Sgt. Cookie
2011-11-15, 02:57 PM
The Gladiator
http://i794.photobucket.com/albums/yy228/Darth_J/Gladiatorposter.jpg
Forged in the arena, and quenched in blood. The Gladiator exists for one purpose, entertainment. The crowds may cheer and know their names, but revel when they die in battle. Many Gladiators "buy" their freedom, and wander the land, often working as mercenaries. A rare few turn their skills to the adventuring lifestyle, as it matches their old too well.
Game rule information:
Gladiators have the following game statistics.
Abilities: Strength is most important for a Gladiator, due to them being in the front lines, while Constitution is a secondary concern, to bump up the Gladiator's already rather high hit points.
Alignment:Any
Hit Die: d12
Starting age: As Monk
Starting gold: As Fighter
Class skills: The Gladiator's skills (And the ability for each skill) are: Bluff (Cha), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Heal (Wis), Intimidate (Cha) and Tumble (Dex)
Skill Points and first level: (2 + Int bonus) x 4
Skill points at each additional level: 2 + Int bonus
{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special|Maneuvers Known|Maneuvers readied|Stances Known
1st|+1|+2|+2|+2|Blood of Iron, Improved Unarmed strike|3|3|1
2nd|+2|+3|+3|+3|An ally is a weapon|3|3|1
3rd|+3|+3|+3|+3|Diehard|4|3|2
4th|+4|+4|+4|+4|Uncanny dodge|4|3|2
5th|+5|+4|+4|+4|Evasion|5|3|2
6th|+6/+1|+5|+5|+5|Blood thirst, Mettle|5|4|3
7th|+7/+2|+5|+5|+5|Strength to fight|6|4|3
8th|+8/+3|+6|+5|+5|My strength is a shield 1/day|6|4|3
9th|+9/+4|+6|+6|+6|Improved uncanny dodge|7|4|3
10th|+10/+5|+7|+7|+6|Flesh of Steel|7|4|4
11th|+11/+6/+1|+7|+7|+6|Improved evasion|8|4|4
12th|+12/+7/+2|+8|+8|+8|Blood Hunger, Improved mettle|8|4|4
13th|+13/+8/+3|+8|+8|+8|Sheer force|9|5|4
14th|+14/+9/+4|+9|+9|+9|Soul of the immortals|9|5|4
15th|+15/+10/+5|+9|+9|+9|Victor of countless battles|10|5|5
16th|+16/+11/+6/+1|+10|+10|+10|Battlefield study|10|5+1|5
17th|+17/+12/+7/+2|+10|+10|+10|Never give up|10|5+1|5
18th|+18/+13/+8/+3|+11|+11|+11|Blood Lust|11|6+1|5
19th|+19/+14/+9/+4|+11|+11|+11|Call to battle|11|6+1|5
20th|+20/+15/+10/+5|+12|+12|+12|Death is the choice of the weak 1/day|11|6+1|5
[/table]
Class featuresThe following are considered class features for the Gladiator.
Maneuvers
The Gladiator begins with three martial maneuvers known. The Gladiator begins with two disciplines selected from the Warblade list. The Gladiator regains maneuvers as though he was a Warblade. Swapping readied maneuvers requires five minutes of mental training.
Weapon and armour proficiencies
The Gladiator is proficient with all simple and martial weapons plus one exotic weapon of the player's choice. The Gladiator is proficient with all light and medium armour and all shields including tower shields.
Blood of iron (Ex)
The Gladiator has fought in many a battle and has become use to the sensation of steel against flesh. The Gladiator gains a natural armour bonus equal to 1/2 his Gladiator class levels. Minimum +1 bonus.
Improved Unarmed Strike
The Gladiator gains Improved Unarmed Strike as a bonus feat.
An ally is a weapon (Ex)
The Gladiator has fought with enough people to know how best to make use of them. Any ally within 50 ft of the Gladiator gains +2 circumstance bonus to attack rolls. This is a sound and language dependent ability. This does not stack with a Marshal's bonus.
Diehard
The Gladiator gains Diehard as a bonus feat, even if he does not meet the prerequisites.
Uncanny dodge (Ex)
As per the Barbarian class feature.
Evasion (Ex)
As per the Rouge ability, however the Gladiator may use evasion in medium armour, as well as when he is wearing light or no armour.
Blood thirst (Ex)
The Gladiator has fought enough battles to know that blood means that the enemy is close to death. And then the Gladiator revels when he is. Whenever the Gladiator slays an opponent that would grant him significant experience, 3d10 hit points are healed. The Gladiator also gains +2 morale to attack rolls against anything that can bleed.
