D&D 3E/3.5 Advanced Classes (for DnD 3.5)

[Technik4]

Some prcs are intuitive and you wouldn't want to restrict someone from going for because its just a common archtype or a natural progression for a character to take. The point of this post is to try and make a couple advanced classes (meaning there isn't anything "prestigous" about these) that fill some nice niche concepts. I'll start with Archer and add more later.

Prerequisites:
BAB: +3
Feats: Dodge, Martial Weapon Proficiency (Shortbow, Longbow, Composite Shortbow, or Composite Longbow), Weapon Focus (Shortbow, Longbow, Composite Shortbow, or Composite Longbow)
Skills: Concentration 3 ranks

Archer
HD: d8
BAB: as Rogue
Skills: (4 + Int) / level
Skill List: Balance, Climb, Concentration, Craft, Hide, Listen, Move Silently, Profession, Sleight of Hand, Spot, Survival.
Saves: Good Reflex, Poor Fortitude and Will

Archery Training: Archers take their shots carefully and usually consider their bow their primary weapon - all feats and abilities gained are usable only with bows and cannot be used while wearing any armor with an Armor Check Penalty greater than -2. An Archer does not gain any new armor or weapon proficiencies.

Archer Attack Bonus +1: At first and fifth level Archers gain a point of Attack Bonus that works like Base Attack Bonus but only applies when using Bows. This attack bonus will not count for gaining prestige classes or for feats with high Base Attack Bonus requirements but it stacks with Base Attack Bonuses.

The Outer Ring: At second level Archers gain the Point-Blank Shot and Precise Shot feats.

The Inner Ring: At third level Archers gain the Rapid Shot and Far Shot feats.

Center Ring: At fifth level Archers gain the Manyshot and Imrpoved Critical feats.

[Essentially for 5 levels you get 6 feats, but the feats are restricted by armor and weapon type. You get less hp than a fighter (and it delays any fighter-only feats like Spec, GWF, GWS), better skills (but a better list), and the same BAB (albeit you are giving up 2 points of BAB on weapons besides Bows). You get more hp than a rogue, far less skill points (on a smaller skill list), an increased attack bonus (when using bows), but it delays rogue-only abilities like Sneak Attack, Uncanny Dodge, etc. For other characters the trade-offs are more obvious.]



Technik

Edited: Added 2 sp/level, Added Archery Attack Bonus, added small commentary.

 

[Li Shenron]

I seriously disagree about granting free Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot, Far Shot and Rapid Shot. The reason is not balance, but rather the following considerations.

Characters who enter the Archer advanced class are probably focusing in archery since the start, but will get those feats at least at character levels 5th and 7th. This is bad because they basically have to choose between

1) waiting four levels without PBS and Precise Shot, and six levels without Rapid Shot and Far Shot, which is a very unlikely choice for an archery-type

2) get some of those feats as regular feats, effectively wasting the bonus feats later

Some players will choose 1) and will be basically metagaming - which is not nice - just not to waste any bonus. Other players will choose 2) maybe just because they hadn't though before they were going to take the Archer class later, and will be left with the feeling that they made a mistake.

In general, I think specific bonus feats (not just bonus feats which can be chosen from a pool of feats, like the Fighter's) should be given exactly at the minimum level where they could be taken as regular feats, or at most one level later (you can notice this has been done for the Ranger's bonus feats). This helps, although there is always the chance that someone takes the class much later than it was supposed to be taken (like a multiclassed ranger).

To cut it short, I suggest you not to give specific feats which the character might want to already have, but instead let them choose among a small pool of bonus feats. As an example, the archer could choose those bonus feats at between any bow-oriented feat (must still meet the prerequisites):

Point Blank Shot
Far Shot
Precise Shot
Rapid Shot
Manyshot
Improved PS
Mounted Archery
Shot on the Run
Improved Critical (any bow)
Exotic Weapon Prof (any bow)
Weapon Focus (any bow)
Greater WF (any bow)
Weapon Specialization (any bow)
Greater WS (any bow)