The Warlord - "You And What Army?" (WIP, PEACH)

[Quellian-dyrae]

Contents

Post 1: Introduction and the Warlord Class.
Post 2: Assets (Discipline, Funds, Logistics, Morale, Planning, Prowess).
Post 3: Assets (Readiness, Scouting, Spying, Tactics, Units, Valor).
Post 4: Reserved (probably going to be supplemental rules - feats, new skill uses like Recruit, Conscript, and Convert, maybe some new spells).
Post 5: Reserved (probably going to be general rules for acting on the strategic scale; Strategic Rounds, investing and uninvesting Assets, strategic actions, tasks, missions, fortifications, bases, etc).
Post 6: Reserved (probably going to be supplemental strategic rules, things like reputation, working within a larger NPC army, multiple PC warlords combining their forces, maybe other stuff as I think of it).
Post 7: Reserved (might, maybe, do some prestige classes here at some point).
Post 8: Reserved (just in case).

Current Focus: The Strategic Scale. I'm starting to think I need to have rules for it so I know what sort of abilities I can actually, you know, give these guys for interacting with it :smalltongue:.


Introduction

The warlord class is meant to be a few things. Hopefully. It's very much a work in progress (at the moment, it's pretty much not playable at all, 'cause I haven't done the full mechanics for any of the Assets yet; it'd be like Tier 6 as things stand). But assuming my inspiration keeps up, what it should hopefully end up being is a Tier 1 martial class packaged with a detailed system for running large-scale military operations in, or in the background of, a D&D game.

I want to put some time into clarifying "Tier 1 Martial" here. Starting with the "martial" bit. At its core, the warlord should still be a pretty much mundane guy. A warlord isn't (generally) some paragon of superhuman power, or a thinly-veiled superhero, or empowered by cosmic forces that nonetheless put the (Ex) tag on all of his abilities. In and of itself, the warlord's not really much more than a skilled and smart fighter. Someone who wants to play a master swordsman, or barbarian champion, or shining knight in a party with a wizard, cleric, and druid should be able to use the warlord class to do so.

That being said, this general goal doesn't mean I'm outright avoiding magic like the plague. Options are good, and someone who wants to play a mage-general or war priest can use the class just as well. Likewise, warlords are capable of taking advantage of UMD and playing the moneymancy game on a level probably competitive with the artificer itself, if it invests the resources in it. So while a warlord will never be able to cast spells as effectively and reliably as a wizard or cleric, they can have more than their toes in the water too, if that's the sort of character the player wants.

But make no mistake - that's not what makes them Tier 1. Warlords are designed to operate on a large scale as a matter of course. They field an army. But they don't go walking around on adventures with an entire army behind them. They may keep a personal guard of skilled soldiers, certainly, and maybe even bring along a support staff that waits in camp, but the vast majority of their forces is operating in the background. They can be used to perform side missions, secure important locations, build bases and fortifications, recruit new troops, spread propaganda, scout terrain, spy on the enemy, and so on and so forth. This gives the warlord a depth and scale to its power that should be valuable even in a Tier 1 party, and since it can reassign its units and retrain its forces with some time, it has the flexibility to match.

So, to use the questions from the original tier thread, how does a warlord handle a dragon? Maybe it directs the party in battle, giving them stat boosts and extra actions to overcome the dragon in combat. Maybe it spends some of its discretionary funds for that week to hire on a specialist to deal with the traps. Maybe it sends three units of soldiers to slay the dragon while it is off on another mission two kingdoms away. Maybe it trains up the town's militia so they can defend themselves from the dragon. Maybe it captures the dragon and over time converts it into a valuable ally.

How does it win the trust of the leader of the slave resistance? Maybe it starts by having its troops harass the tyrant's armies. Sending a unit to attack a slave caravan and free those within would make a good introduction. It might offer to finance the leader's rebellion, or train freed slaves who wish to join it. Maybe it sends spies to learn weaknesses in the tyrant's defenses or times of transport, or its logistical capability to set up an Underground Railroad sort of system for the resistance to smuggle slaves out. Or maybe, if it's powerful enough, it just bypasses the resistance altogether, crushes the tyrant's army, storms into its lair, puts it to the sword, and liberates the slaves. Or if all else fails there's always Diplomacy checks.

How does it deal with an army of orcs? Psshaw, that's what a warlord does for a living. It whelms soldiers to engage the enemy army on equal footing. It fortifies key locations so the orcs take massive losses when attacking them. It sends scouts to keep tabs on enemy movements and sets up standing orders so its troops can quickly respond to any attack. It sends units to secure the terrain around the city, delaying the orc advance and forcing them to pay in lives for every mile of approach. It uses superior logistical and scouting capability to make guerilla raids on the orcs every time they rest for the night. And when they finally arrive, it personally leads the charge with its allies and an elite team of soldiers, fights through the heart of the army, and slays the chieftain in personal combat.

Now, that's all fine, but here's the other edge of it: even at Tier 1, the game isn't shattered the moment you take the class. Tier 1 means potential power and versatility in spades, but that potential is an important part. So I have a few specific design goals here:

1) While it has high potential power, it should be possible to play a warlord in a less-optimized game.
Just like you can play a blaster wizard with no metamagic reduction or a healbot cleric and not particularly overshadow a fighter or rogue, it should be possible to make a warlord who, while able to do its thing, doesn't tap into a fraction of the potential power of the class. The class's core, automatic personal combat ability shouldn't be so high that it overshadows a competently-built fighter, and even built for personal combat it shouldn't overshadow a similarly-well-built warblade. Likewise, it should have enough options to provide general niche utility that it can operate in a low-op group without problem by dedicating a lot of its power to areas that the rest of the group doesn't really get involved in or care much about (such as background war-scale stuff, information gathering, or building a really sweet base). Likewise, it should be able to dedicate itself to problem solving and party support enough to flex its muscles without stealing the spotlight, if that's the playstyle desired.

2) It should take real skill to use to its full potential.
Again in keeping with other Tier 1 classes, a warlord should have the options and the power available, but it should take some actual system mastery to make full use of them. Playing a warlord to its full potential should be an interesting tactical challenge on the meta-level, as the player has to acquire informaton, allocate its resources, plan the permanent aspects of its build out, and still account for its character's personality and theme. The class should probably be more powerful in theory than in play for most players.

3) It should be able to change the face of the game and setting with in-class resources.
While I would not call "able to break the game" a design goal as such, the class should nonetheless be able to operate on the scale of full spellcasters. It should be able to prepare for new challenges, acquire information, project its power beyond a single encounter, and otherwise influence the world around it with the resources available to the class, particularly at higher levels of play. Similarly, the class should be able to contribute in just about any sort of challenge save those explicitly intended to target its weaknesses - although whether any given character can do so at any given point in time should, of course, be another story.

4) It should be able to take advantage of system options that other classes are.
Again, I don't think "able to break the game" is a laudable design goal. But hey, if there are broken options in play already...a Tier 1 class should have access to at least some of them, to whatever degree the DM allows any class to have access to such things. That just seems right and proper.

5) It should still have a niche.
Tier 1's can kinda do everything, but they still have their niches, things they can do more easily, effectively, and reliably than other Tier 1s. For the warlord in particular, it brings the reliability of the mundane classes to the party with a lot of per-encounter capabilities and abilities that provide continual benefits as long as they have resources "invested", along with extensive minionmancy and moneymancy capabilities. Raw on-the-spot versatility isn't as much its bag - it's intended to be more Tier 1 the way a druid or artificer is Tier 1 than the way a wizard or cleric is Tier 1.

--

So that's what I'm aiming for. At the moment, of course, it's nowhere near there, but there should be enough of a skeleton here to show the general shape of it. I have a good few ideas floating around in my head, but I'm also very open to suggestions (one of the reasons I have my current focus listed up at the top).


Warlord

If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. -Sun Tzu, The Art of War

The warlord is a skilled fighter, but so much more than that. A leader, a strategist, a champion, and even a logistician, a skilled warlord can direct an army, lead its forces in battle, and project its power from afar not by magic or superhuman ability, but by having troops on the ground with the will to fight and a plan to win. Mercenary commanders selling their armies to the highest bidder, barbarian chieftains who charge into the fray at the head of a horde, bandit lords and pirate kings whose soldiers bring home plunder from throughout the world, and honorable kings served by knightly orders, are all examples of potential warlords.

Adventures: A warlord may adventure for several reasons. Perhaps they lead their forces actively to battle the enemies of their people or ideals, or to conquer more territory. They might be seeking riches to fund larger armies, or trying to build their reputations and attract more soldiers to their banners. Some warlords are under the command of sovereigns or even deities who task them with missions and quests, and some may be living in the thick of a war already and their "adventures" are nothing more than missions they are undertaking to give their side the advantage.

Characteristics: A warlord is a skilled fighter and leader. On the tactical scale, they shine as (or, well, at least providing) the front line warriors that absorb enemy attacks and deal consistent physical damage. They are also quite good at supporting and directing their allies. Out of combat, they are quite skilled at information gathering and social challenges. At higher levels, they have access to sufficient resources to have large-scale strategic impact as well as to, with some time or preparation, pull out the right utility tool for the job, although they are never quite as efficient as spellcasters in that regard.

Alignments: Warlords can be of any alignment. Lawful warlords are certainly somewhat more iconic, but aren't necessarily any more common. Indeed, while lawful warlords tend to have more disciplined forces, the greater freedoms offered by chaotic warlords tends to result in overall stronger troop morale. Evil and good warlords, respectively, can generally expect the same.

Religion: While your average fighting-man warlord might be inclined to deities of battle, strategy, and occasionally knowledge, any church with a military arm would be well-served with a warlord to direct it, and any nation that favors a certain deity is likely to see that preference trickle down to the commanders in their armies.

Background: The unifying point of a warlord's background is that they are leaders. Now, a leader can come from all walks of life, from peasant hero to champion king, ruthless tyrant to rebel commander, but they almost always have some event in their background that first caused people to take notice and say, "That. That is a person who I would be willing to fight for."

Races: While naturally any race with a military presence (which, in your typical D&D world, probably means...any race) can give rise to warlords, their skills and styles will often vary between them. Humans whelm vast armies while orcish commanders charge at the head of their packs. Elves wait patiently for the time to act and then strike without warning, while dwarves build great fortresses and hold them against all comers. Gnomes spend their funds on wondrous devices of war, and even a sleepy halfling village could be defended by an elite guard who strikes fast and hard at any enemy who dares underestimate the tenacity of the little folk.

Other Classes: A good warlord recognizes the value of any ally, whatever its class. A great warlord also recognizes their limitations. Mundane warriors and rogues can be greatly superior to the soldiers under a warlord's command, making them far more valuable targets for tactical augments, while spellcasters bring a wealth of additional options to the table that the warlord might otherwise only be able to access at great expense.

Role: The typical warlord's role in the party is as a front-line fighter or provider of the same. The warlord can deal consistent damage, it has reasonably-expendable minions that can absorb punishment and keep enemies away from vulnerable spellcasters, and it can augment other front-liners or direct its casters tactically for various benefits.

GAME RULE INFORMATION
Warlords have the following game statistics.
Abilities: All ability scores are potentially valuable to a warlord, depending on their style. Warlords with a high Strength are more powerful in direct combat, as are their soldiers. Warlords with a high Dexterity have stronger personal defense and are quicker to respond to threats and changes of circumstance on both the tactical and strategic scales. Warlords with a high Constitution have greater resiliency and are better able to not only withstand personal danger, but hold terrain and guard assets at the strategic level. Warlords with high Intelligence are more effective tacticians, allowing them to support their allies more effectively, and also have wider options through superior skills and greater tactical diversity. Warlords with high Wisdom are better strategists, more adept at big-picture maneuvers, acquiring information, and avoiding tricks and traps by their foes. Finally, warlords with high Charisma have greater leadership ability, able to lead more soldiers, acquire more funds, and better handle public relations and tasks like recruiting and conscripting.
Alignment: Any.
Hit Die: d8.
Starting Age: As wizard.
Starting Gold: As fighter.

Class Skills
The warlord's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are...
Balance (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Disguise (Cha), Gather Information (Cha), Handle Animal (Cha), Hide (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Knowledge (Architecture and Engineering, Geography, Local, Nobility and Royalty) (Int), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Perform (Cha), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Search (Int), Sense Motive (Wis), Speak Language (N/A), Spot (Wis), Survival (Wis), Swim (Str), Tumble (Dex), Use Magic Device (Cha), and Use Rope (Dex).

Skill Points at First Level: (6 + Int modifier) x 4
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 6 + Int modifier

WARLORD
LevelBase Attack BonusFort SaveRef SaveWill SaveSpecial
1st
+1
+2
+0
+2Assets, Feature.

2nd
+2
+3
+0
+3

3rd
+3
+3
+1
+3

4th
+4
+4
+1
+4

5th
+5
+4
+1
+4Feature.

6th
+6
+5
+2
+5

7th
+7
+5
+2
+5

8th
+8
+6
+2
+6

9th
+9
+6
+3
+6

10th
+10
+7
+3
+7Feature.

11th
+11
+7
+3
+7

12th
+12
+8
+4
+8

13th
+13
+8
+4
+8

14th
+14
+9
+4
+9

15th
+15
+9
+5
+9Feature.

16th
+16
+10
+5
+10

17th
+17
+10
+5
+10

18th
+18
+11
+6
+11

19th
+19
+11
+6
+11

20th
+20
+12
+6
+12Feature, Legendary Asset.

Class Features
All of the following are class features of the warlord.

Weapon and Armor Proficiencies: The warlord is proficient with simple and martial weapons, light, medium, and heavy armor, and shields (except tower shields).

Assets (Ex): As a warlord, you are many things. Leader and tactician, champion and strategist, logistician and manager. But even the greatest warlord has only so many resources to allocate.

You have twelve Assets, each one providing benefits on the tactical scale, the strategic scale, or both. Each Asset is tied to an ability score, and each ability score represents two Assets. All Assets begin at 0, and are increased by spending Resources. You have two Resources per class level. You can invest a maximum number of Resources into any given Asset equal to half your character level (rounded up) plus half the Asset's ability modifier (rounded up).

