5e classes converted to 3.5e

[Troacctid]

So, one of the things that comes up a lot in 3.5e homebrew is fixing the underpowered martial classes. Well, it turns out that later editions actually did a pretty good job of making martial characters more appealing, but I hardly ever see anyone backporting them to 3.5e. I'm sure it's been done before, but here's my take!

Post #1: Monk
Post #2: Fighter

There may or may not be more to come later.

[Troacctid]

MONK



Level
BAB
Fort
Ref
Will
Class abilities
Martial arts
Ki
Unarmored movement


1
+0
+2
+2
+2
Unarmored Defense, Martial Arts
1d6
-
-


2
+1
+3
+3
+3
Ki, Unarmored Movement
1d6
2
+10


3
+2
+3
+3
+3
Open Hand Technique, Deflect Missiles
1d6
3
+10


4
+3
+4
+4
+4
Ability Score Improvement, Slow Fall
1d8
4
+10


5
+3
+4
+4
+4
Extra Attack, Stunning Strike
1d8
5
+10


6
+4
+5
+5
+5
Ki Strike (Magic), Wholeness of Body
1d8
6
+20


7
+5
+5
+5
+5
Stillness of Mind, Improved Evasion
1d8
7
+20


8
+6
+6
+6
+6
Ability Score Improvement
1d10
8
+20


9
+6
+6
+6
+6
Unarmored Movement Improvement
1d10
9
+20


10
+7
+7
+7
+7
Purity of Body, Ki Strike (Lawful)
1d10
10
+30


11
+8
+7
+7
+7
Tranquility
1d10
11
+30


12
+9
+8
+8
+8
Ability Score Improvement
2d6
12
+30


13
+9
+8
+8
+8
Tongue of the Sun and Moon
2d6
13
+30


14
+10
+9
+9
+9
Diamond Soul
2d6
14
+40


15
+11
+9
+9
+9
Timeless Body, Ki Strike (Adamantine)
2d6
15
+40


16
+12
+10
+10
+10
Ability Score Improvement
2d8
16
+40


17
+12
+10
+10
+10
Quivering Palm
2d8
17
+40


18
+13
+11
+11
+11
Empty Body
2d8
18
+50


19
+14
+11
+11
+11
Ability Score Improvement
2d8
19
+50


20
+15
+12
+12
+12
Perfect Self
2d10
20
+50


Hit die and skills: As the standard monk.

Unarmored Defense (Ex)
Beginning at 1st level, while you are wearing no armor and not wielding a shield, you gain a bonus to your AC equal to your Wisdom bonus.

Martial Arts (Ex)
At 1st level, your practice of martial arts gives you mastery of combat styles that use unarmed strikes and monk weapons. Monk weapons are all simple melee weapons, as well as the kama, nunchaku, sai, shuriken, and siangham.

You gain Improved Unarmed Strike as a bonus feat, as well as the following benefits while you are unarmed or wielding only monk weapons and you aren’t wearing armor or wielding a shield:

You can use Dexterity instead of Strength for the attack and damage rolls of your unarmed strikes and monk weapons.
You can roll a d6 in place of the normal damage dice of your unarmed strike or monk weapon. This die changes as you gain monk levels, as shown in the Martial Arts column of the table.
When you use the Attack or Full Attack action with an unarmed strike or a monk weapon on your turn, you can make one unarmed strike as a swift action. For example, if you take the Attack action and attack with a quarterstaff, you can also make an unarmed strike as a swift action, assuming you haven’t already used your swift action this turn.

Ki (Su)
Starting at 2nd level, your training allows you to harness the mystic energy of ki. Your access to this energy is represented by a number of ki points. Your monk level determines the number of points you have, as shown in the Ki Points column of the table.

You can spend these points to fuel various ki features. You start knowing three such features: Flurry of Blows, Patient Defense, and Step of the Wind. You learn more ki features as you gain levels in this class.

When you spend a ki point, it is unavailable until you spend at least 30 minutes meditating, at the end of which you draw all of your expended ki back into yourself. If your game uses the action point rules described in Eberron Campaign Setting, you can spend 2 action points to recover 1 ki point.

Some of your ki features require your target to make a saving throw to resist the feature’s effects. The saving throw DC is equal to 10 + half your monk level + your Wisdom modifier.

Flurry of Blows
Immediately after you take the Attack or Full Attack action on your turn, you can spend 1 ki point to make two unarmed strikes as a swift action.

Patient Defense
You can spend 1 ki point to take the Total Defense action as a swift action on your turn.

Step of the Wind
You can spend 1 ki point to move up to your speed as a swift action on your turn, and your jump distance is doubled for the turn.

Unarmored Movement (Ex)
Starting at 2nd level, your speed increases by 10 feet while you are not wearing armor or wielding a shield. This bonus increases when you reach certain monk levels, as shown in the table.

At 9th level, you gain the ability to move along vertical surfaces and across liquids on your turn without falling during the move.

Open Hand Technique (Su)
Starting at 3rd level, you can manipulate your enemy’s ki when you harness your own. Whenever you hit a creature with one of the attacks granted by your Flurry of Blows, you can impose one of the following effects on that target:

It must succeed on a Reflex saving throw or be knocked prone.
It must make a Fortitude saving throw. If it fails, you can push it up to 15 feet away from you.
It can’t make attacks of opportunity or take immediate actions or readied actions until the end of your next turn.

Deflect Missiles (Ex)
At 3rd level, you gain Deflect Arrows as a bonus feat, even if you do not meet the prerequisites.

When you deflect a missile this way, you can catch the missile if it is small enough for you to hold in one hand and you have at least one hand free. If you do, you can spend 1 ki point to immediately make a ranged attack with the weapon or piece of ammunition you just caught. You make this attack with proficiency, regardless of your weapon proficiencies, and the missile counts as a monk weapon with a ranged increment of 20 feet for the attack.

Ability Score Improvement (Ex)
When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th, and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1, or you can gain a bonus feat of your choice. The bonus feat can be any feat for which you meet the prerequisites. You can't increase an ability score above 22 (not including enhancement bonuses) using this feature.

Slow Fall (Su)
Beginning at 4th level, you can use an immediate action when you fall to reduce any falling damage you take by an amount equal to five times your monk level.

Extra Attack (Ex)
Beginning at 5th level, you can make an additional attack whenever you take the Attack or Full Attack action on your turn.

Stunning Strike (Su)
Starting at 5th level, you can interfere with the flow of ki in an opponent’s body. When you successfully damage another creature with a melee weapon attack, you can spend 1 ki point to attempt a stunning strike. The target must succeed on a Fortitude saving throw or be stunned until the end of your next turn.

This ability counts as Stunning Fist for the purpose of prerequisites; if an ability requires you to expend uses of Stunning Fist, you can instead expend that many ki points.

Wholeness of Body (Su)
At 6th level, you gain the ability to heal yourself. Once per day, as a standard action, you can regain hit points equal to three times your monk level.

Ki Strike (Su)
Starting at 6th level, your unarmed strikes count as magical for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction and attacking incorporeal creatures. At 10th level, your unarmed strikes are also considered lawful for the purpose of bypassing damage reduction. At 15th level, your unarmed strikes are also considered adamantine for the purpose of bypassing damage reduction and hardness.

Improved Evasion (Ex)
At 7th level, your instinctive agility lets you dodge out of the way of certain area effects, such as a blue dragon’s lightning breath or a fireball spell. When you are subjected to an effect that allows you to make a Reflex saving throw to take only half damage, you instead take no damage if you succeed on the saving throw, and only half damage if you fail.

Stillness of Mind (Ex)
Starting at 7th level, whenever you are affected by any mind-affecting magic, you automatically become aware of its effects as if you had identified it with a successful Spellcraft check. Additionally, you can remove a charm or fear effect from yourself as a standard action. The effect immediately ends for you as if its duration had expired. You can use this ability even if fear or mental control would otherwise prevent you from acting freely.

Purity of Body (Su)
At 10th level, your mastery of the ki flowing through you makes you immune to disease and poison.

Tranquility (Su)
Beginning at 11th level, you can enter a special meditation that surrounds you with an aura of peace. At sunrise each day, you gain the effect of a sanctuary spell targeting yourself, except that it lasts until the next sunrise or until discharged. The saving throw DC equals 10 + half your monk level + your Wisdom modifier.

Tongue of the Sun and Moon (Su)
Starting at 13th level, you learn to touch the ki of other minds so that you understand all spoken languages. Moreover, any creature that can understand a language can understand what you say.

Diamond Soul (Su)
Beginning at 14th level, you gain a +5 perfection bonus to all saving throws.

Additionally, whenever you make a saving throw and fail, you can spend 1 ki point to reroll it and take the second result.

