New Fighter Ability: Braveheart Speech

[Jon_Dahl]

How about the following?

Braveheart Speech (Ex)

At 10th level, once per day, a fighter can inspire a formally sanctioned (para)military unit of 100 soldiers or more to fight better. At 10th level, the maximum is 300 soldiers. At 15th level, is 1000 soldiers. At 20th level, maximum is 10,000 soldiers, after which the maximum raises by 10,000 soldiers per five epic fighter levels. The unit should be cohesive although any chaotic alignment should not be an issue. Braveheart Speech is a mind-affecting, language dependent ability.

If (almost) the (entire) unit listens the fighter speak for two minutes, the unit receives a +4 morale bonus on saving throws against charm and fear effects and a +4 morale bonus on attack and weapon damage rolls while the fighter is actively leading the unit. These bonuses only apply when the entire unit makes rolls, not to individual characters or parts of the unit. Furthermore, the unit automatically stands its ground when the unit might potentially be routed for the first time in combat and decides to fight if it tries to avoid an engagement with an enemy (barring obvious suicide battles). These bonuses expire after the first battle or after 8 hours.

All characters with 6 HD or more are unaffected by the Braveheart Speech.

[Darth Ultron]

It's not a bad ability, but what ''mass war combat system'' are you using?

And how useful is this ability for a typical fighter? How do they get an army? This would seem to be a more ''Army General'' type ability.

How does the fighter ''actively'' lead the ''unit'' of thousands of soldiers?

And why make high HD folks immune? Why would they not like the bonus?

And once a day? I guess if your using mass combat rules that are just ''one battle a day'' that would be fine. If the fighter can get in more then one war a day, why not make the ability something like ''once a day per five levels'' or ''once a day, plus one per charisma bonus''.

[ThePurple]

And why make high HD folks immune? Why would they not like the bonus?

My guess would be to prevent an optimization minded character from using said buff on armies of angels, ogres, demons or other "high level" creatures rather than the basic peasant militia/soldier unit that it's supposed to augment, mainly because I have a hard time imagining enough mundane soldiers of sufficiently high level to be restricted by it gathered together all in one unit.

Of course, I don't really see a problem with an especially high level fighter being able to give such a speech to high HD creatures. I could actually see it as a scaling ability that can be taken at a low level that can provide the benefit to creatures with HD up to one-half of your fighter level with a morale bonus that increases every 3-4 levels (something like +1 at level 2, +2 at level 5, +3 at level 8, +4 at level 11, +5 at level 14, +6 at level 17, +7 at level 20). I would probably restrict to smaller numbers at higher levels though, mainly because I have a hard time believing that a single fighter could give an entire speech to 10000 soldiers in just 2 minutes (in the sense that the soldiers all actually *hear* the fighter).

Another options would be to allow the fighter to basically coopt bardic music with the HD limitations (to prevent it from being used in tactical combat) and without the need to sustain it during combat, which I think might be a bit more balanced and a bit easier.

[Jon_Dahl]

My guess would be to prevent an optimization minded character from using said buff on armies of angels, ogres, demons or other "high level" creatures rather than the basic peasant militia/soldier unit that it's supposed to augment, mainly because I have a hard time imagining enough mundane soldiers of sufficiently high level to be restricted by it gathered together all in one unit.



You got it, that was the reason. I have the same problem as you: Hard to imagine so many 6+ HD creatures in one unit.


Of course, I don't really see a problem with an especially high level fighter being able to give such a speech to high HD creatures. I could actually see it as a scaling ability that can be taken at a low level that can provide the benefit to creatures with HD up to one-half of your fighter level with a morale bonus that increases every 3-4 levels (something like +1 at level 2, +2 at level 5, +3 at level 8, +4 at level 11, +5 at level 14, +6 at level 17, +7 at level 20). I would probably restrict to smaller numbers at higher levels though, mainly because I have a hard time believing that a single fighter could give an entire speech to 10000 soldiers in just 2 minutes (in the sense that the soldiers all actually *hear* the fighter).

Another options would be to allow the fighter to basically coopt bardic music with the HD limitations (to prevent it from being used in tactical combat) and without the need to sustain it during combat, which I think might be a bit more balanced and a bit easier.

I was thinking about the problem of actually hearing the fighter, but the ability is Extraordinary, thus breaking laws of physics like monk's purity of body. I'd prefer debating whether the ability should be Ex or Su to 10000 soldiers hearing one man's speech :)

Scaling would be great, but I was thinking about simplifying this ability so that there would be very little text, like there is no, and very little modifiers. It's just how I like things.

Co-opting with bardic music would not be a bad idea at all.

[Jon_Dahl]

It's not a bad ability, but what ''mass war combat system'' are you using?

And how useful is this ability for a typical fighter? How do they get an army?

For the adventurer kind, it's of no use. There are many DMs who run army campaign, or campaigns that have occasional wars. I don't use any mass war combat system, but this ability would go with any given system. If you can show me any system where this would not be compatible, please tell me. I did think about that, I promise.


This would seem to be a more ''Army General'' type ability.

Yes.


How does the fighter ''actively'' lead the ''unit'' of thousands of soldiers?

By directing his or her second-in-commands through messengers or magic.


And once a day? I guess if your using mass combat rules that are just ''one battle a day'' that would be fine. If the fighter can get in more then one war a day, why not make the ability something like ''once a day per five levels'' or ''once a day, plus one per charisma bonus''.

Because giving Braveheart Speeches more than once a day gets dramaturgically jarring.