paizo.com Recent Reviews of Ultimate Battle Lord (PFRPG) PDFpaizo.com Recent Reviews of Ultimate Battle Lord (PFRPG) PDF2015-10-23T22:21:02Z2015-10-23T22:21:02ZUltimate Battle Lord (PFRPG) PDF: The Inheritor of the Marshal (5 stars)the xiaohttps://paizo.com/products/btpy9hfz?Ultimate-Battle-Lord2018-02-08T04:34:45Z<p><b>Ultimate Battle Lord (PFRPG) PDF</b></p><p>Introduction
<br />
Ultimate Battle Lord by Amora Games is a compilation product that includes everything (to my knowledge) out there for the Battle Lord, a class that is like an update of the Marshal class from the old Miniatures Handbook, a class that looked more fit for a board game than an RPG, and it kind of was. Anyway, the original marshal had some interesting stuff going on but was a very bland class at the end of the day (I remember “fixing” this class and the fighter by gestalting them in non-gestalt campaigns LOL). However, Michael Sayre shows his updating skills to the max, just like he did with his awesome Akashic Mysteries. Also, I like the fact that authors are getting enough recognition nowadays that they have their names slapped on the cover. </p>
<p>What’s inside?
<br />
11 pages of content for just 3 bucks, a very good deal IMHO, which include:</p>
<p>-The Battle Lord base class (BL from now on): a full BAB, two good saves, 4 skill points, and proficiency with all but exotic weapons, heavy armor and tower shields class whose main role is leading and buffing allies, both in and outside combat. The BL gains the bravery class feature of the fighter, which in itself is not THAT exciting until you consider other products out there that interact or replace this ability for something more meaningful, like Bravery Feats by the same author. Beyond this, the BL generates a special, gradually-expanding aura that can give two types of buffs to allies in it (including the battle lord): Drills give a bonus in combat, and Noble Auras give a bonus outside of it. Apart from a vanilla bonus, these drills also give allies temporary feats. At higher levels, BL can activate more than one dril/aura at the same time, get access to stronger drills and noble auras, and having a “divine aura” as their capstone.
<br />
Not only that, but BLs also get a Specialty, a kind of bloodline that gives a more focused theme to the battle lord, being Artillerist (gunner/siege engineer), Soldier (melee-er, combat manoeuver master), Medic (non-magical healer) and Scout (infiltrator). So if you wanted to be part of a stealthy campaign or no one wants to be the healer, you can adapt your BL for that!</p>
<p>-6 Archetypes for the BL: Cavalrymen are mounted sword n’ pistol warriors; Dual Specialists get access to two specialties; Eldritch Chevaliers can cast a couple of arcane spells and get some other magical abilities; Marines fight better in coastal, naval and aquatic environments; Warchief are the chaotic, barbarous counterpart of the BLs and Zealots are the religious warriors who don’t cast spells but get some channel-related abilities. Of these, only the Dual Specialists are a bit lame, and feel unnecessary when you count the Military Training feat chain presented later.</p>
<p>-12 Feats: This section includes 9 Teamwork feats, with some including the twist of not needing another character to possess the same feat to work, and most have very few requirements. I remember a couple of Teamwork feats having MANY requisites. The feats evoke many films’ scenes and have nice benefits, but none wowed me. Also, if you liked the specialties, you can take one as a member of any class with the Military Training feat chain, including the BL itself, and you could even have 3 specialties using these feats and the Dual Specialty archetype.</p>
<p>Of Note: The base class itself, especially in low-magic campaigns. It just works so well and gives you access to THAT archetypical role of a leader among men. I really liked the specialties, even if they are so few, and the archetypes, the Zealot and the Warmonger in particular, who cover the roles of the (anti)paladin/barbarian leader really well.</p>
<p>Anything wrong?: There are no favored classes :-/ This is particularly grating since in the author’s other class books, namely Akashic Mysteries and The Luchador, he includes them in a very nice way including background info. I would have loved an archetype that was part of a cavalier or samurai order but oh well. Finally, I would have liked the Warmonger archetype to give specific, thematically fitting rage powers to their drills, but I can do that on my own. Nothing else beyond this.</p>
