Finerty
2007-11-06, 09:19 PM
The Daemon
”Long purported to be the red-headed stepchild of combat, two-weapon fighting is a sub-par method of carrying out the primary function of an adventurer—that is, dispatching your opposition.”
The paths of the warrior are many. While each warrior extols his own practices as the best, they are in reality all different means to the same end. Though the different bodies of thought lay out different rules for combat, different ways of fighting, and though each warrior fights for different causes, in the end, each warrior wants the same, simple thing - to beat their opponent. Though many people treat all warriors the same, here are many different kinds, with unique ways of dispatching their opposition. The gish, who blend magic with personal combat, the martial adepts, who practice blade magic, the psionicists who enhance their bodies for combat, the holy warriors who fight for the glory of their faiths. Different warriors use different tactics - some favoring the grace of unarmed attacks, others preferring to attack precisely from the shadows, some with finesse, others with raw power. Some wear shields, some give their all to their weapons... and then there are the Daemons. Daemons wear little or no armor, the better to stay loose and keep the world's threats at bay with their blades. They lose themselves in combat and study how best to attack their opponents with two weapons, learning how to move around the battlefield swiftly and still execute dangerous combinations of two-weapon attacks.
Adventures: Daemons adventure to better their combat abilities. For a Daemon, battle is the most important part of life. Friends, happiness, wealth - a Daemon treasures all these things, but feels the need to constantly improve its battle prowess while enjoying these less important pursuits.
Alignment: Daemons tend to be somewhat single-minded, and generally have very simple worldviews. Daemons exist in all varieties; lawful daemons often serve as guards and enforcers of cities and kingdoms, while chaotic daemons seek release and challenges in the untamed wilderness. Good daemons impassively right wrongs in their journeys of self-improvement, while evil daemons seek to destroy all others to grant themselves greater advantage.
Religion: Daemons sometimes worship Fharlanghn as the embodiment of freedom or Lyris for her love of war and balance. Daemons more often tend to believe in beings or philosophies more primitive than those generally accepted, and will often worship spirits, animistic figures, or domains.
Background: Daemons tend to be raised in isolation, whether as orphans or as expatriate students. They are raised in sparse conditions to find the ultimate joy in battle, and while they may be parts of family or tribe units, they ultimately find their place in a chain of command or fit in best amongst philosophers or military groups.
Races: Elves, with their historic relationship with swordplay, make excellent daemons, while orcs, dwarves, and the more hefty races are less well-suited to the fluid grace that being a daemon calls for. The smaller races tend more towards dervishes than daemons, but humans certainly account for a great many of the daemons out there. Planetouched too, for some reason, also gravitate to the class, as their unique abilities are often enhanced by the adaptive, complicated combat styles.
Other Classes: Rogues best appreciate the beauty and precision of the Daemon fighting style. Likewise, barbarians and scouts can understand the fluid manner that daemons have, and work well with the lighter Daemon. Heavy fighters and clerics are generally stymied by daemons, especially if the Daemons tend towards animistic worship, but usually grant daemons a measure of wary respect. To spellcasters, daemons are just another class that fights ineffectively, and isn't even any good at protecting those who meld the will of the world.
Role: The Daemon works well as a scout, as it is usually able to move effectively and stealthily if the situation calls for it. Daemons, with their odd ways, generally make pretty poor speakers for the party but can in some occasions relate to other kinds of people or creatures on a deeper level. In combat, they generally try to move around as much and set up devastating charge combos. It also helps to stay moving when the counterattacks come, as they aren't very hardy.
Game Rule Information
Abilities: Dexterity is clearly the most important ability for a daemon. It drives the attacks and helps the daemon avoid attacks. Constitution or Intelligence can also be helpful, in for extra hit points to soak up damage or extra skill points for reconaissance, respectively.
Alignment: Neutral good, lawful neutral, chaotic neutral, or neutral evil.
Hit Die: d6
Skill Points at 1st Level: (4 + Int modifier) x 4
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 4 + Int modifier
{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special
1st|
+1|
+0|
+2|
+0|Two-Weapon Fighting, Two-Weapon Finesse, Style Choice
2nd|
+2|
+0|
+3|
+0|Two-Weapon Rend +1d6
3rd|
+3|
+1|
+3|
+1|Two-Weapon Defense
4th|
+4|
+1|
+4|
+1|Novice Style
5th|
+5|
+1|
+4|
+1|Fast Movement +10ft.
