Sea Dog [3.5 Base Class]

[playswithfire]

I've stalled out a bit in writing the fluff for my campaign setting, so I'm going to focus on some of the crunch for a while. Below is one of the new classes I created for the setting and the second post will have some feats I'm considering adding to go along with it. Any advice is appreciated.

Level	Base Attack Bonus	Fort Save	Ref Save	Will Save	Special
1st	+1	+0	+2	+0	Notorious, Sneak Attack 1d6
2nd	+2	+0	+3	+0	Grin and Bear it
3rd	+3	+1	+3	+1	Flourish
4th	+4	+1	+4	+1	Flash of Steel, Sneak Attack 2d6
5th	+5	+1	+4	+1	Dirty Tricks (swift action)
6th	+6/+1	+2	+5	+2	Slippery Scoundrel
7th	+7/+2	+2	+5	+2	Sneak Attack 3d6
8th	+8/+3	+2	+6	+2	Pistol Whip, Keep Back
9th	+9/+4	+3	+6	+3	Flash of Steel, Improved
10th	+10/+5	+3	+7	+3	Sneak Attack 4d6
11th	+11/+6/+1	+3	+7	+3	Dirty Tricks (attack of ppportunity)
12th	+12/+7/+2	+4	+8	+4	Through Shot
13th	+13/+8/+3	+4	+8	+4	Sneak Attack 5d6
14th	+14/+9/+4	+4	+9	+4	Flash of Steel, Greater
15th	+15/+10/+5	+5	+9	+5	Fake Out
16th	+16/+11/+6/+1	+5	+10	+5	Sneak Attack 6d6
17th	+17/+12/+7/+2	+5	+10	+5	Dirty Tricks (free action)
18th	+18/+13/+8/+3	+6	+11	+6	Flash of Steel, Superior
19th	+19/+14/+9/+4	+6	+11	+6	Sneak Attack 7d6
20th	+20/+15/+10/+5	+6	+12	+6	Frightful Shot

Sea Dog
A sea dog can be either a primary or secondary melee combatant or, with the right firearm, a secondary ranged combatant. When engaged in melee, he works best with one or more allies to make his sneak attack easier. The sea dog can take on many roles: bloodthirsty pirate, freewheeling merchant, or mildly insubordinate naval officers among them, but he will always have some connection to the sea.
Abilities: As a sea dog often fights with both a sword and pistol, many emphasize Dexterity over Strength, using the Weapon Finesse feat to allow them to use the same ability for both weapons. With its average hit dice, Constitution is also important. As Charisma governs most of the sea dog's class features, it is his most important mental stat. Intelligence gives him the skills he needs to perform his duties aboard ship and Wisdom is important to a Sea Dog as it is to any character, as it governs his Will save.
Alignment: A sea dog can be of any alignment except for lawful good as the sea dog way of life is not conducive to walking the straight and narrow.
Starting Gold: 5d4x10 (125 gp).
Starting Age: As rogue.

Class Features
Weapon and Armor Proficiencies: A sea dog is proficient with all simple weapons and pistols. Sea dogs are proficient with light armor but not with shields.
Sneak Attack (Ex): As the rogue class feature, except it increases by 1d6 every three sea dog levels instead of every two.
Notorious (Ex): Even the lowliest Sea Dog develops something of a reputation, recognition of which can put an opponent off-guard. A sea dog gains the Improved Feint even if he does not meet the prerequisites and may use an Intimidate check instead of a Bluff check when feinting in combat.
Grin and Bear it (Ex): A Sea Dog mut never show weakness. Beginning at second level, you add your Charisma bonus (if any) as a bonus on Fortitude Checks. This bonus does not stack with that from the divine grace ability.
Flourish (Ex): Beginning at third level, while wielding a pistol in one hand, a sea dog applies his Charisma bonus (if any) as a bonus on melee damage rolls with slashing or piercing weapons he weilds in one hand in addition to any Strength bonus he may have.
Flash of Steel (Ex): The sea dog's key to victory is his speed.
At fourth level, he gains the Two-Weapon Fighting feat even if he does not meet the prerequisites. If he already has that feat, he instead gains the ability to attack with two weapons as a standard action, taking a -2 penalty on both attacks.
Improved Flash of Steel At ninth level, he gains the Improved Two-Weapon Fighting feat even if he does not meet the prerequisites. If he already has that feat, he instead reduces the penalties he takes when fighting with two weapons by 1.
Greater Flash of Steel At fourteenth level, he gains the Greater Two-Weapon Fighting feat even if he does not meet the prerequisites. If he already has that feat, he instead adds his full Strength bonus to attacks with his off-hand weapon.
Superior Flash of Steel At eighteenth level, a sea dog takes no penalty on attack rolls when attacking with two weapons.
Dirty Tricks (Ex): At fifth level, a sea dog can feint as a swift action. At eleventh level, a sea dog can feint as a free action when making an attack of opportunity once per round. A sea dog with Combat Reflexes can only use this effect on one of his attacks of opportunity. At sevnteenth level, he may also give up an attack of opportuniy to feint as a free action when making a an attack on his turn. A sea dog with Combat Reflexes can use this ability multiple times per round, but takes stacking -5 penalties on his Bluff or Intimidate checks to do so on each use after the first.
Slippery Scoundrel (Ex): By sixth level, a sea dog has had enough run-ins with those who wish him harm to develop keen sense of how to keep himself out of trouble. He gains a bonus to Armor Class against all touch attacks equal to his Charisma bonus; however, his touch AC can never exceed his Armor Class. A sea dog without Uncanny dodge also gains a bonus to his Flatfooted AC equal to his Charisma bonus, however this bonus can not exceed his Dexterity bonus.
Keep Back (Ex): Beginning at eighth level, a sea dog can keep attackers at bay while using his pistol. While wielding a weapon that gives flourish damage in his other hand, a sea dog does not provoke an attack of opportunity when firing a pistol.
Pistol Whip (Ex): Beginning at eighth level, a sea dog learns that a fired gun is still a useful weapon. While wielding a pistol in one hand with no bullets chambered, a Sea dog can deal bludgeoning damage using the pistol as a melee weapon. The damage done by the pistol is that of a die two sizes smaller than the pistol does when fired and the enhancement bonus on the pistol applies to attack and damage rolls when it is used this way.
If the sea dog has affixed a gun blade to his pistol, as per the rules for bow blades in Complete Scoundrel, he may instead remove the -2 penalty on attack rolls with that blade. A sea dog gains his flourish bonus damage on damage rolls when making melee attacks with his gun blade, but the pistol's enhancement bonus does not apply to attack and damage rolls.
Through Shot (Ex): Any pistol wielded by a sea dog of twelth level or higher is treated as having the Exit Wound special property (Complete Warrior 134).
Fake Out (Ex): A sea dog doesn't live long if he can't frighten or fool an opponent's weapon into going somewhere other that where he's standing. At 15th level, once per round, a sea dog can, as an immediate action, replace his AC with a Bluff or Intimidate check.
Frightful Shot (Ex): When a sea dog successfully shoots an enemy, that enemy must succeed on a Will save (DC 20 + sea dog’s Cha modifier) or become panicked for 4d6 rounds (if they have 4 or fewer Hit
Dice) or shaken for 4d6 rounds (if they have from 5 to 19 Hit Dice). Creatures with 20 or more Hit Dice are not affected. Any foe that successfully resists the effect cannot be affected again by the same sea dog's frightful shot for 24 hours.

[playswithfire]

Some new feats that work with the Sea Dog and some similar or complimentary classes.

Notorious Performer
Prerequisites: Bardic Music, Notorious
Benefit: If you have levels in both Bard and Sea Dog, those levels stack for determining your sneak attack and inspire courage bonus. You gain one additional use of bardic music for every two levels of Sea Dog and do not gain any additional bardic music abilities beyond what you class levles would allow.

Weapon Savvy
Prerequisites: Dex 15, Weapon Finesse, Flourish or Insightful Strike class feature
Benefit: On your action, before making attack rolls with a finessable weapon for a round, you may choose to subtract a number from all melee damage rolls and add half that number (rounded down) to all melee attack rolls. This number may not exceed the bonus granted by your Flourish or Insightful Strike; if you have both class features, you may not use this feat with both features in the same round. You do gain the benefit of this feat when reducing Insightful Strike damage against an opponent who is not vulnerable to critical hits. The penalty on damage and bonus on attacks apply until your next turn.

[Kaihaku]

I like it, very flavorful but not insanely unbalanced.

Originally Posted by playswithfire

Notorious (Ex): Even the lowliest Sea Dog develops something of a reputation, recognition of which can put an opponent off-guard. A sea dog gains the Improved Feint even if he does not meet the prerequisites and may use an Intimidate check instead of a Bluff check when feinting.

Nice, I think the switch from Bluff to Intimidate.

Originally Posted by playswithfire

Grin and Bear it (Ex): A Sea Dog mut never show weakness. Beginning at second level, you add your Charisma bonus (if any) as a bonus on Fortitude Checks. This bonus does not stack with that from the paladin's divine grace ability.

You might want to just say Divine Grace period since there are a few other ways to get it.

Originally Posted by playswithfire

Dirty Tricks (Ex): At sixth level, a sea dog can feint as a swift action.
At eighteenth level, a sea dog can also feint as a free action, but gives up his attack of opportunity to do so. A sea dog with Combat Reflexes can use this ability multiple times per round, but takes stacking -5 penalties on each use after the first.

I find this is a bit confusing, is the swift usage not tired to attacks of opportunity like the others?

