New, Powerful Mundane Classes for 3.5 (PEACH)

[Unavenger]

There has been a variety of different attempts to make a set of more interesting mundane classes for 3.5, a few of which have attempted to bring them up to caster tiers. Here, I intend to suggest fifteen new classes which use a new subsystem that represents exerting one's body and mind to the fullest.

My first iteration of this attempt was met with a variety of different suggestions, and a great deal of cynicism. However, I feel that this more complete version should be cohesive and powerful enough to stand up to spellcasters at last.

This is a work in progress, if I'm honest. At this point, I need to turn to the community for some ideas and inspiration, or I'll never actually get this done.


Fight to the Last

Many heroes have the ability to fight, or to cast spells or wield other powers, but few of them truly exert themselves. It is a tough and gruelling process, but there are some who are able to push themselves to go even further than most without ever having to learn a spell. These heroes are as follows:

Acolyte: The acolyte is the archetypal unarmed and unarmoured fighter - although some weaponry is within their purview - but they are also much more: wise and learned healers and powerful in ways other than physical strikes.
Ambassador: The ambassador is a master diplomat, although also skilled at defeating any who would impede their mission... and anyone who crosses them.
Blacksmith: A master crafter, the blacksmith's use of tools is unparalleled, as is their ability to carry on working no matter what. The blacksmith can also take a door to pieces just as well as make one, and take an enemy to pieces just as well as they can a door.
Challenger: The challenger's mastery with a blade is not to be underestimated, but neither is their paramount skill and might in all circumstances.
Guardian: This warrior specialises in defending their fellows, whether in combat, advocating for them, or finding an escape route. The guardian is sworn to protect their charge no matter the cost.
Idol: With performance skills to outdo almost anyone, the idol is the star of any show. In combat, they inspire their allies and outplay their enemies with a variety of tricks and tactics; in the wilds, they keep their allies' spirits up to make it through.
Leader: The leader leads, and their followers follow. But they are not just a commander stuck at the back of a wall of troops: their own skill in combat and out of it shows, and they are always at the front line in battle.
Maven: A teacher and an inspiration, the maven is a guide to others, whether in combat or out of it. Any situation that the party find themselves in, a maven has the knowledge to get through it and the words to inspire their fellows.
Monster Hunter: Equipped with the tools to get along in the wilds and hunt their prey, the monster hunter is just as adept at hunting meddling spellcasters. Further, their experience and agility solve all kinds of other problems.
Operative: The bane of all with something to hide - and everyone has something to hide. No trap, guard or mechanism can keep an operative at bay for long.
Sage: With wisdom and intellect beyond any other's hope, the sage turns not to magic but to medicine, science, and great thoughts in order to defeat any challenge they come across.
Tactician: Personal might and a knowledge of strategy make the tactician a master of battle, but not only that: the tactician is also a master of any intellectual deduction or physical prowess that a situation might require.
Vanguard: The vanguard is the first to the fight and the last to fall. Not only that, but the vanguard's strength and determination serve them well whether they are searching for the answers to a puzzle or setting up a new civilisation.
Wayfarer: Knowing how to stay alive in the harshest of terrain - or the harshest of combat - a wayfarer can safely guide their allies through the harshest of conditions.
Zealot: Channelling their conviction and fury against their enemies and inspiring their allies to victory, a zealot also finds their place around the negotiating table or whenever perseverance is required.

All of these classes use a very similar set of abilities, called Exertions, which represent anything which requires pushing oneself beyond the standard limitations of skills, attacks, feats and class features. In order to use Exertions, a character needs to use might, technique, stamina, intellect, resolve or psyche points, each of which is tied to an ability score. These points are limited, and a character may need to undergo a process called depletion to gain more.


Exertion and Depletion

Each of the fifteen classes listed above has a variety of different abilities known as Exertions. Like spells, manoeuvres, and the rogue's special abilities, they are picked from the list as they are gained. Like a sorcerer, psion or rogue, these classes learn new exertions as they gain levels, and can only use exertions they know. However, an exertion can be swapped out for any other exertion the character can learn while they rest, as detailed in the section on exertion classes and resting.

Each exertion is either usable at will, or requires you to spend points from one of might, technique, stamina, intellect, resolve and psyche. Each of these is strongly tied to an ability score - strength, dexterity, constitution, intelligence, wisdom or charisma respectively - but each has its own pool independent of your character's ability scores. The size of that pool depends on your level, and which two ability scores your class favours. Each of the fifteen classes clearly lists two ability scores which it excels at using for exertions: these two have a greater point pool and also gain more points from depletion. If an exertion lists X in the number of points you need in order to use it, you can pick any positive whole number value of X so long as the total number of points spent is at least double the exertion level minus one, and so long as the total number of points spent is no greater than your level in exertion-using classes.

Depletion is the process which you must undergo if you are to gain more points than you begin each day with. While conceptually similar to ability burn, depletion is both simpler and easier to heal from. If you attempt to use an exertion requiring more points of a particular type than you have, then you automatically deplete as many times as you need in order to use the ability in question (normally up to twice). Depletion causes penalties to the relevant ability score equal to the number of levels of depletion for many purposes. If you suffer from a total number of levels of depletion at once equal to 5 + your ability score modifier in the relevant ability, you fall unconscious until you are suffering from fewer.

For each level of depletion, you take a -1 penalty to attack rolls, skill checks, saving throws and ability checks relying on the ability score, but do not suffer the other effects of a reduced ability score such as reduced damage, saving throw DCs, or hit points.

Example: Jenna the Wise is a 5th-level sage, who currently has 2 resolve points and 2 might points left. If she tries to use an exertion requiring 3 resolve points, she'll actually go up to 4 resolve points because depletion gives her another 5, more than enough to cover the cost. If she tries to use an exertion costing 5 might points, then depleting only gives her another 2 because strength is not a strong score for sages. 4 might points isn't enough to use the exertion either. She depletes twice, but doesn't have to worry that her damage rolls or carrying capacity will be reduced.

The following table lists the number of known exertions, the maximum level of exertion you can take, the number of points for each of your two high abilities and your four low abilities, and the points given by depleting those abilities, at each level. Note that even at first level, you can gain exertions giving you a use for any type of points, though you do not start with any of most types of point.

Example: Jenna, at 5th level, knows 12 exertions in any combination of first, second and third level (though she will have had to retrain many of them to get a lot of second- and third-level ones). She wakes up each morning to 12 intellect and resolve points, and 7 might, technique, stamina and psyche points. Depleting her intelligence or wisdom gets her 5 more points, and depleting anything else gets her just 2.

LevelExertions KnownMaximum Exertion LevelPoints (High)Depletion Rate (High)Points (Low)Depletion Rate (Low)
14111--
2613221
3826331
41028452
512312572
614315693
7164197113
8184238134
9205279154
102153210175
112363711205
122464212226
132574713246
142675314277
152785915297
162986416328
173097117348
183297718379
1933108319399
20351090204210
Nceiling(N^1.15)+3floor((N+1)/2)ceiling(N^1.5)Nfloor(N^1.25)floor(N/2)


If you level up while depleted, you immediately gain a number of points of each type equal to the number of depletion levels you have in the relevant ability score if your depletion rate has increased, as well as the number of points you gain for the maximum points increase

Example: Jenna levels up to 6th level. She gains 3 intellect points - as her maximum has increased by 3 - and another 1 for each depletion level she has.


Exertion Classes and Rests

Exertion-based classes can quickly become depleted over the course of the day. In order to forestall this, these classes may gain a benefit from resting for a short while. A short, 10-minute rest allows the character to overcome a level of depletion in a single ability score, or gain a number of points of any of the six types listed above equal to the number they would gain by depleting the relevant ability score, or change out one exertion known for any other exertion that the character can learn. During this rest, the character must avoid strenuous activity (apart from training for their new exertion), as well as travel by foot.

A full rest - a standard 8-hour rest - completely heals the character from depletion and restores all their points, and they can swap out up to 6 exertions known for exertions they can learn, in addition to the standard benefits of resting.

There is no prohibition against taking multiple 10-minute rests in a row.

A character who depletes themselves into unconsciousness automatically takes 10-minute rests to remove depletion of that ability score until they are no longer so depleted, in which case they wake up (unless they are unconscious for some other reason by that point).


Exertions and Craft (Alchemy)

Even though they are not spells in any way, the ability to use exertions entitles a character to use the craft (alchemy) skill and craft alchemical items even if they are not spellcasters.


Multiclassing

If you multiclass between two or more exertion-based classes, you gain points separately in the two classes, but form a combined pool of points. Your maximum exertion level and exertions known are calculated based on your combined level. When you deplete, add together the depletion rates from all your classes to determine how many points you get.

Example: Jacinda is a 4th-level acolyte and 2nd-level ambassador. Even though wisdom is a primary ability score for both classes, she gets 8 resolve points for 4th-level acolyte and another 3 for 2nd-level ambassador, counted separately. Similarly, she gets 5 stamina points plus another 2, as the low ability score is counted separately. She does not have to keep two separate resolve or stamina pools, though.


The Acolyte

Rather than dwell too much on the original monk, let's see what we can do to get the martial artist concept across. Of course, a lot of the abilities are from the basic monk - because a lot of the basic monk was a good idea poorly executed. The way the unarmed strike and flurry of blows work have been changed to be more like the 5e monk, because that's definitely a step in the right direction. Add in some numbers increases and a method to counter and then gain flight, and a few more features to make it even better - including a feature that makes grappling a lot more viable - and then, of course, slap on the exertion progression, and you (should) have a solid class. Here it is.

Abilities: Strength and Wisdom are the important ability scores for the Acolyte, and their two primary ability scores for exertions. Dexterity is also important, as they do not rely on armour for protection.
Alignment: Any, although acolytes tend to have lawful alignments.
Hit Die: d10
Starting Age: High
Starting Gold: As druid.

Class Skills
The acolyte's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Autohypnosis (Wis), Balance (Dex), Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Disguise (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Heal (Wis), Hide (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Knowledge (Dungeoneering) (Int), Knowledge (Geography) (Int), Knowledge (History) (Int), Knowledge (Local) (Int), Knowledge (Religion) (Int), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Search (Int), Sense Motive (Wis), Spot (Wis), Survival (Wis), Swim (Str), Tumble (Dex) and Use Rope (Dex).

Skill Points at First Level: (6 + Int modifier) x 4
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 6 + Int modifier

Table: The Acolyte
LevelBABFortRefWillSpecial
Martial Arts Damage
AC Bonus
Speed Bonus
1st+1+2+2+2Exertions, Martial Arts, Skill Aptitude
1d6
1
10ft
2nd+2+3+3+3Evasion, Grapple Mastery
1d6
1
10ft
3rd+3+3+3+3Ability Increase (+2), Unmoving Mind
1d6
1
20ft
4th+4+4+4+4Grievous Strike, Slow Fall
1d8
2
20ft
5th+5+4+4+4Sureness of Body, Skybreaker Strike
1d8
2
20ft
6th+6/+1+5+5+5Ability Increase (+2/+2, +2), Manystrike
1d8
2
30ft
7th+7/+2+5+5+5Biofeedback Meditation
1d8
2
30ft
8th+8/+3+6+6+6Ride the Wind
1d10
3
30ft
9th+9/+4+6+6+6Improved Evasion, Ability Increase (+4/+2, +2)
1d10
3
40ft
10th+10/+5+7+7+7Freedom of Action
1d10
3
40ft
11th+11/+6/+1+7+7+7Depletion Transference
1d10
3
40ft
12th+12/+7/+2+8+8+8Ability Increase (+4/+4, +2/+2)
2d6
4
50ft
13th+13/+8/+3+8+8+8Adamantine Soul
2d6
4
50ft
14th+14/+9/+4+9+9+9Great Resistance
2d6
4
50ft
15th+15/+10/+5+9+9+9Ability Increase (+6/+4, +2/+2/+2)
2d6
4
60ft
16th+16/+11/+6/+1+10+10+10Finishing Fist
2d8
5
60ft
17th+17/+12/+7/+2+10+10+10Transcendental Body
2d8
5
60ft
18th+18/+13/+8/+3+11+11+11Ability Increase (+6/+6, +2/+2/+2/+2)
2d8
5
70ft
19th+19/+14/+9/+4+11+11+11Obdurium Soul
2d8
5
70ft
20th+20/+15/+10/+5+12+12+12Ultimate Self
2d10
6
70ft


Class Features
All of the following are class features of the acolyte.

Weapon and Armour Proficiency
Acolytes are proficient with all simple weapons plus the handaxe, kama, nunchaku, sai, shortbow, shuriken and siangham. They are proficient with light armour, but rarely wear it as it interferes with their class features; they are not proficient with shields.

Exertions (Ex)
Acolytes can use exertions; their primary ability scores for doing so are strength and wisdom.

Martial Arts (Ex)
Acolytes have the ability to deal exceptional amounts of damage with their fists and have a level of mastery over acolyte weapons. Acolyte weapons are the club, dart, kama, nunchaku, quarterstaff, sai, shortbow, shuriken and sling, as well as any weapon which specifies in its description that it is a monk weapon. Whenever an acolyte hits with an unarmed strike, you deal the damage listed on Table: The Acolyte in place of the unarmed strike's damage die. You can also choose whether to do lethal or nonlethal damage with these attacks or in a grapple. Also, the acolyte's strength can be used in place of dexterity for attack rolls with thrown weapons.

Further, whenever you hit with an attack with an acolyte weapon, you can immediately make an unarmed strike attack against the same or a different target. In addition, the Acolyte gains Improved Unarmed Strike, Deflect Arrows and Stunning Fist as bonus feats, and is treated as a monk for the purposes of Stunning Fist.

Finally, so long as the acolyte is wearing no armour and not using a shield, you get an AC bonus equal to your wisdom modifier plus the AC bonus listed on Table: The Acolyte, and a bonus to your speed as listed on Table: The Acolyte.

Skill Aptitude
You can use your wisdom for search and initiative checks, and your strength for intimidate checks and to determine how long you can hold your breath instead of the standard ability score, but do not have to.

Evasion (Ex)
From second level, whenever you pass a reflex save for half damage, you instead take no damage.

Grapple Mastery (Ex)
At second level, you gain improved grapple as a bonus feat. In addition, you can grapple creatures of any size, and creatures larger than you don't get any size bonus beyond your size bonus to grapples. You never take a size penalty to grapples.

Ability Increase
At third level, you increase one of your primary ability scores by 2. At sixth level, you increase the other by 2, and one of your other four ability scores by 2. At ninth level, you increase one of your primary ability scores by another 2, to a total of +4. At twelfth level, you increase the other by another 2, and one of the three ability scores you haven't increased yet by 2. At fifteenth level, you increase one of your primary ability scores by another 2, and one of the two ability scores you haven't increased yet by 2. At eighteenth level, you increase the other of your primary ability scores by another 2, and the ability score you haven't increased yet by 2. These changes are summarised on Table: the Acolyte.

Grievous Strike (Ex)
From fourth level, the acolyte's unarmed and acolyte weapon attacks ignore damage reduction. It's not possible to be immune to these attacks.

Slow Fall (Ex)
From fourth level, the acolyte can slow any fall to reduce the damage that the acolyte takes, so long as there is a wall, rope, or something else within reach that can be used to slow the fall. The fall damage is reduced as though the acolyte had fallen 5 feet less per acolyte level.

Sureness of Body (Ex)
From fifth level, the acolyte is immune to the effects of all poisons and diseases.

Skybreaker Strike (Ex)
From fifth level, as a standard action, the acolyte can attempt a single attack which, if it hits, deals damage to the target as normal but also causes the target to be unable to fly for 1 round unless they pass a reflex save (DC = 10 + half the acolyte's level + the acolyte's strength modifier).

Manystrike (Ex)
From sixth level, you can make a full attack as a standard action, or replace the attack at the end of a charge with a full attack.

Biofeedback Meditation (Ex)
From seventh level, you heal hit points equal to your wisdom modifier whenever you take a short rest, six times that many when you take a medium rest, or twenty times that many (in addition to natural healing) when you take a full rest.

Ride the Wind (Ex)
From eighth level, if you have a large enough kite (usually made of 2 pieces of rope, a large piece of cloth, and enough wood or wire to keep a wing shape) you can use it not just as a parachute, but to ride thermal currents and other wind to get to your destination. This is too unreliable to use in combat, but you can travel overland at an average of 20 miles per hour. You also know how to use the currents to get a message or small item to roughly the right place at about double that speed.

Improved Evasion (Ex)
From ninth level, whenever you fail a reflex save for half damage, you take half damage from the attack anyway.

Freedom of Action (Ex)
From tenth level, you are unaffected by any devices or spells which would restrict your movement or activities, short of actually tying you up or shackling you.

Depletion Transference (Ex)
From eleventh level, you may choose to deplete your wisdom instead of depleting any other ability score, and you gain the number of points you would get from depleting your wisdom normally - for example, if you would use 7 stamina points while you only have 1, at 11th level you gain 11 stamina points if you deplete your wisdom instead, bringing you up to 5 after you use the ability.

Adamantine Soul (Ex)
From thirteenth level, your implacable will causes enemy spellcasters to falter and their spells to fail against you. You gain spell resistance equal to 11 + your acolyte level, but only against hostile spells.

Great Resistance (Ex)
From fourteenth level, whenever you fail a saving throw, you may deplete the relevant ability score in order to attempt the saving throw again (no action required). You may only attempt this once for each saving throw you take.

Finishing Fist (Ex)
From sixteenth level, when you use a stunning fist attack, you may either kill the target or knock them unconscious for 1 hour instead of stunning them for 1 round.

Transcendental Body (Ex)
From seventeenth level, the ascetic no longer suffers penalties from ageing and any such penalties already accrued are reversed. In addition, the ascetic automatically has the highest possible maximum age, even if you have already rolled for it.

Obdurium Soul (Ex)
From nineteenth level, spellcasters' spells are, in many cases, worthless against you. The acolyte has immunity to hostile spells.

Ultimate Self
From twentieth level, the acolyte regains one point of any of might, technique, stamina, intellect, resolve or psyche per round, and has damage reduction 10/-.

The Epic Acolyte
Every fourth level, your unarmed strike damage continues to improve. If your unarmed strike damage is measured in d10s, then it reverts to d6s but you use twice as many (at 24th level, your unarmed strike damage is 4d6). If it's measured in d6s, they improve to d8s; if in d8s, they improve to d10s. Your AC bonus also improves by 1. Every even level, you get a +1 epic bonus to attack rolls (giving you, effectively, full base attack bonus in epic levels). Finally, your ultimate self damage reduction increases by 1 every odd level. Thus, over four levels, you gain damage reduction, then an attack bonus, then damage reduction, then an attack, damage and AC increase.

Your exertions, the effects of your slow fall feature and the save DC for your skybreaker strike continue to scale with level.


The Ambassador

So, as far as I'm aware, this isn't a class concept that's been done before. Like, ever. Okay, it probably has been, but it's actually hard to come up with. Obviously the ambassador isn't a combat class, though it has enough combat ability to be getting on with. It doesn't seem to be very inspiration-driven despite a charisma focus. For the most part, then, the ambassador has to be manipulating other people. Also, political shenanigans.

There are two things I can draw on that I've been pointed to: one is the noble, from Dragonlance Campaign Setting, and his favour ability. However, not only is the favour ability limited by weekly uses (starting at just one use per week) but it's also exceptionally DM-dependent, and limited in scope. The adventurer (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?471934-The-Adventurer-3-5-class-PEACH)'s contact's ability allows her to do a similar thing more reliably, although it's deliberately limited in power. According to the same author, it has another entire subsystem written up for a partway-done class which relies on this, but - while cool - it's approaching the same power and complexity level as exertions in the first place.

With a new system for calling in contacts or favours in place, a few more abilities allow the ambassador free reign to wreak havoc by pulling all the right strings...

Abilities: Wisdom and Charisma are the primary ability scores for the ambassador. In combat, they rely on either strength or dexterity as well as constitution.
Alignment: Any.
Hit Die: d6
Starting Age: Moderate
Starting Gold: As cleric.

Class Skills
The ambassador's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Appraise (Int), Bluff (Cha), Craft (Int), Decipher Script (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Disguise (Cha), Forgery (Int), Gather Information (Cha), Handle Animal (Cha), Hide (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (Geography) (Int), Knowledge (History) (Int), Knowledge (Local) (Int), Knowledge (Nobility and Royalty) (Int), Knowldge (Religion) (Int), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Perform (Oratory) (Cha), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Search (Int), Sense Motive (Wis), Sleight of Hand (Dex), Speak Language (None), Spot (Wis) and Survival (Wis).

Skill Points at First Level: (8 + Int modifier) x 4
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 8 + Int modifier

Table: The Ambassador
LevelBABFortRefWillSpecial
1st+0+0+2+2Exertions, Known, Skill Aptitude, Writ of Requisition (5 gp)
2nd+1+0+3+3Overland Traveller, Writ of Immunity (Minor)
3rd+2+1+3+3Ability Increase (+2), Writ of Message (10 mi)
4th+3+1+4+4Skilled Negotiator, Writ of Levy (Minor)
5th+3+1+4+4Writ of Passage
6th+4+2+5+5Ability Increase (+2/+2, +2), Writ of Requisition (50 gp)
7th+5+2+5+5Writ of Immunity (Moderate)
8th+6/+1+2+6+6Respected and Feared, Writ of Message (200 mi)
9th+6/+1+3+6+6Ability Increase (+4/+2, +2), Writ of Levy (Moderate)
10th+7/+2+3+7+7Writ of Archive, Writ of Indictment
11th+8/+3+3+7+7Know no Fear, Writ of Requisition (1,000 GP)
12th+9/+4+4+8+8Ability Increase (+4/+4, +2/+2), Writ of Immunity (Major)
13th+9/+4+4+8+8Writ of Message (Same plane)
14th+10/+5+4+9+9Writ of Levy (Major)
15th+11/+6/+1+5+9+9Ability Increase (+6/+4, +2/+2/+2), Writ of Authority
16th+12/+7/+2+5+10+10Writ of Requisition (5,000 GP)
17th+12/+7/+2+5+10+10Writ of Immunity (Total)
18th+13/+8/+3+6+11+11Ability Increase (+6/+6, +2/+2/+2/+2), Writ of Message (Total)
19th+14/+9/+4+6+11+11Writ of Levy (Total)
20th+15/+10/+5+6+12+12Writ of Sovereignty


Class Features
All of the following are class features of the ambassador.

Weapon and Armour Proficiency
The ambassador is proficient with all simple weapons plus the rapier, the shortbow and the short sword, as well as with light and medium armour and shields.

Exertions (Ex)
Ambassadors can use exertions; their primary ability scores for doing so are Wisdom and Charisma.

Known
Ambassadors are well known and it is difficult to impersonate them. Any creature attempting to impersonate you, including but not limited to use of the bluff, disguise and forgery skills, takes a -3 penalty, plus another -1 penalty to the check per level you have.

Skill Aptitude (Ex)
You can use your wisdom for hide checks and checks made to continue walking or running, and your charisma for sleight of hand checks and grapple checks instead of the standard ability score, but do not have to.

Writ of Requisition
Your name is well known and your presence often expected. You have the ability to requisition items of up to 5gp value - you can requisition once per day from a given organisation or populace. You cannot requisition anything that the people in question do not have, and criminal organisations may not give in to your requisition order, though official ones will except in extraordinary circumstances.

At sixth level, this limit increases to 50 gp; at eleventh 1,000; at sixteenth 5,000.

Overland Traveller (Ex)
From second level, you and up to two other creatures per level can travel overland at double the normal rate. If this group would encounter a random encounter, there is a 5% chance per level (up, of course, to 100%) that you get the choice of either avoiding the encounter or ambushing it.

Writ of Immunity
As your prestige grows and people hear of your deeds, you have a measure of immunity from the consequences of your actions. Initially, this manifests as an unofficial immunity to the lowest levels of crimes. As you gain more levels, you gain a level of official immunity, and with it, a greater level of unofficial immunity. This is summarised below:

Level 2 (Minor): You have unofficial immunity from prosecution for minor trespassing, petty theft, loitering, and similar low-level crimes. People either assume you have the right to be acting in that way, or that they might get in more trouble for reporting you than it's worth.

"You're under arrest for loitering, citizen!"
"Move along, ambassador."

