[Base class] Oh what fun to ride and sing a slaying song tonight...

SLAYER
Grim and driven by an inner hatred, the slayer is a warrior dedicated single-mindedly to the pursuit and destruction of a few chosen enemies. Most choose creatures which have caused them suffering in the past; for instance, an elf whose forests were destroyed by human lumberjacks might become a human slayer. Slayers are seldom well-integrated into civilization. Many slayers come from tribal societies. It is not uncommon for a slayer to be the last surviving member of her tribe — and on a mission to avenge her people.

GAME RULE INFORMATION
Slayers have the following game statistics.
Abilities: Strength enhances a slayer's power as a combatant. Charisma is important for the slayer's smite attack and certain other special abilities.
Alignment: Any; the choice of enemy may be influenced by alignment. Undead slayers are usually good, elf slayers more often evil. A slayer cannot choose outsiders of a particular alignment as her favoured enemy unless she herself is of an opposing alignment.
Hit Die: d10.

Class Skills
The slayer's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Craft (Int), Gather Information (Cha), Handle Animal (Cha), Hide (Dex), Jump (Str), Listen (Wis), Ride (Dex), Search (Int), Sense Motive (Wis), Spot (Wis), and Survival (Wis). Each favoured enemy also grants the slayer a Knowledge skill as a class skill.
Skill Points at 1st Level: (4 + Int modifier) x 4.
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 4 + Int modifier.

THE SLAYER
{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special

1st|+1|+2|+0|+0|1st favoured enemy, detect enemy, smite enemy 1/day, Track (favoured enemy only)

2nd|+2|+3|+0|+0|Special ability

3rd|+3|+3|+1|+1|Bonus feat

4th|+4|+4|+1|+1|Uncanny dodge (favoured enemy only)

5th|+5|+4|+1|+1|2nd favoured enemy, smite enemy 2/day, special ability

6th|+6/+1|+5|+2|+2|Weapon specialization

7th|+7/+2|+5|+2|+2|Improved uncanny dodge (favoured enemy only)

8th|+8/+3|+6|+2|+2|Special ability

9th|+9/+4|+6|+3|+3|Bonus feat

10th|+10/+5|+7|+3|+3|3rd favoured enemy, smite enemy 3/day

11th|+11/+6/+1|+7|+3|+3|Special ability

12th|+12/+7/+2|+8|+4|+4|Lightning attack (favoured enemy only)

13th|+13/+8/+3|+8|+4|+4|Sidewinder charge (favoured enemy only)

14th|+14/+9/+4|+9|+4|+4|Special ability

15th|+15/+10/+5|+9|+5|+5|4th favoured enemy, smite enemy 4/day

16th|+16/+11/+6/+1|+10|+5|+5|Deep impact (favoured enemy only)

17th|+17/+12/+7/+2|+10|+5|+5|Special ability

18th|+18/+13/+8/+3|+11|+6|+6|Strike without hesitation (favoured enemy only)

19th|+19/+14/+9/+4|+11|+6|+6|Whirlwind attack (favoured enemy only)

20th|+20/+15/+10/+5|+12|+6|+6|5th favoured enemy, smite enemy 5/day, special ability[/table]

Class Features
All of the following are class features of the slayer.
Weapon and Armour Proficiency: Slayers are proficient with all simple and martial weapons, and with all armour and shields.
Favoured Enemy (Ex): At 1st level, a slayer may select a type of creature from among those given on the table below. The slayer gains a +2 bonus on Bluff, Listen, Sense Motive, Spot, and Survival checks when using these skills against creatures of this type, and also a +2 bonus on weapon damage rolls against such creatures.
At 5th level and every five levels thereafter (10th, 15th, and 20th level), the slayer may select an additional favoured enemy from those given on the table. In addition, at each such interval, the bonus against any one favoured enemy increases by 2.
If the slayer chooses humanoids or outsiders as a favoured enemy, she must also choose an associated subtype. She cannot choose her own type and subtype as a favoured enemy.