Originally Posted by playswithfire

Fake Out (Ex): A sea dog doesn't live long if he can't frighten or fool an opponent's weapon into going somewhere other that where he's standing. At fourteenth level, once per round, a sea dog can, as an immediate action, replace his AC with a Bluff or Intimidate check.

Hmmm... Might want to put some limitations on this. At least that he has to be aware of the attack.

Originally Posted by playswithfire

Frightful Shot (Ex): When a sea dog successfully shoots an enemy, that enemy must succeed on a Will save (DC 20 + samurai’s Cha modifier) or become panicked for 4d6 rounds (if they have 4 or fewer Hit
Dice) or shaken for 4d6 rounds (if they have from 5 to 19 Hit Dice). Creatures with 20 or more Hit Dice are not affected. Any foe that successfully resists the effect cannot be affected again by the same sea dog's frightful shot for 24 hours.

Still says Samurai. :P

[playswithfire]

Originally Posted by Kaihaku

I like it, very flavorful but not insanely unbalanced.

Thank you.

Originally Posted by Kaihaku

Nice, I think the switch from Bluff to Intimidate.

I almost made it that a good Sea Dog could bluff and an evil Sea Dog could intimidate, but it seemed like any alignment should have both options.

Originally Posted by Kaihaku

You might want to just say Divine Grace period since there are a few other ways to get it.

Updated.

Originally Posted by Kaihaku

I find this is a bit confusing, is the swift usage not tired to attacks of opportunity like the others?

Right. You get to do it once per round as a swift action. After that, you have to start giving up attacks of opportunity to use it. I'll try to think of a way to make that clearer.

Originally Posted by Kaihaku

Hmmm... Might want to put some limitations on this. At least that he has to be aware of the attack.

That makes sense; aware of the attack, not flatfooted.

Originally Posted by Kaihaku

Still says Samurai. :P

[/quote]
Heh heh.... whoops; fixed.

[playswithfire]

Any comments on the feats?

[Fredthefighter]

The feats are good. Very good.

Weapon Savvy I like because it's a reverse Power Attack for people with plenty of weapon enchantments or abilities that grant extra damage (like Sneak Attack), which works quite well with this class, as Sneak Attack would pretty much negate the penalty to damage.

Notorious Performer is good who multiclass into Bard (or from Bard into this class). It means that a Bard 10/Sea Dog 10 could use Bardic Music as a Level 20 Bard and Sneak Attack as a Level 20 Sea Dog. This is a pretty good combo as the Sea Dog and the Bard have similar ability dependencies, and the Bard's increased Will Save helps this class a little, while the Sea Dog's higher BAB helps the Bard in combat.

The class itself is very good indeed. I like how the Sea Dog excels at short range with both sword slashes and the pistol. And the addition of his Charisma modifier to damage is a nice touch that reduces the need for a high Strength score. Especially when this class focuses quite a bit on Dexterity (which is a nice incentive to take Weapon Finesse), which basically means that this class doesn't need anything more than Dex, Con and Cha, with Int and Wis being "Nice to have, but not essential" stats.

[playswithfire]

Originally Posted by Fredthefighter

The feats are good. Very good.

Weapon Savvy I like because it's a reverse Power Attack for people with plenty of weapon enchantments or abilities that grant extra damage (like Sneak Attack), which works quite well with this class, as Sneak Attack would pretty much negate the penalty to damage.

Yeah, sneak attackers and anyone with Wounding weapons will most likely enjoy this feat. Hopefully the ability to add half your INT or CHA modifier to attack rolls wouldn't be too overpowered.

Originally Posted by Fredthefighter

Notorious Performer is good who multiclass into Bard (or from Bard into this class). It means that a Bard 10/Sea Dog 10 could use Bardic Music as a Level 20 Bard and Sneak Attack as a Level 20 Sea Dog. This is a pretty good combo as the Sea Dog and the Bard have similar ability dependencies, and the Bard's increased Will Save helps this class a little, while the Sea Dog's higher BAB helps the Bard in combat.

Bard/Sea Dog was one of the first multiclass options that occurred to me. A Bard 2/Sea Dog 4 with Snowflake Wardance will be able to add his CHA mod to attack and damage rolls with finessable slashing weapons 4 times a days for Perform skill modifier rounds. It seems more likely to be a dip one way or the other rather than a Bard 10/Sea Dog, though even that may be viable.

Originally Posted by Fredthefighter

The class itself is very good indeed. I like how the Sea Dog excels at short range with both sword slashes and the pistol. And the addition of his Charisma modifier to damage is a nice touch that reduces the need for a high Strength score. Especially when this class focuses quite a bit on Dexterity (which is a nice incentive to take Weapon Finesse), which basically means that this class doesn't need anything more than Dex, Con and Cha, with Int and Wis being "Nice to have, but not essential" stats.

Yeah, sort of a Weapon-finesse version of the Paladin (Str, Con and Cha).