Surge Fighter (3.5e Class)
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Low - Moderate - High - A variant fighter who gets half as many feats as normal, but more than makes up for it with powerful combat surges that enable him to be the direct martial equivalent of a wizard. 20 1 Good Good Poor Poor Other Full
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Surge Fighter[edit]
Fighters are the epitome of physical combat, whose massive repertoire of feats enable them to meet any challenge. They don't need no stinkin' class features to be as good as any other base class. Well, at least, that's what the Player's Handbook proclaims. In practice, the feats are so weak, and spellcasting so powerful, that everyone but the monk (a.k.a. the personification of useless) leaves the fighter choking on their dust by 9th level. Enter the surge fighter. With just one core class feature — the combat surge — the surge fighter takes the concept of the fighter and makes it something that makes even a wizard soil himself in fear at the prospect of confronting it.
Making a Surge Fighter[edit]
The surge fighter plays much the same role in combat as the regular fighter, with the exception of combat surges. By spending his surge points, a surge fighter can drastically boost his power for a glorious moment, rivaling the efficacy of any spell or power. But just like spell slots and power points, surge points are finite. If the surge fighter does not ration them carefully and use them only as needed, then he will soon run out — and when that happens, he's just an ordinary fighter with half as many feats. Which pretty much equals "laughingstock" in the D&D world.
A surge fighter plays the same role in an adventuring party as a regular fighter; he is the frontman, the guy who gets up in the enemy's face to dish out damage and keep them busy while his companions perform their own jobs (wizards nuke, clerics heal, rogues stab guys in the back, et cetera, et cetera). The surge fighter is simply really, really good at it as long as he still has surge points. The surge fighter is flexible, though (albeit not quite as much as a normal fighter), and can play almost any melee or ranged combat role with ease.
Abilities: Like a regular fighter, the surge fighter's most important ability scores are Strength and Constitution, to help him deal and take lots of damage. (The surge fighter doesn't really need the boost to Fortitude saves, but since he wants lots of Constitution anyways for a lot of hit points, it's a nice side benefit for him.) Dexterity is also important for AC and Reflex saves (though the former benefit may, ironically, be limited by bulky armor), but is even more important if the surge fighter decides to be a ranged attacker or utilize Weapon Finesse or Combat Reflexes. Intelligence and Wisdom are nearly dump stats, mainly good for skill points and Will saves; Charisma, however, contributes to the size of the surge fighter's surge point pool, so a high Charisma means he can surge more often.
Races: Any race that can be a fighter can be a surge fighter. Any race whose favored class is fighter also favors surge fighter.
Alignment: Any. Like their more refined yet less (for lack of a better word) powerful kin, surge fighters run the whole gamut of alignments. Good surge fighters are often crusaders (in a very vague sense of the term — they're not paladins, after all... or members of the class actually named crusader[1]), lawful surge fighters are guardians, chaotic surge fighters are often mercenaries, and evil surge fighters are among the most terrifying bullies and brutes in existence.
Starting Gold: Same as fighter.
Starting Age: Moderate, as fighter.
| That's a lot of class skills for someone only getting two skill points per level... |
| I would have liked to just use the normal fighter's skill list and be done with it, but I found the absence of certain skills — namely Listen and Spot — to be rather jarring. It's like fighters are doddering idiots who are only good at fighting and need the rest of their party to care for them when doing everything else. I think every class should be at least theoretically capable of performing mundane tasks such as being aware of their surroundings or knowing when they're being swindled. (You'll notice that Bluff, Hide, and Move Silently aren't on the list; just because somebody can notice cheats and sneaks doesn't mean they can be a cheat or a sneak themselves.) Also, I envision the surge fighter as being just a little bit clumsier than the regular fighter, which is why Craft isn't on the list even though the fighter has it. (Why the fighter of all classes has Craft, I'm not quite sure.) Also, Intimidate is on the class list because it's much easier to be intimidating when you pose an obvious physical threat. |
Class Features[edit]
All of the following are class features of the surge fighter.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A surge fighter is proficient with all simple and martial weapons and with all armor (heavy, medium, and light) and shields (including tower shields).
Combat Surge: The surge fighter is more than a capable combatant at any time, but his true ace in the hole is his combat surges. Combat surges are quick bursts of awesome combat ability capable of matching what a wizard can accomplish with his spells. Surges are typically instantaneous or otherwise very short in terms of duration, as the power is momentary and comes and goes in an instant — that's why it's called a surge.
A surge fighter can't use a combat surge whenever he feels like it; he needs to have enough surge points. A surge fighter has a pool of surge points equal to his surge fighter level ×8, which are expended to perform combat surges. This surge point pool has two main ways of being expanded. First, the surge fighter's surge point pool is influenced by Charisma in much the same way that every creature's hit points are influenced by Constitution; that is, the surge fighter's Charisma modifier is applied to the amount of surge points gained every level. (However, as a corollary to this, if the surge fighter loses Charisma, he loses 1 surge point per class level for every point of Charisma modifier lost, much as reducing a character's Constitution reduces their hit points.) The second way is by taking surge feats. One surge feat, Extra Surging, grants eight extra surge points upon being taken, and can be taken multiple times if the surge fighter so chooses. Most other surge feats grant four extra surge points in addition to their other benefits. Spent surge points are renewed with eight hours of rest, just like a spellcaster's spell slots or a psionic character's power points. Just like spell slots and power points, there are ways to refresh expended surge points on the go or gain temporary surge points, but such effects tend to be rare, hard to find, and hard to generate.
