[3.5 Base Class]Get ready to punch destiny in the face. The FEARNAUGHT.

[Seguile Daengz]

I present... the fearnaught!

THE FEARNAUGHT

“What the heck was that?! First, this guy comes crashing through the roof of my lair! Then, he rips apart my minions! And just now, he broke my loyal knight’s arm in five places and used it to throttle the ogre, all while laughing like he’s having his best day ever! I had to use my most powerful fire magic to stop this lunatic! Just what the hell is going OH MY GOD HE’S PUNCHING ME WHILE ON FIRE”
- Dark sage Szerrelious Doomclaw during a tragically short-cut bout of bewilderment -

Everybody has once met a fearnaught. Not all may know it. The memory, blurred as it was, probably vanished into a nightmarish vortex of violence and adrenaline. But one thing is for sure: a fearnaught inevitably changes the fate of those around them. And if that happens, it can only happen quickly, decisively, and brutally.
Beware of the fearnaught, who dreads neither mortals nor gods.

How? You ask how the fearnaught accomplishes such feats?
He does it thusly.



Unbound by fate, obscured from the god’s sight, free of fear- he has a multitude of faces and just as many different ambitions.

Spoiler

But, no need to despair, mere mortal (as I am just barely knowledgable enough to know that you are one): the fearnaught is not just a never-ending whirlwind of chaos and destruction. At his heart, he, too, is an earth-bound living being, that performs mundane tasks just as we do.
He dries his clothes, he procures his meal, he enjoys a cup of coffee.

Spoiler

If that’s the path you should choose, know this: there is no such path. To become a fearnaught means to leave all paths, and to embrace the chaos within.
Get ready to punch destiny in the face.

WHAT IS A FEARNAUGHT?
(The Fluff!)

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Introduction

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There are many worlds out there, and just as many gods to populate their pantheons. And, gods being as gods are prone to be, they meddle. They meddle all the time. Some play century-long games of questionable entertainment value, others wage endless war against time, happiness, non-existent colours or simply each other, and then there are some who love nothing more than to manipulate mortals.
You know their stories: legendary heroes who slaughtered beasts, unearthed ancient treasure or saved this or that a couple of times from some non-descript evil.

This isn’t about those stories.

Because, let’s face it, the heroes and champions of old were basically glorified waiting-boys. No, said the first mortal to take up the name of fearnaught, I’ll have none of that. And so he set out to smash his own fate to tiny pieces, and to master the art of knowing your place, and then, when nobody would dare to make him his puppet again, then, yes, then he’d make his own fate, and he’d make it whatever he damn wanted.
Thus, the fearnaught was born: a single mortal being of such incredible determination that they are capable of wrestling the reigns of fate away from the gods and start whipping them for a change. Armed with nothing but a ridiculously huge weapon and a fiercely burning soul to match, they strife, most of all, for freedom, the real thing, nothing less. A fearnaught will learn who he is, and if it has to be the hard way, well, that’s why he brought daddy’s ol’ widowmaker along, didn’t he?
It doesn’t have to be about defying the gods; nor to free oneself from fate; nor to preach those ideals to others. Everybody has once met a fearnaught, but barely anyone remembers it. They can have the most humble of goals, dream like everybody else- after all, they are still mortal. There is one moment, though, when you’ll know for sure if there’s a fearnaught around or not.

It’s when he fights for freedom. ‘cause if it comes to bossy supernaturals prancing around, tugging on fate’s strings… He’ll have none of that. Nope. None at all.

Adventures

Spoiler

Fearnaughts yearn, above all, for freedom. They often leave the safe heaven of home to escape strict tradition or plain, suffocating life. The most humble fearnaughts seek to become independent and to rid themselves of all fears: get rich, pacify the area, protect those he really cares about. That alone wouldn’t make them all that special, but there is one unifying feature that elevates fearnaughts above all servants of order: neverending ambition.

Why stop at mere impossibilities? Become immortal! Kick those evil gods out of the pantheon! Stop people from dying of petty causes! Make manipulative people die of petty causes! Turn the world to anarchy! Fearnaughts think large, because they aren’t afraid to do so, and this quality as just as despised as it is sought-after.

And if in doubt, there is an easy way to figure out what a fearnaught wants from the world: imagine what you’d do if you didn’t fear a thing in the world.

Characteristics

Spoiler

Free from any fear that might restrict mortal (or, for that matter, sane) beings, the fearnaught is a force to be reckoned with. With unparalleled speed, a fearnaught thrives in the thick of battle. Blindingly fast attack combinations leave his enemies helpless, gasping for air, or spread over several square meters. By exposing himself to his opponent’s attacks, a fearnaught can attack even more fiercely- to a degree where even incoming weapons are just more targets he can rip apart. Not even death can stop a fearnaught… within certain limits, at least. In fact, limits and exhausting themselves are an ever-present danger. His many techniques and reckless maneuvers have a hefty price as well, which could well be over what the fearnaught’s able to pay…

Alignment

Spoiler

Fearnaughts don’t concern themselves with such petty things as good or evil; in their eyes, these are just names people call you. Thus, fearnaughts are just as likely to selfishly follow their ambition, leaving havoc in their wake, as they are to help others, leaving havoc in their wake. However, fearnaughts are almost universally chaotic; they despise lawfulness and its restrictions, and they’re usually far too battle-happy anyway. But although a rules-abiding rebel against fate might sound contradicting, there are some who made those contradictions work.

Religion

Spoiler

The free ones rarely bother with subordinating themselves to some higher being. If a fearnaught seeks aid from the controllers of fate, he’s either very desparate or has very specific reasons. Rarely, though, there are deities that the fearnaught respects, perhaps an entity that wishes to give mortals full responsibilty of their world, or deities that are more abstract ideas than outright active beings. But in the end, a fearnaught will never allow himself to be restricted by such things.

Background

Spoiler

Since being a fearnaught is hardly a topic in any culture’s education, there is no guaranteed “source” of fearnaughts. They can come from virtually any background.

People who live in chains, actual ones or metaphorical, are much more likely to challenge fate and seek freedom above everything else, so areas stricken by poverty or ruled by a cruel warlord can produce a fearnaught just as the stagnant life of court, tradition and duty can. But the desire to be free can be born from battle as well: there are stories of people who loved combat, daring display of skill or just bloodshed so much that they wished to be free elsewhere, too. Martial arts schools, armies and even battle arenas sometimes give rise to such fearnaughts.

But past that point, fearnaughts tend to flock together because of similar ideas or ambitious quests that require the help of many like-minded people. Organizations and secret supporters of fearnaughts exist all over the world, in all shapes imaginable. But all too often, ambition and restlessness drive them apart as well, so the support is fickle at best.

Of course, all bets are off when it comes to challenging the heavens. When someone sets their sights even higher than most fearnaughts, there’s no telling just how such a person came to be- madness, inspiration, or even a god’s meddling can awaken the fearnaught as well. Conflict, drive for more and a neverending dream accompany a fearnaught for all his life.

Races

Spoiler

There’s a rule of thumb some like to use when dealing with fearnaughts: the crazier the people, the more likely one of them will flip out and try to punch gods or something. And they’re not far off. Races that could be best described as “volatile” have their fair share of fearnaughts, because they rarely accept limits of any kind. Halflings (particularly strongheart halfings) and humans are such races. Others become fearnaughts because their wish for freedom is just so much stronger, given what they’re trying to escape: when dwarves want to carve their own fate, they’re bound to shake their stubborn society. Elf fearnaughts are less heard of, particularly because their longlivety doesn’t lend itself to well to the explosive, rage-against-the-heavens-life style of most fearnoughts- but if an elf truly sets himself on the path to leave all paths, their epic deeds grow just more epic with age. Gnomes and half-orcs are almost never fearnaughts, probably because fate is a concept their cultures don’t have much use for. They’re happy as is, or live too much in the moment to dream about a life beyond all limits.

Strangely enough, demons make the fiercest of all fearnaughts. Not just half-demons- real demons, as well. Figures, really- after all, somebody has to put the “rage” back in “rage against the heavens”.

Other Classes

Spoiler

Fearnaughts could care less how others fight- they care more about their fellow’s character than anything. Are they part of his ambition? Do they even inspire or impress the fearnaught with their determination? Could they prove to be a hindrance? Are they friends? The fearnaught spends much time perfecting his own fighting style, so he has much respect for other ways of fighting. But when the fearnaught really starts to enjoy his stay in battle, barbarians and sorcerers are much more likely to understand him, given their own rather chaotic nature. While the fearnaught values any fighting competence, he still detests blind obedience: the monk, the paladin, and the cleric usually have to prove their worth first before the fearnaught considers their viewpoint. But the fearnaught’s best buddy is usually the warblade. Both enjoy combat immensely, both love to display their skill, and both spontanously burst into laughter when they hit someone so hard they just kinda pop.

