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Grim Reader
2017-04-07, 07:53 AM
Ok, for my setting, I want to make a knight prestige class. It is intended for social climber martials.

In the setting, getting knighted means getting into the low aristocracy for someone from the commoner classes and comes with a number of social benefits.

However, D&D as a game mostly deals with personal power. There must be a class progression that makes some kind of sense as a knight, and abilities to match for something that can be entered after level 6 or so. Should be a mounted warrior commander thing. I've been thinking of some kind of Warlord thing.

What I am primarily looking for here is inspiration on what the class should be able to do, outside of the social benefits. Or any existing PrC I could base it off. The "Knight" base class abilities don't seem level appropriate.

Westhart
2017-04-07, 09:41 AM
hmmm, if you don't mind leadership this seems like a place to work it in (if they do not have it already) along with some bonuses... rough idea for beginning:
Class name
Requirements:
Any lawful alignment
Feats: Mounted combat, weapon focus (lance?)
Skills: Ride 8 ranks, knowledge (royalty and nobility) ? ranks
BAB +5

Then as you gain class levels, get ride by attack (possibly 3rd?), spirited charge (6th?)

But w/out my books (atm) and the fact that I do not use mounted combat much this springs to mind
possibly a class ability 'Call to Arms'? Allowing them to gain more followers... End up something like this:


Level
Base Attack Bonus
Will Save
Ref Save
Fort Save
Special


1st
+1
+0
+2
+2
Knighted, Fearless


2nd
+2
+0
+3
+3



3rd
+3
+1
+3
+3
Ride by Attack


4th
+4
+1
+4
+4



5th
+5
+1
+4
+4



6th
+6
+2
+5
+5
Spirited Charge


7th
+7
+2
+5
+5



8th
+8
+2
+6
+6



9th
+9
+3
+6
+6



10th
+10
+3
+7
+7
Call to arms


Knighted: A [class name] gains a circumstance bonus equal to his level on diplomacy, sense motive, and bluff checks with the nobility
Fearless: A [class name] is immune to fear
Call to arms: A [class name]' legends have spread across the world, bringing him many new allies. From now on his cohort's level can be at level -1 instead of -2, and he multiplies his number of followers by 1.5, and adds 1/2 his class level to his leadership score


Of course this is heavily based on leadership... but if you like this I will finish it but I need to finish a template or two I am working on first though...Also, if you have the book with commander auras/ratings and legendary commander those might give you an idea... I think it is heroes of battle

Grim Reader
2017-04-08, 06:21 AM
That is a solid idea. I've been thinking about it, and some things I was musing on have clicked into place.

The class is going to be different from born aristocrats. Originally I worried that a PrC did not represent the worlds average noble well. But it represents the culmination of much work and effort to change your social status in a fairly fixed class system. Most nobles are born into it, and need no special effort. Much like someone born into abject poverty, who earns his way to wealth will be different from someone who inherited it.

I am thinking the Knighted will represent a RP reward. After years, perhaps generations of toil, your family has joined the ranks of nobility. You fathers pride in you knows no bounds, your mother at last shuts up about how well your brother is doing. And as you kneel to be knighted, you smell a faint whiff of brine, and realize every girl who ever rejected you is weeping bitter tears of regret.

Also, you get a deed to a patch of land. May need some clearing.

Rather than an outright Immunity to fear, Fearless could be a bonus equal to your level against fear effects. Let the class have an aura like the Marshals, but with a much better scaling bonus, to share the bonus with troops. Higher levels can give bonuses to more things.

So the class becomes a mounted leader of troops, a frontline officer. It represents people who ascend through battle prowess. Something else will be needed for people who get ennobled through wealth and connections, but it is less likely to be players.

Something like the knightly orders of Solamnia in Dragonlance later maybe. You can keep leveling the class or qualify for a different class with some levels. One representing a higher level of officer or general, heavy on the skills.

Westhart
2017-04-09, 02:11 PM
alright, then I will work some more on it... post it tomorrow

Westhart
2017-04-10, 06:58 AM
Class name
Requirements:
Any lawful alignment
Feats: Mounted combat, weapon focus (lance),
Skills: Ride 8 ranks, knowledge (royalty and nobility) 4 ranks, handle animal 4 ranks
BAB +5
Special: Must have been knighted by a ruler of a nation.

Skills per level: 4+Intelligence modifier
Class skills: Bluff (Cha), Diplomacy (Cha), Gather information (Cha), Handle animal (Cha), knowledge (history, local, geography, nobiliy and royalty) (Int), Ride (Dex), sense motive (Wis),
The [class name]


Level
Base Attack Bonus
Will Save
Ref Save
Fort Save
Special


1st
+1
+0
+2
+2
Knighted, Auras, leadership


2nd
+2
+0
+3
+3
Poison resistance


3rd
+3
+1
+3
+3
Ride by Attack


4th
+4
+1
+4
+4
Master Director


5th
+5
+1
+4
+4
Unbroken charge


6th
+6
+2
+5
+5
Spirited Charge


7th
+7
+2
+5
+5
General’s Tactics


8th
+8
+2
+6
+6
Horse Masrer’s Charge


9th
+9
+3
+6
+6
Call to arms, trample


10th
+10
+3
+7
+7
Champion of the Realm, Once more onto the breach


Knighted: A [class name] gains a circumstance bonus equal to his level on diplomacy, sense motive, and bluff checks with nonnobility and ½ his level with nobles. Commoners respect him and look up to the [class name] while nobles tend to see them as upstarts. They also gain a small land grant, although it may be up to the [class name] to make it safe.
Auras: The Knighted can project his determination and force of will to help himself and allies. He learns new auras at higher levels. A 1st level [class name] can project one aura, and at 10th he can project 2. The range for the auras of the [class name] is 60’. Activating an aura is a swift Action and it remains active until he uses either a free action to stop it or a swift action to change it.