A note on this ability (And it's upgrades);
This ability is excessively easy to abuse, as many people count "significant experience" to be different things. As a rule, the minimum CR of the enemy should only be about 2 below the level of the Gladiator to be able to use this ability.
An abusive use of this ability would be slaying a rat to heal after setting off a trap.
A non-abusive (And awesome) use of this ability would be using Diehard to slay a bandit leader, heal above 0Hp and proceeding to slaughter the rest of the opponents saving the lives of your teamates.
Mettle (Ex)
At 6th level and higher, a Gladiator can resist magical and unusual attacks with great willpower or fortitude. If he makes a successful Will or Fortitude save against an attack that normally would have a lesser effect on a successful save (such as any spell with a saving throw entry of Will half or Fortitude partial), he instead completely negates the effect. An unconscious or sleeping Gladiator does not gain the benefit of mettle.
Strength to fight (Ex)
By now the Gladiator knows that simple physical fortitude is not the only way to continue fighting, sometimes the strength to keep fighting is literally just the strength to hold his sword. Upon attaining this class feature the Gladiator may add half his strength modifier, rounded up, to his Hp. This works retroactively upon attaining this class feature and when his Strength Modifier increases, as though he increased his constitution.
My strength is a shield (Su)
Even the best Gladiator cannot fight alone, and with tactics, encouragement and a little bit of innate magic, the Gladiator's allies can fight for so much longer. Once per day as a swift action the Gladiator may activate this ability. Any ally, except the Gladiator, within 50ft gains the Gladiator's str mod + con mod in temporary hit points until the end of the encounter, whether or not they remain within 50ft of the Gladiator.
Improved uncanny dodge (Ex)
As per the Barbarian class feature.
Flesh of steel (Ex)
The Gladiator has fought in innumerable fights, against a verity of opponents and has become able to better defend himself against a wide verity of attacks. The Gladiator gains DR/- equal to half his Gladiator class levels and SR equal to 10 + his Gladiator class levels.
Improved evasion (Ex)
As per the Rouge special ability. However the Gladiator may use Improved evasion in medium armour, as well as when he is wearing light or no armour.
Blood hunger (Ex)
The Gladiator knows blood as sight of joy and happiness. Whenever the Gladiator slays an opponent that would grant him experience, he heals 5d12 hit points. He also gains +4 morale bonus to the attack roll and +2 morale bonus to the damage roll against anything that can bleed. This ability replaces blood thirst.
Improved Mettle
This ability works like Mettle, except that while the Gladiator still takes no damage on a successful Will or Fortitude saving throw against spells like Chill touch or maneuvers like Dazing strike, henceforth he takes only half damage on a failed save. A sleeping or helpless Gladiator does not gain the benefit of improved mettle.
Sheer force (Ex)
The Gladiator's strikes have become so powerful that even the hardiest or most heavily armoured of foes can fail to note that they have been struck. The Gladiator bypasses AC gained from armour or natural armour equal to twice his Strength modifier.
Soul of the immortals (Ex)
The Gladiator has fought for so long and so hard that he unlocks something very deep and primal. The Gladiator becomes immune to [Death] effects, Negative levels and fear effects.
Victor of countless battles (Ex)
The Gladiator's exploit's have become legend. Even in the most remote village in the most obscure plane knows the Gladiator and his exploits. The Gladiator gains Frightful presence, as per the Dragon ability. Save DC is 15 + 1/2 Gladiator's class levels + Gladiator's str mod. Creatures immune to fear must still make the save, but only become shaken on a failed save, with nothing happening on a succeeded save.
There are a few caveats to using this ability, however:
1. The Gladiator and the opponent must be engaged in combat with each other.
2. The opponent MUST have an Int score of 3 or higher.
3. If the opponent has no will to live or no fear of death, or lacks enough rational thought to recognise that they might die then they are immune to this ability.
4. Anything with, at least, one level of Gladiator is immune to this ability.
No fear of death note
"No fear of death" can be an odd term. A lot of things are scared to die. But, think about it this way:
Would an Assassin who knows that every mission may be his last be scared of death? No. So they would be immune to this ability.
Would a Zealous foot soldier who would defend his home to the last be scared of death? No.
Would a raging Barbarian have enough rational thought to recognise the Gladiator for what he is? No.
Would a Litch be scared of getting cleaved in two? No.
Would an Extraplanar creature be scared of returning to their own plane? No.
When you think about NPCs in these terms, relatively few things would be effected by this ability.
Battlefield study (Ex)
On the sand of the arena, the terrain of the mountains or in a back ally of some god forsaken town; the Gladiator will encounter a large number of fighting styles. And has enough martial knowledge to copy what he sees.
