The Expert [D&D 3.5, PC Base Class]

[Ziegander]

So you think the Fighter totally sucks and the Rogue is a little weak? Maybe you think combat saavy Rogues aren't so conceptually different from intelligent Fighters. Maybe you think that intelligent Fighters are what the fluff for the D&D Fighter suggests, rather than the dumb-as-bricks brute we got instead. If so, you're in luck. The Expert is an all-round mundane badass, exceptionally skilled in many different fields, and able to give his allies pointers throughout the day.



Alignment: Any
Hit Die: 1d8

Level	BAB	Fort	Ref	Will	Special	Inspiration
1st	+1	+2	+2	+2	Bonus Feat, Inspiration	2 (0)
2nd	+2	+3	+3	+3	Advantageous Strike +1d6	3 (0)
3rd	+3	+3	+3	+3	Special Ability	3 (0)
4th	+4	+4	+4	+4	Bonus Feat	4 (0)
5th	+5	+4	+4	+4	Advantageous Strike +2d6	4 (1)
6th	+6/+1	+5	+5	+5	Special Ability	5 (1)
7th	+7/+2	+5	+5	+5	Bonus Feat	5 (1)
8th	+8/+3	+6	+6	+6	Advantageous Strike +3d6	6 (1)
9th	+9/+4	+6	+6	+6	Special Ability	6 (1)
10th	+10/+5	+7	+7	+7	Bonus Feat	7 (2)
11th	+11/+6/+1	+7	+7	+7	Advantageous Strike +4d6	7 (2)
12th	+12/+7/+2	+8	+8	+8	Special Ability	8 (2)
13th	+13/+8/+3	+8	+8	+8	Bonus Feat	8 (2)
14th	+14/+9/+4	+9	+9	+9	Advantageous Strike +5d6	9 (2)
15th	+15/+10/+5	+9	+9	+9	Special Ability	9 (3)
16th	+16/+11/+6/+1	+10	+10	+10	Bonus Feat	10 (3)
17th	+17/+12/+7/+2	+10	+10	+10	Advantageous Strike +6d6	10 (3)
18th	+18/+13/+8/+3	+11	+11	+11	Special Ability	11 (3)
19th	+19/+14/+9/+4	+11	+11	+11	Bonus Feat	11 (3)
20th	+20/+15/+10/+5	+12	+12	+12	Advantageous Strike +7d6	12 (4)

Class Skills (6 + Int modifier): All skills are class skills for the Expert.

Weapon & Armor Proficiencies
An Expert is proficient with all simple and martial weapons; with all light, medium, and heavy armors; and with all shields (including Tower Shields).

Inspiration
An Expert starts each encounter with a number of Inspiration Points as given in the table above (the first number before the parentheses). At any time, even if it isn't his turn, he may spend any number of these points to give himself an insight bonus to AC or to a d20 roll equal to the number of points spent in this way. He may do this after rolling the die, but must do so before learning the results of that roll. If he increases his AC in this way the bonus applies only against a single attack and he must choose to do so before knowing the success or failure of that attack.

He may also spend these points to grant an insight bonus to an ally's attack roll, AC, saving throw, or skill check by succeeding at an Aid Another attempt. An Expert may use the Aid Another action from beyond melee range out to a distance of 5ft per Expert level.

At higher levels, an Expert regains a number of Inspiration Points at the end of any round in which he spent no Inspiration Points. Starting at 5th level, he regains 1 IP in this way, and regains 1 additional IP in this way for every five Expert levels beyond 5th.

Bonus Feats
At 1st level and every three levels thereafter, an Expert gains a bonus feat. This feat may be any feat for which he meets the prerequisites.

Advantageous Strike (Ex): Starting at 2nd level, an Expert deals additional damage with his attacks as listed in the table above if he:

• Attacks a flat-footed creature.
• Attacks a prone creature.
• Attacks a creature that he is flanking.
• Attacks a creature that he has higher ground relative to.
• Hits with an attack of opportunity.
• Spends 1 Inspiration Point (good for one attack).

