Colossus Knight (3.5e Prestige Class)

Summary::Clad in heavy armor, the colossus knight becomes an unstoppable juggernaut of steel. Length::10 Minimum Level::20 Base Attack Bonus Progression::Good Fortitude Save Progression::Good Reflex Save Progression::Poor Will Save Progression::Good Class Ability::Other Class Ability Progression::Other

This article use rules from Complete Epic.

Colossus Knight
"Nothing Can Stop the Colossus Knight!"

Few things are more intimidating than a giant knight clad in foreboding armor. Its presence commands power and a sense of invulnerability. At least, for commonfolk this is the case. Alas, as danger grows many warriors find their armor does not keep pace to the dangers they face. The colossus knights have the answer, imbuing their armor with the strength of the iron colossus. Face with epic dangers which seek to swallow the world, the colossus knight marches straight ahead without fear.

Becoming a Colossus Knight
Those that become colossus knights do so because they wish to optimize their use of heavy armor. They usually have strength to fight and carry the weight of their armor, and the constitution to endure in battle.

Class Features
All of the following are class features of the Colossus Knight.

 : The armor a colossus knight wears seems to thicken and bulk up, even the lightest of armors. The colossus knight gains his class level as damage reduction/-. This damage reduction stacks with similar damage reduction granted by class, feat, race, or armor material but not with temporary or magical effects.

In addition, the armor bonus of the armor increases by 3 + your class level.

 : The colossus knight must be strong to wear such heavy armor so often. The colossus knight adds his class level to his strength score, as if gaining ability bonuses via leveling.

 : The colossus knight is made Obdurium Tough inside and out. He gains his class level x3 in additional hit points.

 : The colossus knight works with heavy armor and shields all the time. He no longer has a maximum dexterity bonus, armor check penalty, or arcane spell failure to his armor. In addition he is not slowed down by medium or heavy armor.

 : The colossus knight never tires. He can survive any action or environment covered by Endurance forever without making Constitution checks. He can run forever, survive environments as if under endure elements, and sleep in heavy armor. In addition, the colossus knight is immune to fatigue and exhaustion.

 : The colossus knight knows how to swing around the weight of his heavy armor as well. He gains two slam attacks with his hands as natural weapons which deal 2d6 + strength modifier and a half. It is treated as wielding a two-handed weapon when beneficial. If the armor is made of a special material and he is wearing it, his slam attacks are considered to be the same material (such as adamantine or cold iron). Your slam attacks may be enhanced as if they were manufactured weapons, and the slam attacks are treated as epic and magic for bypassing damage reduction. If wielding a weapon in his hand he cannot use the slam attack for that hand.

 : While focused on armor, the colossus knight enjoys a good shield as well. He may use bucklers without any penalty to attack, light shields as if they were bucklers, heavy shields as if they were light shields, and tower shields as if they were heavy shields. He no longer takes a penalty to attack rolls from tower shields. You must still be proficient in tower shields in order to use them without penalty.

 : At 2nd level, a colossus knight's armor becomes extraordinarily empowered with toughness. It becomes immune to rust. Rust monsters around the world mourn.

If you already have the feat, you can choose a different fighter bonus feat or advanced colossus knight feat of your choice.

 : At 3rd level, a colossus knight gains the trample ability. Trampling deals your slam damage + 2 times your Strength modifier.

 : At 3rd level, a colossus knight bonds with his armor, and it provides him life support. As long as the colossus knight is wearing his armor he does not need to eat, sleep, or breathe. He becomes immune to pressure damage, and is immune to inhaled gases.

 : A colossus knight has a much larger presence than it looks. At 3rd level and every three levels beyond (6th, 9th, and so on) the colossus knight gains a virtual size category. The colossus knight's actual size, space, and reach remain the same but he can count himself a size larger whenever beneficial. This stacks with powerful build. If wielding weapons at least a size larger than his normal size he gains +5 feet of reach for each size category bigger when attacking (though he does not threaten out to this range).

The colossus knight's weight is multiplied by 8 for every size increase due to the extraordinary density of his armor. For each size larger, he gains a +4 bonus on ability checks made to resist being bull rushed or tripped when standing on the ground (but not when climbing, flying, riding, or otherwise not standing firmly on the ground).

 : At 4th level, a colossus knight can make a single attack as a standard action, dealing damage and forcing a Fortitude save DC 10 + 1/2 HD + Strength. If the creature fails, it is thrown backward up to 10 feet per class level, taking additional falling damage and falling prone (minimum 10 feet, 1d6 per 10 feet moved). If the creature hits an obstacle in the way, it takes damage as if it had traveled the full distance and falls prone. It does not work on creatures two or more size categories larger than the colossus knight.

 : At 3rd level, a colossus knight gains the breath weapon of an iron colossus; a deadly gas of toxic heavy metals. 3/day, the colossus knight can breath a cone of poisonous gas 60 feet dealing 3d6 Con/2d6 Con damage on a failed Fortitude save (DC 10 + 1/2 HD + Con modifier), save negates. Immunity to poison is immunity to this breath weapon.

 : At 5th level, a colossus knight is constantly under the extraordinary effects of adapt body while wearing armor.

He gains spell resistance equal to 10 + HD. He gains low-light vision and darkvision out to 60 feet. He becomes immune to poison, sleep effects, paralysis, stunning, disease, and death effects. And finally, he gains 50% fortification. As a result, however, he only gains half the benefit from cure spells and effects, though repair spells now work on the colossus knight as if they were a construct.

