Jack of All Trades

[Scion]

Ok, this will probably seem crazy to people but that is ok Just let me know if you have any suggestions and what they are.

This combination starts at level 11 (first level taken then, this is the earliest possible I believe) and ends at 20. I split it up into two prestige classes because I wanted those who stuck it out to the higher parts to get better skill points and it makes the saves come out exactly between good and bad.

The jack of all trades is to make the character good at a great number of things but not as good as anyone else, just a wider breadth. If there is a more elegant way to restrict skills than I have done let me know

Basically the character has to have a ton of different levels, has to pick up nothing but a feat that is interesting, but not terribly useful, and will never get very high class abilities for any particular class. Hope it goes well!

Feat: Jack of All Trades (general)
Benefit: Once per day the character with this feat may add +1 to a single skill check (no matter how long one use takes). If used on a skill with which the character has no ranks the bonus is +2 instead. If taken multiple times they may be used in any combination of seperately or together.


Jack of All Trades, Master of None
Hit Die: d4.
Requirements
To qualify a character must fulfill all the following criteria.
Feats: Jack of All Trades x4. (plus 1 if having an extra bonus feat from race that can be used for it)
Class: At least 2 levels in 5 different non-prestige classes.

Class Skills
All skills of previous classes are class skills.
Skill Points at Each Level: 4 + Int modifier.


Table: Jack of All Trades
Level BAB Fort Ref Will Special
1st +0 +0 +0 +0 JOAT
2nd +1 +0 +0 +0 JOAT
3rd +1 +1 +1 +1 JOAT
4th +2 +1 +1 +1 JOAT
5th +2 +1 +1 +1 JOAT

Class Features
All of the following are Class Features of the Jack of All Trades, Master of None prestige class.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: An No new proficiencies are gained.
Skill Ranks: The max ranks a character can have is reduced by 2 (ie level +1 for class skills).

JOAT: Each level in this class the character gains class abilities as though one level higher in 5 different classes (chosen when the class is first taken).


Jack of All Trades
Hit Die: d12.
Requirements
To qualify a character must fulfill all the following criteria.
Feats: Jack of All Trades x6. (plus 1 if having an extra bonus feat from race that can be used for it)
Class: At least 2 levels in 5 different non-prestige classes, and all 5 levels of Jack of All Trades.

Class Skills
All skills of previous classes are class skills.
Skill Points at Each Level: 6 + Int modifier.


Table: Jack of All Trades
Level BAB Fort Ref Will Special
1st +1 +2 +2 +2 JOAT
2nd +2 +3 +3 +3 JOAT
3rd +3 +3 +3 +3 JOAT
4th +4 +4 +4 +4 JOAT
5th +5 +4 +4 +4 JOAT

Class Features
All of the following are Class Features of the Jack of All Trades, Master of None prestige class.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: An No new proficiencies are gained.
Skill Ranks: The max ranks a character can have is reduced by an additional 2 (ie level -1 for class skills).

JOAT: Each level in this class the character gains class abilities as though one level higher in 5 different classes (chosen when the class is first taken).

 

[the Jester]

Ok, this will probably seem crazy to people but that is ok Just let me know if you have any suggestions and what they are.

Hm, I have a jack of all trades prc for humans imc... you might check it out, it's posted in the prestige classes document in the 'files' section of a Yahoo group called Cydra. (That's my campaign world.) Feel free to poke around!

 

[FrankTrollman]

So what happens when you take one level of the class and your maximum ranks in a skill fall below that which you already had when you took the class?

-Frank

 

[Scion]

If you gain the class but have too many ranks in a skill then you cant gain anymore ranks until your max is again above how many you have. It wont kill skill points, although I suppose I could put that in as a requirement that characters couldnt have that many to begin with..hmm..

 

[AeroDm]

I wouldn't force humans to spend their extra feat on the JoAT feat. I understand the logic behind it because you want to make sure it is a penalty to take the class before getting the huge pay-off, but the human bonus feat is their power. It would be like requiring you to always incur a temporary damage score of 2 on your dex until you took the class. That hindrance will deter most human from taking the class because their "bonus" just was ripped away while their "bonus" if they were an elf/dwarf/gnome/etc would remain.

 

[Velmont]

I like the idea, but I think it is too much strong. For casters, it is a bit less interesting, but I imagine the character level 20:

Figther 2/Barbarian 2/Ranger 2/Rogue 2/Cleric 2/Jack-of-all-Trade 10, damn, he will be a real killing machine in melee.

(With Rogue at 1st level)
Average HP: 96 + Conx20 (better than d8)
BAB: 15
Skills: 118 + Intx23 (more than 5/level)
Skill List: Ugly List, almost all.
Saves:
Fort: 17+Con (Ugly!!!!)
Refl: 11+Dex (Strong)
Will: 8+Wis (Average)

Even there, excluding the abilities, you are stronger than most class, as you have a better than average in almost everything.