6th|
+6/+1|
+2|
+5|
+2|Supernatural Enhancement +1
7th|
+7/+2|
+2|
+5|
+2|Two-Weapon Rend +2d6
8th|
+8/+3|
+2|
+6|
+2|Two Weapon Excellence
9th|
+9/+4|
+3|
+6|
+3| Fast Movement +20 ft.
10th|
+10/+5|
+3|
+7|
+3|Initiate Style
11th|
+11/+6/+1|
+3|
+7|
+3|Pounce
12th|
+12/+7/+2|
+4|
+8|
+4|Two-Weapon Rend +3d6
13th|
+13/+8/+3|
+4|
+8|
+4|Supernatural Enahncement +2
14th|
+14/+9/+4|
+4|
+9|
+4|Fast Movement +30 ft.
15th|
+15/+10/+5|
+5|
+9|
+5|Adept Style
16th|
+16/+11/+6/+1|
+5|
+10|
+5|Two-Weapon Triumph
17th|
+17/+12/+7/+2|
+5|
+10|
+5|Two-Weapon Rend +4d6
18th|
+18/+13/+8/+3|
+6|
+11|
+6|Fast Movement +40 ft.
19th|
+19/+14/+9/+4|
+6|
+11|
+6|Supernatural Enhancement +3
20th|
+20/+15/+10/+5|
+6|
+12|
+6|Master Style
[/table]
Class Skills:
The daemon's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are: Bluff (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Hide (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Perform (Cha), Ride (Str), Sense Motive (Wis), Spot (Wis), Survival (Wis), Tumble (Dex)
Class Features
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A Daemon is proficient with all simple and martial weapons, and any one exotic weapon, as well as light armor and shields (except tower shields).
Two-Weapon Fighting: A Daemon gains Two-Weapon Fighting (GiantITP fix, see below) as a bonus Feat.
Two-Weapon Finesse (Ex): A Daemon may apply its Dexterity modifier, in place of its strength modifier, on attack rolls, as the feat Weapon Finesse, but only for the signature weapons it chooses for its school. A Daemon may also take the Weapon Finesse feat to gain that benefit with other weapons, but the two feats do not stack (you do not add your dexterity bonus twice).
Style Choice: A Daemon must choose a specific direction to focus its studies of fighting with two weapons. It can choose any one of the styles in the table below. Once made, the focus cannot be changed, except under special circumstances (see the Trials below). The Daemon receives special benefits appropriate to each style as time goes on. A Daemon wearing medium or heavy armor or carrying a medium or heavy load is too encumbered to execute styles
b]Two-Weapon Defense[/b]: At third level, a Daemon gains Two-Weapon Defense (GiantITP fix, see below) as a bonus Feat.
Fast Movement (Ex): Starting at 5th level, a Daemon gains a +10 foot enhancement bonus to its base land speed. This bonus increases to +20 feet at 9th level, to +30 feet at 14th level, and to +40 feet at 18th level. A Daemon loses this bonus when wearing medium or heavy armor or when carrying a medium or heavy load.
Supernatural Enhancement (Su): In time, a Daemon acquires an otherworldly ability to wield their weapon to great effect. At 7th level, any style weapons that a Daemon wields are treated as having a +1 bonus to attack and damage rolls, of a type based on alignment, and are treated as aligned weapons. For instance, upon reaching 7th level a good Daemon wielding its style weapons treats those weapons as having a +1 sacred bonus to attacks and damage, which overcome damage reduction good, whereas an evil Daemon would wield weapons with a +1 profane bonus to attacks and damage, which overcome damage reduction evil. A chaotic Daemon's weapons have an anarchic bonus and count as such, and lawful Daemon's wield supernaturally axiomatic weapons.
Two-Weapon Rend (Ex): Any time a Daemon hits with two attacks at the same attack bonus, it deals precision damage according to the table listed. For instance, upon reaching 12th level, a Daemon that hits with both primary attacks would deal an additional 3d6 damage. After that, however, if it hit with its first iterative mainhand attack at a +7 BAB but only hit with its off-hand attack on the second iterative attack would not deal the bonus dice of damage.
A Daemon wearing medium or heavy armor or carrying a medium or heavy load cannot execute a Two-Weapon Rend.
Pounce (Ex): If a Daemon charges, it can make a full attack. A Daemon wearing medium or heavy armor or carrying a medium or heavy load cannot pounce.
