[D&D 3.5, PrC] Myrmidon - Lightly Armored Striker!

[NineThePuma]

Myrmidon

"As long as there's someone to cut, you will have my aid." -Karel, The Sword Demon

Some warriors hone their skills by mastering a single melee weapon. Through intense meditation and personal sacrifice, they unlock powerful supernatural abilities in their weapons, which allow them to form a special bond with these weapons. To bond with the weapon of choice -- to use the weapon as naturally and without thought as any other limb -- is the goal of the Myrmidon.

BECOMING A MYRMIDON
To gain the special abilities of the Myrmidon class, a character must use her weapon of choice. Once chosen, the weapon of choice cannot be changed. This does not mean that, if her weapon of choice is the longsword, she can use only the longsword she owned when she first became a Myrmidon. The only material requirement for the class is that she craft a weapon she uses herself. If she uses a weapon that she did not craft herself, or was not her weapon of choice, she can use none of the special abilities of the prestige class.

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
Base Attack Bonus: +5 Ranks
Skills: Craft (Weaponsmithing) 8 ranks, Intimidate 8 ranks, Concentration 4 ranks.
Feats: Weapon Focus, Weapon Specialization Feat, Dodge, Mobility, Interference

Class Skills
The Class Name's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Balance (Dex), Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Listen (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), Spot (Wis), andTumble (Dex).
Skills Points at Each Level: 4 + Int modifier

Hit Dice: d8

Myrmidon
{table=head]Level|BAB|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special
1st|

+1

|

+0

|

+2

|

+0

| Dodge, Bonded weapon, Masterful Skill
2nd|

+2

|

+0

|

+3

|

+0

| Increased Multiplier 1/day
3rd|

+3

|

+1

|

+3

|

+1

|Weapon Mastery
4th|

+4

|

+1

|

+4

|

+1

|Increased Multiplier 2/day
5th|

+5

|

+1

|

+4

|

+1

|Accidents Happen
6th|

+6

|

+2

|

+5

|

+2

|Increased Multiplier 3/day
7th|

+7

|

+2

|

+5

|

+2

|Superior Critical
8th|

+8

|

+2

|

+6

|

+2

|Increased Multiplier 4/day
9th|

+9

|

+3

|

+6

|

+3

|Whirlwind Attack
10th|

+10

|

+3

|

+7

|

+3

|Whirlwind Defense, Increased Multiplier 5/day[/table]

Weapon Proficiencies: A Myrmidon gains no additional proficiencies.

Bonded Weapon: The Myrmidon can form a special bond with a single melee weapon. The weapon must be the same type as her weapon of choice. The weapon must be a masterwork melee weapon (without any magic or psionic enhancements) that she crafted herself. As a Myrmidon gains experience, she can sacrifice an amount of experience points (XP) to awaken supernatural abilities within her bonded weapon, granting it enhancement bonus and special abilities as a magic weapon. This sacrifice cannot exceed the XP that she has gained since she last gained a level.

At any time, a Myrmidon can spend time meditating to awaken the abilities in her bonded weapon. This requires a total sacrifice of XP equal to X²*100, where X is equal to the total bonus of the current enhancement bonus of the weapon plus the desired enhancement bonus she intends to awaken. A Myrmidon must meet the required minimum level and must meditate 8 hours a day for a number of days in a row equal to the total XP sacrificed divided by 100.

A weapon can't have an enhancement bonus higher than +5. Special abilities can be added from either Table 7-5: Melee Weapon Special Abilities in the Expanded Psionics Handbook, Table 7-14: Melee Weapon Special Abilities in the Dungeon Master's Guide, and additional sources at your DM's discretion.

If a bonded weapon is destroyed by accident or on purpose, the Myrmidon must attempt a Fortitude save (DC 10 + the weapon's equivalent enhancement bonus as shown on Table 1). If the saving throw fails, the Myrmidon must sacrifice an additional 500 XP upon awakening her next bonded weapon. A successful saving throw reduces the loss to 0 XP. A Myrmidon's experience can never go below 0 as a result of a bonded weapon's destruction. A Myrmidon can have only one bonded weapon at a time.

Masterful Skill: After a Myrmidon scores a hit with her weapon of choice, she may choose to not roll dice to determine damage, and instead maximize the damage dealt. When the Myrmidon makes a successful critical hit, only the base damage from the weapon is maximized; roll normally for the extra damage from the critical hit. A Myrmidon can use this ability for free a number of times per day equal to her Myrmidon level. She may make an additional use of this ability per day by making a concentration check against the target’s AC.

Dodge: A Myrmidon can select a number of targets for her Dodge feat equal to her Dexterity modifier. In addition, the dodge bonus granted by her Dodge feat is equal to 3/4 of her base attack bonus, to a maximum of twice her Myrmidon level. A myrmidon gains the benefits of this ability only if she is wearing light or no armor.

