Malapterus
2018-11-21, 01:45 AM
The Heavy Bruiser is a warrior class that prefers quality over quantity when it comes to attacks. While a greatsword-wielding Fighter throwing four or five beautiful attacks with his blade surely impresses the bruiser, he prefers a single, devastating strike. His attacks may be ugly and he probably is as well, but the bruiser is a man of undeniable raw power.
While at a distance these men and women seem to be quite simple, among their ranks is a surprising degree of versatility. Certainly some of them focus only on maximizing their bulk and hitting things with their sword, but that is not all this class has to offer. Some balance their ever-increasing Strength with other abilities and skills, becoming a well-rounded individual. Some go for a more intelligent pursuit and attempt to learn as many tactics as they can to best make use of their raw power. Others still ignore their Strength completely, knowing it will increase to a peerless level with no investment, freeing them up to improve other aspects of themselves. Their huge attack abilities also translate well to defensive fighting; a Heavy Bruiser can easily shield himself with his greatsword and still have plenty of strength left over to make a good attack.
With that said, simplicity is a factor of the class. Heavy Bruisers are largely straightforward and accept their role as a heavy hitter. They do not do well without a party and only Evil bruisers usually try to go solo. A heavy Bruiser is good at taking and dealing damage, but simply does not have the attacks per round to perform battlefield control, so his party should contain a more traditional Fighter. On the subject of battlefield control, it does not work well against bruisers. These meaty brutes are the bane of Wizards, who all-too-often see the hulking hero step over their allies and shrug off their spells to attack them directly.
At level 20, bruisers are ridiculously strong, can make punishing attacks with pinpoint accuracy, can throw spears like ballista bolts, can dance around the battlefield in full plate, smack away supporting fighters, and can suddenly regain fistful of hit points without warning or the aid of magic. They are a force of martial might as powerful and a sight to behold for both friend and foe.
They’re still usually pretty nice guys, though.
Heavy Bruiser
Alignment:
Any
Hit Die:
D12
Class Skills:
Craft, Intimidate, Jump, Profession, Ride, Tumble
Skill points per level:
2+int modifier.
Saves:
Good Fortitude Save
1. Bonus feat
2. Rough & Tumble
3. Hard Body
4. Knowledge is Power
5. Bonus feat, Giant Strength
6. Brute Force, Load Bearer, Strong-Arm Tactics
7. Swath Attack
8. Swat
9. Crushing Power
10. Bonus feat, Greater Brute Force, Oversized Lunge
11. Brutal Wind, Elbow Room
12.
13.
14. Heavy Hurl
15. Bonus feat
16. Improved Swat
17.
18. Master Stroke
19.
20. Bonus feat, Power Through
Weapon and Armor Proficiency:
Heavy Bruisers are proficient with all melee simple weapons and all melee martial weapons, as well as all thrown simple weapons and thrown martial weapons. They are not proficient with any projectile weapons.
Heavy Bruisers are treated as proficient with unarmed strikes and having the Improved Unarmed Strike feat, but only when dealing lethal damage. They take penalty to nonlethal strikes and cannot use abilities requiring a nonlethal unarmed strike unless they actually take the feat.
Heavy Bruisers are proficient with light, medium, and heavy armor as well as all weapons and shields.
Brutal Fighting:
Heavy Bruisers do not gain any Base Attack Bonus as they level up. Instead, their strength score increases by 2 for each level of Heavy Bruiser they accrue. These are not enhancement bonuses; they are an increase to the character’s ability score, and they stack.
For the purposes of feat perquisites and prestige class requirements, treat the Heavy Bruiser as having the same BaB as a Fighter of his level.
Bonus Feats:
At first level, the Heavy Bruiser may select a bonus feat from the Fighter Bonus Feat list. This is in addition to the feat gained by a first-level character. He must meet the prerequisites for this feat. He gains another such feat at fifth, tenth, fifteenth, and twentieth level.
Rough & Tumble:
Starting at second level, the Heavy Bruiser can power his way past his enemies, leaving them helpless to stop them. When making a Tumble check to move without provoking Attacks of Opportunity, he may use his Strength modifier instead of his Dexterity.
Hard Body:
Starting at third level, the Heavy Bruiser may gain a Natural Armor bonus. He has one point of Natural Armor for each three points of Strength Bonus he has.
Knowledge is Power:
At 4th level, the Heavy Bruiser may choose an additional skill to add as a class skill. He must have at least 13 points in the ability related to the skill.
