New Base Class: the Matador [3.5, PEACH]

[afroakuma]

Well reaction to my previous class, the samurai, has been pretty positive. I thought I'd give the next one a spin.

The matador is a showy, daring fighter who goes for the quick kill. He relies on skill alone to survive against more powerful foes.

Matador

Hit Die: d6
Alignment: Any

Skills: Balance (Str), Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Disguise (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Perform (Cha), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Sense Motive (Wis), Sleight of Hand (Dex), Spot (Int), Tumble (Dex), Use Rope (Dex)

Skill Points: (6+Int mod) x4 at first level, (6+Int mod) thereafter.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: The matador is proficient with all simple and martial one-handed melee weapons, as well as the longspear, quarterstaff and spear. The matador is not proficient with any armor or shields.

{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special

1st|

+0

|

+0

|

+2

|

+2

|Quick attack, Dodge

2nd|

+1

|

+0

|

+3

|

+3

|Last second shift, cape flourish, Death Blow

3rd|

+2

|

+1

|

+3

|

+3

|Uncanny dodge, Combat Expertise

4th|

+3

|

+1

|

+4

|

+4

|Evasion, Mobility, precise strike +1d6

5th|

+3

|

+1

|

+4

|

+4

|Keen mind, Combat Intuition

6th|

+4

|

+2

|

+5

|

+5

|Deft Strike

7th|

+5

|

+2

|

+5

|

+5

|Improved Uncanny Dodge

8th|

+6/+1

|

+2

|

+6

|

+6

|Opportunist, precise strike +1d8

9th|

+6/+1

|

+3

|

+6

|

+6

|Aggressive mind

10th|

+7/+2

|

+3

|

+7

|

+7

|Improved coup de grace

11th|

+8/+3

|

+3

|

+7

|

+7

|Improved Evasion

12th|

+9/+4

|

+4

|

+8

|

+8

|Defensive roll, precise strike +2d6

13th|

+9/+4

|

+4

|

+8

|

+8

|Improved Toughness

14th|

+10/+5

|

+4

|

+9

|

+9

|Lightning Reflexes

15th|

+11/+6/+1

|

+5

|

+9

|

+9

|Bonus feat

16th|

+12/+7/+2

|

+5

|

+10

|

+10

|Precise strike +2d8

17th|

+12/+7/+2

|

+5

|

+10

|

+10

|

18th|

+13/+8/+3

|

+6

|

+11

|

+11

|Tenacious fighter

19th|

+14/+9/+4

|

+6

|

+11

|

+11

|Bonus feat

20th|

+15/+10/+5

|

+6

|

+12

|

+12

|Precise strike +3d6[/table]

Quick attack (Ex): When using the full attack action, the matador can make one additional attack as long as he is armed with a one-handed melee weapon with which he is proficient. Declaring the use of a quick attack imposes a –2 penalty on each attack made this round, but the extra attack is taken at the matador’s highest (modified) attack bonus. This penalty also applies to any attacks of opportunity the matador takes until his next turn. The matador may not use a quick attack wearing medium or heavier armor.

Last second shift (Ex): The matador gains a permanent +2 dodge bonus to AC at second level. This bonus is lost when flat-footed, being attacked by an invisible opponent or immobile.

Cape flourish (Ex): At second level, a matador with a cape and a ready action can fan out their cape to counter an attack against them. The cape flourish grants a +2 dodge bonus to AC.

Death blow (Ex): At second level, the matador’s coup de grace may be performed as a standard action against helpless foes. Doing so still provokes attacks of opportunity.

Uncanny dodge (Ex): At third level, the matador’s awareness of combat heightens. He retains his Dexterity bonus to AC (if any) even when caught flat-footed or attacked by an unseen foe. He still loses it when immobilized, however. If the matador has the uncanny dodge class feature from a previously taken class, he instead gains improved uncanny dodge.

Evasion (Ex): At fourth level, the matador’s reflexes provide greatly increased agility. If rolling a Reflex save against a damage-dealing effect that would deal half damage on a successful save, the matador instead takes no damage on a successful save. This benefit only applies when the matador is wearing light or no armor, and does not apply if the matador is helpless.

