We love fighter fixes in these here forums, don't we? The trouble with a fighter fix, of course, is that the heart of a fighter is feats. So if we want a better fighter, we need feats that put fighters on the same footing with classes that use martial maneuvers, spells, or psionics.
These are not those feats. Yet.
As part of a comprehensive fighter fix, I've written 10 new feats made just for fighters. These are the rough drafts, but I need impartial critics to help me iron out the bugs in them. Help me GIANTITP, you're my only hope!
Note: Some of the prerequisites may be unfamiliar to you. When you see labels like barbaric fighter, commanding fighter, or disciplined fighter, just think "Strength fighter, Charisma fighter, and Wisdom fighter" instead.
ADRENALINE BURST [Fighter]
When danger threatens, you can will your body to release a sudden burst of adrenaline, briefly gaining exceptional resilience and speed.
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Prerequisites: Con 15, Improved Toughness, Fighter level 15th
Benefit: As an immediate action, you gain 10 temporary hit points per character level, a +10-foot increase to all of your movement speeds, and an additional attack per round whenever you make a full attack (this extra attack does not stack with other effects that grant additional attacks, such as haste). The temporary hit points last 5 minutes. The other benefits last for five minutes or until your temporary hit points are exhausted, whichever comes first. When these benefits fade, you become exhausted.
Special: If you are currently fatigued or exhausted, or are immune to fatigue or exhaustion, you cannot activate this feat. Once you activate this feat, you cannot benefit from any effect that would render you immune to fatigue or exhaustion (you are not considered a valid target for such effects, and they fail and are negated if used on you).
CONE OF GORE [Fighter]
You can deliver a killing stroke that splatters nearby creatures with a shower of gore.
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Prerequisites: Strength 13, Cleave, Power Attack, Fighter level 14th
Benefit: When you kill a corporeal opponent while using Power Attack at a penalty of -5 or worse, you may opt to sacrifice all your remaining attacks this round (including any Cleave attempt to which you may be entitled) to deliver the blow with such overwhelming force that the victim's innards spray forth in a 30-foot cone, pelting all within the area with fragments of your foe. An opponent you kill in this manner cannot be brought back to life with any magic that requires an intact corpse, such as raise dead, nor is its body suitable for animating with spells such as animate dead.
All creatures within the cone of gore are blinded (Reflex negates, DC = 10 + 1/2 your character level + your Strength modifier), and must make a Fortitude saving throw (against the same DC) or be nauseated. Opponents who succeed on this latter save are merely sickened. Blinded creatures may take a move action to clear their eyes of fragments of the deceased and regain their sight. The nauseated or shaken condition lasts for one minute.
Special: If you have the Frightful Presence ability, using Cone of Gore activates it.
DODGE FLURRY [Fighter]
When danger threatens, time seems to slow down for you, and you gain an amazing ability to dodge attacks.
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Prerequisites: Dex 13, Int 13, Combat Expertise, Dodge, Elusive Target, Fighter Level 14th
Benefits: As an immediate action, you can initiate a Dodge Flurry. Dodge Flurry is considered the Total Defense action, so you gain the usual advantages and disadvantages of Total Defense: you get a +4 dodge bonus to your AC, and can't make attacks of opportunity. Additionally, your accelerated reflexes grants you a 50% miss chance against all attacks and spells until the end of your next turn. You also take half damage from all sources until the end of your next turn.
Special: Using Dodge Flurry is strenuous. On your next turn after activating it, you can take no actions other than a single move action.
EXPERT AID [Fighter]
You can aid and support your allies with a mere shouted command or phrase.
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Prerequisite: Commanding fighter 2
Benefit: You may take 10 on Aid Another attempts, may make them from any distance as long as you have line of sight to both your ally and your ally’s opponent, and finally may make them as a move action instead of, or in addition to, a standard action.
Advancement: If you have character level 9th or higher, your Aid Another attempts grant a +5 bonus, and you may make Aid Another attempts as swift or immediate actions instead of, or in addition to, move actions or standard actions.
FINAL STAND [Fighter]
You can inspire your troops to heroic effort.
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Prerequisite: Diplomacy 12 ranks, Commanding Fighter 9th
Benefit: You gain the ability to make Diplomacy check as a full-round action to inspire your allies to stand against all odds. You and a number of allies equal to your character level + your Charisma bonus gain a number of bonus hit points as shown on the chart below, to a maximum of 100% of their full normal hit points total. These temporary hit points last five minutes. Each time after the first that you successfully use this ability in a single 24-hour period, the check DC increases by 10.
{table=head]Check Result|Bonus
30|2d10
40|4d10
50|6d10
60|8d10
70|10d10
80|12d10[/table]
MARTIAL PHYSIQUE [Fighter]
Through rigorous calisthenics and exercise, you have tuned your body to perform at its peak potential.
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Prerequisite: Str 13, Dex 13, Con 13, Martial Aptitude class feature, Fighter level 6th
Benefit: By incorporating physical training, endurance running, or stretching exercises into the hour of weapons drill involved in using Martial Aptitude, you gain a +2 competence bonus to either Strength, Dextegrity, or Constitution. This additional training does not increase the amount of time required to use Martial Aptitude, and the bonus lasts for 24 hours.
