PDA

View Full Version : Review of the Master at Arms Series (3rd Party Supplement)



Ascension
2008-03-29, 11:01 AM
Magnor Criol mentioned the Master at Arms (http://www.rpgnow.com/index.php?cPath=4172) series of d20 supplements from Blackdirge Publishing in the "Options available for a spearman" thread, and I decided to take a look at them. I really love their concept… taking weapons whose historical abilities aren’t properly reflected in D&D and enhancing them via specialized prestige class to the point at which they become viable weapons. Because I'm both impulsive and one of those confused would-be cheapskates who will buy more stuff if he "saves" money doing so, I sprang for the first Mega-Bundle, eight of the classes for ten bucks. The reviews on the site are brief, so I decided to do my own in-depth review, keeping optimization in mind. I was going to post it last night, but the site went into maintenance mode, so it got delayed. Here it is.

Overall: These are fighting classes written by fighters for fighters in a fighterly fashion. They're all no nonsense and fairly feat intensive, but some of them can be brutal in the right hands. These are short prestige classes, all five levels, but they generally pack a lot of abilities into those five levels. They all have the (unique? I think so.) ability to count (at least partially) as fighter levels for the purpose of obtaining fighter-only feats like Greater Weapon Specialization and the like. This is hampered by the fact that there aren't really any good fighter-only feats, and these supplements don't add any.

One of my favorite parts of the supplements is how fun the sample characters are. They're not optimal in any sense of the word... the halberdier has a level of commoner, for crying out loud... but they're fun, and they use a lot of uncommon/monster races (the peltast is a gnoll and the hoplite is a hobgoblin, for example).

One aspect of the supplements which seems strange at first is that several of them include new exotic weapons. This seems counterintuitive at first glance, since each class focuses on a particular existing weapon, but in almost all instances they're simply an enhancement of the existing weapon based on a historical model. Most aren’t worth the feat, but at least two are really good (in my opinion, at least).

Though in a few cases they can be, these aren’t usually the classes you take to optimize. These are the classes you take if you really like a particular weapon that receives a royal screwjob in the core D&D rules. These are the classes that level the playing field.

Arbalestier: Wow. Just wow. This is probably the most powerful class in the bunch, at least in terms of damage per attack. It's true that crossbows get the short end of the stick in D&D, but this might even go a little overboard in correcting that problem. By fifth level you're still only doing a single attack per round, but that single attack can be wickedly powerful and can have a really nice chance of critting (up to 15-20 x3). A repeating crossbow would probably threaten to unbalance it, and the author warns DMs to disallow them… but only warns, by RAW a repeating heavy crossbow would be fully (ab)usable.

...of course, it still pales next to magic, even if it uses a repeating crossbow, but you can't have everything.

My recommendation for optimization would actually be scout/arbalestier. You get the ability to reload as a swift action, but you never get multiple shots, so you might as well move and fire every turn. When you take into account the fact that you're delivering precision damage at 60ft range by the time you get to the fifth arbalestier level, a scout could get a LOT of damage out of his single bolt per round.

The more attacks your fellows get, the weaker the arbalestier gets, so this one isn't for near-epic play, but when you first gain access to the goodies, it's quite nice.

Crimson Cleaver: My favorite of the PrCs, I think. For one thing, it starts with a weapon that's already good (the greataxe) and makes it better, rather than starting with a weapon that isn't any good and bringing it up to speed. It turns sundering into a really good idea (at least if you have a high strength modifier), gives you the ability to knock enemies prone on a charge, allows you to frighten any spectators within 30 ft when you score a crit, and finally gives you the (not that useful, but fun) ability to potentially insta-kill things with HD equal to or less than half your CL when you crit them. Not nearly as good as vorpal, because it allows a fort save and only works on things that are wimpy enough you could probably just kill them outright anyway, but still cool.

The best part of it is actually the exotic weapon it adds, the poleaxe. It's a 1d10 axe, a 1d8 hammer, and a 1d6 spear all rolled into one. Slashing, bludgeoning, piercing. Can you say "Bye bye, damage reduction!"?

Oh,there's also an artifact in here that gives MAJOR bonuses but can only be worn by a frost giant or someone with frost giant blood. Cool, but of limited use.

Cudgel Thug: Not worth it. Caters towards panhandlers (the literal kind). Okay for an NPC, pretty lame for a PC. There are a couple of exotic clubs in the back, but they aren't worth it either. I'm not going to bother reviewing it further.

Halberdier: The author's favorite weapon, but it doesn't show quite as much as you'd expect it to. It's a pretty strong class, especially against those who are stupid enough to charge one, and it's nice for either a trip build or an AOO build, but it still doesn't quite have the pizazz that other weapons have. For example, it gives you the ability to threaten at 10ft and 5ft, but at 10ft your halberd only counts as a shortspear for damage... so it's still only the poor man's spiked chain.

Basically, the author wants to make everyone love the halberd as much as he does, but doesn't quite succeed. I do love how the peasant conscript sample character has a level of commoner, though.

