For the love of phallic swords! [PrC]

[Guyr Adamantine]

Strongarm Warrior


Bankotsu, a Strongarm Warrior, initiating the Adamantine Hurricane maneuver.

You call that a sword? Here’s a real sword, kid!
-Generic over compensating Strongarm Warrior.

Among martial adepts, many have peculiar visions of what a swordmen should possess or be able to do to be greater than the others. Some say the teachings make the difference, and the Eternal Blades support that view. Others call for an equal mastery of the Nine Swords, so the Masters of Nine do. Strongarm Warriors, on their side, believe that the bigger the tool, the better. Over-compensation aside, they teach their pupils to wield big swords, and that training seem to be most effective.
Hit Dice: d12


BECOMING A STRONGARM WARRIOR
The easiest entries into the Strongarm Warrior prestige class are probably the Crusader and Warblade, but fighters are only short behind them.

] Any 3rd LeENTRY REQUIREMENTS
BAB: +5
Skills: Balance 8 ranks, Martial Lore 4 ranks, Perform (Weapon Drill) 4 ranks.
Feats: Monkey grip, Power Attack.
Maneuvers: A third level maneuver, as well as a stance.
Special: A character with Powerful Build does not need to have the Monkey grip feat.
Depending on the setting, the Strongarm Warrior may have a spiky haircut as one of its prerequisites.

Lv  Base  Fort Ref  Will  K  R  S  Special

1   +1    +2   +0   +0    1  0  1  Gorilla Grip
2   +2    +3   +0   +0    0  1  0  Momentum
3   +3    +3   +1   +1    1  0  0  Sharp Wall
4   +4    +4   +1   +1    0  0  1  Stylish Flurry
5   +5    +4   +1   +1    1  1  0  The Will to Cut
6   +6    +5   +2   +2    0  0  0  Swatting the Flies
7   +7    +5   +2   +2    1  0  1  A Hot Knife Through Butter
8   +8    +6   +2   +2    0  1  0  Sundering Cleave
9   +9    +6   +3   +3    1  0  0  Maim and Kill
10  +10   +7   +3   +3    0  0  1  Cut 'em in Half

Class Skills (4 + Int modifier per level): Balance, Concentration, Craft, Jump, Martial Lore*, Perform (Weapon Drill), Swim, Tumble.


Class Features
The following are class features of the Strongarm Warrior prestige class.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: The Strongarm Warrior gains no Weapon or Armor Proficiencies.

Maneuvers: At every odd-numbered level, you gain a new maneuver known from the Diamond Mind, Iron Heart or Stone Dragon discipline. You must meet a maneuver’s prerequisites to learn it. You add your full Strongarm Warrior levels to your initiator level to determine your total initiator level and your highest-level maneuvers known.
At levels 2nd, 5th, and 8th you gain additional maneuvers readied per day.

Stances Known: At 1st, 4th and 7th levels, you learn a new martial stance from the Diamond Mind, Iron Heart or Stone Dragon disciplines. You must meet the stances prerequisites to learn it.

Gorilla Grip: You have learned to use the iconic power of the Strongarm Warriors. Your strength is unequalled and no blade, as large as it can be, can elude your grasp. At 1st level, your penalty to attack rolls when using a weapon one size category larger than yourself is negated. You may use a weapon two size categories larger than you at a -2 penalty.
A weapon two size categories larger than you may be used as a reach weapon, but does not prevent you from attacking foes adjacent to you. To wield it properly, a Warrior needs more space. He is considered taking the space of a creature one size category larger on the battlefield. If he has to squeeze, he may not attack at all.
At 3rd level, you suffer no penalties to your attack rolls when wielding weapons two size categories larger than you.
At 5th level, you may treat any two-handed weapon as a one-handed weapon whenever doing so is advantageous to you. For example, you may wield a Longsword or a Greatsword as a two-handed weapon for the purpose of determining strength bonus to damage and modifiers to disarm rolls, but as a one-handed weapon in order to wield a second in your off-hand.
At 7th level, any oversized weapon you wield has its critical hit multiplier increased by one.
At 9th level, if you use an oversized two-handed weapon, you may had two times your Strength score to damage instead of 1.5, and deal extra damage equal to three times the penalty when using the Power Attack feat.
A reach weapon one size category larger than you adds 5ft of threat-range to your usual double-reach threat range. A reach-weapon two size categories larger than you adds 10ft to your threat-range in addition to your usual double-reach threat-range. Both only disallow attacking opponents withing your normal reach.