{table=head]Type (Subtype)|Special Abilities|Class Knowledge Skill

Aberration|Aura of courage, discern shapechanger, evasion, great fortitude, power attack, resist energy, turn aberrations|Knowledge (dungeoneering)

Animal|Aura of courage, death attack, power attack|Knowledge (nature)

Construct|Haste, improved sunder, power attack, trapfinding|Knowledge (architecture and engineering)

Dragon|Aura of courage, death attack, evasion, feather fall, lightning reflexes, resist energy|Knowledge (geography)

Elemental|Dismissal, feather fall, resist energy, turn elementals, water breathing|Knowledge (the planes)

Fey|Death attack, deflect arrows, discern shapechanger, resist nature's lure|Knowledge (nature)

Giant|Aura of courage, death attack, dodge, power attack|Knowledge (geography)

Humanoid (aquatic)|Death attack, water breathing|Knowledge (nature)

Humanoid (dwarf)|Cleaving smite, death attack, power attack|Knowledge (architecture and engineering)

Humanoid (elf)|Death attack, deflect arrows, resist nature's lure|Knowledge (history)

Humanoid (goblinoid)|Cleaving smite, death attack, deflect arrows, dodge|Knowledge (dungeoneering)

Humanoid (gnoll)|Aura of courage, death attack, dodge, power attack|Knowledge (geography)

Humanoid (gnome)|Death attack, power attack, resist nature's lure|Knowledge (architecture and engineering)

Humanoid (halfling)|Cleaving smite, death attack, deflect arrows|Knowledge (geography)

Humanoid (human)|Cleaving smite, death attack|Knowledge (local)

Humanoid (orc)|Aura of courage, death attack, dodge, power attack|Knowledge (dungeoneering)

Humanoid (reptilian)|Aura of courage, cleaving smite, death attack|Knowledge (nature)

Humanoid (shapechanger)|Death attack, discern shapechanger, great fortitude, power attack|Knowledge (nature)

Magical beast|Aura of courage, death attack, power attack|Knowledge (nature)

Monstrous humanoid|Aura of courage, death attack, dodge, power attack, resist nature's lure|Knowledge (dungeoneering)

Ooze|Haste, lightning reflexes, power attack, resist energy|Knowledge (dungeoneering)

Outsider (air)|Dismissal, evasion, feather fall, resist energy, turn air outsiders|Knowledge (the planes)

Outsider (chaotic)|Dismissal, dispel chaos, protection from chaos, turn chaotic outsiders|Knowledge (the planes)

Outsider (earth)|Dismissal, evasion, resist energy, turn earth outsiders|Knowledge (the planes)

Outsider (evil)|Dismissal, dispel evil, protection from evil, turn evil outsiders|Knowledge (the planes)

Outsider (fire)|Dismissal, evasion, resist energy, turn fire outsiders|Knowledge (the planes)

Outsider (good)|Dismissal, dispel good, protection from good, turn good outsiders|Knowledge (the planes)

Outsider (lawful)|Dismissal, dispel law, protection from law, turn lawful outsiders|Knowledge (the planes)

Outsider (native)|Death attack, resist nature's lure, turn native outsiders|Knowledge (geography)

Outsider (water)|Dismissal, evasion, resist energy, turn water outsiders, water breathing|Knowledge (the planes)

Plant|Death attack, haste, power attack|Knowledge (nature)

Undead|Aura of courage, cleaving smite, death ward, ghost warrior, great fortitude, turn undead|Knowledge (religion)

Vermin|Aura of courage, cleaving smite, death attack, haste, power attack|Knowledge (nature)[/table]