Advantageous Strike can be applied using ranged attacks, but only out to the first range increment of a ranged weapon used in this way. For example, an Expert using a Composite Longbow could apply Advantageous Strike out to 110ft.

This extra damage is precision damage, and can only be applied to living creatures he can clearly see that have a discernible anatomy. A creature that has concealment or total concealment is immune to the Expert's Advantageous Strike. Any creature that is immune to Critical Hits is also immune to an Expert's Advantageous Strike. An Expert can apply Advantageous Strike against a creature with cover but not against a creature with total cover.

Special Ability
At 3rd level and every third level thereafter an Expert can choose one of the following special abilities:

Spoiler

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• Array of Stunts (Ex) - You may take both a swift and an immediate action each round, or you may take two swift actions, or two immediate actions. Requires Expert Level 12th.

• Bane Strike (Ex) - Choose between Construct, Elemental, Humanoid, Ooze, Plant, or Undead. You gain the ability to apply Advantageous Strike to creatures of the chosen type even if they would normally be immune. Unlike Favored Enemy or similar abilities, if you choose Humanoid you need not choose a subtype to go with it. If you choose Humanoid you bypass the Fortification property (even of non-Humanoid creatures). You may choose this special ability more than once.

• Battle Clarity (Ex) - Add Int mod to Reflex saves.

• Battle Cunning (Ex) - Add Int mod to damage rolls when making an Advantageous Strike.

• Battle Mastery (Ex) - Add Int mod to attack rolls when making an attack of opportunity.

• Battle Skill (Ex) - Add Int mod to all opposed skill and ability checks. Requires Battle Clarity.

• Camouflage (Ex) - Gain ability to hide without cover or concealment in urban areas as well as forests and areas of heavy overgrowth.

• Crippling Strike (Ex) - Deal 1 point of Dex or Str damage with each successful Advantageous Strike. Requires Expert level 12th.

• Masterful Aptitude (Ex) - With practice, meditation, and purposeful rest, an Expert can set aside old talents to learn new ones. After an involved process that takes 24 hours, an Expert may lose up to 1 feat + 1 additional feat per three Expert levels and up to 4 skill ranks × his Intelligence modifier (minimum × 1), plus a number of additional skill ranks up to 1 per three Expert levels × his Intelligence modifier, and gain new feats and skill ranks of the same quantities. He must meet the prerequisites of any new feats gained in this way.
  
  An Expert that no longer meets the prerequisites or qualifications for any feats, items, classes, abilities, or other effects, loses any benefits from those feats, items, classes, abilities, etc, and cannot use those feats, items, classes, abilities, etc until he again meets their prerequisites or qualifications (if ever). Requires Weapon Aptitude.

• Cunning Dash (Ex) - As an immediate action, spend 4 Inspiration points to grant yourself or an ally within 5ft per Expert level an extra move action. Requires Cunning Shift and Expert level 12th.

• Cunning Breach (Ex) - As a swift action, spend 2 Inspiration Points, designate a creature within 5ft per Expert level, and choose Damage Reduction or Spell Resistance. You and allies within 5ft per Expert level automatically overcome your choice of DR or SR of the designated creature for 1 round.

• Cunning Mimicry (Ex) - Whenever a creature within 5ft per Expert level uses any spell or ability, you may spend 4 Inspiration Points and an immediate action. If you do, before the end of your next turn you may copy that spell or ability using the same action as the copied ability but you do not require any of the same materials or objects as the copied ability. Requires Cunning Replay and Expert level 18th.

• Cunning Opportunist (Ex) - When you make an attack of opportunity you may spend 2 Inspiration Points and an immediate action. If you do, your attack resolves before the provoking action and is treated as if it were Readied to interrupt that action. Your initiative count does not change when you use this ability. Requires Battle Mastery and Expert level 9th.