Momentum: A weapon the size of your torso tends to be pretty heavy, and that‘s a liability to most. You make that weight a strength. At 2nd level, when using a weapon larger than you in a full-attack, each attack that hit before give you a +1 bonus to attack and damage rolls. If you use a weapon two size categories larger than you, double that bonus. The bonuses last until the beginning of your next turn.

Sharp Wall: A big slab of steel is quite unwieldy, but its width and weight makes a fine shield. From 3rd level, you may benefit of a weapon one size category larger than you as a light shield, and one two size categories larger as a heavy shield. You suffer no armor check penalty. Using a weapon as a shield is part of your training, therefore attacking with it does not make you lose your shield bonus to AC. You may enhance the ‘’shield part’’ of your sword separately.
From level 6, you may use a weapon two size categories larger than you as a Tower Shield. Doing so does not incur skill/attack penalties or Max dex bonus to Armor Class.
From level 9, you may had you shield bonus to Armor Class to your Touch Armor Class, as you learn to activley deflect incoming rays and enemy contact.

Stylish Flurry: Your mastery of combat and huge weapon inspire dread in your foes. When hitting a foe with multiple attacks during a round, using a weapon larger than you, you may demoralize him as a free action. To make use of that ability, you must use power attack for at least a -1 penalty.
Additionally, you may make a Perform (Weapon Drill) check in place of an Intimidate check to demoralize foes, as well as Bluff checks to feint in combat.

The Will to Cut: At 5th level, you learn how to crash your blade hard enough in your enemies that neither armor nor shield will let them stay up. This is treated just as a normal martial maneuver: you must ready it and expend it normally. It is a 5th level strike, and does not belong to any discipline. If this strike hits, it deals an additional 1d6 per initiator level points of damage to your opponent and must make a Fort save (DC 15 + Str) or be stunned for a round, and nauseated on the next. If it misses, roll damage normally, but the strike deals only half that value, as nonlethal damage.

Swatting the Flies: Your weapon is massive enough to bludgeon ennemies to death, and is a bane smaller creatures. From level 6, you may initiate a bull rush against creatures two sizes smaller than your weapon as part of the attack. You do not have to enter the creature's space, nor do you have to move to push it further. You gain a +1 bonus to your strength check per 5 point of damage you deal with the attack.
Your attacks with oversized weapons now also deal bludgeoning damage in addition to their normal damage category.
When hitting a swarm with an oversized weapon, you deal normal damage, unless its a Fine swarm, to which you may deal half damage..

A Hot Knife Through Butter: At 7th level, you know how to punch harder than an angry red. When using Power Attack with at least a -5 penalty, you multiply by 1.5 all numeric variables of your damage rolls. Only your damage dices are empowered.

Sundering Cleave: You may strike even squeezed in a hallway, and chop through waves of soldiers in one slice. When you attack a foe through reach, you may strike all other enemies between you and your target. You use the same result on your attack roll, but may only threaten a critical hit to your main target. When squeezing, you may try to attack normally by slashing through the walls in one sweeping strike, in a way similar to attacking as noted above. You make an attack roll and roll damage, as normally. Apply your damage to the impeding objects. If you manage to deal at least one point of damage to the objects impeding your movements, you may conclude the attack normally, and also deal damage to your enemy. You may also use an oversized weapon while being swallowed whole.

Maim and Kill: When using the Power attack feat for at least a -10 penalty, any attack that deals damage inflict a -1 penalty to your target's Armor/Natural Armor bonus, and a -1 penalty on its damage reduction, should it have any. Natural Armor and Damage Reduction penalties heal at the same speed as ability damage, including spells curing it. An armor cost half its base cost (Material included) to be fully repaired. The armour is not sundered hence magical enhancements are not damaged, even if the armour class is reduced to zero.

