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Lead with perception and intelligence. With these two virtues, you need not be a master of tactics or strategy.
When warriors form on the battlefield to wage war, they require a leader that can take them through the crucible and emerge alive. While a prince of swords may dual masters in ritual combat and esoteric blade warriors question life as they take it, a battlefield commander must put the needs of her warriors above her own. She must trust in her troops to see the mission done, and they her to not abandon them when the fates turn against them.
Game Rule Information
Marshals have the following game statistics.
Abilities: Charisma is especially important for marshals because it improves their standing with those they lead, as well as permitting them to magnify the efforts of the group. Constitution is important for a marshal's staying power. Intelligence is important for the many skills required by marshals to complete their commissions.
Alignment: Any. Hit Die: d8.
Class Skills
The marshal's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Bluff (Cha), Diplomacy (Cha), Handle Animal (Cha), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (History) (Int), Knowledge (Nobility and Royalty) (Int), Listen (Wis), Perform (Cha), Ride (Dex), Sense Motive (Wis), Speak Language (n/a), Spot (Wis), Survival (Wis), and Swim (Str).
Skill Points at 1st Level: (4 + Int modifier) x4.
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 4 + Int modifier.
Level
BAB
Fort
Reflex
Will
Special
Minor Auras
Major Auras
Maneuvers Known
Maneuvers Readied
Stances Known
1st
+0
+2
+0
+2
Skill Focus, Minor aura
1
0
3
3
1
2nd
+1
+3
+0
+3
Major aura +1
1
1
3
3
1
3rd
+2
+3
+1
+3
Battle Leader
2
1
4
3
1
4th
+3
+4
+1
+4
Strategies & Tactics
2
1
4
3
1
5th
+3
+4
+1
+4
Skill Focus
3
2
4
3
1
6th
+4
+5
+2
+5
3
2
5
4
2
7th
+5
+5
+2
+5
Major aura +2
4
2
5
4
2
8th
+6/+1
+6
+2
+6
Strategies & Tactics
4
2
5
4
2
9th
+6/+1
+6
+3
+6
Command Voice
5
3
6
4
2
10th
+7/+2
+7
+3
+7
Skill Focus
5
3
6
4
3
11th
+8/+3
+7
+3
+7
Mettle
5
3
6
5
3
12th
+9/+4
+8
+4
+8
Strategies & Tactics
6
3
7
5
3
13th
+9/+4
+8
+4
+8
6
4
7
5
3
14th
+10/+5
+9
+4
+9
Major aura +3
6
4
7
5
3
15th
+11/+6/+1
+9
+5
+9
Skill Focus
7
4
8
5
3
16th
+12/+7/+2
+10
+5
+10
Strategies & Tactics
7
4
8
6
4
17th
+12/+7/+2
+10
+5
+10
Improved Mettle
7
4
8
6
4
18th
+13/+8/+3
+11
+6
+11
7
5
9
6
4
19th
+14/+9/+4
+11
+6
+11
8
5
9
6
4
20th
+15/+10/+5
+12
+6
+12
Major aura +4, Strategies & Tactics, Supreme Commander
8
5
9
6
4
Class Features
All of the following are class features of the marshal.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Marshals are proficient with all simple and martial weapons, with all types of armor (heavy, medium, and light), and with shields (except tower shields).
Auras (Ex): The marshal exerts an effect on allies in her vicinity. she can learn to produce different effects, or auras, over the course of her career. The marshal may project one minor aura and (starting at 2nd level) one major aura at a time.
Projecting an aura is a swift action. The aura remains in effect until the marshal uses a free action to dismiss it or activates another aura of the same kind (major or minor). A marshal can have an aura active continually; thus, an aura can be in effect at the start of a combat encounter even before the marshal takes her first turn. A marshall can activate an aura in the same moment she changes stances, using the same swift action.
Activating an aura involves haranguing, ordering, directing, encouraging, cajoling, or calming allies. A marshal sizes up the enemy, allies, and the terrain, then gives allies the direction that they can use to do their best.
Unless otherwise noted, a marshal's aura affects all allies within 60 feet (including herself) who can hear the marshal. An ally must have an Intelligence score of 3 or higher and be able to understand the marshal's language to gain the bonus. A marshal's aura is dismissed if she is dazed, unconscious, stunned, paralyzed, or otherwise unable to be heard or understood by her allies.
A marshal begins play knowing one minor aura of her choice. As her marshal level increases, she gains access to new auras, as indicated on the table. All bonuses granted by a marshal's auras are circumstance bonuses that do not stack with each other.
Spoiler
Minor Aura: A minor aura lets allies add the marshal's Charisma bonus (if any) to certain rolls.
Accurate Strike: Bonus on rolls made to confirm critical hits.
Art of War: Bonus on disarm, trip, bull rush, and sunder attempts.
Demand Fortitude: Bonus on Fortitude saves.
Determined Caster: Bonus on rolls to overcome spell resistance.
Force of Will: Bonus on Will saves.
Master of Opportunity: Bonus to Armor Class against attacks of opportunity.
Master of Tactics: Bonus on damage rolls when flanking.
Motivate Charisma: Bonus on Charisma checks and Charisma-based skill checks.
Motivate Constitution: Bonus on Constitution checks and Constitution-based skill checks.
Motivate Dexterity: Bonus on Dexterity checks, Dexterity-based skill checks, and initiative checks.
Motivate Intelligence: Bonus on Intelligence checks and Intelligence-based skill checks.
Motivate Strength: Bonus on Strength checks and Strength-based skill checks.
Motivate Wisdom: Bonus on Wisdom checks and Wisdom-based skill checks.
Over the Top: Bonus on damage rolls when charging.
Watchful Eye: Bonus on Reflex saves.
Major Aura: Beginning at 2nd level, a marshal can project a major aura in addition to his minor aura. A major aura lets allies add +1 to certain rolls. This bonus improves by +1 at 7th, 14th, and 20th level.
Hardy Soldiers: The marshal's allies gain damage reduction equal to double the amount of bonus the aura provides. For example, if the marshal is 10th level, everyone affected gains DR 4/-.
Motivate Ardor: Bonus on damage rolls.
Motivate Attack: Bonus on melee attack rolls.
Motivate Care: Bonus to Armor Class.
Motivate Urgency: Allies' base land speed is increased by a number of feet equal to 5 x the amount of bonus the aura provides. For example, the allies of a 10th-level marshal (+2 major aura) add 10 feet to their base land speed.
Resilient Troops: Bonus on all saves.
Steady Hand: Bonus on ranged attack rolls.
Maneuvers: You begin your career with knowledge of 3 maneuvers from the Stone Dragon, Diamond Mind and White Raven disciplines. As you advanced levels, you learn additional maneuvers as seen on the table above. You must meet a maneuver’s prerequisites to learn it. You must ready your maneuvers before you use them. At first level you may ready all of your maneuvers and you gain additional maneuvers readied as indicated by the table.
Upon reaching 4th level, and at every even marshal level after that (6th, 8th, 10th, and so on), you can choose to learn a new White Raven maneuver in place of one you already know. In effect, you lose the old maneuver in place of the new one. You can choose a maneuver of any level you like, as long as you observe your restriction on the highest-level maneuver you know. You can swap only a single maneuver at any given level.
You begin an encounter with all of your readied maneuvers unexpended. When you initiate a maneuver, you expend it for the current encounter, so each of your readied maneuvers can only be used once per encounter unless you recover them.
You can recover all expended maneuvers with a single swift action as you survey the battlefield. You cannot initiate a maneuver, change your stance, or change your auras while you are recovering your maneuvers, but you can remain in the same stance and auras in which you began your turn.
Stances Known: You begin play with knowledge of one stance from either Stone Dragon, Diamond Mind or White Raven discipline. You learn new stances at the levels indicated on the table. Unlike maneuvers, stances are not expended, and you cannot learn a new stance at higher levels in place of an old one you already know. All stances you know are available to you at all times, and you can change the stance you are currently using as a swift action, along with your Minor and Major Auras if you so choose. It takes only a single swift action to change your stance, Minor Aura, and/or Major Aura all at once.
Skill Focus (Ex): Because a marshal relies on motivating and dealing with people, she quickly learns how to bully, sweet talk, or reason to get her way. At 1st level she gains the Skill Focus feat for either Bluff, Diplomacy, Intimidate, or Sense Motive.
At 5th, 10th, and 15th level she gains an additional Skill Focus feat, choosing a skill from the list above that she hasn't selected yet. At 15th level a marshall will have Skill Focus feats for all four of the listed skills.
Battle Leader (Ex): The marshall must survive many battlefields if she is to be a supreme commander, a leader of armies. Grit and determination can often make the difference when luck or skill fails. The marshall adds her Charisma modifier to all saving throws. This does not stack with any other ability that would add the marshalls Charisma modifier to her saving throws, including her auras.
Strategies & Tactics (Ex): Marshals use whatever methods will accomplish the mission. In addition to their martial adept training they learn new ways to use skills that they already have. At 4th level and at each level indicated on the table the marshal learns one skill trick for free from the list below. She must meet all requirements for the skill trick.
Spoiler
Group Fake Out (Bluff 8), Never Outnumbered (Intimidate 8), Social Recovery (Bluff 8, Diplomacy 5), Timely Misdirection (Bluff 8), Clarity of Vision (Spot 12), Listen to This (Listen 5), Point it Out (Spot 8), Spot the Weak Point (Spot 12), Dismount Attack (Ride 5)
Command Voice (Ex): At 9th level the range of the marshalls auras extends to allies within 120ft who can hear the marshal.
Mettle (Ex): The marshall knows how to resist attacks against his spirit and fortitude. At 11th level she gains the mettle ability. If she succeeds on a Fortitude or Will save against an attack that would normally produce a lesser effect on a successful save (such as a spell with a saving throw entry of Will half or Fortitude partial), she instead negates the effect.