Advancement: If you have character level 12th or greater, you can instead gain a +4 competence bonus, or +2 to two physical ability scores.
If you have character level 18th or greater, you can instead gain a +6 competence bonus, or +4 to one physical ability score and +2 to another, or +2 to all three.
PLATOON LEADER [Fighter]
You can skillfully direct the actions of a larger group of allies.
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Prerequisites: Commanding fighter 13, Expert Aid
Benefit: When you use the Aid Another Action, you can affect a number of allies within range equal to your Charisma bonus. You must give all allies the same benefit.
SHOCKWAVE STRIKE [Fighter]
You can make a furious ground strike that knocks other creatures down.
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Prerequisites: Strength 26, Barbaric fighter 16th, Power Attack, and either Rage, Ferocity or Whirling Frenzy
Benefit: While in a state of rage, ferocity, or whirling frenzy, you can expend one additional use of the ability and strike the ground with your weapon or foot as a full-round action. The impact creates a shockwave that travels through the surface you're standing on. You decide which area to affect: either a 60-foot line, a 30-foot cone, or a 20-foot radius burst centered on you. Make a bull rush attack by rolling once regardless of how many creatures are in the effect. Every creature standing on the surface within your area of effect make a Strength check and compares it to your roll. Those who fail their opposed checks are knocked down.
Special: Structures and unattended objects at least partially within the shock wave take damage equal to 1d6 + one and a half times your Strength bonus in damage (as if your attack was made with a two-handed weapon). If you gain any special benefits when dealing damage to objects, those benefits apply to this attack (DM's judgment as to which benefits apply and how).
Advancement: If you have one or more Dungeon Crasher feats, you deal appropriate damage to each tripped creature in the effect, since you have effectively bull-rushed it into a solid object (the ground). Also, you deal your Dungeon Crasher damage to structures and unattended objects instead of the damage listed above.
THE THOUSAND CUTS [Fighter]
You have mastered the dreaded Thousand Cuts technique.
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Prerequisites: Dex 13, Weapon Master Fighter 18th, Dodge, Melee Weapon Mastery (Slashing), Slashing Flurry, Spring Attack, Weapon Focus, Weapon Specialization, Whirlwind Attack
Benefit: When you are armed with a slashing weapon, you can take a full-round action to perform the dreaded Thousand Cuts technique, executing a thousand strokes in the span of a few seconds. Foes that come too close are cut to ribbons; the strikes are too many and too quick for any to avoid.
All creatures adjacent to you, both friend and foe, sustain 2d6 Con damage, and sustain a critical hit from you. On a successful save, you only score a critical hit against the creature (Reflex partial, DC = 10 + 1/2 your character level + the better of your Strength or Dexterity modifiers). Creatures reduced to 0 Constitution by this initial damage are hacked apart and hideously mangled -- they cannot be brought back to life with any magic that requires an intact corpse, such as raise dead, nor are their bodies suitable for animating with spells such as animate dead. Creatures that survive sustain dozens of gaping wounds that cause 1 additional Con damage per round, as with a wounding weapon. Adjacent unattended objects and creatures that lack a Constitution score must save or be destroyed outright and mangled beyond hope of repair (Fortitude partial, DC = 10 + 1/2 your character level + the better of your Strength or Dexterity modifiers). On a successful save, you score a critical hit against the creature or object instead.
Until the beginning of your next turn, any creature that enters a square adjacent to you sustains the same treatment as described above each time it enters one of your adjacent squares. Creatures that end their turns in square adjacent to you are also affected in the same manner.
There are very few defenses against The Thousand Cuts. Creatures do not benefit from concealment or total concealment, nor from the miss chance provided by spells such as blink, displacement, or ghostform. Mirror image provides no defense – in fact, your flurry of strikes automatically strikes every mirror image, dispelling it instantly. A creature with total cover from you might be protected from the attack, but only if the cover itself survives your attack – if you destroy the object providing total cover, then the creature is affected normally. Only creatures that are completely immune to your attack (such as an incorporeal creature if you are wielding a non-magical weapon) are safe from The Thousand Cuts.
The Thousand Cuts technique is considered the Total Defense action, so you gain the usual advantages and disadvantages of Total Defense: you get a +4 dodge bonus to your AC, and can't make attacks of opportunity. Essentially, the Thousand Cuts effect described above replaces your normal threat range and attacks. Additionally, your constant motion and the near-invisible flicker of your blade grants you a 20% miss chance against all attacks.
Special: You cannot move while performing the Thousand Cuts. If you do move, even as a result of involuntary movement, the technique is disrupted and ends immediately.
WHIRLWIND SUNDER [Fighter]
When you perform a whirlwind attack, nothing within your reach is left unscatched.
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Prerequisites: Str 13, Dex 13, Intimidate 15 ranks, Fighter 14th, Dodge, Improved Sunder, Power Attack, Spring Attack, Whirlwind Attack
Benefit: When you perform a whirlwind attack, you may make a sunder attempt against a number of objects within your reach up to your base attack bonus.
If you wish, you may waive all of your attacks against creatures that you would normally make as part of a whirlwind attack and make only sunder attempts. You may then make an Intimidate check to demoralize as a free action. This demoralize attempt targets each creature within your reach whose weapon, shield, or other held or attended object you sundered.
