[3.5] New PrC: the Living Arsenal

[Amechra]

[EjoThims]

Well, to start, the requirements for this don't make sense, mechanically or thematically. Knowledge (Weaponry) is not a valid basic knowledge, nor can I find it's introduction elsewhere (it's not in Complete Warrior nor Tome of Battle).

And the feat requirement is quite silly. On one extreme it's a wizard that has to take one feat for simple weapons, one feat for one martial weapon, and a third feat for one exotic, who then suddenly is proficient in all weapons, including exotic, and on the other extreme fighters still have to take the feat because they are never explicitly granted it (or welcome to Fighters DCFSing away all but one of their martial weapon proficiency feats, and then doing the same repeatedly after entering the class).

And if you really want to use it, you need to move the fluff text under "becoming a living arsenal" to a special segment under the requirements or to a class feature. Requirement would limit entry, feature would (most likely) deny this class's features (I'd recommend for a day) if using the prohibited actions; however, that list of prohibited actions is quite silly, as it would cut off all access to even use activated items and all the initiator classes that would actually work well with this class concept.

Need to change the skill requirement to something existing, I'd recommend Craft (Weaponmaking).

And remove the feat requirement for a Special requirement of the same meaning, like: "Proficient in all simple weapons, at least one martial weapon, and at least one exotic weapon."

The skill list is far too small, as anyone with any Int bonus will literally not be able to take as many skill as they gain skill points. And see above for the Knowledge.

And the class gains no hitdice. I'd recommend d10.

Now, for the features:

A Living Arsenal has proficiencies in every single weapon it is possible for any humanoid species to wield.

Why? Their anatomy already prevents them from using anything else, regardless of proficiency. Replace this with "A Living Arsenal is proficient with all weapons." And then realize that it's a silly thing to do when you've made them waste feats on this exact thing to even enter the class.

Weapon Understanding (Ex)- A Living Arsenal understands the only real difference between a staff and a sword is that one of them is sharper than the other. Any time he takes a feat that normally only applies to one weapon, it applies to all weapons that it is applicable to.

Wording on this couldn't be worse. When the feat only applies to one weapon, it is only applicable to that one weapon.

I'd recommend replacing both of these with Weapon Aptitude and Exemplar Aptitude from my Fighter. Or just use them on your Fighter and make half this PrC obsolete two levels early, which I think is a good note of it's power (or rather, lack there of).

Hell, even replace it with the Warblade's Weapon Aptitude (which is still written better than Weapon Understanding, despite it's own vagueness) and forget the Exemplar, it'd still be an improvement.

Bonus Enchantment (Su)- A Living Arsenal begins to subconsciously tap into their own latent magical power...

... and loses all his class features because he can't concentrate enough on weapons. Brilliant.

No retraining method makes this suck mightily, and it doesn't say which enchantments can be selected nor when he can select them. Rewrite this so it makes sense. As it is, the intent is so unclear I don't even know if it's too weak or too powerful, but both are entirely possible. Is the total adjustment capped at 1/2 his level? Each individual enchantment? Does this allow him to go over +10 total pre-epic? Does this stack onto already magic items? Can he pick normal + boosts?

Undeniable Grace (Ex)- A Living Arsenal is extremely graceful with any weapon of his size or smaller.

So graceful with a greatsword but not a Large sized dagger, which is still smaller and lighter? Just eliminate that, larger weapons are a trap anyway.

When making an attack, the Living Arsenal adds their Charisma bonus to their attack and damage rolls.

Cha to damage AND hit is nice, especially for only 3 levels, but doesn't actually make up for having to take 3 levels in this class.

Also, on a critical hit, all enemies that can see the Living Arsenal get a -2 moral penalty for the round.

'

To what? Attacks? Damage? Saves? AC? Checks? Hit points? Basket Weaving?

Also needs editing for clarity and readability. Decent idea, but also needlessly complicated. Could be replaced by a simple: "Can hit adjacent foes with reach weapons and can throw any weapon with a 15' range increment. Additionally, all weapons used deal piercing, slashing, and bludgeoning damage." And no, that really is not overpowered, and it stops the silliness of "my dagger is a reach weapon?  That can't hit adjacent targets???"