Some surges are activated as part of an attack or attack action. Others are actions in and of themselves. In any case, the maximum number of surge points a surge fighter may spend on a single action is equal to his class level. (If multiple surges are performed on the same action (usually but not always an attack), the total number of surge points paid to perform them can be no greater than the surge fighter's class level. Also, surge points cannot "multitask"; unless otherwise stated, each surge point can only power a single effect, even where the same surge has multiple possible effects for the surge fighter to spend surge points on. The main exception to this rule is save DCs; surge points usually contribute to a surge's save DC, should it have one, in addition to anything else they can do for the surge.) The general save DC for a surge is 10 + (greater of H or S) + AM, where H is ½ the surge fighter's class level, S is the number of surge points spent on that surge (not the total amount spent on the action), and AM is the primary ability modifier influencing the associated attack roll (e.g. Strength for most melee attack rolls, Dexterity for most ranged attack rolls, Charisma for incorporeal creatures' melee, etc.). (Secondary ability modifiers that get added to an attack roll because of some class feature, magic effect, or other special ability do not get added to a surge's save DC; however, abilities that cause one ability score to replace another for purposes of influencing the attack roll do cause that ability modifier to be used for surge save DCs.)
Fighter Bonus Feats: Surge fighters get bonus feats just like fighters do. They just don't get as many of them; that's the price they pay for the power of the surge. At 1st level, a surge fighter gets a bonus combat-oriented feat. The surge fighter gains an additional bonus feat at 4th level and every four surge fighter levels thereafter (8th, 12th, 16th, and 20th). These bonus feats must be drawn from the feats noted as fighter bonus feats. A surge fighter must still meet all prerequisites for a bonus feat, including ability score, base attack bonus minimums, and effective fighter level (see Fighter Equivalence below).
Surge fighters have their own feats, called surge feats, that tie into their surge point pool. Surge fighters may take these surge feats as bonus feats.
Fighter Equivalence: A surge fighter is basically a fighter, just a little klutzier (due to reliance on surges rather than finesse); thus, they can learn the same advanced combat techniques that a fighter can, they're just not able to master them quite as quickly. A surge fighter's first level in the class is equivalent to a level of fighter for prerequisite purposes, but from then on, his effective fighter levels equal his surge fighter levels −1. These effective fighter levels stack with actual fighter levels and effective fighter levels from other classes (such as warblade[1] or edgemaster) for the purpose of meeting prerequisites.
There is one exception to this imperfect fighter equivalence; only 10 levels of surge fighter, rather than 11, are needed to become an edgemaster. Edgemaster levels stack with surge fighter levels with respect to the development of bonus feats, but not for the development of surges, increasing the size of the surge fighter's surge point pool, or increasing the surge fighter's maximum number of surge points spendable on a single surge.
Surge of Accuracy (Ex): A surge fighter may, as part of an attack action, elect to pay a number of surge points no greater than his class level to increase his attack roll by +4 per spent surge point. These surge points must be spent before the attack roll is actually made, and remain spent regardless of whether the attack hits or misses.
Surge of Power (Ex): A surge fighter may, as part of an attack action, elect to pay a number of surge points no greater than his class level to add 1 die to his damage roll per spent surge point. These damage dice are the same type used by the weapon he made the attack with. (Thus, to provide a few examples for a Medium surge fighter, a Surge of Power could add 1d3 per spent surge point to an unarmed strike or attack with a gauntlet or jalzab, 1d6 damage per spent surge point to an attack with a sickle, shortspear, or quarterstaff, 1d8 damage per spent surge point to an attack with a spear, longsword, or longbow, 1d10 damage per spent surge point to an attack with a glaive, heavy crossbow, or bastard sword, or 1d12 damage per spent surge point to an attack with a greataxe. For an extensive list of weapons and their damage values, see the SRD Weapons page.) Alternatively, if the attack's damage is a fixed value, the surge fighter may pay a number of surge points no greater than his class level to add +3 to the damage per spent surge point. If the attack's damage is variable but not influenced by a damage roll, the surge fighter may pay a number of surge points no greater than his class level to increase the damage by one full dependent variable (such as number of caster level(s)) per spent surge point. Extra damage from a Surge of Power can be multiplied by a critical hit. This surge cannot be negated by fortification or similar qualities, as it is not precision-based; it simply involves hitting the target really, really, really hard.
| Isn't this unnecessarily complicated? |
| For the most part, all you should need to worry about is this surge's ability to increase the number of damage dice for your attack. You only need to worry about the second or third version of how this surge works if your attack's damage isn't expressed in damage dice. That shouldn't apply unless you multiclass, as most physical attacks do use damage dice (which become increasingly irrelevant at higher levels — something this surge is meant to help address), but I should add it in just in case. |
In any case, this ability only applies to the primary damage type inflicted by the attack, prioritized in this order: hit point damage > ability damage, burn, or drain > negative levels or positive levels > penalties to skills, saves, attack rolls, or other checks > power point damage > essentia damage > damage to other limiting points > spell slot erasure > readied maneuver removal > negative condition duration > everything else. A weapon's physical damage takes precedence over any energy damage it may deal, unless the weapon only deals energy damage. For other types of attack, the attack usually designates which damage type is considered to be the primary damage type (if not, the decision is up to the DM, and should be kept consistent throughout the campaign). Generally, the damage that is inflicted in the greatest amount, has the most potential for being enhanced (by ability scores, critical hits, etc.), or is mentioned first in the attack's descriptive text is the primary damage type. At the DM's discretion, you may pay additional surge points to augment other types of damage separately, but your total surge points spent on a single attack can never be greater than your class level. This surge cannot be used with an attack that does not actually attempt to inflict damage, impose a penalty to rolls, or inflict a finite-duration negative condition if successful (such as a trip, overrun, disarm, non-damaging touch spell, or delaying strike). (It can be used with a damaging touch spell, assuming that you actually have any.)
No matter what other factors apply, the surge points are spent as the attack is declared — that is, before the attack roll is made. If the attack misses, the surge fails to do anything whatsoever (except maybe cause a highly localized atmospheric disruption — that's just a fancy way to describe displacing air, so don't expect it to actually do anything) and the surge points are wasted.
Surge of Skill (Ex): Whenever the surge fighter is required to make a skill check, he may spend a number of surge points no greater than his class level to increase the skill check by +4 per surge point spent. Like Surge of Accuracy, Surge of Skill must be declared and the surge points must be spent before the skill check is actually made; the surge points remain spent regardless of the skill check's success or failure.
Saving Surge (Ex): Whenever the surge fighter is required to make a saving throw, he may spend a number of surge points no greater than his class level to increase the saving throw result by +1 per surge point spent. Like other surges that influence die rolls, Saving Surge must be declared and the surge points must be spent before the roll is made; the surge points remain spent regardless of the saving throw's success or failure.
