Ruduen
2011-11-20, 02:40 AM
I haven't done a whole lot of homebrewing, but I've been a D&D player for a while. It's always bugged me that the Martial Adept classes, while quite interesting, had limited support if you wanted to do anything with ranged attacks. This is my small attempt at making something to work along those lines.
The main idea behind this was to make a rogue-ish class mesh with the abilities. A pure Swordsage could easily access the class, and its range meshes fairly well with other skirmishers.
I'm still undecided as to whether or not I want to change the entire weapon's focus for it. Originally, I was fond of the idea of a character who would be able to make tricky shots, and who would bridge the gap between mechanical tools and their own abilities. However, I could easily see it working where the Weapon Focus requirement was relaxed from a crossbow to any ranged weapon.
The other thing I'm thinking of is relaxing the strike/stance requirements somewhat, so that it would be possible to enter the class at a reasonable level, without needing martial adept class levels. This would allow characters to make a few trick shots a fight, without needing to have an extreme focus in it.
Balistarius
Hit Die: d8.
Requirements
To qualify to become a balistarius, a character must fulfill all the following criteria.
Skills: Bluff 8 Ranks, Martial Lore 4 Ranks
Feats: Weapon Focus (Any Crossbow), Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot
Martial Maneuvers: Must know at least two martial maneuvers, including one strike.
Martial Stances: Must know at least one martial stance.
Class Skills
The balistarius’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Balance (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Diplomacy (Cha), Disguise (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Hide (Dex), Jump (Str), Listen (Wis), Martial Lore (Int), Move Silently (Dex), Perform (Cha), Profession (Wis), Search (Int), Sleight of Hand (Dex), Spot (Wis), Tumble (Dex), and Use Rope (Dex).
Skill Points at Each Level: 4 + Int modifier.
{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Maneuvers Known|Maneuvers Readied|Special
1st|
+0|
+0|
+2|
+0|
+1|
+0|Martial Shot (30 ft)
2nd|
+1|
+0|
+3|
+0|
+0|
+0|Deceptive Shot (30 ft)
3rd|
+2|
+1|
+3|
+1|
+1|
+1|Safe Shot, Martial Shot (60ft)
4th|
+3|
+1|
+4|
+1|
+0|
+0|Improved Deceptive Shot (60ft)
5th|
+3|
+1|
+4|
+1|
+1|
+0|Bolt from the Blue[/table]
Class Features
All of the following are features of the balistarius prestige class.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Balistariuses gain proficiency with all types of crossbows. Balistariuses gain no proficiency with any armor.
Maneuvers: At each odd level, you gain a new maneuver known from the Desert Wind, Shadow Hand, or Diamond Mind disciplines. You must meet a maneuver’s prerequisite to learn it. You add your full balistarius levels to your initiator level to determine your total initiator level and your highest-level maneuvers known.
At 3rd level, you gain an additional maneuver readied per day.
Martial Shot (Ex): You can initiate a strike from the Desert Wind, Shadow Hand, or Diamond Mind disciplines at range. The strike must be one that has a target of one creature. The range on the strike changes from "Melee" to "30 ft". A strike that targets multiple creatures or objects cannot be used with martial shot. You must use a crossbow for this strike.
At 3rd level, the range of this ability increases to 60 ft.
Deceptive Shot (Ex): Starting at 2nd level, you can feint at range. If you are within 30 feet of a target, you can use the Bluff skill to feint in combat. (This feint attempt is otherwise treated like a normal feint attempt.) In addition to the normal benefits of a feint, the target is also denied its Dexterity bonus (if it has one) to AC for the next attack you make against it with a crossbow. You must remain within 30 feet of the target, and the attack must be made on or before your next turn.
Safe Shot (Ex): Starting at 3rd level, you do not provoke attacks of opportunity when firing a crossbow.
Improved Deceptive Shot (Ex): Starting at 4rd level, you can feint in combat as a move action instead of a standard action. If you have the Improved Feint feat, you can now feint in combat as a swift action.
In addition, the range of your Deceptive Shot ability increases to 60 feet.
Bolt from the Blue (Ex): Starting at 5th level, you are capable of firing off single powerful shot using the skills of multiple disciples. As a full-round action, you can combine the effects of two different strikes into a single crossbow shot. The strikes must be from the Desert Wind, Shadow Hand, or Diamond Mind disciplines, must be from different disciplines, must take no longer than a standard action to initiate, and must require an attack roll. The target must be within 60 ft., and you must use a crossbow for this strike. Only one attack roll is necessary, but both strikes deal full damage. Any saving throws are rolled separately.
