[3.5] Rend your foes and crush their death throes! [PEACH]

[TSED]

The Savage


A monster far more feral than civilized. Out in the wilds, these creatures embrace the animal within and become twisted vestiges of the rigours of such a life. They often show traits that few - if any - of their kin exhibit, and woe unto he who underestimates their ferocity. Though their strikes are unrefined, they wage combat as well any disciplined and instructed man. They are the Savage, and mankind cannot fathom their mindset.

Crunchy bits

Spoiler

These are a class for monstrous critters for DMs to use, or for making a melee brute out of an unusual race. They were balanced with kobolds in mind, so for more powerful races (ie: illithids, catfolk, etc.) you may feel the need to adjust the power (first thing I'd recommend is drop the BAB to 3/4).

They additionally fill the niche of "claws and ToB" as I don't think I've ever seen a class do that before.

Also, I've had this for days but it is IMPOSSIBLE to find a good picture for it. My google-fu has failed me.

Class Information

Spoiler

Alignment: Any non-lawful
Special: Must have at least one natural attack
Hit Dice: D8
Base Attack Bonus:Full BAB
Skill Points: 4 skills / level
Class Skills: Balance, climb, escape artist, hide, intimidation, jump, listen, move silently, spot, survival, swim, tumble.
Proficiencies: Automatically proficient with any natural attacks and light armour. For a savage, hide armour is considered light armour (and additionally does not decrease movement speed while in it).
Saving Throws: Fort good, ref good, will bad
Disciplines: Setting Sun, Shadow Hand, Stone Dragon, Tiger Claw
Recovery Method: You may recover an expended maneuver as a full round action that provokes attacks of opportunity. The renewed maneuver is chosen at random, and if you take damage while performing this action you must make a will save (DC 5 + damage dealt) or be unable to renew the maneuver.

Level	Base Attack Bonus	Fort Save	Ref Save	Will Save	Special	Maneuvers Known	Maneuvers Readied	Stances Known
1st	+1	+2	+2	+0	Improved Grab, Illiteracy	2	2	1
2nd	+2	+3	+3	+0	Improved Initiative, Power Attack	3	2	1
3rd	+3	+3	+3	+1	Natural Weapon Focus	4	2	1
4th	+4	+4	+4	+1	Uncanny Dodge	4	3	2
5th	+5	+4	+4	+1	Savage Strike	5	3	2
6th	+6/+1	+5	+5	+2	Unusual Specimen	5	3	2
7th	+7/+2	+5	+5	+2	Scent	6	3	2
8th	+8/+3	+6	+6	+2	Multiattack, Victorious Blow	6	3	2
9th	+9/+4	+6	+6	+3	Unusual Specimen	7	3	2
10th	+10/+5	+7	+7	+3	Clawhammer	7	4	3
11th	+11/+6/+1	+7	+7	+3	Ravager, Feral Swiftness	8	4	3
12th	+12/+7/+2	+8	+8	+4	Unusual Specimen, Improved Multiattack	8	4	3
13th	+13/+8/+3	+8	+8	+4	Rending Claws	9	4	3
14th	+14/+9/+4	+9	+9	+4	Pounce	9	4	3
15th	+15/+10/+5	+9	+9	+5	Unusual Specimen	10	5	3
16th	+16/+11/+6/+1	+10	+10	+5	Scar Armour	10	5	4
17th	+17/+12/+7/+2	+10	+10	+5	Wild One	11	5	4
18th	+18/+13/+8/+3	+11	+11	+6	Unusual Specimen	11	5	4
19th	+19/+14/+9/+4	+11	+11	+6	Shimmerhide	12	5	4
20th	+20/+15/+10/+5	+12	+12	+6	Cleaving Charge, Bonus Unusual Specimen Trait	12	6	4

Class Features

Spoiler

Improved Grab (Ex):
At first level, you gain the special ability to pull a creature into a grapple after hitting them with a natural attack. You may only use this ability on creatures up your size category. At 5th level, you may use it on creatures a size category larger. At 10th level, you may use it on creatures two size categories larger. At 15th level, you can use it on creatures three size categories larger. At 20th level, there is no limit on the size category of the target.