Role

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The fearnaught’s first and foremost role is to charge in and pound on some unlucky bastard. With his incredible speed, he is usually the fastest attacker, carving a way with his powerful combination attacks. By making himself even more vulnerable and surfing closer and closer to the brink, his attacks get more devastating, but this threatens to wear him out as well. His many dirty tricks help him to stay alive while steadily turning into a human meat grinder. And if he once catches the raw end of a deal, he can even cheat death- to a certain limit. In summary:
Just imagine what you’d do if your weapon was as large as yourself.

GAME RULE INFORMATION

Spoiler

Fearnaughts have the following game statistics.
Abilities: Dexterity is the most important ability score of the fearnaught, because many of his abilities depend on it, as well as Wisdom, which makes those abilities more difficult to resist. Strength is useful for gaining additional damage and attack bonus, if Dexterity does not take its place. Constitution is useful for the ever-elusive task of staying alive. When choosing between Charisma and Intelligence, the fearnaught usually prefers Charisma to better influence people. As for Intelligence...
Sword goes to head. It's not rocket science.
Alignment: Any, strongly favoring chaotic.
Hit Die: d8.
Starting Gold: 4d4x10 gp.

CLASS SKILLS

Spoiler

A fearnaught’s class skills are: Balance, Climb, Escape Artist, Gather Information, Intimidate, Jump, Knowledge (local), Knowledge (nobility and royalty), Knowledge (religion), Knowledge (the planes), Profession, Ride, Spot, Survival, Tumble.
Skill Points at 1st Level: (4 + Int) x4.
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 4 + Int modifier.

THE FEARNAUGHT

Level	BAB	Fort Save	Ref Save	Will Save	Special	Dirty Tricks
1st	+0	+2	+2	+2	Battle Euphoria 1/day, Daredevil	0
2nd	+1	+3	+3	+3	Fate-Shattering Style, Fearnought	0
3rd	+2	+3	+3	+3	Wild Combo	0
4th	+3	+4	+4	+4	Bonus Feat	0
5th	+3	+4	+4	+4	Defy and Deny 1/day	1
6th	+4	+5	+5	+5	No Risk No Fun, Battle Euphoria 2/day	1
7th	+5	+5	+5	+5	Crash Combo	2
8th	+6/+1	+6	+6	+6	Near-Death Exaltation	2
9th	+6/+1	+6	+6	+6	Defy and Deny 2/day	3
10th	+7/+2	+7	+7	+7	Implacable Man	3
11th	+8/+3	+7	+7	+7	Battle Euphoria 3/day	4
12th	+9/+4	+8	+8	+8	Casual Recklessness	4
13th	+9/+4	+8	+8	+8	Defy and Deny 3/day	5
14th	+10/+5	+9	+9	+9	Disaster Combo	5
15th	+11/+6/+1	+9	+9	+9		6
16th	+12/+7/+2	+10	+10	+10	Battle Fever	6
17th	+12/+7/+2	+10	+10	+10	Battle Euphoria 4/day, Defy and Deny 4/day	7
18th	+13/+8/+3	+11	+11	+11	Neckbreaker	7
19th	+14/+9/+4	+11	+11	+11	Bonus Feat	7
20th	+15/+10/+5	+12	+12	+12	Godslayer	7

CLASS FEATURES
(Check out Wild Combo, Dirty Tricks and Implacable Man- the most important ones!)

Spoiler

Weapon and Armor Proficiency

Spoiler

The fearnaught is proficient with all simple and martial weapons. He is also proficient with light armor and shields, excluding tower shields.

Battle Euphoria (Ex)

Spoiler

When it’s time to clash blades, to shed blood by the gallons, to cry havoc and let out the beast within- that’s when the fearnaught excels. He truly lives to fight, for being free means eternal struggle- why not come prepared? Whenever the fearnaught enters battle, an overwhelming surge of emotion takes hold of his mind, an inner fire that makes him churn out superhuman feats like some kind of whirling, laughing pain factory. There is no escape from those who battle with the speed of true euphoria.

At 1st Level, the fearnaught gains the ability to enter a battle euphoria once per day. Activating it takes a free action on the fearnaught’s turn. The battle euphoria lasts for (Constitution modifier + 4) rounds and bestows three benefits on its user. First, he gains a +4 bonus to his Dexterity score, raising Armor Class and Reflex saving throw bonus by 2. Second, the fearnaught gains an untyped bonus to all kinds of movement, 10 ft. plus an additional 10 for every third fearnaught level beyond 1st (20 at 4th, 30 at 7th, 40 at 10th and so on, capping at 70 at 19th level). The third benefit is unrestricted movement- the fearnaught can move normally through difficult terrain at any speed. Once the battle euphoria ends, the fearnaught loses all of these benefits, but suffers no side effects and can even enter another euphoria, should he have uses left; entering an euphoria is also possible while another one is still active. Additional uses are gained at 6th, 11th and 17th level.

As a special effect, the fearnaught restores all lost Dexterity points, no matter how he lost them. Should he spend Dexterity points while in a battle euphoria (see Dirty Tricks), the “temporal” Dexterity granted by the euphoria are lost first, similar to temporal hit points.

Daredevil (Ex)

Spoiler

There’s no use in playing it safe for those who want to get ahead. The fearnaught is fast, free of fear, and prone to danger- just how he likes it. The closer he is to the blades of his enemies, the more he feels alive- seeing the spittle in his startled opponent’s mouths, smelling their fear, feeling the rush of adrenaline, isn’t all that what drives you forward? There’s no other way to fight. Feel the blood of battle, no matter whose blood it is in the end.

At 1st level, the fearnaught feels the rush of danger and allows it to propel him forward. A close call puts just so much more drive into each blow. Whenever an enemy misses the fearnaught with an attack, he receives a bonus on all attack and damage rolls for his next turn only, depending on how close it was. Only one attack made against the fearnaught determines that bonus; however, he can choose freely which if multiple attacks are made against him. Missing by 1 gives the fearnaught a +5 bonus on attack and damage rolls, while missing by 2 gives a bonus of +4, and so on.

Attack missing by	Received bonus
1	+5
2	+4
3	+3
4	+2
5	+1
6 or higher	+0

Any attack that requires an attack roll qualifies in giving a bonus, even ranged attacks or certain spells, such as Scorching Ray.

From 11th level on, the bonus is granted up to a missed amount of 10.

Attack missing by	Received bonus
1-2	+5
3-4	+4
5-6	+3
7-8	+2
9-10	+1
11 or higher	+0

Later on, the fearnaught even learns putting himself voluntarily closer to danger, making the sensation even more extreme. Being a professional adrenaline junkie is all about exploring the limit. See Casual Recklessness on information how this ability works.

Fearnought (Ex)

Spoiler

Learning that there is nothing to fear is the first step to losing yourself in battle. And that’s a GOOD thing, as far as the fearnaught is concerned. Fear nothing, for that is the source of all weakness. Those who follow the path to leave all paths would do well to spit in the face of all wannabe-masterminds- let them feel some real hero snottiness for a change!

From 2nd level on, the fearnaught is immune to all fear effects. He still retains his common sense, although he may seriously question just how “common” parts of it should be.

Fate-Shattering Style (Ex)

Spoiler

A fighting style that transcendes everything mortals deemed possible, such is the fate-shattering style of a fearnought, a style that strikes awe and fear into the hearts of all. The fearnaught’s enemies cannot hope to fight him now… or so it seems. To the trained eye, the fearnaught isn’t any larger-than-life than others, he “merely” fights with such energy and skill that he might as well be. But the fact remains that only the fearnaught can, no, dares to fight like that… with weapons of such size that he can never enter a normal doorway again. But, no matter- for the fearnaught will destroy any doorway that dares defying him!

At 2nd level, the fearnaught learns to use preposterously huge weapons, because when it comes to fate-shattering, anything smaller just won’t do. He doesn’t suffer the usual -2 penalty from using weapons of one size category above his own, although the weapon still is more difficult to wield (making a light weapon one-handed, a one-handed two-handed, and a two-handed weapon impossible to wield, except with the use of the Monkey Grip feat).
Additionally, the fearnaught is now capable of using any weapon in connection with the Power Attack feat, although this ability itself doesn't grant him the feat.