If the Heavy Bruiser does not want to learn a new skill, he may instead gain one hit point as his skull thickens ever-so-slightly.
Giant Strength:
Starting at fifth level, the Heavy Bruiser’s strength surpasses his size. Whenever his effective Strength rating is 20 or greater, he get certain bonuses as if he were larger.
His face, reach, armor size, size penalty, volume, and speed are determined by his natural size.
His size bonus, volume*, unarmed strike damage, and natural attack damage are determined by the larger size.
*’Volume’ refers to the space he takes up against attacks such as Swallow Hole and the difficulty or capturing him with effects such as Improved Grab.
Every 20 points of Strength past twenty increases this bonus by another size category.
The Heavy Bruiser can use weapons of any size category he qualifies for. Each size the weapon is past his base size incurs a cumulative -4 penalty on all attack rolls. For example, Hagar Toughnut, a 16th-level Dwarven Heavy Bruiser has a Strength score of 33. He may use a Medium Battleaxe with no penalty, a Large Battleaxe at -4, or a Huge Battleaxe at -8. Alternatively, he could use a Medium Battleaxe as a Light weapon, at -8.
Reduction of the Strength score reduces the effective size accordingly.
This ability stacks with effects that actually change the creature’s size, such as the Enlarge person spell. It does not stack with feats, gear, or racial abilities that give an effective size increase, such as Monkey Grip, Strongarm Bracers, or Powerful Build, although Strongarm Bracers or Powerful Build reduce the attack penalty by 4.
Brute Force:
Starting at 6th level, the Heavy Bruiser can power his way through challenges on pure force of muscle. When he has to make a Reflex, Will, or Fortitude save, he may choose to add his Strength bonus to the roll. He must make this choice before he knows if he has succeeded on the check or not. The Heavy Bruiser can use this ability once per day for each point of Constitution Bonus he has.
Muscle Meat:
Starting at 6th level, the Heavy Bruiser gains 12 hit points. He gains another 2 hit points for every additional level he gains in this class.
Load Bearer:
Starting at 6th level, the Heavy Bruiser carries loads more easily. He takes no movement speed penalty for wearing armor or carrying a heavy load. Additionally, when he wears any armor, he may treat the Armor Check penalty as one lower and the Max Dex Bonus as one higher for every five levels of Heavy Bruiser he has.
Strong-Arm Tactics:
A Heavy Bruiser of 6th level can use his massive strength to enhance certain tactical maneuvers. He must have the feat to use it, and he may only enhance feats a number of times per day equal to his Constitution modifier.
-Improved Bull Rush: When enhancing this feat, the Heavy Bruiser can choose whether or not he moves with the target. If he chooses to move with them, he may move them twice as far. If he does not, he may move them the maximum distance allowed by the Bull Rush. They take the Heavy Bruisers’s Strength bonus in bludgeoning damage, and take it again if they impact something that stops them from moving their full distance.
-Improved Disarm: By enhancing this feat before a disarm check, the Heavy Bruiser may put some distance between the target and his weapon. Upon a successful disarm, he may launch the weapon in any direction he likes, up to 5 feet per his Strength bonus. The weapon will be stopped by any legitimate obstacle. If he rolls a natural 20 on the disarm and succeeds, he may make a free attack against another target with the weapon as if it were a Thrown weapon with a range increment of 10 feet, to a maximum range as defined by the ability. This does not provoke an attack of opportunity.
-Improved Grapple: Upon making a successful Unarmed Strike, the Heavy Bruiser may enhance this feat to gain the Improved Grab ability on that attack. He gets an instant free Grapple check against the target, if it his base size or smaller, without provoking an attack of opportunity.
-Improved Feint: Enhancing this feat returns it to being a Standard action. He uses Strength instead of Charisma for the check. If he succeeds, the target is affected as a normal Feint, but also is Shaken until the start of the Heavy Bruiser’s next turn. While Shaken, the target cannot willingly move from their square and cannot focus an attack or action on anyone but the Heavy Bruiser.
-Improved Overrun: By enhancing this feat, the Heavy Bruiser can use the Trample special ability instead of making an Overrun. Use his Unarmed Strike damage instead of his Slam damage, unless he has Slam damage that is better. He may Trample people up to his own base size. Otherwise, this works the same as the creature special ability. He still incurs attacks of opportunity as per the Trample description; the feat does not negate them.
-Improved Sunder: Enhancing this ability doubles the Strength bonus applied to the damage roll against the sundered object. If the sundered object is destroyed, the Heavy Bruiser may make a free attack against the wielder of the object, assuming they are in range, at the same attack bonus, but this attack does not enjoy the bonus damage.