Illiteracy (Ex):
Like barbarians, savages are illiterate.

Improved Initiative (Ex):
You live in a world where action rules, and have adapted to act first. You gain Improved Initiative as a bonus feat at second level.

Power Attack (Ex):
Also at second level, you gain Power Attack as a bonus feat, even if you don't meet the prerequisites. If you already have Power Attack, you may select another feat from the Fighter's Bonus Feat list that you already meet the prerequisites for. Naturally, you may imbue any natural attack with this feat.


Natural Weapon Focus (Ex):
Come third level, you are considered to have the feat Weapon Focus for any natural attack you use. At sixth level, you are considered to have Weapon Specialization for any natural attack you use. At 10th level, you are considered to have Greater Weapon Focus for any natural attack you use, and at 14th level you are considered to have Greater Weapon Specialization for any natural attacks you use.

Uncanny Dodge (Ex):
You gain Uncanny Dodge as the rogue class ability at fourth level.

Savage Strike (Ex):
Your attacks strike with such tenacity that they overcome magical fortitude. Any natural attack used by you is considered magic for the purposes of damage reduction.

Unusual Specimen (Ex):
At sixth level, and once every 3 levels afterwords, you gain a Specimen ability (as denoted below).

Scent (Ex):
At seventh level, you gain the Scent ability if you didn't already have it.

Multiattack (Ex):
At eighth level, you gain the feat Multiattack as a bonus feat, even if you don't meet the prerequisites. You may not use this ability in the same round as one you have used a manufactured weapon to attack with.

Victorious Blow (Ex):
At eighth level, whenever you drop an opponent below 0 hit points, a wave of elation and victory surrounds you. You may choose one expended maneuver and recover it as a free action.

Clawhammer (Ex):
Come tenth level, any time you use a natural attack with power attack, you gain a damage return of 2 points for every point of Base Attack Bonus lost.

Ravager (Ex):
Your terrifying ferocity makes it foolish to remain close to you. Upon reaching 11th level, you gain an untyped +4 bonus to all grapple checks, and an additional +2 size bonus for every size category you are BELOW large.

Feral Swiftness (Ex):
Your terrifying ferocity lets you see far more openings in combat than a regular person. At 11th level, you may make one extra attack at your highest base attack bonus whenever you use a full attack, charge, or standard action to attack something with a natural weapon, but every attack made is at a -2 penalty. This ability does not stack with haste. Once you get Pounce, this ability does not work with it - you cannot make the extra attack on a Pounce. On a full attack with at most a 5' step movement, you can still use this. If you decide you would rather use this than pounce once you have it, you may.

Improved Multiattack (Ex):
At 12th level, you gain Improved Multiattack as a bonus feat, even if you don't meet the prerequisites.

Rending Claws (Ex):
Your natural weapons are so vicious that they can rend the strongest of metals in twain. At 13th level, your natural attacks are considered adamantine for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction and ignore the first 10 points of hardness when striking objects.

Pounce (Ex):
Your natural, lithe movements lead to an unparalleled fury on the battlefield. At 14th level, you can make full attacks on a charge. You may not make the bonus attack from Feral Swiftness on a charge, however.

Scar Armour (Ex):
Your hide is, beyond a doubt, one of the toughest that ever was. At sixteenth level, the criss-crossing scars and calluses grant you a bonus to any natural armour you have equal to your constitution modifier.

Wild One (Ex):
At seventeenth level, you are so indoctrinated to the ravages of the world that you cease to even notice. You gain a +8 racial bonus to any fortitude save caused by weather.

Shimmerhide (Su):
At nineteenth level, your stubbornness and strength of soul has begun to overpower the magic attempting to affect it. You gain spell resistance equal to your Savage level + your wisdom modifier. If you already have spell resistance, use the higher of the two.

Cleaving Charge (Ex):
At twentieth level, a Savage acquires the dread Cleaving Charge. If you drop an opponent on a charge attack, and have at least 10 feet of movement remaining, you can immediately make a new charge attack against a second foe. If you drop that foe and still have movement remaining, you can charge a third, and so on until you either fail to drop a foe, or run out of movement. All the other standard rules for a charge attack still apply, including the fact that you must have at least 10 feet of distance to make the charge.

