Time Warrior [3.5e Base Class, PEACH]

[Athaniar]

The Time Warrior

”You just ran out of time.”
-Ar’Qronos, Time Warrior


The time warrior is a mysterious individual, having mastered both the art of heavy combat and the power of time itself, using both in a devastating combination that leaves his enemies dead before they know it themselves. To prevail in battle, the time warrior manipulates time itself to speed himself up, slow his enemies down, and even to enhance his strikes with it.


Alignment: Any.
Hit Die: d10
Class Skills (2+Int): Balance (Dex), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Knowledge (Arcana) (Int), Knowledge (History) (Int), Profession (Int), Swim (Str)

The Time Warrior
{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special

1st|

+1

|

+2

|

+0

|

+0

|Retry 1/day

2nd|

+2

|

+3

|

+0

|

+0

|Bonus Feat

3rd|

+3

|

+3

|

+1

|

+1

|True Strike

4th|

+4

|

+4

|

+1

|

+1

|Bonus Feat, Retry 2/day

5th|

+5

|

+4

|

+1

|

+1

|Temporal Strike

6th|

+6/+1

|

+5

|

+2

|

+2

|Bonus Feat

7th|

+7/+2

|

+5

|

+2

|

+2

|Bonus Feat

8th|

+8/+3

|

+6

|

+2

|

+2

|Haste, Retry 3/day

9th|

+9/+4

|

+6

|

+3

|

+3

|Bonus Feat

10th|

+10/+5

|

+7

|

+3

|

+3

|Temporal Strike effect

11th|

+11/+6/+1

|

+7

|

+3

|

+3

|Bonus Feat

12th|

+12/+7/+2

|

+8

|

+4

|

+4

|Moment of Prescience, Retry 4/day

13th|

+13/+8/+3

|

+8

|

+4

|

+4

|Bonus Feat

14th|

+14/+9/+4

|

+9

|

+4

|

+4

|Timeless Self

15th|

+15/+10/+5

|

+9

|

+5

|

+5

|Temporal Strike effect

16th|

+16/+11/+6/+1

|

+10

|

+5

|

+5

|Bonus Feat, Retry 5/day

17th|

+17/+12/+7/+2

|

+10

|

+5

|

+5

|Bonus Feat

18th|

+18/+13/+8/+3

|

+11

|

+6

|

+6

|Time Stop

19th|

+19/+14/+9/+4

|

+11

|

+6

|

+6

|Bonus Feat

20th|

+20/+15/+10/+5

|

+12

|

+6

|

+6

|Temporal Strike effect, Timeless Perfection, Retry 6/day[/table]

Class Features

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: All simple and martial weapons, all armor, and shields (but not tower).

Retry (Su)
Once per day, you may reroll and one dice roll you make, but you must keep the second roll, even it the first was better. At 4th level, you may use Retry an additional time per day, and one additional time per day for each four levels (see table). You may not use more than one Retry on one roll.

Bonus Feats
At 2nd, 4th, 6th, 7th, 9th, 11th, 13th, 17th, and 19th level, the time warrior gets a bonus feat from the list of time warrior bonus feats (see below).

True Strike (Sp)
At 3rd level, you gain the ability to use True Strike as a spell-like ability once per encounter, with a caster level equal to your time warrior level.

Temporal Strike (Su)
At 5th level, you gain the ability to use Temporal Strike in place of a normal melee strike, which gives you a +5 insight bonus to your attack roll and activates a temporal effect, which serves to either augment your combat abilities or to hamper your target's. You choose one effect which you can then apply to the Temporal Strike when you first gain the ability, and one additional effect each five levels (see table). You may only apply one effect per Temporal Strike. Temporal Strike is usable a number of times per encounter equal to your Charisma modifier.

Temporal Anticipation
After you have successfully delivered the Temporal Strike, you gain a +5 insight bonus to AC for a number of rounds equal to half your time warrior level (rounded up) +1.

