Martial Artist[base class]

[crazedloon]

I got yelled at for trying to save room so here is my new base class .

Any way this is designed to take the place of the monk/fighter. I started out hoping to make a flexible character however in the end I started to hate the character thinking it was too much of me just shoving 2 existing classes together.

So what do you all think?

Martial Artist


Hit dice: d8
Starting GP: 6d4 x 10 (150)

CLASS SKILLS
The martial artist’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Balance (Dex), Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Handle Animal (Cha), Hide (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Knowledge (religion) (Int), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Perform (Cha), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Sense Motive (Wis), Spot (Wis), Swim (Str), and Tumble (Dex).

Skills Points at first level: (4 + Int modifier) ×4.
Skill Points per level: 4 + Int modifier

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A Martial Artist is not proficient with any kind of weapon any kind of armor or shields. Any Character who takes a level of Martial Artist loses any weapon and armor proficiencies that they may have from another class and can not gain proficiency with any sort of weapons or armor from another class.

Favored Weapon: At level 1 a martial artist chooses a weapon or natural weapon and she gains proficiency with that weapon and Weapon focus with that weapon. At level 4 she gains weapon specialization with that weapon. At level 8 she gains Greater Weapon Focus with that weapon. At level 12 she gains Greater Weapon Specialization with that weapon.

If the Martial artist chooses her fists as her Favored Weapon she gains Improved Unarmed Strike as a bonus feat. Her unarmed strikes are treated as a monk of equivalent level.

Favored Armor: At level 1 A Martial artist Chooses what sort of armor she will use and be proficient in. She may choose no armor, light armor, medium, or Heavy. If she chooses no armor she adds her Wisdom to her AC, this bonus applies to touch attacks and flat footed AC. If you choose light armor you gain proficiency with light armor and bucklers. If you choose medium or heavy armor you are proficient with that sort of armor and in the use of light and heavy shield.

Combat Style: A martial artist chooses how she will fight at level 1. She chooses a style from below.
Brute: If she chooses this method she gain gains power attack at level 1, cleave at level 2, and improved cleave at level 4.
Deft: If she chooses this method she gain gains Two weapon fighting at level 1, Improved Two weapon fighting at level 6, and Greater Two Weapon fighting at level 11.
Ranged: If she chooses this method she gain gains Point Blank Shot at level 1, Rapid shot at level 2 , and Many Shot at level 6.

Combat trick: At levels 2 and every 3 levels after that a martial artist gains a combat trick from the list below.

Extra Favored Weapon: You may choose an additional Favored weapon. This weapon gains the bonuses of your normal favored weapon as if the level you choose this feat was your first level. For example if this was a Martial Artist picked this trick at level 5 she would gains weapon focus when she gains this trick and would gain weapons specialization at level 9 and greater weapon focus at level 13 and greater weapon specialization at level 17.

Extra Favored Armor: A martial adept may choose another Armor to be proficient with. However If she is wearing armor and has no armor as a favored armor class she does not gain the bonus from wisdom. Instead she may increase the max dexterity in any armor that she has as favored by her wisdom bonus.

Flurry of blows: The Martial Artist may make a flurry of blows with any weapon she Has chosen as her favored weapon. This takes the form of 1 Additional attack at her highest base attack bonus this attack and all others take a -2 to their attack rolls. At level 5 this is reduced to -1 and at level 9 the penalty disappears.

Improved flurry of blows: You gain an additional attack in your flurry of blows. A Martial Artist must be at least level 11 and a have the flurry of blows trick to choose this feat.

Greater flurry of blows: A Martial Artist may only choose this trick if she has the greater flurry of blows trick and is level 20. The Martial artist gains a number of attacks equal to her normal Basic attack bonus, however these and all other attacks this round take a -2 to on their attack roll this penalty is not improved on like the normal flurry of blows penalty.

Steadfast: A Martial artist may activate this ability a number of times a day equal to his con modifier. The Martial artist May make 2 standard actions a round however she may not make a move action. This ability last a number of rounds equal to her class level + con modifier. She may make a will save of DC 10+level+number of rounds left in her Steadfast action to end the effect.

Do or Die A martial artist may take this ability only once she is above 5th level. A Martial Artist with this ability who drops below 0 health gains 20 health, fast healing 5, Damage reduction 5/- until the end of the encounter. However when the encounter ends She drops to -5 is unstable and all healing spells cast on her is effected by her spell resistance. The DC to stabilize a Martial artist is also increased to 30.

Threaten sight: You may choose to forgo your normal round and ready this trick. Readying this trick does not change your initiative order. You threaten everything that you could attack with your weapon. However movement does not provoke attack of opportunity. This trick does not allow you more attacks of opportunity then you are normally allowed.

