Complete Respec: The Complete Warrior Classes in 3.75

In November, 2003, Wizards of the Coast published one of the first D&D 3.5 supplements, Complete Warrior. The three base classes contained within may have made the cut at the dawn of 3.5, they quickly became antiquated by new classes and updates to the core classes, while getting love from Wizards very sparingly--and the argument could be sustained that some (*cough*Samurai*cough*) classes were never up to par in the first place. These three classes, Hexblade, Samurai, and Swashbuckler, were missing a power level appropriate for 3.5, and are laughably inadequate in 3.75's higher power curve. The following are 3.75 updates updates of the Complete Warrior base classes.

Witchknight (Formerly "Hexblade")

Probably the best loved class of from Complete Warrior, the Hexblade was a nongood, arcane Paladin. Unfortunately, he had some design flaws. The Hexblade lacked the protection of a real warrior, with only light armor and no shields, but never got enough casting to be a real spellcaster. His redux, the Witchknight, attempts to address these problems by strengthening his casting (though still keeping it short of a full-fledged caster) and giving him some better options in combat. As for the name change, "Hexblade" isn't a generic term like "Fighter," "Cleric," and "Samurai" are, and so is viable for copyright protection from Wizards of the Coast. Of the classes presented in this article, the Witchknight is closest to his 3.5 iteration, as that class was actually liked.

The Witchknight is the classic Dark Knight, an antihero who wanders the land with a variety of motives. Witchknights tap into the dormant power of the slumbering Leviathan, utilizing small amounts of its power while it lies dreaming. Some Witchknights are aware of the thin line they walk by risking waking the beat, while others do not truly understand the source of their power. Unlike a traditional witch, the Witchknight is well versed in the arts of combat, and does not hesitate to use steel when magic fails and vice versa.

Abilities: Many of the Witchknight’s class features (including his spellcasting) are keyed to Charisma. A Witchknight planning on entering melee combat benefits from a high Strength and Constitution score, and the lightly armored Witchknight benefits from a high Dexterity to improve his defense.

Role: Depending on which options he chooses, a Witchknight can function well in a variety of ways. Those that favor Necromancy spells can prove to be durable melee combatants, while those favoring Enchantment can be frightful combat controllers. Furthermore, the Witchknight’s high Charisma combined with his social skills allow a Witchknight to function as a party “face.”

Alignment: Any nongood.

Hit Die: d10

Good Save: Will

Bad Saves: Fortitude, Reflex

Base Attack Bonus: Full (as Fighter)

Skill Points Per Level: 2+INT (X4 at level 1)

Class Skills: Acrobatics, Bluff, Craft, Diplomacy, Disguise, Intimidate, Knowledge (Arcana and Local only), Profession, Spellcraft

Weapons and Armor Proficiency: A Witchknight is proficient with all simple and martial weapons and with light armor. Using heavier armor or a shield may cause his spells to fail.

Class Features:

1-Bewitch, Armored Mage, Cantrips, Spells

-Bewitch: A Witchknight can give a visible foe within 60 feet the Evil Eye as a swift action. The target must make a Will saving throw (DC 10+½ Witchknight Class Level+Witchknight’s CHA modifier) or suffer a -2 penalty to attack rolls, weapon damage rolls, skill checks, ability checks, and saving throws. This penalty lasts for one hour per Witchknight level; however, if a Witchknight dies, any Bewitchments he has inflicted fade within an hour. A Witchknight may use this ability once per day for every two class levels he possesses, rounded down (minimum 1).

-Armored Mage: Witchknight spells are not as varied as those cast by other Arcane casting classes, giving a Witchknight room to make allowances for armor. A Witchknight ignores the Arcane Spell Failure chance of all light armor when casting Witchknight spells; any other spells cast by the Witchknight incur normal arcane spell failure, as do any shield, medium, or heavy armor the Witchknight is wearing.

-Cantrips: A Witchknight may use any Cantrip he knows as a spell-like ability at will.

-Spells: Witchknights cast spells from the Witchknight Spell List (see below), and learns and casts spells just as a Bard does. A Witchknight acquires spells per day and spells known as a Bard does (see table 4-3 and 4-4 on pages 17 and 18 of the Pathfinder RPG) A Witchknight needs a Charisma score of at least 10 plus the spell level to learn a spell. The saving throw DC of a Witchknight spell is determined by his Charisma modifier, and a Witchknight may receive extra spells per day if he has a high enough Charisma score.

2-Supernatural Resistance

-Supernatural Resistance: A Witchknight knows more about magic than most, including its weaknesses. He adds his Charisma modifier to any saving throw made against a Spell, Spell-Like Ability, or Supernatural Ability.

