Chadius: Staff Master Class

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Description

Staff Masters are those who have unlocked the mysteries of the staff. For them, the staff is an extension of their body. They learn how to stretch and leap around with their staves. They can even use magical staves with relatively little effort. The techniques needed are usually taught in monasteries. There are also experienced warriors who can teach the skills to willing students.


As party members, Staff Masters are akin to Monks. They are good at disabling enemies, with bonuses to trips, disarms, or bull rushes. They also have several defensive properties, with good saves and high Armor Classes.


Fighters, monks, bards and rogues seem best suited for the prestige class. Fighters will enhance their skills, as long as they don't mind using an unconvential weapon. Monks are naturally used to the staff, and Rogues can become very athletic. Bards and Rogues who specialize in Use Magic Device can easily use magical staves to their advantage. Other fighting classes may be eligible but the skills offered are unlikely to expand their class abilities.

Requirements

+4 Base Attack Bonus, 6 ranks in Jump, 4 ranks in Tumble, Weapon Focus (Quarterstaff or Three-section staff)

Also, the user must have one of the following feats: Improved Trip, Improved Disarm, or Improved Bull Rush.


Abilities

Table: The Staff Master

Level Base Attack Bonus Fort Save Ref Save Will Save Special
1 0 2 2 0 Dex Staff, Magic Staff Use
2 1 3 3 0 Staff Throw
3 2 3 3 1 Staff Extend, x2, Staff Focus
4 3 4 4 1 Staff Spin
5 3 4 4 1 Staff Expertise, Staff Critical
6 4 5 5 2 Staff Extend, x3
7 5 5 5 2 Staff Vault, Vault Charge, Staff Specialization
8 6 6 6 2 Improved Staff Expertise
9 6 6 6 3 Staff Extend, x4
10 7 7 7 3 Improved Staff Vault, Improved Vault Charge

Hit Die d8


Skills 4 + Int per level.

The class skills (and their key ability for each) are Balance (Dex), Climb (Str), Escape Artist (Dex), Jump (Str), Listen (Wis), Spot (Wis), Swim (Str), Tumble (Dex), and Use Magic Device (Cha).


Weapon and Armor Proficiencies Staff Masters are proficient with light armor and simple weapons.


Dex Staff (Ex) - Staff Masters can use their Dex bonus to attack rolls, similar to the Weapon Finesse feat.


Magic Staff Use (Sp) - Staff Masters gain a competence bonus to their Use Magic Device rolls equal to 2 + 1/2 Staff Master level. This bonus applies only when using magical staves.


Staff Throw (Su) - Staff Masters can throw their staves at opponents as a standard action. The range is 50 feet, with one range increment. The staff returns to the Staff Master, similar to the returning property of weapons.


Staff Spin (Ex) - The Staff Master +2 dodge AC bonus when fighting defensively, or +3 dodge AC with all out defense.


Staff Extend (Su) - Staff Masters can extend the length of their staff as a standard action through strenuous mental concentration. This provokes Attacks of Opportunity.

At first they can only double its length, granting them extra range. In this mode, they can only use the staff with one end. They cannot throw the staff if it is enlarged. They recieve a -2 penalty to their attack rolls because the weapon is inapproprately sized. Reverting the staff's size to normal is a move-equivalent action that does not provoke attacks of opportunity.

As they level up, Staff Masters can extend triple the length. Because they are used to the extension, this extension becomes a move action, and reverting the staff to normal size is a free action. Also, the penalty for enlarging the weapon is still -2, regardless of size. Tripling the length increases the weapon damage by one size category.

Eventually they can quadruple the length of the staff as a free action. If them Staff Master attempts an attack of opportunity, the Staff Master can combine with the Staff Extend for extra range.

When they use Staff Extend, Staff Masters change the range that they can threaten. Staff Masters do not threaten the reach closest to them. For example, if a human (reach 5 ft) extended his staff to 10 ft long, he would threaten things 10 ft away but not 5 ft. If he extended his staff to 15 feet, he would threaten those 10 or 15 feet away, but not 5 feet. And if he extended his staff to 20 feet, he would threaten those 10, 15, or 20 feet away, but not 5 feet.


Staff Focus (Ex) - Staff Masters gain a +1 bonus to attack rolls while using a staff. This does not stack with Greater Weapon Focus.


Staff Expertise (Ex) - Choose one of the following feats that the Staff Master has and add +2 to their checks: Improved Trip, Improved Bull Rush, Improved Disarm.


Staff Critical (Ex) - The critical range of the staff doubles. This does not stack with other critical increases.


Improved Staff Expertise (Ex) - The Staff Master can use the trip, bull rush, and disarm ability without provoking an Attack of Opportunity. This feat chosen for Staff Expertise gains another +2 bonus (total +4.)


Staff Vault (Ex) - With a running start using an extended staff (at least 5 feet,) the Staff Master can make a pole vault. They gain a +10 competence bonus to their jump checks this way.


Vault Charge (Ex) - Using a Staff Vault, a Staff Master can make a special charge attack. If the Staff Master can make a jump check that can reach its target, he can charge. The damage dealt as follows.

The attack deals staff damage. The user deals falling damage but does not take falling damage. He also deals extra damage equal to one-fourth of the jump check.


Staff Specialization (Ex) - Staff Masters gain a +2 bonus to damage while using a staff. This does not stack with Greater Weapon Specialization.


Improved Staff Vault (Ex) - This is identical to the Staff Vault, but the jump bonus is now +20.


Improved Vault Charge (Ex) - This is identical to the Vault Charge, but they deal 2d8 for small, 2d10 for Medium, 4d8 for Large creatures. They also deal 2 times strength damage.