Now abilities:

Bonus Figther Feats x7
Greater Rage 4/day
Trap Sense +7
Damage Reduction 2/-
Fast movement
Improved Uncanny Dodge
Cleric Spellcasting abilities of 12 level
Trun undead as a cleric of level 12
Spontaneous casting
Power Domain as a 12 level cleric x2
Sneak Attack +6d6
Trap Finding
Evasion
Thief Special Abilities x1
Favored Enemy x3
Combat Style x3
Wild Empathy at 12th level
Endurence feat
Animal Companion
Woodland Stride
Swift Tracker
Ranger spellcasting abilities of level 12.

It is Huge power for what? 6 feats and some difficulty at lower level, but damn the payoff is just too great, you are no more a jack of all trade, you are a formidable two-weapon figther and no one can be better than you, and anyway, you take back the six feats with the figther and ranger feats fi you wanted to have them in combat, and you can take another one with your thief special ability.

Now, I don't want to imagine Epic level of Jack of All Trade...

The idea may be cool, but it is very unbalance and powerfull.

 

[sinmissing]

Hm, I have a jack of all trades prc for humans imc... you might check it out, it's posted in the prestige classes document in the 'files' section of a Yahoo group called Cydra. (That's my campaign world.) Feel free to poke around!

Your Group resources are set to members only.

 

[Rackhir]

Well, I think that leadership should be a required feat, I mean after all Angela Dworkin is gorgeous. How could you leave her out of the class.

Also Disguise is should be a requirement as well. How else will the character put on a convincing act as the Daring Dragoon?

 

[Scion]

I like the idea, but I think it is too much strong. For casters, it is a bit less interesting, but I imagine the character level 20:

The idea may be cool, but it is very unbalance and powerfull.

Figther 4/Barbarian 4/Ranger 4/Rogue 4/Cleric 4

(With Rogue at 1st level)
Average HP: 100.5 + Conx20 (vs 96)
BAB: 18 (vs 15)
Skills: 112 + Intx23 (vs 118)
Skill List: Ugly List, almost all. (same either way)
Saves:
Fort: 17+Con (Ugly!!!!) (same)
Refl: 11+Dex (Strong) (same)
Will: 8+Wis (Average) (same)

So far, your 'better than most classes' only pans out if you mean a non-multiclasser The non-Joat has better hp and bab, doesnt miss out on very many skill points, and has the same saves.

Bonus Figther Feats x3
Rage 2/day
Trap Sense +2
Damage Reduction 2/- (at level 20 adamantite armor is easy to get)
Fast movement
Improved Uncanny Dodge
Cleric Spellcasting abilities of 4 level
Trun undead as a cleric of level 4
Spontaneous casting
Power Domain as a 4 level cleric x2
Sneak Attack +2d6
Trap Finding
Evasion
Favored Enemy x1
Combat Style x1
Wild Empathy at 4th level
Endurence feat
Animal Companion
Ranger spellcasting abilities of level 4.

So you gain 4 extra fighter feats (limited), next step of rage and a 4 more per day, +5 trap sense, more spellcasting, gain 4d6 sneak attack, gain 2 favored enemies and 2 combat styles.

6 feats, lose turning ability (to destroy and additional hd damage), lose domain levels (2 instead of 4), cannot take weapon specialization, and have a lot of levels during which you are way way less powerful.

Basically loss of 6 feats, 3 BAB (which also gains an attack/round), and 4 points of max skill rank for 4 fighter feats (imo worth a lot less than a full feat each), next step of rage and 4 more per day (worth more than one feat but maybe not two), +5 trap sense (worth a lot less than one feat, if it was +10 maybe, it just has so little use), +4d6 sneak attack dice (nice, but at this level it probably will almost never matter), 2 favored enemies and 2 combat styles (roughly a feat, as it is delayed over a lot of time), and the spellcasting which is worth more than a couple of feats. This is very rough and crude, but still, JOAT is ahead in the end while having to be behind for a long time.

I think that looking at this class at its absolute most powerful with some of the best class choices in 3.5 (where they are better) while still coming out not incredibly out of whack Shows that this class is actually pretty good.

So the question is, does going through a weaker point allow for a stronger end result? As that is what the Wizard is all about I'd have to say yes

Barb 20
Average HP: 135.5 + Conx20 (vs 96)
BAB: 20 (vs 15)
Skills: 92 + Intx23 (vs 118)
Skill List: Barb list, not incredible but not bad
Fort: 12+Con (vs 17)
Refl: 6+Dex (vs 11)
Will: 6+Wis (vs 8)

Fast Movement, Uncanny dodge, Improved Uncanny dodge, Rage, Greater Rage, Tireless Rage, Mighty Rage 6/day, damage reduction 5/-, Trap sense +6, Indomitable Will

All of his feats to choose from

While raging avg hp -> 215.5, saves -> F: 16, R: 6, W: 10 (14 vs enchantment)
damage reduction 5/- is hard to beat

The barb may not have the sheer number of different abilities, but the ones that he has plus those he could choose from make him very formidable. Which is better? Depends on what you are trying to do, but at the very least they are close to one another in power, and this is at the very height of power for each.

In a straight head to head fight the barb would have the advantage imo

 

[Scion]

I hate to bring up such an old thread, but I have a player in my game who wants to take this class and I wanted to see if people had any further suggestions.

The requirement for humans to spend their bonus feat is removed but everything else would be the same.

Sorry again about dredging this up, I figured it would be better to bump this than to start a new one though.