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The Demented One
2008-01-18, 07:26 PM
The Warrior-Poet

Each warrior has his own inspiration, and for no one is this more true than martial adepts, blademasters devoted to the path of the Nine Swords. Crusaders draw on their faith in their deity to bolster their spirits in combat; Swordsages rely on instinct and insight to guide their blades, and Warblades employ their skill and tactical expertise to guide them through the fight. Warrior-Poets, however, pursue a different path. They seek to discover the inherent poetry of battle, to find the subtle beauty and rhythm to each swing of the sword, each arrow loosed, each warrior felled. Their style is fluid, unlike other adepts–rather than having a rigidly learned set of maneuvers, they are capable of adapting to the situations they find themselves in, drawing on the techniques they have need of. They are few in number, since the original center of martial training, the Temple of the Nine Swords, trained no Warrior-Poets: their tradition began after its fall, and, lacking any major center of training, never became as widespread as those of the other martial adepts. Warrior-Poets rely on light armor and armaments to fight with, preferring to employ a light weapon with grace and beauty than to swing a massive sword with overwhelming force.

Abilities
Dexterity is critical for a Warrior-Poet, with their reliance on light weaponry and armor. Charisma is also important, as it determines how many maneuvers they can recover at a time, and is also central to many of their class features. Being melee combatants, Constitution is also a critical ability.

Races
Most Warrior-Poets are either humans or elves. Humans predominated amongst the original Warrior-Poets, easily adapting to the new style, while elves soon found an appreciation for the more aesthetic style of combat. There is a sizable minority of gnome Warrior-Poets, and a few halflings. They are almost unheard of among dwarves and orcs, though there are always exceptions.

Alignment
Though there are no alignment restrictions placed on Warrior-Poets, most tend to be of chaotic alignment, though there are still lawful Warrior-Poets. Neither good or evil have a majority, both are equally represented.

Starting Gold
4d4 x 10 (100 gp)

Starting Age
As the Bard class.

Hit Die
d10

Class Skills
The Warrior-Poet's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Balance (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Gather Information (Cha), Hide (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Knowledge (History), Knowledge (Local), Martial Lore (Int), Move Silently (Dex), Perform (Cha), Profession (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), Speak Language (N/A), Tumble (Dex)

Skills per Level
4 + Intelligence modifier (x4 at 1st level)

{table=head]Level|Base Attack[br]Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special|Maneuvers[br]Known|Maneuvers[br]Readied|Stances[br]Known

1st|
+1|
+0|
+2|
+0|Weapon Finesse|2|2|1

2nd|
+2|
+0|
+3|
+0|Stroke of Brilliance|2|2|1

3rd|
+3|
+1|
+3|
+1|Artistic Expertise|3|3|1

4th|
+4|
+1|
+4|
+1|Flash of Insight (1/day)|3|4|1

5th|
+5|
+1|
+4|
+1|Warrior’s Grace|4|4|1

6th|
+6/+1|
+2|
+5|
+2|Bonus Feat|4|4|1

7th|
+7/+2|
+2|
+5|
+2|Keen Wit|5|4|2

8th|
+8/+3|
+2|
+6|
+2|Canny Duelist|5|4|2|5|4|2

9th|
+9/+4|
+3|
+6|
+3|Class Ability|6|5|2

10th|
+10/+5|
+3|
+7|
+3|Bonus Feat, Flash of Insight (2/day)|6|5|2

11th|
+11/+6/+1|
+3|
+7|
+3|
–|7|5|2

12th|
+12/+7/+2|
+4|
+8|
+4|Beauty in Bloodshed|7|5|2

13th|
+13/+8/+3|
+4|
+8|
+4|Poet’s Riposte|8|5|3

14th|
+14/+9/+4|
+4|
+9|
+4|Bonus Feat|8|6|3

15th|
+15/+10/+5|
+5|
+9|
+5|
–|9|6|3

16th|
+16/+11/+6/+1|
+5|
+10|
+5|Flash of Insight (3/day)|9|6|3

17th|
+17/+12/+7/+2|
+5|
+10|
+5|
–|10|6|3

18th|
+18/+13/+8/+3|
+6|
+11|
+6|Bonus Feat|10|6|3

19th|
+19/+14/+9/+4|
+6|
+11|
+6|
–|11|6|4

20th|
+20/+15/+10/+5|
+6|
+12|
+6|Art of War|12|7|4[/table]

Class Features
All the following are class features of the Warrior-Poet.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency
Warrior-Poets are proficient with all light melee weapons, as well as the handaxe, kama, kukri, nunchaku, rapier, sai, short sword, and siangham. Warrior-Poets are proficient with light armor and light shields.

