New OOTS products from CafePress
New OOTS t-shirts, ornaments, mugs, bags, and more
Results 1 to 3 of 3
  1. - Top - End - #1
    Banned
     
    Jormengand's Avatar

    Join Date
    Oct 2012
    Location
    In the Playground, duh.

    Default I challenge you to a duel! (3.5 class, PEACH)

    The Exemplar


    Duel by Irulana

    "Sir, you are a fraud, a traitor and a charlatan. I challenge you to a duel."

    For some, the place to battle for the grace of good is not on the front lines of a charge, but in a challenge to determine the result of a combat with but a single death - theirs or their enemy's. It is a dangerous job, to be sure, but the exemplar is always ready for any challenge.

    Adventures: Exemplars adventure to seek out the forces of evil and crush them in honorable combat.

    Characteristics: Exemplars can force their foes to enter a duel with them or suffer penalties, and are capable combatants.

    Alignment: Any lawful, usually lawful good. Exemplars are the champions of good, and seek to end the foes of their cause in honourable combat. That said, it is possible to create a lawful evil exemplar to be a champion of evil, or a lawful neutral exemplar of some other cause.

    Religion: Exemplars usually worship gods of honour or war.

    Background: An exemplar is simply a devoted champion of their chosen cause. One can become an exemplar by simply training to fight in challenges and duels.

    Races: Races with a sense of honour, such as humans and elves, are more common exemplars than, say, goblins.

    Other Classes: Exemplars are often seen as the paladin's saner cousin, and treated accordingly by members of the party. Because exemplars are not required to police the rest of the party's actions in quite the same way as a paladin, rogues and their kin often feel more comfortable about them than they might a paladin.

    Role: Exemplars are powerful fighters and are easily capable of locking an opponent into combat even if they can't defeat them. They can force spellcasters and others who might otherwise evade them to enter combat with them.

    Adaptation: If PCs are allowed trial by combat, they may well end up facing off against an exemplar. Exemplars can also be used as bodyguards of a sort.

    GAME RULE INFORMATION
    Exemplars have the following game statistics.
    Abilities: Strength, Dexterity and Constitution are important to the exemplar. The exemplar's challenges require charisma to function well.
    Alignment: Any lawful.
    Hit Die: d10
    Starting Age: As bard.
    Starting Gold: As fighter

    Class Skills
    The exemplar's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Balance (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Diplomacy (Cha), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Knowledge (Nobility and Royalty) (Cha), Perform (Oratory) (Cha), Ride (Dex), Sense Motive (Wis) and Tumble (Dex).

    Skill Points at First Level: (4 + Int modifier) x 4
    Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 4 + Int modifier

    EXEMPLAR
    Level Base Attack Bonus Fort Save Ref Save Will Save Special
    Challenge Bonus
    Decline Penalty
    1st +1 +2 +2 +0 Challenge!, Duel!
    1 + CHA
    1 + CHA
    2nd +2 +3 +3 +0 On Equal Terms (Mount)
    2 + CHA
    1 + CHA
    3rd +3 +3 +3 +1 Challenger's Conviction
    2 + CHA
    2 + CHA
    4th +4 +4 +4 +1 On Equal Terms (Ranged Weapons)
    3 + CHA
    2 + CHA
    5th +5 +4 +4 +1 Scorn of Defence
    3 + CHA
    2 + CHA
    6th +6/+1 +5 +5 +2 On Equal Terms (Flight)
    4 + CHA
    3 + CHA
    7th +7/+2 +5 +5 +2 Duelist's Dodge
    4 + CHA
    3 + CHA
    8th +8/+3 +6 +6 +2 On Equal Terms (Poison)
    5 + CHA
    3 + CHA
    9th +9/+4 +6 +6 +3 Scorn of Skill
    5 + CHA
    4 + CHA
    10th +10/+5 +7 +7 +3 On Equal Terms (Incorporeality and Etherealness)
    6 + CHA
    4 + CHA
    11th +11/+6/+1 +7 +7 +3 Paragon's Perseverance
    6 + CHA
    4 + CHA
    12th +12/+7/+2 +8 +8 +4 On Equal Terms (Precision Damage)
    7 + CHA
    5 + CHA
    13th +13/+8/+3 +8 +8 +4 Scorn of Salvation
    7 + CHA
    5 + CHA
    14th +14/+9/+4 +9 +9 +4 On Equal Terms (Triggered Magic and Psionic Items)
    8 + CHA
    5 + CHA
    15th +15/+10/+5 +9 +9 +5 Murmillo's Might
    8 + CHA
    6 + CHA
    16th +16/+11/+6/+1 +10 +10 +5 On Equal Terms (Supernatural Abilities)
    9 + CHA
    6 + CHA
    17th +17/+12/+7/+2 +10 +10 +5 Scorn of Magic
    9 + CHA
    6 + CHA
    18th +18/+13/+8/+3 +11 +11 +6 On Equal Terms (Spell-like and Psi-like abilities)
    10 + CHA
    7 + CHA
    19th +19/+14/+9/+4 +11 +11 +6 Slayer's Strike
    10 + CHA
    7 + CHA
    20th +20/+15/+10/+5 +12 +12 +6 On Equal Terms (Magic and Psionics), I'll Take You All On!
    11 + CHA
    7 + CHA

    Class Features
    All of the following are class features of the exemplar.

