GitP PrC Contest III: We Band of Brothers

[dman11235]

We Band of Brothers



We few, we happy few...

_/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/

The contest begins with the posting of this thread and will run through midnight of August 31

Soon after a poll will be opened for everyone to vote for their favorite that will last until midnight of the last day of the month.

Rules

1) You will be creating an 'original' prestige class. Your class will be a master of small conflict tactics, tactical movement, and tactical buffing, as the Marshal, Crusader, and Warblade do for base classes. This cannot be a magical ability, like the bard, it must be mundane.

2) Entries must include name, complete class, and fluff, combat related and role playing related. Incomplete entries at the deadline will be disqualified.

3) Entries must be 3.5, using the standard format below.

4) Post all entries in this thread. Post all conversation, questions, etc here in the chat thread.

5) Maximum of one entry per participant (gotta save up those creative juices for the next one too!)

6) Entries must be your own work, and must not be copied for other places. Such entries will be disqualified.

7) No reserving posts. Feel free to tweak your class, but the initial post must include the basics.

[dman11235]

On the Philosophy of Class Design

Fax Celestis' Prestige Class Creation Thread

As well here is the format you are to use, with a copy/paste version in spoiler blocks. The table is for 20 levels, just eliminate the levels you do not need. The image is optional.

PRESTIGE CLASS NAME



Quote of Some Kind by a member of the class!

A general description of whatever the class is!

BECOMING A CLASS NAME
How you would normally become a member of this prestige class.

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
:
:
:
:
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Class Skills
The Class Name's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are....
Skills Points at Each Level: x + int

Hit Dice: dx

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

1st|

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19th|

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20th|

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|Class Ability[/table]

Weapon Proficiencies: A place to put the different proficiencies.
Put all the different class abilities in here!

PLAYING A CLASS NAME
Brief description on how to play the class you are designing.
Combat: Here's a section where you will describe common combat methods for your class. Remember to include information on how your class will use his powers in combat.
Advancement: This is a section on different options and paths that the class can go down when they advance in power.
Resources: What resources might a member of this PrC be able to draw on..

CLASS NAME IN THE WORLD
A quote of somebody else talking about your class!

A brief description of how your class is persevered in the world and how he interacts with the world.
Daily Life: Some general information about the typical day in the life of your class.
Notables: Make up some cool information about notable figures in the history of your class. It's best to give a little information from one of the good alignment and evil alignment (unless it's a good or evil only class).
Organizations: Some information about organizations dedicated to the practice of your class and other organizations which members of your class will be attracted towards.

NPC Reaction
This is an in detail description of how NPC's would perceive your class and the immediate generalization that people would give of your class.

CLASS NAME IN THE GAME
This is a good place to provide a quick note on how your class will effect game play statistically.
Adaptation: This is a place where you put in detail how people can adapt your class into their campaign setting.
Encounters: This is a place to describe what sort of encounters PC's will have with NPC versions of your class.

Sample Encounter
Give an example of how one might encounter a member of this PrC.
EL x: Give the encounter level and description of a sample member of this class and a stat block for him/her.


Name
alignment/Gender/Race/Levels
Init +0, Senses: Listen +, Spot +,
Languages
------------------------------------------------
AC , touch , flat-footed ()
hp ( HD)
Fort +, Ref +, Will +
------------------------------------------------
Speed ft. ( squares)
Melee
Base Atk +, Grp +
Atk Options
Combat Gear
Spells Prepared
Supernatural Abilities
-----------------------------------------------
Abilities Str , Dex , Con , Int , Wis , Cha
SQ
Feats
Skills
Possessions

Spoiler

Show

[COLOR=maroon][SIZE=5][B]PRESTIGE CLASS NAME [/B][/SIZE][/COLOR]

[IMG]http://Picture URL[/img]

[I]Quote of Some Kind by a member of the class! [/I]

A general description of whatever the class is!

[SIZE=4][COLOR=maroon]BECOMING A CLASS NAME [/COLOR][/SIZE]
How you would normally become a member of this prestige class.

[B]ENTRY REQUIREMENTS[/B]
[B]:[/B]
[B]:[/B]
[B]:[/B]
[B]:[/B]
[B]:[/B]

[B][size=3][color=maroon]Class Skills[/color][/size][/B]
The Class Name's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are....
[B]Skills Points at Each Level: [/B]x + int

[B]Hit Dice:[/B] dx

{table=head][b]Level[/b]|[b]Base Attack Bonus[/b]|[b]Fort Save[/b]|[b]Ref Save[/b]|[b]Will Save[/b]|[b]Special[/b]

1st|[center]+x[/center]|[center]+x[/center]|[center]+x[/center]|[center]+x[/center]|Class Ability

2nd|[center]+x[/center]|[center]+x[/center]|[center]+x[/center]|[center]+x[/center]|Class Ability

3rd|[center]+x[/center]|[center]+x[/center]|[center]+x[/center]|[center]+x[/center]|Class Ability

4th|[center]+x[/center]|[center]+x[/center]|[center]+x[/center]|[center]+x[/center]|Class Ability

5th|[center]+x[/center]|[center]+x[/center]|[center]+x[/center]|[center]+x[/center]|Class Ability

6th|[center]+x[/center]|[center]+x[/center]|[center]+x[/center]|[center]+x[/center]|Class Ability

7th|[center]+x[/center]|[center]+x[/center]|[center]+x[/center]|[center]+x[/center]|Class Ability

8th|[center]+x[/center]|[center]+x[/center]|[center]+x[/center]|[center]+x[/center]|Class Ability