The surge fighter may optionally spend 3 additional surge points when using Saving Surge to gain mettle or evasion (depending on the saving throw type), or spend 9 additional surge points to gain improved mettle or evasion (again depending on the saving throw type), but only for that saving throw. Surge points spent for mettle or evasion do not contribute to the saving throw bonus, and the surge fighter cannot spend a number of surge points greater than his class level to enhance any saving throw.
- Improved Saving Surge: From 11th level on, the bonus to saving throws from Saving Surge becomes +2 per spent surge point.
Surge of Armor (Sp): As a standard action, a surge fighter may spend any number of surge points to replicate the effects of a mage armor spell. The caster level for this effect is equal to the number of surge points spent.
- Greater Surge of Armor (Sp): Starting from 5th level, using Surge of Armor replicates the effects of greater mage armor[2] instead of mage armor.
Surge of Energy (Su): As part of an attack action, a surge fighter may spend 1 surge point to convert all of the damage his attack deals to fire, cold, electricity, acid, or sonic damage. This allows him to bypass most forms of damage reduction, though he may have to pick his energy type carefully to avoid running afoul of resistances, immunities, or worst of all, absorption. The descriptor of this surge is the same as the energy type the attack is converted to. This surge must be declared before the attack roll is made; if the attack misses, the surge is wasted. Surge of Energy and Surge of Force cannot be applied to the same attack roll (but see Surge of Multi-Energy below).
- Surge of Multi-Energy (Su): Starting at 11th level, any combination of Surges of Energy (each having a different energy type) and Surge of Force may be applied to the same attack action. All of the damage dealt by the attack is each type of energy selected, and the target must resist, be immune to, or absorb all of the energy types to reduce the damage (in which case the smallest damage reduction applies). All of the surges must be declared before making the attack roll, and if the attack misses, the surges are wasted. As always, the maximum number of surge points that can be spent on a single attack action is equal to the surge fighter's class level.
Surge of Force (Su): As part of an attack action, a surge fighter may spend 4 surge points to convert all of the damage his attack deals to force damage. This enables him to attack incorporeal creatures and bypass most forms of damage reduction and energy resistance. This surge has the [Force] descriptor. This surge must be declared before the attack roll is made; if the attack misses, the surge points are wasted.
| Wait, this is usable at 1st level?!? |
| Magic missile, as a 1st-level spell, is usable by a 1st-level wizard. Surge of Force is meant to be the surge fighter's answer to magic missile, so, it is necessary for it to be usable at 1st level. At the same time, surge points are among the "cheaper" type of limiting points, about equivalent to power points; 1 surge point is far too cheap a cost to pay to convert a physical attack's damage to force, considering that force resistance is very, very, very rare. Thus, I made the cost 4 surge points and included a clause to allow the surge fighter to pay a reduced cost in exchange for doing less damage. Magic missile's damage is kind of low for 1st level anyways, and −2 damage is a huge deal at lower levels, so it all balances out.
If you want to know more about what a "limiting point" is, check out the page I made for them. |
This surge may be used even if the surge fighter isn't able to pay enough surge points to meet its entire cost (whether this is due to insufficient class level or not enough remaining surge points for the day); that is, it can be performed for only 1, 2, or 3 surge points. However, for every 1 surge point not paid, the surge fighter incurs a cumulative −2 penalty on the damage roll or damage inflicted (which cannot reduce the damage below 1). As with the bonus provided by Surge of Power, this penalty only affects the primary damage of the attack.
Surge of Sleep (Su): As part of an attack action, a surge fighter may spend at least 1 surge point(s) to imbue the weapon with sleep energy. If the attack connects, the target must succeed on a Will save (DC = 10 + (½ surge fighter's class level) or (# of surge points spent), whichever is higher + the primary ability modifier applied to the surge fighter's attack roll (usually Strength or Dexterity, though other abilities aren't unheard of)) or else immediately fall asleep, as though affected by the sleep spell (except with no maximum limit on the target's HD). The victim will remain asleep for at most 1 round per 2 spent surge points (minimum 1) unless it was already exhausted or otherwise about to fall asleep anyways; however, it can be woken up early by anything that would be able to end any other sleep effect (such as shaking the victim awake). Elves and other creatures with immunity to sleep are unaffected by this surge. The total number of surge points spent on a single attack action cannot exceed the surge fighter's class level, and all surges must be declared and surge points applied before the attack roll is made.
Surge of Detection (Sp): A surge fighter may, as a standard action, spend surge points to replicate a detect spell or power. The caster level for the detect spell or power is the number of surge points spent, and the surge fighter instantaneously detects everything that the spell or power is capable of revealing. (With certain detect spells, such as detect evil, this might actually be a bad thing.) The maximum number of surge points that can be used to perform this surge is equal to the surge fighter's class level, and the minimum number of surge points that must be spent depends on the detect spell or power in question. If the minimum is greater than the maximum, the detect spell or power is impossible for the surge fighter to simulate until he gains more levels. The following is a list of detect spells and powers and their minimum surge point costs:
- Detect Magic: 1 surge point
- Detect Incarnum[3]: 1 surge point
- Detect Poison: 1 surge point
- Detect Psionics: 1 surge point
- Detect Secret Doors: 1 surge point
- Detect Undead: 1 surge point
- Detect Evil: 1 surge point
- Detect Good: 1 surge point
- Detect Chaos: 1 surge point
- Detect Law: 1 surge point
- Detect Animals or Plants: 1 surge point
- Detect Snares and Pits: 1 surge point
- Detect Disease: 1 surge point
- Detect Heat: 1 surge point
- Detect Parentage: 1 surge point
- Detect Power Level: 1 surge point
- Detect Vestige[4]: 1 surge point
- Detect Hostile Intent: 3 surge points
- Detect Thoughts: 3 surge points
- Detect Scrying: 7 surge points
- Detect Survivors: 7 surge points
Ability Surge (Ex): From 3rd level on, as a swift action, a surge fighter may pay a number of surge points no greater than his surge fighter level to grant himself a +1 bonus to an ability score of his choice per surge point spent. The bonus type may be freely chosen by the surge fighter, within the constraints imposed by his current level (listed in the table below). The surge fighter may spend 2 additional surge points to, instead of improving the bonus, grant the bonus to an additional ability score, up to 12 surge points to grant a bonus to all 6 ability scores (plus at least 1 surge point to actually grant a bonus); all ability scores affected get the same type of bonus. The effects of this surge last for 1 round. As with any surge, the total number of surge points spent on one performance of this surge cannot exceed the surge fighter's class level.