-Improved Trip: When the Heavy Bruiser succeeds on a melee Trip after enhancing this feat, the victim takes his Strength in bludgeoning damage from hitting the ground. Additionally, the Heavy bruiser can move the victim to any square within the range of the attack he tripped the target with.
Swath Attack:
Starting at 7th level, the Heavy Bruiser can threaten multiple opponents with a single slash or stab. As a Standard action, the Heavy Bruiser chooses three continuous squares within his reach. He makes a single attack, and any creature whose Armor Class is beaten by the attack are hit. Creatures killed as part of a Swath Attack do not activate the extra attacks from Cleave or Great Cleave.
As a Full-Round action, when armed with a reach weapon, the Heavy Bruiser can choose to make this attack target squares that are normally closer than the weapon’s minimum range, at no penalty.
When used against a swarm, roll damage once for each square the swarm occupies that the attack passes through.
If the attack roll threatens a critical, confirm it individually for each target.
If the Heavy Bruiser’s Intelligence score is 11 or higher, he may exempt any creatures he chooses to in the threatened squares from this attack.
Swat:
At 8th level, the Heavy Bruiser can strike back at pesky opponents who stumble against him. When a creature of his base size or smaller makes a melee attack against him, he may make an Attack of opportunity against them with his held weapon or unarmed strike.
The attack is made as soon as an attack misses. If the attacker is struck by the Swat attack, it may not attack the Heavy Bruiser again until the start of its next turn; if it was making a Full Attack, any remaining attacks are forfeited.
This does not increase the number of Attacks of Opportunity he can make in a round, but if he can make more Attacks of opportunity he may use this ability against multiple opponents, but never the same opponent twice in one round.
Crushing Power:
A Heavy Bruiser of 9th level simply hits harder than other warriors. When making an unarmed strike or attack with a light weapon, whether in his main hand or off-hand, he adds his full Strength bonus to the damage. When he makes an attack with a one-handed weapon wielded in either his main hand or off hand, or either end of a double weapon, he adds 1.5x his Strength bonus to the damage roll. When attacking with a two-handed weapon, or a one-handed weapon gripped in two hands, he adds 2x his strength bonus to the damage. This damage replaces the normal Strength bonus added to an attack.
When using the Power Attack feat with a one-handed weapon, he gains three bonus points of damage for every two points subtracted from his attack roll. When using Power Attack a two-handed weapon or a one-handed weapon in one-hand, he adds 2 points of damage for every -1 he takes to the attack. This damage replaces the normal rules for Power Attack.
Other Feats that increase the bonus take precedent over this feat, but add an additional .5 his Strength bonus for a one-handed weapon or his full Strength bonus for a two-handed weapon or a one-handed weapon wielded in one hand.
Greater Brute Force:
Starting at 10th level, the Heavy Bruiser can occasionally find a kinetic solution to a problem. Once per day, he may make a Skill Check or Ability Check and substitute his Strength score for the normal ability. This does not work on skills using Intelligence, but any other ability may be swapped.
Thud Hunderson, 10th level Human Heavy Bruiser, stands at the back of his party as they plead to the king. The noble promises of the paladin and sweet words of the bard have failed to sway the king to the party’s interests; the Diplomacy is not going well. After a moment of confused concentration, Thud steps forward to face the king.
Curling his biceps up next to his head, thud begins to make his pectoral muscles dance up and down before the noble. The king watches, entranced. “Alright, tell me more,” he says.
Oversized Lunge:
As of 10th level, a Heavy Bruiser can use his oversized weapon to reach further. When making a full attack with an oversized one-handed or two-handed weapon (but not a double weapon), his attack range is doubled. His minimum range for a reach weapon is also doubled when this ability is used; As a Medium creature, Thud could use this ability to hit someone with his Large Greatsword at a range of five or ten feet. With his Large Longspear, he could attack someone at fifteen or twenty feet, but not five or ten.
This ability can also be used with Swath Attack or Brutal Wind, changing them from a standard action to a full-round action.
Brutal Wind:
A Heavy Bruiser of 11th level or better can swing almost blindly through an area, becoming a force of fury that yields for no one. As a standard action, the Heavy Bruiser may make an unstoppable swing of his weapon, endangering anyone before him. This attack affects a half-circle, with radius equal to the range of his melee weapon or unarmed attack. If the weapon is a reach weapon, targets closer than the minimum range are not affected. He rolls his normal damage for the attack. Threatened creatures take that damage unless they succeed on a Reflex save, DC= 10 + half the character’s Heavy Bruiser level, + his Dexterity bonus.
