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View Full Version : D&D 3.x Class Knight of the Word (PRC, martial adept/truenamer theurge)



Elves
2020-04-21, 10:07 PM
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Full credit for this class goes to Joshua Z, who posted it in his original thread here (https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?581552-Knight-of-the-Word-(A-Truenaming-ToB-prestige-class-for-3-5)-PEACH).

I'm posting this edited version only in order to get a fresh slate for feedback.


NOTE

This prestige class doesn’t use the notoriously dysfunctional version of the truenamer class that appeared in Tome of Magic.

Instead, we assume you’re using one of two popular fixes to truename magic: either The Book of Words (https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?217713-A-Book-of-Words-An-Expanded-Truenamer-Fix-PEACH), by Kyeudo, which tweaks the existing system, or The Way Words Work (https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?90961), by Kellus, which is a larger overhaul. Class abilities are described separately for each system variant.

Elves
2020-04-21, 10:08 PM
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Knight of the Word
"With my Blade, I stand for the Word. Neither my voice nor my blade will be silent against evil. When I fall, another shall take my place, for I am but a pulse of the eternal echo of the words of creation."

—Sacred oath of the Order of the Word Made Steel

Some martial adepts study the truenames of martial maneuvers, believing that only in this way can they truly come to know and master their techniques.


Becoming a Knight of the Word

Zealous and devoted, crusaders appreciate Truespeak as the language of divine commandment, one not prey to mortal falterance or frailty. Swordsages, consummate scholars of the Sublime Way, may find Truespeak the only adequate technical language for their purpose, and be awed by the secrets it reveals about their art. This class is popular among poets, many of whom conclude that if they’re to fight, the language of creation must be their weapon. Machinists with a bent toward natural science also find an interest in Truespeak, incorporating it into their studies of alchemy and arcane hermeneutics.

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
Skills: Martial Lore 6 ranks, Truenaming 8 ranks
Feats: School of the Sublime Word (new feat described in post 3)
Maneuvers: One maneuver of 2nd level or higher and at least two stances.
Truenaming: Able to use an utterance.

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Table: the Knight of the Word------Hit Die: d8
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Level
BAB
Fort
Ref
Will
Man. Known
Man. Readied
Special
Truenaming


1st
+1
+2
+0
+2
0
0
Name the maneuver
+1 level of truenaming class


2nd
+2
+3
+0
+3
1
0
Stance of iron phrasing
+1 level of truenaming class


3rd
+3
+3
+1
+3
0
0
Name the stance
+1 level of truenaming class


4th
+4
+4
+1
+4
1
0
Nomenclature of steel
+1 level of truenaming class


5th
+5
+4
+1
+4
0
1
Repeated martial nomenclature
+1 level of truenaming class


6th
+6
+5
+2
+5
1
0
Way of words unyielding
+1 level of truenaming class


7th
+7
+5
+2
+5
0
0
Polyphony of forms
+1 level of truenaming class


8th
+8
+6
+2
+6
1
1
Spontaneous martial nomenclature
+1 level of truenaming class


9th
+9
+6
+3
+6
0
0
Perfect martial nomenclature
+1 level of truenaming class


10th
+10
+7
+3
+7
1
0
Name the unknown, supreme synthesis
+1 level of truenaming class



Class Skills: Balance, Climb, Concentration, Craft, Decipher Script, Diplomacy, Jump, Knowledge (Arcana), Listen, Martial Lore, Perform (sing or oral only), Ride, Swim.

Skill points at each level: 4 + Intelligence modifier


CLASS FEATURES

Note: Under the Book of Words system, all Knight of the Word class features that involve making a Truenaming check are subject to the Law of Resistance.

Weapon and Armor Proficiencies: You gain no additional weapon or armor proficiencies.

Maneuvers: At each even-numbered level you learn a new maneuver. Your available disciplines are Sublime Tapestry, plus any disciplines from which you already know at least one maneuver. At levels 5th and 8th you gain an additional maneuver readied.

Truenaming: At each level, you advance your extant truenaming ability.
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If using the Book of Words, this means you increase your effective truenamer level for the purposes of utterances known, what level utterances you may use, what lexicons you may access, and any other features which depend on truenamer level.
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If using The Way Words Work, in addition to increasing your effective level in one pre-extant truenaming class and granting you new vocalizations known as if you had advanced in that class, each class level increases your absolute limit. Upon taking your first level in this class, choose the key ability score of a martial discipline from which you know at least one maneuver. Each level in this class increases your absolute limit by 2 + the relevant ability modifier.