Cut 'em in half: This ability works like the Vorpal weapon enhancement, except you cut enemies of at least your size, and at most one category larger than your weapon, completely in half on a natural 20 The critical hit must be confirmed for the effect to take in place.. This has appropriate effects, and also works on opponents that are otherwise immune to fort-saves. It does not work on swarms, as well as other creatures whose anatomy isn't impaired by such a gruesome fate, as oozes. You must use Power Attack to make use of that ability.


A bit of background on the Strongarm warrior: I was contemplating the Spirit Champion for a long time, and was wondering what to do with my last five levels on a build. Playing an Obvious Vizard Ripoff, while awesome, would've strained my fellow player's tolerance to Bleach references. My solution: I created a PrC that poke some fun at another anime trope, big f*cking phallic swords.

Have fun ripping it apart!

[Spiryt]

My sword loving part is weeping desperately, however some other part tell me that this is hilarious.

Confusing.

[Xyk]

Great idea. I like the spiky-haired requirement best. Although it is not at all realistic it could be really fun to play. Can't say anything about balance.

[Lappy9000]

My sword loving part is weeping desperately, however some other part tell me that this is hilarious.

Confusing.

Yeah, it worries me too, before I remind myself that Japanese culture does not actually exist.

This Prestige Class is most certainly hilarious.
The abilities are cool, and it looks balanced as far as I can tell.

[Guyr Adamantine]

To all: Thanks! I certainly tried to fit the Big Sword trope, laughing on the way, but its a serious PrC. I want to create something that, while funny, can be actually used.

Keep bringing the comments!

[DracoDei]

Special: Depending on the setting, the Strongarm Warrior may have a spiky haircut as one of its prerequisites.

Does that mean they can be stripped of their powers the same way Samson was? What about sunder attacks in combat against their hair-do?

[Guyr Adamantine]

Does that mean they can be stripped of their powers the same way Samson was? What about sunder attacks in combat against their hair-do?

I ask you: Would Cloud be Cloud without his hair?

I think its fair to say the concept is dependant on the haircut, but I made it under DM discretion to keep the silliness down.

[AstralFire]

Tales series swordsmen don't really have spiky hair.

Sent you some messages regarding the class already.

[Agrippa]

My first thought was, what would Discworld's Genghiz Cohen think about members of this class? My second thought was this looks like a class Inuyasha himself might take. My third thought was, in a three fight between Cohen, Cloud and Inuyasha old Cohen the Barbarian would win with flying colors. Is there something wrong with me?

[Fizban]

Tales series swordsmen don't really have spiky hair.

Sent you some messages regarding the class already.

Tales series swordsmen also don't wield swords taller than they are. As far as I know (I've only played Phantasia, Destiny, and Symphonia). Though I suppose some of the enemies do, just not the player.

It'd be fun to combine this with Gorbash Kazdar's Fullblade variant: instead of a greatsword that deals 2d8 damage, it's a greatsword with reach that can attack adjacent enemies.

[tyckspoon]

Tales series swordsmen don't really have spiky hair.

Sent you some messages regarding the class already.

LLoyd's pretty pointy. Still not a Big Sword wielder, although his style comes from similar logic.. (If sword=power, than big sword=bigger power! Compared to If sword=power, than 2x swords=2x power!)

[Guyr Adamantine]

My first thought was, what would Discworld's Genghiz Cohen think about members of this class? My second thought was this looks like a class Inuyasha himself might take. My third thought was, in a three fight between Cohen, Cloud and Inuyasha old Cohen the Barbarian would win with flying colors. Is there something wrong with me?

You are just a man. A men who happens to like big swords.

BTW: The pic is from the Inuyasha manga.

[Agrippa]

You are just a man. A men who happens to like big swords.

BTW: The pic is from the Inuyasha manga.

Nah, if I'm going to have a big damn sword it's going to be like Cohen's. Not a 7'x3' monstrosity. Cloud can keep his Buster Sword or First Tsunagi. That's just me. It's not just the size of your sword, it's what you can do with it.

So augmented human 18th level custom build (Cloud) vs., half-fey human 10th level barbarian/15th level swordsage/10th level warblade/5th level level strong arm warrior (Inuyasha) vs. human with an aquired Paragon template 50th level warblade//barbarian gestalt (Genghiz Cohen). Now that would be a fight to see.

