Aurelian Slayer, Variant Fighter
The Slayer, Variant Fighter
It takes special tenacity, bravado, and grim determination to become a slayer, so these are the least common sorts of fighter. Unlike the basic fighter, a slayer is highly focused in the art of killing, recklessly forsaking personal defense for the sake of maximum offensive power. Slayers learn only minimal tactics for self-preservation, and believe the greatest defense is an overwhelming offense.
While not quite as tenacious and vicious as barbarians, slayers still possess a killer instinct well beyond that of most fighters. Slayers pursue the quickest path to victory, often driven to hunt down their enemies by a ruthless bloodlust or a deep-seated drive for revenge. Many are outright insane with deadly obsessions, but some are just very grim avengers, crusaders, or bounty hunters. Most slayers are driven by their deadly instincts, choosing a lifestyle and goals that suit their violent nature. With great skill, determination, and luck, a slayer destroys his enemies in a relentless flurry of blood and steel.
Races: Slayers are typically found among firagi, githyanki, githrani, draegi, thri-kreen, giantkin, wang-liang, sahuagin, and tasloi fighters. They are actually fairly common among firagi, wang-liangs, and sahuagin, as far as fighters go, but the skills and mentality of a slayer are rare among most other races. The humans, dwarves, orcs, half-orcs, githmarri, bugbears, rokuro-kubi, ogres, merrow, and tengu become slayers on occasion, but not nearly so often as firagi, githyanki, or their ilk. A rare few githzerai become slayers, to more effectively destroy their race's hated foes as part of a rrakkma.
Other Classes: A slayer tends to be fairly grim or mentally unstable, so he or she is often a lone warrior. However, slayers are most likely to work alongside fellow warriors in firagi, githyanki, githrani, draegi, thri-kreen, sahuagin, and githzerai forces. Tasloi, orc, half-orc, and rokuro-kubi slayers are as likely as not to work in groups. Other slayers tend to fight alone or with other misfits, rather than join a hunting party or military unit.
Game Rule Information
Slayers have the following game statistics.
Abilities: Strength is especially important for slayers because it improves their melee attack and damage rolls. Constitution is important for giving slayers lots of hit points, which they’ll need in their many battles. Dexterity is important for slayers who want to be good archers or who want access to certain Dexterity-oriented feats, but the medium armor slayers often wear tends to reduce the benefits of a high Dexterity score. Also, many slayers focus on melee combat, in which Dexterity is less important. Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma are slightly helpful for a slayer, since they affect some of the slayer’s class skills, but aren’t particularly important in combat, so a good score in any of them is only marginally beneficial.
Alignment: Any.
Hit Die: d6.
Class Skills
The slayer’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Gather Information (Cha), Handle Animal (Cha), Hide (Dex), Iaijutsu Focus (Cha), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Knowledge (all creature lore skills, taken individually) (Int), Knowledge (geography) (Int), Knowledge (war) (Int), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Ride (Dex), Search (Int), Sense Motive (Wis), Spot (Wis), Swim (Str), Use Rope (Dex), and Wilderness Lore (Wis).
Skill Points at 1st Level: (6 + Int modifier) x 4.
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 6 + Int modifier.
Class Features
All of the following are class features of the slayer.
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Weapon and Armor Proficiency: The slayer is proficient in the use of light and medium armors, and with shields. In addition, the slayer is proficient in the use of up to ten weapons of your choice. These weapons may be simple, martial, or exotic, or any mix of those types. However, each martial weapon you choose counts as two weapons for these purposes, and each exotic weapon you choose counts as three weapons for these purposes, since it takes more time and training to learn the use of a martial or exotic weapon. At least one weapon chosen in this manner must be a simple weapon.