Two-Weapon Excellence (Ex): At 8th level, the penalty for fighting with two weapons decreases by 1 for each weapon. A Daemon loses this bonus when wearing medium or heavy armor or when carrying a medium or heavy load.
Two-Weapon Triumph (Ex): At 18th level, the penalty for fighting with two weapons decreases by another 1 for each weapon. A Daemon loses this bonus when wearing medium or heavy armor or when carrying a medium or heavy load.
_________________________________________
Feats
Two-Weapon Fighting
Prerequisites: Base Attack Bonus +1, Dexterity 13+
Benefits: You are able to attack with two weapons with relative ease. Your penalties on attack rolls for fighting with two weapons are reduced. The penalty for your primary hand lessens by 2 and the one for your off hand lessens by 6. See the Two-Weapon Fighting special attack.
When your Base Attack Bonus is +6 or greater, you may make an additional off-hand attack . In addition to the standard single extra attack you get with an off-hand weapon, you get a second attack with it, albeit at a -5 penalty.
When your Base Attack Bonus is +11 or greater, you may make an additional off-hand attack. You get a third attack with your off-hand weapon, albeit at a -10 penalty.
When your Base Attack Bonus is +16 or greater, you may make an additional off-hand attack.. You get a fourth attack with your off-hand weapon, albeit at a -15 penalty.
Normal: If you wield a second weapon in your off hand, you can get one extra attack per round with that weapon. See the Two-Weapon Fighting special attack.
Special: A fighter may select Two-Weapon Fighting as a bonus feat.
Feats that have Improved Two-Weapon Fighting or Greater Two-Weapon Fighting as their prerequisites should instead use Two-Weapon Fighting as a prerequisite, as well as the Base Attack Bonus needed for the replaced feat.
(TWD and others forthcoming)
_________________________________________
This class is based off of these two (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=57293) discussions (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=57228) on fixing Two-Weapon Fighting. I also got a lot of inspiration from the seemingly abandoned (and seemingly overpowered) unfinished character class idea the Dragon Fang (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=60304), but this class is different a) because I had my own ideas for how a TWF class should work b) I wanted to utilize our feat fix and c) I had an idea for a whole expanded TWF system of styles and schools.
All critiques and suggestions are welcome. More material forthcoming.
”Long purported to be the red-headed stepchild of combat, two-weapon fighting is a sub-par method of carrying out the primary function of an adventurer—that is, dispatching your opposition.”
The paths of the warrior are many. While each warrior extols his own practices as the best, they are in reality all different means to the same end. Though the different bodies of thought lay out different rules for combat, different ways of fighting, and though each warrior fights for different causes, in the end, each warrior wants the same, simple thing - to beat their opponent. Though many people treat all warriors the same, here are many different kinds, with unique ways of dispatching their opposition. The gish, who blend magic with personal combat, the martial adepts, who practice blade magic, the psionicists who enhance their bodies for combat, the holy warriors who fight for the glory of their faiths. Different warriors use different tactics - some favoring the grace of unarmed attacks, others preferring to attack precisely from the shadows, some with finesse, others with raw power. Some wear shields, some give their all to their weapons... and then there are the Daemons. Daemons wear little or no armor, the better to stay loose and keep the world's threats at bay with their blades. They lose themselves in combat and study how best to attack their opponents with two weapons, learning how to move around the battlefield swiftly and still execute dangerous combinations of two-weapon attacks.
Adventures: Daemons adventure to better their combat abilities. For a Daemon, battle is the most important part of life. Friends, happiness, wealth - a Daemon treasures all these things, but feels the need to constantly improve its battle prowess while enjoying these less important pursuits.
Alignment: Daemons tend to be somewhat single-minded, and generally have very simple worldviews. Daemons exist in all varieties; lawful daemons often serve as guards and enforcers of cities and kingdoms, while chaotic daemons seek release and challenges in the untamed wilderness. Good daemons impassively right wrongs in their journeys of self-improvement, while evil daemons seek to destroy all others to grant themselves greater advantage.
Religion: Daemons sometimes worship Fharlanghn as the embodiment of freedom or Lyris for her love of war and balance. Daemons more often tend to believe in beings or philosophies more primitive than those generally accepted, and will often worship spirits, animistic figures, or domains.
Background: Daemons tend to be raised in isolation, whether as orphans or as expatriate students. They are raised in sparse conditions to find the ultimate joy in battle, and while they may be parts of family or tribe units, they ultimately find their place in a chain of command or fit in best amongst philosophers or military groups.
