[3.5 Base Class] The Combatant-A Fighter Remix

[Pyromancer999]

Background- So, a friend of mine who'd been wanting his own group to DM for a long time, seeing as he loves to mastermind things, finally accomplished his goal. However, one problem came up. The fighter of the group, taking the class expecting to rock the game, was, to say the least, disappointed. So, he came to me. I was sort of busy at the moment, so I just told him to let him get a fighter feat at every level. However, that didn't work, as both my friend and his fighter have realized that you can't just throw feats at things. Thus, I've created this re-make. Pretty please enjoy!

The Combatant
"You see that guy over there, Jack? Don't go picking fights with him. Doesn't matter you're nimble or quick. He can beat you down with a candlestick."
- Tel Azod, bartender giving advice to a new patron of his tavern about the resident Combatant

"Just defeated a dragon with my bare hands."
-C'nuck Norres, the Combatant Tel Azod warned about, when asked what he did since he got up

Combatants are the true fighters. Doesn't matter if you've got a barbarian in a rage, or a duskblade flinging spells at you like monkeys fling poo, the Combatant is the best at the simple art of combat, being on par with such figures as Swordsages, even without learning martial maneuvers. These are the true children of combat.

HD: d12
Skills: Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Handle Animal (Cha), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Ride (Dex), and Swim (Str). Also, select any 3 other skills, as Combatant's skills can vary from one to another.
Skill Points: 4 + Int modifier

The Combatant
[{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special|Combat Mastery Points

1st|

+1

|

+2

|

+0

|

+1

|Fighter Bonus Feat, Combat Mastery(Basic)|2

2nd|

+2

|

+3

|

+0

|

+1

|Fighter Bonus Feat|3

3rd|

+3

|

+3

|

+1

|

+2

|Other Bonus Feat, Combat Mastery(Double 1)|5

4th|

+4

|

+4

|

+1

|

+2

|Fighter Bonus Feat, Combat Mastery(Form)|6

5th|

+5

|

+4

|

+1

|

+3

|Other Bonus Feat|8

6th|

+6

|

+5

|

+2

|

+3

|Fighter Bonus Feat, Combat Mastery(Double 2)|9

7th|

+7

|

+5

|

+2

|

+3

|Other Bonus Feat|11

8th|

+8

|

+6

|

+2

|

+4

|Fighter Bonus Feat, Combat Mastery(Form)|12

9th|

+9

|

+6

|

+3

|

+4

|Other Bonus Feat, Combat Mastery(Triple 1)|14

10th|

+10

|

+7

|

+3

|

+5

|Fighter Bonus Feat|15

11th|

+11

|

+7

|

+3

|

+5

|Other Bonus Feat|17

12th|

+12

|

+8

|

+4

|

+6

|Fighter Bonus Feat, Combat Mastery(Triple 2, Form)|18

13th|

+13

|

+8

|

+4

|

+6

|Other Bonus Feat|20

14th|

+14

|

+9

|

+4

|

+6

|Fighter Bonus Feat|21

15th|

+15

|

+9

|

+5

|

+7

|Other Bonus Feat, Combat Mastery(4x v.1)|23

16th|

+16

|

+10

|

+5

|

+7

|Fighter Bonus Feat, Combat Mastery(Form)|24

17th|

+17

|

+10

|

+5

|

+8

|Other Bonus Feat|26

18th|

+18

|

+11

|

+6

|

+8

|Fighter Bonus Feat, Combat Mastery(4x v.2)|27

19th|

+19

|

+11

|

+6

|

+9

|Other Bonus Feat|28

20th|

+20

|

+12

|

+6

|

+9

|Fighter Bonus Feat, , Combat Mastery(Form), Lord of Combat|30[/table]

Class Features

Weapon and Armor Proficiencies: You gain proficiency with all simple, martial, and one exotic weapon. You are also proficient with all armors, and all shields(except tower shields)

Fighter Bonus Feats: You know your way around a battlefield. At 1st, 2nd, and every even level after that, you gain one fighter bonus feat as a bonus feat, providing you meet the prerequisites. Should you choose Martial Study or Martial Stance as bonus feats this way, you may treat yourself as having an initiator level equal to your Combatant level, and are not restricted to selecting it three times if you solely select it as a fighter bonus feat. You may have no more than 1/2 your Combatant level in maneuvers this way, and you cannot select maneuvers from more than 1 discipline.