Repeated Strike: A Martial Artist may only take this trick if she is 6th level or higher. Whenever a Martial Artist hits an opponent in a full attack action she gains a +2 circumstance bonus to every subsequent attack. This ability stacks with itself. A Martial Artist may only apply this ability to light weapons, one handed weapons and Double Weapons used as two weapons.

True Strike: A Martial Artist with this trick deals 2 x your str bonus when you attack with a two handed weapon instead of the normal x1.5.

Over Compensate A martial Artist with the trick may treat and favored weapon she wields as one size category smaller then it is.

Concentration of Will: A martial Artist must have 10 ranks in Concentration to pick this skill trick. You may make a Concentration check instead of a will save, however if a Martial Artist uses this ability to negate or halve a spells effect she is exhausted for a number of rounds equal to the effected spell. This is reduced by 1 round per 5 points that your concentration check beat the DC of the will save.

Concentration of Will: A martial artist must have the Concentration of Will trick to pick this one. A Martial Artist may negate any effects of a spell that allow a will save if she passes her concentration check. Otherwise she only receives half the effects on a failed save.


Weapon Manipulation: At level 4 a Martial artist may add a special ability equal to his level/4. He may only apply this to a Favored Weapon that he has had for at least 1 day. This process takes 8 hours of concentration with the weapon. This new ability does not affect that weapons maximum enhancement bonus and this ability may change but it takes another 8 hours of concentration.

Improved armor: At level 5 and every 5 levels after that the martial artist may add +1 to his total AC.

Instant Weapon Manipulation: The Martial Artist may change the special abilities off his weapon gained by his Weapon Manipulation as a swift action at level 8. However the change only last for a number of rounds equal to his class level + her constitution modifier. When the duration of this effect is over the weapon loses all the benefit of the martial artist’s weapon manipulation until she spends another 8 hours to add the abilities again. Also the weapon loses any additionally abilities the weapon has equal to the Total Weapon manipulation modifier until the end of the current encounter.

Armor Attunement: A Martial Artist of level 10 gains spell resistance equal to her class level + her AC. However she may only add the bonus from Armor she has had for at least 1 day. In addition if the Martial artist chose no armor as her favored armor she adds her wisdom modifier to her spell resistance.

Improved Armor Attunement: At level 15 a martial artist gains an additional bonus to spell resistance. Every time a spell fails to penetrate her spell resistance a Martial Artists gains a bonus to her spell resistance equal to that spell’s level. This bonus stacks with any previous bonuses gained by this ability.

Improved Instant Weapon Manipulation: At level 16 When a Martial artist changes her Weapon manipulation ability as a swift action she no longer loses the benefit of any other abilities already on the weapon. Also the weapon only loses the Weapon Manipulation bonus until the end of the current encounter.

[crazedloon]

No one likes or dislikes this class? Has something bad to say to me about it or tell me to go shove it where the sun dont shine

[Hoorex]

I appreciate you for you. You don't need to change for me.

[crazedloon]

I appreciate you for you. You don't need to change for me.

And now I am slightly desturbed

[Hoorex]

disturbed, but filled with self worth was what I think you meant to say, right?

[crazedloon]

disturbed, but filled with self worth was what I think you meant to say, right?

Oh yah lots of sell worth. Now any normal comments (not that yours are not appreciated )

[The Exile]

Hmmm.... I like it, but I think you should change the name of the Improved Flurry of Blows ability. Coming after Greater Flurry, it should be called "Supreme Flurry" or something.

[crazedloon]

Hmmm.... I like it, but I think you should change the name of the Improved Flurry of Blows ability. Coming after Greater Flurry, it should be called "Supreme Flurry" or something.

woops got the names mixed up is should be improved then greater

Also I'll probably be adding a few more tricks (I realy think there should be a few more I just ran out of ideas as i began to hate the class as far as background)

[Aribin]

I like it. Have you tryed it? It seems fine.
The Greater Flurry could be named killer of blows or something to that afect.
and does the class have a starters pack or no? And any Gp?

I was think of asking a DM to try this class.

[crazedloon]

I like it. Have you tryed it? It seems fine.
The Greater Flurry could be named killer of blows or something to that afect.
and does the class have a starters pack or no? And any Gp?

I was think of asking a DM to try this class.

Actualy I have not worked out a starting pack nor a GP however Based on the way I made the class I would think that 6d4 x10 gp (as a fighter would get) would be good (time to add that )

(and unfortunatly I have not had the chance to test it out however if you do please leave any notes/comments or other such things on here telling how it works)

[Aribin]

Ok. the class looks like fun. And I have a intrest in the Martial Artist. So I'll report back on the info.

