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Morth
2010-04-18, 09:23 PM
The Battlefield Savant


"Gog, Morth! Strike from this side... Alice, Kreig. You two take the southern exit and leave none alive. Arek, Xorb and I will make the head on charge." -Belthin, the Battlefield Savants

Alignment: Any

Hit Dice: d8

Skills: Diplomacy (Cha), Handle Animal (Cha), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (Int), Martial Lore (Int), Listen (Wis), Perform (Cha), Ride (Dex), Sense Motive (Wis), Speak Language (n/a), Spot (Wis), Survival (Wis), and Swim (Str)
Skill points: 4+Int Modifier
At First Level: (4+Int Modifier)x4

Starting Gold: As Fighter

Starting Age: As Fighter

The Battlefield Savant
{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special|Stances Known|L1|L2|L3|L4|L5|L6|L7|L8|L9

1st|
+1|
+2|
+0|
+0|Planning (Move), Shield-brother|1|3||||||||

2nd|
+2|
+3|
+0|
+0||1|4|1|||||||

3rd|
+3|
+3|
+1|
+1||1|4|2|||||||

4th|
+4|
+4|
+1|
+1||1|4|2|1||||||

5th|
+5|
+4|
+1|
+1|Bonus Feat|1|4|3|2||||||

6th|
+6/+1|
+5|
+2|
+2||2|4|3|2|1|||||

7th|
+7/+2|
+5|
+2|
+2||2|4|4|3|2|||||

8th|
+8/+3|
+6|
+2|
+2||2|4|4|3|2|1||||

9th|
+9/+4|
+6|
+3|
+3||2|4|4|4|3|2||||

10th|
+10/+5|
+7|
+3|
+3|Planning (Standard)|2|4|4|4|3|2|1|||

11th|
+11/+6/+1|
+7|
+3|
+3||3|4|4|4|4|3|2|||

12th|
+12/+7/+2|
+8|
+4|
+4||3|4|4|4|4|3|2|1||

13th|
+13/+8/+3|
+8|
+4|
+4||3|4|4|4|4|4|3|2||

14th|
+14/+9/+4|
+9|
+4|
+4||3|4|4|4|4|4|3|2|1|

15th|
+15/+10/+5|
+9|
+5|
+5|Bonus Feat|3|4|4|4|4|4|4|3|2|

16th|
+16/+11/+6/+1|
+10|
+5|
+5||4|4|4|4|4|4|4|3|2|1

17th|
+17/+12/+7/+2|
+10|
+5|
+5||4|4|4|4|4|4|4|4|3|2

18th|
+18/+13/+8/+3|
+11|
+6|
+6||4|4|4|4|4|4|4|4|3|2

19th|
+19/+14/+9/+4|
+11|
+6|
+6||4|4|4|4|4|4|4|4|4|3

20th|
+20/+15/+10/+5|
+12|
+6|
+6|Planning (Full Round)|4|4|4|4|4|4|4|4|4|3[/table]

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A battlefield savant is proficient with up to heavy armor, heavy shields, and simple and martial weapons, as well as an exotic weapon of his choice.

Maneuvers and Stances: A battlefield savant may choose two disciplines from the following list: Stone Dragon, White Raven, Tiger Claw, Setting Sun, and Diamond Mind. He immediate learns all maneuvers of a level of maneuvers from these disciplines as soon as he can ready them, and can only a certain number of each level of maneuvers a day, as above. The battlefield savant must spend an hour every morning training, after which he selects his allotment of maneuvers for the day. These maneuvers refresh after each combat, but can only be changed through another hour of study, or use of the adaptive style feat, as discussed below. The savant gain stances as normal. Unlike other initiators, a battlefield savant may ready the same maneuver multiple times, but cannot refresh his maneuvers. All effects based on the initiator's stats are based on a savant's intelligence.

If a battlefield savant would take the Adaptive Style feat, he doesn't gain the normal effects. Instead, he may take a move action that provokes attacks of opportunity to search his mind for the right maneuver, letting him switch one readied maneuver with a different one of the same level he knows.

Shield-brother: The battlefield savant is never alone on the battlefield, being accompanied by his ally in arms. At level one, a battlefield savant gains a shield-brother (or sister). If the shield-brother is to fall in combat, or ceases to accompany you, you may spend a week in a town searching for a new recruit. The savant then makes a Diplomacy or Knowledge (History) DC 10. If he succeeds, then you find a recruit to become your new shield-brother. IF not, you must try for another week. The way to determine the abilities of your shield-brother are as follows:

Class and Race: The shield-brother is always of the same race as the battlefield savant, and is considered as having levels in Warrior equal to the number of savant levels plus 1/2 other class levels of the savant, rounded down except when it comes to hit dice and hit points. A shield brother has a 10 in four stats and a 12 in two of the savant's choice.

