Gallowglass fighter archetype, feedback requested

[The Glen]

Working on this for the Mystara Player's Handbook, Glantri's region of Crownguard is unashamedly ripped from Scotland. So working on a fighter type that personifies the Scottish Highlander. This obviously is a very rough draft.

Lvl 3: Claymore. Greatswords lose the Two Handed traits when wielded by a gallowglass. This affect applies only if the Gallowglass is not duel wielding.

Lvl 7: Iron stomach. Gallowglass gains resistance to poison.

Lvl 10: Linebreaker. When the Gallowglass spends an action surge, he gains 10' extra movement that action.

Lvl 15: Bloodied. The first time in a combat where the Gallowglass takes damage, he gains a free action surge that must be used in this combat.

Lvl 18: Braveheart. When reduced to 0hp the Gallowglass immediately spends all his hit dice to heal exactly as a if he had taken a short rest. This ability resets after a long rest.

 

[Cap'n Kobold]

Do you think that a completely new archetype is required? Fighter is a pretty versatile class already, and you can always use other classes for a bit of different mechanics if necessary.

Basing an entire archetype on a single weapon is a little too restrictive. I don't think anything in there is too unbalanced though.

 

[The Glen]

Fair question, the archtype is for the Mystara Player's Handbook (http://fliphtml5.com/tpri/rdhv). I don't know how much you are familiar with the setting but one of the countries, Glantri, has an area that is pure Scotland. I'm trying to include archetypes for each area since the setting doesn't have a lot of class subtypes or races found in other settings. For completion I am including the Gallowglass, heavy Scottish infantry. When I get a little more time I intend to finish this, still waiting on a lot of art.

 

[Cap'n Kobold]

But still, does the setting actually require a new archetype for every area? The existing classes Fighter, Barbarian, even Valor Bard can already do a good job of representing Scottish infantry of most time periods.

 

[bedir than]

Do you think that a completely new archetype is required? Fighter is a pretty versatile class already, and you can always use other classes for a bit of different mechanics if necessary.

Basing an entire archetype on a single weapon is a little too restrictive. I don't think anything in there is too unbalanced though.

There is no weapon mentioned in the mechanics. The mechanics make them a specialist in two-weapon fighting. The benefits are more than those gained from the fighting style/feat combo, but that's only relevant at level three. Every other benefit is not restricted to a specific weapon.

The flavor seems to be a kind of hybrid Barb/Champion. It fits a narrow niche for a specific campaign world (similar to Bladesingers basically being Eldritch Knights). I enjoy it. I also enjoyed the Scout and the Cavalier from UA, even though they are more restricted than the Battle Master.

If someone from my campaign approached me with this archetype I would allow it and explain they are from the Green Isle off of Daoud, a land that was conquered yet maintains its previous heritage as an independent land.

 

[Cap'n Kobold]

There is no weapon mentioned in the mechanics. The mechanics make them a specialist in two-weapon fighting. The benefits are more than those gained from the fighting style/feat combo, but that's only relevant at level three. Every other benefit is not restricted to a specific weapon.

The weapon mentioned in the mechanics is the greatsword. The main combat benefit of the archetype throughout most of its life only works with that weapon.

I think that the OP meant "dual-wielding" not "duel-wielding", which would indicate that the archetype doesn't use two-weapon fighting.

 

[bedir than]

Lvl 3: Claymore. Greatswords lose the Two Handed traits when wielded by a gallowglass. This affect applies only if the Gallowglass is not duel wielding.

You are correct. It's just at one level. I would change from greatsword to non-polearm/missile two-handed weapons. So it would also apply for mauls, greataxes, maces and flails in certain campaigns.

 

[MostlyDm]

So Bloodied gives them a free action surge every fight? Seems too good.

Consider limiting it in some ways. Like they have to use the action surge before the end of their next turn. Even so a free surge every fight is probably too good, but limitations can mitigate somewhat. Maybe they also have to be at full HP at the start of the fight? Or it could just be the first time they take damage after a long rest, so it's just one free surge per day?

And question about braveheart: they have to spend all of their remaining Hit Dice, correct? Don't have the option to spend less? Seems fine, just checking.

 

[steeldragons]

I guess I, too, don't see the need for this...Mystara/Glantri or not. It's a particular fantasy setting with a Scottish flavor. Ok. A fighter described in Scottish trappings seems to be more than adequate.

Come up with a culture-specific background for some kind of Mystara special "Glantri" flavor you want, maybe? But a whole sub-class so they can have their own combat-heavy (and relatively OPed, afaiac) mechanics? Nah. I don't see it.

 

[The Glen]

So Bloodied gives them a free action surge every fight? Seems too good.

Consider limiting it in some ways. Like they have to use the action surge before the end of their next turn. Even so a free surge every fight is probably too good, but limitations can mitigate somewhat. Maybe they also have to be at full HP at the start of the fight? Or it could just be the first time they take damage after a long rest, so it's just one free surge per day?

And question about braveheart: they have to spend all of their remaining Hit Dice, correct? Don't have the option to spend less? Seems fine, just checking.

Will make it the first combat damage suffered after a long rest. The Braveheart is all or nothing, and it's mandatory. If you have the cleric right next to you with a heal spell you can't opt out, the ability triggers automatically and uses up all the hit dice you had left.