Polearm Veteran Class

[Temujin]

I was originally waffling between this being a prestige class or a real class, but eventually I wound up with too many abilities to make it a playable prestige class. Any feedback would be much appreciated. I haven't play-tested it yet, so any help before it goes to the table would be most welcome. Enjoy!


Polearm Veteran

Abilities: Strength, Constitution and Dexterity are vital for the Polearm Veteran's Surge of Strength, Hard Push, Adrenal Surge and Last Man Standing Abilities. Intelligence helps fill out the Polearm Veterans skill list, and Charisma helps with Intimidation.

Alignment: Any. Lawful characters naturally fall in to the order of the army and are more willing to participate in group tactics, but any that are willing can become polearm veterans.

Hit Dice: d8.

Class Skills: The Polearm Veteran's Class skills (and key ability for each) are Balance (Dex), Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Heal (wis), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Knowledge (geography), Listen (wis), Profession (wis), Spot (wis) and Swim (Str).

Skill Pts at 1st level: (4 + int) x4.
Skill Pts at later levels: 4 + int.

Level BAB....................Fort Ref Will....................Abilities
1........+0....................+2 +0 +2..........Pike Wall (stability), Weapon Focus, Surge of Strength (+2)
2........+1....................+3 +0 +3..........Pike Wall (thread the needle), Form Up
3........+2....................+3 +1 +3..........Unsettling Strike, Hard Push
4........+3....................+4 +1 +4..........Diehard, Surge of Strength (+4)
5........+3....................+4 +1 +4..........Pike Wall (difficult terrain), Quickened Recovery
6........+4....................+5 +2 +5..........Will of Self
7........+5....................+5 +2 +5..........Adrenal Surge
8........+6/+1................+6 +2 +6..........Pike Wall (halt), Gate Thrust 1/day
9........+6/+1................+6 +3 +6..........Last Man Standing
10.......+7/+2................+7 +3 +7..........Soldiering On, Pike Wall (brother's guard)
11.......+8/+3................+7 +3 +7..........Pin the Wisp
12.......+9/+4................+8 +4 +8..........Gate Thrust 2/day, Veteran's Cage
13.......+9/+4................+8 +4 +8..........Pin the Unseen
14.......+10/+5..............+9 +4 +9
15.......+11/+6/+1.........+9 +5 +9..........Pin the Arcane, Veteran's Grasp
16.......+12/+7/+2.........+10 +5 +10..........Gate Thrust 3/day
17.......+12/+7/+2.........+10 +5 +10..........Never Stand Alone
18.......+13/+8/+3.........+11 +6 +11..........Veteran's Grip
19.......+14/+9/+4.........+11 +6 +11
20.......+15/+10/+5.......+12 +6 +12..........Veteran's Vise, Gate Thrust 4/day, Pin the Dark One

Weapon and Armor Proficiencies: Polearm Veterans are proficient in all simple and martial weapons and medium and light armors but not heavy armor or shields.

Weapon Focus (Ex.): At 1st level you gain weapon focus. This weapon focus must be taken with a polearm that has reach.

Pike Wall (Ex.): You gain bonuses when adjacent to at least 2 others wielding polearms or in certain conditions, such as While in corridors, or such places that you are directly blocked on either side. You must have been next to your allies for 1 round (or in conditions previously mentioned for 1 rnd) OR have used the form up ability to become adjacent to them before these abilities set in. If you move more than 5 ft. at a time, you lose these benefits for a round.

Stability: At 1st level You gain a +2 to resist attempts to be bull rushed or tripped, and +2 morale bonus to Will saves and saves against fear due to feelings of safety due to your situation.

Thread the Needle: At 2nd level, as a standard action, You can attack through a space in which an ally stands. This ability only applies to your Weapon Focus weapon, and can be used OVER the normal reach range of your polearm (10 ft) up to 15 ft. If you do go beyond your range, you do not threaten this space and take a -2 to the attack roll -2 AC penalty due to the fact that your are off balance and have to reach to make the hit.

Difficult Terrain: At 5th level, you are a stable rock in a chaotic battle. Enemies treat spaces you threaten as difficult terrain.

Halt Travel: At 8th level, you are able to protect your allies better. You may give up an attack of opportunity to halt a foes movement.

Brother's Guard: At 10th level you gain the light fortification ability while in a pike wall. This is due to the experience you have gained in battle and the trust you place in other polearm users.

Form up (Ex.): At 2nd level, you may make a free 5 foot step as a swift action in order to bring you adjacent to an ally wielding a pike. If this is not on your turn, it provokes an attack of opportunity. This action is only usable in Medium or lighter armor.

