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View Full Version : The Stalwart - Base Class (3.5) (PEACH)



Thrantar
2008-11-20, 02:20 PM
Stalwart

Alignment: Any
Hit Die: 1d12

Class Skills:
The Stalwart’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Listen (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), Spot (Wis), Swim (Str), Survival (Wis).
Skill Points at 1st Level: (2 + Int modifier) x4.
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 2 + Int modifier.


{table="head"]Level|BAB|Fort|Ref|Will|Special

1st|+0|+2|+0|+0|Preternaturally Tough

2nd|+1|+3|+0|+0|Bonus Feat

3rd|+2|+3|+1|+1|Shield and Armor Skill +1

4th|+3|+4|+1|+1|Iron Shell, Pincushion

5th|+3|+4|+1|+1|Shield and Armor Mastery +1

6th|+4|+5|+2|+2|Tougher than Nails, Bonus Feat

7th|+5|+5|+2|+2|Shield and Armor Skill +2

8th|+6/+1|+6|+2|+2|Fast Healing 1, Shield Mate

9th|+6/+1|+6|+3|+3|Preternaturally Tough 2

10th|+7/+2|+7|+3|+3|Shield and Armor Mastery +2, Bonus Feat

11th|+8/+3|+7|+3|+3|Shield and Armor Skill +3

12th|+9/+4|+8|+4|+4|Bodily Volition 1/day

13th|+9/+4|+8|+4|+4|Fast Healing 2

14th|+10/+5|+9|+4|+4|Life in Armor, Bonus Feat

15th|+11/+6/+1|+9|+5|+5|Shield and Armor Mastery +3, Shield and Armor Skill +4

16th|+12/+7/+2|+10|+5|+5|Iron Skin, Improved Pincushion

17th|+12/+7/+2|+10|+5|+5|Preternaturally Tough 3

18th|+13/+8/+3|+11|+6|+6|Bodily Volition 2/day, Fast Healing 3, Bonus Feat

19th|+14/+9/+4|+11|+6|+6|Shield and Armor Skill +5

20th|+15/+10/+5|+12|+6|+6|Stoicism 1/day, Shield and Armor Mastery +4

[/table]

Class Features
All of the following are class features of the Stalwart.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A Stalwart is proficient with all simple weapons, one martial weapon of their choice, the shield martial weapons, both spiked and unspiked, and with all armor (heavy, medium, and light) and shields (including tower shields).

All abilities of the stalwart are extraordinary unless otherwise noted.