Wild Combo (Ex)

Spoiler

When a fearnaught masters his fighting style, all hell breaks loose. Focussing on his blade, as if it were just an exceptionally deadly finger, he whirls and rages and breaks and laughs and twists bones in thoroughly unpleasant and definitely unnatural ways. Fighting wildy, yet highly concentrated, the fearnaught can employ superior technique and exceptional cruelty. Let them try to keep their eyes on your dazzlingly fast-moving weapon- makes it all the easier to gouge ‘em out.

At 3rd level, the fearnaught learns to use the wild combo, an incredibly fast attack combination that culminates in a fierce finishing move. As a full-round action, the fearnaught performs three consecutive attacks, with the second one receiving a -3 penalt and the third a -6 penalty. He is free to use swift actions or a 5-ft. step in between the attacks. Each attack has to hit, or else the combo ends immediately. The attacks don’t have to be all against the same target. If the fearnaught gains extra attacks from any source (such as an off-hand weapon, the Speed Enchantment or the Improved Trip feat), those attacks can be freely dispersed among the combo attacks, but they do not influence the combo; if they fail, the combo is not interrupted, nor do they count for enabling special maneuvers.

The second and third attack of a combo can be exchanged with special combat maneuvers. In order to proceed with the combo, these attacks not only have to hit, but also succeed on the subsequent check. The second attack can be replaced with a normal trip, disarm or grapple attempt. The third attack can additionally be replaced with a stunning attack, a dispel attack and a finisher, which are unique to the fearnaught’s arsenal.
Different to when normally performed, trip, disarm or grapple attempts never provoke attacks of opportunity, nor is the opponent allowed to counterattack if the attempt fails.

Attack	Replacement	Attack mode	Check required	Result
Second/Third attack	Trip attempt	Touch attack	Strength check	Target prone
Second/Third attack	Disarm attempt	Normal	Opposing attack	Target disarmed
Second/Third attack	Grapple attempt	Touch attack	Grapple check	Target grappled
Third attack	Stunning attack	Normal	Fortitude save	Target stunned
Third attack	Dispel attack	Touch attack	Dispel check	Dispel effect
Third attack	Wild Finisher	Normal	-	Additional damage

Trip attempt: After his opening blow, the fearnaught tries to sweep his opponent off his legs. This is a typical trip attempt, except for the changes noted above.
Disarm attempt: Once the opponent’s weapon is caught, the fearnaught can send it flying with a flick of the wrist. This is a typical disarm attempt, except for the changes noted above.
Grapple attempt: Using the initial shock of the unfortunate victim, the fearnaught dashes forth and grabs his enemy, so that some serious pain-dealing may ensue. This is a typical grapple attempt, except for the changes noted above. Also, if the fearnaught succeeds, he is not immediately in a grapple, but only once the combo ends for any reason.
Stunning attack: Confusing and distracting the enemy is one thing, a punch to the face something else entirely, but the fearnaught is master of both. The third attack can be made a stunning attack, an otherwise normal attack which requires the target to succeed on a Fortitude saving throw (10 + ½ the fearnaught’s level + Wis modifier) or be stunned for one round.
Dispelling attack: The fearnaught will not shy back from impossible tasks, if need be. And so, he learned to punch out magic. With a precise strike, the fearnaught can exorcize the magic running through his target’s veins. Requiring a melee touch attack roll, the fearnaught proceedingly causes a Dispel effect as the spell of the same name, using his fearnaught level as caster level.
Wild finisher: Finishing his combo with a thunderous strike, the fearnaught shatters bone with the force of momentum. The wild finisher is always preceeded by two other attacks. It is a normal attack which, however, receives a certain amount of bonus damage depending on the level of the fearnaught (1d6 for every second fearnaught level).

Bonus Feat (Ex)

Spoiler

All the crazy fighting and will-breaking and bitter tears of defeat licking can wear anyone out. Something to balance things out would be nice. Perhaps a decent, quiet hobby… or if that fails, why not some extra training in the martial arts!All the crazy fighting and will-breaking and bitter tears of defeat licking can wear anyone out. Something to balance things out would be nice. Perhaps a decent, quiet hobby… or if that fails, why not some extra training in the martial arts!

At 4th and 19th level, the fearnaught gains one bonus feat. He may select from the following list, although he still has to fulfill the prerequisites:

Improved Initiative, Evasive Reflexes, Acrobatic, Endurance, Diehard, Improved Unarmed Strike, Iron Will, Great Fortitude, Lightning Reflexes, Run, Improved Disarm, Improved Trip, Improved Grapple,
Dash, Faster Healing, Monkey Grip, Daredevil Athlete, Danger Sense, Goad.

Dirty Tricks (Ex)

Spoiler

A fearnaught’s enemies sometimes prove frustratingly uncooperative. Things like physics or actual skill tend to get in the way of the fun- how is anybody supposed to shatter fate like that? Thus, the fearnaught has learned to employ some seriously nasty tricks, utilizing his superior speed and inferior sense of fairness, to gain the upper hand and force the enemy into unfamiliar terrain. And once there, craziness rules supreme.

At 5th level, the fearnaught learns his first Dirty Trick, and then an additional one every second level afterwards until he eventually knows all seven. A Dirty Trick is generally a complex maneuver in which the fearnaught trades speed for technique, but which threatens to exhaust him as well. Using a Dirty Trick consumes one point of Dexterity; Dexterity can be recovered by initiating a battle euphoria.

Gambling Defense: Pesky attackers can whittle down a fearnaught’s stamina faster than he’d like to. While he does like riding close to the rim, he still would appreciate not getting hit without looking like a complete wuss. The logical consequence is to attack the attacks themselves- nobody will see that one coming! When the fearnaught hasn’t by his own action moved more than 5 ft. on his last turn, he gains enough awareness to deflect incoming melee attacks. By spending a point of Dexterity, the fearnaught can answer any melee attack with a melee attack of his own (should the attacker be within reach), requiring no action. If his result is lower, he suffers a cumulative -4 malus to AC until his next turn and the attack hits. If his result is higher, he has several options depending on his winning margin.

[center]Winning margin[center]	Option Higher by 5 or less	Negate the attack.
Higher by 10 to 6	Direct attack against target within the attacker’s reach (including himself), using his result.
Higher by 15 to 11	Make a trip, disarm or grapple attempt against the attacker.
Higher by 20 to 16	Make a stun or dispel attack against the attacker.
Higher by 25 to 21	Make a pin or blinding attack.

The last option is only available if the fearnaught has gained the Crash Combo ability.

Birdkiller: Some cowards follow the truly bewildering tactic of plucking away at the fearnaught from afar. Such lowly habits cannot be accepted. Using his sharpened reflexes and fierce counterattacks, the fearnaught punches arrows right out of the air. When the fearnaught hasn’t by his own action moved more than 5 ft. on his last turn, he is capable of deflecting ranged attacks. By spending a point of Dexterity, he can make a melee attack against the ranged attack roll of the enemy, requiring no action. If his result is lower, he suffers a cumulative -4 malus to AC until his next turn and the attack hits. If his result is higher, he has the same options as with Gambling Defense; however, if the attack is redirected, the new target only has to be within the original attacker’s reach (which includes himself), and all options available with a higher result are only possible if the foolish attacker is actually within melee reach of the fearnaught.

Entropy: The fearnaught’s mind can be truly perplexing. Where order should be, there are only wildly warped shapes and twisting threads of energy- at least, that’s how those capable of magic would describe it. A fearnaught can learn to use his unique, unrestricted mind to lead any magic, trying to influence him, on stray paths. Even his brain is equipped with some nasty attitude. When the fearnaught hasn’t by his own action moved more than 5 ft. on his last turn, he is capable of deflecting magic targeted at him. This ability is identical to Birdkiller, except that it works against magic that doesn’t require an attack roll and which targets him specifically; a fireball could not be deflected, but a dominate person spell could. To proceed, the fearnaught still makes an attack roll, but his result is not compared to another attack roll, but rather a Spellcraft check from the attacking mage. The options are the same as for Birdkiller.

Joint Lock: Brute strength is certainly ONE answer, but the fearnaught has found out that with a little technique and swift action, it isn’t needed at all. By spending a point of Dexterity, the fearnaught can force anyone currently engaging in a grapple, trip or pure Strength check against him to use Dexterity rather than Strength, or the other way around. The fearnaught himself can also choose whether he wants to use Strength or Dexterity. This Dirty Trick does not require an action.