3-Mettle, Advanced Learning

-Mettle: The eldritch secrets Witchknights are privy to fortify both mind and body. If a Witchknight succeeds on a Fortitude or Will saving throw, he may completely ignore the effect, even if it normally has a lesser effect on a successful save (For example, a 3^rd level Witchknight who succeeded on his save against Inflict Light Wounds would take no damage instead of half damage).

-Advanced Learning: A Witchknight’s comprehension of the world and the secret powers underlying it never ceases. Over the course of his travels, a Witchknight may add a new spell to his class list of any level he can cast at any level at which he has the Advanced Learning class feature. This new spell must be taken from the Bard or Sorceror/Wizard class list and must be from the schools of Divination, Enchantment, Necromancy, or Transmutation.

4-

5-Witchcraft

-Witchcraft: At level five, a Witchknight’s knowledge of supernatural world has grown to the point that he can call forth and control an unnatural manifestation. This manifestation takes one of two forms.

The first is that the Witchknight gains control of his shadow and can control it as a separate entity. His shadow cannot attack or interact with the world at large in any way, and it does not provide flanking bonuses to attack rolls. The Witchknight may direct his shadow to move up to his land speed as a free action once each turn. Technically harmless though it may be, the shadow is unnerving, and any foe occupying the same square or an adjacent square to the shadow takes a -2 penalty to armor class and saving throws; the penalties for multiple shadows do not stack. In addition, any creature can occupy the same square as the shadow to gain the benefits of concealment (though hostile creatures still take the penalties). A Witchknight is unafraid of his own shadow and can see through it, thus negating concealment and penalties caused by the shadow (though he can sit in his own shadow and gain concealment against others).
At first, the Witchknight can command only his own shadow. He may summon forth an additional shadow at ninth level, and a third shadow at fourteenth level. At nineteenth level, the penalties inflicted by his shadow increase to -4.

Alternately, the Witchknight may choose to call down an aura of power upon himself. The Witchknight may activate any aura he knows as a swift action. The aura will then sustain itself until the Witchknight falls unconscious (including sleep), activates a different aura, or willfully deactivates the aura (another swift action). Auras normally have a range of 10 feet, and the Witchknight chooses one aura known at level 4.

At levels 9 and 14, the Witchknight may choose an additional Aura known. At level 19, all the Witchknight’s auras’ effects increase by one-half and have their range extended to twenty feet. A Witchknight can have only one aura active at a time.

Aura choices:

-Clumsiness: All foes within the aura have all movement speeds reduced by 10 feet and take a -4 to Climb, Swim, and Fly checks.
-Despair: All foes within the aura take a -2 penalty to all saving throws.

-Dread: All foes within the aura take a -2 penalty to attack rolls and weapon damage rolls.

-Incompetence: All foes within the aura take a -2 penalty to all skill checks and ability checks.

-Unease: All foes within the aura take a -2 penalty to AC.

-Terror: All foes within the Aura take a -4 penalty to saves and checks made to resist Fear effects. In addition, any foe immune to fear instead receives a +4 bonus on his saving throws (after the effects of the aura).

6-Witch’s Shield 1/day

-Witch’s Shield: Beginning at level six, a Witchknight can make subtle alterations to fate itself. As a free action, he can invoke a field around himself that promotes bad luck in aggressive actions directed at him. Whenever the Witchknight is attacked while this field of bad luck is active, any attack rolls made against him are rolled twice, and the attack is made using the worse roll. The shield can sustain a number of attacks equal to the Witchknight’s Charisma modifier (regardless of the roll’s result) before it dissipates. This ability functions once per day at level six, an additional time at level twelve, and a third time at level eighteen.

7-Advanced Learning

8-Greater Bewitching

-Greater Bewitching: At level 8, the penalties inflicted by Bewitching a target increase to -4.

9-Witchcraft (+1 Shadow/Aura Known)

10-

11-Advanced Learning

12-Witch’s Shield 2/day

13-

14-Witchcraft (+1 Shadow/Aura Known)

15-Dire Bewitching, Advanced Learning

-Dire Bewitching: At level 15, the penalties inflicted by Bewitching a target increase to -6

16-

17-

18-Witch’s Shield 3/day

19-Witchcraft (Increased penalties), Advanced Learning

20-Frightful Presence

-Frightful Presence: At level 20, the Witchknight gains Frightful Presence, effective against any non-ally with hit dice less than or equal to the Witchknight’s. The save DC of the Witchknight’s Frightful Presence is equal to 20+his Charisma modifier, and a successful save renders the subject immune to the Witchknight’s Frightful Presence for 24 hours. A Witchknight’s Frightful Presence has no effect on creatures with more hit dice than the Witchknight, and he can disable it or activate it as a free action.