Detect Enemy (Sp): At will, a slayer can detect any of her favoured enemies, as the detect undead spell. A slayer with more than one favoured enemy can detect all of them, and distinguish which each one is, with one use of the ability.
Smite Enemy (Su): Once per day, a slayer may attempt to smite an enemy with one normal melee attack. She adds her Charisma bonus (if any) to her attack roll and deals 1 extra point of damage per slayer level. This extra damage stacks with the bonus to damage rolls that she already gets for her favoured enemies. Each time the slayer gains a new favoured enemy, she may smite one additional time per day. She can smite any combination of her favoured enemies up to her total number of smite attempts; she need not split them evenly between enemy types.
Track (Ex): A slayer gains the Track feat for free, but may only use it to track her favoured enemies.
Special Abilities: On attaining 2nd level, and at every three levels thereafter (5th, 8th, 11th, 14th, 17th, and 20th), a slayer gains a special ability of her choice from among the following options, provided she has the appropriate favoured enemy (see the table above). With noted exceptions, these abilities function against any of her favoured enemies, but not other creatures. Spell-like abilities use the slayer's class level.
Aura of Courage (Su): A slayer with this ability is immune to fear effects, magical or otherwise, caused by any of her favoured enemies. Each ally within 10 feet of her gains a +4 morale bonus on saving throws against such fear effects. This ability functions while the slayer is conscious, but not if she is unconscious or dead.
Cleaving Smite (Ex): A slayer who has this ability, and who can smite more than one enemy per day, gains the Great Cleave feat for free even if she does not have the normal prerequisites; however, she can only use it in combination with a smite attack. Each attack she makes during the cleave is a smite attack, and counts towards her limit of smite attacks per day. She is not granted the ability to cleave creatures that are not her favoured enemies as part of the attack.
Death Attack (Su): A slayer with this ability who successfully smites a favoured enemy may, in addition to dealing smiting damage, attempt either to paralyse or to kill the enemy (slayer's choice). If the victim of such an attack fails a Fortitude save (DC 10 + slayer level + slayer's Cha modifier), it is rendered helpless for 1d6 rounds + slayer level (paralysis attack) or dies (kill attack). If the Fortitude save succeeds, the attack is just a smite attack. Regardless of her number of smite attacks, the slayer can only make one death attack per day.
Death Ward (Sp): A slayer with this ability may cast death ward on herself as the spell once per day per favoured enemy she has upon seeing, detecting, or otherwise becoming aware of a favoured enemy in her presence. It is effective only against attacks by favoured enemies. Only slayers of 8th level or over may take this ability.
Deflect Arrows (Ex): A slayer with this ability gains the Deflect Arrows feat for free even if she does not have the normal prerequisites. This ability functions against any opponent with a ranged weapon, favoured enemy or not.
Discern Shapechanger (Sp): A slayer with this ability who spends an extra round concentrating on an enemy she has detected can examine it and determine whether it is polymorphed, disguised, or transmuted, and what its true form is. If she looks at a shapechanger in its true form, she knows that it is a shapechanger, but cannot determine what other forms it might be capable of assuming.
Dismissal (Sp): A slayer with this ability may dismiss any extraplanar favoured enemy, as the spell, with a successful smite attack. Only slayers of 8th level or over may take this ability.
Dispel Chaos/Evil/Good/Law (Sp): A slayer with this ability may use the spell in question once per day per favoured enemy she has. The deflection bonus it grants applies to attacks by any creature of the relevant alignment, and she may dispel any enchantments of that alignment; however, she may only use the attack form against her favoured enemies.
Dodge (Ex): A slayer with this ability gains the Dodge feat for free even if she does not have the normal prerequisites. This ability can only be used against a favoured enemy.
Evasion (Ex): A slayer with this ability who makes a successful Reflex saving throw against an attack that normally deals half damage on a successful save instead takes no damage. Evasion can be used only if the slayer is wearing light armour or no armour. This special ability may be taken twice if the slayer has two favoured enemies that grant it. A slayer who gains the evasion ability a second time, whether from a second favoured enemy or from another class, automatically gains improved evasion (and thus takes only half damage even on a failed Reflex save).
Feather Fall (Sp): A slayer with this ability can cast feather fall on herself once per day per favoured enemy she has. The fall need not have been caused by a favoured enemy.
Ghost Warrior (Su): A slayer with this ability may attack incorporeal favoured enemies as normal; their usual 50% miss chance no longer applies. In addition, such enemies must make normal attacks, not merely touch attacks, to hit the slayer.
Great Fortitude (Ex): A slayer with this ability gains the Great Fortitude feat for free. The bonus applies to all Fort saves, regardless of whether they were occasioned by a favoured enemy.
Haste (Sp): A slayer with this ability can cast haste on herself once per day per favoured enemy she has upon seeing, detecting, or otherwise becoming aware of a favoured enemy in her presence. The effect lasts 1 round/level or until the enemy is defeated, whichever comes first.