Ascended Bastard: If the enemy’s strong, and fast as well, the fearnaught’s body might not be able to keep up. Luckily, the fearnaught can learn how to dip into his natural intuition, his knowledge of how battles work, and step into just the right places when needed, acting on instinct alone. This ability is similar to Joint Lock, only that Wisdom is used instead of Dexterity. It still costs a point of Dexterity.

Treecutter: Just because they’re huge and heavy, it doesn’t mean they won’t submit to the iron will of a madman. With some nasty tricks aimed from down below and a whole lot of determination, the fearnaught will bring every opponent down to his size. When making a grapple or trip check, the fearnaught can spend one point of Dexterity to negate his opponent’s size bonus while negating any size malus he himself may possess. This does not require an action.

Flash Step: The concentration required to perform complicated, blindlingy fast techniques does have its downsides: the fearnaught can’t simply zoom around the place as he’d like to. But now, the madman breaks another limit by figuring out just the right movements to do what insane speed has always been meant to make you do: move really really fast. As a swift action, the fearnaught can spend one point of Dexterity and subsequently dash forth in a straight line up to his current speed. The movement itself and reappearing provoke no attacks of opportunity, but initiating the Flash Step does. The fearnaught must be able to reach his target area with a normal move action in a straight line, with nothing blocking the way.

Deny and Defy (Ex)

Spoiler

Life's not fair. That does not mean you have to take crap from anyone, inanimate or not! Ready to propel himself to unknown heights of social disgrace, the fearnaught will BREAK all that opposes him, be it a difficult path, a complicated negotiation, or a delicious cake recipe.
Once per day, after failing any deliberate skill check (as opposed to reflexive skill checks), the fearnaught may yell forcefully at the offending difficulty and immediately reroll the check as an Intimidate check instead. At 9th, 13th, and 17th level, he gains an additional use of Deny and Defy. If necessary, you may Deny and Defy a previous failed Deny and Defy attempt.

This ability functions with every skill, but the wrathful bellowing may increase the DC of the check (causing an avalanche on the snowy cliffs he trying to climb) or alter the effect of a success (alerting the people in the room to the fact that he is eavesdropping).

No Risk No Fun (Ex)

Spoiler

Catching a healthy dose of danger along the way, the fearnaught fights without regard for what might worry lesser combatants. Learning how to extract even more excitement and entertainment from his battles is what gives the fearnaught power. If that means making himself more vulnerable, then so be it. Fear of pain is worse than any pain could be.Catching a healthy dose of danger along the way, the fearnaught fights without regard for what might worry lesser combatants. Learning how to extract even more excitement and entertainment from his battles is what gives the fearnaught power. If that means making himself more vulnerable, then so be it. Fear of pain is worse than any pain could be.

At 6th level, the fearnaught gains the ability to voluntarily lower his Armor Class and gain an equal bonus to all his attack rolls, up to his base attack bonus. This is a decision he makes at the start of his turn. Its effects are active until the fearnaught’s next turn crops up.

Crash Combo (Ex)

Spoiler

Charging head-first on your enemy is a viable way if intimidating people, but doing so during complicated battle maneuvers generally causes more death than awe. Good enough for the fearnaught! Accelerating at breakneck speed at unpredictable intervals, the fearnaught introduces even more chaos into his style. Them suckers won’t see what hit ‘em.

At 7th level, the fearnaught’s combo gains an additional fourth attack at a -9 penalty. To use it, all three preceeding attacks have to hit and succeed at their potential checks. If the fearnaught declared the third attack a wild finisher, he can’t follow up with the fourth attack. This final attack can also be replaced with three additional special maneuvers, as well as all preceeding ones.

Pin attack: With superior swiftness, it’s a simple thing to let the enemy’s joints all click into place, immobilizing them and ramming them into the dirt. The fearnaught will teach all those suckers that the body is a cursedly frail thing. Except for his own, obviously. This maneuver is similar to the grapple attempt. The only difference is that, instead of ending up grappling the enemy, the enemy is immediately pinned at the end of the combo.

Blinding attack:Every warrior who values his life protects those body parts he deems more valuable than others. Nothing delights the fearnaught more than destroying those protections, and making use of the exposed weakness in the most humiliating and gratifying way possible. Just look at him go! Are you looking? Are you looking real’ closely? YOU LOOKED TOO CLOSELY! Sometimes, all it takes in a good battle is a hefty poke to the eyes. This attack requires the enemy to succeed on a Fortitude saving throw (10 + ½ the fearnaught’s level + Wis modifier) to avoid being blinded for a minute.

Crash finisher: Using additional momentum and the opponent’s mounting disorientation, the fearnaught launches a final, spine-breaking attack that can truly only be described as a crash… being finished. This attack is similar to the wild finisher, except that it can only be the fourth attack as well as dealing ability damage. In addition to the bonus damage (1d6 for every two fearnaught levels), the fearnaught deals 1 point of ability damage for every four fearnaught levels. Ripping, choking, crashing, concussing, brandishing and even traumatizing are all the delightful ways of finishing a good pummeling, thus allowing the fearnaught to deal ability damage to any of the six scores.

Near-Death Exaltation (Ex)

Spoiler

Feeling death to be near does not mean the end of the battle. Some can draw sudden strength from hearing death’s call. Any fearnaught worth his salt sooner or later realizes that there’s no other way to go than screaming, kicking, and killing, to drive the point home that no-one’s bossing the fearnaught around, not even mortality.

From 8th level on, whenever the fearnaught is below 10 hp, he receives a bonus to all his damage rolls. This bonus changes depending on how close he is to death.

HP remaining	Damage bonus	HP remaining	Damage bonus
10 to 7	+1	-1 to -4	+5
6 to 3	+2	-5 to -8	+7
2 to 0	+3	-9	+10

Additionally, the fearnaught gains the uncanny ability to "feel" battle. Whenever a battle with at least five participants breaks out, the fearnaught can recognize in which general direction this battle is taking place by observing the horizon (or generally having a greater view on his surroundings). However, he only feels the greatest of these battles at any one time. By passing a Sense Motive check on locations or even persons that bore witness to such an event (DC 15 + 5 for every day that passed since then), he gains additional information, such as who won, who exactly fought, which weapons where used, and which fighting styles where used (meaning, he can identify which class the fighting characters belonged to, with more powerful characters standing out).
Some fearnaughts are inevitably attracted by such a sensation, others are content to observe, and some ignore it all together. However, none of them can deny a certain fascination with death...

Implacable Man (Ex)

Spoiler

No-one could survive that… there’s rarely more foolish words spoken. Did they search for the body? And if they did, did they make sure he’s dead? Did they make sure HARD ENOUGH? It is possible to cut down a fearnaught, no doubt about that, but that’s where the trouble begins. What if he survived? Death seems to be just a tool of the desperate, those who are too weak to deal with the living. A fearnaught will not bow down to such weakness. Can the will of those who defy fate ever be extinguished? The answer is no. No, it can’t.

At 10th level, the fearnaught cannot be killed.

Of course, it’s a bit more complex than that. From that level on, the fearnaught is capable of the incredible feat to stave off death through his own, earth-shaking determination, no matter how far he might have gone to the other side. Once per day after having been killed (by being reduced to fewer than -9 hp, ability damage, death effects or otherwise), the fearnaught can climb back up to 5 hp, living and kicking, no matter how low his hp have been before. All conditions are removed and all ability damage is healed. This is a free action that the fearnaught, even though apparently dead, can take at any point of the next hour (also during other people’s turns, effectively interrupting them) following his impossibly-survivable death. Afterwards, he is truly gone forever.

If he stands up again from his crushing defeat while the battle still rages, he immediately gains a new turn at the position in the initiative order in which he revived, unless it is the same round in which he “died”, in which case his turn shifts to the very top of the initiative order next round.

This ability also has the side-effect of making the fearnaught’s body nigh-indestructible. Any ability that might destroy the fearnaught’s body has its normal effect, but leaves the body itself unharmed; for example, when hit by a disintegrate spell or a vorpal sword, the fearnaught would still die, but he wouldn’t be reduced to ashes or lose his head. Enemies can use a full-round action to “make sure he’s dead”, usually performed by cutting off the fearnaught’s head, but fearnaughts have the uncanny ability to know just the right moment to explode from apparent rigor mortis to slashy doom.