Races: Elves, with their historic relationship with swordplay, make excellent daemons, while orcs, dwarves, and the more hefty races are less well-suited to the fluid grace that being a daemon calls for. The smaller races tend more towards dervishes than daemons, but humans certainly account for a great many of the daemons out there. Planetouched too, for some reason, also gravitate to the class, as their unique abilities are often enhanced by the adaptive, complicated combat styles.
Other Classes: Rogues best appreciate the beauty and precision of the Daemon fighting style. Likewise, barbarians and scouts can understand the fluid manner that daemons have, and work well with the lighter Daemon. Heavy fighters and clerics are generally stymied by daemons, especially if the Daemons tend towards animistic worship, but usually grant daemons a measure of wary respect. To spellcasters, daemons are just another class that fights ineffectively, and isn't even any good at protecting those who meld the will of the world.
Role: The Daemon works well as a scout, as it is usually able to move effectively and stealthily if the situation calls for it. Daemons, with their odd ways, generally make pretty poor speakers for the party but can in some occasions relate to other kinds of people or creatures on a deeper level. In combat, they generally try to move around as much and set up devastating charge combos. It also helps to stay moving when the counterattacks come, as they aren't very hardy.
Game Rule Information
Abilities: Dexterity is clearly the most important ability for a daemon. It drives the attacks and helps the daemon avoid attacks. Constitution or Intelligence can also be helpful, in for extra hit points to soak up damage or extra skill points for reconaissance, respectively.
Alignment: Neutral good, lawful neutral, chaotic neutral, or neutral evil.
Hit Die: d6
Skill Points at 1st Level: (4 + Int modifier) x 4
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 4 + Int modifier
{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special
1st|
+1|
+0|
+2|
+0|Two-Weapon Fighting, Two-Weapon Finesse, Style Choice
2nd|
+2|
+0|
+3|
+0|Two-Weapon Rend +1d6
3rd|
+3|
+1|
+3|
+1|Two-Weapon Defense
4th|
+4|
+1|
+4|
+1|Novice Style
5th|
+5|
+1|
+4|
+1|Fast Movement +10ft.
6th|
+6/+1|
+2|
+5|
+2|Supernatural Enhancement +1
7th|
+7/+2|
+2|
+5|
+2|Two-Weapon Rend +2d6
8th|
+8/+3|
+2|
+6|
+2|Two Weapon Excellence
9th|
+9/+4|
+3|
+6|
+3| Fast Movement +20 ft.
10th|
+10/+5|
+3|
+7|
+3|Initiate Style
11th|
+11/+6/+1|
+3|
+7|
+3|Pounce
12th|
+12/+7/+2|
+4|
+8|
+4|Two-Weapon Rend +3d6
13th|
+13/+8/+3|
+4|
+8|
+4|Supernatural Enahncement +2
14th|
+14/+9/+4|
+4|
+9|
+4|Fast Movement +30 ft.
15th|
+15/+10/+5|
+5|
+9|
+5|Adept Style
16th|
+16/+11/+6/+1|
+5|
+10|
+5|Two-Weapon Triumph
17th|
+17/+12/+7/+2|
+5|
+10|
+5|Two-Weapon Rend +4d6
18th|
+18/+13/+8/+3|
+6|
+11|
+6|Fast Movement +40 ft.
19th|
+19/+14/+9/+4|
+6|
+11|
+6|Supernatural Enhancement +3
20th|
+20/+15/+10/+5|
+6|
+12|
+6|Master Style
[/table]
Class Skills:
The daemon's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are: Bluff (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Hide (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Perform (Cha), Ride (Str), Sense Motive (Wis), Spot (Wis), Survival (Wis), Tumble (Dex)
Class Features
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A Daemon is proficient with all simple and martial weapons, and any one exotic weapon, as well as light armor and shields (except tower shields).
Two-Weapon Fighting: A Daemon gains Two-Weapon Fighting (GiantITP fix, see below) as a bonus Feat.
Two-Weapon Finesse (Ex): A Daemon may apply its Dexterity modifier, in place of its strength modifier, on attack rolls, as the feat Weapon Finesse, but only for the signature weapons it chooses for its school. A Daemon may also take the Weapon Finesse feat to gain that benefit with other weapons, but the two feats do not stack (you do not add your dexterity bonus twice).