Name the Maneuver (Ex): You have studied the truenames of all the maneuvers you know, and cry them out as you initiate them. Whenever you initiate a maneuver, you may attempt a Truenaming check against a DC of 20 + twice the maneuver's level. If you succeed, you gain a +4 bonus on attack rolls and skill checks made as part of that maneuver, and you treat your initiator level as 2 higher for the purpose of initiating it. If you fail, you instead take equivalent penalties: -2 to initiator level with the maneuver and -4 on all attack rolls and skill checks made as part of it.

Stance of Iron Phrasing (Ex): At 2nd level, you gain a stance substitution effect called stance of iron phrasing, which grants a +2 bonus on Truenaming checks. The bonus increases to +4 against a target you damaged with a maneuver during this round or the previous round.

Name the Stance (Ex): At 3rd level, you may call upon the truename of a stance you wish to adopt, letting you initiate it without spending an action. Once per round, you may make a Truenaming check against a DC of 20 + three times the level of the stance you wish to enter, which must be one you know. If you succeed, you enter or switch to that stance as a free action. This ability doesn’t let you be in more stances than normal.
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You can’t use this ability to activate stance subsitution effects, except for stance of iron phrasing. The DC to do so is only 15.

Nomenclature of Steel (Ex): The more perfectly you can name your strikes, the more deadly and precise they become. At 4th level, when you successfully name a maneuver, you gain an additional +1 bonus to associated attack rolls and skill checks for every 5 points by which you exceed the Truenaming DC. The total bonus can’t exceed your level in this class.

Repeated Martial Nomenclature (Ex): Starting at 5th level, you may attempt to initiate one of your readied maneuvers that is currently expended by invoking its truename. Make a Truenaming check against a DC of 20 + four times the maneuver's level. If you succeed, you may immediately initiate the maneuver, which you are also treated as having successfully named. You can only attempt to use this ability with a given maneuver once per encounter.

Way of Words Unyielding (Ex): At 6th level you gain a +2 bonus to AC against attacks made as part of martial maneuvers and +2 bonus on all saves against martial maneuvers. You also gain name resistance 5 against hostile truename effects. Finally, if using the Book of Words, you gain a +2 bonus to saves against truenaming effects; if using The Way Words Work, you instead add three times your initiator level to your effective total hit points for the sake of determining which utterances can affect you.

Polyphony of Forms (Ex): At 7th level, you learn how to simultaneously assume multiple stances by calling upon their truenames. As a swift action, you may make a Truenaming check against a DC of 15 + twice the level of each stance you're currently in + twice the level of the additional stance you wish to enter, which must be one you know. If you succeed, you gain the benefits of the extra stance for 1 minute or until you enter any new stances, including via this ability. If you fail, you’re uncentered for 1 round.
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If using the Book of Words, Law of Resistance penalties incurred by the use of this ability stack with resistance incurred by Name the Stance.

Spontaneous Martial Nomenclature (Ex): At 8th level, you may attempt to name a maneuver you know but don’t have readied. To attempt to initiate a maneuver this way, you must have enough remaining actions to initiate it. Make a Truenaming check with a DC equal to that of naming the maneuver plus 10. If you succeed, you initiate the maneuver. You also gain the same bonuses as if you had successfully named it using Martial Nomenclature. If you fail, you waste the actions that would be used to initiate that maneuver, and you can’t try to invoke that maneuver with this ability again for the rest of the encounter.
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You can’t try to name a maneuver you have readied, even if it’s currently unavailable to you.

Perfect Martial Nomenclature (Ex): At 9th level, when you successfully name a maneuver, every 7 (?) points by which you exceed the check DC allow you to augment that maneuver in one of the following ways:
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- Increase its save DC by 1
- Increase any bonus damage it deals by 20%
- The maneuver has a 7% chance of not being expended
- Replace any energy damage it deals with another type of energy damage
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The benefits are cumulative and in all but the last case can be chosen multiple times.