<p>What I want: I was expecting at least one strategist archetype, specialty or feat that allowed you to buff without being present, as long as the allies followed the “plan”, with/without using the mass combat rules. I think a specialty that based tactics on the Knowledge (history) skill would fill the bill, giving access to contingency plans, counterintelligence (like changing a rival strategist bonus into a penalty), and prediction. Something like Zhuge Liang et al., the class, but maybe I’m just being spoiled.</p>
<p>What cool things did this inspire?: The Strategist (TM) specialty outlined above LOL! Also, the Zealot is perfect for my return to Al-Qadim campaign, since it is a religious warrior that doesn’t feature divine spells.</p>
<p>Do I recommend it?: If you want a leader of men that doesn’t play an instrument or has a mount, need a non-spellcaster decent healer, or want to include more military themes in your campaign, this book is for you. I would give it 4 stars because of the glaring lack of favored class bonuses, but with that price I can’t. 5 star-shaped medals of honor from me.</p><p><b>Ultimate Battle Lord (PFRPG) PDF</b></p><p>Introduction
<br />
Ultimate Battle Lord by Amora Games is a compilation product that includes everything (to my knowledge) out there for the Battle Lord, a class that is like an update of the Marshal class from the old Miniatures Handbook, a class that looked more fit for a board game than an RPG, and it kind of was. Anyway, the original marshal had some interesting stuff going on but was a very bland class at the end of the day (I remember “fixing” this class and the fighter by gestalting them in non-gestalt campaigns LOL). However, Michael Sayre shows his updating skills to the max, just like he did with his awesome Akashic Mysteries. Also, I like the fact that authors are getting enough recognition nowadays that they have their names slapped on the cover. </p>
<p>What’s inside?
<br />
11 pages of content for just 3 bucks, a very good deal IMHO, which include:</p>
<p>-The Battle Lord base class (BL from now on): a full BAB, two good saves, 4 skill points, and proficiency with all but exotic weapons, heavy armor and tower shields class whose main role is leading and buffing allies, both in and outside combat. The BL gains the bravery class feature of the fighter, which in itself is not THAT exciting until you consider other products out there that interact or replace this ability for something more meaningful, like Bravery Feats by the same author. Beyond this, the BL generates a special, gradually-expanding aura that can give two types of buffs to allies in it (including the battle lord): Drills give a bonus in combat, and Noble Auras give a bonus outside of it. Apart from a vanilla bonus, these drills also give allies temporary feats. At higher levels, BL can activate more than one dril/aura at the same time, get access to stronger drills and noble auras, and having a “divine aura” as their capstone.
<br />
Not only that, but BLs also get a Specialty, a kind of bloodline that gives a more focused theme to the battle lord, being Artillerist (gunner/siege engineer), Soldier (melee-er, combat manoeuver master), Medic (non-magical healer) and Scout (infiltrator). So if you wanted to be part of a stealthy campaign or no one wants to be the healer, you can adapt your BL for that!</p>
<p>-6 Archetypes for the BL: Cavalrymen are mounted sword n’ pistol warriors; Dual Specialists get access to two specialties; Eldritch Chevaliers can cast a couple of arcane spells and get some other magical abilities; Marines fight better in coastal, naval and aquatic environments; Warchief are the chaotic, barbarous counterpart of the BLs and Zealots are the religious warriors who don’t cast spells but get some channel-related abilities. Of these, only the Dual Specialists are a bit lame, and feel unnecessary when you count the Military Training feat chain presented later.</p>
<p>-12 Feats: This section includes 9 Teamwork feats, with some including the twist of not needing another character to possess the same feat to work, and most have very few requirements. I remember a couple of Teamwork feats having MANY requisites. The feats evoke many films’ scenes and have nice benefits, but none wowed me. Also, if you liked the specialties, you can take one as a member of any class with the Military Training feat chain, including the BL itself, and you could even have 3 specialties using these feats and the Dual Specialty archetype.</p>
<p>Of Note: The base class itself, especially in low-magic campaigns. It just works so well and gives you access to THAT archetypical role of a leader among men. I really liked the specialties, even if they are so few, and the archetypes, the Zealot and the Warmonger in particular, who cover the roles of the (anti)paladin/barbarian leader really well.</p>