Casual Recklessness (Ex)

Spoiler

Unbelievable as it is, but past a certain point of lunacy expertise, there is some kind of method to it. Rage like the best joke of the world, the joke being on your enemies- check. Crush their will, their hope, their bones, in any order- check. Zoom around the battle field laughing all the while- check. Carve your own way through the world- check, check, check again, it’s incredible it’s even possible to get good at such things… by practice. Anyway, it’s not like it’s any less fun!

At 12th level, the fearnaught is capable of adding to his opponent’s attack rolls, making them even closer to his AC, so that in turn he receives a higher bonus from his Daredevil ability. Any time he is attacked, he can add up to 5 to his opponent’s attack once he knows the result. If the enemy for any reasons rerolls an attack that the fearnaught already added to, the fearnaught may decide again if and how much to apply.

Disaster Combo (Ex)

Spoiler

True disaster dawns! The secret to the deadliest martial art have revealed themselves to the fearnaught, secrets of such power, such violence, such undeniable grace, that it takes a madman to just comprehend them. Luckily, that’s where the fearnaught excels. In a flurry of precise blows, any and all enemies shall fall. This isn’t just an incredible way of brutalizing- it’s a challenge to anyone who might observe, to any mortals and gods alike, a message, if you will, which says: Here I am. What now, big guy?

At 14th level, the fearnaught gains a fifth and final attack to his combo at a -12 penalty. To use it, all four preceeding attacks have to hit and succeed at their respective checks, and none of them may be a finisher. In addition to the other special attacks, the fifth one may be replaced by a confusion attack, an antimagic attack, and a fatality.

Confusion attack:In short, this is the art of hitting people so hard in the face they don’t know up from down anymore. This attack forces the opponent to succeed on a Fortitude saving throw (10 + ½ the fearnaught’s level + Wis modifier) or be confused for 10 rounds as the effect of the likewise named spell.

Antimagic attack:Energy flows? No. Qi, Chi? Naaah. Precise countermagical attacks? Not quite. Where the fearnaught strikes, magic will fall back. Maybe it is the overwhelming pressure that forces magic to abandon post. But the theory that magic is just fleeing in terror doesn’t seem too unlikely. This is a melee touch attack similar to the dispel attack. However, the fearnaught now receives a +15 bonus on the dispel check. On a success, not only are all spells cancelled, the person receiving the antimagic attack is also the target of an antimagic field exactly his size that stays on him for a minute. However, this ability, perplexingly enough, is not supernatural… just very convincing.

Fatality:The end. If this were a simple finisher, it would inherit all the effects from lesser finishers- however, this is not the case, at it is plain and simply not necessary. When the attack connects, the enemy has to succeed on a Fortitude save (10 + ½ the fearnaught’s level + Wis modifier). If he succeeds, the fatality deals +100 damage. Should he fail, the unlucky target instantly dies, usually in a shower of blood and gore, without any hope for survival. The excessive display of nightmarish, yet from a certain perspective quite funny violence gives the fearnaught a lasting +10 bonus on his Intimidate check against all opposing fools witnessing the fatality. Furthermore, spells that shield against death effects are useless, since this is not some wussy death effect. It’s a fatality.

Battle Fever (Ex)

Spoiler

Panic and chaos rule the battle, but the fearnaught regards those factors not as a hindrance, but rather as the ruling forces. Towards the end of his journey, the fearnaught learns that, to ascend through battle, means to become one with those forces.

At 16th level, the Dexterity bonus granted by the fearnaught’s battle euphoria increases to +6.

Neckbreaker (Ex)

Spoiler

No fancy swordplay. When it’s getting rough, pragmatism and the will to fight are what counts. The fearnaught’s battles are fiercer and greater than ever before, so mercy is a luxury. And after all, what’s left to enjoy when the enemy’s down already? Nothing.

At 18th level, the fearnaught gains the ability to perform a coup de grace as a standard action.

Godslayer (Su)

Spoiler

Fate has been left behind. The fearnaught has overcome countless obstacles, has fought for his freedom over and over again, has proven endlessly that he is no-one but himself. All that remains is to go for the impossible, to challenge the gods, to change the face of the world forever. Finally, the fearnaught has earned the power of those destined for nothing.
He can punch destiny in the face.

At 20th level, the fearnaught learns the ultimate technique of all those who defy the greater powers. The Godslayer technique allows to perform a single, strength-consuming strike that utterly obliterates whatever it collides with, effectively erasing it from existence. As a standard action once per week, the fearnaught can initiate the Godslayer, a melee attack, which consumes all his Dexterity, thereby reducing it to 0. Only healing ability damage or initiating a battle euphoria can restore his Dexterity. However, the fearnaught is only immobilized after he has performed the Godslayer.

This melee attack always hits, ignoring AC, miss chances, magical protection and otherwise. For any purpose, this is treated as an attack with a roll result of infinity. The fearnaught still has to choose the correct square his target is in. Then, the target has to succeed on a Fortitude saving throw (10 + Fearnaught level + Wis) or be destroyed, including all traces he ever left, unmaking him to such a degree that his soul is shattered and revival is impossible unless a wish or miracle spell brings his soul back into existence. If the enemy succeeds on their save, he isn't immediately destroyed, but instead shaken to the very core of his feeble easily extinguishable life, granting the fearnaught a +20 bonus on all attacks against this enemy for a day as well as damaging his enemy normally.

Fearnaught are an exception in that they aren’t expelled from all creation with the force and fury of the universe concentrated in fist-form; they are “merely” instantly killed, dropping to -10 hp.
This actually means that, yes, the fearnaught can survive having his very existence crushed by the fate-shatterer.
Now, the fearnaught may truly begin shaping his own fate.

CONCLUSION TIME!
So, what do you think?

Please comment! Thanks!

[DracoDei]

Repeating this here so it will still be around if you decide to delete the other thread (which is probably a good idea... in future I recommend the "edit" button at the bottom of the post...) :
If you drew those yourself, then you have my respect. Haven't read the crunch yet, but I just had to stop and say that the business about how a Fearnaught does daily tasks is pretty good. I especially liked the one who was doing laundry, although I also think that the clothing is just going to get dirty again unless they switch to a bludgeoning weapon. Then again, trying to keep blood off their clothing for any significant period of time is probably a hopeless task, so it is quite plausible that they just settle for making sure that it is FRESH blood.

EDIT: I THINK at this point you can delete the other thread by editing the first post, going to the radio buttons at the top and selecting "delete message" then clicking the "delete" button. I believe that it is only when a thread gets several responses that this is no longer an option.

Also here is a quick cut and paste of the other important reply on that other thread:

Originally Posted by Ashtagon

Please, there is no such English word as "malus". The word you're looking for is "penalty". If you're are under the impression it's Latin, sorry, but malus (ok, mallus) is actually Latin for hammer, from which we get the English word mallet. The Latin for "penalty" is "poena".</rant>

After the first couple of sblocks broke my screen width, I got afraid to open the rest. Might want to mark which ones contain screen-width-breaking images, or resize them.

Paragraphs: Learn to love them. A single empty line works wonders for readability.

Daredevil: If he gets attacked by two enemies, and one hits while the other misses by one, does he gain the benefit of this ability? It's left undefined.

Spreading the bonus out over a range of 10 points at 11th level is going to make this come into play every round, which can get tiresome and slow down play.

Fate-Shattering Style: Really badly worded paragraph. It looks like he gets Wield Oversized Weapon and Weapon Finesse with anything (even weapons not normally finessable), but I can't be sure. If my reading is correct, that's grossly out of balance.

Bonus Feat: Most classes tend to require that you fulfil the prerequisites of a bonus feat, unless it is a prescribed one which you have no choice over.

Casual Recklessness: This just makes the daredevil ability spread out over 15 points instead of 10 5. It's going to make combat tediously slow as you figure out your bonus from this each and every round.

Godslayer: Just plain unbalanced if you allow it to destroy an actual god.

Implacable Man: this is just all kinds of cool.

[Jack of Spades]

Methinks his pinky should be out while he drinks the coffee

I kid, I kid. This class seems very, very overpowered. I mean, next thing we know this guy (at epic level) will be able to make coup-de-grace attacks when the opponent isn't helpless

Which is awesome. That art has pretty much bought me over: this guy deserves to exist.

I mean, without this, what class could Chuck Norris be?

[Seguile Daengz]

Yay! Thanks for the answers so far.

Okay, time for some reactions.

