The Dashing Swordsman

[Aleolus]

OK, I got this idea from a comic called the Order of the Stick. It may have already been done, but here's how I see it. Works wonders for Bards!

The Dashing Swordsman

Prerequisites:
Charisma 15+
BAB: +3
Skills: Any Perform at 8 ranks, Bluff 4 ranks, Balance 4 ranks, Jump 4 ranks, Diplomacy 4 ranks, Tumble 4 ranks
Feats: Quick-draw
Special: Proficient with the raipier
Special: Must know at least one non-native language.

Level     BAB   Fort   Ref   Will     Special
  1       +1     0      2      0      Charismatic Opponent (attacks)
  2       +2     0      3      0      Sharp Wit
  3       +3     1      3      1      Acrobatic Charge
  4       +4     1      4      1      Bonus Feat
  5       +5     1      4      1      Combat Expertise
  6       +6     2      5      2      Dramatic Entrance
  7       +7     2      5      2      Bonus Feat
  8       +8     2      6      2      Charismatic Opponent (critical)
  9       +9     3      6      3      Uncanny Dodge
 10      +10     3      7      3      Bonus Feat, Charismatic Opponent (AC)

Skill points: 6+int
Class skills: Balance, Bluff, Concentration, Diplomacy, Gather Information, Intimidate, Jump, Knowledge (Local), Perform (all skills taken individually), Ride, Sense Motive, Sleight of Hand, Speak Language, Spot, Tumble

Class Features:
Charismatic Opponent (Ex): At first level, once per round, you may add your Charisma modifier to any one attack roll, instead of your strength. At 8th level, you may add your Charisma bonus to critical confirmation rolls. At 10th level, you may add your Charisma bonus to your Dexterity bonus when determining your armor class, provided that you are wearing light or no armor.

Sharp Wit (Ex)[/b]: Beginning at second level, whenever you make a successful melee attack against a foe with a raipier or similar weapon, you may make a fitting quip or pun to add 1 point of your Charisma modifier to your damage dealt per class level. In order to make use of this ability, you and the targeted foe must share a language, and they must be vulnerable to precision-based damage.

Combat Expertise: At second level, you gain Combat Expertise as a bonus feat. If you already have Combat Expertise, you may select any other feat for which you qualify, so long as it has Combat Expertise as a prerequisite.

Acrobatic Charge (Ex):At third level, you gain the ability to charge in situations where others cannot. You may charge over difficult terrain that normally slows movement. Depending on the circumstance, you may still need to make appropriate checks to successfully move over the terrain.

Bonus Feat: At fourth, seventh and tenth level, you gain a bonus feat from the following list: Acrobatic, Agile, Improved Critical, Improved Feint, Improved Initiative, Mobility, Spring Attack, Quick Draw, Weapon Finesse

Dramatic Entrance (Ex): At 6th level, when a Dashing Swordsman enters a scene in a dramatic fashion, such as through a window or by bashing down the door, he adds his Charisma modifier to any rolls required to enter, and ignores up to his Charisma modifier in damage that would normally result from such an entrance.

Uncanny Dodge (Ex): At 9th level, a dashing swordsman retains her Dexterity bonus to AC (if any) regardless of being caught flat-footed or struck by an invisible attacker. (She still loses any Dexterity bonus to AC if immobilized.) If a character already has uncanny dodge from a second class, the character automatically gains improved uncanny dodge

 

[Claudius Gaius]

Looks fairly reasonable. A class with attribute bonuses is mildly unusual, but not unknown - and restricting their special bonus to a single attack keeps that under control. You might want to lower their will save slightly though, it looks a bit unrelated to me.

 

[Aleolus]

For classes that give ability boosts, look no further than the Dragon Disciple in the DMG. At fourth level their Str gets +2, at 6th level their Con gets +2, and at 8th level their Int gets +2.

Also, I edited the opening post to include a minimum Cha requirement to become a Dashing Swordsman. So a Bard could qualify for this class by fourth or fifth level!

 

[Claudius Gaius]

That's why "mildly" unusual.

 

[Xulin]

Well, you really shouldn't have ability requirements to enter a prestige class - you can represent that through feats, or class abilities. Besides, 18 is too high.

Also, they should have Balance and Jump as those are both dashing movement skills. Also, Use Rope to make daring rope swinging attempts.

One last question: where is this class's immunity to damage from shattered glass?

 

[wolfpunk]

Probably should allow levels of this class to stack with Bard levels for the purpose of determining what abilities the character can use. Consider they don't get continued spell progression, you might not be offering enough.

Might be worthwhile to think about the occasional paladin or sorcerer that wants to take the prestige class. Seems like continued spell progression might not be a bad thing to add to the prestige class.

