that no longer provokes attacks of opportunity. The Dragoon can use this ability to hop up onto branches within reach or onto ledges, though some might require balance checks to remain on them. For instance the Dragoon could leap up to land on a branch ten feet above her without making a jump check. The Dragoon can only perform this ability once every 1d4 rounds.

Death from Above(Ex): A dragoon is highly adept at striking her foes far beneath her as she plummets down to the ground, striking deep into her prey. Beginning at 3rd level as a full-round action the Dragoon makes a jump check to perform a high jump. At the peak of this jump the Dragoon selects a single non-humanoid enemy that is at least 10ft away from her starting point but within a distance of her starting point equal to 2 x her landspeed. Upon descent she makes a single attack at her full-base attack bonus with a polearm against that target. This attack automatically threatens a critical hit and ignores an amount of DR equal to the Dragoon’s Class level. Additionally if the attack hits the Dragoon gains a bonus on the attack roll to confirm the critical hit. The bonus is +1 for every 5ft the Dragoon leapt upwards. The Dragoon lands on top of her target and is able to knock it prone as long as it is of an equal or smaller size category. At 6th level the Dragoon can knock a target that is up to one size category larger than herself down with this attack. This increases to two size categories larger at 12th level and three size categories larger at 18th level. Performing this attack makes the Dragoon fatigued for the remainder of the encounter and she’s unable to perform this attack while she is fatigued or exhausted.

Armor Mastery(Ex): Dragoon’s are expertly trained in the use of Medium armor. Beginning at 3rd level they do not suffer any speed penalties from wearing medium armor and do not take the normal armor check penalties to their Jump checks.

Spells: Beginning at 4th level the Dragoon has learned the secrets to a select few mystical secrets that help further her martial prowess. She gains spells per day as a Paladin. The Dragoon uses her Wisdom as the basis of her spells. She requires 10 + the spell’s level in Wisdom to cast her spells. The DCs of her spells are 10 + the spell level + the Dragoon’s Wisdom modifier. Unlike Paladins and Rangers the Dragoon learns a small list of spells that she need not prepare but can cast from freely. The spells known and her list are at the bottom. These spells are derived not only from her faith and devotion to her cause but also her innate magical ability. As such her spells are treated as being arcane and divine.

Dragoon’s Charm(Su): Beginning at 5th level the dragoon has learned how to enchant a polearm she wields in both hands with various elemental powers. As a standard action the dragoon can enchant a polearm with magic and make it deal 1d6 points of one of the following energy types: cold, electricity, fire. The dragoon can keep this ability active indefinitely and can dismiss it as a free action. At 11th level the dragoon’s weapon begins to deal 1d8 points of the selected energy type and at 17th level it increases to 2d6.
The damage added by this ability stacks with all other bonus damage or damage die added to the attacks of the Dragoon.

Polearm Defense(Ex): The dragoon is extremely well trained in the use of polearms and has learned to use them to protect himself from all forms of attack. At 7th level the Dragoon gains a +1 deflection bonus to her AC. This bonus increases to +2 at 14th level. This deflection bonus is lost against attacks the Dragoon is unaware of.

Creature Attunement(Ex): The Dragoon is extremely skilled at targeting creatures by type with her magic. Beginning at 8th level any spell that designates a creature type in it’s effect can now be cast as a full-round action and have the creature type changed to any other non-humanoid creature type. For instance Hold Animal can be cast as a full-round action to be altered to Hold Undead, or Spear of Valarian can be made as a spear with bane against Giants. Creatures that are normally immune to the effects of these spells due to their type are affected as if they were not, although creatures that are explicitly immune to the effect remains so. For instance in the example above the Dragoon’s Hold Undead spell would indeed paralyze its target despite undead normally being immune to paralysis. However a creature that is listed to be immune to paralysis outside of it’s type would keep that immunity. Additionally this does not cause creatures to be harmed by damage types they would normally be healed by. For instance Cure Light Wounds or Invest Light Protection couldn’t be used to inflict damage in other living creatures.