9th|[center]+x[/center]|[center]+x[/center]|[center]+x[/center]|[center]+x[/center]|Class Ability

10th|[center]+x[/center]|[center]+x[/center]|[center]+x[/center]|[center]+x[/center]|Class Ability

11th|[center]+x[/center]|[center]+x[/center]|[center]+x[/center]|[center]+x[/center]|Class Ability

12th|[center]+x[/center]|[center]+x[/center]|[center]+x[/center]|[center]+x[/center]|Class Ability

13th|[center]+x[/center]|[center]+x[/center]|[center]+x[/center]|[center]+x[/center]|Class Ability

14th|[center]+x[/center]|[center]+x[/center]|[center]+x[/center]|[center]+x[/center]|Class Ability

15th|[center]+x[/center]|[center]+x[/center]|[center]+x[/center]|[center]+x[/center]|Class Ability

16th|[center]+x[/center]|[center]+x[/center]|[center]+x[/center]|[center]+x[/center]|Class Ability

17th|[center]+x[/center]|[center]+x[/center]|[center]+x[/center]|[center]+x[/center]|Class Ability

18th|[center]+x[/center]|[center]+x[/center]|[center]+x[/center]|[center]+x[/center]|Class Ability

19th|[center]+x[/center]|[center]+x[/center]|[center]+x[/center]|[center]+x[/center]|Class Ability

20th|[center]+x[/center]|[center]+x[/center]|[center]+x[/center]|[center]+x[/center]|Class Ability[/table]

[B]Weapon Proficiencies[/B]: A place to put the different proficiencies.
Put all the different class abilities in here!

[COLOR=maroon][SIZE=4][b]PLAYING A CLASS NAME[/b][/SIZE][/COLOR]
Brief description on how to play the class you are designing.
[B]Combat:[/B] Here's a section where you will describe common combat methods for your class. Remember to include information on how your class will use his powers in combat.
[B]Advancement:[/B] This is a section on different options and paths that the class can go down when they advance in power.
[B]Resources:[/B] What resources might a member of this PrC be able to draw on..

[SIZE=4][COLOR=maroon][b]CLASS NAME IN THE WORLD[/b][/COLOR][/SIZE]
[I]A quote of somebody else talking about your class![/I]

A brief description of how your class is persevered in the world and how he interacts with the world.
[B]Daily Life:[/B] Some general information about the typical day in the life of your class.
[B]Notables:[/B] Make up some cool information about notable figures in the history of your class. It's best to give a little information from one of the good alignment and evil alignment (unless it's a good or evil only class).
[B]Organizations:[/B] Some information about organizations dedicated to the practice of your class and other organizations which members of your class will be attracted towards.

[SIZE=4][COLOR=maroon][b]NPC Reaction[/b][/COLOR][/SIZE]
This is an in detail description of how NPC's would perceive your class and the immediate generalization that people would give of your class.

[COLOR=maroon][SIZE=4][b]CLASS NAME IN THE GAME[/b][/SIZE][/COLOR]
This is a good place to provide a quick note on how your class will effect game play statistically.
[B]Adaptation:[/B] This is a place where you put in detail how people can adapt your class into their campaign setting.
[B]Encounters:[/B] This is a place to describe what sort of encounters PC's will have with NPC versions of your class.

[SIZE=4][COLOR=maroon][b]Sample Encounter[/b][/COLOR][/SIZE]
Give an example of how one might encounter a member of this PrC.
[B]EL x:[/B] Give the encounter level and description of a sample member of this class and a stat block for him/her.


[SIZE=4]Name[/SIZE]
alignment/Gender/Race/Levels
[B]Init[/B] +0, [B]Senses[/B]: Listen +, Spot +,
[B]Languages[/B]
------------------------------------------------
[B]AC[/B] , touch , flat-footed ()
[B]hp[/B] ( HD)
[B]Fort[/B] +, [B]Ref[/B] +, [B]Will[/B] +
------------------------------------------------
[B]Speed[/B] ft. ( squares)
[B]Melee[/B]
[B]Base Atk[/B] +, [B]Grp[/B] +
[B]Atk Options[/B]
[B]Combat Gear[/B]
[B]Spells Prepared[/B]
[B]Supernatural Abilities[/B]
-----------------------------------------------
[B]Abilities[/B] Str , Dex , Con , Int , Wis , Cha
[B]SQ[/B]
[B]Feats[/B]
[B]Skills[/B]
[B]Possessions[/B]

[The Demented One]

Evil Overlord

”Muaha! Soon I will be invicible!”
-Dread Lord Kamina, Evil Overlord

Evil Overlords are a step above your run-of-the-mill villain. A villain can plot and scheme, perpetrate acts of unspeakable evil, triumph over the forces of good—but can he do it with class? And more importantly, does he have minions to do it for him? No. An Evil Overlord lives and dies by his minions (his minions tend to just plain die) and by his code of honor. His schemes are nefarious, his evil is unshakable, and his classiness is unquestionable.

d8 HD

Prerequisites
Alignment: Any Evil
Feats: Persuasive
Skills: Intimidate 8, Bluff 4, Diplomacy 4

Skills
The Evil Overlord’s class skills are Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Disguise (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Gather Information (Cha), Hide (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Knowledge (Any) (Int), Move Silently (Dex), Perform (Cha), Profession (Wis), Spellcraft (Cha), and Use Magic Device (Cha).

