Here is the first of what will be several classes wherein the class that evolved through my tinkering is 100% totally different from the base class that started it. This class is based on the Arsenalist from Legends and Lairs’ book, Path of Magic. Originally it was a caster that knew how to make and use guns. 18 revisions later, it’s probably the class that looks the most different from it’s original incarnation…as in, it kept absolutely nothing. :happy:
Some of the mechanics that I use in my game are coming out here (of course, many will). In this case, I’ve stolen from Monte Cook the idea of dividing Exotic weapons into groups, and allowing a single Exotic proficiency to give you access to the entire group. In this case, the groups are
- Exotic (agile), which is anything designed to be wielded in a fast and whirly manner
- Exotic (heavy), which is anything designed to be wielded in a crush-and-rend manner
- Exotic (double), which is all double weapons
- Exotic (ranged) weapons, which is anything not a gun, bomb, or cannon that cannot be used in melee
- Exotic (firearm) weapons, which are guns, bombs, and cannons
- Siege weapons, which are huge machines that deal massive damage and have a delay of Xd4 rounds before they can be fired/swung again.
This class can be used in any other game simply by dividing Exotic weapons up into the same groupings that the Martial weapons are divided up into: one handed, reach, two-handed, double, ranged (or some such.)
Also on a mechanical side note, the [combat] descriptor mentioned under the Bonus Feats ability is simply the descriptor I tack onto any feat that a Fighter is allowed to take as a bonus feat.
ARSENALIST
Alignment: Any.
Hit Die: d8.
Class Skills: The arsenalist’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are: Appraise (Int), Bluff (Cha), Craft (Int), Disable Device (Int), Handle Animal (Cha), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (Int), Listen (Wis), Open Lock (Dex), Perform (Cha), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Search (Int), Sense Motive (Wis), and Spot (Wis).
Skill Points: (4 + Int modifier)
BAB: High
Saves: Reflex high, Fort and Will low.
Class Features by Level:
Code: Select all
[br] 1 Weapon type focus[br] 2 Poised strike[br] 3 Forge personal weapons, bonus damage +1[br] 4 Precision 5%, bonus feat[br] 5 Accuracy (-1)[br] 6 Weapon type focus, bonus damage +2[br] 7 Weapon swap[br] 8 Precision (10%), enchant personal weapons[br] 9 Bonus feat, bonus damage +3[br]10 Accuracy (-2)[br]11 Weapon type focus[br]12 Precision (15%), take advantage, bonus damage +4[br]13 Precision critical (5%, x2), awaken personal weapons[br]14 Bonus feat[br]15 Accuracy (-3), bonus damage +5[br]16 Weapon type focus, precision (20%)[br]17 Personalize weapon[br]18 Precision critical (10%, x3), imbue personal weapons, bonus damage +6[br]19 Bonus feat, true strike[br]20 Accuracy (-4), precision (25%), improved take advantage[br]Class Features
All of the following are class features of the arsenalist.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: An arsenalist is proficient with all weapons, light armor, and no shields.
Weapon Type Focus (Ex): At 1st level, and again every 5th level beyond 1st (6th, 11th, and 16th), an arsenalist may select one category of weapons from the following list. He gains +1 to attack rolls made with weapons from that category. Weapons that fit into multiple categories (for example, a bastard sword could be used one or two-handed) only gain the bonus when used in the appropriate manner. Having Weapon Type Focus in a type of weapons counts as having Weapon Focus in every weapon of that type for the purposes of meeting feat prerequisites and prestige class requirements, but this ability stacks with the Weapon Focus feat.
Unarmed strikes: all weapons that count as unarmed strikes.
Simple weapons: all Simple weapons except those that count as unarmed strikes
One-handed martial melee weapons: all Martial melee weapons without the Reach ability that the arsenalist can wield in one hand.
Martial reach weapons: all Martial melee weapons with the Reach ability.
Two-handed martial melee weapons: all Martial melee weapons without the Reach ability that the arsenalist can wield in two hands and are not double weapons.
Martial double weapons: all Martial double weapons.
Martial ranged weapons: all Martial ranged weapons.
Exotic (agile) weapons: all Exotic (agile) weapons.
Exotic (heavy) weapons: all Exotic (heavy) weapons.
Exotic (double) weapons: all Exotic (double) weapons.
Exotic (ranged) weapons: all Exotic (ranged) weapons except Exotic (firearm) weapons.
Exotic (firearm) weapons: all Exotic (firearm) weapons.
Siege weapons: all Siege weapons.
Bonus Damage (Ex): Arsenalists gain a damage bonus on all weapon damage rolls made with weapons that the arsenalist’s weapon type focus ability applies to. This bonus is +1 at 3rd level, and increases by 1 every 3rd level thereafter.
Poised Strike (Ex): Arsenalists of 2nd level or higher gain the ability to voluntarily accept a penalty to AC up to their base AC (usually 10), but no more than their BAB, for one full round in order to gain a bonus to all melee attack rolls for that round. This ability must be activated at the beginning of the arsenalist’s turn.