[Knight13]

The Martial Artist base class already exists in a third-party book by Goodman Games, called Beyond Monks: The Art of the Fight.

[ArmorArmadillo]

3 bonus feats and a special ability at first level is way too many. Taking 1 level in this class is way too tempting. Otherwise, the power level needs to be ratcheted down.

[crazedloon]

The Martial Artist base class already exists in a third-party book by Goodman Games, called Beyond Monks: The Art of the Fight.

Well I didn't know that nor do I realy care becuase its just a name and I've never heard of that book (but does it realy matter)

3 bonus feats and a special ability at first level is way too many. Taking 1 level in this class is way too tempting. Otherwise, the power level needs to be ratcheted down.

Well I see taking 1 level in this is too tempting as far as all the feats at level 1 so I am going to think over a good way to restrict this as far as abuse of the dip leveling in this class

But when you say the power level needs ratcheting down what exactly do you mean?

((edit: I added the proficency list (forgot that earlier) and made the use of weapons and armor more restrictive even if you multiclass but i doubt that is to much of a pain in the butt
I also got rid of the first level feat as it realy is not needed (I orginaly added it to allow it as a way to gain exotic weapon proficency so that you could have a exotic weapon as a favored weapon)) but with the changing of the rules you gain proficency with any weapon you choose as your favored so I dont realy see the extra feat being needed anymore (and yes i relize it could have been abusable) ))

[Jalil]

I like it, but it does seem overpowered. No one needs to play Monks, for one thing... and shouldn't saves go up to +12? I'd love to play it, to try it out. I'd like to see some more 20th level abilities on it, though.

[crazedloon]

I like it, but it does seem overpowered. No one needs to play Monks, for one thing... and shouldn't saves go up to +12? I'd love to play it, to try it out. I'd like to see some more 20th level abilities on it, though.

Woops the save is me being lazy and forgetting to change a copy pasted entry.

Yah I need a few more tricks but realy cant think of any good ones (they will come to me just slowly )

[Crystall_Myr]

Ooh, I was thinking of something just like this...

How about these for tricks?

Forcefull Blow: If you take a -5 penalty to your next attack, you may attempt a forcefull blow. If it succeeds, your opponent moves back 5 ft. for every five damage the attack deals and is knocked prone.

Counterattack: You may take a penalty to all of your attack rolls during your turn. (Maximum penalty equal to your martial artist level.) For each -3 penalty you take, you may "Counterattack" your opponent's next X attacks. You roll an opposing attack roll against your opponent's, if you succeed, you attack your opponent rather then the other way around.

Sidestep: Every time an attack misses you by five or more, you may take a five-foot step as a swift action. If the attack was part of a charge or a bull-rush, you may switch squares with that opponent instead.

Improved Sidestep: When you sidestep an attack, the attacker becomes flat-footed, and you may make a single attack on him at a -5 penalty.

Tweak them as you see fit, but that's the general gist of them.

Also, as combat styles...

Rapid: You gain Dodge at 1st level, Mobility at 4th, and Spring attack at 9th
Tactical: Combat Expertise at 1st, Improved Feint at 5th, and Improved Disarm at 7th. Bluff is class skill.

EDIT: Why is handle animal a class skill?

[ajkkjjk52]

1) So, does greater flurry give you 20 extra attacks?

2) What happens if you reach 0 again if you are already unde the affect of do or die? Does it stack?

3) How exactly does threaten stare work? What's the point? Don't you already threaten any square that you can attack? Or is this specifically for ranged weapons?

4) Why do concentration of will and concentration of will have the same name?

5) What sort of bonus does improved armor provide? Deflection? Force? Armor?

6) Can you use weapon manipulation on a weapon which is already magical? Does the weapon have to be masterwork?

7) For armor attunement is it your level + your ac, or you level plus you ac mod (ac-10)? Because otherwise a 10th level character could have an SR of 30 easily.

8) For improved armor attunement, what prevents you from hiring a really weak caster to repeatedly cast a really weak spell on you just to make your SR nearly infinite? Or do these bonuses wear off with time?

9) Does improved instant weapon manipulation mean that you could by the end of the encounter have a weapon with all the special abilities? "As I swing my +3 flaming shock keen defending vorpal psychokinetic burst holy throwing returning dragon-bane orc-bane elf-bane dancing longsword, I switch the abilities to +5. But, the rest of the abilities stay. So now its +8 and all that stuff." Or does the 4/level limit still apply?

[Dreadn4ught]

Wow! I really like the class! I'm going to ask my DM if I can use this!

[averagejoe]

The Mod They Call Me: Thread necromancy.