Hoplite: Long on style, a wee bit short on substance. Like its historical counterpart, best at fighting in groups... something not easy to do in D&D. Its Dynamis and Skewer abilities are nice, really nice, but Dynamis doesn't last long enough and can't be used often enough, and Skewer essentially disarms you in the process of using it. Its capstone ability (sort of, it's the last new ability... the actual capstone is just a second daily use of Dynamis), Master Overrun, is a disappointment. It would've made a good feat, but as a class ability it seems lacking, particularly on the fourth level of a five-level class.

The weapon here isn't exotic, but rather an intelligent spear. One that likes hobgoblins. Interesting.

Peltast: It's a fairly nice class. Comes very close to actually making javelins worth using. Synergizes quite well with barbarian, making one of the few classes in the entire set that isn't completely fighter-focused. The problem for the peltast is a matter of ammunition... it's good with a javelin... and pretty much nothing else. The peltast will need a good stock of javelins in order to operate. Sure, they can be recovered, but still I'd never try this one without extradimensional storage. The better your party's magical weapons get, the farther the peltast will fall behind, because he won't be able to afford to properly enhance all of his javelins. Returning can help, but the only real solution to the problem would be levels in Bloodstorm Blade... and then you would start wondering why you weren't throwing a better weapon.

From a historical angle I want to love this class, but it's just not quitegood enough for me to truly recommend. If you want to go ranged with these supplements, go arbalestier.

Pikeman: If you ever wanted to use a reach build without relying on the spiked chain, this is the class you've been waiting for. Among other things it lets you sacrifice an AOO to backpedal in order to keep opponents from entering your five foot blind spot and gives you the ability to strike from fifteen feet away. Your other abilities aren’t very notable, but it does allow you to fully emulate the Macedonian phalangites by wearing a shield and using a two-handed pike simultaneously.

The class is alright by itself, but it really shines when combined with this installment's amazing exotic weapon, the sarissa. Based on the historically massive Macedonian pikes of the same name, it deals 1d10 damage and (if I read this correctly) threatens out to 15ft and can threaten and attack at 10ft with a -2 penalty. Backpedal would still keep enemies out of your 5ft ring of vulnerability, and the Massive Reach class ability (although by RAW it becomes useless) should by RAI give you the ability to attack opponents (but not to threaten) up to 20ft away. This weapon combined with this class (and enlarge person!) is the key to the ultimate reach build. Beg your DM for it. BEG. If he complains, tell him that it's the same weapon that let Alexander the Great conquer the world. If that doesn't make it badass, I don't know what will.

Shatterskull Adept: This one's a bit of a break from the norm, usable with both the heavy mace and the morningstar. And it's also a break from the norm in terms of power level. Most of these classes are best described as "a nice alternative to fighter levels," which frankly describes almost everything except warrior and commoner. This one has a single ability that gives it the potential to be even better than the arbalestier... Bone-Shattering Strike, aka the martial save-or-suck. Up to three times a day (once a day at first, working up to three times a day at fifth) you can target a specific body part (with no penalties to hit, surprisingly) and force a fort save. Depending on the part of the body you target, you can cause all sorts of beautifully nasty effects. True, this class is basically built to go nova with so few daily uses of the ability, but it's actually good enough you wouldn't want to allow it more often. If you were to... say... shatter the torso of a BBEG, the fight would essentially be over. Yes, the Shatterskull Adept can pretend he's as effective as a wizard for up to three brief shining moments a day. Awesome.

No exotic weapon here, by the way.

Conclusion: While it’s a bit of a mixed bag, I still like what I see. I’m already debating with myself about buying the next Mega-Bundle, and I probably will. It promises classes focused on fighting with spiked gauntlets (Spiked gauntlets! Can you believe it?), the sling (looks to be an arcane archer variant, of all things), the falchion, the quarterstaff (The cover pic appears to be a drow with a stick. Should be amusing, if nothing else.), the short sword (based on the Roman legionnaire, I fear this one will fall into the Hoplite category of mediocrity, but I’m going to buy it anyway because if it actually does what it says it does it could be awesome), the dagger (I don’t think the author has heard of the Invisible Blade PrC, because it sounds like he’s trying to do the same thing…), the shield (A mix of offensive and defensive skills, and only a three level PrC. Could potentially stack well with the pikeman’s ability to carry a shield, perhaps even obviating the need to constantly backpedal. If it does, then pikeman + sarissa + shieldbearer will officially become the best reach build ever.), and, finally, the ranseur, rounding out the D&D polearms.

Two classes have been published but not yet bundled, the Escrimeur, focusing on rapier combat (Oddly enough, it is apparently designed to replace, rather than synergize with, the swashbuckler. I don’t know for sure, but it should be interesting. It will probably also lead to me fruitlessly attempting to get my DM to approve it for use with my swashbuckling character.), and the Axe Reaver, focusing on… well, you know. I may not pick up the Axe Reaver (Crimson Cleaver covers greataxes quite well, and if you’ve already got the greataxe, why downsize?), but I’ll probably pick up the rest within 1d12 days, and if you’d like me to, I’ll review them as well.

