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SoD
2008-04-20, 10:45 AM
This is a base class that my cousin homebrewed a few years ago, the Dwarven Slayer. I guess you could substitute 'Dwarf' for whatever race your character is. It's basically a suicidal Dwarven barbarian, only stronger. What do we think? I personally think that the +6 at first level is a bit extreme, but I'm showing this how I found it, unmodified. And I'll happily accept constructive critisicm, but please refrain from 'OMGWTF? DIS 2 BROKN, n00b!'s. I guess that it's partly balanced by the fact that it has a shorter life-expectancy than a barbarian.

Dwarven Slayer.

1. Frenzy1/day, Oath of Dedication, Honourable Death.
2. Endurance
3. Uncanny Dodge
4. Frenzy 2/day
5. Diehard
6.
7. Damage Reduction 1/-
8. Frenzy 3/day
9. Deathless Frenzy
10. Damage Reduction 2/-
11. Greater Frenzy
12. Frenzy 4/day
13. Damage Reduction 3/-
14. Indomitable Will
15.
16. Damage Reduction 4/-, Frenzy 5/day
17. Tireless Frenzy
18. .
19. Damage Reduction 5/-
20. Mighty Frenzy, Frenzy 6/day

Frenzy: A slayer can fly into a screaming blood frenzy a certain number of times per day. This ability is similar to the rage of a barbarian but more intense and more dangerous for the slayer (and his enemies for sure) the slayers mouth dribbles, his eyes turn blood shot and his muscles bend and grows, his skin lightly hardens, and he throws himself into battle with only one goal, killing every single enemy. During the frenzy, the slayer gains the following benefits.
+6 Strength, +6 constitution, +1 natural AC, +2 moral bonus to will saves. The slayers frenzy lasts for 10 rounds, after 8 rounds, the slayer most make a DC 10 will save to get out of the frenzy or he goes out of control during the next to rounds. When out of control, the slayer hits the first moving object he sees, and will stop hitting it only when it falls or is destroyed.
Oath of Dedication: For whatever reason the slayer has a shame that he or she feels they can never be rid of and seek Death over the living with the shame of such an event. A warrior who does not fear death is a terrifying foe but many die from seeming suicidal actions. Because of this oath, the slayer gains immunity to frightening presence at 1st level e.g. he will never be frightened of the presence/sight of a dragon or a demon like a normal person would be. But he can still be frightened by spells like fear. This oath also means that the slayer may not leave combat peacefully, meaning that he must fight till he dies or the enemy dies. Which ever one comes first or to protect or aid another Dwarf from being slain in combat. The slayer can not run away from any combat what so ever. While in combat, the slayer will not move out of the way for a party member, not even for a healer to get in and heal someone that is about to die.
Honourable Death: a slayer may not be brought back to life by a spell like resurrection, true resurrection or raise dead if he is killed by something that is an encounter of CR higher than 4 of his current level or is killed defending a dwarven culture or another dwarf.
Endurance: A slayer gains endurance (see page 93 of the Players Handbook) as a bonus feat at 2nd level.
Uncanny Dodge: At 3rd level, a slayer gains the ability to react to danger before his senses would normally allow him to do so. He retains his Dexterity to AC (if any) even if he is caught flat footed by an invisible attacker. How ever, he still loses his Dexterity bonus to AC if immobilized.
Diehard: A slayer gains diehard (see page 93 of the Players Handbook) as a bonus feat at 5th level.
Damage Reduction: At 7th level a slayer gains the ability to shrug off some amount of injury from each blow or attack. Subtract 1 from the damage the slayer takes each time he is dealt damage from a weapon or a natural attack. At 10th level and every 3 slayer levels thereafter (13th, 16th, and 19th, level) this damage reduction rises by 1 point. Damage reduction can reduce damage to 0 but not below 0.
Deathless Frenzy: At 9th level and higher a slayer can scorn death and unconsciousness while in a frenzy. As long as his frenzy continues, he is not treated as disabled on 0 hit points, nor is treated as dieing at -1 to -9 hit points. Even if reduced to -10 hit points or less she continues to fight normally until his frenzy ends. At this point, the effects of his wounds apply normally if they have not been healed. This ability does not prevent death from massive damage or from spell effects such as slay living or disintegrate.
Greater Frenzy: At 11th level a slayer’s bonuses to strength and constitution during his frenzy each increase to +8, his morale bonus on will saves increase to +3 and his natural AC goes to +2.
Indomitable Will: While in a frenzy, a slayer at 14th level or higher gains a +4 moral bonus on will saves to resist enchantment spells. This bonus stacks with other modifiers, including the moral bonus on will saves he also receives during his frenzy.
Tireless Frenzy: At 17th level and higher, a slayer no longer becomes fatigued at the end of his frenzy.
Mighty Frenzy: At 20th level a slayer’s bonuses to strength and constitution during his frenzy each increase to +10, his morale bonus on will saves increase to +4 and his natural AC goes to +3.

