3.x Warrior/Caster- The Tactician [ACE/Advanced Critique Encouraged]

[CrazyMuffinMan]

I had this class balanced at ENWorld, and then I playtested it (with it doing surprisingly well in a team in its level 12 form). Hopefully it paid off.

A tactician desires to give his allies a tactical edge over his foes. He is most proficient in abilities that affect field control, his allies or his foes directly. Eventually, he learns to do this through magical means.

TACTICIAN

Hit Die: d8
Proficiencies: Simple and ranged weapons, light armor.
Spell type: Arcane
Spell requisite: Int
Alignment: Any

Caster level: 1/2 of tactician level, starting at 4th. It is a dash from levels 1 to 3.

Skill progression: 6+Int mod

Class skills:

Str: Jump, Climb
Dex: Tumble, Balance, Hide, Move Silently,Escape Artist
Int- Spellcraft, Knowledge(arcana), Knowledge (dungeoneering), Search
Wis: Sense Motive, Listen, Spot, Profession, Survival
Cha: Bluff, Diplomacy, Use Magic Device, Intimidate

Ability Score priorities:

Dexterity is essential to the tactician, as it grants the tactician better attack rolls, augments more of his skills than any other ability score except wisdom, and bolsters some of his class powers and bonus feats (Inerrancy restriction threshold, Surefooted, Weapon Finesse, Improved Initiative).

Intelligence is only slightly less important than Dexterity, as it fuels his spells, many of his skills, his skill points and some of his class powers (Tactical Resistance, Resistance is Futile).

Charisma is a boon to Leadership, which the tactician acquires at 5th level.

Wisdom is tied with Dexterity in affecting skills, but doesn't do much else beyond the norm for the class.

{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special|Spells 1/2/3/4

1st|
+1|
+0|
+2|
+0|Weapon Finesse, +10 movement speed|-/-/-/-

2nd|
+2|
+0|
+3|
+0|Combat Expertise, Improved Initiative|-/-/-/-

3rd|
+3|
+1|
+3|
+1|Inerrancy 1/day|-/-/-/-

4th|
+4|
+1|
+4|
+1|Arcane Efficiency, Precise Gesture* 1/day|0/-/-/-

5th|
+5|
+1|
+4|
+1|Leadership, Tactical Resistance|0/-/-/-

6th|
+6/+1|
+2|
+5|
+2|Inerrancy 2/day|1/-/-/-

7th|
+7/+2|
+2|
+5|
+2|+20 movement speed, Combat Reflexes|1/-/-/-

8th|
+8/+3|
+2|
+6|
+2|Arcane Efficiency 2/day|1/0/-/-

9th|
+9/+4|
+3|
+6|
+3|Inerrancy 3/day|1/0/-/-

10th|
+10/+5|
+3|
+7|
+3|Arcane Attack|1/1/-/-

11th|
+11/+6/+1|
+3|
+7|
+3|Synchronicity|1/1/0/-

12th|
+12/+7/+2|
+4|
+8|
+4|Inerrancy 4/day, Arcane Efficiency 3/day|1/1/1/-

13th|
+13/+8/+3|
+4|
+8|
+4|+30 movement speed, Expert Tactician|1/1/1/-

14th|
+14/+9/+4|
+4|
+9|
+4|Superior Initiative|2/1/1/0

15th|
+15/+10/+5|
+5|
+9|
+5|Inerrancy 5/day|2/1/1/1

16th|
+16/+11/+6/+1|
+5|
+10|
+5|Surefooted, Arcane Efficiency 4/day|2/2/1/1

17th|
+17/+12/+7/+2|
+5|
+10|
+5|Resistance is Futile|2/2/2/1

18th|
+18/+13/+8/+3|
+6|
+11|
+6|Inerrancy 6/day|3/2/2/1

19th|
+19/+14/+9/+4|
+6|
+11|
+6|+40 movement speed|3/3/3/2

20th|
+20/+15/+10/+5|
+6|
+12|
+6|Arcane Efficiency 5/day|3/3/3/3[/table]

Class powers:


Precise Gesture (Ex): A tactician gets no penalty to the use of arcane spells while in light armor. [Changed from 1st level, 9/16/2007, 6:43p]

Arcane Efficiency (Su): n times per day, A tactician may get a +2 circumstance bonus added to either the save DC of his next spell, his next spell touch attack roll or his next caster level check against spell resistance. This must be announced before the action.

Arcane Attack (Su): A tactician can use a prepared spell slot to imbue the spell in question onto his next attack. If the attack succeeds, it triggers the spell in question on the defender. This may only be used with a ranged weapon or a weapon that the tactician has Weapon Finesse for, and the spell must be capable of affecting a single target. This counts as a spell for all practical purposes, and can be dealt with as such. The "caster" in this case is the weapon, and the caster level is always your own.

Tactical Resistance (Ex): A tactician gets his intelligence bonus to his saving throws against spells.

Inerrancy (Ex): n/day (indicated by tactician level), a tactician may announce that his next attack roll automatically hits. This can be used with other tactician class powers, but not other abilities or powers that require active use. (Ex: You can't use Power Attack, Rapid Shot or Manyshot with inerrancy. You can, however, use this in conjunction with abilities that aren't automatically applied as long as it isn't being restricted by miss chance or heavy penalties, see below.)

An inerrant attack is still rolled to check if a critical hit is possible. The confirmation roll after a threat is unaffected by this ability. If an attack would be penalized by anything more than the tactician's dexterity modifier (for any reason), or hindered by any factors that don't subtract from the attack roll value (such as a miss chance or a forced reroll of a successful attack), it can't be made inerrant.

