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A common complaint about fighters is that all the do is deal damage via weapons. They have little by way of out of combat effectiveness, and are heavily reliant on items to be effective as mid to higher levels, and generally do not shine as the superlative warriors they are meant to be when compared to other martial classes.
What I have been toying with is a system that I call the Knack. Knacks replace bonus feats, armor training, and weapon training. They are gained at the same levels Fighters would normally gain bonus feats (level one and even levels thereafter). they are divided into Minor, Major (6th level) and Master (12th level) Knacks. Please have a look at them and tell me what you think, as a whole or individually. Should some be moved up or down categories? Should some be omitted? Should some be changed, or others added? I would appreciate anything you have to give.
--Minor
Combat Feat: The Fighter may choose a combat feat he fulfills the requirement for.
Strongarm: the fighter adds 1 1/2 Str bonus to one handed weapons in his main hand. This weapon counts as two handed for Power Attack.
Agile Fighting: The fighter can ignore Dex requirements up to 15 for combat feats.
Cunning Fighting: The fighter can ignore Int requirements up to 15 for combat feats.
Potent Fighting: The fighter can ignore Str requirements up to 15 for combat feats.
Hardy: Having trained himself for durability, the fighter gains +2 hp/lvl.
Devout: Chaneling a small portion of divine power, the fighter can heal himself 1d8 +1/lvl as a standard action (SU).
Armor Training: When wearing armor, the Fighter reduces his armor Penalty by 2 and adds 2 to the armor’s max dex. He also moves at full speed in medium armor.
Weapon Training: As standard. May only be taken once/ 4 lvls.
Skilled: Having spent time focused on non-martial pursuits, the Fighter gains +2 skill points/lvl.
Scout Training: The Fighter adds perception and stealth as class skills.
Wizard's Bodyguard: The Fighter adds KN: Arcane and UMD as class skills.
Man of the People: The Fighter adds diplomacy and perform as class skills.
Great Fortitude
Lightning Reflexes
Iron Will
Battle Scarred: The Fighter has known great physical hardship, and it shows. He gains +2 intimidate and +1 Fortitude
Horseman: The Fighter gains +2 to ride and handle animal.
Practiced Shield Fighter: The fighter gains +2 AC to his shield bonus when using a buckler, light, or heavy shield.
Armorer The Fighter gains +2 to craft: weapons, armor.
Evasion
Uncanny Dodge
Stunning Blow: With blunt weapons, as Stunning Fist with Str substituted for Wis for calculating DC.
Grudge: The Fighter gains one Favored Enemy. This Knack may be taken multiple times for a new enemy.
Woodcraft: The Fighter gains one Favored Terrain. This Knack may be taken multiple times for a new Terrain.
--Major (lvl 6)
Puissant Fighting: The Fighter may ignore all requirements for attributes for which he has fighting Knacks for combat feats.
Ambush: The Fighter gains 1d6 Sneak Attack. This Knack may be taken multiple times.
Nerves of Steel: The Fighter becomes immune to fear effects.
Footwork: The Fighter can perform single move action (not charge) and make full attack.
Born in the Saddle: (req: Horseman) The Fighter gains Skill Focus: ride, and receives a +2 bonus to hit and damage while mounted.
Fearsome Mein: (req: Battle Scarred) The Fighter gains Skill Focus: intimidate, and may take swift action for a free attack on a target intimidated by him.
Exotic Weapon Master: the Fighter is proficient in all exotic weapons in any category for which he has Weapon Training.
Born Leader: (req: Man of the People) The Fighter gains Skill Focus: diplomacy, and a +4 bonus to his leadership score.
Second Skin: (req: Armor Training) When wearing armor, the Fighter reduces his Armor Penalty by 6, and adds 6 to the armor’s max Dex. He also gains full movement speed in heavy armor. This stacks with the bonuses from Armor Training.