Other Bonus Feats: Not all combatants solely rely on weapons and the like. Select one of the following types of feat: Draconic, Bladesworn, Fighter, or Ki. At 3rd level, you gain one feat of the chosen type as a bonus feat, providing you meet the prerequisites for it. At every odd level after, you gain another such feat as a bonus feat.


Combat Mastery: The Combatant knows how to make use of various types of battle techniques that can power up his existing combat skills, that require energy in the form of Combat Mastery Points. All effects caused by the expenditure of Combat Mastery Points last for 1/4 your Combatant level + 1 + your Con modifier. In the most basic form, it grants you your specialty. Choose two styles below. You gain one form from each. Basic(costing 1 Combat Point) forms count as fighter bonus feats for future applications of Combat Points. You gain one more form at every level divisible by 4. You may only maintain a number of effects that use Combat Mastery Points equal to your Constitution modifier at a time.

Archer:

Spoiler

Show

Strongbow: By expending 1 Combat Mastery Point, you may add 1/2 your Strength modifier to attack rolls and your Strength modifier to all damage rolls for ranged weaponry that is not automatic(a.k.a. crossbows, or guns, if you use them).

Longshot: By expending 1 Combat Mastery Point, you may add +1 to your ranged attack rolls. Also, you increase your range for attacks by 10 ft.

Far Distance Archer: Prerequisite: Longshot. By expending two Combat Mastery Points, you may increase your ranged attack range by 40 ft.

Sniper: Prerequisite: Longshot, Far Distance Archer. By expending 4 Combat Mastery Points, you may increase your ranged attack range by 100 ft.

Disruptive Shot: Prerequisite: Able to triple fighter feat effects. By expending 4 Combat Mastery Points, you may, as an immediate action, disrupt an attack. You must make an attack roll, treating the attack you are attempting to disrupt as though it had an AC of 15 + 1 per 10 ft it is away from you. If it is a ranged non-magical attack you disrupt, add 5 to the DC, and if you succeed, then you destroy the bolt used in the attack. In the case of melee non-magical attacks, the defender is treated as having a bonus to AC equal to 1 + 1 per 5 your attack roll exceeded the attack's AC by. As a side effect, the wielder of the melee weapon takes 1 damage per 2 dice a melee attack with a ranged weapon by you would have dealt.

Magical Disruption: Prerequisites: Disruptive Shot. By expending 8 Combat Mastery Points, you may gain the benefit of the Disruptive Shot form, except for the following: You may affect magical melee and ranged attacks too. When disrupting a magical ranged attack, you do not destroy the effects of the attack. Instead, when disrupting any magical attack, should you succeed on your roll, you force the caster to make a Concentration check, with a DC of 10 + 1/2 your Combatant level + your Dex modifier.

Short-Range Shot:Prerequisite: Able to double Fighter feat effects. By expending 2 Combat Mastery Points, whenever you make a ranged attack with a ranged melee weapon against a target within 5 ft, your attack is enhanced. You are treated as having a +3 bonus to the attack roll, and your ranged attack deals an additional die of damage.

Impact Shot: Prerequisite: Able to Triple Fighter Feat effects, Short-range shot. By expending 4 Combat Mastery Points, you may ignore a target's cover, up to 2% per Combatant level when making a ranged attack.

Blind Shot: Prerequisite: Able to Triple Fighter feat effects, Blind Fight. By expending 4 Combat Mastery Points, you may apply your Blind Fight feat benefits to ranged attacks.

Brawler:

Spoiler

Show

Skilled Strike:By expending 1 Combat Mastery Point, you may add your Dexterity modifier to attack rolls and 1/2 your Dexterity modifier for melee weapons.