Temporal Drain
Your Temporal Strike bestows one negative level on the target. Fortitude save negates, DC is 10 + 1/2 Time Warrior level (rounded up) + Cha mod.

Temporal Flurry
Roll twice when determining the damage of your Temporal Strike.

Temporal Incapacitation
Your Temporal Strike applies Slow to the target, with a caster level equal to your time warrior level. Will save negates, DC is 10 + 1/2 Time Warrior level (rounded up) + Cha mod.

Temporal Insight
Your Temporal Strike gains an additional 10 insight bonus to its attack roll.

Temporal Spellbreaking
Your Temporal Strike removes the use two spells of the highest spell level that the target has prepared.

Temporal Venom
1d4 rounds after you deal damage with your Temporal Strike, the target takes the same amount of damage again, and once again after another 1d4 rounds.

Haste (Sp)
At 8th level, you gain the ability to use Haste on as a spell-like ability on yourself once per encounter, with a caster level equal to your time warrior level.

Moment of Prescience (Sp)
At 12th level, you gain the ability to use Moment of Prescience as a spell-like ability once per encounter, with a caster level equal to your time warrior level.

Timeless Self (Su)
At 14th level, the time warrior ceases aging and cannot be magically aged.

Time Stop (Sp)
At 18th level, you gain the ability to use Time Stop as a spell-like ability once per encounter, with a caster level equal to your time warrior level.

Timeless Perfection (Su)
At 20th level, the time warrior gains the ability to change which age category to belong to. This ability comes into effect after a period of sleep of the time warrior’s choice, and can be used once per 1d4 tendays (determined when the ability is used).


Time Warrior Feats

Insightful Strike [General]
Prerequisite: Temporal Strike ability.
Benefit: The insight bonus of your Temporal Strike increases to +10.

Lore of Time [General]
Prerequisite: Time Warrior level 1
Benefit: You may add half your time warrior level (rounded up) to any Knowledge (History) check you make.

Master of Anticipation [General]
Prerequisite: Insightful Strike, Temporal Anticipation effect
Benefit: The insight bonus of your Temporal Strike increases to +12 and the insight bonus of your Temporal Anticipation effect increases to +8.

Spontaneous Historian [General]
Prerequisite: Cha 13+, Knowledge (History) 5 ranks (excluding those gained from Lore of Time).
Benefit: The key ability for your Knowledge (History) skill changes to Charisma. You gain 2 additional ranks in Knowledge (History).

Temporal Control [General]
Prerequisite: Haste as a spell-like ability.
Benefit: You may spend a use of the Haste ability to cast Slow instead (as the spell).

Temporal Historian [General]
Prerequisite: Lore of Time, Knowledge (History) 10 ranks (excluding those gained from Lore of Time).
Benefit: You gain the ability to use Legend Lore as a spell-like ability once per day, with a caster level equal to your time warrior level.

Temporal Onslaught [General]
Prerequisite: Temporal Strike ability with three effects.
Benefit: Once per encounter, you may apply an additional effect to your Temporal Strike.

Try and Try Again [General]
Prerequisite: Retry ability usable two times/day.
Benefit: You may use up to two Retry attempts on the same roll.

List of "Normal" Feats Acceptable as Time Warrior Bonus Feats:

Spoiler

Show

Combat Reflexes
Improved Initiative
Lightning Reflexes
Quick Draw
Quicken Spell-Like Ability
Run
Skill Focus (Knowledge (History), Knowledge (Arcana))

[Glooble Glistencrist]

Too many dead levels, and too many per-day abilities. It needs more. Maybe try replacing the spell-like abilities with a partial caster progression? Figure out a Time Warrior spell list? Tat would be my suggestion. Right now this looks really weak and not all that much fun at early levels.

[Innis Cabal]

7 levels isn't bad, maybe some free feats. Anything that can stop time and such...gets some good stuff. Some minor touch up and its great

[Lert, A.]

