Blademaster (5-level PrC)

[Sammael]

A player in my campaign is soon going to finish his progression as a Complete Warrior kensai (he is currently rgr 1/ftr 4/kensai 8), and asked me if I could find a 5-level PrC for him to play until (if?) he hits the epic levels. After thorough research, I discovered that I couldn't find anything in WotC books - and I own a whole bunch of them. Before turning to 3rd party books, I checked the net and found a number of blademaster classes; however, most of them focus on the unarmored, light-weapon-wielding characters, whereas my player's character is clad in mithral full plate and wields a bastard sword.

When all else fails, turn to creativity, I guess. Here's the class I cooked up for him, and I'd like to hear at least a few opinions on whether it is balanced or not. I borrowed some elements from the PrCs I found on the net, and some from the 3.0 version of weaponmaster (found in Sword and Fist).

Note that I use the weapon groups rule variant in my campaign. Wherever I refer to "heavy blades," it pretty much means "any weapon from the following group: bastard sword, falchion, fullblade, greatsword, khopesh, longsword, or saber." Tactics is also a new skill, but it doesn't have any significance in relation to the class, so feel free to ignore it.

BLADEMASTER

Hit Die: d10

Requirements
To qualify to become a blademaster, a character must fulfill all of the following criteria.
Base attack bonus: +8
Feats: Cleave, Combat Expertise, Improved Critical (heavy blades), Power Attack, Weapon Focus (heavy blades)
Special: Must have defeated a worthy opponent (of at least equal HD/levels) in single combat, using a heavy blade as a weapon.

Class Skills:
The blademaster’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Craft (Int), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Ride (Dex), Sense Motive (Wis), and Tactics (Wis).
Skill Points at Each Level: 2 + Int Modifier.

Level	BAB	Fort	Ref	Will	Special
1	+1	+0	+2	+0	Masterful parry, restrained strike
2	+2	+0	+3	+0	Critical strike 1/day, deflect maneuver
3	+3	+1	+3	+1	Blade rush
4	+4	+1	+4	+1	Critical strike 2/day
5	+5	+1	+4	+1	Devastating strike, grand master of blades

CLASS FEATURES
Blademaster levels stack with fighter levels (if any) for the purpose of determining whether the character is qualified to take Greater Weapon Focus, Greater Weapon Specialization, or Weapon Specialization as feats. The character must have at least one level of fighter to partake in this benefit, and he may only apply those feats to the heavy blades weapon group.
The blademaster is not restricted in the use of other weapons in any way, but all listed class features apply only when the blademaster is wielding a heavy blade (bastard sword, falchion, fullblade, greatsword, khopesh, longsword, or saber).
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Blademasters do not gain any additional weapon or armor proficiencies.
Masterful Parry (Ex): Blademasters are intimately familiar with various fighting styles associated with the heavy blades weapon group. Against an opponent wielding a heavy blade, the blademaster gains a dodge bonus to AC equal to his class level.
Restrained Strike (Ex): As a renowned swordsman, the blademaster often has to train novice warriors in the use of blades. Because he needs to teach his lessons without killing or injuring trainees, he learns how to control his blade better and divert his deadly blows to leave nothing but bruises. The blademaster can choose to deal nonlethal damage with every strike he makes without taking the usual -4 penalty on the attack roll.
Critical Strike (Ex): A blademaster’s accuracy is legendary. At 2nd level, he may declare any successful attack to be a critical threat, or any critical threat to be an automatic critical hit, once per day. He gains an additional use of this ability at 4th level.
Deflect Maneuver (Ex): A blademaster regards his blade as a natural extension of his body. Beginning at 2nd level, the blademaster gains a +2 bonus against disarm and sunder attacks, or +4 against an opponent wielding a heavy blade.
Blade Rush (Ex): The blademaster can make his opponents move back under the power of his mighty blows. Every time a blademaster makes a successful strike, he may initiate a bull rush (as if he had used the bull rush special attack). Unlike a regular bull rush, initiating a blade rush does not provoke an attack of opportunity. If the blademaster moves with the opponent, this counts against his normal movement for the round.
Devastating Strike (Ex): The blademaster can focus his skill to maximize his blade’s damage once per round, but at a cost of defense. After making a successful attack roll (but before rolling for damage), the blademaster can declare a devastating strike. Instead of rolling for weapon damage, he inflicts maximum base damage for his blade type. For example, a longsword-wielding blademaster would inflict 8 points of base damage, while a blademaster with a fulblade would inflict 16 points of damage. Only the weapon’s base damage is maximized.
After using the devastating strike, the blademaster suffers a penalty to Armor Class until his next turn, as he regains composure after the mighty blow. The penalty depends on the weapon’s base damage die: 1d8 or 2d4 (-2); 1d10 (-3); 1d12 or 2d6 (-4); 2d8 (-5).
Grand Master of Blades (Ex): By 5th level, the blademaster’s skill is widely recognized. He may add his class level as a bonus on all Diplomacy and Intimidate rolls. Additionally, if he has the Leadership feat, he may add his class level as a bonus to his leadership score.