<p>Anything wrong?: There are no favored classes :-/ This is particularly grating since in the author’s other class books, namely Akashic Mysteries and The Luchador, he includes them in a very nice way including background info. I would have loved an archetype that was part of a cavalier or samurai order but oh well. Finally, I would have liked the Warmonger archetype to give specific, thematically fitting rage powers to their drills, but I can do that on my own. Nothing else beyond this.</p>
<p>What I want: I was expecting at least one strategist archetype, specialty or feat that allowed you to buff without being present, as long as the allies followed the “plan”, with/without using the mass combat rules. I think a specialty that based tactics on the Knowledge (history) skill would fill the bill, giving access to contingency plans, counterintelligence (like changing a rival strategist bonus into a penalty), and prediction. Something like Zhuge Liang et al., the class, but maybe I’m just being spoiled.</p>
<p>What cool things did this inspire?: The Strategist (TM) specialty outlined above LOL! Also, the Zealot is perfect for my return to Al-Qadim campaign, since it is a religious warrior that doesn’t feature divine spells.</p>
<p>Do I recommend it?: If you want a leader of men that doesn’t play an instrument or has a mount, need a non-spellcaster decent healer, or want to include more military themes in your campaign, this book is for you. I would give it 4 stars because of the glaring lack of favored class bonuses, but with that price I can’t. 5 star-shaped medals of honor from me.</p>the xiao2018-02-08T04:34:45ZUltimate Battle Lord (PFRPG) PDF: Battle Lord - Inspired and Inspiring (5 stars)Deshahttps://paizo.com/products/btpy9hfz?Ultimate-Battle-Lord2015-12-28T21:29:01Z<p><b>Ultimate Battle Lord (PFRPG) PDF</b></p><p>The battle lord is a full base attack bonus class with d10 hit die, 4 + Intelligence modifier skill points per level, and Good Fortitude and Reflex saves. Its primary class features are Drills, Auras, and combat Specialties, and it also gains Bravery like a fighter. I will talk about each of those features below.</p>
<p>The battle lord's Drills and Auras share a set of general rules, including the radius they can affect, which starts at 10 feet and scales up to 55 feet. 55 is an odd number to end on, but it makes sense with the level progression of the class.</p>
<p>Drills are the battle lord's main combat ability, and the battle lord will learn six of them by 20th level. A first level battle lord can have one Drill active at a time, but at eighth and sixteenth level she gains the ability to have an additional Drill active, so that by sixteenth level she can have three drills running concurrently. Drills work by giving the battle lord and every ally within their radius who has spent an hour training with the battle lord access to a teamwork feat and a buff. For example, the Blademaster's Drill gives everyone affected a +2 morale bonus to damage rolls and the Precise Strike feat. Bonuses granted by Drills increase at fourth level and every four levels after that. Starting at twelfth level you get access to Greater Combat Drills, which work just like the Drills you could pick up before but are more powerful.</p>
<p>Auras work much like Drills but are usually options for out of combat, like the Diplomat's Aura, which gives the battle lord and her allies a bonus to Diplomacy checks and causes creatures who enter the Aura's area to make a Will save or have their attitude towards the battle lord improved by one step. At fifteenth level you can choose Imperial Auras, which are more powerful than the lesser Auras and often grant options that seem more magical or supernatural in their effects.</p>
<p>Specialties are one of the big ways you get to customize your battle lord, giving her a back up role or special set of combat options. The Specialties available are Artillerist, Medic, Scout, and Soldier. Artillerists gain proficiency with firearms, a Grit pool that uses Intelligence instead of Wisdom like a Gunslinger, and feats and abilities to make her better at leading a siege crew. Medics gain new uses for the Heal skill, such as repeatable hit point healing, and the ability to remove negative effects like poison, disease, ability damage, blindness, curses, and eventually she can even resuscitate an ally who has died within the last round. Scouts gain special Stealth bonuses and abilities, Ranger traps, and evasion. Soldiers learn how to apply their Intelligence bonus to CMB and CMD for various combat maneuvers, their Armor Class when using Combat Expertise, and their Fortitude and Will saves.</p>