Driving Throw(Ex): The Dragoon’s skill with hurling a polearm has become such that the force of her blows send her targets reeling backwards. Beginning at 9th level the Dragoon can make a single throwing attack with a weapon she is proficient with through the virtue of her class as a full-round action. On a successful hit she makes a special bull rush check that uses the damage she dealt with the attack as a bonus on the check in place of her strength. If the target is pushed back by more than 10 feet the target must succeed on a Reflex save or Strength check against the damage dealt or fall prone at the end of the distance they were moved. At 15th level the Dragoon can use this ability as a standard action. However she can use this as a full-round action and change it into a line effect that travels to the farthest reach of her weapons throwing range and inflicts the effects of Driving Throw on each target in the line.

Polearm Mastery(Ex): At 10th level the Dragoon becomes a powerful combatant with her preferred arsenal. The following weapons all have their threat multiplier increased by one: shortspear, longspear, spear, greatspear, heavy poleaxe, duom, javelin, glaive, guisarme, ransuer, halberd, and trident. At 20th level they are increased again by another one multiplier.

Killer Instinct(Su): The dragoon is adept at selecting her targets and slaying them with chilling ease. Beginning at 13th level the Dragoon can, a number of times a day equal to 1 + the Dragoon’s Wisdom modifier, select a non-humanoid creature type as a free action. The next attack they make with a polearm in the same round against a creature of the selected type gains a bonus on the attack roll equal to the Dragoon’s Wisdom modifier and inflicts an additional 5d6 points of damage. Additionally this ability allows the Dragoon’s attack to be a critical hit even against creatures who are normally immune such as undead or constructs. On a successful strike the target of the attack takes a penalty to its Damage Reduction, Spell Resistance, Energy Resistance, and Fast Healing equal to 5 x the Dragoon’s Wisdom modifier. This penalty lasts for a number of rounds equal to her Wisdom modifier.

Spells Known:
Spell Level
Level 1st 2nd 3rd 4th
1st - - - -
2nd - - - -
3rd - - - -
4th 2* - -
5th 2* - - -
6th 3 - - -
7th 3 - - -
8th 4 2* - -
9th 4 2* - -
10th 4 3 - -
11th 4 3 2* -
12th 4 4 3 -
13th 4 4 3 -
14th 4 4 4 2*
15th 4 4 4 3
16th 4 4 4 3
17th 5 4 4 4
18th 5 5 4 4
19th 5 5 5 4
20th 5 5 5 5

*: If the Dragoon has enough Wisdom to have bonus spells

Spell List:
1st: Balancing Lorecall(SpCmp), Bless, Detect Poison, Detect Undead, Invest Light Protection(PHBII), Jump, Know Greatest Enemy(MofFae), Lesser Celerity(PHBII), Lesser Deflect(PHBII), Lesser Energy Surge(PHBII), Lesser Orb of Acid(SpCmp), Lesser Orb of Cold(SpCmp), Lesser Orb of Electricity(SpCmp), Lesser Orb of Fire(SpCmp), Lesser Orb of Sound(SpCmp), Lesser Vigor(SpCmp), Magic Weapon, Remove Fear, Rhino’s Rush(SpCmp), Rooftop Strider(RofDest), Scale Weakening(SpCmp), Shield of Faith, Silvered Weapon(BofExD), Strategic Charge(SpCmp), Stretch Weapon(PHBII), Suppress Breath Weapon(SpCmp), Surefoot(MofFae), Sure Strike(PHBII), Whispering Wind

2nd: Accelerated Movement(CmpAdv), Antidragon Aura(SpCmp), Arcane Eye, Bladestorm(SpCmp), Blessing of Bahamut(CmpDiv), Blindsight(SpCmp), Camouflage(SpCmp), Close Wounds(SpCmp), Critical Strike(CmpAdv), Darkvision, Deafening Clang(MofFae), Delay Poison, Energy Aegis(PHBII), Fell the Greatest Foe(SpCmp), Gust of Wind, Hold Animal, Know Opponent(SpCmp), Low-light Vision(CmpArc), Mystic Surge(PHBII), Resist Energy, Vigor(SpCmp), Weapon of Energy(SpCmp), Zeal(CmpDiv)

3rd: Celerity(PHBII), Deflect(PHBII), Dragon Breath[Metallic or Chromatic only](CmpDiv), Energy Surge(PHBII), Energy Vulnerability(PHBII), Invest Moderate Protection(PHBII), Keen Edge, Know Vulnerabilities(SpCmp), Mass Lesser Vigor(SpCmp), Orb of Acid(SpCmp), Orb of Cold(SpCmp), Orb of Electricity(SpCmp), Orb of Fire(SpCmp), Orb of Sound(SpCmp), Prayer, Protection from Energy, Prying Eyes, Remove Paralysis, Repel Vermin, Returning Weapon(RofWild), See Invisibility, Spell Vulnerability(SpCmp), Swift Fly(CmpAdv), Touch of Adamantine(BofExD), True Strike, Wind Wall

