Mkill's Fighter (3.5e Alternate Class Feature)

Mkill's Fighter

Class: Fighter

Levels: All

Replaces: If you select this class feature, you do not gain normal fighter feats, or weapon and armor proficiencies.

Benefit:

Level	Feat	Special
1st	Fixed Feats	Combat Styles
2nd	Swap Feats
3rd		Combat Styles II
4th	Fixed Feats
5th	Swap Feats
6th		Enhanced Mobility I
7th	Fixed Feats
8th	Swap Feats
9th		Combat Styles III
10th	Fixed Feats
11th	Swap Feats
12th		Enhanced Mobility II
13th	Fixed Feats
14th	Swap Feats
15th		Combat Styles IV
16th	Fixed Feats
17th	Swap Feats
18th		Enhanced Mobility III
19th	Fixed Feats
20th	Swap Feats	Combat Styles V

Level	Special
21st	-
22nd	Fixed Feats bonus feat
23rd	Swap Feats bonus feat
24th	-
25th	Fixed Feats bonus feat
26th	Swap Feats bonus feat
27th	-
28th	Fixed Feats bonus feat
29th	Swap Feats bonus feat
30th	-

Fixed Feats The fighter gains two types of bonus feats. Both are chosen from the fighter bonus feat list, and you must fulfill all prerequisites of the feat. Fixed feats are chosen once and cannot be changed later.

Swap Feats Can be chosen on a daily basis. To use this class feature, you must spend at least one hour per day with combat training. After the training hour, you may select feats that fill your swap feat slots. You can use these feats until you train again, for up to 24 hours. To be able to select a swap feat you must fulfill the prerequisites it, but you can use already selected feats for that. On the other hand, swap feats cannot be used to fulfill prerequisites for fixed feats or prestige classes.

Combat Style At first level, you choose a combat style. You gains a certain set of proficiencies, bonus class skills and special abilities according to your style, at 1st, 3rd, 9th, 15th and 20th level.

Some Combat Styles have significantly less proficiencies and gain a free feat in return.

Other styles require you to take a specific feat as your first-level fighter bonus feat. You must fulfill the prerequisites for that feat to take such a combat style.

The classic fighter gains the following abilties:

Proficiencies: classic

Bonus class skills: Choose any two

Style II: reduce the armor check penalty of any worn armor by 1.

Style III: All ability scores count as two points higher to fulfill feat prerequisites.

Style IV: Ignore all armor check penalty

Style V: Free swap: All fixed bonus feats are changed into swap bonus feats.

See chapter "Combat Styles" for alternative styles.

Bonus class skills

At first level, the fighter can add a number of additional skills to his Fighter class skill list, depending on his chosen Combat Style. The classic style fighter may freely choose two skills. For Craft, Knowledge, Perform and Profession, each subskill counts as one choice.

Enhanced Mobility I

You can make two 5 ft. steps per round, instead of the usual one. When you use the full-attack action, you can make a 5 ft. step before the first, after the last, or between two attacks.

Enhanced Mobility II

Your number of available 5 ft. steps per round increases to three. You can now make a five-foot step as an intermediate action. Note that you can only make one intermediate action per round.

You can choose to dodge an attack with an intermediate 5 ft. step by declaring you make the step before the DM announces whether the attack is a hit. The attack is resolved normally, but you gain a +2 dodge bonus to AC. The 5 ft. step is resolved after the attack. You can't use this option if there is no free square for you to step into.

Enhanced Mobility III

Your number of available 5 ft. steps per round increases to four.

You can now switch places with an ally when you make a 5 ft. step. The ally must be of your own size or smaller, and he must be able to move (i.e. not unconscious, entangled or else). If you use this ability as an intermediate action, you can let an attack hit yourself in place of the ally.

Combat Styles

Always Lucky

Proficiencies: Classic

Prerequisite: 18+ Cha

Bonus class skills: Bluff, Climb

Style II: Once per day you may re roll any roll and take the original if the 2nd one is lower.

Style III: Add a luck bonus equal to your Cha mod to your Hit/Damage/AC.

Style IV: Add your highest ability mod as a misc bonus to all of your saves. You are now immune to poison, sleep effects, paralysis, stunning, disease, and death effects (From Negative Energy).

Style V: Any time you would have a chance to be killed you make a Luck save DC 25 - Your roll +5 + Cha Mod. You make a re-roll on any roll per day equal to 2+ your Cha Mod.

Bruiser

Bruisers are tough, heavy hitters that can take astonishing hits without falling.

Proficiencies: classic

Bonus class skills: Survival

Style II: If below 0 hit points, you stabilize on a Constitution check DC 10. +4 competence bonus to resist attempts to push you down or knock you over, such as bull rushes.

Style III: Gain resistance bonus to all saves equal to your Constitution bonus. Stability bonus increased to +8.