@Ashtagon:
First, here's the new wording for Fate-Shattering Style:

"At 2nd level, the fearnaught learns to use preposterously huge weapons, because when it comes to fate-shattering, anything smaller just won’t do. He doesn’t suffer the usual -2 penalty from using weapons of one size category above his own, although the weapon still is more difficult to wield (making a light weapon one-handed, a one-handed two-handed, and a two-handed weapon impossible to wield, except with the use of the Monkey Grip feat)."

So, yes, it's supposed to give the fearnaught a frickin' huge weapon. I removed the Weapon Finesse bit, because... eh... I figured it's already easy enough getting a high attack bonus for the really evil combos.

Also, "malus" is now "penalty". There are your misconceptions of language already!

As for Daredevil, I changed the wording so that it's clear that only one attack actually applies, although the fearnaught can choose which. I don't think it's very complicated- just pick the closest attack and, if the level is high enough, add up to 5 to it. Otherwise, what would you suggest to make it less bothersome?

I also took out the bit about feats without prerequisites. Figured most of them have pretty laughable prerequisites anyway, so why bother...

Finally: if your DM puts a god in front of you... in melee range... without any other defenses... huh. The bit about being able to slay a god is mostly kidding. Also, how else to emulate Kratos from God of War?

@Jack of Spades: ...hm. You think it's MUCH too powerful? After all, this guy is pretty fast minced meat, given his non-existent AC (how else to get attack bonus to make those combos working?), and if he moves towards his opponents, all his defenses don't work, either. I actually had in mind that this guy succeeds by half-dying most of the time.
So, my question: how to tone him down? Or how to make him more vulnerable? Because I'd really like a little murderbeast of a class.

@DracoDei: Thanks for the copying and the advice... But I'm afraid I can't delete the old thread anymore (no radio buttons, no delete options...). Any tricks to that?

[DracoDei]

Let me read it (hopefully I actually will...) and I can tell better, but in the abstract, I think keeping omni-weapon finesse in would be a good thing... at least at some point.

[Deca]

I must say that I feel a strange urge to make an entire adventuring party out of these guys.
We finally know what class Kratos took.

[Bibliomancer]

An interesting class, although I'm not sure if I'm qualified to comment on overall balance. The main problem with Godslayer is that, if I read it correctly, you get to use an ability which is effectively Save or Be Erased From Existence once a week, at a cost of being completely helpless (Dex 0 means that you cannot move) for a day (without outside help to speed up the healing process). This ability thus doesn't work, because if they fail the save, they lose (no conditions attached, offer applies to gods as well), while if they succeed, you lose (they can execute you at their leisure). It appears to be an ability that no Fearnaught would use when acting alone, and the class seems to be designed to be a one man bltizkrieg.

I'm not quite sure how to fix it, but that ability needs to be changed (both in terms of effect and cost). Reducing both would be good.

[Lix Lorn]

This is unbelievably awesome. XD I laughed... so, so much. Especially at the havoc bit in the alignment section. You win the game.

[Magikeeper]

Awesome flavor.

Some issues:
For these issues, assume we live in the world of at least mild optimization. A world where you could have a PC that usually hits with that fifth attack - if it is that important to your build. Which with this PC, it is!

>Fatality is nuts. Full attack = you win. Why would you ever choose the other options? I know getting a full attack off at high levels isn't easy, but Fatality is overkill. Also, using this ability will anger the other players in the same way other save-or-dies do. Heh, what if it killed your opponent so hard it un-killed them – with the bonus of all enemies within sight of your opponent becoming flat-footed for 1 minute from the shear absurdity of it all (will negates for opponents other than the one you nailed)? That effect would be awesome for you, and for your allies! Alternately, the third ability could knock them a minute into the future.

> Near-Death Exaltation - This ability is far too weak. By 8th level the dying state doesn’t come up very much unless you’re using delay death.

> I think Wild Combo is a bit too strong for level 3. Not by itself, but it works REALLY well with the right feats. -6 to hit can be a big deal at level 3, but I’m not sure if it is enough. I think wild should start with the first 2 attacks, then give the 3rd combo piece at level 5. As a bonus that would also result in a nice pattern for the first few wild combo upgrades.

>Even though it is a joke, I would remove the deity line. How deities work varies WILDLY from group to group.

> A lot of the mechanical wording needs work. For example, how does IM work against finger of death? I think it should just be an ability he can use while dead myself. But I'm not the person to ask about this one (As a DM, delay death is one of my favorite spells for PC use. Yay! I can have awesome fights and not pull punches without the plot getting ruined by a PC going past -10 every fight...)

I have more to say, but there are other things I really should be doing right now…..

[Lappy9000]

Punching Destiny in the face is indeed an awesome thing, but there are almost too many spoilers for me to read this. I know there's a lot of fluff, but it's harder to decipher than a textwall.

[Seguile Daengz]

Okay! Time to start optimizin'.

First: yes. This is a class basically modelled after Kratos. And after Guts from Berserk. And Kenpachi. And, yes, Chuck Norris.
ROUNDHOUSE-KICK OUT OF EXISTENCE!

Anyway!

@Lappy9000: don't know how to help here... Any formatting tips for lotsandlots of textwalls?

@Magikeeper: thanks for your input, first of all! Let's see...
- As for the combo: I'd like to keep the three attacks at the beginning. I know it's pretty powerful, that's why I delayed it a bit; but just consider how difficult it is to pull off a full attack anyway- there is a Dirty Trick just designed to counter that (Flash Step), but that's only at Level 5. I see your point, though. How about increasing the penalty to -5 instead of -3?
- Yeeeeah... Fatality is... powerful. Wasn't sure about this one. The thing is: it is mechanically possible to kill anything with a fearnaught, it just takes a lot out of him. Boosting attack by lowering AC, spending Dexterity like crazy in order to make easier-to-hit touch attacks in the combo succeed, and just wait for that final hit. Of course, other enemies could hack apart the fearnaught pretty easily afterwards... That was meant as a counterweight to its power.
Maybe add a Fortitude save to the fatality? And if it fails, there's still the extra damage from previous finishers?
- Hm... actually, Implacable Man has nothing to do with Finger of Death. If the spell succeeds, the fearnaught is dead, bam. I did mention that the fearnaught's body cannot be destroyed by any effect (such as disintegrate), but Finger of Death doesn't do that, so I didn't mention it... Anyway, I'll change the entry to clarify that.
- Near-Death Exaltation is maybe not needed often, but I think if it does, it'll be pretty significant. After all, the fearnaught with his puny little d8 for hit points isn't that much of a meat fortress as the barbarian. Not to mention you automatically qualify once you use Implacable Man (you climb back up to 5 hp).
- As for delay death... I didn't know of that spell up till now. I'm going to add a note for it (as in: IM can only be used once you're really dead, so if you're below -9 but still alive, no chance).
- Yeah, I'll take out that god line from Godslayer. I guess DMs will figure out what to do with it anyway once somebody actually plays Kratos with this class!

@Bibliomancer: Yeah- I intended this ability to be the absolut last resort. It's perfect for climatic encounters, for heroic sacrifices, last ditch efforts and so on... but you're right, it's useless beyond that. Maybe it would help if I removed the battle euphoria cost, so that the fearnaught could still get back his dexterity by himself, and remove the unconsciousness?

I'm gonna make the small changes right now; as for the greater stuff (mechanics and so on), let's see what you guys think of my answers!

[Kuma]

I was ready for some Kamina style rant-hero here with the title. and event though this isn't exactly what i was expecting. this is just plain cool. let me say that again:

This is just plain cool.

I would let my players use this, if only because their melee characters are basically "Cloud without angst" anyway. it may be overpowered, but hell, it's so awesome it works.

[Magikeeper]

Ah, near death goes from 10 => -9. It isn't useless, if only from the combination with implacible man.


An issue you are going to run into is that high level defense is not about AC unless you are optimizing it like crazy. An AC of 20+ helps against power attackers until epic, but eh. High level defence is about miss chance and killing your opponents first. Granted, needing to full attack is a big issue. I don't think [i]hitting[i/] with all 5 attacks once you've gotten into position will be an issue. I'm not sure what this directly effects, but I'm trying to note where I am coming from.

Fatality: Hmm... although I don't like save-or-dies, I guess you could make it a fort save. If they pass the fort save they take an additional 100 points of damage instead (on top of everything else). Honestly, the issue I have with this particular ability isn't that a full attack kills his opponent, any high-level melee should be able to do that. The issue is that the current form of this ability doesn't give the DM any leeway. I wouldn't mind a guy who can deal 200+ damage a round, but the insta-kill-no-way-to-stop-this would be really annoying from the DM side of the screen.

