Mechwarrior (3.5e Prestige Class)

Summary::Transform your heavy armor warrior into a mechwarrior, piloting a robotic exoskeleton into battle! Length::10 Minimum Level::5 Base Attack Bonus Progression::Good Fortitude Save Progression::Good Reflex Save Progression::Poor Will Save Progression::Poor Class Ability::Other Class Ability Progression::Other

Mechwarrior
"Deploy the mobile suits! Roll out!"

Fighting men with a habit of working with machines inevitably turn their talents into surviving on the battlefield. They tinker with their armor, transforming it into something like a construct hollowed out that they can wear, and become a pilot to a super fighting robot!

Class Features
All of the following are class features of the Mechwarrior.

Their effective caster level is equal to their character level, and they may make a Knowledge Engineering or Use Magic Device check (DC 15 + twice spell level) to substitude requirements for specific spells when creating constructs.

 : A mechwarrior can use their engineering knowledge to substitude abilities they may otherwise not have. They can use their Knowledge Engineering skill in place of any Strength or Dexterity ability check or skill check. They may also use their Int in place of their Strength or Dexterity for attack rolls and damage rolls.

 : Mechwarriors begin their path to greatness by transforming their magic armor they qualified with into a mechanized robotic exoskeleton. Mech armor cannot be worn by others, and others treat it as normal armor for which they are always non-proficient. The weight of the armor is reduced to 0 lbs for the purposes of encumbrance, as the suit is self supporting, and they may don and remove the armor as a 1 round action (1 standard action if donned quickly). They may move their normal speed in their mech armor (or gain +10 speed if they already had such an ability), and the armor check penalty is reduced by an amount equal to their class level (minimum 0). They may rest and sleep in their mech armor without becoming fatigued.

Small and smaller mechwarriors can choose to have a mecha armor one size larger than them. They can wear and use it as normal, but act as a creature one size larger while in the suit. They do not gain any other benefits of increasing in size.

This grants them special abilities, many which scale with their character level. They can switch out which mech augmentations they have over the course of 24 hours of work for each augment, and can never have more augments than their class level. Some augmentations may require pre-requistes to use correctly. Augments may be selected multiple times, which is beneficial for augments with limited daily supplies. The saving throw for any mech augment is 10 + 1/2 HD + Int modifier.

 : You gain the ability to detect magic at will. You can study an object for 1 minute to duplicate identify or object reading. Once per day, you can duplicate the effects of divination over the course of 1 minute.

 : You can make a ranged touch attack as a standard action out to 60 ft, dealing 1d6 points of magic piercing damage per HD. You have a number of shots equal to your HD per day.

 : You can go invisible at will, up to 1 minute per HD per day. The duration need not be consecutive, but is used in a minimum of 1 minute increments. Once you reach 3rd level, you can duplicate greater invisibility, lasting 1 round for every 1 minute of your normal invisibility ability.

 : You can make a 30 ft cone of explosive energy (acid, cold, electricity, or fire, chosen each time you use the ability), dealing 1d6 points of the appropriate energy damage with a Reflex save for half. You can use it a number of times equal to half your HD per day. At 5th level, you can make a 60 ft cone which consumes two uses of your daily ability.

 : If you ever drop below 0 hp you are given a burst of healing alchemical substances which restores 5 hp per HD. It also removes all negative status effects removed by the heal spell. This may save you from death, and works 1/day. If the emergancy healing kit has not been used for the day, all healing effects are maximized against you.

 : You can make a 120 ft line of glowing energy (acid, cold, electricity, or fire, chosen each time you use the ability), dealing 1d6 points of the appropriate energy damage with a Reflex save for half. You can use it a number of times equal to half your HD per day. At 5th level, you can make a 240 ft line and 15 ft wide which consumes two uses of your daily ability.

 : You benefit from the effects of rocket boots with no F.U.E.L. consumption. When you reach the 3rd level of this class, you gain a fly speed of 60 ft (good). At 7th level of this class, your fly speed becomes 90 ft.