4th: Condemnation(PHBII), Dolorous Blow(SpCmp), Fire Shield, Freedom of Movement, Greater Blindsight(SpCmp), Greater Energy Surge(PHBII), Greater Prying Eyes, Greater Vigor(SpCmp), Invest Heavy Protection(PHBII), Know Protection, Mass Resist Energy(SpCmp), Meteoric Strike(PHBII), Neutralize Poison, Panacea(SpCmp), Righteous Might, Spear of Valarian(BofExD), Superior Darkvision(UnArc), Whirlwind, Wild Instincts(RofEb)

Non-humanoid: This is only refers to creatures that have a humanoid type but does not include monstrous humanoids.

Dragoons and Spring Attack: The Dragoon is a class meant to be capable of attacking during movement, although this is meant to be during their spectacular jumps. If a Dragoon has Spring Attack they can make a single jump check as a full-round action and attack during it as if using Spring Attack. This also applies to the feats based on Spring Attack such as Bounding Assault and Rapid Blitz.

PHBII: Player's Handbook II
UnArc: Unearthed Arcana
PGFae: Player's Guide to Faerun
MofFae: Magic of Faerun
BofExD: Book of Exalted Deeds
RofEb: Races of Eberron
RofDest: Races of Destiny
CmpAdv: Complete Adventurer
CmpArc: Complete Arcane
CmpDiv: Complete Divine
SpCmp: Spell Compendium

[Grod_The_Giant]

HD: d10
Base Attack Bonus: Good
Fort: Good
Ref: Poor
Will: Good

Skill Points at 1st Level: (2 + Int) x4
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 2 + Int

Class Skills: Balance, Climb, Concentration, Craft, Intimidate, Jump, Knowledge(arcana), Knowledge(dungeoneering), Knowledge(nature), Knowledge(religion), Knowledge(the planes), Ride, Spellcraft, Spot, Swim, Tumble

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: The Dragoon gains proficiency with the following weapons: dagger, club, shortspear, longspear, spear, greatspear(CmpWar), heavy poleaxe(CmpWar), duom(Arms&EqG), javelin, shortsword, glaive, guisarme, ransuer, halberd, and trident. The dragoon is also proficient with all light and medium armors but no shields except buckler.

Good chassis, except for skills. I consider 4+Int the minimum acceptable number, especially for a class that's supposed to know things about monsters.


Polearm Mastery(Ex): The Dragoon is highly skilled in all uses of polearm weapons and as such has uses with it that others couldn’t muster. The following weapons gain a range increment of 10ft which allows her to hurl these weapons with deadly precision: longspear, greatspear, duom, glaive, guisarme, ransuer, heavy poleaxe, and halberd.

Skill Focus(jump): At 1st level the Dragoon gains Skill Focus(jump) as a bonus feat.
Flavor, I guess.


Slow Fall(Ex): The dragoon is highly trained in combat involving leaping strikes and falling attacks. Due to this they are able to treat falls as far shorter distances and avoid injuring themselves. At 1st level they can reduce the distance fallen by 10ft to determine falling damage. This increases to 20ft at 5th level, 30ft at 10th level, 40ft at 15th level, and finally 50ft at 20th level.
A ring of feather falling is 2200 gold and replaces this feature entirely. I'd speed it up to something like 25ft, 100ft, and flat immunity to fall damage at 10th.


Powerful Bounds(Ex): Due to the dragoon’s training they are capable of amazing jumps and leaps. Dragoon’s ignore all armor check penalties they would normally apply to their jump checks and all jump checks made by a dragoon is treated as having a running start. Additionally the distance a dragoon can high jump is now equal to ½ of her jump check instead of ¼. Finally if the Dragoon gets a running start she gains a bonus to the check equal to ½ her class level.
Good jumpers, okay. You could probably just give the bonus as a flat value instead of requiring a running start; it's not likely to change much of anything.