Making this attack as part of a charge increases the Save DC by 2.
If the Heavy Bruiser’s Intelligence score is 13 or higher, he may exempt any creatures he chooses to in the threatened area.
Elbow Room:
An 11th level Heavy Bruiser is dangerous simply to be near. When making a full attack, the Heavy Bruiser can make additional attacks against other targets within 5 feet. He may make one free attack at -5 against a target adjacent to him that is not the one who he originally attacked. This is a strike with his elbow that deals his Unarmed Strike damage, and is always lethal. If there is a third adjacent target, he may make a second bonus elbow attack at -10.
If the Heavy bruise is wearing spiked armor, treat his Unarmed Strike damage as if he were one size higher & the damage as piercing.
Oversized Lunge does not increase the range of the elbow strikes beyond five feet.
Heavy Hurl:
At 14th level, the Heavy Bruiser becomes a living siege weapon. When he throws a weapon, it continues moving until it has reached its maximum range or has been forced to stop.
The Heavy Bruiser targets one creature with the attack. Whether it hits the creature or not, it continues to threaten enemies in a straight line. Every creature whose square it passes through is hit by the attack if the initial attack roll beats their armor class. The attack roll is reduced appropriately based on the weapon’s range increment.
If the attack hits any creature, it forfeits the rest of that range increment, losing that much range and immediately incurring the penalty for crossing a range increment. Roll damage individually for each target hit.
If the attack path is interposed by a wall, the weapon hits it. If the wall has less hit points than the Heavy Bruiser’s Strength modifier, the weapon punches through without doing serious damage to the wall and continues on as though it had hit a creature. If the wall has more hit points than this, the weapon stops there but deals attack damage to the wall.
If a critical hit is rolled on the attack, it only affects the initial target.
Improved Swat:
At 16th level, victims of the Heavy Bruiser’s Swat attack are considered flat-footed against the attack.
Master Stroke:
An 18th level Heavy Bruiser has embraced the epitome of ‘One swing, One Kill.’ As a full-round action, he may make a single attack. This cannot be used in conjunction with his Swath Attack ability or any effects that grant additional attacks. He adds both his Strength and Dexterity bonuses to the attack roll. The critical threat range and critical multiplier of the weapon improve.
The critical threat range increases by two places. This stacks with other effects that increase critical threat range, but is applied after. For example, a Kukri has a critical threat range of 3 places, 18-20. Keen increases this to 6 places, for a range of 15-20. Using a Keen Kukri as part of a Master Stroke adds onto that, so it increases it to 8 places, 13-20, not 10 places, 11-20.
The critical multiplier increases by one; x2 to x3, x3 to x4, and so on. This stacks with effects that increase critical multipliers, but again, it is applied last.
Power Through:
A 20th level Heavy Bruiser is nearly unstoppable. Once per day, he can make a Strength check, and gain the result as temporary hit points. These temporary hit points remain for a number of rounds equal to 3 + his Constitution modifier. He may make this check on his turn, and he may also make it in response to dropping 0 hit points or below.
Multiclassing:
Heavy Bruisers are rather focused individuals. It is hard for them to break from the path of the brute. To take a level in another class, the Heavy Bruiser must sacrifice 5 unspent skill points. He does not need to sacrifice them all at once; he may set them aside as he levels up.
Similarly, for another a character of another class to gain their first level in Heavy Bruiser, they just sacrifice 5 unspent skill points. Once the 5 points are paid, Heavy Bruisers may continue to multiclass freely.
------------
So, I balanced this all out with ClassCalc, more or less. I treated 'knowledge is power' as a skill instead of a special, so it goes for 2 instead of 3, but I think it works either way.
I wanted to make a full base class based on the War Hulk's quirk of increasing Str instead of having a BaB. +2 Str gets you +1 to attack as well as +1 to damage, at the cost of getting extra attacks, which I think is neat.
I know the whole 40 Str with a Huge greatsword at level 20 seems pretty intense, but it's still only one attack per round. I think if you compared the damage-per-encounter to that if a combat-oriented wizard, the wizard would come on top with tactical spells to spare, so I think my bruiser is OK.
Certain abilities are times with general character advancement, such as when you gain a feat or a skill point.
I feel like the abilities are simultaneously too bunched up and too spread out, but I don't know.
