Drinking & Dragons

A talk:PC/Kweto Lucullus/Build

From Drinking and Dragons

Paladin Options

Hurrian Additional Class Skills: Paladins of Hurrian gain Survival as a class skill. Armor and Weapon Proficiencies: Paladins of Hurrian gain Weapon Focus (Longsword) as a bonus feat. Turn Undead: Paladins of Hurrian may channel to turn undead. They have an effective turning level that is four levels lower than their paladin level.

Weapon Focus won't be used, its purely for meeting prereq for combat style later.

Hunter Paladin (UA, p 58): Gain favored enemy as ranger. Lose lay on hands, remove disease, and turn undead.

Holy Judge Substitution Levels (CV, p 44): add Knowledge (the planes) 1st level: Favored Enemy (devils), replaces smite evil

Mariner

Mariner
Note: This is a revision of the mariner core class, which originally appeared in the Age of Mortals Campaign Sourcebook. It is the version of the class used in this book, and represents an update of the class for future DRAGONLANCE products.
Mariners live their lives at sea, waking to the smell of salt air and falling asleep at night to the sound of the waves. Some mariners are hardworking, simple sailors who love life at sea. Others are ruthless buccaneers, bent on gaining personal wealth through force and skill. Mariners may do quite well for themselves on land, but they always long for the freedom of the ocean.
Adventures: Many individuals become mariners in order to see the wide world, while others set sail in search of treasure or to avenge themselves on an enemy. Since situations can change rapidly on board ship, the mariner must be prepared to face a variety of dangers, from hurricanes to fire, starvation to mutiny. The mariner learns to adapt quickly to changing circumstances in order to survive.
Characteristics: Mariners are most comfortable when in view of the sea, and often become dispirited when they venture too far inland. They are quick to react to danger and sudden threats. They are not ruled by emotion, but think through any situation, then act accordingly. Those who live at sea are accustomed to the hard life and adopt a pragmatic outlook in order to survive. To the landlubber, such an attitude can seem callous or even ruthless.
Alignment: Mariners are often of neutral alignment, learning to accept difficult situations they cannot change. They are rarely chaotic, since life aboard ship requires structure and discipline.
Religion: Mariners are not generally deeply religious, though most are superstitious. Mariners, even those of non-evil alignment, honor Zeboim, in the belief that their offerings and prayers will placate the capricious Sea Queen. Mariners of good alignment may also revere Habbakuk, the Fisher King, while those of neutral alignment may pay homage to Chislev, whose command over nature extends to the ocean.
Background: Mariners generally come from coastaldwelling families, who have a long-standing tradition of serving aboard ship. Mariners may also hire onto a ship in order to escape problems on land, either running from the law or trying to conceal dangerous secrets. Many mariners are professional sailors, forming part of a navy, in which case they may come from a noble family with a history of naval officer service.
Some mariners come into their careers by being pressed into service against their will. A captain who is short his full complement of crewmen will send out his officers with gangs of sailors to “press” men into service. A man may be drinking in a tavern one night, only to wake up the next morning with a cracked skull on board a ship already many leagues out at sea. Others mariners are sent to sea as punishment for crimes or may be forced to serve in ships as slaves.
Races: Minotaurs are the most respected and feared mariners in Ansalon. All minotaurs are expected to serve on board ship at some point in their lives. Ogres, too, have held maritime endeavors in the past; half-ogres especially are common around the Blood Sea.
The humans of Northern Ergoth and Saifhum are known for their seamanship, with entire families serving on board sailing ships. Other human cultures produce mariners, also. Those nations whose cities have active ports engaged in the sea trade are the most likely to do so. Palanthas and Sanction are good examples, as was once fabled Tarsis, until the Cataclysm robbed it of its harbor. Elves rarely become mariners, since they feel most at home in their beloved woodlands and because there is a superstition among mariners that elves aboard ship are bad luck. Even so, the Silvanesti have long had a House Mariner whose role in elven society is to build and sail graceful coastal ships, but it is a minor house with only a handful of families. Sea elves, despite their aquatic environment, rarely produce mariners because they would rather be swimming in the ocean, not sailing upon it. Half-elves, especially those whose elven parent was a sea elf, are much more likely to become mariners.
Gnomes of appropriate guilds sometimes become mariners, designing new and impressive ships and experimental submersibles. Dwarves never become mariners, and think anyone who chooses the life of a sailor must be crazy. Kender are more likely to be found at sea as passengers and stowaways, not sailors, but are known.
Other Classes: While at sea, most mariners work well with other classes. Rogues and bards generally acquire their sea legs quickly and possess a broad range of skills that mariners admire. Mariners also appreciate the strong sword arms of fighters, rangers, and barbarians. Clerics and arcane spellcasters are not generally found aboard ships, but their magic is appreciated and utilized when available. Paladins and Knights of Solamnia rarely associate with mariners, for the paladin’s righteous code and the knight’s adherence to the Oath and the Measure often conflict with the mariner’s more pragmatic view of life.
