Lord_Psathus
First Post
Well, like many before me, I am about to reveal my take on how the fighter could be fixed, or at least be modeled to fit his protective role.
So, without hestiation, here is my take on the fighter!
The Fighter
Feats: A fighter gains access to a feat at 1st level and every even numbered level thereafter. A fighter may select any feat, not 'fighter bonus feats'.
Scaling Abilities: The fighter gains the benefits of two scaling abilities throughout their career. These abilities scale usually about every 5 levels.
They are:
Bulwark of Resilience: The fighter is incredibly adept at shrugging off devastating or well-placed blows, and can even completely negate them.
5th-9th: The Fighter gains a 25% chance to resist critical hits and sneak attacks.
10th-14th: The Fighter gains a 50% chance to resist critical hits and sneak attacks.
15th-19th: The Fighter gains a 75% chance to resist critical hits and sneak attacks.
20th: The Fighter gains a 100% chance to resist critical hits and sneak attacks.
Iron Skin: The fighter's medium or heavy armor worn feels almost like a second skin to them, and in fact functions as one.
1st-4th: +1 natural bonus to armor class while wearing medium or heavier armor. (Mithral does not decrease it's original value as heavier armor, thus Mithral Breastplate still functions in this case)
5th-9th: +2 natural bonus to armor class while wearing medium or heavier armor.
10th-14th: +3 natural bonus to armor class while wearing medium or heavier armor.
15th-19th: +4 natural bonus to armor class while wearing medium or heavier armor.
20th: +5 natural bonus to armor class while wearing medium or heavier armor.
Features
Weaponsmaster: Beginning at 1st level, the Fighter is capable of performing a five-minute ritual at any time, where they may practice with a weapon they are wielding. The weapon wielded, after this small period of training, becomes the focus of any feats you may possess which require you to select a specific weapon to specialize in.
Example: If you once had Weapon Specialization: Greatsword and practiced with a longsword for 5 minutes, you now have Weapon Specialization: Longsword in it's place.
Lightning Reflexes, Iron Will: Beginning at 3rd level, the Fighter gains Lightning Reflexes and Iron Will as bonus feats. In addition to this, whenever the fighter is affected by any mental compulsion effects, they are allowed an additional save at the beginning of their turn each round.
Uncanny Dodge: At 4th level, ass the Barbarian.
Mettle: Beginning at 5th level, the Fighter can resist magical and unusual attacks with great willpower or fortitude. If he makes a successful Will or Fortitude save against an attack that normally would have a lesser effect on a successful save (such as any spell with a saving throw entry of Will half or Fortitude partial), he instead completely negates the effect. An unconscious or sleeping Fighter does not gain the benefit of mettle.
Safeguard: Beginning at 6th level, all squares you threaten become difficult terrain so long as you are conscious. Because of this, foes cannot free-five-feet away from you.
Metal Skin: Beginning at 7th level, the fighter no longer suffers penalties to speed while wearing armor. In addition, any armor worn by the fighter has it's armor check penalty lessened by 2, and it's max dexterity bonus increases by two.
Second Wind: Beginning at 8th level, the fighter may catch their breath as a swift action, once per day, regaining their fading vitality in a sudden, desperate surge to fell his foes. The fighter heals for half their maximum hit points and instantly has any mental effects harming them dispelled. (Such as confusion or any fear effects)
Uncontested Combatant: Beginning at 9th level, the fighter gains a +4 bonus on grapple, trip and disarm checks, along with +4 to oppose them.
Weapon Clarity: Beginning at 10th level, as long as the fighter holds their weapon, the weapon is treated as adamantine. In addition, sunder and disarm attempts against the fighter's weapon have a 50% chance of missing, only fighters of higher level than the fighter are capable of disarming or sundering them without the miss chance.
Swift Strike: Beginning at 11th level, as a swift action, the fighter may make a melee attack at their highest base attack bonus.
Warpath: Beginning at 12th level, as an immediate action, once per encounter per 5 fighter levels you possess, you may retaliate against a foe who tries to harm an ally adjacent to you. If a foe attacks an ally adjacent to you with a melee attack, you may force them to instead to target you with the blow.
The attack they make against you is an immediate hit, you must announce your use of this ability when a foe has been declared to be attacking an ally.
Once you have suffered the forced damage, you get a free retalitory strike against your foe at your highest base attack bonus.
Distracting Strikes: Beginning at 13th level, all foes within melee range of you who do not choose to strike you but instead one of your allies suffer a -5 penalty to attack rolls, as your blows force them into awkward positions in which they will have a hard time striking anyone but yourself.
This effect does not stack with other fighters with Distracting Strikes, as the combined effort of your distraction makes the decision boil down to either you or the other fighter.
Spelleater Defensive: Beginning at 14th level, the Fighter is much more capable of fighting off arcane energies than ever before, even to a point where they can supernaturally consume the magical effect.