| Surge Fighter Class Level |
Bonus Types Added |
|---|---|
| 3rd | Insight, Enhancement |
| 5th | Morale, Luck |
| 15th | Sacred, Profane |
- Extended Ability Surge (Ex): At 11th level, it becomes possible to extend the duration of Ability Surge by paying 2 surge points for each additional 1 round to be added to the duration. The total number of surge points spent on a single Ability Surge cannot exceed the surge fighter's class level.
Disabling Surge (Ex): From 3rd level on, as part of an attack action, a surge fighter may pay surge points to inflict ability damage along with his attack's normal damage. The rate is 1 surge point per 1 point of ability damage, and the surge fighter inflicts the damage to an ability of his choice. The surge fighter may pay 2 additional surge points to inflict the damage to one additional ability for every 2 surge points spent (to a maximum of all 6 abilities for 12 surge points, plus at least one more surge point to actually inflict ability damage), or pay an additional 4 surge points to convert the ability damage to ability burn, then 4 more surge points after that to convert it to ability drain. As with any other surge, the maximum total number of surge points spendable on a single attack roll for any combination of surges is equal to the surge fighter's class level. The surge points must be spent before the attack roll is made; if it misses, the surge points are wasted to no effect.
| Isn't this kind of a cheap cost for ability damage? |
| I really wanted the cost to be 2 surge points per point of ability damage, but I just knew that somebody would find a way to use Surge of Power to reduce the cost to 1 surge point per point of ability damage anyways; even if the DM didn't let the player use Surge of Power to cheat the cost of Disabling Surge (and I know I sure wouldn't), a clever munchkin would probably still be able to pull it off by using a weapon whose primary damage type is lower on the pecking order I set up than ability damage would be — negative levels, for example. I can't think of any weapons off the top of my head that do that (spell effects, sure — enervation is a great example — but not actual weapons), but there's a lot of stuff on this wiki and in the various D&D sourcebooks, and I'm pretty sure something could be found that bestowed negative levels (or something else below ability damage on the pecking order) instead of dealing hit point damage. I can't change the pecking order because it makes too much sense as is, and I don't want to raise the surge point cost of Surge of Power, so I had to reduce the cost of this surge instead. The surge point costs of the optional enhancements are still high enough that they won't really be feasible until you reach the higher levels. (...And yes, I know that the way it's set up allows a surge fighter to inflict ability burn at level 5, and ability drain at level 9. I'm pretty sure that's not overpowered compared to stuff that a wizard can do, so I think it's fine.) |
Surge of Range (Ex): From 3rd level on, as a swift action, a surge fighter may pay a number of surge points no greater than his surge fighter level to multiply his melee attack range by the number of surge points spent for 1 round. (For instance, spending 2 surge points on Surge of Range would make a 5-foot range a 10-foot range, or make a 10-foot range a 20-foot range; spending 3 surge points on Surge of Range would make a 5-foot range a 15-foot range, or make a 10-foot range a 30-foot range; and so on and so forth. Spending 1 surge point on this surge doesn't do anything.) Surge of Range does not stack with itself or with any other effect that extends melee reach (such as Wave Strike). This is a swift action, not part of an attack action, so it does not count towards the number of surge points that can be spent on an attack action. (On the other hand, it uses up your swift/immediate action for the round.)
Alternatively, Surge of Range can be used as part of a ranged attack action to ignore a number of range increments up to the number of surge points spent. This both extends maximum reach and allows a ranged attack to go further before beginning to take penalties due to distance. However, this does count towards the number of surge points that can be spent on an attack action. (While most surges can be used on attacks of opportunity, Surge of Range on a ranged attack cannot unless you are able to make ranged attacks of opportunity.)
Surge of Obscurity (Su): A surge fighter of 3rd level or higher may pay a number of surge points up to his class level as a swift action to gain a 5% miss chance per surge point spent for 1 round.
Surge of Clarity (Ex): A surge fighter of 3rd level or higher may pay 3 surge points as a free action to ignore all miss chances due to magical effects (including blur and Surge of Obscurity) for 1 round. Surge of Clarity does not defeat mundane concealment unless 6 surge points are spent instead (requiring the user to be at least a 6th level surge fighter). If at least 9 surge points are spent on Surge of Clarity (requiring at least class level 9), it can imitate the effects of true seeing for 1 round, caster level equal to the number of surge points spent. If 17 or more surge points are spent on Surge of Clarity, it can even see through mundane disguises (and also see people naked... you pervert... *slap*)
Surge of Motion (Sp): A surge fighter of 3rd level or higher may pay a number of surge points no greater than his or her class level to replicate the effects of a single teleport performed via the bamf spell. This is not a teleport, but rather a lightning-quick alteration of location performed in much the same way as a jump.