"Oi, you! You're not meant to be he... oh, it's just you, ambassador. My apologies, but this area is out of bounds. Please, allow me to take you back to the courtyard."

Level 7 (Moderate): You have official immunity for minor crimes, and those for whom you advocate or with whom you travel have unofficial immunity for the same. You also have unofficial immunity for much nonviolent crime, short of offences such as grand larceny, and also some violent crime, to the tune of affray and similar offences.

"You're not allowed here! Guards? Guards!"
"You're not allowed here! What's that? You're with the ambassador? I don't care, you're still not allowed to be here! Look, leave quietly and I won't call the guards on you!"
"You're not allow... oh, ambassador! My apologies."

"Is the ambassador even allowed to access our letters? I've half a mind to go down to the public information bureau and ask, but... oh, it's raining. Hmm, maybe tomorrow..."

Level 12 (Major): You have official immunity for moderate crimes, and those for whom you advocate or with whom you travel have unofficial immunity for the same and official immunity for minor crimes. Anyone who can make a claim to a connection to your person or cause has unofficial immunity for minor crimes. You have unofficial immunity for almost all crime: the exceptions are generally on the scale of murder, arson, or treason. Even for these crimes, you are likely to have drastically reduced punishment.
"You're under arrest for loitering, citiz... oh, what's that? You're waiting for the ambassador? Well, I'll let you off just this once, but you'd better not be here when I get back."

"Show yourself, fiend! I won't have mercy on you when I catch you sneaking around my house... oh! It's you, ambassador! What... what are you doing here? Oh, no, yes, of course, but... damn you!"

"Oh, leave off, it's just a bloody nose. Yes, it does hurt, but taking a case against the ambassador is doomed to failure. I'll live, dammit!"

Level 17 (Total): You have official immunity for major crimes, and those for whom you advocate or with whom you travel have unofficial immunity for the same and official immunity for moderate crimes. Anyone who can make a claim to a connection to your person or cause has official immunity for minor crimes and unofficial immunity for moderate crimes. You have a level of unofficial immunity for almost any crime: people rarely remember the entire list of exceptions to your official immunity - notably, the exceptions to your official immunity still include murder, arson and treason, but you are unlikely to be considered as a suspect for these crimes short of damning evidence.

"You'd better have some damned good evidence if you're accusing the ambassador of murder!"

"I'll have to pack up shop. There's nothing left: the ambassador and a few goons tore through it all and left me with nothing."

Your unofficial immunity may vary in utility depending on whether or not the person in question has anything to gain (and how much) from accusing you; your official immunity, however, is valid wherever there is a system of law and order, even a chaotic and loosely-regulated one. What counts as what level of crime depends on the system of laws in a particular society, and even the listed examples may be subject to change. For example, in most societies, torture would be considered to be a major-level or even total-level crime; in an evil society where peasants are regularly tortured at the whims of the aristocracy, it may be considered moderate, minor or even no crime at all. Most crimes are at a higher level against the ruling classes than against the knight or merchant classes, and a lower level against the peasant classes than against a knight or merchant.

Ability Increase
At third level, you increase one of your primary ability scores by 2. At sixth level, you increase the other by 2, and one of your other four ability scores by 2. At ninth level, you increase one of your primary ability scores by another 2, to a total of +4. At twelfth level, you increase the other by another 2, and one of the three ability scores you haven't increased yet by 2. At fifteenth level, you increase one of your primary ability scores by another 2, and one of the two ability scores you haven't increased yet by 2. At eighteenth level, you increase the other of your primary ability scores by another 2, and the ability score you haven't increased yet by 2. These changes are summarised on Table: the Ambassador.

Writ of Message (Ex)
From third level, you can count on someone to take your message or item from your location to another location within 10 miles. At 8th level, this becomes 200 miles; at 13th level, this becomes anywhere on the same plane; at 18th level, this becomes anywhere at all. In general, whoever you give the message (unless they are your overt enemy) makes an attempt to get it to the location specified as fast as reasonably possible. Short of exceptional circumstances (or enemy player character action!) the message will arrive, although how fast depends on the circumstances. Creatures will collaborate in order to get the message to its destination - for example, the fastest way to get a message to a location may well be to find the nearest wizard capable of teleportation - rather than necessarily attempt to deliver it personally (unless you specifically request them to).

Skilled Negotiator
From fourth level, any skill points the ambassador has in charisma-based skills and in sense motive count one and a half times over (rounding down) when determining your skill bonus.

Writ of Levy
From fourth level, you have the ability to recruit a small number of people for an immediate cause - such as aiding in the arrest of an individual, searching an area, or guarding a particular location against a specific adversary. You can initially call upon 5 first-level warriors or experts to help you; you can swap one for two first-level commoners as many times as you like (so you can call upon 10 commoners) or swap two for one of a level higher (so you could call 1 3rd-level expert and 1 first-level warrior). At ninth level, this becomes 50 first-level warriors or experts or equivalent, and you can swap two warriors or experts for one adept; at fourteenth, this becomes 500 and you can swap two adepts for one creature with player character class levels; at nineteenth, this becomes 5,000.

Obviously, you can only levy people if they're actually there to be levied, although they will make an effort to spread the word so that you can assemble a task force quickly. This doesn't replace your ability to use skill checks to convince people to help you, only allow you to rally people to your cause more easily.

Writ of Passage
From fifth level, you have the authority, know-how and influence to acquire passage for yourself and your companions into a normally-restricted location and/or via a method that would not otherwise be available to you. In general, this means that you can acquire an audience with anyone you like, you can access any archives or information which would normally be withheld from you (apart from people's personal effects), and you needn't pay a fare for travel or lodging, nor pay at toll booths. You are allowed past blockades and similar, allowing you and your companions uncontested access even to a city under siege. This writ is respected wherever there is a semblance of a legal system or code of honour or conduct.

Respected and Feared (Ex)
From eighth level, people take pains not to accost you, oppose you, or pay too much attention to you, unless they are acting in aid of your person or cause. You may, as a swift action on your turn, prevent creatures from attacking you while an ally you specify remains conscious and in combat with them for one round; a will save (DC = 10 + half your ambassador level + your charisma modifier) negates this effect.

Writ of Archive
From tenth level, you have the right to all information that an individual or organisation can reveal to you. Legitimate organisations will grant you whatever information you seek, and covert criminal organisations will at least make a show of doing so, if it is within their capabilities to do so. You can not only access libraries and archives without restriction, but there is a duty to show you the specific information you seek.

Writ of Indictment
From tenth level, you have the ability to call for the arrest or deposition of a particular individual even on spurious grounds and have your request carried out. In general, you can only use this on minor officials and those lower in status, and excessive abuse of this power may render it ineffective.

Know no Fear (Ex)
From eleventh level, you are immune to fear, including the shaken, frightened, panicked and cowering conditions.

Writ of Authority
From fifteenth level, you have the combined powers of law enforcement and a minor official. In general, creatures obey your orders and you have the ability to put a creature under lawful arrest in any jurisdiction. You must either have a good reason for the arrest or use your writ of indictment or immunity to avoid problems.

Writ of Sovereignty
From twentieth level, you have the ability to change laws, your advice is considered above that of actual advisors, and any crime against you is dealt with harshly (unless you choose otherwise, of course). Your administrative powers are second only to those of the ruling elite. Even if you aren't always loved, you are respected, and people will leap to oppose any challenge to your person, cause or rule.

The Epic Ambassador
Your Writ of Requisition and Writ of Levy continue to scale, though at a different rate. At 22nd level and every 4th level thereafter, your maximum requisition value multiplies by 10. At 24th level and every 4th level thereafter, your maximum levy value does the same. At 24th level and every 4th level thereafter, you gain a +1 epic bonus to attack rolls (effectively giving you a medium base attack bonus at epic levels).

Your exertions, the effects of your Known class feature and the save DC of your Respected and Feared class feature continue to scale with level.

[Unavenger]

The Blacksmith

A mundane crafter class was never going to be easy. A single spell, fabricate, is likely to ruin you in terms of quantity. The alternative, then, is to outdo spellcasters in quality - and get this ability online before fabricate. Sure, making a bunch of suits of full plate in an instant is nice, but have you tried making a better type of armour altogether?

I'm already aware of another way of doing stronger mundane equipment (for those who read the ambassador's design notes, I'll give you zero guesses who pointed me to it) but for this class, I want to have a more modular system where you can make your equipment stronger on your own terms. Somehow, the crafter's other primary ability score (intelligence was a shoo-in right from the start) ended up being constitution (mainly because the other four pairings with intelligence ended up being something else), so the blacksmith also boasts... well, they boast, and enemies hit them because they're so boastful! I mean, the blacksmith boasts a variety of abilities to draw enemy attention onto you.

Abilities: The blacksmith relies on constitution and intelligence as primary ability scores. A blacksmith also tends to use strength for fighting; heavy armour mostly removes the need for dexterity.
Alignment: Any.
Hit Die: d10
Starting Age: High
Starting Gold: As fighter.

Class Skills
The blacksmith's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Appraise (Int), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Disable Device (Int), Handle Animal (Cha), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Knowledge (Architecture and Engineering) (Int), Knowledge (Local) (Int), Listen (Wis), Open Lock (Dex), Profession (Wis) and Spot (Wis).

Skill Points at First Level: (8 + Int modifier) x 4
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 8 + Int modifier

Table: The Blacksmith
LevelBABFortRefWillSpecial
1st+1+2+0+0Exertions, Skill Aptitude, Unparallelled Crafter
2nd+2+3+0+0Cut the Cost (90%), Threatening Build
3rd+3+3+1+1Ability Increase (+2)
4th+4+4+1+1Blacksmithing Boon (1 boon)
5th+5+4+1+1Cut the Cost (85%)
6th+6/+1+5+2+2Ability Increase (+2/+2, +2)
7th+7/+2+5+2+2Blacksmithing Boon (2 boons)
8th+8/+3+6+2+2Cut the Cost (80%), Rip to Pieces
9th+9/+4+6+3+3Ability Increase (+4/+2, +2)
10th+10/+5+7+3+3Blacksmithing Boon (3 boons)
11th+11/+6/+1+7+3+3Cut the Cost (75%)
12th+12/+7/+2+8+4+4Ability Increase (+4/+4, +2/+2), Crashing Ground
13th+13/+8/+3+8+4+4Blacksmithing Boon (4 boons)
14th+14/+9/+4+9+4+4Architectural Knowledge, Cut the Cost (70%)
15th+15/+10/+5+9+5+5Ability Increase (+6/+4, +2/+2/+2)
16th+16/+11/+6/+1+10+5+5Blacksmithing Boon (5 boons)
17th+17/+12/+7/+2+10+5+5Cut the Cost (65%)
18th+18/+13/+8/+3+11+6+6Ability Increase (+6/+6, +2/+2/+2/+2)
19th+19/+14/+9/+4+11+6+6Blacksmithing Boon (6 boons)
20th+20/+15/+10/+5+12+6+6Greatest Creation, Cut the Cost (60%)


Class Features
All of the following are class features of the blacksmith.

Weapon and Armour Proficiency
Blacksmiths are proficient with all armour and shields, and with all simple and martial weapons. The blacksmith is proficient with a single exotic weapon of your choice.

Exertions (Ex)
Blacksmiths can use exertions; their primary ability scores for doing so are constitution and intelligence.

Skill Aptitude (Ex)
You can use your intelligence for open lock and profession checks, and your constitution for intimidate and jump checks instead of the standard ability score, but do not have to.

Unparalleled Crafter
For blacksmiths, craft is a single skill. If you are a blacksmith, you do not need to put points in craft skills separately.

If you already have ranks in more than one craft skill when you take levels in blacksmith, total up the number of skill ranks you have in craft. If the total is less than or equal to your character level + 3, that total is your new number of craft ranks. Else, your number of craft ranks becomes your character level + 3 and you gain extra skill ranks equal to the difference. Ideally, these skill ranks should be spent in a way that they could have been if you spent them at the time you gained them; however, if this proves difficult to remember then so long as the DM doesn't have reason to suspect that you are deliberately planning your character to withhold skill ranks until you have more class skills, you can re-spend them however you like.

Example: John is a Rogue 5 who takes a level in blacksmith. He has a total of 10 craft ranks. He ends up with nine ranks in craft - as he's now a sixth-level character - and should spend the last skill rank to improve a rogue skill.

Example: Jamie is a Fighter 3/Ranger 3/Dwarven Defender 2 who now takes a level of blacksmith. He has a total of 20 craft ranks. He ends up with 12 ranks in craft, but can't remember which of the other eight craft ranks came from which of his classes. He spends them in any of his class skills, with DM permission.

Cut the Cost (Ex)
Blacksmiths are exceptionally good at crafting, and can do so faster and at less cost than most people. From second level, you can reduce the cost of anything you craft to 90% of its normal cost - you use this reduced value to determine the raw material cost and the time it takes. This is reduced by a further 5% every third level after second, to a minimum of 10% at 50th level.

Threatening Build (Ex)
From second level, you are capable of drawing enemy attention. At the start of each of your turns, you may designate a creature. That creature must take a will save (DC = 10 + half your blacksmith level + your constitution modifier) or be compelled to avoid attacking your allies in favour of you during its next turn.

Ability Increase
At third level, you increase one of your primary ability scores by 2. At sixth level, you increase the other by 2, and one of your other four ability scores by 2. At ninth level, you increase one of your primary ability scores by another 2, to a total of +4. At twelfth level, you increase the other by another 2, and one of the three ability scores you haven't increased yet by 2. At fifteenth level, you increase one of your primary ability scores by another 2, and one of the two ability scores you haven't increased yet by 2. At eighteenth level, you increase the other of your primary ability scores by another 2, and the ability score you haven't increased yet by 2. These changes are summarised on Table: the Blacksmith.

Blacksmithing Boon (Ex)
At fourth level, blacksmiths gain the ability to improve any equipment they make beyond the standard capabilities of that equipment. You can choose one boon from the following list and apply it to any piece of equipment that you craft. Every three levels after fourth, you gain the ability to add another boon. Each boon you add doubles the market price of the weapon, and boons multiply rather than stacking when determining the actual market price of the item and the cost in resources. However, you stack the price rather than multiplying it when determining how long the item takes to craft - so a greatsword with two boons has a market price of 200 gp, but takes only as long as a weapon costing 150gp to craft.

These are the boons applicable to weapons (and ammunition):

Chain shot: A chain shot weapon must be a throwing weapon or a piece of ammunition. You can make ranged trip attacks with a chain shot weapon or a weapon using chain shot ammunition, but even if you don't, the weapon's range increment is halved.
Corded: A corded weapon can be pulled back to the user the turn after it is thrown as a swift action.
Concealable: A concealable weapon grants the user a +4 bonus to sleight of hand checks to conceal it on their person.
Defensive: A defensive weapon gives an additional +2 bonus to AC when used with combat expertise or to fight defensively.
Disarming: A disarming weapon grants the wielder a +4 bonus on disarm attempts.
Inclusive Reach: An inclusive reach weapon can be used either as a reach weapon or as a non-reach weapon, just as a spiked chain can.
Lithe: A lithe weapon uses the wielder's dexterity modifier instead of their strength modifier for attack and damage rolls.
Mighty: A mighty weapon uses the wielder's strength modifier instead of their dexterity modifier for attack rolls.
Restraint: A weapon of restraint can be used to deal lethal, nonlethal or no damage at the wielder's option with no penalty.
Sanctified: A sanctified weapon is a special monk weapon and a special acolyte weapon.
Sweeping: A sweeping weapon must be a melee weapon. When a creature makes a full attack with a sweeping weapon, each time they hit with it, they deal 2d6 additional points of damage to the target for each other creature they have hit with the weapon during the same action since they last hit that creature.
Tripping: A tripping weapon can only be a melee weapon; it can be used to make trip attacks.
Vigilant: You can ready an action to attack with a vigilant weapon without affecting your initiative count. If you ready a vigilant weapon against a charge, the damage you deal is doubled, or you get a +4 bonus on your disarm or trip attempt.
Warden's: A warden's weapon allows the wielder to make an attack of opportunity against a creature who leaves the wielder's threatened area even if they take a five-foot step (but not if they take the withdraw action).

These are the boons applicable to armour and shields:

Agile: Choose one skill when you craft this item. The item's armour check penalty doesn't apply to that skill.
Fireproof: This item's armour bonus or double its shield bonus is also granted to the wearer as fire resistance.
Thermal: This item's armour bonus or double its shield bonus is also granted to the wearer as cold resistance.
Thick: This item's shield bonus or half of its armour bonus (rounding down, minimum 1) applies to touch attacks.

These are the boons applicable to all items:

Invulnerable: The item isn't really invulnerable, but its hardness, hit points and break DC are doubled.



Rip to Pieces (Ex)
From eighth level, the blacksmith can destroy just as well as create. You ignore half of the hardness of objects and deal double damage to them.

Crashing Ground (Ex)
From twelfth level, the blacksmith can automatically identify the weak points of any structure just by looking at them. Also, by striking the floor of a building as a standard action, the blacksmith can attempt to knock down creatures within 20 feet. Each creature within range must take a reflex save (DC = 10 + half your blacksmith level + your constitution modifier) or be knocked prone. A creature who falls prone in this way cannot get up on their next turn.

Architectural Knowledge (Ex)
From fourteenth level, the blacksmith is familiar enough with architecture through the ages that you can find your way around any building so long as you can see and can observe the style of architecture.

Greatest Creation (Ex)
From twentieth level, you can craft an exceptionally powerful version of any kind of equipment. Its effect is doubled but its market price is multiplied by ten (including for determining how long it takes to craft). If it is a weapon, it does double damage and any numerical benefit it grants is doubled; if it is a set of armour or a shield, its AC bonus is doubled (but so is its armour check penalty, after changes for material and masterwork); if it does something else, work with the DM to determine what being twice as effective means, though any numerical benefit it grants is definitely doubled. A light source would shine twice as far and an item that caused a temporary condition would either double the numerical effects of the condition or double the duration, depending on what makes more sense. In general, if there are multiple ways that double effect could make sense, you get to choose.

The Epic Blacksmith
Your class features continue to scale into epic levels exactly as they did through normal levels, except that your Cut the Cost ability doesn't scale past 50th level! Every even level, you get a +1 epic bonus to attack rolls (giving you, effectively, full base attack bonus in epic levels).


The Challenger

The three different physical-only pairings were liable to fall into the classic trap of having only in-combat abilities. The challenger, however, is able to turn a social situation into a duel of honour basically whenever they like. Having access to full exertion progression, increased ability score progression, and some bonus feats just to spice it up (though they do get at least one thing that isn't a bonus feat each level).

For things that are neither social nor combat, the Challenger still has a variety of tricks up their sleeves, though, so don't worry...

Abilities: The challenger's strength and dexterity are the most important ability scores. Constitution is also useful for keeping alive, of course! The other three can usually be supplanted via the challenge ability.
Alignment: Any.
Hit Die: d10
Starting Age: Moderate
Starting Gold: As fighter.

Class Skills
The challenger's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Balance (Dex), Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Disable Device (Int), Escape Artist (Dex), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Hide (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Knowledge (Architecture and Engineering) (Int), Knowledge (History) (Int), Knowledge (Local) (Int), Knowledge (Nobility and Royalty) (Int), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Open Lock (Dex), Perform (Cha), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Search (Int), Sleight of Hand (Dex), Spot (Wis), Tumble (Dex) and Use Rope (Dex).

Skill Points at First Level: (4 + Int modifier) x 4
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 4 + Int modifier


Table: The Challenger
[th]LevelBABFortRefWillSpecial
Speed Bonus
1st+1+2+2+0Challenge!, Exertions, Skill Aptitude, Bonus Feat
10 ft
2nd+2+3+3+0Pathcutter, Bonus Feat
10 ft
3rd+3+3+3+1Ability Increase (+2)
20 ft
4th+4+4+4+1Siege Adept, Bonus Feat
20 ft
5th+5+4+4+1Ability Increase (+2/+2, +2)
20 ft
6th+6/+1+5+5+2Evasion, Manystrike, Bonus Feat
30 ft
7th+7/+2+5+5+2Ability Increase (+4/+2, +2)
30 ft
8th+8/+3+6+6+2Boundless Step, Bonus Feat
30 ft
9th+9/+4+6+6+3Ability Increase (+4/+4, +2/+2)
40 ft
10th+10/+5+7+7+3Halcyon Wings, Bonus Feat
40 ft
11th+11/+6/+1+7+7+3Ability Increase (+6/+4, +2/+2/+2)
40 ft
12th+12/+7/+2+8+8+4Improved Evasion, Bonus Feat
50 ft
13th+13/+8/+3+8+8+4Ability Increase (+6/+6, +2/+2/+2/+2)
50 ft
14th+14/+9/+4+9+9+4Masterful Parry, Bonus Feat
50 ft
15th+15/+10/+5+9+9+5Ability Increase (+8/+6, +4/+2/+2/+2)
60 ft
16th+16/+11/+6/+1+10+10+5Greater Manystrike, Bonus Feat
60 ft
17th+17/+12/+7/+2+10+10+5Ability Increase (+8/+8, +4/+4/+4/+2)
60 ft
18th+18/+13/+8/+3+11+11+6Halcyon Wings, Bonus Feat
70 ft
19th+19/+14/+9/+4+11+11+6Ability Increase (+10/+10, +4/+4/+4/+4)
70 ft
20th+20/+15/+10/+5+12+12+6Masterful Riposte, Bonus Feat
70 ft


Class Features
All the following are class features of the challenger.

Weapon and Armour Proficiency
The challenger is proficient in all simple and martial weapons, all armour and shields, the bolas and the two-bladed sword.

Challenge! (Ex)
The challenger is internationally respected as a champion of their particular cause, and can demand that any dispute be solved via honourable combat. Any legitimate authority recognises the challenger's right to duel, and in general, this duel can be used to solve a single problem which would otherwise have needed to be solved socially or via mass combat (though it won't, on its own, override an entire council decision on a matter or solve an entire subplot). Neither the challenger nor their opponent needs to play fair, although if their duplicity is made clear this may cast doubt on the result.

Also, the challenger is authorised to use any level of force to capture criminals who refuse to surrender quietly, which again is recognised by any legitimate authority.

While the challenger is fighting in single combat, you get a bonus to damage rolls equal to your challenger level, and half that bonus to attack rolls and AC.

Exertions (Ex)
Challengers can use exertions; their primary ability scores for doing so are Strength and Dexterity.

Skill Aptitude (Ex)
You can use your strength for intimidate checks and checks to continue walking or running, and your dexterity for disable device and heal checks, instead of the standard ability score, but do not have to.

Bonus Feats
The challenger gets bonus feats exactly as the fighter does.

Speed Bonus (Ex)
While wearing light armour or no armour, you get a bonus to speed listed on Table: the Challenger. While wearing medium or heavy armour, you get half that bonus (after determining your reduced speed for wearing that armour in the first place).

Pathcutter (Ex)
From second level, the challenger ignores the adverse effects of difficult terrain.

Ability Increase
At third level, you increase one of your primary ability scores by 2. At fifth level, you increase the other by 2, and one of your other four ability scores by 2. At seventh level, you increase one of your primary ability scores by another 2, to a total of +4. At ninth level, you increase the other by another 2, and one of the three ability scores you haven't increased yet by 2. At eleventh level, you increase one of your primary ability scores by another 2, and one of the two ability scores you haven't increased yet by 2. At thirteenth level, you increase the other of your primary ability scores by another 2, and the ability score you haven't increased yet by 2. At fifteenth level, you increase one of your primary ability scores by another 2, and one of the other four ability scores by 2. At seventeenth level, you increase the other primary ability score by another 2, and two of the other ability scores you didn't increase at level fifteen by 2. At nineteenth level, you increase both primary ability scores, and the ability score you didn't increase at fifteenth or seventeenth level, by 2. These changes are summarised on Table: the Challenger.

Siege Adept (Ex)
From fourth level, the challenger's attacks ignore half of the hardness of objects. The challenger gains proficiency in all siege weapons.

Evasion (Ex)
From 6th level, whenever you pass a reflex save for half damage, you take no damage instead.

Manystrike (Ex)
From sixth level, you can make a full attack as a standard action, or replace the attack at the end of a charge with a full attack.

