Jota
2010-05-27, 10:45 AM
Credit to Cid (http://dungeons.wikia.com/wiki/User:ThunderGod_Cid) for the original premise, which can be found here (http://dungeons.wikia.com/wiki/Meat_Shield_%283.5e_Class%29).
http://images3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20091028214735/dungeons/images/thumb/2/27/04_warhammer_chosen_zealot_by_sandara.jpg/285px-04_warhammer_chosen_zealot_by_sandara.jpg
“Whether the knife falls on the melon or the melon on the knife, the melon suffers.”
-- African proverb
FLUFF
Is not that important, at least in this particular instance. There's only so many ways to say that this class fills the protector role before I'm bored or writing it and you're bored of reading.
Becoming a Meat Shield
Prerequisites
Class Features
Steely Resolve 15
Feats
Renewed Zealousness (http://dungeons.wikia.com/wiki/Renewed_Zealousness_%283.5e_Feat%29)
The intent of having a feat like Renewed Zealousness is to force the expenditure of a limited resource to gain class access, without choosing a feat that almost every crusader would take anyway, and without being a complete and utter waste of space. Any other feat that would do the same is equally viable, and the feat should more or less be self-contained and appropriate for a Crusader or Paladin. Thus while Adaptive Style may not be the best option for a crusader, its usefulness to a swordsage would disqualify it. Something that is part of feat chain that the character intends to pick up eventually would not be a good choice either. Bonus points for something thematically appropriate that fits the criteria established here.
White Raven Defense
Class Features of the Meat Shield
Hit Dice: d12.
Skills
Class Skills: The class skills for the meat shield (and the key ability modifiers for each) are Balance (Dex), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Heal (Wis), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Knowledge [History] (Int), Knowledge [Religion] (Int), Listen (Wis), Martial Lore (Int), Ride (Dex), Sense Motive (Wis), Speak Language (None), Spot (Wis), Survival (Wis), and Swim (Str).
Skill Points per Level: 4 + Int.
Meat Shield, Sublime
{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special
1st|
+1|
+2|
+2|
+2|Intercession, Patient Guardian
2nd|
+2|
+3|
+2|
+3|Constant Vigilance, Mobile Defender
3rd|
+3|
+3|
+3|
+3|Retributive Intercession, Vengeful Interceptor
4th|
+4|
+4|
+3|
+4|Share the Pain, Wrathful Intercession
5th|
+5|
+4|
+3|
+4|Sublime Intercession, Urgent Protector[/table]
Armor and Weapon Proficiencies: The meat shield gains no additional weapon or armor proficiencies.
Intercession (Ex): When the meat shield is adjacent to an ally who is targeted with an attack or single-target spell effect, the meat shield can move into that ally's space (taking the attack or spell effect as though he were the intended target) and move that ally anywhere within the meat shield's base reach (according to size, not weapon) as an immediate action.
A meat shield cannot be more than one size smaller than the ally he displaces.
If the meat shield takes up less space (e.g. Medium, one square) than the ally he protects (e.g. Large, four squares), he must place himself within reach of the attacker.
A meat shield cannot make an intercession if there is no space to move the original target into, unless the creatures may normally occupy the same space.
If the meat shield takes up more space than the ally he protects, he may position himself however he chooses as long as his space covers all of the space his ally previously occupied.
If, due to size differential, the meat shield cannot move into his ally's space (whether because of other enemies or the nature of the terrain), he cannot make an intercession.
Making an intercession does not use the meat shield's immediate action for the round, nor does it count against his ability to use a swift action in the following round. The movement from an intercession does not provoke an attack of opportunity for either the meat shield or his ally, even against effects that explicitly state otherwise. A meat shield can make a number of intercessions per encounter equal to his Charisma modifier (minimum 0) + his initiator level.
Patient Guardian (Ex): As a free action, a meat shield may voluntarily not receive one of his readied maneuvers at the end of his turn in order to recover a number of uses of his intercession class ability equal half his class level, rounded up.
