The Constitution based Character

[Ahnehnois]

Then there are the full body techniques like gaze attacks and breath attacks where STR and DEX do little.

There's another potential con-based class: dragonfire adept/dragon shaman. Breath weapons.

 

[Minigiant]

There's another potential con-based class: dragonfire adept/dragon shaman. Breath weapons.

I mentioned them in the Original Post. I won't bet money on them as classes at release but maybe as Themes.

Theme: Dragonfire adept.
Feat: Dragonfire. You have 15 foot breath weapon that deals 1d6 points of fire damage at will as a standard action. a successful Dexterity save (DC 10 + 1/2 your class level + your Con modifier) halves the damage.

 

[erleni]

I would like CON to be the main stat for shadow assassin. Martial ones should be those who kill you with a deft knife in the back, while shadow ones should channel the power of death through their bodies and kill you by fear and their mere presence.

 

[ComradeGnull]

A plaguebearer class could be fun- more of a villain role, but rich in Nurgle-y goodness. Different attacks could add conditions or effects to the target- nauseated, dazed, etc., but with the caveat that any time you apply one of these conditions to a target you add a "tick" of disease to yourself and need to Con check to avoid suffering the same effect. Diseases continue to stack, increasing the odds of an eventual fail- meaning that you had the option of pushing yourself if you really needed to take someone out, but it would involve risk. Taking a long rest or magical healing could knock your disease ticker back down either a few steps (for a short rest or healing) or all the way to zero (long rest or major healing spell).

 

[Mattachine]

I would like a "toughguy" version of the fighter that relied on Con/defense/survival more than weapons and offense.

 

[Greg K]

I like the idea of a Con-based class, but at the same time, I don't want to see Constitution used as a direct attack stat. That was one of the things that made early 4E classes feel like "cookie-cutters" to me. Instead, Constitution should act as a power source or limiting factor. Maybe you can channel hellfire to boost your damage, and your Con bonus determines how much you can channel without taking damage yourself; or your Con gives you a reserve of stamina which you spend to power your abilities.

Pretty much this except that I also don't want to see a Con bonus to AC unless it is a mystical ability similar to your channeling suggestion.

 

[Steely_Dan]

I do like Con as a base, but are we talking about using the Con modifier for melee and ranged weapon attacks?

And it looks like Con will not be used for casting spells.

I would Incarnum to make a come back.

 

[Bluenose]

I do like Con as a base, but are we talking about using the Con modifier for melee and ranged weapon attacks?

For melee attacks, why not? One of the three classic boxing 'styles' is based on sustaining a high rate of throwing punches, which is extremely energy intensive; and there are also armed combat styles which emphasise a high rate of attack, escrima for example. That would suggest Con would be the most suitable stat.

 

[ComradeGnull]

For melee attacks, why not? One of the three classic boxing 'styles' is based on sustaining a high rate of throwing punches, which is extremely energy intensive; and there are also armed combat styles which emphasise a high rate of attack, escrima for example. That would suggest Con would be the most suitable stat.

That's an interesting idea- one thing that is lacking in the combat system for any edition of D&D (or form most games I've ever seen) is the notion of how tiring being in hand-to-hand combat is, particularly if you've not trained for it. There is no way, for instance, to run a fight using Mohammed Ali's rope-a-dope strategy- even if the attacker swings at you for 100 rounds without landing a telling blow, they never get any worse at attacking you.

I could imagine a Con-based martial class that took on something like a Defender/meat shield role. Their abilities would do little or no damage, but force the opponent to make increasingly difficult Con checks or acquire a stacking penalty to their defense. Then, after setting them up for multiple rounds, the guy sucking up the attacks round after round gets an attack with a substantial bonus to attack or crit. You end up with a fighter-type who operates by giving opponents a lot of opportunities to land attacks (he would need some mechanism to soak some hits, or just high HP) before setting them up for a devastating blow.

 

[Greg K]

For melee attacks, why not? One of the three classic boxing 'styles' is based on sustaining a high rate of throwing punches, which is extremely energy intensive; and there are also armed combat styles which emphasise a high rate of attack, escrima for example. That would suggest Con would be the most suitable stat.

For myself, because I see it more of a reason to
a) add a fatigue mechanism and/or
b) a Flurry of Blows or Rain of Steel feat that anyone can access with Con as a prerequisite.