 

[whydirt]

These abilities seem rather bland and a little too powerful for my tastes, especially if the character already has maxed out the Kensai class. I also don't like the ability to take the Weapon Specialization, GWF, and GWS feats: it steals the only unique ability of the fighter class.

If it were me, I'd just turn one or two of the abilities listed above into high-level combat feats and make the character take 5 more levels of fighter until he can take Epic Kensai. This solution also allows the character to take Greater Weapon Focus (Heavy Blades) in the meantime as well.

Is there a particular reason the character wants another Prestige Class and can't just take levels in fighter or another base class? My preference is to only allow multiple Prestige Classes in very special cases, but maybe in your game things work differently.

To give you some ideas to work from: how does this Blademaster class fit into your campaign world? How are they different from characters who are only Kensai or Fighters? Why does this character want to gain another set of unique and powerful skills that few others have access to?

 

[Goolpsy]

If you have the some of extra materials to 3.0 such as 'sword and fist' or 'master of the wild' you will see that your critical strike is there too (kind of)
It seems overpowered to allow a critical threat to be an automatic critical.
instead make it as:

Critical Strike:
Any time you hit a target you can decleare the hit to be a critical threat, you still have to roll for confirm. At level 2 this ability is usable once per day, and twice on level 4.

 

[Felnar]

why isnt "weapon specialization(heavy blades)" a entry requirement?

my guess is because you made the PrC for this specific PC character,
and not for a general character

i like the masterful parry and restrained strike abilities

here's my critical strike variant:
once per day as a free action, before the attack roll is made, the blademaster can extend his critical threat range to 1-20 for one heavy blade attack.
i think you should have to declare the special attack before the roll is made

- Felnar

 

[Bront]

I agree that auto-confirming is rough.

A more interesting mechanic might be to allow the character to add his class level as a compitence bonus to hit on a critical confirm. Scales, not too powerfull, and at worst, they get an extra 25% to confirm at 5th level.

I think You're heavy on feat requirements. ONLY a fighter can qualify for this class before 10th level (earlest any other human can, 13th for all other players). It should be broader, even if it does favor the fighter. +8 BAB favors them enough. Make it Weapon Focus, Improved Crit, Combat Expertise (Know your blade, be accurate with it, and know some of the inner workings of combat beyond just the blade). This lets any combat char (BAB 1/1) get into it at 9th level IF they select the right feats, and lets other characters get in with a little work.

Instead of simply stating that their fighter levels and these levels stack for weapon specialization, grant the feat specificaly at 4th level (Especialy if you tweek the critical thing), and if they have it, give them greater (Obviously with a blade weapon). This isn't much different, but it does mean they can't use their blademaster level to give them access to specialization: Mace.

Blade rush bugs me a bit. Perhaps because it feels like it should require Improved Bull Rush or something. Seems too powerful. Perhaps allowing it INSTEAD of an attack (meaning they could do it as part of a full round attack action).

