Masked Grappler (base class)

[Joe Rice]

Hey, guys. For my first post here I thought I'd put up a base class I've created for my home campaign. The masked grappler is a martial class based on Mexican luchadors that basically combines elements of the monk class and the oriental adventures Samurai . . .I don't yet know how to do tables so I hope this comes out in a readable fashion . . .all critiques and comments are welcome.

Well, crap, that totally didn't work . . .how about this

Masked Grappler

Alignment: Any chaotic.

Hit Die: d8.

Class Skills The masked grappler’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Balance (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Knowledge (arcana/religion) (Int), Listen (Wis), Perform (Cha), Profession (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), Sleight of Hand (Dex), Spot (Wis), Swim (Str), and Tumble (Dex).

Skill Points at 1st Level: (4 + Int modifier) x 4.

Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 4 + Int modifier.

{table=head]Level|BAB|Fort|Ref|Will|Special|Unarmed Damage|AC Bonus
1|+1|+2|+2|+0|Bonus Feat, Unarmed Strike, Improved Grapple|1d6|+0
2|+2|+3|+3|+0|Bonus Feat, Evasion|1d6|+0
3|+3|+3|+3|+1|Masked Mind|1d6|+0
4|+4|+4|+4|+1|Masked Strike (magic)|1d8|+0
5|+5|+4|+4|+1|Mask Magic|1d8|+1
6|+6/+1|+5|+5|+2|Bonus Feat|1d8|+1
7|+7/+2|+5|+5|+2||1d8|+1
8|+8/+3|+6|+6|+2||1d10|+1
9|+9/+4|+6|+6|+3|Improved Evasion|1d10|+1
10|+10/+5|+7|+7|+3|Masked Strike (Chaotic)|1d10|+2
11|+11/+6/+1|+7|+7|+3||1d10|+2
12|+12/+7/+2|+8|+8|+4||2d6|+2
13|+13/+8/+3|+8|+8|+4||2d6|+2
14|+14/+9/+4|+9|+9|+4||2d6|+2
15|+15/+10/+5|+9|+9|+5||2d6|+3
16|+16/+11/+6/+1|+10|+10|+5|Masked Strike (Adamantine)|2d8|+3
17|+17/+12/+7/+2|+10|+10|+5||2d8|+3
18|+18/+13/+8/+3|+11|+11|+6||2d8|+3
19|+19/+14/+9/+4|+11|+11|+6||2d8|+3
20|+20/+15/+10/+5|+12|+12|+6||2d10|+4
[/table]
Class Features

All of the following are class features of the Masked Grappler.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Masked grapplers are proficient with simple and improvised weapons only. They are not proficient with any armor or shields. When wearing armor, using a shield, or carrying a heavy load, a grappler loses her AC bonus.

AC Bonus (Ex): When unarmored and unencumbered, the grappler adds her Charisma bonus (if any) to her AC. In addition, a grappler gains a +1 bonus to AC at 5th level. This bonus increases by 1 for every five grappler levels thereafter (+2 at 10th, +3 at 15th, and +4 at 20th level).

These bonuses to AC apply even against touch attacks or when the grappler is flat-footed. She loses these bonuses when she is immobilized or helpless, when she wears any armor, when she carries a shield, or when she carries a heavy load.

Improved Grapple: As per the feat

Unarmed Strike: As per the monk class

Bonus Feat: At 1st level, a grappler may select either Acrobatic or Endurance as a bonus feat. At 2nd level, she may select either Power Attack or Diehard as a bonus feat. At 6th level, she may select either Leap Attack or Improved Trip as a bonus feat. A grappler need not have any of the prerequisites normally required for these feats to select them.
Evasion (Ex): At 2nd level or higher if a grappler makes a successful Reflex saving throw against an attack that normally deals half damage on a successful save, she instead takes no damage. Evasion can be used only if a monk is wearing light armor or no armor. A helpless grappler does not gain the benefit of evasion.
Masked Mind (Ex): A grappler of 3rd level or higher gains a +2 bonus on saving throws against spells and effects from the school of enchantment.
Ki Strike (Su): At 4th level, a grappler’s unarmed attacks are empowered with ki. Her unarmed attacks are treated as magic weapons for the purpose of dealing damage to creatures with damage reduction. Ki strike improves with the character’s grappler level. At 10th level, her unarmed attacks are also treated as chaotic weapons for the purpose of dealing damage to creatures with damage reduction. At 16th level, her unarmed attacks are treated as adamantine weapons for the purpose of dealing damage to creatures with damage reduction and bypassing hardness.
Mask Magic (Su): Starting at fifth level, a masked grappler begins to unlock the magical properties of her mask. The grappler may choose bonuses from the Magic Armor list or from the Magic Weapon list. Weapon bonuses will be applied to unarmed or grappled attacks. Grapplers must find a shrine of the first masked and sacrifice XP and gold as per the following table:
{table=head]Weapon/Armor Bonus|XP Merged to date|Total Days at Shrine/Ring|GPs to date|Minimum Character Level
+1|80|2|250|5
+2|320|8|1000|7
+3|720|14|2250|9
+4|1280|32|4000|11
+5|2000|50|6250|13
+6|2880|72|7000|14
+7|3920|98|12250|15
+8|5120|128|16000|16
+9|6480|162|20250|17
+10|8000|200|25000|18
[/table]
Improved Evasion (Ex): At 9th level, a grappler’s evasion ability improves. She still takes no damage on a successful Reflex saving throw against attacks, but henceforth she takes only half damage on a failed save. A helpless grappler does not gain the benefit of improved evasion.

[Joe Rice]

There, finally, tables! I hope you guys enjoy and critique the hell out of it.

