neriractor
2017-12-05, 02:58 PM
So I made this class and posted it in the Orc and goblinoid resources thread without realizing they don´t do much PEACHing over there so I decided to bring it here and get the playground´s expertise on it.
War Drummer
https://www.hiveworkshop.com/attachments/orc-drummer-jpg.133075/
"Here comes the beast again." - war drummer before annihilating her enemies.
Adventures: War drummers thrive in conflict and during long periods of peace or insufficient challenge may decide to bolster the forces of whatever group is around, otherwise they may adventure for any reason one may normally adventure.
Characteristics: the War drummer is meant to be a throw weapon specialist that can change the tide of battle with every moment, as they either improve their allies´ abilities or use their own formidable combat skills to ensure victory, as a tradeoff they lose some spellcasting abilities, with judging by the races you must pick weren´t going to be that good anyway.
Alignment: any, so long as they match the alignment of the bard variant they used to enter the class.
Religion: same as their base race with a slightly higher propensity to devout themselves fully to their music.
Background: backstory is for players to make.
Races: orcs, goblinoids and giants have been the races more inclined to follow the path of the war drummer as they are most likely to mix music with war in such an unorthodox way and then to field more mix units that other races.
Other Classes: standard bards tend to see them as undisciplined, if effective. While most classes that can tolerate their wild rhythm can appreciate one or more of their abilities during a battle.
Role: a War drummer can act as an effective buffer and force multiplier for the party but can also cover other roles as a damage dealer, and providing limited casting.
Adaptation: find a race or culture that´s properly warlike and fond of throw weapons, to breed a special kind of bard that uses those as his instrument.
Prerequisites:
To become a war drummer, a character must fulfill all the following criteria.
skills: Perform (percussion instrument) 8 ranks
bardic music: inspire courage +1
race orc, goblinoid or giant.
GAME RULE INFORMATION
War drummers´ have the following game statistics.
Abilities: war drummer´s benefits from a good Strength, Dexterity and Constitution, and they benefit from Charisma to keep their performance great and to benefit from their other bard class features.
Alignment: any
Hit Die: d8
Class Skills
The war drummer class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are...
Appraise (Int), Balance (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Disguise (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Gather Information (Cha), Hide (Dex), Jump (Str),Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Perform (Cha), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Sense Motive (Wis), Sleight of Hand (Dex), Speak Language (None), Spellcraft (Int), Swim (Str), Tumble (Dex), and Use Magic Device (Cha).
Skill Points per Level: x + Int modifier
War drummer
Level
Base Attack Bonus
Fort Save
Ref Save
Will Save
Special
Spellcasting
1st
+1
+2
+2
+0
bardic music, tempered spirit, keep the beat
+1 bard spellcasting level
2nd
+2
+3
+3
+0
War song, keep the beat
---
3rd
+3
+3
+3
+1
catchy tune
+1 bard spellcasting level
4th
+4
+4
+1
+1
makes you think, Doesn´t it?
---
5th
+5
+3
+1
+1
Drum solo
+1 bard spellcasting level
Weapon and Armor Proficiency
A war drummer gains Proficiency with all simple weapons and martial weapons. Plus, light and medium armor and shields. In their heavy diet of conflict war drummers can cast their spells with barely any movement and don´t incur any spell failure chance while casting bard spells in medium armor.
Bardic Music: A war drummer adds her class level to his bard level to determine the number of times per day she can use her bardic music, the bardic music abilities she can employ, and the power of those abilities.
Spells per Day/Spells Known: At all levels but 2nd and 4th, a war drummer gains new spells per day (and spells known, if applicable) as if she had also gained a level in bard. She does not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained.
Tempered spirit(Ex): you gain a bonus on concentration checks equal to twice your inspire courage bonus, and in addition any allies affected by one of your bardic music effect receives this bonus.
Keep the beat(Su): at 2nd level whenever wielding a thrown weapon (or anything while using the throw anything feat) the War drummer acts as if affected by his inspire courage or affected by any one feat that replaces or modifies it at the bard´s choice (and only by that feat if it replaces inspire courage) without needing to activate his bardic music.