Timeless Body (Su)
At 15th level, your ki sustains you so that you suffer none of the frailty of old age, and you can’t be aged magically. You no longer take penalties for aging. You can still die of old age, however. In addition, you no longer need food or water.

Quivering Palm (Su)
At 17th level, you gain the ability to set up lethal vibrations in someone’s body. When you hit a creature with an unarmed strike, you can spend 3 ki points to start these imperceptible vibrations, which last for a number of days equal to your monk level. The vibrations are harmless unless you use a standard action to end them. To do so, you and the target must be on the same plane of existence. When you use this action, the creature must make a Fortitude saving throw. If it fails, it collapses unconscious and dying at -1 hit points. If it succeeds, it takes 10d10 damage.

You can have only one creature under the effect of this feature at a time. You can choose to end the vibrations harmlessly as a free action.

Empty Body (Sp)
Beginning at 18th level, you can use a standard action to spend 4 ki points to become invisible for 1 minute. During that time, any damage you would take is halved. This spell-like ability is the equivalent of a 6th level spell, and activating it does not provoke attacks of opportunity.

Additionally, you can spend 8 ki points to use astral projection as a spell-like ability. When you do so, you can’t take any other creatures with you.

Perfect Self (Ex)
At 20th level, when you roll for initiative and have no ki points remaining, you regain 4 ki points.

This alternate class feature replaces Open Hand Technique, Wholeness of Body, Tranquility, and Quivering Palm.

Shadow Arts (Sp)
Starting at 3rd level, you can use your ki to duplicate the effects of certain spells. You may spend 2 ki points to use darkness, darkvision, mass camouflage (SpC), pass without trace, or silence as a spell-like ability. Additionally, you can use ghost sound as a spell-like ability at will.

Shadow Step (Su)
At 6th level, you gain the ability to step from one shadow into another. When you are in darkness or shadowy illumination, you can use a swift action to teleport to an unoccupied space you can see within 60 feet that is also in darkness or shadowy illumination. After teleporting this way, the next time you make a melee attack this turn, your target is denied its Dexterity bonus to AC.

Cloak of Shadows (Sp)
By 11th level, you have learned to become one with shadows. When you are in an area of darkness or shadowy illumination, you can use a standard action to become invisible until you make an attack, cast a spell, use a spell-like ability, or enter an area of bright light.

Opportunist (Ex)
At 17th level, you can exploit a creature's momentary distraction when it is hit by a melee attack. Whenever an opponent within your reach is struck for damage in melee by another character, you may make an attack of opportunity against that opponent. You cannot make more than one attack of opportunity this way each round, even if you have the Combat Reflexes feat.
This alternate class feature replaces Open Hand Technique, Wholeness of Body, Tranquility, and Quivering Palm.

Drunken Technique (Ex)
At 3rd level, you learn how to twist and turn quickly as part of your flurry of blows. You gain Spring Attack as a bonus feat. You need not meet the prerequisites. When making a Spring Attack, treat your land speed as if it were 10 feet faster. If you make multiple attacks as part of a Spring Attack (such as with the extra attack feature or a flurry of blows) you may move in between each attack.

Brewing Proficiency (Ex)
At 3rd level, you gain Skill Focus (Craft ) as a bonus feat.

[b]Tipsy Sway (Ex)
Starting at 6th level, you can move in sudden, swaying ways. You gain the following benefits:

Leap to Your Feet. You can stand from prone as a free action once per turn.

Redirect Attack. When a creature misses you with a melee attack roll, you can spend 1 ki point as an immediate action to cause that attack to hit one creature of your choice, other than the attacker, that you can see within 5 feet of you.

Drunkard's Luck (Su)
Starting at 11th level, you always seem to get a lucky bounce at the right moment. If an effect, condition, or circumstance would impose a penalty on your attack roll, saving throw, skill check, ability check, or ability score, you may spend 2 ki points to ignore that penalty for 1 round. Using this ability requires no action. If you are affected by multiple penalties from different sources, you can spend ki separately for each one.

Intoxicated Frenzy (Ex)
At 17th level, you gain the ability to make an overwhelming number of attacks against a group of enemies. When you use your flurry of blows during a Spring Attack, you can make up to three additional attacks with it (up to a total of five flurry of blows attacks), provided that each flurry of blows attack targets a different creature this turn.
This alternate class feature replaces Open Hand Technique, Wholeness of Body, Tranquility, and Quivering Palm.

Signature Weapons (Ex)
When you reach 3rd level, choose two simple, martial, or exotic weapons to be your signature weapons: one light or one-handed melee weapon and one ranged weapon. You become proficient with the chosen weapons, and you treat them as monk weapons. When you reach 6th, 11th, and 17th level, you can choose an additional weapon—either melee or ranged—to become a signature weapon for you, following the criteria above.

Agile Parry (Ex)
Starting at 3rd level, if you make an unarmed strike attack as part of an attack or full attack action while holding one of your signature weapons, you can use it to defend yourself if it is a melee weapon. Regardless of whether the unarmed strike hits or misses, you gain a +2 bonus to AC until the start of your next turn or until you are no longer holding the weapon, whichever comes first.

Master's Shot (Ex)
Starting at 3rd level, as a swift action, you can take careful aim with your ranged attacks. Until the end of your turn, whenever you hit with a ranged attack using one of your signature weapons, the target takes an extra 1d4 damage.

Way of the Brush (Ex)
At 3rd level, you gain Skill Focus as a bonus feat for your choice of Craft (painting) or Craft (calligraphy).

One with the Blade (Su)
Starting at 6th level, you extend your ki into your signature weapons. Your attacks with your signature weapons are treated as magical for the purpose of bypassing damage reduction. Additionally, once per round, when you hit a creature with one of your signature weapons, you can expend a ki point to deal extra damage equal to your martial arts die.

Sharpen the Blade (Sp)
At 11th level, you gain the ability to augment your weapons further with your ki. As a swift action, you can expend up to 3 ki points to cast greater magic weapon on one of your signature weapons, with a duration of 1 minute and a caster level equal to 4 times the number of ki points spent.

Unerring Accuracy (Ex)
At 17th level, your mastery of weapons grants you extraordinary accuracy. Once per round, if you miss with an attack roll using a monk weapon or unarmed strike, you can reroll it. You must take the result of the reroll, even if it's worse than the original roll. This is a free action.

This alternate class feature alters your class skills and replaces Open Hand Technique, Wholeness of Body, Tranquility, and Quivering Palm.

Class Skills
Lose Diplomacy as a class skill. Gain Intimidate as a class skill.

Touch of Death (Su)
Starting at 3rd level, your study of death allows you to extract vitality from another creature as it nears its demise. Whenever you reduce a creature within 5 feet of you to -1 or fewer hit points, you gain temporary hit points equal to your Wisdom modifier + your monk level (minimum 1 temporary hit point). These temporary hit points do not stack.

Hour of Reaping (Su)
At 6th level, you gain the ability to unsettle or terrify those around you, for your soul has been touched by the shadow of death. When you use an Intimidate check to demoralize an opponent, you can choose to affect all other creatures within 30 feet that can see you (including allies), rather than only a single enemy that you threaten. Each of them rolls a separate modified level check to oppose your Intimidate check, but the skill check otherwise works as normal.

Mastery of Death (Su)
Beginning at 11th level, you use your familiarity with death to escape its grasp. You are not staggered when your nonlethal damage is equal to your current hit points, and when you are reduced to -1 or fewer hit points by damage, you can expend 1 ki point (no action required) to be reduced to 0 hit points instead.

Touch of the Long Death (Sp)
Starting at 17th level, your touch can channel the energy of death into a creature. You can expend 5 ki points to use harm as a spell-like ability.
This alternate class feature replaces Open Hand Technique, Wholeness of Body, Tranquility, and Quivering Palm.

Sun Bolt (Su)
Starting at 3rd level, you gain a light ray attack that you can use in place of any attack you make as part of an Attack or Full Attack action. This light ray is a ranged touch attack that deals damage equal to your martial arts damage and is not subject to damage reduction.

After making a light ray attack, you can spend 1 ki point as a swift action to make two additional light ray attacks at your highest base attack bonus.

Searing Arc Strike (Sp)
Starting at 6th level, you can channel your ki into searing waves of energy. Immediately after using the Attack or Full Attack action, you can spend 2 ki points to cast burning hands as a swift action. Your caster level is equal to your monk level, and the save DC is equal to your ki save DC.

Searing Sunburst (Sp)
At 11th level, you gain the ability to create an orb of light that erupts into a devastating explosion. At will as a standard action, you can hurl an orb of light at a point within 150 feet, where it explodes in a 20-foot burst, dealing 3d6 damage to all creatures in the area. Undead who are harmed by sunlight, such as vampires, take double damage. A successful Fortitude save against your ki save DC halves the damage; a creature with light blindness or light sensitivity who fails the save is also dazzled for 1 minute.

