Arms Master
The Arms Master is nothing short of a genius in combat tactics and in a fight on the battlefield. They train rigorously daily in order to ascend to be nothing but the best. Whether it be to earn a ranking in a military organization, to get revenge against a sworn enemy or just having a goal to be their personal best, the Arms Master will stop at nothing to improve them selves and almost never back down from a challenge.
Alignment: Any non-netruel Chaotic (Due to the varied nature and sometimes recklessness of the Arms Master, they can only have a Chaotic Alignment. Also, the Arms Master is the opposite of balance, focusing and mastering only one side or the other causing them to also only have a non-netruel alignment.)
Hit Die: d8
ROLE:
Arms Masters are a blur of steel and iron. They are masters of the battlefield in terms of melee combat, very few can take them head on.
STARTING WEALTH:
3d6 x 10
Average: 90
CLASS SKILLS:
Bluff (cha), Climb (str), Craft, Intimidate (cha), Knowledge (dungeoneering) (int) Knowledge (history) (int), Perception, Profession, Ride, Survival
SKIL RANKS PER LEVEL
2 + Int mod
Table: Arms Master
(Unfinished)
CLASS FEATURES
WEAPON & ARMOR PROFICIENCY
A Arms Master is proficient with all simple weapons and with light armor and shields (except tower shields).
NOTHING BUT BATTLE
The Arms Master has plunged his mind into steel on steel combat. The Arms Master may not take any feat other than Combat Feats when gaining a bonus feat from this class.
DEEP FOCUS
At 1st level the Arms Master picks what style of fighting they are trained in. Each has its own unique path with their own special abilities and skills.
• Offensive: The Arms Master gains proficiency with all martial weapons and takes the Offensive Path. The Arms Master also treats all simple weapons as if he has Weapon Focus for all them. This does not count towards any prerequisites for other feats. If at any point he wears anything other than light armor or equips a Tower Shield, he loses all abilities and feats gained from levels in this class.
•Defensive: The Arms Master gains proficiency with medium armor and takes the Defensive Path. The Arms Master also gains the Toughness feat.
OFFENSIVE PATH:
At 3rd level the Arms Master gains the Weapon Focus feat to all martial weapons.
At 5th level the Arms Master gains the Weapon Specialization feat to all Simple Weapons.
At 7th level the Arms Master gains the feat Weapon Specialization to all Martial Weapons.
At 8th level the Arms Master gains proficiency with all Exotic Weapons.
At 9th level the Arms Master gains the feat Greater Weapon Focus to all Simple Weapons.
At 11th level the Arms Master gains the feat Greater Weapon Focus to all Martial Weapons.
At 12th level the Arms Master gains the feat Weapon Focus and Weapon Specialization to all Exotic Weapons.
At 13th level the Arms Master gains the feat Greater Weapon Specialization for all Simple Weapons.
At 14th level the Arms Master gains the feat Penetrating Strike.
At 15th level the Arms Master gains the feat Greater Weapon Specialization for all Martial Weapons.
At 16th level the Arms Master gains the feat Greater Weapon Focus & Greater Weapon Specialization to all Exotic Weapons.
At 17th level the Arms Master gains the feat Greater Penetrating Strike.
At 20th?
DEFENSIVE PATH
At 1st level you gain proficiency with Medium Armor.
At 3rd level you gain the Shield Focus feat.
At 5th level you gain proficiency with Tower Shields & Improved Shield Bash.
At 6th level you gain proficiency with Heavy Armor.
At 7th level you gain the Dodge & Shield Slam feats.
At 8th level your Max Dex Bonus raises on all armor you're proficient with by +1.
At 9th level you gain the Stand Still feat.
At 10th level your Max Dex Bonus raises on all armor you're proficient with by +1.
At 11th level you gain the Greater Shield Focus feat.
At 13th level you gain the Endurance & Diehard feat.
At 14th level your Max Dex Bonus raises on all armor you're proficient with by +1.
At 15th level you gain the Improved Shield Slam feat.
At 17 level you gain the Improved Bull Rush & Greater Bull Rush feat.
At 20th level ?
Now on this I'm not sure if it should be taken at the approach of "You gain bonus feats and as you do you can pick from a 'list" kind of thing or just you gain specific feats at each level. I find with gains specific feats at certain levels it may be a bit undercustomizable or too railroaded.
Also, I need to see if gaining Weapon Focus and Weapon Specialization is OP and if it should be like 2-3 weapins gain it instead.
@Ashmit. Interesting take on the broad-trained warrior. Comments below:
* Regardless of the OP of universally applicable feats you'll have a hard time convincing people to play an Arms Master that has a d8 Hit Dice - especially when Hit Die are linked to BAB -
d10 (or the outlier Barbarian's d12) - Full BAB
d8 - 3/4 BAB
d6 - 1/2 BAB
So, the Barbarian is an anomaly, but making another anomaly - Full BAB, but worse HD, won't be popular.
* Waiting until 8th level to get exotic WP, even with all exotics is a long time. And the "all" bit is a bit of a stretch. I'd suggest weapon groups, as modules, say 3-5 weapons or an entire group (flails; hammers; blades - heavy; blades - light; close; bows; axes etc as presented HERE much like the vanilla fighter. You can then roll exotic weapons into it.
* I don't think the Offensive or Defensive options are equal, nor is the defensive path better than a vanilla fighter at 1st level. No heavy armor at 1st level, as a Defensive Arms Master. With a d8 HD.
* Does the AM get bonus feats as well as those presented here? The Nothing But Battle ability seems to suggest so. If so, it needs to be clearer and/or a progression table added for clarification.
Just some thoughts.
The reason I felt the Arms Master should get a d8 is because it seemed to be OP for him to have a d10 or even a d12. His BAB is the same as the Fighter and Barb (20/15/10/5). I wanted to really show the two extremes of offense and defense. Where offense has a lot of Power but has low hp and only can wear light armor as the Defensive would be the opposite.
That's a great idea. It'd be much better and more customizable have groups for weapons instead of all. As well as the exotic.
Then maybe he should have access to heavy armor starting at level 1?
Yes, it will show on the chart what levels he gets bonus feats. Just having a hard time getting internet at my house ATM. I'm doing this all off my phone.