[Guyr Adamantine]

Sounds a bit biaised toward Cohen, eh?

With those builds, Cohen is sure to win.

[Agrippa]

Sounds a bit biaised toward Cohen, eh?

With those builds, Cohen is sure to win.

Maybe I should get to work on that Cohen build at some point.

[Guyr Adamantine]

Another take on the Strongarm Stance:

Strongarm Stance: Unlike other prestige classes, Strongarm Warriors face another condition to use their class abilities. A Strongarm Warrior must have a minimum Strength score of (20 + 2x Class Level the ability is gained) to use any Class feature properly. If he doesn’t, he may sacrifice his present stance as a swift action to enter the Strongarm Stance.
The Strongarm Stance lets you add your intiator level to your Strength score as an enhancement bonus. When in the Strongarm Stance, you may not move more than 5 feet each round, or else you lose its benefits until the beginning of your next turn.

Any idea?

[BizzaroStormy]

Holy crap! I want to use this so bad...I need to get in contact with my DM...

[PhallicWarrior]

Finally, a prestige class for me!

[DracoDei]

Another take on the Strongarm Stance:

Strongarm Stance: Unlike other prestige classes, Strongarm Warriors face another condition to use their class abilities. A Strongarm Warrior must have a minimum Strength score of (20 + 2x Class Level the ability is gained) to use any Class feature properly. If he doesn’t, he may sacrifice his present stance as a swift action to enter the Strongarm Stance.
The Strongarm Stance lets you add your intiator level to your Strength score as an enhancement bonus. When in the Strongarm Stance, you may not move more than 5 feet each round, or else you lose its benefits until the beginning of your next turn.

Any idea?

The +4 Belt of Strength they will be wearing renders this moot... make it an untyped bonus and you MIGHT be talking...

[Guyr Adamantine]

The +4 Belt of Strength they will be wearing renders this moot... make it an untyped bonus and you MIGHT be talking...

Strongarm Stance: Unlike other prestige classes, Strongarm Warriors face another condition to use their class abilities. A Strongarm Warrior must have a minimum Strength score of (20 + 2x Class Level the ability is gained) to use any Class feature properly. If he doesn’t, he may sacrifice his present stance as a swift action to enter the Strongarm Stance.
The Strongarm Stance lets you add half your intiator level to your Strength score as an enhancement bonus. When in the Strongarm Stance, you may not move more than 5 feet each round, or else you lose its benefits until the beginning of your next turn.


Less powerful, but not equipment impaired.

EDIT: Screw this, its powerful enough to warrant the enhancement tag.

[BizzaroStormy]

Wait a sec...what happened to gorilla grip?!?

[AstralFire]

Strongarm Stance ated it.

[BizzaroStormy]

Well then that pretty much kills my interest in the class. Any time my character would want to move more than 5 feet in a round, not only would he lose the ability to attack that turn but he also loses AoO as well as the ability to use any other stances to fight.

[AstralFire]

That is true. Guyr, you could probably afford to remove the 'can't move 5-feet' restriction now.

[BizzaroStormy]

Even then you're still giving up all your other stances since the Strongarm is the only one that allows you to wield the weapon at all, with or without penalties.

[AstralFire]

In return for +10 Str as well. I dunno, I'd find it more troublesome if it was a Swordsage base, since those depend on a variety of stances a little more.

[BizzaroStormy]

Well considering it counts as an enhancement bonus so it trumps the belt you paid a good chunk of change for.

[Fan]

Hey Chudy', anyway I'm SO using this prestige class once i find a DM willing to take it on.

[BizzaroStormy]

Same here as long as the creator makes it possible to move and attack in the same turn.

[Guyr Adamantine]

Well then that pretty much kills my interest in the class. Any time my character would want to move more than 5 feet in a round, not only would he lose the ability to attack that turn but he also loses AoO as well as the ability to use any other stances to fight.

That is true. Guyr, you could probably afford to remove the 'can't move 5-feet' restriction now.

Consider it done, Enthusiastic Fanbase!