PrC-Artifact Wielder, for those who are defined by their weapons

[Sollir Furryfoot]

Under construction still but somewhat complete

PrC made for characters who are defined as much by their weapon as their skills.

Artifact Wielder

HD-d8

Requisites:
BAB: 7+
Skills: Craft (Weapons) 6 ranks, ?
Feats: Combat Expertise or Point Blank Shot or Power Attack, Quick Draw, Weapon Focus (Any), Weapon Specialization (Any).

Class Skills:
The Wielder’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Knowledge: Arcane (Int), Knowledge: Religion (Int), Profession (Wis), Spellcraft (Int), Tumble (Dex), and Use Magic Device (Cha).
Skill Points Per Level: 2+Int Modifier

Lvl BAB Fort Ref Will  Special 
1   +0  +2   +0   +0  Artifact Weapon, Draw Life
2   +1  +3   +0   +0  Weapon Feat
3   +2  +3   +1   +1  Skillful Smite 1/day
4   +3  +4   +1   +1  Weapon Power
5   +3  +4   +1   +1  Weapon Feat  
6   +4  +5   +2   +2  Skillful Smite 2/day
7   +5  +5   +2   +2  Weapon Power
8   +6  +6   +2   +2  Weapon Feat
9   +6  +6   +3   +3  Skillful Smite 3/day
10  +7  +7   +3   +3  Weapon Power

Class Features:
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: The Artifact Wielder gains no new weapon or armor proficiency.
Artifact Weapon (Ex): Artifact Weapon may be any masterwork weapon that the Artifact Wielder has Weapon Focus/Specialization in. It cannot be further enchanted nor, in the case of ranged weapons, may the wielder benefit from enchanted projectiles. It has no base enhancement bonus, and does not count as a magic weapon for purposes of bypassing Damage Reduction. It gains an additional 2 hardness and 5 hit points per Artifact Wielder level. It must be in hand for the Artifact Wielder to use any of his class abilities.
The following abilities are available only in the Artifact Wielder's hand.

At level 1 the Artifact Weapon has an ability equivalent to a +1 weapon (ex: flaming, keen, shocking, etc...), and may gain an additional +1 ability every level. If the Artifact Wielder so chooses, he can save up these bonus enhancements to purchase a stronger ability. Unlike normal weapons, an Artifact Wielder may stack the same enhancement bonus on his weapon multiple times, although it costs an additional +1 per previous addition (Ex: flaming x1 is +1, flaming x2 is +2 on top of that, and flaming x3 is an additional +3 on top of those). A particular Artifact Weapon may not have more than 2 elemental additions upon it.

An Artifact Wielder may create a new Artifact Weapon, although this requires at least a week to make the weapon and requires 2,500 gold and 300 XP per Artifact Wielder level. This new weapon must be of the same type as the Artifact Wielder's previous weapon and may have new enhancement combinations, although the Artifact Wielder's chosen bonus feats/weapon powers remain the same.
Draw Life (Su): The Artifact Wielder may, as a move equivalent action, heal himself by transfering hit points from his weapon on a 1 for 1 basis. He may instead choose to repair his weapon instead, but it costs him 2 hp for every 1 of his weapon that he desires to repair.
Weapon Feat (Ex): The Artifact Wielder gains a bonus feat at 2nd level and every 3rd level after (5th, 8th) which he may only benefit from while wielding his weapon. This feat may include any feat from the Fighter Bonus Feat list (Artifact Wielder levels stack with Fighter levels for determining any special bonus feats he may qualify for) and also includes Greater Spell Focus, Greater Spell Penetration, Spell Focus, Spell Penetration.
Skillful Smite (Ex): As per Paladin's Smite ability, except the Artifact Wielder may choose to add his Str, Dex, or Int score to his attack roll to deal extra damage equal to his class level.
Weapon Power (Ex): The Artifact Wielder may choose an ability off the following list (multiple choosings of an ability stack):
- Flurry of Blows
- Sneak Attack +2d6
- +2 Spell Power
- Empower Spell of 3rd level or lower 3/day
- Maximize Spell of 3rd level or lower 1/day

Looking for more ideas for Weapon Powers.

Comments/feedback/suggestions appreciated!

 

[Rystil Arden]

Under construction still but somewhat complete

PrC made for characters who are defined as much by their weapon as their skills.

Artifact Wielder

HD-d8

Requisites:
BAB: 7+
Skills: Craft (Weapons) 6 ranks, ?
Feats: Combat Expertise or Point Blank Shot or Power Attack, Quick Draw, Weapon Focus (Any), Weapon Specialization (Any).

Class Skills:
The Wielder’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Knowledge: Arcane (Int), Knowledge: Religion (Int), Profession (Wis), Spellcraft (Int), Tumble (Dex), and Use Magic Device (Cha).
Skill Points Per Level: 2+Int Modifier

Lvl BAB Fort Ref Will  Special 
1   +0  +2   +0   +0  Artifact Weapon, Draw Life
2   +1  +3   +0   +0  Weapon Feat
3   +2  +3   +1   +1  Skillful Smite 1/day
4   +3  +4   +1   +1  Weapon Power
5   +3  +4   +1   +1  Weapon Feat  
6   +4  +5   +2   +2  Skillful Smite 2/day
7   +5  +5   +2   +2  Weapon Power
8   +6  +6   +2   +2  Weapon Feat
9   +6  +6   +3   +3  Skillful Smite 3/day
10  +7  +7   +3   +3  Weapon Power

Class Features:
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: The Artifact Wielder gains no new weapon or armor proficiency.
Artifact Weapon (Ex): Artifact Weapon may be any masterwork weapon that the Artifact Wielder has Weapon Focus/Specialization in. It cannot be further enchanted nor, in the case of ranged weapons, may the wielder benefit from enchanted projectiles. It has no base enhancement bonus, and does not count as a magic weapon for purposes of bypassing Damage Reduction. It gains an additional 2 hardness and 5 hit points per Artifact Wielder level. It must be in hand for the Artifact Wielder to use any of his class abilities.
The following abilities are available only in the Artifact Wielder's hand.

