New Advanced Class

[suburbaknght]

My girlfriend and I were discussing how the martial artist is lame for making a weapons oriented martial artist, so I wrote this. Please provide constructive criticism; I will be making changes based on people's responses.

Archaic Weapons Master

The Archaic Weapons Master is a student of any number of martial arts schools emphasizing armed combat. She is driven with one goal in mind: win any fight with any hand to hand weapon available. The training emphasizes swords, staves, and any other melee weapon. Most professional Archaic Weapons Masters are professional martial artists, though some members of law enforcement or military agencies (and several Occult agencies in FX settings) specialize in archaic weapons.

Select this class if you want your character to become a master of melee fighting with a variety of weapons.

The fastest path into this advanced class is from the Strong hero basic class, though other paths are possible.

Requirements
To qualify to become an Archaic Weapons Master, a character must fulfill the following criteria.
· Base Attack Bonus: +3.
· Skill: Knowledge (Tactics) 3 ranks.
· Feats: Archaic Weapons Proficiency, Defensive Martial Arts.

Class Information
The following information pertains to the Archaic Weapons Master advanced class.
Hit Die: 1d8
Action Points: 6 + one-half character level, rounded down, every time the Archaic Weapons Master attains a new level in this class.

Class Skills
The Archaic Weapons Master’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are: Balance (Dex), Climb (Str), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Knowledge (current events, history, popular culture, tactics) (Int), Move Silently (Dex), Perform (dance) (Cha), Profession (Wis), Read/Write Language (none), Sleight of Hand, Speak Language (none), Tumble (Dex).
Skill Points at Each Level: 3 + Int modifier.

Level BAB Fort Ref Will Special Defense Bonus Reputation Bonus
1st +0 +2 +2 +0 Ki Frenzy 1/day +1 +0
2nd +1 +3 +3 +0 Melee Defense +2 +0
3rd +2 +3 +3 +1 Bonus feat +2 +0
4th +3 +4 +4 +1 Ki Frenzy 2/day +3 +0
5th +3 +4 +4 +1 Weapon Group Focus +4 +1
6th +4 +5 +5 +2 Bonus feat +4 +1
7th +5 +5 +5 +2 Improved Critical +5 +1
8th +6 +6 +6 +2 Ki Frenzy 3/day +6 +1
9th +6 +6 +6 +3 Bonus feat +6 +2
10th +7 +7 +7 +3 Archaic Weapon Specialization +7 +2

Class Features
The following features pertain to the Martial Artist advanced class.
Ki Frenzy: The Archaic Weapons Master gains the ability to focus her inner strength in a frenzy of berserk energy. In this frenzied state, she temporarily gains +2 to strength and +2 to Dexterity. Her speed increases by 10 feet, and she can choose to make a flurry of blows with a full attack action in melee, making one extra attack per round while suffering a –2 penalty on every attack (including any attacks of opportunity until his turn next round).
While in a frenzy, an Archaic Weapons Master cannot use skills that require patience or concentration, such as moving silently, casting spells, or manifesting powers. She can use any feat she might have except for Combat Expertise. A frenzy lasts a number of rounds equal to 3 + the Archaic Weapons Master’s Constitution modifier. The Archaic Weapons Master may end prematurely end the frenzy voluntarily. At the end of the frenzy, the Archaic Weapons Master is fatigued (–2 to Strength, –2 to Dexterity, can’t charge or run) for the duration of that encounter. The Archaic Weapons Master can only enter a frenzy once per encounter.
Entering a frenzy takes no time itself, but the Archaic Weapons Master can only enter it on her action, not in response to someone else’s action.
Melee Defense: Starting at 2nd level, the bonus an Archaic Weapons Master gains from Defensive Martial Arts increases by +1 for a total of +2, whenever she has a drawn melee weapon and is not flatfooted.
Bonus Feats: At 3rd, 6th, and 9th level, the Archaic Weapons Master gets a bonus feat. The bonus feat must be selected from the following list, and the Archaic Weapons Master must meet all the prerequisites of the feat to select it.
Advanced Two-Weapon Fighting, Agile Riposte, Armour Proficiency (Light, Medium, Heavy), Combat Reflexes, Dodge, Elusive Target, Exotic Melee Weapon Proficiency, Improved Two-Weapon Fighting, Two-Weapon Fighting, Unbalance Opponent, Weapon Finesse, Weapon Focus.
Weapon Group Focus: At 5th level, an Archaic Weapons Master may choose a category of archaic weapons. Examples include swords (i.e. longswords, katanas), axes (i.e. hatchets, battleaxes), bludgeoning (i.e. maces, staves, clubs), small arms (i.e. knives, daggers), and polearms (i.e. spears, halberds). The Archaic Weapons Master gains Weapon Focus for every weapon within the group she is proficient with. Any exotic weapons have their penalties reduced by 2 and if the Archaic Weapons Master ever becomes proficient with that weapon she automatically gains weapon Focus.
New groups and what group a weapon falls into is at the GMs discretion.
Improved Critical: At 7th level, an Archaic Weapons Master chooses a category of Archaic Weapons. Every Weapon within this group has its critical threat ranged doubled.
Archaic Weapon Specialization: At 10th level, an Archaic Weapons Master chooses a category of Archaic Weapons. Every Weapon within this group does an additional two points of damage.

