Yojimbo - Bodyguard base class [3.5]

[Jarrick]

couple formatting mistakes (I'm not good with balance, I just proof-read and offer ideas )

Copy pasta mistake in Trap Sense
You didn't specify what the DR the class receives is weak to (DR1/fire, DR1/-, DR1/Silver, etc.). From the text it looks like you want either DR1/magic or DR1/-

That's all I see wrong

Ok, I'll get those fixed. Thanks.

Hmmm...

What sort of power level are you aiming for?

Thematically, I say you are spot on, but mechanically a few things seem to go too far.

I'm always hearing how lame melee is, so the sky's the limit really.

1) Deflect Attack makes Harms Way useless (and harms way is pretty decent already, if you are a casters tank buddy)

2) Deflect attack will deflect most things, and seems like it can be used multiple times each round. So your charge wont get hit. Ever. Make this a once per round thing.

I wanted them to be effective bodyguards. The idea was that if deflect attack failed, they could still switch places and take the hit with harms way.

3) Ok, we all know the monk is bad, but you stripped everything that makes the monk sorta-kinda-decent and gave it to this class. Fast move probably shouldn't be here -- its nice, but probably the weakest feature thematically. This guy is not supposed to leave his employers side, why does he need fast move...fast move that is as good as that possessed by an unarmored master of the martial arts?

Its in the fluff, they need to be able to get around quickly.. These guys were meant to be kind of ninja-like.

4) Why is the AC bonus better than the monks?

They dont get to add their wisdom to AC and the bonus is a dudge bonus.

5) Damage reduction + ac bonus + d12 hit die gives too much survivability. I know that sounds a bit inane, but this guy is going to be impossible to hit and impossible to hurt. I would say dive the player the option to choose between DR and AC bonus -- are you the guy who is too hard to hit, or are you the guy who can take it and smile?

In practice, they arent as survivable as you might think. Having played one, I was constantly nearly dead. If anything I was thinking about giving them DR sooner than they get it already.

6) Armor Mastery is good.

7) Defensive strike is very well done (does it stack with flanking?)

I dont see why it wouldnt. It works just like any other attack of opportunity.

8) Hide in plain sight makes a lot of sense

Ninja-esque

9) What is twinned summoning (look on the grid'o'stats)

Oops. I copied the table from another class of mine, lemme fix it...

Hope this helps...a lot of great ideas here.

Thanks for the input. I'm going to be late for work if I edit things now though, so expect a few changes later on.