Magnor Criol
2008-03-29, 04:26 PM
I'd certainly be interested in reading your reviews of those guys if you do so. Thanks for reviewing these - it's exactly what I needed to hear, you've given me a lot to look forward to. I think I'll be picking some of them up myself when I get a wee bit more spending money in the Misc Funds bucket.

UserClone
2008-03-29, 04:31 PM
I agree, thanks for those.

matthewmw64
2008-03-29, 05:21 PM
Hi, I'm the guy who created the "options for a Spearmen" thread.

Do you think that the Pikeman is the kind of thing I'm going for with what i was requesting? That is, a "master" of the spear.

EDIT: Well, im just ordering the Spear Sentinel, Pikemen and Knight of the Stave Packs, so i could review those later if you wanted me to.

Ascension
2008-03-31, 04:08 AM
Pikeman is good if all you're looking for is a guy who fights with a spear, and fights well with it. I'm looking forward to getting the second bundle in order to see if the Shieldbearer PrC has any good defensive/offensive abilities which might synergize with the Pikeman's ability to carry a shield while wielding his two-handed weapon. If you're able to utilize any of the offensive options you might be able to use shield-bashing as a viable close-range attack, giving you good attacks at the 5 ft, 10 ft, and 15 ft radii, and possibly at 20 ft if Massive Reach and the sarissa stack.

I don't know quite yet, though.

Feel free to add any reviews you'd like to add. Saves me a shekel if I decide not to spring for it anyway, and gives readers a second opinion if I do get it.

BlackDirge
2008-04-02, 06:18 PM
Hey Ascension,

Thanks for posting these reviews. I'm glad you're enjoying the series.

If any of you have questions regarding Master at Arms, please let me know. I'd especially like to hear which weapons you might like to see covered in future installments. Right now, I'm working on one for the composite shortbow and the flail.

Thanks

BD

Azerian Kelimon
2008-04-02, 06:53 PM
Pity there's no longsword fighter, or, specially, a single longsword fighter. Yeah, everyone uses it, but what's the last time you've seen something specialized on it and not swords in general? And the single one handed weapon style could really use the love.

BlackDirge
2008-04-02, 07:00 PM
Pity there's no longsword fighter, or, specially, a single longsword fighter. Yeah, everyone uses it, but what's the last time you've seen something specialized on it and not swords in general? And the single one handed weapon style could really use the love.

I've been considering the longsword for a while, but alas, I haven't come up with anything compelling yet. The problem is, as you pointed out, the longsword is just so generic; it's hard to find a jumping-off point to design a prestige class around.

BD

Azerian Kelimon
2008-04-02, 07:04 PM
A Swordmaster. As generic as the longsword, only that you add, in the background/explanation/whatever: "Swordmasters eschew the lesser and greater variations of the longsword, considering them lacking in the versatility and either power or finesse the longsword posseses" and make the class require a focus on longsword and a Special clause of: Must never wield any weapon that is not a Longsword.

BlackDirge
2008-04-02, 08:02 PM
A Swordmaster. As generic as the longsword, only that you add, in the background/explanation/whatever: "Swordmasters eschew the lesser and greater variations of the longsword, considering them lacking in the versatility and either power or finesse the longsword posseses" and make the class require a focus on longsword and a Special clause of: Must never wield any weapon that is not a Longsword.


Highlighting the versatility of the longsword would certainly be a solid way to go. Now I just need to come up with some class abilities to reflect that. :smallsmile:

BD

Azerian Kelimon
2008-04-02, 08:17 PM
Make the equivalent of a Martial factotum. First level, Bonus feat. Second level, double size increase expansion 3/day, increasing to At will for level 7. Third level, you can gain Arcane Strike and can do up to 5 strikes/day as if you were using a fifth level spell. Fourth level, something with invocations. Fifth, Incarnum. Sixth, Defensive abilities. Seventh, you can use a the Cunning X Factotum abilities as if you were a 10th level Factotum 5/Day. Eighth and Ninth, dunno. Tenth and capstone, the Grandmaster Strike maneuver: Inflicts 2d6/level, Standard action, applies to ECL.

Yeah, it's over the top, but I'm sure someone can think something up.

matthewmw64
2008-04-02, 10:18 PM
Hi BlackDirge,

I'd just like to say that of the three I downloaded (Pikeman,Knight fo the Stave, Spear Sentinel), the Knight of the Stave was my Favorite. From the moment I first read it, I felt so inspired by it. So Thanks :D For a suggested weapon, how about the Scythe? Ive never seen it used very often and it would be pretty cool to see a PrC based around it.

Thanks,
Matthew

BlackDirge
2008-04-02, 10:41 PM
Hi BlackDirge,

I'd just like to say that of the three I downloaded (Pikeman,Knight fo the Stave, Spear Sentinel), the Knight of the Stave was my Favorite. From the moment I first read it, I felt so inspired by it. So Thanks :D For a suggested weapon, how about the Scythe? Ive never seen it used very often and it would be pretty cool to see a PrC based around it.