Boundless Step (Ex)
From 8th level, you get a bonus to climb, jump and swim checks equal to your level, and can climb or swim as fast as you can walk at no penalty.

Halcyon Wings (Ex)
From 10th level, the challenger has access to a giant eagle mount. The giant eagle prefers to avoid combat, though it will serve in combat if needed. If slain, the giant eagle can be replaced with another one after 8 hours of searching.

At 18th level, the challenger can instead call upon a roc, which is far more confident in combat than the giant eagle.

Improved Evasion (Ex)
From 12th level, whenever you fail a reflex save for half damage, you take half damage anyway.

Masterful Parry (Ex)
From 14th level, once per round you can cause an attack against you to miss automatically without having to roll if it requires an attack roll. If it is some kind of projectile but doesn't require an attack roll, you can cause that attack to fail. This ability doesn't require an action to use.

Greater Manystrike (Ex)
From 16th level, you can make a full attack once per round on your turn with no action, but if you do so, you cannot make a full attack at any other point in the same turn (you cannot have made a full attack already).

Masterful Riposte (Ex)
From 20th level, when you use your masterful parry ability, you can make a single attack against the person who made the attack if they're in range. If you're wielding two weapons, you can instead make a single attack with each of those weapons. This doesn't take an action.

The Epic Challenger
Your exertions and your challenge!, bonus feats and boundless step class features continue to progress into epic levels. Every even level, you get a +1 epic bonus to attack rolls (giving you, effectively, full base attack bonus in epic levels).


The Guardian

I want you all to know that I considered a d20 hit die, but I wanted constitution to be actually important when determining hit points. The deceptively-low hit die (and the class feature that makes up for it) are there for that purpose.

Next port of call was making a dexterity-based tanky class, which is hard when tanky classes usually want to be wearing heavy armour. The obvious solution is to increase the maximum dexterity bonus of armour so that you can actually put that dexterity score to good use, and then to give you some kind of finesse ability that doesn't completely screw over your shield use. Other than all that, this class was mostly based on the knight, only if the knight weren't terrible.

I'm aware that this makes dancing knight builds (get a reach weapon, any more reach boosts you can grab, and evasive reflexes/hold the line and largely prevent any enemies from ever reaching you) better than they were already. I'm not sure that's a huge problem, as it's

Abilities: The guardian's constitution and dexterity are most important for the guardian. Strength is deceptively unnecessary as the guardian favours heavy armour which will encumber you more than a heavy load anyway; the other three ability scores are not particularly useful for any class features but a strong will save and skill points will help you.
Alignment: Any.
Hit Die: d8
Starting Age: High
Starting Gold: As fighter.

Class Skills
The guardian's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Balance (Dex), Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Hide (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Knowledge (Architecture and Engineering) (Int), Knowledge (Dungeoneering) (Int), Knowledge (History) (Int), Knowledge (Local) (Int), Knowledge (Nobility and Royalty) (Int), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Search (Int), Spot (Wis), Survival (Wis), Tumble (Dex) and Use Rope (Dex).

Skill Points at First Level: (4 + Int modifier) x 4
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 4 + Int modifier


Table: The Guardian
LevelBABFortRefWillSpecial
1st+1+2+2+0Armoured Skill, Durability, Exertions, Grace, Skill Aptitude
2nd+2+3+3+0Shield Mastery +1, Threatening Build
3rd+3+3+3+1Ability Increase (+2)
4th+4+4+4+1Pinning Manoeuvres
5th+5+4+4+1Evasion, Loyal Steed
6th+6/+1+5+5+2Ability Increase (+2/+2, +2), Shield Mastery +2
7th+7/+2+5+5+2Fast Recovery, Manystrike
8th+8/+3+6+6+2Aggression Magnet
9th+9/+4+6+6+3Ability Increase (+4/+2, +2)
10th+10/+5+7+7+3Damage Reduction 5/-, Shield Mastery +3
11th+11/+6/+1+7+7+3Exceptional Durability
12th+12/+7/+2+8+8+4Ability Increase (+4/+4, +2/+2)
13th+13/+8/+3+8+8+4Damage Reduction 10/-
14th+14/+9/+4+9+9+4Improved Evasion, Shield Mastery +4
15th+15/+10/+5+9+9+5Ability Increase (+6/+4, +2/+2/+2)
16th+16/+11/+6/+1+10+10+5Damage Reduction 15/-
17th+17/+12/+7/+2+10+10+5Sworn Defender
18th+18/+13/+8/+3+11+11+6Ability Increase (+6/+6, +2/+2/+2/+2), Shield Mastery +5
19th+19/+14/+9/+4+11+11+6Damage Reduction 20/-
20th+20/+15/+10/+5+12+12+6Soul Survivor


Class Features
All of the following are class features of the Guardian.

Weapon and Armour Proficiency
The Guardian is proficient in all kinds of armour, all shields (including tower shields), all simple weapons, and all light and one-handed martial weapons.

Armoured Skill (Ex)
The guardian's ability to use armour effectively is exceptional. For each guardian level you have, increase your maximum dexterity bonus by 1 and reduce your total armour check penalty by 1.

Durability (Ex)
A guardian's constitution is very important when determining how much damage the guardian can take. Whenever your constitution modifier maximum (that is, your constitution modifier before accounting for any damage, drain or burn to the ability score) is positive, apply that modifier to your hit points at each level in addition to your actual constitution modifier. For example, at first level, with 16 constitution damaged by 6, your hit point maximum is 8+0+3=11.

Exertions (Ex)
Guardians can use exertions; their primary ability scores for doing so are dexterity and constitution.

Grace (Ex)
Guardians are capable of using their weapons and shields with surprising grace. A guardian who uses a tower shield doesn't take a penalty on attack rolls for using the tower shield. A guardian's light and one-handed weapon attacks can use dexterity instead of strength for attack and damage rolls (if you use a weapon that doesn't normally allow you to add your strength modifier to damage rolls, such as a hand crossbow, you can still add your dexterity modifier to the damage roll). Any shield bash attack the guardian makes is treated as a light weapon for the purposes of two-weapon fighting. Finally, the guardian never requires Weapon Finesse as a prerequisite for anything.

Skill Aptitude (Ex)
You can use your constitution for search and intimidate checks, and your dexterity for climb and heal checks, instead of the standard ability score, but do not have to.

Shield Mastery (Ex)
At second level, the shield bonus granted by any shield the guardian uses increases by 1. This increases by another 1 every 4 levels after second.

Threatening Build (Ex)
From second level, you are capable of drawing enemy attention. At the start of each of your turns, you may designate a creature. That creature must take a will save (DC = 10 + half your guardian level + your constitution modifier) or be compelled to avoid attacking your allies in favour of you during its next turn.

Ability Increase
At third level, you increase one of your primary ability scores by 2. At sixth level, you increase the other by 2, and one of your other four ability scores by 2. At ninth level, you increase one of your primary ability scores by another 2, to a total of +4. At twelfth level, you increase the other by another 2, and one of the three ability scores you haven't increased yet by 2. At fifteenth level, you increase one of your primary ability scores by another 2, and one of the two ability scores you haven't increased yet by 2. At eighteenth level, you increase the other of your primary ability scores by another 2, and the ability score you haven't increased yet by 2. These changes are summarised on Table: the Guardian.

Pinning Manoeuvres (Ex)
At fourth level, your opponents treat every square you've made a ranged weapon attack into (including because you attacked a creature in that square) since the start of your last turn as difficult terrain. If you haven't made any ranged weapon attacks in that time, your opponents treat every square within your natural reach that you threaten as difficult terrain.

Evasion (Ex)
From fifth level, whenever you pass a reflex save for half damage, you instead take no damage.

Loyal Steed
From fifth level, you gain a griffon to serve as your mount. Unlike a standard griffon, the griffon's number of hit dice are equal to your guardian level and its size is one size category larger than your original size, regardless of its hit dice (if your original size is colossal, the griffon is colossal too but you can ride it as though you were gargantuan. This probably shouldn't come up). The griffon mount serves willingly and well, and you can choose its feats and skills as it advances due to your training. If the griffon is slain, it takes eight hours of searching to find a new one.

Fast Recovery (Ex)
From seventh level, you heal hit points equal to your constitution modifier whenever you take a short rest, six times that many when you take a medium rest, or twenty times that many (in addition to natural healing) when you take a full rest.

Manystrike (Ex)
From seventh level, you can make a full attack as a standard action, or replace the attack at the end of a charge with a full attack.

Aggression Magnet (Ex)
From eighth level, you can target any number of creatures with your Threatening Build ability, not just one.

Damage Reduction
At tenth level, and every three levels thereafter, the guardian gets DR 5/-, which stacks with any existing damage reduction.

Exceptional Durability (Ex)
From eleventh level, use double your constitution modifier maximum to determine the benefits of the durability class feature - so your hit points at each level usually equal d6+triple your constitution modifier.

Improved Evasion (Ex)
From fourteenth level, whenever you fail a reflex save for half damage, you take half damage anyway.

Sworn Protector (Ex)
From seventeenth level, allies within 5 feet of you (including yourself) can roll any saving throw they take twice and pick the higher roll. Creatures attacking these allies must roll any attack roll to do so twice and take the lower roll.

Soul Survivor (Ex)
From 20th level, you are immune to any effect that would kill you outright. Damage that would reduce your hit point total below -1 while you are conscious reduces it to -1 instead (or does nothing if it is already below -1), except the damage you take due to the dying condition. You no longer roll to see whether or not you stabilise each round. Instead, you remain conscious while you have the dying condition. Each round, instead of rolling to see whether or not you stabilise, you can choose either to remain dying and conscious or to stabilise but fall unconscious.

The Epic Guardian
Your exertions progress into epic levels, as do the effects of your armoured skill, shield mastery, and damage reduction class features and the save DC of your threatening build class feature. Every even level, you get a +1 epic bonus to attack rolls (giving you, effectively, full base attack bonus in epic levels).

[Unavenger]

I kinda wanted to have something more interesting and memorable than the static bonuses that Inspire Courage and marshal auras grant you. For all that I grumble about 5e, their bardic inspiration mechanic was more interesting. However, it's rather weak and very use-limited. To split the difference, I decided to give out a small pool of dice which people could use as they wanted every time that the Idol used their ability. This can be used ad infinitum outside of combat, mind, but I don't mind people getting small boosts to skill checks.

Apart from that, I gave a few extra abilities that can be used to inspire allies to keep on fighting, disrupt enemy spellcasters, and so forth. Hooray for countersongs that are actually useful!

Oh, by the way, I removed the minimum perform requirements, though since perform is one skill for you - and some of your performances rely on a high perform check to function - you should probably be putting ranks in it anyway, eh?

I was gonna cap the inspiration die at d12, but then by the time you're 22nd level, there's no point in being half-hearted. d100s, even at 26th level, would probably be overdoing it. Probably.

Abilities: The idol uses dexterity to avoid attacks - whether on the battlefield or in a bar brawl - but charisma is important for many of their performances.
Alignment: Any.
Hit Die: d6
Starting Age: Moderate
Starting Gold: As barbarian.

Class Skills
The idol's 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), Forgery (Int), Gather Information (Cha), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Hide (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Knowledge (All skills, taken individually) (Int), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Perform (Cha), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Search (Int), Sense Motive (Wis), Sleight of Hand (Dex), Speak Language (None), Spellcraft (Int), Spot (Wis), Survival (Wis), Swim (Str) and Use Rope (Dex).

Skill Points at First Level: (8 + Int modifier) x 4
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 8 + Int modifier


Table: The Idol
LevelBABFortRefWillSpecial
Inspiration Pool
1st+0+0+2+2Exertions, Graceful Finesse, Inspiration, Skill Aptitude, Unparalleled Performer
1d4
2nd+1+0+3+3Inspiration Talent
1d4
3rd+2+1+3+3Ability Increase (+2)
1d4
4th+3+1+4+4Inspiration Talent
2d4
5th+3+1+4+4Inspiration Talent
2d4
6th+4+2+5+5Ability Increase(+2/+2, +2)
2d6
7th+5+2+5+5Inspiration Talent
2d6
8th+6/+1+2+6+6Star Performer
3d6
9th+6/+1+3+6+6Ability Increase (+4/+2, +2)
3d6
10th+7/+2+3+7+7Inspiration Talent
3d8
11th+8/+3+3+7+7Inspiration Talent
3d8
12th+9/+4+4+8+8Ability Increase (+4/+4, +2/+2)
4d8
13th+9/+4+4+8+8Inspiration Talent
4d8
14th+10/+5+4+9+9Inspiration Talent
4d10
15th+11/+6/+1+5+9+9Ability Increase (+6/+4, +2/+2/+2)
4d10
16th+12/+7/+2+5+10+10Inspiration Talent
5d10
17th+12/+7/+2+5+10+10Inspiration Talent
5d10
18th+13/+8/+3+6+11+11Ability Increase (+6/+6, +2/+2/+2/+2)
5d12
19th+14/+9/+4+6+11+11Inspiration Talent
5d12
20th+15/+10/+5+6+12+12Confident Inspiration
6d12


Class Features
All of the following are class features of the Idol

Weapon and Armour Proficiency
The idol is proficient with all simple weapons and all light and/or ranged weapons (not including one-handed or two-handed weapons that can be used for throwing) plus the whip. The idol is also proficient with light armour.

Exertions (Ex)
Idols can use exertions; their primary ability scores for doing so are dexterity and charisma.

Graceful Finesse (Ex)
Idols are capable of using their weapons with surprising grace. An idol's light and one-handed weapon attacks can use dexterity instead of strength for attack and damage rolls (if you use a weapon that doesn't normally allow you to add your strength modifier to damage rolls, such as a hand crossbow, you can still add your dexterity modifier to the damage roll). Also, the idol never requires Weapon Finesse as a prerequisite for anything.

Inspiration (Ex)
As a standard action, the idol can inspire nearby allies to success. Any ally in range to hear the idol (up to a maximum of ten allies, plus one per level), including you, gains one inspiration die, plus one per four levels you have (no limit). Each inspiration die allows the bearer to roll a die of that type and add it to one of their d20 rolls, one of their damage rolls, the save DC of any special ability they use (including a spell, power or similar), their armour class, or the DC of any check that another creature takes directly against them (such as a Spellcraft check to identify a spell as they cast it). Using an inspiration die in this way isn't an action - you just do it, or don't, as a decision made as part of the action, just like choosing who to attack or choosing whether or not to avoid an overrun attack.

Creatures can't use an inspiration die at any point except immediately before the roll is made, and can't use an inspiration die if they don't know that the thing in question is happening (so you can't add it to a will save to disbelieve an illusion that you don't know is an illusion, or the DC of a sleight of hand check under most circumstances). Creatures can only use one inspiration die on each roll they make (though they can use multiple dice in a single action, such as for an attack and a damage roll).

Initially, the die is a d4. The die size increases at 6th level and every 4th level thereafter, up to a maximum of a d20 at 22nd level. The dice go away after one minute or when used, and if you use this ability again, creatures who can hear you lose unspent dice and gain the new ones instead. (If multiple idols use this ability, then the two dice pools are tracked separately except that still only one die - of any kind - can be used on each roll).

Skill Aptitude
You can use your dexterity for climb checks and checks to continue walking or running, and your charisma for forgery and sense motive checks, instead of the standard ability score, but do not have to.

Unparalleled Performer
For idols, perform is a single skill. If you are an idol, you do not need to put points in perform skills separately.

If you already have ranks in more than one perform skill when you take levels in idol, total up the number of skill ranks you have in perform. If the total is less than or equal to your character level + 3, that total is your new number of perform ranks. Else, your number of perform ranks becomes your character level + 3 and you gain extra skill ranks equal to the difference. Ideally, these skill ranks should be spent in a way that they could have been if you spent them at the time you gained them; however, if this proves difficult to remember then so long as the DM doesn't have reason to suspect that you are deliberately planning your character to withhold skill ranks until you have more class skills, you can re-spend them however you like.

See the blacksmith's Unparalleled Crafter feature for some examples.

Inspiration Talent (Ex)
At second level and every level thereafter at which you don't gain an ability score increase except eighth and twentieth, choose one of the following inspiration talents. You gain that ability. Some of the abilities refer to your inspiration die, but that doesn't mean you need to have an inspiration die to spend unless specified, only that the size of die depends on your inspiration die size. If an ability tells you to spend an inspiration die, you can spend an inspiration die that you got from somewhere else, but the die size is the size of that inspiration die, not your own inspiration dice.

Blade Dance: As a standard action, you can spend an inspiration die to begin a spinning performance that cuts enemies who move near you. Each enemy who moves within your natural reach for the first time on their turn or starts there turn there must take a reflex save (DC 10 + half your idol level + your dexterity modifier) or take damage equal to the die roll. If a creature tries to cast defensively within your natural reach, the DC increases by the die roll.
Chord of Cacophony: As an immediate action, you can spend an inspiration die to attempt to disrupt a spellcaster who you see casting a spell (or a manifester trying to manifest a power, or so forth). They must take a concentration check (DC 10+the ability's level+your die roll) or their ability fails and the resources they were using are lost.
Disappearing Act: When you move, as part of that action you can create a diversion by spending an inspiration die. Creatures need a will save (DC 10 + half your idol level + your dexterity modifier) to know which direction you went in, unless you can be clearly seen from their location (although you may also need a hide check).
Evasive Dance: As an immediate action, you can spend an inspiration die to move up to five feet times the roll of the die, up to a maximum of your movement speed.
Hypnotist: As a standard action, you can spend an inspiration die to attempt to fascinate a number of creatures who can see you up to the roll of the die. Each target can take a will save (DC 10 + half your idol level + your charisma modifier) to attempt to resist. Otherwise, this ability lasts as long as you concentrate (or until something happens that would stop the creatures being fascinated). Once you have fascinated a creature, if you have more inspiration dice to spend, you can spend any number as a standard action to attempt to make a suggestion (as the spell except that this ability is extraordinary) to as many of those creatures as you spend dice. This time, the will save is DC 10 + half your idol level + your charisma modifier + the roll of the inspiration die.
Kite Dash: So long as you have a large enough kite or glider, as a move action you can spend an inspiration die to fly up to 5 times the die result in feet, plus 5 feet per point of dexterity bonus you have (if any),
Moment of Greatness: When you inspire allies, rather than giving them the inspiration dice, you can make them roll those dice immediately and add them as temporary hit dice. These hit dice add temporary hit points (including the target's constitution modifier), are lost first to negative levels, and are considered to be part of the creature's hit dice and character level for abilities based on those, but provide no other benefit that hit dice normally provide.
Screamer: As a standard action, split your inspiration dice as you wish among any number of enemies who can hear you. Each of those enemies takes sonic damage equal to the combined roll of all the dice assigned to it, and its armour class is reduced by the roll of the highest die assigned to it (a morale penalty). Each round on its turn, the creature may attempt a will save (DC 10 + half your idol level + your charisma modifier) to end the effect.
Word of Freedom: As a standard action, you can target any number of creatures who can hear you (including yourself) up to the number of inspiration dice you produce with inspiration. Each of those allies may make an additional saving throw against a single effect which lasts for a given duration that allows a fortitude or will save, and gets a bonus on the extra save equal to the result of your inspiration die. This can't return an ally who has been turned to stone or knocked unconscious because they can no longer hear you, but you could ready an action to allow them to re-roll the save as soon as they fail it. Also, you can target a creature more than once at a time with this ability, to allow them to re-roll against more than one effect (but not one effect multiple times).

WIP - NEED MORE OF THESE.

Ability Increase
At third level, you increase one of your primary ability scores by 2. At sixth level, you increase the other by 2, and one of your other four ability scores by 2. At ninth level, you increase one of your primary ability scores by another 2, to a total of +4. At twelfth level, you increase the other by another 2, and one of the three ability scores you haven't increased yet by 2. At fifteenth level, you increase one of your primary ability scores by another 2, and one of the two ability scores you haven't increased yet by 2. At eighteenth level, you increase the other of your primary ability scores by another 2, and the ability score you haven't increased yet by 2. These changes are summarised on Table: the Idol.

Star Performer (Ex)
From eighth level, you are known well enough that people start with an attitude one better than normal towards you, and if they are at least friendly, will take pains to help you travel where you need to go.

Confident Inspiration
From twentieth level, whenever a creature rolls lower than half the die size when rolling one of your inspiration dice, they treat the result as half the die size.

The Epic Idol

Your inspiration die continues to increase at 22nd level but no further, while the number of dice increases at 24th level and every 2 levels thereafter. Your exertions and many of your save DCs progress into epic levels. At 24th level and every 4th level thereafter, you gain a +1 epic bonus to attack rolls (effectively giving you a medium base attack bonus at epic levels). You continue to gain inspiration talents every level.


The Leader

So, obviously leaders need to be able to inspire people, but I'm not feeling copy-pasting the Idol ability to inspire. Instead, the leader should lead by example - and aid their allies, of course. Generally, this led me towards the "do things to give allies bonuses to those things or make them do the same thing" model.

Abilities: The leader uses strength to fuel powerful attacks, and charisma to inspire their allies to victory. Constitution is also important for your survival.
Alignment: Any.
Hit Die: d10
Starting Age: High
Starting Gold: As fighter.

Class Skills
The leader's 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), Forgery (Int), Gather Information (Cha), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Hide (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Knowledge (All skills, taken individually) (Int), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Perform (Cha), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Search (Int), Sense Motive (Wis), Sleight of Hand (Dex), Spellcraft (Int), Spot (Wis), Survival (Wis) and Swim (Str).

Skill Points at First Level: (6 + Int modifier) x 4
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 6 + Int modifier


Table: The Leader
LevelBABFortRefWillSpecial
Heroic Movement
Heroic Attack
1st+1+2+0+2Exertions, Heroic Movement, Skill Aptitude
10 ft
-
2nd+2+3+0+3Hammer and Anvil
40 ft
-
3rd+3+3+1+3Ability Increase (+2)
90 ft
-
4th+4+4+1+4Heroic Skill
160 ft
-
5th+5+4+1+4Evasive Area Tactics
250 ft
-
6th+6/+1+5+2+5Ability Increase (+2/+2, +2)
360 ft
-
7th+7/+2+5+2+5Heroic Attack
490 ft
1
8th+8/+3+6+2+6Commander's Mount
640 ft
1
9th+9/+4+6+3+6Ability Increase (+4/+2, +2)
810 ft
1
10th+10/+5+7+3+7
1000 ft
2
11th+11/+6/+1+7+3+7Manystrike
1210 ft
2
12th+12/+7/+2+8+4+8Ability Increase (+4/+4, +2/+2)
1440 ft
2
13th+13/+8/+3+8+4+8
1690 ft
3
14th+14/+9/+4+9+4+9Heroic Exertion
1960 ft
3
15th+15/+10/+5+9+5+9Ability Increase (+6/+4, +2/+2/+2)
2250 ft
3
16th+16/+11/+6/+1+10+5+10
2560 ft
4
17th+17/+12/+7/+2+10+5+10Heroic Tactics
2890 ft
4
18th+18/+13/+8/+3+11+6+11Ability Increase (+6/+6, +2/+2/+2/+2)
3240 ft
4
19th+19/+14/+9/+4+11+6+11
3610 ft
5
20th+20/+15/+10/+5+12+6+12Eternal Hero
4000 ft
5


Class Features
All of the following are class features of the leader.

Weapon and Armour Proficiency
The leader is proficient with all simple and martial weapons and all types of armour and shields.

Exertions (Ex)
Leaders can use exertions; their primary ability scores for doing so are strength and charisma.

Heroic Movement (Ex)
As a standard action, you can move heroically, in a way that inspires allies to move with you. You move normally (including your mount moving if you are mounted) as though you had used a move action instead. At the same time, any number of allies who can see or hear your movement move a total combined distance up to the distance listed on Table: The Leader, with none of them moving more than their movement speed. A creature who moves in this way gets a circumstance bonus to armour class and saves equal to your charisma bonus (if any) during the movement.

Skill Aptitude
You can use your strength to see how long you can hold your breath and craft checks, and your charisma for ride and sense motive checks, instead of the standard ability score, but do not have to.

Hammer and Anvil (Ex)
From second level, you and your allies can flank an enemy from any two positions around the enemy, so long as the enemy is within your reach and at least one other creature's.