You can increase the sphere's damage by spending ki points. Each point you spend, to a maximum of 4, increases the sphere's damage by 2d6 points.

Sun Shield (Su)
At 17th level, you are wreathed in a luminous aura. Your body sheds light equivalent to a daylight spell. You can suppress or resume this ability as a swift action.

If a creature hits you with a melee attack while this light shines, that creature takes damage equal to your martial arts damage die + your Wisdom modifier. Undead who are harmed by sunlight, such as vampires, take double damage.
This alternate class feature alters your class skills and replaces Open Hand Technique, Wholeness of Body, Tranquility, and Quivering Palm.

Class Skills
Lose Knowledge (arcana) as a class skill. Gain Knowledge (the planes) as a class skill.

Elemental Attunement (Sp)
Starting at 3rd level, as a standard action, you can briefly control elemental forces within 30 feet of you, causing one of the following effects of your choice:

Create a harmless, instantaneous sensory effect related to air, earth, fire, or water, such as a shower of sparks, a puff of wind, a spray of light mist, or a gentle rumbling of stone.
Instantaneously light or snuff out a candle, a torch, or a small campfire.
Chill or warm up to 1 pound of nonliving material for up to 1 hour.
Cause earth, fire, water, or mist that can fit within a 1-foot cube to shape itself into a crude form you designate for 1 minute.

Disciple of the Elements (Sp)
At 3rd level, you gain two abilities from the list of elemental disciplines below. At 6th, 11th, and 17th level, you gain an additional ability from the list, and you can choose to replace an ability you already know with another one that you qualify for at your current level. Each of these disciplines is a spell-like ability that you can use by spending the listed number of ki points. The casting time is equal to the normal casting of the spell unless otherwise noted. Your caster level is equal to your monk level. Spells marked with a * are from Spell Compendium.

Binding Winds*: 2 ki points
Burning Hands: 1 ki point
Cone of Cold (requires 17th level): 5 ki points
Control Water (requires 6th level): 4 ki points
Cyclonic Blast* (requires 17th level): 5 ki points
Defenestrating Sphere* (requires 11th level): 4 ki points
Fireball (requires 11th level): 3 ki points
Fireburst, Greater* (requires 17th level): 5 ki points
Fly (self-only; requires 11th level): 3 ki points
Gust of Wind: 2 ki points
Hail of Stone*: 1 ki point
Obscuring Mist: 1 ki point
Pyrotechnics (requires 6th level): 2 ki points
Quench (requires 6th level): 3 ki points
Ray of Frost: 0 ki points (at will)
Rushing Waters* (requires 11th level): 4 ki points
Scorch* (requires 6th level): 2 ki points
Shatter: 2 ki points
Snowball Swarm* (requires 6th level): 2 ki points
Soften Earth and Stone: 2 ki points
Sound Burst (requires 6th level): 2 ki points
Spike Stones (requires 11th level): 4 ki points
Stoneskin (self-only; requires 17th level): 4 ki points
Stony Grasp* (requires 6th level): 3 ki points
Wall of Fire (requires 17th level): 4 ki points

You can gain additional elemental disciplines by taking the Extra Elemental Discipline feat.
Prerequisite: Disciple of the Elements class feature
Benefit: You gain access to an additional elemental discipline of your choice for which you meet the prerequisites.
This alternate class feature alters your class skills and replaces Open Hand Technique, Stunning Strike, Tranquility, and Quivering Palm.

Class Skills
Lose Diplomacy, Knowledge (arcana), and Knowledge (religion) as class skills. Gain Knowledge (nature) and Survival as class skills.

Wild Empathy (Ex)
Starting at 1st level, you can influence the attitude of animals. Your effective level for this ability is equal to your monk level. If you have levels in multiple classes that grant wild empathy, they stack. See the druid ability of the same name.

Resist Nature's Lure
Starting at 3rd level, you gain a +4 bonus on saving throws against the spell-like abilities of fey.

Wild Shape (Su)
Starting at 6th level, you can take the shape of a Small or Medium animal once per day, exactly as the druid ability of the same name, using your monk level as your effective druid level to determine duration and maximum hit dice. At 7th, 9th, 11th, 17th, and 19th level, you gain an additional daily use of this ability. While wildshaped, any natural weapons provided by your new form are treated as monk weapons.

You gain the ability to take the shape of a Large animal starting at 11th level, and a Tiny or Huge animal at 17th level. Furthermore, at 17th level, you can use wild shape to turn into a Small, Medium, or Large elemental once per day.


Decisive Strike (Ex)
Level: 1st
Replaces: If you select this class feature, you cannot use martial arts to make an additional unarmed strike attack as a swift action.
Benefit: As a swift action, you can focus all your energy into a single strike. Until the end of the current turn, you can use a full-round action to make a single melee attack with an unarmed strike or monk weapon. If the attack hits, it deals double damage (as does any other attack you make before the start of your next turn). If you use this attack to deliver a stunning strike, increase the save DC to resist the stun by 2.

Invisible Fist (Su)
Level: 7th
Replaces: If you select this class feature, you do not gain improved evasion or the 9th level improvement to unarmored movement.
Benefit: Starting at 7th level, you can take an immediate action to use greater invisibility with a duration of 1 round. After using this ability, you must wait 3 rounds before you can use it again.

Starting at 9th level, you can take an immediate action to use blink with a duration of a number of rounds equal to your Wisdom modifier (minimum 1 round). After using this ability, you must wait 3 rounds before you can use it again.

Soulwarp Strike (Su)
Level: 5th
Replaces: Stunning Strike
Benefit: Starting at 5th level, whenever you successfully damage a living creature with a successful melee weapon attack, you can spend 1 ki point to attempt a soulwarp strike. The target must make a Fortitude saving throw. On a success, the target is sickened for 1 round; on a failure, they are nauseated for 1 round instead.

[Troacctid]

FIGHTER



Level
Base Attack Bonus
Fort
Ref
Will
Special


1st
+1
2
0
0
Bonus Feat, Second Wind


2nd
+2
3
0
0
Action Surge (one use)


3rd
+3
3
1
1
Improved Critical


4th
+4
4
1
1
Ability Score Improvement


5th
+5
4
1
1
Extra Attack


6th
+6/+1
5
2
2
Ability Score Improvement


7th
+7/+2
5
2
2
Remarkable Athlete


8th
+8/+3
6
2
2
Ability Score Improvement


9th
+9/+4
6
3
3
Indomitable (1/day)


10th
+10/+5
7
3
3
Bonus Feat


11th
+11/+6/+1
7
3
3
Extra Attack (2)


12th
+12/+7/+2
8
4
4
Ability Score Improvement


13th
+13/+8/+3
8
4
4
Indomitable (2/day)


14th
+14/+9/+4
9
4
4
Ability Score Improvement


15th
+15/+10/+5
9
5
5
Superior Critical


16th
+16/+11/+6/+1
10
5
5
Ability Score Improvement


17th
+17/+12/+7/+2
10
5
5
Action Surge (two uses), Indomitable (3/day)


18th
+18/+13/+8/+3
11
6
6
Survivor


19th
+19/+14/+9/+4
11
6
6
Ability Score Improvement


20th
+20/+15/+10/+5
12
6
6
Extra Attack (3)



Hit die: d10
Skill points per level: 4 + Int
Class skills: Balance, Climb, Craft, Handle Animal, Intimidate, Jump, Knowledge (History), Knowledge (Local), Knowledge (Nobility and Royalty), Listen, Profession, Ride, Sense Motive, Spot, Survival, Swim, Tumble

Weapon and Armor Proficiency
You are proficient with all simple and martial weapons and with all armor (heavy, medium, and light) and shields (including tower shields).

Bonus Feat
At 1st level, and again at 10th level, you get a bonus combat-oriented feat in addition to the feat that any 1st-level character gets and the bonus feat granted to a human character. These bonus feats must be drawn from the feats noted as fighter bonus feats. You must still meet all prerequisites for a bonus feat, including ability score and base attack bonus minimums.

Second Wind (Ex)
You have a limited well of stamina that you can draw on to protect yourself from harm. On your turn, you can use a swift action to regain hit points equal to 1d10 + your fighter level. Once you use this feature, it cannot be used again until you have rested for a period of at least 10 minutes.

Action Surge (Ex)
Starting at 2nd level, you can push yourself beyond your normal limits for a moment. On your turn, you can take one additional standard action on top of your regular actions.

Once you use this feature, you cannot use it again until you have rested for a period of at least 10 minutes. Starting at 17th level, you can use it twice before resting, but only once on the same turn.

