Lord Commander (3.5e Class)

Lord Commander

Making a Lord Commander

Alignment: Any.

Starting Age: Moderate.

Table: The Commander

Hit Die: d10

Level	Base Attack Bonus	Saving Throws			Special
		Fort	Ref	Will
1st	+1	+2	+0	+2	Leadership, Battle Cry 1/day
2nd	+2	+3	+0	+3	Fearless
3rd	+3	+3	+1	+3	Endurance
4th	+4	+4	+1	+4	Leadership Bonus +1
5th	+5	+4	+1	+4	Battle Cry 2/day, Commander Bonus feat
6th	+6/+1	+5	+2	+5	Battle Standard, Direct Troops
7th	+7/+2	+5	+2	+5
8th	+8/+3	+6	+2	+6	Leadership Bonus +2
9th	+9/+4	+6	+3	+6	Rally Troops, Battle Cry 3/day
10th	+10/+5	+7	+3	+7	Commander Bonus Feat
11th	+11/+6/+1	+7	+3	+7
12th	+12/+7/+2	+8	+4	+8	Hard March, Leadership Bonus +3
13th	+13/+8/+3	+8	+4	+8	Battle Cry 4/day
14th	+14/+9/+4	+9	+4	+9
15th	+15/+10/+5	+9	+5	+9	Commander Bonus Feat
16th	+16/+11/+6/+1	+10	+5	+10	Leadership Bonus +4
17th	+17/+12/+7/+2	+10	+5	+10	Battle Cry 5/day
18th	+18/+13/+8/+3	+11	+6	+11	To Hell and Back
19th	+19/+14/+9/+4	+11	+6	+11
20th	+20/+15/+10/+5	+12	+6	+12	Glorious Command, Leadership Bonus +5, Commander Bonus feat
Class Skills (4 + Int modifier per level, ×4 at 1st level) Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Handle Animal (Cha), Intimidate (Cha), Diplomacy (Cha), Jump (Str), Ride (Dex), Swim (Str), Knowledge (Nobility and Royalty) (Int), Knowledge (History) (Int), Gather Information (Cha) and Sense Motive (Wis).

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the commander.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A commander is proficient with all simple and martial weapons and with all armor (heavy, medium, and light) and shields (including tower shields).

Leadership (Ex): You can attract loyal companions and devoted followers, subordinates who assist you. Your DM has information on what sort of cohort and how many followers you can recruit. Starting at 6th level you also attract a cohort to assist you both in and out of battle. This cohort can only be in cohesion with the theme of the Commander’s command and can only be of a class available to the Commander’s army. This Cohort starts at a level equal to the Commander’s minus two which means at 6th level she would be 3 levels of either Commoner, Warrior, Expert or Aristocrat and then 1 Level of Heraldry Escort whose advancement will continue until the 10th level of the class has been attained. After the 10th level of Heraldry Escort at 13th level the Cohort may advance in any class available to the Commander’s army. The NPC classes available to the cohort may be exchanged for more powerful ones. Feats like Militaristic training are needed to make this transition from an NPC class to a Fighter. The 10th level of the Heraldry Escort may never be skipped, however.

Battle Cry (Ex): When your shout rings across the battlefield 25ft (+5ft/2 class levels), it lifts the spirits of you and your allies. An affected subject receives a +1 morale bonus on saving throws against charm and fear effects and a +1 morale bonus on attack and weapon damage rolls. At 5th level, and every four class levels thereafter, this bonus increases by 1 (+2 at 5th, +3 at 9th,+4 at 13th and +5 at 20th). This bonus lasts a number of rounds equal to 3 plus your Charisma bonus. Battle Cry is a free action.

Fearless (Ex): Because of their supreme confidence in their own abilities, Commanders are not subject to effects that would shake others' resolve. When you enter this 2nd level of this class, you become immune to fear effects.

Endurance: An Commander gains Endurance (see page 93) as a bonus feat at 3rd level.

