So, I really liked SouthpawHare's Fire Emblem based Myrmidon class, so I used it in a game. I found surviving the low levels of the class to be fairly difficult since other melee classes are either better armored or dual wielding.
The blazing attack feature of the class is cool but, due to my own bad luck, I don't think I've ever made full use of it.
Anyway, I felt that the class didn't quite live up to its roots yet. Mostly, it was too easy to hit. Myrmidons are known for simply not being there when the enemy swings so, I added some AC increasing factors and what I think are some more flavorful abilities. Otherwise its pretty much exactly the same as SouthpawHare's version.
So here we go.
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MyrmidonQuote:
Originally Posted by SouthpawHare
{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special
1st|+1|+0|+2|+0|Weapon Specialty, Combat Style(Weapon Finesse), Focused Alertness
2nd|+2|+0|+3|+0|Combat Style (Weapon Focus), Blazing Attack (1/day), Artful Deflection
3rd|+3|+1|+3|+1|Combat Style (Graceful Edge), Agile Strike
4th|+4|+1|+4|+1|Combat Style (Weapon Specialization), Uncanny Dodge
5th|+5|+1|+4|+1|Razor Flurry, Analyze Opponent, Blurring Speed (2/Encounter)
6th|+6/+1|+2|+5|+2|Evasion, Blazing Attack(1/Encounter), Off-hand Parry
7th|+7/+2|+2|+5|+2|Improved Uncanny Dodge, Combat Style(Greater Weapon Focus)
8th|+8/+3|+2|+6|+2|Combat Style(Weapon Mastery - Slashing), Confidant Critical(+1/+2)
9th|+9/+4|+3|+6|+3|Skilled Critical(Multiplier +1), Blade Sense
10th|+10/+5|+3|+7|+3|Combat Momentum, Weapon Specialty
11th|+11/+6/+1|+3|+7|+3|Combat Style (Greater Weapon Specialization), Blazing Attack (2/encounter)
12th|+12/+7/+2|+4|+8|+4|Fluid Dodging, Vulnerability Sense, Blurring Speed(4/Encounter)
13th|+13/+8/+3|+4|+8|+4|Confident Critical (+2/+4), Improved Evasion
14th|+14/+9/+4|+4|+9|+4|Skilled Critical(Multiplier +2)
15th|+15/+10/+5|+5|+9|+5|Sense Weakness
16th|+16/+11/+6/+1|+5|+10|+5|Blazing Attack(3/Encounter)
17th|+17/+12/+7/+2|+5|+10|+5|Combat Style(Weapon Supremacy), Confident Critical(+3/+6)
18th|+18/+13/+8/+3|+6|+11|+6|Skilled Critical(Multplier +3), Vanishing Quickstep
19th|+19/+14/+9/+4|+6|+11|+6|Grand Critical
20th|+20/+15/+10/+5|+6|+12|+6|Astra[/table]
Class Features
SpoilerWeapon Specialty (Ex):
A 1st level myrmidon chooses a type of sword that they are proficient in that they will dedicate themselves to the mastery of. The myrmidon chooses one of the following: Short sword, long sword, rapier, scimitar, bastard sword. The myrmidon may choose a second weapon at 10th level.and a third weapon at 10th level.All of the benefits granted to these weapons by other abilities of the myrmidon are granted retroactively when new weapons are chosen.
Note: The third choice seemed like too little too late, getting to choose two of the five allowed seems like enough.
Combat Style (Ex):
At various levels, the myrmidon gains the benefits of bonus feats. If a feat specifies a specific weapon type, the myrmidon counts as having the feat for each of the weapon types they have chosen for weapon specialty, with the exception of Weapon Supremacy, which requires that they choose only one of their weapons chosen for weapon specialty. The benefits of feats marked with an asterisk (*) only apply when the myrmidon is wearing light or no armor, is unencumbered and is not holding a weapon or shield in their off hand.