Bonus Feats: At 1st-level, the slayer gets a bonus feat. The slayer gains an additional bonus feat at 4th-level, and another every three levels in the class beyond that, such as 7th, 10th, 13th, 16th, and 19th-level. These bonus feats must be drawn from the following list:
Ambidexterity, Blind-Fight (Close-Proximity Blindsight), Combat Reflexes (Dual Strike, Flail Flenser), Dodge** (Armor Familiarity*, Mobility, Spring Attack), Eyes in the Back of Your Head, Exotic Weapon Proficiency*, Expertise (Chink in the Armor, Improved Disarm, Improved Overrun, Improved Trip, Knock-Down, Whirlwind Attack), Favored Weapon, Improved Critical* (Power Critical*), Improved Initiative (Death Blow), Mounted Combat (Mounted Archery, Ride-By Attack, Spirited Charge, Trample), Point Blank Shot (Far Shot, Manyshot, Precise Shot, Rapid Shot, Sharp-Shooting, Shot on the Run, Siegemaster), Power Attack (Cleave, Great Cleave, Improved Bull Rush, Improved Power Attack, Improved Sunder, Knock-Back, Power Lunge, Sunder, Supreme Cleave), Rapid Reload, Quick Draw (Knife Gouger), Two-Weapon Fighting (Greater Two-Weapon Fighting, Improved Two-Weapon Fighting, Pin Shield, Stinging Bombardier, Superior Two-Weapon Fighting), Weapon Finesse* (Deadly Impaler, Light Fencer), Weapon Focus* (Ace Javelineer, Adept Musketeer, Bone-Shattering Slinger, Champion Jouster, Expert Arbalestier, Fierce Hatchetman, Focused Archer, Gauntlet Gladiator, Great Swordsman, Heavy-Hander, High Marksman, Keen Lancer, Monkey Grip*, Nimble Aggressor, Pulverizer, Scouring Bladesman, Scything Scourge, Stavemaster, Vexing Pikeman, Weapon Expertise*, Weapon Specialization*, Whiplasher), Zen Archery.
Some of the bonus feats available to a slayer cannot be acquired until the slayer has gained one or more prerequisite feats; these feats are listed parenthetically after the prerequisite feat. A slayer can select feats marked with an asterisk (*) more than once, but it must be for a different weapon or armor each time. Any feats marked with two asterisks (**) may be selected multiple times by the slayer, and their effects stack. A slayer must still meet all prerequisites for a feat, including ability score and base attack bonus minimums, and level prerequisites such as for Weapon Specialization.
Special Feats: Slayers gain access to a small number of feats which are exclusive to the fighter class and a few others. These feats may be taken as slayer bonus feats, or chosen as feats from normal character level progression. The slayer gains access to the Armor Familiarity and Weapon Specialization feats once he or she is 4th-level or higher in this class, and the Weapon Expertise feat at 8th-level in this class. The slayer does not gain these feats for free, he or she merely acquires the capacity to select them at those levels onward. Each of these feats has prerequisites that must be met normally.
Lucky Strike: Slayers of 2nd-level and higher have a knack for seeing opportune moments to strike a foe's weakpoint. Once per day, they may declare one of their normal hits against a foe to instead be a critical hit, before rolling damage. No threat confirmation roll is needed, and the slayer does not need to roll within their threat range for this declared critical. With any Lucky Strike, the slayer may re-roll any damage dice that come up a natural 1 or natural 2, if desired (except on a d1 or d2 roll). The stricken enemy must be vulnerable to critical hits, or else Lucky Strike cannot be used; effects that have a chance of negating critical hits do not prevent the use of Lucky Strike (such as an opponent with magic armor of Light Fortification). Lucky Strike may be used one more time per day for every 9 additional levels acquired in this class.
Toughness: A slayer gains the Toughness feat for free at 3rd-level as a free bonus feat, in addition to his other bonus feats. The slayer gains another free Toughness bonus feat for every twelve additional levels in this class.
Mighty Strike: At 5th-level, the slayer learns how to strike most efficiently with his weapon. He henceforth doubles his effective Strength modifier, if positive, for purposes of determining any Strength bonuses to damage with weapons, unarmed strikes, natural weapons, and grapple checks. This includes any extra effects, such as feats, that provide a Strength-based damage bonus on such attacks.
Threatening Defense: Slayers of 6th-level or higher may attempt to fend off attacks by flailing about with their own weaponry in a dangerous, unpredictable frenzy. This requires using the fighting defensively action, and requires forgoing all attacks of opportunity for the round. In exchange, the slayer receives an additional +2 dodge bonus to Armor Class from the fighting defensively action. If the slayer would normally be allowed multiple attacks of opportunity each round, then he or she receives another +2 dodge bonus in this manner.
The extra +2 or +4 dodge bonus from Threatening Defense only applies against attacks with weapons, natural weapons, and unarmed strikes, as well as melee touch attacks to initiate a grapple or trip attempt. It also applies against any disarm attempts by opponents, and any attempts by opponents to strike the slayer's held or carried equipment.
