Battlesmith (3.5e Class)

Author: Eiji-kun (talk) Date Created: 9-26-10 Status: Working Editing: Mechanical changes on Talk please.

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Battlesmith

The battlesmith is a blacksmith who does not toil away solely in a forge, but instead goes out and turns wherever he stands into a workplace. Rather than wait for materials to show on market and have others test to see the quality of his wares, the battlesmith is a warrior who makes his own gear, improves upon it, and masters the art of using equipment in the most optimum way possible.

Making a Battlesmith

Abilities: As melee bruisers, Strength and Constitution are key to any build. He benefits from a healthy Intelligence for skills and the ability to imbue his gear with magic. With heavy armor available, Dexterity is not very important, nor Wisdom and Charisma, as only a few skills key off them, although Charisma does help with the inevitable Use Magic Device checks.

Races: While any race can join, the iconic blacksmiths, dwarves, are most likely to join possessing both the mindset, the endurance, and the reliability of materials to work with. Other races, particularly strong or tough ones, are also known to join.

Alignment: Any.

Starting Gold: 5d6×10 gp (125 gp).

Starting Age: As fighter.

Table: The Battlesmith

Hit Die: d10

Level	Base Attack Bonus	Saving Throws			Special
		Fort	Ref	Will
1st	+1	+2	+0	+0	Ant Haul, Break, Smith Talents, Warp Metal 1/day
2nd	+2	+3	+0	+0	Endurance, Identification
3rd	+3	+3	+1	+1	Armor Block (DR 1/-), Armor Mastery, Craft Anywhere
4th	+4	+4	+1	+1	Bonus Feat, Forge Magic
5th	+5	+4	+1	+1	Improved Quick Draw, Warp Metal 2/day
6th	+6/+1	+5	+2	+2	Armor Block (DR 2/-), Spiritual Bond (+1)
7th	+7/+2	+5	+2	+2	Armor Mastery, Reforge
8th	+8/+3	+6	+2	+2	Bonus Feat
9th	+9/+4	+6	+3	+3	Armor Block (DR 3/-), Improved Craft Anywhere
10th	+10/+5	+7	+3	+3	Improved Endurance, Warp Metal 3/day
11th	+11/+6/+1	+7	+3	+3	Armor Mastery, Spiritual Bond (+2)
12th	+12/+7/+2	+8	+4	+4	Armor Block (DR 4/-), Bonus Feat
13th	+13/+8/+3	+8	+4	+4	Spiritual Bond (Intelligence)
14th	+14/+9/+4	+9	+4	+4	Armor Mastery, Transmutation
15th	+15/+10/+5	+9	+5	+5	Armor Block (DR 5/-), Greater Craft Anywhere, Warp Metal 4/day
16th	+16/+11/+6/+1	+10	+5	+5	Bonus Feat, Spiritual Bond (+3)
17th	+17/+12/+7/+2	+10	+5	+5	Armor Mastery
18th	+18/+13/+8/+3	+11	+6	+6	Armor Block (DR 6/-), Greater Endurance
19th	+19/+14/+9/+4	+11	+6	+6	Create Artifact
20th	+20/+15/+10/+5	+12	+6	+6	Armor Mastery, Bonus Feat, Warp Metal 5/day
Class Skills (4 + Int modifier per level, ×4 at 1st level) Appraise (Int), Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Decipher Script (Int), Disable Device (Int), Forgery (Int), Jump (Str), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Knowledge (geography) (Int), Knowledge (history) (Int), Knowledge (local) (Int), Profession (Wis), Search (Int), Spellcraft (Int), Use Magic Device (Cha)

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the Battlesmith.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A battlesmith is proficient with all simple and martial weapons and with all armor (heavy, medium, and light) and shields (including tower shields)..

Ant Haul (Ex): Battlesmiths must be able to carry a great deal of items in their adventures, and so they learn how to handle a great mass through exercise and knowing how to manage weight and balance. A battlesmith adds his class level to his strength score for the purpose of determining how heavy a load the battlesmith can carry.

Break (Ex): A battlesmith is an expert on items, and knowns just where to hit to to break it. A battlesmith may ignore up to 1 point of hardness per class level.

Smith Talents (Ex): A battlesmith is a blacksmith by trade, and so he naturally has skills to account for it. He adds his class level as a competence bonus to all Appraise checks, Craft checks, and Profession Blacksmith.

Warp Metal (Su): A battlesmith can distort and ruin metal objects with a heavy precise blow. As part of a melee attack, a battlesmith can attack a metal item on the target without provoking an attack of opportunity. If it hits, they take damage as normal and the item must make a Will save (DC 10 + 1/2 HD + Constitution) or become warped and distorted. Weapons take a a penalty to attack and damage equal to 1/2 the battlesmith's class level (minimum 1), and armor and shields take an AC penalty equal to the same (to a minimum of 0 AC). Metal objects of other sorts become functionally useless and bent. This ability otherwise functions as warp wood, but on metal. Like the spell, this ability can also be used to unwarp metal objects. This ability may be used as a touch attack, but it deals no damage when used this way, only provoking the Fortitude save against it. He may use Warp Metal 1/day and an additional time at 5th and every five levels beyond.