If your game uses the action point variant rule (see Eberron Campaign Setting), you can gain an extra use of this feature by spending 2 action points.

Improved Critical (Ex)
Starting at 3rd level, you gain the benefit of the Improved Critical feat for all attacks you make.

Ability Score Improvement (Ex)
When you reach 4th level, and again at 6th, 8th, 12th, 14th, 16th, and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1, or you can gain a bonus feat of your choice. The bonus feat can be any feat for which you meet the prerequisites. You can't increase an ability score above 22 (not including enhancement bonuses) using this feature.

Extra Attack (Ex)
Beginning at 5th level, you can make an additional attack at your highest attack bonus whenever you take the Attack or Full Attack action on your turn.

The number of additional attacks increases to two when you reach 11th level in this class and to three when you reach 20th level in this class.

Remarkable Athlete (Ex)
Starting at 7th level, when you make a Dexterity- or Strength-based skill check, you can use half your Fighter level (rounded up) in place of the number of ranks you have in the skill (even if that number is 0). For example, a 7th-level fighter would have the equivalent of 4 ranks in Balance, Climb, Disable Device, and so on (but only for the purpose of making skill checks). You can't take 10 on checks when you use remarkable athlete (to take 10 you have to use your actual ranks). If the skill doesn't allow untrained checks, you must have at least 1 actual rank to attempt the check.

You also gain a bonus on all Strength and Dexterity checks (including initiative checks, but not Strength- or Dexterity-based skill checks) equal to half your Fighter level, rounded up.

Indomitable
Beginning at 9th level, you no longer automatically fail saving throws on a natural 1. Additionally, once per day, you can reroll a saving throw that you fail. If you do so, you must use the new roll. You can do this twice per day starting at 13th level and three times per day starting at 17th level.

Superior Critical (Ex)
Starting at 15th level, your Improved Critical ability triples your critical threat range instead of doubling it.

Survivor (Ex)
At 18th level, you attain the pinnacle of resilience in battle. You gain fast healing equal to 5 + your Constitution modifier.

This alternate class feature replaces improved critical, remarkable athlete, superior critical, survivor, and your 10th level bonus feat.

Class Skills
Starting at 3rd level, you add Diplomacy, Knowledge (nobility and royalty), Ride, and Sense Motive to your list of class skills for all classes. If you previously purchased ranks in these skills at the cross-class rate, you get additional ranks as if they had always been class skills for you.

Born to the Saddle
At 3rd level, you gain Skill Focus (Ride) as a bonus feat.

Unwavering Mark (Ex)
Starting at 3rd level, you can menace your foes, foiling their attacks and punishing them for harming others. When you hit a creature with a melee weapon attack, you can mark the creature until the end of your next turn or until the creature becomes marked this way by someone else, whichever comes first.

While it is within your reach, a creature marked by you suffers a -4 penalty on attack rolls against anyone other than you. In addition, if a creature marked by you deals damage to anyone other than you, you can use a melee weapon to make a retaliatory strike against the marked creature as a swift action on your next turn. You get a +4 bonus on the attack and damage roll for this attack.

Regardless of the number of creature you mark, you can use retaliatory strike 3 times per day. For every 4 fighter levels beyond 3rd, you gain an additional daily use of the ability.

Warding Maneuver (Ex)
Starting at 7th level, you learn to fend off strikes directed at you, your mount, or other creatures nearby. As an immediate action, when you or a creature you can see within 5 feet of you is hit by a weapon attack, you can roll 1d8 and add the result to the target's AC against that attack. If the attack still hits, it deals only half damage.

You must be wielding a shield or a melee weapon in order to use this ability, and you can use it a number of times per day equal to your Constitution modifier.

Hold the Line (Ex)
Starting at 10th level, any opponent you threaten that takes any sort of movement, including a 5-foot step, provokes an attack of opportunity from you. Your foes provoke this attack before leaving the area you threaten. Your opponents also cannot use the withdraw action to treat the square they start in as no longer threatened by you, and if an opponent attempts to use the Tumble skill to avoid an attack of opportunity from you, the DC is increased by your fighter level.

Ferocious Charger (Ex)
At 15th level, when you hit an enemy with a melee attack at the end of a charge or from the back of a charging mount, that enemy must succeed on a Fortitude saving throw (DC 10 + half your fighter level + your Strength modifier) or fall prone.

Vigilant Defender (Ex)
Starting at 18th level, you respond to danger with extraordinary vigilance. You can make attacks of opportunity even while flat-footed, and the first attack of opportunity you make on each other creature's turn does not count towards your normal limit of attacks of opportunity for the round.
This alternate class features replaces improved critical, remarkable athlete, superior critical, survivor, and your 1st and 10th level bonus feats.

Bonus Feat (Ex)
At 1st level, you gain a bonus feat in addition to the feat that any 1st-level character gets and the bonus feat granted to a human character. These bonus feats must be drawn from the following list: Combat Casting, Combat Expertise, Communicator (CAr), Dodge, Exotic Weapon Proficiency, Improved Unarmed Strike, Insightful (CAr), Iron Will, Magical Aptitude, Mounted Combat, Necropolis Born (CAr), Night Haunt (CAr), Point Blank Shot, Power Attack, Quick Draw, Soul of the North (CAr), Spell Hand (CAr), Two-Weapon Fighting, Weapon Finesse, or Weapon Focus. You must still meet all prerequisites for a bonus feat, including ability score and base attack bonus minimums.

Armored Mage (Ex)
You can cast your arcane knight spells while wearing light armor and/or a light shield without suffering a chance of arcane spell failure. At 7th level, this benefit extends to medium armor. At 10th level, it extends to heavy shields. At 15th level, it extends to heavy armor and tower shields. Only spells you cast as an arcane knight fighter gain this benefit; spells you cast from other classes are unaffected.

Bonus Proficiency (Ex)
Starting at 3rd level, you add Concentration and Spellcraft to your list of fighter class skills. If you previously purchased ranks in these skills at the cross-class rate, you get additional ranks as if they had always been class skills for you.

Spellcasting
When you reach 3rd level, you augment your martial prowess with the ability to cast arcane spells, which are drawn from a subset of the sorcerer/wizard spell list. You can cast any spell you know without preparing it ahead of time, just as a sorcerer can. To learn or cast an arcane knight spell, you must have an Intelligence score of at least 10 + the spell's level. Bonus spells are based on Intelligence, and saving throws against these spells have a DC of 10 + spell level + your Intelligence modifier. Your caster level is equal to your fighter level minus 2.

Your selection of spells is limited. At 3rd level, you know three cantrips and three 1st-level spells. You learn an additional spell at 4th, 7th, 8th, 10th, 11th, 13th, 14th, 16th, 19th, and 20th level. You can learn any sorcerer/wizard spell up to the highest level you can cast from the schools of abjuration, evocation, and universal. No other sorcerer/wizard spells are on your class spell list.

Upon gaining a level in fighter, you can choose to learn a new spell in place of one you already know. In effect, you "lose" the old spell in exchange for the new one. The new spell's level must be the same as that of the spell being exchanged. You can swap only a single spell this way each time you gain a level.

The table below shows the arcane knight's spells per day.



Fighter Level
0th
1st
2nd
3rd
4th


3
2
1
-
-
-


4
3
2
-
-
-


5
3
2
-
-
-


6
3
2
-
-
-


7
3
3
1
-
-


8
3
3
1
-
-


9
3
3
1
-
-


10
3
3
2
-
-


11
3
3
2
-
-


12
3
3
2
-
-


13
4
3
2
1
-


14
4
3
2
1
-


15
4
3
2
1
-


16
4
3
2
2
-


17
4
3
2
2
-


18
4
3
2
2
-


19
4
3
2
2
1


20
4
3
2
2
1



Weapon Bond (Su)
At 3rd level, you learn a ritual that creates a magical bond between yourself and one weapon. You perform the ritual over the course of one hour. The weapon must be within your reach throughout the ritual, at the conclusion of which you touch the weapon and forge the bond.

Once you have bonded a weapon to yourself, opponents cannot disarm you of that weapon. If it is on the same plane of existence, you can summon that weapon as a swift action, causing it to teleport instantly to your hand.

You can have up to two bonded weapons, but can summon only one at a time with your swift action. If you attempt to bond with a third weapon, you must break the bond with one of the other two.

War Magic (Ex)
Beginning at 7th level, immediately after casting a spell, you may make a weapon attack as a swift action. At 18th level, this improves to two weapon attacks.

Eldritch Strike (Ex)
At 10th level, you learn how to make your weapon strikes undercut a creature's resistance to your spells. When you hit a creature with a weapon attack, that creature suffers a -4 penalty on its next saving throw against spells you cast before the end of your next turn.