Preternaturally Tough: Stalwarts are tougher than other individuals, and receive an additional hit point per class level.
Bonus Feat: At second level, and every four levels thereafter, the stalwart selects a bonus feat from the following list: Great Fortitude, Improved Shield Bash,
Shield and Armor Skill: Starting at third level, extensive experience using shields and armor have taught Stalwarts how to move more fluidly in armor than others. The armor check penalties of armor or shield they wear are reduced by an additional 1, to a minimum of zero. The reduction increases by a point every 4 levels thereafter. This applies only to heavy armor and large or tower shields.
Iron Shell: Starting at 4th level, stalwarts ignore the weight of armor and shields they wear or carry for the purpose of calculating encumbrance. This does not change the weight category of armor they wear.
Pincushion (Su): Starting at 4th level, shields the stalwart uses are treated as having the Arrow Catching ability. Ignore this ability for the purpose of calculating the cost to upgrade the stalwart's shield.
Shield and Armor Mastery: Stalwarts have learned how to use armor and shields with greater proficiency than others. The armor and shield bonuses of armor and shields they use increase by a point at 5th level, and an additional point every 5 levels thereafter. This applies only to heavy armor and large or tower shields. Additionally, the maximum dex bonus of armor and shields they use increases by one.
Tougher than Nails: Starting at 6th level, Stalwarts receive DR 3/-. This stacks with other sources of damage reduction, and increases by one point at every even level.
Preternaturally Tough 2: Stalwarts are tougher than other individuals, and receive another additional hit point per class level. This is not applied retroactively.
Fast Healing: At 8th level, a stalwart gains fast healing 1. This increases by a point every 5 levels.
Shield Mate: As an immediate action, a stalwart wielding a tower shield can grant full cover to an adjacent ally. The stalwart does not lose the benefit of the shield if he or she does so.
Bodily Volition: 1/day, the stalwart can make a fortitude save instead of a will save for spells that normally allow a will save. The stalwart can do this an additional time per day every 6 levels.
Life in Armor: Stalwarts ignore movement penalties caused by armor, as per the dwarven racial ability. Additionally, stalwarts can sleep in armor without fatigue.
Iron Skin: When wearing heavy or heavier armor, the stalwart may add their con bonus as a miscellaneous bonus to AC.
Improved Pincushion (Su): While wearing at least medium armor and using at least a heavy shield, all ranged attacks targeted against an ally of the stalwart within five feet of the stalwart instead hit the stalwart.
Preternaturally Tough 3: Stalwarts are tougher than other individuals, and receive another additional hit point per class level. This is not applied retroactively.
Stoicism: When using the full defense action, the stalwart's Fast Healing, DR, Life in Armor, and Shield and Armor Mastery bonuses are all doubled. Additionally, the stalwart my use their Bodily Volition ability without expending uses. The stalwart can do this 1/day for a number of rounds equal to their Con mod. Once activated, rounds not spent in full defense are still counted against the duration. The stalwart can do this an additional time per day every 10 levels.








Comments:
Many claim that at high levels, D&D degenerates into a game of rocket tag. I aimed to create a non-magical class that stood a chance of surviving the flying rockets while lacking in almost all forms of damage. In a party setting, a stalwart could very easily prove to be useless as monsters ignore the relatively hard to kill stalwart in favor of everything else. Still, a stalwart should do a good job of preventing TPKs, although not by stopping anyone else from dying. Decent trapfinder starting at eighth level, although not a stealthy one.

Lappy9000
2008-11-20, 02:57 PM
Neat! One thing caught me as a little strange right off the bat, though....


Life in Armor: When wearing heavy of heavier armor, the stalwart may add their con bonus as a miscellaneous bonus to AC.

Just from going off the name of the ability, wouldn't it make sense to also remove the fatigued penalty for sleeping in armor as well?


Sleeping in Armor
A character who sleeps in medium or heavy armor is automatically fatigued the next day. He or she takes a -2 penalty on Strength and Dexterity and can’t charge or run. Sleeping in light armor does not cause fatigue.
From the sound of the class, they're going to be spending alot of time in their tin can suits.

Human Paragon 3
2008-11-20, 03:48 PM
This class is obviously very survivable, but has no combat "tricks." In most combats, standing there and taking punishment isn't a viable tactic because enemies can ignore you and concentrate on your artillary friends.

I think it needs some offensive power. The full BAB alone won't do the trick IMO.

Person_Man
2008-11-20, 05:41 PM
I like the idea, and have tried it myself (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=97025) to varying degrees.

But in general, I believe that every class needs something interesting to do every round. 100% defense means you end up being a Monk.

At low levels, this problem can be solved by full BAB. But by level 4-6ish, you better be rocking something interesting, otherwise people will just leave for a PrC. I suggest some sort of Con based ability, to make Con their primary attribute. Dragon themed characters have a Con based breath weapon, for example. What would you like this class do be attacking with every round, besides the vanilla melee attacks?

Also, I think that you should give players choice within the class - instead of Great Fortitude, give them a bonus feat off of a limited list, like the Knight does.

