A Suggestion for a new Combat Class


Homebrew and House Rules


OK, here is an idea I was working with and posted in another thread, but I'd like to paste it here for ideas and feedback to. I started with the Cavelier as a base, but it just wasn't flexible enough for the archetypes I wanted, it was too tightly focussed.

So I started on a 'nobleman' class that would be flexible, but that name seemed inappropriate given that not all of the styles were appropriate for the 'gentleman' and yet some definitely were. So I settled on the name, 'Elite' to describe the focussed styles of the class.

This is far from complete, I have basic ideas and concepts down, but have not worked out the details of many class abilities. I'm posting it up here for people to comment on the basic structure of the class and to make suggestions on abilities.

The Elite (pre-Alpha)

I want to keep this class with clear specialisations and I want to avoid magic - this is a spell-free class! so ... thoughts, anyone?


mmmmmm it kinda every where ..... so i don't know how you would play test it it more like a bunch of archetypes cramped together


I know, each would have to be tested individually. However by doing things like basing the fencer specialisation on the duelist, I would hope to seriously shorten the testing, because all the features are already 'out there' and are attained at approximately the same levels for the most part.


After a quick look I think that instead of a whole new class it should be made into Fighter's archetype (or two). Really, there is no point in inventing not-Fighter-at-all class from scratch.


Drejk wrote:
After a quick look I think that instead of a whole new class it should be made into Fighter's archetype (or two). Really, there is no point in inventing not-Fighter-at-all class from scratch.

There were two problems with this:

Skill ranks
Class Skills
Archetypes do not change these, and they are pretty fundamental.

This is an educated fighting class. The barbarian and ranger have skills but not the right ones. Paladins and fighters don't have the skills or the right skills. The Cavalier came closest but still lacked the primary class skills of a character who had trained in a college rather than on horseback.

Hence, I had to make this pretty much a new base class, although it is based very heavily on the Cavalier, so you could call it a set of Cavalier archetypes ...


I agree with Drejk, and Dabbler. I think they could all be archetypes, even with the changes to Skills, just like they have different skills with the different cavalier orders. If it is so based on the cavalier, you could just make a bunch of new orders/archetypes.


I'll take another look, then, and see what I can come up with.


I rather like this class. It's not an archetype of cavalier. Cavalier is an archetype of this class.


Thanks for the vote of confidence. On review, Cavelier just doesn't quite shift enough over to what I want to make the most of this. Some (well, most) of these specialisations lend themselves to more dexterous builds, and the use of a high reflex save with it, that the Cavelier doesn't do.

I'll keep working on these concepts, see what I can come up with.


OK ... reworking them as Cavelier archetypes was tough going but it DID work ... kind of!

Here are the first three options:
Chevalier
The Chevalier is the mounted warrior trained from an early age to fight in the ranks of battle for liege and lord, or even for pay and upkeep. He is a skilled professional who's work is war, not an idealist or paragon, and is typically a member of the upper classes.
Skills: Gains the skills Knowledge (Nobility) and Knowledge (History) as class skills.

1st level: Mounted Combat feat replaces Tactician.
2nd level: Cavalryman 1 (+1 to hit when mounted and +1 to Ride checks) [replaces order ability]
4th level: Bonus feat [replaces Challenge]
5th level: Banner (Heraldic Device)
6th level: Cavalryman 2 (+2 to hit when mounted and +2 to Ride checks) [replaces bonus feat]
7th level: Mounted Mobility +1 (as Armour Training benefits to ACP and Max Dex while mounted) [replaces Challenge]
8th level: Bonus feat [replaces Order Ability]
9th level: Loyalty +2 (when following the commands of your leige, you gain a +2 bonus to Will saves) [replaces Greater Tactician]
10th level: Cavalryman 3 (+3 to hit when mounted and +3 to Ride checks) [replaces challenge]
12th level: Bonus Feat [demanding challenge removed]
13th level: Mounted Mobility +2 (as Armour Training benefits to ACP and Max Dex while mounted) [replaces challenge]
14th level: Cavalryman 4 (+4 to hit when mounted and +4 to Ride checks) [replaces Greater Banner]
15th level: Loyalty +4 (when following the commands of your leige, you gain a +4 bonus to Will saves) [replaces Greater Tactician]
16th level: Bonus Feat [replaces order ability]
17th level: Inspire Loyalty +2 (grant +2 bonus to will saves of vassals when present) [replaces Master Tactician]
18th level: Cavalryman 5 (+5 to hit when mounted and +5 to Ride checks) [replaces bonus feat]
19th level: Mounted Mobility +3 (as Armour Training benefits to ACP and Max Dex while mounted) [replaces challenge]

Commander
Men of the mould of Sharpe and Hornblower, skilled fighters who also inspire others to greater deeds, leaders of men and masters of strategy and tactics, professionals in their field of expertise as well as warriors of excellence. This is the role of the commander; he is not in and of himself the foremost of warriors, but what he can do is direct, inspire and lead others.
The commanders are most often college trained in a system that places merit as at least comparable to birth in a military system where competence in one's field is of paramount importance. Historical examples would include the British Royal Navy, or France's Napoleonic army.
Skills: Gains Perform, Knowledge (all) as class skills.