    Weapon and Armor Proficiency
    The exemplar is proficient in all simple and martial weapons and all types of armour and shields.

    Challenge! (Ex)

    Exemplars are champions of their chosen cause, and are expected to fight in single combat against the champion of their foe's cause. At the beginning of a combat, after the surprise round has been resolved but before anyone has taken an actual round, the exemplar may challenge any number of the opponents in the combat. If a challenge is made, each challenged creature may choose to accept or decline, in initiative order, if they have the mental capacity to make such a choice. Once one foe has accepted, the rest do not need to accept or decline: the challenge's participants have been chosen. If none accepts, the challenge has been declined.

    In a challenge, both participants may only attack each other, and may not even include others (except for a participant's mount) in the areas of attacks that cover an area (though if a creature later moves into the area of an attack that lasts for some time, the fault does not lie with the user of that attack). If the acceptor breaks these terms, they must take a will save (DC 10 + half the exemplar's level + the exemplar's charisma modifier) or be stunned by the exemplar's awesome fury for one round, and are treated as having declined the challenge. If the exemplar breaks the terms of the challenge, the exemplar is automatically stunned for one round, and such an action is also against the exemplar code of conduct.

    The exemplar gets a bonus to attack and damage rolls for being in a challenge, as shown on Table: the Exemplar.

    If a challenge has been declined, then for the rest of the combat those creatures who were challenged take a penalty to attack and damage rolls such as is given on Table: the Exemplar. Creatures who for some reason could not have accepted the challenge are unaffected.

    If two or more exemplars are in the same combat, they make challenges in initiative order. An exemplar who accepts a challenge cannot make another challenge, and no creature who is already fighting a challenge takes a penalty for declining another, however they may choose to accept two. In this case, they are free to attack either or both (or any or all, depending on circumstances) of their challenge opponents. Any exemplar is automatically stunned for failing to observe the terms of the challenge.

    A creature who attacks either participant in the challenge usually breaks the challenge apart - if an ally of the exemplar attacks, the challenge is simply broken apart, but an ally of the challenged creature causes both attacker and acceptor to require a save against stunning, and both are henceforth considered to have declined the challenge. If the creature is a third party, the challenge continues, but the attacker is considered to have declined a challenge. No penalty is given to those unaware of the challenge.

    No-one ever gets a penalty for failing to accept a challenge against someone whose CR is more than 3 points higher than their own.

    Spoiler: Example Challenge
    Show
    Jon the exemplar sees two goblin warriors and a large wolf bounding down on him, but it is too late - he is Surprised and caught flat-footed by his attackers, who make their surprise actions as normal. Jon then chooses to challenge both goblins and the wolf. The wolf's initiative beats both goblins', but the wolf doesn't know what a "Challenge" is, so it can't accept. The first goblin then chooses to decline the challenge, but the second accepts. Jon gets a bonus to attack and damage rolls against the goblin, and no-one gets any penalties.

    If the goblin had declined, both goblins would get a penalty, but the wolf wouldn't - it couldn't have accepted the challenge.


    Duel! (Ex)

    The exemplar is only really good at combat, so therefore excels at using combat to cover a large array of situations. The exemplar may call for a duel any time that the solution to a problem could possibly be a duel - such situations might be the resolution of a dispute, trial by combat, an invading army, or anything where a display of skill is required to impress someone, among many other possibilities.

    When a duel is called for, the exemplar puts forth a challenge to duel an appropriate person or group - such as a person who has offended them, or some sort of champion of their prosecutor if they are on trial. That person has the option to accept or decline, as in a challenge, and the exemplar gains all the normal bonuses for a challenge. The terms of the duel are the same as those of a challenge, and those who break them forfeit the duel automatically as well as any other penalties they might take.

    If the exemplar wins the duel, they gain an appropriate benefit such as being found not guilty in court, or forcing their opponent to make a public apology, or resolving some kind of dispute in their favour. To refuse such a direct challenge to your sovereignty, competence or honour as a call to duel would be to invite great scorn on the decliner, and so it is exceptionally rare that this is done.