Synchronicity (Ex): The tactician knows how to move in sync with others as needed. Whenever he uses an Aid Another, he adds a his intelligence bonus to the bonus provided by this use. Also, whenever he delays, he gets a +1 circumstance bonus for every 5 points sacrificed in the delay action, to actions requiring a roll on his turn.

Surefooted (Ex): The tactician gains the ability to act as though he was under Freedom of Movement, a number of times per day equal to his Dexterity bonus, and for a number of rounds equal to his tactician level.

Resistance is Futile (Su): A number of times per day equal to his or her intelligence bonus, whenever the tactician targets someone with a spell, he may force the defender to roll his saving throw twice, taking the lower result.


Spell capabilities:


1- daze+, flare+, detect magic, read magic, touch of fatigue+, resistance, prestidigitation, endure elements, hold portal, protection from (alignment descriptor), shield, mage armor, obscuring mist, true strike, charm person+, hypnotism, sleep+, color spray, disguise self, ventriloquism, magic aura, cause fear+, ray of enfeeblement+, expeditious retreat, feather fall, jump, magic weapon, command+, doom+

2- arcane lock, obscure object, protection from arrows, resist arrows, glitterdust+, fog cloud, web, see invisibility, daze monster+, hideous laughter+, touch of idiocy+, darkness, death knell+, gust of wind, blur, hypnotic pattern, invisibility, mirror image, misdirection, blindness+, deafness+, ghoul touch+, scare+, spectral hand, alter self, (all attribute increasing spells of this level), darkvision, pyrotechnics, levitate, spider climb, lesser confusion+

3- dispel magic, nondetection, magic circle against (alignment descriptor), protection from energy, stinking cloud, arcane sight, clairaudience, deep slumber+, heroism, hold person+, clairvoyance, wind wall, displacement, invisibility sphere, halt undead+, ray of exhaustion+, blink, fly, gaseous form, haste, keen edge, greater magic weapon, slow+

4- dimensional anchor, lesser globe of invulnerability, stoneskin, dimension door, solid fog, detect scrying, charm monster+, confusion, crushing despair, resilient sphere, greater invisibility, illusory wall, rainbow pattern, bestow curse+, contagion+, fear, polymorph, freedom of movement, dismissal+, death ward, enervation+, triple foul+ (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=57010)
+: Usable with Arcane Attack
A tactician can use any spell in these categories, but he must prepare his spells in advance.




Is it balanced?

Finally- I allow -anyone- who wants to use it to do so.

[DracoDei]

Putting precise gesture at 1st level might make it a bit too dipworthy... as well as perhaps being flat out too good... I recommend delaying it until at least 4th where a single classed tactician would first have need of it.

I would also consider removing "Inerrancy" and just putting True Strike on the spell list. If you keep it, consider how it works against concealment (since those aren't a penalty to an existing roll, but rather a seperate added roll).

[CrazyMuffinMan]

PG has been moved to Lv. 4

Inerrancy has been modified so that concealment makes it impossible, as such a thing is a serious hindrance.

Thanks Draco!

Also, I might check this against the more powerful, yet slower, hexblade later on. It'd be interesting, given the highly effective countermeasures each can perform against the other. The hexblade can effectively suppress the tactician, but the moment his defenses go down, so can he. Easily. The tactician can keep his distance and operate fully from a long range, but he HAS to operate at that range, or he will be in a world of hurt.

Tac advantages: Speed/initiative(!!!), efficiency of action, wider spell set
Hex advantages: Auras (!!!), HD, martial proficiencies.

The Duskblade is an even more interesting opponent, as it is even more similar, even in the case of unique abilities.

Tac advantages: Speed/initiatives, incredible at long ranges, wider spell set, can put more into a single action

Dsk advantages: -Far- more competent spell caster, better saves, shield use, wider proficiency with martial weapons, armor and shields

Lateral differences: Arcane Channeling vs. Arcane Attack. The duskblade learns arcane channeling sooner and can use it better at higher levels (one spell lasts for a full round's attacks), but it only works with melee attacks and touch spells. Arcane Attack has great synergy with other class powers, works with a myriad of single-target spells, and can be applied to ranged attacks (in fact, this is the best method of using them). However, it is learned at 10th level and can't be applied to all attacks in a round.

The duskblade is better at both casting and close-quarters fighting. However, the tactician is better at field control and precision, and is not -automatically- at high risk if he gets in close, as he would be with the hexblade.

However, as with the hexblade, any tactician with sense will still want to keep as much distance as possible between himself and the duskblade as possible, as melee combat is almost completely in the hands of the duskblade.

The beguiler isn't a wi-fi type, more like a pure caster, but he's still interesting. He seems like the least likely threat to the Tac on the combat front. He has 1/2 Attack progression and d6 hit dice. His spell progression, on the other hand, is dangerous.

Tac advantages: Speed/initiative (as always), unlimited spell knowledge, attack progression, saves (thanks to Tac. Res.), HD

Beg advantages: Spells (!!!!), sneak casting, general stealth

Lateral: Both are effective at any range.

Other: Duels between a Tac and a Beg can easily become a challenge of who can do what first. They also tend not to last long. The Tac tends to go first often, but the beguiler can end it quickly if he manages to evade detection from a leading tactician. Triple fouling, enervating, or even touch-of-idiocying a beguiler before he can cast his surprise feeblemind, PWK or dominate spell can be rather embarassing.

Edit: Hexblade already took "Arcane Resistance", so he needs to pay.

Edit 2: I'm seriously tempted to give this guy a 20th level class goodie: Attack Reels. It uses 1/2 the tac's base attack bonus, and iterative attacks using this class goodie go down by -1 rather than -5. This can't be augmented by any class abilities or feats requiring active use (that is, anything that isn't automatically applied).