1st level: Inspiration (as bardic song Inspire Courage, +1 with +1 per 4 levels) [replaces Mount]
2nd level: Take Charge (make Diplomacy check to assume command of allies)(WIP) [replaces order ability]
3rd level: Forceful Mind (add Charisma bonus to Will saves) [replaces Cavalier's Charge]
4th level: Bonus feat [replaces Challenge]
5th level: Banner
6th level: Skill Focus (gain skill focus in one of Diplomacy, Knowledge (history), Perform (Oratory), Profession) [replaces Bonus Feat]
7th level: Leadership [replaces Challenge]
8th level: Bonus feat [replaces Order Ability]
9th level: Greater Tactician
10th level: Inspire Competency (as bardic ability) [replaces challenge]
11th level: Analyse Tactics (use Perception, Knowledge or Profession to evaluate a foes strategy and tactics and work to counter it)(WIP) [replaces Mighty Charge]
12th level: Bonus Feat [demanding challenge removed]
13th level: Perceive Weakness (the 'strike of the eye', the ability to not just see a weakness but exploit it)(WIP)
14th level: Greater Banner
15th level: Commander's Touch (organise men well)(WIP)
16th level: Bonus feat [replaces Order Ability]
17th level: Master Tactician
18th level: Inspire Greatness (as bardic song ability)
19th level: Master's Bluff (be able to conceal weaknesses from a foe, or convince them of one you do not have)
Capstone: Aura of Command (WIP)

WIP = Work In Progress, I have not crunched out the mechanics of these abilities.

Fencer
The skill with the blade, rather than brute force and power, are key to the true master swordsman. Be it dashing d'Artagnan or lethal Myomoto Musashi, the warrior who eschews brute force for pure speed and skill is an established facet of fiction and life. The fencer focusses on the finesse weapons over the brute force ones, using skill to defeat might.
Weapon and Amour Proficiencies: The fencer loses proficiency with medium and heavy armour.
Skills: The fencer gains Acrobatics, Appraise, Escape Artist, Knowledge (all), Linguistics, Perception, Stealth, Survival.

1st level: Weapon Finesse [replaces Tactician], Canny Defence (as duelist ability) [replaces Mount]
2nd level: Fencer (inflict +1 damage per 2 levels with Finesse Weapons) [replaces order ability] Challenge 1/day
3rd level: Trained Mind (add Intelligence modifier to Will saves) [replaces Cavalier's charge]
4th level: Bonus Feat [replaces Expert Trainer], Challenge 2/day
5th level: Improved Reaction +2 (gain +2 bonus to initiative and Reflex Saves) [replaces Banner]
6th level: Refined Style [replaces Bonus Feat]
7th level: Parry (as the duelist ability) [replaces Challenge 3/day]
8th level: Bonus feat [replaces Order Ability]
9th level: Accrobatic Charge (as duelist ability) [replaces Greater Tactician]
10th level: Challenge 3/day
11th level: Riposte (as the duelist ability) [replaces Mighty Charge]
12th level: Bonus Feat, Demanding Challenge
13th level: Challenge 4/day
14th level: Greater Canny Defence (double effect of Combat Expertise) [replaces Greater Banner]
15th level: Improved Reaction +4 (gain further +2 bonus to +4 to initiative and Reflex Saves) [replaces order ability]
16th level: Challenge 5/day
17th level: Keen Strike (double fencer bonus damage when making a single [standard action] attack) [replaces Master Tactician]
18th level: Deflect Arrows (as the duelist ability) [replaces Bonus Feat]
19th level: Challenge 6/day
Capstone: Fencing Master
Fencing Master
When armed with finesse weapons the fencing master cannot be disarmed, cannot be caught flat-footed by a feint and always automatically confirms any critical hits with a finesse weapon.
Refined Style: At 6th level the Fencer Elite may select a style refinement, a specialisation within a specialisation.
Single-Handed: They concentrate on one-handed weapons with nothing in their free hand; they gain a +2 bonus to hit when doing so.
Main Gauche: They may apply two-weapon fighting bonuses when fighting with a dagger in their left hand. They may not apply precise strike with this weapon, but do not lose the benefit of canny defence, and may use the Parry feature with this weapon.
Swashbuckler: They may use a buckler in their free hand and gain the benefit from it along with canny defence. If they have the Two Weapon Fighting feat they may use the buckler's 'attacks' to use the Parry feature.
Two-handed style: They may apply the canny defence feature with a two-handed weapon.