Arcane Charge (Su)
At 15th level, you gain the ability to teleport up to 30 feet to an unoccupied space you can see when you use your action surge. You can teleport before or after the additional action. This is a conjuration (teleportation) effect.
This alternate class feature replaces improved critical, remarkable athlete, superior critical, survivor, and your 10th level bonus feat.

Bonus Proficiency (Ex)
Starting at 3rd level, you add Concentration, Diplomacy, Knowledge (history), and Sense Motive to your list of class skills for all classes.

Fighting Spirit (Ex)
Starting at 3rd level, your intensity in battle can shield you and help you strike true. As a swift action, you can activate this ability to grant yourself 5 temporary hit points and improve the accuracy of your attacks. This turn, whenever you make an attack roll, roll twice and take the better of the two results. The temporary hit points last until depleted or until you activate this ability again, but the bonus to attack rolls lasts only until the end of your turn. This ability can be used three times per day.

Starting at 10th level, the temporary hit points granted by this ability are equal to your fighter level.

Elegant Courtier (Ex)
Starting at 7th level, your discipline and attention to detail allow you to excel in social situations. You gain Iron Will as a bonus feat, and you add your Wisdom bonus, if any, as a bonus to your Diplomacy checks.

Tireless Spirit (Ex)
Starting at 10th level, when you roll initiative and have no uses of fighting spirit remaining, you regain one use.

Rapid Strike (Ex)
Starting at 15th level, you learn how to trade accuracy for swift strikes. Whenever you take the Attack or Full Attack action, you may make an additional attack at your highest base attack bonus; however, you suffer a -2 penalty on all other attacks made that turn.

Strength Before Death (Ex)
Starting at 18th level, your fighting spirit can delay the grasp of death. Once per day, if you take damage that would reduce you to -1 hit points or less and you are not flat-footed, you can delay your death and immediately take an extra turn (no action required), interrupting the current turn. Your initiative remains unchanged. During this turn, you do not die as a result of having -10 hit points or less. At the end of the turn, roll a d10. Your hit point total becomes equal to 0 minus the result.
This alternate class feature replaces improved critical, remarkable athlete, superior critical, survivor, and your 10th level bonus feat.

Rallying Cry (Ex)
At 3rd level, you learn how to inspire your allies to fight past their injuries. When you use your second wind feature, you can choose up to three other creatures within 60 feet of you. Each one regains hit points equal to your fighter level, provided the creature can see or hear you.

Aura of Courage (Ex)
Beginning at 3rd level, you are immune to fear (magical or otherwise). Each ally within 10 feet of you gains a +4 morale bonus on saving throws against fear effects. This ability functions while you are conscious, but not if you are unconscious or dead. Once you reach 10th level, the radius of your aura of courage is doubled.

Royal Envoy (Ex)
Starting at 7th level, you add Diplomacy, Handle Animal, Intimidate, Perform, and Sense Motive to your list of class skills for all classes. If you previously purchased ranks in any of these skills at the cross-class rate, you get additional ranks as if they had always been class skills for you. Additionally, you gain Skill Focus (Diplomacy) as a bonus feat. If you already have Skill Focus in Diplomacy, you can instead gain Skill Focus in your choice of Handle Animal, Intimidate, Perform (any), or Sense Motive.

Inspiring Surge (Ex)
Starting at 10th level, when you use your action surge feature, you can choose another creature within 60 feet of you. That creature can use an immediate action to make a single melee or ranged attack with a weapon it is holding or with one of its natural weapons, provided it can see or hear you.

Starting at 18th level, you can choose two targets for this ability rather than one.

Aura of Resolve (Ex)
Beginning at 10th level, you are immune to compulsion effects. Each ally within 10 feet of you gains a +4 morale bonus on saving throws against compulsion effects. This ability functions while you are conscious, but not if you are unconscious or dead. Once you reach 18th level, the radius of your aura of resolve is doubled.

Bulwark (Ex)
Beginning at 15th level, you can extend the benefit of your indomitable feature to your allies. When you use indomitable to reroll a saving throw, each ally within 60 feet of you who failed their saving throw against the same effect can reroll the save, provided they can see or hear you. If they reroll this way, they must use the new roll. Furthermore, you and allies within 60 feet of you who can see or hear you do not automatically fail saving throws on a natural 1.
This alternate class feature replaces improved critical, remarkable athlete, superior critical, survivor, and your 10th level bonus feat.

Combat Superiority (Ex)
Starting at 3rd level, you learn techniques that are fueled by special dice called superiority dice.

Techniques. You learn three techniques of your choice, which are detailed under "Techniques" below. Many techniques enhance an attack in some way; you can use only one technique per attack.

You learn two additional techniques of your choice at 7th, 10th, and 15th level. Each time you learn new techniques, you can also replace one technique you know with a different one.

Superiority Dice. You have four superiority dice, which are d8s. A superiority die is expended when you use it. You regain all of your expended superiority dice each time you roll initiative.

You gain another superiority die at 7th level and one more at 15th level. At 10th level, your superiority dice turn into d10s; at 18th level, they turn into d12s.

Saving Throws. Some of your techniques require your target to make a saving throw. The saving throw DC is equal to 10 + half your fighter level + your Strength or Dexterity modifier (your choice).

Student of War (Ex)
At 3rd level, you gain Skill Focus as a bonus feat in any Craft skill of your choice.

Know Your Enemy (Ex)
At 7th level, you gain Combat Intuition (CAd) as a bonus feat. Furthermore, if you spend 1 minute assessing an opponent outside of combat, you automatically succeed on the check, and you learn an additional fact about the target. Choose one of the following characteristics, and the DM tells you if the creature is your equal, superior, or inferior in regards to that characteristic: Strength score, Dexterity score, Constitution score, Armor Class, current hit points, total class levels (if any), fighter class levels.

Relentless (Ex)
Starting at 15th level, whenever you roll a 1 or a 2 on your superiority die, you instantly recover one expended superiority die from your pool.

Commander's Strike
When you take the Attack or Full Attack action, you can forego one of your attacks and spend a swift action to direct one of your companions to strike. When you do so, choose a friendly creature who can see or hear you and expend one superiority die. That creature can use an immediate action to make a single attack with a melee or ranged weapon, adding the superiority die to the attack's damage roll.

Disarming Attack
When you hit a creature with a weapon attack, you can expend one superiority die to make a disarm attempt against one item of your choice that the target is holding, using the same weapon you just struck them with (even if it's a ranged weapon). This disarm attempt does not provoke an attack of opportunity, and the target cannot attempt to disarm you if you fail. Add your superiority die to the opposed attack roll.

Distracting Strike
When you hit a creature with a weapon attack, you can expend one superiority die to distract the creature, denying them their Dexterity bonus to AC against the next attack made against them by a creature other than you, provided that attack is made before the start of your next turn. You add the superiority die to the attack's damage roll.

Evasive Footwork
As part of a move action, you can expend a superiority die, rolling the die and adding the number to your AC until the end of your turn.

Feinting Attack
You can expend one superiority die to feint as a swift action. Roll the superiority die twice and add the result to your Bluff check.

Goading Attack
When you hit a creature with a weapon attack, you can expend one superiority die to attempt to goad the target into attacking you. You add the superiority die to the attack's damage roll, and the target must make a Will save. On a failed save, the target suffers a -5 penalty on all attacks against targets other than you until the end of your next turn.

Lunging Attack
When you make a melee weapon attack on your turn, you can expend one superiority die to increase your reach for that attack by 5 feet. If you hit, you add the superiority die to the attack’s damage roll.

Maneuvering Attack
When you hit a creature with a weapon attack, you can expend one superiority die to maneuver one of your comrades into a more advantageous position. You add the superiority die to the attack’s damage roll, and you choose a friendly creature who can see or hear you. That creature can use an immediate action to move up to half its speed without provoking opportunity attacks from the target of your attack.

Menacing Attack
When you hit a creature with a weapon attack, you can expend one superiority die to attempt to frighten the target. You add the superiority die to the attack’s damage roll, and the target must make a Will save. On a failed save, it is shaken for 1 round.

Parry
When another creature damages you with a melee attack, you can use an immediate action and expend one superiority die to reduce the damage by the number you roll on your superiority die + your Dexterity modifier.

Precision Attack
When you make a weapon attack against a creature, you can expend one superiority die to add it to the attack roll. You can use this technique after making the attack roll, but before learning whether the attack hits or misses.

Pushing Attack
When you hit a creature with a weapon attack, you can expend one superiority die to attempt to drive the target back. You add the superiority die to the attack's damage roll, and the target must succeed on a Fortitude saving throw or be knocked back 15 feet if they are size Large or smaller. If this forced movement would cause the target to hit a wall or another solid obstacle, they take an additional 1d6 damage.