Whenever the Gladiator encounters a maneuver that is both:
1. From a discipline that the Gladiator does not know
2. Does not require an initiator level greater than three
The Gladiator may spend an immediate action, as soon as the maneuver was used, and "learn" this maneuver for a number of rounds equal to 1/2 his class levels + his Int mod. If the Gladiator has a negative Int mod then only 1/2 his class levels apply.
Never give up (Ex)
Whenever death is but moments away, the gladiator knows that if he is to die, he had better take his foe with him. Whenever the Gladiator uses the Diehard feat, he may use a full round action by taking 6 points of damage.
Blood lust (Ex)
The Gladiator lives for the sight of blood, watching it ooze from the enemy. Whenever the Gladiator slays an opponent that would grant him experience he gains he heals 7d20 HP. He also gains +6 morale bonus to the attack roll and +4 morale bonus to the damage roll against anything that bleeds. This ability replaces Blood Hunger.
Call to battle (Su)/(Ex)
Battle can be daunting, even to those whom have known it all their lives. But only the Gladiator knows it the greatest, and can share some of this knowledge with his allies. Once per day as a full round action, that provokes an AoO, the Gladiator may activate this ability. When activated, all allies, excluding the Gladiator, within 50ft gain the following for until the end of the encounter:
(Supernatural)
DR10/- and SR20
They may take 10 on all fort or will saves, even if rushed or threatened.
They negate DR of all types equal to 5 + their own str mod. (Characters that have weapon finesse may apply their dex mod when using appropriate weapons instead)
Immunity to [Death] effects and negative levels.
(Extraordinary, sound and language dependent)
+5 circumstance bonus to concentration checks.
+4 morale bonus to attack and damage rolls.
2 AoOs per action that provokes an AoO. I.e, an enemy leaves a threatened square, the character that threatened it may make 2 AoOs against the enemy.
Death is a choice of the weak (Su)
The Gladiator has slain many a foe to understand that only the weak choose death, and thus the Gladiator has made a vow to never let death be a way out. Once per day as an immediate action the Gladiator may ignore damage that would reduce him to -10Hp or kill him instantly. If the Gladiator is helpless or unconscious, this ability will activate automatically when the Gladiator would die. This ability is usable against all sorts of things, such as decapitation (Instant death) or a Gnoll sticking a sharp stick into your gut (Hp loss).
http://i794.photobucket.com/albums/yy228/Darth_J/Gladiatorposter.jpg
Forged in the arena, and quenched in blood. The Gladiator exists for one purpose, entertainment. The crowds may cheer and know their names, but revel when they die in battle. Many Gladiators "buy" their freedom, and wander the land, often working as mercenaries. A rare few turn their skills to the adventuring lifestyle, as it matches their old too well.
Game rule information:
Gladiators have the following game statistics.
Abilities: Strength is most important for a Gladiator, due to them being in the front lines, while Constitution is a secondary concern, to bump up the Gladiator's already rather high hit points.
Alignment:Any
Hit Die: d12
Starting age: As Monk
Starting gold: As Fighter
Class skills: The Gladiator's skills (And the ability for each skill) are: Bluff (Cha), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Heal (Wis), Intimidate (Cha) and Tumble (Dex)
Skill Points and first level: (2 + Int bonus) x 4
Skill points at each additional level: 2 + Int bonus
{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special|Maneuvers Known|Maneuvers readied|Stances Known
1st|+1|+2|+2|+2|Blood of Iron, Improved Unarmed strike|3|3|1
2nd|+2|+3|+3|+3|An ally is a weapon|3|3|1
3rd|+3|+3|+3|+3|Diehard|4|3|2
4th|+4|+4|+4|+4|Uncanny dodge|4|3|2
5th|+5|+4|+4|+4|Evasion|5|3|2
6th|+6/+1|+5|+5|+5|Blood thirst, Mettle|5|4|3
7th|+7/+2|+5|+5|+5|Strength to fight|6|4|3
8th|+8/+3|+6|+5|+5|My strength is a shield 1/day|6|4|3
9th|+9/+4|+6|+6|+6|Improved uncanny dodge|7|4|3
10th|+10/+5|+7|+7|+6|Flesh of Steel|7|4|4
11th|+11/+6/+1|+7|+7|+6|Improved evasion|8|4|4
12th|+12/+7/+2|+8|+8|+8|Blood Hunger, Improved mettle|8|4|4
13th|+13/+8/+3|+8|+8|+8|Sheer force|9|5|4
14th|+14/+9/+4|+9|+9|+9|Soul of the immortals|9|5|4
15th|+15/+10/+5|+9|+9|+9|Victor of countless battles|10|5|5
16th|+16/+11/+6/+1|+10|+10|+10|Battlefield study|10|5+1|5
17th|+17/+12/+7/+2|+10|+10|+10|Never give up|10|5+1|5
18th|+18/+13/+8/+3|+11|+11|+11|Blood Lust|11|6+1|5
19th|+19/+14/+9/+4|+11|+11|+11|Call to battle|11|6+1|5
20th|+20/+15/+10/+5|+12|+12|+12|Death is the choice of the weak 1/day|11|6+1|5
[/table]
Class featuresThe following are considered class features for the Gladiator.