The feats are: Weapon Finesse*, Weapon Focus at 2nd level, Graceful Edge* at 3rd level, Weapon Specialization at 4th level, Greater Weapon Focus at 7th level, Weapon Mastery (Slashing) at 8th level, Greater Weapon Specialization at 11th level, and Weapon Supremacy at 17th level. The myrmidon counts as having these feats even if they do not meet the normal prerequisites for them.
Focused Alertness (Ex):
All myrmidons possess a heightened awareness that stems from their dedicated focus. A number of times per day equal to 3 + the myrmidons wisdom bonus (if any), they may choose to use their concentration skill ranks in place of their listen or spot skill ranks when making respective skill checks.
Blazing Attack (Ex):
At 2nd level, a myrmidon gains the ability to act and attack with frightening speed. Once per day as a free action, they may treat themselves as being under the effect of haste until the start of the next turn. At 6th level, the myrmidon may use this ability once per encounter, twice per encounter at 11th level, and three times per encounter at 16th level. This ability can only be used when the myrmidon is wearing light or no armor, is unencumbered and is not holding a weapon or shield in their off hand.
Artful Deflection (Ex):
The myrmidon's quickness with a blade now allows him to more actively parry incoming attacks. The myrmidon adds 1/3 of his base attack bonus to his AC as a competence bonus against melee attacks.
Agile Strike (Ex):
At 3rd level, a myrmidon gains the ability to add their dexterity bonus (if any) to all damage rolls with weapons of their chosen types. Creatures that are immune to extra damage from critical hits or sneak attack are also immune to the extra damage from this ability.
Uncanny Dodge (Ex):
At 4th level, a myrmidon gains the ability to retain their dexterity bonus to AC (if any) even if caught flat-footed or struck by an invisible attacker. They still lose their Dexterity bonus to AC if immobilized.
If the myrmidon already has uncanny dodge from a different class, they automatically gain improved uncanny dodge instead.
Razor Flurry (Ex):
Starting at 5th level the myrmidon's agility with a blade allows him to strike with extreme speed. While wearing light or no armor, wielding a light weapon in one hand and nothing in the other, the myrmidon my make one extra attack in a round at his highest base attack bonus, but all attacks he makes that round suffer a -2 penalty to hit. At 9th level and above, this penalty decreases to -1. At 14th level, the penalty disappears.
Analyze Opponent (Ex):
The myrmidon's uses his intense training and what he has learned from fighting his opponents to better judge his enemies' fighting styles for feints and openings. Beginning at 5th level, the myrmidon may use his Base Attack Bonus in place of his Sense Motive skill in order to avoid falling for a feint. He also gains a +1 insight bonus to hit against any Dodge target he might have.
Blurring Speed (Ex):
The myrmidon gains the ability to use footwork and sheer speed to fool opponents into attacking thin air. Starting at 5th level, as a free action twice per encounter, the myrmidon can treat himself as though he were under the effects of a blur spell until the start of the next round. This increases to four times per encounter at 12th level. If the myrmidon also moved more than 15 feet the round, the effect is increased by 30%.
Evasion (Ex):
At 6th level, a myrmidon no longer takes any damage on a successful reflex save that normally reduces damage by half on a successful save. This only applies when the myrmidon is wearing light or no armor, is unencumbered and is not holding a weapon or shield in their off hand.
Off-hand Parry (Ex):
Starting at 6th level, a myrmidon no longer relies on his empty hand for balance, and starts to use it to defend himself. While fighting with a light weapon in his main hand and nothing in his off-hand the myrmidon gains a +1 shield bonus to his armor class. This improves to +2 at tenth level, and +3 at fifteenth level. The shield bonus stacks with that provided by Graceful Edge.
Improved Uncanny Dodge (Ex):
At 7th level, a myrmidon can no longer be flanked.
Confident Critical (Ex):
At 8th level, the critical range for all of the myrmidon's weapons increase by +1. The myrmidon also gains a +2 to all rolls to confirm critical hits. These bonuses increase to +2/+4 at 13th level and +3/+6 at 17th level. These benefits stack with other effects of the same type (however, certain effects do not necessarily stack with each other). This only applies when the myrmidon is wearing light or no armor, is unencumbered and is not holding a weapon or shield in their off hand.