 : You gain a floating bit, a device like an iuon stone which floats around you. This one acts as a sentry, granting you an extra attack of opportunity, and adding your class level as a insight bonus against attacks of opportunity you provoke.

 : You gain a floating bit, a device like an iuon stone which floats around you. This one acts as a turrent, making a single ranged touch attack to any creature in 60 ft as a free action once per round. It deals 1d6 force damage as it shoots something similar to a magic missile.

 : You gain temp hp equal to your HD and are immune to critical hits as long as your shield's temp hp exists. While the shield is up, you benefit from a deflection bonus equal to half your class level (minimum +1). If the shield is depleted, it returns after 1 round at the end of your next turn.

 : You gain blindsense out to 30 ft. As a move action you can send out a pulse, gaining blindsight to 30 ft and blindsense to 60 ft for 1 round. You cannot detect anything within an antimagic field.

 : You can roll twice and take the best result on your Will saves.

 : You can fire a missile as a standard action, launching an explosive out to Long range (400 ft + 100 ft/level). The missile explodes in a 20 ft radius burst, dealing 1d6 points of fire damage per level with a Reflex save for half. You can use it a number of times equal to half your HD per day (minimum 1).

 : You gain Lay on Hands of a paladin of your level, using your Int score in place of your Cha. You can recover your own hit points as a swift action, or a standard action for others.

 : This powerful attack is difficult to set up as the attack is very obvious and slow. You fire a large missile into the air, and it comes down after 1d2 rounds. It attacks a huge area, a 80 ft radius cylinder 50 ft high which dealings 1d10 points of piercing damage and 1d10 fire damage per level with a Reflex save for half. Creatures over 50 ft above the ground are unaffected, and you must have a cieling of at least 200 ft high to use this ability. You can use this a number of times equal to half your class level. You must be at least 5th level in the class to select.

 : As a standard action you can grant yourself a +4 enhancement bonus to any one ability score of your choice, the benefit lasting for 24 hours. At 5th level, you can improve two ability scores at once, and at 10th level you can improve three ability scores at once.

 : You can roll twice and take the best result on your Reflex saves.

 : You gain Darkvision 60 ft (or increase current Darkvision by 60 ft), and are under a constant see invisibility effect.

 : You can duplicate the effects of dimension door a number of times per day equal to half your HD. At 5th level, you can use the ability to duplicate teleport (self only), which uses your uses of dimension door. At 10th level you gain gate (travel version only), but it consumes two uses of your dimension door ability.

 : This powerful attack is difficult to set up as the attack is very obvious and slow. You plant yourself into the ground and charge up (-20 to Hide and Move Silently checks). The duration you spend charging determines the power of the subsequent attack. After 1 round, you fire a 100 ft line that deals 2d6 points of force damage per level, with a Reflex save for half. If you wait for 2 rounds, you fire a 500 ft line that deals 3d6 points of force damage per level, and targets who fail their save are blinded for 1 round. If you wait three rounds, you fire a 1000 ft line 15 ft wide that deals 4d6 per level, and creatures are blinded for 1 round and knocked prone (no save). If you move for any reason while charging, or if you fail a Concentration check against damage, you lose the charge and must start over. Once you have fired successfully, you have a 1 minute cooldown before it can be used again. You must be at least 5th level in the class to select.

 : The mech armor a mechwarrior wears helps absorb blows. As long as they are wearing their mech armor, they gain damage resistance equal to their class level. Damage resistance applies to all sources of damage, not merely physical damage, and applies before DR or energy resistances.

Choose one of the abilities shown below, once choices the benefit cannot be altered.

At 5th level, you gain the Improved Combat Trick feat, and at 8th level you gain Greater Combat Trick.

 : Your mech armor automatically gains an enhancement bonus equal to the bonus granted by magic vestment + 1. Your effective caster level is your character level. At 5th level, you gain the ability to threaten (but not nessicarly reach) out an additional +5 ft. At 8th level, this increased threaten range increases to +15 ft, and you can choose to make a 5 ft step as a non-action whenever someone provokes in your threatened area. This does not consume your 5 ft step for the following round.