| If it looks like a jump and acts like a jump... |
| I really was tempted to have this surge grant the surge fighter a jump speed of 10 feet per spent surge point for 1 round. However, considering that the surge fighter needs to be able to go toe-to-toe with a wizard, this surge needed a bit more oomph than a jump speed can provide. Thus, it replicates the effect of bamf — a short-range teleport with a lot of limitations. |
When performing a Surge of Motion, the surge fighter moves much too quickly to be seen by the naked eye, much less provoke attacks of opportunity. Even if he's only moving 10 feet. And yet he can stop on a dime. (Well, that's the sort of power you get when you perform a combat surge.) A surge fighter may perform a Surge of Motion in any direction (including upwards or downwards — he can even move straight up or straight down, as long as he has line of sight to his destination (and he doesn't even need line of sight if he spends at least eight surge points)). The surge fighter can even perform Surge of Motion in midair (effectively allowing him to fly, though at a maneuverability level below even clumsy). If the surge fighter is in midair after performing a Surge of Motion, he falls at the beginning of his next round unless he performs another Surge of Motion as his very first action in the round (starting from his turn). (He is allowed to spend the remainder of his turn after a Surge of Motion in midair without falling — enough to perform an attack against any creature in melee reach at the same altitude.) Distance covered by a Surge of Motion is not counted for falling damage calculations, so the surge fighter can Surge of Motion to the ground if he wants to land without hurting himself. The Surge of Motion's effective caster level (for variables such as jump distance) and available effective duration (for determining types of jump possible) are equal to the number of surge points spent; as with any surge-enhanced action, the maximum number of surge points a surge fighter can spend on a single Surge of Motion is equal to his class level.
| Isn't 3rd level a bit early to be flying? |
| Even though flying, which is the function of this surge in a very crude sense, is a 3rd-spell-level effect, bamf is a 2nd-level spell. Thus, this surge is granted two levels "early". It gets an upgrade at class level 5 — the level at which a wizard would obtain fly — to make it more flight-like. Oh, and swift fly[2], which is exactly like fly except for being cast as a swift action and only lasting for 1 round, is also a 2nd-level spell (and thus obtained at wizard level 3), so there. |
- Stable Surge of Motion (Sp): From 5th level onward, if the surge fighter ends up in midair at the end of a Surge of Motion, he instantly gains the effect of an air walk spell for 2 rounds, followed by a feather fall spell for 4 rounds (this replaces the 1d6 rounds of slow spell failure that usually happens at the end of an air walk). Both the air walk and feather fall effects extend not only to the surge fighter himself, but also to all of the gear on his person, anybody he was carrying with him during the Surge of Motion, and all of the gear on their persons. The surge fighter can choose not to grant the air walk or feather fall effect to some or all of the creatures he brought with him, which basically means he can hurt people by grabbing them, surging up into the air, and dropping them from a great height. (He could do that before, but now he's less prone to hurting himself in the process.) The surge fighter may also instantly end either the air walk or feather fall effect at any time as a free action, which helps him dive-bomb enemies. Every creature affected by the surge fighter's Stable Surge of Motion can end its air walk or feather fall effect individually, assuming that the surge fighter allowed it to be granted to them. Stable Surge of Motion is otherwise identical to Surge of Motion. While even clumsy fliers can still fly rings around the surge fighter (or at least easily beat him in "not looking like a spastic while staying airborne" competitions), he at least can stay in the air long enough to actually fight enemy fliers now, instead of simply harassing them.
- Great Surge of Motion (Sp): From 9th level onwards, the surge fighter may replicate teleport instead of bamf with his Surge of Motion (his effective caster level is still equal to the number of surge points spent). He is subject to all of teleport's usual limitations and hazards.
Surge of Knocking (Su): Starting at 3rd level, a surge fighter can replicate the effects of knock as an attack action by paying 2 surge points. As part of this attack action, the surge fighter makes a touch attack (either melee or ranged, using an unarmed strike or any weapon he is currently wielding) against the portal to be subjected to the knock effect. If the surge fighter hits (and he probably will, seeing as he's making a touch attack against a door), the knock is successful.
Multitarget Surge (Ex): As part of an attack action, a surge fighter of 5th level or higher may spend surge points to attack one additional target per 3 surge points spent within range of his current weapon as part of the same attack action. One attack roll is made, and its result is applied to the AC of all designated targets; each target is struck or missed separately. If the surge fighter threatens a critical hit on his attack roll, he rolls to confirm the critical hit on each target separately. The total number of surge points spent on a single attack action cannot exceed the surge fighter's class level, and all surges must be declared and surge points applied before the attack roll is made.
Dispelling Surge (Sp): Starting at 5th level, as a standard action, a surge fighter may spend any number of surge points (up to his class level) to replicate the effect of dispel magic. (The only thing dispel magic can do that Dispelling Surge can't is counterspell, and that's only because Dispelling Surge is a spell-like ability. Oh well. Smacking people with so much damage that they have absolutely no chance of succeeding on their Concentration check is more reliable than counterspelling anyways.) His bonus to his dispel check is equal to the number of surge points he spent to perform this surge. Any spell that cannot be defeated by dispel magic also cannot be defeated by Dispelling Surge.
- Martial Dispelling Surge (Su): Starting at 9th level, the surge fighter may make a single melee attack as part of his Dispelling Surge, but only as part of the targeted version of the Dispelling Surge. The melee attack and the Dispelling Surge must have the same target, and this supersedes the normal range of dispel magic/Dispelling Surge. If this melee attack defeats the target's touch AC, the surge fighter gains a +5 bonus to his dispel check in addition to the bonus he gets from his spent surge points. If the attack also beats the target's standard AC (or the target's flat-footed AC if the target is flat-footed), it is also resolved just like any other melee attack, doing damage and other things as normal. However, as this is a standard action (the same as Dispelling Surge) and not an attack action, the surge fighter may not use any of his other surges that would be used as part of an attack action (such as Surge of Accuracy, Surge of Power, etc.). If the attack roll misses, however, the dispel attempt and the surge points spent on it are wasted to no effect.
- Greater Dispelling Surge (Sp): Starting at 11th level, the surge fighter's Dispelling Surge replicates the effects of greater dispel magic. The bonus to the dispel check is still equal to the number of surge points spent, with no limits except for the surge fighter's class level and how many surge points he's willing to spend, but a Greater Dispelling Surge can defeat anything a greater dispel magic spell can, including spells that would otherwise only be susceptible to remove curse.
- In addition, the bonus for Martial Dispelling Surge becomes +10 (though it still outright fails if the attack misses).
- Hawkeye Dispelling Surge (Su): Starting at 15th level, a Martial Dispelling Surge may be performed with a ranged attack. It functions much the same as with a melee attack.