The fighter gains a +2 bonus to saving throws vs. all spells and gains the benefits of evasion against them as well. A Fighter who saves against a spell, instead of taking any secondary effects negates all negative effects it may have even upon a successful save, and instead heals them for 1 point of damage per spell level of the spell.
The healing effects of this ability may not be used to consume spells with the (harmless) descriptor in them.
Brutal Guardian: Beginning at 15th level, you gain the Combat Reflexes feat as a bonus feat. If you already had it, you gain an additional two attacks of opportunity each round (in addition to those you gained from combat reflexes).
Any foes in melee reach of you who make a melee attack against anyone but you provoke an attack of opportunity. (Your reach is considered 5 feet greater than it normally is in these situations)
Like Distracting Strikes, two fighters working together with these abilities simply provoke if their foes attack anyone but those with this ability.
Improved Uncanny Dodge: Beginning at 16th level, the fighter gains the benefits of Improved Uncanny Dodge.
Improved Mettle: Beginning at 17th level, the fighter gains the benefits of 'Improved Mettle'. Whenever the fighter is forced to make a fortitude or will save, even on a failed saving throw, they only suffer negative effects as though they had saved against it.
The fighter still negates any fortitude or will effects that they save against.
Jarring Blows: Beginning at 18th level, the Fighter's capabilities with their weapon have grown to such an extent that their strikes can deal an intensive amount of damage.
The fighter now adds half their base attack bonus to melee damage rolls.
Survivor: Beginning at 19th level, the Fighter can go beyond his physical limits and cheat death of another victim. At any point, if the fighter would be killed, they may, as an immediate action, heal for half their hit points.
This ability can be used once per day.
In addition, the fighter is constantly immune to Death Effects.
Master of Battle: Beginning at 20th level, the fighter commands the battlefield, and his mere presence is enough to make foes within 2 Hit Die of him think twice before testing his mettle, and are immediately shaken. (So long as they have an intelligence)
Iterative attacks a fighter makes are now at a successive -3 penalty instead of a -5 penalty, and as such their base attack progression is: 20/17/14/11 instead of 20/15/10/5.
Once per encounter, the fighter may, as a full-round action, unleash a violent flurry of blows with his weapon, essentially following up each and every strike with another one. The fighter makes a normal melee attack. If it hits, he makes another at a -2 penalty, if it hits he makes another at a -4 penalty, and if it hits he makes another at a -6 penalty, so on and so on.
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Whew, well, that's it.
Personally, I think that it may be a little on the overpowered side (not 100% sure, it may still be adequate) but I believe it gives the fighter the ability to be the tank he has strived to be for so long.
Well, I'll be going now, let me know what you think!
-Lord Psathus
So, without hestiation, here is my take on the fighter!
The Fighter
Feats: A fighter gains access to a feat at 1st level and every even numbered level thereafter. A fighter may select any feat, not 'fighter bonus feats'.
Scaling Abilities: The fighter gains the benefits of two scaling abilities throughout their career. These abilities scale usually about every 5 levels.
They are:
Bulwark of Resilience: The fighter is incredibly adept at shrugging off devastating or well-placed blows, and can even completely negate them.
5th-9th: The Fighter gains a 25% chance to resist critical hits and sneak attacks.
10th-14th: The Fighter gains a 50% chance to resist critical hits and sneak attacks.
15th-19th: The Fighter gains a 75% chance to resist critical hits and sneak attacks.
20th: The Fighter gains a 100% chance to resist critical hits and sneak attacks.
Iron Skin: The fighter's medium or heavy armor worn feels almost like a second skin to them, and in fact functions as one.
1st-4th: +1 natural bonus to armor class while wearing medium or heavier armor. (Mithral does not decrease it's original value as heavier armor, thus Mithral Breastplate still functions in this case)
5th-9th: +2 natural bonus to armor class while wearing medium or heavier armor.
10th-14th: +3 natural bonus to armor class while wearing medium or heavier armor.
15th-19th: +4 natural bonus to armor class while wearing medium or heavier armor.
20th: +5 natural bonus to armor class while wearing medium or heavier armor.
Features
Weaponsmaster: Beginning at 1st level, the Fighter is capable of performing a five-minute ritual at any time, where they may practice with a weapon they are wielding. The weapon wielded, after this small period of training, becomes the focus of any feats you may possess which require you to select a specific weapon to specialize in.
Example: If you once had Weapon Specialization: Greatsword and practiced with a longsword for 5 minutes, you now have Weapon Specialization: Longsword in it's place.
Lightning Reflexes, Iron Will: Beginning at 3rd level, the Fighter gains Lightning Reflexes and Iron Will as bonus feats. In addition to this, whenever the fighter is affected by any mental compulsion effects, they are allowed an additional save at the beginning of their turn each round.
Uncanny Dodge: At 4th level, ass the Barbarian.
Mettle: Beginning at 5th level, the Fighter can resist magical and unusual attacks with great willpower or fortitude. If he makes a successful Will or Fortitude save against an attack that normally would have a lesser effect on a successful save (such as any spell with a saving throw entry of Will half or Fortitude partial), he instead completely negates the effect. An unconscious or sleeping Fighter does not gain the benefit of mettle.