 

[Aleolus]

Fix'd

 

[brehobit]

Humm....
I don't like the heavy use of CHR here, but given that it only works on a single attack, it isn't unbalancing.

I do feel it is weak though. I'd go with the following:
Change quick-draw to dodge as the feat prereq.


Class Features:
Charismatic Opponent (Ex): Same.

Dramatic Entrance (Ex): Probably needs something about massive damage, but okay.

Mobility: At 2nd level a dashing swordsman gains mobility as a bonus feat even if he doesn't otherwise qualify for it. If he already has that feat, he may instead take any feat he meets the requirements of that either has dodge as a requirement or requires a minimum dexterity.

Smooth operator: At 3rd level a Dashing Swordsman gains a bonus feat. This feat must be either Skill Focus (any Cha based skill, Jump, Balance or Tumble), Acrobatic, Agile, Negotiator, or Persuasive. In addition the Dashing Swordsman gains a permanent +2 bonus to his Charisma.

Spring attack At 4th level a dashing swordsman gains spring attack as a bonus feat even if he doesn't otherwise qualify for it. If he already has that feat, he may instead take any feat he meets the requirements of that either has dodge as a requirement or requires a minimum dexterity. Charismatic Opponent may be used as part of the spring attack.

Rapier Sharp Wit At fifth level, a Dashing Swordsman may substitute his Charisma modifier in place of his Strength on melee damage rolls, when he makes use of his Charismatic Opponent ability. This is in addition to the ability granted by Charismatic Opponent.

 

[Aleolus]

...Actually, I just reread the page where it introduces the Dashing Swordsman class in the comic for Order of the Stick, and the guy who introduces it says "It's a Prestige class, and one I have ten[/i] levels in," so I need to flesh it out at least another five levels. Oi, that's gonna be tough to do.

Thanks for the suggestion for the name for their last ability, though, as well as the other stuff you mentioned!

 

[szilard]

How about this:


Dashing Swordsman

Hit Die
d8.

Requirements
To qualify to become a dashing swordsman, a character must fulfill all the following criteria.
Base Attack Bonus
+5.
Skills
Perform 8 ranks, Bluff 5 ranks, Tumble 5 ranks.

Feats
Dodge, Persuasive, Weapon focus (rapier).

Class Skills
The dashing swordsman’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Balance (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Diplomacy (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Jump (Str), Listen (Wis), Perform (Cha), Sense Motive (Wis), Speak Language, Spot (Wis), and Tumble (Dex).

Skill Points at Each Level
4 + Int modifier.

Level     BAB   Fort   Ref   Will     Special
  1       +1     0      2      0      Sharp Wit
  2       +2     0      3      0      Combat Expertise
  3       +3     1      3      1      Acrobatic Charge
  4       +4     1      4      1      Bonus Feat
  5       +5     1      4      1      Charismatic Opponent (feint)
  6       +6     2      5      2      Dramatic Entrance
  7       +7     2      5      2      Bonus Feat
  8       +8     2      6      2      Charismatic Opponent (critical)
  9       +9     3      6      3      Uncanny Dodge
 10      +10     3      7      3      Bonus Feat, Charismatic Opponent (AC)

Sharp Wit (Ex) Add 1 point of Charisma bonus (if any) per dashing swordsman class level to your damage when wielding a rapier, provided that you make a quip or pun during the attack.

Combat Expertise - gain as a bonus feat. You need not have any of the prerequisites normally required.

Acrobatic Charge (Ex) - gain the ability to charge in situations where others cannot. You may charge over difficult terrain that normally slows movement. Depending on the circumstance, you may still need to make appropriate checks to successfully move over the terrain.

Bonus Feat: gain a bonus feat from the following list: Acrobatic, Agile, Improved Critical, Improved Feint, Improved Initiative, Mobility, Spring Attack, Quick Draw, Weapon Finesse

Charismatic Opponent (Ex) - You add your Charisma bonus (if any) to your attack roll when you make a successful feint. At 8th level, you add your Charisma bonus to critical confirmation rolls. At 10th level, you may add your Charisma bonus to your Dexterity bonus when determining your armor class, provided that you are wearing light or no armor.

Dramatic Entrance (Ex) At 6th level, when a Dashing Swordsman enters a scene in a dramatic fashion, such as through a window or by bashing down the door, he adds his Charisma modifier to any rolls required to enter, and ignores up to his Charisma modifier in damage that would normally result from such an entrance.

Uncanny Dodge (Ex) At 9th level, a dashing swordsman retains her Dexterity bonus to AC (if any) regardless of being caught flat-footed or struck by an invisible attacker. (She still loses any Dexterity bonus to AC if immobilized.) If a character gains uncanny dodge from a second class, the character automatically gains improved uncanny dodge.