Role: Like the bard, the mariner brings a variety of skills and abilities to an adventuring group, while not specializing in anything. A mariner’s abilities work best in support positions to other characters, although like the ranger they can step up to combat when needed. While the mariner’s class features are useful to adventurers on land, they are unparalleled while out at sea.
Game Rule Information Mariners have the following game statistics.
Abilities: Dexterity and Wisdom are extremely important to mariners, as many of their skills depend on these two abilities. Constitution also plays an important role, since they must survive in all manner of harsh conditions and face many dangerous situations.
Alignment: Any.
Hit Die: d8
Starting Steel: 5d4x10 steel pieces.
Class Skills
A mariner’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Balance (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Escape Artist (Dex), Gather Information (Cha), Jump (Str), Knowledge (local) (Int), Knowledge (nature) (Int), Profession (Wis), Speak Language (-), Spot (Wis), Survival (Wis), Swim (Str), Tumble (Dex), Use Rope (Dex). See Chapter 4 of the Player’s Handbook for skill descriptions.
Skill Points at 1st Level: (6 + Int modifier) x 4.
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 6 + Int modifier.
Class Features All of the following are class features of the mariner.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A mariner is proficient with all simple weapons, plus the cutlass, net, scimitar, and trident. A mariner is proficient with light armor and buckler shields.
Bonus Feat: At 1st level, 5th, 10th, 15th and 20th levels, a mariner gains a bonus feat. These feats must be chosen from the list below. A mariner must still meet all prerequisites for a bonus feat, including ability score and base attack bonus minimums. Alertness, Combat Expertise (Improved Disarm, Improved Feint, Improved Trip), Combat Reflexes, Dodge (Mobility), Exotic Weapon Proficiency, Improved Initiative, Lucky†, Point Blank Shot (Far Shot, Precise Shot, Rapid Shot), Power Attack (Cleave, Great Cleave, Improved Bull Rush, Improved Overrun, Improved Sunder), Quick Draw, Quick-Thinking†, Toughness, Weapon Finesse, Weapon Focus. † New feat included earlier in this chapter.
Sailor Lore (Ex): A mariner picks up a lot of knowledge by listening to local gossip in various ports of call or from the sea stories of shipmates. A mariner may make a special sailor lore check with a bonus equal to his mariner level + his Intelligence modifier to see whether he knows some relevant information about local people or history, far away places, or strange superstitions. This check will not necessarily reveal true information, as much of the time the mariner heard it from someone who heard it from a friend, who heard it from a guy, etc. The mariner may not take 10 or 20 on this check; this sort of knowledge is essentially random. The DM will determine the DC of the check by referring to the accompanying table.
Seamanship (Ex): A mariner gains the listed bonus as a competence bonus to all Balance, Climb, and Profession (sailor) checks.
Dirty Strike (Ex): A mariner is adept at maneuvers such as hitting below the belt, head butts, sucker punches, and other opportunistic tricks. Starting at 2nd level, a mariner may choose to make a single melee attack on his turn as a full round action that deals an additional +1d4 points of damage. This bonus increases to +2d4 at 6th level, +3d4 at 10th level, +4d4 at 14th level, and +5d4 at 18th level. The additional damage caused by a dirty strike is the same kind of damage as the weapon used in the attack; a 2nd-level mariner that uses a club to make a dirty strike deals an additional +1d4 bludgeoning damage, for example, and if the damage dealt by the attack is nonlethal damage, the additional damage is also nonlethal. This ability has no effect on creatures without a discernable anatomy or that are immune to critical hits, such as constructs, oozes, plants, or undead. Additional damage from a dirty strike is not multiplied if the mariner scores a successful critical hit.
Back-to-Back (Ex): A mariner is trained in fighting alongside his shipmates in cramped and crowded conditions, especially against superior numbers. Starting at 4th level, whenever a mariner is adjacent to an ally and using the fighting defensively or total defense combat options or the Combat Expertise feat, he gains a +1 dodge bonus to his AC. This bonus increases to +2 at 8th level, +3 at 12th level, +4 at 16th level, and +5 at 20th level. He loses this bonus if he is denied his Dexterity bonus to AC or if he or his ally moves more than 5 ft. away.
Table: The Mariner
Class Level Base Attack Bonus Fort Save Ref Save Will Save Special
1st +1 +2 +2 +0 Bonus feat, sailor lore, seamanship +1
2nd +2 +3 +3 +0 Dirty strike +1d4 3rd +3 +3 +3 +1 -
4th +4 +4 +4 +1 Back-toback +1
5th +5 +4 +4 +1 Bonus feat, seamanship +2
6th +6/+1 +5 +5 +2 Dirty strike +2d4
7th +7/+2 +5 +5 +2 -
8th +8/+3 +6 +6 +2 Back-toback +2
9th +9/+4 +6 +6 +3 Seamanship +3
10th +10/+5 +7 +7 +3 Bonus feat, dirty strike +3d4
11th +11/+6/+1 +7 +7 +3 -
12th +12/+7/+2 +8 +8 +4 Back-toback +3
13th +13/+8/+3 +8 +8 +4 Seamanship +4
14th +14/+9/+4 +9 +9 +4 Dirty strike +4d4
15th +15/+10/+5 +9 +9 +5 Bonus feat
16th +16/+11/+6/+1 +10 +10 +5 Back-toback +4
17th +17/+12/+7/+2 +10 +10 +5 Seamanship +5
18th +18/+13/+8/+3 +11 +11 +6 Dirty strike +5d4
19th +19/+14/+9/+4 +11 +11 +6 -
20th +20/+15/+10/+5 +12 +12 +6 Back-to-back +5, Bonus feat

