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Noctuae
2018-05-17, 01:43 PM
So I'm trying to make a class akin to Lore Warden and Student of War but using path of War content from Dreamscarred press. I've got a basic idea put together but I'd love some input and criticism. My intention is to make the primary stats for the class Strength and Intelligence, I don't really want another Dex/Int build.


Here's what I've got so far:
Hit Die: d10
Class Skills:
Acrobatics, Appraise, Bluff, Climb, Craft, Diplomacy, Knowledge(all), Linguistics, Perception, Perform, Profession, Sense Motive, Spellcraft
Skill Ranks per Level: 6 + Int Modifier



Level
Base Attack Bonus
Fort Save
Ref Save
Will Save
Special
Max Maneuvers Known
Maneuvers Readied
Max Stances Known


1st
+0
+0
+2
+0
Read the Battle, Scholastic Combat +1
7(5)
5
1


2nd
+1
+0
+3
+0
Martial Study, Read Movements +1
8
5
2


3rd
+2
+1
+3
+1
Scholastic Combat +2
9
6
2


4th
+3
+1
+4
+1
Martial Study
10
6
2


5th
+3
+1
+4
+1
Scholastic Combat +3
11
6
3


6th
+4
+2
+5
+2
Martial Study, Read Movements +2
12
7
3


7th
+5
+2
+5
+2
Scholastic Combat +4
13
7
3


8th
+6/+1
+2
+6
+2
Martial Study
14
7
3


9th
+6/+1
+3
+6
+3
Scholastic Combat +5
15
8
4


10th
+7/+2
+3
+7
+3
Martial Study, Read Movements +3
15
8
4


11th
+8/+3
+3
+7
+3
Scholastic Combat +6
16
8
5


12th
+9/+4
+4
+8
+4
Martial Study
16
9
5


13th
+9/+4
+4
+8
+4
Scholastic Combat +7
17
9
5


14th
+10/+5
+4
+9
+4
Martial Study, Read Movements +4
17
9
5


15th
+11/+6/+1
+5
+9
+5
Scholastic Combat +8
18
10
6


16th
+12/+7/+2
+5
+10
+5
Martial Study
18
10
6


17th
+12/+7/+2
+5
+10
+5
Scholastic Combat +9
19
10
6


18th
+13/+8/+3
+6
+11
+6
Martial Study, Read Movements +5
19
11
7


19th
+14/+9/+4
+6
+11
+6
Scholastic Combat +10
20
11
7


20th
+15/+10/+5
+6
+12
+6
Martial Study
21
12
7



Class Features

Weapon and Armor Proficiency
A Sword Scholar is proficient with all simple and martial weapons, with light and medium armor, and with shields except tower shields.

Maneuvers
Unlike other initiator classes, the Sword Scholar begins his career with a tome of battle, a book in which various disciplines and maneuvers are documented. He begins with four maneuvers documented (hereafter referred to as “maneuvers known” for consistency sake). The disciplines available to him are Broken Blade, Golden Lion, Iron Tortoise, Mithral Current, Piercing Thunder, Scarlet Throne, Tempest Gale, and Thrashing Dragon. If he does not have that discipline’s associated skill as a class skill, he gains it as a class skill. Once he knows a maneuver, he must ready it before he can use it (see Maneuvers Readied, below). A maneuver used by a Sword Scholar is considered an extraordinary ability unless otherwise noted in its description. His maneuvers are not affected by spell resistance, and he does not provoke attacks of opportunity when he initiates one. He learns additional maneuvers at higher levels as show on the table. The Sword Scholar must meet a maneuver’s prerequisite to learn it.
Each time the Sword Scholar levels up, he may add a new maneuver available to him from his disciplines to his Tome of Battle, as long as this does not put him over his maximum known for his new level. The Sword Scholar may not replace maneuvers this way.
The Sword Scholar may add new maneuvers to his Tome of Battle by studying with an initiator who knows the technique he wishes to learn or by studying another Sword Scholar’s Tome of Battle. By spending one hour studying with that initiator or a Tome of Battle, then succeeding on a Knowledge(Martial) check of DC 15+Maneuver Level he may add a new maneuver to his Tome, replacing another maneuver if this would put him over his maximum.
A Sword Scholar’s initiation modifier is Intelligence.

Maneuvers Readied
A Sword Scholar can ready five of his seven starting maneuvers., but as he advances in level and learns more maneuvers, he must choose which maneuvers to ready. He readies his maneuver by studying his Tome of Battle for one hour. He may rush his preparations, instead running weapon drills or planning tactics for 10 minutes, but he readies only half as many maneuvers (rounded down) this way. These maneuvers remain readied until he decides to repeat one of these actions to change them. Any given maneuver may only be readied once. A Sword Scholar does not need to sleep or be well rested to ready their maneuvers, as long as they can spend the appropriate amount of time, they can change their readied maneuvers. He begins an encounter with all readied maneuvers unexpended, regardless of how many times he may have already used them since he chose them. When the Sword Scholar initiates a maneuver, he expends it for the encounter, so each of his readied maneuvers can be used once per encounter (until they are recovered, see below).
For a Sword Scholar to recover expended maneuvers, he must take a moment to examine the battle going on around him. By taking a full round action (using his Read the Battle class feature) he recovers a number of maneuvers equal to his initiation modifier. Alternatively, he may take a brief pause to recover a single maneuver as a standard action on his turn.

