Pathfinder 1E Pathfinder Marshall

[Rampant]

Bab: 3/4
HD: d8
Good saves: Fortitude, Will
Poor saves: Reflex
Skill points per level: 4 + intelligence Modifier
Class Skills: Bluff, Craft, Diplomacy, Handle Animal, Heal, Intimidate, Knowledge (history, engineering, geography, local, nobility), Linguistics, Perception, Profession, Ride, Sense Motive

Level Special
1 Auras Known 2, Aura Bonus +1, Adept Tactician
2 Solo Tactics, Maneuvering
3 Bonus Teamwork Feat,
4 Aura Bonus +2, Squad Tactics
5 Auras Known 3
6 Squad Tactics
7 Bonus Teamwork Feat
8 Aura Bonus +3, Squad Tactics
9 Auras Known 4
10 Double Aura, Squad Tactics
11 Bonus Teamwork Feat
12 Aura Bonus +4, Squad Tactics
13 Auras Known 5
14 Squad Tactics
15 Bonus Teamwork Feat,
16 Aura Bonus +5, Squad Tactics
17 Auras Known 6
18 Squad Tactics
19 Bonus Teamwork Feat
20 Aura Bonus +6, Triple Aura, Squad Tactics

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A marshal is proficient with all simple and martial weapons, light, medium, and heavy armor, as well as light, heavy, and tower shields.

Adept Tactician (Ex): At 1st level, a Marshal receives a teamwork feat as a bonus feat. He must meet the prerequisites for this feat. As a standard action, the Marshal can grant any teamwork feat he has to all allies within his aura radius who can see and hear him. Allies retain the use of this bonus feat for 3 rounds plus 1 round for every level the Marshal possesses. Allies do not need to meet the prerequisites of these bonus feats. The Marshal can use this ability once per day at 1st level, plus one additional time per day at 4th level and for every 4 levels thereafter.

Auras (Ex): At first level The Marshal begins projecting such power and competence that he and his allies actually become more powerful. The Marshal and all allies within 30 ft. of the Marshal gain the benefits of the aura the Marshal is currently projecting. The Marshal may project any one Aura he knows. The Marshal can begin projecting an aura, or change which Aura he projects, as a Swift Action. This Aura remains in effect until the Marshal changes it, falls unconscious, or dies.

A marshal begins play knowing how to project one of two different Auras, as he gains levels he increases the number of Auras he can project.

Hardiness: Grants Damage Reduction x/--, where x is equal to the Marshal's Aura Bonus. This damage reduction stacks with other Damage reduction that is /--, such as from the barbarian ability.

Speed: Grants a speed bonus equal to 5 times the Marshal's Aura Bonus.

Might: Grants a damage bonus equal to the Marshall's Aura Bonus.

Accuracy: Grant's an attack bonus equal to the Marshall's Aura Bonus on melee attack rolls.

Precision: Grant's an attack bonus equal to the Marshall's Aura Bonus on ranged attack rolls.

Caution: Grant's an AC equal to the Marshall's Aura Bonus.

Resilience: Grants a bonus to saving throws equal to the Marshall's Aura Bonus.



At level 1 a Marshal can project one of two Auras. At level 5 and every four levels afterwards the Marshal gains an additional aura he may project.

Solo Tactics (Ex): At 2nd level, all of the Marshal’s allies are treated as if they possessed the same teamwork feats as the Marshal for the purpose of determining whether the Marshal receives a bonus from her teamwork feats. His allies do not receive any bonuses from these feats unless they actually possess the feats themselves. The allies’ positioning and actions must still meet the prerequisites listed in the teamwork feat for the Marshal to receive the listed bonus.

Maneuvering (Ex): At second level the Marshal gains the ability to push his allies farther than they could ever go on their own. He gains a number of Maneuver Points equal to his Charisma modifier + 1/2 his Marshal level. As a swift action he can spend a Maneuver point to grant an ally a move action. This action takes place on the Marshal's turn, but is otherwise the same as a character's normal move action on their turn.