Ossian
2008-04-20, 10:54 AM
A bit broken. Not a bad idea, mind you, but why go for it when you can (as you mention in the OP) go dwarven barbarian and then go frenzied berserker (CW)? The 'suicidal' part is roleplay, or you can adjust it with the "traits" from Unearthed Arcana.

O.

SoD
2008-04-20, 11:08 AM
Nah, that'd work fine, but the suicidal is actually (sort of) part of the cruch as well (must fight until dead, cannot retreat, cannot end a combat encounter peacefully=no surrendering, no running away, no accepting surrender=fight until victorious or dead). I've never played one before, I'd just go the route you suggested (Dwarven barbarian/frenzied bezerker), but I just found this again, and wondered what the forumers would think.

RationalGoblin
2008-04-20, 01:36 PM
I like it. Was it based on the Warhammer Fantasy Dwarven Slayer? Because if is it, thats awesome. If it is, I have a recommendation. Give it a Ranger's Favored Enemy bonuses.

Oh, and as a suggestion, could you bold the names of the abilities to make it easier to read. As it is, it's slightly hard to read.

SoD
2008-04-20, 01:56 PM
Yes, it is based on the Warhammer Fantasy Dwarven Slayer, thanks for the thumbs up, I'll pass it on to the creator. Sadly, I cannot take the credit, all I did was put it up here, I had absolutly no part in creating it.

lord of kobolds
2008-04-25, 09:09 PM
this class needs some abilities that are not realiant on the frenzy

de-trick
2008-04-25, 09:21 PM
Id rather have this as a prestige class than a base class, also the name made me think of having a class about killing dwarfs

Zeta Kai
2008-04-26, 09:23 AM
I agree on the last few points. It does sound like a dwarf-killing class (& if they are truly suicidal, then I suppose that it is true, from a certain point of view). It probably should be a prestige class for a barbarian, as it is narrowly focused & would be nigh-broken in power next to other characters of equal level. It also needs to have some non-frenzy abilities; filling in those 3 dead levels (:smallfurious:) with class features that don't have anything to do with frenzy would be a good step toward rounding out the class; they need not be very potent abilities (& perhaps should a bit weak), just something to fill out the rosters & to distinguish this class more from the barbarian.

In the interest of contributing something other that just my opinion, I offer a table for the class, to be used as you wish, SoD. No one has stated the BAB & save progressions, so I'm just basing those on the barbarian's chart.


Table 1-1: The Dwarven Slayer
{table=head]Level|BAB|Fort Save|Reflex Save|Will Save|Special
1st|+1|+2|+0|+0|Frenzy1/day, Oath of Dedication, Honourable Death
2nd|+2|+3|+0|+0|Endurance
3rd|+3|+3|+1|+1|Uncanny Dodge
4th|+4|+4|+1|+1|Frenzy 2/day
5th|+5|+4|+1|+1|Diehard
6th|+6/+1|+5|+2|+2|
7th|+7/+2|+5|+2|+2|Damage Reduction 1/-
8th|+8/+3|+6|+2|+2|Frenzy 3/day
9th|+9/+4|+6|+3|+3|Deathless Frenzy
10th|+10/+5|+7|+3|+3|Damage Reduction 2/-
11th|+11/+6/+1|+7|+3|+3|Greater Frenzy
12th|+12/+7/+2|+8|+4|+4|Frenzy 4/day
13th|+13/+8/+3|+8|+4|+4|Damage Reduction 3/-
14th|+14/+9/+4|+9|+4|+4|Indomitable Will
15th|+15/+10/+5|+9|+5|+5|
16th|+16/+11/+6/+1|+10|+5|+5|Damage Reduction 4/-, Frenzy 5/day
17th|+17/+12/+7/+2|+10|+5|+5|Tireless Frenzy
18th|+18/+13/+8/+3|+11|+6|+6|
19th|+19/+14/+9/+4|+11|+6|+6|Damage Reduction 5/-
20th|+20/+15/+10/+5|+12|+6|+6|Mighty Frenzy, Frenzy 6/day[/table]

lord of kobolds
2008-04-26, 03:35 PM
Id rather have this as a prestige class than a base class, also the name made me think of having a class about killing dwarfs

that is a class i would take:smallbiggrin:

Zeta Kai
2008-04-27, 12:40 AM
that is a class i would take:smallbiggrin:

I agree, they are not my favorite race to play. They're only better than gnomes by a tiny amount.

Fri
2008-04-28, 10:55 AM
Is it wrong that, seriously, my first thought when I read the title that this is a class that specialize in slaying dwarf?

Various
2008-04-29, 07:18 PM
Is it wrong that, seriously, my first thought when I read the title that this is a class that specialize in slaying dwarf?

No, I was thinking that too.

Also, I wonder if this is needed. I mean, couldn't you accomplish essentially the same character with Barbarian and some PRC like Frienzied Beserker? The only real new thing being added is the Oath of Dedication, couldn't it just be a feat or something?