GodSlayer: Hmm... I have an idea. When the FN uses GS, he dies. If the target succeeds at the save, the FN gains an additional use of Implacable Man and a +20 circumstance bonus on all attacks made against that opponent for 1 day. It has the added bonus of being less wordy. Also, it should ignore any miss chances. "I use my attack of infinity! And... roll a 10 on my d%. Well, crap." I'm not sure the feel of using this ability when you already have a use remaining is right, though...

Wow, I really need to get back to work on this school project.... more later.

[Seguile Daengz]

Originally Posted by Magikeeper

An issue you are going to run into is that high level defense is not about AC unless you are optimizing it like crazy. An AC of 20+ helps against power attackers until epic, but eh. High level defence is about miss chance and killing your opponents first. Granted, needing to full attack is a big issue. I don't think [i]hitting[i/] with all 5 attacks once you've gotten into position will be an issue. I'm not sure what this directly effects, but I'm trying to note where I am coming from.

Hmmm... BAB of +15, -12 for fatality, + Strength / Dex... It all depends on the level of optimization, I guess.

Fatality: Hmm... although I don't like save-or-dies, I guess you could make it a fort save. If they pass the fort save they take an additional 100 points of damage instead (on top of everything else). Honestly, the issue I have with this particular ability isn't that a full attack kills his opponent, any high-level melee should be able to do that. The issue is that the current form of this ability doesn't give the DM any leeway. I wouldn't mind a guy who can deal 200+ damage a round, but the insta-kill-no-way-to-stop-this would be really annoying from the DM side of the screen.

I like the idea! I'm gonna add that to the fatality.

GodSlayer: Hmm... I have an idea. When the FN uses GS, he dies. If the target succeeds at the save, the FN gains an additional use of Implacable Man and a +20 circumstance bonus on all attacks made against that opponent for 1 day. It has the added bonus of being less wordy. Also, it should ignore any miss chances. "I use my attack of infinity! And... roll a 10 on my d%. Well, crap." I'm not sure the feel of using this ability when you already have a use remaining is right, though...

Hm, I don't really like messing around with additional uses of Implacable Man. I think it's too much trouble, and I don't think actually dying fits to the theme of the fearnaught. (He doesn't die! He gets ANGRIER! )
Still, I really like your other suggestions. I'd make the following changes to the ability:
- Dex drops to 0 and stays there, requiring either healing or a battle euphoria. It's the same effect as dying, then reviving.
- No miss chance, attack roll of infinity, magic protection is useless.
- Save or Be Erased From Existence.
- If success: normal attack, and +20 bonus only for the fearnaught only against that opponent for a day.

It's still freakishly powerful, but I think a DM could deal with that.

Also, on another note: the fearnaught's AC is, in a way, still his defense, even at high levels. How? Gambling Defense's how. It gives him the ability to attack attacks. Using his attack as his AC, so to speak, as long as he doesn't move much. And No Risk No Fun allows him to power his attack with his AC. I think it's quite necessary once he's under attack from someone with a higher BAB and better feats, else he'd die FAST.

I'll try to reword some abilities now. Thanks for the reactions so far.

[Light-Hero]

Originally Posted by Jack of Spades

I mean, without this, what class could Chuck Norris be?

Chuck Norris has all levels in all classes, including the epic levels.

[Seguile Daengz]

Originally Posted by Light-Hero

Chuck Norris has all levels in all classes, including the epic levels.

Chuck Norris has none of these classes. Chuck Norris is a Chuck Norris Level 1. That is all he needs.

He plans on taking a level of fearnaught, though. He's still looking for something not too weak to give him experience points.

[Lix Lorn]

Cthulhu?

[Magikeeper]

Originally Posted by Seguile Daengz

Hmmm... BAB of +15, -12 for fatality, + Strength / Dex... It all depends on the level of optimization, I guess.

Spoiler

To continue this aside:

At level 14 –
Let us assume str/dex of 16 with a +4 ability boost item and a +1 weapon.
Bab 10 + noRisknoFun 10 + Ability 5 + 1 enh = 26 – 12 = +14

That’s assuming the PC makes basically no effort to raise his attack bonus using buffs, other feats, or even a larger portion of his wealth. With weapon Finesse, a +6 dex item, and Battle euphoria alone that bonus increases to +17. Other (cheap items) or a cast of the magic weapon spell would easily raise that attack bonus above 20. Also, the other combo pieces might have lowered its AC on top of that (trip, stun, blind/dex damage). I don’t think this is a problem though. :)

Sure, it lowers his AC, but if he really needs to block an attack he can use gambling defense. Which I also think is fine. Just clarifying my position further. Stronger optimization could seriously raise his survivability, but even without it his opponents are likely dying faster than he is. :D

Edit: Subtract 1 from dex to account for him using flashstep to full attack the first round of combat. I forgot about that ability! You can compare nRnF to the 'Shocktrooper' feat then. Its a popular feat for a reason, and that reason is typically not the non-attack bonus abilities (fun as they are).

Edit #2: (Still not a problem)

----------------------------------------
On to talk about improving the class:

Right now, I don’t think the Fearnaught has much to do outside of combat. In some games, that isn’t an issue. In other games, that’s a huge issue. He does have an okay amount of skills, but Int isn’t a vital stat for him. Basically, an ability that helps him meaningfully participate out of combat is what we would want here. He doesn’t need to shine.

Disclaimer: The following is a brainstorm, I do not promise that any of the following are good ideas:
> Acrobatic Skillz
>A massive bonus to STR skills and carrying capacity. That could be interesting.
> A social ability that revolves around being, well, you know.
> The ability to ignore dangerous environments.
> Although a combat ability, the ability to delay all effects for 1 round has numerous out of combat uses. It’s also absurdly powerful.
> The ability to sense the most dangerous area in his vicinity.
> Something that allows him to approach non-combat tasks the way he approaches combat. He will nearly die baking that cake, but heaven help us if it isn’t the most kickass cake ever.


What do you think?

[Lix Lorn]

> Something that allows him to approach non-combat tasks the way he approaches combat. He will nearly die baking that cake, but heaven help us if it isn’t the most kickass cake ever.

That is unbelievably awesome. If there was room in my sig, that would be going in it. XD
Maybe something like any skill thing he does is automatically either a critical failure or success? Not like 1-10 failure, 11-20 success, just that if he fails, everything goes pear shaped and if he succeeds he ROCKS?

[Seguile Daengz]

Originally Posted by Magikeeper

Spoiler

To continue this aside:

At level 14 –
Let us assume str/dex of 16 with a +4 ability boost item and a +1 weapon.
Bab 10 + noRisknoFun 10 + Ability 5 + 1 enh = 26 – 12 = +14

That’s assuming the PC makes basically no effort to raise his attack bonus using buffs, other feats, or even a larger portion of his wealth. With weapon Finesse, a +6 dex item, and Battle euphoria alone that bonus increases to +17. Other (cheap items) or a cast of the magic weapon spell would easily raise that attack bonus above 20. Also, the other combo pieces might have lowered its AC on top of that (trip, stun, blind/dex damage). I don’t think this is a problem though. :)

Sure, it lowers his AC, but if he really needs to block an attack he can use gambling defense. Which I also think is fine. Just clarifying my position further. Stronger optimization could seriously raise his survivability, but even without it his opponents are likely dying faster than he is. :D

Edit: Subtract 1 from dex to account for him using flashstep to full attack the first round of combat. I forgot about that ability! You can compare nRnF to the 'Shocktrooper' feat then. Its a popular feat for a reason, and that reason is typically not the non-attack bonus abilities (fun as they are).

Edit #2: (Still not a problem)

I'm glad you're doing this! I tried nailing that solid groundwork on the first try, but I think there's more to be done.

As for your point: you're right in that the fearnaught hardly has to worry about not hitting with his finisher... IF he uses NoRiskNoFun. Let's assume he's barging right in, Flash Step, Disaster Combo, Finisher, -10 for NRNF; let's further assume an AC of 17 (10+3 Dex+2Dex from euphoria+2 other). He suffers a -11 penalty to AC, due to Dex loss and NRNF. That's an AC of 6. Gambling Defense uses further Dex points, but he can't use it, because he already moved with Flash Step! That means everybody and their mothers can wail on the fearnaught without fear of retaliation, not to mention those who use attacks the fearnaught can't defend against yet (there's three different blocking DT). That's the biggest counterweight I tried to introduce.
The question is: does this suffice?
What do you think?

