Metal Slug (3.5e Class)

Author: Eiji-kun (talk) Date Created: 12-26-16 Status: Complete Editing: Mechanical changes in Talk.

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You pilot a tiny tank to victory! 20 0 Moderate Good Poor Poor Other Other

Metal Slug

Though science, magic, or other means you have come upon a small personal tank known as a metal slug. As a pilot for this unique weapon, you move out and grab victory!

Making a Metal Slug

Abilities: Though abilities vary, the important abilities for a metal slug user is Dexterity for their ranged attacks, Strength for their melee attacks, and Constitution for health. Intelligence is used for many of their minor abilities and sometimes any spellcasting they possess. Wisdom works well for perception, leaving Charisma the least important.

Races: Any, though dwarves and gnomes favor it most of all.

Alignment: Any.

Starting Gold: 5d4×10 gp (125 gp).

Starting Age: As fighter.

Table: The Metal Slug

Hit Die: d12

Level	Base Attack Bonus	Saving Throws			Special
		Fort	Ref	Will
1st	+0	+2	+0	+0	Combat Focus, Construct Expert, Metal Slug, Summon Tank, Tank Power
2nd	+1	+3	+0	+0	Endure Elements, Tank Damage Resistance 1/-
3rd	+2	+3	+1	+1	Tank Armor (+5), Tank Power
4th	+3	+4	+1	+1	Tank Damage Resistance 2/-
5th	+3	+4	+1	+1	Tank Power
6th	+4	+5	+2	+2	Rapid Entry (standard), Tank Damage Resistance 3/-
7th	+5	+5	+2	+2	Tank Armor (+6), Tank Power
8th	+6	+6	+2	+2	Tank Damage Resistance 4/-
9th	+6	+6	+3	+3	Tank Power
10th	+7	+7	+3	+3	Rapid Entry (move, no provoke), Tank Damage Resistance 5/-
11th	+8	+7	+3	+3	Tank Armor (+7), Tank Power
12th	+9	+8	+4	+4	Tank Damage Resistance 6/-
13th	+9	+8	+4	+4	Tank Power
14th	+10	+9	+4	+4	Rapid Entry (swift), Tank Damage Resistance 7/-
15th	+11	+9	+5	+5	Tank Armor (+8), Tank Power
16th	+12	+10	+5	+5	Tank Damage Resistance 8/-
17th	+12	+10	+5	+5	Tank Power
18th	+13	+11	+6	+6	Rapid Entry (free), Tank Damage Resistance 9/-
19th	+14	+11	+6	+6	Tank Armor (+9), Tank Power
20th	+15	+12	+6	+6	Extra Chance, Tank Damage Resistance 10/-
Class Skills (4 + Int modifier per level, ×4 at 1st level) Appraise (Int), Balance (Dex), Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Disable Device (Int), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Knowledge (arcana) (engineering) (Int), Listen (Wis), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Search (Int), Spellcraft (Int), Spot (Wis), Survival (Wis), Swim (Str), Tumble (Dex), Use Magic Device (Cha).

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the metal slug.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Metal slugs are proficient in in all simple and martial weapons, and all armors (light, medium, and heavy) as well as shields (but not tower shields).

Combat Focus: Metal slug pilots often focus on one particular aspect of combat. Incidentally its usually a combat style associated with other classes.

Cannon: You have optimized your main cannon, and are pretty good with guns outside your metal slug. You gain the elephant gun feature of a gentleman explorer of your class level. You also gain the following improvements to elephant gun at the level normally gained: the game's afoot, fowling piece, and the game's still afoot.

Explosives: You have optimized deploying explosive ordinance, and favor grenades outside your metal slug. You gain the bomb, discovery, and throw anything features of a chemist.

Hunter: You need to track your targets down, and hunt them both in and out of your metal slug. You gain the Track feat and the favored enemy and spellcasting abilities of the ranger.

Supernatural: You have some supernatural support, which you use in and out of your metal slug. You gain the manifesting of a psychic warrior.

