Siege Master (3.5e Prestige Class)

Author: Eiji-kun (talk) Date Created: 2-5-15 Status: Complete Editing: Mechanical changes on Talk

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Siege weapons are usually not used in direct combat, but you never played by the rules anyway. Become the one-man siege factory! 10 3 Good Good Poor Good Other Other

Siege Master

“	Show me a fortress and I'll show you a ruin.	”
—Eddan Bourne, Nephalim Siege Master, Hammer of War

In times of war great machines of wood and iron are lashed together, and with the teamwork of many they launch giant sized bolts, bombs, and stones vast distances to deal untold devastation to cities and walls. For a fortification, siege weapons mean breaches in their security, weaknesses which armies may flow through and strike at the heart of all things. But these weapons of war are slow, ungainly, and must be set up in hours or even days of work. Difficult to move and difficult to fire, they are not a mere weapon one can just pick up and use on an adventure.

No one told the Siege Master that.

The Siege Master has employed the supernatural to store siege weapons in portable format, and can set them up, aim, and fire these weapons far faster, far better, and far more devastating than the average commander. They are a one-man siege engineering team, and they bring giant sized destruction with them.

Becoming a Siege Master

The siege engineer values Wisdom above all else, for this fuels their Profession Siege Engineer checks and helps them fill the round of scout and spotter. Some also have a strong Dexterity, especially if they fancy ballistas. For more NPCs, they only need take up to five levels in the class to express competancy, but some PCs move all ten levels and gain surprising power behind their attacks.

Entry Requirements

Skills:	Profession Siege Engineer 6 ranks.
Special:	Must acquire at least one siege weapon and attack with it successfully.

Table: The Siege Master

Hit Die: d10

Level	Base Attack Bonus	Saving Throws			Special	Advancement
		Fort	Ref	Will
1st	+1	+2	+0	+2	Military Discount, Minimize Siege Weapon, Partial Advancement, Professional, Unseen Officers
2nd	+2	+3	+0	+3	Command Network, Specialized Shot	+1 level of existing class features
3rd	+3	+3	+1	+3	Durable Siege Weapon, Partial Animation (Rotation)
4th	+4	+4	+1	+4	Shared Enhancements, Specialized Shot	+1 level of existing class features
5th	+5	+4	+1	+4	Critical Sunder, Mass Deployment
6th	+6	+5	+2	+5	Partial Animation (Movement), Specialized Shot	+1 level of existing class features
7th	+7	+5	+2	+5	Wall Piercer
8th	+8	+6	+2	+6	Critical Focus, Specialized Shot	+1 level of existing class features
9th	+9	+6	+3	+6	Improved Wall Piercer, Partial Animation (Improved Movement)
10th	+10	+7	+3	+7	Nuke from Orbit, Specialized Shot	+1 level of existing class features
Class Skills (6 + Int modifier per level. Appraise (Int), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Decipher Script (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Disable Device (Int), Gather Information (Cha), Handle Animal (Cha), Hide (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Knowledge (engineering) (geography) (Int), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Search (Int), Spot (Wis), Survival (Wis), Swim (Str), Use Rope (Dex).

Table: The Epic Siege Master

Level	Special
11th	Bonus Feat
12th	Specialized Shot, +1 level of existing class features
13th
14th	Specialized Shot, +1 level of existing class features
15th	Bonus Feat
16th	Specialized Shot, +1 level of existing class features
17th
18th	Specialized Shot, +1 level of existing class features
19th	Bonus Feat
20th	Specialized Shot, +1 level of existing class features

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the Siege Master.

Weapon Proficiency: A siege master is proficient in all siege weaponry.

Advancement and Partial Advancement: At every even level, you gain class features (including spellcasting ability) and an increase in effective level as if you had also gained a level in a class to which you belonged to before adding the prestige class level. You do not, however, gain the benefit of your previous class's HD, attack progression, skill points, or saving throws. If you had more than one class before coming a siege master, you must decide to which class to add each level for the purpose of determining class features.

However, while your class features are advanced every even level, you count your full siege master level for the purpose of scaling class features you already possess, such as caster level or sneak attack dice. This does not stack with the advancement given by this class. Thus a wizard 3/siege master 10 would have a caster level of 13, and an actual level of 8 for determining spells known and spells per day.

Military Discount: A siege master has managed to get contacts that can hook him up for a fair price. The cost of purchasing siege weapons is cut in half. In addition, he may treat siege ammo as if it were normal ammo, making them masterwork and enhanced at 1/50th the normal cost.

Minimize Siege Weapon (Sp): Siege weapons are strong, but cumbersome, so the siege master has developed ways to shrink and make their siege weapons portable. As a standard action out to Close range they can shrink (or redeploy) any siege weapon up to Large size into a form small enough to fit on a necklace, teleporting it onto a necklace or belt used as a focus. At first they can only do this to one Large siege weapon at a time, but at each additional class level they can shrink or deploy an additional Large siege weapon at at time. Huge siege weapons count as two Large weapons, Gargantuan siege weapons count as four Large weapons, and Colossal siege weapons count as eight Large weapons.