• Cunning Replay (Ex) - Whenever a creature within 5ft per Expert level uses an extraordinary ability, you may spend 2 Inspiration Points and an immediate action. If you do, before the end of your next turn you may copy that ability using the same action as the copied ability and requiring any of the same materials or objects as the copied ability. Requires Expert level 9th.

• Cunning Shift (Ex) - As a swift action, spend 2 Inspiration Points to grant yourself or an ally within 5ft per Expert level an extra move action.

• Cunning Strategy (Ex) - Once per day, with 5 minutes of planning, you may ready a number of contingent actions equal to your Intelligence modifier (minimum 1). Contingent actions are like readied actions (PHB 160) except that you may take them at any time in the next 24 hours and after you take a contingent action your initiative count does not change. When you take a contingent action you must spend 1 Inspiration Point. Requires Weapon Aptitude, Masterful Aptitude, and Expert Level 9th.

• Cunning Surge (Ex) - As a swift action, spend 4 Inspiration Points to grant yourself or an ally within 5ft per Expert level an extra standard action. Requires Cunning Shift and Expert level 12th.

• Deadly Strike (Ex) - Reroll any 1s or 2s when rolling damage dice for Advantageous Strikes.

• Evasion (Ex) - As Monk.

• Fast Movement +10 (Ex) - As Barbarian. You may choose this special ability more than once.

• Flurry of Blows (Ex) - As Snap Kick (feat, Tome of Battle), except you may make the extra attack with the same weapon you wielded to make the normal melee attack (and that weapon only).

• Hide in Plain Sight (Ex) - Gain ability to hide even while being observed in urban areas, forests, and areas of heavy overgrowth. Requires Camouflage and Expert level 9th.

• Improved Evasion (Ex) - As Monk. Requires Evasion and Expert level 12th.

• Improved Uncanny Dodge (Ex) - As Barbarian. Requires Uncanny Dodge.

• Mettle (Ex) - As Hexblade.

• Mind Over Matter (Ex) - Add Int mod to Fort saves.

• Shadow Striker (Ex) - Gain the ability to Advantageous Strike even foes that have concealment. Requires Expert level 9th.

• Sharpshooter (Ex) - Gain the ability to apply Advantageous Strikes to ranged attacks out to any distance as long as you can see your target. Requires Spot 5 ranks and Deadly Strike.

• Skill Mastery (Ex) - As Rogue. Requires Expert level 9th.

• Slippery Mind (Ex) - As Rogue. Requires Expert level 9th.

• Spell Resistance (Ex) - Gain SR 15 + Expert level. Requires Expert level 9th.

• Still Mind (Ex) - Add Int mod to Will saves.

• Tongue of the Sun and Moon (Ex) - As Monk. Requires Expert level 12th.

• Uncanny Dodge (Ex) - As Barbarian.

• Weapon Aptitude (Ex) - Feats you have whose benefits apply to, or can only be used with, a specific weapon, apply to, or can be used with, any weapon that you are proficient with.

[Toptomcat]

Hmmmmmm. A hell of a class to have on the other side of a gestalt with all those unrestricted bonus feats and the feat-swapping.

You might want to specify that you still have to qualify for your prestige classes, even though it is technically RAW already.

[Ziegander]

You might want to specify that you still have to qualify for your prestige classes, even though it is technically RAW already.

Probably a good idea.

[TravelLog]

Interesting. I too will note that this is preposterously good gestated. It gets you all good saves, full BAB, and best of all, inspiration feats. And Advantageous strike. And you can alter your feats.

This is really, really good (gestalted).

The ideas are already forming...


I'm a fan.

[Ziegander]

I'm probably going to tone it down just slightly, using the table below.

Spoiler

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So you think the Fighter totally sucks and the Rogue is a little weak? Maybe you think combat saavy Rogues aren't so conceptually different from intelligent Fighters. Maybe you think that intelligent Fighters are what the fluff for the D&D Fighter suggests, rather than the dumb-as-bricks brute we got instead. If so, you're in luck. The Expert is an all-round mundane badass, exceptionally skilled in many different fields, and able to give his allies pointers throughout the day.