Constant Vigilance (Ex): The meat shield may spend an immediate action to move up to his base land speed, but only if he does so in order to make an intercession. This movement provokes attacks of opportunity as in-turn movement.
Mobile Defender (Ex): A meat shield no longer takes any penalties to his movement speed for wearing heavy armor or carrying more than his light load, and runs at his normal speed even while carrying a medium or heavy load.
Retributive Intercession (Ex): As part of an intercession, a meat shield may expend an additional use of his intercession ability to make a single melee attack against the aggressor, provided he can reach them.
Vengeful Interceptor (Ex): A meat shield's class levels stack with his crusader level's for determining the maximum capacity of his delayed damage pool. Furthermore, after a round in which the meat shield has made an intercession, he may add his twice his class level to the value of his delayed damage pool.
Share the Pain (Su): A meat shield can force an attacker to partake in his agony when he is struck. Whenever the meat shield takes damage and the attacker is within close (http://dungeons.wikia.com/wiki/SRD:Range_%28Spell_Descriptor%29#Close), the attacker receives half the damage that the meat shield took. This damage is untyped and not subject to any form of resistance or damage reduction. This ability does not function against effects that do not specifically deal damage.
Wrathful Intercession (Ex): As part of an intercession, a meat shield may expend two additional uses of his intercession ability to make a full attack against the aggressor, provided he can reach them.
Sublime Intercession (Ex): As part of an intercession, a meat shield may expend four additional uses of his intercession ability to make a single melee attack against the aggressor, provided he can reach them. The meat shield may use a martial strike as part of this attack.
Urgent Protector (Ex): At fifth level a meat shield may burn uses of his intercession class ability to grant himself one of his readied maneuvers at random. Consult the table below for the selected action and the requisite number of intercession uses.
Urgent Protector Usage Costs
{table=head]Action Used|Intercession Uses
Full-Round|
1
Standard|
2
Move|
3
Swift|
4
Free|
7[/table]
Image Credit
Image adapted from 04 warhammer: chosen + zealot (http://sandara.deviantart.com/art/04-warhammer-chosen-zealot-99958829) by Sandara (http://sandara.deviantart.com/).
http://images3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20091028214735/dungeons/images/thumb/2/27/04_warhammer_chosen_zealot_by_sandara.jpg/285px-04_warhammer_chosen_zealot_by_sandara.jpg
“Whether the knife falls on the melon or the melon on the knife, the melon suffers.”
-- African proverb
FLUFF
Is not that important, at least in this particular instance. There's only so many ways to say that this class fills the protector role before I'm bored or writing it and you're bored of reading.
Becoming a Meat Shield
Prerequisites
Class Features
Steely Resolve 15
Feats
Renewed Zealousness (http://dungeons.wikia.com/wiki/Renewed_Zealousness_%283.5e_Feat%29)
The intent of having a feat like Renewed Zealousness is to force the expenditure of a limited resource to gain class access, without choosing a feat that almost every crusader would take anyway, and without being a complete and utter waste of space. Any other feat that would do the same is equally viable, and the feat should more or less be self-contained and appropriate for a Crusader or Paladin. Thus while Adaptive Style may not be the best option for a crusader, its usefulness to a swordsage would disqualify it. Something that is part of feat chain that the character intends to pick up eventually would not be a good choice either. Bonus points for something thematically appropriate that fits the criteria established here.
White Raven Defense
Class Features of the Meat Shield
Hit Dice: d12.
Skills
Class Skills: The class skills for the meat shield (and the key ability modifiers for each) are Balance (Dex), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Heal (Wis), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Knowledge [History] (Int), Knowledge [Religion] (Int), Listen (Wis), Martial Lore (Int), Ride (Dex), Sense Motive (Wis), Speak Language (None), Spot (Wis), Survival (Wis), and Swim (Str).
Skill Points per Level: 4 + Int.