In addition, for each ability score in which you have a positive ability modifier, you gain your ability modifier in bonus Resources, which may only be spent on the Assets tied to that score.

But be warned! For each ability score in which you have a negative ability modifier, both Assets tied to it take a penalty equal to the ability modifier. This can reduce the Asset's value below 0, requiring you to invest Resources simply to bring the Asset to a level where you can use it. A negative Asset cannot be increased by any means other than spending Resources, and thus even if you could get a bonus to the Asset from elsewhere, you would be unable to use it until the base value is at least 0.

Once you have points of Assets, they can be spent, invested, recovered, or increased. Spent points provide immediate or short-term benefits. Invested points provide constant or long-term benefits, lasting for as long as the points are invested. Recovered points are added back to your total, up to your normal maximum for that Asset. Increased points are added to your current total and your maximum.

Each Asset has a standard recovery method; Strategic, Daily, and Encounter. An Asset with Strategic recovery recovers a number of points equal to half the relevant ability modifier at the end of every Strategic Round (generally one week, Strategic Rounds will be discussed more later). An Asset with Daily recovery recovers a number of points equal to half the relevant ability modifier after you rest for eight hours. An Asset with Encounter recovery recovers a number of points equal to half the relevant ability modifier each hour, and again every time you succeed an encounter. Recovery through these methods are always rounded up and with a minimum of 1.

At the end of each Strategic Round, you may invest a total number of currently uninvested points of your Assets equal to two plus one-half your class level. After you have done so, if you have any investments remaining, you may spend them to uninvest currently invested points of your Assets. Any time one of your Assets increases, you may immediately invest the new points if you wish. The Planning Asset also allows you to change your Asset investments more quickly.

Note that certain situations and effects can also force you to spend or temporarily invest points without receiving any benefits.

The twelve Assets are as follows. Each Asset is also described in more detail, along with specific mechanics for what it can be used for, in its own section later.

Discipline (Con): Without discipline, you don't have an army, you just have a bunch of guys who are all wearing the same clothes. Discipline is a mechanical representation of how well-organized your soldiers are and how well you can keep them on task - after all, your troops have lives of their own as well! Discipline is invested to have a unit of soldiers perform a continual task. Discipline is spent to send a unit of soldiers to perform a mission. Discipline uses Strategic Recovery.

IMPORTANT: Your alignment affects your troops' Discipline! Lawful characters are more organized and good at keeping order, while evil characters have...a wider range of options for motivating their troops. Each Lawful or Evil component of your alignment increases your Discipline by 2. Each neutral component of your alignment increases your Discipline by 1. These modifiers apply one additional time per ten class levels.

Funds (Cha): An army can't accomplish much without money, and part of being a warlord is keeping your forces funded. Fortunately, part of being a warlord is also having your own discretionary funds to use for important purchases like mercenaries, spellcasting, perishable magic items, delicious food, fine wine, luxurious rooms... Spending Funds provides various short-term gains like Asset recovery, perishable items, spellcasting services, mercenary aid, and so on. Investing Funds provides long-term benefits like better gear for your soldiers, wards for your bases, increased Assets, and so on. Funds use Strategic Recovery.

Logistics (Dex): Especially as you advance and wish to project your power further and further from home, a warlord must be concerned with logistics. Logistics is necessary to operate on the strategic scale. You spend Logistics to move your units, send orders from afar, hasten your units' actions, and so on. You invest Logistics to increase the basic scale at which your forces can operate, so you can secure, scout, spy on, or otherwise influence a larger area with fewer units. Logistics uses Strategic Recovery.

Morale (Con): Fear, despair, disquiet, and simple uncertainty can be as deadly to an army as swords and spells. Morale measures how well your soldiers can endure hardship, maintain order in the face of adversity, and otherwise keep it together despite fear or temptation. Morale is invested to keep troops from routing or even rebelling under sustained hardship, and spent to keep individual instances of hardship from breaking them. Morale uses Strategic Recovery.

IMPORTANT: Your alignment affects your troops' Morale! Chaotic characters generally offer their troops more freedom, while good characters put more care into their troops general well-being, both of which result in generally happier and more loyal soldiers. Each Chaotic or Good component of your alignment increases your Morale by 2. Each neutral component of your alignment increases your Morale by 1. These modifiers apply one additional time per ten class levels.

Planning (Int): The best warlords always seem to be ready for annything, coming up with the perfect counter to whatever action their enemy takes. Planning allows you to change many aspects of your character. You spend Planning to change things like Resource and Asset allocations, equipment, and generally temporary build options. You can also change more permanent options, but it takes longer and requires you to invest Planning during the transition period. Planning uses Daily Recovery.

Prowess (Str): While your army allows you to project your power at a distance, never forget that you are both the single most powerful and most important member of your army! Prowess is invested to gain new abilities that directly improve your own personal combat ability, and spent to activate invested abilities that aren't continuous. Prowess uses Encounter Recovery.

Readiness (Dex): In a battle of any size, from a one-on-one duel to a clash of armies, the situation is constantly changing. Readiness represents your ability to react quickly and surely to new situations. You can invest Readiness to create standing orders, reactive responses, and contingent plans that allow you and your soldiers to more quickly and effectively react to changes on the strategic scale. You spend Readiness so you and your soldiers can respond to enemy action more swiftly on the tactical scale. Readiness uses Encounter Recovery.

Scouting (Wis): Information is critical on the battlefield, and Scouting offers you powerful strategic control. It represents a network of scouts, contacts, watchposts, and so on that together provide you with valuable information about the land around you. You invest Scouting to keep constant watch over a location or group, remaining appraised of notable activities, movements, encounters, and so on. You spend Scouting to gain immediate information, avoid encounters, prepare or negate ambushes, and otherwise learn about what's happening around you. Scouting is also used to counter the Scouting actions of enemies. Scouting uses Daily Recovery.

Spying (Wis): While Scouting tracks things like movements, encounters, ambushes, and other more military operations, Spying is about collecting more personal information. Plans, previous actions, strong points, weaknesses, secrets of all kind. You invest Spying to receive continuous information on a subject, and you spend it to receive one-time answers to specific questions. Spying is also used to counter the Spying actions of enemies. Spying uses Strategic Recovery.

Tactics (Int): A strong arm and sharp blade aren't all a warlord can bring to the table when it comes to personal combat. A skilled tactician is a powerful force multiplier, whether leading an army or shouting directions to a team of adventurers. You invest Tactics to gain tactical options you can use to support your allies - granting them stat bonuses, new options, rerolls, bonus actions, and so on. You spend Tactics to actually provide the benefits of your invested capabilities. Tactics use Encounter Recovery.

Units (Cha): The most important part of any army is the soldiers that make it up. Your Units determine how many groups of soldiers you can command at once. By investing a Unit, you can create a unit of soldiers which can be used to perform strategic actions. You generally don't actively spend your Units, but a Unit that is destroyed is considered spent and must be recovered (i.e. new troops recruited and trained) before it can be invested again. Units use Strategic Recovery.

Valor (Str): Valor allows you to lead by example. You invest Valor in certain special actions, which you can perform to grant effects like damage bonuses, recovered resources, healing, and temporary hit points to your allies and soldiers. You spend Valor to actually perform the action and grant the benefits. Valor options tend to apply to multiple allies, making them quite powerful. Valor uses Daily Recovery.

Features: Warlords come from a variety of walks of life. They may be classically trained soldiers, raging barbarian conquerors, deadly bandit kings, or even battle mages or war priests. At first level, you choose a Feature from the options below, granting you special capabilities. At every level evenly divisible by 5, your Feature improves.

Bonus Feats (Ex): For each Feature, you gain a bonus feat that you meet the prerequisites for. At first level, you also gain one of the following bonus feats: Exotic Weapon Proficiency, Exotic Armor Proficiency, or Tower Shield Proficiency.

Hunter (Ex): You gain a Favored Enemy, similar to that of a ranger. You may change your favored enemy as a swift action once per day, after dealing damage to or receiving damage from a target of the new enemy type. For each Feature, you get a +1 bonus on attack rolls, AC, and saves against creatures of the chosen type, and a +2 bonus on damage rolls and opposed checks against your favored enemy. Additionally, at first level, you gain Track as a bonus feat.

Living Weapon (Ex): You gain Improved Unarmed Strike as a bonus feat, and your unarmed strikes deal 1d6 points of damage per odd-numbered Feature. For each even-numbered Feature, your base threat range or critical multiplier with your unarmed strikes improves by one (you must increase the same one each time). For each Feature beyond the first, your unarmed strikes receive a +1 Enhancement bonus to attack and damage rolls (overcoming DR/magic at +1, and DR/epic at +6), and gain the ability to overcome one type of DR of your choice, aside from DR/-. When wielding a weapon, you may replace its damage, critical entry, and/or enhancement bonus with those of your unarmed strike, if you wish, although only your actual unarmed strike gains the ability to overcome chosen types of DR. Additionally, the first time you select this Talent, you gain the ability to add one ability modifier of your choice to AC when wearing light or no armor, and to add a different ability modifier of your choice to all attack and damage rolls (this replaces any one ability modifier you could already add to such rolls, if any, and never uses a multiplier or a fraction). This does not stack with other abilities that add an ability modifier to AC.

Maneuvers (Ex or Su): For each Feature, you gain Martial Study as a bonus feat, which does not count against the normal limit of times you can take Martial Study. Your Warlord class counts as an initiator class for purposes of initiator level. Once per round, you can recover one maneuver learned through Martial Study as a full round and swift action; for each Feature beyond the first, the action required goes down by one step (Full Round + Swift -> Full Round -> Standard -> Move -> Swift). You may not recover maneuvers in this way in any round that you activate a maneuver. Additionally, at first level, you gain Martial Stance as a bonus feat, and you may change the stance each time you gain this Feature.

Perfection (Ex): For each Feature, you gain a +2 bonus to a single ability score, or a +1 bonus to three different ability scores. Additionally, at first level, choose one Asset; that Asset's related ability score is changed to a different score of your choice.

Psionics (Ps): For each Feature, you gain the ability to manifest a single psionic power as a psi-like ability three times per day. The level of the power cannot exceed your total Features. You may not choose powers with XP costs. Additionally, at first level, you gain Wild Talent as a bonus feat. If you select this talent, your Warlord HD is reduced to a d6.

Rage (Ex): You gain the ability to enter a rage, similar to that of a barbarian. You may rage once per day per Feature, and the rage lasts for a number of rounds equal to your Constitution modifier + your total Features. At the end of the rage, you are fatigued for the remainder of the encounter. While in a rage, you receive a +2 bonus to your Strength and Constitution scores per Feature, get +1 to Will saves per Feature, and take -2 to AC. Your actions are limited following the same rules as a barbarian's rage. Additionally, at first level, you gain Improved Toughness as a bonus feat.

Resources (Ex): For each Feature, you gain +2 Resources. Additionally, at first level, your maximum Resources investment for your Assets increases by 1.

Skirmish (Ex): You gain the Skirmish ability, as a scout, dealing +1d6 damage per odd-numbered purchase of this Talent and getting +1 AC per even-numbered purchase. Additionally, the first time you gain this Talent, you gain a +10' bonus to your base land speed.

Smite (Su): Once per encounter per purchase of this Talent, you can turn a single attack (melee or ranged) into a Smite attack. A Smite gets a bonus on the attack roll equal to your highest ability modifier, and a bonus on the damage roll equal to your class level. Additionally, the first time you gain this Talent, you gain the ability to use Detect {Alignment} at will.

Sneak Attack (Ex): You gain the Sneak Attack ability, as a rogue, dealing +1d6 damage per purchase of this Talent. Additionally, the first time you gain this Talent, you gain Trapfinding.

Spells (Sp): Choose the wizard, cleric, or druid spell list. For each Feature, you gain the ability to cast a single spell from the chosen list as a spell-like ability three times per day. If you wish, you can gain the ability to change your available spells with eight hours of work, by reducing the daily uses of each spell to one. The level of the spell cannot exceed the number of Features you had when you gained that spell slot. You may not choose spells with expensive or priceless material components, expensive focuses, or XP costs. Additionally, at first level, you gain the ability to use a number of 0-level spells from that list equal to your Key Ability Modifier at will (although Cure Minor Wounds is replaced by the Pathfinder spell Stabilize). If you select this Feature, your Warlord HD is reduced to a d6.

Legendary Asset (Ex): You are known for your mastery of a certain aspect of war. Choose one Asset; that Asset is permanently increased by the maximum number of Resources you would be allowed to invest into it.

[Quellian-dyrae]

This post will eventually have the first six Assets.

Maintaining an army is expensive, but as a warlord, you don't have to pay for everything from your own pocket. Your Funds represent a source of reliable income, favors you can call in, bargains you strike, lines of credit, and so on. Since Funds does not strictly represent a fixed amount of gold, your Funds can't be freely spent like normal gold - there are specific uses for Funds.

However, in many cases, one point of Funds does equate to a specific gold piece value. This value is equal to your class level times your character level times (your character level plus your Charisma modifier). For example, a Warlord 8/Warblade 2 with a Charisma of 16 counts one point of Funds as worth 1,040 gold for purposes of Funds uses that refer to a gold piece value.

Funds are based on Charisma, since acquiring them involves negotiation, bargaining, bartering, and so on. Funds use Strategic Recovery, so you recover a number of points of Funds equal to half your Charisma modifier (minimum 1) each Strategic Round.

You can spend and invest funds on the following options:

Acquire Perishables: You can spend Funds to acquire perishables - items with limited uses, such as alchemical items, potions, scrolls, wands, material components for an ally's spells, and so on. You don't gain these items permanently; at the end of the Strategic Round, you lose access to them by some means (perhaps they are cheaper enchantments that expire after a certain period, or were only loaned and you have to return any unused portion). But while you have them you can use them normally. By spending a point of Funds, you can purchase perishable items with a total gold piece value of up to the value of a point of your Funds. Obviously, you must be in a locale where you could reasonably purchase such items to do so.