At 17th level the marshalls mettle ability improves. Improved mettle works like mettle, except that while the marshall still negates the effect on a successful Fortitude or Will save, now she only suffers the lesser effect on a failed save. A helpless marshall does not gain the benefit of improved mettle.
Supreme Commander (Ex): The range of the marshalls auras extend to any ally that can see or hear the marshall. Activating an aura or changing a stance is now a free action.
---
Notes: Some of the maneuvers and stances known text is from PId6's revision. It appears he's not on the boards anymore, but I wanted to give him credit.
There are a number of Marshal revisions here in the Homebrew forum - why another one? I think the Marshal just needed a little boost. The auras by itself aren't much of a mechanic to build a class around, but auras and maneuvers are enough to help it hold it's own among the other warriors. It's a martial support class that gets better the more allies it can enhance. The marshal will never be as good a buffer as a cleric, but I think it fulfills an unique and flavorful role in a party. With the additional skill boosts and tricks it can also serve as the party face.
Lastly, this revision is simple, but I think it'll be effective. Take the base class, add maneuvers and some skill utility along with a few new passive defensive features and it's done. Easy to learn and use.
Optional Rule - Commander Rating
If your campaign is using the Commanders rules from Heroes of Battle (page 75), then the Marshal has a Commander Rating equal to half her marshal class level, minimum 1.
__________________ The Great Wave off Kanagawa by Hokusai Me. "We have sent many to Hell, to smooth our way," said I, "and we are standing yet and holding blades. What more?"
Looks like an interesting revision of the Marshal that definitely brings him up to tier 3.
One thing to note though is that only 2 disciplines makes his maneuver choice VERY limited. I would suggest adding in another one such as diamond mind or a homebrew discipline.
I have to say, those Auras are really powerful.. If you went with a 32 PB and Human(although you could choose a different race and get a boost to Cha) you would have a +4 bonus to all will saves. At level one. I would shift bonuses to saves to Major auras, as everything else is as a Minor aura should be, nice, but not very powerful. I would also drop the bonus to all saves major aura. Its just to powerful.
Otherwise, I like the class. Alot. Something to eliminate MAD would be nice, as other brews have done that, but other that the points above, I like it. Perhaps the ability to grant an ally the ability to preform one manouver once per day? Something like that would be a neat trick to add.
I have to say, those Auras are really powerful.. If you went with a 32 PB and Human(although you could choose a different race and get a boost to Cha) you would have a +4 bonus to all will saves. At level one. I would shift bonuses to saves to Major auras, as everything else is as a Minor aura should be, nice, but not very powerful. I would also drop the bonus to all saves major aura. Its just to powerful.
Otherwise, I like the class. Alot. Something to eliminate MAD would be nice, as other brews have done that, but other that the points above, I like it. Perhaps the ability to grant an ally the ability to preform one manouver once per day? Something like that would be a neat trick to add.
The bonus to saves auras actually aren't that strong. They don't stack with the bonus gained at level 5 so they are only good as a 1 level dip. Its no worse than paladin's two level dip charisma to all saves.
The bonus to saves auras actually aren't that strong. They don't stack with the bonus gained at level 5 so they are only good as a 1 level dip. Its no worse than paladin's two level dip charisma to all saves.
Except that compared to attack roles against AoO, I would always choose the saves.. Saves are on the same level as bonuses to attacks or damage rolls. Not Skill checks. While it may not be OP it just feels out of place next to sup par bonuses.
The Auras are the same as the original, with one exception. I doubled the value of the DR granting aura.
I probably will add Diamond Mind as an available discipline. I kept it to two at first because she is a less powerful martial adept than the others, but one more non-unique discipline should be fine.
As a martial adept full bab isn't that important since she'll be using standard action strikes nearly all the time.
__________________ The Great Wave off Kanagawa by Hokusai Me. "We have sent many to Hell, to smooth our way," said I, "and we are standing yet and holding blades. What more?"
Except that compared to attack roles against AoO, I would always choose the saves.. Saves are on the same level as bonuses to attacks or damage rolls. Not Skill checks. While it may not be OP it just feels out of place next to sup par bonuses.
Really? I would put it behind charisma to initiative and charisma to damage rolls. And if playing a tripper I would also but it behind charisma to trip attempts.
Trip a spellcaster or pass a save or suck? At low levels, the save or suck. Perhaps at higher levels the trip attempt, but for awhile at least, the save or suck.
Trip a spellcaster or pass a save or suck? At low levels, the save or suck. Perhaps at higher levels the trip attempt, but for awhile at least, the save or suck.
Well the bonus to saves isn't auto succeed and it only works on 1/3 of the spells that force dc's... Further more against casters melee has a hard time anyway and making your save's auto succeed doesn't mean you can kill them. And with the save auras being replaced at 5th level I really don't see them as being that much better. I still think they are weaker than initiative (don't even LET him cast a save or suck) and are replaced later anyway.
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[3.5] Marshal Revision