Bonus Unusual Specimen Trait (Ex):
At twentieth level, you may choose an additional Unusual Specimen trait not subject to the standard one per three levels clause, and in addition may ignore any prerequisites it asks for.

Unusual Specimen Abilities

Spoiler

Abnormally Large
Your claws, teeth, tentacles, stinger, or any other harm-inflicting apparatus are larger than normal. Every time you take this ability, one natural attack of your choice is increased in damage dice by one category and you gain a cumulative +2 bonus to intimidate, but receive a -2 penalty to any dexterity related actions involved with it. You can increase the size of an attack more than once with this ability. If you have more than one of the same attack, you can choose to increase just one's size or both of them.

Lunge
With a vicious cry, you lean heavily into your strike, giving it a further range. Choose one natural weapon. It now has an additional 5' reach from what it had before. This ability can be chosen more than once, but each time it must apply to a new natural attack.

Stonetwister
Your fingers, talons, or claws can worm their way into the tiniest of cracks, and your strong muscles can support it. If you don't have a climb speed, you gain one of 10' and a +8 racial bonus to climb checks. If you already had a climb speed, it increases by 10'. This ability can be taken more than once.

Venom Glands
Prerequisite: BAB +12
Your strange body has begun growing things other members of your species cannot. Choose one natural attack. It now has an on-injury poison that you can coat it with as a free action, usable a number of times / day equal to your constitution modifier. The poison does 1d4 constitution initial and 1d6 constitution secondary, with a fortitude DC equal to 10 + Savage levels + constitution modifier. Every time you take this ability you gain another equal amount of uses per day.

Festering
Prerequisite: constitution 15+
You live in squalor, filth, and refuse. Though you do not take heed of the disease swarming about you, your enemies surely will. Your natural attacks now inflict a mild disease, selected randomly when taking this ability. The disease must be capable of infecting on injury, and the natural attack must deal damage in order to infect the target. Additionally, you gain a +4 bonus to fortitude saves made to resist disease. You are immune to the disease that you can infect others with.

Toxicity
Prerequisite: A natural poison
Your body's venom is much nastier than the norm. Every time you take this ability, a natural poison of your choice has its DC increased by +2. You can take this ability more than once.

Rake
Prequisite: At least 2 different natural attacks (2 claw, etc. attacks count)
You rip apart your foe with terrifying ease. You deal an additional 1d6 + strength modifier damage if two different natural weapons hit the target. At level 11, the damage is upgraded to 2d6 + 1.5*strength modifier damage. This extra damage does not get applied twice if you hit them with 3 or more different natural weapons, and creatures immune to critical hits are likewise immune to this.

Toughened Hide
Prerequisite: Constitution 13+
Your skin has been ravaged by the wind and blistered by sword and sun. The solidness of your being lets you shrug off blows with ease. Gain Damage Reduction 1/-. This ability can be taken more than once, and its effects stack.

Recovery
Prerequisite: BAB +12, constitution 17+
You are so tough that your wounds close even as you watch. Gain fast healing 1, or increase existing fast healing by 1. This ability can be taken more than once.

Regeneration
Prerequisite: Recovery, BAB 18+
You heal from the most greivous wounds without a worry. You gain regeneration 3, and choose two different damage types that can bypass it. You may not be immune or resistant to those damage types naturally (for example, a red dragon could not choose fire).

Fleet of Claw
Prerequisite: Dexterity 15+
You are unusually swift for your species. Choose a movement rate, and increase it by 10'. You may take this ability more than once, and its effects stack.

Wildlife
Prerequisite: Intelligence 5+
You sacrifice your reasoning to increase your capability. Take a permanent -2 reduction to your intelligence that cannot be restored by any means, and gain a +2 untyped bonus to another stat of your choice.

Clawgrinder
Prerequisite: BAB +15, wisdom 13+
With just the subtlest twists, you slip past the opponent's defenses. You may declare any attacks in a round a touch attack as a free action, and you may do this a number of times a day equal to your wisdom modifier. If your wisdom drops to 11 or below and you still had uses left, they are gone unless your wisdom is restored.

Bonus Feat
You are very experienced for your kind. You may choose an extra feat you meet the prerequisites for and gain it as a bonus feat. You can take this ability more than once.