- Surge of Disjunction (Sp): Starting at 17th level, the surge fighter may, at his option, replicate mage's disjunction instead of greater dispel magic with his Dispelling Surge.
Refreshing Surge (Sp): Starting at 5th level, as a standard action, a surge fighter may spend any number of surge points (up to his class level) to replicate the effect of refresh magic. (The only thing refresh magic can do that Refreshing Surge can't is counterspell, and that's only because Refreshing Surge is a spell-like ability. Oh well. Smacking people with so much damage that they have absolutely no chance of succeeding on their Concentration check is more reliable than counterspelling anyways.) His bonus to his refresh check is equal to half the number of surge points he spent to perform this surge. Any spell that cannot be bolstered by refresh magic also cannot be bolstered by Refreshing Surge. Refreshing Surge also carries all of the risks of refresh magic (namely, the possibility of causing magic items to explode).
- Martial Refreshing Surge (Su): Starting at 9th level, the surge fighter may make a single melee attack as part of his Refreshing Surge, but only as part of the targeted version of the Refreshing Surge. The melee attack and the Refreshing Surge must have the same target, and this supersedes the normal range of refresh magic/Refreshing Surge. If this melee attack defeats the target's touch AC, the surge fighter gains a +4 bonus to his refresh check in addition to the bonus he gets from his spent surge points. If the attack also beats the target's standard AC (or the target's flat-footed AC if the target is flat-footed), it is also resolved just like any other melee attack, doing damage and other things as normal. However, as this is a standard action (the same as Refreshing Surge) and not an attack action, the surge fighter may not use any of his other surges that would be used as part of an attack action (such as Surge of Accuracy, Surge of Power, etc.). If the attack roll misses, however, the refresh attempt and the surge points spent on it are wasted to no effect.
- Greater Refreshing Surge (Sp): Starting at 11th level, the surge fighter's Refreshing Surge replicates the effects of greater refresh magic. The bonus to the refresh check is still equal to half the number of surge points spent, with no limits except for the surge fighter's class level and how many surge points he's willing to spend, but a Greater Refreshing Surge operates with other magical effects just like greater refresh magic does, including the ability to safely bolster more powerful magic items and the ability to exceed a spell's maximum duration by half of said maximum duration.
- In addition, the bonus for Martial Refreshing Surge becomes +8 (though it still outright fails if the attack misses).
- Hawkeye Refreshing Surge (Su): Starting at 15th level, a Martial Refreshing Surge may be performed with a ranged attack. It functions much the same as with a melee attack.
- Surge of Permanency (Sp): Starting at 17th level, a surge fighter may, as a standard action, replicate the effects of permanency by paying 1 surge point for every 500 XP he would otherwise have to pay. He may pay a reduced number of surge points, to a minimum of 1, and pay XP to make up the difference. However, his surge fighter level must be at least the minimum caster level that would be required to cast permanency on a given spell.
Surge of Speed (Sp): Starting at 5th level, a surge fighter may replicate the effects of haste on himself or a creature within Close range as a swift action by spending at least 5 surge points (but no more than his class level). The effect lasts for 1 round per 5 surge points spent. The effect can be negated by a Will save (DC = 10 + (½ surge fighter's class level) or (# of surge points spent), whichever is higher + surge fighter's primary attack roll modifier). Like any other surge, the number of surge points spent cannot exceed the surge fighter's class level.
Surge of Slow Motion (Sp): Starting at 5th level, a surge fighter may replicate the effects of slow on himself or a creature within Close range as a swift action by spending at least 5 surge points (but no more than his class level). The effect lasts for 1 round per 5 surge points spent. The effect can be negated by a Will save (DC = 10 + (½ surge fighter's class level) or (# of surge points spent), whichever is higher + surge fighter's primary attack roll modifier). Like any other surge, the number of surge points spent cannot exceed the surge fighter's class level.
Surge of Paralysis (Su): From 5th level onwards, as part of an attack action, a surge fighter may spend surge points to paralyze his target for 1 round per 2 spent surge points, as the hold monster spell. The target can negate the paralysis with a Fortitude save (DC = 10 + (½ surge fighter's class level) or (# of surge points spent), whichever is higher + surge fighter's main attack roll modifier). The total number of surge points spent on a single attack action cannot exceed the surge fighter's class level, and all surges must be declared and surge points applied before the attack roll is made.
Surge of Fortification (Su): As a standard action, a surge fighter of 7th level or higher may spend surge points to grant himself 1d10 temporary hit points per spent surge point. These temporary hit points last for 1 hour and do not stack with themselves or any other source of temporary hit points. Like any other surge, the number of surge points spent cannot exceed the surge fighter's class level.
Enervating Surge (Su): As part of an attack action, a surge fighter of 7th level or higher may spend surge points to bestow 1 negative level on his target per spent surge point. These negative levels last for 1d4 hours (not enough to cause permanent level loss), but additional surge points may be spent to extend the duration by another 1d4 hours per surge point. The total number of surge points spent on a single attack action cannot exceed the surge fighter's class level, and all surges must be declared and surge points applied before the attack roll is made.
| OMGWTF One-hit kill?!? |
| Yes, a surge fighter can kill a creature with equal HD to himself with a single Enervating Surge. A wizard can do the same thing with a huge number of his spells. Many spells have damage expressed in dice and do one (or more for higher-level spells) die per caster level. Thus, if no multiclassing is going on, a creature of HD equal to the spellcaster whose Hit Dice are smaller than the spell's damage dice can potentially be killed in one hit — especially if they don't have much Constitution. This is only true up to the damage cap for the spell in question, but nonetheless, it's very easy to underestimate how much damage a spell can do. Also, a lot of monsters in official sources have CRs smaller than their number of Hit Dice. So, once again, this isn't overpowered compared to the wizard. |
As with any other source of negative levels, negative levels that last for 24 hours or more can cause permanent level loss if allowed to fade away on their own. (This requires at least five surge points to be spent on extending the duration.) For negative levels inflicted by an Enervating Surge, the Fortitude save DC to avoid losing a level permanently is equal to 10 + (½ the surge fighter's class level) or (the number of surge points spent on duration extension), whichever is greater + the primary ability modifier used for the surge fighter's attack roll.