Discretionary Spending: You can use Funds to pay for various miscellaneous, non-adventuring things, like staying at fine inns, throwing parties, good meals, bribes, charitable donations, and so on. The effective value of gold you get for these things is five times the base value of the Funds spent. At DM discretion, Funds spent in this way may translate to bonuses on certain social checks or other role playing advantages.

Equip Forces You can invest Funds to equip your Forces. For Forces that can make Tactical Contributions, each point of Funds invested provides five times the base value of a point of Funds in equipment for all of your Forces. Note, however, that this applies to each Force, not to each soldier. For Forces that make Strategic Contributions, each point of Funds invested provides a floating +2 bonus that can be applied to one strategic roll made by that Force per Strategic Round (multiple such bonuses can be applied to the same roll).

Improve Asset: You can invest points of Funds to increase your other Assets. The first point of increase for any given Asset requires investing one point of Funds. Each addition point of increase requires a number of points of investment equal to the current increase + 1. So to increase three Assets by 1 each, you would invest three Funds, one into each. But to increase a single Asset by 3 you would invest six Funds; 1 for the first point, 2 more for the second, and 3 more for the third. This increase lasts for as long as the Funds are invested.

Hasten Work: You can spend Funds to hasten long-term tasks you set your units to, such as building fortifications, training militias, running a political campaign, or so on. Each point of Funds spent adds one day of progress to the task per two points of your Charisma modifier (rounded up, minimum 1). You can also spend Funds to similarly hasten other long-term actions such as spell research, magic item creation, crafting, and so on performed by you or your allies.

Hire Specialist: You can spend Funds to hire a specialist, either who travels with you or who aids one of your Forces. Once you hire the specialist, it remains in your employ for one Strategic Round, after which you must pay it again if you wish to retain its services.

If the specialist is assigned to a Force, you simply give that unit a new ability per point of Funds spent.

If the specialist travels with you, it's a bit more complicated. The Funds you spend provide their normal value in gold for purposes of hiring the specialist. The specialist is an NPC designed and controlled by the DM. It travels with you, but will not assist in most encounters. If it is attacked, it will take actions strictly to preserve its own life (generally defense or escape actions, only attacking if there is no other recourse). You are expected to defend specialists you hire, and if you fail to do so they may leave early (a specialist who loses more than half its hit points or is rendered helpless in battle will generally leave unless you spend both another point of Funds and a point of Morale to keep it, although the DM may also allow social skills to convince a specialist to stay, especially if you were obviously trying to protect it).

The base cost for a specialist is its character level squared times its cost multiplier, which begins at 10. Specialists use the elite ability score array and have NPC wealth for their level. You may choose the specialist's class, and the DM should build a generally competent NPC of that class. You may have input on the specialist's build by increasing the cost multiplier as follows:
Each skill with maximum skill ranks that you require: +1.
Each feat that you require: +1.
Each spell/maneuver/psionic power/etc known or prepared that you require: +0.2 per ability level.
Each time it multiclasses: +3.
Each 1,000 gold worth of its gear that you dictate: +1.
Each specific class feature choice (such as a cleric's domains) that you make: +1.
Each Alternate Class Feature that you give it: +3.

You may also choose one of the following roles for the specialist, which determine what contributions it will make. Some roles increase the specialist's cost multiplier. Each additional role adds +5 to the cost multiplier, on top of any increase for the role itself.
Combatant: The specialist will actively assist in combat, and will not abandon you if injured or rendered helpless. You do not have the same obligation to protect it, but if it dies in your employ you will be expected to return its body and equipment to its home and pay a weregild (basically the same cost as hiring it, which can be paid through Funds as well). +20 Cost Multiplier.
Negotiator: The specialist will contribute to discussions with others. You must work with it to determine how it will negotiate (in other words, you or another player, rather than the DM, will decide what the specialist says, although the DM can veto obviously inappropriate decisions), but you can make use of its skills and capabilities during social encounters. +5 Cost Multiplier.
Scout: The specialist will scout ahead of the party and advise them of what is coming, using whatever stealth and information-gathering capabilities it possesses. +5 Cost Multiplier.
Troubleshooter: The specialist will search for, disable, bypass, and otherwise help deal with locks, traps, secret doors, hidden treasures, etc. +0 Cost Multiplier.
Healer: The specialist will provide healing outside of combat. It will also use its healing abilities in combat if it feels it can do so without exposing itself to danger (note that it will prioritize healing itself if it is injured). +10 Cost Multiplier.
Taskmaster: The specialist will work with you to solve complicated problems outside of combat and social interactions. +0 Cost Multiplier.
Sage: The specialist will use its knowledge and abilities to provide you with information, conduct research, perform divinations, and otherwise help you learn things. It may even offer you some useful advice at DM discretion. +0 Cost Multiplier.
Buffer: The specialist will use its spells and abilities to augment you and your allies before combat. It will also do so in combat if it feels it can do so without exposing itself to danger. +5 Cost Multiplier.

So for example, if you want to hire a 9th level sorcerer with the Extend Spell feat, max ranks in Spellcraft, the Haste, Displacement, and Greater Invisibility spells, and the Buffer and Taskmaster roles, the cost would be 9*9*(10+1+1+0.6+0.6+0.8+5+(0+5)) or 1,944 gold per Strategic Round.

Hire Spellcaster: You can spend Funds to hire spellcasting support. The spellcaster won't travel or adventure with you, it just casts the spells, and you have to be in a locale that has spellcasters selling their services to hire one. You receive an effective amount of gold equal to the value of the Funds you spend for this purpose, which you may spend at the normal rate (spell level times caster level times ten gold pieces per spell). You must also pay for the material component cost of these spells, pay one-fiftieth the focus cost, and pay five gold per XP spent by the caster.

Preparatory Purchases: You can invest Funds to make some preparatory purchases that might turn out useful. Each day, you may draw from an amount of gold equal to half the base value of the Funds you have invested. You simply pull out a useful mundane or perishable item that it turns out you had purchased beforehand, deducting its value from your gold allotment for the day. If the item can be reused, you can reuse it freely for the rest of the day, but you have to count its cost again if you pull it out once more on a later date. You must have a logical way of carrying the item, although if you are in an area you are familiar with (such as a city you've spent a good amount of time in) you could say you have "stashes" of equipment or the like hidden about.

Rapid Recovery: You can spend Funds to quickly recover spent points of another Asset. Each point of Funds spent recovers one point of a chosen Asset instantly.

Prowess is the single most important Asset for improving a warlord's sheer personal combat ability. A warlord who focuses on Prowess is a dominating and versatile physical combatant, in many ways comparable to a warblade - but unlike a warblade, the warlord must find a balance between power, versatility, and reliability.

You invest Prowess into the various options below to learn them. You may invest Prowess into the same option multiple times at higher levels, up to one additional point per five levels beyond first. You may also spend any uninvested Prowess to activate the ability (you always only spend one Prowess on an option). As such, when allocating your Prowess, you have to consider how many options you want, how strong you want any given options to be, and how often you want to be able to use the options available to you.

Prowess is based on Strength - it is all about sheer dominating physical capability. Prowess uses Encounter Recovery, so you recover one point of spent Prowess per two points of your Strength modifier (rounded up, minimum 1) each hour, and an equal amount any time you succeed an encounter.

Any time a Prowess option calls for making a single attack, a character wielding two weapons adds the full damage of its offhand weapon to the attack's damage, if it takes the two weapon fighting penalty on the attack roll.

Valor expands upon Prowess by allowing you to lead by example, your martial skill and courage allowing you to drive more allies to greater heights of ability. You may invest Valor into your known Prowess options. You are not limited in the amount of Valor you can invest into a given option. For each point of Valor invested, the effects of the ability that let you choose an ally to gain a benefit allow you to affect twice as many allies (doubling mathematically, so two invested Valor affects four allies). This applies at no additional cost every time you use that option.

You may also spend Valor when you use a Prowess ability. If you do, rather than affecting individual allies, you affect all allies within a radius of 5' per point of your Strength modifier plus 5' per class level. When doing so, roll 1d6 and add any Valor that has been invested into that option; if you roll a 5 or higher, you also recover the Prowess spent to activate the option.

Valor is based on Strength as well - you are leading by example, inspiring your allies not with personal presence, but with your sheer martial ability. Valor, unlike Prowess, uses Daily Recovery, so you recover one point of Valor per two points of your Strength modifier with eight hours of rest.

Avenge: You respond to enemy attacks against your allies with immediate vengeance. As an immediate action, when an ally is damaged by an enemy, you may spend a point of Prowess to make an attack of opportunity against the attacker (if it is within your reach). With two Prowess invested, you may move up to half your speed before attacking, and if your attack hits, the ally may add half your Strength modifier to its AC and saving throws for one round. With three Prowess invested, you may move up to your speed before the attack, and the attack gets a bonus on the damage roll equal to one-third the damage the ally received. With four Prowess invested, you may move up to twice your speed before the attack, and the ally receives healing equal to half the damage it received (this may prevent unconsciousness or death).

Additionally, if you hit, choose an ally. You call upon your chosen ally to punish the enemy who attacked your companion. For one round per point of invested Prowess, the chosen ally gets a bonus equal to half your Strength modifier on attack rolls, opposed rolls, and save DCs against the opponent, and a bonus equal to your Strength modifier on all damage rolls (weapon or otherwise) against the opponent.

Battle Cry: You give a great warcry that causes enemies to hesitate and emboldens your friends. As a standard action, you may spend a point of Prowess to make a tremendous battle cry. Your cry affects a radius around you of 10' per point of your Strength modifier. All enemies in the area have their initiative totals lowered by your Strength modifier, though enemies with an initiative count higher than your own cannot be lowered below your own initiative count + 1. Affected enemies must also make a Will save (DC 10 + 1/2 class level + Strength modifier) or be Shaken for one round per three class levels, rounded up. With two Prowess invested, enemies who fail their saves also take 1d6 points of sonic damage per two class levels. With three Prowess invested, enemies who fail their saves are Frightened instead of Shaken. With four Prowess invested, enemies who fail their saves are Panicked instead of Shaken.

Additionally, choose an ally. Your chosen ally is particularly inspired by your battle cry. It receives temporary hit points equal to your Strength modifier plus half your class level per point of Prowess invested, and increases its initiative total by your Strength modifier. These temporary hit points last for ten minutes. If its initiative is current below yours, it cannot increase above your own initiative count - 1.

Cleaving Blow: You strike at multiple foes with great sweeping swings of your weapon. By spending a point of Prowess as a full-round action, you can make a single attack and apply the result to two separate foes. At two Prowess invested, you affect all foes within your reach. At three Prowess invested, you may also move up to your speed, and apply the attack to every foe you threaten at any point in the movement. At four Prowess invested, you may move up to twice your speed.

Additionally, choose an ally. The carnage you wreak emboldens your chosen ally and inspires it to fight on with renewed vigor. The ally receives healing equal to your Strength modifier for each enemy you damaged with your Cleaving Blow.

Crippling Strike: Your attacks weaken and hamper your foes. By spending a point of Prowess as a standard action, you make a single weapon attack. If you hit, the target must make a Fortitude save (DC 10 + 1/2 your class level + your Strength modifier) or take 1d4 points of damage per point of invested Prowess to a chosen ability score.

Additionally, if you hit, choose an ally. You clinically direct that ally to take maximum advantage of the target's weakness. For the rest of the encounter, that ally gains a bonus against your target equal to half the ability damage dealt, rounded up. The bonus depends on the ability damaged:

Strength: Your ally can crush past your foe's weakened guard, gaining the bonus to attack rolls.
Dexterity: Your ally can easily outmaneuver your clumsy target, gaining the bonus to AC.
Constitution: Your ally hammers hard on your foe's battered body, gaining twice the bonus to weapon damage rolls.
Intelligence: Your ally capitalizes on your foe's confusion, gaining half the bonus to saving throw DCs.
Wisdom: Your ally explots your foe's disorientation, gaining the bonus on all opposed skill checks.
Charisma: Your ally is prepared for your foe's reduced personal power, gaining the bonus on all saving throws.

Defensive Attack: You strike an enemy and immediately revert to a strong defensive stance, though your quick attack shows that your enemies should not turn their backs on you. As a standard action, you spend a point of Prowess and make a single attack. You also receive the benefits of a Total Defense action for one round, but you may still make attacks of opportunity. Additionally, if the attack hits, any enemies who are currently threatened by you take a penalty on checks to avoid your attacks of opportunity equal to your class level, and provoke attacks of opportunity if they attack anyone other than you. With two Prowess invested, your dodge bonus also applies to saving throws. With three Prowess invested, the dodge bonus increases by half your Strength modifier. With four Prowess invested, you also gain Evasion, Mettle, and a 50% miss chance for one round.

Additionally, choose an ally. Every time an enemy attacks you and either fails to deal damage or deals less damage than it could have (because it missed, you made a save, etc) you inspire your ally by demeaning your attackers. The enemy rolls damage normally, and your ally receives healing equal to one-fourth the damage rolled, rounded up. If you took partial damage, such as a save for half, it does not roll damage again; the ally simply receives healing equal to one-fourth the portion of damage you avoided.

Duel: As a move action, you may challenge an opponent to a duel, one on one. If your target accepts, you gain a bonus equal to your Strength modifier which at the start of each turn you may divide among your attack rolls, AC, damage rolls, or DR against that foe (bonuses to attack and AC are at a 1:2 ratio, while bonuses to damage and DR are 1:1). You instantly lose this bonus in any round that one of your allies targets the enemy with a hostile action. Every time one of the target's allies targets you with a hostile action, your bonus for that round and the remainder of the duel increases by 2 (this must be a legitimate hostile act; a false ally of the target can't attack you simply to rack up your bonus).

You may also choose one ally. Your performance during the duel inspires that ally to match you. Your chosen ally receives a floating bonus that can be spent in the same way you spend your dueling bonus. The ally's bonus is +1 per successful attack you make on the dueled target, and -1 per successful attack the target makes on you (maximum equal to your Strength bonus, minimum 0). The bonus recalculates each round at the start of the ally's turn when it decides where to allocate it.

If you win the duel, on your ally's next turn, it receives double the bonus (the bonus goes away entirely at the start of the ally's next turn after that).

