Martial Power™ Sample file ROLEPLAYING GAME SUPPLEMENT Rob Heinsoo • David Noonan • Chris Sims • Robert J. Schwalb Martial Power_Ch0.indd 1 9/4/08 2:04:33 PM CCREDITSREDITS Design Cover Illustration Rob Heinsoo (lead), William O’Connor David Noonan, Chris Sims, Robert J. Schwalb Graphic Designer Additional Design Emi Tanji Andy Collins, Nicolas Logue, Rodney Thompson Interior Illustrations Development Steve Belledin, Leonardo Borazio, Steve Ellis, Stephen Radney-MacFarland (lead), Wayne England, Jason A. Engle, Gonzalo Flores, Stephen Schubert, Peter Schaefer Adam Gillespie, Brian Hagan, Jeremy Jarvis, Ron Lemen, Wes Louie, Howard Lyon, Lee Moyer, Lucio Parrillo, Editing Jim Pavelec, Steve Prescott, Vincent Proce, Ron Spears, Jeremy Crawford (lead), Ron Spencer, Stephen Tappin, Mark Tedin, Beth Trott, M. Alexander Jurkat, Gwendolyn F.M. Kestrel Ben Wootten Managing Editing Publishing Production Specialist Kim Mohan Erin Dorries Director of R&D, Roleplaying Games/Book Publishing Prepress Manager Bill Slavicsek Jefferson Dunlap D&D Story Design and Development Manager Imaging Technician Christopher Perkins Sven Bolen D&D System Design and Development Manager Production Manager Andy Collins Cynda Callaway Art Director Game rules based on the original DUNGEONS & DRAGONS® Ryan Sansaver rules created by E. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, and the later editions by David “Zeb” Cook (2nd Edition); Jonathan Special thanks to Brandon Daggerhart, keeper of Shadowfell Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams, Richard Baker, and Peter SampleAdkison file (3rd Edition); and Rob Heinsoo, Andy Collins, and James Wyatt (4th Edition). 620-21789720-001 EN U.S., CANADA, ASIA, PACIFIC, EUROPEAN HEADQUARTERS WIZARDS OF THE COAST, BELGIUM 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 & LATIN AMERICA Hasbro UK Ltd ’t Hofveld 6D First Printing: October 2008 Wizards of the Coast, Inc. Caswell Way 1702 Groot-Bijgaarden ISBN: 978-0-7869-4981-6 P.O. Box 707 Newport, Gwent NP9 0YH Belgium Renton WA 98057-0707 GREAT BRITAIN +32 2 467 3360 +1-800-324-6496 Please keep this address for your records DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, D&D, d20, d20 System, WIZARDS OF THE COAST, Player’s Handbook, Dungeon Master’s Guide, Monster Manual, Martial Power, FORGOTTEN REALMS, Inn Fighting, Scepter Tower of Spellgard, Three-Dragon Ante, all other Wizards of the Coast product names, and their respective logos are trademarks of Wizards of the Coast in the U.S.A. and other countries. All Wizards characters, character names, and the distinctive likenesses thereof are property of Wizards of the Coast, Inc. This material is protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America. Any reproduction or unauthorized use of the material or artwork contained herein is prohibited without the express written permission of Wizards of the Coast, Inc. Any similarity to actual people, organizations, places, or events included herein is purely coincidental. Printed in the U.S.A. ©2008 Wizards of the Coast, Inc. VVISITISIT OOURUR WWEBSITEEBSITE AATT WWWW.WIZARDS.COM/DNDWW.WIZARDS.COM/DND Martial Power_Ch0.indd 2 9/4/08 2:04:35 PM IIntroductionntroduction Armor and shield, blade and bow, stealth and cun- martial talents and ten new epic destinies for martial ning, tactics and command—all of these are the tools characters. of a warrior. One warrior might favor some of these Use the Martial Power™ supplement to start play- assets over others, depending on training and inclina- ing a new character with a new build, to pick powers tion. All legendary warriors develop martial power that better define your existing character, or to evolve to such an extent that their abilities are the equal your character with specific feats, such as those that of magical abilities. Such warriors are always look- have racial and class prerequisites. The paragon paths ing for an edge or a technique that exemplifies their introduced here might allow you to fully express the manner of fighting. style you always intended your character to have. That’s what you’ll find in this book. It’s a manual of mighty deeds and wily tricks. In Reimagining Your Character its pages are new ways to build a martial charac- It happens. You’ve played your martial character a ter, along with new options to fill out your role as a while, and suddenly Martial Power shows up, offer- fighter, a ranger, a rogue, or a warlord. Members of ing many new possibilities—options you might have nonmartial classes might find an appropriate multi- picked if you had known about them earlier. class feat in these pages, but everything else is for Don’t despair; you have a few choices. Retraining martial characters. It is intended to expand your mar- rules (see page 28 of the Player’s Handbook®) make tial horizons in the game. tapping