Increased Multiplier: Once per day at second level, a Myrmidon can increase the critical damage multiplier of her weapon of choice by one. To use this ability, declare its use before rolling any damage dice. A Myrmidon gains an additional use per day at 4th, 6th, 8th, and 10th levels of this prestige class.

Weapon Mastery: The Myrmidon gains the Weapon Mastery (PHB II) feat for her chosen weapon as a bonus feat. Additionally, double the static benefits of all feats she possesses that have Weapon Focus as a prerequisite, or are weapon focus. Only feats for her chosen weapon receive this benefit.

Accidents Happen: The Myrmidon gains the Accidents Happen feat as a bonus feat. Additionally, you may have the attack made be an attempt to disarm, grapple, or trip you, or an attack of opportunity that you provoked.

Superior Critical: The Myrmidon gains the Improved Critical feat as a bonus feat. Additionally, add an additional +2 to her weapon of choice's threat range for critical hits, applied AFTER the effects of the Improved Critical feat.

Whirlwind Attack: The Myrmidon gains the Whirlwind Attack feat as a bonus feat. Additionally, she can make a whirlwind attack as a standard action rather than a full attack action.

Whirling Defense: The Myrmidon gains the Whirling Defense feat as a bonus feat. Additionally, the armor class bonus provided by this feat is increased by an additional +2.

[Garryl]

So, it's a non-psionic Psychic Weapon Master, then?

You should fix your table, especially if you aren't giving the levels that abilities are gained in the abilities' descriptions themselves. You have Weapon Specialization on the table, but Weapon Mastery in the abilities list, and you don't have Whirling Defense on the table at all.

The Dodge ability is numerically powerful, granting up to a +15 bonus to AC against what will usually be all of your opponents (2-5 opponents selected even if you don't focus on Dexterity). You may wish to tone it down a bit or swap the BaB and Dexterity benefits or something.

[NineThePuma]

The Psychic Weapon Master is itself based on the Weapon Master from Oriental Adventures.

Fix'd.

+15 to AC at level 20 isn't nearly as unbalancing as you would think.

[Garryl]

The Psychic Weapon Master is itself based on the Weapon Master from Oriental Adventures.

Fix'd.

+15 to AC at level 20 isn't nearly as unbalancing as you would think.

I did not know that. Thank you for the history.

And you're right, it probably isn't too much in the long run. It's just that Dodge makes this class a strong 1 level dip for someone looking for an AC bonus, and I have an irrational fear of large numbers from singular abilities (I'm working on it). Neither of the above are necessarily bad things in a class.

Whirling Defense is still called Whirling Dodge on the table.

[NineThePuma]

There, made it less unbalancing, I think. Plus, the original Bonded Weapon actually lent itself out to staying in the class.

[Alefiend]

I'd recommend changing the name to something other than Myrmidon, as it will provoke lots of Inigo Montoya moments. ("You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.")

A myrmidon is usually defined as a follower who is loyal to the point of being unthinking, executing orders without question, protest, or pity. They come in groups—there won't be one myrmidon, but a legion of them, such as the followers of Achilles. And they're as likely to be wearing medium or heavy armor as anything else, again from the Achilles example.

[NineThePuma]

I'm using it in reference to the Fire Emblem Class of the same name.

[NeoSeraphi]

Oh wow. The class itself looks great but...Sephiroth as a FE Myrmidon? So that's why he kept taking huge chunks out of my hp with one swing in KH2! He was upping his crit modifier!

One point of interest: your class feature gives the ability to add abilities to a masterwork weapon, which limits you pretty hard. I get that you tried to make up for it by doubling the weapon focus boni but still, that requires you to take another feat [Weapon Mastery] whereas everyone else can just spend gp on a +5 weapon and stay right with you on the to hit. This class is about having the best weapon and being the best wielder of it. I don't think it would be too broken to let your double feat boni stack with a +5 weapon. By the way you should look at the kensai (Complete Warrior) if you haven't already. Its got a similar fluff / mechanic

[NineThePuma]

Um... Neo? Bonded weapon allows you to sacrifice XP in order to beef up your weapon. You can enchant it by simple sacrifice of XP and time; this gives you more gold to spend on other crap. Of course, this isn't made perfectly clear in my description, for which I apologize. I'll look at it and figure out how to make it clearer.


And, originally, this was just going to be a Weapon Master class; I switched it into a more specific Myrmidon class because it was getting a little bit crazy.

[NeoSeraphi]

Ah. I thought from your description that you could only add abilities, not actual numerical enhancement bonuses. Sorry for wasting your time

[NineThePuma]

Nonono. =3 Didn't waste my time, you made me go back and reread and that means I caught something I otherwise wouldn't have.