A while ago, I posted a Savage template to replace the Barbarian class and allow other classes to be uncivilized as well. I have revised it somewhat and will appreciate any comments:
Savage Template [this replaces the Barbarian class]
Main Idea: Any class can be savage, not only fighters. Shamans are savage clerics or druids, witchdoctors are savage adepts or sorcerers, etc.
Creating a Savage creature
'Savage' is a template that can be added to any corporeal non-monstrous humanoid of non-lawful alignment (referred to hereafter as the “base creature”). A savage who becomes lawful loses all benefits from the template.
The Savage template is ECL +0; it does not add any equivalent character levels. A Savage creature uses all the base creature’s statistics and special abilities except as noted here.
Special Attacks: Same as the base creature.
Special Qualities: A savage creature retains all special qualities of the base creature and also gains the following ones:
Illiteracy: Savages do not automatically know how to read or write. A savage must pay 2 skill points to gain the ability to read and write any language he is able to speak.
Spell limitation: A spellcasting savage’s spellcasting ability is reduced by one daily spell of each level. If this results in “0” daily spells of a level, the savage can only cast spells of that level if he has a bonus spell of that level.
Technologically inept: A savage is unaccustomed to and will typically distrust technical devices as complicated as crossbows or clockworks, and will only use them if absolutely necessary. He suffers a –4 penalty to any checks when using such devices, regardless of any proficiency or skill he might possess.
Proficiencies: Savage creatures with any weapon proficiency at all are automatically proficient with the handaxe. A savage creature cannot gain heavy armor proficiency as a class benefit. He can only get it by taking the feat. Savage druids may use axes, bows, and spears without breaking any oaths, but do not get any of these as additional weapon proficiencies.
Saves: Same as the base creature.
Abilities: Modifiers from the base creature are as follows: Constitution +2, Intelligence –2.
Skills: The skills intimidate, intuit direction, and wilderness lore are always considered class skills to a savage.
At each level, a savage spending at least half his skill points among the skills animal empathy, balance, climb, handle animal, intimidate, intuit direction, jump, listen, ride, swim, and wilderness lore, gets a +2 bonus to a skill of his choice from the same list in which he has at least 3 ranks. The bonus may be assigned to the same skill more than once, but no more than once per 3 full ranks in the skill.
A savage’s maximum ranks with the skills alchemy, appraise, craft (any technical), decipher script, diplomacy, forgery, gather information, knowledge (all), open lock, scry, speak language, spellcraft, and use magic device are 2 lower than normal for his class and level. This means that he cannot have no more than 2 in-class ranks and no cross-class ranks in these skills at first level.
Savage Feats: A savage creature has access to the savage-exclusive feats fast movement, rage, greater rage, uncanny dodge, and damage reduction. Savages gaining martial (fighter) bonus feats may spend those feats on savage feats. In fact, they must spend at least half (round down) of their bonus feats on savage feats. (For example, a savage fighter must have spent at least 1 by 2nd level, 2 by 6th level, 3 by 10th level, etc.)
Starting wealth: A savage creature only receives half normal starting gold for his class.
Becoming Civilized: A savage who is literate may become civilized. When doing so, he immediately loses all advantages (constitution +2, extra class skills, skill bonuses, free handaxe proficiency, use of and access to savage feats, etc.) of being savage. He suffers the disadvantages (intelligence -2, illiteracy, reduced maximum skill ranks, reduced spellcasting, technological ineptitude, etc.) of being savage until he has been civilized for as long [levels or years?] as he has been savage. A civilized savage can go back to being savage. To do so, he takes on the disadvantages immediately, but does not get the advantages until he has been savage longer than civilized.
Savage Feats, only available to savages
Fast Movement [Savage General, Savage Fighter Feat]
You are quick on your feet.
Prerequisite: Savage Template
Benefit: You gain +10’ speed when wearing no heavier than medium armor, as the barbarian ability. This feat may be taken only once.
Savage Rage [Savage General, Savage Fighter Feat]
You can use your anger as a weapon against your enemies.
Prerequisite: Savage Template, BAB +1.
Benefit: You gain the ability to rage once per day as the barbarian ability. To gain more daily rages, take the Extra Rage feat.