Ballistas are unique, in that you can choose to shrink them into the size of a crossbow sized for you. In this state you can use it as a crossbow you are proficient in, with the enhancements (if any) of the ballista in question. You can also use your specialized shots with your transformed ballista.

Professional: The siege master would not be the master of sieges without mastering the art of sieges. Each level the siege master gains a free rank in Profession (siege engineer), up to their usual maximum number of ranks allowed. This is in addition to the skill points given by the class.

Unseen Officers (Su): With a standard action the siege master can summon forth a host of unseen soldiers capable of maintaining, loading, and firing siege weapons. Treat this as unseen servant, except you gain one servant per class level, there is no range on how far the servants can stray, it is of unlimited duration, the servants possess the siege master's ability scores and movement speeds, and the servants can only operate siege weapons. They can load, repair, and otherwise work a siege engine but are defeated by simple acts such as picking a non-siege object up, or opening a door. These unseen officers provide the extra manpower needed for most siege weapons. If destroyed they can be re-summoned as a standard action.

Command Network (Su): At 2nd level the siege master gains a telepathic network which links him to his unseen servants. He is capable of sending commands to any unseen servants within 1 mile. This allows you to coordinate attacks with them.

Specialized Shot: At 2nd level and every even level beyond, the siege master gains a specialized shot known which produces unusual effects. These effects supersede and suppress any enhancements on the siege weapon and its ammunition. They may otherwise be used at will with a 1d4 round cooldown, and is part of the attack roll. In epic levels, if you have no more specialized shots to choose you can instead choose a bonus feat from their epic bonus feat list. The saving throw for any specialized shots is DC 10 + 1/2 HD + Wisdom modifier, or the modifier used for ranged attacks (usually Dexterity).

Crushing Shot (Ex): This ability only functions with catapults and similar indirect-fire weapons. The area which the siege weapon effects is crushed by the bulk of your projectile. Creatures must make a Reflex save or become prone.

Debris Bomb (Ex): This ability only functions with catapults and similar indirect-fire weapons. The projectile leaves behind a field of debris composed of the projectile remains and/or rubble of destroyed objects. The area which the siege weapon effects becomes difficult terrain and is treated as if covered in caltrops. Add your base attack bonus to the attack roll of the caltrops.

Drill Bolt (Su): This ability only functions with ballistas and similar direct-fire weapons. When the projectile strikes the target it continously grinds against it for 3 rounds, dealing damage as if it hit with the same attack roll each round. This is effective on objects, though creatures can move out of the space and end the drilling action.

Explosive Shot (Su): The impact of any siege weapon explodes, producing a fireball (no cap) on a successful attack.

Kinetic Shot (Ex): The siege weapon in question possesses a great deal of kinetic energy. Struck creatures must make a Fortitude save or be knocked back 5 ft per point of BAB you possess, save reduces it to 5 ft. The attack has recoil for you as well, and you must make a DC 15 Fortitude save or have the siege weapon be pushed by half the distance backwards, 5 ft on a successful save.

Linear Shot (Ex): This ability only functions with ballistas and similar direct-fire weapons. The shot effects all creatures in a line up to its maximum range. It becomes a Reflex save, save negates, instead of an attack roll.

Lucky Shot (Ex): Your attack always hit their mark. Roll twice and take the better result for your attack roll.

Phantom Shot (Su): Your attack gain the Brilliant Energy enhancement. This causes attacks to pass through objects and hit living beings beyond.

Safe Shot (Su): Attacks modified by safe shot deal no damage, and in fact are intended to be used as transport. Creatures can mount a projectile, such as a ballista bolt, and be fired. They reach the endpoint of the projectile unharmed.

Stress Shot (Ex): Attacks modified by stress shot reduce an object's hardness, dealing half normal damage and the other half as damage to its hardness. Objects with reduced hardness remain reduced until they are repaired with a DC 20 Craft check of the appropriate skill, as a full round action.

Durable Siege Weapon (Ex): At 3rd level, the siege master regularity maintains his siege weapons to the finest degree. Any siege weapons he owns gain double hardness and hp, up to 24 hours out of his possession.

Partial Animation (Su): The siege master is no stranger to the power of magic, and at 3rd level he can imbue partial animation into his siege weapons. He can command (a move action) one or more siege weapons he owns to rotate in place on its own, allowing shots to be re-targeted easily.

At 6th level, he can have one or more siege weapons move on their own, with a movement speed of 10 ft a round. Effects such as haste treat these objects as creatures and do increase their movement speed. At 9th level, this movement increases to 30 ft a round, and the siege engine gains any movement speeds the siege master possesses (such as fly, burrow, climb, or swim speeds), up to a maximum of 30 ft a round.

