Aviator Core Class

[BlackJaw]

I know the last one we had was based off the Dragonstar one. This one is based off that, but hopefuly as more intersting looking class (pilot or mechanic in Dragonstar is about as entertaining as running an Adept or expert). This one is based off rogues and fighters just as much as the pilot. I've also made sure a handful of powers work in a dungeon as well as in a cockpit. Dodge bonuses transfer to vehicles and sort of fit the hand-eye cordinated character concept, so now they apply "at all times." they are gains at the same time as a monk would get his AC bonuses, although monk bonuses apply all the time and are unamed. dodge ones only work if you are not flat footed, so its not as good. They still stack with everything (the advantage of dodge type modifiers). evasion is in there again because it fits. Aviators get it 1 level after monks or rogues. they have to wait a few more levels for it work with their vehicles. they also have a change to get improved evasion, but it first comes up 2 levels after when a rogue could get it. Most of the bonus feat options directly relate to vessel flight and combat, or at least easily could. A few are aimed at creatures rather then vehicles, as the class is on a whole.
The gunner bonus is interesting. the class gets bonuses at any level the BAB falls behind a fighter... meaning a fighter and aviator have the same attack bonus when using vehicle weapons... althought his does not provide the extra attacks like a true bab would.
The flight tricks are my answer to list of nifty flight tweaks the class could provide (so I don't have to pick one or two... they can pick) and is intended to work like the rogue ability of the same nature. Both improved evasion and Copilot are designed as options for Aviators that spend a lot of time in "standard dungeons." they work in the air just as well as on the ground. I intentionaly didn't want a SKill Mastery option like the rogues get because piloting skill checks are the core the mechanic, and to let them take 10 on all of them is hard to allow... so that's now only for mid to high level rogues to take (and like I said once before, rogues make good pilots.)

Overall I'm happy. They are good in the sky, and just a bit behind a monk or rogue on the ground. They arn't broken good or weak in either, and most importantly they look interesting to play, with special bonuses and powers spread out and bonus feats (less often then fighters get them) etc to make sure they are all trained but rarerly identicle.

Anyway: here are the crunchy chunks with no formating:

Game Rule Information
Aviators have the following game statistics.
Abilities: When piloting, an Aviator passes along his dexterity bonus to his vehicle’s armor class, and its reflex save. It’s also the ability used when making Piloting skill checks, making it the primary score for Aviators. Because of their reliance on skills, aviators also get a boon out of a good Intelligence score.
Alignment: Any
Hit Die: d8

Class Skills
The Aviator’s Class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Bluff (Dex), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Jump (Str), Knowledge [Geography] (Int), Knowledge [Nature] (Int), Pilot [Flight] (Dex), Pilot [Vehicle] (Dex), Profession (Wis), Spot (Wis), Swim (Str), Tumble (Dex), Use Rope (Dex).
Skill Points at 1st Level: (4 +Intelligence modifier) X 4
Skill Points at each additional level: 4 +Intelligence modifier

Starting Equipment: Aviators begin with 5d4 x10 (125gp) funds.

Bab: Rogue like
Saves: Ref good

1)Vehicle Proficiency, Gunner +1
2)Bonus Feat
3)Evasion
4)
5)Gunner +2, +1 Dodge bonus
6)Vehicle Evasion
7)Bonus Feat
8)Intuitive Pilot
9)Gunner +3
10)+2 Dodge Bonus
11)Bonus Feat
12)Flight Trick
13)Gunner +4
14)
15)Bonus Feat, +3 Dodge Bonus
16)Flight Trick
17)Gunner +5
18)
19)Bonus Feat
20)Flight Trick, +4 Dodge Bonus