Energy-Charging Surge (Su): As part of an attack action, a surge fighter of 7th level or higher may spend surge points to bestow 1 positive level on his target per spent surge point. These positive levels last for 1d4 hours (not enough to cause permanent level loss against undead targets), but additional surge points may be spent to extend the duration by another 1d4 hours per surge point. The total number of surge points spent on a single attack action cannot exceed the surge fighter's class level, and all surges must be declared and surge points applied before the attack roll is made.
As with any other source of positive levels, positive levels that last for 24 hours or more can cause permanent level loss to undead creatures if allowed to fade away on their own. (This requires at least five surge points to be spent on extending the duration.) For positive levels inflicted by an Energy-Charging Surge, the Will save DC to avoid losing a level permanently is equal to 10 + (½ the surge fighter's class level) or (the number of surge points spent on duration extension), whichever is greater + the primary ability modifier used for the surge fighter's attack roll.
Surge of Confusion (Su): As part of an attack action, a surge fighter of 7th level or higher may spend at least 1 surge point to attempt to scramble his foe's nervous system a bit. If his attack hits, the target must succeed on a Will save (DC = 10 + (½ surge fighter's class level) or (# of surge points spent), whichever is higher + surge fighter's main attack roll modifier) or become confused, as the spell, for 1 round per spent surge point. The total number of surge points spent on a single attack action cannot exceed the surge fighter's class level, and all surges must be declared and surge points applied before the attack roll is made.
Surge of Fright (Su): As part of an attack action, a surge fighter of 7th level or higher may spend at least 1 surge point to make it clear to his opponents just how far out of their league they are. By spending 1 surge point, the surge fighter makes the creature he strikes with his attack shaken for 1 round unless the victim succeeds on a Will save (DC = 10 + (½ surge fighter's class level) or (# of surge points spent), whichever is higher + surge fighter's main attack roll modifier). The surge fighter may spend 2 additional surge points to frighten the target, or 5 additional surge points to make the target panic; alternatively, he may spend additional surge points to extend the duration by 1 round per surge point. This is a [Fear, Mind-Affecting] effect.
Surge of Dimensional Anchoring (Su): As a standard action, a surge fighter of 7th level or higher can spend surge points on a single melee or ranged attack. If this attack beats its target's touch AC, the target is placed under the effect of a dimensional anchor for 2 rounds per surge point spent. The target is entitled to a Will save (DC = 10 + (½ surge fighter's class level) or (# of surge points spent), whichever is higher + surge fighter's main attack roll modifier) to halve the duration of the dimensional anchor. This is not an attack action, and so cannot be enhanced by Surge of Accuracy, Surge of Power, etc.
Surge of Resilience (Ex): As a swift action, a surge fighter of 7th level or higher can spend surge points to gain DR 10/— per surge point spent for 1 round.
- Reactionary Surge of Resilience (Ex): Starting from level 13, Surge of Resilience can be used as an immediate action.
Surge of Far Sight (Sp): As a full-round action, a surge fighter of 7th level or higher can spend surge points to imitate scrying, as the spell. The caster level is equivalent to the number of surge points spent.
Surge of Transformation (Sp): As a standard action, a surge fighter of 7th level or higher can spend surge points to change his form, as the polymorph spell, for 1 round per spent surge point. He gains the abilities and qualities of his new form as normal for polymorph, but loses the use of his combat surges unless his new form would also be capable of taking levels in the surge fighter class (which generally requires a humanoid body shape).
Surge of Invisibility (Sp): As a standard action, a surge fighter of 9th level or higher can spend surge points to become invisible, as the greater invisibility spell, for 1 round per spent surge point. He does not become visible again when he attacks.
Surge of Healing (Su): As a standard action, a surge fighter of 13th level or higher can spend surge points to regain 1d8 hit points per spent surge point. Unlike Surge of Fortification, this is actual healing, so the surge fighter can do it repeatedly without rendering previous uses moot, but it can't give him more hit points than his normal maximum.
Surge of Death (Su): As part of an attack action, a surge fighter of 13th level or higher can spend at least 10 surge points to try to strike his target dead. If he hits, the target must make a Fortitude save (DC = 10 + (½ surge fighter's class level) or (# of surge points spent −6), whichever is higher + surge fighter's main attack roll modifier) or die instantly. This is a [Death] effect. The total number of surge points spent on a single attack action cannot exceed the surge fighter's class level, and all surges must be declared and surge points applied before the attack roll is made.
Surge of Stasis (Su): As part of an attack action, a surge fighter of 15th level or higher can spend at least 15 surge points to try to lock his target in time. If he hits, the target must make a Will save (DC = 10 + (½ surge fighter's class level) or (# of surge points spent −10), whichever is higher + surge fighter's main attack roll modifier) or immediately be put into a state of suspended animation, as the temporal stasis spell, until the effect is lifted. As this is a supernatural effect and not a spell, it cannot be dispelled, though freedom and similar effects can lift it. This is a [Time] effect. The total number of surge points spent on a single attack action cannot exceed the surge fighter's class level, and all surges must be declared and surge points applied before the attack roll is made.
Surge of Reality (Su): From 17th level onward, a surge fighter can spend 10 surge points and 50 XP as an immediate action to instantly negate any wish, miracle, limited wish, or minor miracle within Long Range just as it's being cast, preventing it from having any effect. Spent XP is not refunded; the spell is wasted to no effect. The surge fighter must succeed on a Spellcraft check to detect the wish, miracle, limited wish, or minor miracle while it's still in progress; otherwise, by the time he realizes what the enemy spellcaster did, it's too late to even attempt to undo the alterations to reality. Other than that minor hurdle, this is a great tool for making wizards (and sorcerers and clerics) cry and/or swear like sailors.
Epic Surge Fighter[edit]
| Level | Special | Surge Points/Day | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21st | 168 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 22nd | Epic Ability Surge | 176 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 23rd | Bonus Feat | 184 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 24th | 192 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 25th | 200 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 26th | Bonus Feat | 208 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 27th | 216 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 28th | 224 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 29th | Bonus Feat | 232 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 30th | 240 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
2 + Int modifier skill points per level. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Combat Surge: The epic surge fighter continues to have eight surge points plus his Charisma modifier per class level (plus any extras from surge feats), and may spend up to one surge point per class level on any given action.