Style IV: You no longer die when your hit point total is below -10. Instead, make a Fortitude save against a DC equal to your negative hit point total. If you succeed, you are unconcious but stable.

Style V: You no longer die when you are below 0 hp unless you go below your Con score + your Str score into the negative if beyond that make a fortitude save DC equal to your negative hit point total minus your Str score.

Cavalry

Proficiencies: as standard fighter

Bonus class skills: -

Required 1st level bonus feat: Mounted Combat

Style II: With a successful Ride check DC 20 you can let your mount use any of your feats (if it fulfills the prerequisites) until the end of the enconter. If you roll below DC 10 or a natural one, you cannot use this ability again for this encounter.

Style III: Grant Mettle to your mount

Style IV: Mount gains DR 2/-

Style V: Always able to take 10 on Ride checks

Master Enchanter

Proficiencies: Classic

These Styles DO NOT STACK you may choose which style of one lower if you want after you reach it when you level; example: If you gain Style IV you may use Style III instead if you prefer it but you can only change it when you reach your next style, so choose wisely.

Bonus class skills: Use Magic Device, Spellcraft.

Style II: When using a magical weapon you may treat it as a +1 higher than its actual enhancement bonus.

Style III: When using a magical weapon/armor you may once per week change the weapon/armor enhancement to one of equal enhancement bonus with and gain a -1 to attack and damage if you use this ability on a weapon or a -1 max dex bonus if used on armor this effect is permanent unless the enhancement is changed back to its original enhancement.

Style IV: When using a magical weapon/armor you may once per day change the weapon/armor enhancement to one of an equal enhancement or a +1 higher than its original bonus, and gain a -1 to attack and damage if you use this ability on a weapon or a -1 max dex bonus if used on armor this effect is permanent unless the enhancement is changed back to its original enhancement.

Style V: When using a magical weapon/armor you may once per hour change the weapon/armor enhancement to one of equal enhancement bonus as well as adding an additional enhancement of a +2 value, and you no longer gain a -1 to attack and damage or the -1 Dex bonus to your armor. You may also treat this weapon/armor as an enhancment of +1 higher than its original bonus.

Commander

Proficiencies: classic

Bonus class skills: Diplomacy, Knowledge (nobility and royalty), Sense Motive

Style II: Inspire courage (as bard) as a standard action. You must be active in combat (not paralyzed, fleeing etc.) to grant this ability. The duration is 1 round per fighter level + Charisma bonus. Usable once per encounter. You do not inspire yourself.

Style III: Inspire courage bonus increases to charisma bonus (max +2). Range increased to 60 ft. When you activate the ability, affected allies gain 1d6 temporary hit points.

Style IV: Inspire courage as a swift action after successful attack. Maximum +3. Range increased to 90 ft. 2d6 temporary hit points.

Style V: Inspire Courage grants morale bonus to all saves. Maximum increased to +4. Range increased to 120 ft. 3d6 temporary hit points.

Custodes Arcanus

Proficiencies: classic

Bonus class skills: Knowledge (arcana), Spellcraft, Use Magic Device

Style II: Ignore ASF when casting arcane spells or using items with arcane spells, energy resistance equal to Fighter level against one chosen type of energy.

Style III: Spell Resistance equal to 10 + Fighter level

Style IV: Ignore ASF in medium armor.

Style V: You gain additional spells per day equal to your INT modifier and are considered one caster level higher than you are.

Exotic Weapon Master

Proficiencies: Classic, but except tower shields. Choose one exotic weapon you are proficient in.

Bonus class skills: Bluff

Style II: Gain proficiency with all Exotic Weapons

Style III: Learn weapon stunt from the Exotic Weapon Master PrC as fixed or swap feats

Style IV: Choose one weapon during your daily training routine. You learn one magic property of that weapon, as if using the Identify spell.

Style V: If you draw an exotic weapon, you can swith all your weapon-specific feats (Weapon Focus etc.) to that weapon as a swift action.

Fencer

Proficiencies: All simple and martial weapons, light armor (light) and shields (excluding tower shields). Weapon Finesse as free additional bonus feat.

Bonus class skills: Balance, Tumble

Style II: Evasion and +1 dodge bonus to AC when wearing light or no armor

Style III: +1d6 damage with finessable weapons, +2 dodge

Style IV: Improved Evasion, +3 dodge

Style V: +2d6 damage with finessable weapons, +4 dodge

Master of Combat Forms

Proficiencies: classic

Bonus class skill: Concentration, Perform (weapon display)

Required 1st level feat: Combat Focus (bonus feat)

Style II: Any Combat Form feat (bonus feat)

Style III: Activate Combat Focus as a standard action with a Concentration check DC 20. Can activate Combat Focus several times per encounter.

Style IV: Activate Combat Focus as a move-equivalent action with a Concentration check DC 15.

Style V: Activate Combat Focus as a swift action with automatic success.