Thanks,
Matthew

Thanks. The knight of staves is one of my favorites too.

The scythe is definitely a weapon I've had my eye on. The problem I've run into is finding a historical angle for the weapon, which, as you know, all the Master at Arms products include. However, I recently stumbled upon a Dacian weapon known as the falx, which is very much like a war sickle or scythe, and it might do the trick. Here's a picture of the nasty little bastard: falx (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Falx_bgiu.png).

BD

Ascension
2008-04-03, 12:25 AM
Wow, I never expected to draw the attention of the man himself. I'm honored.

Sorry about the Cudgel Thug review, just calling 'em like I see 'em.

The falx would certainly make a great exotic weapon, but I would be somewhat concerned that it wouldn't be quite scythe-ish enough to justify a scythe-wielding PrC on those grounds... Hmm...

I'm very glad to hear there's a composite shortbow class coming soon. That'll be great. I'd love to see a longbowman, too.

Maybe a warhammer-wielding class?

Still haven't gotten around to the second bundle yet, but I may purchase and review it this weekend. At least on a roll of 1-60 on the random purchases table.

BlackDirge
2008-04-03, 12:56 AM
Wow, I never expected to draw the attention of the man himself. I'm honored.

Heh, like every other gamer out there, I'm a fan of OotS, but today was the first time I've visited the forums. I have to admit, it was pretty cool to see a thread about Master at Arms.


Sorry about the Cudgel Thug review, just calling 'em like I see 'em.

No apology necessary. Different strokes for different folks. Funny enough, another guy that reviewed the whole series loved the cudgel thug but hated the crimson cleaver.


The falx would certainly make a great exotic weapon, but I would be somewhat concerned that it wouldn't be quite scythe-ish enough to justify a scythe-wielding PrC on those grounds... Hmm...

I know what you mean. The falx almost deserves to be an outright new weapon.


I'm very glad to hear there's a composite shortbow class coming soon. That'll be great. I'd love to see a longbowman, too.

I've held off on the longbow simply because there's about a gazillion archery prestige classes that focus on the longbow already. That's why I chose the shortbow; I figured it needed some love. :smallsmile:


Maybe a warhammer-wielding class?

Absolutely. I'd probably include the light hammer in the mix to make a more complete hammer-wielding fighter, however.


Still haven't gotten around to the second bundle yet, but I may purchase and review it this weekend. At least on a roll of 1-60 on the random purchases table.

No worries. I really appreciate the reviews you've already done. As a publisher and writer, it's always cool to read unsolicited opinions about your work.

BD

Rion
2008-04-04, 09:17 AM
I've just bought a lot of the books thanks to this thread, and I must say I like them, especially the increased focus on polearms.

BlackDirge
2008-04-04, 04:21 PM
I've just bought a lot of the books thanks to this thread, and I must say I like them, especially the increased focus on polearms.

Thanks. Glad you like them.

I've still got one more polearm to do: the glaive. I've got some preliminary ideas, but nothing concrete yet. However, you should see a glaive Master at Arms class in the next few months.

BD

matthewmw64
2008-04-04, 11:21 PM
Well, I'm very happy. Just got permission form my DM to allow me to use the Knight of Staves Prestige Class in his next campaign. Really looking forward to it.
I was thinking of perhaps running it with the Variant Ranger from Complete Warrior (Basically means no spells, and i get a couple of other nice little goodies in exchange) What do people think of using that instead of the Fighter that most people would think I'd go with instead?

BlackDirge
2008-04-05, 12:28 AM
Well, I'm very happy. Just got permission form my DM to allow me to use the Knight of Staves Prestige Class in his next campaign. Really looking forward to it.
I was thinking of perhaps running it with the Variant Ranger from Complete Warrior (Basically means no spells, and i get a couple of other nice little goodies in exchange) What do people think of using that instead of the Fighter that most people would think I'd go with instead?

I know a lot of DMs are wary of 3rd party material, so I think it's pretty cool that your DM gave the Knight of Staves the okay.

Sure, ranger would work. You'd lose out on the extra feats from the fighter class, but the extra abilities you gained from the variant ranger would make up for some of that.

Personally, I've always though the Knight of Staves was a good match for the paladin, thematically anyways.

BD

matthewmw64
2008-04-05, 01:34 AM
Hmm another question. Would you say that the Fighter Feat Advancement ability works with a none fighter? So using the ranger as an example, would a Ranger 6/KoS 4 count for Weapon Specialization?

tyckspoon
2008-04-05, 01:39 AM
I've held off on the longbow simply because there's about a gazillion archery prestige classes that focus on the longbow already. That's why I chose the shortbow; I figured it needed some love. :smallsmile:


Do it anyway, most of 'em aren't any good. Ranged fighters in general are under-supported.