War song (Su): Beginning at 2nd level, if you have at least 10 ranks in Perform (percussion instrument), you can use your music to inspire the brutality of a warrior in ranged attackers and the cunning of the ranged attackers on the warriors. When the war song is activated any ally (including yourself) within 30 ft can choose to treat its ranged attack rolls with ranged weapons as melee attacks for the duration of the effect, with last for as long as you keep concentration and for one round thereafter. For this attacks they use their melee attack bonus, including Strength bonus, feats, and so forth, to determine their attack bonus for each attack as normal, but they apply the standard modifiers for range penalties. Attacking into melee, through cover, and so forth incurs the standard penalties. In addition, they can use Power Attack with their ranged weapon attacks (adding two times the number subtracted from attack rolls as a bonus on damage rolls when throwing a two-handed weapon).
Catchy tune(Su): at third level a war drummer can as a free action return any weapon he threw and hits an enemy this weapon appears in his hand after a few bounces, the last one of them on its percussion instrument (and of course this ability cannot be used without one of those), if the attack fails the weapon describes a more complicated path before it comes back to its wearer and it returns before the start of the next turn as if it possessed the returning weapon enhancement
makes you think. Doesn´t it? (Su): With most of their life spent on the battlefield war drummers have an ingrained understanding of tactics and learn to apply their music in a different way as the situation merits. At 4th Whenever the war drummer uses the inspire courage bardic music effect he may swap the attack and damage bonuses on 1 on 1 basis and may also do the same for the bonus on saves against charms and fear but not between the two groups. As so she may with a +2 inspire courage bonus swap two points off the bonus on charms to the bonus on fear, leaving the bonuses at a total pf +0 against charms and +4 against fear but she may not swap any number of bonus points from attack to fear, charms to damage or any other such combination. In addition if she can use inspire competence the war drummer adds a competence bonus equal to her class level to the standard +2 competence bonus on a skill check, and can also affect as many allies as fit within the 30 ft range (including herself).
Drum solo(Su): At 5th level whenever the war drummer scores a hit against an enemy with a throw attack he can as part of the same action he used to attack start a bardic music effect or maintain the concentration of another bardic music effect.
War Drummer
https://www.hiveworkshop.com/attachments/orc-drummer-jpg.133075/
"Here comes the beast again." - war drummer before annihilating her enemies.
Adventures: War drummers thrive in conflict and during long periods of peace or insufficient challenge may decide to bolster the forces of whatever group is around, otherwise they may adventure for any reason one may normally adventure.
Characteristics: the War drummer is meant to be a throw weapon specialist that can change the tide of battle with every moment, as they either improve their allies´ abilities or use their own formidable combat skills to ensure victory, as a tradeoff they lose some spellcasting abilities, with judging by the races you must pick weren´t going to be that good anyway.
Alignment: any, so long as they match the alignment of the bard variant they used to enter the class.
Religion: same as their base race with a slightly higher propensity to devout themselves fully to their music.
Background: backstory is for players to make.
Races: orcs, goblinoids and giants have been the races more inclined to follow the path of the war drummer as they are most likely to mix music with war in such an unorthodox way and then to field more mix units that other races.
Other Classes: standard bards tend to see them as undisciplined, if effective. While most classes that can tolerate their wild rhythm can appreciate one or more of their abilities during a battle.
Role: a War drummer can act as an effective buffer and force multiplier for the party but can also cover other roles as a damage dealer, and providing limited casting.
Adaptation: find a race or culture that´s properly warlike and fond of throw weapons, to breed a special kind of bard that uses those as his instrument.
Prerequisites:
To become a war drummer, a character must fulfill all the following criteria.
skills: Perform (percussion instrument) 8 ranks
bardic music: inspire courage +1
race orc, goblinoid or giant.
GAME RULE INFORMATION
War drummers´ have the following game statistics.
Abilities: war drummer´s benefits from a good Strength, Dexterity and Constitution, and they benefit from Charisma to keep their performance great and to benefit from their other bard class features.
Alignment: any
Hit Die: d8
Class Skills
The war drummer class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are...
