Paragon of the Spear (3.5e Class)

Paragon of the Spear

This is not a racial paragon class, this class uses paragon in its name to represent its degree of mastery. These masters of the spear start training under another master, starting at a very young age and in a manner similar to a monk, they never stop training day in and day out aside from when its needed or unnecessary. By the time they have mastered their arts, very few can claim to be able to come close to matching them.

Making a Paragon of the Spear

Abilities: Dexterity/Strength (for damage) and Wisdom (for class features).

Races: Any

Alignment: Any Lawful

Starting Gold: 6d6x10 gp

Starting Age: As Monk.

Table: The Paragon of the Spear

Hit Die: d10

Level	Base Attack Bonus	Saving Throws			Special	AC Bonus
		Fort	Ref	Will
1st	+1	+2	+2	+0	AC Bonus, Keen Senses	+0
2nd	+2	+3	+3	+0	Uncanny Dodge	+0
3rd	+3	+3	+3	+1	Long Shot, Hook Shot	+0
4th	+4	+4	+4	+1	Precise Strike, Exotic Parry	+0
5th	+5	+4	+4	+1	Spear Mastery	+1
6th	+6/+1	+5	+5	+2		+1
7th	+7/+2	+5	+5	+2	Bonus Feat	+1
8th	+8/+3	+6	+6	+2		+1
9th	+9/+4	+6	+6	+3	Improved Uncanny Dodge	+1
10th	+10/+5	+7	+7	+3	Exalted Mastery	+2
11th	+11/+6/+1	+7	+7	+3		+2
12th	+12/+7/+2	+8	+8	+4	Bonus Feat	+2
13th	+13/+8/+3	+8	+8	+4		+2
14th	+14/+9/+4	+9	+9	+4	Bonus Feat	+2
15th	+15/+10/+5	+9	+9	+5		+3
16th	+16/+11/+6/+1	+10	+10	+5	Bonus Feat	+3
17th	+17/+12/+7/+2	+10	+10	+5		+3
18th	+18/+13/+8/+3	+11	+11	+6	Bonus Feat	+3
19th	+19/+14/+9/+4	+11	+11	+6		+3
20th	+20/+15/+10/+5	+12	+12	+6	True Prowess	+4
Class Skills (4 + Int modifier per level, ×4 at 1st level) Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Handle Animal (Cha), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Knowledge (Geography)(Int), Knowledge (Local)(Int), Knowledge (Nature) (Int), Knowledge (Nobility and Royalty)(Int), Listen (Wis), Ride (Dex), Spot (Wis), and Swim (Str).

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the Paragon of the Spear.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A Paragon of the Spear is proficient in all simple and martial weapons, but only spears and polearms can benefit from class features. A Paragon of the Spear is proficient with only light armor. She is not proficient with shields or tower shields.

If the Paragon of the Spear is wearing medium armor, or carrying a heavy load or more, she loses her AC Bonus.

AC Bonus (Ex): When wearing light or no armor, not carrying a shield, and not encumbered, the Paragon of the Spear adds her Wisdom bonus (if any) to her armor class. In addition, at 5th level and every five levels thereafter she gains a +1 bonus to her AC.

These bonuses to AC apply even against touch attacks or when the Paragon of the Spear is flat-footed. She loses these bonuses when she is immobilized or helpless, when she wears any armor besides Light Armor, when she carries a shield, or when she carries a heavy load.

Keen Senses: At first level, through their countless hours of practice, the Paragon of the Spear has trained their sight and hearing, gaining a +4 bonus to Spot, Listen, and Sense Motive checks. At level 10, these increase to +8. At level 20, they increase to +12.

Uncanny Dodge (Ex): At 2nd level, the Paragon of the Spear retains his Dexterity bonus to AC (if any) even if he is caught flat-footed or struck by an invisible attacker. However, he still loses his Dexterity bonus to AC if immobilized. If a Paragon of the Spear already has uncanny dodge from a different class, he automatically gains improved uncanny dodge instead.

Long Shot: At 3rd level, the Paragon of the Spear can add 30 feet to the range increment of her spear for throwing before she takes penalties. This increases by 10 feet for every Paragon of the Spear level she possess until level 10 at a max range of +100 feet. Apply this bonus after the effects of the feat Far Shot.

Hook Shot At 3rd level, the Paragon of the Spear may tie a rope or have a spear of masterwork quality or better crafted with a chain attached, and throw their spear with no penalties. Should their spear strike a target or object, they may pull that object or entity towards them as a grapple check. If it is in an object they cannot move, they may treat their spear as a grappling hook and use it as needed so long as it stays anchored. They may free their spear from the object as a standard action.

In addition, you may use the Weapon Focus feat instead of Improved Unarmed Strike when qualifying for Improved Grapple as long as it is made with the spear, and the Weapon Focus is for your respective Spear or Polearm.

Precise Strike (Ex): At 4th level, a Paragon of the Spear has such grace and accuracy with their spear wielding techniques, they may make a precise strike whenever they would hit, adding half their class levels to their damage roll.

When making a precise strike, a Paragon of the Spear cannot attack with a weapon in her other hand or use a shield. A Paragon of the Spear's precise strike only works against living creatures with discernible anatomies. Any creature that is immune to critical hits is also immune to a precise strike, and any item or ability that protects a creature from critical hits also protects a creature from a precise strike.