BlackDirge
2008-04-05, 03:00 AM
Hmm another question. Would you say that the Fighter Feat Advancement ability works with a none fighter? So using the ranger as an example, would a Ranger 6/KoS 4 count for Weapon Specialization?

Absolutely. The text for Fighter Feat Advancement reads:

At each indicated level the character is considered to have gained one level of fighter for the purposes of qualifying for specific fighter feats, such as Weapon Specialization...

I've always meant for the ability to work like you suggest; to either stack with existing fighter levels or work as a stand-in for them, as relates to gaining fighter specific feats.

BD

matthewmw64
2008-04-05, 03:34 AM
Ahh I figured as much. it only qualifies me for Weapon Specialization, but I'm certainly not complaining about that :D

BlackDirge
2008-04-05, 02:23 PM
Ahh I figured as much. it only qualifies me for Weapon Specialization, but I'm certainly not complaining about that :D

Cool.

Hey, when you get a chance, post your new character. I always like to see what people do with the classes, monsters, templates, and other material I design.

BD

matthewmw64
2008-04-05, 04:06 PM
Cool.

Hey, when you get a chance, post your new character. I always like to see what people do with the classes, monsters, templates, and other material I design.

BD

Ill be more then happy to. ill post details of him on here later. (Only level 2, but i can do updates if you want)

Ascension
2008-04-06, 01:20 PM
It's kid at Christmas time, because I just opened up my shiny new Mega Bundle II. Time to get reviewing! I'm going to skip the general overview this time, because I'm assuming the overall layout is still the same. On to the classes!

Crimson Pugilist:
When it comes to fisticuffs, this is the anti monk. Forget about all that peaceful meditation crap, this is a class built around savagely pummeling your opponent to death.

Unlike the arbalestier, it does very little to improve the damage of your unarmed or gauntleted attacks, but it does much to improve the quantity of those attacks. It gives Pounce as a first level ability, allows you to enter a rage like state that gives you an additional attack on a full attack (a la 3.5 Haste), and gives Rend at second level. The last three levels give you some additional tactical options (you can sicken and/or blind opponents, and at fifth level you can do pretty big damage with a single blow in lieu of your usual floating like a butterfly), but most of the meat of this class is right at the beginning.

This class also gives you a super-intimidate ability at first level which sounds like it could be really nice, especially if for some strange reason you didn't dump CHA.

I like this class. I like this class a lot. It's probably not the best mechanically, but come on, haven't we all wanted at some point or another to walk up to some hideous monster and plant a fist in its face? The Crimson Pugilist does a great job of satisfying the primal urge to beat people up. It's alright for fighters, but it's downright great for barbarians, especially if the bonuses for Rage and Blood Fury stack (I'm not sure if they do or not.).

The sample character here is a bugbear gladiator named "Zarga the Punisher." You've just got to love that name. He's great. Would've been even greater had he been built as a barbarian instead of a fighter, but hey, he's an NPC, he's supposed to lose.

I like the exotic weapons here, particularly the myrmex. It's a spiked gauntlet! It's a buckler! It's got a 19-20 crit range! It's historical! It's made of pure win. :smallbiggrin:

It's probably not quiiiiite worth a feat, but I'd take it anyway, just for sheer coolness of it. Actually, that's a pretty good description of the entire class. While it's good, it's not a class you take to be mechanically awesome. It's a class you take to feel awesome.

Curse Slinger:
This is certainly an odd little class, but it makes me smile. A lot. It's the only semi-magical class in the whole M@A series, and it does require two ranks of the Spellcraft skill to enter, but it's still really meant for the non-spellcaster. The BAB requirement would slow you down, but I would probably try entering it with a rogue. You'd have plenty of skill points to burn on cross-class Spellcraft, and by the time you complete your Curse Slinger levels you'd be able to apply precision damage from 60ft away.

The abilities of the class itself are a mixture of nice non-magical slinger buffs that help turn the usually quite humble weapon into a powerful tool and free magical enhancements one can bestow on a limited number of bullets. These enhancements are quite nice, and you should have plenty of time to prepare your bullets if you have any prepared casters in the party.

The halfling racial sling bonus could easily turn this class from good to deadly, but some of the strength-based special abilities would suffer somewhat.

I heartily endorse the curse slinger. It may not quite live up to the Balearic slingers, but then, who can? They'd have to do like... 2d6 damage with an 18-20 crit and a longbow-esque range increment.

Okay, maybe I'm exaggerating a little, but seriously, they were epic.

I really like the sample character's art this time. There's just something about a killer satyr that makes me smile. I love the fact that he has bard levels, too. Maybe the folks who are so quick to mock bards would think differently if one whacked them upside the head with a cursed bullet.

No exotic weapon here, but really, what would it be? The sling's a pretty simple weapon... there's not much variation possible. The power of the sling is the skill with which it's wielded, not the quality of the weapon itself.