Maybe something like:

Full BAB
d12 hit die
Strong Fort, weak Will and Ref
1 - Preternaturally Tough
2 - Bonus Feat, Iron Shell
3 - Preternaturally Tough, Shield and Armor Skill +1
4 - Fast Healing 1
5 - Preternaturally Tough, SOMETHING UNIQUE AND OFFENSIVE
6 - Bonus Feat, DR 1/-
7 - Preternaturally Tough, Shield and Armor Skill +2
8 - Fast Healing 2
9 - Preternaturally Tough, SOMETHING UNIQUE AND OFFENSIVE
10 - Bonus Feat, DR 2/-
11 - Preternaturally Tough, Shield and Armor Skill +3
12 - Fast Healing 3
13 - Preternaturally Tough, SOMETHING UNIQUE AND OFFENSIVE
14 - Bonus Feat, DR 3/-
15 - Preternaturally Tough, Shield and Armor Skill +4,
16 - Fast Healing 4
17 - Preternaturally Tough, SOMETHING UNIQUE AND OFFENSIVE
18 - Bonus Feat, DR 4/-
19 - Preternaturally Tough, Shield and Armor Skill +5
20 - Fast Healing 5, RIDICULOUS CAPSTONE ABILITY

Preternaturally Tough: You gain 3 bonus hit points. Every odd level of the class, you gain 3 additional bonus hit points, for a total of 30 total hit points at 19th level. These bonus hit points stack with the bonus hit points from feats, Constitution, etc.

Bonus Feat: At 2nd level and every 4th level thereafter, you gain a bonus feat. Choose any feat from the following list: Toughness, Improved Toughness, Great Fortitude, Exotic Armor Proficiency, Armor Specialization, etc. Add whatever feats you think might fit with this genre, but should be limited to static, defensive bonuses.

ETC.

Lappy9000
2008-11-21, 01:50 AM
But in general, I believe that every class needs something interesting to do every round. 100% defense means you end up being a Monk.

Ouch, dude, ouch. True, but it still hurts.

"Stalwart" seems to define the class as a singular bastion of defense, as opposed to a defender, but it would be nice if the Stalwart could utilize some of his abilities to help his buddies.

You know, when the party is assailed by [insert nasty dangere here] the rogue shouts out, "Quick, behind [stalwart]!!!"

Thrantar
2008-11-21, 09:20 AM
A few changes, mainly in the form of party support, since I agree that formerly, the stalwart was about as useful as an immovable object i.e. useless, because everyone walks around it.

Abilities Added:
Bonus Feat at second level, and once every four levels thereafter.
Pincushion (Su) at 4th - as Arrow Catching shield enchantment
Shield Mate - Grant full cover to ally when using tower shield
Improved Pincushion (Su) - Redirect all ranged attacks targeting any ally within 5 feet to you

Looking for suggestion for bonus defensively oriented feats.

Thoughts about attack power:
Especially with the addition of bonus feats, I'm rather concerned about the potential consequences of giving them full BAB, since they could effectively use many of the standard Power Attack combos, although being onehanders would reduce their damage output. They would still have a respectable AC after shock trooping, so if the target didn't die, the stalwart could survive the counter attack. Alternatively, they could charge with a two-handed weapon, drop it as a free action, and use Quick Draw to produced a spiked shield as a free action

Ziegander
2008-11-21, 02:07 PM
Thoughts about attack power:
Especially with the addition of bonus feats, I'm rather concerned about the potential consequences of giving them full BAB, since they could effectively use many of the standard Power Attack combos, although being onehanders would reduce their damage output. They would still have a respectable AC after shock trooping, so if the target didn't die, the stalwart could survive the counter attack. Alternatively, they could charge with a two-handed weapon, drop it as a free action, and use Quick Draw to produced a spiked shield as a free action

They need the attack power or they are useless. You're giving out 5 feats. That's not all that many, and you can make a specific list of feats that the Stalwart is able to draw from. The Stalwart could always take Power Attack, Improved Bull Rush and Shock Trooper, without the bonus feats. Don't worry about it. I think it needs the full BAB.

Fifty-Eyed Fred
2008-11-22, 08:48 AM
This is a good idea, but they lack offense, which will put many players off. For the most part, players want to attack and get to influence the battle. I suggest that you give it at least one unique offensive power.