Ability Increase
At third level, you increase one of your primary ability scores by 2. At sixth level, you increase the other by 2, and one of your other four ability scores by 2. At ninth level, you increase one of your primary ability scores by another 2, to a total of +4. At twelfth level, you increase the other by another 2, and one of the three ability scores you haven't increased yet by 2. At fifteenth level, you increase one of your primary ability scores by another 2, and one of the two ability scores you haven't increased yet by 2. At eighteenth level, you increase the other of your primary ability scores by another 2, and the ability score you haven't increased yet by 2. These changes are summarised on Table: the Leader.

Heroic Skill (Ex)
From fourth level, whenever you and one or more other creatures attempt the same skill check together (for example, a move silently check to sneak collectively past the same guards) you all roll, and all use the highest roll between you, plus the highest bonus between you, plus the leader's charisma modifier.

Example: Jade is a rogue with a +9 bonus to move silently. Jamie is a leader with a +7 move silently bonus and a +3 charisma bonus. Jan is a sorcerer with a +2 move silently bonus and a +5 charisma bonus. Jade rolls a 4, Jamie a 9 and Jan a 17. The result of all three of their move silently checks is 17 (Jan's roll) plus 9 (Jade's move silently bonus) plus 3 (Jamie's charisma modifier), or 29.

Evasive Area Tactics (Ex)
From fifth level, whenever you and one of more allies must attempt to save against the same effect, if one or more of you succeeds, all of you succeed even if your rolls would indicate otherwise. You do not, however, inherit each other's class features (such as evasion) which influence the effect of a passed or failed save.

Heroic Attack (Ex)
From seventh level, as a full action, you can make a heroic attack. You make this attack as though you had made a standard-action attack (usually making only one attack until you get the manystrike class feature). Then, an ally of your choice who saw or heard you make the attack can also attack. Every three levels after seventh, you can grant an additional attack to the same or another creature. Each creature can only make as many attacks as they are entitled to in a full attack in this way, and they take the same penalties as normal for doing so. If the creature can load or draw weapons as a free action, they can do so during these attacks.

Example: Jamie is a nineteenth-level leader. If he makes a heroic attack, he can allow Jade the rogue to attack five times - three for having a high base attack bonus, once for engaging in two-weapon fighting, and once for having the improved two-weapon fighting feat. In this case, Jade would make these attacks just like a normal full attack. Jan is wielding a light crossbow, and has the rapid reload feat. He can be given two attacks by Jamie (though not at the same time as he gives Jade 5 attacks, because that would be 7 total) but no more, because he can only make two attacks with the crossbow normally.

Commander's Mount (Ex)
From eighth level, you gain a wyvern as a mount. The wyvern's number of hit dice is always 2 less than your level, unlike a normal wyvern. Also, its size is at least one size category greater than your original size, though it also advances as it gains hit dice unless it is already at least the size it would normally advance to. If the wyvern is slain, it takes eight hours of searching to find a new one.

Example: A large-sized leader's wyvern is initially huge. It will become gargantuan at 11 hit dice as normal, but not change size at 8 hit dice.

Manystrike (Ex)
From eleventh level, you can make a full attack as a standard action, or replace the attack at the end of a charge with a full attack.

Heroic Exertion (Ex)
From fourteenth level, you can use an exertion which normally takes an immediate, swift or move action as a standard action, or you can use an exertion which normally takes a standard action as a full action. Either way, you can pay points for an ally to allow them to use the exertion as part of the same action. You can spend up to your level in points for each of you, not just between you.

Heroic Tactics (Ex)
From seventeenth level, as an immediate action, you can allow up to one ally per level (not including yourself) to make a five-foot step with no action, in addition to the normal five-foot step or movement that they can make on their turn.

Eternal Hero (Ex)
From twentieth level, making a heroic movement is a move action, making a heroic attack is a standard action, and using a heroic exertion is the same action as using the exertion normally.

The Epic Leader

Your heroic movement distance is ten times your level squared. Your heroic attack number continues to improve every three levels after nineteenth, and your exertions and mount continue to improve. Every even level, you get a +1 epic bonus to attack rolls (giving you, effectively, full base attack bonus in epic levels).


The Maven

So, the two-mental-ability pairings are all gonna be weird, but ambassador and sage are at least reasonably heard-of concepts, whereas Maven has this weird teacher-y vibe to it. Quickly, I decided that I wanted to have a similar "Ally, do X!" theme to the Leader's, but without actually having to lead by example. This basically lead to the paradigm of spending your action to have an ally perform an ability of your choice.

Abilities: Intelligence and charisma are the most important abilities to the maven, allowing them to inspire allies and outwit enemies.
Alignment: Any.
Hit Die: d6
Starting Age: Moderate
Starting Gold: As Barbarian

Class Skills
The maven's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Appraise (Int), Autohypnosis (Wis), Balance (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Decipher Script (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Disable Device (Int), Disguise (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Forgery (Int), Gather Information (Cha), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Hide (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Knowledge (Architecture and Engineering) (Int), Knowledge (Dungeoneering) (Int), Knowledge (Geography) (Int), Knowledge (History) (Int), Knowledge (Local) (Int), Knowledge (The Planes) (Int), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Open Lock (Dex), Perform (Cha), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Search (Int), Sense Motive (Wis), Sleight of Hand (Int), Speak Language (None), Spot (Wis), Survival (Wis), Swim (Str), Tumble (Dex) and Use Rope (Dex).

Skill Points at First Level: (12 + Int modifier) x 4
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 12 + Int modifier


Table: The Maven
LevelBABFortRefWillSpecial
1st+0+0+0+2Constant Companion, Exertions, Grant Sneak Attack (1d6), Skill Aptitude
2nd+1+0+0+3Inspire Move, Skilled Assistant
3rd+1+1+1+3Ability Increase (+2)
4th+2+1+1+4Grant Sneak Attack (2d6)
5th+2+1+1+4Dire companion, Inspire Strike
6th+3+2+2+5Ability Increase (+2/+2, +2)
7th+3+2+2+5Grant Sneak Attack (3d6)
8th+4+2+2+6Trueblood Companion
9th+4+3+3+6Ability Increase (+4/+2, +2)
10th+5+3+3+7Grant Sneak Attack (4d6)
11th+5+3+3+7Mass Inspire Move
12th+6/+1+4+4+8Ability Increase (+4/+4, +2/+2)
13th+6/+1+4+4+8Grant Sneak Attack (5d6)
14th+7/+2+4+4+9Inspire Whirlwind
15th+7/+2+5+5+9Ability Increase (+6/+4, +2/+2/+2)
16th+8/+3+5+5+10Grant Sneak Attack (6d6)
17th+8/+3+5+5+10Mass Inspire Strike
18th+9/+4+6+6+11Ability Increase (+6/+6, +2/+2/+2/+2)
19th+9/+4+6+6+11Grant Sneak Attack (7d6)
20th+10/+5+6+6+12Mass Inspire Whirlwind


Class Features
All of the following are class features of the maven.

Constant Companion (Ex)
Even from first level, the maven has a companion - a bear (black bear), boar, deinonychus, lion, shark (medium shark), tiger, weasel, wolf or wolverine. This creature has either draconic ancestry that grants it the dragonblood subtype, celestial ancestry that grants it the good subtype (good mavens only), or fiendish ancestry that grants it the evil subtype (evil mavens only). Unlike a usual creature of its type, it has a number of hit dice equal to the maven's level (don't increase its size as it gains hit dice). The creature serves willingly and well and allows you to ride it if it's able to carry you. If the creature dies or becomes unwilling to serve due to alignment, it takes eight hours of searching to find a new creature to serve you.

Exertions (Ex)
Mavens can use exertions; their primary ability scores for doing so are intelligence and charisma.

Grant Sneak Attack (Ex)
At the start of combat and at the end of each of your turns in combat in which you didn't use the delay action, choose one of your allies. Until the end of combat or the end of your next turn in which you didn't use the delay action, that creature has the sneak attack ability:

"Your attack deals extra damage any time your target would be denied a Dexterity bonus to AC (whether the target actually has a Dexterity bonus or not), or when you flanks your target. This extra damage is 1d6 at 1st level, and it increases by 1d6 every three maven levels thereafter. Should you score a critical hit with a sneak attack, this extra damage is not multiplied.

Ranged attacks can count as sneak attacks only if the target is within 30 feet.

With a sap (blackjack) or an unarmed strike, you can make a sneak attack that deals nonlethal damage instead of lethal damage. You cannot use a weapon that deals lethal damage to deal nonlethal damage in a sneak attack, not even with the usual -4 penalty.

You can sneak attack only living creatures with discernible anatomies—undead, constructs, oozes, plants, and incorporeal creatures lack vital areas to attack. Any creature that is immune to critical hits is not vulnerable to sneak attacks. You must be able to see the target well enough to pick out a vital spot and must be able to reach such a spot. You cannot sneak attack while striking a creature with concealment or striking the limbs of a creature whose vitals are beyond reach."

If the target already has the sneak attack ability, they stack.

Skill Aptitude
You can use your intelligence for heal checks and checks to burst an object, and your charisma for concentration and ride checks, instead of the standard ability score, but do not have to.

Inspire Move (Ex)
From second level, as a swift action, the maven can allow an ally who can see or hear you to move up to their speed immediately.

Skilled Assistant (Ex)
From second level, the bonus you grant an ally by using the Aid Another action increases by 1 per 2 maven levels, and so does the bonus they grant you by doing the same.

Ability Increase
At third level, you increase one of your primary ability scores by 2. At sixth level, you increase the other by 2, and one of your other four ability scores by 2. At ninth level, you increase one of your primary ability scores by another 2, to a total of +4. At twelfth level, you increase the other by another 2, and one of the three ability scores you haven't increased yet by 2. At fifteenth level, you increase one of your primary ability scores by another 2, and one of the two ability scores you haven't increased yet by 2. At eighteenth level, you increase the other of your primary ability scores by another 2, and the ability score you haven't increased yet by 2. These changes are summarised on Table: the Maven.

Dire Companion
From fifth level, your companion is a dire version of the original animal (or a megaraptor): a dire bear, dire boar, megaraptor, dire lion, dire shark, dire tiger, dire weasel, dire wolf or dire wolverine. Further, its ancestry develops into a template: draconic, celestial or fiendish as appropriate. The templates do not grant their usual claws or spell resistance.

Inspire Strike (Ex)
From fifth level, as a swift action, the maven can allow an ally who can see or hear you to make a single attack. This attack is made with a competence bonus to attack rolls equal to your charisma modifier, and damage rolls equal to twice your intelligence modifier.

Trueblood Companion
From eighth level, your companion gains another template: half-dragon, half-celestial or half-fiend, with the following exceptions: half-dragon always grants wings but does not grant the breath weapon; celestial does not grant daylight; no template grants natural weapons, spell-ike abilities or spell resistance. The creature loses its dragonblood subtype if it becomes a half-dragon, since its actual type changes to dragon.

Mass Inspire Move
From eleventh level, your inspire move ability affects any number of allies who can see or hear you, up to your level.

Inspire Whirlwind (Ex)
From fourteenth level, as a swift action, the maven can allow an ally who can see or hear you to do one of the following: make an attack against each enemy within their reach as though using the whirlwind attack feat; make a full attack with a ranged weapon, such that no two attacks are made against the same target. The creature makes these attacks with a competence bonus to attack rolls equal to your charisma modifier, and damage rolls equal to twice your intelligence modifier.

Mass Inspire Strike
From seventeenth level, your inspire strike ability affects any number of allies who can see or hear you, up to your level.

Mass Inspire Whirlwind
From twentieth level, your inspire whirlwind ability affects any number of allies who can see or hear you, up to your level.

The Epic Maven
Your constant companion, grant sneak attack, skilled assistant and mass inspire features continue to scale into epic levels.

[Unavenger]

The Monster Hunter

So, the ranger's favoured enemy feature sucks. On this basis, I'm going to change it to work more like the Pathfinder Slayer's studied target feature/the 5e monster slayer ranger's slayer's prey feature. In fact, the class is a big mashup of the ranger, PF ranger, PF slayer and 5e ranger.

Abilities: Dexterity and Wisdom are the most important abilities for monster hunters: the former to defeat their enemies and the latter to pick which target to eliminate first.
Alignment: Any.
Hit Die: d10
Starting Age: Moderate
Starting Gold: As Fighter

Class Skills
The monster hunter's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Balance (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Disguise (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Hide (Dex), Jump (Str), Knowledge (Arcana) (Int), Knowledge (Dungeoneering) (Int), Knowledge (Local) (Int), Knowledge (Religion) (Int), Knowledge (The Planes) (Int), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Search (Int), Spot (Wis), Survival (Wis), Swim (Str), and Use Rope (Dex).

Skill Points at First Level: (8 + Int modifier) x 4
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 8 + Int modifier


Table: The Monster Hunter
LevelBABFortRefWillSpecial
1st+1+0+2+2Exertions, Marked Target, Skill Aptitude, Track, Unparalleled Hunter, Wild Communion
2nd+2+0+3+3Versatile Combatant
3rd+3+1+3+3Ability Increase (+2)
4th+4+1+4+4Wilderness Guide
5th+5+1+4+4Versatile Combatant Feat
6th+6/+1+2+5+5Ability Increase (+2/+2, +2), Manystrike
7th+7/+2+2+5+5Death Attack
8th+8/+3+2+6+6Versatile Combatant Feat
9th+9/+4+3+6+6Ability Increase (+4/+2, +2)
10th+10/+5+3+7+7Persistent Hunter
11th+11/+6/+1+3+7+7Versatile Combatant Feat
12th+12/+7/+2+4+8+8Ability Increase (+4/+4, +2/+2)
13th+13/+8/+3+4+8+8Swift Death Attack
14th+14/+9/+4+4+9+9Versatile Combatant Feat
15th+15/+10/+5+5+9+9Ability Increase (+6/+4, +2/+2/+2)
16th+16/+11/+6/+1+5+10+10Perfect Camouflage
17th+17/+12/+7/+2+5+10+10Versatile Combatant Feat
18th+18/+13/+8/+3+6+11+11Ability Increase (+6/+6, +2/+2/+2/+2)
19th+19/+14/+9/+4+6+11+11Sudden Death Attack
20th+20/+15/+10/+5+6+12+12Double Mark, Versatile Combatant Feat


Class Features
All of the following are the class features of the monster hunter.

Weapon and Armour Proficiency
The monster hunter is proficient with all simple and martial weapons, and with light armour and shields (except tower shields).

Exertions (Ex)
Monster hunters can use exertions; their primary ability scores for doing so are dexterity and wisdom.

Marked Target (Ex)
Monster hunters have the ability to mark a target - in reality, making a mental note of that creature and focusing on them - to gain special benefits against that creature. As a standard action, you can mark one creature you can sense. While that target is marked - which is until you mark another target - you get a bonus equal to your level on damage rolls against that target, and on skill checks related to that target. You can also roll any saving throw against that creature's spells or abilities, as well as any miss chance you have against that creature, twice and take the better result. You immediately recognise any attack or ability, even one that doesn't allow a save, as being from your marked target. You can move at full speed while tracking your marked target, and immediately recognise any tracks which are from your marked target.

Skill Aptitude
You can use your dexterity for swim checks and checks to continue running or walking, and your wisdom for disguise checks and knowledge checks to identify a creature, instead of the standard ability score, but do not have to.

Track
You gain track as a bonus feat.

Unparalleled Hunter (Ex)
For monster hunters, knowledge (arcana), knowledge (dungeoneering), knowledge (local), knowledge (religion) and knowledge (the planes) are a single skill, knowledge (monsters). If you are a monster hunter, you do not need to put points in these skills separately. If you wish to put ranks in other knowledge skills, you must do so separately.

If you already have ranks in more than one of these knowledge skills when you take levels in monster hunter, total up the number of skill ranks you have in those skills. If the total is less than or equal to your character level + 3, that total is your new number of knowlege (monsters) ranks. Else, your number of knowledge (monsters) ranks becomes your character level + 3 and you gain extra skill ranks equal to the difference. Ideally, these skill ranks should be spent in a way that they could have been if you spent them at the time you gained them; however, if this proves difficult to remember then so long as the DM doesn't have reason to suspect that you are deliberately planning your character to withhold skill ranks until you have more class skills, you can re-spend them however you like.

See the blacksmith's Unparalleled Crafter feature for some examples.

Knowledge (monsters) can be used to identify all monsters, even deathless and others which cannot be identified by standard knowledge skills.

Wild Communion (Ex)
Monster hunters can use their knowledge of the wilds to influence animals, magical beasts and vermin. This works like a diplomacy check except that the bonus is your monster hunter level + double your wisdom modifier, that you do not need to share a language with the creature, and that the communication is non-verbal.

Versatile Combatant (Ex)
At second level, you choose a melee fighting style and a ranged fighting style from the list below. You gain Quick Draw, and the first feat from each chosen combat style, as a bonus feat (you do not need to meet the prerequisites to gain or use them). Also, you can use dexterity for all of your attack rolls in place of strength. You then gain the second feat in each fighting style at fifth level, and the next feat after that every three levels thereafter.

The last feat in the list is a feat which stacks with itself. After you run out of feats in the fighting style, you keep gaining the final feat in the list.

If you already have a feat you would gain as a bonus feat, and the feat doesn't stack with itself, you may choose another feat for which you qualify as a bonus feat instead.

(Unless otherwise specified, feats can be found either here (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/feats.htm), here (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/psionicFeats.htm) or here (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/epic/feats.htm).)

Melee Combat Styles

Great Weapon: Power Attack, Cleave, Great Cleave, Reckless Offence, Sidestep Charge, Improved Disarm OR Awesome Blow (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsterFeats.htm), Whirlwind Attack, Spectral Strike, Epic Speed, Epic Prowess.

Many-Weapon Fighting: Multiweapon Fighting, Multiweapon Defence, Improved Multiweapon Fighting, Greater Multiweapon Fighting, Weapon Specialisation (Any light melee weapon), Greater Weapon Specialisation (Same weapon), Reckless Offence, Perfect Multiweapon Fighting, Multiweapon Rend, Epic Weapon Specialisation (Same weapon), Epic Prowess.

Mounted Combat: Mounted Combat, Ride-By Attack, Spirited Charge, Trample, Reckless Offence, Combat Reflexes, Stand Still, Legendary Rider, Epic Prowess

Reach Weapon: Exotic Weapon Proficiency (Spiked Chain) OR Short Haft*, Combat Reflexes, Improved Trip, Stand Still, Spring Attack, Sidestep Charge, Reckless Offence, Improved Combat Reflexes, Spellcasting Harrier, Epic Prowess

Shield Fighting: Improved Shield Bash, Two-Weapon Fighting, Improved Two-Weapon Fighting, Greater Two-Weapon Fighting, Weapon Specialisation (Light Spiked Shield), Greater Weapon Specialisation (Light Spiked Shield), Reckless Offence, Perfect Two-Weapon Fighting, Two-Weapon Rend, Epic Weapon Specialisation (Light Spiked Shield), Armour Skin.

Two-Weapon Fighting: Two-Weapon Fighting, Two-Weapon Defence, Improved Two-Weapon Fighting, Greater Two-Weapon Fighting, Weapon Specialisation (Any light melee weapon), Greater Weapon Specialisation (Same weapon), Reckless Offence, Perfect Two-Weapon Fighting, Two-Weapon Rend, Epic Weapon Specialisation (Same weapon), Epic Prowess.

Unarmed: Improved Unarmed Strike, Superior Unarmed Strike**, Improved Grapple, Improved Critical (Unarmed Strike), Stunning Fist, Deflect Arrows, Snatch Arrows, Legendary Wrestler, Reflect Arrows, Exceptional Deflection, Infinite Deflection, Keen Strike, Vorpal Strike, Improved Stunning Fist.

Weapon Mastery: Exotic Weapon Proficiency (Any melee weapon) OR Blind-Fight, Weapon Focus (Same weapon if any, else any melee weapon), Weapon Specialisation (Same weapon), Improved Critical (Same weapon), Combat Expertise, Greater Weapon Focus (Same weapon), Greater Weapon Specialisation (Same weapon), Epic Weapon Focus (Same weapon), Epic Weapon Specialisation (Same weapon), Overwhelming Critical (Same weapon), Devastating Critical (Same weapon), Epic Prowess.

*Swift action reach weapon becomes nonreach; see Player's Handbook 2 for full description.
**Unarmed strike damage as a small monk of same level, or +4 monk levels if you are a monk. See Tome of Battle for full feat description.

Ranged Combat Styles:

Archery: Point-Blank Shot OR Exotic Weapon Proficiency (Light Crossbow), Rapid Shot OR Rapid Reload, Precise Shot, Far Shot, Shot on the Run, Manyshot*, Greater Manyshot*, Improved Manyshot*, Swarm of Arrows*, Combat Archery*, Distant Shot, Uncanny Accuracy, Great Dexterity.

Splash Weapon Fighting: Splash Weapon Mastery**, Point-Blank Shot, Weapon Specialisation (Any splash weapon), Far Shot, Rapid Shot, Greater Weapon Specialisation (Same weapon), Shot on the Run, Storm of Throws, Distant Shot, Uncanny Accuracy, Fast Healing.

Thrown Weapon Fighting: Point-Blank Shot, Rapid Shot, Precise Shot, Far Shot, Shot on the Run, Improved Precise Shot, Cloak Dance, Storm of Throws, Distant Shot, Uncanny Accuracy, Fast Healing.

Weapon Mastery: Exotic Weapon Proficiency (Any ranged weapon) OR Point Blank Shot, Weapon Focus (Same weapon if any, else any ranged weapon), Precise Shot, Weapon Specialisation (Same weapon), Improved Critical (Same weapon), Greater Weapon Focus (Same weapon), Greater Weapon Specialisation (Same weapon), Epic Weapon Focus (Same weapon), Epic Weapon Specialisation (Same weapon), Overwhelming Critical (Same weapon), Devastating Critical (Same weapon), Epic Toughness.

*These feats mention arrows, but they should probably be assumed to work just as well with crossbow bolts or even sling stones.
**New feat:

Splash Weapon Mastery [General, Fighter]
Prerequisite: Weapon Focus (Any Splash Weapon)
Benefit: Your splash weapons have full effect on the splash damage, both in terms of damage and any special effects of the splash weapon.
Normal: Splash damage is only 1 per damage die of the base weapon, and for most weapons, only the creature directly hit by the weapon is affected by the special effect.


Ability Increase
At third level, you increase one of your primary ability scores by 2. At sixth level, you increase the other by 2, and one of your other four ability scores by 2. At ninth level, you increase one of your primary ability scores by another 2, to a total of +4. At twelfth level, you increase the other by another 2, and one of the three ability scores you haven't increased yet by 2. At fifteenth level, you increase one of your primary ability scores by another 2, and one of the two ability scores you haven't increased yet by 2. At eighteenth level, you increase the other of your primary ability scores by another 2, and the ability score you haven't increased yet by 2. These changes are summarised on Table: the Monster Hunter.

Wilderness Guide (Ex)
From fourth level, the monster hunter ignores difficult terrain in combat. While travelling overland, the monster hunter and other creatures travelling with you ignore difficult terrain and cannot get lost except via magical means. When you make a survival check to find food, you can move at up to twice your normal overland speed. When you make a survival check to track creatures, you take no penalties for how quickly you move.

Death Attack (Ex)
From seventh level, if you study your target for two rounds and then make an attack against them, you can attempt to either paralyse the target or kill them outright (your choice). While studying the target, you can take other actions so long as your target either doesn't notice you, or doesn't recognise you as an enemy. If the victim fails a fortitude save, (DC 10 + half your monster hunter level + your wisdom modifier), they either die or are paralysed for 1d6 rounds plus 1 per two levels you have. Unlike an assassin, you only need to have two interrupted rounds to study your target and the death attack can be a ranged weapon attack, but this ability only works on the target you have marked.

Persistent Hunter (Ex)
From tenth level, so long as you are pursuing your marked target to the exclusion of all else, you can move twice as fast overland along with any other creatures moving with you.

Swift Death Attack
From thirteenth level, you only need to study your marked target for one round before you can make a death attack against them.

Perfect Camouflage (Ex)
From sixteenth level, the monster hunter can hide even while being observed, and even with nothing to hide behind, so long as you are within 10 feet of some kind of natural terrain.

Sudden Death Attack
From nineteenth level, you can make a death attack against your marked target without any need for additional study. They still cannot have recognised you as their enemy.