Fighter Equivalence: The epic surge fighter's effective fighter level for the purpose of prerequisites (such as for feats and prestige classes) is equal to his surge fighter level − 1.
Epic Ability Surge: At 22nd level, the surge fighter's Extended Ability Surge becomes more efficient. He may pay additional surge points while performing an Ability Surge to extend the duration by 1 round per surge point (these surge points do not count towards determining the size of the bonus or how many ability scores it applies to). The number of surge points spent on a single Ability Surge still cannot exceed the surge fighter's class level.
Bonus Feats: The epic surge fighter gains a bonus feat (selected from the list of epic surge fighter bonus feats) every three levels after 20th.
Epic Surge Fighter Bonus Feat List: Armor Skin, Combat Archery, Damage Reduction, Devastating Critical, Dire Charge, Distant Shot, Energy Resistance, Epic Endurance, Epic Leadership, Epic Prowess, Epic Toughness, Epic Weapon Focus, Epic Weapon Specialization, Exceptional Deflection, Improved Combat Reflexes, Improved Manyshot, Improved Stunning Fist, Improved Whirlwind Attack, Infinite Deflection, Instant Reload, Legendary Commander, Legendary Rider, Legendary Wrestler, Overwhelming Critical, Penetrate Damage Reduction, Perfect Two-Weapon Fighting, Reflect Arrows, Spellcasting Harrier, Storm of Throws, Superior Initiative, Swarm of Arrows, Two-Weapon Rend, Uncanny Accuracy. In addition to the feats on this list, the surge fighter may treat any surge feat or any feat designated as a Fighter Bonus Feat, but not listed here, as being on his or her bonus feat list. Epic bonus feat progression replaces fighter bonus feat progression.
Human Surge Fighter Starting Package[edit]
Weapons: Longsword.
Skill Selection: Pick a number of skills equal to 2 + Int modifier.
| Skill | Ranks | Ability | Armor Check Penalty |
|---|---|---|---|
| <-Skill name-> | <-4 for class skills and 2 for cross-class skills-> | <-Abbrieviated key ability-> | <-armor check penalty based on starting armor. If innapplicable put "—"-> |
| <-Skill name-> | <-4 for class skills and 2 for cross-class skills-> | <-Abbrieviated key ability-> | <-armor check penalty based on starting armor. If innapplicable put "—"->
<-copy and paste the rows as necessary.-> |
Feat: <-1st-level feat selection->.
Bonus Feats: <-1st-level feat bonus feats due to class or sample race. remove this section if this sample doesn't get any bonus feats at 1st level. ->.
Gear: <-Starting armor and other equipment outside of weapons.->.
Gold: <-Starting gold using this package.->.
Campaign Information[edit]
Playing a Surge Fighter[edit]
Religion: Surge fighters are no more or less likely to be devout than other members of their race. They also tend to worship the typical deity of their race and alignment, though plenty of exceptions exist.
Other Classes: Surge fighters' interactions with other classes are very much like those of fighters, though many other martial classes tend to be awestruck by their combat surges. Magical and psionic classes aren't quite as impressed, though they do respect the surge fighter as a potentially dangerous adversary or a powerful ally.
Combat: Like regular fighters, surge fighters do battle according to their specializations. They cannot specialize in a combat style as well as a fighter due to their smaller number of feats, but their surges can give them an edge as long as they don't have to do battle for too long or too frequently. Fighters tend to outperform surge fighters in prolonged or repeated combat, though, as surge fighters only have so many surge points to work with.
Advancement: Surge fighters generally have the same multiclassing options as fighters.
Surge Fighters in the World[edit]
| “ | <-Some quote from a character of this class-> | ” |
| —<-NPC name->, <-race-> <-class-> | ||
Surge fighters play much the same role in the world as fighters.
Daily Life: Surge fighters live in much the same way as fighters. They constantly train to maintain their combat skill.
Organizations: Surge fighters don't have organizations of their own. They congregate in the same places as regular fighters.
NPC Reactions: NPCs react to surge fighters much like they do to normal fighters, in part because they can't really be told apart at a glance. However, combat surges have a knack for getting attention when used, especially the flashier ones such as Surge of Force, Surge of Motion, and Surge of Reality (the latter being especially notable for the stream of curse words that usually escapes the lips of the thwarted wizard, sorcerer, or cleric not long afterwards).
Surge Fighters in the Game[edit]
Surge fighters are just like fighters, except with a wizard-like ability to serve as a trump card.
Adaptation: <-Possible variant conceptions of this class.->.
Sample Encounter: Surge fighters are an interesting cross between fighters and wizards, and can serve as powerful allies or dangerous adversaries.
EL <- EL Number ->: <-Encounter scenario and character info on sample NPC, including stat block. The CR of the NPC is typically the same as the EL for the encounter.->.
Back to Main Page → 3.5e Homebrew → Classes → Base Classes
| Luigifan18v |
|---|
| Article Balance | Very High + |
| Author | Luigifan18 + |
| Base Attack Bonus Progression | Good + |
| Class Ability | Other + |
| Class Ability Progression | Full + |
| Fortitude Save Progression | Good + |
| Identifier | 3.5e Class + |
| Length | 20 + |
| Minimum Level | 1 + |
| Rated By | Leziad +, Eiji-kun + and Ganteka Future + |
| Rating | Rating Pending + |
| Reflex Save Progression | Poor + |
| Skill | Climb +, Concentration +, Handle Animal +, Intimidate +, Jump +, Listen +, Martial Lore +, Ride +, Search +, Sense Motive +, Spot +, Survival + and Swim + |
| Skill Points | 2 + |
| Summary | A variant fighter who gets half as many feats as normal, but more than makes up for it with powerful combat surges that enable him to be the direct martial equivalent of a wizard. + |
| Title | Surge Fighter + |
| Will Save Progression | Poor + |
