View source for Talk:Field Marshall (3.5)

So this class has some attractive abilities, but I'm wondering if they're attractive enough, considering.  I don't really have a feel for how useful the NPC companions are, I suppose.  The +1 bonus seems fairly paltry for only working in a 10 foot radius, but maybe I underestimate the usefulness of +1 to all rolls.  In fact, I'm probably really underestimating the usefulness, now that I think about it.

What are this class's class skills?  Also, it seems weird to have 5 points per level--perhaps it should be either 6 or 4?

Attribute scores make horrible prerequisites, because they're almost impossible to improve, and can make the desired minimum character level for a class ridiculously high if the character doesn't happen to start with the right stats (barring the mysterious appearance of Manuals of X).  It might be useful to consider what the desired minimum level is for characters who take this class, and what he should be focused in.  The Leadership feat isn't available until character level 6, for example, so that puts a hard level minimum for anyone.  The BAB requirement doesn't change the minimum level for fighting classes, and increases it a bit for non-fighting classes.  If the class is mostly made for charismatic fighty types, then perhaps minimum ranks in Diplomacy and some sort of Knowledge might make more sense (both being Paladin and Cleric class skills, although Clerics have different Knowledge class skills than Paladins).  This tends to exclude people with mainly Fighter levels, but so does having a 14 in Charisma, which Fighters have little use for.  A Diplomatic feat like Negotiator might make sense, also. [[User:Slitherrr|Slitherrr]] 14:56, 22 July 2009 (EDT)

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Excellent question! To clarify leadership, for the purposes of the Field Marshall class, treat it like you would under the living greyhawk rules from old tounrny D&D. So, you end up with a 24 pt cohort (22 in LG) with a starting level determined by your leadership score. So, essentially, it's a way for a well-established professional to develop a sage advisor, bodyguard, sidekick or whatever to go along with his goodly amount of time scmoozing and gaining temporal power. 

Since you're interested in the class, I'll put some skills up - they'll be very much in line with the fighter + the professional.  -gm

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I kindof agree looking over this that it might need a boost to command abilities. Couple with leadership, they are pretty strong so I don't think we should overdo it. Maybe combine skill checks and saves, and shift AC and At down one. So they get +1 to all at 3, and then at 4 they get more range and 5 a bigger buff?

I'm glad you pointed out that bit about attributes. Good catch--glad they are gone. --[[User:Msallen|Msallen]] 01:45, 25 July 2009 (EDT)

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One thing I've found while reading the DMG is that no matter how high the leadership score, a cohort cannot be higher than two levels below the person with the feat.  This matters less at higher levels, but is still a factor; for example, a level 15 character only needs a leadership score of 19 to reach his max, which is easily doable with the improved leadership feat and a Charisma bonus, meaning any reputation bonuses put him over that max.  If a character were to start this class at level 8, he would get improved leadership at level 9, putting his leadership score at 11 at the very minimum (which gives him the max cohort level, and ignoring reputation penalties), but he'll probably have a Charisma bonus to take advantage of his Charisma-based skills, putting it higher.

Followers do still increase, however, so the leadership bonus isn't useless, and it can mitigate the penalties from causing the deaths of cohorts (although it is hopeful that the character isn't willfully killing off his underlings).

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Additionally, as mentioned in IRC, it also increases the numbers of levels of your "secondary followers", which will generally develop as a stable of henchmen and employees that are tied together based on what your character concept is. For example, there might be one professional who is a researcher and tomb diver, so his cohort might be a strongman/bodyguard and a lot of low level arcanes and experts as research staff. A professional with a mercantile bent, likewise, might need a bodyguard, only his stable would probably be merchants, teamsters, guards, etc. While yet another might be the leader of a band of mercenaries, with a wizard advisor cohort and a stable of low level warriors. The cohort and organization are tailored by the player, or at least his or her archtype.  -gm

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I still think this guy is pretty balanced, and good without making bards useless. In fact, I'd bet there's been quite a few Bard/Field Marshalls in Odessan history. -gm

Should we bother to name the bonuses for Commanding Presence, as, for example, morale bonuses? Stack-ability could make this guy and his allies pretty crazy powerful with the support of the right spells, and all the similar bard effects have named bonuses, probably for that reason (inspire competence is a competence bonus, inspire courage is a morale bonus, and so on). -[[User:Slitherrr|Slitherrr]]
: Probably a good point. -gm