Maneuvers
The Gladiator begins with three martial maneuvers known. The Gladiator begins with two disciplines selected from the Warblade list. The Gladiator regains maneuvers as though he was a Warblade. Swapping readied maneuvers requires five minutes of mental training.
Weapon and armour proficiencies
The Gladiator is proficient with all simple and martial weapons plus one exotic weapon of the player's choice. The Gladiator is proficient with all light and medium armour and all shields including tower shields.
Blood of iron (Ex)
The Gladiator has fought in many a battle and has become use to the sensation of steel against flesh. The Gladiator gains a natural armour bonus equal to 1/2 his Gladiator class levels. Minimum +1 bonus.
Improved Unarmed Strike
The Gladiator gains Improved Unarmed Strike as a bonus feat.
An ally is a weapon (Ex)
The Gladiator has fought with enough people to know how best to make use of them. Any ally within 50 ft of the Gladiator gains +2 circumstance bonus to attack rolls. This is a sound and language dependent ability. This does not stack with a Marshal's bonus.
Diehard
The Gladiator gains Diehard as a bonus feat, even if he does not meet the prerequisites.
Uncanny dodge (Ex)
As per the Barbarian class feature.
Evasion (Ex)
As per the Rouge ability, however the Gladiator may use evasion in medium armour, as well as when he is wearing light or no armour.
Blood thirst (Ex)
The Gladiator has fought enough battles to know that blood means that the enemy is close to death. And then the Gladiator revels when he is. Whenever the Gladiator slays an opponent that would grant him significant experience, 3d10 hit points are healed. The Gladiator also gains +2 morale to attack rolls against anything that can bleed.
A note on this ability (And it's upgrades);
This ability is excessively easy to abuse, as many people count "significant experience" to be different things. As a rule, the minimum CR of the enemy should only be about 2 below the level of the Gladiator to be able to use this ability.
An abusive use of this ability would be slaying a rat to heal after setting off a trap.
A non-abusive (And awesome) use of this ability would be using Diehard to slay a bandit leader, heal above 0Hp and proceeding to slaughter the rest of the opponents saving the lives of your teamates.
Mettle (Ex)
At 6th level and higher, a Gladiator can resist magical and unusual attacks with great willpower or fortitude. If he makes a successful Will or Fortitude save against an attack that normally would have a lesser effect on a successful save (such as any spell with a saving throw entry of Will half or Fortitude partial), he instead completely negates the effect. An unconscious or sleeping Gladiator does not gain the benefit of mettle.
Strength to fight (Ex)
By now the Gladiator knows that simple physical fortitude is not the only way to continue fighting, sometimes the strength to keep fighting is literally just the strength to hold his sword. Upon attaining this class feature the Gladiator may add half his strength modifier, rounded up, to his Hp. This works retroactively upon attaining this class feature and when his Strength Modifier increases, as though he increased his constitution.
My strength is a shield (Su)
Even the best Gladiator cannot fight alone, and with tactics, encouragement and a little bit of innate magic, the Gladiator's allies can fight for so much longer. Once per day as a swift action the Gladiator may activate this ability. Any ally, except the Gladiator, within 50ft gains the Gladiator's str mod + con mod in temporary hit points until the end of the encounter, whether or not they remain within 50ft of the Gladiator.
Improved uncanny dodge (Ex)
As per the Barbarian class feature.
Flesh of steel (Ex)
The Gladiator has fought in innumerable fights, against a verity of opponents and has become able to better defend himself against a wide verity of attacks. The Gladiator gains DR/- equal to half his Gladiator class levels and SR equal to 10 + his Gladiator class levels.
Improved evasion (Ex)
As per the Rouge special ability. However the Gladiator may use Improved evasion in medium armour, as well as when he is wearing light or no armour.
Blood hunger (Ex)
The Gladiator knows blood as sight of joy and happiness. Whenever the Gladiator slays an opponent that would grant him experience, he heals 5d12 hit points. He also gains +4 morale bonus to the attack roll and +2 morale bonus to the damage roll against anything that can bleed. This ability replaces blood thirst.