If your target does not accept the duel, it and all of its allies of equal or lower CR become Shaken for one round per point of your Strength modifier. You automatically confirm critical hits against enemies shaken by this ability, and all of your allies automatically confirm critical hits against the initial target for as long as it is shaken.

Exploit Opening: As an immediate action, when you make a successful attack of opportunity, you may spend a point of Prowess. The target must make a Fortitude save (DC 10 + 1/2 your BAB + your Strength modifier) or lose the rest of its turn. If your attack interrupted an action it was taking, that action fails and any resources put into it are expended. For each point of invested Prowess beyond the first, this effect applies to one additional attack of opportunity you make during the encounter.

In addition, choose an ally. Your ally can use the opening you provide to slip past the target. For one round, the chosen ally can ignore the target's presence on the map; the target cannot provide a flanking bonus against the ally or make attacks of opportunity against the ally, the ally can move through its space, it doesn't provide cover against attacks made by the ally, and so on.

Fending Parry: You rapidly parry incoming attacks, fending off blows and keeping your attackers engaged so your allies can dispatch them. By spending a point of Prowess as an immediate action, make an attack roll and add your shield modifier, if any. If you roll a 10 or less on the d20, add ten to the result (you do not do this if you can somehow take 10 on the roll). You may substitute Dexterity for Strength on this attack roll if you wish. Until the end of your next turn, this attack roll replaces your AC for purposes of critical confirmation, and any attack against you that hits your AC but rolls lower than your attack roll loses any situational or activated effects, such as bonus damage, imposed conditions, linked effects, and so on. It becomes a completely regular hit with the weapon. At two Prowess invested, once during the round, you may negate one attack that failed to beat the roll. At three Prowess invested, you may do so additional times during the round by spending one attack of opportunity each time. At four Prowess invested, any attack you negate in this way is retargeted at the attacker, using your attack roll.

If you wish, you can use this ability as a standard action, and it will last for one round plus one round per point of invested Prowess. You make a new parry roll each round.

Additionally, choose an ally. Any time an enemy attacks you and rolls lower than your parry roll, that ally can make an attack of opportunity against that opponent. On its turn, if it attacks an enemy who attacked you and did not beat your parry roll, it deals +50% damage (weapon or otherwise).

Hampering Strike: You make a precise attack to hamper an opponent. As a standard action, you spend a point of Prowess and make an attack. The target must make a saving throw (DC 10 + 1/2 class level + Str modifier) or suffer a condition. The save depends on the condition you are attempting to inflict, and more invested Prowess imposes a more severe condition (conditions are listed in order from 1-4 Prowess invested):

Fear: Will - Shaken, Frightened, Panicked, Cowering.
Pain: Fortitude - Sickened, Slowed, Nauseated, Helpless.
Shock: Reflex - Flat-footed, Staggered, Stunned, Unconscious.

Additionally, choose an ally. You direct your ally on how to capitalize on your target's disability. For one round per point of invested Prowess, your ally gets a +4 bonus on attack rolls and deals maximum weapon damage (including any bonus damage dice) against any opponent with any of the conditions of the category you are trying to inflict.

Hewing Strike: No tricks or fancy moves here; you hammer an enemy with a particularly powerful blow. As a standard action, you may spend a point of Prowess and make an attack. You may also spend a point of Prowess to use this ability as part of a charge action or as a spring attack. If you hit, you deal an additional 1d6 damage per odd-numbered class level. Each point of invested Prowess beyond the first raises the bonus damage dice by one step (d6->d8->d10->d12).

Your ferocious blow inspires an ally to throw itself into battle with renewed vigor. If you hit, choose an ally. That ally may make a new saving throw against a single detrimental effect upon it that allowed a save and lasts on a duration. For each point of invested Prowess beyond the first, it may either make another save (against a different effect) or get a +2 bonus to the save(s). If the new save succeeds, it immediately removes the effect (or reduces it to whatever impact it would have had on a successful save).

If your attack drops your opponent, and your opponent's CR was equal to or greater than your ally's CR - 2, your ally can forego the save and spend an immediate action to take a move action. With two invested Prowess, it can take a move or swift action. With three invested Prowess, it can take a move, swift, or standard action. With four invested Prowess, it can take a move, swift, standard, or full-round action.

Inspiring Retort: As an immediate action, after you take damage, you may spend one Prowess to respond to the blow with a taunt and a strike of your own. You make an immediate attack against the character that damaged you, with a +1 bonus to the attack and damage rolls per 5 damage you received. For each point of invested Prowess beyond the first, you may do this one additional time this encounter without spending further Prowess.

In addition, choose an ally. That ally, hearing you demean the attack, follows your example by toughing through its own injuries. Your ally receives healing equal to one-quarter the damage you received.

Martial Dominance: You can dominate your foes with physical might. By spending a point of Prowess as a standard action, you may make a weapon attack and add the effects of a combat maneuver of your choice to the attack. Your attack roll replaces any normal attack roll required by the combat maneuver, but the target is allowed normal checks to resist. You do not provoke attacks of opportunity for making the maneuver, and a failed attempt doesn't allow your opponent to react. For each extra point of Prowess invested, you are treated as one size category larger for all beneficial purposes when making the attack (including your Strength score, weapon damage, reach, bonus to the check, size of foe you can affect, etc).

If you perform the maneuver successfully, you may choose an ally who threatens the opponent (if the maneuver moved your opponent, it can be at any point during the movement). That ally may make an attack of opportunity against the target.

Rapid Advance: You lead a rapid advance. By spending a point of Prowess as a swift action, you may roll a Balance, Jump, or Tumble check and immediately move five feet per five points rolled. You may also use the check result to receive the normal benefits of the skill in question (so if you use Jump you can leap over pits, if you use Tumble you can avoid attacks of opportunity, etc). You suffer no penalties on the checks for the amount of movement or lack thereof. For each extra point of Prowess invested, you may make one additional such check and movement during your turn (using the same skill or a different one), although you may perform other actions between movements if you wish or even move between attacks in a full attack.

Additionally, choose an ally. On its next turn, that ally gets a speed bonus to a movement mode of your choice equal to half your check result, provided it moves in the same general direction as you do. If you make multiple checks, total them for the purposes of this bonus.

Rapid Assault: You attack an enemy with sudden speed. Whenever you perform an action that involves making at least one attack as a full-round action (such as a full attack, charge, spring attack, whirlwind attack, etc), you may spend a point of Prowess to make an additional attack by taking a -2 penalty on all attacks that round. You only get one extra attack, not one attack per enemy you attacked. With two invested Prowess, you can also perform the action by spending a standard and swift action rather than a full-round action, if you wish. With three invested Prowess, you get a second extra attack. With four invested Prowess, you can perform the action as a standard action.

Additionally, choose an ally. Your example drives the ally to attack more quickly as well. Your ally gains a +2 bonus to its initiative total for each successful attack you make, though if its initiative total is currently below yours, it cannot increase to more than your initiative total - 1. The ally can also make an additional attack of opportunity this round for each successful attack you make.

Shatter the Bonds: As a non-action on your turn, you may forego your turn entirely and spend a point of Prowess. Roll a check pitting your Base Attack Bonus plus your Strength modifier against a DC of 10 + the caster or class level + the relevant ability modifier of any detrimental condition or ability active upon you on a set duration (note that lasting effects that have rules for recovery - such as damage and ability damage - is not the same thing as a duration). For example, if it's a spell, you would roll against DC 10 + the caster level + the caster's spellcasting ability modifier. If your check succeeds, you no longer suffer from the condition or ability. You may only make one attempt to remove any given effect.

Further, seeing you force your way through the effects may rally other affected allies against it. Choose an ally who can see you and is under the same effect; if you remove the effect successfully, that ally may roll a new saving throw against it (if a save was initially allowed). If the save succeeds, the effects are immediately downgraded to those applied for a successful save. This bonus save never worsens the effect, even if it normally requires repeated saves.

[Quellian-dyrae]

This post will eventually have last six Assets. Right now it just has Tactics.

Tactics is a supportive Asset on the tactical scale. It allows you to assess the situation and aid your allies with tactical commands, providing various benefits such as stat bonuses, extra actions, rerolls, information, and so on. A warlord who focuses on Tactics, while a competent combatant in its own right, really shines as a leader who serves as a force multiplier for its allies. Note that unless otherwise noted, you may not affect yourself with your Tactics, and allies to be affected must be able to see and hear you.

You invest Tactics into the various options below to learn them. You may invest Tactics into the same option multiple times at higher levels, up to one additional point per five levels beyond first. You must spend an uninvested point of Tactics to activate one of your known options. As such, when allocating your Tactics, you have to consider how many options you want, how strong you want any given options to be, and how often you want to be able to use the options available to you.

Tactics is based on Intelligence - it's all about coming up with plans and adapting them on the fly to changing situations. Tactics use Encounter Recovery, so you recover one point of spent Tactics per two points of your Intelligence modifier (rounded up, minimum 1) per hour, and an equal amount any time you succeed an encounter.

Analyze: You study your opponent and try to learn its strengths and weaknesses. As a swift action, you can spend a point of Tactics to ask a number of questions about a target's stats or capabilities equal to your invested Tactics. You may use this capability on a given target (or kind of target, if you are facing multiple mechanically identical creatures) no more than once per encounter per point of invested Tactics. You are provided with one piece of information per question, so while you could ask "what is the creature's AC bonus" or "which is the creature's lowest saving throw" you couldn't ask "what are the values of all of the creature's saving throws" unless you spend three questions doing so. This capability comes from analysis, not previous knowledge, and thus is effective even against creatures you could never have seen or heard of before.

Anticipate: You study your opponents to predict their next moves. By spending a point of Tactics as a swift action, you can anticipate your opponents' next moves. Choose one target per point of invested Tactics and roll a Sense Motive check. For each target, if your check is higher than 10 + the target's Bluff modifier, that target must declare its next turn's actions immediately. If, when its turn comes up, it does not wish to take the actions it declared, it is Dazed for one round. If it is unable to take the actions it declared, it is Staggered instead.

Assist: You shout supportive orders to help direct your allies in battle. By spending a point of Tactics as a standard action, you can perform an Aid Another action at a range of 30' per point of invested Tactics and increase the bonus to equal your Intelligence modifier. The bonuses last for one round per two points of your Intelligence modifier (minimum 1), rather than for one attack, and these rounds may be divided among multiple allies in range (or applied to the same ally twice to grant both the offensive and defensive bonuses). With two Tactics invested, when you Aid the target's attack, it receives an equal bonus on the damage roll, and when you Aid its defense, it receives an equal bonus on its saving throws. With three invested Tactics, you increase the number of rounds of Aid 50%, rounding up. With four invested Tactics, you double the number of rounds of Aid.

Challenge: You challenge your foes to battle, and punish any who refuse you. As a swift action, you may spend a point of Tactics. For one round per point of your Intelligence modifier, you deal +50% damage per point of invested Tactics to any enemy who takes an offensive action on its turn and doesn't target or include you in an offensive action on its turn. The effects immediately expire if you take efforts to make it harder for enemies to attempt to attack you than your allies (note that you may take efforts to make it harder for enemies to successfully attack you). For example, you could plant yourself in front of an enemy and take a total defense action, but you couldn't go running around the room so your enemy has to chase you in circles while your allies pelt it with ranged attacks.

Correct: You shout a correcting order just in time, giving your ally an opportunity to turn a mistake into a success. By spending a point of Tactics as an immediate action, you can allow an ally to make a roll twice, taking the best result. This applies to a single roll, but regardless of how many dice are involved (so if you use it on an attack, the ally could roll twice for the attack roll or the critical confirmation roll or the damage roll, but if it's a rogue and rolls the damage twice it rolls all its sneak attack dice twice along with its base damage and any other bonus damage dice). With two Tactics invested, you may do this after the ally rolls but before the DM has declared the result, allowing it to reroll the die (or dice). With three Tactics invested, you may do this after the DM has declared the result. With four Tactics invested, you may do this any time before the end of your next turn, retroactively changing the previous result.

Demand Action: You command an ally to act immediately. By spending a point of Tactics as a standard action, you allow a single ally to make a single weapon attack or take a move action. The ally must spend an immediate action to do so. With two Tactics invested, you may spend a move action as well to allow the ally to perform a standard action. With three Tactics invested, you may spend a move and swift action as well to allow the ally to perform a full-round action, or to allow all allies who can see and hear you to perform a move action or make a single attack. With four Tactics invested, the normal use provides a standard action, the full round use provides a full-round action, and the full-round and swift use provides multiple allies with both a move action and a single attack.

Encourage: You direct your ally to continue doing whatever just worked so well. As a standard action, you may spend a point of Tactics to encourage your ally to continue doing what it did last round. On your ally's next turn, any actions that were the same as last round and against the same targets either do not cost their normal resources and can be used even if the required resource has been expended (so a spell wouldn't cost a spell slot, a maneuver could be used even if expended, etc) OR allow the ally to use whatever it had rolled last round in place of the roll it made this round (so if an ally rolled a crit last round but misses this round, it can use the crit instead). A given ally can only be affected by this ability once per encounter per point of invested Tactics.

Predict: You see how the battle is progressing and can anticipate how things are going to go. As a standard action, you may spend one point of Tactics to immediately roll one d20 per point of invested Tactics. Until the end of the encounter, any time a character you can see (including you) would have to roll a d20, you may choose for the target to use one of the rolls you made. You must do this before the target rolls, and you may use each roll only once, at which point it is expended.

Scatter: You direct your allies to scatter in the face of an area attack. By spending a point of Tactics as an immediate action, all allies being affected by an area effect within 20' of you per invested point of Tactics may make an immediate move action. If the movement takes the allies outside of the area attack, they escape it entirely (if it takes them behind cover, they get the usual benefits).

Sound Retreat: A wise warlord knows when to flee to fight another day (or when to regroup to approach a problem from a new angle). As a full-round action, you can call a retreat. You and all allies who can see and hear you may immediately move up to (one + your invested Tactics) times their speed. This movement can only be used to move away from enemies, and does not provoke attacks of opportunity.

