PDA

View Full Version : [PrC]The Hero



Roderick_BR
2007-01-02, 03:13 PM
Another class I'm working on. This one is inspired on some games I've been playing.
Wizards have Archmages, and clerics have Hierophant, that represents their mighiest representants.
What does fighers have?
The Hero

Here's a class I tought up last week (last year? hehe).
A sort of warrior that can do those unbelievable stunts, and usually can do things no other person can.
Each power is used once for day for the duration of one round or in a single attack, and is equivalent to others powers some classes can gain.
It may still be a bit overpowered, so lemme know your toughts. I'll work on the flavor text for this one, and for my other PrC

Edit 01/04/2007
The Hero
The Hero
{table=head]Level|
Base Attack<br>Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special
1st|
+1|
+2|
+2|
+0|Fate
2nd|
+2|
+3|
+2|
+0|Fate
3rd|
+3|
+3|
+3|
+1|Fate
4th|
+4|
+4|
+3|
+1|Fate
5th|
+5|
+4|
+4|
+1|Fate[/table]

Hit Die: d10

Requeriments:
To qualify to become a Hero, the character must fullfil all the folowing criteria.

Base Attack Bonus: +13
Feats: Combat Expertise, Combat Reflexes, Improved Initiative, Dodge, Mobility, Spring Attack ,Weapon Focus (any)
Skills: Listen +8, Spot +8
Abilities: Inteligence 13, Dexterity 13

Class skills
The Hero's skills (And the Key Ability tied to it) are: Handle Animal (CHA), Ride* (DEX), Knowledge (Local)(INT), Climb* (STR), Intimidation (CHA), Swim** (STR), Spot (WIS), Gather Information (CHA), Craft (INT), Listen (WIS), Profession (WIS), Jump* (STR), Survival (WIS).
*Applies Armor's Check Penalty. **Applies twice the Armor Check Penalty.

Skill points at each level:4+ Int modifier.

Class Features:
All of the following are class features of the Hero prestige class.
Weapons and Armor proficiency: The Hero gains no aditional proficiency with any weapon or armor.
Fate: The Fates conspire in the Hero's Favor.
Each fate can be activated once every day, for the duration indicated in the description. You can't activate more than one fate at once. You can buy the same fate more than once, to gain additional uses/day.
For every level of Hero, you can choose one Fate from the following list:
Heroic Strike: Once a day, you gain a bonus equal to your character level to your next attack roll.
Heroic Smite: Once a day, you gain a bonus equal to your character level to your next damage roll.
Heroic Defense: Once a day, you gain a bonus equal to your character level to your A.C, for the duration of 1 round. You can activate this power in response to an attack, before the attack is rolled.
Heroic Resistence: Once a day, you gain a bonus equal to your character level to your Saving throws, for the duration of 1 round.
Heroic Prowess: Once a day, you add your character level to one of your Stats, for the duration of 1 round.
Heroic Proficiency: Once a day, you add your character level to one of your Skill's checks, for the duration of 1 round.
Heroic Evasion: Once a day, you gain the benefits of the Improved Evasion feature, for the duration of 1 round.
Heroic Leadership: Once a day, all allies up to 30ft are affected by an effect similar to that of a bard's Inspire Courage power(+1), for a number of rounds equal to 1 plus his positive charisma modifier.
You can buy the same Fate again to gain additional uses.

CaelCyndar1993
2007-01-02, 05:00 PM
You make it seem as if the Hero must be a nice guy.
I really don't think Hero would be an appropriate name for the class.
How about Champion?

Roderick_BR
2007-01-02, 09:28 PM
Champion could work.
I mean Hero, because he always fights for a cause. He doesn't need to be good, only non-evil. You ever saw some classic epic story with an evil hero?

Reptilius
2007-01-02, 09:40 PM
Champion is already the name of a core class in the "Gaming" section of the site.

Demented
2007-01-02, 09:49 PM
"Evil heroes"? That describes almost every classical Greek epic. =P

Most of the prereqs confuse me.
The Spot/Listen reqs, the Int and Dex reqs, and in particular the feats (which seem especially random).