At level 1 the Artifact Weapon has an ability equivalent to a +1 weapon (ex: flaming, keen, shocking, etc...), and may gain an additional +1 ability every level. If the Artifact Wielder so chooses, he can save up these bonus enhancements to purchase a stronger ability. Unlike normal weapons, an Artifact Wielder may stack the same enhancement bonus on his weapon multiple times, although it costs an additional +1 per previous addition (Ex: flaming x1 is +1, flaming x2 is +2 on top of that, and flaming x3 is an additional +3 on top of those). A particular Artifact Weapon may not have more than 2 elemental additions upon it.

An Artifact Wielder may create a new Artifact Weapon, although this requires at least a week to make the weapon and requires 2,500 gold and 300 XP per Artifact Wielder level. This new weapon must be of the same type as the Artifact Wielder's previous weapon and may have new enhancement combinations, although the Artifact Wielder's chosen bonus feats/weapon powers remain the same.
Draw Life (Su): The Artifact Wielder may, as a move equivalent action, heal himself by transfering hit points from his weapon on a 1 for 1 basis. He may instead choose to repair his weapon instead, but it costs him 2 hp for every 1 of his weapon that he desires to repair.
Weapon Feat (Ex): The Artifact Wielder gains a bonus feat at 2nd level and every 3rd level after (5th, 8th) which he may only benefit from while wielding his weapon. This feat may include any feat from the Fighter Bonus Feat list (Artifact Wielder levels stack with Fighter levels for determining any special bonus feats he may qualify for) and also includes Greater Spell Focus, Greater Spell Penetration, Spell Focus, Spell Penetration.
Skillful Smite (Ex): As per Paladin's Smite ability, except the Artifact Wielder may choose to add his Str, Dex, or Int score to his attack roll to deal extra damage equal to his class level.
Weapon Power (Ex): The Artifact Wielder may choose an ability off the following list (multiple choosings of an ability stack):
- Flurry of Blows
- Sneak Attack +2d6
- +2 Spell Power
- Empower Spell of 3rd level or lower 3/day
- Maximize Spell of 3rd level or lower 1/day

Looking for more ideas for Weapon Powers.

Comments/feedback/suggestions appreciated!

They have a concept exactly like this in Unearthed Arcana. Check it out

 

[Angel Tarragon]

Relics and Rituals: Excalibur has the Reliquarian PrC. You might want to skim this part over at your FLGS.

 

[palleomortis]

what's in complete arcan that's like this?

 

[jerichothebard]

what's in complete arcan that's like this?

It's not in complete arcane - it's in unearthed arcana.

They have a concept exactly like this in Unearthed Arcana. Check it out

With credit to the Game Mechanics's line of products - Swords of Our Fathers and Staves of Ascendance. Really good stuff; I'm using a battlebow in my game now.
www.thegamemechanics.com

jtb

 

[BigRedRod]

They have a concept exactly like this in Unearthed Arcana. Check it out

The problem being that the PrCs which attempt this concept in UA are terrible

 

[Kisanji Arael]

The problem being that the PrCs which attempt this concept in UA are terrible

Bravo to that! I think that the biggest difference between Monte's (at least I think it's his) and Sollir's is that Sollir doesn't have to have every possible detail under his control, which makes for a much, much better overall PrC. Also, Monte's whole "Oh, and by the way, if your weapon is destroyed, you lose all of your experience... just so you know."

Oh, and two more things, Sollir. If I were you, I would say something along the lines of "if an artifact wielder chooses to make a new weapon, his old one becomes inert" or "although an artifact wielder may possess more than one art. weapon, only one can be activated per day." depending on how you want to work it. This is just so you don't have trolls going around with a keen rapier or bastard sword (based on the breed of troll) for every element, and just picking the one that happened to meet their fancy.

Also, for weapon powers. you might want to do something off of eating spells, or offering some ridiculous resistance to spells 1/day.

 

[jerichothebard]

Bravo to that! I think that the biggest difference between Monte's (at least I think it's his) and Sollir's is that Sollir doesn't have to have every possible detail under his control, which makes for a much, much better overall PrC. Also, Monte's whole "Oh, and by the way, if your weapon is destroyed, you lose all of your experience... just so you know."

Oh, and two more things, Sollir. If I were you, I would say something along the lines of "if an artifact wielder chooses to make a new weapon, his old one becomes inert" or "although an artifact wielder may possess more than one art. weapon, only one can be activated per day." depending on how you want to work it. This is just so you don't have trolls going around with a keen rapier or bastard sword (based on the breed of troll) for every element, and just picking the one that happened to meet their fancy.

Also, for weapon powers. you might want to do something off of eating spells, or offering some ridiculous resistance to spells 1/day.

Monte didn't write Unearthed Arcana. He wrote Arcana Unearthed.