When attacked physically, the Living Arsenal can do one of the following: he can perform any of the special attack actions he is capable of using normally,

He already can, since he is normally capable.

Why? This is a straight nerf. Even if it's meant for all attacks to provoke an attack of opportunity (a much better way to do what I think you were trying to do), why do his options from that need to be nerfed?

Replace this with granting Robilar's Gambit or Karmic Strike as a bonus feat and granting an unlimited number of AoOs.

or he can add his BAB and Strength/Charisma modifiers to his AC.

So, he can add BAB, Str, and Cha to AC? That's a little absurd and wayyyy more powerful than the other part of this class feature. That is, by itself, 3 quite powerful features, especially if they are unlimited by Max Dex of the armor he is wearing. Even for a poorly built melee character, this feature will add at least +20 to AC. For a decently made one, you're looking at +31 or more, and if you're actually optimizing it that's going to be topping +40.

And deny him his entire class of abilities, including this one. Entirely contradictory and not very powerful. Plus it's a /day limit, which are silly anyway. Replace this with just making any weapon he wields a +5 weapon and allow him to lose the affect for X rounds to give it to up to 20 allies for the same X rounds. It would still be a crappy capstone though.

This class, as (poorly) written now, is quite a trap with 2 amazing class features that don't actually make up for the badness of the rest. Those features are great material for an IS to eat though.

Is English not your main language? You (or someone else for you) really should rewrite this for clarity and more standard wording.

And then you should rewrite it to not suck. As is, going straight Warblade or straight through one of the many Fighter fixes (mine linked above included) are much better than ever taking any levels in this class.

Now, tear this baby a new one!

Done and done.  

[Amechra]

I'm really sorry about all the mistakes I made with this class. I've been running on about 4 hours of sleep a night, so I'm surprised that it didn't come out worse. Alright, onto the actual, correct abilities and traits.
1. The hit dice is a d10, as you suspected.
2. I think I meant Craft (weaponmaking); I always thought a weaponry knowledge skill existed, though.
3. That special requirement was, in fact, what I was aiming for. My sleep-deprived brain thought that the Proficiency feats gave proficiency in all weapons of that type.
4. I admit I need help with the skills list. Any suggestions?
5. Ignore the "only wield weapons usable by humanoids". I put it in during a stupid moment. Sorry.
6.

Weapon Understanding (Ex)- A Living Arsenal understands the only real difference between a staff and a sword is that one of them is sharper than the other. Any time he takes a feat that normally only applies to one weapon, it applies to all weapons that it is applicable to.

What I meant by this is that if he takes, let us say, Weapon Focus (Longbow), it would instead be treated as Weapon Focus(All). That's what I meant to write.
7.

Yeesh, I messed this up. Firstly, the magic-tapping is through his weapon obsession (sort of like a Rage Mages casting through anger), and so doesn't count as casting. Secondly, what I meant about the enchantments is that any weapon they pick up gets any of the enchantments that can be applied onto that weapon type, so you can just take a weapon from someone else and it would have the enchantments. What I meant about gaining the bonus enchantments is that at 2nd level you would get a enchantment of +1 value, at 4th you gain another enchantment, this one +2 bonus or lower, and so on. The actual cap would be a +15 untyped bonus (so that the Demonstration would be a +5 enhancement bonus, and would stack.) You select the enchantments when you reach this level, and you can use any of the enchantments in any of the books that have enhancement bonuses as part of their costs; i.e. Keen.
8. When I said size, I meant that it's when your wielding any non-two-handed weapon. The moral penalty is to all roles. Yes, ALL of them.
9. When I set up Adaptation, I meant to include retraining the enchantments instead of the reach modification. Sorry about that; for the purpose of retraining, it's an out-of-combat action that takes 1 day per + of enchantment. And that is a good change to what the ability does; lets go with that instead. And with the retraining.
10. You're right, Defensive Weapon-mastery does actually mean you get an Attack of Opportunity for any attack that is taken against you. As for the other half, I meant you add your BAB and either your Strength bonus or your Charisma bonus, not both. I also meant to have this as the 9th level ability, and Demonstration as the 7th level ability.
11. Now for Demonstration, I agree that the uses per day should be removed; the system you give would work way better. Do to the fact that this class retypes his bonus enchantments as typeless bonuses, the +5 stacks. It also should be the 7th level ability.
12. The fluff was supposed to be under the "special" section for requirements. I also put the maneuver part in by accident, and was way too sleep-deprived to do anything to change it. I still stand by not letting spellcasters and manifesters join the class, because this is supposed to be for the humble physical fighters.

