Satyr
2010-03-24, 05:06 AM
It's interesting what you find when you look up all the old stuff on your hard drive. I, for example, have found roughly half a dozen Tome of Battle Prestige classes I wrote before I strated to seriously work on Serpents and Sewers.
I have translated these classes yesterday, and updated them a bit, but really, they are in their core two or three years old. For me, it's somewhat interesting how a few ideas which were later copied in S&S appeared here for the first time. Seriously, these include my first step in homebrewing for D&D.
Now, these are Prestige Classes who I like them: focused on beating people up, and actually quite competent in this field of expertise. If you ask me, the overwhelming majority of prestige classes for the already underrepresented melee fighters are much too weak, especially when compared to *any* prestige class with full caster level progression. Therefore, they might appear a bit powerful when compared to other fighter -specific prestige classes.
http://img13.imageshack.us/img13/3591/szabosritter.pngThere are only two societies worthy to belong to; the honorable living - and the honorable dead.
The Devout Bodyguard
It is a long-standing tradition that the best guards and protectors of any realm are the ones who are the most dedicated. The Devout Bodyguard is such a dedicated guardsman. These knights, templars and vanguard of the faith militant are chosen for the piety and discipline as well as their martial prowess and they learn how to channel divine magic along their usual martial training.
The Devout Bodyguard orders recruit their memebers from the ranks of promising crusaders and sometimes Paladins.
Design Notes:
The Devout Bodyguard is a Crusader who is much closer to the Paladin than usual. He gains spellcasting abilities which are en par with those of a paladin, a somewhat slowed down maneuver progression, and a useful, but not incredible defense bonus. It is meant for players who want to play their crusaders more like the traditional paladin.
HD: D10
Requirements
Alignment: Lawful Good, Neutral Good or Lawful Neutral
BAB: +5
Skills:Diplomacy 7 ranks, Intimidate 7 ranks, Knowledge (Religion) 5 Ranks
Feats: Devout Bullwark, any Devotion Feat
Maneuvers: One maneuver of third or higher level from the Devout Spirit discipline
Class-Skills: Balance, Concentration, Craft, Diplomacy, Intimidate, Jump, Knowledge (religion) Knowledge (history), Knowledge (nobility and royalty), Martial Lore, Profession, Ride and Sense Motive
Skill-points per level: 4+Int modifier
Table: The Devout Bodyguard
{table="head"]Level|BAB|Fort|Ref|Will|Special|Disciplines|1st|2n d|3rd|4th
1st|+1|+2|+0|+2|Smite 1/day, Shield of Faith|--|0|-|-|-
2nd|+2|+3|+0|+3|--|+1 level of initiator class |1|-|-|-
3rd|+3|+3|+1|+3|Bonus Feat|--|1|0|-|-
4th|+4|+4|+1|+4|Smite 2/day|+1 level of initiator class|1|1|-|-
5th|+5|+4|+1|+4|Fortification (25%)|--|1|1|0|-
6th|+6|+5|+2|+5|Bonus Feat|+1 level of initiator class |1|1|1|-
7th|+7|+5|+2|+5|Smite 3/day|--|2|1|1|0
8th|+8|+6|+2|+6|--|+1 level of initiator class|2|1|1|1
9th|+9|+6|+3|+6|Bonus Feat|--|2|2|1|1
10th|+10|+7|+3|+7|Smite 4/day, Fortification (75%)|+1 level of initiator class |2|2|2|1
[/table]
Weapon and Armor Proficiencies: The Devout Bodyguard gains no new weapon or armor proficiencies.
Disciplines: At each even level, the Devout Bodyguard gains new maneuvers, stances or readied maneuvers and an increase in his initiator level as if he had also gained a level in the initiator class he followed before, including the accessibility of disciplines. He does not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained. The levels were the character does not increase his number of maneuvers still count fully for the initiator level and can be used to exchange a learned maneuver.
The levels were the character does not increase his number of maneuvers still count fully for the character's initiator level and can be used to exchange a learned maneuver if it is an even initiator level.
Spellcasting: A Devout Bodyguard gains the ability to cast a small number of divine spells, which are drawn from the paladin spell list. A Devout Bodyguard must choose and prepare her spells in advance.
To prepare or cast a spell, a Devout Bodyguard must have a Wisdom score equal to at least 10 + the spell level. The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against a Devout Bodyguard's spell is 10 + the spell level + the Devout Bodyguard's Wisdom modifier.
Like other spellcasters, a paladin can cast only a certain number of spells of each spell level per day. Her base daily spell allotment is given on Table: Devout Bodyguard Spells. In addition, he receives bonus spells per day if she has a high Wisdom score.
A Devout Bodyguard prepares and casts spells the way a cleric does, though he cannot lose a prepared spell to spontaneously cast a cure spell in its place. A Devout Bodyguard may prepare and cast any spell on the paladin spell list, provided that she can cast spells of that level, but she must choose which spells to prepare during her daily meditation.
A Devout Bodyguard has a caster level equal to his class level.
Smite: This is the same ability as the Crusader's smite ability.
Shield of Faith (ex): A Devout Bodyguard who fights in a devout spirit stance may add his Wisdom score (if any) to his AC. The Devout Bodyguard can decide to forfeit this bonus to increase the Armor class of an adjacent ally by the same amount. If the Devout Bodyguard loses his Dexterity bonus to his defense, he also loses the bonus from this ability.
Bonus Feat: At 3rd, 6th and 9th level, the Devout Bodyguard gains a bonus feat from the fighter feat list or an exalted feat.
Fortification (ex): As long as a Devout Bodyguard of 5th level wears any armor, he is considered to have the fortification enhancement. When a critical hit or sneak attack is scored on the Devout Bodygaurd, there is a 25% chance that the critical hit or sneak attack is negated and damage is instead rolled normally.