Skill Points per Level
4 + Intelligence modifier

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

1st|

+1

|

+2

|

+0

|

+2

|Evil Overlord’s Code, Forces of Darkness, Leadership

2nd|

+2

|

+3

|

+0

|

+3

|I Expect You To Die, Motivate the Minions

3rd|

+3

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+3

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+1

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+3

|Acceptable Losses

4th|

+4

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+4

|

+1

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+4

|Instant Promotion, Just As Planned (Move Action)

5th|

+5

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+4

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+1

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+4

|Diabolical Mastermind

6th|

+6

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+5

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+2

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+5

|Villainous Presence

7th|

+7

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+5

|

+2

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+5

|Just As Planned (Standard Action)

8th|

+8

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+6

|

+2

|

+6

|Elite Minions

9th|

+9

|

+6

|

+3

|

+6

|Arch-Villain

10th|

+10

|

+7

|

+3

|

+7

|Just As Planned (Full-Round Action)[/table]

Class Features
All the following are class features of the Evil Overlord prestige class.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency
You gain proficiency with all simple and martial weapons and with all light armors and shields.

Evil Overlord’s Code
All Evil Overlord’s follow a strict code of conduct, recognizing that without class and principles, evil is little more than disorganized chaos, rather than a force to be reckoned with. The tenants of the code are:

• The first, and most important rule, is that staying alive is more important than anything. Sacrificing your minions, compromising your principles, even violating the Evil Overlord’s code itself is justified if that’s what it takes to stay alive. However, if you have contingency plans guaranteeing your resurrection, or if your death is an integral part of one of your schemes, you may disregard this rule.
  
• You can only break your word in large matters, and in a way that will make your victims realize your trickery and curse your name. You cannot tell small lies, or lies that will go unnoticed.
  
• Never ignore an insult to yourself, your plans, or your authority. Any insult must be dealt met with retribution and, if the offender is of heroic quality, a maniacal rant.
  
• A defeated or helpless foe should never be dispatched personally by the Evil Overlord or his minions. Instead, they should suffer an elaborate and complex torture or deathtrap, while the Overlord attends to more important matters. Evil Overlords recognize this leaves a chance for a hero’s survival, but are driven to prove their superiority over heroic types by not killing them with crude or simple methods.
  
• Male Overlords should treat women with an overblown courtesy that belies an obvious lustful nature. Female Overlords should treat men as either worthless or as nothing more than objects of pleasure.
  
• When not in the process of fighting with, torturing, or killing off worthy them off, an Evil Overlord must treat worthy enemies with courtesy and politeness.

An Evil Overlord who breaks any tenant of the code is disgraced, unless he broke the code in order to save his own life. All of his followers and his cohort abandon him, and he takes a permanent -1 penalty to his Leadership score, as his reputation is smeared. He can begin recruiting new followers and cohorts after a week.

Forces of Darkness (Ex)
You gain a bonus to your Leadership score equal to your class level, but you can only recruit characters of evil alignment. Your followers’s Strength and Constitution scores are increased by 2, but their Intelligence and Charisma scores decrease by 2. This is not a bonus, but results from the fact that those applying for the job of evil minion tend to be the big burly type, without much charm or brainpower. Your cohort, hower, gets a +2 increase to his Strength, Constitution, Intelligence, and Charisma scores, as he is more of your caliber of villain. You do not take penalties to your Leadership score as a result of your followers dying.

Leadership (Ex)
At 1st level, you gain Leadership as a bonus feat.

I Expect You To Die (Ex)
At 2nd level, you are a master of cunning death traps. You add your class level to the DC of any skill check or ability check made to escape from or disable one of your death traps or tortures.

Motivate the Minions (Ex)
If there’s one thing your minions should fear more than your foes, it’s you. At 2nd level, as a swift action, you may grant any of your allies, followers, or your cohort an extra action by making an Intimidate check. They take the extra action immediately on your turn. The type of action they may take depends on the result of your Intimidate check. A result of 10 or lower allows a swift action, a result of 11 to 30 allows a move action, a result of 31 to 40 allows a standard action, and a result of 41 to 50 allows a full-round action. Once you have used this ability, you must wait 5 rounds before you can use it again.

Acceptable Losses (Ex)
If an Evil Overlord dies, all is lost for his nefarious plans. If a minion dies, well, you can live with that. At 3rd level, once per round, you may redirect half of all damage dealt to you by one source to a cohort or follower adjacent to you.

Instant Promotion (Ex)
At 4th level, you learn that one of the most powerful forms of fear is trust. After all, is there anything more frightening than an Evil Overlord whose trust has been broken? Once per encounter, as a swift action, you may bestow an instant promotion on a cohort or follower. They gain two bonus d10 HD, the appropriate amounts of hit points, a +2 morale bonus on attack rolls, and a +1 morale bonus on Fortitude saving throws. In addition, they are treated as having two additional levels in a base class of your choice for determining which class features they receive (but not other class abilities, like spellcasting, psionics, or martial maneuvers). The promotion lasts until the end of the encounter. However, if you fail to triumph in the encounter, your Evil Overlord’s Code requires that you kill the minion you promoted, to encourage other minions not to make the same mistakes as him.

Just As Planned (Ex)
At 4th level, you rely on cunning and nefarious schemes so intricate they would drive a lesser man mad! At the beginning of each encounter, you formulate a cunning plan that relies on your foes acting just as you expected. You must state a specific action to be taken by any of your foes, such as casting a specific spell (but not just casting a spell), or attempting to trip you (but not just attacking you). Once during the encounter, when those circumstances are met, either you may take a move action before your enemy completes their action, or you may have a cohort or follower take a move action. At 7th level, you may instead take a standard action. At 10th level, you may instead take a full-round action.