The purpose of this class is to do away with the problem of magic-weapon-loss; you know, when the party is captured. Unlike a normal Fighter, a Living Arsenal 6 would be able to just pick up a rock and have it gain, let us say, Keen, Disruption, and Speed, and would use it with the exact level of proficiency as he would the sword he had been carrying with him for the last 3 weeks .

Thank you, EjoThims, for being so cruelly honest. I actually am a native speaker, but lack of sleep=me no talky good. I hope the fixes make the class actually usable, and I also hope someone can put edit the class write-up to include the fixes. I would do it myself, but I don't trust myself.

I'm going to leave the original write-up unchanged, just so people can see how not to make a class. Tank you again, EjoThims.

[EjoThims]

4. I admit I need help with the skills list. Any suggestions?

If you wan to keep it at 4 skill points, i'd suggest copying the Monk's list and switching out knowledges for more applicable ones, since it's the only Core melee-focused class with 4 skill points.

Personally I'd recommend giving this class 6 skill points and the Rogue's list of skills minus object manipulation skills like Disable Device and Use Rope.

What I meant by this is that if he takes, let us say, Weapon Focus (Longbow), it would instead be treated as Weapon Focus(All). That's what I meant to write.

Go with Weapon Aptitude of the Warblade (or my version, which is slightly more explicit). Simpler and easier.

Yeesh, I messed this up. Firstly, the magic-tapping is through his weapon obsession (sort of like a Rage Mages casting through anger), and so doesn't count as casting.

Really need to specify that then. And make all his magical class abilities supernatural to reflect that.

What I meant about gaining the bonus enchantments is that at 2nd level you would get a enchantment of +1 value, at 4th you gain another enchantment, this one +2 bonus or lower, and so on. The actual cap would be a +15 untyped bonus (so that the Demonstration would be a +5 enhancement bonus, and would stack.)

That is ridiculously silly and powerful except that you can never change what bonuses you grant except through actually retraining the class levels. You are literally giving this character the ability to add more bonuses than it is possible to buy to a weapon that already has the most bonuses you can buy. Anyone with an Int over 4 that plays this class will purchase a +1 weapon with +9 worth of abilities so they can then add +15 worth of abilities onto it and then GMW it to +5. This class feature means everyone that uses this class with have the equivalent of a +29 weapon, but using all non-epic abilities.

8. When I said size, I meant that it's when your wielding any non-two-handed weapon.

Grammar aside, you really need to make the intent of the abilities more clear. Also, that's not really how size works in 3.5 any more. Just say with "light or one-handed weapons."

The morale penalty is to all roles. Yes, ALL of them.

Fixed. Also, stupid powerful, especially with no save or range or target limit. And again, needs to be specified.

9. When I set up Adaptation, I meant to include retraining the enchantments instead of the reach modification.

It really just needs to be in the section on the enchantments.

, Defensive Weapon-mastery does actually mean you get an Attack of Opportunity for any attack that is taken against you.

So like I said, this ability would be best worded as "Defensive Mastery: The Living Arsenal gains Karmic Strike* as a bonus feat. Additionally, he may make an unlimited number of Attacks of Opportunity each round."

* (it's better than Robilar's, and technically still interrupts the provoking action)

Quick, simple, explicit. Drop the second half of it. There's no point to granting him extra bonuses and then taking them away at certain times once he is more powerful, and with the AC portion it's really not an option.