Class Features:
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Pilots are proficient with all simple weapons and are proficient with light armor, but not with shields.
Vehicle Proficiency: At first level an Aviator gains proficiency with a vehicle class of his choice. Ignore this class feature if the Vehicle Proficiency Feat is not used in your game.
Gunner (Ex): At first level an Aviator gains a +1 bonus to attacks with any Vehicle weapon. This bonus increases again at 4th level and every 4 levels thereafter, eventually reaching +5 at level 17.
Bonus Feats: At second level an aviator gains a bonus feat selected from the following list: Combat Expertise, Combat Reflexes, Dodge, Fly by Attack, Hover, Improved Initiative, Lightning Reflexes, Mobility, Rapid Reload, Run, Skill Focus, Vehicle Control Proficiency, Weapon Finesse, Weapon Focus, and Wingover. The Aviator gains another bonus feat at 7th level and every 4 levels there after.
Note that Hover, Run, and Wingover are useful to flying creatures, not piloted vehicles. The Vehicle Control Proficiency might not be used in your game.
Dodge Bonus (Ex): An Aviator develops a heightened reaction time resulting in a +1 dodge bonus to armor class at 5th level. This bonus increases every 3 levels eventually reaching +4 at 20th level. This dodge bonus stacks with other dodge bonus normally, such as the Dodge, Mobility, & Combat Expertise feats.
Evasion (Ex): An Aviator of 3rd or higher level can avoid even magical and unusual attacks with great agility. If the Aviator makes a successful Reflex saving throw against an attack that normally deals half damage on a successful save (such as a Dragon’s breath or a Fireball), he instead takes no damage. Evasion can be used only if the Aviator is wearing light armor or no armor. A helpless Aviator (such as one who is unconscious or paralyzed) does not gain the benefits of evasion.
Vehicle Evasion (Ex): An aviator of 6th level or higher can extend the benefits of Evasion and Improved Evasion to his vehicle.
Intuitive Pilot (Ex): An Aviator of 8th level of higher suffers only a -2 non-proficiency penalty when piloting a class vehicle he is not proficient with. Note that this class feature is only helpful in games with the Vehicle Proficiency Feat.
Flight Trick (Ex): At level 12 and every 4 levels there after, the Aviator develops a special Flight Trick, selected from the list bellow. Unless otherwise stated, a trick can only be selected once.
Combat Pilot: This trick allows the Aviator to negate an attack directed against his vessel by out flying the attack. Once per round when the Aviator’s vessel is hit, he may attempt a Piloting check (as a reaction) to negate the hit. The hit is negated if the Aviator’s Piloting check result is greater than the opponent’s attack roll.
Greater Intuitive Pilot: The Aviator no longer suffers any non-proficiency penalties when piloting a class of vehicle he is not proficient with. Note that this trick is only helpful in games with the Vehicle Proficiency Feat.
Improved Copilot: The Aviator may attempt to provide a +4 bonus when using the Aid Another option of the core rules by raising the DC to 15 instead of 10. If the check fails, no bonus is provided. This trick can be used with any skill, even those not related to flight.
Improved Evasion: This ability works like Evasion, except that while the Aviator still takes no damage on a successful save, he now only takes half damage on a failed save.
Speed Boost: The Aviator’s flight speed increases by 1 square. This effect personal flight speeds regardless of source, as well as the speed of any vehicle piloted.
Stunt Focus: The Aviator gains a +4 bonus to any Piloting check made to perform a Stunt.
Stunt Mastery: The Aviator may take 10 when performing a specific Stunt, even in combat or dangerous situations. This trick may be selected more then once, and each time it applies to a new Stunt.

 

[Turanil]

Still too weak and far below rogue and monk...

First, let me tell you that I don't like overpowered classes, and I am much careful to balance things when designing a new class, and I have made many (too many in fact).

Currently the class seems much weaker than a rogue, and I don't even mention monks.

I suggest to give 6 skill-points per level (instead of 4), good Will saves in addition to good Reflex saves (as self control is of prime importance to a pilot, especially with weird medieval flying vehicles), and maybe Uncanny dodge which at higher levels can be also applied to the vehicle the aviator pilots.

Also, in a fantasy setting, I think pilots will have mechanical skills as they will be often the most competent at repairing their craft. Maybe suggestions from Dragonstar mechanical class would be good ?

A background description would be cool. It is especially important to describe how pilots do happen in medieval fantasy settings (gnomes and flying inventions ?), and what kind of vehicles they could fly in such settings.

 

[BlackJaw]