Squad Tactics (Ex): At 4th level and every even level thereafter the Marshal chooses one of the following abilities.

Arcane Commander: Knowledge arcana and spellcraft become class skills for you. You gain the Allied Spell caster feat even if you do not meat the prerequisites, and when an ally adjacent to you casts a spell you can make a spellcraft check (DC = 15 + twice the spell's level) to act as if you have the spell prepared for purposes of the Allied spellcaster feat.
Requires: 1 rank in knowledge arcana.

Spell Resistance: You learn a special aura that grants spell resistance equal to 7 + 4 times the Marshall's Aura Bonus.
Requires: Arcane commander, 5 ranks arcana

Cavalry commander: You and all allies within your aura gain a morale bonus equal to you Charisma modifier to ride, handle animal, wild empathy checks, and concentration checks to cast a spell while mounted.
Requires: 1 rank in handle animal

Superior assist:Whenever you use the aid another action the bonus you grant increases by your aura bonus.

Reactive assist: Whenever an adjacent ally attacks, makes a skill check, or is attacked you may spend a maneuver point to use the aid another action as an immediate action before the roll resolves.

Ranged assist: You may use the aid another action on any ally within your aura, instead of just those adjacent to you.

Troupe leader: Perform becomes a class skill for you. All allies within your aura gain a bonus to perform checks equal to your charisma modifier.
Requires: 1 rank in perform

Weave a web of lies: Allies within your aura gain a bonus to bluff equal to your charisma modifier.
Requires: 1 rank in bluff

Inspire: Spend a maneuver point as a minor action, allies in your aura gain 3+your level+your charisma modifier temporary hp.

Form ranks: You may spend a maneuver point as a move action to move any number of allies up to their speed, this movement must end with each moved ally closer to you, and adjacent to you or another ally within your aura.

Scatter: You may spend 3 maneuver points as an immediate action to move any number of allies within your aura up to their speed this movement must be away from you. In addition you take a -2 to AC and reflex saves until the end of your next turn.

Group Glare: You and all allies within your aura can assist with any intimidate check made by an ally within your aura without being adjacent.
Requires: 1 rank in intimidate

Adept Maneuver: You may spend two Maneuver Points to grant an ally a standard action with your Maneuvering ability.
Requires: level 12+

Leadership: You gain the leadership Feat as a bonus feat.

Shadow Commander: Stealth becomes a class skill for you, and all allies within your aura gain a morale bonus to stealth checks equal to your charisma modifier.
Requirements: 1 rank of stealth

Aura Focus: Choose one aura you know you treat your aura bonus as 2 higher for the purposes of that aura.

Extend Aura: Your aura radius increases by 10 feet. You may select this ability multiple times, its effects stack.

Combat leader: All allies within your aura gain a competence bonus to Initiative equal to your Charisma modifier.

Bonus Teamwork Feat (Ex): At 3rd level, and every four levels thereafter, he Marshal gains an additional teamwork feat for which he meets the prerequisites.


Double Aura (Ex): At level 10 the marshal may project two known auras simultaneously. When changing the aura he is currently projecting he may only change one aura at a time.

Triple Aura (Ex): At level 20 the marshal may project three known auras simultaneously. When changing the aura he is currently projecting he may only change one aura at a time.




Ok I wanna put together a decent Marshal class for pathfinder, and this is what I have so far. I know it needs filling in. However I think we also need to break down the auras a bit, not down to the level of a minor aura necessarily but somewhere between major and minor. Moderate auras? I'd like some suggestions on how to break it down a bit.


Any help would be appreciated.

 

[Viktyr Gehrig]

You mind if I steal this for my House Rules?

Here's what I'm thinking for now:

• The Aura bonus is too high. Shouldn't be more than +4 or +5 at 20th.
• There's no reason this can't be a full BAB class.
• You're right, the auras are too broad, and you need more of them. Being able to know all of the auras is too much, and being able to project half of them simultaneously is way too much.
• Needs to be able to grant allies extra actions.
• It would be cool if Aura radius started smaller and expanded with level.

