Fighter Elite (3.5e Prestige Class)

Fighter Elite
"We live to fight and we fight to live!"

You couldn't expect the lowly guard or warrior to stay in his position forever. As he rises in ranks, his valor and strength is recognized. The fighter elite are the best of the best, and take the fighting arts to a new level beyond that of the basic fighter.

Class Features
All of the following are class features of the Fighter Elite.

 : The fighter elite is a master of combat. He adds half his effective fighter level as extra damage to attacks he has Weapon Focus in.

 : At 1st level and every three levels beyond (4th, 7th, 10th, etc), a fighter elite gains a cumulative +1 enhancement bonus to his armor and weapons as if it were enhanced by magic. However this is an extraordinary effect, a result of his expertise with whatever armor he wears or weapons he employs. It does not stack with the enhancement bonus from other sources, though he can still benefit from the other effects of magic armor and weapons. If the fighter elite uses a shield, the bonus applies to the shield AC as well.



He gains all the Improved feats for various combat options (bull rush, disarm, feint, grapple, overrun, sunder, and trip). In addition, he gains the Improved Unarmed Strike feat, Power Attack, and Combat Expertise feats. He need not qualify for any of these feats.

If he already possesses a feat for one of the Improved combat options (and he will seeing as it's a prerequisite) the feat instead grants a +8 bonus instead of the usual +4 and ignores any size limitations (such as being unable to grapple creatures two or more size categories larger than you). If he has Improved Feint he can feint as a swift action. If he already has Improved Unarmed Strike, he instead gains Superior Unarmed StrikeToB feat. If he already has Power Attack he instead gains Heavy Power Attack. If he already has Combat Expertise he instead gains Superior Expertise. This applies retroactively, even if he gains these feats at a later date.

Choose either Reflex or Will. The chosen save becomes good for all your fighter-based classes (that is, classes which advance your effective fighter level). If you chose Reflex, you gain evasion (if you already have evasion, it becomes improved evasion). If you chose Will, you gain immunity to fear and compulsion. The changes are retroactive.

 : You have the flexibility to adjust your weapon training. Each morning, you can spend 1 hour in weapon practice to change the designated weapon for any feat you have that applies only to a single weapon (such as Weapon Focus). You must have the newly designated weapon available during your practice session to make this change. For example, if you wish to change the designated weapon for your Weapon Focus feat from greatsword to longsword, you must have a longsword available to practice with during your practice session.

You can adjust any number of your feats in this way, and you don't have to adjust them all in the same way. However, you can't change the weapon choices in such a way that you no longer meet the prerequisite for some other feat you possess. For instance, if you have both Weapon Focus (longsword) and Weapon Specialization (longsword), you can't change the designated weapon for Weapon Focus unless you also change the weapon for Weapon Specialization in the same way.

 : A fighter elite gains Weapon Specialization in the weapon or weapons they have Weapon Focus in.

He must still meet the requirements of the feat as normal.

 : A fighter elite is master of armor as well as weapons. At 2nd level he can move full speed in any armor, his armor check penalty is reduced by his effective fighter level, and his maximum dex bonus rises by his effective fighter level. This also applies to shields and tower shields.

 : A 3rd level fighter elite won't stop his furious attacks just because the enemy is running. If the fighter elite makes a charge attack, he can make a full attack.

At 3rd level and every three levels beyond, the elite fighter picks up a fighter talent. Choose from below.

 : A fighter elite learns special combat maneuvers to harry an opponent through non-direct means. As a standard action the fighter elite may make a normal attack as a standard action, and in addition to damage apply one of the following status conditions for 1 minute: dazzled, deafened, sickened, or shaken (does not stack with fear effects). At 8th level, the list of conditions he can afflict increases, with the following conditions lasting for 5 rounds: blinded, fatigued, frightened (mind-affecting), or slowed. At 16th level, the list of conditions grows again, with the following conditions lasting for 1 round: flat-footed, nauseated, or stunned. All conditions have a saving throw of 10 + 1/2 HD + your ability modifier for attacking (usually Strength), save negates.

 : A fighter elite practically lives in his armor, it is his skin. He gains DR/- as if his armor were adamantine. This ability stacks with the DR if the armor actually is adamantine. At 8th level, the damage reduction granted by this ability doubles (DR 2/- for light, DR 4/- for medium, DR 6/- for heavy). At 16th level, the damage reduction is tripled (DR 3/- for light, DR 6/- for medium, DR 9/- for heavy).