Agree that this class starts weak. Compare a 1/day reroll to other full BAB level 1s. Doesn't hold up.

Reroll would be fine at 4th and every 4 levels. Doesn't mess with Temporal Strike's schtick and follows a logical progression. Alternately, pull back the progression further and make it per encounter.

True strike per encounter would be good.

Temporal Strike is well thought out. Good.

Bonus feats. You want them somewhere.

Other than that, just a bit of shuffling to fill the gaps a bit better, you'll be fine.

[Zeta Kai]

This sounds more like a prestige class than a base class. Maybe some kind of a Chronomancer. Hmmm...

[Athaniar]

There, does it look better now?

[Lert, A.]

Bonus feats are nice but may be too many. I would maybe go with level 1 and every 3 levels therafter (4,7,10,13,16,19) for a good progression. Might have to move one or two things again, but as it is it could become overpowered.

[Innis Cabal]

This sounds more like a prestige class than a base class. Maybe some kind of a Chronomancer. Hmmm...

Mongoose has an absolutly awsome book on this very subject actually.

And it looks better now with the added feats.

[Zeta Kai]

And it looks better now with the added feats.

Agreed. I like the feats, so far, & I await more.

[Pramxnim]

Looks like a good class you've got there. Somehow I'm getting Fighter vibes (probably from the bonus feats) but it sounds much more interesting than the mundane Fighter.

A few suggestions:

- Temporal Strike looks like a powerful one-trick pony you can use once per encounter. I don't quite like this idea because it seems a bit illogical that you can, once per encounter, bestow a negative level on the BBEG without allowing him a save. Once per encounter is too little, methinks, and the no save part is a problem.
I suggest including a save to those strikes that would normally allow one (Slow would allow a Will save while a negative level would allow a Fortitude save (as per the Psionic ability Mindwipe) and either have the Temporal Strike be usable more times per encounter as you level up or introduce a recovery method, similar to a Swordsage.
The save DC should be 10 + 1/2 Time Warrior level + Str mod (or whatever stat it is you deem necessary. Since this class is meant to be a front-line warrior, I figure Str would fit well).

- What is the caster level for those spell-like abilities you're allowed to use? I'd assume it would be the minimum caster level needed to cast them, but then Haste and/or Slow wouldn't last long enough at higher levels (but hey, this is coming from someone who isn't used to balancing classes together, so don't take it to heart).


Other than those suggestions, very nice class. Keep on inventing those new feats (Though Temporal Onslaught seems a tad bit powerful)!

[Athaniar]

Thank you all for the input, I appreciate it. More input is always appreciated, especially opinions on whether the feats and Temporal Strike effects are balanced, and suggestions for new feats and effects.

[DracoDei]

Reasonable class concept. Most people would instinctively take the idea and make it a prestige class, but I actually think it is more interesting as a base class like you have it.

A little more fluff might not hurt, but base classes generally have less than PrCs.

I would put some pre-existing feats on the list of allowed bonus feats: Improved Initiative, and Lightning Reflexes seem shoe-ins to me, and Quicken Spell-like Ability would be... very nice to augment the True Strike at class level 10 or higher, and ditto for Haste at 14th level or higher. Perhaps TOO nice, but that just means people will get it with the 1 per 3 levels basic feats instead.

Many of the Temporal Strike effects actually boost YOU or the strike itself rather than effecting the target per se. Thus you need to reword the introductory crunch on that ability I think.

[Athaniar]

Temporal Assassin

”Temporal powers have made my life of crime so much easier. Sure, normal assassins are cool in their own way, but nothing beats one who kills using time itself.”
-“Timestab”, Temporal Assassin


Some rogues have begun discovering that the power of time might be a very useful ability to go with their already formidable murdering skills. Likewise, some time warriors have begun to accumulate more and more rogue-like traits. These two paths converge into that of the Temporal Assassin, a stalker in the night, striking his opponents down with time-granted power.