Hard Hit: By expending 1 Combat Mastery Point, you may add your Strength modifier to the damage dealt.

Hurting Hit:Prerequisite: Hard Hit, able to double fighter feat effects. By expending 2 Combat Mastery Points, you may damage your opponent with wounds that hurt. Opponents that are subject to your melee attacks are dealt damage equal to 1/2 your Strength modifier each round for 2 rounds. Such wounds stop if subject to magical healing that exceeds the wound damage.

Wounding Blow: Prerequisite: Hard Hit, Hurting Hit, able to triple fighter feat effects. By expending 4 Combat Mastery Points, you may deal worse wounds than before. Opponents hit by your melee attacks are dealt damage equal to your Strength modifier each round for a number of rounds equal to 1/4 your Combatant level.Such wounds stop if subject to magical healing that exceeds the wound damage.

Weeping Wounds: Prerequisite: Hard Hit, Hurting Hit, Wounding Blow, Able to quadruple Fighter feat effects. By expending 8 Combat Mastery Points, you may deal wounds that cause the vital essences of whatever creature you face to gush forth. Opponents subject to your melee attacks are dealt damage equal to twice your Strength modifier for a number of rounds equal to 1/2 your Combatant level. These wounds may not be stopped with magical healing unless the healer makes a Healing check with a DC equal to 10 + 1/2 your level + your Strength modifier.

Brick Break: Prerequisite: Able to double Fighter feat effects. By expending 2 Combat Mastery Points, the damage of all attacks against inanimate objects are doubled, and the damage of all attacks against Constructs deals an additional 1 point of damage for every 2 points of damage the attack originally dealt.

Armor Crush: Prerequisite: Able to Triple Fighter Feat effects, Brick Break. By expending 4 Combat Mastery Points, you may attack armor as well as wielder. Every time a melee attack of yours hits, armor and shields wielded by your opponent are dealt 1/4 of the damage dealt to their user.

Spellcrushing Blow: Prerequisite: Able to quadruple Fighter Feat effects, Brick Break, Armor Crush. By expending 8 Combat Mastery Points, you may attack spells. When attacking an enemy with a beneficial spell with a duration of longer than "Instantaneous", you may make a separate attack roll against the target to have a chance of destroying the spell, treating the spell as having a DC of 15 + twice its level. If it succeeds, then the spell is destroyed, in addition to the other effects of the attack. The Combatant may make a similar attack against an ally, except that it deals no damage and the Combatant suffers a -4 penalty to the roll. This form only lasts for 3/4 of the duration that it normally would.

Tank:

Spoiler

Show

Heightened Defense: By expending 1 Combat Mastery Point, you gain a +1 bonus to AC.

Specialized Defense: By expending 1 Combat Mastery Point, you gain DR 2 against one type of damage of your choice, which cannot be magic, psionic, or the like.

Good Defense: Prerequisite: Able to double Fighter Feat effects, Specialized Defense. By expending 2 Combat Mastery Points, you may gain DR X/Y, where X is 1/4 your Combatant level + 1, while Y is one type of damage you choose that is able to break through it, choosing from one of the following damage types: magic, bludgeoning, or slashing.

Better Defense: Prerequisite: Able to triple Fighter Feat effects, Specialized Defense, Good Defense. By expending 4 Combat Mastery Points, you may gain DR X/Y, where X is 1/2 your Combatant level + 1, while Y is one type of damage you choose that is able to break through it, choosing from any one damage type, excluding epic damage and rare materials.

Best Defense: Prerequisite: Able to quadruple Fighter Feat effects, Specialized Defense, Good Defense, Better Defense. By expending 4 Combat Mastery Points, you may gain DR X/Y, where X is 3/4 your Combatant level + 1, while Y is any two types of damage that must be dealt to surpass it.

Durable One: Prerequisite: able to double Fighter Feat effects. By expending 2 Combat Mastery Points, you may gain a number of temporary hit points equal to 1/4 your Combatant level + your Con modifier.