Table: Sailor Lore
DC Type of Knowledge Example
10 Commonly known, something that most people have heard and gossip about. The Knights of Neraka have blockaded Ak-Khurman; Saifhum is a den of pirates and buccaneers.
20 Known by select groups of individuals, not widely known by the general populace. A port official in Gulfport is rumored to have a weakness for dwarven ale; a stretch of coast in Khur which the Knights of Neraka do not patrol.
25 Known only by few individuals, spoken of only in whispers and secrecy. A Solamnic Knight whose family fortunes were built upon piracy back in the time of Istar; legends of a ghost ship that haunts the dry sea of Tarsis.
30 Unknown to the vast majority of people, long since forgotten by most. A safe way of traversing the Maelstrom of the Blood Sea; the location of the sunken ship of an infamous pirate.

The Mariner: What’s Changed?
This revision of the mariner includes a number of changes based on feedback and comparison to recent developments in d20 Systrem products, especially with regards to the balance of the class to other new classes in official sourcebooks. The most immediate change is that the mariner now has a good base attack bonus, rather than the average base attack bonus it had in Age of Mortals. Like barbarians, fighters, paladins, and rangers, the mariner is a warrior class. Like the ranger, it has excellent skill points, but a lower Hit Dice than the other warrior characters, and poorer armor and weapon selection.
The mariner combines support elements like that of the bard or noble and combat benefits like those of the rogue or monk. To further enhance the mariner’s combat ability, the dirty strike class feature has been changed and no longer allows a Reflex save to avoid. The trade-off is that it can only be used as part of a single attack that takes up a full round action. The backto- back class feature is new to this revision and offers the mariner a little more defense when he is with allies.
Finally, the progression of bonus feats has been spread out a little more, to end with a bonus feat at 20th level but reducing the total amount, and the class skills of the mariner have been slightly expanded to include Escape Artist (to represent the mariner’s ease at operating in restrictive environments such as below decks), and Knowledge (local) and Knowledge (nature) (to supplement the mariner’s Sailor Lore class feature).

From DragonLance:Legends of the Twins

My comments on revision

Converting to Hurrian will require an atonement be cast. Technically you could get this for free, but it would be considered poor taste not to pay for it. Once that is done, Kweto can convert one of his previous levels to Paladin of Hurrian. The Hunter paladin and Holy Judge substitution levels are fine to use.

The Mariner class is hard to read on the wiki. If you bring the book, provide the PDF, or wait for me to read it, I'll give you my opinion on it.

Also, as long as you never apply the Weapon Focus feat to anything before you take that PrC, that won't be an issue. --Randy (Talk) 21:02, 14 January 2010 (UTC)