Units are the heart of your army. Your Units Asset provides you with forces of soldiers at your command. You can send these soldiers to perform tasks and missions, and some can even assist you in your adventures.

You invest Units to acquire actual groups of soldiers, called Forces. You can only do so if you are in a civilization or if you have a base available, and your Forces arrive in that civilization or base over the course of one Strategic Round. Once your Forces have arrived, you can spend Discipline to send them on missions or invest Discipline to have them perform long-term tasks in their area. You use Logistics to move your units elsewhere and determine how large an area they can affect.

Sometimes your Forces will be lost during a mission. If they are, you uninvest the Units at the end of the current Strategic Round, at which point those Units are considered spent. You then recover them normally as you train or gather new recruits or reinforcements, and once your Units recover you can reinvest them as normal. Units uses Strategic Recovery, so you recover a number of points of Units each Strategic Round equal to half your Charisma modifier (rounded up, minimum 1).

Each of your Forces has a Challenge Rating, which serves as its overall value of military strength for strategic engagements. Your Forces begin with a CR of 1/2 - each Force is a single novice soldier. For each character level you possess, aside from second level and every four levels thereafter, your Forces' CR increase by 1 (the first increase just brings the CR to 1). At the levels where your Forces do not increase CR, they gain a special ability that provides them with benefits or options on both the tactical and strategic scale.

Building a Force

For each Force, choose a number of soldiers and a level for those soldiers. Soldiers are considered to have a CR equal to half their level, and each Force's number and level must result in a total EL equal to the Force's CR. Additionally, their level cannot exceed your warlord level. For example, an 8th level warlord with a CR 5 Force could have two 6th level soldiers, or three 4th level soldiers, or four 2nd level soldiers, or eight 1st level soldiers.

Each Force also receives special abilities as noted above; one at second level and another each four levels thereafter. Each Force gets its own selection of abilities.

For most Forces, CR, number, level, and abilities are all you need to know, as these are the only relevant statistics for Forces on the strategic scale. However, some Forces can tactically contribute to encounters. These Forces get normal mechanical builds.

To create a tactical build, for each Force, you design a single NPC soldier. All soldiers in the same Force are mechanically identical. You must build your soldiers using the following rules:

-Your soldiers are always single-classed Warriors.
-Your soldiers begin with no equipment. You must invest Funds to acquire equipment for your soldiers.
-For each ability score, your soldiers have a score of 10 + your relevant ability modifier. So if your Strength is 16, your soldiers' Strength scores are 13. Persistent changes to your ability scores (from levels, acquiring permanent items that increase your scores, ability drain that you can't get removed, etc) apply to your soldiers after one Strategic Round.
-Your soldiers may not select any feats that provide them with another class's class features or abilities of major subsystems (such as spells, psionics, maneuvers, incarnum, etc).
-Your soldiers have one major advantage over unled troops: they possess maximum hit points per HD.

Assignments

Each of your Forces is given an Assignment, a general role it plays. The Force's Assignment provides some specific features, but more importantly determines what benefits your soldiers receive from their abilities (and note that some abilities are substantially more useful to certain assignments). You may change a Force's Assignment by spending Logistics. The possible assignments are below:

Active: Active Forces are on-duty and ready to perform missions. A Force must be on Active assignment to be sent on Missions (the Logistics cost of changing a Force to Active represents the time and effort required to get them ready to go). Active abilities generally provide bonuses to certain types of missions or alter the results of missions.

Garrison: Garrison Forces are on-duty as defenders of their current location. Garrison Forces in a location must be overcome for that location or its inhabitants to be subject to enemy action. Likewise, if an encounter occurs within a garrisoned location, the garrisdon Forces may tactically contribute to the encounter. Garrison abilities provide special benefits within the garrisoned location or provide bonuses to preventing certain forms of enemy action.

Passive: Passive Forces aren't on-duty as soldiers, although they may be contributing to other tasks. Passive Forces put their whole attention to the mundane jobs they are assigned, receiving a +2 bonus on any rolls involved in Tasks they are assigned to. Passive abilities provide additional bonuses or benefits when performing certain Tasks, or even open up new Task options.

Personal: A warlord may assign one Force to its Personal Guard. A Personal Force travels with the warlord on adventures and can tactically contribute to encounters. They assist in combat, exploration, and so on, guarding the warlord and its allies with their lives. Your Personal Force gains the Bodyguard ability for free, in addition to any other abilities the Force may have (and even if the Force doesn't yet have any abilities). Personal abilities generally provide new options or bonuses on the tactical scale.

Tactical Contributions

Personal Forces, and Garrison Forces in their garrisoned location, can tactically contribute to encounters - in other words, the warlord's player can control them as additional characters. However, it is important to note that your Forces are not just a random sample of individual warriors - they are a cohesive unit, trained to work together and follow orders. When you have one or more of your Forces tactically contributing to an encounter, they are subject to the following special rules:

Unified Action: Each Force receives one set of actions that the entire Force takes. For example, your Force could take a move and attack action, letting every soldier move and attack, but you couldn't have half of your Force full attack while the other half moves and total defends. Bonus actions granted by special abilities, however, apply to individual soldiers, not to the entire Force. You may have only certain soldiers perform the action; it's just that the soldiers who don't lose that action for that round (so if only two of your soldiers are prone and take a move action to stand, the rest just don't take a move action that round).

Unified Movement: Your soldiers move as a unit. At the start of combat, they begin in a specific formation, a general relative position. When they move, the entire formation moves, retaining its general shape. The formation can make minor changes to its shape to account for terrain, although doing so imposes a -5' penalty on the formation's speed that round. Changing a formation is a standard action for the Force (this standard action allows each soldier to move up to its speed independently, and if the soldiers take a move action to move in the same round, they continue moving independently). At the end of the Force's turn, their new relative positions are their new formation.

Unified Rolls: Whenever two or more of your soldiers are called upon to make any sort of roll, roll the dice once and apply them to each soldier. So if four of your soldiers attack (even if they are attacking different enemies), you make a single attack and damage roll to resolve all four attacks. Likewise, your Force receives only one Spot or Listen check to detect hidden things, makes a single saving throw against area effects, etc.

Unified Aid: When your soliders perform an Aid Another action, only one soldier provides the outright Aid. Each additional soldier assisting provides +2 to that soldier's Aid check. However, for each five points that it beats the DC by, the Aid bonus increases by 1. Additionally, for each soldier providing aid, the bonus applies to one additional attack or check that round.

Unified Attacks: When two or more of your soldiers attack the same target, they only resolve it as one attack. However, the attack gets +2 on the attack roll per contributing soldier, and deals +1 damage per point the attack roll exceeds the target's AC by.

Abilities

Arcanist: Your troops have training in battle magic or equipped with alchemical weapons. Your troops automatically receive ranks equal to 3 + their level in Spellcraft and Knowledge (Arcana).
Active Benefits:
Garrison Benefits:
Passive Benefits:
Personal Benefits: Your troops can attack with directed energy. At will as a standard action, the Force can unleash a barrage of energy attacks that deals a combined total of 1d6 points of damage per CR of the Force, plus extra damage equal to the Force's highest mental ability modifier. This damage can be divided among up to a number of targets equal to the soldiers in the Force. A ranged touch attack is required to hit. Once per encounter, the Force can instead deal this damage in a 10' radius, dealing full damage to all within (Reflex half, DC 10 + 1/2 Force's CR + Force's highest mental ability modifier). The Force also knows three cantrips that its soldiers can cast at will. Each time the Force takes this ability past the first, the damage dice of the energy bolts increases by one step (to d8, d10, d12). Past d12, the damage changes to a flat 8/CR, and then increases by 2/CR each time. Additionally, the radius of the burst increases by 10', and the per-encounter uses of the burst increases by 1. For each two purchases past the first, the Force learns one more spell that its soldiers can cast at will. When multiple soldiers cast the same spell upon the same target, its effects only apply once, but each additional soldier provides +1 caster level and each doubling of soldiers provides +1 to the save DC.

Archery: Your troops are specialized at attacking from range. Your troops automatically receive ranks equal to 3 + their level in Climb and Balance.
Active Benefits:
Garrison Benefits:
Passive Benefits:
Personal Benefits: For each purchase of this ability, your Force gains a bonus feat that improves ranged attacks. Your Force is also trained to launch deadly, coordinated volleys against tight groupings of foes. Any time your troops make a ranged attack at multiple enemies, any group of targets that are all adjacent to at least one other target in that group treat half of the soldiers involved as making Unified Attacks against them. For example, if you have eight soldiers that all shoot at a cluster of eight enemies, not only does each enemy receive an attack as normal, but all of the attacks get +8 on their attack roll and deal +1 damage per point the attack exceeds AC by, as if four soldiers were contributing to each attack.

Bodyguard: Your troops will guard you and your allies with their lives. Your troops automatically receive ranks equal to 3 + their level in Spot and Listen.
Active Benefits:
Garrison Benefits:
Passive Benefits:
Personal Benefits: Once per round per purchase of this ability, when an ally is attacked, one of your troops can interpose for that ally. The troop may move up to its speed (even breaking formation to do so). If it ends up adjacent to either the targeted ally or the attacker, it takes the effect of the attack upon itself. If the action involved multiple attacks, it receives all of them. The soldier defends itself normally, although it takes a -2 penalty to AC and saves against such attacks. The soldier must intervene before the attacks are resolved. If the effect was an area attack, the soldier receives its effects twice and the protected target automatically passes its saving throw (which may not actually remove all effects of some attacks).

Cavalry: Your troops are specialized at mounted combat. Your troops automatically receive ranks equal to 3 + their level in Ride and Handle Animal.
Active Benefits:
Garrison Benefits:
Passive Benefits:
Personal Benefits: For each purchase of this ability, your Force gains a bonus feat that improves mounted combat. Any mount ridden by a member of this Force receives a +2 natural armor bonus to AC, a +1 resistance bonus to saves, and 10 bonus hit points per purchase of this ability.

Healer: Your troops have training in curative magic or field medicine. Your troops automatically receive ranks equal to 3 + their level in Heal and Knowledge (Religion or Nature).
Active Benefits:
Garrison Benefits:
Passive Benefits:
Personal Benefits: Your troops can tend the injured. At will as a standard action, the Force can soothe pain and heal minor injuries. This provides 1d6 temporary hit points per CR of the Force, plus extra hit points equal to the Force's highest mental ability modifier, divided among up to one person per soldier in the Force (each soldier must touch its target). These temporary hit points count as positive energy healing, and cannot bring a target's effective hit points above its maximum hit points. They last for one hour, after which they convert to actual healing if not lost beforehand. Once per day, the Force can provide actual healing rather than only temporary hit points. A dying ally who is adjacent to at least one member of the Force at the start of the Force's turn automatically stabilizes. Each time the Force takes this ability past the first, the dice of healing increases by one step (to d8, d10, d12). Past d12, the healing changes to a flat 8/CR, and then increases by 2/CR each time. Additionally, each purchase past the first allows the Force to provide actual healing one additional time per day.

Infantry: Your troops are stalwart melee soldiers. Your troops automatically receive ranks equal to 3 + their level in a Craft and Profession skill of your choice.
Active Benefits:
Garrison Benefits:
Passive Benefits:
Personal Benefits: Your Force has a floating pool of temporary hit points equal to the Force's CR times (your Charsima modifier + twice the purchases of this ability). Any time one of the soldiers is injured, damage can be applied to the Force's temporary hit points instead of the soldier's actual hit points. These temporary hit points reset each encounter. If multiple soldiers are damaged by the same area effect, the temporary hit points are only spent once.

Leadership: Your troops include a commander to whom you can delegate control. Your troops automatically receive ranks equal to 3 + their level in Diplomacy and Sense Motive.
Active Benefits:
Garrison Benefits:
Passive Benefits:
Personal Benefits: One soldier in your Force is designated as the commander. As long as the commander is active, soldiers in the Force get a +1 bonus on attack rolls, AC, and saving throws per purchase of this ability. The commander also provides bonus points of Morale equal to your purchases of this ability that can only be spent for this Force.

Operative: Your troops are trained for infiltration and assassination. Your troops automatically receive ranks equal to 3 + their level in Hide and Move Silently.
Active Benefits:
Garrison Benefits:
Passive Benefits:
Personal Benefits: Soldiers in your Force receive additional skill points per level equal to 1 + the purchases of this ability, and ten additional class skills. They also gain Sneak Attack at a rate of 1d6 per purchase of this ability. The first purchase of this ability grants Trapfinding; each additional purchase grants Skill Mastery in a chosen skill.

Siege: Your troops are proficient with heavy war machines and siege tactics. Your troops automatically receive ranks equal to 3 + their level in Profession (Siege Engineer) and Knowledge (Architecture and Engineering).
Active Benefits:
Garrison Benefits:
Passive Benefits:
Personal Benefits: None. Siege tactics are primarily useful on the strategic scale.

Survivalist: Your troops are trained to get along in the wilds. Your troops automatically receive ranks equal to 3 + their level in Survival and Knowledge (Nature or Geography).
Active Benefits:
Garrison Benefits:
Passive Benefits:
Personal Benefits: Soldiers in your Force gain a +10' bonus to speed per purchase of this ability, receive Track as a bonus feat, and gain the Wild Empathy class feature. They can ignore one square of difficult terrain per round per purchase of this ability. They receive a +1 bonus to AC and Reflex saves per purchase of this ability in any round that they change formation.

[Quellian-dyrae]

Reserved for supplemental rules.

[Quellian-dyrae]

Reserved for the Strategic Scale.

[Quellian-dyrae]

Reserved for supplemental strategic rules.

[Quellian-dyrae]

Reserved for prestige classes. Or something. Maybe.

[Quellian-dyrae]

And one more just in case!

[MagBas]

I have to say I find this class and the mechanics that you have created to implement it to be quite creative and rather easy to understand.

I want to say that I'm actually honored to say that I have a similar idea of a base to a great homebrewer like yourself. Yours is more dynamic with the assets (I can't get enough of how flavourful those are), but I'm lucky that they might be different enough for me to actually work on it here at the same time as I help with your project. I don't want to step on your Warlord's toes at all.


