(Long) Variant Class - Soldier (PEACH)

[Cyclone231]

This class is, basically, designed to incorporate various traits of barbarians, fighters, paladins and rangers, and allow a player to gain those that he chooses. Several more specific abilities (such as Smite Evil, Rage or Favored Enemy) are not in there, however.


Soldier:
Hit Dice: d10
BAB: HD
Saves: Good fort
2 + Int Modifier skills. x4 for first level.

Proficiency: The soldier is proficient with all simple and martial weapons and with all armor (heavy, medium, and light) and shields (including tower shields).

Archetype: At first level, the soldier chooses a one, some, or none of the following “archetype traits”. Each archetype traits grants a different progression.
Bonus Save: Changes Will or Ref save to good, and the character gains Lightning Reflexes or Iron Will (as appropriate), but reduces hit die by one dice factor (d10 to d8, d8 to d6, etc)
Tough: Grants one additional factor to hit dice, but the character does not gain heavy armor proficiency.
Skilled: Grants 6 + Int Modifier skills, but does not get martial weapon proficiency.

Traits: At first level, second level, and every three levels thereafter (five, eight, eleven, etc), the soldier chooses a trait from any of the following.
• Analyze Attack - The soldier may, as a move action, analyze an enemy’s attack style and grant a bonus equal to the soldier’s Wis to the AC of a chosen ally. This can be used to grant an AC bonus to the soldier’s
• Aura of Safety - Allies of the soldier get a +2 moral bonus for saves against fear effects while the soldier is within sight radius. This also gives the soldier gets Diplomacy as a class skill.
• Berzerker’s Yell - The soldier can take a -1 to his AC to make enemies within 10 ft of him also take a -1 to their AC. This can be negated by a Will save (DC 10 + class level + Cha modifier). He can increase this to a -2 to his AC and a -2 to their AC, and so forth.
• Bite the Bullet - The soldier can take any ranged attack which would have to pass through his space instead of his friend as a free action. The attack will automatically hit, and the soldier must take damage. This must be performed before the attack roll is made.
• Brutal - The soldier can take a -1 on his attack rolls to bypass 2 points of DR. He can increase this to -2 on attack rolls to bypass 4 points of DR, -3 to bypass 6 points, and so forth.
• Cantrips - The soldier may cast six different cantrips six times per day. He may choose any six cantrips he wants from the Sorcerer/Wizard spell list, and he casts them as a Sorcerer.
• Curse - The soldier may curse an enemy. This is a spell-like ability that inflict’s the soldier’s Cha modifier as a negative to the enemy’s attack rolls, AC and saves. It lasts a number of rounds equal to the soldier’s level plus three.
• Epic Strike - The soldier can gain a +1 to damage, but at the cost of -2 AC until his next turn. He can increase this damage to +2 at the cost of -4 AC, and so forth.
• Hamstring - The soldier may, instead of attacking normally, deal his weapon’s damage in a move speed reduction. The damage dealt is halved (round up), and then multiplied by 5 ft to get the amount of move taken. For example, an attack which would deal 5 damage instead reduces move speed by 15 ft. DR is applied to the damage dealt. A Fort save (DC 10 + 1/2 class level + damage dealt) negates. This can, at most, reduce an enemy's speed by two thirds (twenty feet for humans and such, fifteen feet for gnomes, halflings and dwarves, etc)
• Hardy - The soldier can take a -2 to AC, but get a +2 to Con. This is greeted with a similar bonus to hit points. This ability can be done three times per day, and lasts a number of round’s equal to the soldier’s class level plus two.
• Healer - The soldier may heal an ally for (1/3 class level)d6+(Cha modifier) damage. He may use this ability two times per day. You may purchase this trait multiple times to gain additional times per day (at the rate of two each purchase).
• Orisons - The soldier may cast six different orisons six times per day. He may choose any six orisons he wants from the Cleric or Druid spell lists, and he casts them as a Sorcerer (only his caster ability is Wis rather than Cha).
• Rallying Cry - The soldier stands, chanting a simply mantra to aid the concentration and willingness of allies to fight. Nearby allies gain a temporary +2 moral bonus on all Will saves, as well as a +1 moral bonus on to-hit rolls. The soldier can do nothing else while giving a rallying cry.
• Scare - The soldier may, as a full round action, force an opponent he is engaged in melee combat with to make a Will save (DC 10 + class level + Cha modifier) or become shaken.
• Shield Friend - Grants the soldier the ability to give an adjacent ally his shield’s AC bonus, but cannot use the shield for his own AC bonus. If the soldier is using a tower shield, the shield can defend them both, but they must occupy the same square. This is a free action, but must be done on the soldier’s turn.
• Sideswipe - The soldier can initiate a grapple by moving at least 10 ft and attacking normally.
• Tough It Out - The soldier can gain DR 1/-, but takes a -1 to attack rolls. DR 2/- takes a -2 to attack rolls, and so forth.
• Upset - The soldier may, as a full round action, force an enemy to make a Fort save (DC 10 + 1/2 class level + Cha modifier) or become nauseated.
• You’ll Have To Get Through Me - The soldier can, as a standard action, take a -2 to his AC but grant the adjacent character he is protecting DR 1/-. He can take a -4 to grant DR 2/-, -6 AC to grant DR 3/-, and so forth. This lasts until the soldier cancels it (a free action).

[Dhavaer]

I haven't looked through all of them yet, but Hamstring is far too powerful. One max damage hit with a longsword, without strength bonus, would immobilise a barbarian.

[Cyclone231]

One max damage hit with a longsword, without strength bonus, would immobilise a barbarian.

Wait what?

8/2=4
4*5=20

So... unless we're talking a small-size or dwarven barbarian, I'm not sure I understand what you're saying.

[Dhavaer]

Hmm... I'm not sure how I got that. That's still far too much speed reduction, though.

[Cyclone231]

Mmm, yes. What would you say would be more appropriate - third'd or fourth'd?

[Dhavaer]

What if you make a save based on the amount of damage, and if it's failed the speed is halved?

[Wren]

Hamstring is already a complete warrior or adventurer feat I believe.

[Cyclone231]

Huh. I guess I'll have to go check my copy of Complete Warrior or Adventurer to see where it is and what the differences are.

[Orion-the-G]

requires you give up sneak attack dice in order to halve your opponent's speed, much less powerful.

[Ugly_Panda]

Hamstring- With a greatsword, you can turn anyone into a gimp. Too powerful as is.

Counterspell is really overpowered, seeing as you could specifically use it on damage dealing spells. What's worse, dying from phantasmal killer or 5 damage? Or, would you rather have whole party gets 10d6 from fireball or just take 4 damage. There's no limit either.

Scare is basically how intimidate is supposed to work. You also didn't list the DC.

Cantrips is just weird since it lets you cast as many cantrips per day as a fourth level sorcerer. Also, for spell abilities, you have to list the caster level.

Since I usually take both expertise and power attack when I play fighter, so epic strike just feels bad. I mean, extra BAB not spent on power attacking gets used to increase AC. Using that trait feels like a step down.

Rallying cry doesn't list a duration.

I don't understand what sideswipe does.

Nice effort, but I would rather play fighter over this.

[Jack Mann]

From what he says, rallying cry works basically like bard song, in that it keeps going for as long as the soldier keeps it up, provided he does nothing else.

If I understand correctly, sideswipe would let the soldier Improved Grab, so long as he moved ten feet first.