Fighter Core Class Variant

[Tony Vargas]

A sort of light/skilled fighter is not that hard to do, though you do have to resort to multiclassing. Mix fighter, ranger and rogue to suit your character concept. I'm currently playing such a character at Fighter6/Ranger1/Rogue1, and he's working out rather well.

Starting feats are pretty broad, and relatively few characters would use /all/ thier starting proficiencies. For instance, the fighter who uses a two-handed weapon doesn't use his shield proficiency - should he be able to trade it in for Focus with his two-handed weapon? A Rogue might choose never to use a Hand Crossbow (exotic weapon proficiency), should he be able to trade it in for Two-Weapon Fighting? A fighter heavily specialized in one weapon might use only a handfull of other weapons - should he trade in all his 'Martial Weapon Proficiency' feats???

It /is/ acceptable to swap out starting feats and class skills... but, when you do, you have to swap them for something of similar value. A fighter shouldn't be swapping Handle Animal for Use Magic Device, for instance, nor Heavy Armor proficiency for Point Blank Shot. Dropping Handle Animal for Proffession, OTOH, or Heavy Armor Proficiency for Dodge, might be reasonable.

 

[Outergod]

A sort of light/skilled fighter is not that hard to do, though you do have to resort to multiclassing. Mix fighter, ranger and rogue to suit your character concept. I'm currently playing such a character at Fighter6/Ranger1/Rogue1, and he's working out rather well.

Starting feats are pretty broad, and relatively few characters would use /all/ thier starting proficiencies. For instance, the fighter who uses a two-handed weapon doesn't use his shield proficiency - should he be able to trade it in for Focus with his two-handed weapon? A Rogue might choose never to use a Hand Crossbow (exotic weapon proficiency), should he be able to trade it in for Two-Weapon Fighting? A fighter heavily specialized in one weapon might use only a handfull of other weapons - should he trade in all his 'Martial Weapon Proficiency' feats???

It /is/ acceptable to swap out starting feats and class skills... but, when you do, you have to swap them for something of similar value. A fighter shouldn't be swapping Handle Animal for Use Magic Device, for instance, nor Heavy Armor proficiency for Point Blank Shot. Dropping Handle Animal for Proffession, OTOH, or Heavy Armor Proficiency for Dodge, might be reasonable.

I hear the "just multiclass" argument all the time but I really don't think it's valid. Multiclassing itself concerns me greatly...so a normal Wizard studies for a period of years to get to 1st level but another class can just go ahead and switch to Wizard with X weeks of training?? Whaa?? Same goes with all the other classes.

That's why I like to create Core Classes that fill a specific role. Plus, my players love to have "custom" core classes available to them. Most of the Core Classes that my characters want are just slight variants on official ones. So...I just try to balance out the slight variances.

And, as far as switching out skill X for skill Y just because the character doesn't plan to use it...I think it's a perfectly good reason. I don't see any reason why a player should have to stick w/ the official core classes. Of course, the skills should, like you said, be relatively equal. But I wasn't really talking about switching out Handle Animal for Use Magic Device...I believe it came down to 1) Loss of the 1st level bonus fighter feat, 2) Hit Die reduced to d8 3) Loss of Med. Armor, Heavy Armor and Shield Profs....all for the aquisition of 6 or 7 very useful class skills.

Outergod

 

[Crothian]

It can be done, creating alt core classes. You just have to make sure everyone's happy, DM and the PC. Switching skills should cause little problems. The character choose to study other fields of learning. No reason all classes need to be cut from the same cloth.

Multi classing does work if you want both classes. About the all of a sudden learning a new class, I use the level 0 option in the DMG. Start the character as level one fighter, and level 0 rogue. It makes sense and the players like it. Or you require training, real simple to do and it adds depth to the campaign.

 

[Cloudgatherer]

What is being described sounds an awful lot like a class I created. He is basically what you described (except he does not have search as a class skill). Get it here.

 

[Crothian]

Cloudgatherer, that seems like a bit more powerful then people were looking at. Thatclass is a bit better then anything in the core books. However, I liked the backgrounds and the little bits of info you had above it. Good work on that stuff.

 

[Cabral]

Simple Solution: Snag Cosmopolitan from the Forgotten Realms CApaign setting and add it to the Fighter's Bonus feat list. (regional feat; +2 to one skill and skill is always a class skill. I would drop the +2 bonus.)