Diabolical Mastermind (Ex)
At 5th level, your reputation as an Evil Overlord grows so great that even devils and demons respect you. You may use your Leadership feat to recruit any intelligent evil outsider or any other creature with the evil sub-type as a follower or cohort. If they do not have a level adjustment, treat their effective character level as being one and a half times their racial HD, plus any class levels or level adjustments from templates they may have.

Villainous Presence (Ex)
At 6th level, your reputation and intimidating presence are so great that your minions are to afraid to let little things like broken bones and blood loss stop them from serving you. Your cohort and followers gain fast healing 5 while they are at half or less of their maximum hp and within 60 ft. of you. Note that you do not gain any fast healing.

Elite Minions (Ex)
At 8th level, you can promote your minions to the ranks of the elite—and they’d better live up to your high expectations. Once per encounter, as a swift action, you may promote a number of followers (but not your cohort) equal to your Charisma modifier to elite minions. They gain six temporary d10 HD and the appropriate amount of hp, a +6 morale bonus on attack rolls, a +5 morale bonus on Fortitude saves, a +1 morale bonus on Will and Reflex saves, and they all gain the feats Combat Reflexes, Diehard, and Power Attack as bonus feats. These bonuses last until the end of the encounter. You cannot use this ability and the instant promotion ability in the same encounter. If you fail to triumph in the encounter, your Evil Overlord’s Code requires that you kill all of the elite minions.

Arch-Villain (Ex)
At 9th level, you have become pure, nefarious evil. You gain the benefit of a constant unholy aura effect. This is not magic or a supernatural ability, but merely the effect of your considerable presence and reputation as an evil overlord, inspiring your minions and demoralizing your foes.

Playing an Evil Overlord
Evil Overlords are at once warrors, leaders, and strategists. They are equally adept wielding a sword, commanding legions of minions, or plotting in their villainous lair.

Combat
An Evil Overlord can hold his own in melee, especially if he was a Fighter or martial adept before entering the class. His class features and minions also provide a solid tactical advantage, allowing him to retreat when need be and allow them to fight for him.

Advancement
An Evil Overlord is both a tactical leader and a melee combatant. While his abilities in melee may be less than other classes, he still has a full base attack bonus, and combat-focused feats or martial maneuvers can be of great benefit to him.

Resources
Most Evil Overlords set about acquiring a lair from which to base their operations, and use their minions to acquire and manage their wealth.

Evil Overlords in the World

“He may be an enemy to all that is good and noble, and I swear that someday I will bring him to justice. But damn, the man has class."
-St. Haldane the Pure, on the Dread Lord Kamina

Daily Life
Most Evil Overlords are obsessed with their scheming and plotting, constantly revising their plans and contingencies. Some favor a life of opulence and decadence, surrounding themselves in pleasures and luxuries, while others prefer a life of more ascetic evil.

Notables
The Dread Lord Kamina is a notorious mastermind of nefarious plots, infamous for his cruel intelligence and ruthlessness. His lair is deep underground in an adamantine mine, and legions of enslaved dwarves forge adamantine weapons for him and his minions. Rumor has it that he strives to steal the magical secrets for creating an Adamantine Golem, with which he could easily demolish armies in a matter of days.

The mysterious figure known as The Raggedy Man is a chaotic Evil Overlord who lurks in the shadows, using his mob of half-mad followers to spread anarchy throughout the world. While he has a strict set of self-imposed principles, he refuses to let any outside

Organizations
By nature, Evil Overlords do not work well together, as each one views himself as the supreme leader of all. Alliances between overlords are universally temporary, and typically just a pretext for one or both sides to betray the other.

NPC Reaction
Good NPCs react to Evil Overlords with fear and dread, respecting their reputation if not their power. Though it is not uncommon for bolder NPCs to rise up against them, such a reaction is typically met with a dismissive smirk and a casual use of excessive force. Evil NPCs either eagerly line up behind the Overlord, or consider him a rival and plot to betray him, depending on their ambition and intelligence.

Evil Overlords in the Game

Adaptation
Changing the flavor of the Evil Overlord class could allow it to be used for any effective leader. For example, change or alter the evil overlord's code, change the skill used by Motivate the Minions to Martial Lore, and swap out I Expect You to Die, Diabolical Mastermind, and Arch-Villain for fighter bonus feats, and you could have a Battlefield Tactician prestige class.

Encounters
Evil Overlords make good main villains for a long-running campaign. The overlord's minions serve as lower-level encounters, while an encounter with the overlord himself, the overlord's cohort, and a few higher-leveled minions could be the final battle of that arc of the campaign.

[Lord Iames Osari]

Ranged Tactician
Ranged tacticians are those who have learned how to apply their abilities in ranged combat and tactics to assist their allies and hinder their enemies.
Hit Die: d8.

REQUIREMENTS
Base Attack Bonus: +6
Skills: Bluff 5 ranks, Sense Motive 5 ranks.
Feats: Precise Shot.

Class Skills
The ranged tactician's class skills (and the key ability for each) are Bluff (Cha), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Listen (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), and Spot (Wis).
Skill Points at Each Level: 2 + Int Mod.