1. If i understand correctly the points that you put into each Asset are pools for each asset. And at certain times you can choose or are forced to use these points. Is that correct?

I really like the tactical and strategic scales you are implementing as well. I need to check out your examples again and maybe i'll be able to come up with some more to add.

Once again great class

[Quellian-dyrae]

Thanks!

And yeah, but you can both invest or spend your Assets once you've assigned points to them. Spent points recover over time, invested points don't until you uninvest them. So if you have Prowess 5, for example, you might invest three points of it (in this case, to acquire Prowess abilities), leaving you with two points that you can spend (in this case, each encounter, to use the abilities you selected).

[Omnicrat]

Legendary Asset (Ex): You are known for your mastery of a certain aspect of war. Choose one Asset; that Asset is permanently increased by the maximum number of Resources you would be allowed to invest into it.

Is that supposed to say by or to? Because the way I read it you get a bonus equal to what the typical maximum would be, allowing you to limit break.

[Quellian-dyrae]

That is correct, so if it's already maxed out, you'll be at double your normal maximum. That...may or may not be subject to change once I've actually gotten the Assets all worked out and can decide if it's going to be too much.

[Omnicrat]

I've always been interested in classes/abilities like this, and greatly look forward to when it actually has mechanics for having an army/entourage.

Already I have a vision of an All-warlord game where you are either 5 (more or less) Warlords in a newly available (just found, just destroyed, something in between) land competing (or working together controlling different regions with their forces but ultimately being a united front) to make a new and glorious nation from the wasteland.

If this really ends up being tier 1, than it should work just as well as any other mono class tier one game.

[Quellian-dyrae]

I'm hoping that should wind up being very doable. And the Units are probably going to be one of the next things I work on.

In other news, Prowess, Tactics, and Valor now have enough abilities to work. However (as I noted in the Current Focus of the OP), they're basically first draft. I'm going to be running some numbers to see how a warlord focusing exclusively on them will measure up in straight combat, and then...well, hopefully I won't have to nerf them too hard (:smalltongue:).

[Omnicrat]

How goes the balancing? Any idea when we'll get more stuff for this?

[Quellian-dyrae]

I have pretty much decided that nerfs are required. I'm removing the constant bonuses from Prowess outright, and trying to decide what else to do. I'm considering kind of consolidating the existing Prowess and Valor options so that they're all "you do something cool, and your allies also get a benefit", adjusting so you generally only affect one target, and letting Valor scale up your targets for both Prowess and Tactics. That way they'll have fewer raw options and it will take more investment to do large-scale buffs and such.

When the new stuff will be up? As time and inspiration permits. But hopefully over the the next few days.

[Quellian-dyrae]

Okay, new versions of Prowess, Tactics, and Valor are up. Tactics didn't really change much aside from losing the at-will options (and getting a new option, Sound Retreat).

Prowess and Valor got consolidated into one spoiler because they play off each other. I consolidated their options together under Prowess, removing the constant benefits but adding an effect that applies to a chosen ally when you use the ability. What Valor now does is lets you invest Valor into Prowess options to double the number of allies you can affect per point invested, or you can spend Valor when you do it to affect all allies in an area (so, having it to spend is a bigger oomph and more flexible, but since Valor uses Daily Recovery it's fairly costly, whereas investing it lets you specialize in specific options). This also means that while there are fewer total options, they're a bit broader in scope and, more importantly, there's more total options in Prowess. Some somewhat less bookkeeping and puts more options in competition with each other.

I'll probably take another look at them before I consider this area wrapped up, but that aside I'm moving on to Funds and Units.

[Omnicrat]

Any more progress?

[Mehket]

Check out this class for inspiration The Commanding Officer (http://www.minmaxboards.com/index.php?topic=12508.0).

It's largely considered to be way, way too strong and takes a very different approach than you. However, the many abilities under the menus of "absolute orders" and especially "realpolitik" could inspire some ideas for asset abilities.

Other them that, I'm really enjoying this class so far. I have two concerns.

First, I feel that 12 separate sets of assets are going to be difficult and intimidating to develop 20 levels worth of abilities. I also think it will be hard to make distinct abilities between the two assets of the same ability score.

Second, I am totally not a fan of basing the assets off of ability scores the way you have it. It's very MAD and would be similar to putting all of the schools of magic under different ability scores.

My recommendation would be to cut down the number of assets into 6, collapsing the ones with a shared ability score. Than give people a certain number of specific asset options they can learn per level. Make people forced to make a choice. The ability modifier should still be used to add asset specific resources and maybe help asset option acquisition.

So for example; combine spying and scouting into Intelligence (as in military intelligence, or use espionage). Than create clusters of asset options between either spying or scouting. The difference between these two is essentially tradecraft versus fieldcraft. Spying is better for urban areas, civilization, political and economical intelligence. Scouting is better for tracking, camouflage, map making and survival.

By forcing people to make choices between their asset options, it helps distinguish warlords. For example;

Hagar Orc Chieftain spends little time on espionage focusing more on making his army fearless and loyal. He chooses only a couple scouting options.

Aragorn Ranger Lord and his army are masters of hiding and surviving in the forest. He takes a lot of scouting options but few espionage.

Regis and his army of halfling thieves are masters of disguise and lies. He takes a lot of espionage

Mehket who has a sick obsession with rogues and the CIA wants to specialize in military intelligence. He takes a lot of both scouting and spying but his army is known to be cowardly.

Just some ideas! I think if you try to keep all 12 and give all assest options up front you will either retire this project out of exhaustion or create the most excellent But overpowered piece of non magical tier 1 I have ever seen.

Best,
-Mehket

[Quellian-dyrae]

Both good points, but here's why I'm doing them this way:

Not all of the Assets have actual abilities. Prowess and Tactics are really the main ones that do. Soldiers is going to give you units based on a template that you can customize some (sort of like Eidolons for a Summoner Pathfinder), Funds is going to be a set of things you can actually spend/invest the quasi-wealth it provides on, Scouting and Spying is more going to be rules about what you can learn when you spend/invest the points, Logistics is going to be rules for different strategic tasks and missions - what they cost, how they get resolved, and so on. Basically, most of the Assets will work very differently than the "invest to purchase, spend to activate" ability lists that Prowess and Tactics provide.

Tying them to ability scores does make them MAD, which is entirely intentional. And believe me when I say it's not a choice made lightly - I hate MAD as a general rule. But one of the things I'm trying to do with this class is make the sort of Tier 1 class that can theoretically be played in a less powerful party. Wizards, as probably the most obvious example, have several serious hurdles to overcome despite its awesome potential power. The warlord, though, has a full BAB, a decent HD, two good saves, per-encounter abilities, and if I do my job correctly, a dearth of actual trap options.

So forcing them to be MAD to really use their abilities to the fullest gives them a hurdle to deal with; D&D rewards specialization, and the warlord class has strong incentive to generalize. Likewise, having twelve Assets total means they have more things to divide their attention among, and a lot of those, while useful and powerful on the strategic scale, will be of more limited value in a normal adventure. Scouting and Spying, yeah, they're definitely similar enough that they could be folded together. But that removes one choice that the warlord player has to make, one area that it has to invest in at the cost of something else. Having twelve Assets should, I think, actually lead to less power in play, despite offering more options.

[Omnicrat]

So, about those other two assets...

[MagBas]

I see the Funds might be tied to a lot of the other assets.Morale would be up if you were able to supply your soldiers with good food and drink.

I was wondering if Units only based on the quantity and/or quality of the troops. I see Funds playing a pretty big role in the quality seeing as you need to pay for the talent. Are you going to create different types of units? From the Commanding Officer they had light, medium and heavy infantry. What about cavalry, ranged, sniper specialists, assassins, siege engine builders, demolishionists, alchemists, etc...

I was wondering about the hiring of mercenaries and spellcasters and how they fit in with the units. Does the unit get a certain number of certain spells to over come situations? Can the mercenaries act as body guards or assassins?

Or maybe the assassins would be part of the Spying asset. I think you are fairly set on only information gathering and having questions answered though. I get that, that is why I think the mercenaries would be useful along those lines.

Another question about the Funds and Units: Are you going to have options/ types of uses for such asset investment? I'm just wondering if you invest into a mercenary Does he have many uses.
Mercenary- A sword or shield for hire. They are as diverse as they are skilled.

Body Guard - You gain one bodyguard. (gain cover and/or bonus to AC, split damage)
Assassin - You gain one assassin. (% chance of killing someone from a far. You would need a certain number of questions answered (via Spying.
Spellcaster

You could also have
Thieves and Special Infiltrating spies (I had the idea of suddenly changing a enemy into one of your agents. It was going to be a % roll again to find your spy. Can't be used on the same person until you have gone up a level.

Funds also would be the only way to get siege engines, both quantity and quality. Perhaps a workforce would be another use of funds. Have Experts build entrenchments, and walls over a certain amount of time. Similar to Lyre of Building but just with real people and not as fast.

Just wanted to check. You can add half your asset's modifier to both assets of the same attribute or just one of them?

[Quellian-dyrae]

I see the Funds might be tied to a lot of the other assets.Morale would be up if you were able to supply your soldiers with good food and drink.

Yeah, one of the options for Funds is going to be boosting other Assets.


I was wondering if Units only based on the quantity and/or quality of the troops. I see Funds playing a pretty big role in the quality seeing as you need to pay for the talent. Are you going to create different types of units? From the Commanding Officer they had light, medium and heavy infantry. What about cavalry, ranged, sniper specialists, assassins, siege engine builders, demolishionists, alchemists, etc...

What I'm actually having a fair amount of trouble with is determining exactly how I want to handle Units. Because I know I want you to be able to have up to one unit assigned as a personal guard that can actually help you on adventures and stuff, but minions are powerful and can slow down the game, so trying to figure out the best way to do that. What I'm leaning towards is for there to be a standard template (actually, probably just Warrior levels, is my current idea), but at certain levels you get abilities that let you customize your different units, giving some special abilities if their active and bonuses for certain tasks and missions and stuff on the strategic scale. You also invest Funds to equip them, so there's some customization that way.


I was wondering about the hiring of mercenaries and spellcasters and how they fit in with the units. Does the unit get a certain number of certain spells to over come situations? Can the mercenaries act as body guards or assassins?

One of the ideas I have for Funds is to use them to "Hire a Specialist". I haven't thought much about how they would interact with your actual units on the strategic scale, but now that you bring it up I figure they'll add more of those abilities to the unit.


Or maybe the assassins would be part of the Spying asset. I think you are fairly set on only information gathering and having questions answered though. I get that, that is why I think the mercenaries would be useful along those lines.

Cool idea, might go with it.


Another question about the Funds and Units: Are you going to have options/ types of uses for such asset investment? I'm just wondering if you invest into a mercenary Does he have many uses.
Mercenary- A sword or shield for hire. They are as diverse as they are skilled.

Body Guard - You gain one bodyguard. (gain cover and/or bonus to AC, split damage)
Assassin - You gain one assassin. (% chance of killing someone from a far. You would need a certain number of questions answered (via Spying.
Spellcaster

You could also have
Thieves and Special Infiltrating spies (I had the idea of suddenly changing a enemy into one of your agents. It was going to be a % roll again to find your spy. Can't be used on the same person until you have gone up a level.

Hiring a Specialist will probably get you an NPC who will assist in the short-term. Under DM control, and the more powerful they are, the more influence you have on their build, and the more situations they help with, the higher the cost.


Funds also would be the only way to get siege engines, both quantity and quality. Perhaps a workforce would be another use of funds. Have Experts build entrenchments, and walls over a certain amount of time. Similar to Lyre of Building but just with real people and not as fast.

Your units will be able to do tasks like build bases, fortify areas, and so on. Siege capability will probably be a unit ability, giving bonuses to attack fortified locations (and so Funds could be used to temporarily grant that ability to your units).


Just wanted to check. You can add half your asset's modifier to both assets of the same attribute or just one of them?

You gain bonus Resources equal to the ability modifier, which can be divided as you choose among the two Assets. Each Asset also has a maximum Resource investment of half class level rounded up plus half ability modifier rounded up.

[MagBas]

The way I see the units can work or be organized would first be tactical vs strategical. Tactical puts them closer to you and can be used n a variety of ways. Tactical options: Covert vs Overt.
Covert refers to your units being in sleeper mode. They can be mixed into the crowd and count as commoners ,experts ,etc... These can give passive bonuses like moving easily through crowds, bonuses to spot and listen checks. If you activate the unit you can have people followed, ranged grapple, gain cover/concealment. You can even have assassins/ snipers pick off threats.

Strategic units would be multiplied by 10 or so. Max number would be class level or number invested into the units asset. Or the strategic units automatically increase to the next army encounter size (as mentioned in paizos mass combat rules).

[Fizban]

This looks like a very ambitious project that will take quite some time, I'll toss a bookmark down so I can find it again later and see if it's completed. There were some tier 1 mundane brews a while back that were pretty effective, but unfortunately cannot avoid the inherent problem that magic is defined by doing things the mundane can't. This class looks to be getting around that by accomplishing things the old fashioned way, by having a large number of offscreen people that collectively get it done. It is assumed that a ruler with access to tons of people has spy networks and troops that just do stuff which a party usually must resort to magic for, and this lets you play that guy with large "magic" scale effects generated by ordinary people. Having a class that can do that rather than just throwing arbitrary skill checks and money at the DM would be awesome.

What I'm actually having a fair amount of trouble with is determining exactly how I want to handle Units. Because I know I want you to be able to have up to one unit assigned as a personal guard that can actually help you on adventures and stuff, but minions are powerful and can slow down the game, so trying to figure out the best way to do that. What I'm leaning towards is for there to be a standard template (actually, probably just Warrior levels, is my current idea), but at certain levels you get abilities that let you customize your different units, giving some special abilities if their active and bonuses for certain tasks and missions and stuff on the strategic scale. You also invest Funds to equip them, so there's some customization that way.
The only thing I'm sure I can provide insight on, generic warriors really, really suck. Even with full NPC wealth for free they can only barely match a summon monster spell of equivalent level (eg: 5th level warrior vs SM3). That's assuming AC makes up for less damage, and doesn't actually work past 7th or so when the grizzly bears start fowing. Since wizard is the operable comparison, note that Animate Dead is reasonably cheap and gives you the equivalent of 4 generic warriors equal to your level, not counting the fact that creatures with racial HD equal to your level will have much higher ability scores and natural armor (maybe it's a wash compared to NPC gear-I haven't done that comparison but I expect it's not). You can boost them with your other effects sure, but that only breaks even with a wizard's ability to buff his minions. So pile on the dudes I guess?