Style Choice: A Daemon must choose a specific direction to focus its studies of fighting with two weapons. It can choose any one of the styles in the table below. Once made, the focus cannot be changed, except under special circumstances (see the Trials below). The Daemon receives special benefits appropriate to each style as time goes on. A Daemon wearing medium or heavy armor or carrying a medium or heavy load is too encumbered to execute styles
b]Two-Weapon Defense[/b]: At third level, a Daemon gains Two-Weapon Defense (GiantITP fix, see below) as a bonus Feat.
Fast Movement (Ex): Starting at 5th level, a Daemon gains a +10 foot enhancement bonus to its base land speed. This bonus increases to +20 feet at 9th level, to +30 feet at 14th level, and to +40 feet at 18th level. A Daemon loses this bonus when wearing medium or heavy armor or when carrying a medium or heavy load.
Supernatural Enhancement (Su): In time, a Daemon acquires an otherworldly ability to wield their weapon to great effect. At 7th level, any style weapons that a Daemon wields are treated as having a +1 bonus to attack and damage rolls, of a type based on alignment, and are treated as aligned weapons. For instance, upon reaching 7th level a good Daemon wielding its style weapons treats those weapons as having a +1 sacred bonus to attacks and damage, which overcome damage reduction good, whereas an evil Daemon would wield weapons with a +1 profane bonus to attacks and damage, which overcome damage reduction evil. A chaotic Daemon's weapons have an anarchic bonus and count as such, and lawful Daemon's wield supernaturally axiomatic weapons.
Two-Weapon Rend (Ex): Any time a Daemon hits with two attacks at the same attack bonus, it deals precision damage according to the table listed. For instance, upon reaching 12th level, a Daemon that hits with both primary attacks would deal an additional 3d6 damage. After that, however, if it hit with its first iterative mainhand attack at a +7 BAB but only hit with its off-hand attack on the second iterative attack would not deal the bonus dice of damage.
A Daemon wearing medium or heavy armor or carrying a medium or heavy load cannot execute a Two-Weapon Rend.
Pounce (Ex): If a Daemon charges, it can make a full attack. A Daemon wearing medium or heavy armor or carrying a medium or heavy load cannot pounce.
Two-Weapon Excellence (Ex): At 8th level, the penalty for fighting with two weapons decreases by 1 for each weapon. A Daemon loses this bonus when wearing medium or heavy armor or when carrying a medium or heavy load.
Two-Weapon Triumph (Ex): At 18th level, the penalty for fighting with two weapons decreases by another 1 for each weapon. A Daemon loses this bonus when wearing medium or heavy armor or when carrying a medium or heavy load.
_________________________________________
Feats
Two-Weapon Fighting
Prerequisites: Base Attack Bonus +1, Dexterity 13+
Benefits: You are able to attack with two weapons with relative ease. Your penalties on attack rolls for fighting with two weapons are reduced. The penalty for your primary hand lessens by 2 and the one for your off hand lessens by 6. See the Two-Weapon Fighting special attack.
When your Base Attack Bonus is +6 or greater, you may make an additional off-hand attack . In addition to the standard single extra attack you get with an off-hand weapon, you get a second attack with it, albeit at a -5 penalty.
When your Base Attack Bonus is +11 or greater, you may make an additional off-hand attack. You get a third attack with your off-hand weapon, albeit at a -10 penalty.
When your Base Attack Bonus is +16 or greater, you may make an additional off-hand attack.. You get a fourth attack with your off-hand weapon, albeit at a -15 penalty.
Normal: If you wield a second weapon in your off hand, you can get one extra attack per round with that weapon. See the Two-Weapon Fighting special attack.
Special: A fighter may select Two-Weapon Fighting as a bonus feat.
Feats that have Improved Two-Weapon Fighting or Greater Two-Weapon Fighting as their prerequisites should instead use Two-Weapon Fighting as a prerequisite, as well as the Base Attack Bonus needed for the replaced feat.
(TWD and others forthcoming)
_________________________________________
This class is based off of these two (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=57293) discussions (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=57228) on fixing Two-Weapon Fighting. I also got a lot of inspiration from the seemingly abandoned (and seemingly overpowered) unfinished character class idea the Dragon Fang (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=60304), but this class is different a) because I had my own ideas for how a TWF class should work b) I wanted to utilize our feat fix and c) I had an idea for a whole expanded TWF system of styles and schools.
All critiques and suggestions are welcome. More material forthcoming.