Endurance: At 2nd level, the battlesmith gains the Endurance feat.

Identification (Su): At 2nd level, a battlesmith can easily determine the nature of items with but a moment to study. He may determine if an item is magical as if using detect magic over the course of 1 minute. If he takes 1 hour, he may instead treat it as if he has cast identify on the item instead.

Armor Block (Ex): At 3rd level, a battlesmith becomes adapt in the proper use of armor of all sorts. Whenever a battlesmith is wearing any sort of armor or carrying a shield, he gains damage reduction 1/-. This damage reduction increases by 1 at 6th level and every three levels beyond. This damage reduction stacks with the damage reduction provided by adamantine armor and the X feat, but not with other forms of DR/-. If the battlesmith is caught flatfooted, he loses the benefits of armor block, he must be aware of the attack to properly deflect it.

Armor Mastery: At 3rd level, a battlesmith gains a unique talent with armor and shields that allow him to go beyond what is normally possible. You may select one of the benefits listed below, and gain another armor mastery benefit at 7th and every four levels beyond.

Anchored Armor (Ex): As locking gauntlet and stability

Exotic Armor (Ex): Take a EAP feat

Improved Armor (Ex): +1 AC to armor worn

Mobile Armor (Ex): Move normal in medium and then heavy armor, less ACP, higher dex

Sunder Armor (Ex): Break armor wiith user

Tower Shield Mastery (Ex): No penalties, use on a horse, shield bash with it (Str 13 minimum)

Craft Anywhere (Ex): At 3rd level, a battlesmith can literally craft anywhere, no longer tied to needing a building with a built in forge. By taking 1 hour he may construct a makeshift forge out of the surroundings, provided he can start a fire out of the materials on hand, and make craft checks at a -2 penalty.

Bonus Feat: At 4th level, he gains a bonus feat either from the fighter bonus feat list, any crafting feat, or from the following: X, X, X, X, X, and X. He must still qualify for the pre-requisites of bonus feats.

Forge Magic (Su): At 4th level, a battlesmith can hammer in the power of magic, without any magical ability of his own. His battlesmith level counts as his caster level and he qualifies for pre-requisites which require a caster level. He also gains Craft Magic Arms and Armor for free. When crafting a magical item, the battlesmith must make a Use Magic Device check equal to 10 + twice the caster level of the spell or spells required in the item. If he fails, he is delayed for 24 hours but may try again to complete the item the next day. If successful he creates the magic item as if he has successfully cast the required spells. This does not grant him any actual spells known.

Improved Quick Draw (Ex): At 5th level, a battlesmith is an expert as juggling his many items easily. He may draw weapons and shields and wield or don them as a free action. Donning armor now only takes half the time, to a minimum of 1 move action. If the battlesmith also has the Quick Draw feat, he may sheath or stow away weapons and shields as a free action, and donning armor takes 1/4th of the normal time (minimum 1 move action).

Spiritual Bond (Su): At 6th level, a battlesmith selects a particular weapon or armor type. From that point on any time he wields or wears that type of item, the item gains an additional magical enhancement equal to a +1 bonus (or 6000 gp value for non-bonus enhancements) free. The bonus stems from the battlesmith's own personal energy and only operates while he is wielding or wearing the item. The item must be masterwork, and if it does not have a +1 enhancement bonus to start, he must give it a +1 enhancement bonus before he adds any other weapon or armor bonuses. At 12th level, the bonus rises to +2 (or 12,000 gp) value, and every six levels beyond adds another +1 bonus (or +6000 gp value). The selected enhancement bonus lasts for 24 hours, and may be changed once every 24 hours.

Reforge (Ex) and (Su): At 7th level, a battlesmith can repair the unrepairable and change the unchangeable. He may forge mundane weapons into masterwork weapons, or change a steel weapon into a cold iron weapon even after it has been created. To do so, he pays the cost of the new material or masterwork quality, and makes a Craft check to determine if he is successful. If he fails, the weapon and the extra materials used are ruined. If successful, the weapon loses its old properties and gains the new properties of whatever material was infused into it. He must have a sample of the new material to work with if he is adding a new material. This is an extraordinary ability. However, as a supernatural ability, a battlesmith may repair magic items that have been broken or sundered. By paying half of its creation cost, the magic of the broken item is restored to how it was just before destruction. It can even repair the effects of mage's disjunction, restoring the destroyed magical properties.

Improved Craft Anywhere (Ex): At 9th level, a battlesmith no longer takes a penalty for working with a makeshift forge and in fact no longer requires a fire of any sort to work with metals. He's just that good. He also is faster and crafting, and craft checks take half the time, to a minimum of 1 minute if normally takes longer than that.