Alignment: Any
Hit Die: 1d8

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

Inspiration

1st|+1|+2|+2|+2|Adaptive Aptitude, Inspiration|

2 (0)

2nd|+2|+3|+3|+3|Bonus Feat|

3 (0)

3rd|+3|+3|+3|+3|Advantageous Strike +1d6|

3 (0)

4th|+4|+4|+4|+4|Special Ability|

4 (0)

5th|+5|+4|+4|+4|Bonus Feat|

4 (1)

6th|+6/+1|+5|+5|+5|Advantageous Strike +2d6|

5 (1)

7th|+7/+2|+5|+5|+5|Special Ability|

5 (1)

8th|+8/+3|+6|+6|+6|Bonus Feat|

6 (1)

9th|+9/+4|+6|+6|+6|Advantageous Strike +3d6|

6 (1)

10th|+10/+5|+7|+7|+7|Special Ability|

7 (2)

11th|+11/+6/+1|+7|+7|+7|Bonus Feat|

7 (2)

12th|+12/+7/+2|+8|+8|+8|Advantageous Strike +4d6|

8 (2)

13th|+13/+8/+3|+8|+8|+8|Special Ability|

8 (2)

14th|+14/+9/+4|+9|+9|+9|Bonus Feat|

9 (2)

15th|+15/+10/+5|+9|+9|+9|Advantageous Strike +5d6|

9 (3)

16th|+16/+11/+6/+1|+10|+10|+10|Special Ability|

10 (3)

17th|+17/+12/+7/+2|+10|+10|+10|Bonus Feat|

10 (3)

18th|+18/+13/+8/+3|+11|+11|+11|Advantageous Strike +6d6|

11 (3)

19th|+19/+14/+9/+4|+11|+11|+11|Special Ability|

11 (3)

20th|+20/+15/+10/+5|+12|+12|+12|Bonus Feat|

12 (4)

[/table]

Class Skills (6 + Int modifier): All skills are class skills for the Expert.

Weapon & Armor Proficiencies
An Expert is proficient with all simple and martial weapons; with all light, medium, and heavy armors; and with all shields (including Tower Shields).

Inspiration
An Expert gains a number of Inspiration Points at the beginning of each encounter as given in the table above (the first number before the parentheses). At any time, even if it isn't his turn, he may spend any number of these points to give himself an insight bonus to AC or to a d20 roll equal to the number of points spent in this way. He may do this after rolling the die, but must do so before learning the results of that roll. If he increases his AC in this way he must do so before learning the results of the enemy's attack roll.

He may also spend these points to grant an insight bonus to an ally's attack roll, AC, saving throw, or skill check by succeeding at an Aid Another attempt. An Expert may use the Aid Another action from beyond melee range out to a distance of 5ft per Expert level.

At higher levels, an Expert regains a number of Inspiration Points at the end of any round in which he spent no Inspiration Points. Starting at 5th level, he regains 1 IP in this way, and regains 1 additional IP in this way for every five Expert levels beyond 5th.

Cunning Aptitude (Ex): With practice, meditation, and purposeful rest, an Expert can set aside old talents to learn new ones. After an involved process that takes 24 hours, an Expert may lose up to 1 feat + 1 additional feat per three Expert levels and up to 4 skill ranks × his Intelligence modifier (minimum × 1), plus a number of additional skill ranks up to 1 per three Expert levels × his Intelligence modifier, and gain new feats and skill ranks of the same quantities. He can do this only once per Expert level and must meet the prerequisites of any new feats gained in this way.

An Expert that no longer meets the prerequisites or qualifications for any feats, items, classes, abilities, or other effects, loses any benefits from those feats, items, classes, abilities, etc, and cannot use those feats, items, classes, abilities, etc until he again meets their prerequisites or qualifications (if ever).

Bonus Feats
At 2nd level and every three levels thereafter, an Expert gains a bonus feat. This feat may be any feat for which he meets the prerequisites.