Skilled Critical (Ex):
At 9th level, when a myrmidon wields their chosen weapon, the multiplier on a critical hit is increased by 1. This is increased to +2 at 14th level and +3 at 18th level. This only applies when the myrmidon is wearing light or no armor, is unencumbered and is not holding a weapon or shield in their off hand.
Blade Sense (Ex):
At 10th level, a myrmidon begins to feel an understanding with blades that they hold in their hands. At will as a standard action, they may use the effect of identify on any weapon that they hold that is of these chosen types for weapon specialty.
Combat Momentum (Ex):
Starting at 10th level, a myrmidon's fleetness of foot and training in movement efficiency allow him to blend battlefield movement and fighting. If, while attacking with a full-round attack but not with Astra, the myrmidon downs his opponent before running out of attacks, and has no other targets in range, he can move up to ten feet so long as he attacks another target after moving. This can be performed every time the myrmidon downs an opponent but he cannot move more than his base movement speed or attack more times than he has normal attacks in one round.
Fluid Dodging (Ex):
Beginning at 12th level, the myrmidon becomes increasingly aware of his opponent's attack patterns and therefore more able to avoid them using minimal movement. After the first two rounds of combat, the myrmidon adds half of his myrmidon levels to his AC as an insight bonus.
Vulnerability Sense (Ex):
At 12th level, a myrmidon becomes able to deal critical damage to creatures that are normally unaffected by them. If the myrmidon rolls a critical hit on a target that is normally immune to critical hits, the attack is still considered a critical hit and the critical multiplier of the weapon is considered to be 2 less (minimum of x2) for the purposes of the attack. Additionally, the effects of the agile strike ability now effect creatures that are normally immune to critical hits. These benefits only apply when the myrmidon is wearing light or no armor, is unencumbered and is not holding a weapon or shield in their off hand.
Improved Evasion (Ex):
At 13th level, a myrmidon takes half damage on a failed reflex save that normally reduces damage by half on a successful save. This only applies when the myrmidon is unarmored and unencumbered and is not holding a weapon or shield in their off hand.
Sense Weakness (Ex):
Starting at 15th level, the myrmidon can finds to get his favored weapons past his opponents’ defenses. Whenever he attacks with a weapon with which he has Weapon Focus, he can ignore up to 5 points of the target’s Damage Reduction. This benefit cannot reduce the effective DR to less than 0.
Vanishing Quickstep (Ex):
The myrmidon has the ability to remove himself from danger using seemingly inhuman speed to vanish from an attack's path. At 18th level a myrmidon can, in exchange for four charges of his blurring speed ability, take a five foot step as a free action in response to being attacked. Even if the step does not remove the myrmidon from the attacker's threat range, the attack misses. This cannot be used to avoid Area of Effect spells or abilities. If the myrmidon already has the Vanishing Quickstep ability, he gains an attack of opportunity against his attacker, provided he still threatens them.
Grand Critical (Ex):
The myrmidon's training and combat experience have led him to be able to execute attacks with nearly impossible precision. When the myrmidon lands a critical hit, he deals an extra 4d6 precision damage.
Astra (Ex):
At 20th level, a myrmidon becomes legendarily fast and skilled in swordplay. Once per encounter, a myrmidon may use a full round attack option to make up to five attacks on a single target at their highest attack bonus. This ability can only be used when the myrmidon is wearing light or no armor, is unencumbered and is not holding a weapon or shield in their off hand. If the myrmidon has the Trueblade ability from the trueblade prestige class, he may activate this ability using 10 points from his martial energy pool.
Again the vast majority of the credit for the class goes to SouthpawHare. As was noted by Twilightwyrm in the original class's thread, this class does not have much potential for picking up a PrC. While this sort of makes sense seeing as their fighting style is relatively unique, I built a Trueblade prestige class for anyone who takes at least 5 levels of myrmidon.