Improved Mettle
This ability works like Mettle, except that while the Gladiator still takes no damage on a successful Will or Fortitude saving throw against spells like Chill touch or maneuvers like Dazing strike, henceforth he takes only half damage on a failed save. A sleeping or helpless Gladiator does not gain the benefit of improved mettle.
Sheer force (Ex)
The Gladiator's strikes have become so powerful that even the hardiest or most heavily armoured of foes can fail to note that they have been struck. The Gladiator bypasses AC gained from armour or natural armour equal to twice his Strength modifier.
Soul of the immortals (Ex)
The Gladiator has fought for so long and so hard that he unlocks something very deep and primal. The Gladiator becomes immune to [Death] effects, Negative levels and fear effects.
Victor of countless battles (Ex)
The Gladiator's exploit's have become legend. Even in the most remote village in the most obscure plane knows the Gladiator and his exploits. The Gladiator gains Frightful presence, as per the Dragon ability. Save DC is 15 + 1/2 Gladiator's class levels + Gladiator's str mod. Creatures immune to fear must still make the save, but only become shaken on a failed save, with nothing happening on a succeeded save.
There are a few caveats to using this ability, however:
1. The Gladiator and the opponent must be engaged in combat with each other.
2. The opponent MUST have an Int score of 3 or higher.
3. If the opponent has no will to live or no fear of death, or lacks enough rational thought to recognise that they might die then they are immune to this ability.
4. Anything with, at least, one level of Gladiator is immune to this ability.
No fear of death note
"No fear of death" can be an odd term. A lot of things are scared to die. But, think about it this way:
Would an Assassin who knows that every mission may be his last be scared of death? No. So they would be immune to this ability.
Would a Zealous foot soldier who would defend his home to the last be scared of death? No.
Would a raging Barbarian have enough rational thought to recognise the Gladiator for what he is? No.
Would a Litch be scared of getting cleaved in two? No.
Would an Extraplanar creature be scared of returning to their own plane? No.
When you think about NPCs in these terms, relatively few things would be effected by this ability.
Battlefield study (Ex)
On the sand of the arena, the terrain of the mountains or in a back ally of some god forsaken town; the Gladiator will encounter a large number of fighting styles. And has enough martial knowledge to copy what he sees.
Whenever the Gladiator encounters a maneuver that is both:
1. From a discipline that the Gladiator does not know
2. Does not require an initiator level greater than three
The Gladiator may spend an immediate action, as soon as the maneuver was used, and "learn" this maneuver for a number of rounds equal to 1/2 his class levels + his Int mod. If the Gladiator has a negative Int mod then only 1/2 his class levels apply.
Never give up (Ex)
Whenever death is but moments away, the gladiator knows that if he is to die, he had better take his foe with him. Whenever the Gladiator uses the Diehard feat, he may use a full round action by taking 6 points of damage.
Blood lust (Ex)
The Gladiator lives for the sight of blood, watching it ooze from the enemy. Whenever the Gladiator slays an opponent that would grant him experience he gains he heals 7d20 HP. He also gains +6 morale bonus to the attack roll and +4 morale bonus to the damage roll against anything that bleeds. This ability replaces Blood Hunger.
Call to battle (Su)/(Ex)
Battle can be daunting, even to those whom have known it all their lives. But only the Gladiator knows it the greatest, and can share some of this knowledge with his allies. Once per day as a full round action, that provokes an AoO, the Gladiator may activate this ability. When activated, all allies, excluding the Gladiator, within 50ft gain the following for until the end of the encounter:
(Supernatural)
DR10/- and SR20
They may take 10 on all fort or will saves, even if rushed or threatened.
They negate DR of all types equal to 5 + their own str mod. (Characters that have weapon finesse may apply their dex mod when using appropriate weapons instead)
Immunity to [Death] effects and negative levels.
(Extraordinary, sound and language dependent)
+5 circumstance bonus to concentration checks.
+4 morale bonus to attack and damage rolls.
2 AoOs per action that provokes an AoO. I.e, an enemy leaves a threatened square, the character that threatened it may make 2 AoOs against the enemy.
Death is a choice of the weak (Su)
The Gladiator has slain many a foe to understand that only the weak choose death, and thus the Gladiator has made a vow to never let death be a way out. Once per day as an immediate action the Gladiator may ignore damage that would reduce him to -10Hp or kill him instantly. If the Gladiator is helpless or unconscious, this ability will activate automatically when the Gladiator would die. This ability is usable against all sorts of things, such as decapitation (Instant death) or a Gnoll sticking a sharp stick into your gut (Hp loss).