Weapon Master: Class in the works

[ChimericDream]

I'm just beginning work on this, but here's what I've got so far.

Level	BAB	Fort	Ref	Will	Special
1	1	2	0	0	Greater Critical 1/day, Weapon Familiarity
2	2	3	0	0	
3	3	3	1	1	Weapon Familiarity
4	4	4	1	1	Greater Critical 2/day
5	5	4	1	1	Weapon Familiarity
6	6	5	2	2	
7	7	5	2	2	Greater Critical 3/day, Weapon Familiarity
8	8	6	2	2	
9	9	6	3	3	Weapon Familiarity
10	10	7	3	3	Greater Critical 4/day

The idea is that a few times per day, the Weapon Master can, as an immediate action, increase the threat range of any weapon he is wielding. This ability would stack with keen or improved crit. In addition, the weapon familiarity ability would grant the weapon focus and specialization feats for one weapon every two levels.

I'm thinking this is approaching balanced, but I still feel like it's lacking some real "kick". I was originally planning to just use the Weapon Master from Sword & Fist, but it didn't really feel like it fit the name to me, so I started up with the idea of a fighter who can pick up just about any weapon and use it with great skill.

 

[hong]

Well, are you trying to build a WEAPON master (master of one weapon) or a WEAPONS master (master of all weapons)? Be aware that D&D tends to reward specialisation; even if you had bonuses with all sorts of weapons, you're likely to have only 1 (or 2) super-enchanted magic weapon, which you'll do most of your fighting with.

 

[Wik]

Yeah, by default, with his focus on feats, the Fighter already IS a weapon master.

Is this a PrC? Because if it is, it's been done before. Name and all.

As a core class, it could work... if you made it a light armour Class, with some mobility bonuses (sort of like the barbarian or Scout), and instead of bonus feats, they get weapon-focused abilities.

 

[ChimericDream]

Well, are you trying to build a WEAPON master (master of one weapon) or a WEAPONS master (master of all weapons)? Be aware that D&D tends to reward specialisation; even if you had bonuses with all sorts of weapons, you're likely to have only 1 (or 2) super-enchanted magic weapon, which you'll do most of your fighting with.

Sorry if there was some confusion. I want to build a PrC that is a master of many weapons.

Yeah, by default, with his focus on feats, the Fighter already IS a weapon master.

Is this a PrC? Because if it is, it's been done before. Name and all.

As a core class, it could work... if you made it a light armour Class, with some mobility bonuses (sort of like the barbarian or Scout), and instead of bonus feats, they get weapon-focused abilities.

This is a PrC, and if you're referring to the Weapon Master in S&F, note that I mentioned it in the OP. In my opinion, though, it didn't have the right "feel" for what I think a Weapon(s) Master should be. It seemed to be more based around a spiritual feel, being a monk PrC. I wanted something that was more geared towards fighters specifically.

Hope that helps clarify a little. As I said, I'm trying to give this PrC some niche abilities that help define it better. Right now, it's basically a fighter with a 4/day (by 10th level) ability to increase threat range and weapon focus/spec in several weapons. Nothing too special. I'm trying to figure out what that "special" thing is.

 

[DarkKestral]

Sorry if there was some confusion. I want to build a PrC that is a master of many weapons.

This is a PrC, and if you're referring to the Weapon Master in S&F, note that I mentioned it in the OP. In my opinion, though, it didn't have the right "feel" for what I think a Weapon(s) Master should be. It seemed to be more based around a spiritual feel, being a monk PrC. I wanted something that was more geared towards fighters specifically.

Hope that helps clarify a little. As I said, I'm trying to give this PrC some niche abilities that help define it better. Right now, it's basically a fighter with a 4/day (by 10th level) ability to increase threat range and weapon focus/spec in several weapons. Nothing too special. I'm trying to figure out what that "special" thing is.

Why not give them some ability to transfer magical bonuses from one weapon to another? So for them, assuming they have a greatsword, longspear, shortsword, and a bow, they can cannabalize their bonus from one weapon, temporarily, and add it's +X value after all magical abilities are assessed as a bonus to another weapon thus making them capable of switching weapons with greater frequency than the average character. This ability could increase in uses per day, and cap out with the ability to spontaneously gain weapon abilities for a specific number of rounds with this ability, at the cost of some temporary damage to the weapons' bonuses. It would probably need some balancing, (aka a +2 weapon and a +1 weapon can't make a +3 weapon, but a +3 could be cannabalized to make a couple of +2s and maybe a +1) but would certainly give that 'master of many weapons' feel. Additional stuff could be things like "Weapon Flexibility" that would allow them to transfer some weapon-specific feat abilities between a specific, chosen set of weapons that increases at higher levels while counting at all times as having the feat in all of the list.

Beyond that, I'd allow them to eventually get things like a powerful build equivalent for weapon damage that explicitly includes natural attacks and monk attacks as ones affected by this boost, or something else similar in nature. A bonus to AC from attacks made with a weapon you possess "weapon flexibility" with would be nice for the more defensive weapon masters. I might also give them the occasional feat or two, focusing on ones that give new options in combat.

 

[Kerrick]

Here, check out this variant of the Weaponmaster I posted just the other day. I too was dissatisfied with the WM from S&F - I didn't like the ki powers, and some of the other abilities made little sense (course, the splatbooks weren't very well done in the first place...).

 

[wargear]

Have you thought of checking out the version of Weaponmaster from the Star Wars d20? It's probably the best version i've seen.

 

[ChimericDream]

What book is it in?

 

[wargear]

I believe it was one of the prestige classes in the second edition Star Wars d20, released just after Ep 2.

 

[ChimericDream]

I've got the Revised Core Rulebook, but a couple friends have more books. WotC doesn't have a list of prestige classes for SW D20 like they do D&D, so I don't know where to start looking.

While I'm trying to find other sources of alternative information, are there any comments on the class as it stands now? So far, all I've had are suggestions about where to go for pre-built classes, but until I can read all of those, I'm still going with my concept (if I can finish it).