Construct Expert (Ex): You can repair constructs as if you had the Craft Construct feat, and gain a +2 bonus to Disable Device, Knowledge Arcana, Knowledge Engineering checks.

Metal Slug: Through some means you have come across a tiny mobile tank, which is abnormally flexible in design and very compact, built for one. By some means or another, it only functions for you as well. Getting in and out of the tank is a 1 round action which provokes attacks of opportunity, but grants you a +4 armor bonus, no Max Dexterity, an armor check penalty of -8, and arcane spell failure of 20%. It is heavy armor, but counts as light armor for the purpose of your speed and class features which operate in light armor. It can be "worn" over your existing armor, and overrides the effects of your existing armor. It may be enhanced, and have its material altered as if it were armor. It weights 2000 lbs normally, but when being piloted this weight means nothing.

While in the metal slug tank, you cannot jump or swim, automatically failing such checks. You do not tire from overland movement and can run forever. The tank is the same size as you, but you benefit from powerful build while you are in the tank (this does not stack with pre-existing powerful build). You do not benefit from total cover as any attacks on the tank effectively transfer to yourself as well. You can however take cover within the tank as if it were a tower shield, with all the same restrictions. Riding the tank counts as being mounted, though you never need to make a ride check to control your mount.

The tank can absorb and operate any ranged projectile or throwing weapon you have as if it had two hands, and deals damage as if one size larger. It does not need free "hands" to reload. It also possess a feral strike slam attack (2d8, 19-20/x2).

The tank is considered a quadruped with a +8 bonus on Strength for the purpose of carrying capacity. While in the tank you gain 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). In spite of being non-human in shape, you do not increase the cost of armor materials for being non-human.

The tank is required to use many of the functions of the class, and is augmented by the tank power class feature. When you are reduced to 10% of your health (minimum 1), your tank breaks down and vanishes into dust. This lasts until you are fully healed, or 24 hours have passed in which case you can use Summon Tank to bring your metal slug back.

Summon Tank (Sp): As a standard action, you can summon your metal slug to the nearest valid empty space by you. This can move your metal slug from a position at your home base, or recall a destroyed metal slug. You may use this ability 1 time per class level per day.

Tank Power: At 1st level and every odd level beyond, the metal slug pilot gets a power which is accessible when they are using their metal slug, chosen from the list below.

Acrobatics Servos (Ex): You may roll back upright if knocked prone, doing so is a free action which does not provoke attacks of opportunity. You may now make jump checks, ignoring your armor check penalty from your metal slug. Your metal slug counts as non-armor for the purposes of class features and abilities which only work in non-armor, and its weight is cut to 75%.

Airtight (Ex): When in your metal slug, you have your own oxygen supply that lasts for 1 hour/level which renders you immune to inhaled poisons (but not cloudkill. At 9 HD, you gain the full benefits of the necklace of adaptation.

Autopilot (Ex): You can command your metal slug to move autonomously, moving at its speed. It is mindless and cannot attack, but retains your Strength and Dexterity for any ability checks, and has the hardness and hp typical of armor of its kind. When piloted, you gain an additional move action, Requires 5 HD or more.

Bigger Tank (Ex): Your tank increases your size by one step as per the Increase Size feat. You must have at least 5 HD to select. You may select this ability up to two times, increasing your size again at 10 HD and beyond.

Bonus Feat (Ex): You gain a bonus fighter feat (only accessible while in your metal slug). You may select again once you hit 5 HD and every 5 HD beyond.

Climbing Irons (Ex): You gain a climb speed equal to your land speed. Requires 3 HD or more.

Fortification (Ex): You gain Light Fortification for your metal slug for free, it does not count towards your enhancement bonus. You may select this again at 6 HD and again at 12 HD, each time increasing the fortification by one step (maximum heavy fortification).

Heavy Treads (Ex): Your tank ignores difficult terrain, and can never be reduced beyond 1/2 speed in any effect such as solid fog. Effects which immobilize you still function.

Immovable Object (Ex): You gain your class level as a 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). This stacks with Stability.