Precise strike (Ex): At 4th level, the matador’s great weapon skill begins to show. He may add 1d6 damage to the first attack he makes against a foe each round. Precise strike also triggers for attacks of opportunity, but each enemy may be affected only once each combat round. If the precise strike fails, it may not be retried on that enemy in the same round. Precise strike’s damage increases to 1d8 at 8th level, 1d10 at 12th, 1d12 at 16th and 2d8 at 20th. Creatures immune to critical hits are immune to precise strike.

Keen mind (Ex): The matador trains to eliminate distractions. At 5th level, he is clever enough to gain a +4 bonus on saving throws to resist illusions.

Combat intuition (Ex): At 5th level, the matador may make a Sense Motive check as a free action to assess the challenge posed by a foe in relation to his own level/HD. (See Complete Adventurer, Sense Motive). He gains a +4 bonus to such checks and narrows the result to a single category. As well, the matador gets a +1 insight bonus to melee attacks against a foe he made a melee attack against during the previous round.

Deft strike (Ex): At 6th level, the matador may make a Spot check against her target’s AC as a standard action. On a success, the matador’s next attack ignores the target’s armor bonuses (including armor enhancement and natural armor). This attack must be made no later than his next turn, and must be either a melee attack or a ranged attack within 30 ft. Other armor bonuses apply normally.

Improved uncanny dodge (Ex): At 7th level, the matador can no longer be flanked. He is immune to flanking sneak attacks unless they are performed by a rogue at least four levels higher in that class than the matador’s class levels.

Opportunist (Ex): At 8th level, the matador can make an attack of opportunity against a foe who has been struck for damage by another character. This counts against the matador’s total attacks of opportunity for the round. Only one Opportunist attack may be used each round.

Aggressive mind (Ex): The matador’s mastery of combat grants an additional combat bonus at 9th level. Enemies attacked by the matador lose all dodge bonuses to AC. Aggressive mind does not work when performing an improved coup de grace (see below.)

Improved coup de grace (Ex): At tenth level, the matador has the skills necessary to perform his most dangerous feat. As a ful round action, a matador may attempt a coup de grace on a target that is not helpless. This coup de grace must be performed with a melee attack at half the matador's base attack bonus. An attack of opportunity is automatically incurred from any adjacent foes. On a hit, the coup de grace is an automatic critical, and the target must make a Fortitude saving throw (DC is base damage dealt) or die. The coup de grace cannot be performed against any creature that is immune to critical hits.

Improved Evasion (Ex): At 11th level, the matador’s reflexes are so precise that he can nearly always evade danger. On a Reflex save to avoid damage, he still takes no damage from a successful save, but now takes only half damage on a failed save.

Defensive roll (Ex): Once per day, when the matador would be reduced to 0 or fewer hit points by damage in combat (from a weapon or other blow, not a spell or special ability), the matador can attempt to roll with the damage. To use this ability, the matador must attempt a Reflex saving throw (DC=damage dealt). If the save succeeds, he takes only half damage from the blow; if it fails, he takes full damage. He must be aware of the attack and able to react to it in order to execute his defensive roll—if he is denied his Dexterity bonus to AC, he can’t use this ability. Since this effect would not normally allow a character to make a Reflex save for half damage, the matador’s Evasion ability does not apply to the defensive roll.

Improved Toughness: At 13th level, the matador gains 1 additional hit point per hit die. Each additional hit die he obtains from this point forth also grants an additional 1 hp.

Tenacious fighter (Ex): At 18th level, the matador has experienced enough to be resistant to even the most brutal attacks. Once per day, when the matador receives damage that would put his HP below 1, instead he remains at 1 hit point. This ability cannot protect against hit points lost due to Constitution damage or level draining, and does not protect against death effects.

Note: some material adapted from Complete Adventurer.

[Zeta Kai]

These are just first impressions (I will analyze more later, as this looks intriguing), but I have some comments:

1) First, the lack of dead levels is very nice (it's one of my biggest pet peeves).