Double Mark (Ex)
From twentieth level, you can mark two targets at once instead of just one. If you mark a third target, one of the two previous targets (your choice) becomes unmarked.

The Epic Monster Hunter
You continue to gain bonus feats in epic levels. Your exertions, your marked target bonuses, the bonus on Wild Communion checks and the save DC of your death attack all continue to improve as you gain levels. Every even level, you get a +1 epic bonus to attack rolls (giving you, effectively, full base attack bonus in epic levels).


The Operative

Ah, rogues. Love them or hate them, they're one of the iconic classes of D&D. They also come with an exceptionally silly restriction on their signature ability which makes it useless against many of the foes you'll be facing, so of course I had to change that. Honestly, though, the operative is basically just a better rogue with exertions tacked on... and I'm not at all sorry about that!

Abilities: Dexterity and Intelligence are key for an operative, to ensure that their skills are at their peak effectiveness.
Alignment: Any.
Hit Die: d8
Starting Age: Moderate
Starting Gold: As Cleric

Class Skills
The operative's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Appraise (Int), Balance (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Decipher Script (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Disable Device (Int), Disguise (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Forgery (Int), Gather Information (Cha), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Hide (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Knowledge (Architecture and Engineering) (Int), Knowledge (History) (Int), Knowledge (Local) (Int), Knowledge (Nobility and Royalty) (Int), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Open Lock (Dex), Perform (Cha), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Search (Int), Sense Motive (Wis), Sleight of Hand (Dex), Speak Language (None), Spot (Wis), Survival (Wis), Swim (Str), Tumble (Dex), Use Magic Device (Cha), and Use Rope (Dex).

Skill Points at First Level: (16 + 2*Int modifier) x 4
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 16 + 2*Int modifier


Table: The Operative
LevelBABFortRefWillSpecial
1st+0+0+2+2Exertions, Expertise, Halcyon Sneak Attack, Skill Aptitude, Sneak Attack (1d6), Trapfinding
2nd+1+0+3+3Evasion
3rd+2+1+3+3Ability Increase (+2), Sneak Attack (2d6)
4th+3+1+4+4Uncanny Dodge
5th+3+1+4+4Sneak Attack (3d6)
6th+4+2+5+5Ability Increase (+2/+2, +2), Expertise
7th+5+2+5+5Sneak Attack (4d6)
8th+6/+1+2+6+6Improved Uncanny Dodge
9th+6/+1+3+6+6Ability Increase (+4/+2, +2), Sneak Attack (5d6)
10th+7/+2+3+7+7Improved Evasion
11th+8/+3+3+7+7Sneak Attack (6d6)
12th+9/+4+4+8+8Ability Increase (+4/+4, +2/+2), Expertise
13th+9/+4+4+8+8Sneak Attack (7d6)
14th+10/+5+4+9+9Hide in Plain Sight
15th+11/+6/+1+5+9+9Ability Increase (+6/+4, +2/+2/+2), Sneak Attack (8d6)
16th+12/+7/+2+5+10+10Whisper Blade
17th+12/+7/+2+5+10+10Sneak Attack (9d6)
18th+13/+8/+3+6+11+11Ability Increase (+6/+6, +2/+2/+2/+2), Expertise
19th+14/+9/+4+6+11+11Sneak Attack (10d6)
20th+15/+10/+5+6+12+12Ghost Among Mortals


Class Features
The following are all of the class features of the operative.

Weapon and Armour Proficiency
The operative is proficient in all simple weapons, plus the hand crossbow, rapier, sap, shortbow, and short sword, as well as light armour, but not with shields.

Exertions (Ex)
Operatives can use exertions; their primary ability scores for doing so are dexterity and intelligence.

Expertise (Ex)
At first level, sixth level, and every six levels after sixth, choose two skills (for craft, knowledge, perform or profession, you must choose a specific subskill). If one or both of those skills is cross-class, it no longer costs two skill points to put one rank in that skill. Each rank you put in one of those skills counts one and a half times over when determining your bonus to skill checks made with that skill. For example, if you have expertise in disable device and 7 ranks in it, you are treated as having 10 ranks when determining your disable device bonus (even if you can't have 10 ranks in it at this level). You can't choose the same skill more than once.

Halcyon Sneak Attack
As an operative, your sneak attacks are especially powerful. You can make a sneak attack even against creatures which would normally be immune, and even if a target has concealment (but not if they have total concealment). This ability applies to the sneak attack ability irrespective of how you get it (for example, an operative 1/rogue 1 deals 2d6 points of bonus damage against a flanked skeleton warrior). The Uncanny Dodge and Improved Uncanny Dodge abilities don't prevent you from making sneak attacks, although they may still make it harder for you to hit (by keeping the target's non-flat-footed AC or by denying you a +2 bonus from flanking). Finally, you can make a sneak attack at any range you can hit at.

Skill Aptitude
You can use your dexterity for climb checks and for fortitude saves against environmental hazards, and your intelligence for disguise checks and sense motive checks, instead of the standard ability score, but do not have to.

Sneak Attack (Ex)
If an operative can catch an opponent who is unable to defend themself effectively from an attack, you can strike a vital spot for extra damage.

The operative’s attack deals extra damage any time your target would be denied a Dexterity bonus to AC (whether the target actually has a Dexterity bonus or not), or when you flank your target. This extra damage is 1d6 at 1st level, and it increases by 1d6 every two operative levels thereafter. Should the operative score a critical hit with a sneak attack, this extra damage is not multiplied.

With a sap (blackjack) or an unarmed strike, an operative can make a sneak attack that deals nonlethal damage instead of lethal damage. You cannot use a weapon that deals lethal damage to deal nonlethal damage in a sneak attack, not even with the usual -4 penalty.

Trapfinding (Ex)
Operatives (as well as rogues) can use the Search skill to locate traps when the task has a Difficulty Class higher than 20 and use the Disable Device skill to disarm magic traps. A magic trap generally has a DC of 25 + the level of the spell used to create it.

An operative who beats a trap’s DC by 10 or more with a Disable Device check can study a trap, figure out how it works, and bypass it (with your party) without disarming it.

Evasion (Ex)
From second level, whenever you pass a reflex save for half damage, you instead take no damage.

Ability Increase
At third level, you increase one of your primary ability scores by 2. At sixth level, you increase the other by 2, and one of your other four ability scores by 2. At ninth level, you increase one of your primary ability scores by another 2, to a total of +4. At twelfth level, you increase the other by another 2, and one of the three ability scores you haven't increased yet by 2. At fifteenth level, you increase one of your primary ability scores by another 2, and one of the two ability scores you haven't increased yet by 2. At eighteenth level, you increase the other of your primary ability scores by another 2, and the ability score you haven't increased yet by 2. These changes are summarised on Table: the Operative.

Uncanny Dodge (Ex)
Starting at 4th level, an operative can react to danger before your senses would normally allow you to do so. You retain your Dexterity bonus to AC (if any) even if you are caught flat-footed or struck by an invisible attacker. However, you still lose your Dexterity bonus to AC if immobilized.

If you already have uncanny dodge from a different class you automatically gain improved uncanny dodge instead.

Improved Uncanny Dodge (Ex)
An operative of 8th level or higher can no longer be flanked.

This defence denies a rogue the ability to sneak attack the character by flanking you, unless the attacker has at least four more rogue levels than the target has operative levels.

If a character already has uncanny dodge from a second class, the character automatically gains improved uncanny dodge instead, and the levels from the classes that grant uncanny dodge stack to determine the minimum rogue level required to flank the character.

Improved Evasion (Ex)
From tenth level, whenever you fail a reflex save for half damage, you still take half damage.

Hide in Plain Sight (Ex)
From thirteenth level, so long as you are within 10 feet of a shadow or something else that would give you concealment, you can hide even with nothing to hide behind and even when being observed.

Whisper Blade (Ex)
From sixteenth level, when you move from hiding, you remain hidden until the end of the turn, and attacking doesn't reveal your location (you no longer need to make hide checks to snipe). If you are in a place you can hide in at the end of your turn, you can hide again with no action.

Ghost Among Mortals (Ex)
From twentieth level, you have total concealment from your enemies as long as you are conscious.

The Epic Operative
Your exertions, sneak attack and expertise abilities continue to progress beyond 20th level. At 24th level and every four levels thereafter, you get a +1 epic bonus to attack rolls (giving you, effectively, medium base attack bonus in epic levels).


The Sage

So, the other two mental pairings include charisma, which means that I can make classes around winning friends and influencing people. Less so with the sage. Instead, the sage revolves around identifying their opponent and striking the enemy's weak points, or burning away their resistances.

Abilities: Intelligence and Wisdom allow the sage to use their abilities to the greatest effect.
Alignment: Any.
Hit Die: d6
Starting Age: Moderate
Starting Gold: As Druid

Class Skills
All skills are class skills of the Sage.

Skill Points at First Level: (12 + Int modifier) x 4
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 12 + Int modifier


Table: The Sage
LevelBABFortRefWillSpecial
1st+0+0+0+2Anathaematic Strike (d6), Exertions, Skill Aptitude, Unparralleled Academic
2nd+1+0+0+3Know Secret, Suppress Resistance
3rd+1+1+1+3Ability Increase (+2)
4th+2+1+1+4Talisman Seal
5th+2+1+1+4Turbulent Mind
6th+3+2+2+5Ability Increase (+2/+2, +2)
7th+3+2+2+5Anathaematic Strike (d8)
8th+4+2+2+6Greater Suppress Resistance, Lost Knowledge
9th+4+3+3+6Ability Increase (+4/+2, +2)
10th+5+3+3+7Smash Supernatural Ability
11th+5+3+3+7Talisman Dispel
12th+6/+1+4+4+8Ability Increase (+4/+4, +2/+2)
13th+6/+1+4+4+8Anathaematic Strike (2d6)
14th+7/+2+4+4+9Original Research, Suppress Immunity
15th+7/+2+5+5+9Ability Increase (+6/+4, +2/+2/+2)
16th+8/+3+5+5+10Talisman Ward
17th+8/+3+5+5+10Elder Sign
18th+9/+4+6+6+11Ability Increase (+6/+6, +2/+2/+2/+2)
19th+9/+4+6+6+11Anathaematic Strike (3d6)
20th+10/+5+6+6+12Talisman Clash


Class Features
All of the following are class features of the Sage.

Weapon and Armour Proficiency
Sages are proficient with the club, dagger, heavy crossbow, light crossbow, quarterstaff, shortspear and spear, but not with any type of armor or shield.

Anathaematic Strike (Ex)
Sages are capable of making Anathaematic Strikes, attacks which are either laden with some kind of substance which is toxic to the target or which strike at a pressure point or another weak point. Making an Anathaematic Strike is a standard action and requires the sage to have identified the target creature with a knowledge check. Make an attack roll: if the attack hits, the target takes 1d6 points of ability damage to an ability score of your choice. A fortitude save (DC 10 + half your sage level + your wisdom modifier) halves the ability damage.

A construct (except a living construct) struck takes 2d6 points of damage as hit point damage (reflex half; same DC), and an undead or deathless struck must take a will save (same DC) or act as if turned for 1d3 rounds.

Every sixth level after first, the ability damage increases by one step (1d8, 2d6, 3d6, 4d6, 6d6, 8d6, 12d6, 16d6, 24d6, 32d6... the number of dice doubles every two increases). The damage to a construct is always twice as many dice, and the duration of the turning effect is half as many dice (halve the size of any dice left over, so 3d6 becomes 1d6+1d3). The ability damage is listed on Table: The Sage.

Exertions (Ex)
Sages can use exertions; their primary ability scores for doing so are intelligence and wisdom.

Skill Aptitude
You can use your intelligence for melee attack rolls and gather information checks, and your wisdom for ranged attack rolls and to determine your hit points at each level, instead of the standard ability score, but do not have to.

Unparalleled Academic
For sages, knowledge is a single skill. If you are a sage, you do not need to put points in knowledge skills separately.

If you already have ranks in more than one knowledge skill when you take levels in sage, total up the number of skill ranks you have in knowledge. If the total is less than or equal to your character level + 3, that total is your new number of knowledge ranks. Else, your number of knowledge ranks becomes your character level + 3 and you gain extra skill ranks equal to the difference. Ideally, these skill ranks should be spent in a way that they could have been if you spent them at the time you gained them; however, if this proves difficult to remember then so long as the DM doesn't have reason to suspect that you are deliberately planning your character to withhold skill ranks until you have more class skills, you can re-spend them however you like.

See the blacksmith's Unparalleled Crafter feature for some examples.

Know Secret (Ex)
From second level, you can use a knowledge check to recall information that is a secret, and that you therefore would not normally be able to find out, at no penalty.

Suppress Resistance (Ex)
From second level, you can bypass a measure of resistance that your enemies have to your abilities. Because you're familiar with their resistances and how to overcome them, you have the ability to suppress them with a variety of concoctions. As a standard action, choose a corporeal creature within 15 feet and make a ranged touch attack against it. If the touch attack hits, a target's damage reduction of a specific type or resistance to a specific energy type of your choice is ineffective for 1 round per sage level you have. If you haven't identified the creature, you may have to guess what type of damage reduction or resistance to attempt to suppress. For example, if you see a skeleton-like creature but can't identify it, you might try to suppress its DR/bludgeoning, but if the creature were a lich (which has DR/bludgeoning and magic, not just DR/bludgeoning) then the suppression would be ineffective.

This ability cannot suppress DR/-, DR/epic, energy immunity, or immunity to something that isn't an energy type.

Ability Increase
At third level, you increase one of your primary ability scores by 2. At sixth level, you increase the other by 2, and one of your other four ability scores by 2. At ninth level, you increase one of your primary ability scores by another 2, to a total of +4. At twelfth level, you increase the other by another 2, and one of the three ability scores you haven't increased yet by 2. At fifteenth level, you increase one of your primary ability scores by another 2, and one of the two ability scores you haven't increased yet by 2. At eighteenth level, you increase the other of your primary ability scores by another 2, and the ability score you haven't increased yet by 2. These changes are summarised on Table: the Sage.

Talisman Seal (Ex)
From fourth level, you can attempt to inhibit spellcasting and similar abilities by using magic-disrupting (or just plain annoying) substances and methods. As a standard action, nominate arcane, divine, spell-like, psionic or psi-like, and make a melee touch attack. If the touch attack succeeds, for one round per two sage levels, the target of the talisman seal must take a concentration check (DC 10 + half your sage level + your wisdom modifier + the level of the ability being attempted) to use an ability of the relevant type. If the check fails, the action and the spell slot, power points or use of the ability (whether daily use, cooldown period, law of resistance, or anything else) are wasted.

Also, by taking one minute to infuse a set of manacles or other restraints with a selection of special materials and reagents, you can use them to bind a spellcaster with a similar effect to this, with the exception that it lasts until the restraints are removed.

Turbulent Mind (Ex)
From fifth level, you add your intelligence bonus (if any) as a bonus on all saving throws against spells, powers, spell-like and psi-like abilities. Further, whenever you pass a saving throw against a mind-affecting spell, power, spell-like or psi-like ability, you counter that ability in its entirety and the user of that ability, if they were casting, manifesting or concentrating on it when you took the save, must take a fortitude save (DC 10 + half your sage level + your intelligence modifier). Failure indicates that the user of the ability is dazed for one round.

Greater Suppress Resistance
From eighth level, your suppress resistance ability improves. You can now suppress any type of damage reduction, and any type of damage resistance. You can also suppress turn resistance, spell resistance (but not spell immunity), and any bonus which applies as a protection against a specific type of effect, such as an angel's bonus on saving throws against poison. Your suppress resistance ability can now target, but only has a 50% chance to work against, an incorporeal creature, and you can choose its 50% chance to ignore magical weapon and holy water attacks (and further suppress resistance attacks) to suppress. Finally, you may choose to suppress a swarm's ability to take half damage from slashing and piercing attacks (but not a swarm's immunity to weapon damage, if it has that).

Lost Knowledge (Ex)
From eighth level, you can use knowledge skills to find out knowledge which is otherwise lost and no longer known, at no penalty.

Smash Supernatural Ability (Ex)
From tenth level, you can cause damage to a creature which temporarily inhibits the use of one of its supernatural abilities. As a standard action, name a supernatural ability and make an attack against a creature of your choice. If the attack hits, the chosen ability is cut off: it does not work for one round per two levels you have. The creature in question can attempt to end this effect early by taking a fortitude save (DC 10 + half your sage level + your wisdom modifier), which it is entitled to do at the end of each round of the effect.

In order to use this ability, you only need to unambiguously name the supernatural ability in question. For example, "The ability to breathe fire" works just as well as "Breath weapon"; "The ability that lets it shapeshift" works just as well as "Change Shape".

Talisman Dispel (Ex)
From eleventh level, you can attempt to use your magic-disrupting substances to dispel a spell, power, or spell-like or psi-like ability. In order to do this, you must spend a full round focusing on a magical effect within 30 feet and then attempt a will save (same DC formula as for the original ability, even if the original ability never allowed a save). Success indicates that you can dispel the ability using the reagents and materials in your tool pouch - you might know a substance which reacts with the herbs and oils used to unhallow an area or an incense which frees a mind addled by a dominate person spell. Failure indicates that you don't know how to dispel the spell - you cannot try again, though you suffer no adverse effects (except in cases such as Explosive Runes which are triggered when you fail to dispel them).

Lost Knowledge (Ex)
From fourteenth level, you can use knowledge skills to find out any knowledge, even knowledge which no-one has ever known, at no penalty.

Suppress Immunity
From fourteenth level, your suppress resistance ability improves again. You can now suppress immunities, whether spell immunity, damage type immunity, immunity to weapon damage, or immunity to a specific type of effect. If you suppress a creature's immunity to ability damage, you don't get the special type-based effect of an Anathaematic Strike while the immunity is suppressed. Your suppress resistance ability is now 100% likely to strike incorporeal creatures, and you can suppress their immunity to nonmagical weapons and resistance to magical ones with a single use of the ability.

Talisman Ward (Ex)
From sixteenth level, you can create a talisman ward which protects either against spells, powers, spell-like and psi-like abilities, or against any subset of spells, powers, spell-like and/or psi-like abilities. For example, you could name the clairsentience discipline, spell-like abilities, divine spells, all abilities of the fire descriptor, arcane spells of the fire descriptor, invocations and necromancy spells, or utterances that deal untyped damage. You can apply a talisman ward to a creature or object in five minutes, and it lasts until used, for 24 hours, or until the creature is subject to an effect which would wipe the talisman off (the talisman is made of a waxy substance which survives in normal water). Whenever a creature attempts an ability of the chosen type which would target a warded creature (including itself) or catch the creature within its area or effect, or would redirect an ability to target that creature or catch them in the area or effect, the ability is countered and dispelled and the user of the ability must take a concentration check (DC 10 + half your sage level + your wisdom modifier + the level of the ability being attempted). If they fail, they suffer damage to the ability score which determines their save DCs equal to the ability's level.

Elder Sign (Ex)
From seventeenth level, you learn how to scribe the Elder Sign. It is a complex symbol which, despite having no inherent magical properties, is very protective due to the way its shape and the substances used to inscribe it distort magical energy - just as rubber is in no way electrical but still protects from electricity. In order for the Elder Sign to work, it must be inscribed somewhere which does not move relative to the rest of the world, such as on a cliff face. Unless it is protected against the elements, it will be effaced in a matter of hours, but an elder sign on the inside of a closed container might last for years. Scribing an Elder Sign takes one minute, and one intellect or resolve point, per five feet of radius of the effect you wish for it to have, up to the same maximum as an exertion. Extraplanar creatures, even deities or elder evils, cannot go within range of the Elder Sign. Further, the area it protects is a dead magic zone. A creature who can reach an Elder Sign can efface it as a standard action, and even a creature who is warded off from the Elder Sign can attempt ranged attacks against it: it's fine-sized but a hit automatically effaces it. You can scribe as many Elder Signs as you like.

Talisman Clash (Ex)
From twentieth level, whenever you counter or dispel a spell, power or spell-like or psi-like ability, if it was being cast, manifested or concentrated on, the user must take a will save (DC 10 + half your sage level + your wisdom modifier) or die. Even if they succeed, they take 2d6 points of damage per level of the ability that they were attempting.

The Epic Sage
Your exertions, many of your save DCs, some of the durations of your abilities, and the effects of your Anathaematic Strike all continue to scale into epic levels.

[Unavenger]

The Tactician

So, a tactician should clearly be in the business of moving around the battlefield, creating openings for their allies and inhibiting their enemies. I feel like they should also be spending their actions mostly doing things which aren't basic attacks, so actually making use of trips and grapples, as well as the less common bull rush, disarm, overrun and sunder abilities.

Abilities: Intelligence is used by the tactician when making plans, and strength when putting them into action.
Alignment: Any.
Hit Die: d10
Starting Age: High
Starting Gold: As Fighter

Class Skills
The class skills of the tactician (and the key ability for each skill) are Bluff (Cha), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Disable Device (Int), Gather Information (Cha), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Hide (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Knowledge (Geography) (Int), Knowledge (History) (Int), Knowledge (Nobility and Royalty) (Int), Listen (Wis), Martial Lore (Int), Move Silently (Dex), Psicraft (Int), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Search (Int), Sense Motive (Wis), Sleight of Hand (Dex), Spellcraft (Int), Spot (Wis), Survival (Wis), Swim (Str), and Tumble (Dex).

Skill Points at First Level: (6 + Int modifier) x 4
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 6 + Int modifier


Table: The Tactician
LevelBABFortRefWillSpecial
1st+1+2+0+2Combat Mastery, Exertions, Skill Aptitude
2nd+2+3+0+3Combat Mobility
3rd+3+3+1+3Ability Increase (+2)
4th+4+4+1+4Disarmouring Strike
5th+5+4+1+4Loyal Steed
6th+6/+1+5+2+5Ability Increase (+2/+2, +2)
7th+7/+2+5+2+5Chain Combat Manoeuvre (+2)
8th+8/+3+6+2+6Manystrike
9th+9/+4+6+3+6Ability Increase (+4/+2, +2)
10th+10/+5+7+3+7Chain Combat Manoeuvre (+4)
11th+11/+6/+1+7+3+7Daunting Flurry 1
12th+12/+7/+2+8+4+8Ability Increase (+4/+4, +2/+2)
13th+13/+8/+3+8+4+8Chain Combat Manoeuvre (+6)
14th+14/+9/+4+9+4+9Daunting Flurry 2
15th+15/+10/+5+9+5+9Ability Increase (+6/+4, +2/+2/+2)
16th+16/+11/+6/+1+10+5+10Chain Combat Manoeuvre (+8)
17th+17/+12/+7/+2+10+5+10Daunting Flurry 3
18th+18/+13/+8/+3+11+6+11Ability Increase (+6/+6, +2/+2/+2/+2)
19th+19/+14/+9/+4+11+6+11Chain Combat Manoeuvre (+10)
20th+20/+15/+10/+5+12+6+12Just as Planned!, Daunting Flurry 4


Class Features
All of the following are class features of the tactician.

Weapon and Armour Proficiency
Tacticians are proficient in all simple and martial weapons plus the whip, the bolas and the net. They are proficient in all kinds of armour and with shields (except tower shields).

Combat Mastery (Ex)
You no longer provoke attacks of opportunity for making special combat attacks such as bull rush or trip, and if you overrun, your opponent cannot choose to avoid you. You can use any melee weapon to trip an opponent, as well as weapons specifically designed for it (you can drop the weapon to avoid being tripped if you fail). When you attempt to use a special attack like this against a creature which is large or huge, it gets no size bonus. If it is gargantuan or colossal, it only gains size bonuses as though it were two size categories smaller. You can replace any mainhand attack you are entitled to (but not an attack with an offhand weapon, unless you could anyway) with a bull rush, disarm, feint, grapple, overrun, sunder, trip, with an intimidate check to demoralise an opponent or with a sleight of hand check to steal an object from an opponent or draw a hidden weapon. For example, if a spellcaster attempts to cast a spell with a material component, you can attempt to steal their spell component pouch as your attack of opportunity.

You do not require combat expertise, improved unarmed strike or power attack as a prerequisite for feats which assist with this kind of special attack - you still need the prerequisites for whirlwind attack, stunning fist and cleave but not improved feint, improved grapple or improved sunder.