Move the AC to a separate ability, but be careful about giving him Cha to hit, damage, AND AC, especially spread over only 2 abilities. People will be creating Living Arsenals just for Illithid Savant gishes to eat their brains for those two abilities. 

Do to the fact that this class retypes his bonus enchantments as typeless bonuses, the +5 stacks.

Well, first, the class never says it does this. Second, it's entirely unneeded, as the +5 does not in any way conflict with the +X abilities that he can enchant.

It also should be the 7th level ability.

The 7th level ability is an even worse capstone. It's two free feats (which are not fun class abilities) that both kind of suck without specifically building for it. And that's if you go with my buffed version.

You need something interesting but not silly powerful like "+29 weapons, yay!"

The purpose of this class is to do away with the problem of magic-weapon-loss; you know, when the party is captured.

Then this class is useless.

Because that should never, ever be a problem.

Unless the DM is also constantly destroying the Wizard's spell book, dominating the Paladins into breaking their oaths, and killing the gods of the Clerics. And if he's doing that, then he's just a dick anyway and this class won't help the players.  

Remember, weapons and armor are as much class features for melee characters as spells for a sorcerer or druid. It is through them that they scale. Any game that denies one without the other is not a balanced or well played game.

Thank you, EjoThims, for being so cruelly honest.

Well you did ask for it.

I also hope someone can put edit the class write-up to include the fixes. I would do it myself, but I don't trust myself.

I may go ahead and do that for you (I actually enjoy editing more than writing, a major problem in getting any of my own projects finished  ), but it might be a while, got a lot on my plate already and work is about to get hectic.

I'm going to leave the original write-up unchanged, just so people can see how not to make a class.

It's better than the Lightning Warrior at least.  

Tank you again, EjoThims.

No problem. And welcome to the forums.  

[EjoThims]

Here you go Amechra. I did some more balancing, bringing down some of the ridiculous stuff while granting more flexibility and utility.

It should be smoother and more tempting across all levels and far less dippy.

[spoiler]Living Arsenal:Becoming a Living Arsenal:

As a Living Arsenal needs absolute focus in his training with weapons.

Requirements:

Base Attack Bonus: +3
Skills: Craft (Weaponmaking) 10 ranks, Bluff 4 ranks, Tumble 4 ranks.
Special: Proficient in all simple weapons and at least one exotic weapon




Base Attack Bonus: Good BAB
Saves: Good Reflex; Poor Fortitude and Will
Hit Die: d10
Class Skills: Balance (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Disguise (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Gather Information (Cha), Hide (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Knowledge (local) (Int), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Perform (Cha), Profession (Wis), Search (Int), Sense Motive (Wis), Sleight of Hand (Dex), Spot (Wis), Swim (Str), Tumble (Dex)
Skill Points at Each Level: 6+Int modifier.

   BAB  Fort    Ref    Will        Abilities    
                                          
1. +1    +0     +2     +0        Weapon Aptitude, Focused Attention
2. +2    +0     +3     +0        Exemplar Aptitude, Mystic Skill +2 (1 set)
3. +3    +1     +3     +1        Adaptable
4. +4    +1     +4     +1        Mystic Skill +4 (2 set)
5. +5    +1     +4     +1        Undeniable Confidence
6. +6    +2     +5     +2        Inspiration, Mystic Skill +6 (3 set)
7. +7    +2     +5     +2        Defensive Mastery
8. +8    +2     +6     +2        Hasted Skill, Mystic Skill +8 (4 set)
9. +9    +3     +7     +3        Defensive Attacks
10.+10   +3     +7     +4        Demonstration, Mystic Skill +10 (5 set)

Class Features:[spoiler]

Weapon and Armor Proficiencies: None added

Focused Attention: A Living Arsenal must constantly focus his will on his supernatural understanding of weaponry. If a Living Arsenal uses a spell or power (including completion items) he loses access to all features of this class until he is able to either rest or spend an hour in meditation. Additionally, levels in this class do not count towards Initiator Level.