{table="head"]Level|BAB|Fort|Ref|Will|Special
1st|+1|+0|+2|+2|Long-distance aid
2nd|+2|+0|+3|+3|Ranged feint
3rd|+3|+1|+3|+3|Pin down
4th|+4|+1|+4|+4|Improved aid another
5th|+5|+1|+4|+4|Ranged flanking
6th|+6|+2|+5|+5|Maneuver ally
7th|+7|+2|+5|+5|Maneuver opponent
8th|+8|+2|+6|+6|Close combat shot
9th|+9|+2|+6|+6|Greater ranged feint
10th|+10|+3|+7|+7|Ranged threat[/table]

Class Features
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Ranged tacticians gain no proficiency in any weapons or armor.
Long-Distance Aid (Ex): Beginning at 1st level, a ranged tactician can both perform and benefit from aid another actions in combat even if none of the people involved are in melee combat.
Ranged Feint (Ex): Beginning at 2nd level, a ranged tactician can take a move action to perform a feint at range, expending one unit of ammunition (if applicable) in the process. If he is successful, the target is considered to be flat-footed against the ranged tactician's next ranged attack. This attack must be made on or before his next turn.
Pin Down (Ex): Beginning at 3rd level, a ranged tactician wielding a ranged weapon may, as a free action, designate a cone-shaped area emanating from himself and extending out to one full range increment. If an opponent within that area attempts to move (other than a five-foot step), the ranged tactician may attempt to stop him in his tracks with a well-aimed shot. The ranged tactician must make an attack roll against his target. If he hits his opponent, the target must succeed on a Reflex save against a DC of 10 + the ranged tactician's damage roll. The target takes no damage on a success and full damage on a failure. Regardless of the outcome of the saving throw, if the ranged tactician's attack roll is successful, the target must immediately halt as if he had used up his move action for the round. Using this ability counts as one of the ranged tactician's attacks of opportunity for the round. The ranged tactician must have line of sight and line of effect to his target.
Improved Aid Another (Ex): At 4th level, the ranged tactician's ability to assist his allies improves. When performing the aid another action in combat, he grants his allies a +4 bonus to their attack rolls or Armor Class, rather than a +2 bonus.
Ranged Flanking (Ex): Beginning at 5th level, when a ranged tactician is wielding a ranged weapon, he threatens foes (for purposes of flanking only) from from as far away as a single range increment of his ranged weapon, or from 30 feet away, whichever is larger. In order to threaten an enemy in this way, he must have line of sight and line of effect, and his foe must be aware of his presence.
Maneuver Ally (Ex): Beginning at 6th level, a ranged tactician can give up a move action in order to move an ally any distance up to their speed. The moved ally then has the option of resetting their initiative count to just after the ranged tactician's initiative count.
Maneuver Opponent (Ex): Beginning at 7th level, when a ranged tactician is wielding a ranged weapon, he can make a full attack action targeting a single opponent within a single range increment. For each attack the ranged tactician makes, that opponent must make a Will save against 10 + the ranged tactician's attack roll. If the opponent succeeds on his Will save, resolve the attack as normal. If he fails his Will save, he takes no damage from that attack, but shifts 5 feet in any direction the ranged tactician chooses.
Close Combat Shot (Ex): Beginning at 8th level, a ranged tactician no longer provokes attacks of opportunity for firing a ranged weapon in melee, and can use ranged weapons to make attacks of opportunity.
Greater Ranged Feint (Ex): Beginning at 9th level, a ranged tactician can make a ranged feint as part of a full attack action. If the feint is successful, the target is considered to be flat-footed against the rest of the ranged tactician's ranged attacks that round.
Ranged Threat (Ex): Beginning at 10th level, a ranged tactician wielding a ranged weapon treats his threatened area as extending out to half a single range increment.

Playing a Ranged Tactician
Ranged tacticians are warriors who forego the rampant chaos of pitched melee for the more ordered chaos of battle at a distance. They are constantly moving about the battlefield, giving allies timely assistance without ever descending into the tumult.

Combat
Stay mobile and stay out of melee range of your enemies. If you think tactically and use your abilities wisely, you can contribute significantly to your teammates' success without needing to expose yourself to the blades of the enemy.

Ranged Tacticians in the World

"Lieutenant Tremayne? He can be a bit bossy in the middle of battle, but we always end up winning, and he's always covering our backs with that crossbow of his. He's not bad, for an officer."
- Sergeant Smithson, on his commanding officer

Ranged tacticians are often part of an organized military force, usually in command of a squad or platoon. Even those who end up promoted into positions of higher authority have a way of making their way to the front lines.

Daily Life
When not on a battlefield, ranged tacticians take good care of their ranged weaponry, making sure it's always in good working order. They also study and think about tactical situations frequently, to keep their tactical sense sharp.

Notables
Lieutenant Tremayne is a junior officer in one of the most professional mercenary armies in the world. He's respected by his subordinates for his ability to get them through tight spots, and due to his accomplishments is being groomed for promotion.

Organizations
Ranged tacticians tend join existing organizations that allow them to put their skills to good use, rather than found their own. As a result, many of them can be found in mercenary companies or national armies. However, there is one such mercenary company composed almost entirely of ranged tacticians, the Quiver. The Quiver is a small group, and very expensive, but very effective; they play off each other's abilities constantly, keeping their foes at bay while pelting them with arrows. Their symbol is a quiver of arrows, fletched with gold feathers.

NPC Reaction
On their first meeting with a ranged tactician, NPCs who are more focused on melee combat are likely to be disdainful until proven wrong on the battlefield. Even with evidence of the ranged tactician's abilities, some NPCs will see their insistence on staying to the rear as a form of cowardice.

NPCs who rely on ranged weapons are likely to view a ranged tactician with great respect, and possibly even seek to learn from them.

Ranged Tacticians in the Game

Adaptation
Ranged tacticians should fit fairly easily into most settings as written, but they could also belong to an exclusive martial order - possibly linked to the Quiver.

Encounters
Ranged tacticians make good NPC allies for the PCs. Between the generally low damage output of ranged weapons, and the ability of the ranged tactician to set the PCs up to be more effective, an NPC with this class can help the PCs without taking away the spotlight.

