Prestige Class: The Longarte School

[LostSoul]

Here's a Prestige Class that I've come up with for my campaign world. I'm not sure if it's balanced. It's desgined for Fighters with a level of Aristocrat.

It's a 5-level prestige class.

Longarte-schooled Fighter

The longarte school is well known for taking young noblemen and molding them into highly-trained knights. The school has existed for four generations, and sees many legacy students following the same path as thier fathers. It teaches proficiency in the bastard sword and a quick but cautious style of fighting. Schooling usually lasts four years, but can go on much longer. Tuition runs from 8-20 gold pieces per year (depending on social status).

Hit Die: d10

Requirements: To qualify as a Longarte-schooled Fighter, a character must fulfil all the following criteria.

Base Attack: +3
Knowledge: Nobility or Diplomacy +3
Profession: any nobility related +3
Feats: Expertise, Exotic Weapon Proficiency: bastard sword
Special: Must be taught at the Longarte school

Class Skills:

The Longarte-schooled Fighter's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are: Climb (Str), Diplomacy (Cha), Handle Animal (Cha), Jump (Str), Knowledge: nobility (Int), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), and Swim (Str).

Skill Points at Each Level: 2 + Int Modifier

BAB: as Fighter
Saves: Good Fort

Bonus Feats: At 1st level, the Longarte-schooled Fighter gets a bonus feat. The Longarte-schooled fighter gains an additional bonus feat every odd level thereafter (3rd and 5th.). These bonus feats must be drawn from the following list: Ambidexterity, Blind-Fight, Combat Reflexes, Dodge (Mobility, Spring Attack), Exotic Weapon Proficiency*, Expertise (Improved Disarm, Improved Trip, Whirlwind Attack), Improved Critical*, Improved Initiative, Improved Unarmed Strike (Deflect Arrows, Stunning Fist), Mounted Combat (Mounted Archery, Trample, Ride-By Attack, Spirited Charge), Point Blank Shot (Far Shot, Precise Shot, Rapid Shot, Shot on the Run), Power Attack (Cleave, Improved Bull Rush, Sunder, Great Cleave), Quick Draw, Two- Weapon Fighting (Improved Two-Weapon Fighting), Weapon Finesse*, Weapon Focus*, Weapon Specialization*.

Quick on the draw: At 1st level, the Longarte-schooled Fighter gains a +2 bonus to Initiative whenever using a bastard sword.

Improved disarm: At 3rd level, the Longarte-schooled Fighter gains the feat Improved Disarm if he does not already have it. This feat only functions when using the bastard sword.

Longarte defense: At 5th level, the Longarte-schooled Fighter gains a +2 Dodge bonus to Armour Class whenever using the Expertise feat.


I'm not sure about putting Weapon Spec. in there, or about the fancy abilities. Any comments?

 

[Ace]

It seems pretty balanced if a bit bland to me.

You might also change quick on the draw to another name.
The curerent name is tad confusing How about Strike Quick or something else

Two other suggestions

1- You might change the requirement from EWP Bastard Sword to Weapon Focus: any sword to represent different regional weapons
OK The nobles of LAngjara or whever prefer 2 handed swords instead and longarte changes to meat the needs

 

[LostSoul]

It seems pretty balanced if a bit bland to me.

Cool, that's what I was going for. I just wanted to create a school that taught young nobles to fight with a specific style while still being quite general.

You might also change quick on the draw to another name.
The curerent name is tad confusing How about Strike Quick or something else

Probably. I don't care about the names, so...

1- You might change the requirement from EWP Bastard Sword to Weapon Focus: any sword to represent different regional weapons
OK The nobles of LAngjara or whever prefer 2 handed swords instead and longarte changes to meat the needs

A little history on this prestige class:

I had a noble travelling through the PC's territory. She had a retinue of 4th-level Fighters, and I forgot to stat them up. I opened up the DMG and used the standard 4th-level Fighter, complete with its bastard sword. The PCs hadn't seen bastard swords before, so I came up with an in-game explanation for the group's exotic fighting style: they were all trained at the Longarte school.

I thought that was interesting and could form the basis for a prestige class, so I gave it a shot.

The school itself teaches all sorts of techniques (thus the large list of bonus feats) but it's founder was an expert with the bastard sword; his secrets are still taught. If a noble at the school decides to take the bastard sword (which the teachers advise), he learns the distinctive "Longarte" style - and picks up levels of this prestige class instead of typical Fighter levels.

The only place to gain levels of this class is at the school (or, I guess, from somebody who studied there and knows those secrets).

 

[MythandLore]

First I got to say I really like the idea.
I did find it a bit strong, not that i'd make it weaker.

