Saturday Potpourri – The Battlesmith (Fighter Archetype)

The Battlesmith (Fighter Archetype)

Steel, bones, muscle, and skin. These are all tempered at the forge. They are all shaped and hardened in the endless hours. Through the billows, the smith breathes his spirit into the fire and infuses the blade with its soul. The hammer sings the song of making. The blade is quenched in water as the skin with sweat. The smith holds the weapon aloft, staring down the fuller, judging its quality. It is worthy of his name. He can only wonder about the lives it will take and the lives it will save.

The battlesmith combines skill at the forge with skill on the battlefield.

The battlesmith is an archetype of the fighter class.

Sacred Armor and Weapons

The battlesmith wears a leather apron for his armor. The apron is treated as a suit of masterwork leather armor. All the battlesmith’s armor training (aproned defense) is tied to the apron, and he does not gain their benefits if not wearing the apron.

The battlesmith uses only hammers as weapons. All hammers are treated as masterwork quality when wielded by a battlesmith. All the battlesmith’s weapon training (thundering hand) is tied to the use of hammers, and he does not gain their benefit with any weapon other than a hammer.

Skills

A battlesmith gains Appraise (Int) as a class skill.

Master Smith

At 1st level, the battlesmith gains Skill Focus (Craft [weapons or armor])

This ability replaces the bonus fighter combat feat gained at 1st level.

Smith Tricks (Ex)

Starting at 2nd level, the battlesmith gains smith tricks. Additional smith tricks are gained every fourth level (6th, 10th, 14th and 18th level).

  • Burning Salts: At 2nd level, the battlesmith gains the ability to daze an enemy. As a standard action, the battlesmith blows fire salts into the face of an enemy. The enemy is fascinated for one round on a failed Reflex save (DC 10 + 1/2 the battlesmith’s level + the battlesmith’s Constitution modifier).
  • Field Repair: At 6th level, the battlesmith may make repairs to armor and weapons in the field as per the Field Repair feat.
  • Sunder: The battlesmith gains+2 bonus on checks made to sunder an item.
  • Appraise: The battlesmith gains+2 bonus on checks made to appraise weapons and armor.
  • Master Smith: Once per day, the battlesmith may take 20 on a Craft (weapon or armor) check.

This ability replaces bravery.

Aproned Defense (Ex)

At 3rd level, when wearing his apron, the battlesmith gains a +1 bonus to his AC. Every 4 levels thereafter (7th, 11th, and 15th), this bonus increases by +1.

The life of toiling at the forge hardens the battlesmith. Starting at 7th level, the battlesmith gains DR/- equal to his aproned defense bonus.

This ability replaces armor training 1 through 4, but counts as armor training for the purposes of qualifying for feats.

Thundering Hand (Ex)

At 5th level, the battlesmith gains a +1 bonus on attack and damage rolls with hammers. This bonus increases by +1 for every four levels beyond 5th.

This ability replaces weapon training 1.

Tempered Hammer (Ex)

At 9th level, the battlesmith gains the ability to temporarily enhance the quality of his hammers. As a standard action, he may temper his hammers for a number of rounds equal to his level per day ( the rounds need not be sequential rounds and the battlesmith may end effect as a free action). Using tempered hammer, the battlesmith can apply the following abilities to his weapon:

At 13th level, the battlesmith adds keen to the list of tempered hammer abilities.

  • Keen – double the threat range of a hammer (does not stack with other keen effects).

At 17th level, the battlesmith adds returning to the list of tempered hammer abilities.

  • Returning – This special ability can only be placed on a weapon that can be thrown. A returning weapon flies through the air back to the creature that threw it. It returns to the thrower just before the creature’s next turn (and is therefore ready to use again in that turn). Catching a returning weapon when it comes back is a free action. If the character can’t catch it, or if the character has moved since throwing it, the weapon drops to the ground in the square from which it was thrown.

This ability replaces weapon training 2, 3 and 4.

Armor Mastery (Ex)

A battlesmith must choose leather armor (battlesmith’s apron) his armor mastery class feature.

Weapon Mastery (Ex)

A battlesmith must choose a type of hammer for his weapon mastery class feature.



About mmiller

Mike Miller first discovered RPG’s in the days of TSR. The mention of a beholder or mind flayer still twists his guts with nervous dread, though now with a tinge of nostalgia. He had no publishing experience prior to writing for the OGN, but has long enjoyed creating histories and legends for his homebrewed worlds.

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