You add your intelligence modifier to all checks made for these abilities. Further, you get special benefits when you succeed to a great extent at the following abilities:

Aid Another: An extra +1 to attack roll or AC per 5 points by which you beat AC 10, and affects an extra attack per 10 points you beat AC 10.
Bull Rush: As normal (see bull rush) except that you don't have to move with the defender to push them the extra distance.
Disarm: You can knock the weapon up to 5 feet away per 5 points by which you beat the defender's roll. If there's a creature within range (other than yourself or the defender) you may make a free attack against them as though you were throwing the weapon from the defender's space.
Feint: Lasts an extra round per 5 points by which you beat the opponent's roll.
Grapple: You deal damage to the target (lethal or nonlethal at your option) up to the amount by which you beat the opponent's roll. You also deal this additional damage when you make a check to deal damage in a grapple.
Overrun/Trample: You deal damage to the target (lethal or nonlethal at your option) up to the amount by which you beat the opponent's roll.
Sunder: You deal extra damage to the object, up to the amount by which you beat the opponent's roll.
Trip: Your opponent can't get up from prone for one round for each 10 points by which you beat their roll.
Intimidate (Demoralise Opponent): For each 5 points by which you beat the modified level check, the target is shaken for an additional round. They're also frightened for one round per 10 points by which you beat the check and panicked for one round per 15 points by which you beat the check.

Exertions (Ex)
Tacticians can use exertions; their primary ability scores for doing so are strength and intelligence.

Skill Aptitude (Ex)
You can use your strength for sleight of hand checks and checks to continue walking or running, and intelligence for bluff and sense motive checks, instead of the standard ability score, but do not have to.

Combat Mobility (Ex)
From second level, you gain mobility as a bonus feat and the bonus to armour class it grants you is increased by your tactician level. If you already had mobility, you can pick another feat you qualify for as a bonus feat.

Ability Increase
At third level, you increase one of your primary ability scores by 2. At sixth level, you increase the other by 2, and one of your other four ability scores by 2. At ninth level, you increase one of your primary ability scores by another 2, to a total of +4. At twelfth level, you increase the other by another 2, and one of the three ability scores you haven't increased yet by 2. At fifteenth level, you increase one of your primary ability scores by another 2, and one of the two ability scores you haven't increased yet by 2. At eighteenth level, you increase the other of your primary ability scores by another 2, and the ability score you haven't increased yet by 2. These changes are summarised on Table: the Tactician.

Disarmouring Strike (Ex)
From fourth level, you can make a sunder attempt that causes non-integral damage to a set of armour or other worn object. Track non-integral damage on an object as you would non-lethal damage to a creature. When the object's non-integral damage total is greater than or equal to the object's hit point total, it falls off the wearer's body and is unwearable; it's fairly trivial to fix non-integral damage, such as by pushing a dislocated armour plate back into position, and can be done in a short time outside of the pressure of combat.

Loyal Steed
From fifth level, you gain a griffon to serve as your mount. Unlike a standard griffon, the griffon's number of hit dice are equal to your guardian level and its size is one size category larger than your original size, regardless of its hit dice (if your original size is colossal, the griffon is colossal too but you can ride it as though you were gargantuan. This probably shouldn't come up). The griffon mount serves willingly and well, and you can choose its feats and skills as it advances due to your training. If the griffon is slain, it takes eight hours of searching to find a new one.

Chain Combat Manoeuvre (Ex)
From seventh level, if you perform multiple different special attacks, (including intimidate checks or sleight of hand checks in this designation) in one turn, then each one gets a +2 bonus for each different special attack you used before it this turn. This increases by 2 for every three levels after seventh.

Manystrike (Ex)
From eighth level, you can make a full attack as a standard action, or replace the attack at the end of a charge with a full attack.

Daunting Flurry (Ex)
From eleventh level and every three levels thereafter, you can make an extra special attack (but not a standard attack) at no penalty as part of your full attack.

Just as Planned! (Ex)
From twentieth level, you and your allies always get to act in the surprise round of any combat, and gain a bonus on initiative checks equal to your intelligence modifier.

The Epic Tactician
Your exertions and your chain combat manoeuvre, loyal steed and daunting flurry abilities continue to scale at epic levels. Every even level, you get a +1 epic bonus to attack rolls (giving you, effectively, full base attack bonus in epic levels).


The Vanguard

With the dedicated tank role going to the Guardian, it seems somewhat wrong to make the Vanguard more of the same. Instead, the vanguard can bite down on hit point damage to fuel their attacks and skills.

Abilities: Strength is used for the vanguard's abilities, but constitution is very important for the Vanguard
Alignment: Any.
Hit Die: d10
Starting Age: Moderate
Starting Gold: As Fighter

Class Skills
The class skills of the vanguard (and the key ability for each skill) are Autohypnosis (Wis), Craft (Int), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Intimidate (Str), Jump (Str), Knowledge (Geography) (Int), Knowledge (History) (Int), Knowledge (Local) (Int), Listen (Wis), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Spot (Wis) and Swim (Str).
Skill Points at First Level: (4 + Int modifier) x 4
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 4 + Int modifier


Table: The Vanguard
LevelBABFortRefWillSpecial
1st+1+2+0+0Exertions, Overdrive (5), Skill Aptitude, Vanguard's Charge
2nd+2+3+0+0Vicious Strike (4d6/6d6)
3rd+3+3+1+1Ability Increase (+2)
4th+4+4+1+1Vanguard's Mount
5th+5+4+1+1Vicious Strike (4d6/7d6)
6th+6/+1+5+2+2Ability Increase (+2/+2, +2), Manystrike
7th+7/+2+5+2+2Overdrive (4)
8th+8/+3+6+2+2Vicious Strike (3d6/7d6)
9th+9/+4+6+3+3Ability Increase (+4/+2 +2)
10th+10/+5+7+3+3Split Strike Charge
11th+11/+6/+1+7+3+3Vicious Strike (3d6/8d6)
12th+12/+7/+2+8+4+4Ability Increase (+4/+4, +2/+2
13th+13/+8/+3+8+4+4Overdrive (3)
14th+14/+9/+4+9+4+4Vicious Strike (2d6/8d6)
15th+15/+10/+5+9+5+5Ability Increase (+6/+4, +2/+2/+2)
16th+16/+11/+6/+1+10+5+5Awesome Charge
17th+17/+12/+7/+2+10+5+5Vicious Strike (2d6/9d6)
18th+18/+13/+8/+3+11+6+6Ability Increase (+6/+6, +2/+2/+2/+2)
19th+19/+14/+9/+4+11+6+6Overdrive (2)
20th+20/+15/+10/+5+12+6+6Fast Healing, Vicious Strike (2d6/10d6)


Class Features
All of the following are class features of the Vanguard.

Weapon and Armour Proficiency
Vanguards are proficient with all simple weapons, all light and one-handed martial melee weapons, and the lance, as well as with all armour and with shields (except tower shields).

Exertions (Ex)
Vanguards can use exertions; their primary ability scores for doing so are strength and constitution.

Overdrive (Ex)
Vanguards can sacrifice hit points in order to recover might, technique, stamina, intellect, resolve or psyche points. As a free action, you can reduce your current and maximum hit points by 5 in order to gain one of the six listed types of points. A short rest removes one point of current and maximum hit point loss per level; a medium rest removes current and maximum hit point loss equal to your level times your constitution modifier, and a full rest recovers all lost maximum hit points and the same number of current hit points. You can only regain current hit points from this ability equal to the number of maximum hit points you regain.

At seventh, thirteenth, and nineteenth level, the hit point cost per might, technique, stamina, intellect, resolve or psyche point reduces by 1.

Skill Aptitude (Ex)
You can use your strength for initiative rolls and intimidate checks, and constitution for autohypnosis and craft checks, instead of the standard ability score, but do not have to.

Vanguard's Charge (Ex)
When the vanguard charges, even while mounted, you can charge through allies' spaces and difficult terrain. You can make one turn of up to 90 degrees during the charge.

Vicious Strike (Ex)
From second level, whenever you hit with an attack, you may, without taking an action, pay 4d6 hit points (unlike Overdrive, this only affects your current hit point total). If you do, the attack deals 6d6 extra points of damage. Payment of hit points isn't damage, so you can't resist it or use any damage reduction you may have, although you can pay any temporary hit points you might have. Every three levels thereafter except at ninth and fourteenth level, the damage you deal increases by 1d6; at each of those two levels, the hit point cost is reduced by 1d6. This is summarised on Table: The Vanguard.

Ability Increase
At third level, you increase one of your primary ability scores by 2. At sixth level, you increase the other by 2, and one of your other four ability scores by 2. At ninth level, you increase one of your primary ability scores by another 2, to a total of +4. At twelfth level, you increase the other by another 2, and one of the three ability scores you haven't increased yet by 2. At fifteenth level, you increase one of your primary ability scores by another 2, and one of the two ability scores you haven't increased yet by 2. At eighteenth level, you increase the other of your primary ability scores by another 2, and the ability score you haven't increased yet by 2. These changes are summarised on Table: the Vanguard.

Vanguard's Mount
From fourth level, you gain a griffon to serve as your mount. Unlike a standard griffon, the griffon's number of hit dice are equal to your guardian level and its size is one size category larger than your original size, regardless of its hit dice (if your original size is colossal, the griffon is colossal too but you can ride it as though you were gargantuan. This probably shouldn't come up). The griffon mount serves willingly and well, and you can choose its feats and skills as it advances due to your training. If the griffon is slain, it takes eight hours of searching to find a new one.

In addition, you gain Mounted Combat and Spirited Charge as bonus feats. For each of those feats you already have, instead you gain one feat for which you meet the prerequisites.

Manystrike (Ex)
From sixth level, you can make a full attack as a standard action, or replace the attack at the end of a charge with a full attack.

Split Strike Charge (Ex)
From tenth level, you can make a single charge attack against multiple enemies, particularly when you wield a reach weapon such as a lance. When you charge, you can go towards a group of targets and split your attacks up against them as you wish; you can see the result of each attack before choosing where to make the next one.

Awesome Charge (Ex)
From sixteenth level, you gain awesome blow (see the monster manual or here (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsterFeats.htm#awesomeBlow)) as a bonus feat (you do not need to meet the prerequisites). You are treated as one size category larger when making awesome blow attacks. Also, when you make a charge, any of your attacks with the charge may be awesome blows, without needing to take a penalty to attack rolls.

Fast Healing (Ex)
From twentieth level, you gain fast healing equal to your constitution bonus (minimum +1).

The Epic Vanguard
Your exertions, your mount, your vicious strike damage and the rate of recovery for Overdrive continue to scale as you gain levels. Every even level, you get a +1 epic bonus to attack rolls (giving you, effectively, full base attack bonus in epic levels).


The Wayfarer

Horizon walkers are weird. A class full of nothing but situational abilities, oh, and dimension door for some reason. Apart from the somewhat cool but fairly suboptimal horizon tripper build, it gets left by the wayside. It's a pity, because it could have been great, and it was one of the neatest concepts in any of the core prestige classes. But the terrain mastery concept was always neat, and it plays right into the hands of "How do we make a wisdom-constitution class without it just being a brick wall?" Travelling is the one thing other than just plan surviving that wisdom-constitution lends itself to, after all. Wayfarer, then, is a class based around getting benefits for mastering the terrain which aren't all situational.

Abilities: Constitution and Wisdom are the ability scores that the wayfarer uses to travel in any sort of harsh environment.
Alignment: Any.
Hit Die: d10
Starting Age: High
Starting Gold: As Fighter

Class Skills
The class skills of the wayfarer (and the key ability for each skill) are Balance (Dex), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Disable Device (Int), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Hide (Dex), Jump (Str), Knowledge (Dungeoneering) (Int), Knowledge (Geography) (Int), Knowledge (Nature) (Int), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Search (Int), Spot (Wis), Survival (Wis), Swim (Str), Tumble (Dex) and Use Rope (Dex).
Skill Points at First Level: (8 + Int modifier) x 4
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 8 + Int modifier


Table: The Wayfarer
LevelBABFortRefWillSpecial
1st+1+2+0+2Exertions, Skill Apritude, Wilderness Knowledge
2nd+2+3+0+3Survivalist (2nd, 1st)
3rd+3+3+1+3Ability Increase (+2)
4th+4+4+1+4Landwalk
5th+5+4+1+4Survivalist (3rd, 1st)
6th+6/+1+5+2+5Ability Increase (+2/+2, +2)
7th+7/+2+5+2+52nd Survivalist Ability
8th+8/+3+6+2+6Survivalist (4th, 2nd)
9th+9/+4+6+3+6Ability Increase (+4/+2, +2)
10th+10/+5+7+3+7Underwater Action
11th+11/+6/+1+7+3+7Survivalist (5th, 2nd)
12th+12/+7/+2+8+4+8Ability Increase (+4/+4, +2/+2)
13th+13/+8/+3+8+4+83rd Survivalist Ability
14th+14/+9/+4+9+4+9Survivalist (6th, 3rd)
15th+15/+10/+5+9+5+9Ability Increase (+6/+4, +2/+2/+2)
16th+16/+11/+6/+1+10+5+10Soul Survivor
17th+17/+12/+7/+2+10+5+10Survivalist (7th, 3rd)
18th+18/+13/+8/+3+11+6+11Ability Increase (+6/+6, +2/+2/+2/+2)
19th+19/+14/+9/+4+11+6+114th Survivalist Ability
20th+20/+15/+10/+5+12+6+12Survivalist (8th, 4th)


Class Features
All of the following are class features of the wayfarer.

Weapon and Armour Proficiency
The wayfarer is proficient with all simple and martial weapons and with light armour.

Exertions (Ex)
Wayfarers can use exertions; their primary ability scores for doing so are constitution and wisdom.

Skill Aptitude (Ex)
You can use your constitution for swim and handle animal checks, and wisdom for hide and knowledge checks, instead of the standard ability score, but do not have to.

Wilderness Knowledge (Ex)
You gain a variety of benefits when you and your group are engaged in overland travel. Difficult terrain doesn’t slow your group’s travel. Your group can’t become lost except by magical means. Even when you are engaged in another activity while traveling (such as foraging, navigating, or tracking), you remain alert to danger. If you are traveling alone, you can move stealthily at a normal pace. When you forage, you find twice as much food as you normally would. While tracking other creatures, you also learn their exact number, their sizes, and how long ago they passed through the area.

Survivalist (Ex)
From second level, you can grant a variety of benefits to yourself and allies. By taking 10 minutes to prepare, choose one of the survivalist abilities from the list below. You gain the second-tier benefit from that ability, and each of your allies who you designate (up to 4, plus 1 per level) gains the first-tier benefit. For each three levels after second you gain, the tier of the benefit you grant yourself increases by 1; the tier of benefit you grant your allies is half of the tier you grant yourself.

At seventh level, and every six levels thereafter, you gain the ability to use an extra survivalist ability at once (it takes 10 minutes to prepare any number of survivalist abilities). Each time you would use a survivalist ability that would take you beyond your limit, choose which one to abandon. A creature can only benefit from one wayfarer's survivalist abilities at once.

When you use a survivalist ability, it lasts 24 hours unless you abandon it (in which case it ends immediately) or shore it up (in which case its duration starts again, just as though you had abandoned it and then reused it). The survivalist abilities are as follows:

Air Supply
Each creature with an air supply can go for one round per tier able to breathe despite circumstances. Each round they spend in a circumstance where they can breathe refreshes the duration by one round. Even when the duration runs out, they get a bonus to fortitude saves against drowning, suffocation and smoke effects equal to the tier and half that bonus against inhaled poisons and spell effects like cloudkill.

Camouflage
Designate a type of terrain. Affected creatures get a bonus to hide checks in that terrain equal to twice the tier. Multiple types of camouflage are incompatible, though you may get a bonus equal to the tier in similar terrain (such as forest camouflage in a swamp).

Cold Weather Protection
Each creature with cold weather protection gets resistance to cold equal to twice the tier of the effect and gets a bonus on fortitude saves against cold weather equal to the tier.

Hot Weather Protection
Each creature with hot weather protection gets resistance to fire equal to twice the tier of the effect and gets a bonus on fortitude saves against hot weather equal to the tier.

Voltage Cage
Each creature with a voltage cage gets resistance to electricity equal to twice the tier of the effect.

Wetsuit
Each creature with a wetsuit gets a bonus on swim checks equal to twice the tier.

Wind Shield
Each creature with a wind shield get a bonus equal to the tier on fortitude saves against wind effects.

Ability Increase
At third level, you increase one of your primary ability scores by 2. At sixth level, you increase the other by 2, and one of your other four ability scores by 2. At ninth level, you increase one of your primary ability scores by another 2, to a total of +4. At twelfth level, you increase the other by another 2, and one of the three ability scores you haven't increased yet by 2. At fifteenth level, you increase one of your primary ability scores by another 2, and one of the two ability scores you haven't increased yet by 2. At eighteenth level, you increase the other of your primary ability scores by another 2, and the ability score you haven't increased yet by 2. These changes are summarised on Table: the Wayfarer.

Landwalk (Ex)
From fourth level, you ignore the effects of difficult terrain. You and your group get a bonus to speed to determine your overland travel speed equal to five per level.

Underwater Action (Ex)
From tenth level, you aren't hindered by water - you act as though under a freedom of movement effect with respect to water or other liquid you are immersed in (but not anything else that might hinder your movement while you happen to be underwater).

Soul Survivor (Ex)
From sixteenth level, you are able to survive in almost any conditions. You roll all saves twice and take the better result, and you regain hit points per minute equal to your constitution bonus (minimum 1) while you are not in combat.

The Epic Wayfarer
Your exertions, your survivalist abilities and your landwalk ability continue to scale as you gain levels. Every even level, you get a +1 epic bonus to attack rolls (giving you, effectively, full base attack bonus in epic levels).


The Zealot

Well, here we are. End of the line. Let's make it a memorable one.

I wanted to evoke the feeling of someone having exceptional determination, but also leadership abilities. This lead me to the idea of applying an ability to yourself immediately, when you need it, and then granting a similar boost to your allies as they're inspired by your determination. Meanwhile, constitution-charisma almost begs for a class which draws enemies to focus on them rather than their allies.

Abilities: Constitution and Charisma are the key abilities of the zealot, as they rely on both physical resilience and strength of convictions to succeed.
Alignment: Any.
Hit Die: d10
Starting Age: Moderate
Starting Gold: As Cleric

Class Skills
The class skills of the zealot (and the key ability for each skill) are Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Heal (Wis), Hide (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Knowledge (Local) (Int), Knowledge (Religion) (Int), Knowledge (The Planes) (Int), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Search (Int), Sense Motive (Wis), Spot (Wis), Survival (Wis) and Swim (Str)
Skill Points at First Level: (4 + Int modifier) x 4
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 4 + Int modifier


Table: The Zealot
LevelBABFortRefWillSpecial
1st+1+2+0+2Act of Faith (3 rounds), Exertions, Skill Aptitude
2nd+2+3+0+3Burning Inquiry
3rd+3+3+1+3Ability Increase (+2)
4th+4+4+1+4Act of Faith (2 rounds)
5th+5+4+1+4Display of Zeal (+2/+1)
6th+6/+1+5+2+5Manystrike, Ability Increase (+2/+2, +2)
7th+7/+2+5+2+5Act of Faith (1 round)
8th+8/+3+6+2+6Display of Zeal (+4/+2)
9th+9/+4+6+3+6Ability Increase (+4/+2, +2)
10th+10/+5+7+3+7Act of Faith (No cooldown)
11th+11/+6/+1+7+3+7Display of Zeal (+6/+3)
12th+12/+7/+2+8+4+8Ability Increase (+4/+4, +2/+2)
13th+13/+8/+3+8+4+8Extra Reaction
14th+14/+9/+4+9+4+9Display of Zeal (+8/+4)
15th+15/+10/+5+9+5+9Ability Increase (+6/+4, +2/+2/+2)
16th+16/+11/+6/+1+10+5+10Extra Reaction
17th+17/+12/+7/+2+10+5+10Display of Zeal (+10/+5)
18th+18/+13/+8/+3+11+6+11Ability Increase (+6/+6, +2/+2/+2/+2)
19th+19/+14/+9/+4+11+6+11Extra Reaction
20th+20/+15/+10/+5+12+6+12Display of Zeal (+12/+6)


Class Features
All of the following are class features of the zealot.

Weapon and Armour Proficiency
The zealot is proficient with all simple and martial weapons, with light and medium armour, and with shields (except tower shields).

Act of Faith (Ex)
As an immediate action, the zealot can perform an act of faith from the following list:

Deny the Witch: When you see a creature attempting to cast a spell, manifest a power, or use a spell-like or psi-like ability, you disrupt their concentration at a crucial point. That creature must make a concentration check (DC 10 + half your zealot level + your charisma modifier) or lose the spell.
Eternal Step: You can move up to half your speed. If you only move 5 feet in this way, you don't provoke attacks of opportunity.
Furious Counterstrike: When you are attacked, you attack the enemy who is attacking you first.
Martyr's Grace: Change the target of an attack directed at another creature within 5 feet to you, so long as you are a valid target for that attack.
Salvation: If you would roll a saving throw, you can make two rolls and take the better one.
Zealous Fervour: You gain temporary hit points equal to your charisma bonus (minimum 1) plus your constitution bonus (minimum 1) until the next time you end your turn.

You must wait 3 rounds between acts of faith, minus one round for every 3 levels after 1st (no rounds at level 10 and beyond). Even at 10th level and beyond, and even if you have multiple immediate actions, you cannot use Eternal Step or Zealous Fervor more than once per round, nor can you make more than one Deny the Witch or Furious Counterstrike attempt against the same attack or ability.

Exertions (Ex)
Zealots can use exertions; their primary ability scores for doing so are constitution and charisma.

Skill Aptitude (Ex)
You can use your constitution for search and swim checks, and charisma for sense motive and ride checks, instead of the standard ability score, but do not have to.

Burning Inquiry (Ex)
When you use an intimidate check to change a creature's behaviour to friendly, that creature is instead treated as helpful in terms of the kinds of information that creature will provide you. In general, that means that the creature will tell you even information that is a secret. In addition, you can intimidate a creature without worsening their default attitude towards you.

Ability Increase
At third level, you increase one of your primary ability scores by 2. At sixth level, you increase the other by 2, and one of your other four ability scores by 2. At ninth level, you increase one of your primary ability scores by another 2, to a total of +4. At twelfth level, you increase the other by another 2, and one of the three ability scores you haven't increased yet by 2. At fifteenth level, you increase one of your primary ability scores by another 2, and one of the two ability scores you haven't increased yet by 2. At eighteenth level, you increase the other of your primary ability scores by another 2, and the ability score you haven't increased yet by 2. These changes are summarised on Table: the Zealot.

Display of Zeal
At fifth level, you get a morale bonus equal to 2, plus 2 per 3 levels after 5th, after you perform an act of faith until the next time you end your turn. Each of your allies who can see or hear you gets half that bonus to the same until they next end their turn. What the bonus is applied to depends on which act of faith, and is applied before resolving the act:

Deny the Witch: Spell resistance against hostile spells equal to the ally's effective character level plus the bonus, or add the bonus to existing spell resistance when determining the results of a hostile spell.
Eternal Step: Bonus to each movement speed in squares.
Furious Counterstrike: Bonus to attack rolls.
Martyr's Grace: Bonus to armour class.
Salvation: Bonus to saving throws.
Zealous Fervour: Bonus as dr/- and resistance to all energy types.

Manystrike (Ex)
From sixth level, you can make a full attack as a standard action, or replace the attack at the end of a charge with a full attack.

Extra Reaction (Ex)
From thirteenth level, you can make an extra immediate action between rounds without giving up your swift action, allowing you to make two immediate actions (one by giving up your swift action as normal, and one with this ability). You get an additional bonus immediate action per round at sixteenth level and every third level thereafter.

The Epic Zealot
Your exertions, your display of zeal ability and your extra reactions ability continue to scale as you gain levels. Every even level, you get a +1 epic bonus to attack rolls (giving you, effectively, full base attack bonus in epic levels).