Tentacle Growth
Two fleshy pseudopods grow from your body. They each deal either 1d6 damage or an amount of damage equal to tentacles you already have, and have 10' range (adjust damage dice size and reach if you are not medium sized). They can be severed (they have AC equal to yours + 2 size bonus - any armour / shield bonus, and hit points equal to your Savage level + constitution mod). If they are severed they grow back in [2d8 - constitution modifier] days. If your result was negative or zero, they grow back in an hour. You can take this ability more than once. Any tentacles you grow cannot be augmented with beneficial magical equipment.

[Pramxnim]

At first glance, this certainly looks like a cool class, building on a premise not often seen. However, I'd say make the class give a character natural weapons in addition to building on them, since not many PC races start with natural weapons (kobolds and shifters come to mind, but shifters don't get them unless shifted, and kobolds are ill-suited to this class due to their size).

I'll edit this post with more stuff after I've read the class more thoroughly.

[RMS Oceanic]

If it wasn't for the alignment restrictions, I'd have said Monk has found a new best friend to Gestalt with.

[TSED]

Originally Posted by Pramxnim

At first glance, this certainly looks like a cool class, building on a premise not often seen. However, I'd say make the class give a character natural weapons in addition to building on them, since not many PC races start with natural weapons (kobolds and shifters come to mind, but shifters don't get them unless shifted, and kobolds are ill-suited to this class due to their size).

I'll edit this post with more stuff after I've read the class more thoroughly.

Well, I was kind of implying that normalized PC races couldn't be one, but...


It wouldn't be hard to house rule in a slam attack for d4 for humanoids, or something. Or possibly a feat to give you a natural attack? Alternately, take RMS Oceanic's idea and dip into monk and then fall from Lawful. That might qualify.


Keep in mind the class is pretty powerful - ToB maneuvers, mild grapple fu, +2 / -1 power attack ratio (admittedly not AS potent because it's not on a 2H weapon, but a dip in totemist can fix that), 2 good saves, DR-ignoring, full BAB, pounce, spell resistance, and optional damage increases / toughness (actually can get DR 1/- before a barb!) / poison / disease / reach / melee-as-touch-attack / etc.

At 20th level your kobold Savage can be using his claw attacks at 10' with 2d6 damage each (or 3d6 without reach), bypassing DR magic and adamantium, with ToB maneuvers (Warblade known - 1, Warblade readied -1, same stances, but fairly inferior recovery mechanic) and power attacking for 2-to-1 on each. With pounce and full BAB. Before you even touch equipment, buffs, or feats... Pretty breakable, really. So... Yeah. I don't know. I think it makes kobolds work pretty well in melee, and most other things WOULD need a nerfage somewhere.

[Cieyrin]

Yeah, this is a bit too sweet as it currently is. ToB maneuvers, ****tons of virtual feats, lots of special abilities, full BAB, d8 HD and 2 Good Saves? DAMN, I want to be one of these crazy things @_@.

For a Kobold Savage (which can technically take it, if you take the optional racial abilities, which includes claw attacks), it gains 7 bonus feats, w/ everything else. Put this on a lizard man (a poison dusk lizard folk comes to mind, from MM3) and you have another 4 for the bite.

For Clawhammer, you could probably say it better as when using Power Attack, as imbuing isn't exactly what's going on, really, and it's kinda awkward wording, regardless.

Ravager, wtf. +2 for every size BELOW large?!? how is that the least bit useful? You're at your best at Medium size, apparently, when you have +6. Go smaller (kobold or poison dusk) and you're at +4, +2 and less. Get larger and you only effectively gain +2, since no more Ravager bonus.

Feral Swiftness is a weird Flurry variant with NA only, which isn't that big a deal for this class. Natural Weapons only? where's the downside for this class here? At least apply some attack penalty to make some cost for this, as you can use it WHENEVER you attack, basically, except when you get and use Pounce. It doesn't make sense to really apply it to non-full attacks, honestly, at least in my opinion. Doing so means much less explanation text, as well.

Rending Claws should probably be generalized, given not everybody is gonna have claws in this class, though that'll certainly be the most common thing. Right now, it says only claws, not all natural attacks, which I think is what you want.