Maneuvers
Warrior-Poets are capable of using a diverse array of martial maneuvers from the Diamond Mind, Setting Sun, Shadow Hand, and Tiger Claw, and White Raven disciplines. Rather than learning maneuvers as they gain levels, they instead gain maneuver slots. Each maneuver slot is of the highest level of maneuver you can learn at the level you gain it. Each day, when they ready your maneuvers, you fill each slot with a maneuver of that slot’s level or lower from any of the disciplines you have access to. You ignore maneuver prerequisites when filling your maneuver slots. At first level, you have two 1st-level maneuver slots. At subsequent levels, you gain maneuver slots whose level is based off of the highest level of maneuver you can initiate, as determined by your initiator level. All of your maneuvers are extraordinary abilities, unless otherwise stated. They are not affected by spell resistance, and initiating one does not provoke attacks of opportunity.

Once you have filled a slot with a maneuver, you must ready it in order to use it. At 1st level, you may ready two maneuvers. You ready your maneuvers by exercising or meditating for 5 minutes. The maneuvers you choose to ready remain readied until you decide to ready new maneuvers. You do not need any sleep or rest to ready new maneuvers. You begin each encounter with all of your readied maneuvers unexpended. Once you use a maneuver, it is expended, and you cannot use it again until you recover. As a standard action, you may refocus yourself and take stock of the situation in order to recover a number of maneuvers equal to your Charisma modifier, minimum one.
At 6th level, and at each subsequent even level, you may trade a maneuver slot of any level for one slot of the highest level of maneuver you can learn.

If you take levels in a prestige class that allows you to learn additional maneuvers, or multiclass into another martial adept base class, you learn maneuvers from those classes normally, and do not gain maneuver slots from them. However, if you take a prestige class (but not a base class), you can fill your maneuver slots with maneuvers taken from any disciplines that prestige class has access to.

Stances
Just as with your maneuvers, you do not learn stances. Instead, you gain stance slots, which you may fill with any stance of the slot’s level when you ready maneuvers. Stances can not be used to fill maneuver slots, or vice versa. At 1st level, you gain a single 1st-level stance slot. At subsequent levels, the level of the stance slots you gain is based on your initiator level, as normal. Unlike maneuvers, stances are not readied or expended. You can use any stance you have in a slot at any time, and can switch from one stance to another as a swift action. All your martial stances are extraordinary abilities unless otherwise stated. Unlike maneuver slots, you can never trade stance slots for higher-leveled slots.

Weapon Finesse (Ex)
At first level, you gain Weapon Finesse as a bonus feat.

Stroke of Brilliance (Ex)
At 2nd level, you seek out the art in battle, seeking the most beautiful attacks possible. When you make a melee attack as part of a martial maneuver, you gain a morale bonus on the damage roll equal to your Charisma modifier.

Artistic Expertise (Ex)
By 3rd level, your confidence in your art is unshakable. You may take 10 on attack rolls made to disarm an enemy, Bluff checks made to feint in combat, and Strength checks made to trip an enemy. In addition, you gain a +4 dodge bonus to AC against all attacks of opportunity you provoke whenever you attempt to disarm, feint, or trip a foe.

Flash of Insight (Ex)
At 4th level, you can draw on flashes of brilliant insight to adapt your martial style to the situation at hand. Once per day, as a swift action, you may expend one of your readied maneuvers to ready another maneuver of the same level or lower. That maneuver does not have to be one of those you filled your maneuver slots with that day, though it does have to be from one of the disciplines you have access to. You may use that maneuver as if you had prepared and readied it normally. However, once you use and expend it, you may not recover it. In addition, you cannot recover the expended maneuver until you have used the maneuver granted to you by this ability. You cannot gain maneuvers of the highest level of maneuver you can initiate using this ability. At 10th level, you may use this ability twice per day, and at 16th, you may use it three times per day. However, you may never use it more than once per encounter.