Forge Personal Weapons (Ex): Arsenalists of 3rd level or higher gain the ability to forge any number of personal weapons – weapons made to precisely fit the fighting style and needs of the arsenalist. The arsenalist gains a +1 insight bonus to attack and damage rolls when wielding a personal weapon, and anyone other than the arsenalist takes a –1 circumstance penalty to attack and damage rolls when wielding an arsenalist’s personal weapon. Forging personal weapons requires the use of the Craft (weaponsmithing) skill. A personal weapon, much like a masterwork weapon, has an additional cost that must be crafted separately from the base cost of the weapon: 500 gp. A personal weapon can be a masterwork weapon or not; the two qualities are independent of one another.
Precision (Ex): 4th level arsenalists have a 5% chance per four character levels of hitting an opponent even if their attack roll would miss them normally. This chance is reduced by and reduces any miss chance the opponent has operating over him. This ability does not function if the arsenalist’s attack roll is a natural 1, and it can under no circumstance be raised beyond 50%. An opponent with full concealment who has his concealment reduced by this ability does not become visible; the arsenalist must still guess where that opponent is. Similarly, an opponent who has had his concealment reduced to 0% or less by this ability is still unable to be the target of a sneak attack by the arsenalist.
Bonus Feat (Ex): At 4th level, and again every 5 levels beyond 4th, an arsenalist gains a bonus feat with the [combat] descriptor.
Accuracy (Ex): From 5th level onward, an arsenalist can ignore one point of penalty on his attack rolls, regardless of the source of the penalty. This ability allows the arsenalist to ignore one additional point of penalty per 5 levels, thus at 10th level the arsenalist can ignore two points of penalties on his attack rolls, and so on.
Weapon Swap (Ex):: An arsenalist of 7th level and above no longer provokes an attack of opportunity by sheathing a weapon. In addition, if the arsenalist possesses the Quick Draw feat, he may sheathe a weapon as a free action.
Enchant Personal Weapons (Su): At 8th level and beyond, an arsenalist gains the Craft Magic Arms and Armor feat as a bonus feat even if he does not meet the prerequisites, and can mimic any spell which has a spell level equal to or less than half the arsenalist’s character level for the purposes of creating magical weapons and armor. The arsenalist can only enchant his personal weapons in this manner. The arsenalist cannot create intelligent or cursed weapons in this manner.
Take Advantage (Ex): Arsenalists of 12th level or higher may, when making a critical-confirmation roll against a flat-footed opponent, choose whether to accept the number they rolled, or to take 10 in it’s place. At 20th level, they may choose to accept the number rolled or to take 15 in it’s place.
Awaken Personal Weapons (Su): An arsenalist of 13th level and beyond can create intelligent weapons using his Enchant Personal Weapons ability, and can add intelligence to any personal weapon he has already forged and enchanted by spending the normal amount of time, XP, and gold.
Precision Critical (Ex): An arsenalist of 13th level gains a 5% chance per successful attack of that attack being a critical hit even if his attack roll did not fall within his weapon's threat range or if his critical-confirmation roll failed to match or beat his opponent's AC. Any critical hit triggered by this ability treats the arsenalist's weapon as though it had a critical multiplier of x2, regardless of the weapon's actual critical multiplier and of any abilities the arsenalist has regarding his weapon's critical multiplier. This chance to critical increases by 5% per 5 character levels beyond 13th, to a maximum of 50%. At 18th level, any critical hit caused by this ability treats the weapon as though it's critical multiplier were x3 rather than x2.
Personalize Weapon (Ex): An arsenalist of 17th level or higher can spend one week making minor modifications to a weapon that he did not forge, and re-balance and re-tune it to fit his fighting style, effectively making the weapon a personal weapon, as though the arsenalist had forged it himself for that purpose. This requires a Craft (weaponsmithing) check (DC 20 +1 per 10,000 gp of the weapon’s value); failure on this check means only that the arsenalist wasted a week. The attempt can be made again, and there is no penalty for doing so.
Imbue Personal Weapons (Ex): At 18th level, an arsenalist can attempt to add short-term additional enchantments to a personal weapon. By spending one full round action, the arsenalist can designate any weapon enchantment that has an enhancement-equivalent value, and then make a Craft (weaponsmithing) check (DC 20 plus the square of the enchantment’s value). The amount by which the Craft check exceeds the DC is the number of rounds that the designated enchantment remains in effect on the arsenalist’s weapon. If the Craft check fails to meet the DC by more than 5 points, the weapon’s normal enchantments are temporarily disrupted, and the weapon’s enhancement bonus is halved (round down) for a number of rounds equal to the amount by which the Craft check failed.
True Strike (Sp): At 19th level, an arsenalist learns to use the spell-like ability True Strike as a free action a number of times per day equal to his Intelligence modifier, but no more than once per round.
Essence