Hit Dice: A shield-brother is treated as having a number of hit dice equal to that of the savant.

Hit Points: A shield-brother has a number of maximum hit points equal to 1/2 of the savant's hit points, rounded up.

Weapons and Armor: A shield-brother is proficient with simple and martial weapons, medium armor and heavy shields. The shield-brother will use any weapon or armor given to him by the savant.

Shield-brother Abilities:
{table=head]Savant Level|Dodge/Attack Bonus|Ability
1-2|+1|Alertness, Improved Flanking
3-4|+1|
5-6|+2|Silent Communication (Emotion)
7-8|+2|
9-10|+3|Share Boosts
11-12|+3|
13-14|+4|
15-16|+4|Silent Communication (Full messages)
17-18|+5|
19-20|+5|Share Stance[/table]

Dodge/Attack Bonus: The shield-brother gains the indicated amount to armor class and attack rolls.

Alertness: As long as the shield-brother is within 5ft. of the savant, they both gain the effects of the Alertness feat.

Improved Flanking: When you and your shield brother are flanking the same target you both gain a +4 bonus instead of +2.

Silent Communication: Through body language and facial movement, you and your shield-brother can send information to each other. When you have line of sight and are within 30ft. of your shield-brother, you can tell each other your emotions. This ability improves later, letting you send whole messages.

Share Boosts: Your shield-brother benefits from any boosts you are under the effect of.

Share Stance: Your shield-brother is considered to be in the same stance as you at any given time.

Planning (Ex): The battlefield savant is a deadly foe if he is allowed to prepare. A battlefield savant may, by spending 10 rounds to formulate a plan, make a Knowledge (History) check with a DC of 15. If he succeeds, the savant gains an action of the listed type before anyone else takes a turn. To do this in combat, you must make a DC 15 concentration check at the beginning of each round you "plan". "Planning" is a swift action and after 10 rounds, you gain the appropriate action.

Bonus Feat: The battlefield savant may choose a bonus feat that he meets the requirements for with a tactical, battlefield savant, meta-maneuver or style descriptor.


Alternate Class Features

Zen Warlord
You are known not for your intelligence, but for your focus and determination on the battlefield.
Level: 1st
Replaces: If you take this ability, you do not gain the Planning class feature or any later improvement. Also, you may not choose the Tiger Claw as one of your disciplines.
Ability: All maneuver effects based on an ability stat for you are based on Wisdom. Also, you add the Desert Wind discipline to your list of disciplines from which you choose. You gain the Still Mind class feature at level one. You gain the Wholeness of Body ability at level 10, treating your savant levels as your monk levels. Lastly, you gain the Perfect Self ability at level 20.

Master and Commander
You are known not for your intelligence, but for your amazing leadership skills.
Level: 1st
Replaces: If you take this ability, you do not gain the Planning class feature or any later improvement.You also don't gain any bonus feats.
Ability: All maneuver effects based on an ability stat for you are based on Charisma. You gain the Grant Move Action ability of the marshal, treating savant levels as marshal levels for the sake of uses a day.



Feats

Martial Savant [Fighter, Battlefield Savant]
You lead not only through plans, but through example.
Requires: Fighter 1, Shield-brother
Effect: Your fighter and battlefield savant levels stack for determining the action you take with Planning, Shield-brother stats, and fighter feat qualification.

Battlefield Speed Chess
Your plans only take a few seconds to formulate, making you a much more dangerous enemy to your foes.
Requires: Planning class ability, Int 15
Effect: You may subconsciously make your plans during combat. You no longer need to make concentration checks, and "planning" is now a free action. Your Planning ability now only takes 5 rounds instead of 10.

[B]Practiced Initiator
You have learned in other areas of life, but haven't slackened your training of the Sublime Way.
Requires: Battlefield Savant 1
Effect: You are treated as having 4 more levels of battlefield savant, up to your hit dice, for the purpose of maneuvers.

[B]Accurate Strike [Meta-maneuver]
You have learned a technique to make your strikes more accurate.
Requires: Battlefield Savant 4
Effect: You may ready a strike in a slot one level higher then normal. If you do, you gain an additional +5 to hit with that strike.

Powerful Strike [Meta-maneuver]
You have learned a technique to make your strikes more accurate.
Requires: Battlefield Savant 6
Effect: You may ready a strike in a slot two levels higher then normal. If you do, all additional is considered to be the highest number you could roll. (This only effects added dice, not the base damage or other modifiers, such as sneak attack.)

Extended Boost [Meta-maneuver]
You have learned a technique to make your boosted state of combat last longer.
Requires: Battlefield Savant 4
Effect: You may ready a boost in a slot one level higher then normal. This boost lasts twice as long as normal.