Warrior’s Grace (Ex)
At 5th level, your sense of the beauty in battle allows you to find ways to dodge clumsy, unskilled blows. Once per round, you may give yourself a dodge bonus to AC equal to your Charisma modifier, minimum +1, though this cannot exceed one-quarter of your initiator level. This bonus applies against a single attack only. You cannot use this ability if you are flatfooted, or wearing medium or heavier armor.

Bonus Feat (Ex)
At 6th, 10th, 14th , and 18th levels, you gain a bonus feat, chosen from the list below. You must meet all the prerequisites of the feat to gain it. Feats from Tome of Battle are marked with a *.

Acrobatic, Agile, Blade Meditation*, Blind-Fight, Combat Expertise, Combat Reflexes, Deflect Arrows, Dodge, Evasive Reflexes*, Falling Sun Attack*, Greater Two-Weapon Fighting, Improved Critical, Improved Disarm, Improved Feint, Improved Initiative, Improved Trip, Improved Two-Weapon Fighting, Improved Unarmed Strike, Iron Will, Lightning Reflexes, Mobility, Persuasive, Quick Draw, Shadow Blade*, Snatch Arrows, Spring Attack, Stealthy, Stunning Fist, Superior Unarmed Strike*, Two-Weapon Defense, Two-Weapon Fighting, Unnerving Calm*, Whirlwind Attack, White Raven Defense*

Keen Wit (Ex)
At 7th level, your mastery of reading your foes’ strengths and weaknesses lets you make devastating strikes. Whenever you confirm a critical hit, you gain a morale bonus on the damage roll equal to your Charisma modifier times the critical multiplier of the weapon you are attacking with. If you made the attack as part of a martial maneuver, this damage replaces, and does not stack with, that from the stroke of brilliance ability.

Canny Duelist (Ex)
You are in tune with battle, seizing on any flaw in an opponent’s style to work your art. At 8th level, whenever an opponent makes a melee attack against you that misses while you are fighting defensively, using the total defense action, or using the Combat Expertise feat, he provokes an attack of opportunity from you. Any penalties from fighting defensively, total defense, or Combat Expertise do not apply to this attack.

Beauty in Bloodshed (Ex)
At 12th level, the work of art you create with your blade refreshes your mind and body, allowing you a moment’s peace to recuperate. Whenever you successfully confirm a critical hit, you may immediately recover a single expended maneuver.

Poet’s Riposte (Ex)
At 13th level, your expertise allows you to flawlessly read an opponent’s moves. Whenever you fight defensively, use the total defense action, or use the Combat Expertise feat, you add your Charisma modifier to the bonus to your AC.

Art of War (Ex)
At 20th level, you perfect the art of martial skill, allowing you to employ two different maneuvers at once. As a full-round action, you may initiative two strike maneuvers that have an initiation action of 1 standard action or less. If both maneuvers require you to make an attack, you only make a single one, applying the benefits of both strikes to it. If one maneuver requires you to make multiple attacks, then you make as many as it requires, again applying the benefits of both maneuvers. You cannot use this ability to initiate maneuvers of the highest level of maneuver you can use. You may only use this ability once per day.

dyslexicfaser
2008-01-18, 11:36 PM
Pretty interesting. A bit of swordsage, a bit of warblade, a bit of original stuff.

The full BAB mixed with the usual Swordsage disciplines, especially, is pretty good.

The Demented One
2008-01-19, 08:50 PM
Pretty interesting. A bit of swordsage, a bit of warblade, a bit of original stuff.

The full BAB mixed with the usual Swordsage disciplines, especially, is pretty good.
Yeah, I was trying to strike a good balance between the fragile monkish Swordsage and the tanky Warblade. Kind of a martial swashbuckler.

Marek
2008-01-19, 11:08 PM
A Warrior-Poet named Bruce,
Wrote odes to his horse and his goose.
He won honor and prizes,
'Gainst foes of great sizes,
And protected young poets from abuse!