Surge of Strength (Ex.): At 1st level, as a swift action you can give yourself a temporary + 2 bonus to your Strength score for the rest of your turn by taking 3 points of temporary Strength damage. At 4th level, this raises to +4 bonus to your Strength by taking 5 pts of ability damage (mandatory). This damage sets in at the end of your turn. This ability may be used a number of times per day equal to your (undamaged) Constitution Score.

Diehard (Ex.): At 4th level you are considered to have Diehard as a bonus feat. You gain this benefit even if you don't have the prerequisites for it. If you already have it, you gain a feat chosen from the list of fighter bonus feat.

Quickened Recovery (Ex.): Upon Reaching 5th level, you recover ability damage to your physical scores (STR, DEX, CON) at a rate of 1 plus your (undamaged) Constitution bonus per day rather than the normal rate.

Unsettling Strike (Ex.): At 3rd level, as a standard action you may make a free check to demoralize a foe within 30 ft. who can see you after a successful attack. If the attack kills the creature, you gain +4 to this roll against this foe. If the attack was done through a gate, you gain a +2 bonus to this roll. These bonuses stack. This is a mind-effecting ability.

Hard Push (Ex.): You can give yourself an extra push during battle at the cost of your body. At 6th level, As an swift action, You may surpass the limit to your AoO for a round by taking 3 ability points of temporary damage to your Constitution. This ability may be used a number of times per day equal to 1 + your (undamaged) Constitution modifier.

Adrenal Surge (Ex.): At 7th level, you can push your body past the brink and willfully create an adrenal surge inside your body. As an immediate action, you may take 3 points of temporary Strength damage to make an extra move action that turn for the express purpose of moving, or gain a +3 bonus to you single next reflex save that turn. This temporary damage sets in at the end of your turn, and this ability may be used a number of times per day equal to 1 + your (undamaged) Constitution modifier.

Will of Self (Ex.): At 6th level, your body is used to taking punishment from being pushed past the brink. You gain a +4 your physical ability scores for the purpose of determining how often you can use your Surge of Strength, Adrenal Surge, Hard Push and Last man Standing abilities.

Gate Thrust (Sp.): 1/day you may open up a dimension door within 40' for a single thrust of your weapon. Make an attack roll as normal on any target within 40 feet. The target is denied their Dex bonus for the purpose of this attack. This is usable an additional time per day at 15th level, and 3/day at 20th level.

Last Man Standing (Ex.): Starting at 9th level, Once per week less your constitution modifier (so 5 days for someone with a 14 Constitution), you can force yourself to survive incredible punishment. For the rest of the encounter, you can take additional negative damage equal to your class level plus your constitution bonus. For example, a 9th level Polearm Veteran with a Con of 14 could last until -21 damage before he dies. After this effect ends, you stabilize at -9 hp and You take 1 point of temporary Dexterity and Strength ability damage for every point of damage that dips into this abilities damage pool (so if you are take damage to reduce you to -15, you take 5 points of dexterity damage and 5 points of temporary Strength damage). If you play with the rules where negative damage before death is already equal to your class level, consider adding this on top of that damage.

Soldiering On (Ex.): At 10th level, you have endured the rigors of soldiering for so long, your body adapts. You are now immune to fatigue, and the Diehard feat applies to nonlethal damage for the purpose of determining when you fall unconscious. If last man standing is active, it also counts towards non-lethal damage for determining when you fall unconscious. Also, when using the abilities Surge of Strength, Hard Push, Adrenal Surge or Last Man Standing, you may now choose any of your physical scores to reduce instead of the one mentioned in the text.

Pin the Wisp (Sp.): While wielding your Weapon Focus chosen polearm, it counts as having the Ghost Touch ability. This stacks with other "Pin the..." abilities.

Veteran's Cage (Ex.): A foe that falls prone in any square you threaten must make a opposed check to get up as well as provoking an AoO normally. The DC is equal to your BAB plus your Dexterity modifier. He may 'crawl' out of that square, provoking an AoO to rise normally.

Veteran's Grasp (Ex.): A foe that falls prone in a square you threaten takes a -4 to their will checks and morale checks against fear for every size category larger than them you are. The DC for rising from a prone position increases by 2, and you may choose to have the DC now equal to the number of ranks in Intimidate plus your Charisma modifier, instead of BAB + Dexterity modifier. Whichever you choose must be used for the rest of the encounter.