I've got an idea for a class mechanic that would help with some of that, but I need to play with the numbers a little while before I get back to you.

 

[Ahnehnois]

Basing it around teamwork feats is good.

I think you could justify 6 skill points, esp if it's not going to be a full BAB class.

Those dead levels could be bonus combat feats so the character can do something himself.

The auras should be a typed bonus, morale or perhaps competence.

My other big question is where's Charisma? Conceptually, this is a Cha-based character and the mechanics need to make substantial use of Cha. Suggestions:
*Modify duration of Adept Tactician by Cha mod, like Con for rage.
*Make the maximum aura bonus and/or auras known equal to Cha modd (forcing marshals to maintain high Cha to max out the class, like a wizard needs 19 Int for his best spells)
*Allow him to gain a save bonus for himself based on Cha, perhaps replace Wis with Cha for will saves to reduce MAD and emphasize force of personality.

Also, I'd like to see those knowledges somehow used mechanically for tactics.

***

All in all, a good start at conversion.

 

[StreamOfTheSky]

The DR he grants needs a type, I suggest DR x / --. I don't get why anyone would think the bonuses are too high. It's barely better than a bard's inspire courage, and he can buff attack and damage simultaneously AND he's a full caster! I also don't think they're too broad, though you could use more options. I would consider giving the class Solo Tactics, the Inquisitor class feature, at some point. So that his teamwork feats aren't completely useless the rounds he's NOT using Adept Tactician.

You may even want to just go back and start w/ the Tactician Cavalier archetype and just strip out the mount, challenge, etc... for aura abilities and the like to build this.

Basing it around teamwork feats is good.

I think you could justify 6 skill points, esp if it's not going to be a full BAB class.

Those dead levels could be bonus combat feats so the character can do something himself.

The auras should be a typed bonus, morale or perhaps competence.

My other big question is where's Charisma? Conceptually, this is a Cha-based character and the mechanics need to make substantial use of Cha. Suggestions:
*Modify duration of Adept Tactician by Cha mod, like Con for rage.
*Make the maximum aura bonus and/or auras known equal to Cha modd (forcing marshals to maintain high Cha to max out the class, like a wizard needs 19 Int for his best spells)
*Allow him to gain a save bonus for himself based on Cha, perhaps replace Wis with Cha for will saves to reduce MAD and emphasize force of personality.

Also, I'd like to see those knowledges somehow used mechanically for tactics.

***

All in all, a good start at conversion.

I'd prefer full BAB, but 6 + int skills would be ok. Either way, improve one of those areas.

I think the aura should remain an untyped bonus so it doesn't conflict with anyone else's class features and the like.

I don't like the idea of capping his class feature's bonus by cha mod or basing number known on cha at all.

Otherwise agree w/ everything quoted.

 

[Ahnehnois]

I don't like the idea of capping his class feature's bonus by cha mod or basing number known on cha at all.

Do you disagree that charisma should be important to this class? I'm not wild about those ideas, but I couldn't think of anything better in this framework. Perhaps you have some ideas on how to use Cha?

 

[Rampant]

Well I was thinking of tossing in the ability to add their cha mod to the bonus they grant when they assist another character.

Another option I was considering was to give them the leadership feat free, or at the very least a free cohort.

Another reason I wanna tweak the aura abilities downward is so I can include another ability set similar to rage powers or rogue tricks to give out a smattering of smaller abilities. This is originally where I was hoping to employ Intelligence and Charisma, but the other abilities started looking pretty potent so I held off.

Edit: Go ahead VK that's what it's here for.

 

[Rampant]

I changed the auras a bit, are they looking better?

As for 6 skill points vs perfect Bab, I kinda want to get the abilities filled in first before deciding if either of those are needed, although I'm leaning towards the skills for now. The marshall is a buffing class like a cleric or bard so it makes sense to me that they'd use the d8 and 3/4 progression.

 

[StreamOfTheSky]

They look horrifically nerfed for no good reason.

 

[Rampant]

I want the marshal to change auras once in a while. By making them a touch more situational the marshall is rewarded for changing tactics in a dynamic environment, 3.5 marshall's broad auras were so general that I rarely bothered to change them more than once or twice a session.

