Combat Scout Prc (edited)

[KolyaMollari]

Concept: A scout like character that can hold his own in melee combat. I wanted to make sure that the character had ways to escape AoO and over whelming odds when forced into melee combat. When my original version was posted I was advised that i needed to open the PrC up so other base classes could join in on the fun.

What should I add/remove? Any changes or opinions on the class features? Does the class need nerfing?



Swift Combatant

Prerequisites

Attack Bonus: +6
Tumble: 4 Ranks
Feats: Dodge, Mobility, Two Weapon Fighting

Class Information

Hit Die: d8
Skill Points: 6
Weapon Proficiency: Simple / Martial
Armor Proficiency: Light
Alignment: Any
Attack Bonus Progression: As Ranger
Saves Progression: As Ranger
Skills: Bluff, Climb, Diplomacy, Heal, Jump,
Listen, Move Silently, Ride, Search,
Spot, Survival, Tumble, Use Rope

1   Skirmish +1d6, Spring Attack, Slicing Blade
2   Swift Tactician +1
3   Skirmish +1d6 / 1AC, Swift Combatant
4   Swift Tactician +2, Evasion
5   Skirmish +2d6 / 1AC
6   Swift Tactician +3, Two Weapon Spring Attack
7   Skirmish 2d6 / 2 AC
8   Swift Tactician +4, Bounding Assault
9   Skirmish +3d6 / 2 AC
10   Swift Tactician +5, Rapid Blitz

Skirmish: As Scout
Slicing Blade: Use Scimitars as light weapons
Swift Combatant: Add your Dexterity modifier to strength checks (similar to brains over brawn feature for the Factotums Class)
Evasion: as rogue
Bounding Assault: Make an additional attack after use of spring attack
Rapid Blitz: Add yet another attack after the use of spring attack
Swift Tactician: Special ability At levels 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 the Swift Combatant gets to choose from a list of Tactics to help him and his team in combat at the cost of Skirmish Damage
1)   Experienced Tripper
Cost: 1d6 of Skirmish Damage
Ability: Make a trip attempt as a free action after your attack round
2)   Kick Back
Cost: 1d6 of Skirmish Damage
Ability: Finish your attack round with powerful kick knocking your target back 2 squares
3)   Agile Fighter
Cost: 2d6 of Skirmish Damage
Ability: Gain a +5 modifier to Tumble checks for the remainder of your turn
4)   Expert Tripper
Cost: 3d6 of Skirmish Damage
Ability: Make a trip attempt against two adjacent opponents as a free action after your attack round
5)   Push Back
Cost: 3d6 of Skirmish Damage
Ability: At the end of your attack round you gain an AOE knock back forcing all adjacent opponents for be pushed back 2 squares

[Garryl]

If you have a fixed-width character font, you can make a table look nice in that (make sure to use spaces instead of tabs) and then wrap it in [pre] tags. Alternatively, you can use the various proper table formatting BBC codes used by this forum, although it makes it hard to read unposted. [table] encloses the table as a whole, [tr] tags enclose each line (use new lines in between), and [td] tags enclose each cell of the table. Your final thing would look something like:

[table][tr][td][b]Header 1[/b][/td][td][b]Header 2[/b][/td][td][b]Header 3[/b][/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Stuff[/td][td]Stuff 2[/td][td]Stuff 3[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]More Stuff[/td][td]Yet More Stuff[/td][td]Enough Stuff[/td][/tr][/table]

Header 1	Header 2	Header 3
Stuff	Stuff 2	Stuff 3
More Stuff	Yet More Stuff	Enough Stuff

You shouldn't have a specific class as a prerequisite to a PrC. It's unnecessarily restrictive, isn't done by any PrCI can think of (even Sublime Chord and Fochlucan Lyrist get by without calling out specific classes), and I'm pretty sure the DMG's guidelines for making new PrCs specifically warns against it. Besides, Swift Hunter isn't a class, it's a feat (adds your Ranger and Scout levels together for Skirmish and Favored Enemy bonuses, lets you skirmish crit-immune favored enemies).

Is this the guidelines you're working with? I'd take anything there with a grain of salt. It horrendously undervalues spellcasting (especially higher level spells) and overvalues HD, BaB, skills, and proficiencies. It's not even internally consistent. The Ranger's spellcasting ability, for instance, has a net cost of 2 CP between having to wait until 4th level to get it and having a limited list. Just 2 fewer spells per day and it would be free by their guidelines. Having 1 spell/day of each level from 0-9 from a limited list (as per Sorcerer), prepared casting, as divine spells from the Cleric list, and not starting the spellcasting until level 4 would also cost a mere 0 CP. Much better than anything else valued at 0 CP (ie: nothing).

[KolyaMollari]

If you have a fixed-width character font, you can make a table look nice in that (make sure to use spaces instead of tabs) and then wrap it in [pre] tags. Alternatively, you can use the various proper table formatting BBC codes used by this forum, although it makes it hard to read unposted. [table] encloses the table as a whole, [tr] tags enclose each line (use new lines in between), and [td] tags enclose each cell of the table. Your final thing would look something like:

[table][tr][td][b]Header 1[/b][/td][td][b]Header 2[/b][/td][td][b]Header 3[/b][/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Stuff[/td][td]Stuff 2[/td][td]Stuff 3[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]More Stuff[/td][td]Yet More Stuff[/td][td]Enough Stuff[/td][/tr][/table]

Header 1	Header 2	Header 3
Stuff	Stuff 2	Stuff 3
More Stuff	Yet More Stuff	Enough Stuff

You shouldn't have a specific class as a prerequisite to a PrC. It's unnecessarily restrictive, isn't done by any PrCI can think of (even Sublime Chord and Fochlucan Lyrist get by without calling out specific classes), and I'm pretty sure the DMG's guidelines for making new PrCs specifically warns against it. Besides, Swift Hunter isn't a class, it's a feat (adds your Ranger and Scout levels together for Skirmish and Favored Enemy bonuses, lets you skirmish crit-immune favored enemies).

Is this the guidelines you're working with? I'd take anything there with a grain of salt. It horrendously undervalues spellcasting (especially higher level spells) and overvalues HD, BaB, skills, and proficiencies. It's not even internally consistent. The Ranger's spellcasting ability, for instance, has a net cost of 2 CP between having to wait until 4th level to get it and having a limited list. Just 2 fewer spells per day and it would be free by their guidelines. Having 1 spell/day of each level from 0-9 from a limited list (as per Sorcerer), prepared casting, as divine spells from the Cleric list, and not starting the spellcasting until level 4 would also cost a mere 0 CP. Much better than anything else valued at 0 CP (ie: nothing).

Is there a better class creation system out there?

[KolyaMollari]

.....

[Amechra]

Note to self: get my sometimes-DM to allow us to use that system.

Then laugh like GLaDOS.

On the topic of class creation guidelines, I would say it is best to just read up on a ton of the material, and try to get a feel of the different strengths and weaknesses.

It's more of an art than a science, really.

[Bozwevial]

Note to self: get my sometimes-DM to allow us to use that system.

Then laugh like GLaDOS.

Nah, it's all there, calculated to perfection. Every wizard now gets a d12 Hit Die so they can keep up with monks.

[KolyaMollari]

Would you say that this class is a little over powered? What would you change?
I am basically trying my best to come up with a way to make melee skirmishers a more versatile option. They don't really seem to have a role in combat other than to piss rogues off by having more chances to pull off disgusting damage