Class Modifications (House Rule)

[Raum]

These are some class modifications I'm currently considering. My intent is to get all classes balanced to a power level near the ToB classes and to make base classes more attractive when compared to prestige classes. The classes are still expected to operate in a party, I'm not trying to balance for 1 vs 1 dueling.

I've concentrated fairly heavily on giving non-casting classes swift and immediate actions. Casters already get both with various spells.

Barbarian

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• • Barbarians gain a bonus feat from the fighter list at levels 3, 10, and 17.
  • Level 6 or higher barbarians can use a swift action to do one of the following:
    • Gain a +1 circumstance bonus to DR for one round.
    • Take a 5' step which does not provoke an AoO. This is in addition to normal movement. This does allow a barbarian to make two 5' steps in one round and still full attack.
  • Level 11 or higher barbarians can use an immediate action to do one of the following:
    • Rage. (Normally can only rage on your turn.)
    • Gain a +2 circumstance bonus to DR for one round.
    • Take a 5' step which does not provoke an AoO. This is in addition to normal movement. This does allow a barbarian to make two 5' steps in one round and still full attack.
  • Level 16 or higher barbarians can use an immediate action to do one of the following:
    • Add their Strength bonus to Handle Animal, Ride, or Survival for one round.
    • Add their Constitution bonus to Climb, Jump, or Swim for one round.
    • Gain Energy Resistance equal to their Damage Resistance to a single type of energy for one round.

Bard

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• • Bards gain bonus feats at levels 4, 8, 12, 16, and 20 which may be used on any skill or music related feat.
  • Level 6 or higher bards can use a swift action to do one of the following:
    • Use a skill including (but not limited to) Hide, Bluff, and Intimidate.
    • Focus your concentration, temporarily gaining a +2 circumstance bonus to the caster level of bardic music for one round.
    • Concentrate on maintaining a spell or bardic music effect.
  • Level 11 or higher bards can use an immediate action to do one of the following:
    • Use a skill including (but not limited to) Hide, Bluff, and Intimidate.
    • Focus your concentration, temporarily gaining a +2 circumstance bonus to the caster level of bardic music for one round.
  • Level 16 or higher bards can use an immediate action to do one of the following:
    • Double the range of your bardic music effects for one round.
    • Initiate a bardic music ability. This may either be a second bardic affect or an effect in addition to taking another action.
    • Gain the use of a single feat for one round. The bard must meet all the prerequisites of the feat.

Druid

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• • Druids learn spells from the standard druid list but only know twice as many as they can cast.
  • Druids are spontaneous casters.
  • Druids do not gain an animal companion.
  • See Spells and Spellcasting section for information on casting while wild shaped.

Fighter

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• • At level 5, a fighter has learned to use one exotic weapon per point of Intelligence bonus.
  • Fighters gain 4 base skill points per level.
  • Level 6 or higher fighters can use a swift action to do one of the following:
    • Gain an extra attack at a -5 penalty.
    • Take a 5' step which does not provoke an AoO. This is in addition to normal movement. This does allow a fighter to make two 5' steps in one round and still full attack.
  • Level 11 or higher fighters can use an immediate action to do one of the following:
    • Gain an attack at a -5 penalty.
    • Take a 5' step which does not provoke an AoO. This is in addition to normal movement. This does allow a fighter to make two 5' steps in one round and still full attack.
  • Level 16 or higher fighters can use an immediate action to do one of the following:
    • Add their Constitution bonus to a single Reflex save.
    • Add their Constitution bonus to a single Will save.
    • Gain SR equal to their HD plus Constitution bonus lasting one round.

Monk

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• • Monks gain full BAB (use fighter table).
  • Monks gain their unarmed strike damage and ki strike when using gauntlets.
  • Monks gain their unarmed strike damage when using the following weapons in melee:
    • Club, Dagger, Handaxe, Kama, Nunchaku, Quarterstaff, Sai, and Siangham
    • Note: Only the unarmed strike damage dice are conferred on weapons, Ki Strike and others are not conferred.
  • Level 6 or higher monks can use a swift action to do one of the following:
    • Gain a +1 circumstance bonus to DR for one round.
    • Take a 5' step which does not provoke an AoO. This is in addition to normal movement. This does allow a monk to make two 5' steps in one round and still full attack.
  • Level 11 or higher monks can use an immediate action to do one of the following:
    • Gain a +2 circumstance bonus to DR for one round.
    • Take a 5' step which does not provoke an AoO. This is in addition to normal movement. This does allow a monk to make two 5' steps in one round and still full attack.
  • Level 16 or higher monks can use an immediate action to do one of the following:
    • Add their Wisdom bonus to SR for one round.
    • Gain Energy Resistance equal to their Wisdom bonus to a single type of energy for one round.

Ranger

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• • Use CWar variant without spell casting.
  • A Rangers “effective druid level” for animal companions is equal to their Ranger level.
  • At levels 2, 6, 11, and 16 rangers gain a bonus feat from the fighter list.
  • Level 6 or higher rangers can use a swift action to do one of the following:
    • Give their animal companion a +2 circumstance bonus as if aiding another.
    • Take a 5' step which does not provoke an AoO. This is in addition to normal movement. This does allow a ranger to make two 5' steps in one round and still full attack.
  • Level 11 or higher rangers can use an immediate action to do one of the following:
    • Give their animal companion a +2 circumstance bonus as if aiding another.
    • Take a 5' step which does not provoke an AoO. This is in addition to normal movement. This does allow a ranger to make two 5' steps in one round and still full attack.
  • Level 16 or higher rangers can use an immediate action to do one of the following:
    • Add their Constitution bonus to a single Will save.
    • Lend strength to your companion, transferring a number of vitality points equal to your ranger level from yourself to your animal companion.
    • Accept strength from your companion, transferring a number of vitality points equal to your ranger level from your animal companion to yourself.

Rogue

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• • Rogues gain a bonus feat at levels 6, 12, and 18.
  • Level 6 or higher rogues can use a swift action to do one of the following:
    • Use a skill including (but not limited to) Hide, Bluff, and Intimidate.
    • Take a 5' step which does not provoke an AoO. This is in addition to normal movement. This does allow a rogue to make two 5' steps in one round and still full attack.
  • Level 11 or higher rogues can use an immediate action to do one of the following:
    • Use a skill including (but not limited to) Hide, Bluff, and Intimidate.
    • Take a 5' step which does not provoke an AoO. This is in addition to normal movement. This does allow a rogue to make two 5' steps in one round and still full attack.
  • Level 16 or higher rogues can use an immediate action to do one of the following:
    • Focus your strike, temporarily gaining an extra 2d6 sneak attack to your next single attack if it is made before the end of the next round.
    • Focus your concentration, temporarily gaining a +2 circumstance bonus to a single skill check if it is made before the end of the next round.

Clerics are replaced by Favored Souls and Wizards are replaced by Sorcerers.

[Matthew]

Some of these seem like good fixes, others I find a bit confusing (Can a Fighter use these Swift and Immediate Actions in combination with a Full Attack Action?). I think I would find these easier to evaluate if they were laid out as Alternative Base Classes (i.e. fully).

[Draz74]

Nah, keep them in this format.

These changes will certainly help matters, but will still leave some big problems. The melee types still don't seem very mobile. Also, it's practical but lacking in flavor for so many of the swift and immediate actions available to be the same for multiple classes.