Exotic Parry (Ex): At 4th level, a Paragon of the Spear learns to parry the attacks of other creatures, causing them to miss. Whenever the Paragon of the Spear takes a full attack action with a spear, she can elect not to take one of her attacks. At any time before her next turn, she can attempt to parry an attack against her or an adjacent ally as an immediate action. To parry the attack, the Paragon of the Spear makes an attack roll, using the same bonuses as the attack she chose to forego during her previous action. If her attack roll is greater than the roll of the attacking creature, the attack automatically misses. For each size category that the attacking creature is larger than the Paragon of the Spear, the Paragon of the Spear takes a –4 penalty on her attack roll. The Paragon of the Spear also takes a –4 penalty when attempting to parry an attack made against an adjacent ally. The Paragon of the Spear must declare the use of this ability after the attack is announced, but before the roll is made. If you succeed against the creature with a natural 20, or they fail via a natural 1, you may roll damage in addition to having deflected their attack. You may include the damage from Precise Strike in this roll.

Spear Mastery (Ex): Starting at 5th level, the Paragon of the Spear gains a +1 bonus to attack and damage rolls using a spear or polearm. Every four levels thereafter, he gains an additional +1, to a max of +4 at level 17. This bonus can also be applied whenever the Paragon of the Spear makes a combat maneuver check with their spear or polearm, such as trip, disarm, sunder, ect. She may choose to make any attacks with a spear or polearm non lethal if she so chooses without the normal -4 penalty.

In addition, a Paragon of the Spear may use their class levels for qualifying for fighter feats such as weapon specialization, but only for weapons that are counted as spears or polearms.

Lastly, any bonuses the Paragon of the Spear has for their spears and polearms (such as those granted by feats or this class feature), they may also apply as an insight bonus to their AC while fighting an opponent wielding a spear or polearm.

Bonus Feat: The Paragon of the Spear gains bonus feats where noted on Table: The Paragon of the Spear. These feats must be combat feats and you must still meet all prerequisites for the feats.

Imrpoved Uncanny Dodge (Ex): At 5th level and higher, a Paragon of the Spear can no longer be flanked. This defense denies a rogue the ability to sneak attack the Paragon of the Spear by flanking him, unless the attacker has at least four more rogue levels than the target has Paragon of the Spear levels. If a character already has uncanny dodge from a second class, the character automatically gains improved uncanny dodge instead, and the levels from the classes that grant uncanny dodge stack to determine the minimum level a rogue must be to flank the character.

Exalted Mastery (Ex): At level 10, The Paragon of the Spear gains great prowess with their spears and polearms in the following ways:

Reach: While all spears and polearms have reach, the Paragon of the Spear trains to extend this further and even take advantage of enemies from a greater distance with this. If the spear they wield does not have the weapon quality reach, it does while the Paragon of the Spear wields it. If it already had the reach quality, it is extended by half (so if it had a reach of 10 feet, half would be 5, so it now has an effective reach of 15 feet). In addition, this space is well mastered and known to the Paragon of the Spear, and it is counted as her reach range for attacks of opportunity and she may still threaten critical hits in this extended range.

Critical Focus: The Paragon of the Spear gains the Improved Critical feat for any spear or polearm of her choice.

Insightful Strikes: The Paragon of the Spear may now add her Wisdom bonus (if any) to her attack and damage rolls.

True Prowess (Ex): At level 20, the Paragon of the Spear's polearms and spears automatically bypass damage reduction, and once per day per point of Wisdom modifier you possess, you may automatically confirm a critical hit on attacks rolls, but only against creatures that have discernible anatomies.

Ex-Paragons of the Spear

When a Paragon of the Spear ceases being lawful, they retain all class abilities but may no longer advance in Paragon of the Spear class levels until they have reverted back somehow to a lawful alignment.

Campaign Information

Playing a Paragon of the Spear

Religion: A Paragon of the Spear does not usually have a formal religion they worship, but rather they hold a respect for all life in one sense or another and beleive in their own form and mastery, much in the same case of a monk.

Other Classes: Most other classes would treat a Paragon of the Spear as a specialized fighter.

Combat: Melee damage or sometimes ranged. Mid-ranged is often the most filled niche these fighters are found in. Very few take to being tanks.

Advancement: Levels in Fighter or Monk certainty wouldn't hurt, these classes having nice synergy with the capabilities of a Paragon of the Spear.

Paragons of the Spear in the World

“	This spear is an extension of myself, and with it I will protect my allies, and defeat my enemies.	”
—Balsa, Human Paragon of the Spear

Paragons of the Spear are often found as auxiliary fighters for their versatility in close quarters combat with a spear, but body guard work isn't out of the question and is often what most will specialize in.

Paragon of the Spear Lore

Characters with ranks in Knowledge (Local) can research Paragons of the Spear to learn more about them. When a character makes a skill check, read or paraphrase the following, including information from lower DCs.

Knowledge (Local)

DC	Result
5	These masters of the spear can sometimes be confused with Fighters or Monks.
10	Very few can surpass the mastery with a spear these warrior possess.
15	So long as the Paragon of the Spear can see you, they can hit you, not even running will do you any good as their skill in throwing is unmatched with a spear.
20	Their strikes can pierce even the strongest defenses, showing their true prowess with their weapon. Information available by choice.

Paragons of the Spear in the Game

Adaptation: An Argument could be made to have this class adapted for other weapon categories such as those with swords, or crossbows, but doing so may require a bit of creativity as most of this class' major features are revolving spears or polearms.

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