He applies his DR/- to energy damage as well (acid, cold, electric, fire, and sonic). Other forms of damage still go through normally.

 : At 6th level, a colossus knight in motion cannot be stopped. For every 10 feet a colossus knight moves in a turn, he gains a +2 bonus on bull rush attempts, and an additional +10 feet added to any successful colossal blow he performs. If moving into an unattended object (such as a wall) the colossus knight can attempt a strength check against it. If successful, he bursts through without slowing his motion.

If the colossus knight moves at least 10 feet, any further distance ignores difficult terrain. However, the colossus knight may only move in a straight line.

 : At 6th level, a colossus knight and all the equipment he wields becomes indestructible while in his hands, and cannot be sundered. They are imbued with the durability of a colossus. However this doesn't provide any additional protection to the one wearing the invincible armor.

 : At 7th level, a colossus knight's armor is nearly a sentient creature of its own, storing some of his life force on reserve. If reduced to below 0 hp, the armor immediately provides a jolt of repairing energy that heals 1d6 hp per class level. This functions 1/day and requires no action, though it can be suppressed and not used if desired.

 : At 8th level, whenever a colossus knight uses colossal blow he can now blow away multiple creatures. If a colossus knight knocks one creature into another, the second creature takes your slam damage and must make the Fortitude save or also be knocked backwards. Inertia is not lost between bumps, in theory you could have an endless line from one end to another falling down like dominoes.

 : At 8th level, a colossus knight's iron breath improves. He may now use it at will every 1d4 rounds, the cone extends to 80 feet, and it still deals half damage on a successful save.

 : At 9th level, a colossus knight's armor will continue to move even after they have expired. If a colossus knight is killed, his armor will reactivate within 1d10 rounds of death. The armor is a Construct with the same HD, BAB, and saves as the colossus knight and 10 hp per level. It also retain's the user's feats. It has no Con or Int score but has the same Strength and Dexterity scores as its user, Wis 10, and Cha 1. It has limited intellect but has fragments of the user's personality, having the same alignment, general goals, and limited speech. It has none of the class features other than class features gained via this class. It's primary goal is to finish the fight, or flee with the user's remains and have it revived. In effect the dying colossus knight can give it a single task when he dies for the armor to complete.

If the colossus knight is revived, the living armor returns to being an object. If the construct-form of the armor is destroyed, the armor is also destroyed.

 : At 9th level, a colossus knight can crash into opponents for massive damage. The colossus knight becomes immune to fall damage and deals its fall damage to anything it crashes into. If it deals at least 20 dice of fall damage it makes a crater on crashing in a 10 foot radius burst. Creatures must make a Reflex save (DC 10 + 1/2 HD + Con modifier) or fall prone, and the area becomes difficult terrain from debris.

The colossus knight also gets "fall damage" if in a charge or in a bull rush, based on how far the colossus knight has traveled before impacting their opponent (maximum 20d6 at 200 feet a round).

The colossus knight is immune to the effects of re-entry through the atmosphere, though not other forms of heat and friction.

His spell resistance becomes a golem's magic immunity, rendering him immune to all spells which require spell resistance. The magical immunity can be toggled on and off once per round as a free action on the colossus knight's turn only, usually done to allow ally spells through. He becomes immune to necromancy effects, and completely immune to cure spells, though repair spells continue to work. He can be repaired as if a construct himself. Finally he gains complete immunity to critical hits and sneak attacks with 100% fortification.

As a standard action, the colossus knight can expand its immunity into an antimagic field with unlimited duration, or dismiss it as a standard action. When it is expanded, he can still use his iron breath ability, but no other supernatural effects as normal.

It does not apply to ability damage or drain.

The advanced colossus knight gains a bonus feat (selected from the list of advanced colossus knight feats) at 11th and every 3 levels after.

Advanced Colossus Knight Bonus Feat List: PENDING.

Playing a Colossus Knight
Combat: What are you doing? Get on the front line! You are a tank, perhaps not the most mobile or versatile for high speed dodging, but you don't need to dodge. With powerful damage reduction, health, and other methods of soaking you can survive entering into melee with Cthulthu and punching him right in the jaw. With your ever-increasing virtual size, you can even get him in a headlock.

Advancement: You are a tank, and melee is your friend. You play well with martial initiators, as well as anything that gives you more offense to match your now potent defense.

Resources: Colossus knights are rare invincible titans of legend. When one is deployed to a battle they know it cannot be defeated in a straight fight.

Colossus Knights in the World
"It can't be bargained with. It can't be reasoned with. It doesn't feel pity, or remorse, or fear. And it absolutely will not stop, ever, until you are dead."

NPC Reactions: Colossus Knights are less man and more unstoppable force of nature. Most NPCs wisely choose to flee from the unstoppable juggernaut heading their way.

Colossus Knight Lore
Characters with ranks in Knowledge Arcana can research colossus knights to learn more about them. When a character makes a skill check, read or paraphrase the following, including information from lower DCs.

Colossus Knights in the Game
Adaptation: The colossus knight can easily duplicate the appearance of a different construct, if a suitable replacement for the breath weapon is found.

Sample Encounter: A murderous colossus knight has appeared from the future, in a bid to murder someone from the past and change history. Can no one stop this invincible monster?

EL 30: PENDING.