Improved Sunder (Ex): A slayer with this ability gains the Improved Sunder feat for free even if she does not have the normal prerequisites. This feat applies to any sunder attempt, whether or not it involves a favoured enemy.
Lightning Reflexes (Ex): A slayer with this ability gains the Lightning Reflexes feat for free. The bonus applies to all Ref saves, regardless of whether they were occasioned by a favoured enemy.
Power Attack (Ex): A slayer with this ability gains the Power Attack feat for free even if she does not have the normal prerequisites. This feat can only be used against her favoured enemies.
Protection from Chaos/Evil/Good/Law (Sp): A slayer with this ability can use the protection spell in question on herself once per day per favoured enemy she has upon seeing, detecting, or otherwise becoming aware of a favoured enemy in her presence. The effect lasts 1 minute/level or until the enemy is defeated, whichever comes first. While in effect it protects the slayer against all creatures of the relevant alignment, favoured enemies or not.
Resist Energy (Su): A slayer with this ability is permanently protected as if by a resist energy spell. The energy type to be resisted must be chosen when the ability is first taken, and cannot be changed thereafter. This ability may be taken more than once if the slayer has more than one enemy that grants it. The effects do not stack; each time, the ability applies to a different energy type.
Resist Nature's Lure (Su): A slayer with this ability gains a +4 bonus on saving throws against enchantments, illusions, and any mind-affecting effects produced by her favoured enemies (whether spells, spell-like abilities, or supernatural abilities).
Trapfinding (Ex): A slayer with this ability can use the Search skill to locate traps of DC higher than 20 as a rogue does. She can use the Disable Device skill to disarm traps as a rogue does, but she takes a -5 penalty on the check, and cannot use the skill to bypass traps as a rogue can. Disable Device is a cross-class skill for slayers. This ability applies to all traps, regardless of whether they were set by a favoured enemy.
Turn Enemy (Su): A slayer with this ability can turn or destroy the favoured enemy in question as a good cleric of four levels lower would turn or destroy undead. Unlike most slayer abilities, this ability applies only to one specific favoured enemy, and must be taken a second time in order to use it against a second favoured enemy. For instance, a slayer whose favoured enemies were undead and evil outsiders could not use a turn undead ability to turn evil outsiders. However, the slayer's maximum total number of turning checks per day for all favoured enemies is equal to 3 + her Cha modifier. Only slayers of 5th level or over may take this ability.
Water Breathing (Su): A slayer with this ability can breathe water as easily as she can breathe air. This ability functions continuously.
Bonus Feat: At 3rd level, and again at 9th level, a slayer may take any bonus feat from the list of fighter bonus feats whose prerequisites she meets. Alternatively, she may take either of the rogue abilities Defensive Roll (if she has Dex 13+) or Opportunist.
Uncanny Dodge (Ex): At 4th level, a slayer gains the ability to react to danger before her senses would normally allow her to do so. She retains her Dexterity bonus to AC (if any) even if she is caught flat-footed or struck by an invisible attacker, provided that attacker is a favoured enemy. She still loses her Dexterity bonus to AC if immobilized.
Weapon Specialization (Ex): A slayer of 6th level or higher who has the Weapon Focus feat with any melee weapon may take Weapon Specialization with that weapon as a bonus feat.
Improved Uncanny Dodge (Ex): At 7th level and higher, a slayer's favoured enemies no longer either grant or receive flanking bonuses against her.
Lightning Attack (Ex): At 12th level and higher, a slayer adds her Charisma bonus (if positive) to her initiative check when in the presence of a favoured enemy.
Sidewinder Charge (Ex): At 13th level and higher, when charging at a favoured enemy, the slayer can make a number of turns, each of not more than 90 degrees, equal to her Dexterity modifier. The action still counts as a charge.
Deep Impact (Su): Once per day per slayer level, at 16th level and higher, a slayer can make a melee attack against a favoured enemy as a touch attack for purposes of determining the enemy's AC. If the attack misses, the ability is wasted.
Strike Without Hesitation (Ex): At 18th level and higher, a slayer in the presence of a favoured enemy gains a free surprise round, even if the enemy is already aware of her. The only action she can take in this round is a melee attack against a favoured enemy with a weapon for which she has Weapon Specialization.
Whirlwind Attack (Ex): At 19th level, a slayer gains the Whirlwind Attack feat for free even if she does not have the normal prerequisites. This feat can only be used against her favoured enemies.
Code of Conduct: A slayer is dedicated to the destruction of her favoured enemies. She can never knowingly and willingly aid, associate with, or befriend any favoured enemy creature. If she does, she loses all special abilities granted by that favoured enemy, even if she in fact earned those abilities from a different enemy; furthermore, that creature type is no longer considered a favoured enemy for the purposes of any of her other slayer abilities, and she loses one smite attack per day. In order to regain these lost abilities she must first slay the enemy she aided, associated with, or befriended, and then atone for the violation.
Special: These restrictions do not entirely apply to a slayer whose chosen enemy is animals. An animal slayer may aid, associate with, or befriend an animal provided it is not a dinosaur, a dire animal, or a giant animal (crocodile, octopus, squid etc.).