Weapon Aptitude (Ex): Starting at 1st level, a Living Arsenal can adjust your training with any weapons he wields. With an hour of practice, he can change the designated weapon of any feat he has that allows him to choose a particular weapon to which it applies. The new weapon must meet all the requirements of the feat. He can shift as many of these feats as he likes in one practice session (and they need not all be in a similar fashion), but all prerequisites of any feats he possess must still be met.

Mystic Skill (Su): At 2nd level, the Living Arsenal's proficiency goes beyond mere use, he can extend his will into any weapon he wields, altering it's properties and enhancing it's abilities. Any weapon he wields counts as any mundane substance for the purposes of overcoming DR, as Ghost Touch weapons, and is treated as if it had a +2 enhancement bonus, increasing by 2 at level 4 and every 2 levels thereafter.

The Living Arsenal can apply any weapon special ability in place of a standard bonus (and must to gain the full benefit after 4th level), but must still follow all applicable rules. It takes 24 hours of rest for the Living Arsenal to change the bonuses and abilities he causes, but at 4th level and every 2 levels thereafter, he may prepare another set of bonuses and abilities that he can switch to with only a minute of meditation.

Exemplar Aptitude: At 2nd level, a Living Arsenal's Weapon Aptitude improves. He is automatically proficient with any weapon he wields, regardless of normal limitations, and can wield weapons as if he was one size larger than he actually is (though this does not change his reach). Additionally, he needs only a move action to shift his feats using Weapon Aptitude.

Adaptable (Su): At 3rd level, the Living Arsenal can use weapons in ways they were not designed for without hindrance. He may hit adjacent foes with reach weapons and can throw any weapon with a 15' range increment. Additionally, all weapons used deal piercing, slashing, and bludgeoning damage.

Undeniable Confidence (Ex): A Living Arsenal, starting at 5th level, is extraordinarily confident with any light or one-handed weapon he wields. When making an attack, the Living Arsenal adds his Charisma bonus to both attack and damage rolls, and when he threatens a critical hit, all enemies that can see the Living Arsenal must make a Will save (DC 15 + 1/2 class level + Cha) or suffer a -2 moral penalty to all rolls until the start of his next turn. If the critical hit is confirmed, this penalty increases to -4.

Inspiration (Su): At 6th level, a Living Arsenal is not only a master of his own weapons, he can show others how to better utilize the ones they wield. Once per encounter as a free action, the Living Arsenal can choose to give up his Mystic Skill ability for a number of rounds up to his class level. For this time, all allies within 30' gain the benefits that the Living Arsenal gave up, provided they are applicable to the weapons they wield. Each ally chooses which of the Living Arsenal's sets of weapon bonuses and abilities to apply at the start of this ability's duration.

Defensive Mastery (Ex): The Living Arsenal gains Karmic Strike as a bonus feat at 7th level, even if he does not meet the prerequisites. He also may make an unlimited number of Attacks of Opportunity each round.

Hasted Skill (Su): At 8th level, the Living Arsenal can tap into reserves of pure willpower to adapt to situations much quicker than normal. He can switch between his prepared sets of bonuses and abilities granted by Mystic Skill with just a standard action, and once per day he may completely reassign all of his separate sets (including the current one he is using) with a single swift action.

Defensive Attacks (Ex): At 9th level, the Living Arsenal truly learns how to defend himself through a strong offense. He adds his base attack bonus as a morale bonus to his armor class and all saves.

Demonstration (Su): At 10th level, a Living Arsenal can inspire his allies' abilities without needing to sacrifice his own. He does not lose access to the benefits of his Mystic Skill when using Inspiration. Additionally, his Inspiration now affects all allies within 60' and lasts for a number of rounds equal to his class level plus his Cha bonus.[/spoiler]

[Amechra]

Looks good.

I learned a lot of do's and Don't's from this class.

[Littha]

Why the specific denial of maneuvers? Surely being awesome with a load of weapons should make you better at fighting than a wizard...

[Amechra]

I said no maneuvers because I don't own ToB, so I can't reference maneuvers.
(So all the homebrew prestiges that use maneuvers make me sad.)

Should I torrent it?

[Littha]

If that is the case i would just leave out the manuvers section entirely.