Furthermore, if any melee attack with a weapon hits the slayer himself or herself, then the slayer receives a free disarm attempt against that weapon. This disarm attempt does not provoke attacks of opportunity, and if it fails, the opponent does not receive a chance to disarm the slayer. Also, the slayer's attack penalty from using the fighting defensively action does not apply against these disarm attempts. Threatening Defense functions only if the slayer is wielding at least one melee weapon, of a size category equal to or larger than the slayer's own size category.
Sweep: Experienced slayers are powerful enough with their weapons to deliver wide, sweeping attacks that harm or drive back multiple foes. A slayer gains this capacity at 8th-level, and using Sweep is a special full-attack action that cannot be combined with other special full-attack actions. Slayers also cannot fight defensively on the same round they use Sweep. In order to use Sweep, the slayer must be wielding a weapon two-handed, and that weapon must be at least equal in size category to the slayer. He or she cannot attack with other weapons during the same full-attack action.
When a Sweep is performed, the slayer forgoes his or her iterative attacks from their Base Attack Bonus, executing only the first attack from their full-attack action. This attack strikes at up to four enemies, each of which must be adjacent to another and within the slayer's melee reach. The slayer makes a single attack roll with Sweep, and that attack roll is opposed by each target's AC, separately. The attack roll for Sweep receives an extra +1 bonus if the slayer's Base Attack is +11 or higher, and another +1 bonus if his or her Base Attack is +16 or higher.
Creatures stricken by the Sweep attack are subject to a free trip attempt as part of the Sweep (with no melee touch attack required), and the slayer makes a single Strength check for this trip attempt, opposed by each stricken creature's Strength or Dexterity check separately. The slayer gains a +1 bonus on his Strength check if his or her Base Attack is +11 or higher, and another +1 bonus if the slayer's Base Attack is +16 or higher. The trip attempt does not provoke attacks of opportunity, and if it fails to trip an opponent, that opponent does not receive a chance to trip the slayer. Any additional attacks the slayer may receive this round, besides his or her normal iterative attacks (which the Sweep replaces), are entirely separate from the Sweep attack.
Crack Shot: Slayers of 9th-level or higher know how to anticipate some enemy movements and strike from a distance with more accuracy. Once per round, the slayer may treat one opponent in line of sight and within 100 feet as though denied a Dexterity bonus to AC against his or her next ranged attack in that round. Crack Shot does not apply against opponents who are using total defense actions or who have a +5 or higher AC bonus from Combat Expertise, Superior Expertise, or fighting defensively.
Precision Strike: At 12th-level, the slayer learns the best ways to strike with his weapon in order to have the greatest chances of inflicting maximum damage. Henceforth, the threat range of any weapon he uses, including unarmed strikes and natural weapons, is increased by 1, as long as he is using the weapon. This stacks with other abilities that increase the threat range of a weapon, but is counted separately; thus, a 12th-level slayer using a weapon with the Keen special ability would gain the separate benefits of that special ability and this one; likewise with the Improved Critical feat and other such abilities.
Grind Down: Slayers of 14th-level or higher know how to weaken an opponent's armor, shield, or natural armor while they fight. Each time a slayer's melee attack misses an opponent due to that foe's armor, shield, or natural armor bonuses to AC, there's a chance the slayer's attack will crack, loosen, thin, shift, or otherwise weaken the foe's physical defense. Other types of AC bonus, such as deflection bonuses, are unaffected.
Grind Down only functions when the slayer is using a melee weapon. Grind Down cannot affect AC from spells, psionic powers, magical force effects, psionic force effects, spell-like abilities, supernatural abilities, magic items, or psionic items, except for magical or psionic armor and shields of physical composition (not composed of energy). In order to affect magical or psionic armor and shields, the slayer's weapon must have an enhancement bonus equal to or greater than that of the armor or shield to be affected.
Any time that Grind Down would apply, there is a 75% chance that it will succeed in grinding down the opponent's defenses, reducing that foe's armor bonus to AC, shield bonus to AC, or natural armor bonus to AC, by 1 point. Each time a piece of armor or shield loses AC to the slayer's Grind Down ability, that armor or shield takes 1 damage and loses 1 point of hardness. Shields are ground down first, until the shield bonus to AC (excluding enhancements) is +1; shields that have a base AC bonus of +1 or lower cannot be ground down.