As for the abilities....
Heroic Strike and Heroic Smite are identical.
While it doesn't specify, I assume you take one of the Fate abilities of your choosing when you take a level of The Hero, and you can take any Fate ability repeatedly to gain additional uses/day you can use it. Right?

Winged One
2007-01-02, 10:02 PM
Note that evil fighter-types already have Blackguard, which may or may not have been the OP's reason for the alignment restriction.

Raum
2007-01-02, 10:38 PM
It may still be a bit overpowered, so lemme know your toughts. I'll work on the flavor text for this one, and for my other PrCLet's see, full AB, three good saves, d10 hit die, more skills than a fighter (or several other classes), and an ability per level? Yeah, a...bit...overpowered.

icke
2007-01-03, 05:04 AM
Let's see, full AB, three good saves, d10 hit die, more skills than a fighter (or several other classes), and an ability per level? Yeah, a...bit...overpowered.

This is a prestige class, so it should be at least slightly more powerfull than a base class. In terms of goodies, this one is a monk with a d10 and one more point of BAB, not too overpowered. At least If I understand the usage of Fate correctly: one use of any one Fate ability per day per level?

Just reread the fate: according to Roderick_BR EACH power can be used once per day per level! Thats too much, You should go with the Demented one.

Pegasos989
2007-01-03, 05:24 AM
No, it doesn't seem overpowered. Quite the contrary. The random entry requirements make nearly every character have hard time getting to it. The earliest you can get to it is level 13 ranger but other than that, I doubt any character will ever take it.

Compare fighter 15/this 5 to fighter 20:
You lose three feats
You gotta have 13 in nearly all stats
You got to spend even more feats to get into this
You gain... A small set of abilities usable few times per day.

icke
2007-01-03, 06:56 AM
No, it doesn't seem overpowered. Quite the contrary. The random entry requirements make nearly every character have hard time getting to it. The earliest you can get to it is level 13 ranger but other than that, I doubt any character will ever take it.

Compare fighter 15/this 5 to fighter 20:
You lose three feats
You gotta have 13 in nearly all stats
You got to spend even more feats to get into this
You gain... A small set of abilities usable few times per day.

I agree that the requirements seem somewhat random, but they are not too hard to acquire, every class with a full BAB can get them easily. Plus, the requirement feats have values of their own. Also, a 13 Int and Dex are, except being far from "nearly all stats", are the requirements for the entry feats.

Roderick_BR
2007-01-03, 07:08 AM
Now that I have a breather from work, lemme explain it:
By "evil" I mean classic "D&D" kind of evil. Just read classic greek epics, you'll see the hero is violent prone, massacres the enemies, and not always trying to save "innocents", but they usually are trying to save their land from some danger, don't kill people "just because they are in the way", nor kill people for fun.
As for "Hero Strike" and "Hero Smite": oops... my bad. the Smite is supposed to be damage.
Yes, each one is usable once a day, for each time you buy them.
The requeriments looks random, but I made them all Fighter feats. I selected the ones that make for a more "complete" adventurer, not only a combat oriented one. A hero needs to be alert and always ready to move. A non-fighter human can get all these feats at 15th level, I believe.

icke
2007-01-03, 07:18 AM
All fine, but why does the hero have to be non-evil? I'd like to have gnoll-heroes and orc-heroes who are as bad as all the rest of the gang, why can't the get the Hero class when they save their village from the latest band of justice-seeking adventurers?

Roderick_BR
2007-01-03, 10:35 AM
Hmm... good point... they need to hero for their people... I guess that work.
I was playing God of War for PS2, and the main character's story shows he's not that a sweet guy... XD
yeah, I'll eliminate that. He just needs to be some sort of hero among his people or his homeland.

icke
2007-01-04, 11:26 AM
Can You edit the original post or post an updated version of the class, to see if there's any problem left?

Rainspattered
2007-01-04, 01:22 PM
Champion could work.
I mean Hero, because he always fights for a cause. He doesn't need to be good, only non-evil. You ever saw some classic epic story with an evil hero?
Paradise Lost. Satan is the hero. In the culture he was writing in, that's as evil as you can get.

I wouldn't say homeland, I'd just say someplace. Many heroes (in the wake Drizzt, far, far, too many) are exiles from their homelands.