Difficult Defense: Prerequisite: able to double Fighter Feat effects, Heightened Defense. By expending 2 Combat Mastery Points, you may increase your AC by 2.

Durable Defense: Prerequisite: able to triple Fighter Feat effects, Heightened Defense, Difficult Defense. By expending 4 Combat Mastery Points, you may increase your AC by 4.

Impenetrable Defense: Prerequisite: able to quadruple Fighter Feat effects, Heightened Defense, Difficult Defense, Durable Defense. By expending 8 Combat Mastery Points, you may increase your AC by 8.

Endurable: Prerequisite: Able to triple Fighter Feat Effects, Durable One. By expending 4 Combat Mastery Points, you may gain a number of temporary hit points equal to 1/2 your Combatant level + 1.5 x your Con modifier. This lasts for 1.5 x the normal duration for a form effect.

Survivor: Prerequisite: Able to quadruple Fighter Feat effects, Durable One, Endurable. By expending 8 Combat Mastery Points, you may gain a number of temporary hit points equal to your Combatant level + twice your Con modifier hit points. This lasts for double the normal duration for a form effect.

Spell-Resistant: Prerequisite: Able to double Fighter Feat effects. You may expend 2 Combat Mastery Points to gain spell resistance equal to 7 + 1/4 your Combatant level.

Spell-Durable: Prerequisite: Able to triple Fighter Feat effects, Spell-Resistant. You may expend 4 Combat Mastery Points to gain spell resistance equal to 10 + 1/2 your Combatant level.

Spell-Impenetrable: Prerequisite: Able to quadruple Fighter Feat effects, Spell-Resistant, Spell-Durable. You may expend 8 Combat Mastery Points in order to gain spell resistance equal to 10 + your Combatant level.

At 3rd level, you may expend two Combat Mastery points to double all benefits granted by one fighter bonus feat that was selected through the fighter bonus feat class feature where applicable, withstanding any maneuvers or stances gained through fighter bonus feats and the Fighting Spirit feat.

At 6th, you may expend two Combat Mastery Points to double all benefits received from one feat of your other type of bonus feat that was selected through the other bonus feat class feature where applicable.

At 9th level, you may expend four Combat Mastery points to triple all benefits granted by one fighter bonus feat that was selected through the fighter bonus feat class feature where applicable, withstanding any maneuvers or stances gained through fighter bonus feats and the Fighting Spirit feat.

At 12th, you may expend four Combat Mastery Points to triple all benefits received from one feat of your other type of bonus feat that was selected through the other bonus feat class feature where applicable.

At 15th level, you may expend eight Combat Mastery points to quadruple all benefits granted by one fighter bonus feat that was selected through the fighter bonus feat class feature where applicable, withstanding any maneuvers or stances gained through fighter bonus feats and the Fighting Spirit feat.

At 18th, you may expend two Combat Mastery Points to quadruple all benefits received from one feat of your other type of bonus feat that was selected through the other bonus feat class feature where applicable.

Lord of Combat: At 20th level, you become a true embodiment of what it means to be a warrior. For a number of rounds per day equal to 1/2 your class level, you may enter the Combat Lord's Stance. In this stance, your speed is increased by your level(round to the nearest multiple of 5), you may enhance your physical ability scores by 1/4 your Combatant level, and all benefits of Fighter bonus feats are multiplied by 5. Ability score enhancements cannot enhance the duration of Combat Mastery uses.


Did you think I was done? Nope. Here's a few new Fighter Bonus Feats! Whoo!

New Fighter Bonus Feats

Armored Combatant(Light)[Fighter]
Prerequisites: 4th level in a class that grants Fighter Bonus Feats
Benefit: You do not take penalties from wearing light armor.
Special: This can only be selected as a fighter bonus feat.


Armored Combatant(Medium)[Fighter]
Prerequisites: 8th level in a class that grants Fighter Bonus Feats, Armored Combatant(Light)
Benefit: You do not take penalties from wearing medium armor.
Special: This can only be selected as a fighter bonus feat.


Armored Combatant(Heavy)[Fighter]
Prerequisites: 12th level in a class that grants Fighter Bonus Feats, Armored Combatant(Medium), Armored Combatant(Light)
Benefit: You do not take penalties from wearing heavy armor.
Special: This can only be selected as a fighter bonus feat.

Fighting Spirit[Fighter]
Prerequisites: Access to Combat Mastery Points, 2nd level in a class that grants Fighter bonus feats
Benefit: You gain an additional 2 Combat Mastery Points
Special: This can only be selected as a fighter bonus feat, and can be selected again after 4 levels.


All right, well that's it for now. Please comment/PEACH. Also, if someone could, please give me a tier estimate on this, as I'm aiming for a tier 3 sort of class with this, or even a low tier 2.

[Ziegander]

So, really the class is a Fighter that either takes maneuvers or grabs up soulmelds, something like that, that gets really really stupid high numbers as static bonuses to just about every raw numeric stat. You're a better designer than this, much better. Forgive me for my bluntness, but this doesn't sound Tier 3 to me, it sounds stupid.

Combat Mastery needs to describe how, if at all, the Combatant gets its Combat Mastery points back.

Lord of Combat is very poorly written and thought out because it gives the Combatant ability scores literally equal to infinity.

Just as an illustration of what makes this class pretty idiotic, a Combatant 10. He has chosen Fighter Bonus Feats as his Other Bonus Feats and has taken Weapon Focus, Improved Toughness, Combat Form, Combat Stability, Dodge, Weapon Specialization, Mobility, Spring Attack, Whirlwind Attack, Improved Initiative, Melee Weapon Mastery, Combat Vigor, Two-Weapon Fighting, Vexing Flanker.

Now, at least 5 times a day, for at least 3 rounds at a time, he can triple the benefits he receives from his Fighter feats (which is all of his feats). So, over and above his normal bonuses this nets him +6 to attack rolls, +20 hit points, +6 to will saves in Combat Form, +8 to resist bull rush, disarm, grapple, overrun and trips, +8 to damage rolls, +8 to initiative, +8 Fast Healing while in Combat Form (total of 12), and +8 to attack rolls when flanking. Further, he now has the ability to make three attack rolls against all adjacent enemies as a full round action, and the ability to three extra attacks per round during a full attack with an off-hand weapon.

So, yeah, now he deals a lot of damage and is basically impossible to kill, but he still suffers all of the standard problems that have always plagued the Fighter. He still just stands there and attacks anything in his way. If he can't full attack it he just doesn't do anything.

[Dryad]

So...
Ehm...

Balance issues. Severe balance issues. The combat will be as follows: The party throws in the one player who plays the Combatant. She does the combat, while the rest of the group goes outside for a quick cigarette.

[Pyromancer999]

When I first looked at the comments, I was a bit puzzled. Then I realized: I posted a past draft version of it. Sorry about that. Reposted it with corrections. You will notice:

-Combat Points only apply to one feat at a time
-You can only host a number of Combat feat effects at a time equal to your Con modifier
-Forms and Styles(previously unseen except in Skilled Strike and Strongbow) give the Combatant something else to spend his Combat Points on than feats
-Types of feat you can select for other feat are limited. Please comment on any types of feat you feel should be added to the types of feats you can choose.
-Maneuvers are still at a limit of 1/2 your level, but you can only select them from one discipline. Thinking about changing it to 1/3 of your level and allowing two disciplines to choose from.

Thoughts?

[Seerow]

You posted this a day early, it wasn't Friday yet when you posted it.

[Pyromancer999]

You posted this a day early, it wasn't Friday yet when you posted it.

.....What? Not sure I get you here.

[Seerow]

.....What? Not sure I get you here.

Fighter fix day is Friday. It's how you can tell what day of the week it is on these forums. You posting this a day early threw my whole schedule off. Thanks a lot jerk.

[Pyromancer999]

Fighter fix day is Friday. It's how you can tell what day of the week it is on these forums. You posting this a day early threw my whole schedule off. Thanks a lot jerk.

Um, sorry about that.

Still, everyone feel free to comment/PEACH this.