[Joe Rice]

I don't mean to be a "bump"er, but come on, nothing? Not even scathing internet sarcasm?

[Stycotl]

well, a couple of points. it's nice, but it doesn't really have any oomph in my opinion. obviously some may disagree with me. i get that it's lucha libre-based. i think that you made a class that targets a very small percentage of the readers here. so you are not going to get too much in the way of a response i would imagine.

i realize that you had to pick an alignment type for the ki strike, but i don't see other than that any reason to make chaotic be an alignment requirement. maybe let them choose. if they have a chaotic component, they become chaotic; if lawful, then lawful; if neutral, they choose.

good luck. aaron out.

[SofS]

Why are they required to be chaotic? Surely you know that a heart of honour can beat within the noble breast of justice?

They also need the ability to design and improve their signature move (or five) as they level up, unless that's for a prestige class.

Good fun otherwise.

[Joe Rice]

Good points, especially with the signature move. I wonder if that would be a bonus feat progression or what? Hm.

As for alignment, my original thought was that they must pick either good or evil, disallowing N, LN, and CN. Do you think that would work, game-mechanic-wise?

[Tempest Fennac]

Mechanics wise, it would be okay (would they be stuck as heels/faces forever, or would they be able to change alignment depending on the plot?).

[Haruspex]

I think you should let them change alignment, since the *ahem* "sports entertainment" wrestlers turn from time to time. Maybe for a certain time period after they change alignments, their ki strike and mask magic is weakened or gone altogether. Not permanently though, that would be cruel.

One idea for signature moves: special attacks which can only be used when the enemy is under a certain condition (stunned, half HP, flanked, no Dex bonus, etc). If you're familiar with and a fan of Nine Swords, there might be some suitable maneuvers you can borrow for this class.

Second wind, as well. I know it's a 4e mechanic, but it fits what I've seen in wrestling. If you're not familiar with the concept, it just means that the wrestler magically recovers from a severe beating and proceeds to beat the tar out of his opponent. HP recovery, morale bonuses, things like that. Limit once a day maybe.

Other than that, it seems like an okay class. I can imagine half-orcs having fun with this.

[Tempest Fennac]

Those are excellent points (especially the one about the character becoming less powerful if they keep one alignment for too long). I've thought of another ability (I'm not sure what level they should get it at, though):

Russo swerve: Reroll any failed save once/day. This could be used more at later levels (for non-smarks, a Russo swerve is a nonsensicle plot twist which is thrown in solely to surprise people. It's named after booker Vince Russo).

Another one for later on in the game (level 16 or possibly later):

Dusty Finish: once/day, when reduced to less then -9 HPs, recover HPs equal to your class level. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dusty_finish

[Haruspex]

More stuff.

Some kind of taunt or challenge ability should be included. They're always going up to other wrestlers and picking fights for no reason at all. They seem to trash-talk a lot, at least the ones on television do. The Knight (PHB 2)class feature could work for this.

In some of the video games, there is a special bar which fills up as a wrestler beat the opponent down. Kind of like a limit break, in the sense that expending a full bar lets you do a "special move". Instead of the uses per day system, maybe special moves can only be used after scoring a certain number of melee hits or dealing a certain amount of melee damage in that encounter. This idea involves a bit of bookkeeping though.

Feat idea:

Submit!

Prerequisites: Masked Grappler 6th level, Str 14

Benefits: When making a grapple check to deal damage, you deal additional nonlethal damage equal to your Masked Grappler level. Each time you successfully deal damage on a grapple check, the opponent must make a Fortitude save (DC = 10 + 1/2 class level + Str modifier) or take a -2 penalty to all skills checks, attack rolls, and ability checks for one round.

Special: This is a pain effect, and has no effect on creatures without a Constitution score.

Maybe tweak it a bit, it's a rough idea. It's supposed to represent anything from armlocks, sleeper holds, and the like.

EDIT: Oops, it's Masked Grappler not Masked Wrestler.

[Joe Rice]

Ha! These are really cool ideas. I'm not sure if I'd use them standard . . .perhaps as feats. As it stands, the class isn't completely comedic and some of those more rasslin-esque elements might seem out of place in some games. Not sure, though . . .some are pretty damn cool.

[Lord Iames Osari]

I'd advise you to think about including some of these suggestions in the standard class. It has entirely too many dead levels, and there's no reason to take the class all the way to 20th level.

Edit: Also, since this is meant to be a grappling class, I would add an ability that lets them ignore or somehow counteract the advantages gained by large creatures - such as the ability to hold (step 3 of grappling) an opponent 2 or more size categories larger.

[Joe Rice]

I'd advise you to think about including some of these suggestions in the standard class. It has entirely too many dead levels, and there's no reason to take the class all the way to 20th level.

Edit: Also, since this is meant to be a grappling class, I would add an ability that lets them ignore or somehow counteract the advantages gained by large creatures - such as the ability to hold (step 3 of grappling) an opponent 2 or more size categories larger.

Excellent point about the dead levels . . .never even considered it, as it was my first class I ever brewed. Thanks!

[SofS]

It seems that you're using monk-style bonus feat choices to encourage some of the hallmarks of lucha libre in the class (what with the Leap Attack and Diehard and all). Maybe it'd be a good idea to extend that further, giving players a choice between more and more powerful abilities as they get into high levels. Powerful Build can help level things out for a grappler at high level, if you think it fits, while speedy luchadors could get improved/free attacks when Tumbling through an opponent's square. Maybe those who choose Leap Attack can take a "high-risk" feature that improves their damage rate even further at a lesser cost to their HP or something. You could work all of this like a ranger's combat style, if desired.