Lightly Armored and with not-so-light weapon?

On the WotC site in one of the previews for UA, there's a variant rage called whirling frenzy, which is just about exactly what you're looking for. It gives a bonus to AC, Reflex, and Str; you eventually get evasion while frenzying IIRC. I wrote a modified barbarian called the dervish based around frenzy; I'm at school now, but when I get home I'll post it.
 

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I can't post the tables on account of being insufficiently l33t, but here's the beef:
Full BAB, good Reflex save, poor Will, medium Fort.

Hit Die: d8

Class Skills
The dervish’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Balance (Dex), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Handle Animal (Cha), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Perform (Cha), Tumble (Dex), Wilderness Survival (Wis).

Skill Points at 1st Level: (4+Int modifier) x4.
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 4+Int modifier.

Class Features
All of the following are class features of the dervish.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A dervish is proficient with all simple and martial weapons, light armor, and shields (except tower shields).
Armor Class Bonus: A Dervish receives a dodge bonus to his Armor Class when in light or no armor. This bonus starts at +1, and increases by +1 every six levels (6, 12, 18).
Fast Movement (Ex): A dervish’s land speed is faster than the norm for his race by +10 feet. This benefit applies only when he is wearing light or no armor and not carrying a heavy load. Apply this bonus before modifying the dervish’s speed because of any load carried or armor worn. The dervish’s speed increases by a further +5 feet at 5th level, and every 5 levels thereafter (10, 15, 20).
Whirling Frenzy (Ex): A dervish can fly into a whirling frenzy a certain number of times per day. In a whirling frenzy, a dervish temporarily gains a +4 bonus to Strength and a +2 dodge bonus to AC and Reflex saves. Also, he can make an additional attack per round; however, this attack, as well as all others made by the dervish this round, suffers a -2 penalty. While frenzying, a dervish cannot use any Charisma-, Dexterity-, or Intelligence-based skills (except for Balance, Escape Artist, Intimidate, and Ride), the Concentration skill, or any abilities that require patience or concentration, nor can he cast spells or activate magic items that require a command word, a spell trigger (such as a wand), or spell completion (such as a scroll) to function. He can use any feat he has except Expertise, item creation feats, and metamagic feats. A fit of whirling frenzy lasts for a number of rounds equal to 3 + the character’s Constitution modifier. A dervish may prematurely end his whirling frenzy. At the end of the whirling frenzy, the dervish loses the whirling frenzy modifiers and restrictions and becomes fatigued (-2 penalty to Strength, -2 penalty to Dexterity, can’t charge or run) for the duration of the current encounter (unless he is a 17th-level dervish, at which point this limitation no longer applies; see below).
A dervish can fly into a whirling frenzy only once per encounter, and only when not wearing heavy armor. At 1st level he can use his whirling frenzy ability once per day. At 4th level and every four levels thereafter, he can use it one additional time per day (to a maximum of six times per day at 20th level). Entering a whirling frenzy takes no time itself, but a dervish can do it only during his action, not in response to someone else’s action.
Bonus feat: At 3rd and 5th level, a dervish gains a bonus feat from the following list: Bloody Strike, Cleave (Improved Cleave), Combat Reflexes, Great Fortitude, Improved Bull Rush, Intuitive Sense (Improved Intuitive Sense) Iron Will, Lightning Reflexes, Power Attack, Power Charge, Rapid Strike, Speed Burst, Sunder, Tough Hide, Track, Two-Weapon Fighting (Improved Two-Weapon Fighting, Massive Two-Weapon Fighting), Weapon Focus, Exotic Weapon Proficiency. An Unbound character can gain bonus ceremonial feats despite not having a truename. Note: In standard Dungeons and Dragons, replace these bonus feats with Uncanny Dodge and Improved Uncanny Dodge, as a barbarian.
Trap Sense (Ex): Starting at 3rd level, a dervish gains a +1 bonus on Reflex saves made to avoid traps and a +1 dodge bonus to AC against attacks made by traps. These bonuses rise by +1 every three dervish levels thereafter (6th, 9th, 12th, 15th, and 18th level). Trap sense bonuses gained from multiple classes stack.
Damage Reduction (Ex): At 7th level, a dervish gains the ability to reduce the amount of damage he takes when hit by flinching away, twirling his robes, etc. Subtract 1 from the damage the dervish takes each time he is dealt damage from a weapon or a natural attack. At 10th level, and every three dervish levels thereafter (13th, 16th, and 19th level), this damage reduction rises by 1 point. Damage reduction can reduce damage to 0 but not below 0. Note that this does not apply when the dervish is helpless, held, or otherwise held completely immobile, or when he is wearing medium or heavy armor or carrying a heavy load.
Greater Frenzy (Ex): At 11th level, a dervish’s bonus to Strength during his whirling frenzy increases to +6, and his dodge bonus to Armor Class and Reflex saves increases to +3.
Evasive Frenzy (Ex): While in a whirling frenzy, a dervish of 14th level or higher gains the Evasion extraordinary ability.
Tireless Frenzy (Ex): At 17th level and higher, a dervish no longer becomes fatigued at the end of his whirling frenzy.
Mighty Frenzy (Ex): At 20th level, a dervish’s bonus to Strength during his whirling frenzy increases to +8, and his dodge bonus to Armor Class and Reflex saves increases to +4.
 
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dervish class

I like the class, but why did you give it d8 hit die? I might sugget making the abilities only work in light armor and going to d10 or d12 hit die.

This class seems a barbarian off-shoot and using barabrian hit dice shouldn't overpower it.

pbd
 

An AU Unfettered uses light armor, any shield, and any weapon. And can weapon specialize --actually all AU classes can weapon specialize.
 

But the AU Unfettered might benefit most from his abilities if he prefers dexterity above strength, and thus light (finessable) or ranged weapons.

The AU Mageblade doesn´t fit 100%, since he is also a spellcaster, but: He begins with Light Armor Profiency and later gains a special ability that allows him to move at his normal speed with Medium Armor.
His main combat and casting abilities are based on his Atheme - a sword(like weapon), so he might be well equipped with a Greatsword or Falchion.

Another good combination might be a Half Orc Rogue, more specialized on the bandit character. Though he would probably be forced to spend levels or feats to gain access to the big weapons.
 
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pbd said:
I like the class, but why did you give it d8 hit die? I might sugget making the abilities only work in light armor and going to d10 or d12 hit die.

This class seems a barbarian off-shoot and using barabrian hit dice shouldn't overpower it.

pbd

Traded HP for the AC bonus and increased speed. The abilities were mostly supposed to only work in light armor, anyways; I probably just didn't include it.

EDIT: fixed problem.
 
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Mustrum_Ridcully said:
But the AU Unfettered might benefit most from his abilities if he prefers dexterity above strength, and thus light (finessable) or ranged weapons.
Isn't that just a style issue? I don't see how a finese weapon is clearly more beneficial...

A high DEX/med STR Unfettered using a heavy weapon is going to hit less often, but for more damage. They still have full BAB, so you're really talking about a roughly %10 lower to-hit in exchange for, roughly, double the base damage [rapier vs. greatsword].

Hmmm, though they would lose use of a shield...
 

An unfettered using Finesse can't use a shield well anyway. I've only played a level or two with a heavy weapons unfettered, but he was pretty survivable. He used a bastard sword and shield.
 

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