comrade raoul
Explorer
Note that the version I have doesn't assume that Oriental Adventures is used; in an OA game, it's advisable to replace all references to the Concentration skill with Iaijutsu Focus (thus, 4 ranks of Iaijutsu Focus are required instead of Concentration, and Iaijutsu Focus (Cha) is a class skill instead of Concentration (Con)).
I'd be interested to see whether it's balanced. The weapon master is in the process of being playtested, although the party weapon master has at this point only 1 level in his prestige class (although he seems to be doing okay). So, here it is:
edit: I do apologize for the state of the table. It looks best with a fixed-width font, like Courier; also, it's most readable if you highlight the text.
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Weapon Master Prestige Class
Weapon masters strive to perfect their skill with a single weapon. They seek to unite this favored weapon with the body, to make them one, and to use the weapon as naturally and without thought as any other limb. As such, a weapon master's dedication allows her to wield her chosen weapon with extraordinary skill and grace, and her mental and physical training enables her to temporarily heighten her technique to near-supernatural levels.
Weapon masters are most often fighters, since the large number of feats required to qualify deters other characters. However, the weapon master's contemplative approach and ability to fight without heavy armor draws some monks and rogues to the class, particularly those who also have experience in more martial pursuits.
Hit Die: d8
Requirements
To qualify as a weapon master, a character must fulfill all the following criteria:
Base Attack Bonus: +5
Skills: Concentration 4 ranks, Perform 4 ranks
Feats: Blind Fight, Combat Reflexes, Expertise, Quick Draw, Weapon Focus
Class Skills
The weapon master's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Balance (Dex), Concentration (Con), Escape Artist (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Perform (Cha), Sense Motive (Wis), Spot (Wis), and Tumble (Dex). See Chapter 4: Skills in the Player's Handbook for skill descriptions.
Skill Points at Each Level: 2 + Int modifier.
Class Features
The following are class features of the weapon master.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Weapon masters gain no new proficiencies with weapons or armor. If the weapon master is wearing medium or heavy armor, or is using a shield, she cannot use any of her favored weapon benefits, or the Battle Meditation, Advanced Expertise, or Lightning Strike abilities.
Favored Weapon: Upon becoming a weapon master, the character chooses a single type of weapon, such as the longsword, to be her favored weapon. She must have taken Weapon Focus with the weapon. All favored weapon advantages apply to all weapons of the chosen type, so a longsword master gains her favored weapon benefits with any longsword, not just the one she happened to have when she became a weapon master.
A weapon master's skill with her favored weapon increases as she grows experienced. At 1st level, she gains a +1 bonus to attack rolls with it, in addition to the bonus from Weapon Focus. At 3rd level, she may make additional, iterative attacks when using the full attack action at every -4 interval of her base attack bonus. Thus, a weapon master with a base attack bonus of +9 makes three attacks (at +9/+5/+1, before adding other modifiers). Finally, at 9th level, her critical threat range when wielding her favored weapon is doubled, exactly like the Improved Critical feat (although this benefit stacks with Improved Critical and all similar modifiers).
All weapon masters may choose the Weapon Specialization feat with their favored weapons, even if they do not meet that feat's normal prerequisites.
Battle Meditation (Ex): In any round, the weapon master may use this ability (as a free action) to enter a state of intense focus when fighting with her favored weapon, wielding it with utterly flawless technique. For one round, she makes all of her additional attacks (if any) at her highest attack bonus, and all of her successful attacks cause maximum possible damage. For example, If a weapon master normally makes three attacks at +9/+5/+1 before adding bonuses, when using Battle Meditation, she makes them at +9/+9/+9 (again, before applying her other attack bonuses). A longsword that normally deals a base 1d8 points of damage now inflicts 8 points, plus bonuses, although extra damage, such as damage from sneak attacks, flaming weapons, and the like, is not maximized.
Advanced Expertise (Ex): When a 5th level or higher weapon master uses the Expertise feat with her favored weapon, she gains an extra, stacking dodge bonus equal to half of the penalty she accepts to her attack roll. Thus, a -4 attack penalty yields a total +6 dodge bonus (+4 from the feat, +2 from the ability).
Lightning Strike (Ex): In any round in which she attacks with her favored weapon, a weapon master of at least 7th level may make one additional attack at her highest attack bonus, but that attack and all others she makes during that round suffer a -2 penalty apiece to their attack rolls. Note that lightning strike is not limited to full attack actions; thus the weapon master may move and still attack twice, or attack twice during a surprise round. If a weapon master has other, similar, abilities, such as the monk's ability to perform a flurry of blows, she may not use both lightning strike and one of those abilities in the same round.
I'd be interested to see whether it's balanced. The weapon master is in the process of being playtested, although the party weapon master has at this point only 1 level in his prestige class (although he seems to be doing okay). So, here it is:
edit: I do apologize for the state of the table. It looks best with a fixed-width font, like Courier; also, it's most readable if you highlight the text.