Don't forget while the old marshall was stuck with one major aura, this guy picks up a second aura at level 10 (third aura at 20 isn't really helpful most games, but it still makes a cool capstone).

Furthermore this class is packing massive teamwork feat abuse in addition to being incomplete so more abilities and auras are on the way.

If no one else likes them I'll change them back.

Ok I wanna give them an ability similar to the cavaliers mount or the druid's animal companion, but instead of a critter you get a humanoid to push around. Would adapting normal cohort rules be a good idea or should I create a more restricted build? Or maybe use cohort rules but limit it to an NPC class?

 

[Viktyr Gehrig]

Slept on it.

Adept Tactician (Ex): At 1st level, a Marshal receives a teamwork feat as a bonus feat. He must meet the prerequisites for this feat. As a standard action, the Marshal can grant any teamwork feat he has to all allies within his aura radius who can see and hear him. Allies retain the use of this bonus feat for 3 rounds plus 1 round for every level the Marshal possesses. Allies do not need to meet the prerequisites of these bonus feats. The Marshal can use this ability once per day at 1st level, plus one additional time per day at 4th level and for every 4 levels thereafter.

This is where I'd put Charisma. At 1st level, the Marshal can choose a Teamwork Feat whenever he projects an aura, and gain the benefits of that feat as though all of his allies within that aura also possessed it. When he can project more than one aura, he can project more than one Teamwork feat in this fashion.

At 2nd level, he gains a Tactical Pool (Cha mod. + 1/2 level) that allows him to spend 1 point as a swift action to grant all of his allies within his aura the benefits of the selected Teamwork feats for 1 round.

At higher levels, the Marshal would gain the ability to do other things with his Tactical Pool, like heal allies and grant them extra actions.

Auras:

I'm wondering if instead of having a 30 foot aura, it might not be better to have an aura that expands by level. 5 feet per class level would be nice, or 20 feet at 1st + 10 feet at 4th/7th/10th/etc.

Hardiness: Grants Damage Reduction x/--, where x is equal to the Marshal's Aura Bonus. This damage reduction only applies to the first attack in a turn that would be reduced by damage reduction.

Damage Reduction really isn't powerful enough that it needs this limit.

Ferocity: Grants a damage bonus equal to the Marshall's Aura Bonus to creatures who are at or below 1/2 their max HP.

How about you call it "Might", and it grants a bonus to any non-finesse melee damage, Strength checks, and Strength-based skill checks?

Durability: Grants a bonus to saves against poison, cold, energy drain, ability damage, ability drain, and energy drain equal to the Marshall's Aura Bonus.

Why not just a bonus to Fortitude saves? Only thing I can think of you're missing is disease and a handful of spells. Grant the bonus to Constitution checks, too.

Agility: Grants a bonus on all reflex saves, and AC vs. Attacks of opportunity equal to the Marshall's Aura Bonus.

Dexterity-based skill checks, too. For your Acrobatics, Stealth, and Fly.

Precision: Grant's an attack bonus equal to the Marshall's Aura Bonus on attacks of opportunity, attack rolls against target who are denied their dexterity modifier to AC, and targets the attacker is flanking.

How about a damage bonus to finesse melee and ranged attacks?

Will Power: Grants a bonus on saves vs fear, charm, compulsion, pattern, figment, and phantasm effects equal to the Marshall's Aura Bonus.

Will saves and concentration checks?

I'd also recommend an Alertness aura that grants a bonus to Perception and initiative checks.

As far as attack bonus auras, I think they should be narrower than damage bonuses and should focus more on the types of attacks than the condition of the targets-- an aura for charging, an aura for flanking (and vs. flat-footed), an aura for maneuvers and non-lethal attack/damage, an attack bonus on ranged full attacks, and so forth.

Basing it around teamwork feats is good.

I think you could justify 6 skill points, esp if it's not going to be a full BAB class.

Don't see any reason it couldn't be both. Marshal's got less going for it than Ranger does.