Leadership Bonus (Ex): Commanders earn bonuses to their leadership level equal to one-fourth of their class level, enabling them to attract more powerful cohorts and followers when they use the Leadership feat upon earning a new level.

Bonus Commander Feat: At 5th level, you gain a bonus feat chosen from the following list: Endurance, Expert Tactician, Natural Leader, Extra Followers, Improved Cohort, Inspirational Leadership, Great Captain, Might Makes Right, Amass Horde, Great Horde, Extra Battle Cry, Cry of the Heart, Practiced Cohort, Improved Direct Troops, Greater Direct Troops, Heroic Rally Troops, Expeditious March, Capture the Flag, Hell Takes Skill, and Deathless Cry. You must still meet any prerequisites for the feat. You gain an additional bonus feat from this list at 10th, 15th, and again at 20th level.

Direct Troops (Ex): As a full-round action, you can give compelling directions. You can bestow a competence bonus on either attack rolls or skill checks, equal to your leadership bonus, to all allies within 30 feet. This bonus lasts a number of rounds equal to your Charisma bonus.

Battle Standard (Ex): The mere sight of your coat of arms or other heraldic display is enough to turn the tide of battle. Allies within 400 (+40ft/class level) feet of your standard gain the effects of both Battle Cry and Rally Troops (above) as long as the standard is within range and held by you. Even though the Battle Standard provides the bonuses of Battle Cry they are halved and rounded down. If your standard is captured in battle, all allies within range aware of its loss suffer a —1 morale penalty to attacks and damage until it is recovered in addition to losing the benefits described above. Even though you may carry this Battle Standard it is the pride and honor of your Heraldry Escort to do so and defend it impetuously.

Rally Troops (Ex): Your presence is enough to grant any allies within 100ft (+10ft/level) a second saving throw against fear and charm effects that they have already succumbed to. Even if they fail the second saving throw, any fear effects are less severe: panicked characters are only frightened, frightened characters are only shaken, and shaken characters are unaffected.

Hard March (Ex): You can exhort your troops to march longer. Anyone traveling with you gains a +4 morale bonus to Constitution checks required for making a forced march or any other task requiring extended exertion. Animals are not affected.

To Hell and Back (Ex): Your followers will accompany you to the ends of the world, and beyond. Any followers or cohorts gained from your Leadership feat are immune to fear effects (including morale checks) when they have a line of sight to you.

Glorious Command (Ex): Your presence inspires your troops to make the ultimate sacrifice for your cause. Any allies within 25ft (+5ft/2 class levels) of you can continue to fight while disabled or dying without penalty. They continue until they reach —20 hit points. Any creature reduced to –20 hp dies immediately. When a creature moves out of the area of effect of the Commander, the normal effects of the damage apply immediately.

Commander Feats

Prerequisite

Weapon Focus (Weapon of Choice).

Benefit

You gain access to the fighter class feats related to your weapon of choice as if you were a fighter equal to your Commander level minus two. Additionally, troops you train can be Fighters instead of Warriors. This feat adds the Fighter’s bonus feats list to the Commander’s.

Prerequisite

Combat Expertise, Militaristic Training.

Benefit

Your training with a wide range of weaponry and tactics gives you great skill with particular weapons. When fighting with your weapon of choice you may add your Intelligence modifier as an Insight bonus on attack rolls, damage rolls and rolls to confirm a critical hit. You also have the flexibility to adjust your weapon training. Each morning, you can spend 1 hour in weapon practice to change the designated weapon for any feat you have that applies only to a single weapon (such as Weapon Focus). You must have the newly designated weapon available during your practice session to make this change. For example, if you wish to change the designated weapon for your Weapon Focus feat from greatsword to longsword, you must have a longsword available to practice with during your practice session. You can adjust any number of your feats in this way, and you don’t have to adjust them all in the same way. However, you can’t change the weapon choices in such a way that you no longer meet the prerequisite for some other feat you possess. For instance, if you have both Weapon Focus (longsword) and Weapon Specialization (longsword), you can’t change the designated weapon for Weapon Focus unless you also change the weapon for Weapon Specialization in the same way.