Appraise (Int), Balance (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Disguise (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Gather Information (Cha), Hide (Dex), Jump (Str),Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Perform (Cha), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Sense Motive (Wis), Sleight of Hand (Dex), Speak Language (None), Spellcraft (Int), Swim (Str), Tumble (Dex), and Use Magic Device (Cha).
Skill Points per Level: x + Int modifier
War drummer
Level
Base Attack Bonus
Fort Save
Ref Save
Will Save
Special
Spellcasting
1st
+1
+2
+2
+0
bardic music, tempered spirit, keep the beat
+1 bard spellcasting level
2nd
+2
+3
+3
+0
War song, keep the beat
---
3rd
+3
+3
+3
+1
catchy tune
+1 bard spellcasting level
4th
+4
+4
+1
+1
makes you think, Doesn´t it?
---
5th
+5
+3
+1
+1
Drum solo
+1 bard spellcasting level
Weapon and Armor Proficiency
A war drummer gains Proficiency with all simple weapons and martial weapons. Plus, light and medium armor and shields. In their heavy diet of conflict war drummers can cast their spells with barely any movement and don´t incur any spell failure chance while casting bard spells in medium armor.
Bardic Music: A war drummer adds her class level to his bard level to determine the number of times per day she can use her bardic music, the bardic music abilities she can employ, and the power of those abilities.
Spells per Day/Spells Known: At all levels but 2nd and 4th, a war drummer gains new spells per day (and spells known, if applicable) as if she had also gained a level in bard. She does not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained.
Tempered spirit(Ex): you gain a bonus on concentration checks equal to twice your inspire courage bonus, and in addition any allies affected by one of your bardic music effect receives this bonus.
Keep the beat(Su): at 2nd level whenever wielding a thrown weapon (or anything while using the throw anything feat) the War drummer acts as if affected by his inspire courage or affected by any one feat that replaces or modifies it at the bard´s choice (and only by that feat if it replaces inspire courage) without needing to activate his bardic music.
War song (Su): Beginning at 2nd level, if you have at least 10 ranks in Perform (percussion instrument), you can use your music to inspire the brutality of a warrior in ranged attackers and the cunning of the ranged attackers on the warriors. When the war song is activated any ally (including yourself) within 30 ft can choose to treat its ranged attack rolls with ranged weapons as melee attacks for the duration of the effect, with last for as long as you keep concentration and for one round thereafter. For this attacks they use their melee attack bonus, including Strength bonus, feats, and so forth, to determine their attack bonus for each attack as normal, but they apply the standard modifiers for range penalties. Attacking into melee, through cover, and so forth incurs the standard penalties. In addition, they can use Power Attack with their ranged weapon attacks (adding two times the number subtracted from attack rolls as a bonus on damage rolls when throwing a two-handed weapon).
Catchy tune(Su): at third level a war drummer can as a free action return any weapon he threw and hits an enemy this weapon appears in his hand after a few bounces, the last one of them on its percussion instrument (and of course this ability cannot be used without one of those), if the attack fails the weapon describes a more complicated path before it comes back to its wearer and it returns before the start of the next turn as if it possessed the returning weapon enhancement
makes you think. Doesn´t it? (Su): With most of their life spent on the battlefield war drummers have an ingrained understanding of tactics and learn to apply their music in a different way as the situation merits. At 4th Whenever the war drummer uses the inspire courage bardic music effect he may swap the attack and damage bonuses on 1 on 1 basis and may also do the same for the bonus on saves against charms and fear but not between the two groups. As so she may with a +2 inspire courage bonus swap two points off the bonus on charms to the bonus on fear, leaving the bonuses at a total pf +0 against charms and +4 against fear but she may not swap any number of bonus points from attack to fear, charms to damage or any other such combination. In addition if she can use inspire competence the war drummer adds a competence bonus equal to her class level to the standard +2 competence bonus on a skill check, and can also affect as many allies as fit within the 30 ft range (including herself).
Drum solo(Su): At 5th level whenever the war drummer scores a hit against an enemy with a throw attack he can as part of the same action he used to attack start a bardic music effect or maintain the concentration of another bardic music effect.