Noble Core Class

[Bront]

The High DCs were more of a joke. If a single special power available at second level allows you to request an army with warhorses, well it's too powerful.

I did find a mechanism for the favors in Eberron actualy, there's already a feat for it (Favor in House). I might base it on that but make it just a bit more powerful (After all, it is a class ability).

Here's how I'm thinking...

Call in Favors:
A noble may select the ability to call in favors. This can allow the noble to gain access to information he might normally not be allowed to get, gain passage to places he might normally be allowed to go, gain access to equipment or resources without otherwise paying for it, or anything else the DM might find appropriate.
To call in a favor, you make a favor check, with is a D20, + Chr mod + Influence Bonus. The DC of the favor is set by the GM, generaly between 10 and 25. A DC 10 is something fairly simple to fufill (Housing for a night, a small amount of equipment or gold, fairly easy to obtain information), while a DC 25 is quite dificult (Information known only to few in the world, hard to come by equipment, simple requests from an enemy you have a blood feud with). You may request one favor per week per one half your character level (Rounded down). You may not request a favor through the same channels (Contact or organization)

Well Connected
Requires: Call in Favors
You gain a +2 to your favor check. You may select this special ability multiple times, each time granting an additional +2 to your favor check.


I like how this works better, it's a bit ambiguous, but that's fine, it leaves things up to the GM, and it allows a player to play "The man with connections" very well by taking well connected multiple times.

 

[Arkhandus]

I would change the extra class skill ability to grant 2 or 3 extra class skills rather than 1; as-is, it's hardly worthwhile, weaker than a feat, and weaker than the rest of the options. I would give them access to Skill Mastery as one of their options, like a rogue, given that nobles use skills quite a bit. I'm not sure what Call In A Favor mechanics I'd prefer from those presented so far in the thread......hrm.

 

[Nerax]

Call in Favors:
A noble may select the ability to call in favors. This can allow the noble to gain access to information he might normally not be allowed to get, gain passage to places he might normally be allowed to go, gain access to equipment or resources without otherwise paying for it, or anything else the DM might find appropriate.
To call in a favor, you make a favor check, with is a D20, + Chr mod + Influence Bonus. The DC of the favor is set by the GM, generaly between 10 and 25. A DC 10 is something fairly simple to fufill (Housing for a night, a small amount of equipment or gold, fairly easy to obtain information), while a DC 25 is quite dificult (Information known only to few in the world, hard to come by equipment, simple requests from an enemy you have a blood feud with). You may request one favor per week per one half your character level (Rounded down). You may not request a favor through the same channels (Contact or organization)

If anyone has the D20 Star Wars book there is a good example of a Noble class in it. It would only require minor changes to make it fit in to a fantasy setting. I would post some of it but do not want to violate the OGL and forum rules. The above is very close to what the Star Wars core rule book has for the Nobles Favor.

Nerax

 

[Bront]

I would change the extra class skill ability to grant 2 or 3 extra class skills rather than 1; as-is, it's hardly worthwhile, weaker than a feat, and weaker than the rest of the options. I would give them access to Skill Mastery as one of their options, like a rogue, given that nobles use skills quite a bit. I'm not sure what Call In A Favor mechanics I'd prefer from those presented so far in the thread......hrm.

I tweeked the extra class skills to 3 (I'll fix everything later in the main post). I wasn't sure, but I do remember a few skills that allow for extra class skills. Given they have a fairly good selection, it's realy not overly powerful, and it's in place of other feats/class abilities.

Skill Master lets you take a 10 when you normaly can't, and I don't like that mechanic for a noble. I figure that they can take the skill feats taht give bonuses to skills (Skill focus, or the 2 +2 feats). It's not supposed to be a social rogue, but a noble. I did initialy think about it. I could add a special choose 2 skills that gain a +2 compitence bonus that stacks with all other compitence bonuses ability. I see nobles being good at skills, but the take 10 seems a bit too roguish.

Given that there are similar mechanics to how I have posted the most recient favor ability, I think it works fairly well that way. That's what I'm leaning towards.

Edit: I edited the initial post, and marked anything that has changed so far.

 

[MadBlue]

If anyone has the D20 Star Wars book there is a good example of a Noble class in it. It would only require minor changes to make it fit in to a fantasy setting. I would post some of it but do not want to violate the OGL and forum rules. The above is very close to what the Star Wars core rule book has for the Nobles Favor.

It's posted on WotC's SWRPG site HERE. The Noble in the Dragonlance Campaign Setting book is very similar, with a few differences: HD is d8 and Skill Points are 4 per level, and both Reflex and Will Saves are Good, better weapons and armor (given the setting), skills are different, and there's no Resource Access or Bonus Feats. The DL setting was published by WotC for use with D&D 3.5, so it has a kind of official stamp on it (not that that should stop you from coming up with your own, Bront, but it's there on p50-52 of DLCS, if you want to take a look).

MadBlue

 

[Bront]

It's posted on WotC's SWRPG site HERE. The Noble in the Dragonlance Campaign Setting book is very similar, with a few differences: HD is d8 and Skill Points are 4 per level, and both Reflex and Will Saves are Good, better weapons and armor (given the setting), skills are different, and there's no Resource Access or Bonus Feats. The DL setting was published by WotC for use with D&D 3.5, so it has a kind of official stamp on it (not that that should stop you from coming up with your own, Bront, but it's there on p50-52 of DLCS, if you want to take a look).

MadBlue

Thanks for the link, I like the Coordinate ability, and might find a way to work something like it into the character. (Either as a selectable special ability, or perhaps just as a base class ability of some kind)

The DL noble is a bit more campaign specific (Though I would like to check it out, I'll have to try to get my hands on that book to take a peak). I've been trying to make this noble a bit more flexable to allow it to fit into any campaign setting with little to no problem.

 

[MadBlue]

The DL noble is a bit more campaign specific (Though I would like to check it out, I'll have to try to get my hands on that book to take a peak). I've been trying to make this noble a bit more flexable to allow it to fit into any campaign setting with little to no problem.

I don't think it's so much "campaign specific" as it is "generic". It definitely isn't as customizeable as your Noble (or the Star Wars Noble) though. Four Bonus Feats, with a restricted list (like the SW Noble) and/or 6 Skill Points per level would make it more customizeable without being unbalanced (IMHO).

MadBlue

 

[Nifft]

Thanks for the link, I like the Coordinate ability, and might find a way to work something like it into the character. (Either as a selectable special ability, or perhaps just as a base class ability of some kind)

Honestly, it makes more sense in a highly urban setting -- like a Modern or Star Wars campaign -- or even a Sigil or otherwise Planescape-esque campaign.

Coordinate is a good one, though. Consider allowing the bonus to double for Followers (gained via Leadership).

-- N

 

[Bront]

Coordinate is a good one, though. Consider allowing the bonus to double for Followers (gained via Leadership).

-- N

Not sure I follow you on what you mean here. There is a leadership bonus already, you mean having coordinate trickle down to leadership? or use it to help leadership?

 

[Vonlok The Bold]

That is really awesome. I like it a lot. It makes sense, and seems fairly balanced. I might want to change the armor proficiency to any two of the following armor proficiencies: light, med., or heavy armor. I would do that because Nobles were the ones often jousting, and wearing the full plate. There are at least two kings who died while jousting, at least one other noble I know of that was disfigured by a jousting injury. So it makes sense to equip charactes for this kind of activity.