into Martial Power easy. If retraining won’t do the trick quickly enough, talk to your DM and your Using This Book fellow players about reworking your character along As you can see by the table of contents, Martial Power the lines Martial Power provides. Chances are you is organized by class. Whether you have a character can overhaul your PC to match your desires without of a certain class or you want to make a character doing any harm to the campaign. Your DM might of that class, all you have to do is consult the proper even have a way to make the change a part of the chapter for new builds, class features, powers, and story. If doing that ultimately proves too difficult, a paragon paths. The final chapter of the book con- dramatic exit for the older character could make way tains nearly two hundred new feats to hone your for a new one. Sample file contents 11:: FIGHTERFIGHTER . 4 New Class Feature . 72 Multiclass Feats . 149 New Fighter Builds . 6 New Rogue Powers . 73 Epic Destinies . 150 New Class Features . 6 New Paragon Paths . 88 Adamantine Soldier . 150 New Fighter Powers . 7 44:: WWARLORDARLORD Beastlord . 151 New Paragon Paths . 24 . 100 Dark Wanderer . 152 New Warlord Builds . 102 22:: RRANGERANGER Eternal Defender . 153 . 36 New Class Features . 102 Godhunter . 154 New Ranger Build . 38 New Warlord Powers . 103 Legendary General . 155 New Class Feature . 38 New Paragon Paths . 118 Martial Archetype . .156 Beast Categories . 39 Perfect Assassin . 156 55:: MMARTIALARTIAL OOPTIONSPTIONS . 130 New Ranger Powers . 42 Undying Warrior . 157 New Feats . 132 New Paragon Paths . 58 Warmaster . 158 Heroic Tier Feats . 132 33:: RROGUEOGUE . 70 Paragon Tier Feats . 140 New Rogue Builds . 72 Epic Tier Feats . 145 Martial Power_Ch0.indd 3 9/4/08 2:04:35 PM CHAPTER 1 FFighterighter “Battle line? Formation? Listen—I came here to kill whatever comes at us, not to march in a parade. I’ll keep you alive by makin’ the bad guys dead. 1Got me?” A fighter can use training and talent to be a good defender. Doing so is the typical soldier’s path. But not all fighters follow that path. Maybe you channel your indignation and bloodlust such that you defy your adversaries despite blows that land solidly. Or maybe you take up two weapons and focus on audacious assaults. In these ways, a good offense makes for solid defense. Specialized techniques aren’t the sole purview of unorthodox fighters, however. Combat systems are as numerous as weapons and the individual warriors who use them. Concentration on a weapon or a style can make your path clear, since certain exploits lend themselves to particular ways of fighting. Whether you’re a scale-clad, sword-and-board trooper; a tattooed, axe-wielding savage; a dual- wielding warrior who moves the battle line fromSample file moment to moment; or another sort of fighter, this chapter is for you. It contains the following material. ✦ New Fighter Builds: The battlerager and the tempest present different styles of combat that protect your allies while laying your enemies low. ✦ New Class Features: Two alternative choices give you the opportunity to focus your fighter even more sharply on one of the new builds. ✦ New Fighter Powers: Bring fear of your weapon prowess to your foes in new ways, including exploits that make your basic attacks and charges more dangerous. ✦ New Paragon Paths: Your particular road to glory can be represented by one of a dozen new paragon paths, each with its own flair. GONZALO FLORES 4 CHAPTER 1 | Fighter Martial Power_Ch1.indd 4 9/4/08 2:06:28 PM Sample file Martial Power_Ch1.indd 5 9/4/08 2:06:32 PM NNEWEW FFIGHTERIGHTER BBUILDSUILDS To supplement the fighter builds described in the Suggested At-Will Powers: brash strike,* crushing Player’s Handbook, this chapter presents two addi- surge* tional groups of fighters who use different styles of Suggested Encounter Power: bell ringer* melee combat: the battlerager and the tempest. Suggested Daily Power: knee breaker* Battlerager Fighter *New option presented in this book Tempest Fighter You’re an unpredictable warrior who trusts the adrenaline rush of battle to pull you through as Rather than a shield or a big weapon, you have spe- much as heavy armor does. Few aspects of life give cialized in fighting using a weapon in each hand. you the charge that being in the heat of battle does, You see it as the best of both worlds—given the right and you build up a fury when your enemies manage training, you can deliver good damage and make up to hurt you. You thrive on taking it to those foes by for the lack of a shield with deft parrying. Strength wielding highly damaging weapons such as axes, remains any soldier’s bread and butter, and good bat- maces, hammers, and picks. Strength is your focus, tlefield awareness—Wisdom—is a must. You also rely allowing you to make powerful attacks.