 : Your mech armor gains a third arm, which can be used to hold items but cannot wield weapons or shields. At 5th level, the arm gains full use and you may wield weapons and shields with it, and at 8th level you gain another second arm.

 : Your mech armor is ideal at ranged combat. You gain your Dex modifier to damage rolls with any ranged weapon (or Int if replaced by Engineering Control). This overlaps, it does not stack with, any other effect adding an ability score to damage with ranged weapons. At 5th level, all your movement speeds increase by +10 ft and you gain Shot on the Run. At 8th level you may full attack while using Shot on the Run, breaking up the attacks however you see fit and moving up to twice your speed. You also gain the Run feat.

 : A 3rd level mechwarrior's armor becomes airtight and sealed from the environment, its interior carefully climate controlled. They gain an extraordinary endure elements effect, and immunity against inhaled threats such as airborne poison or lack of air.

 : At 4th level, a mechwarrior's mech armor improves. It grants 25% fortification when worn, and immunity to disease and poison.

They can choose between a large and intimidating mecha, or a slender and swift powersuit, as shown below.

 : The mechwarrior goes up one size category, gaining all the benefits and penalties associated with the change.

 : Though it cannot shrink (because you are inside it), the mechwarrior gains the Slight Build ability, allowing it to count as a creature one size smaller whenever beneficial. It also counts as non-armor when beneficial.

 : The 6th level mechwarrior has all his needs met by the suit. The mechwarrior does not need to eat, drink, sleep, or breathe as long as they are in the suit. In addition, they heal twice as fast as normal from rest. Their lifespan seems to move at half its normal speed, resulting in them doubling their age categories and maximum age.

 : At 7th level, a mechwarrior's mech armor improves again. They gain 50% fortification and immunity to sleep effects, paralysis, stunning, fatigue, and exhaustion.

 : 9th level mechwarriors have suits so advanced they instantly adapt to any situation. They are always under the effects of adapt body.

Treat it as a familiar as a wizard of your level, though it has your ability scores, your skills and feats, and 10 hp/level (plus whatever extra for size), and the bonuses provided by this class. It otherwise has construct HD and abilities equal to yours. It can be removed and allowed to fight on its own, and can be raised from the dead as if it were a living creature. When worn as armor, it cannot act on its own except for purely mental actions, but it provides a +2 bonus on attack rolls, AC, skills, ability checks, and saves due to constantly aiding you in tasks. It speaks all languages you do.

They benefit from all mech armor benefits and resist damage even when outside their suit. They may don or store their armor (and any weapons and items they can hold as a light load) in an extradimensional fold as a free action on their turn only, though the items still weigh them down as if they were still carrying them.

 : The 10th level mechwarrior's mech armor has reached its peak potential. They gain 100% fortification and immunity to death effects, ability damage, ability drain, and energy drain. You no longer have a Max Dex on your mech armor. Lastly, they cease aging and have no maximum age. The suit takes care of their body and keeps it young and fresh.

The epic Mechwarrior gains a bonus feat (selected from the list of epic Mechwarrior feats) every 3 levels after 11th.

Epic Mechwarrior Bonus Feat List: PENDING

Playing a Mechwarrior
Combat: Mechwarriors have varied combat styles, from melee to ranged, and augment their fighting ability with extraordinary and supernatural might.

Advancement: Most mechwarriors are melee oriented, and choose classes accordingly.

Resources: Mechwarriors may work for the government to ensure a steady supply of materials and funding.

Mechwarriors in the World
"Enter Vector Cannon mode..."

NPC Reactions: Mechwarriors seem really strong, not everyone gets to pilot an awesome robot suit.

Mechwarrior Lore
Characters with ranks in Knowledge Engineering can research mechwarriors to learn more about them. When a character makes a skill check, read or paraphrase the following, including information from lower DCs.

Mechwarriors in the Game
Sample Encounter: Can the PCs defeat the Zaku empire and their legendary warrior, Big Zam the Mechwarrior?