I added the multiclassing bit mostly for flavor and to help balance it all out.
Go ahead and please give me your opinions on this. Is it too much? Would you let it in your game? What should go up or down? Is it safe to eat acorns?
While at a distance these men and women seem to be quite simple, among their ranks is a surprising degree of versatility. Certainly some of them focus only on maximizing their bulk and hitting things with their sword, but that is not all this class has to offer. Some balance their ever-increasing Strength with other abilities and skills, becoming a well-rounded individual. Some go for a more intelligent pursuit and attempt to learn as many tactics as they can to best make use of their raw power. Others still ignore their Strength completely, knowing it will increase to a peerless level with no investment, freeing them up to improve other aspects of themselves. Their huge attack abilities also translate well to defensive fighting; a Heavy Bruiser can easily shield himself with his greatsword and still have plenty of strength left over to make a good attack.
With that said, simplicity is a factor of the class. Heavy Bruisers are largely straightforward and accept their role as a heavy hitter. They do not do well without a party and only Evil bruisers usually try to go solo. A heavy Bruiser is good at taking and dealing damage, but simply does not have the attacks per round to perform battlefield control, so his party should contain a more traditional Fighter. On the subject of battlefield control, it does not work well against bruisers. These meaty brutes are the bane of Wizards, who all-too-often see the hulking hero step over their allies and shrug off their spells to attack them directly.
At level 20, bruisers are ridiculously strong, can make punishing attacks with pinpoint accuracy, can throw spears like ballista bolts, can dance around the battlefield in full plate, smack away supporting fighters, and can suddenly regain fistful of hit points without warning or the aid of magic. They are a force of martial might as powerful and a sight to behold for both friend and foe.
They’re still usually pretty nice guys, though.
Heavy Bruiser
Alignment:
Any
Hit Die:
D12
Class Skills:
Craft, Intimidate, Jump, Profession, Ride, Tumble
Skill points per level:
2+int modifier.
Saves:
Good Fortitude Save
1. Bonus feat
2. Rough & Tumble
3. Hard Body
4. Knowledge is Power
5. Bonus feat, Giant Strength
6. Brute Force, Load Bearer, Strong-Arm Tactics
7. Swath Attack
8. Swat
9. Crushing Power
10. Bonus feat, Greater Brute Force, Oversized Lunge
11. Brutal Wind, Elbow Room
12.
13.
14. Heavy Hurl
15. Bonus feat
16. Improved Swat
17.
18. Master Stroke
19.
20. Bonus feat, Power Through
Weapon and Armor Proficiency:
Heavy Bruisers are proficient with all melee simple weapons and all melee martial weapons, as well as all thrown simple weapons and thrown martial weapons. They are not proficient with any projectile weapons.
Heavy Bruisers are treated as proficient with unarmed strikes and having the Improved Unarmed Strike feat, but only when dealing lethal damage. They take penalty to nonlethal strikes and cannot use abilities requiring a nonlethal unarmed strike unless they actually take the feat.
Heavy Bruisers are proficient with light, medium, and heavy armor as well as all weapons and shields.
Brutal Fighting:
Heavy Bruisers do not gain any Base Attack Bonus as they level up. Instead, their strength score increases by 2 for each level of Heavy Bruiser they accrue. These are not enhancement bonuses; they are an increase to the character’s ability score, and they stack.
For the purposes of feat perquisites and prestige class requirements, treat the Heavy Bruiser as having the same BaB as a Fighter of his level.
Bonus Feats:
At first level, the Heavy Bruiser may select a bonus feat from the Fighter Bonus Feat list. This is in addition to the feat gained by a first-level character. He must meet the prerequisites for this feat. He gains another such feat at fifth, tenth, fifteenth, and twentieth level.
Rough & Tumble:
Starting at second level, the Heavy Bruiser can power his way past his enemies, leaving them helpless to stop them. When making a Tumble check to move without provoking Attacks of Opportunity, he may use his Strength modifier instead of his Dexterity.
Hard Body:
Starting at third level, the Heavy Bruiser may gain a Natural Armor bonus. He has one point of Natural Armor for each three points of Strength Bonus he has.
Knowledge is Power:
At 4th level, the Heavy Bruiser may choose an additional skill to add as a class skill. He must have at least 13 points in the ability related to the skill.
If the Heavy Bruiser does not want to learn a new skill, he may instead gain one hit point as his skull thickens ever-so-slightly.