Prerequisite

Any Extreme Alignment, Charisma 13.

Benefit

You dedicate yourself to be a paragon of a certain alignment. If you are a paragon of Law then this ability applies to Chaotic creatures. By expending a use of Battle Cry you can, as a free action, attempt to smite with one normal melee attack. You add your Charisma bonus (if any) to your attack roll and deal 1 extra point of damage per Commander level. Additionally, troops, you train as Warrior also receive the Smite ability. This feat counts as the Paladin’s Smite class feature for the purpose of prerequisites and any feat that has Smite as a prerequisite may be treated as a Commander Bonus Feat.

Prerequisite

Lawful, Charisma 13.

Benefit

As a swift action, by expending a use of Battle Cry, you can issue a challenge against a single opponent. The target of this ability must have an Intelligence of 5 or higher, have a language of some sort, and have a CR greater than or equal to your character level minus 2. If it does not meet these requirements, a use of this ability is expended without effect. If the target does meet the conditions given above, you gain a morale bonus on Will saves, attack rolls and damage rolls against the target of this ability equal to your Battle Cry bonus plus your Leadership Bonus. You fight with renewed vigor and energy by placing your honor and reputation on the line. If your chosen foe reduces you to 0 or fewer hit points, you lose two uses of your Battle Cry ability for the day because of the blow to your ego and confidence from this defeat. The effect of a fighting challenge lasts for a number of rounds equal to 5 + your Charisma bonus (if any). If you are capable of issuing a Battle Cry more than once per day, you can use this ability more than once in a single encounter. If your first chosen foe is defeated or flees the area, you gain a use of Battle Cry. You cannot switch foes if your original target is still active. Additionally, troops you train can be Knights instead of Warriors. This feat adds the Knight’s bonus feats list to the Commander’s.

Prerequisite

Dexterity 13, Wisdom 13.

Benefit

In order to use this feat you must expend a use of Battle Cry. You must declare that you are using this feat before you make your attack roll (thus, a failed attack roll ruins the attempt). Stunning Attack forces a foe damaged by your attack to make a Fortitude saving throw (DC 10 + 1/2 your character level + your Wis modifier), in addition to dealing damage normally. A defender who fails this saving throw is stunned for 1 round (until just before your next action). A stunned character can't act, loses any Dexterity bonus to AC, and takes a -2 penalty to AC. You may attempt a stunning attack no more than once per round. Constructs, oozes, plants, undead, incorporeal creatures, and creatures immune to critical hits cannot be stunned.

Prerequisite

Stunning Strike, Commander’s Smite.

Benefit

In order to use this feat you must expend two uses of Battle Cry. When you deliver a Stunning Strike attack in conjunction with your Commander’s Smite, you deal double smite damage and the Fortitude saving throw DC increases by an additional ½ Commander class levels.

Prerequisite

Any non-Lawful Alignment.

Benefit

By expending a use of Battle Cry you can, as a free action, enter a flying rage identical to the Barbarian’s Rage of equal level. Additionally, troops you train can be Barbarians instead of Warriors. This feat counts as the Barbarian’s Rage class feature for the purpose of prerequisites and any feat that has Rage as a prerequisite may be treated as a Commander Bonus Feat.

Prerequisite

Commander 6th, Any non-Lawful Alignment, Might Makes Right.

Benefit

A Barbaric Commander can maintain a larger force of followers than a comparable Commander could by sacrificing order for numbers. When determining the number of followers allowed for a Barbaric Commander, multiply the amount listed in Table 2-25: Leadership in the Dungeon Master's Guide by 1,5. These additional forces must be barbaric and disorganized. For example, a character with a leadership score of 15 could normally have up to twenty 1st-level, two 2nd-level, and one 3rd-level followers. A 1st-level Barbaric could have thirty 1st-level, three 2nd-level, and one 3rd-level followers, as long as at least ten of the 1st-level and one of the 2nd-level followers were of this rowdy disorganized crowd.

