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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Garnfellow" data-source="post: 1965514" data-attributes="member: 1223">The Count of KirkeIn addition to the Advanced Bestiary, I’ve also been poring over Green Ronin’s equally excellent Black Company Campaign Setting, a fantastic and gritty blend of D&D and D20 Modern rules. As Olive suggested a few posts back, there’s a lot to steal for my own campaign, including some nice low- and no- magic renditions of the standard D&D classes. The Noble class, for example, is a no-magic version of the Bard. I decided to try to stat out Sir Hamral’s liege, Sir Durrell, the Count of Kirke, using this class. I’m not completely sold – at least not yet. As with the Marshall class, I really like the concept of a class that buffs other characters using exhortation and a commanding presence, but I wonder if the Noble, like the Marshall, may be somewhat underpowered.I also recognize the extreme difficulty of trying to model social class within a d20 framework. There have been some nice attempts, but nothing yet that’s really worked. I think the fundamental problem is that the d20 system is premised on balance: every character is supposed to be roughly equivalent to all other characters of the same level. But social class is inherently asymmetrical and unbalanced. A 1st-level Aristocrat princeling should have it all over the 1st-level Commoner. Maybe the way to model social class is to use level adjustments, just as with race... so that the first level princeling may have only 1 HD, but a whopping +4 LA. Hmmmmmmmmm.In any case, here’s Sir Durrell using the Black Company’s Noble class. The Battlefield Inspiration feat is from the Minatures Handbook. Improved Toughness is from the Complete Warrior. (As an aside, I notice that this feat is showing up with unnatural regularity with my recent creations. Granted, many of these have been undead, constructs, or important NPCs, but still... it makes me wonder whether this feat might be too good.)=====Sir Durrell, Count of Kirke: male fighter 8/noble 6; CR 14; HD 8d10+16 plus 6d8+12; hp 114; Init -1; Spd 20 ft; AC 22, touch 10, flat-footed 22; BAB +12; Grp +13; Atk +16 melee (1d8+4/17–20, +1 keen longsword) or +14 melee (1d8+2/x3, +1 heavy lance); Full Atk +16/+11/+6 melee (1d8+4/17–20, +1 keen longsword); SQ diplomat, education, inspire courage, inspire competence, inspire complacency, organize; SV Fort +12, Ref +6, Will +10; Str 13, Dex 9, Con 12, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 14.Skills and Feats: Bluff +9, Diplomacy +18, Gather Information +7, Handle Animal +7, Intimidate +18, Knowledge (architecture and engineering) +5, Knowledge (nobility and royalty) +9, Listen +3, Ride +15, Sense Motive +11.Feats: Battlefield Inspiration, Greater Weapon Focus (longsword), Improved Toughness, Leadership, Mounted Combat, Negotiator, Power Critical (longsword), Ride-By-Attack, Spirited Charge, Trample, Weapon Focus (longsword), Weapon Specialization (longsword).Possessions: +2 chainmail, +2 heavy steel shield, +1 keen longsword, +1 heavy lance, ring of protection +1, amulet of natural armor +1, cloak of resistance +2, amulet of health +2, 405 gp.Diplomat (Ex): Durrell has a +2 bonus to all Bluff, Diplomacy, Intimidate, and Sense Motive skill checks.Education (Ex): Durrell has a +2 bonus to all Knowledge skill checks. He also adds this bonus to untrained Intelligence checks to discover common knowledge.Inspire Competence (Ex): Twice per day Durrell can use his command of speech and presence to help an ally succeed at a task. The ally must be within 20 feet and able to see and hear Durrell. Durrell must also be able to see the ally. The ally gets a +2 competence bonus on skill checks with a particular skill as long as he or she continues to hear Durrell’s inspiring words. Certain uses of this ability are not feasible. The effect lasts as long as Durrell concentrates, up to a maximum of 1 minute. Durrell can’t inspire competence in himself. Inspire competence is a mind-affecting ability.Inspire Complacency (Ex): Twice per day Durrell may convince any number of targets within 20 feet to relax their vigilance and let down their guard. Durrell must succeed a Bluff or Diplomacy check opposed by the target’s Sense Motive checks. Those targets Durrell beats take a -2 circumstance penalty to all Listen and Spot skill checks for 3 rounds. This ability is a full-round action and is language-dependent and mind-affecting.Inspire Courage (Su): If Durrell spends a full round action speaking words of encouragement, he may inspire courage in his allies (including himself), bolstering them against fear and improving their combat abilities. To be affected, an ally must be able to hear Durrell speak and be within 30 feet. The effect lasts for 2 rounds. An ally receives a +1 morale bonus on saving throws against charm and fear effects and a +1 morale bonus on attack and weapon damage rolls. Inspire courage is a mind-affecting ability.Organize (Ex): Durrell can use his talents with leadership to maximize efficiency in those working together. Whenever two or more characters use the aid another action to improve a skill check, Durrell may make an aid another check. If he succeeds, the primary character gains a +4 bonus to the skill check. Durrell may not use this ability for Trained Only skills in which he does not have ranks.Physical Description: A burly man of medium height and early middle age, dressed in fine livery. His face is serious, and grey streaks run through his dark black hair and beard.Personality Traits: Fierce, proud, and honorable.</blockquote>

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