comrade raoul
Explorer
Thoughts on this prestige class, which is loosely based on the exotic weapon master of MotW?
The Armsmaster
Versatility is the watchword of an armsmaster. An armsmaster aims to pick up any of his world's weapons, even its most unusual and bizarre ones, and use it with the skill of a specialist. For an expert armsmaster, the intricacies of the shuriken, the siangham, the dire flail, and the hand crossbow pose no difficulty at all. He can wield any weapon as though he had been practicing it for his entire career. Any and all weapons are his trade, and in his hands, anything at all can become an instrument of destruction.
Characters of any race or background can become armsmasters; the only real requirement is commitment and perseverance. Nevertheless, most are human, because members of that race have the most exposure to new cultures and thus the most opportunities to take up exotic weapons.
Hit Die: d10
Requirements:
To qualify to become an armsmaster, a character must fulfill all the following criteria:
Base Attack Bonus: +6
Feats: Quick Draw, Weapon Focus (any)
Proficiency: Proficient with all simple and martial weapons and at least three exotic weapons. Note that the armsmaster must acquire his exotic weapon proficiencies by spending feats; proficiencies acquired from gaining class levels (such as special monk weapons) do not count.
Class Skills
The armsmaster's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Craft (Int), Climb (Str), Jump (Str), Ride (Dex), and Profession (Wis). See Chapter 4: Skills in the Player’s Handbook for skill descriptions.
Skill Points at Each Level: 2 + Int modifier.
Base Attack: Excellent (as fighter).
Strong Saves: Fortitude.
Class Features
1st - Reduced nonproficiency penalty
2nd - Improvised thrown weapons
3rd - Universal proficiency
4th - Improvised melee weapons
5th - Universal focus
6th - Quick exchange
7th - Universal specialization
8th - Greater improvised weapons
9th - Universal critical
10th - Disorienting exchange
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Armsmasters gain no weapon or armor proficiencies.
Reduced Nonproficiency Penalty (Ex): At 1st level, the armsmaster can use any weapon with which he is not already proficient at a –2 penalty instead of a –4 penalty on the attack roll.
Improvised Throwing Weapons (Ex): At 2nd level, the armsmaster can use artisan's tools to fashion a usable throwing weapon from any object (rock, branch, melee weapon, or the like) that he can lift. This process takes at least an hour, or longer if the conditions are poor. The range increment for such an improvised weapon is 10 feet. It deals 1d6 points of damage, with critical threat range and multiplier of 20/x2. The armsmaster is automatically proficient with his improvised throwing weapons: anyone else who wishes to use it must spend an Exotic Weapon Proficiency to avoid the –4 nonproficiency penalty. Most objects do bludgeoning damage; sharp items do piercing damage instead.
Universal Proficiency (Ex): At 3rd level, the armsmaster is proficient with any weapon he wields.
Improvised Melee Weapons (Ex): At 4th level, the armsmaster can use artisan's tools to fashion a usable melee weapon from any object (rock, branch, projectile weapon, or the like) that he can lift. This process takes at least an hour, or more if the conditions are poor. Such an improvised melee weapon deals 1d6 points of damage, with a critical threat range and multiplier of 20/x2. The armsmaster is automatically proficient with his improvised melee weapon: anyone else who wishes to use it must spend an Exotic Weapon Proficiency to avoid the –4 nonproficiency penalty. Most objects do bludgeoning damage; sharp items do piercing damage instead. Long items (such as ladders) have reach according to their length, and items with many protrusions (such as chairs) give the armsmaster a +2 bonus to disarm attempts.
Universal Focus (Ex): Beginning at 5th level, the armsmaster gains the benefits of the Weapon Focus feat with any weapon he wields.
Quick Exchange (Ex): A 6th level armsmaster can change weapons in a single fluid motion. Once per round, the armsmaster can sheathe a weapon he is currently using and then draw another, as a free action that does not provoke an attack of opportunity.
Universal Specialization (Ex): Beginning at 7th level, the armsmaster gains the benefits of the Weapon Specialization feat with any weapon he wields.
Greater Improvised Weapons (Ex): At 8th level, the armsmaster can make an improvised throwing or melee weapon that deals 2d6 points of damage. This ability otherwise functions like the improvised throwing weapons or improvised melee weapons ability, depending on the kind of weapon desired. Alternatively, the armsmaster can use any object on hand as a weapon without time to fashion it into a weapon, but these objects deal only 1d6 points of damage.
Universal Critical (Ex): Beginning at 9th level, the armsmaster gains the benefits of the Improved Critical feat with any weapon he wields.
Disorienting Exchange (Ex): A 10th level armsmaster can use his mastery of diverse styles to his advantage. On any round in which the armsmaster changes weapons, he gains a +2 circumstance bonus to attacks against an opponent given two conditions: he must have attacked his foe in the previous round, and he cannot have used his current (new) weapon against the foe at any earlier point in the present encounter.