Short Hop(Ex): Beginning at 2nd level the Dragoon has learned to move a short distance in a swift motion fluidly. As a swift action the dragoon can move 10ft in any direction in a quick dash. At 8th level the dragoon can perform this movement as an immediate action. This movement ignores difficult terrain but provokes attacks of opportunity as normal and allows the Dragoon to treat her next jump as if it had been a running jump. The Dragoon can use this ability to hop up onto branches within reach or onto ledges, though some might require balance checks to remain on them. For instance the Dragoon could leap up to land on a branch ten feet above her without making a jump check. The Dragoon can only perform this ability once every 1d4 rounds.
Ohhohohohoh, this is nice. Full attacks become a bit easier, but immediate action movement can be a lifesaving defense at high levels. Can you tumble during the movement?


Death from Above(Ex): A dragoon is highly adept at striking her foes far beneath her as she plummets down to the ground, striking deep into her prey. Beginning at 3rd level as a full-round action the Dragoon makes a jump check to perform a high jump. At the peak of this jump the Dragoon selects a single non-humanoid enemy that is at least 10ft away from her starting point but within 30ft of her starting point. Upon descent she makes a single attack at her full-base attack bonus with a polearm against that target. This attack automatically threatens a critical hit and ignores an amount of DR equal to the Dragoon’s Class level. Additionally if the attack hits the Dragoon gains a bonus on the attack roll to confirm the critical hit. The bonus is +1 for every 5ft the Dragoon leapt upwards. The Dragoon lands on top of her target and is able to knock it prone as long as it is of an equal or smaller size category. At 6th level the Dragoon can knock a target that is up to one size category larger than herself down with this attack. This increases to two size categories larger at 12th level and three size categories larger at 18th level. Performing this attack makes the Dragoon fatigued for the remainder of the encounter and she’s unable to perform this attack while she is fatigued or exhausted. At 16th level the Dragoon can begin to use this ability while she is fatigued, although doing so makes her exhausted.
Hmm, so, as a full-round action, you attack a target in a narrow range band, automatically threatening a crit and knocking the target prone? Neat, though I'm not sure how nasty a crit you can build this into-- you might specify, oh... let's say double damage, upgrading to triple and quadruple as you get more attacks (basically landing all at once), that would keep it from being crazy early on and losing value as you go. I'd remove the "within 30ft of the starting point" limitation and just keep move speed as the limit, and... I'd get rid of the Fatigue. Instead, require them to expend their Short Hop usage. This is their thing, so you want to be able to use it more than once a day.


Armor Mastery(Ex): Dragoon’s are expertly trained in the use of Medium armor. Beginning at 3rd level they do not suffer any speed penalties from wearing medium armor and do not take the normal armor check penalties to their Jump checks.
You already specified that you don't take ACP to Jump checks, by the by.


Spells: Beginning at 4th level the Dragoon has learned the secrets to a select few mystical secrets that help further her martial prowess. She gains spells per day as a Paladin. The Dragoon uses her Wisdom as the basis of her spells. She requires 10 + the spell’s level in Wisdom to cast her spells. The DCs of her spells are 10 + the spell level + the Dragoon’s Wisdom modifier. Unlike Paladins and Rangers the Dragoon learns a small list of spells that she need not prepare but can cast from freely. The spells known and her list are at the bottom. These spells are derived not only from her faith and devotion to her cause but also her innate magical ability. As such her spells are treated as being arcane and divine.
Hmmm... spells being treated as both Arcane and Divine is odd, and lends itself to some weird interactions here and there (for example: you can qualify for Mystic Theurge and arguably advance casting at double speed), but being limited to 4th level castings should make those irrelevant. You should specify what it means for things like arcane spell failure.


Dragoon’s Charm(Su): Beginning at 5th level the dragoon has learned how to enchant a polearm she wields in both hands with various elemental powers. As a standard action the dragoon can enchant a polearm with magic and make it deal 1d6 points of one of the following energy types: acid, cold, electricity, fire, sonic. The dragoon can keep this ability active indefinitely and can dismiss it as a free action. At 10th level the dragoon’s weapon begins to deal 1d8 points of the selected energy type and at 20th level it increases to 2d6.
Sonic is head-and-shoulders above the other options here. I'd strike it from the list.


Polearm Defense(Ex): The dragoon is extremely well trained in the use of polearms and has learned to use them to protect himself from all forms of attack. At 7th level the Dragoon gains a +1 deflection bonus to her AC. This bonus increases to +2 at 14th level. This deflection bonus is lost against attacks the Dragoon is unaware of.
Okay? A decent filler.


