playswithfire
2010-02-11, 11:31 PM
So, a while back, I saw a bunch of Drunken Master threads and it got me thinking that
1 - the current drunken master is pretty weak
2 - barbarians should be able to be drunken masters
so, I started thinking about alternative class features that would let that happen, while making each individual ACF make sense on its own. Below is the result. Comments sought and welcome.
First, a new Barbarian totem:
Gorilla Totem Class Features
A barbarian dedicated to the gorilla totem does not gain the standard fast movement, uncanny dodge, and improved uncanny dodge barbarian class features, and instead gains the following abilities.
A 1st level gorilla-totem barbarian gains Improved Unarmed Strike as a bonus feat and gains a +1 bonus on damage rolls with his unarmed strikes.
At 2nd level, a gorilla-totem barbarian gains Superior Unarmed Strike as a bonus feat, even if he doesn't meet the normal prerequisites.
Beginning at 5th level, a gorilla-totem barbarian's unarmed strike damage increases by one size category when he is raging.
Then, a new alternative to trap sense
Improvisation Alternative Class Feature
Most rogues and barbarians are adept at seeing the danger inherent in the seemingly inconspicuous appearance of a well-hidden trap. There are some, however, who use this ability offensively to see the lethality hidden in seemingly commonplace items. Those with the latter ability are never caught unprepared, as they can find a weapon wherever they may be.
Class: Barbarian or Rogue
Level: 3rd
Special Requirement: Craft(trapmaking) 3 ranks
Replaces: You do not gain the trap sense class feature (or any later improvements to that class feature).
Benefit: Beginning at third level, you do not take a penalty on attack rolls when attacking with an improvised weapon and become increasingly skilled at using them. An improvised weapon you wield does d4 damage at 3rd level. This damage increases by one die size every three barbarian or rogue levels thereafter (to d6 at 6th level, d8 at 9th level, and so on to a maximum of d12 at 15th level). If you have the Improved Unarmed Strike feat, the improvised weapons do damage equal to that listed above plus your unarmed strike damage and you may deal nonlethal damage with blunt improvised weapons with no penalty on the attack roll.
Finally, a new Rage variant (the only one explicitly involving being drunk)
Rage Variant: Drunken Haze
A barbarian with this variant form of rage doesn’t gain the normal bonuses and penalty when he enters a rage. Instead, when a barbarian with drunken haze enters a rage, he temporarily gains a +4 bonus to Strength and a +4 bonus to Charisma, but takes a -2 penalty on Reflex saves. While in a drunken haze, the barbarian can take additional drinks of an alcoholic beverage as a move action. Each drink consumed in this way reduces the barbarian's Intelligence and Widsom scores by 2 points each, but increases his Strength or Charisma (character's choice) by 2 points. He may benefit from a number of drinks equal to half his barbarian level, rounded down.
Drunken haze is otherwise identical to the standard barbarian rage in all other ways. At 11th level (when a standard barbarian gains greater rage), the Strength and Charisma bonuses increas to +6. At 20th level (when a standard barbarian gains mighty rage), the Strength and Charisma bonuses increase to +8. A barbarian using this variant doesn’t gain indomitable will at 14th level. Instead, he gains a +4 bonus to Fortitude saves, but only while in a drunken haze. A character can't use drunken haze at the same time that he uses any other form of rage (or similar ability).
These three all used together, along with the Cityscape Streetfighter (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/we/20070228a) ACF, make a pretty convincing Drunken Master, I feel (and replace every class feature except illiteracy).
1 - the current drunken master is pretty weak
2 - barbarians should be able to be drunken masters
so, I started thinking about alternative class features that would let that happen, while making each individual ACF make sense on its own. Below is the result. Comments sought and welcome.
First, a new Barbarian totem:
Gorilla Totem Class Features
A barbarian dedicated to the gorilla totem does not gain the standard fast movement, uncanny dodge, and improved uncanny dodge barbarian class features, and instead gains the following abilities.
A 1st level gorilla-totem barbarian gains Improved Unarmed Strike as a bonus feat and gains a +1 bonus on damage rolls with his unarmed strikes.
At 2nd level, a gorilla-totem barbarian gains Superior Unarmed Strike as a bonus feat, even if he doesn't meet the normal prerequisites.
Beginning at 5th level, a gorilla-totem barbarian's unarmed strike damage increases by one size category when he is raging.
Then, a new alternative to trap sense
Improvisation Alternative Class Feature
Most rogues and barbarians are adept at seeing the danger inherent in the seemingly inconspicuous appearance of a well-hidden trap. There are some, however, who use this ability offensively to see the lethality hidden in seemingly commonplace items. Those with the latter ability are never caught unprepared, as they can find a weapon wherever they may be.
Class: Barbarian or Rogue
Level: 3rd
Special Requirement: Craft(trapmaking) 3 ranks
Replaces: You do not gain the trap sense class feature (or any later improvements to that class feature).
Benefit: Beginning at third level, you do not take a penalty on attack rolls when attacking with an improvised weapon and become increasingly skilled at using them. An improvised weapon you wield does d4 damage at 3rd level. This damage increases by one die size every three barbarian or rogue levels thereafter (to d6 at 6th level, d8 at 9th level, and so on to a maximum of d12 at 15th level). If you have the Improved Unarmed Strike feat, the improvised weapons do damage equal to that listed above plus your unarmed strike damage and you may deal nonlethal damage with blunt improvised weapons with no penalty on the attack roll.
Finally, a new Rage variant (the only one explicitly involving being drunk)
Rage Variant: Drunken Haze
A barbarian with this variant form of rage doesn’t gain the normal bonuses and penalty when he enters a rage. Instead, when a barbarian with drunken haze enters a rage, he temporarily gains a +4 bonus to Strength and a +4 bonus to Charisma, but takes a -2 penalty on Reflex saves. While in a drunken haze, the barbarian can take additional drinks of an alcoholic beverage as a move action. Each drink consumed in this way reduces the barbarian's Intelligence and Widsom scores by 2 points each, but increases his Strength or Charisma (character's choice) by 2 points. He may benefit from a number of drinks equal to half his barbarian level, rounded down.
Drunken haze is otherwise identical to the standard barbarian rage in all other ways. At 11th level (when a standard barbarian gains greater rage), the Strength and Charisma bonuses increas to +6. At 20th level (when a standard barbarian gains mighty rage), the Strength and Charisma bonuses increase to +8. A barbarian using this variant doesn’t gain indomitable will at 14th level. Instead, he gains a +4 bonus to Fortitude saves, but only while in a drunken haze. A character can't use drunken haze at the same time that he uses any other form of rage (or similar ability).
These three all used together, along with the Cityscape Streetfighter (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/we/20070228a) ACF, make a pretty convincing Drunken Master, I feel (and replace every class feature except illiteracy).