Prerequisite

Any non-Lawful Alignment, Might Makes Right, Amass Horde.

Benefit

As Amass Horde but the followers allowed for a Barbaric Commander are multiplied by 2 instead of 1,5.

Prerequisite

Battle Cry ability.

Benefit

You can use Battle Cry two more times per day than you otherwise could.

Prerequisite

Base WIll Save +4.

Benefit

When you use Battle Cry any bonus granted by you increases by +1 and also extends to grant bonuses on Will Saving throws against fear.

Prerequisite

None.

Benefit

A Commander may select a type of creature from among those given on Table 3—14: Ranger Favored Enemies. Due to his extensive study on his chosen type of foe and training in the proper techniques for combating such creatures, the Commander receives the Track feat and gains her Battle Cry bonus as a bonus on Bluff, Listen, Sense Motive, Spot, and Survival checks when using these skills against creatures of this type. Likewise, she gets the same bonus on weapon damage rolls against such creatures. Additionally, troops you train can be Rangers instead of Warriors. This feat counts as the Ranger’s Favored enemy class feature for the purpose of prerequisites and any feat that has Favored Enemy as a prerequisite may be treated as a Commander Bonus Feat.

Prerequisite

None.

Benefit

A Commander may select a type of creature from among those given on Table 3—14: Ranger Favored Enemies. Due to his extensive study on his chosen type of foe and training in the proper techniques for combating such creatures, the Commander receives the Track feat and gains her Battle Cry bonus as a bonus on Bluff, Listen, Sense Motive, Spot, and Survival checks when using these skills against creatures of this type. Likewise, she gets the same bonus on weapon damage rolls against such creatures. Additionally, troops you train can be Rangers instead of Warriors. This feat counts as the Ranger’s Favored enemy class feature for the purpose of prerequisites and any feat that has Favored Enemy as a prerequisite may be treated as a Commander Bonus Feat.

Prerequisite

Commander 6th Level

Benefit

You can use the Direct Troops ability as a move action.

Prerequisite

Commander 6th Level, Improved Direct Troops

Benefit

You can use the direct troops ability as a free action.

Prerequisite

Commander 9th Level

Benefit

Fear effects are even less severe: panicked characters are only shaken while both frightened and shaken characters are unaffected.

Prerequisite

Commander 12th Level

Benefit

You can exhort your troops to march faster. This ability increases your troops base overland speed by 10 feet. Again, animals are not affected.

Prerequisite

Commander 15th Level

Benefit

When losing possession of the Battle Standard the troops are affected by the effect of War Cry (Full effect), as if the Commander had used that ability, before receiving the negative effects of losing it. The radius of this affected is centered on the Battle Standard and lasts for 3 + Leadership Bonus.

Prerequisite

Commander 18th Level

Benefit

Any followers or cohorts gained from your Leadership feat receive a moral bonus equal to your Charisma Modifier on any skill checks when they have line of sight to you.

Prerequisite

Commander 20th Level

Benefit

A Commander can scorn death and unconsciousness while under the effects of a War Cry. As long as her War Cry continues, she is not treated as disabled at 0 hit points, nor is she treated as dying at —1 to —9 hit points. Even if reduced to —10 hit points or less, she continues to fight normally until her War Cry ends. At that point, the effects of her wounds apply normally if they have not been healed. This ability does not prevent death from massive damage or from spell effects such as slay living or disintegrate.

Epic Lord Commander

Table: The Epic Commander

Hit Die: d10

Level	Special
21st	Battle Cry 6/day
22nd
23rd	Bonus Feat
24th	Leadership Bonus +6
25th	Battle Cry 7/day, Bonus Commander feat
26th	Bonus Feat
27th
28th	Bonus Feat
29th	Battle Cry 8/day, Bonus feat
30th	Bonus Commander feat
4 + Int modifier skill points per level.