 

[John Q. Mayhem]

Maybe Blade Rush could be modeled on Awesome Blow:

AWESOME BLOW [GENERAL, FIGHTER]
Prerequisites: Str 25, Power Attack, Improved Bull Rush, size Large or larger.
Benefit: As a standard action, the creature may choose to subtract 4 from its melee attack roll and deliver an awesome blow. If the creature hits a corporeal opponent smaller than itself with an awesome blow, its opponent must succeed on a Reflex save (DC = damage dealt) or be knocked flying 10 feet in a direction of the attacking creature’s choice and fall prone. The attacking creature can only push the opponent in a straight line, and the opponent can’t move closer to the attacking creature than the square it started in. If an obstacle prevents the completion of the opponent’s move, the opponent and the obstacle each take 1d6 points of damage, and the opponent stops in the space adjacent to the obstacle.

 

[Sammael]

These abilities seem rather bland and a little too powerful for my tastes, especially if the character already has maxed out the Kensai class. I also don't like the ability to take the Weapon Specialization, GWF, and GWS feats: it steals the only unique ability of the fighter class.

I have never seen a character with more than 8 levels of fighter, which means that GWS is a wasted feat IMC. I certainly know that I wouldn't pursue the class for more than 4 levels. If you have any ideas for abilities that'd make the class less bland, please post them. I am not really concerned about the power level, as I feel the kensai class is more powerful than the one I proposed here, and I already allowed the PC to take it.

If it were me, I'd just turn one or two of the abilities listed above into high-level combat feats and make the character take 5 more levels of fighter until he can take Epic Kensai.

Well, if a DM "made" me take levels in any class, I'd walk out of that game; I have no reason not to apply this standard to any games I run.

This solution also allows the character to take Greater Weapon Focus (Heavy Blades) in the meantime as well.

By the level when it can be taken, GWF is such a minor benefit that I included the ability more for flavor than anything else. I'll consider removing it at any rate.

Is there a particular reason the character wants another Prestige Class and can't just take levels in fighter or another base class? My preference is to only allow multiple Prestige Classes in very special cases, but maybe in your game things work differently.

I did not ask the player for a reason. However, I feel that the power level of the game is such that takling five levels of fighter at the time when all other characters are taking levels in prestige classes that are clearly more powerful than base classes (such as archmage, seeker of the song, divine agent, and so on) would unbalance this character with respect to other PCs. I have no problem whatsoever allowing multiple prestige classes if the players can provide a good roleplaying reason for their characters to have them. One PC is a cleric/divine disciple/divine agent (makes sense with the level of devotion he is showing in roleplay). Another is a fighter/cleric/devoted defender/divine champion of Helm (deity of guardians)

To give you some ideas to work from: how does this Blademaster class fit into your campaign world? How are they different from characters who are only Kensai or Fighters? Why does this character want to gain another set of unique and powerful skills that few others have access to?

While I do enjoy prestige classes that are tied to the campaign world, I also have no problem with prestige classes that are simply codified instances of certain character concepts.

 

[Sammael]

To address the other issues:

The PC in question does have Weapon Specialization. However, I wanted to keep the PrC open to more than just fighters, which is why I did not include it as a prerequisite. On the other hand, it appears as if I overdid the requirements. I'll drop Cleave (at the very least), and that will allow non-fighters to take the class at level 10, only 1 level after fighters. BAB +8 is there because of Improved Critical, which I think makes sense as a prerequisite for the class (as do Power Attack and Combat Expertise, to show that the blademaster has great control over the way he uses his blade).

Based on suggestions, I'll remove the auto-confirm critical. Perhaps I'll give Power Critical (CW) as a bonus feat instead.

Would blade rush be better if it required the character to use the full attack action, and only allowed him to move the opponent 5 ft. in one round?

 

[Bront]

Would blade rush be better if it required the character to use the full attack action, and only allowed him to move the opponent 5 ft. in one round?

Here's another aproach. Make it a knockdown attack, so in addition to doing damage, you get a "free" trip opertunity to knock them down, as if they'd already connected (STR vs STR or DEX). Limit the number of times per day they can do it, or perhaps make it only allowable in some situations (roll max on weapon damage, score a crit threat, actualy crit, ect). Won't push them back (unless you want it to), but otherwise fairly seemless.