As opponents, ranged tacticians work best with some allies or minions, so that they can make the most of their ability to shift people around - and also so they don't get rushed by all the PCs at once.

[Stycotl]

Allaidhar

“The winds, the sky, you cannot see it, but they dance and sing with joy when we are free, when we are happy. When we suffer the bondage of others, or the captivity of our own poor decisions, they twist and writhe in divine anger, and seek to tear down the obstacles to our liberty. If we are our own obstacle, then they must tear us down as well.”
—Mudín al Harj, Dreamsayer of the Alhir Baharin

Alternatively translated as either fierce wind or wild sky, the allaidhar have historically been nomadic warriors, proudly independent and ferociously protective of their freedom and their people. Allaidhar was a name given to a warrior that had proven him or herself to be of exceptional quality, and allowed to train with the greatest heroes and soldiers of the tribe, as a peer, an equal. Mistaken sometimes for a single culture or ethnic group, many of the older nomadic tribes throughout the world share an allaidhar tradition—even among different races. Though every culture that shares the allaidhar tradition refers to it in their own tongue, the term allaidhar has been around long enough that it has become the standard translation. It has been theorized among scholars that the original allaidhar were of the same race and culture, and even worshipped the same gods, but with their exceptionally broad ranges and trading backgrounds, the tradition has since spread among many likeminded cultures.

When Reshar and some of his disciples traveled their way, he found that many of the tribes already had a manner of blade magic, similar to his own, though unrefined and disorganized. They were masterful swordsmen, and more than that, accomplished woodsmen, skirmishers, horsemen, and tacticians. He eagerly learned from them, and in return, taught them of his own art, and helped them assemble their various combat traditions into a single, loose, but effective martial art form. Since then, the practitioners of the allaidhar way have handed down their traditions orally from master to student—there are no known written records that detail the secrets of the allaidhar.

Becoming an allaidhar

The customs differ from tribe to tribe; one clan of Nepakesa humans was known to consider only supplicants that had survived at least four years of their continual skirmishes with the neighboring Ritu people, and in order to prove themselves, young Nepakesa warriors would have to plan and conduct a successful raid against a Ritu armed convoy. Another history tells of the nomadic tribes of the Baharin ancestors that would journey into the desert sands in order to find and tame one of the great feathered drakes—only those that returned a successful rider would be accepted into their community’s circle of allaidhar.

Warriors of the Sublime Way are the most appropriate candidates for the initiation, with warblades and sublime rangers being the most common. There are sufficient representatives of other paths as well, however, a fact that brings the allaidhar much pride and expertise.

Most allaidhar traditions are of human origin, and indeed, the originals were said to have been human, but there are plenty of halfling and goblinoid communities that have claimed their own allaidhar, and even some of the reclusive wood elves have been rumored to have adopted the tradition. Most communities are bound by family ties, and do not share their secrets with outsiders. But owing to the existence of the rogue dwarf or orc allaidhar in the world, it is apparent that their training has been offered to others at times, though by which tribe or monastery, it is uncertain.

Allaidhar can be of any alignment. Though they tend toward the chaotic, those lawful few individuals that represent their number are some of the most dedicated and unswerving warriors alive. It is a requirement that they prove themselves a loyal defender of their families and kinsmen, and of the unshackled liberty that gives them life—most allaidhar tend toward good or neutrality, though there are evil individuals that value life, family, and liberty as well.

HD: d8

Requirements
Base Attack Bonus: +8
Base Reflex Save: +6
Skills: Balance 4 ranks, Jump 11 ranks, Tumble 4 ranks
Feats: Improved Initiative, Lightning reflexes
Class or Racial Ability: Evasion
Maneuvers: Ability to use 4th level maneuvers of the Diamond Mind and Oncoming Storm discipline.

Class Skills: Balance, Bluff, Climb, Concentration, Craft, Escape Artist, Gather Information, Hide, Intimidate, Jump, Listen, Martial Lore, Move Silently, Search, Sense Motive, Sleight of Hand, Spot, Swim, and Tumble.
Skill-points per level: 4+Int modifier
{table="head"]Level|BAB|Fort|Ref|Will|Special
1st|+1|+2|+2|+0|Fury, Warrior’s Path
2nd|+2|+3|+3|+0|Bonus Feat
3rd|+3|+3|+3|+1|Quicksilver Winds
4th|+4|+4|+4|+1|Bonus Feat
5th|+5|+4|+4|+1|Lightning Strikes
[/table]

{table="head"]Level|Man Known|Man Readied|Stances Known
1st|1|0|0
2nd|0|0|1
3rd|1|0|0
4th|0|1|0
5th|1|0|1
[/table]

Weapon and armor proficiencies: Allaidhar receive no additional weapon or armor proficiencies.

Maneuvers: At 1st, 3rd, and 5th level, you gain new maneuvers known from the Diamond Mind and Oncoming Storm disciplines, as well as the two other disciplines chosen from the Warrior’s Path. You must meet a maneuver's prerequisite to learn it. You add your full allaidhar levels to your initiator level to determine your total initiator level and your highest-level maneuvers known.
At 4th level, you gain additional maneuvers readied per day.

Stances Known: At 2nd and 5th level, you learn a new martial stance chosen from the Diamond Mind and Oncoming Storm discipline, as well as the two other disciplines chosen from the Warrior’s Path. You must meet the stances prerequisites to learn it.