Sudden Maneuver [Meta-maneuver]
You have learned a technique to make your actions faster.
Requires: Battlefield Savant 4
Effect: You may ready a maneuver in a slot one level higher then normal. This maneuver can be used as a swift action, or, if already a swift action, a free action.

As a common rule, meta-maneuver feats can only apply when the initiator uses a system of level-readying like the savant. A way to make them work for other initiators is to let them take up an additional slot for each additional level they'd receive, and not let them be applied to level 9 maneuvers.

Mongoose87
2010-04-18, 11:09 PM
You really like that ToB+Wizard hybrid thing, don't you? Well, i like what you did with it. One thing I might do, if I were you, is either put the maneuvers readied in separate chart, or find a way to make them smaller.

Morth
2010-04-19, 06:36 PM
Feats and AFCs are up!

Jack of Spades
2010-04-19, 06:59 PM
Seems like 10 minutes is a long time to wait to get only an extra action. Maybe make it 1d4 rounds or something? Not sure if that'd make it over powered, but the point is: You should make it so that this guy can use the ability during combat (given relative calm) or else he really isn't a "battlefield savant" as much as a "guy who can probably offer a bit of tactical advice occasionally... and his friend!"

Also, you should include procedure for getting a new Shield-Brother should the original fall, or even the procedure for getting one in the first place should this not be your original class.

Morth
2010-04-19, 07:02 PM
Seems like 10 minutes is a long time to wait to get only an extra action. Maybe make it 1d4 rounds or something? Not sure if that'd make it over powered, but the point is: You should make it so that this guy can use the ability during combat (given relative calm) or else he really isn't a "battlefield savant" as much as a "guy who can probably offer a bit of tactical advice occasionally".

Also, you should include procedure for getting a new Shield-Brother should the original fall, or even the procedure for getting one in the first place should this not be your original class.

Planning in the middle of the field doesn't seem to normal... Maybe a feat for that, and I will do the Shield-brother stuff.

Jack of Spades
2010-04-19, 07:20 PM
Planning in the middle of the field doesn't seem to normal...

I have to raise an eyebrow at this, seeing how one would be a fool to assume that battles are all planned beforehand. The entire school of tactics is the myriad of ways in which crack decisions make all the difference in a fight. If mid-battle tacticians didn't matter, Dungeons and Dragons itself would be a non-game, because every fight would be either won or lost from the outset, with no chance of defeat for the appointed winner. A Battlefield Savant, almost by definition, would be one who is a savant on the battlefield. In your small quote, what would happen if Gog was taken out by a lucky strike early in the fight, leaving Morth without support? It seems to me that Belthin's true job would be to resolve that situation, not to create it and then let the battle simply happen.

Morth
2010-04-19, 07:28 PM
I have to raise an eyebrow at this, seeing how one would be a fool to assume that battles are all planned beforehand. The entire school of tactics is the myriad of ways in which crack decisions make all the difference in a fight. If mid-battle tacticians didn't matter, Dungeons and Dragons itself would be a non-game, because every fight would be either won or lost from the outset, with no chance of defeat for the appointed winner. A Battlefield Savant, almost by definition, would be one who is a savant on the battlefield. In your small quote, what would happen if Gog was taken out by a lucky strike early in the fight, leaving Morth without support? It seems to me that Belthin's true job would be to resolve that situation, not to create it and then let the battle simply happen.

You know... you are completely right.

JKTrickster
2010-04-19, 10:22 PM
Wow I really like the interesting mechanics of this class! The unique way it uses maneuvers is really refreshing compared to the other classes!

That said, moving onto actual class abilities:

About the Shield Brother: How does this interact with the Leadership Cohort? In case I talk the feat, would one replace the other, etc.?

Also, does it roll its own initiative and act on its own turn? And I assume it follows the command of the Battlefield Savant completely (eg DM can't just control him)

Other than that, it's actually quite flavorful and useful to tag along.

Planning: This is supposed to be the cream of this class, but it really falls short. Like Jack of Spades has said, it simply takes too long. Some ways to shorten it:

1. Cap it as a x/day ability, where x is Int Modifier capped at class level?

2. Usable 1dx rounds, whatever you feel is appropriate. Swift action to activate.

Also, you can add in more appropriate abilities if you want.

For example to represent the Savant's ability to respond quickly:

Ability Name: Once per encounter the Battlefield Savant can instantly change their Init modifier to one of their allies + 1. At every x levels, this bonus increases by 1.

or the Savant's ability to cover for their allies in case of trouble:

Ability Name: Once per encounter the Battlefield Savant can interrupt the move action of an enemy within 30 ft that she has line of sight to. This increases to a standard action at x level, and a full round action at y level.

Note both of these are just some rough examples. But I really think this class can go somewhere! Keep up the good work!