As I ever I welcome comments and suggestions.

Edit: Adding in:

Pugilist
Be he a practitioner of the gentlemanly art of fisticuffs, the efficient art of savate or the brutal power of wrestling, the pugalist is an expert in unarmed - and underhand – fighting.
Skills: The pugalist gains Acrobatics, Appraise, Escape Artist, Linguistics, Perception, Stealth, Survival.
Weapon & Armour Proficiencies: the pugalist loses proficiency with heavy and medium armour.

1st level: Improved Unarmed Strike [replaces Tactician], Unarmed Defence (as Canny Defence, but unarmed rather than other conditions) [replaces Mount]
2nd level: Manoeuvre Specialist (+1 on CMB and CMD, +1 per 4 levels) [replaces order ability]
3rd level: Forceful Mind (add intelligence bonus to Will saves) [replaces Cavalier's Charge]
4th level: Bonus Feat [replaces Expert Trainer]
5th level: Clever Moves (may replace CMB/CMD strength modifier with intelligence modifier) [replaces Banner]
6th level: Improvised Weapon Mastery (as feat) [replaces Bonus Feat]
8th level: Bonus feat [replaces Order Ability]
9th level: Unarmed Specialist +2 (gain +2 to unarmed damage) [replaces Greater tactician]
11th level: Grim Determination (add Wis modifier to strength checks) [replaces Mighty Charge]
14th level: Deceptive Step (avoid a reach weapon's AoO) [replaces Greater Banner]
15th level: Unarmed Specialist +4 (gain +4 to unarmed damage) [replaces order ability]
17th level: Deceptive Recovery (use Acrobatics to avoid AoO from standing from prone) [replaces Master Tactician]
19th level: Stunning Critical [replaces Challenge 7/day]
Capstone: (Open to suggestions)

Edit Again: Last but not least ...

Musketeer
Firearms are not a fundamental of most fantasy campaigns. Where they are, these very expensive weapons have their expert users who can perform acts of accuracy and marksmanship that leave conventional users in awe.
Weapon & Armour Proficiencies: The Musketeer loses proficiency with medium and heavy armour.

1st level: Exotic Weapon Proficiency (firearms), Armed (begins play with firearm) [replaces Challenge], Fiendish Accuracy (add Intelligence bonus to damage up to limit of the class level) [replaces Mount]
2nd level: Marksman (+1 to hit with firearms, +1 per 4 levels)
3rd level: Fast Load (reload firearm as move rather than full-round action) [replaces Cavalier's Charge]
4th level: Bonus Feat [replaces Expert Trainer], Skill Focus (Craft (gunsmith)) [replaces Challenge]
5th level: Quick Draw (improved) (gain Quick Draw if you do not have it. If you have it you may draw and ready a firearm as a free action) [replaces Banner]
6th level: Customize (gain advantages with one weapon) [replaces Bonus Feat]
7th level: Sniping Shot +1d6 (gain +1d6 precision damage shooting at any target further than 30 feet away without cover in a single shot, can stack with sneak attack) [replaces Challenge]
8th level: Bonus feat [replaces Order Ability]
9th level: Fast Reload (reload as move action) [replaces Greater tactician]
10th level: Sniping Shot +2d6 [replaces Challenge]
11th level: Rifleman (double the range increment of the weapon) [replaces Mighty Charge]
12th level: [lose demanding challenge]
13th level: Sniping Shot +3d6 [replaces Challenge]
14th level: [replaces Greater Banner]
15th level: [replaces order ability]
16th level: Sniping Shot +3d6 [replaces Challenge]
17th level: Firearm Mastery (reload as free action after modifying weapon) [replaces Master Tactician]
19th level: Sniping Shot +4d6 [replaces Challenge]
Capstone: Gun Master
Gun Master
Always confirm critical hit with firearm. Increase critical multiplier with firearm by 1.

I am still looking for two abilities at 14th and 15th level for the Musketeer, open to suggestions!

Community / Forums / Pathfinder / Pathfinder First Edition / Homebrew and House Rules / A Suggestion for a new Combat Class All Messageboards

Want to post a reply? Sign in.
Recent threads in Homebrew and House Rules