Suggestions on balancing this 3rd party archetype?


Advice


This archetype seems to be a nice fit for fighters if they're playing in an Asian setting, but the fighter features it replaces seems much too weak compared to the abilities they gain and seems a bit overpowered as a result. Any advice on how to fix this?


So, first off, let's list the tradeoffs.


  • It gets 2 extra skill points
  • It gains Katana and Wakizashi proficiency and loses heavy armor and all shields.
  • It gives up bravery for a scaling bonus to initiative.
  • It gives up armor training 1 for +10 feet of speed and a +2 to Acrobatics.
  • It gives up weapon training 1 for a scaling bonus to attack and damage when you move at least 5 feet.

2 extra skill points for giving up heavy armor and shields is about what the Lore Warden does (except the Lore Warden requires the skills be Int-based and also gives up medium armor). The weapon proficiencies aren't really worth mentioning.

Bravery for the bonus to initiative is probably a wash.

Armor training 1 for a bonus to speed is probably also a wash. You could do the same thing with a single level of barbarian, it can't be worth that much (and it delays how long until you can move full speed in medium+ armor).

Scaling bonus to attack and damage for just weapon training 1 is probably a bit much (since they'll still get weapon training 1 when they would normally get weapon training 2).

So really, the only change I would recommend is making Leaping Attack replace all of weapon training (or not make it a scaling bonus). Otherwise everything else looks fine.

Dark Archive

Nah, that's still way too good. The initiative bonus is far superior to bravery, katana and wakizashi are not trivial, and the bonus to hit and damage when moving 5ft really has no downside.

I'd ditch the extra skill points (which are not that necessary, considering the skill list), leave the proficiencies and initiative bonus as is, make the speed bonus an enhancement bonus so it doesn't stack with monk, and modify the hit and damage ability so that it only triggers when you move at least 10 feet.


Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber

Making it require 10 feet of movement makes it completely useless, since that means you are trading out weapon training, an ability that gives extra accuracy and damage to all attacks, for an ability that only gives accuracy and damage to single attacks.

Katana and wakizashi proficiency are not worth the loss of heavy armor and shields for the typical fighter - I would say the skills make up for that.

Initiative bonus is typically superior to bravery, but not by much. And bravery is a weak class feature on a weak class. You are not going to be breaking any games with an ability that takes until level 10 to equal the strength of a single feat.

I would say Bob Bob Bob is right - the only real balance issue is that it should give up all of weapon training.

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