Falchioneer:
Have you ever seen anyone use a falchion in D&D? Me neither. Well, now they might have a reason to. This class gives some crazy bonuses to the already-easily-optimized Power Attack, and I daresay the CharOp boards would have a field day trying to max out its bonuses. Although the class takes a nod at the fact that the falchion was actually a one-handed weapon, the player interested in power will still go for the two-handed grip.

The non-power-attacking abilities here are pretty nice too. Intimidating charges, free attacks after successful sunder attempts, ability to overcome /budgeoning damage resistance, etc.

I shudder to think how much damage a fifth level two-handing falchioneer can do with a power attack. Especially if said falchioneer is also a shock trooper frenzied berserker. Suffice it to say that if he makes contact, things die.

No exotic weapon here, but rather a wondrous item: hobgoblin pointy-toed boots that you can kick people with! :smallbiggrin:

The falchioneer is probably the only Master at Arms class I'm going to say this about, but... well... I'm afraid that in the hands of a dedicated powergamer it would be overpowered. I would allow someone to use it in a game of mine only if I knew they were unlikely to cheese it up. It's kinda like nuclear power. In the hands of the French it's not likely to harm you. In the hands of the Iranians everyone in the vicinity starts sweating.

Knight of Staves:
I notice right off the bat that this class has an alignment restriction: non-evil, non-chaotic. While all of the classes have had various recommendations about who should and should not take them, I think this is only the third one (I think the cudgel thug has to be non-good and the hoplite has to be lawful) that actually has a restriction. Interesting.

While conventional wisdom is probably still right and two-handed weapons still beat TWF, this class certainly makes the quarterstaff's use as a double weapon interesting, to say the least. There are a few abilities that enhance its two-handed application, but most of the abilities of the class are focused on TWF.

Stylistically I like the various abilities. Thematically it's a brilliant class for a less-smitey, more smiley paladin. It'd be fun for an exalted campaign, I think. Wouldn't be bad with vow of poverty, either, since its focus weapon is... a stick.

That being said, it, like vow of poverty, is mechanically a trap. It looks nice, even feels nice at first, but somewhere down the line you're liable to wonder why you aren't ubercharging or sword-slinging or something.

This class's sample character put me off, because he set off all my Drizzt-clone senses, but he's actually not all that bad.

No exotic weapons here. Darn. I was hoping for a fancy stick. :smallwink:

Legionnaire:
If the special entry requirement (that the character be part of a large standing army... in other words, not an adventurer) is waived, the legionnaire actually fares better in his conversion to D&D than the poor hoplite did. He's still best in formation, but he gets some nice bonuses even when fighting alone, particularly in the form of bonus damage against non-shield-bearing opponents. The legionnaire also boosts, of all things, the power of the massive damage save. I have only seen that rule used once in my time at the table, but the legionnaire's Deep Puncture ability could significantly affect the frequency of its application.

I really like the nod to Marius's mules here, which gives the legionnaire a bonus to his strength for the purposes of determining his carrying capacity. You could probably use this to further cheese out the Hulking Hurler, but why bother? This is for hauling supplies, not throwing things, and the HH is broken enough without any further enhancements.

The sample character here makes the term "legions of Hell" literal. He'd be fun to throw into an extraplanar bar fight, if your PCs ever happen to be in that sort of a situation.

I'm rather surprised to find here no exotic weapons, but rather advice for using the existing weapons as reasonable substitutes for various Roman equipment. An upgraded short sword would have been appreciated, but I guess the current one isn't that bad.

This class is pretty badly suboptimal, but it's pretty fun, especially since one of its primary abilities punishes opponents for not using the oft maligned "sword and board" style of fighting. Take that, optimized characters!

Nimbleknife:
Wow... it's not designed as a rogue class. That's surprising, to say the least. D&D teaches us that the nimble "fighter" is anything and everything but an actual fighter, but this class is designed with the intent of allowing the dagger to function without massive precision damage bonuses. Let's see if it succeeds...

...honestly, no. Not really. The bonuses this class adds can be somewhat nice, but there are so many other prestige classes and so many other options for the knife-fighter in various sourcebooks... this class just doesn't compare to the other choices out there.

I do like the sample character (she looks a LOT like Oasis from Sluggy Freelance in gnome form) and exotic weapon here (about time someone did the main-gauche!), but unless you're getting it as part of a bundle, I think I'd recommend just passing over this one.

Shieldbearer:
OH HECK YES! There is NO reason ANY shield-bearing warrior shouldn't take this class.

Okay, maybe that was a bit over-enthusiastic, but seriously, this class alone is enough to give sword-and-board a second look. It gets some nice abilities, both defensive and offensive, and since it's only three levels, it won't take you too far off course from whatever else you were doing.

Word of Caution: Parrying too many blows with your shield will get it smashed pretty quickly, and if it's enchanted (with, say, the new and awesome Mighty Bashing enhancement) you don't want that happening. Magical enhancements aren't cheap.

Ultimate M@A Reach Build: Sarissa-wielding Pikeman/Shieldbearer with a Mighty Bashing shield and the Greater Shield Bash ability. You've moved within five feet of me? You think you're in my blind spot? *SMACK!* Think again!