Opportunity Master

Proficiencies: classic

Bonus class skills: Listen, Spot

Free Feat: Initiative Training

Required 1st level feat: Improved Initiative

Style II: Gain Advanced Initiative even if you don't meet the prerequisites, +2 to Spot checks.

Style III: Gain Master Initiative even if you don't meet the prerequisites, you may make two extra attacks of opportunity each round. +2 to listen. 3/Day you may make an attack that is considered a touch attack instead of normal. You gain additional touch attacks per day at levels 12/14/18/20 in total of 7.

Style IV: Gain Superior Initiative even if you do not meet the prerequisites. Whenever a foe makes a 5 foot move adjustment you may take an attack of opportunity against them.

Style V: You gain additional attacks equal to your movement speed divided by 50, and whenever you attack your opponents are considered flatfooted even if they normally couldn't be caught flatfooted.

Shield Bearer

Proficiencies: classic

Bonus class skills: choose any two

Style II: Grant shield bonus of shield you wear to ally within 5 ft. Choose the ally on your turn as a free action. The bonus is lost if one of you moves out of the range. One of you can delay an action so you two can move at the same time without losing the bonus.

Style III: Add shield bonus of shield you wear to Reflex saves, gain Deflect Arrows while wearing shield

Style IV: Gain Evasion while wearing a shield.

Style V: Your shield is no longer wielded in your offhand it becomes attached to your arm, you may now use your off hand to wield a second weapon if you can normally.

Two-Weapon Master

Proficiencies:

Bonus class skills: choose any two

Required 1st level feat: Two-Weapon Fighting

Style II: Gain all additional attacks during full attack with second weapon also.

Style III: Gain a +1 shield bonus when wielding two weapons, +1 for every three fighter levels (max +5)

Style IV:

Style V: Attack once with both weapons as a standard attack.

Explanation of changes

I've read dozens of threads on the WotC forums on how to improve, fix, or save the fighter. It seems, that like every Shakespearean actor needs to play the King Lear three times in his life, every D&D player needs to write his own Ultimate Fighter Fix. I can't stay behind!

First, lets look at the general points of critique that the Fighter faces:

• only good for a 4-level dip / rapidly loses power once the level is in the double digits / the fighter's power curve is linear, while the full casters have a quadratic one
• dead levels
• maneuvers like grapple and trip become impossible at high levels because the monsters have gigantic size and strength scores
• once you take a feat, you can't change it / no way to adjust your abilities to certain threats
• dependent on equipment
• low maneuverability

At the same time, let's look at a few things that a fighter fix should not change, otherwise it wouldn't be a fighter:

• No (Su), (Sp) or (Ps) abilities, and even (Ex) is questionable
• All abilities should always be available, no 1/day, no 1/encounter, no "going nova"

Idea collection

Threaten bonus

When a foe tries to avoid an attack of opportunity from you, using a skill such as Concentration or Tumble, his DC is increased by your fighter level.

Mettle

As the Hexblade ability.

General proficiency

You are proficient with every weapon, shield and armor, including exotic ones. If you have chosen a proficiency for one of your feat slots, you may reassign that feat.

Capstone ability

Choose one of the following as your Level 20 capstone ability:

(used) Ultimate Armor Proficiency: You ignore armor check penalty and maximum dex bonus of any armor you wear.

General Weapon Focus: You gain Weapon Focus with all weapons, including exotic ones.

Superior Base Attack: Your Base Attack Bonus increases to +21/+16/+11/+6/+1

(used) Spell Resistance: You gain SR 30, +1 for each Epic Fighter level.

(used) Full feat swap: All fixed Fighter bonus feats become swap feats.

Size gain: You count as one size category taller when this is advantageous to you.

Frightful Presence: You gain Frightful Presence equal to 10 + half your Fighter level + Cha bonus.

(used) Sturdy: Add your Con bonus as a resistance bonus to all saving throws.

(used) Hardened: Gain energy resistance 5 against all types of energy.

(used) Feat Mastery: You gain a +2 bonus to all ability scores when determining prerequisites and effects of fighter bonus feats. All numeric effects of fighter bonus feats are increased by one.

(used) Two-Weapon Mastery: You can make the full attack sequence with your off-hand weapon.

Shield Mastery: Add your shield bonus to your touch attack AC and to all saving throws.

(used) Magic Item Mastery: If you use a magic item with a numerical bonus, that bonus is increased by +1.

(used) Opportunity Mastery: Anytime a foe you threaten performs an action that normally provokes an attack of opportunity, you can take this attack of opportunity regardless of his means to avoid it.

Breach Defense: Ignore X points of damage reduction with your melee attacks.

Other fighting styles / archetypes

• Mercenary
• Temple Guard
• Boxer / Grappler
• Savage
• Throwing Weapon specialist
• Monster Hunter

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