----------------------------------------
On to talk about improving the class:

Right now, I don’t think the Fearnaught has much to do outside of combat. In some games, that isn’t an issue. In other games, that’s a huge issue. He does have an okay amount of skills, but Int isn’t a vital stat for him. Basically, an ability that helps him meaningfully participate out of combat is what we would want here. He doesn’t need to shine.

Disclaimer: The following is a brainstorm, I do not promise that any of the following are good ideas:
> Acrobatic Skillz
>A massive bonus to STR skills and carrying capacity. That could be interesting.
> A social ability that revolves around being, well, you know.
> The ability to ignore dangerous environments.
> Although a combat ability, the ability to delay all effects for 1 round has numerous out of combat uses. It’s also absurdly powerful.
> The ability to sense the most dangerous area in his vicinity.
> Something that allows him to approach non-combat tasks the way he approaches combat. He will nearly die baking that cake, but heaven help us if it isn’t the most kickass cake ever.

What do you think?

Holy mother of Batman, those idead are GREAT! Man, now I'd feel cheap for outright copying some of those... Here's how I'd implement them:

- Add mad acrobatic skillz to the effects of battle euphoria; tumble is already strengthened by the Dex increase, so I'm thinking of the ability to move through difficult terrain. Battle Fever (the greater version on Lv16) could introduce Acrobatic Charge, similar to the swashbuckler ability.
- A new ability that allows the fearnaught to spend Dexterity points in order to get a bonus on all non-int based skill checks. Imagine the fearnaught trying to negotiate a fair price. The merchant refuses... and so, the fearnaught starts yelling incoherently while chopping up a wagon for no good reason. Then, he asks the merchant again.
However, this ability needs some kind of additional limit... perhaps uses per day?
- I'd add to Near-Death Exaltation that the fearnaught can "feel" battle: he knows where great battles have taken place, where they ARE taking place, or even whether someone took part in such battles.

I'm a bit hesitant to add completely new abilites- the table is already crowded as is, so I'd try to add these effects to existing ones. I'll only add mad tumble skillz and the battle sense for now; let's see what you think of the new skill ability.

(The more I think about it, the better it gets. I could imagine using this ability even with untrained skills...
"Do you like my performance?"
"Not really. It looks like you have no idea what you're doi-"
"APPLAUD, DAMMIT"
"Encore! Encore!")

P.S.: Gonna move the feats to this post- I might need some room in the first post...

Spoiler

FEATS

Sonic Boom
Description: A kickstart to the violation of physics can sometimes wreak havoc all by himself. With a little determination, the Flash Step can become an attack.
Prerequisite: Dirty Tricks (Flash Step).
Benefit: Initiating a Flash Step no longer provokes attacks of opportunity. Furthermore, all adjacent enemies have to succeed on a Reflex saving throw (12 + Dex modifier) or be knocked prone. By spending additional points of Dexterity, the fearnaught can raise the DC by 2 for every point.
Normal: Initiating a Flash Step provokes attacks of opportunity.

Winged Predator
Description: Superior speed need not restrict itself to the ground. With a running start, new heights and new targets are available to the fearnaught.
Prerequisite: Battle Euphoria.
Benefit: During a battle euphoria, the fearnaught can voluntarily half his speed bonus from the euphoria. If he does so, as a move action, he can move his normal speed rate first, and then move according to his bonus in a straight line through the air. This maneuver can be combined with a charge, doubling both the running start and the air movement. Afterwards, the fearnaught can continue flying if he has move actions left, this time leaving him his complete speed. If he ends his movement unsuspended in the air, he falls to the ground.

[DracoDei]

> Something that allows him to approach non-combat tasks the way he approaches combat. He will nearly die baking that cake, but heaven help us if it isn’t the most kickass cake ever.

This made me LOL, and thus I vote that there should at least be an optional rule for it.

EDIT: Battle Euphoria makes it sound like Fate-Shattering Style only applies while in Battle Euphoria, but Fate-Shattering Style doesn't back that up.

[Primal Fury]

I'm finding the contrast between your Romancer and this one very interesting. Everything the Romancer pretends to be, the Fearnaught actually is. I see what you did there.

Also, before I look through the whole thing, would you please... PLEASE change the name? I'm sorry but... Fearnaught is just too awful a name for a class this awesome. I understand the meaning, it just does not roll of the tongue well. At all.

[Lix Lorn]

I disagree. I really like the name Fearnaught. It evokes the name Dreadnaught, plus the literal meaning of fear-nothing.

[Kobold-Bard]

Oh I love it, I love it so much.

I'll never get to use it mind you, but this is by far the most entertaining class I've ever read.

Hell I might make the party fight one, just because.

[Seguile Daengz]

There I go, writing down another class, and suddenly people take note of the romancer again. I really appreciate all that sudden feedback!

Anyway, Lix Lorn is right- that's why I named this little comprimated creature of murdering fearnaught. I've somewhat grown fond of this name, so I don't think I'll change it... Please read it anyway, Primal Fury!

@DracoDei: does it? I think I removed that line. To clarify (I'll do the same in the entry): Fate-Shattering Style now only removes the -2 penalty from using larger weapons. I removed the Omni-Weapon Finesse because I suppose it's a tad too powerful. Come to think of it- what do you think of Power Attack with every weapon? I took it out as well, but it was intended to make Power Attacking with Weapon Finesse viable. I'll add it for now.

@Primal Fury: oooh, dammit. You just made me fancy a prestige class that combines both romancer and fearnaught to a degree! I think I'll do something like that once the most glaring issues with the fearnaught are identified...

[itastelikelove]

> Something that allows him to approach non-combat tasks the way he approaches combat. He will nearly die baking that cake, but heaven help us if it isn’t the most kickass cake ever.

This made me LOL, and thus I vote that there should at least be an optional rule for it.

Everyone seems to like this one. How about letting you replace skill checks with Intimidate checks? or Attack rolls, perhaps. Something like:

Defeat Failure - (Gained at 5th level) Once per day, after failing any deliberate skill check (as opposed to reflexive skill checks), you may yell forcefully at the offending difficulty and immediately reroll the check as an Intimidate check instead. At 9th, 13th, and 17th level, you gain an additional use of Defeat Failure. If necessary, you may Defeat the Failure of a previous Defeat Failure attempt.

This ability functions with every skill, but your wrathful bellowing may increase the DC of the check (causing an avalanche on the snowy cliffs you are trying to climb) or alter the effect of a success (alerting the people in the room to the fact that you are eavesdropping).

I suspect this is about what everyone was looking for. Flavorful AND useful, but not overpowered (actually, I guess it could be? I don't really know all the optimizing tricks...). Plus, EVERYONE wants another excuse to use Intimidate ALL THE TIME! >:O


I suppose it could be abused for multiple rerolls at higher levels, but only on skill checks, and only a couple times per day, and it wouldn't be effective for certain kinds of checks. I don't think it should allow you to use untrained skills, but I guess it would effectively let you use them a few times each day at the cost of purchasing one rank.

[Seguile Daengz]

This... this is beautiful.

"Nice try, good sir, but I think you do NOT actually have the key to unleashing that weapon. I think you're bluffing."
"Oh, far from the truth, you simpleton-"
"I SAY YOU'RE BLUFFING SO YOU'RE BLUFFING DAMMIT"

"Of course, the mountain range to the east will prevent the cloud masses from gathering here, which explains this particular meteorological phenomenon..."
"You just picked that up from some sleazy bard, didn't you?"
"THE CLOUDS DON'T LIKE IT HERE OKAY"

"Is he really trying to climb up that wall? I don't think he can do it."
"It's some kind of bet. I tried to talk him out of it, but, you know him."
"Hey... I think he's actually making progress! What's he yelling...?"
"I WILL SMASH YOU PUNY FOOTHOLDS"

If you don't mind, I'd copy your rules text as it is! I'd just rename it- how about "Deny and Defy"?

I'll add it for now!

[Lix Lorn]

Defy Reality?

[Ossian]

What is everyone waiting for? I mean, come on, almost a whole page without...



EDIT: your class literally runs on the "rule of cool". Also, "kicking reason to the curb" works fine in 99,99% of contexts

[Seguile Daengz]

Originally Posted by Lix Lorn

Defy Reality?

Defy Reality,
Defy and Deny,
Daily Danger,
Habitual Defiance,
Adrenaline Rush,
Slayer's Habit,
Reason to the Curb,
Daunting Will,
Law Crusher,
Undetainable,
Direct Approach,
Explosive Criteria,
"The Unreasoner"...

I particularly like Slayer's Habit, but what do you think of these names for now?