Fury (Ex): The allaidhar are known for their battle rages, and go to great lengths to induce them—rituals, chants, hallucinogenic drugs, and other methods have brought the warriors to a state of mind that can instantly trigger a flood of terrible power. As a free action once per encounter, you can enter a fury. A fury lasts 1 round/class level, and grants you a bonus to ability scores dependent upon your Warrior’s Path. These bonuses stack with each other, and with other rage-like ability bonuses. Further, you gain a +2 dodge bonus to armor class and a +10-foot bonus to your base movement speed while in a fury. At 4th level, the ability bonuses from the Warrior’s Path increase to +4 each, the dodge bonus increases to +4, and the movement bonus increases to +20 feet as well. At the end of a fury, you are fatigued for the duration of the current encounter. If you have access to the Tireless Rage ability through another class or a feat, etc, then you are no longer fatigued at the end of a fury.

Warrior’s Path (Ex): Though the allaidhar are relentlessly schooled in the arts of brutally quick and precise combat, they are zealously individual, and praise independence and personal initiative. Each allaidhar warrior has his or her own area of expertise that is religiously incorporated into their regimen. At 1st level, you choose two different tactical styles from the following list that complete your warrior path:
—Black Stalker: You are a shadow, a ghost in the night, imbued with the silence and touch of death. You gain access to the Shadow Hand discipline; you gain a +2 bonus to Hide and Move Silent checks; your fury ability increases your Dexterity score by +2 for its duration.
—Feral Talon: You are rumored to be wolf or tiger-blooded. Whether this is true or not, you certainly have found satisfaction in a natural, untamed approach to life and combat. You gain access to the Tiger Claw discipline; you gain a +2 bonus to Jump and Survival checks; your fury ability increases your Constitution score by +2 for its duration.
—Rampant Berserker: You are a battle-raging front-liner, a warrior’s warrior, fearless and ferocious. You gain access to the Iron Heart discipline; you gain a +2 bonus to Balance and Intimidation checks; your fury ability increases your Strength score by +2 for its duration.
—Shining Hero: You claim the blood of the greatest chieftains and warlords, and your people look for your standard for inspiration on the battlefield. You gain access to the White Raven discipline; you gain a +2 bonus to Diplomacy and Sense Motive checks; your fury ability increases your Charisma score by +2 for its duration.
—Storm Rider: You are a great horseman, and when on your mount, you are as swift and deadly as a tempest. You gain access to the Twin Spirit discipline; you gain a +2 bonus to Handle Animal and Ride checks; your fury ability increases your Constitution score by +2 for its duration.
—Wild Huntsman: You are one of the great scouts of your land, skilled in taking down quarry of any kind, and highly respected for your ranged combat capability. You gain access to the Falling Star discipline; you gain a +2 bonus to Hide and Spot checks; your fury ability increases your Dexterity score by +2 for its duration.
—Zealous Servant: You are a visionary, a prophet, an idealist, a revolutionary. You have a cause, and you serve it with all of your heart. You gain access to the Devoted Spirit discipline; you gain a +2 bonus to Concentrate and Intimidate checks; your fury ability increases your Strength score by +2 for its duration.

Bonuses to skill checks stack, as do ability score increases, and skills listed under a chosen Warrior’s Path become class skills if they were not already. There are other paths and disciplines taught, but these are the most common among the nomadic allaidhar warriors.

Bonus Feats: The allaidhar are impressive warriors, with diverse training and experience. At 2nd and 4th level, you can choose a bonus feat—that you qualify for—from the fighter’s list.

Quicksilver Winds (Ex): One of the most important proficiencies of the allaidhar is the ability to keep moving in combat. Without movement, your assault or defense is pointless, they say. At 3rd level, you have mastered the maneuvering capability of a seasoned allaidhar, and can enter this stance as a swift action, gaining the effects of the Spring Attack feat. As a 15th level initiator, you gain the effects of the Bounding Assault feat, and as a 20th level initiator, you gain the effects of the Rapid Blitz feat. You still provoke attacks of opportunity as normal for this movement. Further, the ultimate purpose of your mobility is to coordinate tactics with your allies. Any ally adjacent to you at the beginning of your turn gains a +1 morale bonus to saving throws and a +5-foot bonus to base movement speed for one round as you sustain and motivate them with your presence; you do not benefit from this bonus. This counts as a 6th level stance.

Lightning Strikes (Ex): The fury of the allaidhar is well known, but little understood by outsiders. They are usually seen as fanatic, battle-loving barbarians. Their fury is derived merely from their desire for blood, most think. The truth is very different, however. Though they differ in their methods, the allaidhar are all motivated by the same desire for independence and life. This morally driven sense of purpose, in the ranks of the allaidhar, has been known to produce startlingly powerful effects. At 5th level, you have learned to draw on this righteous will in order to fuel your powerful fury. Any time that you are under the effect of your fury, you can spend a swift action to initiate this ability as a martial boost; you are affected as if by the freedom of movement and greater haste spells for the next three rounds, and any allies within 30 feet of you are affected as if by the freedom of movement spell for one round. Further, while under the effects of this boost, you flank any foe to which you are adjacent if another of your allies is also adjacent to the foe; you both gain the normal benefits of flanking. This ability counts as a 7th level martial maneuver, is usable only once per day/class level, and only once per encounter; it cannot be readied or recovered as a normal boost can.

Playing an allaidhar

You are a free spirit, carefree and fun loving. This is the single largest binding tie between all of the allaidhar in the world. You are a wanderer, an explorer. You seek to find, to explore, and to understand. Most allaidhar are nomadic, and therefore are not seeking so much to own as they are to experience—that is, they are not usually concerned so much with wealth and land, noble titles, and such trivial matters. Theirs is usually the tradition and culture of a spiritual, questing people, made all the more potent by the bonds within their order of warriors, warriors that would give everything in order to protect the people and the freedom that they love.