Giant Strength:
Starting at fifth level, the Heavy Bruiser’s strength surpasses his size. Whenever his effective Strength rating is 20 or greater, he get certain bonuses as if he were larger.
His face, reach, armor size, size penalty, volume, and speed are determined by his natural size.
His size bonus, volume*, unarmed strike damage, and natural attack damage are determined by the larger size.
*’Volume’ refers to the space he takes up against attacks such as Swallow Hole and the difficulty or capturing him with effects such as Improved Grab.
Every 20 points of Strength past twenty increases this bonus by another size category.
The Heavy Bruiser can use weapons of any size category he qualifies for. Each size the weapon is past his base size incurs a cumulative -4 penalty on all attack rolls. For example, Hagar Toughnut, a 16th-level Dwarven Heavy Bruiser has a Strength score of 33. He may use a Medium Battleaxe with no penalty, a Large Battleaxe at -4, or a Huge Battleaxe at -8. Alternatively, he could use a Medium Battleaxe as a Light weapon, at -8.
Reduction of the Strength score reduces the effective size accordingly.
This ability stacks with effects that actually change the creature’s size, such as the Enlarge person spell. It does not stack with feats, gear, or racial abilities that give an effective size increase, such as Monkey Grip, Strongarm Bracers, or Powerful Build, although Strongarm Bracers or Powerful Build reduce the attack penalty by 4.
Brute Force:
Starting at 6th level, the Heavy Bruiser can power his way through challenges on pure force of muscle. When he has to make a Reflex, Will, or Fortitude save, he may choose to add his Strength bonus to the roll. He must make this choice before he knows if he has succeeded on the check or not. The Heavy Bruiser can use this ability once per day for each point of Constitution Bonus he has.
Muscle Meat:
Starting at 6th level, the Heavy Bruiser gains 12 hit points. He gains another 2 hit points for every additional level he gains in this class.
Load Bearer:
Starting at 6th level, the Heavy Bruiser carries loads more easily. He takes no movement speed penalty for wearing armor or carrying a heavy load. Additionally, when he wears any armor, he may treat the Armor Check penalty as one lower and the Max Dex Bonus as one higher for every five levels of Heavy Bruiser he has.
Strong-Arm Tactics:
A Heavy Bruiser of 6th level can use his massive strength to enhance certain tactical maneuvers. He must have the feat to use it, and he may only enhance feats a number of times per day equal to his Constitution modifier.
-Improved Bull Rush: When enhancing this feat, the Heavy Bruiser can choose whether or not he moves with the target. If he chooses to move with them, he may move them twice as far. If he does not, he may move them the maximum distance allowed by the Bull Rush. They take the Heavy Bruisers’s Strength bonus in bludgeoning damage, and take it again if they impact something that stops them from moving their full distance.
-Improved Disarm: By enhancing this feat before a disarm check, the Heavy Bruiser may put some distance between the target and his weapon. Upon a successful disarm, he may launch the weapon in any direction he likes, up to 5 feet per his Strength bonus. The weapon will be stopped by any legitimate obstacle. If he rolls a natural 20 on the disarm and succeeds, he may make a free attack against another target with the weapon as if it were a Thrown weapon with a range increment of 10 feet, to a maximum range as defined by the ability. This does not provoke an attack of opportunity.
-Improved Grapple: Upon making a successful Unarmed Strike, the Heavy Bruiser may enhance this feat to gain the Improved Grab ability on that attack. He gets an instant free Grapple check against the target, if it his base size or smaller, without provoking an attack of opportunity.
-Improved Feint: Enhancing this feat returns it to being a Standard action. He uses Strength instead of Charisma for the check. If he succeeds, the target is affected as a normal Feint, but also is Shaken until the start of the Heavy Bruiser’s next turn. While Shaken, the target cannot willingly move from their square and cannot focus an attack or action on anyone but the Heavy Bruiser.
-Improved Overrun: By enhancing this feat, the Heavy Bruiser can use the Trample special ability instead of making an Overrun. Use his Unarmed Strike damage instead of his Slam damage, unless he has Slam damage that is better. He may Trample people up to his own base size. Otherwise, this works the same as the creature special ability. He still incurs attacks of opportunity as per the Trample description; the feat does not negate them.
-Improved Sunder: Enhancing this ability doubles the Strength bonus applied to the damage roll against the sundered object. If the sundered object is destroyed, the Heavy Bruiser may make a free attack against the wielder of the object, assuming they are in range, at the same attack bonus, but this attack does not enjoy the bonus damage.