Advantageous Strike (Ex): Starting at 3rd level, an Expert deals additional damage with his attacks as listed in table above if he:

• Attacks a flat-footed creature.
• Attacks a prone creature.
• Attacks a creature that he is flanking.
• Attacks a creature that he has higher ground relative to.
• Hits with an attack of opportunity.

This extra damage is precision damage, and can only be applied to living creatures he can clearly see that have a discernible anatomy. A creature that has concealment or total concealment is immune to the Expert's Advantageous Strike. Any creature that is immune to Critical Hits is also immune to an Expert's Advantageous Strike.

Special Ability
At 4th level and every third level thereafter an Expert can choose one of the following special abilities:

Spoiler

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Battle Clarity (Ex) - Add Int mod to Reflex saves.
Battle Cunning (Ex) - Add Int mod to damage rolls when making an Advantageous Strike.
Battle Mastery (Ex) - Add Int mod to attack rolls when making an attack of opportunity. Requires Battle Cunning.
Battle Skill (Ex) - Add Int mod to all opposed skill and ability checks. Requires Battle Clarity.
Camouflage (Ex) - Gain ability to hide without concealment in urban areas as well as forests and areas of heavy overgrowth.
Crippling Strike (Ex) - Deal 1 point of Dex or Str damage with each successful Advantageous Strike.
Cunning Breach (Ex) - You may spend 2 Inspiration Points to reduce a foe's DR and SR by a value equal to your Intelligence modifier for 1 round. Allies beyond 5ft per Expert level treat its DR and SR as normal.
Cunning Mimicry (Ex) - You may spend 4 Inspiration Points to copy any spell or ability used by any creature within 5ft per Expert level in the last round. When you do, this ability uses the same action as the copied ability but does not require any of the same materials or objects. You must pay any XP costs typically associated with the copied ability. Requires Cunning Replay and Expert level 19th.
Cunning Replay (Ex) - You may spend 2 Inspiration Points to copy any single extraordinary ability used by any creature within 5ft per Expert level in the last round. When you do, this ability uses the same action as the copied ability and requires any of the same materials or objects as the copied ability. Requires Expert level 10th.
Cunning Surge (Ex) - Once per turn, as a free action during your turn, spend 3 Inspiration Points to take an extra standard action.
Deadly Strike (Ex) - Reroll any 1s or 2s when rolling damage dice for Advantageous Strikes.
Evasion (Ex) - As Monk.
Fast Movement +10 (Ex) - As Barbarian.
Flurry of Blows (Ex) - As Monk, except you may flurry with any weapon. The penalties are not reduced at higher levels.
Hide in Plain Sight (Ex) - Gain ability to hide even while being observed in urban areas, forests, and areas of heavy overgrowth.
Mettle (Ex) - As Hexblade.
Mind Over Matter (Ex) - Add Int mod to Fort saves.
Uncanny Dodge (Ex) - As Barbarian.
Improved Evasion (Ex) - As Monk. Requires Improved Evasion and Expert level 10th.
Improved Uncanny Dodge (Ex) - As Barbarian. Requires Improved Uncanny Dodge.
Skill Mastery (Ex) - As Rogue. Requires Expert level 10th.
Slippery Mind (Ex) - As Rogue. Requires Expert level 10th.
Spell Resistance (Ex) - Gain SR 15 + Expert level. Requires Expert level 10th.
Still Mind (Ex) - Add Int mod to Will saves.
Tongue of the Sun and Moon (Ex) - As Monk. Requires Expert level 10th.
Weapon Aptitude (Ex) - Feats you have whose benefits apply to a single, specific weapon, instead apply to any weapon you wield that you are proficient with.

[Seerow]

I like the recharging inspiration mechanic.


What sort of things will the special abilities be? More like factotum abilities?


I ask because this class could probably use some swift and immediate action style abilities.


Edit: Btw how many fighter fixes is this from you now? 15?

[Ziegander]

What sort of things will the special abilities be? More like factotum abilities?