Witchknight Spell List

*= New Spell

0-(Cantrips):

Arcane Mark, Bleed, Daze, Detect Magic, Lullaby, Message, Prestidigitation, Read Magic, Touch of Fatigue

1-

Cause Fear, Charm Person, Disguise Self, Erase, Expeditious Retreat, Hideous Laughter, Hypnotism, Lesser Confusion, Prey on the Weak*, Seek Blood*, Sleep, Undetectable Alignment

2-

Alter Self, Blindness/Deafness, Blur, Bull’s Strength, Cat’s Grace, Daze Monster, Detect Thoughts, Eagle’s Splendor, False Life, Hold Person, Scare, See Invisibility, Suggestion, Terrify*, Tongues, Vampiric Touch

3-

Bestow Curse, Charm Monster, Confusion, Crushing Despair, Deep Slumber, Dispel Magic, Fear, Glibness, Locate Creature, Slow, Stupify*

4-

Devour the Weak*, Dominate Person, Feeblemind, Foul Curse*, Freedom of Movement, Hold Monster, Modify Memory, Telepathic Bond

5-

Greater Dispel Magic, Mass Suggestion, Mind Fog, Nightmare, Seeming, Shadow Walk, Symbol of Fear, Song of Discord, True Seeing

6-

Demand, Discern Location, Finger of Death, Horrid Wilting, Irresistible Dance, Slay the Weak*, Power Word Stun, Symbol of Insanity

New Spells:

Devour the Weak

Level: Witchknight 4

School: Necromancy

Casting Time: 1 Swift Action

Components: V, S

Range: Touch

Target: Melee Weapon Touched

Duration: 1 round

Description: Every sharp point along your blade turns into a gnashing mouth.

For one round, your weapon deals 2d6 extra damage. However, against Bewitched foes, your weapon instead deals 5d6 extra damage, has its enhancement bonus increased by 3, and grants a +4 profane bonus to rolls made to confirm critical hits. In addition, whenever you deal weapon damage to a Bewitched foe, you gain half that amount (rounded down) as temporary hit points (up to one-half your normal maximum hit points).

Foul Curse

Level: Witchknight 4

School: Necromancy

Casting Time: 1 Swift Action

Components: V, S

Range: Touch

Target: Melee Weapon Touched

Duration: 1 round/Hour/level

Description: A crackling, purplish corona of darkness swathes your weapon. You can’t help but grin.

For one round, any enemy damaged by your weapon receives a negative level. These negative levels last for a number of hours equal to your caster level and cannot cause actual level loss.

Prey on the Weak

Level: Witchknight 1

School: Divination

Casting Time: 1 Swift Action

Components: V, S

Range: Touch

Target: Melee Weapon Touched

Duration: 1 round

Description: With a muttered curse, spectral blood drips across the edge of your blade. It’s ready to seek out prey.

Prey on the Weak adds 1d4 damage to the melee weapon you hold until the end of the round. However, against Bewitched foes, it deals +1d6 damage instead and increases the weapon’s enhancement bonus by +2, as well as granting a +4 profane bonus to rolls made to confirm critical hits.

Seek Blood

Level: Witchknight 1

School: Divination

Casting Time: 1 Swift Action

Components: V, S

Range: Personal

Target: Self

Duration: 1 round or until discharged.

Description: You concentrate, and the weaknesses in your foe’s defenses are illustrated as if lit up.

You gain a +10 bonus on your next attack roll. If you do not use this bonus before the start or your next turn, the spell dissipates with no effect.

Slay the Weak

Level: Witchknight 6

School: Necromancy

Casting Time: 1 Swift Action

Components: V, S

Range: Touch

Target: Melee Weapon Touched

Save: Fortitude partial (see text)

Duration: 1 round

Description: Your weapon turns inky black and drips ethereal blood.

For one round, your weapon deals 3d6 extra damage. Against a foe that is Bewitched, it instead deals 7d6 extra damage, has its enhancement bonus increased by 5, and grants a +4 Profane bonus to rolls made to confirm critical hits. In addition, any Bewitched foe struck by your blade must make a Fortitude save or drop dead.

Stupify

Level: Witchknight 3. Sorceror/Wizard 4

School: Necromancy

Casting Time: 1 Standard Action

Components: V, S

Range: Personal

Target: 40 foot burst, centered on you

Duration: 1 round

Saving Throw: Will Negates

Description: With a menacing pose, your enemies realize just how bad an idea challenging you is.

When you cast this spell, an almost palpable aura of dread emanates from you for twenty feet in every direction. Any foe that fails its save cowers in terror for one round and takes 1d6 Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma damage.

Terrify

Level: Witchknight 2, Sorceror/Wizard 3

School: Necromancy

Casting Time: 1 Swift Action

Components: V, S

Range: Personal/Close (25 feet+5 feet/2 levels)

Target: Self/One Creature

Duration: 1 round/level

Description: You narrow your eyes at your target, and show them why you are a denizen of nightmares.

You gain a bonus to your Intimidate checks equal to your caster level. In addition, when you cast this spell, you may immediately attempt to Demoralize a single opponent.