Talk:Commando (3.5e Alternate Class Feature)

Review

You should add a note that you only get 4x skill points if you take Fighter as your first character level, not if you multiclass into fighter later.

And one comment about D&D terminology. The term Substitution Level is used for Racial substitution levels in WotC books, but your substitution levels are not tied to any race. Maybe it would be easier to understand if you use the term Variant class feature (sounds a bit strange, but PHB II actually has variant class features for fighters, which are taken in exchange for a bonus feat at a certain level).

Then, I'm not sure whether this one is balanced. The best you can usually get for a feat is two extra class skills or 5 skill points or +2/+2 to any two skills. On the other hand, these skill feats are a bit weak. Did you check how a build with this variant compares against a Ranger or a Rogue with feats substituted for Sneak Attack?

One way to balance it might be to remove medium and heavy armor proficiency. --Mkill 08:23, 12 August 2007 (MDT)

Corrected terminology to Alternate Class Feature.

Heavy and medium armor are their own worst enemies due to armor check penalties. A character following this build will naturally tend towards the lighter armors to reduce their armor check penalties. Likewise, the need for Dex will tend to have the character focus more on Dex and less on strength, adding a bit of MAD to the character, and changing the character's optimal choices. In essence, following this path leads to self-nerfing.

I did scale it down to 1 skill point per level, even at first. That simplified the the feature a bit. You no loner need account for first level. One is still better off with Ranger or Rogue, but now the heavy hitter has a reasonable chance of joining an infiltration group. He's not the best, but he can keep up.--Dmilewski 08:48, 12 August 2007 (MDT)

does the 1 skill point max starting skills? if not, why bother? blowing odd skill points is annoying, I'm houseruling this myself to make it so you got bonus skill points that all go into these skills. personally I'm getting rid of the listen bonus because of it. 2 maxed skills is enough, you basically dropped starting feats to gain a ranger's skill proficiency in 2 skills.