Got several of them put up now. Mostly they are just extraordinary stuff ripped from other classes (but no major class features). Some of the factotum abilities are cribbed as well.

I ask because this class could probably use some swift and immediate action style abilities.

Good point. Any ideas for swift/immediate action abilities?

Edit: Btw how many fighter fixes is this from you now? 15?

I don't even keep track these days.

[Seerow]

Well I'd make Cunning Surge a swift action to gain the standard action. Also possibly allow a Move Action as a swift action with 1 or 2 points.

Possibly also encounter duration buffs. Swift action to gain a bonus to ___ for a turn, spend inspiration points to make it last longer. Things along those lines.

[Ziegander]

Well I'd make Cunning Surge a swift action to gain the standard action. Also possibly allow a Move Action as a swift action with 1 or 2 points.

Probably a good call.

Possibly also encounter duration buffs. Swift action to gain a bonus to ___ for a turn, spend inspiration points to make it last longer. Things along those lines.

What I mean is, there are plenty of buffs already in the list of special abilities, do you have any specific ideas for buffs that might be appropriate for a swift/immediate action?

[gkathellar]

This is awesome. I have nothing to add.

[EdroGrimshell]

I'll be putting this down as Badass Normal on my character sheet.

[TuggyNE]

A couple of things to clarify: shouldn't Bane Strike be required to select a particular humanoid/outsider subtype, as most similar type-limited abilities do?

Improved Uncanny Dodge and Improved Evasion both say they require themselves as prerequisites.

[Ziegander]

A couple of things to clarify: shouldn't Bane Strike be required to select a particular humanoid/outsider subtype, as most similar type-limited abilities do?

Yes, it should. No... actually it shouldn't. Anyway, I changed it a little. It still does exactly what I wanted it to, but now it's more clear.

Improved Uncanny Dodge and Improved Evasion both say they require themselves as prerequisites.

lol. Whoops.

[silver spectre]

I don't know if it was an oversight (I hope not), but as written an Expert archer on high ground is a considerable threat at considerable range (as an archer should be) as the advantageous strike has no set range limit.
I like that, but most folks shy away from that.

Is it your intent to have no range limit on it?


Also, would the Font of Inspiration feat apply to this class, or would the Factotum's IPs stack with it?

[Ziegander]

I don't know if it was an oversight (I hope not), but as written an Expert archer on high ground is a considerable threat at considerable range (as an archer should be) as the advantageous strike has no set range limit.
I like that, but most folks shy away from that.

Is it your intent to have no range limit on it?

Good call, I should address that. If the rules for Spot made any sense for anything other than spotting hidden creatures, then I could use them here, but since they don't I'll just have to wing it.

As the general rule, I'm going to say that Advantageous Strike can be applied using ranged attacks against any creature you can see as long as they are within your weapon's first range increment.

EDIT: Also added the Sharpshooter special ability which requires Spot 5 ranks and the Deadly Strike special ability.

Also, would the Font of Inspiration feat apply to this class, or would the Factotum's IPs stack with it?

Font of Inspiration... yes. Probably. I'm considering revising Font of Inspiration so that you can use it to gain additional IP as well as increase your IP recharge rate, but I'm not sure how I want to do it just yet. Do Factotum IP stack with it? No. Factotum and this class really shouldn't be used together.

[Seerow]

I would advise against having font of inspiration grant extra IP recovery. The IP recovery mechanic is already really powerful. Remember as soon as you get to IP recovery of 3, you can basically take an extra standard action every other round. While right now that requires 15th level, and the class doesn't have maneuvers or spells to make that really abusable, if you allowed a feat to boost the recovery, a dip into Expert 3 with enough feats invested would get the same net effect, and not be too terrible of a dip besides. [Fake edit: I just read and apparently I misremembered or you updated the ability because this wouldn't work anymore. I'm leaving the comment here just to show the sort of thing I'm worried about though]


As to specific suggestions for swift/immediate actions, I don't really have any offhand. I would recommend making more of the special abilities require swift activation and/or Inspiration investment though. Like have fast movement grant 10ft movement, but you can spend a swift action to increase that by 20ft+20ft per additional inspiration point invested. Maybe a special ability that lets you spend a swift action to treat yourself as having the high ground, or flanking. Or inspiration points spent to be able to use Advantageous Strike against enemies that are normally immune?