Holy dead levels batman!.

Seriously. Thats.. A lot of dead levels. And it doesn't even get spell-casting to make up for it..

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Originally Posted by ZeroNumerous

Holy dead levels batman!.

Seriously. Thats.. A lot of dead levels. And it doesn't even get spell-casting to make up for it..

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Good point. But I can't have a special ability every 2 levels, and I'd rather not give them spellcasting if I can avoid it. What do you suggest?

So it's somewhat like a variant Ranger.

Also, tons of dead levels, like Zero said. You might want to spread out a few "filler" abilities.

If you can spread out the Special Ability, Favored Enemy, and Smite Enemy abilities out to different levels, you've only got 2 special abilities to come up with.

Alright, a couple suggestions from your friendly neighborhood Logman.

-The Slayer Psionic prestige class gives certain immunities to the monster it kills (Mind Flayers). Perhaps add an ability to be able to weaken/ignore/reflect a chosen ability that your chosen enemy has? Of course, this has a possibility to be completely useless (Ignoring the Gelatinous Cube swallow ability), to ignoring Rend, or some spell that almost all outsiders carry, which would be overpowering.

-This class NEEDS a capstone, I mean NEEDS it. More stuff that they had been getting for 20 levels is boring, maybe a rage they can fly into, except 2-3 times better than a Barbarians, with no drawbacks, that can only happen when near their chosen enemy. Or, make this rage something that is constant, filling in the dead levels, probably the third level ones, 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, and then the best at 20.

Something like this maybe?

I call it: Focused Combat, it can be activated a limited times per day, and even then only on the Favored Enemies of this class. These bonuses only apply when fighting a favored enemy, and even then the bonuses stop working if the Slayer stops fighting an enemy that is favored.