Requirements: Temporal Strike with Temporal Venom effect, Sneak Attack 2d6, Move Silently, Hide 6+ ranks, Disguise 4+ ranks.

Hit Die: d10
Class Skills (6+Int): As Rogue, plus Knowledge (Arcana) and Knowledge (History)

The Time Warrior
{table=head]Level|Base Attack<br>Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special

1st|

+0

|

+0

|

+2

|

+0

|Temporal Ambush 1/day

2nd|

+1

|

+0

|

+3

|

+0

|Sneak Attack +1d6

3rd|

+2

|

+1

|

+3

|

+1

|Temporal Ambush 2/day, Phase Out

4th|

+3

|

+1

|

+4

|

+1

|Sneak Attack +2d6

5th|

+3

|

+1

|

+4

|

+1

|Temporal Ambush 3/day

6th|

+4

|

+2

|

+5

|

+2

|Sneak Attack +3d6, Greater Temporal Venom

7th|

+5

|

+2

|

+5

|

+2

|Temporal Ambush 4/day, Phase Out (Greater)

8th|

+6/+1

|

+2

|

+6

|

+2

|Sneak Attack +4d6, Surestrike

9th|

+6/+1

|

+3

|

+6

|

+3

|Temporal Ambush 5/day

10th|

+7/+2

|

+3

|

+7

|

+3

|Sneak Attack +5d6, Temporal Elimination[/table]

Class Features

Temporal Ambush (Su)
Once per day, the temporal assassin can declare one sneak attack to be a Temporal Strike. This does not detract from the pool of Temporal Strikes normally available. This increases to 2/day at 3rd level, 3/day at 5th, 4/day at 7th, and 5/day at 9th.

Sneak Attack
Like the rogue ability. The extra damage dealt increases by +1d6 every other level (2nd, 4th, 6th, 8th, and 10th). If you get a sneak attack bonus from another source the bonuses on damage stack.

Phase Out (Su)
From 3rd level, once per day, you may activate the Phase Out ability, giving you a +7 bonus to Move Silently and Hide for 1 minute/character level. At 7th level, this increases to 2 minutes/level.

Greater Temporal Venom (Su)
From 6th level, each time you hit with your Temporal Ambush, you inflict the Temporal Venom effect without it counting towards the limit of effects you can bestow. Multiple uses of Temporal Venom do not stack.

Surestrike (Su)
From 8th level, you gain a +5 insight bonus to any sneak attack you make. This stacks with other bonuses, such as that from Temporal Ambush.

Temporal Elimination (Su)
At 10th level, you gain the ability to unleash Temporal Elimination once per day, functioning as a free sneak attack with Temporal Ambush, unleashing up to three effects simultaneously (excluding Temporal Venom) and giving you an additional +5 insight bonus to attack. These effects are taken from the list of time warrior effects, and you do not need to know how to use them normally. This does not detract from the pool of Temporal Ambushes or Strikes normally available.

[Elder Brain]

Time Warrior looks good-next time I get suckered into playing a Tank I'll remember it...

Temporal Assassin is a really cool concept, (perhaps more so to me, as I'm often the Rouge/Scoundrel of the Party-even my Paladins are Grey Guards) but as cool as the idea is, unless it's a much better class than it is (Temporal Elimination is good, but, considering the lowest level you can get it is 25, it has to be) No one is going to take 10 levels of Time Warrior and 5 levels of Rouge/Ninja to get in...

I suggest either juicing up the class or lessening the requirements (Maybe having Just Temporal Venom and 2d6 Sneak? Then one could get in at level 8, instead of level 15)

Whatever you do, it's still a really cool concept
EDIT: Fixed minor mistakes about levels (Rouges get 2d6 sneak at 5th level, not 6th)

[Athaniar]

Hmm, you're right, the requirements are way too high. I will lower them.

[crippledlord]

man this is a good class, I love it and will be using it in my new game.

[Athaniar]

Thanks, I appreciate it. Remember to tell me how it worked in an actual game.