Uncanny Dodge [Savage General, Savage Fighter Feat]
You react immediately to danger.
Prerequisite: Savage Template, BAB +2.
Benefit: You do not lose your dexterity bonus to armor class, as the barbarian ability. If your BAB is at least +5, you also gain the ability not to be flanked, as the barbarian ability.
Uncanny Dodge (Traps) [Savage General, Savage Fighter Feat]
You can anticipate nasty surprises.
Prerequisite: Savage Template, Level 10.
Benefit: You get a +1 bonus to your saving throws vs. traps, as the barbarian ability. This ability improves by +1 for every full 3 levels above 10. This bonus does not stack with a similar bonus gained as a class ability such as the rogue's.
Damage Reduction [Savage General, Savage Fighter Feat]
You are resistant to physical damage.
Prerequisite: Savage Template, Savage Rage, BAB +12 or more.
Benefit: You gain Damage Reduction 1 as the barbarian ability. This feat stacks with itself and may be taken more than once with the BAB requirement increasing by +3 each time.
Greater Rage [Savage General, Savage Fighter Feat]
Your raging fury is truly fearsome.
Prerequisite: Savage Template, Savage Rage, Extra Rage, BAB +15.
Benefit: Your bonuses while raging increase to +6 Strength, +6 Constitution, and +3 morale bonus to Will Saves. The -2 AC penalty remains. If you have taken Extra Rage at least twice and you BAB is at least +20, you are also no longer winded after raging.
Extra ideas for Savage feats:
Spell Resistance [Savage General]
You are resistant to magic.
Prerequisite: Savage Template, Base Fortitude save +6
Benefit: You gain a Spell Resistance of 10 + half your character level. This does not stack with SR from other sources.
Elemental Resistance [Savage General]
You are resistant to elemental damage.
Prerequisite: Savage Template, Level 6 or higher. [or Base Fortitude save +6 or more]
Benefit: You gain either Resistance 5 to one type of elemental damage or Resistance 1 to all elemental damage. This feat may be taken more than once and stacks with itself. The level prerequisite increases by 3 each time it is taken. [or Fortitude save requirement increasing by +2 each time]
Savage Template [this replaces the Barbarian class]
Main Idea: Any class can be savage, not only fighters. Shamans are savage clerics or druids, witchdoctors are savage adepts or sorcerers, etc.
Creating a Savage creature
'Savage' is a template that can be added to any corporeal non-monstrous humanoid of non-lawful alignment (referred to hereafter as the “base creature”). A savage who becomes lawful loses all benefits from the template.
The Savage template is ECL +0; it does not add any equivalent character levels. A Savage creature uses all the base creature’s statistics and special abilities except as noted here.
Special Attacks: Same as the base creature.
Special Qualities: A savage creature retains all special qualities of the base creature and also gains the following ones:
Illiteracy: Savages do not automatically know how to read or write. A savage must pay 2 skill points to gain the ability to read and write any language he is able to speak.
Spell limitation: A spellcasting savage’s spellcasting ability is reduced by one daily spell of each level. If this results in “0” daily spells of a level, the savage can only cast spells of that level if he has a bonus spell of that level.
Technologically inept: A savage is unaccustomed to and will typically distrust technical devices as complicated as crossbows or clockworks, and will only use them if absolutely necessary. He suffers a –4 penalty to any checks when using such devices, regardless of any proficiency or skill he might possess.
Proficiencies: Savage creatures with any weapon proficiency at all are automatically proficient with the handaxe. A savage creature cannot gain heavy armor proficiency as a class benefit. He can only get it by taking the feat. Savage druids may use axes, bows, and spears without breaking any oaths, but do not get any of these as additional weapon proficiencies.
Saves: Same as the base creature.
Abilities: Modifiers from the base creature are as follows: Constitution +2, Intelligence –2.
Skills: The skills intimidate, intuit direction, and wilderness lore are always considered class skills to a savage.
At each level, a savage spending at least half his skill points among the skills animal empathy, balance, climb, handle animal, intimidate, intuit direction, jump, listen, ride, swim, and wilderness lore, gets a +2 bonus to a skill of his choice from the same list in which he has at least 3 ranks. The bonus may be assigned to the same skill more than once, but no more than once per 3 full ranks in the skill.