<p>The battle lord's Bravery class feature seems to fit better on the class then it does on the fighter. Since the battle lord has a good Will save, it is more likely to make a difference. I also used some of the Bravery feats from Rogue Genius Games Genius Guide to Bravery Feats, which was written by the same author, and it made the class seem even more well rounded and interesting to play, adding on useful bonuses and abilities. I used the Blood-Slicked Terrain and Risky Feint feats on my battle lord to add on some fun and cinematic combat options like opening myself up to a potential attack to feint as a swift action adding my Bravery bonus to the attempt, or make enemies I tripped slip and slide on their own blood.</p>
<p>Ultimate Battle Lord also includes five archetypes, the Cavalryman, Dual Specialist, Eldritch Chevalier, Marine, Warchief, and Zealot. The Cavalryman must choose the Artillerist specialty, but trades out some of his aura increases and some of the Artillerist options for a mount and the ability to two weapon fight with a sword and pistol. The Dual Specialist get to choose two specialties but loses some of their strength as a party buffer. The Eldritch Chevalier does not get a Specialty, instead learning spellcasting that goes up to fifth level spells, and gaining the ability to cast spells while wearing armor, trade out Drills for additional spell slots, and share buffing spells with allies affected by his Drills. The Marine is an aquatic option for the battle lord who is strong in aquatic environments and good with a harpoon. The Warchief is a chaotic battle lord who shares barbarian Rage powers instead of using normal Drills. The Zealot is a battle lord who uses Wisdom instead of Intelligence, can use Channel Energy, and can blind and nauseate enemies with the Channel Smite feat.</p>
<p>There are also twelve new feats, nine of which are new teamwork feats and three which work allow anyone to learn some of a battle lord's Specialty abilities, like the Eldritch Heritage feats allow a character to get Bloodline abilities.</p>
<p>There are a few typos and odd choices for rules language here and there. There was a "do" instead of "due", and the language for the Cavalry Drill was convoluted but still decipherable. The .pdf is very affordable though, so I don't count these small typos against it.</p>
<p>The battle lord is a very fun and interesting class that allows you to play a military leader who uses wits and tactics to supplement his brawn, and I like that it performs well at all levels of play. The battle lord may very well be my new favorite class.</p><p><b>Ultimate Battle Lord (PFRPG) PDF</b></p><p>The battle lord is a full base attack bonus class with d10 hit die, 4 + Intelligence modifier skill points per level, and Good Fortitude and Reflex saves. Its primary class features are Drills, Auras, and combat Specialties, and it also gains Bravery like a fighter. I will talk about each of those features below.</p>
<p>The battle lord's Drills and Auras share a set of general rules, including the radius they can affect, which starts at 10 feet and scales up to 55 feet. 55 is an odd number to end on, but it makes sense with the level progression of the class.</p>
<p>Drills are the battle lord's main combat ability, and the battle lord will learn six of them by 20th level. A first level battle lord can have one Drill active at a time, but at eighth and sixteenth level she gains the ability to have an additional Drill active, so that by sixteenth level she can have three drills running concurrently. Drills work by giving the battle lord and every ally within their radius who has spent an hour training with the battle lord access to a teamwork feat and a buff. For example, the Blademaster's Drill gives everyone affected a +2 morale bonus to damage rolls and the Precise Strike feat. Bonuses granted by Drills increase at fourth level and every four levels after that. Starting at twelfth level you get access to Greater Combat Drills, which work just like the Drills you could pick up before but are more powerful.</p>
<p>Auras work much like Drills but are usually options for out of combat, like the Diplomat's Aura, which gives the battle lord and her allies a bonus to Diplomacy checks and causes creatures who enter the Aura's area to make a Will save or have their attitude towards the battle lord improved by one step. At fifteenth level you can choose Imperial Auras, which are more powerful than the lesser Auras and often grant options that seem more magical or supernatural in their effects.</p>