 : A fighter elite knows how to deal the most pain with his blows. His attacks for the round count as continuous damage for the purpose of concentration checks. At 8th level, he adds his effective fighter level as a bonus to the concentration check DC, and the DC to cast defensively also goes up by the same amount. At 16th level, spellcasters always provoke for casting regardless if they cast defensively or not, or if it normally wouldn't (such as with quickened spells).

Choose a fighter bonus feat instead of a fighter talent. You may select this ability multiple times.

 : A fighter elite cannot become sickened to the horrors of war. He becomes immune to sickening. At 8th level, he also becomes immune to poison. At 16th level, he becomes immune to nausea.

 : A fighter elite hasn't come this far without enduring the threat of death. He gains 1 extra hp per level. At 8th level, he gains fast healing equal to his Constitution modifier. At 16th level, he becomes immune to death effects and death by massive damage.

 : A fighter elite cannot fail, for he is powered by courage! He can take a standard action to attempt a failed saving throw he failed in the last round a second time. If he succeeds he is treated as if having made the saving throw, removing the conditions for failure. He must accept the results of the second reroll, even if it is worst than the first. At 8th level, he can reroll even if he is unable to act (but not if he is dead), such as if he is stunned or paralyzed. At 16th level, he can do this even if he is dead, resulting in cases where the fighter elite fails a save against a death effect and then comes back to life on his next turn. This is an exception to the fact that dead creatures can't take actions.

 : A fighter elite fights best when he is put to the wall. He gains +1 attack and +2 damage whenever under 50% hp. At 8th level, the bonus rises to +3 attack and +6 damage. At 16th level, the bonuses are +5 attack and +10 damage, and if ever brought under 0 hp he gains one attack action immediately to use against the opponent which dropped him. This extra attack is a free action.

 : A fighter elite cannot stand still, he must run up to the enemy. He gains a +10 foot bonus to his movement speeds. At 8th level, he gains another +10 foot bonus and no longer provokes attacks of opportunity for movement. At 16th level, he gains another +10 foot bonus to speed, and ignores effects which would slow his movement speeds (such as difficult terrain, solid fog, and slow) but not any other effect (such as other terrain penalties, being unable to see in fog, or the single actions of the slow spell).

 : A fighter elite must always be prepared to fight and never ready to stop. He becomes immune to fatigue. At 8th level, he also becomes immune to exhaustion. At 16th level, he never needs to eat or sleep, and becomes immune to ability penalties, damage, and drain to his Constitution score (but only Constitution).

 : A fighter elite always takes advantage of an opening, bounding across the battlefield to capitalize on it. His threatened area expands as if he were one size larger (minimum +5 feet, or to 10 feet for a medium fighter elite). At 8th level, his threatened area expands another size larger (15 feet for a medium fighter elite). At 16th level, his threatened area expands again (20 feet for a medium fighter elite). His quick motions always put him back in his original spot after making an attack of opportunity, and he does not provoke for moving while making his attacks of opportunity from this ability.

 : A 4th level fighter elite's combat abilities inspire others. If he wishes the fighter elite can gain followers (but no cohort) as if he has the Leadership feat. This stacks with Leadership. In addition, he may use his strength instead of his charisma for determining his leadership score, if higher.



 : The weapon aptitude ability of a fighter elite improves at 5th level. He may now retrain himself in weapons in a full-round action.

 : A 7th level fighter elite can make called shots at body parts. As a standard action he may make a normal attack, and aim for a body part. By taking a -3 penalty to attack, he can target an arm or a leg. If he hits an arm, any attacks with the arm take a -4 penalty to attack rolls for 10 minutes. If he hits a leg, the creature's speed drops in half for 10 minutes. He may also target unusual body parts like wings and tails with similar, appropriate effects.

By taking a -6 penalty to attack, the fighter elite can deal internal damage, dealing 1d6 Con damage in addition to normal damage by breaking important bones and organs.

By taking a -12 penalty to attack, the fighter elite can aim for the head of the creature. The creature must make a Fortitude save or have its head cut off, usually fatal. The save DC is 10 + 1/2 HD + ability modifier for attacking (usually Strength). This last version provokes attacks of opportunity.