At 10th level, this chance increases to 75%.
I have translated these classes yesterday, and updated them a bit, but really, they are in their core two or three years old. For me, it's somewhat interesting how a few ideas which were later copied in S&S appeared here for the first time. Seriously, these include my first step in homebrewing for D&D.
Now, these are Prestige Classes who I like them: focused on beating people up, and actually quite competent in this field of expertise. If you ask me, the overwhelming majority of prestige classes for the already underrepresented melee fighters are much too weak, especially when compared to *any* prestige class with full caster level progression. Therefore, they might appear a bit powerful when compared to other fighter -specific prestige classes.
http://img13.imageshack.us/img13/3591/szabosritter.pngThere are only two societies worthy to belong to; the honorable living - and the honorable dead.
The Devout Bodyguard
It is a long-standing tradition that the best guards and protectors of any realm are the ones who are the most dedicated. The Devout Bodyguard is such a dedicated guardsman. These knights, templars and vanguard of the faith militant are chosen for the piety and discipline as well as their martial prowess and they learn how to channel divine magic along their usual martial training.
The Devout Bodyguard orders recruit their memebers from the ranks of promising crusaders and sometimes Paladins.
Design Notes:
The Devout Bodyguard is a Crusader who is much closer to the Paladin than usual. He gains spellcasting abilities which are en par with those of a paladin, a somewhat slowed down maneuver progression, and a useful, but not incredible defense bonus. It is meant for players who want to play their crusaders more like the traditional paladin.
HD: D10
Requirements
Alignment: Lawful Good, Neutral Good or Lawful Neutral
BAB: +5
Skills:Diplomacy 7 ranks, Intimidate 7 ranks, Knowledge (Religion) 5 Ranks
Feats: Devout Bullwark, any Devotion Feat
Maneuvers: One maneuver of third or higher level from the Devout Spirit discipline
Class-Skills: Balance, Concentration, Craft, Diplomacy, Intimidate, Jump, Knowledge (religion) Knowledge (history), Knowledge (nobility and royalty), Martial Lore, Profession, Ride and Sense Motive
Skill-points per level: 4+Int modifier
Table: The Devout Bodyguard
{table="head"]Level|BAB|Fort|Ref|Will|Special|Disciplines|1st|2n d|3rd|4th
1st|+1|+2|+0|+2|Smite 1/day, Shield of Faith|--|0|-|-|-
2nd|+2|+3|+0|+3|--|+1 level of initiator class |1|-|-|-
3rd|+3|+3|+1|+3|Bonus Feat|--|1|0|-|-
4th|+4|+4|+1|+4|Smite 2/day|+1 level of initiator class|1|1|-|-
5th|+5|+4|+1|+4|Fortification (25%)|--|1|1|0|-
6th|+6|+5|+2|+5|Bonus Feat|+1 level of initiator class |1|1|1|-
7th|+7|+5|+2|+5|Smite 3/day|--|2|1|1|0
8th|+8|+6|+2|+6|--|+1 level of initiator class|2|1|1|1
9th|+9|+6|+3|+6|Bonus Feat|--|2|2|1|1
10th|+10|+7|+3|+7|Smite 4/day, Fortification (75%)|+1 level of initiator class |2|2|2|1
[/table]
Weapon and Armor Proficiencies: The Devout Bodyguard gains no new weapon or armor proficiencies.
Disciplines: At each even level, the Devout Bodyguard gains new maneuvers, stances or readied maneuvers and an increase in his initiator level as if he had also gained a level in the initiator class he followed before, including the accessibility of disciplines. He does not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained. The levels were the character does not increase his number of maneuvers still count fully for the initiator level and can be used to exchange a learned maneuver.
The levels were the character does not increase his number of maneuvers still count fully for the character's initiator level and can be used to exchange a learned maneuver if it is an even initiator level.
Spellcasting: A Devout Bodyguard gains the ability to cast a small number of divine spells, which are drawn from the paladin spell list. A Devout Bodyguard must choose and prepare her spells in advance.
To prepare or cast a spell, a Devout Bodyguard must have a Wisdom score equal to at least 10 + the spell level. The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against a Devout Bodyguard's spell is 10 + the spell level + the Devout Bodyguard's Wisdom modifier.
Like other spellcasters, a paladin can cast only a certain number of spells of each spell level per day. Her base daily spell allotment is given on Table: Devout Bodyguard Spells. In addition, he receives bonus spells per day if she has a high Wisdom score.
A Devout Bodyguard prepares and casts spells the way a cleric does, though he cannot lose a prepared spell to spontaneously cast a cure spell in its place. A Devout Bodyguard may prepare and cast any spell on the paladin spell list, provided that she can cast spells of that level, but she must choose which spells to prepare during her daily meditation.
A Devout Bodyguard has a caster level equal to his class level.
Smite: This is the same ability as the Crusader's smite ability.
Shield of Faith (ex): A Devout Bodyguard who fights in a devout spirit stance may add his Wisdom score (if any) to his AC. The Devout Bodyguard can decide to forfeit this bonus to increase the Armor class of an adjacent ally by the same amount. If the Devout Bodyguard loses his Dexterity bonus to his defense, he also loses the bonus from this ability.
Bonus Feat: At 3rd, 6th and 9th level, the Devout Bodyguard gains a bonus feat from the fighter feat list or an exalted feat.
Fortification (ex): As long as a Devout Bodyguard of 5th level wears any armor, he is considered to have the fortification enhancement. When a critical hit or sneak attack is scored on the Devout Bodygaurd, there is a 25% chance that the critical hit or sneak attack is negated and damage is instead rolled normally.
At 10th level, this chance increases to 75%.