Shimmerhide is weaker than the Monk's Diamond Soul is, especially by the time you get it, as I don't see many savages with very high Wisdom scores. Their highest mental score, certainly, but nothing compared to their physical stats.

As for Unusual Specimen abilities, Lunge reads rather weird. The way its written, it only threatens one extra square, not +5' reach, like I think you mean.

Stonetwister implies Escape Artist bonuses and gives Climb buffs. Probably want to change that flavor text and maybe the name.

Festering can be deadly, if you get lucky with the roll, so I'd suggest limiting to being infested w/ one disease, possibly randomly chosen when selected but staying that way. Also with one that makes sense, as not all diseases are communicable via injury. Some are waterborn or airborn or whatnot, so something to think about.

Wildlife and Clawgrinder are wildly OP. Drop Int for a different bonus? Yes please! =D All my attacks this round touch attacks? Sign me up and here's my buddy's soul, too! Sure, Savages probably aren't going to have that much Int to begin with but still, that's a bit ridiculous. Also, Clawgrinder may not be so bad, given it's BAB +15, but that's still horridly powerful, especially for a melee class. That's 3.0 Psychic Warriors with Deep Impact, right there.

Tentacle Growth looks alright, though I think it should have an additional racial bonus to grapple (probably +4), as well as defining what taking it additional times does. Another pair of tentacles? Stronger Tentacles with better grapple bonuses?

On the second thought, Maneuvers almost seem like an after thought for this class to push it over the edge of awesome brokenness, as they're virtually unmentioned, other than Victorious Blow. I'd almost say cut back on the number of disciplines available to the Savage, as they're hardly Swordsages. For them, I'd go with Setting Sun, Stone Dragon and Tiger Claw, as those fit them the best of your 6. They ain't exactly sneaky, overtly mobile or especially disciplined, which axes Desert Wind, Iron Heart and Shadow Hand, at least in my mind. Plus, the recovery method denial by damage doesn't make much sense to me, as I see these guys shrugging off such attacks and just getting pissed enough to recover their technique again, anyways. Plus, with their poor Will save, most likely they'll not make the save to resist, anyways, given it's based off of damage, which spikes really fast, these days.

Them's my 2 coppers. Take as you will.

[TSED]

Originally Posted by Cieyrin

Yeah, this is a bit too sweet as it currently is. ToB maneuvers, ****tons of virtual feats, lots of special abilities, full BAB, d8 HD and 2 Good Saves? DAMN, I want to be one of these crazy things @_@.

I agree, which is why it is PEACH'd. I am just not sure what to drop.

For a Kobold Savage (which can technically take it, if you take the optional racial abilities, which includes claw attacks), it gains 7 bonus feats, w/ everything else. Put this on a lizard man (a poison dusk lizard folk comes to mind, from MM3) and you have another 4 for the bite.

If you read the crunchy bits, I do say that non-kobolds should probably get nerfed. Since they throw around a -4 to str and small size, I figured it'd have to be a pretty sweet class to get them working effectively. I just think I overdid it some.

For Clawhammer, you could probably say it better as when using Power Attack, as imbuing isn't exactly what's going on, really, and it's kinda awkward wording, regardless.

I'll recheck the wording.

Ravager, wtf. +2 for every size BELOW large?!? how is that the least bit useful? You're at your best at Medium size, apparently, when you have +6. Go smaller (kobold or poison dusk) and you're at +4, +2 and less. Get larger and you only effectively gain +2, since no more Ravager bonus.

Medium gets +6. Small size gets +4, effectively making their grapple checks equal with a large creature who doesn't have Ravager (sure their strength sucks but I imagine their BAB makes the difference there). Tiny gets +2, blah blah blah. Large creatures don't get those +2s, but Ravager and their racial size bonus get them at +8 so they don't need it. Even scarier as you get to huge+.

Feral Swiftness is a weird Flurry variant with NA only, which isn't that big a deal for this class. Natural Weapons only? where's the downside for this class here? At least apply some attack penalty to make some cost for this, as you can use it WHENEVER you attack, basically, except when you get and use Pounce. It doesn't make sense to really apply it to non-full attacks, honestly, at least in my opinion. Doing so means much less explanation text, as well.