[Unavenger]

Exertions List

This took us a while to get to, huh? But we're here now, the actual primary features of the exertion-users. Now, even without them, they're far from nothing. My intent is that even without their exertions, they should excel at their niche and be competent outside of it. Nobody wants to get into a duel of honour with a vanguard or sit opposite an ambassador at a negotiating table, but even if your sage isn't fighting spellcasters or seeking forbidden knowledge, that ability damage adds up, and your vanguard will feel right at home in the thick of combat even if there's no room for a charge. That's without exertions, and for a certain power level, it's ideal. Consider removing exertions entirely if, for example, your other party members are the likes of paladins and duskblades rather than wizards and clerics.

Keeping up with a full-spellcasting class, on the other hand, is a different story. Fireball is a relatively low-level spell, and while iconic, isn't nearly the strongest spell of its level. It can still reduce a roomful of guards to armoured cinders in six seconds flat. Meanwhile, your Idol is yelling at two enemies for 1d4 damage each and pretending that classes as an area attack. No, these classes need something that will make them just a little bit stronger than their chassis and class features.

The mundane aesthetic is important to many people. I'm one of them. These abilities are therefore divided into different types depending on how much they're likely to stretch suspension of disbelief - but not how powerful they are. This isn't intended as a way for DMs to have an easy ban list for types of powers they don't like (although you can certainly do that if you like), but as a way for players to find exertions that fit their aesthetic best.

The following lists contain all of the exertions available to characters capable of using them: any character who can use exertions can learn any exertion from any of the following lists. The lists are instead divided by theme:

Exceptional abilities are abilities which are at the upper limits of human capability (and by extension, presumably at the upper limits of elf or orc capability too). While these abilities aren't actually impossible, you may think that having too many of them stretches belief.
Fortunate abilities are abilities which represent anything from a combination of skill and fortune to sheer dumb luck. If your character concept is better served by skill than luck, avoid taking too many of these.
Interaction exertions are like lead sheets: while they aren't magical, they can block certain spells. Think of them not as counterspells, but as specific substances and techniques that block magic due to some laws of magic that aren't expounded on in the rules for spellcasting - just as lead sheets aren't magical, but many divinations are still blocked them. If you prefer your character not to interact with magical effects at all, then stop redressing my feature, you extrasensory glitch there are other ways of defeating spellcasters, including a few other exertions.
Legendary exertions are the ultimate concession to those who want their fighters to wield rainbows and slice the tops off mountains. While exceptional, fortunate and interaction abilities all require you to suspend your disbelief, legendary abilities allow you to embrace that disbelief, and exertion-users with legendary exertions are an excellent alternative to a duskblade or swordsage.
Mundane abilities are none of the above. Whether it's dodging an attack, making your own attack out of sequence, or getting a numerical bonus to a skill you were already capable of, mundane exertions usually add no burden to your suspension of disbelief. Of course, adding a hefty bonus to a jump check may allow you to beat world records, but take heart in the fact that, with a few feats, that was probably more than possible anyway. As a general rule, mundane abilities don't raise any questions that the idiosyncracies of a system not perfectly designed for simulationism weren't already yelling from the rooftops. This doesn't, of course, mean that they have to be boring, only that they have to be readily within the bounds of human capabilities.

Mechanically speaking, the only difference between these categories is that legendary exertions are supernatural abilities.


Reading Exertion Entries

Exertions have a variety of information listed in parentheses after the name, in the format (Action/DC/Range, Descriptors).

Action: Standard (S), Move (M), Swift (W), Immediate (I) and Free (F) are all possible action requirements for an exertion. Attack (A) means that you can replace one of your normal attacks with the exertion attack - for example, if you have a base attack bonus of +8/+3, you can perform an exertion instead of either or both of the attacks you make in a full attack. An exertion may take No Action (N) if it's something that you simply choose to do or not to do (the same way that fighting defensively requires no actions, not even free actions, beyond the actions you're already taking to attack in the first place), or be Passive (P) if it gives you some kind of bonus that's always active (the same way that weapon focus doesn't require any actions or even decisions to use).
DC: If this lists an ability score, then the save DC against this ability is (10 + the exertion's level + that abiity score modifier + half the number of points you spent on that exertion beyond the minimum). If this lists "vs" and a skill, then the description will mention a skill check that you take as part of the ability. The target of the ability may oppose this skill check with the skill check listed in place of the DC. For example, "(S/vs bluff): You may make a sense motive check..." means that your sense motive check is opposed by the enemy's bluff check.
Range: Put simply, the range at which the ability operates. "Close", "Medium" and "Long" have their normal meanings (25 ft + 5 ft/2 levels; 100 ft + 10 ft/level; 400 ft + 40 ft/level). This may also specify an area, which works just like a spell area.
Descriptors: While a few descriptors, such as language-dependant, have a proper meaning, many others, such as mind-affecting, just determine what's immune to your ability. Notably, if something doesn't have a given descriptor listed here, it lacks that descriptor. For example, the Vicious End exertion kills an enemy outright on a failed save, but it isn't a [death] effect - the reasoning is that effects like death ward protect against having your soul ripped from your body, not from having five feet of steel rammed into your heart or being decapitated with a single swing.

In some cases, the exertion will have a separate set of parentheses detailing the action, DC, range and descriptors of some other way of using the exertion. For example, "(S/Str/10 feet) You deal 3d6 points damage to a target, reflex half (P) you get a +1 bonus on damage rolls" would mean that you could deal 3d6 points of damage to a creature within 10 feet as a standard action, and you got a +1 bonus to all damage rolls as a passive bonus.


Exceptional Exertions

1st Level

Breath of Flame (S/Con/15 foot cone, Fire): You can spend X stamina points to blow flame at your enemies so long as you have your tool pouch handy (unlike a performance fire-breather, you usually have a specialised tool which spreads the fire better). The fire deals Xd6 points of damage to each creature and object in the area, or half that much on a successful reflex save.

Empathic Vision (N/vs Bluff): You can use sense motive to detect a creature’s surface emotions so long as you can see them. (P): You get a +1 bonus on sense motive checks.

Rope Mastery (S): You use your Use Rope skill to manipulate any object with a rope, so long as you can hit it by making a Use Rope check against its AC (treat the rope as having a range increment of 10 feet for this purpose – you can potentially hit anything within the rope’s length). If you hit an object, you can move it anywhere within the area you can hit with the rope so long as it weighs no more than 5 pounds. You can’t perform any action requiring more skill than simply moving something unless you spend a technique point, and even then you’re limited to what’s possible with a rope. (P): You get a +1 bonus on use rope checks.

2nd Level

Interposing Hurl (I/Close): By spending 2X+1 technique points while you have your tool pouch handy, you launch X spinning discs which can block attacks, throwing them around a creature in range (including yourself). Each attack against that creature has an equal chance to hit any of the objects or the creature - so if you launch three objects, there's a 1 in 4 chance an attack will hit the thrown discs. At the end of the round or when struck, the discs crash to the ground.

Read Thoughts (S/vs Bluff): By spending 3 resolve points, you can attempt a sense motive check to read a creature’s surface thoughts. (P): You get a +2 bonus on sense motive checks.

3rd Level



4th Level

Means of Production (P): You can craft five times as fast as normal, and get a +5 bonus to a craft skill of your choice.

5th Level

Back from the Brink (1 Minute/Touch): You can spend X resolve points and make a heal check, DC 40, to bring a dead creature back to life - the resolve points are not spent if the check is failed. This is subject to some harsh restrictions: although the creature has the dead condition, it must be conceivable that they are still alive (someone who bled out, was bludgeoned in the head, or was roasted by a dragon’s fire is fine. Someone who was carved up, had their head caved in or was burned at the stake is not) and they must have “died” in the last X rounds from when you begin attempting to save them. (P): You get a +5 bonus to heal checks.

6th Level



7th Level



8th Level



9th Level



10th Level



Fortunate Exertions

1st Level

Trap Jammer (I): By spending X points in any combination of stamina and psyche, you are fortunate enough that a trap of CR X that would include you in its area jams, having no effect.

2nd Level

Weapon Jammer (I/Cha): By spending 3 points in any combination of stamina and psyche, you avoid being struck by a mechanical weapon attack as the weapon falls apart - the string falls off a bow or crossbow, a firearm jams, and so forth. A reflex save by the weapon prevents the weapon from misfiring but the attack still misses.

3rd Level

Find Item (1 minute/vs Sleight of Hand (see text)): By spending 5 intellect points and making a search check, you can find an additional item on a dead creature's body, if that creature has any treasure at all. The value of the item is 10 gp times the square of the creature's challenge rating. The DC of the check is the result of the creature's sleight of hand check if they had taken 10 on the check before they died.

4th Level



5th Level



6th Level



7th Level



8th Level



9th Level



10th Level



Interaction Exertions

1st Level

Get out of my Head! (P): You are aware whenever you are subject to an effect which would read your thoughts or information about your personality, your alignment, your intentions, or anything about your mental state. (I): You may attempt to resist any effect which this ability detects. If you make this attempt, you pay resolve points equal to twice the spell, power or manoeuvre level of the effect, or equal to the level of the effect if it doesn’t have one, if able. For example, if an effect isn’t a spell, power, manoeuvre or spell-like or psi-like ability, and doesn’t replicate one, you use the class level or hit dice as relevant of the user. If you do, you negate that ability. Note that you don’t know how many resolve points you would have to pay if you don’t have enough, and once you choose to attempt to resist the effect, you can’t choose not to pay if you don’t like the number of resolve points you need to pay.

Mystic Appraisal (S): You can spend one intellect point to identify the properties of any item you’re holding. If the item is cursed, an appraise check (DC = 10 + the caster level of the item) will reveal that it’s cursed (but not what the curse does) even if the curse isn’t normally revealed by effects which reveal magical properties. Success by 10 points or more reveals the effects of the curse too. (P): You get a +1 bonus on appraise checks.

2nd Level

Shimmer Sight (S/vs Hide): By spending 3 resolve points, you can attempt to spot invisible creatures at no penalty (but they still have enough concealment to attempt to hide). If you do, you can see them well enough to attack them as though they didn’t have concealment. (P): You get a +2 bonus on spot checks.

3rd Level

Circle of Salt (F/Int/10 foot radius circle centred on you): Not actually simple salt, this circle acts as a protective ward against summoned creatures and other extraplanar entities. You set the circle by spending 5 intellect points. An extraplanar creature cannot cross the circle unless it succeeds at a will save. If a summoned creature fails this save, the spell that summoned that creature ends. (P): You gain a +3 bonus on spellcraft checks.

Mystic Blank (I): By spending 2X-1 resolve points, you prevent the effect a spell or power of Xth level would have on you.

4th Level

Momentum Surge (I): By spending 7 points in any combination of might, technique and resolve, you gain the ability to bypass any effect which would restrict your movement and actions for one minute. You can also move uninhibited underwater while under this effect. (P): You gain a +4 bonus on escape artist checks.

5th Level

Eyes that See (P): You can take a will save to disbelieve any illusion just by looking at it, even if it never or only sometimes allows one. You gain a +5 bonus on will disbelief saves.

6th Level



7th Level



8th Level

Empty Mind (P): You are immune to hostile mind-affecting abilities and hostile divination or clairsentience abilities.

9th Level



10th Level





Legendary Exertions

1st Level

Blade Wind (A): By spending 1 might or technique point, you can make a melee attack against any target you could throw your weapon at.

Ki Blast (S/Cha/Medium): By spending X psyche points, you fire an orb of ki that deals Xd6 points of damage on a successful ranged touch attack.

2nd Level

Blade Sentry (S/Dex/Close): By spending X technique points, you can launch a spinning blade between your position and a square in range. For one round per level, any creature that enters the path of the blade for the first time on their turn or starts their turn there takes Xd6 points of slashing damage (reflex half).

3rd Level

Riding the Arrow (S): By spending 5 technique points, you may make a ranged attack and move to the square adjacent to your target, even if the attack misses.

4th Level

Gravitic Rage (S/Wis/20 ft radius area, centred on you): By spending X resolve points, you enter a rage which causes the earth around you to tremble, and unattended objects to levitate around you, then slam into the ground in a wave of dust and debris. Each creature in the area (other than you) is pushed to the edge of the area unless they pass a fortitude save, and takes Xd6 points of bludgeoning an slashing damage (no save).

5th Level

Infinite Blade (A/Close-range cone): By spending 9 points in any combination of might and technique, you can attack all creatures in range with a single melee attack. Make a single attack roll and compare it to the AC of each creature in the area. Any creature in the area is automatically hit, even if they are out of your normal reach.

6th Level

Breaking the Barriers (S): By spending 11 points in any combination of intellect and resolve, you can cut a hole in the fabric of reality which acts much like a gate spell, except that it can only be used for travel, not calling, that it lasts 1 minute, and that you can create a rift to another point on the same plane.

7th Level



8th Level

Rainbow Blade (W/Int): By spending X points in any combination of intellect, resolve and psyche, you cause a beam of multicoloured light to shine from your palm. You wield this rainbow blade as though it were a one-handed weapon, but whenever you hit a creature with it, they are affected as though struck by a prismatic spray spell. The blade lasts X rounds.

9th Level



10th Level



Mundane Exertions

1st Level

Anterioactive Negation (N): By spending 1 vigor point, prevent an effect from dazzling you or knocking you prone. By spending 3 vigor points, prevent an effect from blinding, confusing, dazing, deafening, entangling, shaking or sickening you you. By spending 5 vigor points, prevent an effect from nauseating you. By spending 7 vigor points, prevent an effect from frightening, paralysing, staggering or stunning you. By spending 9 vigor points, prevent an effect from making you cower, making you helpless, knocking you unconscious or turning or rebuking you. By spending 11 vigor points, prevent an effect from petrifying you or killing you. In each case, you only prevent one effect. You can only spend a maximum number of points against one ability equal to your level in exertion-using classes - so at level 8, you can prevent an effect from dazing and confusing you but not from sickening and stunning you.

Dazing Strike (S/Str/Short, Mind-Affecting): By spending X might points, you attempt to daze a creature by throwing a small object such as a rock (or, if you wish to end them rightly, the pommel of your sword) at them, most likely at their head. If they have X+3 or fewer hit dice and fail a will save, the target is dazed for one round.

Deadly Snare (1 minute/Int/Touch): So long as you have your tool kit handy, by spending 2X-1 points in any combination of technique and intellect, you create a CR X trap which lasts for 12 hours or until activated or disabled. The trap cannot be magical and you cannot create a trap which changes the surroundings via its construction or activation (such as a pit trap or collapsing ceiling) in this way. A non-exhaustive list of examples of traps you can create in this way include basic arrow, razor wire, wall blade, box of brown mold, large net, tripping chain, stone blocks from ceiling, doorknob smeared with contact poison, poison wall spikes and ungol dust vapor. Use your exertion DC, not the trap's standard DC, for the saving throw against the trap.

Don’t Lose Focus! (I): By spending X might points, you can get a +X bonus on the next strength-based skill check you attempt this round. The same is true of technique and dexterity, stamina and constitution, intellect and intelligence, resolve and wisdom, and psyche and charisma.

Fearsome Display (S/Cha/Short): You can spend X psyche points to cause one creature of X+4 hit dice or fewer to be frightened for 1 round per level. A will save reduces this to shaken for 1 round. (P): You get a +1 bonus to intimidate checks.

Hypnotic Suggestion (S/Cha/Short, Mind-Affecting, Language-Dependant): You can spend psyche points to convince someone to do something they were not previously going to attempt to do. You must spend 1 to convince someone to do something they were tempted to do anyway, 3 to convince them to do something that makes reasonable sense, 5 to convince them to do something that could be construed as reasonable, 7 to make them do something with no particular reasoning behind it, 9 to make them do something that is unreasonable in a way you can elide, 11 to do something obviously unreasonable and 13 to do something totally against their nature. You must pay 4 more to affect a creature who doesn’t share a creature type with you. They may take a will save to prevent the suggestion. It’s very difficult (DC = 10 plus save DC) to tell that someone’s under a hypnotic suggestion using sense motive. (P): You get a +1 bonus on diplomacy checks.

Imitation Adept (S/Cha): You can imitate any sound that you’ve heard with a high level of fidelity, and even make the sound appear to come from somewhere else, by paying 1 psyche point. Recognising the duplicity requires a will save. (P): You get a +1 bonus on bluff checks.

Improvisational Ammunition (P): You can use almost anything as a piece of ammunition as long as it’s about the right size and even vaguely the right shape – you can use stones as crossbow bolts, coins as sling bullets, and sticks as arrows.

Jury-Rig (1 minute/Touch): You can repair a single point of damage to any object you could craft. (P): You get a +1 bonus to a single craft skill of your choice.

Moment of Focus (S): You can spend 4X+1 might points to gain a +20 bonus on the first X+1 attack rolls you make using strength until the end of your next turn, and those attacks ignore the miss chance granted by concealment. The same is true of technique and dexterity.

Paragon Figure (S/Cha/30 ft radius burst centred on you): You can spend 2X-1 psyche points to grant allies within 30 feet a +X morale bonus on attack rolls and on saves against fear effects, or to inflict a -X morale penalty to the same to enemies within 30 feet, who are allowed a will save to resist the effect. The effect lasts 1 round per level.

Powder Storm (S/Dex/30 ft cone): You can spend 1 technique point to launch flour, debris or other powdery miscellanea in a 30 foot cone. Anyone in the area must take a reflex save; failure means that they gain no benefit from invisibility for 1 round per level and all creatures have concealment against them if they rely on vision for 1 round. You can instead spend 3 technique points to use the same ability, except that a successful save only negates the concealment effect, not the effect that prevents invisibility from being effective.

Stem the Flow (S/Touch): You can spend 2X-1 resolve points to restore X hit points to an ally within your reach. Make a heal check: if you roll more than 15, you restore X additional hit points for every point by which you beat DC 15. Remember that you must have at least an improvised healer’s kit to make heal checks – you can’t patch someone up without at least a pretence at a bandage! – but your tool pouch is considered to contain enough supplies to improvise. (P): You get a +1 bonus on heal checks.

Think Twice (N): Whenever you roll a knowledge check, after the DM reveals any information you learn as a result, you can spend an intellect point. If you do, roll another knowledge check for the same information. You gain a +4 competence bonus on this knowledge check. (P): You get a +1 bonus to one knowledge skill of your choice.

Venom Sting (A/Int/Short): By spending 2X-1 intellect points, you make a melee or ranged touch attack. If you hit, you launch a poisoned dart into the target's exposed skin. The dart deals no hit point damage, but deals X points of damage to an ability score of your choice. A successful fortitude save halves the damage.

2nd Level

Enemy Shield (P): You get a +2 bonus on tumble checks. You can end your movement in a square occupied by an enemy if you successfully tumble into their square. While you and that creature share a space, you can attack them and they can attack you. Each attack made by another creature against either of you has a 35% chance of resolving against the wrong target by mistake.

Glorious Inspiration (S/Short): You can inspire a creature within range by spending X psyche points. For 1 minute/level, the inspired creature gets a +2 bonus on attack and damage rolls and will saves, and also gains Xd4 temporary hit points for that duration. You can inspire yourself!

Hide in Overt Sight (N/vs Spot): You can hide with nothing to hide behind, so long as you’re not being directly observed. It costs 1 technique point per round you attempt this. (P): You get a +2 bonus on hide checks.

Improvisational Lock (1 minute/vs Disable Device): You can create a lock – or at least, a contraption capable of holding a specific portal or container shut – using nothing but wires, scraps of debris, or whatever else is handy, by spending 3 points in any combination of intellect and technique. Short of physically destroying the lock (which is as survival as any normal lock), the DC to open the lock is the result of your craft (locksmithing) check. If it is located such that it is inaccessible to those who are prevented from entry, it cannot be disabled in this way. (P): You get a +2 bonus on craft (locksmithing) checks.

Instinctive Search (P): You can notice secret doors and traps without having to take actions to search for them. You can find traps the way that a rogue does. You get a +2 bonus on search checks.

Motion Blur (M): Rather than moving, you focus your efforts on becoming harder to hit. By spending 3 technique points, you gain concealment. By spending 7, you gain total concealment. Either way, this lasts for 1 round.

Net Mastery (N/Dex): Whenever you hit with a net, you can spend 3 technique points. If you do, the target must take a reflex save. On a failure, the target is not only entangled, but stuck completely in place. Whether they pass or fail, the concentration DC to cast a spell and the escape artist DC to escape are both 25. (P): You can fold a net with no action, can use a net on a creature within 2 size categories of you, and get a +2 bonus to attack rolls with a net.

Rapid Barrage (N): By spending 2X+1 technique points, you can make X additional attacks when you take the full attack action. Each of those attacks must target a creature not targeted by any of your normal attacks from the full attack.

Second Wind (I): By spending X stamina points, you can regain X hit points immediately.

Shield of Honour (N): By spending 3 stamina points, you can change the target of an attack to you, so long as you're a valid target for that attack, you're within 10 feet of the attack's original target, and you and the original target are not flanking the person making the attack.

Therapeutic Training (1 Minute/Touch): By spending 2X+1 resolve points, you can heal X ability damage to any ability score with a successful heal check, DC 20. The resolve points are not spent if the check is failed. (P): You get a +2 bonus to heal checks.

3rd Level

Alacrity (I): By spending 5 stamina points, you can move as an immediate action.

Anticipatory Meditation (1 minute): By spending 5 points in any combination of intellect and resolve, you discern whether an action is likely to have positive or negative consequences, and a rough picture of what those consequences might be. (P): You gain a +3 bonus on knowledge (history) checks.

Combat Climb (M/Touch): By spending 5 points in any combination of might and technique, you climb up onto an enemy. You make a climb check as appropriate to the target's surface, with a penalty equal to the target's base attack bonus. If you succeed, you are now on the enemy. This provides several benefits: they are at a -2 to attack you per size category difference, there is a 35% chance that any attack directed at you targets the creature you're on, and you may have concealment or even total concealment from them depending on their physiology (many huge quadrupeds cannot see a creature standing on their back, for example), and many natural attack forms (and some manufactured weapons, such as armour spikes or blade boots) will be unable to target you. If you are struck, you must take a climb check (DC = damage dealt) or fall off.

(Note: Some DMs may have their own rules on climbing another creature. Combat climb always allows you to do so in a single action without provoking attacks of opportunity.)

Crippling Strike (S/Str): By spending 5 might points, you can make an attack which scars an opponent for life, unless they are healed sufficiently. The effects can be varied, but can include a -6 penalty to any ability score, the loss of a sense, the staggered condition, or other effects by DM discretion. The target can avoid this with a fortitude save, and it can be healed with effects such as heal or regeneration, as well as spells relevant to the specific condition caused (such as remove blindness/deafness).

Declaration in Steel (S/Str/Long, 20 ft radius burst): By spending X might points, so long as you have your tool pouch handy, you can launch a hail of sharp objects at an area in range. Each creature in the area takes Xd6 points of slashing and piercing damage (reflex half).

Expert Forager (10 minutes): By spending 5 resolve points, you can forage for enough food and water to sustain a number of humans equal to a survival check result. (P): You get a +3 bonus on survival checks.

Flash Powder (S/Dex/30 foot cone): By spending 5 technique points, if you have your tool pouch handy, you can throw a cone of powder which blinds creatures for one round unless they pass a fortitude save and confuses them for one round unless they pass a will save. If they fail both saves, they are blinded for one round and then confused for one round.

Needle Hive (1 minute): By spending 2X-1 intellect points, you may create a needle hive using the contents of your tool pouch- the needle hive is a weapon that lasts for 8 hours or until used, and when used as a simple melee weapon or fired from a crossbow, deals Xd8 points of piercing damage to the target initially and another X per round thereafter on a successful hit. Every round spent removing the needles, or each healing spell delivered to the target, reduces this bleeding by 1 instead of negating it entirely.

Sermon (S/30 foot emanation centred on you, mind-affecting): By spending 4X+1 psyche points, you begin a sermon which grants a +X morale bonus on all d20 rolls to allies in the area and a -X penalty to all d20 rolls to enemies in the area. Naturally, the sermon continues until you shut up, whether voluntarily or otherwise.

Sky Snare (S/Dex/Medium): By spending 5 technique points, choose a creature in range and make a ranged touch attack against them. That creature must make a reflex save or be entangled. If they are flying or swimming when entangled in this way, they fall or sink; if they are climbing, they fall but can attempt to catch themself before landing. They can attempt a new save each round to end the effect.