 

[jerichothebard]

Archaic Weapons Master

Here are a few thoughts, based mostly on a comparison with the other advanced classes:

Why Knowledge (tactics)? MA's have Jump, which at least is a skill with concrete applications - I would suggest maybe balance instead. When fighting with a sword or other bladed weapon, balance is your supreme concern.

A martial arts-based class without Listen and Spot as class skills? So much for that 'zen awareness' thing most masters have going...

Ki frenzy at first level seems a bit overpowered, considering that the MA doesn't gain the flurry of blows (which is only part of ki frenzy) until 7th...


I am a little concerned about the idea of giving them the ability to focus/specialize/improved critical in whole GROUPS of weapons - in each of those cases, the related feat in question applies only to one weapon (longsword OR katana, for example)... so you are in effect giving them a bunch of feats at a time.

You state your goal as having a class that is "a master of melee fighting with a variety of weapons." - which makes it different from the Gunslinger and the Soldier, both of whom specialize in one weapon. So, I would suggest something more like this:

Weapons Aptitude: At third level, the penalty for using an weapon without the proper weapon proficiency is reduced by 2, to -2. This only applies to objects that are actually considered weapons, not to improvised weapons.

Improvised Weapons : At sixth level, you gain the ability to treat any object as a simple melee weapon using the stats listed here. Determine the size of the object or weapon and use the following chart.

Size | Damage | Threat | Crit | Reach
Tiny | 1d2 | 20 | x2 | as object
Small | 1d4 | 20 | x2 | as object
Medium | 1d6 | 20 | x2 | as object
Large | 1d8 | 20 | x2 | as object
Huge | 1d10 | 20 | x2 | as object

If the DM determines that there is no way the object in question could do regular damage it instead deals subdual damage. Additionally any object used as a weapon via this feat can deal subdual damage at the usual penalty.

Weapons Mastery: At tenth level, the archaic weapons master gains the ability to use any melee weapon as though they were proficient in it, without penalty.

You might also consider making the above at lower class levels than I listed and adding in one that gives them the ability to do extra damage at the cost of an action point. See the gunslinger's Bullseye for an example, but also note that that is with one specific weapon, and at tenth level. Maybe something more like adding an extra 1d4 or 1d6 to the damage, or even 2d4. (3d6 seems a bit much, since this would apply to every weapon.)

Or give them the ability to crit on a 19-20 with ANYTHING.

This gives them a lot of difference from the soldier, which is still the class I would take to specialize in ONE melee weapon.




Also, what's with the mediocre BAB progression? This is a fighting class.

Bonus feats: I would suggest adding Improved Disarm, the whole Power attack chain, and quick draw. I might even suggest removing the Weapon Focus and Improved Critical feats, and weapon finesse, since those are all weapon-specific.




Hope this helps

jericho

 

[jerichothebard]

Re: Re: New Advanced Class

Another thing I just noticed is that the Infiltrator gets a class feature known as Improvised Implements, which allows them to wield an improvised weapon without the -4 penalty. And they get it at second level.

 

[Morgenstern]

We've got a class for this sort of thing (and some new feats) for Spycraft going up as a free web-supliment in the next week or so. Once it's up, I'll drag a copy over here. The systems aren't identical (If you wanted to use the Edgemaster as writen you'd need to add a reputation bonus column and probably rebalance the saves a little lower), but you can easily canabalize the class for some ideas on class abilities .

 

[Pbartender]

Out of curiosity, why not just use (or adjust) the Soldier Advanced Class?

Allow the character to take a Weapon Proficiency other than Personal Firearms (archaic or exotic) for the Pre-requisite, and maybe alter the bonus feats list to gear it a little more toward melee combat than ranged.

Jericho covered it pretty thoroughly... Your class, as it stands, is much, much more powerful than any of the other AClasses.