Sorry, couldn't resist... Great PrC as usual, Demented One.

Nebo_
2008-01-20, 06:09 AM
Full BAB, d10 HD and 6 + int is too much. Pick any two, nerf the other.

Lady Tialait
2008-01-20, 06:44 AM
As far as i can see, this is pretty much on par with the rest of that book (personal hatred aside) well done, I'd drop of the Skill points down just a bit (maybe 4+int) but...that might be prejudous showing up..

The Demented One
2008-01-20, 03:17 PM
Full BAB, d10 HD and 6 + int is too much. Pick any two, nerf the other.


As far as i can see, this is pretty much on par with the rest of that book (personal hatred aside) well done, I'd drop of the Skill points down just a bit (maybe 4+int) but...that might be prejudous showing up..
I'm gonna drop the skills and take away the good will save.

Deepblue706
2008-01-20, 06:23 PM
Mechanically well-done, but I'm not sure if I like the basic concept.

Lines such as:

"They seek to discover the inherent poetry of battle, to find the subtle beauty and rhythm to each swing of the sword, each arrow loosed, each warrior felled"

really romanticize combat - and the class abilities only support that feeling. At its very least, this is very high cinematic stuff. But I suppose, when using elements from Tome of Battle, this is to be expected.

I guess, my only real gripe is, Did you have to use the name "Warrior-Poet"?

The Demented One
2008-01-20, 06:29 PM
Mechanically well-done, but I'm not sure if I like the basic concept.

Lines such as:

"They seek to discover the inherent poetry of battle, to find the subtle beauty and rhythm to each swing of the sword, each arrow loosed, each warrior felled"

really romanticize combat - and the class abilities only support that feeling. At its very least, this is very high cinematic stuff. But I suppose, when using elements from Tome of Battle, this is to be expected.
It's D&D. Combat's not supposed to be realistic.


I guess, my only real gripe is, Did you have to use the name "Warrior-Poet"?
Hey, I thought it fit. Better than Warblade...

Deepblue706
2008-01-20, 06:55 PM
It's D&D. Combat's not supposed to be realistic.

I didn't say it should be realistic - you're exaggerating my argument. I said it's very high cinematics. Perhaps my opinion isn't so widely-shared, but I'd tone it down a touch.



Hey, I thought it fit. Better than Warblade...

Oh, don't worry. It's a heck of a lot better than Warblade - I just meant to convey that it's a somewhat cliche term. Truthfully, I can't think of a better one (but then, I don't often seek to make new classes, much less make "better" names), although I believe you may receive more feedback with a name that is better at grabbing the attention of other forum-goers - something a bite more creative or catchy might accomplish that.

Stycotl
2008-01-20, 07:03 PM
over all i like it. you are very good at putting together prc's. i can tell you put a lot of thought into the names of the abilities and stuff. i do agree with dropping the will save and the skill points.

this does not rectify the problem i have always seen with the d&d bard (since it is a different concept), but it adds to the way i see a bard, and using this in conjuction with the bard will quell some of my disappointments in the bard base class.

anyway, i like. thumbs up. good job. aaron out.

The Demented One
2008-01-20, 07:07 PM
I didn't say it should be realistic - you're exaggerating my argument. I said it's very high cinematics. Perhaps my opinion isn't so widely-shared, but I'd tone it down a touch.
Eh, it's hard not to be cinematic when you're working with Tome of Battle.

dyslexicfaser
2008-01-20, 07:54 PM
Eh, it's hard not to be cinematic when you're working with Tome of Battle.

I'm sure I don't know what you're talking about, Demented.

*jumps 15 feet into the air, hangs there for a moment, then drops onto a monster and kills it with one blow*

I thought the flair, the cinematics, whatever you call it, fit pretty well - it comes across with a bit of a bard-like feel.

CasESenSITItiVE
2008-01-20, 10:34 PM
why do people keep calling it a PrC? this is a base class.

Stycotl
2008-01-20, 10:56 PM
why do people keep calling it a PrC? this is a base class.

my bad. read one thing, type another. possessed fingers. someone call an excorcist.