Fearless: At first level the [class name] and any allies in range gain a bonus against fear effects equal to the [class name]’s level plus charisma modifier
Master tactician: At fifth level the [class name] and allies in range gain a competence bonus to attack rolls and damage when flanking equal to ½ the [class name]’s level plus his charisma bonus
Watchful Guard: At tenth level the [class name] and allies in range gain a competence bonus to AC equal to ½ his level plus charisma bonus
Stop at nothing: At fifteenth level the [class name] and allies in range gain DR/- equal to ½ his level+his charisma modifier
Deathstrike commander: At 20th level the [class name] can use the deathstrike commander aura. Any creature within his aura that scores a critical hit on the enemy may make an additional attack, using the same attack bonus. A creature can not benefit more then once per round from this ability


Leadership: The [class name] gains leadership as a bonus feat, even if he does ot meet the prerequisites.

Poison Resistance: A [class name] has rapidly adjusted to some of the ‘toys’ used by the nobility. He gains a bonus on saves against poison equal to twice his level.

Ride By Attack: A [class name] gets ride by attack as a bonus feat.

Master Director: A [class name] using the aid another action gives a bonus equal to his class level instead of the normal +2

Unbroken charge: a mounted [class name] can charge through difficult terrain or squares occupied by friendly creatures by making a DC 15 Ride check.

Spirited Charge: A [class name] gains spirited charge as a bonus feat.

General’s Tactics: The [class name] gains the ability to use a few spell like abilities 1/day, vaster level equal to ECL. Spells: Reverse gravity, benign transposition1, incite1, inhibit1, baleful transposition1

Horse Master’s Charge: A [class name] can make a full attack at the end of a mounted charge. He can only use this ability while mounted.

Call to arms: A [class name]'s legends have spread across the world, bringing him many new allies. From now on his cohort's level can be at level -1 instead of -2, and he multiplies his number of followers by 1.5, and adds 1/2 his class level to his leadership score

Trample: A [class name] gains trample as a bonus feat.

Champion of the realm: At 10th level a [class name] is one of the best her kingdom has to offer. He gains a circumstance bonus to skill checks equal to his level dealing with members of his kingdom and allies. Also, these NPC’s are automatically friendly to the [class name]. Dealing with enemies of his kingdom he suffers a penalty equal to his [class name] level (excluding intimidate). Also their starting attitudes are one worse.

Once more onto the breach: A [class name]’s will is stronger then the tenuous grips of reality. Once a week he may bring all his allies within 120’ back to life as a full round action. This deals 1d6 damage to his charisma, wisdom, and intelligence scores and exhausts him for the rest of the way. The damage automatically overcomes immunities to ability damage as it is the laws of the universe itself attacking the [class name], and can only be healed by mundane means, magic does not affect it. The people brought back have a +4 enhancement bonus to strength that lasts for a number of rounds equal to the total ability damage taken by the [class name].

Special: A paladin that takes levels in this class may continue advancing as a Paladin.

1Miniatures Handbook


The capstone s possibly OP, but seeing that the ability damage can not be overcome at all, and magic healing does not work, along with the 1/week it might work out...

Also, do you care if I link to this in my homebrew?
EDIT: I left the name out, because I could not think of one and I felt that you would like to name it :smallsmile:

Grim Reader
2017-04-23, 06:59 PM
(Sorry for the delay, work got hectic and I kinda put the campaign preparations on the back burner and it slipped my mind a bit)

I really like this. I am going to add some legal benefits to the Knighted class feature, although my worlds legal system is not fully gelled yet. Nobles do have advantages there though. Might want to add an Aura that increases the move of the character and allies. Maybe not really useful in combat but allowing the character to lead small strike teams quickly around a battlefield or move fast across the land without relying on magic.

Master Director is really good! The capstone also works well with how I see magic working. But maybe restrict it to one character, or make the damage per character. Less sure about Generals tactics.

I'll add in the possibility to take levels in a second PrC around level 5-6. It'll be for people who excell on the strategic level, and will be more for NPCs or characters ready to retire. Bigger grants of land, higher title, basically going from a skirmish leader and officer to a staff officer.

Feel free to use it of course!

As for a name, I was originally thinking of just Knight, because I see it as close to how it was possible to be knighted for a while in history (and even closer to the way it worked in the tales), and I don't use the base class Knight. But if it is to have wider use... maybe Peer ? It does imply being raise to a peerage while being a semi-synonym of aristocrat or knight.

Westhart
2017-04-24, 05:28 AM
(Sorry for the delay, work got hectic and I kinda put the campaign preparations on the back burner and it slipped my mind a bit)

I really like this. I am going to add some legal benefits to the Knighted class feature, although my worlds legal system is not fully gelled yet. Nobles do have advantages there though. Might want to add an Aura that increases the move of the character and allies. Maybe not really useful in combat but allowing the character to lead small strike teams quickly around a battlefield or move fast across the land without relying on magic.

Master Director is really good! The capstone also works well with how I see magic working. But maybe restrict it to one character, or make the damage per character. Less sure about Generals tactics.

I'll add in the possibility to take levels in a second PrC around level 5-6. It'll be for people who excell on the strategic level, and will be more for NPCs or characters ready to retire. Bigger grants of land, higher title, basically going from a skirmish leader and officer to a staff officer.

Feel free to use it of course!

As for a name, I was originally thinking of just Knight, because I see it as close to how it was possible to be knighted for a while in history (and even closer to the way it worked in the tales), and I don't use the base class Knight. But if it is to have wider use... maybe Peer ? It does imply being raise to a peerage while being a semi-synonym of aristocrat or knight.

glad you like it, there is a more updated version in my homebrew sig "highborn"