Roderick_BR
2007-01-04, 01:51 PM
And this Satan is a hero like Spartan or Ulysses? OH well, I dont think Spartan is much an hero either. Anyway, I edited it to remove the "hero" requisites.

Rainspattered
2007-01-04, 02:43 PM
Not in that same tradition, necessarily; he's' a "romantic" hero, in that his morals arequestionable, but he is nonetheless the hero of an epic work. I just picked the most extreme example I could think of.
Also, it's not every day I get a chance to flaunt my brit-lit knowledge.

Cybren
2007-01-04, 03:15 PM
Spartan? Like... John Spartan? pfft. What hero can't use the three seashells.

icke
2007-01-05, 07:24 AM
Well, class seems fine now, the only thing I don't like is the 'town' the Hero has to be a hero for. Thats, well, not fishy enough. He should be regarded a hero by a bunch of people who share a cultural aspect or something. Either they live at the same place(town, mountain valley, country etc.), travel together(nomad tribes) or share another aspect of culture(religious fate, being pirates, being the remnants of some conquered country despising their new rulers...).

Cybren: I don't think he meant John Spartan...

Duke of URL
2007-01-05, 08:40 AM
Can you be a little more explicit in how "Fate" works?

I.e., do you choose a "Fate" ability at each level, which gives you the ability to use that particular "Fate" ability once per day? Or do you just gain one additional use per day of any "Fate" ability? If the former, can you choose the same "Fate" twice (or more) for additional use(s) per day?

Other than that, I'd probably drop Will to a low save and allow the duration of each "Fate" ability to be a number of rounds equal to the character's Hero class level (1-5), which would make it somewhat more in line with feats like Divine Might, et. al.

Roderick_BR
2007-01-05, 10:02 AM
I thought I had removed the Special part. Fixed. I reduced the Will saves. No need for a high save really.
The fates works like they are explained: Once a day, for the duration indicated in the description. Yes, you can buy additional uses, just added it.
I made them once a day, to be like others skills, like Smite Evil, and the granted powers from Strength and Protection domains, otherwise they would be too strong.

Cybren
2007-01-05, 04:39 PM
it doesn't say what they are to use. move actions? Swift actions? immidiate actions?

Roderick_BR
2007-01-05, 08:07 PM
Drat, I knew I was forgetting something.
Strike, Smite, Prowess, and Proficiency are immediate, Leadership is move action, and Defense, Resistance and Evasion are free actions, since you can activate them as a reaction.
Since they are "divine favors", I could call it divine bonuses, or luck bonuses. I'm not sure yet. The bonuses to allies given by Leadership are morale bonuses.

Eighth_Seraph
2007-01-05, 11:47 PM
The special abilites should not stack. You'll get level 15 fighter/5 Hero getting a +40 on an attack roll he should NEVER be able to make and getting a natural twenty on the confirmation roll on his Vorpal longsword. Badness for the poor sap DMin that situation.

Roderick_BR
2007-01-05, 11:53 PM
Another good point. I also forget to add, that you can't activate more than one effect at once, like Strike and Smite at the same time.

MandibleBones
2007-01-06, 05:11 AM
Personally, I'd remove a couple feat requirements. Not every "hero" type is going to go the spring attack route, and it should be possible for other martial types to take this class as well. (Not too many feats removed, though... still needs the martial flavor).

Maybe call it the "Legendary Protaganist" or some such?

Malachite
2007-01-20, 09:01 AM
I like the idea of this, but as stated before, the prereqs basically dictate that you fight in a certain way. I'd prefer to see this things as luck bonuses too, and I'd suggest another thing - maybe by lowering another save or something, up the will save a bit. Heros are constantly seen as having great mental determination and a refusal to be dominated. I think it would be quite in character to have a raised will save, and it's not as if it'll make a massive difference overall anyway.

Considering the Hero can activate a maximum of 5 of these, in separate rounds once per day, I don't think it's all that powerful. Most of these bonuses are equivalent to stuff they could do anyway in different ways eg. Heroic Strike = True Strike (at max level=1st level spell?)
Heroic Smite = Leap Attack/Shock Trooper combo, Power Attacking for -5 with THW. (gives the bonus on one attack roll only though, not every charge)
etc.