Your joyous, frank attitude is a boon to those around you, and others find it easy to trust you. As long as you maintain this carefree, fiercely independent

Combat

You are impressively mobile and precise in combat, using quick maneuvers and stances to great effect in order to aid your allies and defeat your foes. Your free spirit motivates those around you, and gives them the support that they need to win the battle. The allaidhar have served the role of the heroic standard bearer in many conflicts, and their swiftly flashing colors, and exultant war cries can turn the tide of nearly any battle.

Advancement

Starting off with, or picking up levels in the barbarian class can greatly increase the effects of your fury ability, particularly if you eventually gain the Tireless Rage ability. Learn martial maneuvers that take advantage of your mobility; Diamond Mind and Desert Wind in particular have some great mobile maneuvers. Scout levels gain be of great benefit for both skirmish effects and evasion. Lastly, if you advance far enough, take the Wisdom of the Sky feat a couple of times; extra disciplines, skill bonuses, and ability score increases can greatly optimize your effectiveness in combat.

Resources

You are a wanderer, and thus, probably not too worried about luxurious palaces, chests of gold, and other niceties. You travel with your people, and on quests for the good of your people. A tent, or a fortified hill suit you just fine. That said, you are very interested in getting your hands on the best equipment that you can find. A magical weapon would augment your already fearsome capability. Magic that would increase your maneuverability, stealth, and endurance would be a godsend.

Allaidhar in the World

“They are a rowdy bunch, without any real sense of discipline. But they have proven themselves to be our allies when’er their caravans’re in our towns. Fought at our sides many times, they have—without our even asking.”
—Hsfal Hersung, Chief Warden of Slarkovic

The tribes throughout the world that boast a team of allaidhar are proud, capable groups of people, generally open and friendly to others, respecting the rights to freedom and happiness that all sentient races have. They do not condone slavery, indentured servitude, or any other kind of cruel domination. Allaidhar have been known to lead their tribes into war with impetuous abandon, solely to aid a beleaguered village, or avenge a wrong against their people, or an allied people.

Organizations

The allaidhar generally end up in some sort of leadership role within their tribes. Most of them serve as the highest ranking warriors, and form a war council that can even supersede the authority of the tribal elders and chiefs during times of strife. Many of them, however, are automatically assigned to the council of elders, and so, hold great renown and influence within their tribe anyway.

NPC Reactions

Outsiders are likely to be aware of the combat prowess of an allaidhar, but generally know nothing of their morals and motivation. Many of them are assumed to be barbarians—which might be an accurate assumption in many cases. Others are aware of the tradition of martial lore and training of the allaidhar, and acknowledge their position as practitioners of the Sublime Way.

Allaidhar Lore

Characters with Knowledge (history) or Knowledge (local) can research the allaidhar in order to learn more about them. Alternatively, a character with ranks in the Martial Lore skill can make the same cheks with a +5 DC. When a character makes a skill check, read or paraphrase the following, including the information from lower DCs.

DC 10: “Allaidhar are nomadic warriors that greatly value individual honor and freedom, and train to be mobile, quick, and fearsome fighters.”

DC 15: “Allaidhar are practitioners of the Sublime Way, studying the lore and art taught to them by their ancestors, and by Reshar himself.”

DC 20: “Allaidhar gain incredible power from their devotion to individual freedom and worth. They can even enter a state similar to a barbarian’s berserk rage, in which they become some of the most terrifyingly quick foes in the lands.”

Allaidhar in the Game

Adaptation

The allaidhar can be adapted easily to fit other cultures and themes. Some of them favor their own racial or cultural combat traditions over the import placed on supreme mobility and precise strikes; dwarven allaidhar have even been known to adapt the wild sky combat philosophy to their own stalwart, unmoving stances. It might be difficult to find the binding factors between such radically different practices, but the allaidhar see them merely as different aspects of the same principles, and embrace the differing practices, and their practitioners, as equals.

Encounters

A strike team of allaidhar could be an interesting campaign hook. Maybe the adventurers have unknowingly helped the team’s tribe, and now, when under attack, the allaidhar come to their aid. Maybe the strike team is hunting the adventurers for disturbing sacred burial grounds. A lone allaidhar could be an emissary sent by a besieged nomad tribe, in desperate need of assistance, or he or she could be the sole survivor of a dragon raid or a plundering orc army.

Feats

Wisdom of the Sky (Epic)
You have learned much in your years of training and conflict, and have mastered the skills and responsibilities of many different roles on the battle field.
Prerequisites: Fury class ability, Warrior’s Path class feature, ability to use 9th level martial maneuvers from the Diamond Mind and Oncoming Storm disciplines, base attack bonus +21
Benefits: You gain the benefit of another of the Warrior’s Paths, including access to its associated discipline, skill check bonuses, and ability score increases during a fury.
Special: This feat can be selected multiple times; every time it is applied to a new Warrior’s Path.

[dman11235]

Get your last minute editing done, the contest ends in....4.5 hours.

[Jaerc]

It uh the 20th not the 30th.

[dman11235]

oops...the deadline should have been the 21st...typo...

Yeah, read the next sentence. Doesn't really make sense for voting to open up 10 days before (and yet after) the contest ends, no does it?

Did anyone get confused by the deadline and have an entry they wanted to get in? Respond in the chat thread please.

[dman11235]

What, so you didn't want to submit?

Fine, contest is closed.

Polls will be open until the 3rd of September.