Creature Attunement(Ex): The Dragoon is extremely skilled at targeting creatures by type with her magic. Beginning at 8th level any spell that designates a creature type in it’s effect can now be cast as a full-round action and have the creature type changed to any other non-humanoid creature type. For instance Hold Animal can be cast as a full-round action to be altered to Hold Undead, or Spear of Valarian can be made as a spear with bane against Giants. Creatures that are normally immune to the effects of these spells due to their type are affected as if they were not, although creatures that are explicitly immune to the effect remains so. For instance in the example above the Dragoon’s Hold Undead spell would indeed paralyze its target despite undead normally being immune to paralysis. However a creature that is listed to be immune to paralysis outside of it’s type would keep that immunity. Additionally this does not cause creatures to be harmed by damage types they would normally be healed by. For instance Cure Light Wounds or Invest Light Protection couldn’t be used to inflict damage in other living creatures.
Hmm. Do you... actually know any of those spells? I must say, this seems kind of out of left field for a class that otherwise seems to be all about jumping strikes. I expect you'd mostly be using your spells for buffs and utility anyway...


Driving Throw(Ex): The Dragoon’s skill with hurling a polearm has become such that the force of her blows send her targets reeling backwards. Beginning at 10th level the Dragoon can make a single throwing attack with a weapon she is proficient with through the virtue of her class. On a successful hit she makes a special bull rush check that uses the damage she dealt with the attack as a bonus on the check in place of her strength. If the target is pushed back by more than 10 feet the target must succeed on a Reflex save or Strength check against the damage dealt or fall prone at the end of the distance they were moved.
Needs an action cost, but very cool. Probably not worth an action at 10th level, but cool nonetheless. Maybe make it affect multiple targets in a line?


Killer Instinct(Su): The dragoon is adept at selecting her targets and slaying them with chilling ease. Beginning at 13th level the Dragoon can, a number of times a day equal to 1 + the Dragoon’s Wisdom modifier, select a non-humanoid creature type as a free action. The next attack they make with a polearm in the same round against a creature of the selected type gains a bonus on the attack roll equal to the Dragoon’s Charisma modifier and inflicts an additional 5d6 points of damage. Additionally this ability allows the Dragoon’s attack to be a critical hit even against creatures who are normally immune such as undead or constructs. On a successful strike the target of the attack takes a penalty to its Damage Reduction, Spell Resistance, Energy Resistance, and Fast Healing equal to 5 x the Dragoon’s Wisdom modifier. This penalty lasts for a number of rounds equal to her Wisdom modifier.
Eep! Suddenly we need Charisma? That should be Wisdom, to keep from getting too MAD. This probably also needs to specify that it's a swift (presumably?) action. It could maybe be broken up a bit too; there's a lot going on here: one smite-type thing gets a bonus to hit, a different bonus to damage, bypasses crit immunity, and applies a debuff?

... do they run out of abilities at 13th? I guess Death From Above continues to improve, marginally, and you get more spells?


Spells Known:
Spell Level
Level 1st 2nd 3rd 4th
1st - - - -
2nd - - - -
3rd - - - -
4th 2 - -
5th 2 - - -
6th 2 - - -
7th 2 - - -
8th 3 2 - -
9th 3 2 - -
10th 3 2 - -
11th 3 3 2 -
12th 4 3 2 -
13th 4 3 2 -
14th 4 4 3 2
15th 4 4 3 2
16th 5 4 3 2
17th 5 5 4 3
18th 5 5 4 3
19th 5 5 4 3
20th 6 6 5 4
Hmm. I'd probably copy the Hexblade's spells known table for symmetry, but I've got no real problem here.


Spell List:
1st: Detect Poison, Detect Undead, Light, Jump, Magic Weapon, Bless, Remove Fear, Shield of Faith, Cure Light Wounds, Stretch Weapon(PHBII), Invest Light Protection(PHBII), Lesser Celerity(PHBII), Surefoot(MofFae), Know Protection(MofFae), Silvered Weapon(BofExD), Rooftop Strider(RofDest), Lesser Deflect(PHBII), Sure Strike(PHBII)


2nd: Align Weapon, Delay Poison, Resist Energy, Darkvision, Hold Animal, , Critical Strike(CmpAdv), Accelerated Movement(CmpAdv), Low-light Vision(CmpArc), Rouse(PHBII), Energy Aegis(PHBII), Mystic Surge(PHBII), Refreshment(BofExD), Know Vulnerability(MofFae), Blessing of Bahamut(CmpDiv), Deafening Clang(MofFae), Zeal(CmpDiv)
Hold Animal is where you use Creature Attunement, I guess.