Improved Endurance (Ex): At 10th level,

Transmutation (Su): At 14th level,

Greater Craft Anywhere (Ex): At 15th level, a battlesmith is so good at working on the fly he actually gains a +2 circumstance bonus when presented with an actual working environment. Crafting checks are cut to 1/4ths normal time, to a minimum of 1 round if it normally takes longer than that. As a real McGuyver, it becomes viable for him to attempt to forge a sword out of scrap iron right on the battlefield.

Greater Endurance (Ex): At 18th level,

Create Artifact (Su): At 19th level,

Epic Battlesmith

Table: The Epic Battlesmith

Hit Die: d10

Level	Special
21st	Armor Block (DR 7/-), Spiritual Bond (+4)
22nd
23rd	Armor Mastery
24th	Armor Block (DR 8/-), Bonus Feat
25th	Warp Metal 6/day
26th	Spiritual Bond (+5)
27th	Armor Block (DR 9/-), Armor Mastery
28th	Bonus Feat
29th
30th	Armor Block (DR 10/-), Armor Mastery, Warp Metal 7/day
4 + Int modifier skill points per level.

Armor Block: The battlesmith continues to increase his damage reduction by 1 at 21st and every 3 levels beyond.

Spiritual Bond: The battlesmith continues to gain an additional +1 bonus (or +5000 gp value) to his chosen weapon.

Armor Mastery: The battlesmith continues to gain another armor mastery ability at 23rd and every 3 levels beyond.

Bonus Feat: The battlesmith continues to gain bonus feats at 24th and every 4 levels beyond. He may also select from epic feats listed below in addition to the normal selection.

Warp Metal: The battlesmith gains another use of Warp Metal at 25th level and every 5 levels beyond.

Epic Battlesmith Bonus Feat List: <-list of bonus epic feats->.

Dwarven Battlesmith Starting Package

Weapons: Warhammer.

Skill Selection: Pick a number of skills equal to 4 + Int modifier.

Skill	Ranks	Ability	Armor Check Penalty
Concentration	4	Con	—
Craft	4	Int	—
Knowledge Geography	4	Int	—
Use Magic Device	4	Cha	—

Feat: <-1st-level feat selection->.

Gear: <-Starting armor and other equipment outside of weapons.->.

Gold: <-Starting gold using this package.->.

Campaign Information

Playing a Battlesmith

Religion: Battlesmiths often choose gods of creation, forging, and craft as their patrons. Their work is focused on protection, and while not overtly religious, battlesmiths do not mind having the graces of the gods on their side.

Other Classes: Few love the battlesmith more than martial classes, as they can both relate to them, and battlesmiths can provide valuable magical weapons and armor, even without the help of a caster. Expert crafters, intellectual classes may feel kinship. Casters are least interested in the matter of smithing, save crafting wizards, and generally rely on their magic for the same effect.

Combat: The battlesmith is a melee fighter, wading into combat with weapons and armor of his own design. He has much the same focus as a fighter, but while he gains less feats, he has masterwork and magical gear to make up the loss.

Advancement: Battlesmiths may be multiclassed with artificers for bonus feats and the valuable crafting pool, or they might focus more on the martial aspects, and employ various melee prestige classes to their goal.

Battlesmiths in the World

“	<-Some quote from a character of this class->	”
—<-NPC name->, <-race-> <-class->

Daily Life: When not being mistaken for fighters traveling on the road, battlesmiths do what they do best, blacksmithing. They craft away, building all sorts of items in record time and fantastic effort.

Notables: PENDING.

Organizations: Blacksmith guilds inevitably are full of battlesmiths as well as their non-combative kin. It is often well organized and run like any business is.

NPC Reactions: What about the smith? Yeah, he's good, and he has that fancy hammer. Think he'll be staying in town?

Battlesmith Lore

Characters with ranks in Knowledge Local can research battlesmiths to learn more about them. When a character makes a skill check, read or paraphrase the following, including information from lower DCs.

Knowledge Local

DC	Result
10	Battlesmiths are blacksmiths who can swing a weapon as well as craft one. They're experts as both making, and breaking, items.
15	Battlesmiths can produce magical items, even though they aren't casters, and weapons in the hands of a battlesmith tend to be even stronger than normal.
20	Battlesmiths can use armor to maximum effect, and transform one metal into another. Really strong battlesmiths can even make items so powerful they cannot be destroyed by conventional means.
30	Those that reach this level of success can research specific battlesmiths, their whereabouts and motives, legends regarding them, and items created by them.

Battlesmiths in the Game

Sample Encounter: A battlesmith in need of rare materials went down into the underdark to find them, but when he returned he was crazed, seemingly possessed, and is returning fully armed and dangerous. Stop him and try and find out what happened, finding who is responsible for his madness.

EL 10: PENDING

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