Err, duh. I meant for it to not stack with haste, but didn't say that at all. Thanks for bringing that up.

Rending Claws should probably be generalized, given not everybody is gonna have claws in this class, though that'll certainly be the most common thing. Right now, it says only claws, not all natural attacks, which I think is what you want.

Thanks. Proofreading for the win.

Shimmerhide is weaker than the Monk's Diamond Soul is, especially by the time you get it, as I don't see many savages with very high Wisdom scores. Their highest mental score, certainly, but nothing compared to their physical stats.

Yeah, but it's not like they need help. It's more of a "fend off lower level spellcasters" than "save you from the BBEG" ability, in my eyes.

As for Unusual Specimen abilities, Lunge reads rather weird. The way its written, it only threatens one extra square, not +5' reach, like I think you mean.

A durr. I'll fix that, thanks.

Stonetwister implies Escape Artist bonuses and gives Climb buffs. Probably want to change that flavor text and maybe the name.

Proofreading ftw, thanks.

Festering can be deadly, if you get lucky with the roll, so I'd suggest limiting to being infested w/ one disease, possibly randomly chosen when selected but staying that way. Also with one that makes sense, as not all diseases are communicable via injury. Some are waterborn or airborn or whatnot, so something to think about.

Good points.

Wildlife and Clawgrinder are wildly OP. Drop Int for a different bonus? Yes please! =D All my attacks this round touch attacks? Sign me up and here's my buddy's soul, too! Sure, Savages probably aren't going to have that much Int to begin with but still, that's a bit ridiculous. Also, Clawgrinder may not be so bad, given it's BAB +15, but that's still horridly powerful, especially for a melee class. That's 3.0 Psychic Warriors with Deep Impact, right there.

Heartseeker amulets. Items of wraithstrike. Can do it already, and more times per day unless you have a high wisdom for some reason.

A -2 int means less skill points, and a +2 str or con or whatever... While looking at it by itself seems pretty good, keep in mind that you're also giving up another Unusual Specimen trait. I know I'd never take Wildlife, but it's pretty fluffy (and can be used to make some one int1-2 at level 20, which is fun for an NPC).

Tentacle Growth looks alright, though I think it should have an additional racial bonus to grapple (probably +4), as well as defining what taking it additional times does. Another pair of tentacles? Stronger Tentacles with better grapple bonuses?

Well, you can use natural weapons during a grapple, so the bonus would be overkill. I did mean to imply you get more tentacles as you take it more often, though.

On the second thought, Maneuvers almost seem like an after thought for this class to push it over the edge of awesome brokenness, as they're virtually unmentioned, other than Victorious Blow. I'd almost say cut back on the number of disciplines available to the Savage, as they're hardly Swordsages. For them, I'd go with Setting Sun, Stone Dragon and Tiger Claw, as those fit them the best of your 6. They ain't exactly sneaky, overtly mobile or especially disciplined, which axes Desert Wind, Iron Heart and Shadow Hand, at least in my mind. Plus, the recovery method denial by damage doesn't make much sense to me, as I see these guys shrugging off such attacks and just getting pissed enough to recover their technique again, anyways. Plus, with their poor Will save, most likely they'll not make the save to resist, anyways, given it's based off of damage, which spikes really fast, these days.

I started out thinking "maneuvers are in" and then let that sit on the backburner. It was literally the first thing I did and then nothing afterwords, so you're right in that it feels awkward.

I disagree, however, in that they can't be sneaky. Iron Heart and Desert Wind are out because when you mentioned it I facepalmed and thought "why?", but I'm not sold on Shadow Hand being out. Hide / Move Silently are on their class list, and etc. Doesn't fit very many Savage profiles, but I can see a stealthy skulking hunter style being built. I think I was thinking "desert savages could exist" but... no idea on Iron Heart.

For the recovery, I kind of imagined the pauses in animal fights (at least in movies) where they back off and sort of bay back and forth before launching back into the fight. D&D combat does have a different pace, but no reason to not have that in, right?

Them's my 2 coppers. Take as you will.

They were quite helpful, actually. Thanks! Time to go edit.