3rd: Protection from Energy, Keen Edge, Prayer, See Invisibility, Repel Vermin, Cure Moderate Wounds, Remove Paralysis, True Strike, Energy Vulnerability(PHBII), Invest Moderate Protection(PHBII), Celerity(PHBII), Swift Fly(CmpAdv), Dragon Breath[Metallic or Chromatic only](CmpDiv), Touch of Adamantine(BofExD), Know Greatest Enemy(MofFae), Returning Weapon(RofWild), Deflect(PHBII)

4th: Fire Shield, Freedom of Movement, Whirlwind, Mass Cure Light Wounds, Neutralize Poison, Invest Heavy Protection(PHBII), Condemnation(PHBII), Blindsight(PGFae), Spear of Valarian(BofExD), Wild Instincts(RofEb), Superior Darkvision(UnArc)
Alright overall, I guess. A lot of uncommon spells. Whirlwind seems very out of place, as does Dragon Breath. You could probably stand to fit a bit more divination in here, I think; that might help with overall utility.

Overall: Not bad, but their main schtick could use a little work. I'd like to see their trademarks, Short Hop and Death From Above, be better-- the former to improve with levels, and the latter to be usable more often.

[artimus261]

Can definitely agree with the upping of feather fall, and the 4+int but with everything else I'm about to go over I'd probably drop their HD to d8 which would seem fair with their mobility and the rest. Anyway here's the rest: for the jumping the thing is they no longer require running starts to avoid the DCs of jumps being doubled and the increase to the height they can jump can let them reach up to heights as crazy as 40 feet or more, being able to jump up onto dragons or just high enough to reach that cocky effin gargoyle or something xP

As for the short hop question i was supposed to take away the provoking at 8th when it became immediate to eliminate the incoming attacks

As for death from above i do like the change to the range on it being her landspeed so that if she pumps it up or just has more she can hit people pretty far away which isn't crazy. The fatigue only remains until the end of the encounter so it ends up being usable about once per encounter unless she's got a friend to remove it and such. But as for the damage I do agree that it should probably rise with their level to keep it relevant at higher levels. Maybe letting them get a bonus on their critical multiplier like you suggested, extra x2 at 8th, x3 at 13th, and x4 at 18th(with stacking multipliers that would even out to (with a weapon that already has x3 like many of her exotic weapons) x4 at 8th, x5 at 13th, and x6 at 18th which i feel would definitely keep it scathing.

Yeah noticed way too late about over explaining that they don't suffer penalties to their jump checks from armor ^_^' whoops.

As for their spells i know I could avoid it but honestly doesn't exactly help qualify for the theurge considering they don't even get 2nd-level spells until 8th, 2 whole levels behind a wizard/cleric or druid mix. It really is just to let them qualify for a loooot of different prestige classes but i really could just pick divine i suppose

as for their charm sonic felt kind of weird honestly so I can definitely get behind keeping it limited to the basic elements, or even just limiting it to fire/cold/electric to keep it to the clear flashy elements; no matter what it's meant to rly just be damage that slips past DR

As for their spell list i did some pretty extensive research for them and it's kind of meant to let them hunt things based on their types. They are meant to be able to make creatures suffer based on their types and elemental weaknesses. Then when you consider they get a very small list of what they actually get to know they basically define their true role in the party based on this. Either the monster hunter able to freeze a construct in it's tracks and puncture it's defenses, the supportive combatant who can remove some effects and heal some injuries, or the weapon specialist able to alter their weapons in all manners of fashions to keep it as deadly as possible. As for the answer to your whirlwind and dragonbreath confusion they are kinda meant to mildly have an air theme that goes with their ability to kind of fly through it basically and such and wanted to give them a few minor spells that could pass for an offensive ability, dragonbreath specifically is kinda meant to go with the history I have for them in my campaign which I guess I don't go into at all in this description in that in the past they were dragon hunters but over the years have broadened their focus to hunt all manners of beasts