-Improved Trip: When the Heavy Bruiser succeeds on a melee Trip after enhancing this feat, the victim takes his Strength in bludgeoning damage from hitting the ground. Additionally, the Heavy bruiser can move the victim to any square within the range of the attack he tripped the target with.
Swath Attack:
Starting at 7th level, the Heavy Bruiser can threaten multiple opponents with a single slash or stab. As a Standard action, the Heavy Bruiser chooses three continuous squares within his reach. He makes a single attack, and any creature whose Armor Class is beaten by the attack are hit. Creatures killed as part of a Swath Attack do not activate the extra attacks from Cleave or Great Cleave.
As a Full-Round action, when armed with a reach weapon, the Heavy Bruiser can choose to make this attack target squares that are normally closer than the weapon’s minimum range, at no penalty.
When used against a swarm, roll damage once for each square the swarm occupies that the attack passes through.
If the attack roll threatens a critical, confirm it individually for each target.
If the Heavy Bruiser’s Intelligence score is 11 or higher, he may exempt any creatures he chooses to in the threatened squares from this attack.
Swat:
At 8th level, the Heavy Bruiser can strike back at pesky opponents who stumble against him. When a creature of his base size or smaller makes a melee attack against him, he may make an Attack of opportunity against them with his held weapon or unarmed strike.
The attack is made as soon as an attack misses. If the attacker is struck by the Swat attack, it may not attack the Heavy Bruiser again until the start of its next turn; if it was making a Full Attack, any remaining attacks are forfeited.
This does not increase the number of Attacks of Opportunity he can make in a round, but if he can make more Attacks of opportunity he may use this ability against multiple opponents, but never the same opponent twice in one round.
Crushing Power:
A Heavy Bruiser of 9th level simply hits harder than other warriors. When making an unarmed strike or attack with a light weapon, whether in his main hand or off-hand, he adds his full Strength bonus to the damage. When he makes an attack with a one-handed weapon wielded in either his main hand or off hand, or either end of a double weapon, he adds 1.5x his Strength bonus to the damage roll. When attacking with a two-handed weapon, or a one-handed weapon gripped in two hands, he adds 2x his strength bonus to the damage. This damage replaces the normal Strength bonus added to an attack.
When using the Power Attack feat with a one-handed weapon, he gains three bonus points of damage for every two points subtracted from his attack roll. When using Power Attack a two-handed weapon or a one-handed weapon in one-hand, he adds 2 points of damage for every -1 he takes to the attack. This damage replaces the normal rules for Power Attack.
Other Feats that increase the bonus take precedent over this feat, but add an additional .5 his Strength bonus for a one-handed weapon or his full Strength bonus for a two-handed weapon or a one-handed weapon wielded in one hand.
Greater Brute Force:
Starting at 10th level, the Heavy Bruiser can occasionally find a kinetic solution to a problem. Once per day, he may make a Skill Check or Ability Check and substitute his Strength score for the normal ability. This does not work on skills using Intelligence, but any other ability may be swapped.
Thud Hunderson, 10th level Human Heavy Bruiser, stands at the back of his party as they plead to the king. The noble promises of the paladin and sweet words of the bard have failed to sway the king to the party’s interests; the Diplomacy is not going well. After a moment of confused concentration, Thud steps forward to face the king.
Curling his biceps up next to his head, thud begins to make his pectoral muscles dance up and down before the noble. The king watches, entranced. “Alright, tell me more,” he says.
Oversized Lunge:
As of 10th level, a Heavy Bruiser can use his oversized weapon to reach further. When making a full attack with an oversized one-handed or two-handed weapon (but not a double weapon), his attack range is doubled. His minimum range for a reach weapon is also doubled when this ability is used; As a Medium creature, Thud could use this ability to hit someone with his Large Greatsword at a range of five or ten feet. With his Large Longspear, he could attack someone at fifteen or twenty feet, but not five or ten.
This ability can also be used with Swath Attack or Brutal Wind, changing them from a standard action to a full-round action.
Brutal Wind:
A Heavy Bruiser of 11th level or better can swing almost blindly through an area, becoming a force of fury that yields for no one. As a standard action, the Heavy Bruiser may make an unstoppable swing of his weapon, endangering anyone before him. This attack affects a half-circle, with radius equal to the range of his melee weapon or unarmed attack. If the weapon is a reach weapon, targets closer than the minimum range are not affected. He rolls his normal damage for the attack. Threatened creatures take that damage unless they succeed on a Reflex save, DC= 10 + half the character’s Heavy Bruiser level, + his Dexterity bonus.