<p>Specialties are one of the big ways you get to customize your battle lord, giving her a back up role or special set of combat options. The Specialties available are Artillerist, Medic, Scout, and Soldier. Artillerists gain proficiency with firearms, a Grit pool that uses Intelligence instead of Wisdom like a Gunslinger, and feats and abilities to make her better at leading a siege crew. Medics gain new uses for the Heal skill, such as repeatable hit point healing, and the ability to remove negative effects like poison, disease, ability damage, blindness, curses, and eventually she can even resuscitate an ally who has died within the last round. Scouts gain special Stealth bonuses and abilities, Ranger traps, and evasion. Soldiers learn how to apply their Intelligence bonus to CMB and CMD for various combat maneuvers, their Armor Class when using Combat Expertise, and their Fortitude and Will saves.</p>
<p>The battle lord's Bravery class feature seems to fit better on the class then it does on the fighter. Since the battle lord has a good Will save, it is more likely to make a difference. I also used some of the Bravery feats from Rogue Genius Games Genius Guide to Bravery Feats, which was written by the same author, and it made the class seem even more well rounded and interesting to play, adding on useful bonuses and abilities. I used the Blood-Slicked Terrain and Risky Feint feats on my battle lord to add on some fun and cinematic combat options like opening myself up to a potential attack to feint as a swift action adding my Bravery bonus to the attempt, or make enemies I tripped slip and slide on their own blood.</p>
<p>Ultimate Battle Lord also includes five archetypes, the Cavalryman, Dual Specialist, Eldritch Chevalier, Marine, Warchief, and Zealot. The Cavalryman must choose the Artillerist specialty, but trades out some of his aura increases and some of the Artillerist options for a mount and the ability to two weapon fight with a sword and pistol. The Dual Specialist get to choose two specialties but loses some of their strength as a party buffer. The Eldritch Chevalier does not get a Specialty, instead learning spellcasting that goes up to fifth level spells, and gaining the ability to cast spells while wearing armor, trade out Drills for additional spell slots, and share buffing spells with allies affected by his Drills. The Marine is an aquatic option for the battle lord who is strong in aquatic environments and good with a harpoon. The Warchief is a chaotic battle lord who shares barbarian Rage powers instead of using normal Drills. The Zealot is a battle lord who uses Wisdom instead of Intelligence, can use Channel Energy, and can blind and nauseate enemies with the Channel Smite feat.</p>
<p>There are also twelve new feats, nine of which are new teamwork feats and three which work allow anyone to learn some of a battle lord's Specialty abilities, like the Eldritch Heritage feats allow a character to get Bloodline abilities.</p>
<p>There are a few typos and odd choices for rules language here and there. There was a "do" instead of "due", and the language for the Cavalry Drill was convoluted but still decipherable. The .pdf is very affordable though, so I don't count these small typos against it.</p>
<p>The battle lord is a very fun and interesting class that allows you to play a military leader who uses wits and tactics to supplement his brawn, and I like that it performs well at all levels of play. The battle lord may very well be my new favorite class.</p>Desha2015-12-28T21:29:01ZUltimate Battle Lord (PFRPG) PDF: Perfect Leader Class for Players and NPCs alike! (5 stars)Andrew Boucher 88https://paizo.com/products/btpy9hfz?Ultimate-Battle-Lord2015-10-17T00:33:46Z<p><b>Ultimate Battle Lord (PFRPG) PDF</b></p><p><b>Ultimate Battle Lord</b></p>
<p>Disclaimer: I am a friend of Michael Sayre, the author of this product. I originally read and fell in love with the Battle Lord before I knew his name, so any gushing I do about the class stems from legitimate enjoyment and not friendship.</p>
<p><b>The Battle Lord Class </b></p>
<p>I love this class for a lot of reasons. First and foremost is that it actually allows me to build a powerful fighting leader for any situation. I don’t have to spread my point buy thin touching all my bases, nor do I have to sacrifice the theme by going for a class that “sorta fits.” The Battle Lord is very adaptable and is very likely to come through for you if you’ve ever thought “I wish I could make a truly great leader of man who gets by with his wit and guts instead of with a spellbook and divine intervention.”</p>
<p>The Class has d10 hit die, a good Reflex and Will Save, 4+int skill points per level, and a pretty good list of class skills. I don’t believe the Battle Lord has a dump stat since each stat can lend you power in some way, but of your mental stats Intelligence will be key.</p>
<p>The class table has a lot of specific names on it, but essentially the Battle Lord has three class features. </p>
<p>Bravery: As Fighter, but it’s worth noting that Michael has written a pretty cool book that uses the Bravery class feature as a kick off point for some extremely cool feats.</p>