[Timeless Error]

I love this class. It allows my favorite character concept (a fighter who has obtained martial skill by sheer intelligence) to function well in a 3.5 game. I've bookmarked this for future use.

Is this intended to be compatible with your Warrior's Way material that you made a while back (which I make use of frequently, by the way)? Specifically, I'm thinking of a few of the feats you made here - notably Calculating Combatant, Genius Maneuvers, Loreblade Master, and Martial Mastermind. Those, in combination with this, seem to be very strong.

[Ziegander]

I love this class. It allows my favorite character concept (a fighter who has obtained martial skill by sheer intelligence) to function well in a 3.5 game. I've bookmarked this for future use.

That's one of my favorite character concepts as well, so I'm happy to provide support for such a character. The thing that's nice about the Expert as presented here is that it doesn't require you to play as a genius, and it doesn't punish you should you choose not to.

Is this intended to be compatible with your Warrior's Way material that you made a while back (which I make use of frequently, by the way)? Specifically, I'm thinking of a few of the feats you made here - notably Calculating Combatant, Genius Maneuvers, Loreblade Master, and Martial Mastermind. Those, in combination with this, seem to be very strong.

Really, nothing I write is strictly intended to be compatible with Warrior's Way material, but the Calculating Combatant feat chain would be just fine, and appropriate, with this class, and Expert should play nicely with Warlords and Sohei. I'm glad to hear that you use the Warrior's Way often! I never get to hear such things.

[Timeless Error]

Really, nothing I write is strictly intended to be compatible with Warrior's Way material, but the Calculating Combatant feat chain would be just fine, and appropriate, with this class, and Expert should play nicely with Warlords and Sohei. I'm glad to hear that you use the Warrior's Way often! I never get to hear such things.

Thanks! When I make my next character for a 3.5 game, I fully intend to plead with my DM to allow this class and those feats. Hooray for Intelligence SAD!

[lunar2]

my issue is with the cunning mimicry ability. as written, you can get a wizard and 2 LV. 20 experts together to set up an infinite wish chain, at the piddly initial cost of 5,000 exp. or worse yet, a cleric can start a miracle chain for no exp. cost at all. while I'm sure no self respecting DM would allow such a thing, it would be better to specify either that you need to pay any exp. costs, or that abilities with an exp. cost can't be duplicated.

[JackRackham]

What balance point are you going for here? Warblade? Factotum? To put it another way, to be a bit broader, what tier are you looking for this to fit in? This class obviously outclasses all the non-casters outside of TOB and Dungeonscape. Whether or not that's good or bad really depends on one's POV.

[chrisrawr]

my issue is with the cunning mimicry ability. as written, you can get a wizard and 2 LV. 20 experts together to set up an infinite wish chain, at the piddly initial cost of 5,000 exp. or worse yet, a cleric can start a miracle chain for no exp. cost at all. while I'm sure no self respecting DM would allow such a thing, it would be better to specify either that you need to pay any exp. costs, or that abilities with an exp. cost can't be duplicated.

If you have a wizard with wish, the last thing you need to be worried about is also having 2 level 20 experts in the party. A wizard can cure every disease, curse, and malady forever in the entire 3.5 universe within a single 'real time' day with a handful of spells (genesis, timestop, mind rape, planar travel, greater teleport) and a feat (craft wonderous item: spell clock) - heck, he can even rig it so that everyone hits level 20 within their life time (distil joy, also on spellclock. wall of steel + pao on spellclocks to create infinite vials for infinite ambrosia.)

No reason to worry about a couple guys playing a class that could somehow cause them to have fun.