Pin the Unseen (Sp.): While wielding your Weapon Focus chosen polearm, you get a +4 atk rolls to hit creatures you can't see. This applies to invisible creatures, or when fighting in conditions which hamper your vision (such as magical darkness). Also, you may make an attack roll against 2 squares when trying to determine the position of an invisible foe. This stacks with other "Pin the..." abilities.

Pin the Arcane (Sp.): While wielding your Weapon Focus chosen polearm, casters cannot cast defensively and any caster hit with this weapon has their spell resistance reduced by 10 until your next turn. This stacks with other "Pin the..." abilities.

Never Stand Alone (Ex.): At 17th level, you gain the abilities of a pike wall even when alone.

Veteran's Grip (Ex.): A foe that falls prone in any square you threaten can only take move actions and must make a will check (DC 15 + your Dexterity Modifier) to use any action that would provoke an Attack of Opportunity.

Veteran's Vise (Ex.): A foe who is prone in a square you threaten and fails their DC roll for Veteran's Cage is considered helpless towards you while there.

Pin the Dark One (Sp.): Your weapon bypasses the defenses of Outsiders with no trouble. Ignore up to 5 DR and Resistances of an Outsider. In addition, any fast healing of an outsider hit is halted until your next turn. This stacks with other "Pin the..." abilities.

 

[the Jester]

I'm getting ready for work right now, so this is just a first impression... but:

1. Why isn't this class d10 HD, full BAB?? It seems like this class is a front line fighter; it ought to have these two features, imho.

2. Halt Travel is too strong, imho; it basically means that enemies without reach cannot ever melee with a polearm veteran.

3. Several of these abilities seem extraneous to the concept. For example, what does wielding a polearm have to do with recovering ability damage?

4. Some of the (sp) and (su) abilities seem more suited to a prestige class than a base class. I guess if you're visualizing this class as a mystic polearm guy... I dunno, gate thrust and so on just seem a little over the top.

 

[TheLe]

I have no problems with the BAB, but you really need to give him an attack bonus somewhere. That being said, here are my thoughts:

Pike Wall (Ex.): You gain bonuses when adjacent to at least 2 others wielding polearms or in certain conditions, such as While in corridors, or such places that you are directly blocked on either side. You must have been next to your allies for 1 round (or in conditions previously mentioned for 1 rnd) OR have used the form up ability to become adjacent to them before these abilities set in. If you move more than 5 ft. at a time, you lose these benefits for a round.

Interesting, but what exactly are the bonuses? Also, I think this ability can easily be used in the wide open, where 3 polearm warriors form a 3-man pike wall to stop a charging knight on a horse or something like that.

Thread the Needle: At 2nd level, as a standard action, You can attack through a space in which an ally stands. This ability only applies to your Weapon Focus weapon, and can be used OVER the normal reach range of your polearm (10 ft) up to 15 ft. If you do go beyond your range, you do not threaten this space and take a -2 to the attack roll -2 AC penalty due to the fact that your are off balance and have to reach to make the hit.

Nice. But why would you take an AC penalty? Or are you suggesting that the attacker gets an AC penalty for the rest of the round? Also, would the ally be idanger? How about adding "if you fail your attack roll by 5 or more, you must make a reflex check (DC 10) -- if this check fails, you accidentally hit your ally instead.

Halt Travel: At 8th level, you are able to protect your allies better. You may give up an attack of opportunity to halt a foes movement.

This is tricky and should not be guaranteed. And it is worded badly. Perhaps you should "give up an attack of opportunity, and make an attack against a opposing foe. This attack does no damage, but will stop a foe from moving". It should also specify how many times he can do it per turn.

Brother's Guard: At 10th level you gain the light fortification ability while in a pike wall. This is due to the experience you have gained in battle and the trust you place in other polearm users.

This makes little sense. A pike wall is used to stop opponents and deal damage to them. "Light Fortification" provides a 25% chance of changing the enemy's critical hit into a normal hit. I think this should be reworded or removed.

Surge of Strength (Ex.): At 1st level, as a swift action you can give yourself a temporary + 2 bonus to your Strength score for the rest of your turn by taking 3 points of temporary Strength damage. At 4th level, this raises to +4 bonus to your Strength by taking 5 pts of ability damage (mandatory). This damage sets in at the end of your turn. This ability may be used a number of times per day equal to your (undamaged) Constitution Score.

I am not a fan of this as it feels very "Barbarian-like". I don't think it fits with a pole-arm user.