The main idea behind this was to make a rogue-ish class mesh with the abilities. A pure Swordsage could easily access the class, and its range meshes fairly well with other skirmishers.
I'm still undecided as to whether or not I want to change the entire weapon's focus for it. Originally, I was fond of the idea of a character who would be able to make tricky shots, and who would bridge the gap between mechanical tools and their own abilities. However, I could easily see it working where the Weapon Focus requirement was relaxed from a crossbow to any ranged weapon.
The other thing I'm thinking of is relaxing the strike/stance requirements somewhat, so that it would be possible to enter the class at a reasonable level, without needing martial adept class levels. This would allow characters to make a few trick shots a fight, without needing to have an extreme focus in it.
Balistarius
Hit Die: d8.
Requirements
To qualify to become a balistarius, a character must fulfill all the following criteria.
Skills: Bluff 8 Ranks, Martial Lore 4 Ranks
Feats: Weapon Focus (Any Crossbow), Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot
Martial Maneuvers: Must know at least two martial maneuvers, including one strike.
Martial Stances: Must know at least one martial stance.
Class Skills
The balistarius’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Balance (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Diplomacy (Cha), Disguise (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Hide (Dex), Jump (Str), Listen (Wis), Martial Lore (Int), Move Silently (Dex), Perform (Cha), Profession (Wis), Search (Int), Sleight of Hand (Dex), Spot (Wis), Tumble (Dex), and Use Rope (Dex).
Skill Points at Each Level: 4 + Int modifier.
{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Maneuvers Known|Maneuvers Readied|Special
1st|
+0|
+0|
+2|
+0|
+1|
+0|Martial Shot (30 ft)
2nd|
+1|
+0|
+3|
+0|
+0|
+0|Deceptive Shot (30 ft)
3rd|
+2|
+1|
+3|
+1|
+1|
+1|Safe Shot, Martial Shot (60ft)
4th|
+3|
+1|
+4|
+1|
+0|
+0|Improved Deceptive Shot (60ft)
5th|
+3|
+1|
+4|
+1|
+1|
+0|Bolt from the Blue[/table]
Class Features
All of the following are features of the balistarius prestige class.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Balistariuses gain proficiency with all types of crossbows. Balistariuses gain no proficiency with any armor.
Maneuvers: At each odd level, you gain a new maneuver known from the Desert Wind, Shadow Hand, or Diamond Mind disciplines. You must meet a maneuver’s prerequisite to learn it. You add your full balistarius levels to your initiator level to determine your total initiator level and your highest-level maneuvers known.
At 3rd level, you gain an additional maneuver readied per day.
Martial Shot (Ex): You can initiate a strike from the Desert Wind, Shadow Hand, or Diamond Mind disciplines at range. The strike must be one that has a target of one creature. The range on the strike changes from "Melee" to "30 ft". A strike that targets multiple creatures or objects cannot be used with martial shot. You must use a crossbow for this strike.
At 3rd level, the range of this ability increases to 60 ft.
Deceptive Shot (Ex): Starting at 2nd level, you can feint at range. If you are within 30 feet of a target, you can use the Bluff skill to feint in combat. (This feint attempt is otherwise treated like a normal feint attempt.) In addition to the normal benefits of a feint, the target is also denied its Dexterity bonus (if it has one) to AC for the next attack you make against it with a crossbow. You must remain within 30 feet of the target, and the attack must be made on or before your next turn.
Safe Shot (Ex): Starting at 3rd level, you do not provoke attacks of opportunity when firing a crossbow.
Improved Deceptive Shot (Ex): Starting at 4rd level, you can feint in combat as a move action instead of a standard action. If you have the Improved Feint feat, you can now feint in combat as a swift action.
In addition, the range of your Deceptive Shot ability increases to 60 feet.
Bolt from the Blue (Ex): Starting at 5th level, you are capable of firing off single powerful shot using the skills of multiple disciples. As a full-round action, you can combine the effects of two different strikes into a single crossbow shot. The strikes must be from the Desert Wind, Shadow Hand, or Diamond Mind disciplines, must be from different disciplines, must take no longer than a standard action to initiate, and must require an attack roll. The target must be within 60 ft., and you must use a crossbow for this strike. Only one attack roll is necessary, but both strikes deal full damage. Any saving throws are rolled separately.