A savage’s maximum ranks with the skills alchemy, appraise, craft (any technical), decipher script, diplomacy, forgery, gather information, knowledge (all), open lock, scry, speak language, spellcraft, and use magic device are 2 lower than normal for his class and level. This means that he cannot have no more than 2 in-class ranks and no cross-class ranks in these skills at first level.
Savage Feats: A savage creature has access to the savage-exclusive feats fast movement, rage, greater rage, uncanny dodge, and damage reduction. Savages gaining martial (fighter) bonus feats may spend those feats on savage feats. In fact, they must spend at least half (round down) of their bonus feats on savage feats. (For example, a savage fighter must have spent at least 1 by 2nd level, 2 by 6th level, 3 by 10th level, etc.)
Starting wealth: A savage creature only receives half normal starting gold for his class.
Becoming Civilized: A savage who is literate may become civilized. When doing so, he immediately loses all advantages (constitution +2, extra class skills, skill bonuses, free handaxe proficiency, use of and access to savage feats, etc.) of being savage. He suffers the disadvantages (intelligence -2, illiteracy, reduced maximum skill ranks, reduced spellcasting, technological ineptitude, etc.) of being savage until he has been civilized for as long [levels or years?] as he has been savage. A civilized savage can go back to being savage. To do so, he takes on the disadvantages immediately, but does not get the advantages until he has been savage longer than civilized.
Savage Feats, only available to savages
Fast Movement [Savage General, Savage Fighter Feat]
You are quick on your feet.
Prerequisite: Savage Template
Benefit: You gain +10’ speed when wearing no heavier than medium armor, as the barbarian ability. This feat may be taken only once.
Savage Rage [Savage General, Savage Fighter Feat]
You can use your anger as a weapon against your enemies.
Prerequisite: Savage Template, BAB +1.
Benefit: You gain the ability to rage once per day as the barbarian ability. To gain more daily rages, take the Extra Rage feat.
Uncanny Dodge [Savage General, Savage Fighter Feat]
You react immediately to danger.
Prerequisite: Savage Template, BAB +2.
Benefit: You do not lose your dexterity bonus to armor class, as the barbarian ability. If your BAB is at least +5, you also gain the ability not to be flanked, as the barbarian ability.
Uncanny Dodge (Traps) [Savage General, Savage Fighter Feat]
You can anticipate nasty surprises.
Prerequisite: Savage Template, Level 10.
Benefit: You get a +1 bonus to your saving throws vs. traps, as the barbarian ability. This ability improves by +1 for every full 3 levels above 10. This bonus does not stack with a similar bonus gained as a class ability such as the rogue's.
Damage Reduction [Savage General, Savage Fighter Feat]
You are resistant to physical damage.
Prerequisite: Savage Template, Savage Rage, BAB +12 or more.
Benefit: You gain Damage Reduction 1 as the barbarian ability. This feat stacks with itself and may be taken more than once with the BAB requirement increasing by +3 each time.
Greater Rage [Savage General, Savage Fighter Feat]
Your raging fury is truly fearsome.
Prerequisite: Savage Template, Savage Rage, Extra Rage, BAB +15.
Benefit: Your bonuses while raging increase to +6 Strength, +6 Constitution, and +3 morale bonus to Will Saves. The -2 AC penalty remains. If you have taken Extra Rage at least twice and you BAB is at least +20, you are also no longer winded after raging.
Extra ideas for Savage feats:
Spell Resistance [Savage General]
You are resistant to magic.
Prerequisite: Savage Template, Base Fortitude save +6
Benefit: You gain a Spell Resistance of 10 + half your character level. This does not stack with SR from other sources.
Elemental Resistance [Savage General]
You are resistant to elemental damage.
Prerequisite: Savage Template, Level 6 or higher. [or Base Fortitude save +6 or more]
Benefit: You gain either Resistance 5 to one type of elemental damage or Resistance 1 to all elemental damage. This feat may be taken more than once and stacks with itself. The level prerequisite increases by 3 each time it is taken. [or Fortitude save requirement increasing by +2 each time]
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