Level | Focus power | Uses per day |
3 | +1 to Strength, +1 to Will Saves, +0 to AC | 1 |
6 | +2 to Strength, +2 to Will Saves, +1 to AC | 3 |
9 | +2 to Strength, +1 to Dex, +3 to Will Saves, +2 to AC | 5 |
12 | +2 to Strength, +2 to Dex, +4 to Will Saves, +3 to AC | 7 |
15 | +3 to Strength, +2 to Dex, +5 to Will, +4 to AC | 9 |
18 | +4 to Strength, +4 to Dex, +6 to Will, +6 to AC | 10 |
20 | +6 to Strength, +6 to Dex, +8 to Will, +8 to AC | Infinite |


Probably way over-powered, but hey, it's just an idea, a frame to maybe work with.

Edited (alas, Demented and TheLogman's suggestions came while I was in the middle of editing). What do you think now?

...Not to be pushy, but I'd still like feedback...

This is a very polarized class, either you are a fighter without bonus feats or you are death incarnate, based on weither you see your favored enemy. You can't even track for the party if you arn't tracking your favored enemy. This might be a good class for one shot games or games where the whole point is to kill a single type of creatures, but this class would stink for long games or games where you are expected to fight many types of monsters.

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Originally Posted by Kyace

This is a very polarized class, either you are a fighter without bonus feats or you are death incarnate, based on weither you see your favored enemy. You can't even track for the party if you arn't tracking your favored enemy. This might be a good class for one shot games or games where the whole point is to kill a single type of creatures, but this class would stink for long games or games where you are expected to fight many types of monsters.

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Yes... I think you're right. I'm trying to think of stuff for a campaign world; I've collected more spellcasting classes than I thought I would and I need some warriors to balance them out. Clearly, slayers aren't going to cut the mustard on their own. I'll have to think of something else...

You know, I have to say that I was disappointed when I read this entry. I was really hoping for a 20-level Santa Claus class.:smalltongue:

Seriously though, this isn't bad. It still needs work (i.e. FLUFF), & there are still a few dead levels that could be filled with diversifying abilities, but this has potential. Keep trying, NC. Your almost there.

Edited again; is this better?

Nice fluff, good job on adding a flavor identity. It could use a little more, though.

As for the mechanics, this seems pretty good, although I'm concerned that because this class focuses so intently on its favored enemy, a character would be underpowered against other enemy types & other situations in which their favored enemy is in play, as it were. Perhaps this could partially ameliorated by filling those last two dead levels (3rd & 9th) with bonus fighter feats? I don't think that two extra feats would make the class unbalanced.

Thanks, ZK... I've added those bonus feats. How's it now?

Um...if a slayer can associate with animals when her favored enemy is animals and not lose any abilities, why can't she associate with dinosaurs? Dire animals, I can maybe see some logic in that, but dinosaurs? :smallconfused:

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Originally Posted by Vadin

Um...if a slayer can associate with animals when her favored enemy is animals and not lose any abilities, why can't she associate with dinosaurs? Dire animals, I can maybe see some logic in that, but dinosaurs? :smallconfused:

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She's allowed normal animals because it would be silly to prevent her from riding a horse or using a hunting dog. An animal-slayer's favoured enemy, strictly speaking, is unusually dangerous animals, and dinosaurs and dire animals both qualify as that. I was thinking of similarly relaxing the rules for vermin-slayers or plant-slayers, but I realized there was no need. Nobody's going to be associating with ordinary vermin anyway — I guess the vermin-slayer can't take Profession (beekeeper) or Profession (silk-maker), but that's not much of a drawback. And ordinary plants are objects, not creatures.

I hate favored enemy, only because it's solely up to the DM if you find anyone to use the class feature on. I would broaden it by just using creature types. No sub-types, but that's just me.

Aberration
Animal
Construct
Dragon
Elemental
Fey
Giant
Humanoid
Magical beast
Monstrous humanoid
Ooze
Outsider
Plant
Undead
Vermin

That looks pretty good for a list. Like I said, it's your class though.