The shieldbearer is love. You know you want it.

The only sad part is the realization that half these abilities should be built into the shield itself, not part of a prestige class fix.

Spear Sentinel:
I guarantee you that if you read the introductory material to this class, you will learn something you didn't know. Highly educational!

This is another class that requires membership in an organization, and it also has an alignment restriction: non-chaotic. It's a bit odd that the legionnaire technically allows chaotic characters and this class doesn't, but I'll let it slide.

Ooh, nice. There are some fun abilities here. The prongs on either side of the ranseur allow you to play with your enemy, easily disarming him, pushing him around the battlefield, etc. While the pikeman class took a passive stance towards keeping your enemies out of your blind spot (backpedaling), the spear sentinel takes an aggressive stance, pushing back his opponents with his AoOs. This installment also adds the "contracting" enchantment, an enhancement for reach weapons that allows them to shrink to a one-handed melee weapon as a free action. You lose damage in the process, but still, it's not a bad trick.

I love the sample character here... he's essentially a liberal hobgoblin. I halfway expect him to start singing "Why can't we be friends" as adventurers descend on his tribe with murderous intent. All joking aside, though, he has one of the most interesting backstories of the various sample characters. He would be a nice way to remind an overly aggressive party that hobbos aren't always evil.

This one's a nice class, even better than the pikeman in some respects. While I'd personally prefer pikeman-shieldbearer, spear sentinel may be right for you. Always ask your doctor before taking any of this sort of medi... I mean, always ask your DM before taking any of this sort of PrC.

Conclusion:
Another fine batch of PrCs. Nimbleknife misses the target, and both Knight of Staves and Legionnaire are more flavorful than functional (although Shieldbearer would greatly improve Legionnaire), but the others are just great all around. I would say this bundle is definitely worth it, overall. Even Nimbleknife has some good qualities (Were a Shieldbearer to somehow dip it, fighting defensively would give some huge bonuses to AC).

I'll be reviewing Escrimeur soon, but I'm probably not going to pick up Axe Reaver unless someone else makes it sound irresistible.

BlackDirge
2008-04-06, 02:37 PM
Ascension, thanks for the reviews. Great comments, and great insights all around.

BD

matthewmw64
2008-04-07, 12:20 AM
m actually contemplating running a paladin as base rather then a Ranger. NAy suggestions on feats and stuff?

Fhaolan
2008-04-07, 09:55 AM
If you want to group weapons up a bit, you could do something around the khopesh, kukri, kopis, falcatta group. Swords and knives that don't really act like swords or knives. If you actually handle them, they perform more like axes. Lots of chopping impact on the forward of the blade. Very common weapons in the ancient world.

For the falx, you could group sickles, kamas, falx, and fauchards together. They are extremely similar weapons, except for the length of the handle.

Ascension
2008-04-11, 09:45 PM
Okay, I actually had it in hand... well, hard drive... when I wrote my last batch of reviews, and I already knew the basics of what I was going to say about it, but... well, I'm going to pretend I had a good excuse. Anyway, regardless of the reasons, now it is time for me to review the Escrimeur! It's just one review this time, so no Conclusion section.

This class is unusual in several ways. The first thing that jumps out at you is that it focuses on three distinct weapons, an oddity in this specialization-minded series. What takes a bit longer to sink in is that two-thirds of these weapons are brand-new (well, to the d20 system, that is) weapons. One of them is even exotic.

You see, this class isn't just a rapier class. It isn't even just a "fencing" class, at least not in the usual sense of the word. It's a renaissance-swordsman class. While the skill list includes bluff, sense motive, and all the mobility skills, it's still 2+INT... you're not going to have enough skill points to build your Flynning pretty-boy here. Why dance along a balcony dodging somebody when you can just jab a length of steel in their gut and be done with it?

The three weapons dealt with here are the venerable rapier, the long-overdue saber, and the ensemble's dark horse, the estoc. While the first two are fairly obvious, that last weapon may be new to you. Let me go off on a tangent for a moment here...

The estoc was one of those weapons I never really gave much thought to. I knew it existed, I knew it was pointy, our relationship ended there. There aren't many weapons on that list (I'm one of those elitist bastards who make it a point of pride to object whenever anyone misuses flamberge or flammenschwert, and I'm also a huge falcata fanboy.), but somehow it ended up there.

No longer! The estoc is awesome, and this class shows you exactly why it's awesome! It is good at one thing and one thing only (stabbing stuff), but boy-oh-boy is it good at that. It's exotic, yes, but it's two-handed, finessable, and has an 18-20 crit range. Worth the proficiency feat? Ehh, probably not. Does it feel good? Yes, yes, a hundred times yes.