Rally
You can use a swift action and expend one superiority die to bolster the resolve of one of your companions. When you do so, choose a friendly creature who can see or hear you. That creature gains temporary hit points equal to the superiority die roll + your Charisma bonus (if any). These temporary hit points last up to 10 minutes.

Riposte
When a creature misses you with a melee attack, you can use an immediate action and expend one superiority die to make a melee weapon attack against the creature. If you hit, you add the superiority die to the attack’s damage roll.

Sweeping Attack
When you hit a creature with a melee weapon attack, you can expend one superiority die to attempt to damage another creature with the same attack. Choose another creature within 5 feet of the original target and within your reach. If the original attack roll would hit the second creature, it takes damage equal to the number you roll on your superiority die. The damage is of the same type dealt by the original attack.

Trip Attack
When you hit a creature with a weapon attack, you can expend one superiority die to attempt to knock the creature down. You add the superiority die to the attack's damage roll, and if the target is Large or smaller, they must make a Reflex save. On a failed save, you knock them prone.

This alternate class feature replaces improved critical, remarkable athlete, superior critical, survivor, and your 10th level bonus feat.

Arcane Archer Lore (Sp)
Starting at 3rd level, you can use prestidigitation at will.

Arcane Shot (Su)
At 3rd level, you learn to unleash special magical effects with some of your shots. When you gain this feature, you learn two Arcane Shot options of your choice (see below).

Once per turn when you fire an arrow from a bow as part of the Attack or Full Attack action, you can apply one of your Arcane Shot options to that arrow. You decide to use the option when the arrow hits a creature, unless the option doesn't involve an attack roll. You have two uses of this ability, increasing to three at 10th level and to four at 18th level. You regain all expended uses after resting for a period of at least 10 minutes.

You gain an additional Arcane Shot option of your choice when you reach certain levels in this class: 7th, 10th, 15th, and 18th level. Each option also improves when you become an 18th-level fighter. If an Arcane Shot option allows a saving throw, the DC is equal to 10 + half your fighter level + your Intelligence modifier.

Magic Arrow (Su)
Starting at 7th level, every nonmagical arrow you nock and let fly becomes magical, gaining a +1 enhancement bonus. Unlike magic weapons created by normal means, you need not spend experience points or gold pieces to accomplish this task. However, these magic arrows only function for you.

Curving Shot (Su)
At 7th level, you learn how to direct an errant arrow toward a new target. When you make an attack roll with a magic arrow and miss, you can use a swift action to reroll the attack roll against a different target within 60 feet of the original target.

Ever-Ready Shot (Su)
Starting at 15th level, you recover all expended uses of Arcane Shot whenever you roll for initiative.

Banishing Arrow
You can use abjuration magic to banish an opponent to a harmless demiplane. The creature hit by the arrow must succeed on a Will save or disappear for 1 round as if by the time hop (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/powers/timeHop.htm) power. After you reach 18th level, the target also takes an additional 2d6 damage when the arrow hits it.

Beguiling Arrow
Your enchantment magic causes this arrow to temporarily beguile its target. The target takes an extra 2d6 damage, and you may choose a creature within 30 feet of the target. The target must succeed on a Will save or be charmed by the chosen creature for 1 round, as charm monster. This is a mind-affecting charm effect. The damage increases to 4d6 when you reach 18th level in this class.

Bursting Arrow
You imbue your arrow with force energy drawn from the school of evocation. The energy detonates after your attack. Immediately after the arrow hits the creature, the target and all other creatures within 10 feet of it take 2d6 force damage each. When firing at an incorporeal target, you can use bursting arrow even if the attack misses due to incorporeality. The force damage increases to 4d6 when you reach 18th level in this class.

Enfeebling Arrow
You weave necromantic magic into your arrow. The creature hit by the attack takes an extra 2d6 negative energy damage and suffers a -4 penalty to Strength for 2 rounds. A successful Fortitude save halves the duration. Undead are not healed by this damage. The negative energy damage increases to 4d6 when you reach 18th level.

Grasping Arrow
When this arrow strikes its target, conjuration magic creates grasping brambles, which wrap around the target. The creature hit by the arrow takes an extra 2d6 piercing damage and is entangled for 1 round. At 18th level, the piercing damage increases to 4d6.

Piercing Arrow
You use transmutation magic to give your arrow an ethereal quality. When you use this option, you don't make an attack roll for the attack. Instead, the arrow shoots forward in a line, which is 1 foot wide and 30 feet long, before disappearing. The arrow passes harmlessly through objects, ignoring cover. Each creature in that line must make a Reflex saving throw. On a failed save, a creature takes damage as if it were hit by the arrow, plus an extra 1d6 piercing damage. On a successful save, a target takes half as much damage. The extra piercing damage increases to 2d6 when you reach 18th level in this class.

Seeking Arrow
Using divination magic, you grant your arrow the ability to seek out a target. When you use this option, you don't make an attack roll for the attack. Instead, choose one creature you have seen in the past minute. The arrow flies toward that creature, moving around corners if necessary and ignoring cover and concealment. If the target is within the weapon's maximum range and there is a path large enough for the arrow to travel to the target, the target must make a Dexterity saving throw. Otherwise, the arrow disappears after traveling as far as it can. On a failed save, the target takes damage as if it were hit by the arrow, plus an extra 1d6 damage, and you learn the target’s current location. On a successful save, the target takes half as much damage, and you don’t learn its location. The extra damage increases to 2d6 when you reach 18th level in this class.

Shadow Arrow
You weave illusion magic into your arrow, causing it to occlude your foe’s vision with shadows. The creature hit by the arrow takes an extra 2d6 damage, and it must make a Will save. On a failure, it becomes unable to see anything beyond a short distance for 1 round. All creatures and objects more than 5 feet away from them are treated as having total concealment from them. The extra damage increases to 4d6 when you reach 18th level in this class.


Dungeoncrasher (Ex)
Level: 4
Replaces: If you select this class feature, you do not gain the ability score increases at levels 4 and 6.
Benefit: You excel at overwhelming traps, smashing through doors, and pushing aside your enemies. At 4th level, you gain a +2 competence bonus on saves and to your AC when attacked by traps. You also gain a +5 bonus on Strength checks to break a door, wall, or similar obstacle.

In addition, you gain a special benefit when making a bull rush. If your bull rush would force an opponent to move into a wall or other solid object, they stop as normal. However, your momentum crushes them against it, dealing an amount of bludgeoning damage equal to 4d6 + twice your Strength bonus (if any).

At 6th level, the bonuses when dealing with traps increase to +4, and the bonus on Strength checks to break objects increases to +10. The damage you deal when bull rushing an opponent into a wall increases to 8d6 + three times your Strength bonus (if any).

Hit-and-Run Tactics (Ex)
Level: 1
Replaces: If you select this class feature, you do not gain proficiency with heavy armor or tower shields. If you have proficiency with them from another class, you lose those proficiencies, and you cannot later gain them through multiclassing. However, you can still gain them by selecting the appropriate feats.
Benefit: You gain a +2 bonus on initiative checks. When attacking a flat-footed opponent within 30 feet, you can add your Dexterity bonus (if any) as a competence bonus on weapon damage rolls.

Thug (Ex)
Level: 1
Replaces: If you select this class feature, you do not gain the bonus feat at 1st level, and you do not gain proficiency with medium or heavy armor.
Benefit: You gain 6 + Int skill points per level (or 4x this amount at 1st level). Add Bluff, Gather Information, and Sleight of Hand to your list of fighter class skills.

Zhentarim Soldier (Ex)
Level: 1
Replaces: If you select this class feature, you do not gain the bonus feat at 1st level. Additionally, you do not gain the indomitable ability at 9th level, but you gain it at 13th level, though with one fewer daily use (1/day at 13th level, 2/day at 17th level).
Benefit: At 1st level, you gain Skill Focus (Intimidate) as a bonus feat, and your intimidation has extended effects. Instead of ending when you leave, as is normal for the Intimidate skill, the subject's improved attitude lasts for 24 hours after your departure. Thereafter, the target's attitude toward you shifts to unfriendly, but a lingering fear remains. Whenever you return to someone you have previously intimidated, you gain a +4 bonus on your intimidate check to re-establish the effect.

Starting at 9th level, you can use the demoralize aspect of the Intimidate skill as a swift action rather than as a standard action.

[Troacctid]

Reserved #3

[Troacctid]

Reserved #4

[Troacctid]

Reserved #5

[Troacctid]

Reserved #6

[Troacctid]

Reserved #7. That's probably enough reserved posts, right? Sure.