Smoke Bomb (S/Int/Medium, 20 ft radius burst): By spending 5 intellect points, if you have your tool pouch handy, you can throw a bomb which causes a cloud of thick, nauseating smoke to appear. Creatures cannot see through the smoke more than 5 feet, and even anything within 5 feet has concealment. Creatures in the smoke must take a fortitude save each round or be nauseated in that round. (P): You get a +3 bonus to craft (alchemy) checks.

Spellsplinter Manoeuvre (I): Whenever you see a creature attempting to cast a spell, manifest a power, or use a spell-like or psi-like ability, you can spend 5 points in any combination of might and technique to make an attack against that creature with any weapon if they are in range to attack them with that weapon. You can combine this with an attack of opportunity if you are entitled to one, and can decide whether or not to attempt the spellsplinter manoeuvre after seeing the result of the attack of opportunity. (P): You get a +3 bonus to attack and damage rolls against creatures who are attempting to cast a spell, manifest a power, or use a spell-like or psi-like ability.

4th Level

Blazing Trail (S/Int/Short): By spending X intellect points, so long as you have your tool pouch handy, you can splash flaming oil across X 5-foot squares in range. A creature in one of the squares when you throw the oil initially is allowed a reflex save to dodge into an adjacent square, though by burning adjacent squares you may be able to prevent them escaping the effect entirely in this way. A creature who passes through the flames on their turn or starts their turn there takes 2d6 points of damage plus 1 per 2 levels; the flames burn out in 1 round per level.

Hallucinogenic Vapour (S/Int/Short, Mind-Affecting): Choose a 10-foot radius area within range and spend 3X+1 intellect points. The area is filled with thick, cloying fog, which baffles the mind more than the body. Each creature who moves into the area for the first time on a turn or starts their turn there must take a will save or be confused during that turn and until its next turn after that. Rather than 1d100, roll 1d80+20 to determine the creatures' actions (realistically, roll 1d8: 1-3 babble, 4-5 flee, 6-8 attack nearest). For the purposes of the fleeing result, you are considered the caster of the effect. The cloud lasts for X rounds.

Interrupted Cadence (I): By spending 7 points in any combination of technique, stamina and intellect, you can take an extra turn immediately. Then skip your next turn after that one

Mortal Strike (A): By spending X points in any combination of might and technique, you make an attack that always deals full damage, bypassing hardness, damage reduction and the like. In addition, if the target is a creature, the target also takes X points of damage per round after being struck for the next X rounds.

Reinvigourate (1 minute/Touch): By spending 4X+3 resolve points, you can heal X negative levels with a successful heal check, DC 30. The resolve points are not spent if the check is failed. (P): You get a +4 bonus to heal checks.

Ye Mighty And Despair (S/Cha/30 ft radius burst centred on you, fear, mind-affecting): You can spend 7 psyche points to frighten nearby enemies. Enemies in the area are frightened for 1 round/level unless they pass a will save. They can also attempt a new will save each round after the first in which they would be frightened to end the effect. A creature who at any point passes the will save is shaken during the next round and then the effect ends. (P): You get a +4 bonus on intimidate checks.

5th Level

Navigator’s Instinct (S): You can spend 9 points in any combination of intellect and resolve to work out the most direct way to travel to a location of your choice, assuming you have the first clue where you are. (P): You get a +5 bonus to knowledge (geography) and survival checks.

Vicious End (S/Str or Dex): You can spend 9 points in any combination of might and technique to kill an enemy outright with an attack: a fortitude save (DC depends on the same ability score as the attack roll would if you were making one) prevents them from dying. The attack automatically hits, and is automatically a critical hit even if they resist the instant kill effect.

6th Level

Lead the Charge! (F): You can spend X points in any combination of might and stamina to charge while also entitling any number of allies within a 60 ft radius hemispherical burst pointed away from the direction of the charge centred on your initial location to make a charge without needing to use any actions or affecting their initiative count. These charges must bring the charger closer to your end location than they started. Each creature who hits with their charge attack gets a +X bonus to the damage roll. (P): You get a +6 bonus to the attack roll for an attack at the end of a charge.

7th Level

Shadow Act (N): You can spend 2X+1 technique points to allow X allies who are attempting to be stealthy with you to use your hide and move silently check results instead of your own, and benefit from abilities which allow you to hide in unusual circumstances as though they had them too. (P): You get a +7 bonus on hide and move silently checks.

Sound Shadows (P): You have blindsight out to 30 feet as long as you can hear.

8th Level

I Bid You Stand! (S/Long, Mind-Affecting): By spending 3X psyche points, you can inspire all allies within range. Each ally gets a +X bonus on attack rolls, damage rolls, their armour class, all skill checks, all saving throws and all ability checks, and Xd6 temporary hit points, for the duration of the encounter. The effect ends early if you are rendered helpless.

9th Level

Hyper Surge (W): Once per encounter, by spending 17 points in any combination of technique, stamina and resolve, you can take two extra turns after this one.

Sixth Sense (P): You can’t be surprised and get a +9 bonus on initiative checks and reflex saves.

10th Level

Murderous Rampage (F/Str or Dex): You can spend 19 points in any combination of might and technique to move up to your speed and attempt to kill every enemy that enters your reach at any point during this movement with a weapon attack: a fortitude save (DC depends on the same ability score as the attack roll would if you were making one) prevents them from dying. The attack automatically hits, and is automatically a critical hit even if they resist the instant kill effect. If you're using a ranged weapon or a weapon with exceptional reach, you can only make attacks in this way against creatures you could reach with a normal reach weapon. You can make each attack as soon as you're in range to do so, and you can therefore rush through a formation of enemies, killing them and stepping over their corpses to attack their allies.

[aimlessPolymath]

Alright, there's a lot here to unpack.

I'll try and hit the general rules, plus one or two classes. I mostly skimmed and may have missed something.


Depletion causes penalties to the relevant ability score equal to the number of levels of depletion for many purposes. If you suffer from a total number of levels of depletion at once equal to 5 + your ability score modifier in the relevant ability, you fall unconscious until you are suffering from fewer.

For each level of depletion, you take a -1 penalty to attack rolls, skill checks, saving throws and ability checks relying on the ability score, but do not suffer the other effects of a reduced ability score such as reduced damage, saving throw DCs, or hit points.
The specific effects of depletion are a little unclear to me- do you take the effect as a reduced stat, a set of penalties, or both? This feature:

Durability (Ex)
A guardian's constitution is very important when determining how much damage the guardian can take. Whenever your constitution modifier maximum (that is, your constitution modifier before accounting for any damage, drain or burn to the ability score) is positive, apply that modifier to your hit points at each level in addition to your actual constitution modifier. For example, at first level, with 16 constitution damaged by 6, your hit point maximum is 8+0+3=11.

implies that you take an outright stat penalty, which seems like a lot of recalculation of stats every time you deplete.


If you level up while depleted, you immediately gain a number of points of each type equal to the number of depletion levels you have in the relevant ability score if your depletion rate has increased, as well as the number of points you gain for the maximum points increase
I'm not quite sure what is meant for "for the maximum increase"; this seems like a very complicated way to talk about recharging your points as you level up, but I think it would be simpler to just not adjust the point totals at all; levelling up doesn't suddenly magically increase the amount of stamina you have left? Usually, levelling happens out of combat.

Note: An 8 hour rest technically does not restore your empty pools, just recharge your depleted ones.
The rest mechanic seems a little overdesigned. I would suggest removing the 1 hour rest and 8 hour rest, and change the 15 minute rest to a 10 minute rest in order to have 6 10-minute rests add up to an hour rest. An hour rest seems really inefficient to me; I would expect that characters primarily deplete one or two pools in any given encounter (their primary focuses), and so would prefer to focus their time on restoring those pools.

Exertions Known: yikes this is a lot of abilities to track at once. I recognize spellcasters get a similar number, though. Curious about how you arrived at N^1.15 +3.
I am somewhat concerned about the ability to swap them almost completely every day; it significantly degrades the importance of specialization and choice as a character levels; furthermore, it means that much like the wizard/druid/cleric, the classes' power increases over time as new exertions are printed; they always have access to literally any exertion within a period of 15 minutes, letting them overcome essentially any obstacle if there is any exertion ever printed that helps solve it (see: hypnotic suggestion, expert forager, basically any noncombat exertion).

Costs: 2n-1 is a standard cost, looks fine, but it looks like each exertion has its own (often completely different) calculation of how many points it costs, which seems like an unnecessary complication. For example, Hallucinogenic Vapors costs 3X + 1. It's a 4th level exertion, so it has to cost at least 7. So I can spend 7, 10, 13, etc...
X doesn't seem to do anything except affect the save DC here?

Acolyte:
-Martial Arts means that it's impossible to play a "pure" unarmed monk without losing fury of blows.
-Appreciate that the only thing you lose by using armor is the AC bonus feature.
-Skill Aptitude: Not sure why this cares about Strength to replace Constitution, but okay.
-Speed bonus is gained in the table but not in the text.
-Ride the Wind: I'm really not a fan of this, or most of the other "gain a mount" features that the other classes gain. They're very strongly lore-specific, and don't make provisions for alternate mounts appropriate to the campaign/setting/character. Right now, every acolyte of high enough level, no matter what, can fly overland at the same speed using the exact same method, no matter where or how they studied, and short of being part of a specific organization that teaches this method or provides the kite (ex. paladins and their deity), it doesn't make sense to me.
-Skybreaker Strike: Cute, fairly clear that this is a "hate" feature... but I'm not sure why this isn't an exertion instead.
-Improved Evasion: You typo'd here and this doesn't function; just copy and paste the improved evasion feature or reference it directly.
-Great Resistance is a solid implementation, and I like that it plays with exertion; I don't think enough features do.
-Freedom of Action: Okay, but I'm not sure what "short of tying you up and shackling you" defines; you clearly ignore difficult terrain, but it's not clear what this is stopped by; for example, it seems as though you can walk through walls (or any suitable wall-like object that is a "Device").
-Finishing Fist:.... look. I'm aware that spellcasters can cast "finger of death", but there's a major difference between the ability to use finger of death three times per day, and the ability to use it fifteen times a day.
-Obdurium Soul: Not a fan of a feature that swings a single matchup this hard, or is this vague about what it does or doesn't affect(immune to summoned creatures, walk through walls of force, reverse gravity doesn't affect you, etc.) I'd increase the Spell Resistance by 5-10 at this level if you want that sort of invulnerability.

[Unavenger]

Alright, there's a lot here to unpack.
Granted. :smalltongue:



The specific effects of depletion are a little unclear to me- do you take the effect as a reduced stat, a set of penalties, or both? This feature:

implies that you take an outright stat penalty, which seems like a lot of recalculation of stats every time you deplete.

So, you quoted the answer yourself: "For each level of depletion, you take a -1 penalty to attack rolls, skill checks, saving throws and ability checks relying on the ability score, but do not suffer the other effects of a reduced ability score such as reduced damage, saving throw DCs, or hit points." Your constitution modifier maximum is "your constitution modifier before accounting for any damage, drain or burn to the ability score" - as the example gives, if you have taken 6 points of constitution damage (which wouldn't occur from overusing exertions, only from being dealt ability damage) then that doesn't affect the bonus hit points from the feature.


I'm not quite sure what is meant for "for the maximum increase"; this seems like a very complicated way to talk about recharging your points as you level up, but I think it would be simpler to just not adjust the point totals at all; levelling up doesn't suddenly magically increase the amount of stamina you have left? Usually, levelling happens out of combat.

This is in case your DM wants to level you up during combat for some reason. Essentially, as your maximum points are boosted, so are your current points (just like your hit points when you level up). You also get the extra ones you're "owed" from depleting.


Note: An 8 hour rest technically does not restore your empty pools, just recharge your depleted ones.
Oops! That's been fixed.


The rest mechanic seems a little overdesigned. I would suggest removing the 1 hour rest and 8 hour rest, and change the 15 minute rest to a 10 minute rest in order to have 6 10-minute rests add up to an hour rest. An hour rest seems really inefficient to me; I would expect that characters primarily deplete one or two pools in any given encounter (their primary focuses), and so would prefer to focus their time on restoring those pools.

They may also want to use the medium rest to replenish their primary ability score pools and swap out exertions with the other four, but I see your point. I've changed it to


Exertions Known: yikes this is a lot of abilities to track at once. I recognize spellcasters get a similar number, though.

It was based loosely on the psion powers known limit in terms of vague orders of magnitude of how many abilities you get.


Curious about how you arrived at N^1.15 +3.

So, the pifro homebrew class table generator lets you throw formulae in it and see what sticks, so I messed around with that to get something that was slightly more than linear and gave you a reasonable number.


I am somewhat concerned about the ability to swap them almost completely every day; it significantly degrades the importance of specialization and choice as a character levels; furthermore, it means that much like the wizard/druid/cleric, the classes' power increases over time as new exertions are printed; they always have access to literally any exertion within a period of 15 minutes, letting them overcome essentially any obstacle if there is any exertion ever printed that helps solve it (see: hypnotic suggestion, expert forager, basically any noncombat exertion).
So, I would rather have this mechanic exist and DMs can remove it if they want, than have no mechanic and DMs have to invent it if they want it. Roughly, the classes are T1 with exertion swapping, T2 with exertions but no swapping, T3 with no exertions.


Costs: 2n-1 is a standard cost, looks fine, but it looks like each exertion has its own (often completely different) calculation of how many points it costs, which seems like an unnecessary complication. For example, Hallucinogenic Vapors costs 3X + 1. It's a 4th level exertion, so it has to cost at least 7. So I can spend 7, 10, 13, etc...
X doesn't seem to do anything except affect the save DC here?
Oh, that's meant to affect the duration on Hallucinogenic Vapours. Whoops.


Acolyte:
-Martial Arts means that it's impossible to play a "pure" unarmed monk without losing fury of blows.

I regard this as a feature, not a bug. You're more powerful when using a weapon and your body than just your body. I picture monks as wielding some of the archetypal monk weapons, rather than just wading out unarmed like suckers.


-Skill Aptitude: Not sure why this cares about Strength to replace Constitution, but okay.
It's you can use primary1 to replace secondary1 or secondary2, or primary2 to replace secondary3 or secondary4, in this case wis instead of int or dex, str instead of cha or con.


-Speed bonus is gained in the table but not in the text.
Oop, fixed that. Good catch.


-Ride the Wind: I'm really not a fan of this, or most of the other "gain a mount" features that the other classes gain. They're very strongly lore-specific, and don't make provisions for alternate mounts appropriate to the campaign/setting/character. Right now, every acolyte of high enough level, no matter what, can fly overland at the same speed using the exact same method, no matter where or how they studied, and short of being part of a specific organization that teaches this method or provides the kite (ex. paladins and their deity), it doesn't make sense to me.

Hmm, true. I should just give people the ability to choose an ability from "The transportation list" and make such a list.


-Skybreaker Strike: Cute, fairly clear that this is a "hate" feature... but I'm not sure why this isn't an exertion instead.

I suppose I could make it one, especially since there's a feature on that level anyway.


-Improved Evasion: You typo'd here and this doesn't function; just copy and paste the improved evasion feature or reference it directly.
Oops, again, fixed. I didn't


-Freedom of Action: Okay, but I'm not sure what "short of tying you up and shackling you" defines; you clearly ignore difficult terrain, but it's not clear what this is stopped by; for example, it seems as though you can walk through walls (or any suitable wall-like object that is a "Device").

The idea is that it should stop hold person but not, say, wall of iron. Anything that it would clearly be utter balls for you to ignore, you don't.


-Finishing Fist:.... look. I'm aware that spellcasters can cast "finger of death", but there's a major difference between the ability to use finger of death three times per day, and the ability to use it fifteen times a day.
A sorcerer with no bonus high-level spells from a high ability score can cast finger of death 8 times per day at level 16. A cleric can cast slay living 14 times without using the domain slots. They also have far better ways of killing stuff.


Obdurium Soul: Not a fan of a feature that swings a single matchup this hard, or is this vague about what it does or doesn't affect(immune to summoned creatures, walk through walls of force, reverse gravity doesn't affect you, etc.) I'd increase the Spell Resistance by 5-10 at this level if you want that sort of invulnerability.

Spell immunity is clearly defined: it's infinite spell resistance. SR:No stuff and summoned creature attacks will work fine.

The kite issue and skybreaker strike I'll sort out; the other issues I've fixed.

[aimlessPolymath]

So, you quoted the answer yourself: "For each level of depletion, you take a -1 penalty to attack rolls, skill checks, saving throws and ability checks relying on the ability score, but do not suffer the other effects of a reduced ability score such as reduced damage, saving throw DCs, or hit points." Your constitution modifier maximum is "your constitution modifier before accounting for any damage, drain or burn to the ability score" - as the example gives, if you have taken 6 points of constitution damage (which wouldn't occur from overusing exertions, only from being dealt ability damage) then that doesn't affect the bonus hit points from the feature.
Ah, misread the Guardian example as though Constitution were depleted by 6, not damaged by 6.


So, I would rather have this mechanic exist and DMs can remove it if they want, than have no mechanic and DMs have to invent it if they want it. Roughly, the classes are T1 with exertion swapping, T2 with exertions but no swapping, T3 with no exertions.
I would add an explanatory note in a spoiler to that effect.



It's you can use primary1 to replace secondary1 or secondary2, or primary2 to replace secondary3 or secondary4, in this case wis instead of int or dex, str instead of cha or con.
Yeah, but Acolyte is a Constitution/Wisdom class, not a Strength/Wisdom class.
Edit: You typo'd in the Exertions section of the Acolyte class, I think, which explains this.


Spell immunity is clearly defined: it's infinite spell resistance. SR:No stuff and summoned creature attacks will work fine.
Huh. I've never seen that part of the SRD before, but it's there. Learn something new every day.


A sorcerer with no bonus high-level spells from a high ability score can cast finger of death 8 times per day at level 16. A cleric can cast slay living 14 times without using the domain slots. They also have far better ways of killing stuff.

A sorcerer (the class with the most spell slots) who spends all his 7th and 8th level spell slots can do this, yes, or a cleric who spends all his available spell slots of level 5 or higher. This is comparable in resource expenditure, I think, to an exertion class who completely depletes an entire primary pool, not one who expends all uses of one class feature.

[Unavenger]

I would add an explanatory note in a spoiler to that effect.
There is one; it's in the exertions list itself.


Yeah, but Acolyte is a Constitution/Wisdom class, not a Strength/Wisdom class.
Edit: You typo'd in the Exertions section of the Acolyte class, I think, which explains this.

Yes, I did - Acolyte is absolutely meant to be Str/Wis. Oops. >.>


A sorcerer (the class with the most spell slots) who spends all his 7th and 8th level spell slots can do this, yes, or a cleric who spends all his available spell slots of level 5 or higher. This is comparable in resource expenditure, I think, to an exertion class who completely depletes an entire primary pool, not one who expends all uses of one class feature.

Yeah, except...

A sorcerer who spends a single 8th-level spell slot can cast irresistible phantasmal killer. Are you immune to mind-affecting death effects? No? Then die. No save. Alternatively, the sorcerer can just baleful polymorph someone. That's 6 save-or-lose spells out of just your fifth-level slots, when you have 8th-level spells available. Even the second-level ghoul touch can take someone out of the fight. And that's not counting all of the stuff that the spellcasters can do which isn't save-or-lose spells.

[aimlessPolymath]

There is one; it's in the exertions list itself.
I meant more explicit in the sense that you actively set out the tier goals for this project, and distinguish between exertion swapping/non-swapping/no-exertion tiers. By default, I assume homebrew is aiming for T3-T4.

A sorcerer who spends a single 8th-level spell slot can cast irresistible phantasmal killer. Are you immune to mind-affecting death effects? No? Then die. No save.
Irresistible Spell was a dev mistake, but I take your point re:save-or-suck effects.

Anyway, I'm going to try to evaluate the remaining classes without considering exertions, as though they were intended to be T3; I'm not sure that I can even consider the concept of class balance when it comes to T1-T2.

Ambassador:
There's really no real context for me to evaluate this class in, since it plays essentially in its own field when it comes to interaction; the ability to call up an army means that it can engage in mass combat in a way practically no other class can. That said, I will primarily be comparing this to the following benchmarks for social encounters:
-Beguiler
-These (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?221950-quot-Believe-me-you-don-t-want-him-inside-your-head-quot-3-5-Base-Class-PEACH)Two (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?281243-A-Social-Rube-Goldberg-Machine-(3-5-base-class))homebrew classes.

General:
-Being an "ambassador" is usually associated with being an ambassador of some organization. However, this class appears to be entirely politically agnostic; you're just a generic ambassador. I suggest granting some "Affiliation" feature at level 1, letting the ambassador attach himself to some person or organization to obtain some benefit; perhaps they obtain an improved rate of Writ of Requisition/Levy when requisitioning directly from that organization?
Writ of Immunity:
-Cares significantly about the "degree" of a crime (guidelines look solid though). There's an implicit question here about how much this allows you to make up excuses for your behavior (do you have to volunteer an explanation?) and have them be believed; if you come up with an explanation for your criminal behavior, do you have to roll Bluff to have it be accepted (with some large bonus?), or is it automatically folded into the class feature? Do people recognize your crimes, or rationalize them away?
Writ of Message:
-Looks fine, if a fairly minor effect.
Skilled Negotiator:
-Unnecessarily complicated and forces me to remember how skill points work when you multiclassed into ambassador. Just give a bonus equal to 1/2 class level.
Writ of Levy:
-It's somewhat problematic that this, at level 4, is the first actual proactive feature that this class gets. Until then, you have slightly more money and possess minor immunity to crimes... but that really doesn't provide very much benefit unless you can leverage your skills, and social skill use really is not well fleshed out for long-term or complex interaction.
One possibility would be to grant some version of this feature at a significantly earlier point; perhaps you get the ability to recruit an aide of some kind from your organization (the cohort to WoL's followers)?
Another appropriate ability would be the ability to call a "truce", providing a sort of sanctuary-like effect to the party that is broken when any of them attack, or provide space for the ambassador to flex his skills.
Writ of Indictment:
-There's an implicit statement here about the character's status, but I'm not clear on what that status actually is; this is an organizational/legal attack in a system woefully unequipped to deal with it, leaving the result essentially up to DM discretion- what is a "minor clerk", and what defines the boundary . I would suggest the following rough rules for how it could function:
Writ of Indictment: From tenth level, you can call for someone to be arrested by law enforcement. They may resist this attempt when they are made aware of it with a Charisma check against a DC of 10 + 1/2 your Ambassador level + your Charisma bonus. If they possess status within the organization backing the law enforcement, they gain a +4 bonus to this check for every level of management they possess under them. For example, a clerk would gain a +0 bonus, their boss would gain a +4 bonus, and their boss's boss would gain a +8 bonus. If they pass this check, you may not make another attempt against them for 1 month. If they fail, they are taken and held for at least one week; if they are not charged specifically within this time, they are released.

My thoughts:
-This class is tremendously passive without exertions. It has significant noncombat ability to go where it wants and a moderate ability to attack people legally, but doesn't actually do anything until level 4. At lower levels, it needs some forms of social tools to attack with beyond general skill-use; ideally ones that will scale up over time. Respected and Feared emulates a sanctuary spell; I think you could fairly easily grant outright Sanctuary at a significantly earlier level (regenerate in 24 hours if broken), because this class is just that passive. It's essentially a purely defensive social character until a high level; it's perfectly able to get places and be socially immune while there, but it's not actually able to do very much once it enters an area.

-Second, it relies heavily on leveraging social rules that just aren't there, meaning its strength is essentially dependent on how permissive the DM feels regarding social rules. This class functions by interacting with legal systems and skills, but the meaning/effect of those abilities is left vague due to the lack of actual rules describing what they do for you. In order to move forwards, one thing to maybe take a look at is generating basic bureaucratic rules for it to use to attack others. I'm aware of the DMGII legal rules, but they come down to a modified skill check, and that's not really acceptable for a class to rely on alone (to say nothing of the fact that they aren't mentioned here). Pulling some version of WoL to level 1 might help give it some mechanics to interact with but this class relies essentially a lot on interacting with a nonexistent system.

The two homebrew classes I linked solve the issue of "limited social mechanics" by implementing their own custom interaction tools and focus the class around using those tools proactively to solve situations.

Edit: Pathfinder has rules for Verbal Duels, which would be something like what I'd expect.