Making this attack as part of a charge increases the Save DC by 2.
If the Heavy Bruiser’s Intelligence score is 13 or higher, he may exempt any creatures he chooses to in the threatened area.
Elbow Room:
An 11th level Heavy Bruiser is dangerous simply to be near. When making a full attack, the Heavy Bruiser can make additional attacks against other targets within 5 feet. He may make one free attack at -5 against a target adjacent to him that is not the one who he originally attacked. This is a strike with his elbow that deals his Unarmed Strike damage, and is always lethal. If there is a third adjacent target, he may make a second bonus elbow attack at -10.
If the Heavy bruise is wearing spiked armor, treat his Unarmed Strike damage as if he were one size higher & the damage as piercing.
Oversized Lunge does not increase the range of the elbow strikes beyond five feet.
Heavy Hurl:
At 14th level, the Heavy Bruiser becomes a living siege weapon. When he throws a weapon, it continues moving until it has reached its maximum range or has been forced to stop.
The Heavy Bruiser targets one creature with the attack. Whether it hits the creature or not, it continues to threaten enemies in a straight line. Every creature whose square it passes through is hit by the attack if the initial attack roll beats their armor class. The attack roll is reduced appropriately based on the weapon’s range increment.
If the attack hits any creature, it forfeits the rest of that range increment, losing that much range and immediately incurring the penalty for crossing a range increment. Roll damage individually for each target hit.
If the attack path is interposed by a wall, the weapon hits it. If the wall has less hit points than the Heavy Bruiser’s Strength modifier, the weapon punches through without doing serious damage to the wall and continues on as though it had hit a creature. If the wall has more hit points than this, the weapon stops there but deals attack damage to the wall.
If a critical hit is rolled on the attack, it only affects the initial target.
Improved Swat:
At 16th level, victims of the Heavy Bruiser’s Swat attack are considered flat-footed against the attack.
Master Stroke:
An 18th level Heavy Bruiser has embraced the epitome of ‘One swing, One Kill.’ As a full-round action, he may make a single attack. This cannot be used in conjunction with his Swath Attack ability or any effects that grant additional attacks. He adds both his Strength and Dexterity bonuses to the attack roll. The critical threat range and critical multiplier of the weapon improve.
The critical threat range increases by two places. This stacks with other effects that increase critical threat range, but is applied after. For example, a Kukri has a critical threat range of 3 places, 18-20. Keen increases this to 6 places, for a range of 15-20. Using a Keen Kukri as part of a Master Stroke adds onto that, so it increases it to 8 places, 13-20, not 10 places, 11-20.
The critical multiplier increases by one; x2 to x3, x3 to x4, and so on. This stacks with effects that increase critical multipliers, but again, it is applied last.
Power Through:
A 20th level Heavy Bruiser is nearly unstoppable. Once per day, he can make a Strength check, and gain the result as temporary hit points. These temporary hit points remain for a number of rounds equal to 3 + his Constitution modifier. He may make this check on his turn, and he may also make it in response to dropping 0 hit points or below.
Multiclassing:
Heavy Bruisers are rather focused individuals. It is hard for them to break from the path of the brute. To take a level in another class, the Heavy Bruiser must sacrifice 5 unspent skill points. He does not need to sacrifice them all at once; he may set them aside as he levels up.
Similarly, for another a character of another class to gain their first level in Heavy Bruiser, they just sacrifice 5 unspent skill points. Once the 5 points are paid, Heavy Bruisers may continue to multiclass freely.
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So, I balanced this all out with ClassCalc, more or less. I treated 'knowledge is power' as a skill instead of a special, so it goes for 2 instead of 3, but I think it works either way.
I wanted to make a full base class based on the War Hulk's quirk of increasing Str instead of having a BaB. +2 Str gets you +1 to attack as well as +1 to damage, at the cost of getting extra attacks, which I think is neat.
I know the whole 40 Str with a Huge greatsword at level 20 seems pretty intense, but it's still only one attack per round. I think if you compared the damage-per-encounter to that if a combat-oriented wizard, the wizard would come on top with tactical spells to spare, so I think my bruiser is OK.
Certain abilities are times with general character advancement, such as when you gain a feat or a skill point.
I feel like the abilities are simultaneously too bunched up and too spread out, but I don't know.
I added the multiclassing bit mostly for flavor and to help balance it all out.
Go ahead and please give me your opinions on this. Is it too much? Would you let it in your game? What should go up or down? Is it safe to eat acorns?