and to give a short list of the spells they can modify for the type thing: Detect Undead, Hold Animal, Repel Vermin, Spear of Valarian, and Condemnation. not a big list but with the ability to make these spells affect anything that isn't a humanoid i had to tread very caefully

love the idea of making it a line effect at later level for their driving throw, definitely gonna work that into their ability

for killer instinct it was actually supposed to just be wisdom, that was just a huge typo i guess that i kept missing when i read it over cuz i knew what i meant if you know what i mean xD and yeah that action itself is a free action since it's kind of meant for them to be able to short hop into a favorable position(along with getting their running start bonus with it), selecting their target for killer instinct, and then ending the whole turn with death from above for a single massive attack that leaves the target prone and ready for slaying with all of it's defensive traits effectively stripped from them

with all of that in mind is there anything you'd like to add? I'm gonna be fixing them tonight and might ask for one last peek after that to see how you still feel

[artimus261]

thinking about dropping their BAB to average but then give them this thing called "The Bigger They Are"

For each size category larger the dragoon's enemy is she gains a +1 insight bonus to her attack rolls, armor class, and reflex saves against them. At 8th level the bonus they gain against any creature who is larger is increased by 1 and at 16th level by 2.

So in the end they'd be missing 5 bab but would be gaining as little as a +3 attack/ac/ref against large creatures or as much as +6 attack/ac/ref against colossal creatures(all assuming the dragoon is medium)

think it might be a good trade off considering they are kinda meant to fight the big beasties and whatnot

[Shimeran]

I'm less familiar with the monster hunter aspect. For the jump, I'd have thought you'd look to weaponize falling damage.

I did a quick check and it looks object weighing 200 pounds or more already do 1d6 damage per 10 feet they fall to things they fall on. It shouldn't take much gear weight to hit that after adding in body mass. Provided that works for falling character as well, you should have a good base to work from. Maybe make it explicit that they can do so and let them convert that damage to a type used by the weapon if they attack at the end of the fall. For more fun, let them land in an adjacent space of their choice without provoking opportunity attacks despite getting to apply their full weight on the impact.

From there we can add a few feature to make that more usable, likely starting with ability to ignore the first die of falling damage and scaling up with level. That lets them use their falling attack up a certain damage dice limit safely, though they can push higher is they manage to get the extra height and are willing to take the risk. You've already got something like that in Slow Fall, though you could scale it pretty simply by just setting fall resistance to 1 die per class level. Given there's a cap of 20 dice on falling damage, That would make you immune by 20th level. If you want immunity faster, try something like 2 dice per class level.

Next they'll need to get the height to deal that damage. If you're relying strictly on high jump height, you'd need 10 feet right off the bat with the ability to scale up to 100 feat for sneak attack levels of damage. Halving the DC is a decent start, though that still gives a DC 20 to hit the first dice of damage even with a running start. If they hit say 16 strength and invest fully in jump, that's a +7 bonus, which means they still need a 13 or higher, so they'd only have a 40% chance of being able to pull off their signature move. I can see arguing for that at first level as they're learning the ropes, though I could also see just letting the DC equal the target height. Either way, one thing to consider is that skill boosters are plentiful and this lets use convert them to damage boosts, though at a steep conversion rate.

One option to requiring less spectacular heights is letting them use magic to increase their effective weight when falling, as each 200 pounds of added weight adds a dice of falling damage inflicted. I'd probably scale that with class level. I'd also have "use this weight or your real weight, whichever is higher" as that limits weight stacking exploits and throws a bone to smaller races.

Another interesting option would be to give them a round a flight and require a round of downtime between uses. That would let them mimic the ability in the source material to leave the battlefield for a round before coming back in with a dive attack.

Granted, this can be foiled by a ceiling. As such, I'd consider giving them the ability to do a weaker long jump version for fewer die. If makes sense as the muscle power needed to propel you that high means a lot of force slamming into you even if it's from the side.