Stycotl
2008-01-20, 10:57 PM
and there can be only one chimaera on this forum! no, kidding really. i say we have a family reunion. i'll call uncle bob. you go get gramps and granny.

really i'm only an adopted member of the chimaera family. stycotl is supposed to be a manticore, but alas, this was the closest signature choice i had...

Deepblue706
2008-01-21, 02:57 PM
Eh, it's hard not to be cinematic when you're working with Tome of Battle.

Yes, I know.


really romanticize combat - and the class abilities only support that feeling. At its very least, this is very high cinematic stuff. But I suppose, when using elements from Tome of Battle, this is to be expected.

Bandededed
2008-01-21, 08:09 PM
...

Did you, perhaps, come by some of your abilities in The Dashing Hero PrC?

The Demented One
2008-01-22, 11:56 PM
...

Did you, perhaps, come by some of your abilities in The Dashing Hero PrC?
Yes, I did. I kinda made that one too, and I've got a terrible tendency to recycle some of the abilities that I like.

SilentNight
2008-01-23, 10:10 AM
I love it. I've had an Idea similar to this rolling around in my head. Essentialy it was a battle Junkie who heard the song of battle and became a betterr fighter for it. Muchos kudos to you Demented, I take my large hat off to you.

XiaoTie
2008-01-23, 10:29 AM
Pretty cool class, and that is coming from someone that doesn't like ToB. Loved the feel of it, mixing it up with bard and Perform (Weapon Drill) would be a fun way to play it :elan:. Congratulations for making this good class my good sir.

Zovc
2009-12-08, 04:41 PM
I like it, but I kind of feel like the HD should shrink to a d8. It's probably fine, this class just feels softer than a fighter to me.

Dante & Vergil
2009-12-08, 07:54 PM
How do they refresh maneuvers?

Zovc
2009-12-08, 08:53 PM
How do they refresh maneuvers?

"As a standard action, you may refocus yourself and take stock of the situation in order to recover a number of maneuvers equal to your Charisma modifier, minimum one."

:P

pyrefiend
2009-12-08, 10:23 PM
I like it, but I kind of feel like the HD should shrink to a d8. It's probably fine, this class just feels softer than a fighter to me.

Agreed. It might just be fatigue setting in, but I can't think of any classes that get d10 hit die and light armor.

The Demented One
2009-12-08, 11:16 PM
Agreed. It might just be fatigue setting in, but I can't think of any classes that get d10 hit die and light armor.
...I'm not seeing how this is relevant. They're tanks, they get d10's.

Tavar
2009-12-08, 11:23 PM
Agreed. It might just be fatigue setting in, but I can't think of any classes that get d10 hit die and light armor.

I agree with The Demented One, plus there is the Swashbuckler, from Complete Warrior.

Foryn Gilnith
2009-12-08, 11:29 PM
Agreed. It might just be fatigue setting in, but I can't think of any classes that get d10 hit die and light armor.

Swashbuckler, perhaps?

Does having d10 HD balance it for its role? Yes. Fighters, who are supposedly tougher, have a similar d10 HD; but that's a testament to the weakness of the fighter rather than the toughness of this class.

LunarWolfPrime
2009-12-11, 09:29 PM
Can you please explain the trading slots thing more?

Haven
2009-12-11, 10:01 PM
I really like this class. I want to play it so much.

I was going to say that "Warrior's Grace" seemed weaksauce, but then I realized I read "once a round" as "once a day".


Oh, don't worry. It's a heck of a lot better than Warblade - I just meant to convey that it's a somewhat cliche term. Truthfully, I can't think of a better one (but then, I don't often seek to make new classes, much less make "better" names), although I believe you may receive more feedback with a name that is better at grabbing the attention of other forum-goers - something a bite more creative or catchy might accomplish that.

Even though it's atypical for ToB, I think I prefer the Core approach where classes are just called "Fighter" or "Wizard". So Warrior-Poet is okay with me. (Well, not entirely, but I think that's because of one of those unquantifiable things that taps into my irrational side, like bad numerology; the naming equivalent of poor Feng Shui, in other words. It's the same reason the class name Warblade doesn't bother me--that name feels sort of like a slide, so it's okay. But this is probably just an idiosyncratic problem.)