------------------------------
Weapon Master Prestige Class
Weapon masters strive to perfect their skill with a single weapon. They seek to unite this favored weapon with the body, to make them one, and to use the weapon as naturally and without thought as any other limb. As such, a weapon master's dedication allows her to wield her chosen weapon with extraordinary skill and grace, and her mental and physical training enables her to temporarily heighten her technique to near-supernatural levels.
Weapon masters are most often fighters, since the large number of feats required to qualify deters other characters. However, the weapon master's contemplative approach and ability to fight without heavy armor draws some monks and rogues to the class, particularly those who also have experience in more martial pursuits.
Hit Die: d8
Requirements
To qualify as a weapon master, a character must fulfill all the following criteria:
Base Attack Bonus: +5
Skills: Concentration 4 ranks, Perform 4 ranks
Feats: Blind Fight, Combat Reflexes, Expertise, Quick Draw, Weapon Focus
Class Skills
The weapon master's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Balance (Dex), Concentration (Con), Escape Artist (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Perform (Cha), Sense Motive (Wis), Spot (Wis), and Tumble (Dex). See Chapter 4: Skills in the Player's Handbook for skill descriptions.
Skill Points at Each Level: 2 + Int modifier.
Code:
[COLOR=white][FONT=courier new][SIZE=2][b]The Weapon Master[/b]
Class Base Fort Refl Will Special
Level Attack Save Save Save Ability
1 +1 +0 +2 +0 Favored Weapon (Superior Weapon Focus)
2 +2 +0 +3 +0 Battle Meditation 1/day
3 +3 +1 +3 +1 Favored Weapon (Improved Attack Rate)
4 +4 +1 +4 +1 Battle Meditation 2/day
5 +5 +1 +4 +1 Advanced Expertise
6 +6 +2 +5 +2 Battle Meditation 3/day
7 +7 +2 +5 +2 Lightning Strike
8 +8 +2 +6 +2 Battle Meditation 4/day
9 +9 +3 +6 +3 Favored Weapon (Superior Critical)
10 +10 +3 +7 +3 Battle Meditation 5/day[/SIZE][/FONT][/COLOR]The following are class features of the weapon master.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Weapon masters gain no new proficiencies with weapons or armor. If the weapon master is wearing medium or heavy armor, or is using a shield, she cannot use any of her favored weapon benefits, or the Battle Meditation, Advanced Expertise, or Lightning Strike abilities.
Favored Weapon: Upon becoming a weapon master, the character chooses a single type of weapon, such as the longsword, to be her favored weapon. She must have taken Weapon Focus with the weapon. All favored weapon advantages apply to all weapons of the chosen type, so a longsword master gains her favored weapon benefits with any longsword, not just the one she happened to have when she became a weapon master.
A weapon master's skill with her favored weapon increases as she grows experienced. At 1st level, she gains a +1 bonus to attack rolls with it, in addition to the bonus from Weapon Focus. At 3rd level, she may make additional, iterative attacks when using the full attack action at every -4 interval of her base attack bonus. Thus, a weapon master with a base attack bonus of +9 makes three attacks (at +9/+5/+1, before adding other modifiers). Finally, at 9th level, her critical threat range when wielding her favored weapon is doubled, exactly like the Improved Critical feat (although this benefit stacks with Improved Critical and all similar modifiers).
All weapon masters may choose the Weapon Specialization feat with their favored weapons, even if they do not meet that feat's normal prerequisites.
Battle Meditation (Ex): In any round, the weapon master may use this ability (as a free action) to enter a state of intense focus when fighting with her favored weapon, wielding it with utterly flawless technique. For one round, she makes all of her additional attacks (if any) at her highest attack bonus, and all of her successful attacks cause maximum possible damage. For example, If a weapon master normally makes three attacks at +9/+5/+1 before adding bonuses, when using Battle Meditation, she makes them at +9/+9/+9 (again, before applying her other attack bonuses). A longsword that normally deals a base 1d8 points of damage now inflicts 8 points, plus bonuses, although extra damage, such as damage from sneak attacks, flaming weapons, and the like, is not maximized.
Advanced Expertise (Ex): When a 5th level or higher weapon master uses the Expertise feat with her favored weapon, she gains an extra, stacking dodge bonus equal to half of the penalty she accepts to her attack roll. Thus, a -4 attack penalty yields a total +6 dodge bonus (+4 from the feat, +2 from the ability).
Lightning Strike (Ex): In any round in which she attacks with her favored weapon, a weapon master of at least 7th level may make one additional attack at her highest attack bonus, but that attack and all others she makes during that round suffer a -2 penalty apiece to their attack rolls. Note that lightning strike is not limited to full attack actions; thus the weapon master may move and still attack twice, or attack twice during a surprise round. If a weapon master has other, similar, abilities, such as the monk's ability to perform a flurry of blows, she may not use both lightning strike and one of those abilities in the same round.
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