I think you "could" make it into a universal class for diffrent weapons pretty easy, kinda like the weapon master, but I kinda like the flavor of this class better.
Here's how i'd change it, just little tweeks as you can see.

___________________________

X-schooled Fighter (5 level PrC) (X is the weapon)

Hit Die: d10

Requirements: To qualify as a X-schooled Fighter, a character must fulfil all the following criteria.

Base Attack: +3
Knowledge: Nobility or Diplomacy +3
Profession: any nobility related +3
Feats: Combat Reflexes, Weapon Proficiency: X-weapon
Special: Must be taught at the X-school

Class Skills:
The X-schooled Fighter's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are: Climb (Str), Diplomacy (Cha), Handle Animal (Cha), Jump (Str), Knowledge: nobility (Int), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), and Swim (Str).

Skill Points at Each Level: 2 + Int Modifier

BAB: as Fighter
Saves: Good Fort

Swift Attacks: At 1st level, the X-schooled Fighter gains the free use of the Improved Initiative (feat) whenever using a X-weapon.

Compitance of Arms: At 3rd level, the X-schooled Fighter gains the free of Weapon Focus and Quick Draw (feats) whenever using a X-weapon.

Defensive Footwork: At 5th level, the X-schooled Fighter gains the free use of Dodge and Mobility (feats) whenever using a X-weapon.

Bonus Feats: At 2nd level, the X-schooled Fighter gets a bonus feat and gains an additional bonus feat at 4th level.
These bonus feats must be drawn from the following list and can only be taken if the X-schooled Fighter is already eligible for the feat:
Ambidexterity
Blind-Fight
Dodge (Mobility, Spring Attack)
Weapon Proficiency* (This can only be taken for X-weapon)
Expertise (Improved Disarm, Improved Trip, Whirlwind Attack)
Improved Critical
Improved Unarmed Strike (Deflect Arrows, Stunning Fist)
Mounted Combat (Mounted Archery, Trample, Ride-By Attack, Spirited Charge)
Point Blank Shot (Far Shot, Precise Shot, Rapid Shot, Shot on the Run)
Power Attack (Cleave, Improved Bull Rush, Sunder, Great Cleave)
Two-Weapon Fighting (Improved Two-Weapon Fighting)

___________________________

Here would be the Longarte School (Bastard Sword).

Longarte-schooled Fighter (5 level PrC)

The longarte school is well known for taking young noblemen and molding them into highly-trained knights. The school has existed for four generations, and sees many legacy students following the same path as thier fathers. It teaches proficiency in the bastard sword and a quick but cautious style of fighting. Schooling usually lasts four years, but can go on much longer. Tuition runs from 8-20 gold pieces per year (depending on social status).

Hit Die: d10

Requirements: To qualify as a Longarte-schooled Fighter, a character must fulfil all the following criteria.

Base Attack: +3
Knowledge: Nobility or Diplomacy +3
Profession: any nobility related +3
Feats: Combat Reflexes, Exotic Weapon Proficiency: bastard sword
Special: Must be taught at the Longarte school

Class Skills:
The Longarte-schooled Fighter's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are: Climb (Str), Diplomacy (Cha), Handle Animal (Cha), Jump (Str), Knowledge: nobility (Int), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), and Swim (Str).

Skill Points at Each Level: 2 + Int Modifier

BAB: as Fighter
Saves: Good Fort

Swift Attacks: At 1st level, the Longarte-schooled Fighter gains the free use of the Improved Initiative (feat) whenever using a bastard sword.

Compitance of Arms: At 3rd level, the Longarte-schooled Fighter gains the free of Weapon Focus and Quick Draw (feats) whenever using a bastard sword.

Defensive Footwork: At 5th level, the Longarte-schooled Fighter gains the free use of Dodge and Mobility (feats) whenever using a bastard sword.

Bonus Feats: At 2nd level, the Longarte-schooled Fighter gets a bonus feat and gains an additional bonus feat at 4th level.
These bonus feats must be drawn from the following list and can only be taken if the Longarte-schooled Fighter is already eligible for the feat:
Ambidexterity
Blind-Fight
Dodge (Mobility, Spring Attack)
Weapon Proficiency* (This can only be taken for Bastard Sword)
Expertise (Improved Disarm, Improved Trip, Whirlwind Attack)
Improved Critical
Improved Unarmed Strike (Deflect Arrows, Stunning Fist)
Mounted Combat (Mounted Archery, Trample, Ride-By Attack, Spirited Charge)
Point Blank Shot (Far Shot, Precise Shot, Rapid Shot, Shot on the Run)
Power Attack (Cleave, Improved Bull Rush, Sunder, Great Cleave)
Two-Weapon Fighting (Improved Two-Weapon Fighting)