2) Second, I think that the full BAB is too much; this is as a Fighter or Barbarian, which doesn't fit the fighting style of a Matador. Matadors fight like Rogues, Scout, or Rangers: they dodge, strike, then dodge again; so I think a 3/4ths-HD BAB would be a good fit.

3) Also, bullfighting is a contest of wills, essentially, so I think its appropriate to trade a good Will save for the full BAB progression.

4) Also, Toughness is not a great feature at 13th level, & is nigh-useless at 17th level, so perhaps 9th level should be Improved Toughness, & the other 2 features should be something else instead.

5) Also, a more natural progression for Precise Strike would be 1d6 > 1d8 > 2d6 > 2d8 > 3d6.

6) Lastly, are there any significant stats for the cape?

[afroakuma]

Response:

1) Thank you!

2) You may have a point; I had been thinking of the matador as... a very squishy melee fighter; a Glass Cannon, if you will.

3) From my limited research, the Spanish bullfight, at least, is a battle of anticipation, logic and observation. The bullfighter constantly analyzes his opponent, looking for the edge on each dodge and especially the single killing strike. But yes, a good Will save would be more appropriate than the alternative.

4) I'm not familiar with Improved Toughness; where might I find that? As to the why, as previously stated, the matador was designed to be on the front lines; handing out a little extra HP was to soften the few blows that actually do hit him.

5) Thanks. I'll take that into consideration.

6) Cape? Not that I've found. I guess it just makes the matador's clothing more expensive.

[boomwolf]

Or make it "any magical cape"

Cute class BTW.

[afroakuma]

Cute? Matador STAB.

As for "any magical cape," that's hardly fair to those poor boys in Spain. They've had to go all this time with only the regular type ones.

Or did they?

[Zeta Kai]

Improved Toughness [General]

Spoiler

Show

Source: Complete Warrior, Libris Mortis: The Book of the Dead, Monster Manual III

You are significantly tougher than normal.

Prerequisite: Base Fortitude save bonus +2.

Benefit: You gain a number of hit points equal to your current Hit Dice. Each time you gain a HD (such as by gaining a level), you gain 1 additional hit point. If you lose a HD (such as by losing a level), you lose 1 hit point permanently.

Special: A fighter may select Improved Toughness as one of his fighter bonus feats.

[afroakuma]

How many books does it have do be in to become OGL?

Definetely a better pick than Toughness at those levels. I'm at a loss to think what else I could hand him, though. Any thoughts on replacements for the higher level Toughnesses? Other than Epic Toughness? (I know that one.)

[afroakuma]

Huh, whaddaya know.

I was just paging through the "...From The Playground" thread and saw that there has already BEEN a Matador posted. I can't BELIEVE I overlooked bonuses against charging, overruns and bull rushes

So what do you think, folks? Anything else that could use adjusting? Cause I'd hate to just crib off the old one, and I also can't really see where I would slip those in.

[Zeta Kai]

So what do you think, folks? Anything else that could use adjusting? Cause I'd hate to just crib off the old one, and I also can't really see where I would slip those in.

Well, you changed the 9th level class feature to Improved Toughness & eliminated the other 2 Toughness features at 13th & 17th level, then you'd have room. An extra 3HP is just not exciting, nor does it improve/expand gameplay. You could do the same thing with a dead level (IE no class features) & a good HD roll.

[Ascension]

Are you planning a Picador as an encore?

[afroakuma]

I think I'll drop the 9th level feat; aggressive mind is good enough there. 13th can be Improved Toughness; instantly handing out 13 hp sounds so much better. That just leaves 17th.

Come to think of it, I'm not so sold on the Toughnesses anymore. But we'll see. I need to come up with a decent alternative.

And Ascension: No, I don't really think so. A base class entirely focused on mounted combat seems too narrow in use to me. Not to mention that matadors, at least in the Spanish system, have already gone through their time as picadores and bandillerillos.

[Shades of Gray]

Add favored enemy: Bovine?

Seems good to me.

[Prometheus]

By the time you sent it in the mail it had already been Faxed.

[afroakuma]

By the time you sent it in the mail it had already been Faxed.

Aware, thank you. Pointed it out a month ago. I made this class before I ever came to the boards.