Wall of Steel: The Fighter gains +1 +shield enchantment bonus to defense as a resistance bonus to AoE damage spells.
Talented Amateur: (req: Wizard’s Bodyguard) The Fighter gains Skill Focus: UMD, and counts 1/2 fighter level as those of a casting class (chosen when the Knack is taken) for item use requirements.
Thick Skin: The fighter gains a +3 natural armor bonus.
Spellcleaver: Once a day/ 4 fighter lvls, the Fighter can strike a target and perform a Dispel Magic, using fighter level as caster level. At 12th level, the effect becomes a Greater Dispel Magic.
Master Smith: (req: Armorer) The Fighter gains Skill Focus: craft: weapons or armor and the Master Craftsman feat.
--Master (lvl 12)
Cloud Step: The Fighter can fly, as per the Fly spell for 1 minute/level per day, used in one minute increments. He also gains Fly as a class skill
Indomitable Will: (req: Iron Will) The Fighter gains good Will save progression.
Incredible Reflexes: (req: Lightning Reflexes) The Fighter gains good Reflex save progression.
Steel Hide: (req: Thick Skin) The Fighter gains DR 10/adamantine and Resist: Fire and Cold/10 for 1/2 lvl/ minutes per day, used in one minute increments.
Mighty Thews: the Fighter can wield two handed weapons in his main hand, and weapons one size category larger in two hands.
Groundstrike: The Fighter can strike the ground with blunt weapon, doing full weapon damage and possibly Tripping (using his CMB) all within a '10 radius. This is a Force effect.
Elemental Strike: Once per day/ 4 lvls, the Fighter may add 3d6 elemental damage (type chosen when activated) to a weapon strike. May be taken multiple times to increase damage.
Another motivator is mitigating the supremacy of Two Handed weapon wielding. As such, I have tried to make wielding a shield and one handed weapon more effective, as well as reducing the attribute cost for Two Weapon fighting (which already has a significant feat cost). Please tell me if you think I have accomplished this effectively.
I have also tried to set the old chestnut of fighters having no supernatural abilities whatsoever to bed, while still allowing players who prefer no magic fighters to play their game.
It needs more Master Knacks, I think, if only for the sake of variety.
Good stuff. Nice variety, everything is reasonably appropriate, nothing obviously OP or useless. It's obviously a solid upgrade but that's no bad thing, and seems to scale well.
You might want to build on Devout & Talented Amateur for some more high-level narrative power.
And you might want to give the Rogue similar treatment.
Thanks!
I had given some thought to continuing those lines, but, short of actually giving them spell casting or lay on hands, I had come up short as to how to continue. I had entertained a limited Fast Healing (one HP every third round, for example), a personal protection vs evil/good/law/chaos effect for 1/2 lvl minutes/day, or perhaps casting a spell x/day as a spell like ability (though what spell of what level I am having trouble working out).
Also:
"Wall of Steel: The Fighter gains +1 +shield enchantment bonus to defense as a resistance bonus to AoE damage spells."
Should read:
--Wall of Steel: The Fighter gains +1 +shield enchantment bonus as a resistance bonus to Reflex vs AoE damage spells.
Should this include a bonus to Touch AC, or would that be too powerful (or a separate knack)?
Touch AC should probably be separate.
As for the other abilities...divinely tough immunity to disease and then poison would be reasonable; the Master followup to Spellcleaver might be to do it as an Immediate Action on a spell as it's cast (if in range). Or even bat it back at the caster.
Then there are the chestnuts of being able to cleave holes in reality to Passwall / Teleport / Planeshift. Or hit something so hard you do genuinely bash it into next week.
Really, I'd advise playing it. By the time you get to high enough level for it to matter, you'll probably have some idea what might fit.
The Bonus to saves is a resistance bonus. It stems from the enchantment bonus to defense (as opposed to offense) on a shield.
Is that a problem, do you think? I didn't want it to stack with a Cloak of Resistance.