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Originally Posted by Devouring Rage

I hate favored enemy, only because it's solely up to the DM if you find anyone to use the class feature on. I would broaden it by just using creature types. No sub-types, but that's just me.

Aberration
Animal
Construct
Dragon
Elemental
Fey
Giant
Humanoid
Magical beast
Monstrous humanoid
Ooze
Outsider
Plant
Undead
Vermin

That looks pretty good for a list. Like I said, it's your class though.

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I take your point — though, as you can't take your own type and subtype as a favoured enemy, you'd still need some kind of distinctions among "humanoids". As I said, this class is intended for a specific campaign world, and that world has fewer creature types and different ones.

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Originally Posted by Devouring Rage

I hate favored enemy, only because it's solely up to the DM if you find anyone to use the class feature on. I would broaden it by just using creature types. No sub-types, but that's just me.

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Broadening FE wouldn't solve anything, really. The DM still calls the shots with creature placement, & some types just show up more often than others in an adventure, giving one Ranger a clear advantage over another.

I, for one, tend to use Humanoids, Aberrations & Undead more often than everything else combined. I can't even remember that last time I put my PC's up against a Fey, & Dragons are quite rare. And every campaign world is going to be different, so type-based FE are just as valid (or invalid) as subtype-based FE. I tell my players before a campaign starts what to expect, at least in broad terms, & I won't willingly screw over a player whose build is focused on obscure monsters/items/spells/whatever. But your solution doesn't change the basic conceit.

A better approach might be a focus-based FE. Here's an example:

A party of adventurers hears a loud gang of ogres traipsing through the woods. The ranger takes a full round action to size up one of them, studying him intently. Then, drawing his bow, he fires, gaining a +2 of his damage roll on a successful Wisdom check (assuming a successful attack).

Instead of FE as written, this variant has the ranger focus on one target for 1 full round action. With a successful Wisdom check (DC10 + opponent's CR), the ranger gains all of the benefits of FE against that opponent only for the rest of that encounter. Its sort of a sniping-oriented benefit, as taking damage during the full-round focus negates the attempt. But it eliminates the dependence on type by allowing it to work on any opponent, regardless of creature type.

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Originally Posted by Zeta Kai

A better approach might be a focus-based FE. Here's an example:

A party of adventurers hears a loud gang of ogres traipsing through the woods. The ranger takes a full round action to size up one of them, studying him intently. Then, drawing his bow, he fires, gaining a +2 of his damage roll on a successful Wisdom check (assuming a successful attack).

Instead of FE as written, this variant has the ranger focus on one target for 1 full round action. With a successful Wisdom check (DC10 + opponent's CR), the ranger gains all of the benefits of FE against that opponent only for the rest of that encounter. Its sort of a sniping-oriented benefit, as taking damage during the full-round focus negates the attempt. But it eliminates the dependence on type by allowing it to work on any opponent, regardless of creature type.

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Oh, wow. I really like that. Kudos!

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Originally Posted by Zeta Kai

A better approach might be a focus-based FE. Here's an example:

A party of adventurers hears a loud gang of ogres traipsing through the woods. The ranger takes a full round action to size up one of them, studying him intently. Then, drawing his bow, he fires, gaining a +2 of his damage roll on a successful Wisdom check (assuming a successful attack).

Instead of FE as written, this variant has the ranger focus on one target for 1 full round action. With a successful Wisdom check (DC10 + opponent's CR), the ranger gains all of the benefits of FE against that opponent only for the rest of that encounter. Its sort of a sniping-oriented benefit, as taking damage during the full-round focus negates the attempt. But it eliminates the dependence on type by allowing it to work on any opponent, regardless of creature type.

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A small problem arises when using that for this class, however: it completely invalidates my idea of having different special abilities for each favoured enemy type.