3PP-Synergy: Psychological Combat + Swordmaster (+ a sprinkling of Warder)

Hello everyone!

 

As you may have noticed, I use *a lot* of 3pp-content. The best of this content finds its way beyond playtesting modules into my insane main-campaign – and this tends to result in interesting options that have been unexplored, perhaps due to different publishers, perhaps due to simply no additional support for a damn cool concept. Sometimes, I just make options to support a particular character concept my players came up with.

 

Since I’ve been asked for the like, here would be a taste of what I do.

 

Some of you may be familiar with Dreadfox Games’ Swordmaster-class, one of the most complex and rewarding melee classes out there.

 

Well, one of my players plays essentially an elven, defensive arcane bodyguard/stealth-guy with this class, making heavy use whirling defense for blocking foes and UMD for further buffs.

 

Alexander Augunas has recently created a little supplement called Psychological Combat, in which he streamlined feint, demoralize etc. and introduced the new antagonize-condition, which quickly became rather popular at my table.

 

Finally, some credit in a couple of these goes to Chris Bennett and DSP’s Path of War-team, since some mechanics are directly inspired by the Warder, seeking to make them less powerful and balanced in low fantasy gaming.

 

Fitting the playstyle and concept perfectly, I cranked out some options for the woefully under-supported Swordmaster-class.

 

Enjoy!

 

Oh, one caveat: All the rules are open content as far as I’m concerned – just give me credit, if you’ll use them, kay? Should I have stepped on someone’s toes, please just drop a take down notice and I’ll kill this blog post.

 

Sword Arts

 

Openers

Up close Retribution
Action: Immediate action.
Trigger: A creature within 20 feet antagonizes, demoralizes or feints you.
Effect: The duration of the antagonize, demoralize or feint increases by +1 round.
Performance: You may move up to 10 feet towards the target creature. If you are hit by an attack or receive damage in any way, your movement immediately ends.
Window: The end of your next turn.

Opportunist’s Antagonize
Action: Immediate action.
Trigger: An ally hits a creature that the two of you are flanking together and that creature can see you.
Performance: Antagonize that creature.
Success: You and the ally with whom you are flanking gain an additional +2 bonus to attack rolls while flanking that creature for 1 round.
Window: The end of your next turn.

Come, get me!
Action: Move action
Performance: Antagonize a creature within reach who can see you.
Success: As a successful antagonize attempt, but the effects persist only until your next sword art.
Window: The end of your next turn.

Steely Gaze of the Swordmaster
Action: Move action
Performance: Demoralize a creature within reach who can see you.
Success: As a successful demoralize attempt, but the effects persist only until your next sword art.
Window: The end of your next turn.

Sequiturs

Catch me if you can!
Trigger: You have successfully antagonized an opponent.
Action: Move action.
Effect: Move up to 1.5 times your speed away from your target. You gain a +4 deflection bonus to AC during this movement. This bonus stacks with other deflection bonuses.
Special: You must end your movement without getting hit by an opponent, trap, etc. or receiving damage from terrain.
Window: The end of your next turn.

Scathing Humiliation
Action: Move action.
Trigger: You successfully antagonize your target.
Performance: Antagonize your target.
Success: As a successful antagonize, plus your target receives a -4 penalty to atk rolls against targets that are not you for 1 round. At 8th level, the penalty increases to -6, at 16th level the penalty increases to -8. Spellcasters also receive an arcane spell failure of 10% +1% per two class levels when casting spells that do not include you among the targets/target areas. A creature suffering from the penalties imposed by this sword art may attempt a Sense Motive skill check with a DC equal to your antagonize skill check to realize the folly of its actions during its turn as a swift action. This skill check is opposed by the antagonist’s original antagonize skill check.
Window: The end of your next turn.

Humiliating Rebuttal
Trigger: You are attacked and missed by a opponent you have successfully antagonized with a sword art.
Action: Immediate action
Performance: Take a 5-foot step and make an attack against the foe that missed you.
Success: Sword Art damage -2.
Window: The end of your next turn.

Superior Smirk
Trigger: You have been attacked and missed by an opponent you have successfully antagonized, feinted or demoralized with a sword art within 1 round.
Action: Standard action
Performance: Make an antagonize attempt against the creature that attacked you.
Success: The duration of the antagonize attempt is extended by 3+Int-mod rounds.
Window: The end of your next turn.

Finishers

Demonstration of Superiority
Trigger: You have been attacked and missed by an opponent you have successfully antagonized, feinted or demoralized with a sword art within 1 round.
Action: Full round action
Performance: Make a full attack against a creature you have successfully antagonized, feinted or demoralized with a sword art within 1 round.
Success: For each attack that hits, choose two creatures that can see you, up to a maximum of intelligence modifier targets. Each of these creatures receives a -4 penalty to atk against you for 3+Intelligence modifier rounds. At 8th level, the penalty increases to -6, at 16th level the penalty increases to -8. Spellcasters chosen also incur a 10% arcane spell failure chance, +1% per two class levels when casting spells that do not include you among the targets/target areas.
Special: The effects of this finisher do not stack with those of Scathing Humiliation. On each round after the first, a creature suffering from the penalties imposed by this sword art may attempt a Sense Motive skill check with a DC equal to your antagonize skill check to realize the folly of its actions during its turn as a swift action. This skill check is opposed by the antagonist’s original antagonize skill check.

Halting Taunt
Action: Immediate action.
Trigger: Your target attempts to leave a 5-foot square that is adjacent to you and enter a 5-foot square that is not adjacent to you.
Performance: Make an antagonize attempt against your target, even if their movement does not provoke an attack of opportunity. If you successfully antagonize your target, treat this finisher as a sequitur with a window that lasts until the end of your next turn.

Final Lesson
Action: Standard Action
Trigger: The target of your sequitur is feinted, antagonized or demoralized by you.
Performance: You open yourself wide to attack. The target creature may immediately execute an AoO against you, provided it can execute one. Spellcasters may attempt to cast a spell with a casting duration of immediate action or less instead, as a special type of AoO, but only for a spell that requires some sort of attack roll to execute. If the creature hits you, you receive damage as if hit by a critical hit. On a miss, you may execute an attack against the target creature.
Success: Double sword art damage.

 

Liked that? Enjoyed the options? Do *you* have suggestions for cool synergies I should tackle? If so, post your ideas/suggestions and if you have a few spare bucks, consider a small donation.

 

(Oh, and if you think this sucks ad that I should stick to reviewing, tell me right away as well! ;P)

 

Cheers and have a great week-end!

Endzeitgeist out.

Comments

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3 Responses

  1. Ken Pawlik says:

    Nice! I’ll definitely be stealing these; the Swordmaster (along with the spell-less ranger) is THE most popular non magical class for my group of veteran role players.

    Thanks for posting them!

  2. Michael P says:

    Thanks Thilo! Always love to see interesting and balanced martial classes

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