Improved Damage Resistance (Ex): Your damage resistance rises by 1 point. You may select again once you hit 5 HD and every 5 HD beyond. Requires the Damage Resistance class feature.

Improved Tank Armor (Ex): Your tank armor bonus rises by +2, and your armor check penalty drops by -3.

Rangefinder (Ex): You do not take range penalties for the first three range increments, and your actual maximum range is extended by x100. However, you still take range penalties for shooting out that far. If you deal precision damage, you can make it within your first three range increments.

Siege Weapon (Ex): Your attacks in the metal slug are considered to be siege weapons, and your melee attacks always deal full damage before hardness against objects. You may now critically hit objects.

Speed Booster (Ex): You replace your treads with faster heavy duty wheels. Your speed in your tank doubles, but you gain an average maneuverability (as per a fly speed) for the purpose of turning. Your speed doubles again on smooth road-like surfaces, but only for overland movement. You may select again once you hit 6 HD and another time every 3 HD beyond, each time tripling, quadrupling, etc your speed and reducing your maneuverability by one (minimum clumsy).

Trample (Ex): You gain the trample ability, dealing damage as your feral strike slam.

Water Props (Ex): You gain a swim speed equal to your land speed. You may now make swim checks, ignoring your armor check penalty from your metal slug. Requires 3 HD or more.

Endure Elements (Ex): At 2nd level, while you are in your metal slug you benefit from a constant extraordinary endure elements.

Tank Damage Resistance (Ex): The 2nd level metal slug pilot gains universal damage reduction while in your tank. It functions like normal damage reduction, but applies against all sources of damage (even energy damage). You gain damage resistance equal to 1/2 your class level.

Tank Armor (Ex): At 3rd level and every four levels beyond (7th, 11th, etc), your metal slug's armor bonus rises by +1.

Rapid Entry (Ex): The 6th level metal slug pilot can enter and leave their metal slug tank as a standard action. At 10th level this becomes a move action, and no longer provokes attacks of opportunity. At 14th level, this becomes a swift action, and at 18th level this becomes a free action.

Extra Chance (Ex): At 20th level, the metal slug pilot is well protected by their tank. Their tank is not destroyed until they hit 0 hp (instead of 10% of their maximum hp), and when the tank is destroyed the metal slug pilot is released from their tank at 75% of their maximum hp.

Dwarf Metal Slug Starting Package

Weapons: Battle Shotgun

Skill Selection: Pick a number of skills equal to 4 + Int modifier.

Skill	Ranks	Ability	Armor Check Penalty
Craft	4	Int	—
Listen	4	Wis	—
Spot	4	Wis	—
Survival	4	Wis	—

Feat: Point Blank Shot.

Gear: -

Gold: 85 gp.

Campaign Information

Playing a Metal Slug

Religion: Metal slugs have no particular attraction or rejection of gods and religion.

Other Classes: Metal slugs are ranged attackers, but are durable enough to survive in melee. Many choose to take on powerful short range weapons.

Combat: You can be competent in both range and melee, largely dependent on your combat style.

Advancement: Usually single classing is the best idea to scale the tank properly, but some may dip into the classes associated with their combat focus. Their effective level stacks with their actual level.

Metal Slug in the World

“	Stop! Tank police!!!	”
—Hope, Tiefling Metal Slug Pilot

Daily Life: Metal slugs love their tanks, and often spend a great deal of time pimping them out.

Organizations: Metal slugs would find a great deal of work in military organizations.

NPC Reactions: These tiny tanks may look silly, but they are still tanks.

Metal Slug Lore

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

Knowledge Engineering

DC	Result
10	Metal slugs pilot tiny tanks that augment their melee and ranged capabilities.
15	Metal slugs are durable inside their tank, and they are customized with a great deal of abilities which augment their vehicle.
20	Powerful metal slugs are said to be able to survive the destruction of their vehicle, and keep fighting.
30	A result this high can give results on specific metal slugs, their behavior, motives, customization to their metal slugs, and other abilities.

Metal Slugs in the Game

Adaptation: Tanks can easily be covered by any mechanized unit.

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