Armor is ground down second, until the armor bonus to AC (excluding enhancements) is +2; armors that have a base AC bonus of +2 or lower cannot be ground down. Natural armor is ground down last, until the natural armor bonus to AC (excluding enhancements) is down to one-half normal, rounded down; a base natural armor bonus of +1 or lower cannot be ground down. AC bonuses ground down by this ability can be restored over time. Natural armor heals and mends itself naturally for living creatures at the rate of 1 point per three days. Also, any creature that lost some natural armor to the Grind Down ability has their natural armor restored fully whenever they change shape into a different creature through magical or psionic means.
Other sources of armor, shield, or natural armor bonuses to AC must be repaired. This is the same as repairing damaged armor or shields normally, in the case of armor and shields, but other things must be repaired in a different manner. Each point of AC restored for a shield or piece of armor also restores 1 point of hardness lost to the Grind Down ability, but any hit point damage from Grind Down must be healed or repaired normally. Constructs, magic items, or psionic items must be repaired in the normal fashion for their kind, with each point of lost AC bonus being equivalent to 5 damage (but the lost AC cannot be repaired like damage by other effects, such as
Repair Light Wounds spells).
A
Mending spell or effect can repair nonmagical, nonpsionic items of any ground down AC, if within the spell's limits, but only repairs 1 point of AC each time. A
Make Whole spell or effect can do likewise, even for magical or psionic items, if within the spell's limits, but
Make Whole repairs all AC that was ground down from the item. Nonliving creatures must have their lost AC restored through a
Restoration spell, which may be used for this purpose regardless of its normal limits.
Critical Strike: At 17th-level, the slayer learns how to get the most out of any particularly solid or accurate strikes he makes. Henceforth, the critical multiplier of any weapon he uses, including unarmed strikes and natural weapons, is increased by 1. This stacks with other abilities that improve a weapon’s critical multiplier, but is counted separately, just as with Precision Strike.
Execute: Slayers of 18th-level or higher may finish off enemies with greater ease than less experienced slayers. Execute provides three benefits for the slayer. Firstly, increase the DC of Fortitude saves against massive damage from a slayer's attack, and against coup de grace attempts by the slayer. The increase is equal to 5 + the slayer's Intelligence or Wisdom modifier, whichever is higher. However, other slayers who possess the Execute class feature do not suffer from this DC increase to their own saves.
Secondly, the slayer receives a dodge bonus of +10 to AC, against attacks of opportunity provoked by a coup de grace attempt. This AC bonus does not apply against attacks by other slayers who have the Execute class feature, however. Thirdly, the slayer needs only a standard action to perform a coup de grace attempt, and if the slayer already possesses that capacity, he or she may even attempt a coup de grace against enemies who are dazed or stunned (not just helpless foes).[/sblock]
Code:
[COLOR=Red][U][I][B]The Slayer:[/B][/I][/U][/COLOR]
[COLOR=Blue][B]Class Base Fort. Ref. Will
Level Attack Save Save Save Special[/B][/COLOR]
1 +1 +2 +0 +2 Bonus Feat
2 +2 +3 +0 +3 Lucky Strike 1/day
3 +3 +3 +1 +3 Toughness
4 +4 +4 +1 +4 Bonus Feat
5 +5 +4 +1 +4 Mighty Strike
6 +6/+1 +5 +2 +5 Threatening Defense
7 +7/+2 +5 +2 +5 Bonus Feat
8 +8/+3 +6 +2 +6 Sweep
9 +9/+4 +6 +3 +6 Crack Shot
10 +10/+5 +7 +3 +7 Bonus Feat
11 +11/+6/+1 +7 +3 +7 Lucky Strike 2/day
12 +12/+7/+2 +8 +4 +8 Precision Strike
13 +13/+8/+3 +8 +4 +8 Bonus Feat
14 +14/+9/+4 +9 +4 +9 Grind Down
15 +15/+10/+5 +9 +5 +9 Toughness
16 +16/+11/+6/+1 +10 +5 +10 Bonus Feat
17 +17/+12/+7/+2 +10 +5 +10 Critical Strike
18 +18/+13/+8/+3 +11 +6 +11 Execute
19 +19/+14/+9/+4 +11 +6 +11 Bonus Feat
20 +20/+15/+10/+5 +12 +6 +12 Lucky Strike 3/day
Even if I found a wiki to use that I liked, I wouldn't update it any more frequently than this, since I'd rather not present any half-baked ideas or unbalanced mechanics that I haven't really spent enough time tinkering with beforehand. Though I still need to figure out how to put in code that would direct someone from a link to the proper post on a thread, rather than opening up a separate window containing only that post by itself....