You mentioned that minions are powerful and the Warlord will have a meta balancing factor based on how much the player is willing to deal with: that's pretty much Animate Dead right there. Granted, living troops won't bug people as much as undead, but if you play up the fact that these are non-adventurer class soldiers you're leading to their potential death it might dampen abuse in a similar manner, and having to go back to camp to get volunteers and distribute hazard pay could be equivalent to finding suitable corpses and material components. Added to the fact that you can use your valor powers on your adventuring party without bothering to bring weaker troops and I think they could be considered equivalent enough to use that as a baseline for how many HD or whatever of warriors.

Hope that might help a bit. Good luck on the project, I look forward to reading it when it's finished!

[Quellian-dyrae]

Got some Units information up. Mainly for tactical-scale stuff; I think I'm going to need to get the actual foundations of the Strategic Scale set before I figure out how unit abilities will work there.

[MagBas]

Okay these are just some thoughts that I've been thinking about. Some might have been covered already in explanations possibly.

Funds:

Improve Morale
Improve Units Equipment
Improve Saves vs Poison & Disease - Due to healthy food and healthcare.
Open Access to special materials for the units for building materials
Additional functions for the normal units - Another 3+level to another skill perhaps.

Units:

# of units increase/ asset OR /level
# of types of units increase- Calvary seems kind of expensive.
Races unlocked CR = # invested -1(?)

I think the warlord has a natural tactical team nearby = level. His total units might look like this 1/level + x/asset. That way they always have people nearby. You said that their background is always the same so they always have someone that is "following" them. I was thinking of having split terms for units in tactical and strategic. You have Forces but i was wondering if the smaller team on the tactical would be call 'Teams'.

I don't know Paizo nor the Mass Combat system but I was brought attention to it via the homebrew with similar title. Maybe every asset invested can increase the Army Challenge Rating (aka size of the strategic unit). I was also thinking that if they did that then maybe with the help of 'Funds' you can increase the ACR regardless of size. ACR +2*asset invested.



Planning-Logistics-Readiness seem very connected as well.

Logistics:(i assume)

Higher investment decreases the lenght of response time to the strategic time. - every investment lowers the strategic recovery might be worth investing .
Increases distance of influence you said. What if they have a natural reach based on their level but investing increases it further.

I was thinking 1 mile/lvl x (assets invested x 10). Seems small but perhaps it can be adjusted accordingly.

Planning:

Reinforcements - Tactical side you have double the men (exactly same group for simplicity) On the strategic scale. The ReEnforcements would help keep Morale up and keeping the ACR from dropping (according to the Mass Combat)


- - - - - - -
Edit. REad your Unit section again. I like it. It's like a well placed puzzle piece. I think quite a few of my contributions above might be more of hindrances that add-ons to your ideas. Hopefully something works. I need to read it a few more times and perhaps I can assist with Active, Garrisoned, and Passive.
- - - - - - - -
Edit 2.
I think Funds should have a personal benefit for your character directly. I was thinking of some form of daily gold. But maybe if we keep it arbitrary we can simply decrease 2% /lvl or 2%/asset off your purchases. So in a way you just use some of your extra funds when you purchase things.

I was thinking about the Spying vs a specialist unit. Either way I think spreading propaganda and converting people to your side could be some pretty interesting abilties. Or in the Funds ability you can gain favor with a # of guilds equal to assets invested or spent. Kind of like if you bribed them or you have them in your pocket.

Not all assets have both tactical and strategic capabilities. But I think it would be good if somehow the Warlord could have minor abilities from each asset on a personal level despite whether there are asset investments. I do like MAD character when they have lots of options, but I personally dont like such a versatile class to hold out on a class feature from the player.

[MagBas]

I bolded a few idea for some of the units. Passive it kind of hard.

Units are the heart of your army. Your Units Asset provides you with forces of soldiers at your command. You can send these soldiers to perform tasks and missions, and some can even assist you in your adventures.

You invest Units to acquire actual groups of soldiers, called Forces. You can only do so if you are in a civilization or if you have a base available, and your Forces arrive in that civilization or base over the course of one Strategic Round. Once your Forces have arrived, you can spend Discipline to send them on missions or invest Discipline to have them perform long-term tasks in their area. You use Logistics to move your units elsewhere and determine how large an area they can affect.

Sometimes your Forces will be lost during a mission. If they are, you uninvest the Units at the end of the current Strategic Round, at which point those Units are considered spent. You then recover them normally as you train or gather new recruits or reinforcements, and once your Units recover you can reinvest them as normal. Units uses Strategic Recovery, so you recover a number of points of Units each Strategic Round equal to half your Charisma modifier (rounded up, minimum 1).

Each of your Forces has a Challenge Rating, which serves as its overall value of military strength for strategic engagements. Your Forces begin with a CR of 1/2 - each Force is a single novice soldier. For each character level you possess, aside from second level and every four levels thereafter, your Forces' CR increase by 1 (the first increase just brings the CR to 1). At the levels where your Forces do not increase CR, they gain a special ability that provides them with benefits or options on both the tactical and strategic scale.

Building a Force

For each Force, choose a number of soldiers and a level for those soldiers. Soldiers are considered to have a CR equal to half their level, and each Force's number and level must result in a total EL equal to the Force's CR. Additionally, their level cannot exceed your warlord level. For example, an 8th level warlord with a CR 5 Force could have two 6th level soldiers, or three 4th level soldiers, or four 2nd level soldiers, or eight 1st level soldiers.

Each Force also receives special abilities as noted above; one at second level and another each four levels thereafter. Each Force gets its own selection of abilities.

For most Forces, CR, number, level, and abilities are all you need to know, as these are the only relevant statistics for Forces on the strategic scale. However, some Forces can tactically contribute to encounters. These Forces get normal mechanical builds.

To create a tactical build, for each Force, you design a single NPC soldier. All soldiers in the same Force are mechanically identical. You must build your soldiers using the following rules:

-Your soldiers are always single-classed Warriors.
-Your soldiers begin with no equipment. You must invest Funds to acquire equipment for your soldiers.
-For each ability score, your soldiers have a score of 10 + your relevant ability modifier. So if your Strength is 16, your soldiers' Strength scores are 13. Persistent changes to your ability scores (from levels, acquiring permanent items that increase your scores, ability drain that you can't get removed, etc) apply to your soldiers after one Strategic Round.
-Your soldiers may not select any feats that provide them with another class's class features or abilities of major subsystems (such as spells, psionics, maneuvers, incarnum, etc).
-Your soldiers have one major advantage over unled troops: they possess maximum hit points per HD.

Assignments

Each of your Forces is given an Assignment, a general role it plays. The Force's Assignment provides some specific features, but more importantly determines what benefits your soldiers receive from their abilities (and note that some abilities are substantially more useful to certain assignments). You may change a Force's Assignment by spending Logistics. The possible assignments are below:

Active: Active Forces are on-duty and ready to perform missions. A Force must be on Active assignment to be sent on Missions (the Logistics cost of changing a Force to Active represents the time and effort required to get them ready to go). Active abilities generally provide bonuses to certain types of missions or alter the results of missions.

Garrison: Garrison Forces are on-duty as defenders of their current location. Garrison Forces in a location must be overcome for that location or its inhabitants to be subject to enemy action. Likewise, if an encounter occurs within a garrisoned location, the garrisdon Forces may tactically contribute to the encounter. Garrison abilities provide special benefits within the garrisoned location or provide bonuses to preventing certain forms of enemy action.

Passive: Passive Forces aren't on-duty as soldiers, although they may be contributing to other tasks. Passive Forces put their whole attention to the mundane jobs they are assigned, receiving a +2 bonus on any rolls involved in Tasks they are assigned to. Passive abilities provide additional bonuses or benefits when performing certain Tasks, or even open up new Task options.

Personal: A warlord may assign one Force to its Personal Guard. A Personal Force travels with the warlord on adventures and can tactically contribute to encounters. They assist in combat, exploration, and so on, guarding the warlord and its allies with their lives. Your Personal Force gains the Bodyguard ability for free, in addition to any other abilities the Force may have (and even if the Force doesn't yet have any abilities). Personal abilities generally provide new options or bonuses on the tactical scale.

Tactical Contributions

Personal Forces, and Garrison Forces in their garrisoned location, can tactically contribute to encounters - in other words, the warlord's player can control them as additional characters. However, it is important to note that your Forces are not just a random sample of individual warriors - they are a cohesive unit, trained to work together and follow orders. When you have one or more of your Forces tactically contributing to an encounter, they are subject to the following special rules:

Unified Action: Each Force receives one set of actions that the entire Force takes. For example, your Force could take a move and attack action, letting every soldier move and attack, but you couldn't have half of your Force full attack while the other half moves and total defends. Bonus actions granted by special abilities, however, apply to individual soldiers, not to the entire Force. You may have only certain soldiers perform the action; it's just that the soldiers who don't lose that action for that round (so if only two of your soldiers are prone and take a move action to stand, the rest just don't take a move action that round).

Unified Movement: Your soldiers move as a unit. At the start of combat, they begin in a specific formation, a general relative position. When they move, the entire formation moves, retaining its general shape. The formation can make minor changes to its shape to account for terrain, although doing so imposes a -5' penalty on the formation's speed that round. Changing a formation is a standard action for the Force (this standard action allows each soldier to move up to its speed independently, and if the soldiers take a move action to move in the same round, they continue moving independently). At the end of the Force's turn, their new relative positions are their new formation.

Unified Rolls: Whenever two or more of your soldiers are called upon to make any sort of roll, roll the dice once and apply them to each soldier. So if four of your soldiers attack (even if they are attacking different enemies), you make a single attack and damage roll to resolve all four attacks. Likewise, your Force receives only one Spot or Listen check to detect hidden things, makes a single saving throw against area effects, etc.

Unified Aid: When your soliders perform an Aid Another action, only one soldier provides the outright Aid. Each additional soldier assisting provides +2 to that soldier's Aid check. However, for each five points that it beats the DC by, the Aid bonus increases by 1. Additionally, for each soldier providing aid, the bonus applies to one additional attack or check that round.

Unified Attacks: When two or more of your soldiers attack the same target, they only resolve it as one attack. However, the attack gets +2 on the attack roll per contributing soldier, and deals +1 damage per point the attack roll exceeds the target's AC by.

Abilities

Arcanist: Your troops have training in battle magic or equipped with alchemical weapons. Your troops automatically receive ranks equal to 3 + their level in Spellcraft and Knowledge (Arcana).
Active Benefits:
Garrison Benefits: Gain additional Defensive spells ( I don't know the names of them)
Passive Benefits: crafting magic items
Personal Benefits: Your troops can attack with directed energy. At will as a standard action, the Force can unleash a barrage of energy attacks that deals a combined total of 1d6 points of damage per CR of the Force, plus extra damage equal to the Force's highest mental ability modifier. This damage can be divided among up to a number of targets equal to the soldiers in the Force. A ranged touch attack is required to hit. Once per encounter, the Force can instead deal this damage in a 10' radius, dealing full damage to all within (Reflex half, DC 10 + 1/2 Force's CR + Force's highest mental ability modifier). The Force also knows three cantrips that its soldiers can cast at will. Each time the Force takes this ability past the first, the damage dice of the energy bolts increases by one step (to d8, d10, d12). Past d12, the damage changes to a flat 8/CR, and then increases by 2/CR each time. Additionally, the radius of the burst increases by 10', and the per-encounter uses of the burst increases by 1. For each two purchases past the first, the Force learns one more spell that its soldiers can cast at will. When multiple soldiers cast the same spell upon the same target, its effects only apply once, but each additional soldier provides +1 caster level and each doubling of soldiers provides +1 to the save DC.

Archery: Your troops are specialized at attacking from range. Your troops automatically receive ranks equal to 3 + their level in Climb and Balance.
Active Benefits:
Garrison Benefits:
Passive Benefits:
Personal Benefits: For each purchase of this ability, your Force gains a bonus feat that improves ranged attacks. Your Force is also trained to launch deadly, coordinated volleys against tight groupings of foes. Any time your troops make a ranged attack at multiple enemies, any group of targets that are all adjacent to at least one other target in that group treat half of the soldiers involved as making Unified Attacks against them. For example, if you have eight soldiers that all shoot at a cluster of eight enemies, not only does each enemy receive an attack as normal, but all of the attacks get +8 on their attack roll and deal +1 damage per point the attack exceeds AC by, as if four soldiers were contributing to each attack.

Bodyguard: Your troops will guard you and your allies with their lives. Your troops automatically receive ranks equal to 3 + their level in Spot and Listen.
Active Benefits: All units are considered to have Total Cover / Total Concealment (I was thinking a phalanx)
Garrison Benefits:
Passive Benefits:
Personal Benefits: Once per round per purchase of this ability, when an ally is attacked, one of your troops can interpose for that ally. The troop may move up to its speed (even breaking formation to do so). If it ends up adjacent to either the targeted ally or the attacker, it takes the effect of the attack upon itself. If the action involved multiple attacks, it receives all of them. The soldier defends itself normally, although it takes a -2 penalty to AC and saves against such attacks. The soldier must intervene before the attacks are resolved. If the effect was an area attack, the soldier receives its effects twice and the protected target automatically passes its saving throw (which may not actually remove all effects of some attacks).

Cavalry: Your troops are specialized at mounted combat. Your troops automatically receive ranks equal to 3 + their level in Ride and Handle Animal.
Active Benefits: Horses considered 1 size larger when it comes to being able to trample
Garrison Benefits:
Passive Benefits: Increase logistics due to the riders acting as messengers?
Personal Benefits: For each purchase of this ability, your Force gains a bonus feat that improves mounted combat. Any mount ridden by a member of this Force receives a +2 natural armor bonus to AC, a +1 resistance bonus to saves, and 10 bonus hit points per purchase of this ability.