The Trueblade
Spoiler
The spirit of this class rests with the fact that in Fire Emblem when a swordmaster promotes into a trueblade, the biggest thing that they gain is incredible speed. Most of their skill stat (that being what controls crit rate), comes from the levels they have of myrmidon and swordmaster.To try to reflect this, the trueblade prestige class is all about making the skills learned as a myrmidon work faster and more efficiently.
Trueblades are the result of the myrmidon ideal taken to a near spiritual level. Trueblades view their weapons as extensions of their own wills and lives. They are swordsmen whose skill is legendary and whose speed is nearly unmatched. Most trueblades fight with a grace and ease of movement that belies the force behind their blows, though there are a few known to rely more on overwhelming speed and aggressiveness to get the job done.
It is impossible to become a trueblade without at least some training as a myrmidon, though many physical combat classes that rely on finesse to win the day will find that the required training is well worth the effort. While only fully trained myrmidons will maximize the benefits of the trueblade prestige class, rogue/myrmidons may also find the trueblade's versatile yet blinding speed useful for getting into and out of dangerous situations.
As NPCs trueblades will almost always take the form of highly refined sword fighters. They will usually be either young people who are travelling in search of adventure to hone their skills or old sword masters who train those willing to work hard to be a new generation of myrmidons. Regardless of their age or intentions, trueblades are always well known for their skill with a sword even if only in a local capacity.
Hit Die: d8
Requirements:
To qualify to become a trueblade, a character must fulfill all of the following criteria.
Base Attack Bonus: +8
Skills: Tumble 10 Ranks, Concentration 10 Ranks, Balance 10 Ranks
Feats: None
Special: Blurring Speed Ability
Class Skills
The trueblade’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Balance (Dex), Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Perform(Weapon Drill) (Cha), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Profession (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), Swim (Str), and Tumble (Dex).
Skill points: 4 + Int modifier per level
{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special
1st|+1|+0|+2|+0|Blurring Speed(+2 per encounter)
2nd|+2|+0|+3|+0|Blazing Attack(+1 per encounter)
3rd|+3|+1|+3|+1|Training Consolidation
4th|+4|+1|+4|+1|
5th|+5|+1|+4|+1|Efficiency of Motion
6th|+6/+1|+2|+5|+2|Vanishing Quickstep
7th|+7/+2|+2|+5|+2|Martial Energy +2, Bonus Feat
8th|+8/+3|+2|+6|+2|
9th|+9/+4|+3|+6|+3|Martial Energy +2, Bonus Feat
10th|+10/+5|+3|+7|+3|Trueblade[/table]
Class Features
Blurring Speed (Ex):
At first level a trueblade gains two uses per encounter of his Blurring Speed ability.
Blazing Attack (Ex):
At second level, the trueblade gains one use per encounter of his Blazing Attack ability. If he can only use the ability once per day, this changes to one use per encounter.
Training Consolidation (Ex):
The trueblade reconciles the immense speed he has developed with the steady hand he learned as a myrmidon. Starting at level 3, his trueblade and myrmidon levels stack when determining the effect of Fluid Dodging. If the trueblade does not have Fluid Dodging, he automatically gains it as a bonus feat.
Efficiency of Motion (Ex):
A trueblade learns that his lightning speed is derived from an inner energy that propels him into battle. He uses that knowledge to make the best use of this energy in any given situation. By sacrificing normal access to his per encounter/per day abilities, the trueblade instead gains access to a pool of martial energy. This energy is stored in a pool containing a number of points equal to the sum of his myrmidon and trueblade levels. This pool increases by 2 points at level 7 and again at level 9. As a swift action he can access this pool to activate the following abilities for the associated number of points:
Blurring Speed - 1
Blazing Attack - 2
Vanishing Quickstep - 4
Vanishing Quickstep (Ex):
The trueblade has the ability to remove himself from danger, using seemingly inhuman speed to vanish from an attack's path. In exchange for four charges of his blurring speed ability, he can take a five foot step as a free action in response to being attacked. Even if the step does not remove the myrmidon from the attacker's threat range, the attack misses. If he already has the Vanishing Quickstep ability, he gains an attack of opportunity against his attacker after using Vanishing Quickstep provided he still threatens that opponent.