Safeguard: Beginning at 6th level, all squares you threaten become difficult terrain so long as you are conscious. Because of this, foes cannot free-five-feet away from you.
Metal Skin: Beginning at 7th level, the fighter no longer suffers penalties to speed while wearing armor. In addition, any armor worn by the fighter has it's armor check penalty lessened by 2, and it's max dexterity bonus increases by two.
Second Wind: Beginning at 8th level, the fighter may catch their breath as a swift action, once per day, regaining their fading vitality in a sudden, desperate surge to fell his foes. The fighter heals for half their maximum hit points and instantly has any mental effects harming them dispelled. (Such as confusion or any fear effects)
Uncontested Combatant: Beginning at 9th level, the fighter gains a +4 bonus on grapple, trip and disarm checks, along with +4 to oppose them.
Weapon Clarity: Beginning at 10th level, as long as the fighter holds their weapon, the weapon is treated as adamantine. In addition, sunder and disarm attempts against the fighter's weapon have a 50% chance of missing, only fighters of higher level than the fighter are capable of disarming or sundering them without the miss chance.
Swift Strike: Beginning at 11th level, as a swift action, the fighter may make a melee attack at their highest base attack bonus.
Warpath: Beginning at 12th level, as an immediate action, once per encounter per 5 fighter levels you possess, you may retaliate against a foe who tries to harm an ally adjacent to you. If a foe attacks an ally adjacent to you with a melee attack, you may force them to instead to target you with the blow.
The attack they make against you is an immediate hit, you must announce your use of this ability when a foe has been declared to be attacking an ally.
Once you have suffered the forced damage, you get a free retalitory strike against your foe at your highest base attack bonus.
Distracting Strikes: Beginning at 13th level, all foes within melee range of you who do not choose to strike you but instead one of your allies suffer a -5 penalty to attack rolls, as your blows force them into awkward positions in which they will have a hard time striking anyone but yourself.
This effect does not stack with other fighters with Distracting Strikes, as the combined effort of your distraction makes the decision boil down to either you or the other fighter.
Spelleater Defensive: Beginning at 14th level, the Fighter is much more capable of fighting off arcane energies than ever before, even to a point where they can supernaturally consume the magical effect.
The fighter gains a +2 bonus to saving throws vs. all spells and gains the benefits of evasion against them as well. A Fighter who saves against a spell, instead of taking any secondary effects negates all negative effects it may have even upon a successful save, and instead heals them for 1 point of damage per spell level of the spell.
The healing effects of this ability may not be used to consume spells with the (harmless) descriptor in them.
Brutal Guardian: Beginning at 15th level, you gain the Combat Reflexes feat as a bonus feat. If you already had it, you gain an additional two attacks of opportunity each round (in addition to those you gained from combat reflexes).
Any foes in melee reach of you who make a melee attack against anyone but you provoke an attack of opportunity. (Your reach is considered 5 feet greater than it normally is in these situations)
Like Distracting Strikes, two fighters working together with these abilities simply provoke if their foes attack anyone but those with this ability.
Improved Uncanny Dodge: Beginning at 16th level, the fighter gains the benefits of Improved Uncanny Dodge.
Improved Mettle: Beginning at 17th level, the fighter gains the benefits of 'Improved Mettle'. Whenever the fighter is forced to make a fortitude or will save, even on a failed saving throw, they only suffer negative effects as though they had saved against it.
The fighter still negates any fortitude or will effects that they save against.
Jarring Blows: Beginning at 18th level, the Fighter's capabilities with their weapon have grown to such an extent that their strikes can deal an intensive amount of damage.
The fighter now adds half their base attack bonus to melee damage rolls.
Survivor: Beginning at 19th level, the Fighter can go beyond his physical limits and cheat death of another victim. At any point, if the fighter would be killed, they may, as an immediate action, heal for half their hit points.
This ability can be used once per day.
In addition, the fighter is constantly immune to Death Effects.
Master of Battle: Beginning at 20th level, the fighter commands the battlefield, and his mere presence is enough to make foes within 2 Hit Die of him think twice before testing his mettle, and are immediately shaken. (So long as they have an intelligence)
Iterative attacks a fighter makes are now at a successive -3 penalty instead of a -5 penalty, and as such their base attack progression is: 20/17/14/11 instead of 20/15/10/5.
Once per encounter, the fighter may, as a full-round action, unleash a violent flurry of blows with his weapon, essentially following up each and every strike with another one. The fighter makes a normal melee attack. If it hits, he makes another at a -2 penalty, if it hits he makes another at a -4 penalty, and if it hits he makes another at a -6 penalty, so on and so on.
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Whew, well, that's it.
Personally, I think that it may be a little on the overpowered side (not 100% sure, it may still be adequate) but I believe it gives the fighter the ability to be the tank he has strived to be for so long.
Well, I'll be going now, let me know what you think!
-Lord Psathus
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