Shared Enhancements (Su): At 4th level as a standard action, the siege master can share the enhancements of one siege engine to all siege engines he possesses, if applicable. The shared enhancement superseeds and overrides any current enhancements on other siege weapons. This effect persists until the siege master changes or dismisses it. Typically, a siege master enhances one siege weapon and brings several other mundane siege weapons and shares the enhancements with them.

Critical Sunder (Ex): The 5th level siege master can destroy walls and other objects with ease. They may make critical hits against constructs and objects. When making strength checks against break DCs, rolling a natural 20 doubles your strength bonus for the check.

Mass Deployment (Sp): At 5th level the siege master's ability to deploy siege weapons improves. They may now shrink or deploy multiple siege weapons with a single standard action. The range of Minimize Siege Weapon increases to Medium range.

Wall Piercer (Ex): At 7th level, any attacks which destroy an object or creature continue on their flight path, dealing damage to any objects or creatures behind them.

Critical Focus (Ex): By increasing your attack roll with a siege weapon to a 1 round action, the 8th level siege master's attack is automatically a confirmed critical hit.

Improved Wall Piercer (Ex): At 9th level, whenever your siege weapons attack an object it may attempt to hit the object's break DC to sunder it completely, using the siege weapon's attack roll as your strength check.

Nuke from Orbit (Su): At 10th level the siege master can spend 1 minute to launch one of their siege weapons (as well as any unseen officers) into the depths of space, where it will remain in constant position over the siege master. As a standard action, the siege master can command the orbital siege weapon to fire on a position within 1 mile. The orbital siege weapon takes no penalties for distance, but the attack arrives in 1d3 rounds. When it does, it comes bearing a great deal of energy, dealing five times its normal damage to the target and to the surrounding 20 ft radius with a Reflex save for half, DC 10 + 1/2 HD + modifier used for attack rolls. Specialized shot damage is not multiplied. They can bring their orbital siege weapon back over the course of 1 minute, drifting to the ground. Only one siege weapon may be in orbit at one time, and there must be a 5 round cooldown between shots.

Because the attacks come from space, ceilings and clouds may provide cover and concealment. Your connection to your unseen officers is maintained even though they are undoubtedly out of range.

The epic Siege Master gains a bonus feat (selected from the list of epic Siege Master feats) at 11th level and every four levels beyond.

Epic Siege Master Bonus Feat List: Any fighter bonus feat (epic and non-epic), Blinding Speed, Combat Archery, Craft Epic Magic Arms and Armor, Damage Reduction, Distant Shot, Energy Resistance, Epic Prowess, Epic Reflexes, Epic Skill Focus, Epic Toughness, Epic Weapon Focus, Epic Weapon Specialization, Exceptional Deflection, Fast Healing, Great Constitution, Great Dexterity, Great Intelligence, Great Wisdom, Improved Low-Light Vision, Improved Manyshot, Infinite Deflection, Instant Reload, Reflect Arrows, Superior Initiative, Swarm of Arrows, and Uncanny Accuracy.

Campaign Information

Playing a Siege Master

Combat: You probably assume the role of leader on the battlefield. The world is your chessboard and you are its grandmaster. You set your pieces up, and make tactical strikes to weaken areas for inevitable and complete destruction by your allies.

Advancement: You retain many of your former class features, at the loss of full growth. There is little reason you would give up now even after you've mastered siege use.

Resources: Siege masters are almost always involved in the military, and end up commanding forces in battle to victory.

Siege Masters in the World

“	A fortress circumvented ceases to be an obstacle. A fortress destroyed ceases to be a threat. Do not forget the difference.	”
—Lemonrush, Warforged Siege Master

NPC Reactions: Many siege masters are also powerful leaders in the military. Depending on how the military is viewed this could be a very good or a very bad thing for their reputation.

Siege Master Lore

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

Knowledge History or Knowledge Nobility

DC	Result
10	Siege masters use siege weapons on the battlefield, and they have supernatural powers to allow them to transport the normally cumbersome devices with them.
15	Siege masters are capable of employing several unusual and supernatural shots which should not be possible, and some can even deploy large amounts of war machines all at one time!
20	Powerful siege masters are a one-man army of powerful tools and unseen warriors. Their most dangerous attack can threaten the entire world.
30	Those that reach this level of success can research specific siege masters, who they work for, their whereabouts, behavior, weapons of choice, and other details.

Siege Masters in the Game

Adaptation: Siege masters of the future may access more advanced siege weapons such as cannons and rail guns.

Sample Encounter: The orc warband is more advanced than ever, and they come bearing siege weapons with a powerful siege master guiding them. Can you keep the city from falling?

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