Bonus Feat:
The trueblade may choose an extra feat so long as that feat is of the Trueblade type and he meets the other prerequisites for.
Trueblade (Ex):
The trueblade reaches the pinnacle of his training in high-speed combat. His movement speed is increased by 10', his Blurring Speed ability now acts as a displacement spell but no longer gains a benefit from moving before using it, and he reduces the armor check penalty of any light armor he is wearing to 0. If he possesses the Astra myrmidon ability, he may use it as a full round attack at a cost of 10 Martial Energy per use.
FE Based Trueblade Bonus Feats
Adept [General, Trueblade]
You gain the ability to greatly increase the speed with which you can attack a single target.
Prerequisite: Efficiency of Motion
Benefit: At a cost of 6 martial energy points, you may use a full-round attack as a standard action this turn but lose the effects of Combat Momentum if you possess that ability.
Vantage [General, Trueblade]
Your ability to anticipate and counter incoming melee attacks can by uncanny.
Prerequisite: Efficiency of Motion
Benefit: As a swift action, you may spend 5 points of martial energy to cause the next attack made against you this round to generate an attack of opportunity even if it would not usually do so.
Wrath [General, Fighter, Trueblade]
You channel the pain of your injuries into ensuring your foes’ defeat.
Prerequisite: Base Attack Bonus +8, Weapon Focus(Any), Weapon Specialization(Any)
Benefit: While you are at or below 30% of your maximum HP (rounded down), you no longer need to roll to confirm critical hits when attacking with a weapon that you have focus and specialization in.
Disarm [General, Trueblade]
You use incredible speed to attempt to disarm your opponent.
Prerequisites: Efficiency of Motion
Benefit: For 2 martial energy points, you may make a disarm attempt as though you had the Improved Disarm feat. The check is made at a +3 bonus and the target receives a -3 penalty.
Counter [General, Trueblade]
Your reflexes allow you to take advantage of openings in the enemy’s defenses made by receiving at blow.
Prerequisites: Efficiency of Motion, Combat Reflexes
Benefit: For 4 martial energy points, as a swift action after being struck by a melee attack, you may make up to two attacks of opportunity at your full base attack bonus against the opponent who struck you.
Shockwave Strike [General, Trueblade]
You gain the ability to strike opponents that are out of your normal reach by swinging your weapon with impossible speed.
Prerequisites: Base Attack Bonus +10, Efficiency of Motion
Benefit: For 2 martial energy points, as a standard action, you may increase your attack range by 5’. This attack is made as a normal attack at your full attack bonus, but deals only weapon damage + half the normal damage bonus rounded down +2d6 sonic damage. For example, a trueblade with a damage modifier of +21 uses Shockwave Strike with a long sword against a target and hits. His attack would deal 1d8 + 10 +2d6 damage as sonic damage against the target. The extra damage from this attack is not multiplied by critical hits.
Special: If the weapon being used to perform Shockwave Strike has the Thundering enchantment on it, increase the sonic damage of the attack to 3d8.
Note: This isn't really a skill from FE but there were swords with ranged attacks. Also I just thought it might be kind of cool.
I get the feeling that fluid dodging comes in too late, since gaining it is an immediate +6 AC, but I couldn't find a place for it earlier since the early levels are already pretty heavy. Artful Deflection seems like it should be enough of a boost at armor class at lower levels to increase survivability, though I'm worried that it might get out of hand at high levels. I've never played a 3.x game past like level 4 so I'm not sure what attack bonuses look like as the levels build.
I've never really designed or really even modified a class before, let alone a prestige class, so any input would be greatly appreciated.
Edit: I put the trueblade's hit die size in, forgot that.
Edit: Changed Artful Deflection to function off of Base Attack Bonus based on the rate that total attack bonus can grow.