Name the Unknown (Ex): At 10th level, you can perform a martial maneuver you don’t know simply by invoking its truename.
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Once per encounter, you may attempt to initiate a maneuver you don’t know. To do so, you must have enough remaining actions to initiate it. Make a Truenaming check against a DC equal to that of naming the maneuver plus 15. If you succeed, you initiate the maneuver. You also gain same bonuses as if you had successfully named it. Being able to perform a maneuver this way doesn’t count as knowing it for any other purpose.
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To initiate an unknown maneuver using this ability, you must first learn its truename. You can learn the truenames of maneuvers you don’t know by seeing them performed. You must identify the maneuver with a Martial Lore check and beat the DC by 10 or more. You can then attempt a Truenaming check, with a DC equal to the Martial Lore check to identify it plus 20. If you succeed, you identify its truename.
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You automatically learn the truename of one unknown maneuver of your choice each time you gain a level and take at least one rank in both Martial Lore and Truenaming. This includes the level at which you gain this ability, if applicable.
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Someone who already knows the truename of a maneuver can also teach it to you directly.
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The maximum number of such truenames you can know equals your character level. Past this limit, new names learned override one of your current store.
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You can’t learn the truename of a maneuver that’s higher level than the highest level maneuver you could learn. You can’t learn the truename of an epic martial maneuver.

Supreme Synthesis (Ex): At 10th level, you’ve reached the pinnacle of combining truenaming with martial combat. These secrets will remain with you throughout any further advancement.
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Whenever you would learn a martial maneuver you may choose to instead learn an utterance (or vocalization, if using The Way Words Work), and whenever you would learn an utterance or vocalization you may instead choose to learn a martial maneuver. The utterance or maneuver must be one you are eligible to learn and must be no higher in level than the maneuver or utterance you would have been able to learn otherwise.
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If you have levels in lexeme, when you would gain an additional readied maneuver, you may instead choose to increase your unique utterances per day by one.

Elves
2020-04-21, 10:11 PM
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NEW FEATS


School of the Sublime Word [Truename]
You mix truenaming with the martial arts of the Sublime Way.
Prerequisites: Able to use a first level utterance, knowledge of one martial maneuver
Benefit: Your levels in truenaming classes count as martial adept levels for the purpose of determining your initiator level. You gain truenaming as a class skill for all initiator classes.


Martial Recitation [Truename]
Your use of recitations is so smooth and fluid that you can recite even as you change stances.
Prerequisites: Martial Lore 5 ranks, Truenaming 5 ranks, able to use a first level recitation, knowledge of two martial stances
Benefit: You may use the same swift action you use to maintain a recitation to change your stance. Also, you get a +2 bonus to any Truenaming check to begin a recitation if you’ve used a martial strike or boost since the start of your last turn.


Name of the Ultimate Technique [Epic, Truename]
Prerequisites: Initiator level 21st, Knight of the Word level 10th, initiation feat for one epic discipline
Benefit: You learn the truename of one epic maneuver you don’t know, and may perform it using your Name the Unknown class feature. It can’t be a pinnacle maneuver. You can only take this feat once.

JoshuaZ
2020-04-27, 03:20 PM
I like most of what you've done with it. A few points/questions; you've changed some of the NPCs around a bit, with different names and some other changes. Is there a reason for that?

Also, for the NPCs you only give a level summary for one but not the others.

I noticed you also changed out the related feats for a new set. While I like your new ones, is there a reaosn you didn't include the originally proposed feats? Also, the original thread has some magic items and artifacts.

Elves
2020-04-29, 02:35 PM
I like most of what you've done with it. A few points/questions; you've changed some of the NPCs around a bit, with different names and some other changes. Is there a reason for that?

Also, for the NPCs you only give a level summary for one but not the others.

I noticed you also changed out the related feats for a new set. While I like your new ones, is there a reaosn you didn't include the originally proposed feats? Also, the original thread has some magic items and artifacts.

Glad you like the tweaks. I did change an NPC name because they were sounding too similar (belezar telenthal talvinel teralasan). Will put in the level stubs.

It looks like the two excerpted feats were for paladin and blackguard theurging. The project has a martial paladin variant and a TOB blackguard redo which is why they were taken out. Maybe a feat Accusatory Smite where using any smite effect whether paladin, crusader etc you can try to invoke target's truename for bonus effect?

Good to see you back on the board by the way. I want to ask you about another of your classes -- PMing in a sec.


-- Bump for feedback --