New Core Class: The Aviator
Some people were not born to walk, they were born to fly. The minor detail of having legs instead of wings is not enough to stop them. They take to the air through magic and invention. Combat aces, barnstormers, stunt fliers, high paid couriers, and test pilots; Aviators are the elite of pilots. They don’t just fly; they strive to fly higher and faster then anyone else. They aren’t dogfighters, they the aces of air combat. They vary considerably in personality. Some are inflated egos and swaggering, some are reckless and lucky, others are cold and calculating. All are dangerous when in the air.
In some setting this class would be better called an astronaut, cosmonaut, aquanaut, etc depending on the medium of flight. Space/ether/water/etc. The class was not called a pilot because that term is a technical game term for a vessel or vehicle’s controller.
Model: Aviators are uncommon in a Minor Flight Model, because there are few things to pilot. In such a game this class would make a poor PC choice, although it may be useful for NPCs that do fly often, especially monsters with wings, or the rare captain of a magic flying ship.
In Heavy Flight Model games the Aviator is much more common as NPCs and becomes a viable PC class choice, as the players are likely to be in the air regularly enough that the class will have a chance to shine often.
Adventures: Adventuring is a way of life for many Aviators. Their nature is to fly, often to new destinations on a regular basis; everyday a new horizon. Few aviators would be content to constantly take to the air but never fly anywhere. Military Aviators are often transferred between various bases (if they don’t have a mobile “aircraft carrier” base instead) and fronts. Many monsters have flight abilities and are aggressive enough to attack an aviator and his vessel. Everything from Griffons and dragons to winged demons and devils present a danger to those that would use the sky for their own purposes.
Characteristics: The Aviator is most at home in the air. When not in flight only a handful of the class’s powers come into play. No other class is as at home in the sky as the Aviator, and not other class can pilot a vehicle as well as they can. In air combat even fighters have a hard time keeping up with the Aviator. When on the ground an aviator is left much like a rogue, dependent on wits and speed to keep alive. Aviators have no inherent magic abilities or powers to depend on, and many take pride in being the best without need of arcane or divine augmentation.
Alignment: Aviators may be of any alignment. Chaotic Aviators tend to fly by instinct and tend toward the unpredictable type that is always attempting to push the envelope. These character prefer to fly the fastest and latest vehicles, often smaller personal vehicles like fighter crafts. Lawful Aviators tend to fly predictably but with a refined skill and ease that makes their flight nearly perfect and look far simpler then it is. These characters prefer to operate on larger vehicles that require a full crew. They are likely to be a helmsman, but easily be a gunner, or the vehicle’s captain.
Religion: Aviators often worship gods or air, the sky, technology, invention, creativity or just as often no gods at all. Military Aviators are equally likely to worship war gods as air or sky gods. Pilots of especially unreliable crafts, or in routinely dangerous situations are more likely to take up a patron god in hopes of gaining favor and good luck.
Background: Aviators can be of nearly any background, depending on the setting. If flight is common they could have a background as common as crop dusters in a farmland or just as possible they could be the favored son of a noble family who had the right connections to get him into the Imperial Flight Academy. A certain romance is often associated with pilots and flight that could attract anyone.
An Aviator may be driven to constantly be on the move, flying from place to place, as a way to escape some emotional scar in the past. They may be following in their footsteps of fallen hero, family member, or friend. They may enjoy the breaking the laws of gravity and the freedom of flight, especially if other freedoms in their life or land are hard to come by.
Races: Dwarves are rarely at home in the skies, but a few clans that live in the high peaks of the mountains have found air travel useful. Dwarves often prefer larger more stable crafts able to carry large amounts of gear, weapons, armor, and troops. Elves are often excellent aviators thanks to their elvish reflexes. Elves prefer light nimble crafts, some made from still living plants. Elvish living ships are expensive and made like works of art. Elvish noble families treasure them as the heirlooms and priceless works of art they are. Gnome Aviators enjoy the act of overcoming gravity through invention. Gnomes enjoy making non-standard designs, the most successful of which is the Ornithoper, a flying machine with mechanical flapping wings. Half-elves are often wanderers and air travel is an especially intriguing and effective way to wander. Half-elves tend toward human crafts and few elves would entrust one of their favored living ships on a “half breed.” Half-orcs are not the most dexterous or cunning of aviators, and few orc tribes or clans are able to make their own vehicles, but in a Flight Heavy Campaign they may have acquired some through piracy and raiding. More often half-orc aviators are raise in human civilization and turn to flight as a way to prove themselves. Much as a half-orc knight might hide his face in helmet’s visor, a half-orc aviator may hide within his cockpit. Halfling aviators have an inherent grace and luck that often makes them great pilots. Their racial wanderlust gives them a great appreciation for the freedom of flight.
Monstrous aviators are either form a technologically or magically advanced society, posses their technology through raiding and piracy, or of a species that naturally posses the ability to fly.
Other Classes: Aviators can relate well fighter and rogues because they are all dependent on training, skill, and luck. They share a wanderlust that rangers and bards often share, and so often get along well with those classes. Aviators, who are generally dependant on technology, have trouble dealing with druids. And unless the vehicles of the setting are heavily dependant on magic, they may also have trouble relating to wizards, sorcerers, and clerics.
Roles: An Aviator is the designated pilot for a group of adventurers. Be it a beat up old trading ship or a high-powered space fighter, the Aviator can get the most out of it. Depending on the vehicle(s) the available and the frequency of use in a game, the Aviator may style himself an ace dog-fighter, a smuggler, a guide, a stunt pilot, or an explorer. Depending on the feats and skills the Aviator selects any of these options are possible. In many cases a few of these skills and feats are useful outside a vehicle making the aviator something similar to a rogue, bard, or monk in value.
For many characters, multi-classing as a pilot may be a better option. This is especially true for classes that might gain flight on their own, such as spellcaster that can fly via spell, or shape-changing. Rogues with their Dexterity focus and plenty of skills may have the easiest time multi-classing into pilot. Fighters with their common bonus feats can also become great pilots.