Quickened Recovery (Ex.): Upon Reaching 5th level, you recover ability damage to your physical scores (STR, DEX, CON) at a rate of 1 plus your (undamaged) Constitution bonus per day rather than the normal rate.

Why would a Pole-Arm wielder get this?

Unsettling Strike (Ex.): At 3rd level, as a standard action you may make a free check to demoralize a foe within 30 ft. who can see you after a successful attack. If the attack kills the creature, you gain +4 to this roll against this foe. If the attack was done through a gate, you gain a +2 bonus to this roll. These bonuses stack. This is a mind-effecting ability.

Interesting, but confusing. What kind of free check are you making?

Hard Push (Ex.): You can give yourself an extra push during battle at the cost of your body. At 6th level, As an swift action, You may surpass the limit to your AoO for a round by taking 3 ability points of temporary damage to your Constitution. This ability may be used a number of times per day equal to 1 + your (undamaged) Constitution modifier.

Too costly to be worth it.

Adrenal Surge (Ex.): At 7th level, you can push your body past the brink and willfully create an adrenal surge inside your body. As an immediate action, you may take 3 points of temporary Strength damage to make an extra move action that turn for the express purpose of moving, or gain a +3 bonus to you single next reflex save that turn. This temporary damage sets in at the end of your turn, and this ability may be used a number of times per day equal to 1 + your (undamaged) Constitution modifier.

Too costly to be worth it.

Will of Self (Ex.): At 6th level, your body is used to taking punishment from being pushed past the brink. You gain a +4 your physical ability scores for the purpose of determining how often you can use your Surge of Strength, Adrenal Surge, Hard Push and Last man Standing abilities.

Note that this ability is granted at level 6, but the Last Man Standing ability is granted at level 9. I'd just remove it completely. You can always reword it in each ability.

Last Man Standing (Ex.): Starting at 9th level, Once per week less your constitution modifier (so 5 days for someone with a 14 Constitution), you can force yourself to survive incredible punishment. For the rest of the encounter, you can take additional negative damage equal to your class level plus your constitution bonus. For example, a 9th level Polearm Veteran with a Con of 14 could last until -21 damage before he dies. After this effect ends, you stabilize at -9 hp and You take 1 point of temporary Dexterity and Strength ability damage for every point of damage that dips into this abilities damage pool (so if you are take damage to reduce you to -15, you take 5 points of dexterity damage and 5 points of temporary Strength damage). If you play with the rules where negative damage before death is already equal to your class level, consider adding this on top of that damage.

I see where you are going with this, but its a bit complicated. I'd just say "once per week (max of once per encounter)", then grant it one additional time per week later. OVerall I think this needs rewording.

Veteran's Cage (Ex.): A foe that falls prone in any square you threaten must make a opposed check to get up as well as provoking an AoO normally. The DC is equal to your BAB plus your Dexterity modifier. He may 'crawl' out of that square, provoking an AoO to rise normally.

Something about this sounds like it could be abusive. I could be wrong.

Veteran's Grasp (Ex.): A foe that falls prone in a square you threaten takes a -4 to their will checks and morale checks against fear for every size category larger than them you are. The DC for rising from a prone position increases by 2, and you may choose to have the DC now equal to the number of ranks in Intimidate plus your Charisma modifier, instead of BAB + Dexterity modifier. Whichever you choose must be used for the rest of the encounter.

This makes little sense too. Why would a pole arm wielder generate fear effects against opponents who fall next to them?

Pin the Unseen (Sp.): While wielding your Weapon Focus chosen polearm, you get a +4 atk rolls to hit creatures you can't see. This applies to invisible creatures, or when fighting in conditions which hamper your vision (such as magical darkness). Also, you may make an attack roll against 2 squares when trying to determine the position of an invisible foe. This stacks with other "Pin the..." abilities.

Not sure about this. Even if you hit, the invisible creature still gets a 50% chance to avoid the attack. and Why excatly would he get the ability to hit an invisible creature better, rather than a visible creature? I would remove this ability altogether and give him something like: "Polearm Smite (Su): Three times per day you may attempt this smite with one normal melee attack, gaing a +4 bonus to your attack roll".

Pin the Arcane (Sp.): While wielding your Weapon Focus chosen polearm, casters cannot cast defensively and any caster hit with this weapon has their spell resistance reduced by 10 until your next turn. This stacks with other "Pin the..." abilities.

Casters cannot cast defensively at all while you are wielding your polearm? Can you be more specific?


Anywho, overall I think you have far too many abilities that require AOO or the enemy falling prone into an adjacent square. I think this severely limits the class.

`Le