[artimus261]

I tried to do something similar to that at first but in the end it felt more appropriate as a specific attack action. I mean already when you consider that a dragoon gets double his power attack penalty pretty much all the time considering his weapons choices and then with the eventual x5 automatic critical hits a dragoon with as little as 14 Str , a glaive and a -10 on his power attack for death from above would end up dealing 5d10+15+100+2d6(energy) and if they selected to use killer instinct another 5d6(which on an average total would be 167 damage but up to 207 that already ignores 20 DR) that strips the target of a huge amount of defenses, all of this ignoring any spells or magic equipment they could be using to amplify the attack(like true strike which would really let them even go full power attack letting them get a 200 damage bonus on the attack while still getting a +20 on the attack) I don't think damage is a real issue. The single huge bite out of a target is a nice mechanic for them, the player is enjoying it so far. and as far as long jump advantages they could easily pick up leap attack and still get huge power attack bonuses at crazy distances with their charges.

[artimus261]

For anybody who cares the class just got changed quite a bit, some might scoff but in the end they are now way more adept at fighting the larger beasties, spell list got changed a bunch but now has a much bigger potential for a flexible spell powered combatant that really defines his role by his spell selection much like a sorcerer

[artimus261]

Anyone think I should give them good bab back and just kill the attack bonus, caster level bonus, and DC bonus on the bigger they are? Then could swap divine power for righteous might. Even with the bigger they are as it is it only really helps get their debilitating spells on them which is useful considering that their DCs face the huge problem if only going to +4 from the spell level. Ugh decisions decisions xU

[Bruno Carvalho]

I still think Dragoons should have full BAB. The d8 HP helps making him not so strong in melee after all.

[zabbarot]

Saves

Spells Per Day


Level
BAB
Fort
Ref
Will
Special
1st
2nd
3rd
4th


1st
+1
+2
+0
+2
Polearm Expert (10ft), Skill Focus (Jump), The Bigger They Are, Slow Fall (25ft), Powerful Bounds
—
—
—
—


2nd
+2
+3
+0
+3
Short Hop (Swift)
—
—
—
—


3rd
+3
+3
+1
+3
Death From Above, Armor Mastery
—
—
—
—


4th
+4
+4
+1
+4
—
0
—
—
—


5th
+5
+4
+1
+4
Dragoon's Charm (1d6), Polearm Expert (20ft)
0
—
—
—


6th
+6/+1
+5
+2
+5
Slow Fall (50ft), Powerful Bounds, Death from Above
1
—
—
—


7th
+7/+2
+5
+2
+5
Polearm Defense (+1)
1
—
—
—


8th
+8/+3
+6
+2
+6
Creature Attunement, Polearm Expert (30ft), Short Hop (Immediate)
1
0
—
—


9th
+9/+4
+6
+3
+6
Driving Throw(Full-round), The Bigger They Are (+1)
1
0
—
—


10th
+10/+5
+7
+3
+7
Polearm Mastery
1
1
—
—


11th
+11/+6/+1
+7
+3
+7
Slow Fall (Any Height), Dragoon's Charm (1d8)
1
1
0
—


12th
+12/+7/+2
+8
+4
+8
Powerful Bounds, Death from Above
1
1
1
—


13th
+13/+8/+3
+8
+4
+8
Killer Instinct
1
1
1
—


14th
+14/+9/+4
+9
+4
+9
Polearm Defense (+2)
2
1
1
0


15th
+15/+10/+5
+9
+5
+9
Driving Throw (Standard)
2
1
1
1


16th
+16/+11/+6/+1
+10
+5
+10
—
2
2
1
1


17th
+17/+12/+7/+2
+10
+5
+10
The Bigger They Are(+2), Dragoon's Charm (2d6)
2
2
2
1


18th
+18/+13/+8/+3
+11
+6
+11
Death from Above
3
2
2
1


19th
+19/+14/+9/+4
+11
+6
+11
—
3
3
3
2


20th
+20/+15/+10/+5
+12
+6
+12
Polearm Mastery
3
3
3
3




First level is pretty packed. You've got three 'dead' levels. You at least gain spells on each of them though (assuming decent wisdom). It looks pretty good overall I think.

[artimus261]

WOW, loved seeing it all plotted out like that on the chart! I knew I had thrown a lot at them at 1st level. Even though it doesn't help them combat other people very well I still adjusted their slow fall a little to help lighten the load. It only gets rid of the dead level at 4th but i rly think they get enough that i don't need to worry too much about the others. Glad you liked the look of it :)

[artimus261]

major edit to The Bigger They Are. It now focuses more heavily melee offense and defense. Think it suits them better and is also much simpler to apply and keeps them powerful even against creatures that are large