Meat Shield, Sublime
{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special
1st|
+1|
+2|
+2|
+2|Intercession, Patient Guardian
2nd|
+2|
+3|
+2|
+3|Constant Vigilance, Mobile Defender
3rd|
+3|
+3|
+3|
+3|Retributive Intercession, Vengeful Interceptor
4th|
+4|
+4|
+3|
+4|Share the Pain, Wrathful Intercession
5th|
+5|
+4|
+3|
+4|Sublime Intercession, Urgent Protector[/table]
Armor and Weapon Proficiencies: The meat shield gains no additional weapon or armor proficiencies.
Intercession (Ex): When the meat shield is adjacent to an ally who is targeted with an attack or single-target spell effect, the meat shield can move into that ally's space (taking the attack or spell effect as though he were the intended target) and move that ally anywhere within the meat shield's base reach (according to size, not weapon) as an immediate action.
A meat shield cannot be more than one size smaller than the ally he displaces.
If the meat shield takes up less space (e.g. Medium, one square) than the ally he protects (e.g. Large, four squares), he must place himself within reach of the attacker.
A meat shield cannot make an intercession if there is no space to move the original target into, unless the creatures may normally occupy the same space.
If the meat shield takes up more space than the ally he protects, he may position himself however he chooses as long as his space covers all of the space his ally previously occupied.
If, due to size differential, the meat shield cannot move into his ally's space (whether because of other enemies or the nature of the terrain), he cannot make an intercession.
Making an intercession does not use the meat shield's immediate action for the round, nor does it count against his ability to use a swift action in the following round. The movement from an intercession does not provoke an attack of opportunity for either the meat shield or his ally, even against effects that explicitly state otherwise. A meat shield can make a number of intercessions per encounter equal to his Charisma modifier (minimum 0) + his initiator level.
Patient Guardian (Ex): As a free action, a meat shield may voluntarily not receive one of his readied maneuvers at the end of his turn in order to recover a number of uses of his intercession class ability equal half his class level, rounded up.
Constant Vigilance (Ex): The meat shield may spend an immediate action to move up to his base land speed, but only if he does so in order to make an intercession. This movement provokes attacks of opportunity as in-turn movement.
Mobile Defender (Ex): A meat shield no longer takes any penalties to his movement speed for wearing heavy armor or carrying more than his light load, and runs at his normal speed even while carrying a medium or heavy load.
Retributive Intercession (Ex): As part of an intercession, a meat shield may expend an additional use of his intercession ability to make a single melee attack against the aggressor, provided he can reach them.
Vengeful Interceptor (Ex): A meat shield's class levels stack with his crusader level's for determining the maximum capacity of his delayed damage pool. Furthermore, after a round in which the meat shield has made an intercession, he may add his twice his class level to the value of his delayed damage pool.
Share the Pain (Su): A meat shield can force an attacker to partake in his agony when he is struck. Whenever the meat shield takes damage and the attacker is within close (http://dungeons.wikia.com/wiki/SRD:Range_%28Spell_Descriptor%29#Close), the attacker receives half the damage that the meat shield took. This damage is untyped and not subject to any form of resistance or damage reduction. This ability does not function against effects that do not specifically deal damage.
Wrathful Intercession (Ex): As part of an intercession, a meat shield may expend two additional uses of his intercession ability to make a full attack against the aggressor, provided he can reach them.
Sublime Intercession (Ex): As part of an intercession, a meat shield may expend four additional uses of his intercession ability to make a single melee attack against the aggressor, provided he can reach them. The meat shield may use a martial strike as part of this attack.
Urgent Protector (Ex): At fifth level a meat shield may burn uses of his intercession class ability to grant himself one of his readied maneuvers at random. Consult the table below for the selected action and the requisite number of intercession uses.
Urgent Protector Usage Costs
{table=head]Action Used|Intercession Uses
Full-Round|
1
Standard|
2
Move|
3
Swift|
4
Free|
7[/table]
Image Credit
Image adapted from 04 warhammer: chosen + zealot (http://sandara.deviantart.com/art/04-warhammer-chosen-zealot-99958829) by Sandara (http://sandara.deviantart.com/).