<p>Aura: This is your primary class feature. Essentially you have an aura radiating from your character that gets larger as the Battle Lord levels. The aura can be centered on yourself or thrown to an area you’re sending orders to, vocally or with hand signals. Auras are subdivided into Combat Drills and Noble Auras. Essential combat Drills give combat bonuses to those within and Noble Auras give out of combat bonuses. As you level you get access to a variety of Combat Drills and Noble Auras, eventually being able to have multiple active at once. You gain Combat Drills and Noble Auras on separate tracks. Some of the later level auras can do amazing things that many would find appropriate for a 15th+ level leader, like giving a speech so powerful and moving that people can’t help but respond in kind.</p>
<p>Specialty: Represent your special training. The base class includes Scout, Medic, Artilerist, and Soldier. You pick one at level one and as you level our Battle Lord gets pretty awesome features related to your specialty. You get stuff like adding your Int modifier to the stealth checks of allies within your aura or using heal checks to remove Diseases, Blindness, and other terrible afflictions or the ability to add your int modifier to CMB and CMD.</p>
<p>The Battle Lord is one of those classes that is simple to set up and play, but has a lot of depth for a proactive player.</p>
<p><b>Archetypes </b></p>
<p>This PDF contains 6 archetypes. Going over each one would be a bit much on my fingers, so I’ll summarize each. I believe they’re all pretty well balanced against a base Battle Lord though.</p>
<p><i>Cavalryman </i>: Expecting a mounted Charger? No instead you get a horseman specializing in Sword and Pistol or 2xPistols. Honestly this is pretty refreshing and cool especially considering the historical context of this archetype.</p>
<p><i>Dual Specialist </i>: This archetype essentially trades stacking Auras for having two specialties. This can make some pretty cool combinations that can really benefit the team and the Battle Lord themselves.</p>
<p><i>Eldritch Chevalier </i> Replaces your Specialty and a few Auras with a slow progression of Wizard spells! You only get up to 5th level spells, so this isn’t a game breaker and actually ends up being about a match for a specialty.</p>
<p><i>Marine </i>: A modified Scout specialty that makes you a very cool team player in the water. In a campaign where I expect a lot of water combat the Marine is indispensable. In a land based campaign it’s not worth it though.</p>
<p><i>War chief </i>: Uses charisma instead of Int for specialty stuff. Combat Drills? Less tactical and more AM BARBARIAN (Rage Power sharing)! This archetype is perfect for someone who felt the Battle Lord was to civil and wants something more brutal.</p>
<p><i>Zealot</i>: Uses Wisdom instead of Int. Gains channel energy and channel smite in exchange for some auras and aura range. Is more useful on a neutral deity since you can grab a negative energy channel for your channel smites. Will also probably be my archetype of choice since it’s very similar to the base class, but gives me a mechanical benefit for playing a deity worshipper (something I do in every campaign).</p>
<p><b> Feats</b></p>
<p>This section features a feat line similar to Eldritch Heritage to give players access to specialties. The requirements are appropriate for what it gives you.</p>
<p>A lot of teamwork feats of varying power. The standout to me being Frontline Shield Fighter, which utilizes a very good feat chain that a lot of players don’t know about and culminates in a super cool teamwork feat. I like a few more, but personally I find most of them to be a bit weak for my taste though.</p>
<p><b>Overall </b></p>
<p>If you want the perfect non-magical leader class then this is the book for you. In terms of content I think one well written class, 6 archetype, and a couple of pages of feats is more than worth the cost presented.</p><p><b>Ultimate Battle Lord (PFRPG) PDF</b></p><p><b>Ultimate Battle Lord</b></p>
<p>Disclaimer: I am a friend of Michael Sayre, the author of this product. I originally read and fell in love with the Battle Lord before I knew his name, so any gushing I do about the class stems from legitimate enjoyment and not friendship.</p>
<p><b>The Battle Lord Class </b></p>
<p>I love this class for a lot of reasons. First and foremost is that it actually allows me to build a powerful fighting leader for any situation. I don’t have to spread my point buy thin touching all my bases, nor do I have to sacrifice the theme by going for a class that “sorta fits.” The Battle Lord is very adaptable and is very likely to come through for you if you’ve ever thought “I wish I could make a truly great leader of man who gets by with his wit and guts instead of with a spellbook and divine intervention.”</p>
<p>The Class has d10 hit die, a good Reflex and Will Save, 4+int skill points per level, and a pretty good list of class skills. I don’t believe the Battle Lord has a dump stat since each stat can lend you power in some way, but of your mental stats Intelligence will be key.</p>
<p>The class table has a lot of specific names on it, but essentially the Battle Lord has three class features. </p>
<p>Bravery: As Fighter, but it’s worth noting that Michael has written a pretty cool book that uses the Bravery class feature as a kick off point for some extremely cool feats.</p>
<p>Aura: This is your primary class feature. Essentially you have an aura radiating from your character that gets larger as the Battle Lord levels. The aura can be centered on yourself or thrown to an area you’re sending orders to, vocally or with hand signals. Auras are subdivided into Combat Drills and Noble Auras. Essential combat Drills give combat bonuses to those within and Noble Auras give out of combat bonuses. As you level you get access to a variety of Combat Drills and Noble Auras, eventually being able to have multiple active at once. You gain Combat Drills and Noble Auras on separate tracks. Some of the later level auras can do amazing things that many would find appropriate for a 15th+ level leader, like giving a speech so powerful and moving that people can’t help but respond in kind.</p>
<p>Specialty: Represent your special training. The base class includes Scout, Medic, Artilerist, and Soldier. You pick one at level one and as you level our Battle Lord gets pretty awesome features related to your specialty. You get stuff like adding your Int modifier to the stealth checks of allies within your aura or using heal checks to remove Diseases, Blindness, and other terrible afflictions or the ability to add your int modifier to CMB and CMD.</p>
<p>The Battle Lord is one of those classes that is simple to set up and play, but has a lot of depth for a proactive player.</p>
<p><b>Archetypes </b></p>
<p>This PDF contains 6 archetypes. Going over each one would be a bit much on my fingers, so I’ll summarize each. I believe they’re all pretty well balanced against a base Battle Lord though.</p>
<p><i>Cavalryman </i>: Expecting a mounted Charger? No instead you get a horseman specializing in Sword and Pistol or 2xPistols. Honestly this is pretty refreshing and cool especially considering the historical context of this archetype.</p>
<p><i>Dual Specialist </i>: This archetype essentially trades stacking Auras for having two specialties. This can make some pretty cool combinations that can really benefit the team and the Battle Lord themselves.</p>
<p><i>Eldritch Chevalier </i> Replaces your Specialty and a few Auras with a slow progression of Wizard spells! You only get up to 5th level spells, so this isn’t a game breaker and actually ends up being about a match for a specialty.</p>
<p><i>Marine </i>: A modified Scout specialty that makes you a very cool team player in the water. In a campaign where I expect a lot of water combat the Marine is indispensable. In a land based campaign it’s not worth it though.</p>
<p><i>War chief </i>: Uses charisma instead of Int for specialty stuff. Combat Drills? Less tactical and more AM BARBARIAN (Rage Power sharing)! This archetype is perfect for someone who felt the Battle Lord was to civil and wants something more brutal.</p>
<p><i>Zealot</i>: Uses Wisdom instead of Int. Gains channel energy and channel smite in exchange for some auras and aura range. Is more useful on a neutral deity since you can grab a negative energy channel for your channel smites. Will also probably be my archetype of choice since it’s very similar to the base class, but gives me a mechanical benefit for playing a deity worshipper (something I do in every campaign).</p>
<p><b> Feats</b></p>
<p>This section features a feat line similar to Eldritch Heritage to give players access to specialties. The requirements are appropriate for what it gives you.</p>
<p>A lot of teamwork feats of varying power. The standout to me being Frontline Shield Fighter, which utilizes a very good feat chain that a lot of players don’t know about and culminates in a super cool teamwork feat. I like a few more, but personally I find most of them to be a bit weak for my taste though.</p>
<p><b>Overall </b></p>
<p>If you want the perfect non-magical leader class then this is the book for you. In terms of content I think one well written class, 6 archetype, and a couple of pages of feats is more than worth the cost presented.</p>Andrew Boucher 882015-10-17T00:33:46Z