Healer: Your troops have training in curative magic or field medicine. Your troops automatically receive ranks equal to 3 + their level in Heal and Knowledge (Religion or Nature).
Active Benefits:
Garrison Benefits: Fast healing equal to X where x equals assets or CR?
Passive Benefits:
Personal Benefits: Your troops can tend the injured. At will as a standard action, the Force can soothe pain and heal minor injuries. This provides 1d6 temporary hit points per CR of the Force, plus extra hit points equal to the Force's highest mental ability modifier, divided among up to one person per soldier in the Force (each soldier must touch its target). These temporary hit points count as positive energy healing, and cannot bring a target's effective hit points above its maximum hit points. They last for one hour, after which they convert to actual healing if not lost beforehand. Once per day, the Force can provide actual healing rather than only temporary hit points. A dying ally who is adjacent to at least one member of the Force at the start of the Force's turn automatically stabilizes. Each time the Force takes this ability past the first, the dice of healing increases by one step (to d8, d10, d12). Past d12, the healing changes to a flat 8/CR, and then increases by 2/CR each time. Additionally, each purchase past the first allows the Force to provide actual healing one additional time per day.

Infantry: Your troops are stalwart melee soldiers. Your troops automatically receive ranks equal to 3 + their level in a Craft and Profession skill of your choice.
Active Benefits:
Garrison Benefits:
Passive Benefits:
Personal Benefits: Your Force has a floating pool of temporary hit points equal to the Force's CR times (your Charsima modifier + twice the purchases of this ability). Any time one of the soldiers is injured, damage can be applied to the Force's temporary hit points instead of the soldier's actual hit points. These temporary hit points reset each encounter. If multiple soldiers are damaged by the same area effect, the temporary hit points are only spent once.

Leadership: Your troops include a commander to whom you can delegate control. Your troops automatically receive ranks equal to 3 + their level in Diplomacy and Sense Motive.
Active Benefits: Increase offensive abilities and Gain addition CR for any bonuses that it might employ (bonus tactic that can be used?)
Garrison Benefits: Increase defensive abilities of other units and the building security
Passive Benefits:
Personal Benefits: One soldier in your Force is designated as the commander. As long as the commander is active, soldiers in the Force get a +1 bonus on attack rolls, AC, and saving throws per purchase of this ability. The commander also provides bonus points of Morale equal to your purchases of this ability that can only be spent for this Force.

Operative: Your troops are trained for infiltration and assassination. Your troops automatically receive ranks equal to 3 + their level in Hide and Move Silently.
Active Benefits: Assassinate -. Death attack anyone within your logistics range (not sure about the details. Once per day per operative?) Gain ranks in disguise
Garrison Benefits: Poison - If the Operative has not been located, Enemies within the area take a -1penalty/asset invested to (?) rolls/antributes for 1 day. If poison penalty is greater than a enemy HD they are killed.
Passive Benefits: Single spy unit. 1d100. roll with your level +fund asset +unit asset as a bonus?. Roll to turn NPC into your sleeper agent.
Personal Benefits: Soldiers in your Force receive additional skill points per level equal to 1 + the purchases of this ability, and ten additional class skills. They also gain Sneak Attack at a rate of 1d6 per purchase of this ability. The first purchase of this ability grants Trapfinding; each additional purchase grants Skill Mastery in a chosen skill.

Siege: Your troops are proficient with heavy war machines and siege tactics. Your troops automatically receive ranks equal to 3 + their level in Profession (Siege Engineer) and Knowledge (Architecture and Engineering).
Active Benefits:
Garrison Benefits:
Passive Benefits:
Personal Benefits: None. Siege tactics are primarily useful on the strategic scale.

Survivalist: Your troops are trained to get along in the wilds. Your troops automatically receive ranks equal to 3 + their level in Survival and Knowledge (Nature or Geography).
Active Benefits:
Garrison Benefits:
Passive Benefits:
Personal Benefits: Soldiers in your Force gain a +10' bonus to speed per purchase of this ability, receive Track as a bonus feat, and gain the Wild Empathy class feature. They can ignore one square of difficult terrain per round per purchase of this ability. They receive a +1 bonus to AC and Reflex saves per purchase of this ability in any round that they change formation.[/QUOTE]


I was thinking of 2 more units that could be added.
Dragoon - I was thinking that there needs to be a unit that can compare against the Calvary. I remember a book that had three types of units being pit against each other because they had the advantage. Calvary > infantry > Dragoon >Calavary.
Demolistionist (this might be able to be the personal version for siege units, or perhaps make a make shift item.) If it becomes it's own unit
- - - - - - - -
I've been taking a few notes for ideas for other assets as well.
Spying - (Flow of personal information is the feeling I get from this one)
Invest-

Bonus to Gather Information checks
Bonus to knowledge checks (nobility, religion & local)
# of questions that can be asked about individuals in a day or week.
Penalty to enemy spying (penalty to Gather Information checks to learn about you and your operations)


Spend-

Propaganda
Civil Engineering
Friends Everywhere (Nobility)
Friends Everywhere (guild)
Create cover identity for yourself.


Funds:
Invest

Additional arbitrary money - 2% off of purchases per level (or per asset but raise the level or a combination 1%/lvl + 1%/asset
Improve units (morale)
Improve units ( equipment)
improve units (health) - vs fortitude saves


Spend

Protection against 'the' Law - You use your wealth to get the best of lawyers to keep you out of jail
Benefactor - You use your wealth to keep the commoners and experts happy. (multiple benefits, but could be split between other similar abilties.)
Of the Court - Your wealth has given you noble status and are invited to any and all such events (might need to be part of invested unless fluff-wise you simply bought your way in)
You are the law - You can adjust the corruption level of the city.


- - - -

Couple random ideas that may or may not work.

non invested assets give minor bonus. But that just leads to more work so maybe not.

Have tactics give two levels of benefits. One tactical and one strategical. Similar in nature but one is just on a much larger scale. I was even thinking if you can incorporate feats into the tactics/strategy levels. Combat reflexes could be like a hit and run strategy that gives free movement or lowers damage taken by the enemy forces.

Swarm tactics - increase defense but double damage dealt to you as soldiers share squares with their fellow soldiers. Able to discorporate and reform into different sized units.

I am not really sure about Planning vs Readiness.
Reinforcements should be part of one of them.
Replacing key units such as leaders and such.
- - - - - - -
I was wondering if it was possible to make a table for the CR for the units. I used a CR calculator to determine a level ix summons versus the 14 CR unit(s) you can call forth. Barbed devil doesn't stand a chance it is only CR11.

I'm not good with CR and have no experience with how strong monsters are. I like that it can compete with a summoned monster, and that is not even including equipment.

How do you plan to make the equipping of your units quick and easy? I figure you either give them the WBL depending on their CR or you create templates for each level of Funds that you have, or list certain items that they can use. Certain items would only be used by certain units, while other items would only be used for certain situations.

Calvary could get better mounts but not sure how to use the funds for that. Imagine the horses being replaced by dragons or some other magical beast.

Operatives with disguise and divination magical items and certain conjuration items

[Quellian-dyrae]

Okay, Funds are up. Also:


Okay these are just some thoughts that I've been thinking about. Some might have been covered already in explanations possibly.

Wow lots of cool ideas here. Thanks!


Funds:

Improve Morale
Improve Units Equipment
Improve Saves vs Poison & Disease - Due to healthy food and healthcare.
Open Access to special materials for the units for building materials
Additional functions for the normal units - Another 3+level to another skill perhaps.


Check (well, can improve all Assets, Morale being one of them). Check. The improved saves is a bit too niche for what I'm going for (and I think the better care is well-covered by the soldiers getting max hp per HD anyway :smallwink:). The special materials for building could be cool, might revisit that once I've got rules for fortifications and such. And while I don't have direct boosts to unit stats Funds can be used to boost units in several ways (hiring specialists, granting equipment, outright boosting the Units Asset, etc).


Logistics:(i assume)

Higher investment decreases the lenght of response time to the strategic time. - every investment lowers the strategic recovery might be worth investing .
Increases distance of influence you said. What if they have a natural reach based on their level but investing increases it further.

I was thinking 1 mile/lvl x (assets invested x 10). Seems small but perhaps it can be adjusted accordingly.

Spending Logistics is basically going to be what you do to move your guys. Like, if you have two Forces over in Shadowdale and you want them to move to Battledale, you'd spend Logistics for that. There might be more to it as well, for things like getting orders/messages sent back and forth and such (like, if you're adventuring in Cormyr and need to get new orders to your guys in Shadowdale).

Investing Logistics is probably going to be on a more descriptive scale. Like, at low investments your guys might only be able to cover a building. Higher can increase to a whole neighborhood, and then a town, and then a city, and then several cities, an entire kingdom, etc. High enough invested Logistics, you don't worry about your Forces being in Shadowdale, you have them covering the entire Dales, and past that maybe the entire Western Heartlands, etc.


Planning:

Reinforcements - Tactical side you have double the men (exactly same group for simplicity) On the strategic scale. The ReEnforcements would help keep Morale up and keeping the ACR from dropping (according to the Mass Combat)


Planning is actually going to be...probably the single biggest thing for jumping from Tier 2 to Tier 1. It's what you'll use to change your stuff. Move your Resources around, uninvest or reinvest your Assets immediately, change your Forces' abilities, etc. You'll be able to invest it to slowly change other things, like feats, skills, etc. Maybe even for you allies? Although that might be too much.


I think Funds should have a personal benefit for your character directly. I was thinking of some form of daily gold. But maybe if we keep it arbitrary we can simply decrease 2% /lvl or 2%/asset off your purchases. So in a way you just use some of your extra funds when you purchase things.

Big time check. Well, sort of. The one very, very important thing Funds doesn't do is boost your WBL directly in any way. But you can get perishable items on a basically weekly basis, hire spellcasters, bring in hirelings to assist with certain challenges, get a floating pool of "oh look, I did just happen to pack another healing potion, look at that" daily wealth, etc.


I was thinking about the Spying vs a specialist unit. Either way I think spreading propaganda and converting people to your side could be some pretty interesting abilties. Or in the Funds ability you can gain favor with a # of guilds equal to assets invested or spent. Kind of like if you bribed them or you have them in your pocket.

Yeah I hadn't originally been thinking much of it but I definitely want to add some large-scale social influence capabilities for these guys. Funds has some now, Specialists will have some...Spying maybe.


Not all assets have both tactical and strategic capabilities. But I think it would be good if somehow the Warlord could have minor abilities from each asset on a personal level despite whether there are asset investments. I do like MAD character when they have lots of options, but I personally dont like such a versatile class to hold out on a class feature from the player.

This I actually don't agree with. It's not all that hard to get at least a couple points in all Assets, and due to the ability score base points, they come in a little front-loaded. If every Asset provided some immediate, in-adventure personal benefit, even a fairly minor one, they'd stack up, especially at the low levels where a few minor bonuses is what pretty much everyone has anyway. One of the costs of this class for being able to operate so effectively on the strategic scale is that it's going to come at the cost of things like MAD and tactical strength.


I bolded a few idea for some of the units. Passive it kind of hard.

Some cool thoughts to consider. The Arcanist ones are pretty close to what I was thinking. Active ones are going to be a lot more abstract though I think (most strategic actions are going to be resolved with just a couple rolls most likely, nowhere near a full combat - I want the strategic end to be something that a warlord can resolve fairly quickly between adventures and stuff...albeit, with the potential to be extended into a whole mini-game for a really war-focused campaign.


I was thinking of 2 more units that could be added.
Dragoon - I was thinking that there needs to be a unit that can compare against the Calvary. I remember a book that had three types of units being pit against each other because they had the advantage. Calvary > infantry > Dragoon >Calavary.
Demolistionist (this might be able to be the personal version for siege units, or perhaps make a make shift item.) If it becomes it's own unit

ACK I didn't do sappers! What was I thinking!? :smallbiggrin:

Dragoons...I think actually might be represented as basically Forces who have both Cavalry and Infantry abilities. But might be worth considering as a distinct option.


Spying - (Flow of personal information is the feeling I get from this one)
Invest-

Bonus to Gather Information checks
Bonus to knowledge checks (nobility, religion & local)
# of questions that can be asked about individuals in a day or week.
Penalty to enemy spying (penalty to Gather Information checks to learn about you and your operations)


Numbers 3 and 4 are the big ones I'm considering. Check bonuses might be good too though. Hm...


Spend-

Propaganda
Civil Engineering
Friends Everywhere (Nobility)
Friends Everywhere (guild)
Create cover identity for yourself.


Oooh these are kinda cool ideas. I'm not 100% sure if they'll be from Spying, might be more Funds or just general strategic actions, but definitely worth having.


Funds:
Spend

Protection against 'the' Law - You use your wealth to get the best of lawyers to keep you out of jail
Benefactor - You use your wealth to keep the commoners and experts happy. (multiple benefits, but could be split between other similar abilties.)
Of the Court - Your wealth has given you noble status and are invited to any and all such events (might need to be part of invested unless fluff-wise you simply bought your way in)
You are the law - You can adjust the corruption level of the city.


This bit was basically my inspiration for the Discretionary Spending and Hasten Work options :smallsmile:.


I was wondering if it was possible to make a table for the CR for the units. I used a CR calculator to determine a level ix summons versus the 14 CR unit(s) you can call forth. Barbed devil doesn't stand a chance it is only CR11.

Yeah probably a good idea.


I'm not good with CR and have no experience with how strong monsters are. I like that it can compete with a summoned monster, and that is not even including equipment.

Yeah the...high-level summons don't really scale all that well for direct combat.


How do you plan to make the equipping of your units quick and easy? I figure you either give them the WBL depending on their CR or you create templates for each level of Funds that you have, or list certain items that they can use. Certain items would only be used by certain units, while other items would only be used for certain situations.

You'll only need to bother for those that do Tactical Contributions, and even then, each Force gets its gear, not each soldier, so larger Forces probably only have fairly basic gear anyway unless you invest a lot of Funds into it.