    On Equal Terms
    From second level, the exemplar can demand that a challenge or duel be fought On Equal Terms. That is to say that if the exemplar doesn't perform a certain action, neither can the acceptor of the challenge. The exemplar can choose any up to all of the available extra rules for the challenge, and they must be followed by both participants or they suffer the normal penalties for breaking the terms of the challenge.

    At second level the exemplar can prevent the use of a mount, forcing anyone who is mounted to dismount as soon as they can. At fourth level the exemplar can ban ranged weapons, at sixth level flight can be banned (to the effect that those who are flying must immediately land as soon as they can), and at 8th they can prevent the use of poison. At 10th, they can prevent incorporeality and etherealness, forcing those with either of those abilities to suppress them. If they can't normally suppress them, they can do so as a free action. At 12th level, the exemplar can ban all precision damage (though those who usually use precision damage can choose not to use it even if they'd normally have to.)

    At 14th level the exemplar can prevent the use of magic or psionic items which require an action to use (beyond an attack action to use a weapon, and so forth), and at 16th, the exemplar can ban supernatural abilities, as well as spell-like or psi-like abilities from 18th level, and from 20th level, spells and psychic powers.

    These abilities aren't actually suppressed, but using them will have the same effect as attacking a creature uninvolved in the challenge or duel.

    Challenger's Conviction (Ex)
    From 3rd level, the challenge bonus also applies to movement speed, rounding down to the nearest 5 ft.

    Scorn of Defence (Ex)
    From 5th level, the decline penalty also applies to armour class.

    Duelist's Dodge (Ex)
    From 7th level, the challenge bonus also applies to armour class.

    Scorn of Skill (Ex)
    From 9th level, the decline penalty also applies to skill checks.

    Paragon's Perseverance (Ex)
    From 11th level, the exemplar gets DR/- equal to the challenge bonus while in a challenge.

    Scorn of Salvation (Ex)
    From 13th level, half of the decline penalty applies to each saving throw.

    Murmillo's Might (Ex)
    From 15th level, the exemplar's strength score is increased by the challenge bonus while in a challenge.

    Scorn of Magic (Ex)
    From 17th level, the decline penalty also applies to caster and manifester level. This prevents those whose caster level is reduced below the level at which they could first cast a spell from doing so. For example, a wizard whose caster level is reduced to 10 can't cast 6th-level spells. The same is true of manifester level and using psychic powers.

    Slayer's Strike (Ex)
    From 19th level, the exemplar can, while fighting a challenge, make coup de grace attacks against their target without provoking attacks of opportunity (even with a ranged weapon). Further, they can coup de grace an opponent who isn't helpless, but must roll to hit normally and the hit isn't automatically a critical hit. It's still a full-round action.

    I'll Take You All On! (Ex)
    From 20th level, an exemplar is so bold (or so foolish) as to be able to declare a challenge expecting multiple people to accept it. When the exemplar does so, each person accepts or declines the challenge, and the acceptance and declining of challenges continues until no-one is left to respond regardless of how many accept. Then, each person who accepted is in a challenge with the exemplar, and each person who declined but could have accepted takes a penalty for declining.

    Further, the exemplar gets the challenge bonus once for each opponent in the challenge, to a maximum of 5 times.

    Code of Conduct
    An exemplar who stops being lawful, who declines a challenge or duel against someone no more than 3 points of CR higher than the exemplar (regardless of whether or not someone else accepts the duel), or who disregards the terms of a challenge or duel, is no longer an exemplar and loses all their class features save for their base attack bonus and save progressions and their proficiencies and skills. To regain these features, they must become lawful if they are not, and then win a duel of honour to restore their power.

  2. - Top - End - #2
    Titan in the Playground
     
    Troacctid's Avatar

    Join Date
    Jan 2014
    Location
    California
    Gender
    Female

    Default Re: I challenge you to a duel! (3.5 class, PEACH)

    Hmm, I feel like it would make more sense to challenge enemies one at a time in the order of the Exemplar's choice, rather than having them accept or decline a mass challenge in initiative order.

    What happens if an Exemplar is immune to stunning?

    Speak Language should be a class skill. Probably Spot and Listen too, and maybe Gather Information.

    It is really weird that Exemplars can allow ghosts to materialize just by asking them to, when they wouldn't normally have the ability to do so. That doesn't really make sense. A ghost who's unable to materialize shouldn't be able to accept the challenge. Also, preventing the use of poison doesn't seem very useful, given how non-threatening poison is at that level.

    Duelist would be a way better name than Exemplar.

  3. - Top - End - #3
    Bugbear in the Playground
    Join Date
    Nov 2010
    Location
    Vancouver BC Canada
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: I challenge you to a duel! (3.5 class, PEACH)

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=81vqUPsVX_M

    Would be interesting as an npc artistocat class, it feels kinda like it wants to be a pathfinder archetype for fighter or path of war to fluff inigo montoya?

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •