I've done some conversion of Dread Commando PrC for my pathfinder campaign, and I really need some second opinion. So...here it is.
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DREAD COMMANDO
Sudden Strike (Ex): If you can catch an opponent when she is unable to defend herself effectively from your attack, you can strike a vital spot for extra damage. Whenever your target is denied her Dexterity bonus to AC against your attack (whether the target actually has a Dexterity bonus to Armor Class or not), you deal an extra 1d6 points of damage with your attack. The extra damage increases to 2d6 at 3rd level and to 3d6 at 5th level. Ranged attacks count as sudden strikes only if the target is within 30 feet; you can’t strike with deadly accuracy from beyond this range.
You can only use sudden strike against living creatures with discernible anatomies—undead, constructs, oozes, plants, and incorporeal creatures lack vital areas to attack. Any creature that is immune to extra damage from critical hits is not vulnerable to sudden strike damage. You must be able to see the target well enough to pick out a vital spot and must be able to reach such a spot. You cannot make a sudden strike while striking a creature with concealment or striking the limbs of a creature whose vitals are out of reach. You can’t use sudden strike to deliver nonlethal damage. Weapons capable of dealing only nonlethal damage don’t deal extra damage when used as part of a sudden strike. The extra damage from the sudden strike ability stacks with extra damage from a sneak attack whenever both would apply to the same target.
Team Initiative Bonus (Ex): You are skilled at keeping a team organized and ready for danger. All allies within 30 feet who can see you (including yourself) gain a competence bonus on initiative checks equal to your class level.
Stealthy Movement (Ex): You learn to remain quiet and hidden even while mobile. Beginning at 2nd level, you take no penalty on Stealth checks while moving at up to your normal speed. At 5th level, you take only a –10 penalty on Stealth checks when charging, and at 8th level you take only -10 penalty on stealth checks when running, and -5 penalty on stealth checks when charging (instead of the usual –20).
Armored Ease (Ex): You learn to adapt your movements to the restrictive nature of armor. Beginning at 3rd level, you reduce the armor check penalty of any armor with which you are proficient by 2 (to a minimum of 0). At 6th level, this reduction increases to 3 points (to a minimum of 0) and at 9th level, this reduction increases to 4 point (to a minimum of 0).
Ambush (Ex): Starting at 4th level, whenever the infiltrator encounters a flat-footer enemy during the surprise round, he gains a bonus equal to half his number of Dread Commando levels (round down) to his first attack.
Stealth Mastery: At 10th level, Dread Commando becomes so adept at avoiding notice that he may take 10 on following skills even if stress and distractions would normally prevent him from doing so. He becomes so certain in the use of this skill that he can use is reliably even under adverse conditions. Skills are following: Acrobatics, Climb, Disable Device, Escape Artist and Stealth. He also may, whenever he is unaware during the surprise round and would normally be unable to act, make a Stealth check as a free action to avoid being notices, provided that he is not being directly observed at the time.
Wasn't it a 5 level in 3.5? Also, have you thought about teamwork feats?
Yes, it's 5 levels in 3.5. I expanded it to 10 levels. So far I didn't see any official 5 level prestige classes in PF books (or maybe I missed) so I've done it with 10 levels. And, no, I didn't thought about teamwork feats. Guess I forgot about them.
Maybe to add option to choose a bonus teamwork feats at some point?
I don't see why you can't be limited to only 10 level PrCs just because Paizo hasn't made 5 level PrCs yet. They've mostly converted old core PrCs, which were less "experimental" than some of their later ones.
Feel free to leave it as a 5 level, unless you really feel like fleshing it out to 10 is necessary.
I would use
1)Sneak attack not Sudden Strike
2)Armor training not Armor Ease
3) BAB full D 10 Hit Dice or 3/4 BAB D 8 Hit dice Pick one but not a mix
4) Skill points per level 4 or 6 not 3
5) 4 sneak attack over 10 level not 3
6) More Skill ranks to get in like 5 Stealth 4 Acrobatics 4 Climb 4 Swim 4 Perception
7) Add Trap finding class ability some where
8)Team work Initiative 1 per 2 levels min 1 (other wise this get really crazy)*
9) I would give 2 feat some where form list like (Team Work, Skill Focus, a 2 and 2 skill, Fighter feats. with some tailoring.
10) maybe some team work ability like the Cavalier or the Inquisitor (if so one less sneak attack dice
11) Require Team work Precise Strike feat and or Team work out Flank to get in.
* I had Bard 5 Marshal 5 Dragon Shaman 5 Dead commando 5
with Bully, Blooded, Improved Int,+ Dex 22, CHA 22, DEX Aura marshal, and some Dragon shaman Aura that gave + to initiative as well.
So I hade +26 Initiative and gave my party + 12 to theirs as well it was dumb. about 85 % of time the party all went first and about 60% time the monster never when at all. it was not fun after a while.
Trapfinding: Dread Commando adds 1/2 his level to Perception skill checks made to locate traps and to Disable Device skill checks (minimum +1). Dread Commando can use Disable Device to disarm magic traps.
Team Initiative Bonus (Ex): At 2nd level, Dread commando is skilled at keeping a team organized and ready for danger. All allies within 30 feet who can see him (including him) gain a +1 competence bonus for every two levels of dread commando class.
Inspire (Ex): At 3rd level, Dread Commando can inspire greatness in a single ally, granting extra fighting capability. All allies within 30 feet who can see him, must listen to and observe him for a full round for the inspiration to take hold (but may take other actions while doing so). The effects last for 5 rounds. An ally inspired with greatness gains +2d6 temporary health points, a +2 competence bonus on attack rolls, and a +2 morale bonus on all saving throws. He can inspire allies a number of times per day equal to his dread commando class levels. Dread Commando can’t inspire greatness in himself; the ability aids his allies only.
Greater Inspire (Ex): At 7th level, Dread Commando's inspire ability improves. The temporary health points gained increase to +3d6, and the ally is immune to following conditions for as long as he remains inspired: cowering, dazed, fatigued, panicked or stunned.
It looks at allot better...but I do not know about the "Inspire" & "Greater Inspire" to much like a bard and I do not see this as a bard like class. That just me. I would like a feat* those points cause this look more like combat /skill class to me. Inspire does it hit all allies or single ally?
If you do run with it I would change it to some thing more like this
Inspire (Ex): At 3rd level, Dread Commando can inspire greatness in a all allies, granting extra fighting capability. All allies within 30 feet who can see him, must listen to and observe him for a full round for the inspiration to take hold (but may take other actions while doing so). The effects last for round equal to Dread Commando class level in rounds. Any ally inspired with greatness gains +2d6 temporary health points, a +2 competence bonus on attack rolls, and a +2 morale bonus on all saving throws. He can inspire allies a number of times per day equal to his 1/2 dread commando class levels. Dread Commando can’t inspire greatness in himself; the ability aids his allies only.
Greater Inspire (Ex): At 7th level, Dread Commando's inspire ability improves. The temporary health points gained increase to +3d6, and the ally can reroll a save vs following conditions for as long as he remains inspired once each round: cowering, dazed, fatigued, panicked or stunned.
Special 3 rounds of Bard Song will power this ability. Or 1 use of the Cavalier’s Tactician ability can power this as well.
Side note if it has the inspire ability then it need Diplomacy or Intimidate as class skill. I like Intimidate.
*9) I would give 2 feat some where form list like (Team Work, Skill Focus, a 2 and 2 skill, Fighter feats. with some tailoring
I think that 4 amor training bonuses is too much, maybe you can halve the bonuses and grant 2 bonus feats.
Also, +10 bonus to initiative for all allies seems a bit much, maybe 1/2 lvl, min. 1 would do the trick.-
mrJack wrote:
gain a +1 competence bonus for every two levels of dread commando class.
Emphasis mine. Unless he edited it since you posted that, in which case, my bad, sorry. It's an easy thing to miss anyway, to be fair.
As for inspire, I kinda agree with Tom, it feels a little too Bardy. Yeah, the Dread Commando gives that Team Initiative bonus, but it doesn't feel like a support-based class at me. At best, I'd say give him an ability that helps allies with Stealth or negates their ACP or something. Maybe some kind of Inspire Competence-based ability that relates to movement-based skills like Climb, Acrobatics, Stealth...?
Thanks for sharing this! I was considering doing a conversion of this and the other Heroes of Battle classes since I am also converting Red Hand of Doom for later. Will post those and link here later!