This PrC has only a few universal class features, most of its goodies are divided up between three distinct fighting styles: Single Sword (more on this later), Sword-and-Buckler (If only Shieldbearer worked for bucklers you could make an awesome buckler-bashing build, but alas, it doesn't work.), and Twin Blades (If your DM allows it, go Tiger Claw Swordsage if you want a dexterous TWF build. This class gives you a worse version of a first-level Tiger Claw maneuver as its capstone ability. The first and third level abilities are decent (the first moreso than the third, really), so you could consider taking this as a dip, but there's really no reason at all to take all five levels in this discipline.).

The universal abilities are minor, but nice. The first level gives half (only half, sadly, so Shadow Blade from ToB is still better, if available... and since the feat and this class feature have incompatible weapon lists, you can't try to get cheesy and stack them) DEX to damage. Nice, but I kept waiting for the other half (perhaps as the level five capstone). It never came. I was sad. The second level lets you attack with an additional five feet of reach (not threaten, but attack) at the cost of 4 AC. Finally at fourth level you get Sudden Riposte, an attack on someone who misses you in melee, which is available as a feat or a class feature in some WotC splatbook under a sliiiightly different name, but I can't remember the source. You also get two bonus feats (at second and fourth). The rest is in the fighting styles.

I'm expanding on Single Sword because it's the one worth expanding on. At first level you can ignore a number of points of your opponent's armor or natural armor bonus to AC equal to your INT or WIS modifier, whichever is higher. Note: Crit immune creatures are not immune. Swashbucklers and Swordsages, take note, you will want to dip this class, at the very least. This ability is so unbelievably awesome I can't stop grinning about it.

I'm taking a detour for a moment here. Imagine with me a swashbuckler. This swashbuckler has boosted STR, DEX, and INT. He can dump everything else because he won't need any of it (okay, maybe he'll need CON, but I'm trying to make a point here). He is wielding a keen estoc. He effectively gets full BAB + DEX + INT to hit. Once he hits (and he will hit) he gets 1d8 + (1.5 x STR) + (.5 x DEX) + INT to damage, with a chance to crit on a 15-20. Oh, and he has full access to all the various ways (well, probably not frenzied berserker, but the rest of 'em) to max out power attack. This swashbuckler is why this class is incredibly awesome. Is he wise? Is he charismatic? Is he useful outside of combat? Perhaps not. But he can certainly jab over a meter of sharply-pointed steel deep, deep into your chest and look good while doing it.

The rest of the single sword abilities aren't nearly as awesome. The third level ability is an odd little thing that helps you grapple... by impaling your enemy on your blade. The capstone ability gives you an extra attack on a full attack if you take a -2 penalty on each attack. With enough WIS or INT, though... it's worth taking the penalty.

The problem of this class is how MAD it is. If you're not in the know, MAD is a handy little acronym for (multiple ability dependent). The basic gist of it is, if you want to build a MAD character, you need several ability scores to be high. Most of the martial classes are a little MAD, the fighter least so and the monk most so, while almost all of the caster classes get away with being almost completely SAD, or single-ability dependent. This is really more than a little bit of the reason for the gap between casters and non casters. Non-casters have a dump score. Casters generally have four.

I said all that to say this... The escrimeur is MAD. If you got full DEX to damage you might be able to semi-dump STR, but you don't, so you can't. You need to keep either INT or WIS high if you go Single Blade (probably INT, if you want any skills at all), while the Twin Blade style has a random CHA-based ability. True, you don't really ever need more than three high scores, but that's still fairly MAD. If you dump WIS, you'll probably regret it, because while this class has good Fort and Ref saves, it has the bad Will save. Unless you enter the class from swordsage and use WIS for Penetrating Thrust, you will have a crappy Will save, and the DM will probably target it.

I've spent a long time on this class because I love it so. It's a great concept. The execution is a little odd... full DEX to damage would have been good, although the Single Sword style really doesn't need it, and the first level Single Sword ability thumbs its nose at the other two styles and says "Hah, look how much better than you I am!"... but it's still nice.

Get it. Poke people with an estoc until they cry... or die, whichever comes first. Wash, rinse, repeat. Laugh while doing it. Have fun. I know I will... as soon as I find a DM who'll allow the uber-swashbuckler and his many different attack and damage bonuses. If I'm really feeling evil I'll only dip one level of escrimeur with the rest in rogue/swashbuckler (with the daring outlaw feat) so that I have full sneak attack on top of all the other benefits. Will the resultant power-sneak-attacking behemoth be overpowered? Possibly. But he'll be overpowered with style.

And you can still do ten times worse with a full caster.

PS: In support of the Sword-and-Buckler style, I just re-read its third level ability. It's pretty darn spiffy, but still not as easily abusable as the first level of Single Sword.

PPS: No, I don't just review these classes to try to find abusable combos you can con noob DMs into allowing. While uber-swash is a little excessive, I really, really like swashbucklers. I support him because I want the buckling of swashes to be an awesome character option. In terms of my own personal Rule of Cool, there is nothing better than a good fencer. A good fencer, NOT that Flynn character.

BlackDirge
2008-04-12, 03:58 PM
Thanks for another insightful review, Ascension.

BD