[Morphic tide]

First off, there's twelve 5e base classes, if you're excluding the UA stuff in Artificer and Mystic. Are you not doing anything with the five full casters? Secondly, 3.x is much more "crunchy" and extreme in its needs, so there's more than enough complexity budget to give each class its own fundamentally differing form of the Extra Attack feature playing more directly into its game plan, such as the Fighter's being access to an extra Attack action as a Swift Action and improving this kind of action-buggery at 10 and 20. Since you can't move between attacks in 3.X without extensive investments, separating them from the normal attack actions would be a very sizable bonus that deals with a lot of the issues Martials get beaten with.

You might also want to type the ASIs as Inherent Bonuses. This places a maximum of +5 for each score from them, and directly eats up the space of Wish-based consumables, so it forces generalization simply because you can only put two and a half into one score, and doesn't increase ability score caps at high levels. Somewhat emulates the behavior of them in 5e.

[Elves]

I would reduce the ki meditation to 5 minutes or just make it explicitly per-encounter like factotum's inspiration. Otherwise you get an annoying situation where everyone has to wait 30 minutes between each encounter if there's a monk in the party.

[Troacctid]

First off, there's twelve 5e base classes, if you're excluding the UA stuff in Artificer and Mystic. Are you not doing anything with the five full casters?
That sounds like a lot of work.


Secondly, 3.x is much more "crunchy" and extreme in its needs, so there's more than enough complexity budget to give each class its own fundamentally differing form of the Extra Attack feature playing more directly into its game plan, such as the Fighter's being access to an extra Attack action as a Swift Action and improving this kind of action-buggery at 10 and 20. Since you can't move between attacks in 3.X without extensive investments, separating them from the normal attack actions would be a very sizable bonus that deals with a lot of the issues Martials get beaten with.
Extra Attack requiring a swift action sounds like a significant nerf. I mean, now you don't have your swift action. That's pretty rough.


You might also want to type the ASIs as Inherent Bonuses. This places a maximum of +5 for each score from them, and directly eats up the space of Wish-based consumables, so it forces generalization simply because you can only put two and a half into one score, and doesn't increase ability score caps at high levels. Somewhat emulates the behavior of them in 5e.
That's not a bad idea. However, I think it runs into stacking issues—if you put a +2 inherent bonus into Wisdom, then you can basically never use a tome or manual ever, because it won't stack with the +2 inherent bonus you already have from your class.


I would reduce the ki meditation to 5 minutes or just make it explicitly per-encounter like factotum's inspiration. Otherwise you get an annoying situation where everyone has to wait 30 minutes between each encounter if there's a monk in the party.
They're not supposed to recharge every encounter.

[Saintheart]

For the Empty Hand Technique, what's the DC for the Fort and Reflex saves?

[Elves]

They're not supposed to recharge every encounter.

Then increase the time to 2 hours or something. 30 minutes is in that awkward spot where it's just tempting enough to wait between each encounter.

Or, to avoid the issue entirely, reduce the ki allotment and make it per-encounter.

[Yakk]

There is a fundamental problem with your approach.

5e characters are linear in design. This includes the casters. Look at the CR/encounter building rules (if you add up CR of monsters, that is very roughly the CR of the combined encounter (CR 0-1 monsters need a small fudge factor)). (Yes, I know the DMG uses a complex Xp system with scaling, but the math works).

3e characters are exponential in power. Look at the CR rules (double number of monsters every 2 CR lower).

Martial characters don't live up to this promise.

You are pasting on some better linear abilities from 5e onto a class that falls behind exponentially in 3e. You should take inspiration from 5e, but go gonzo with it.

This is particularly a problem in the "back 10" of 5e classes. Going from level 10 to 20 in 5e makes you twice as tough and deadly (so 4x as powerful). Going from level 10 to 20 in 3e should make you 32 times as powerful, not 4. It takes a lot to make up that 8x difference.

Some of it comes from magic items and BAB (which scales much faster in 3e), but not enough.

Also note that in 5e, your XP requirements to level drop significantly in this "back 10" levels (fewer encounters with even-CR foes to gain a level).

[Morphic tide]

Extra Attack requiring a swift action sounds like a significant nerf. I mean, now you don't have your swift action. That's pretty rough.
There isn't anything in the base Martial rules that asks for Swift or Immediate Actions, so it's only an issue if you include class features using them. Hence suggesting the Monk's Extra Attack be a Flurry of Blows upgrade. And in exchange, you gain the ability to move between attacks, because this is not a default part of 3.x. Also using your Standard Action for something else, like multiclassing into Warblade to get some Strikes and still benefit from your added attacks, or dipping Wizard and getting to attack with +20 the same round you cast True Strike.


That's not a bad idea. However, I think it runs into stacking issues—if you put a +2 inherent bonus into Wisdom, then you can basically never use a tome or manual ever, because it won't stack with the +2 inherent bonus you already have from your class.
Thought they did stack to the +5 limit. If not, you can just add a bit of wording to that effect ("that stacks with one other source of an inherent bonus for each ability score", perhaps), and have the Barbarian's max 22 feature increase the Inherent Bonus limit. The point is specifically not stacking with the existing limits so they're getting savings, rather than a strict bonus otherwise absent.

[Elves]

I mean, why do you need the ASIs as class features in addition to the ASI rules 3e already has?

[Troacctid]

For the Empty Hand Technique, what's the DC for the Fort and Reflex saves?
Since they're a ki effect, they use your ki save DC.


There isn't anything in the base Martial rules that asks for Swift or Immediate Actions, so it's only an issue if you include class features using them. Hence suggesting the Monk's Extra Attack be a Flurry of Blows upgrade. And in exchange, you gain the ability to move between attacks, because this is not a default part of 3.x. Also using your Standard Action for something else, like multiclassing into Warblade to get some Strikes and still benefit from your added attacks, or dipping Wizard and getting to attack with +20 the same round you cast True Strike.
Eh. Seems unnecessary to me. The important thing is that it's not limited to a full attack, so you can move and then attack. I don't think it needs more than that.


Thought they did stack to the +5 limit. If not, you can just add a bit of wording to that effect ("that stacks with one other source of an inherent bonus for each ability score", perhaps), and have the Barbarian's max 22 feature increase the Inherent Bonus limit. The point is specifically not stacking with the existing limits so they're getting savings, rather than a strict bonus otherwise absent.
I can see if I can make it work.


I mean, why do you need the ASIs as class features in addition to the ASI rules 3e already has?
Because I'm not making it from scratch, I'm converting it from another edition where ASIs are an important part of the class's power budget.


There is a fundamental problem with your approach.

5e characters are linear in design. This includes the casters. Look at the CR/encounter building rules (if you add up CR of monsters, that is very roughly the CR of the combined encounter (CR 0-1 monsters need a small fudge factor)). (Yes, I know the DMG uses a complex Xp system with scaling, but the math works).

3e characters are exponential in power. Look at the CR rules (double number of monsters every 2 CR lower).

Martial characters don't live up to this promise.

You are pasting on some better linear abilities from 5e onto a class that falls behind exponentially in 3e. You should take inspiration from 5e, but go gonzo with it.

This is particularly a problem in the "back 10" of 5e classes. Going from level 10 to 20 in 5e makes you twice as tough and deadly (so 4x as powerful). Going from level 10 to 20 in 3e should make you 32 times as powerful, not 4. It takes a lot to make up that 8x difference.

Some of it comes from magic items and BAB (which scales much faster in 3e), but not enough.

Also note that in 5e, your XP requirements to level drop significantly in this "back 10" levels (fewer encounters with even-CR foes to gain a level).
Wow, patronizing much? No, yeah, thank you for explaining the martial/caster imbalance to the writer and curator of the "Why each class is in its tier" thread, it's really appreciated. 🙄

If you can't see that there are problems with low-tier classes that go far beyond "It's worse than T1 casters!" (which, by the way, describes almost every class in the game), then you don't understand balance as well as you think you do. Also, if you think that linear functions always have lower outputs than quadratic or exponential functions, then you might have some misunderstandings about algebra too.

[Saintheart]

Sorry this isn't one-pack suggestions, but looking at the Fighter...


Improved Critical (Ex)
Starting at 3rd level, you gain the benefit of the Improved Critical feat for all attacks you make.

Superior Critical (Ex)
Starting at 15th level, your Improved Critical ability triples your critical threat range instead of doubling it.


Improved Critical way earlier than normal is sure nice. Definite enhancement that it applies to all your attacks, not just one weapon. That said, it does result in level 3 characters wielding 15-20 threat range weapons, which might be a bit tougher for a DM to balance for since he then has to contend with 25% of the player's strikes being critical threats. Or indeed 25% of rolls being confirmed critical hits if they have a source of Bless Weapon on their blade, since that does work with Improved Critical. But on the other hand, it does play into that whole idea of the martials being stronger at lower levels to protect the weaker casting classes, so that's just thinking out loud. By way of personal preference I'd prrrrrobably put this feature one or two levels higher in the progression, if only to give those poor doomed wolf packs some chance of survival :smallbiggrin:.