Attached is a .zip that includes a nicely formatted .pdf for use in campaigns.
The Armsmaster
Versatility is the watchword of an armsmaster. An armsmaster aims to pick up any of his world's weapons, even its most unusual and bizarre ones, and use it with the skill of a specialist. For an expert armsmaster, the intricacies of the shuriken, the siangham, the dire flail, and the hand crossbow pose no difficulty at all. He can wield any weapon as though he had been practicing it for his entire career. Any and all weapons are his trade, and in his hands, anything at all can become an instrument of destruction.
Characters of any race or background can become armsmasters; the only real requirement is commitment and perseverance. Nevertheless, most are human, because members of that race have the most exposure to new cultures and thus the most opportunities to take up exotic weapons.
Hit Die: d10
Requirements:
To qualify to become an armsmaster, a character must fulfill all the following criteria:
Base Attack Bonus: +6
Feats: Quick Draw, Weapon Focus (any)
Proficiency: Proficient with all simple and martial weapons and at least three exotic weapons. Note that the armsmaster must acquire his exotic weapon proficiencies by spending feats; proficiencies acquired from gaining class levels (such as special monk weapons) do not count.
Class Skills
The armsmaster's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Craft (Int), Climb (Str), Jump (Str), Ride (Dex), and Profession (Wis). See Chapter 4: Skills in the Player’s Handbook for skill descriptions.
Skill Points at Each Level: 2 + Int modifier.
Base Attack: Excellent (as fighter).
Strong Saves: Fortitude.
Class Features
1st - Reduced nonproficiency penalty
2nd - Improvised thrown weapons
3rd - Universal proficiency
4th - Improvised melee weapons
5th - Universal focus
6th - Quick exchange
7th - Universal specialization
8th - Greater improvised weapons
9th - Universal critical
10th - Disorienting exchange
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Armsmasters gain no weapon or armor proficiencies.
Reduced Nonproficiency Penalty (Ex): At 1st level, the armsmaster can use any weapon with which he is not already proficient at a –2 penalty instead of a –4 penalty on the attack roll.
Improvised Throwing Weapons (Ex): At 2nd level, the armsmaster can use artisan's tools to fashion a usable throwing weapon from any object (rock, branch, melee weapon, or the like) that he can lift. This process takes at least an hour, or longer if the conditions are poor. The range increment for such an improvised weapon is 10 feet. It deals 1d6 points of damage, with critical threat range and multiplier of 20/x2. The armsmaster is automatically proficient with his improvised throwing weapons: anyone else who wishes to use it must spend an Exotic Weapon Proficiency to avoid the –4 nonproficiency penalty. Most objects do bludgeoning damage; sharp items do piercing damage instead.
Universal Proficiency (Ex): At 3rd level, the armsmaster is proficient with any weapon he wields.
Improvised Melee Weapons (Ex): At 4th level, the armsmaster can use artisan's tools to fashion a usable melee weapon from any object (rock, branch, projectile weapon, or the like) that he can lift. This process takes at least an hour, or more if the conditions are poor. Such an improvised melee weapon deals 1d6 points of damage, with a critical threat range and multiplier of 20/x2. The armsmaster is automatically proficient with his improvised melee weapon: anyone else who wishes to use it must spend an Exotic Weapon Proficiency to avoid the –4 nonproficiency penalty. Most objects do bludgeoning damage; sharp items do piercing damage instead. Long items (such as ladders) have reach according to their length, and items with many protrusions (such as chairs) give the armsmaster a +2 bonus to disarm attempts.
Universal Focus (Ex): Beginning at 5th level, the armsmaster gains the benefits of the Weapon Focus feat with any weapon he wields.
Quick Exchange (Ex): A 6th level armsmaster can change weapons in a single fluid motion. Once per round, the armsmaster can sheathe a weapon he is currently using and then draw another, as a free action that does not provoke an attack of opportunity.
Universal Specialization (Ex): Beginning at 7th level, the armsmaster gains the benefits of the Weapon Specialization feat with any weapon he wields.
Greater Improvised Weapons (Ex): At 8th level, the armsmaster can make an improvised throwing or melee weapon that deals 2d6 points of damage. This ability otherwise functions like the improvised throwing weapons or improvised melee weapons ability, depending on the kind of weapon desired. Alternatively, the armsmaster can use any object on hand as a weapon without time to fashion it into a weapon, but these objects deal only 1d6 points of damage.
Universal Critical (Ex): Beginning at 9th level, the armsmaster gains the benefits of the Improved Critical feat with any weapon he wields.
Disorienting Exchange (Ex): A 10th level armsmaster can use his mastery of diverse styles to his advantage. On any round in which the armsmaster changes weapons, he gains a +2 circumstance bonus to attacks against an opponent given two conditions: he must have attacked his foe in the previous round, and he cannot have used his current (new) weapon against the foe at any earlier point in the present encounter.
Attached is a .zip that includes a nicely formatted .pdf for use in campaigns.
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