BDEYE
2007-07-31, 01:00 AM
Here are the problems I'm looking to fix. If you disagree with any of the following this might not be the variant for you:
High level physical combatants are underpowered in comparison to high level spellcasters.
Fighters have too many dead levels.
There is currently too great an incentive to splash two levels of Fighter and not enough incentive to take more then that.
There is not enough incentive to stick with a straight Fighter rather then move into a PrC.
In the process of fixing the above problems I do not want to:
Make the fighter class too complicated or difficult to build, especially at lower levels.
Take away the figher class' flexibility or option-based nature.
Keeping that in mind, I present to you:
THE FIGHTER!
Alignment: Any
HD: d10
Skills: Unchanged.
Weapon and Armor Proficiencies: Unchanged.
1st- Weapon Focus
2nd- Bonus Feat
3rd- Ability Increase
4th- Weapon Specialization, Bonus Feat
5th- Base Attack Bonus Increase
6th- Bonus Feat
7th- Ability Increase
8th- Weapon Focus/Greater Weapon Focus, Bonus Feat
9th- Mettle
10th- Base Attack Bonus Increase, Bonus Feat
11th- Ability Increase
12th- Weapon Specialization/Greater Weapon Specialization, Bonus Feat
13th- Experienced Warrior
14th- Bonus Feat
15th- Base Attack Bonus Increase, Ability Increase
16th- Bonus Feat
17th- Weapon Bond
18th- Bonus Feat
19th- Ability Increase
20th- Base Attack Bonus Increase, Bonus Feat
Weapon Focus/Weapon Specialization: Give the same benefits as the feats. At 8th and 12th level you have the option of taking Weapon Focus/Weapon Specialization in a new weapon or of continuing to specialize in a single weapon.
Bonus Feat: You get a Fighter Bonus Feat on every even-numbered level.
Base Attack Bonus Increase: At 5th level and every 5 level afterwords, the fighter's BAB goes up by one. This means that by 20th level they have a BAB of 24. This bonus applies to how many attacks they can take in a full attack, how many points they can apply towards Combat Expertise and Power Attack, and when they can qualify for prestige classes.
Ability Increase: At 3rd level and every 4 levels afterword you can increase your Strength, Dexterity, or Constitution by 1 point.
Mettle: As the Hexblade ability. Basically Evasion for Fortitude saves.
Experienced Warrior: Experience has caused you to change and apapt. At 13th level and every 2 levels afterword, you may replace a Fighter feat you have already taken with another Fighter feat you meet the prerequisites for. You lose the benefits of feats that are replaced in this way. It is possible to swap out feats that are prerequisites for other feats you have. You could take both Dodge and Mobility, for example, and then swap out Dodge without losing the benefits of Mobility. Also, from now on you can apply your special Fighter Ability Increases to Wisdom as well as to Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution.
Weapon Bond: Select a single weapon you own and have used regularly for at least six months. From now on, you may add your Wisdom modifier to attack and damage rolls with that weapon, and only that particular weapon.
Obviously this fix would require changes in all the other combat classes and PrCs, but I think this would mostly be a matter of giving Paladins, Rangers, Barbarians, , etc. some fighter Bonus feats. I also think it would be a good idea to increase the number of high-BAB feats in the core book, and to allow Paladins, Rangers, and Barbarians to take Weapon Focus/Weapon Specialization. This would have the added benefit of filling in some of the dead levels in those classes.
Obviously, this is a serious power increase, but I think that it's warranted in the higher levels to balance with the magic-users. Lemme know what you think.
EDIT: Streamlined things a little bit.
High level physical combatants are underpowered in comparison to high level spellcasters.
Fighters have too many dead levels.
There is currently too great an incentive to splash two levels of Fighter and not enough incentive to take more then that.
There is not enough incentive to stick with a straight Fighter rather then move into a PrC.
In the process of fixing the above problems I do not want to:
Make the fighter class too complicated or difficult to build, especially at lower levels.
Take away the figher class' flexibility or option-based nature.
Keeping that in mind, I present to you:
THE FIGHTER!
Alignment: Any
HD: d10
Skills: Unchanged.
Weapon and Armor Proficiencies: Unchanged.
1st- Weapon Focus
2nd- Bonus Feat
3rd- Ability Increase
4th- Weapon Specialization, Bonus Feat
5th- Base Attack Bonus Increase
6th- Bonus Feat
7th- Ability Increase
8th- Weapon Focus/Greater Weapon Focus, Bonus Feat
9th- Mettle
10th- Base Attack Bonus Increase, Bonus Feat
11th- Ability Increase
12th- Weapon Specialization/Greater Weapon Specialization, Bonus Feat
13th- Experienced Warrior
14th- Bonus Feat
15th- Base Attack Bonus Increase, Ability Increase
16th- Bonus Feat
17th- Weapon Bond
18th- Bonus Feat
19th- Ability Increase
20th- Base Attack Bonus Increase, Bonus Feat
Weapon Focus/Weapon Specialization: Give the same benefits as the feats. At 8th and 12th level you have the option of taking Weapon Focus/Weapon Specialization in a new weapon or of continuing to specialize in a single weapon.
Bonus Feat: You get a Fighter Bonus Feat on every even-numbered level.
Base Attack Bonus Increase: At 5th level and every 5 level afterwords, the fighter's BAB goes up by one. This means that by 20th level they have a BAB of 24. This bonus applies to how many attacks they can take in a full attack, how many points they can apply towards Combat Expertise and Power Attack, and when they can qualify for prestige classes.
Ability Increase: At 3rd level and every 4 levels afterword you can increase your Strength, Dexterity, or Constitution by 1 point.
Mettle: As the Hexblade ability. Basically Evasion for Fortitude saves.
Experienced Warrior: Experience has caused you to change and apapt. At 13th level and every 2 levels afterword, you may replace a Fighter feat you have already taken with another Fighter feat you meet the prerequisites for. You lose the benefits of feats that are replaced in this way. It is possible to swap out feats that are prerequisites for other feats you have. You could take both Dodge and Mobility, for example, and then swap out Dodge without losing the benefits of Mobility. Also, from now on you can apply your special Fighter Ability Increases to Wisdom as well as to Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution.
Weapon Bond: Select a single weapon you own and have used regularly for at least six months. From now on, you may add your Wisdom modifier to attack and damage rolls with that weapon, and only that particular weapon.
Obviously this fix would require changes in all the other combat classes and PrCs, but I think this would mostly be a matter of giving Paladins, Rangers, Barbarians, , etc. some fighter Bonus feats. I also think it would be a good idea to increase the number of high-BAB feats in the core book, and to allow Paladins, Rangers, and Barbarians to take Weapon Focus/Weapon Specialization. This would have the added benefit of filling in some of the dead levels in those classes.
Obviously, this is a serious power increase, but I think that it's warranted in the higher levels to balance with the magic-users. Lemme know what you think.
EDIT: Streamlined things a little bit.