 : At 8th level, a fighter elite gains more clout for his fighting prowess. He doubles the number of followers granted by commander, and he can inspire both his followers and other allies. By taking a full attack action to make a dramatic speech or show of force, he grants all allies in a 90 foot aura his enhanced tools of war bonus for 10 minutes. Unarmored creatures (such as monks) can benefit from the armor bonus as if they were wearing armor with an AC bonus of +0. This lasts for 10 minutes, and creatures must be able to see or hear you, and the effect ends if you die.



Iterative attacks gained from BAB no longer gain a penalty greater than -5. Therefore, a fighter elite with 16 BAB has an attack roll of +16/+11/+11/+11 instead of +16/+11/+6/+1.

 : At 10th level a fighter elite's weapon aptitude ability improves again. He can re-assign his weapon aptitude instantly, applying his specific weapon abilities and elite specialization bonus damage to any weapon he uses.

 : At 11th level, a fighter elite can take out enemies who still have fight left in them. If they attack a creature with fewer hp than twice his effective fighter level, the creature dies instantly. For example, a 15th level fighter elite kills any creature with 30 hp or less, regardless of how much damage he actually dealt. This is not a death effect.

 : At 15th level, a fighter elite's weapon aptitude ability gains one last benefit. The weapon which they originally focused on now gains the full effective fighter level to damage due to elite specialization, instead of half, and when wielded the chosen weapon is immune to damage, completely unbreakable. The fighter elite may still choose to assign this special ability to another weapon as a full-round action.

The followers granted by commander become x10 the usual amount instead of x2 from greater commander. In addition, his deeds are so renown that if the fighter elite dies, word quickly gets out and powerful forces in line with him seek to revive him from the dead. As such, the fighter elite will be returned from the dead and restored to the place of his choosing within 1d10 days of dying. Only binding his soul or otherwise preventing true resurrection will keep the fighter elite dead for good.

The epic fighter elite gains a bonus feat (selected from the list of epic fighter elite feats, as well as normal fighter bonus feats) every 4 levels after 18th.

Epic Fighter Elite Bonus Feat List: Armor Skin, Blinding Speed, Combat Archery, Damage Reduction, Devastating Critical, Distant Shot, Epic Fortitude, Epic Leadership, Epic Prowess, Epic Reflexes, Epic Reputation, Epic Speed, Epic Toughness, Epic Weapon Focus, Epic Weapon Specialization, Epic Will, Fast Healing, Great Charisma, Great Constitution, Great Dexterity, Great Intelligence, Great Strength, Great Wisdom, Improved Manyshot, Improved Whirlwind Attack, Legendary Climber, Legendary COmmander, Legendary Leaper, Legendary Rider, Legendary Wrestler, Overwhelming Critical, Penetrate Damage Reduction, Perfect Health, Perfect Two-Weapon Fighting, Spellcasting Harrier, Storm of Throws, Superior Initiative, Swarm of Arrows, Two-Weapon Rend, and Uncanny Accuracy. You may also choose from the fighter bonus feat list.

Playing a Fighter Elite
Combat: Combat? Of course you do combat. You're a fighter, but not just a fighter! A great fighter! Get on the front lines soldier!

Advancement: Anything that improves your fighting is a fine choice for a fighter elite! Double fine if it advances your effective fighter level too!

Resources: Fighter elites are the generals, the commanders, and the warlords of military forces and other organizations worldwide.

Fighter Elites in the World
"That's not a wound. That's a scar for tomorrow."

NPC Reactions: Fighter elites are the Seal Team 6, the Chuck Norris, the Bruce Lees of fighting. They are soldier elites, and they will protect you citizen.

Fighter Elite Lore
Characters with ranks in Knowledge Nobility can research fighter elite to learn more about them. When a character makes a skill check, read or paraphrase the following, including information from lower DCs.

Fighter Elite in the Game
Adaptation: Completely intended to replace fighter after level 4. If you want, remove the requirements, give Weapon Focus for free at level 1 fighter, and make this the last 16 levels of the class.

Also, instead of Superior Unarmed Strike if you already have Improved Unarmed Strike, consider, Unarmed Fighting Style.

Sample Encounter: By some fell luck you have ended up on opposing sides of the legendary warforged warrior Castor and his elite squadron of warrior knights. Can you manage to deal with this peacefully, or must you face the war hero on the field of battle?

EL 10: PENDING.