Stances Known
Sword Scholars begin play with one stance from any discipline open to Sword Scholars documented in their Tome of Battle. As the Sword Scholar advances in level, he gains the ability to add more stances to his Tome. By spending one day studying with an initiator who knows a stance the Sword Scholar wishes to learn or by spending a number of days studying another scholars Tome equal to the level of the stance he wishes to learn, a Sword Scholar may add that stance to their Tome, replacing another stance if this would put them over their maximum. Unlike maneuvers, a Sword Scholar may not replace a lower level stance with a higher level one.

Read the Battle
At 1st level, the Sword Scholar may take a full round action to study his foes and their combat tactics. The Sword Scholar makes a Knowledge check using the Knowledge skill of his choice. The result of this check is then used as though the Sword Scholar had made a Knowledge check against each target within 30ft the chose skill could be used to identify. As long as the Sword Scholar succeeds against at least one target in this way, he regains a number of maneuvers equal to his Initiation modifier.

Scholastic Combat
At 1st level, as long as the Sword Scholar has succeeded on a Knowledge check to identify an opponent (either through a single use of the Knowledge skill or with his Read the Battle class feature) he gains a +1 competence bonus to hit and on damage against that target. These bonuses only apply to ranged attacks if the target is within the first ranged increment of the weapon. This damage is precision damage.
This bonus increases by 1 at 3rd level, and again at every odd level thereafter.

Read Movements
Beginning at 2nd level, the Sword Scholar may use his Intelligence modifier in place of his dexterity modifier for determining his AC. In addition, as long as he is wearing light or no armor he gets a +1 insight bonus to his AC against attacks from targets he has identified with a Knowledge check.
This bonus increases by 1 at 6th level and every 4 levels thereafter.

Martial Study
Every Sword Scholar learns differently. As a Sword Scholar advances in levels this becomes apparent as he develops new techniques based on his personal experiences. At 2nd level and every even level thereafter the Sword Scholar may select a Martial Study from the following list. Unless otherwise specified the Sword Scholar may select any one martial Study only once.
Mental Discipline: Due to the unique way the Sword Scholar studies the various disciplines, they may take a different approach to using the skills associated with a discipline. As long as the Sword Scholar is in combat, he may use his Initiator modifier in place of the normal modifier when making a check for a skill that is associated with a discipline of which he knows at least one maneuver.
Improved Mental Discipline: The Sword Scholar may use his Initiator modifier in place of the skills normal modifier with Discipline Study even when out of combat. The Sword Scholar must be at least 6th level and have Mental Discipline to select this study.
Greater Mental Discipline: The Sword Scholar may always take 10 on a skill check, even when in combat or otherwise in danger, when using his Discipline Study ability. The Sword Scholar must be at least 10th level and have selected Improved Mental Discipline to select this study.
Masterful Mental Discipline: The Sword Scholar may apply is Initiator bonus as an insight bonus instead of replacing the skills ability modifier when using Discipline Study. The Sword Scholar must be at least 14th level and have Greater Mental Discipline to select this study.
Resolute Strike: As long as the Sword Scholar makes only one melee attack in a round, he may treat his base attack bonus as his Initiator level instead of using his normal base attack bonus.
Resolute Maneuvers: The Sword Scholar may use his initiator level when calculating his CMB and CMD in place of his Base Attack Bonus. The Sword Scholar must be at least 6th level and have Resolute Strike to select this study.
Opportunistic Resolution: The Sword Scholar may use his Resolute Strike ability on attacks of opportunity. The Sword Scholar must be at least 10th level and have Resolute Strike to select this study.
Resolute Initiator: The Sword Scholar may apply his Resolute Strike ability to any number of attack rolls made as part of initiating a single strike, as long as he only initiates a single strike on his turn. The Sword Scholar must be at least 14th level and have Resolute Strike to select this study.
Pierce Armor: The Sword Scholar may bypass an amount of DR equal to twice his initiator modifier when attacking a target he has identified with a knowledge check.


Some reasoning behind abilites;
Learning new maneuvers and preparing them is supposed to feel more wizard-esque to represent that the classes ability comes from study.
Read the Battle is the primary way the class gains back maneuvers and prevents you from having to roll a new knowledge check for repeated enemies in the same encounter.
Scholastic Combat would be the "primary" feature of the class, a scaling to-hit and damage bonus for identifying enemies.
Read Movements probably needs a new name, but it's the defensive reward for making knowledge checks. I wanted to go with something more akin to Student of War's Mind over metal than something like Canny Defense.
Martial Study would be the "talents" of the class. I had a few different ideas and didn't want to overload the class, so giving it options seemed like a good choice.
Mental Discipline is to better allow the class to use the skills required for various disciplines.
Resolute Strike is to improve the to-hit without making TWF the best route, because I'm afraid to give damage bonuses when TWF is so easy to use.
Pierce Armor is the start of a line that would be about bypassing resistances. Further studies in the path would do things like allow allies to bypass DR following your attacks or suppress things like fast healing.

Another idea I had for the class is a smite-like ability for use by making an increased knowledge check against a single target. Eventually I'd also like to get a custom discipline made for it that uses Knowledge checks in general as its associated skill.