Superior Critical is also interesting. That means that at 15th level a fighter with a kukri or similar has potential critical threats on rolls of 12-20. Probably that has its biggest advantage for multiweapon fighters where the weapons aren't the same.

If I was optimising critfishing with this class I'd probably want to know how my DM rules Disciple of Dispater functions with it: you can build Fighter 15/Disciple of Dispater 4/SomethingElse 1, and DoD 4 gives you Iron Power, i.e. keen as well. That means either your critical range is 9-20 (kukri + tripled IC + keen giving another 3 notches) or even bigger. That's consistent with a fully-tricked-out DoD threat range under orthodox 3.0/3.5 anyway.

That said, I'd actually suggest that this feature might be better built as some sort of rule that "from this point on, Improved Critical and keen/impact stack for any weapon you wield."

My rationale is that as written, the 15th fighter doesn't have any choice, he becomes a critfisher by default. Close to half the rolls he makes he threaten a critical hit. That may or may not be the way people want to play the role. If you allow people instead to just have the option of stacking keen and IC, that allows them to moderate how large they want the critical threat range to go. The guy wielding the kukri can decide whether he really wants that threat range to increase from 15-20 down to 12-20; he can decide to make his kukris keen weapons, and in doing so he'd have to take the tradeoff that Bless Weapon autoconfirmations won't work anymore.

Sure, the guy can choose different weapons that reduce his threat range, but by granting triple threat ranges on all weapons, it strikes me that this is more or less just replicating IC + keen on a weapon anyway. And it isn't reeeallly doing a lot for bludgeoning weapon wielders either since bludgeoning weapons as a group don't have much of a threat range to increase anyway. All I'm saying is - WOTC cut off its own nose to spite its face by deeming that keen and IC couldn't stack, both in terms of further nerfing their low-damage-dice weapons and reducing the optionality of the system. Maybe it's worth correcting that rather than putting a tripled critical threat range out to every fighter who gets to 15th level.

[Yakk]

Wow, patronizing much? No, yeah, thank you for explaining the martial/caster imbalance to the writer and curator of the "Why each class is in its tier" thread, it's really appreciated. 🙄
Glad to help.

If you can't see that there are problems with low-tier classes that go far beyond "It's worse than T1 casters!" (which, by the way, describes almost every class in the game), then you don't understand balance as well as you think you do.
I'm explaining why using 5e classes as written fundamentally isn't a fix. Even ignoring T1 casters (which break the 32x scaling from level 10 to 20), you need to fit in a 32x power scaling to keep up with 3e CR assumptions.

Presuming 5e is balanced, going from 10 to 20 in 5e grants about a 4x power scaling. Which corresponds to 4 levels in 3e. Now, 3e also has scaling BaB and saves; over those 4 levels, you earn +4 BaB and +1.33 to +2 in each save. The 5e 10 level gap earns the equivalent of +2.5 in "good" saves and attack rolls, and +small in poor saves (less than 3e).

3e in 4 levels earns 1.33 feats, 5e in 10 levels earns 3 feats or stat bumps, and those feats are (in theory) larger in 5e. You stripped out the larger 5e feats. If you go with stat bumps, the 3 stat bumps are worth probably +0 to hit (already capped) and +0.5 to each save (6 saves) as a floor approximation.

Or, to be more explicit, from level 1 to 10, 5e martial characters tend gain more power per level (percentage wise, and often absolute) than they do from level 11 to 20. 5e has a "back 10" problem for non-pure casters, where they don't scale enough for 5e; a franken build of Fighter 11/Barbarian 3/Gloomstalker 3/Assassin 3 is often much stronger than a Fighter 20, because the absolute power per level of the first 5e levels is larger than the T3/T4 5e levels.

Your design works "fine" power curve wise in the front levels, it falls apart in the back. You can fix this by compressing the back 10. Maybe not to 4 levels; maybe to 5 levels, then presume that the magic item scaling of 3e will handle the extra 19% power budget.

And yes, the "linear" power curve of 5e and the exponential one of 3e line up relatively well over the first 10 levels. If you multiply offence and defensive power (2x the damage is twice the power, 2x the toughness is twice the power, 2x both is 4x), going from 4 to 6 is roughly a doubling of power in 5e. 6 to 8 is about +65% power, then 8 to 10 is about +50% power. The expectation in 3e was that each 2 level gap was doubling, and part of that doubling comes from BaB, saves, and magic items (which your change isn't modifying).

When you start doing the same on the back 10 of 5e it doesn't keep up.

10 to 12 is about +40%, 12 to 14 is about +33%, 14 to 16 is about +30%, 16 to 18 is about +25%. That is a long, slow curve that is far below the 3e expectation of 2x every 2 levels. (I dropped 18 to 20, because the capstone makes this annoying).

Collapse those down to half as many levels and it does get closer to keeping up with 3e expected power curve. 10 to 14 is +86%, 14 to 18 is +62%.


Also, if you think that linear functions always have lower outputs than quadratic or exponential functions, then you might have some misunderstandings about algebra too.
No, I'm familiar with that.

So here is an example of what I mean. because we know that the 5e designed power curve "flattens out" from 10 to 20 (going from 5 to 10 gives the same percent power upgrade as 10 to 20 in 5e), we compress it:
FIGHTER



Level
Base Attack Bonus
Fort
Ref
Will
Special


1st
+1
2
0
0
Bonus Feat, Second Wind


2nd
+2
3
0
0
Action Surge (one use)


3rd
+3
3
1
1
Improved Critical


4th
+4
4
1
1
Ability Score Improvement


5th
+5
4
1
1
Extra Attack


6th
+6/+1
5
2
2
Ability Score Improvement


7th
+7/+2
5
2
2
Remarkable Athlete


8th
+8/+3
6
2
2
Ability Score Improvement


9th
+9/+4
6
3
3
Indomitable (1/day)


10th
+10/+5
7
3
3
Bonus Feat


11th
+11/+6/+1
7
3
3
Extra Attack (2), Ability Score Improvement


12th
+12/+7/+2
8
4
4
Indomitable (2/day), Ability Score Improvement


13th
+13/+8/+3
8
4
4
Superior Critical,Ability Score Improvement


14th
+14/+9/+4
9
4
4
Action Surge (two uses), Indomitable (3/day),Survivor


15th
+15/+10/+5
9
5
5
Extra Attack (3), Ability Score Improvement



This would need further tweaking, but my point is that we know the designed power curves of 3e and 5e, and can take that into account in how we translate 5e classes back to 3e.

So a tweak, where we move things around to fit a pattern:

FIGHTER



Level
Base Attack Bonus
Fort
Ref
Will
Special


1st
+1
2
0
0
Bonus Feat, Second Wind


2nd
+2
3
0
0
Action Surge (one use)


3rd
+3
3
1
1
Improved Critical


4th
+4
4
1
1
Ability Score Improvement


5th
+5
4
1
1
Extra Attack


6th
+6/+1
5
2
2
Ability Score Improvement


7th
+7/+2
5
2
2
Remarkable Athlete


8th
+8/+3
6
2
2
Ability Score Improvement


9th
+9/+4
6
3
3
Indomitable (1/day)


10th
+10/+5
7
3
3
Extra Attack (2), Ability Score Improvement


11th
+11/+6/+1
7
3
3
Superior Critical


12th
+12/+7/+2
8
4
4
Indomitable (2/day), Ability Score Improvement


13th
+13/+8/+3
8
4
4
Survivor


14th
+14/+9/+4
9
4
4
Action Surge (two uses), Ability Score Improvement


15th
+15/+10/+5
9
5
5
Extra Attack (3), Indomitable (3/day)


then I rearranged level 10 to 15. It cost a feat and an ASI (sad), but we now get ASIs every 2 levels from 4 to 14, bumped extra attack down a level (to 10) so we get extra attacks at 5/10/15 (a nice pattern). Then spread Superior Critical, Survivor, Action Surge (2) and Indomidable (2,3) over the 5 levels.

12th level remains weak compared to adjacent ones: I might improve Indomidable to "Legendary Resistance" (auto-succeed X times per day on a saving throw) at that point.

What happens from 16 to 20, this doesn't answer. But it does prevent the character's power curve from constantly decelerating per level quite as fast.

[Troacctid]

Updated with more ACFs. Monk now supports Four Elements, Sun Soul, and Wild Monk. Fighter now supports Arcane Archer and Battle Master. A small selection of popular ACFs from 3.5 have also been adapted for use with these classes. I've also implemented a cap for ability score increases.