Hoplite-Imperial Warrior

The Imperial Warrior is a powerful fighter trained in the city-states of Kalamar. While highly efficient with the sword and spear, the Imperial Warrior is particularly potent in combat with his Aspis (shield), which is often used to block the mighty blows of his opponents (and bash them to their senses). Imperial Warriors only come from one place: a city-state of the Kalamar Empire. They are elite warriors who train at a very young age. It is said that these boys are thrown together in an arena with weapons against a grizzly bear as a rite of passage. Imperial Warriors can only be human.

Class Features

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A Imperial Warrior is proficient with all simple and martial weapons, light armor, medium armor, and shields including tower shields.

Fast Movement (Ex): A Imperial Warrior's land speed is faster than the norm for his race by +10 feet. This benefit applies only when he is wearing no armor, light armor, or medium armor and not carrying a heavy load. Apply this bonus before modifying the Hoplite's speed because of any load carried or armor worn.

Imperial Warrior Fighting Styles (Ex): You adopt a particular style of fighting as a Imperial Warrior your specialty. Choose one of the following options. You can’t take a Fighting Style option more than once, even if you later get to choose again. You gain a +1 bonus to all attack rolls and damage rolls when using the chosen weapon (stacks).

While Imperial Warriors always carry a Dory and Xiphos or Kopis (spear and sword), they tend to specialize their combat in one. Imperial Warriors can choose from 3 specific weapons specializations, focusing either on the spear or one sword. When creating your Imperial Warrior, you must choose one (and only one) of the following weapon specials.

Homoioi Specialty (short sword/scimitar or spear ): Specializing in the Xiphos (short sword) or Kopis (Scimitar) in combat. In addition, when in melee combat, if your opponent misses an attack by a dice roll of 5 or more, you gain a +3 bonus for your next attack against that opponent.

Specializing in the Dory (spear), the Imperial Warrior can focus his attacks on critical areas to harm his opponent. Furthermore, whenever you are in melee combat, if your opponent misses an attack against you by a roll of 5 or more, then your next attack against that opponent will generate a critical hit on a natural roll of 17-20.

Second Wind: You have a limited well of stamina that you can draw on to protect yourself from harm. On your turn, you can use a action to regain hit points equal to 1d10 + your Imperial Warrior level. Once you use this feature, you must rest (8 hrs uninterrupted) before you can use it again.

Block Out the Sun: At 2nd level, as a free action, you can gain an uncanny sense of when things nearby aren’t as they should be, giving you an edge when you block yourself from danger. Whenever a successful ranged attack is made against you while you are wielding a shield, you can use a free action to raise your shield and reduce the damage by a 1d10+ your Imperial Warrior level. If you reduce the damage to zero, the ammunition shatters on impact. You also have an advantage on dexterity saving throws when you can see the effect happening, but you must wield a shield (dexterity bonus still applies even if prone).

Aspis Shield Bash: It was common to see a Imperial Warrior knock back an opponent with their shield and follow up with a fatal attack with their sword or spear. At 3rd level, you begin to use your Aspis (shield) offensively in combat. Whenever in melee combat, when an opponent misses an attack roll against you by 5 or more, you can immediately take an attack of opportunity with your shield to deal 1d6 damage + your STR modifier (bludgeoning); this attack does/can not generate a critical hit. If the attack misses by less than 5 you can still shield bash as a standard action. The Imperial Warrior with shield bash does work in conjunction with the Homoioi Weapon Specialty and/or Hoplite Weapon.

Phalanx Spirit: At 4th level, the Imperial Warrior can give out a powerful shout (as a free action) to summon the spirits of ancient Imperial Warriors before him; this shout grants you a +2 bonus to AC when using your shield, and it lasts a number of rounds equal to 3 + your Imperial Warrior level. You can use this ability again after a 8 hrs rest.

Hoplite Bonus Feats: Hoplites gain bonus feats selected from a subset of the Fighter Bonus feats list, and any feat designated as a fighter feat can be selected as a hoplite's bonus feat. This designation does not restrict characters of other classes from selecting these feats, assuming that they meet any prerequisites. The hoplite can also pick a Racial or Regional Feat as their hoplite bonus feat, since most hoplites always try to stay true to their homeland. At 4th level, a hoplite gets a bonus combat-oriented feat in addition to any feats granted to a character. The hoplite gains an additional bonus feat at 6th level and every four hoplite levels thereafter (10th, 14th, & 18th). These bonus feats must be drawn from the feats noted as fighter bonus feats. A fighter must still meet all prerequisites for a bonus feat, including ability score and base attack bonus minimums. These bonus feats are in addition to the feat that a character of any class gets from advancing levels (see Table 3–2: Experience and Level-Dependent Benefits, page 22 of Players Handbook 3.5). A Hoplite is not limited to the list of fighter bonus feats when choosing these feats.

Press The Attack: At 5th level, The Imperial Warrior can concentrate all his might on the opponents around him. You get a second melee attack, which can only be made if you move less than 5 feet after your first attack. If this second attack results in a kill, you are allowed one additional 5-foot step and a third melee attack as a bonus action. You may continue to do this as long as your attack results in a kill and you take no more than a 5-foot step between attacks.

Damage Reduction (Ex): At 7th level, a Imperial Warrior gains the ability to shrug off some amount of injury from each blow or attack. Subtract 1 from the damage the Imperial Warrior takes each time he is dealt damage from a weapon or a natural attack. At 10th level, and every three Imperial Warrior levels thereafter (13th, 16th, and 19th level), this damage reduction rises by 1 point. Damage reduction can reduce damage to 0 but not below 0.

Double Attack: At 8th level, twice per encounter, a imperial warrior may attack with both his spear and shield or sword and shield (which ever weapon is equipped currently) This attack may only have one target. The Imperial Warrior fluidly makes a basic strike with his sword/spear then quickly transitions to a shield bash. It in one attack action, the action does not provoke an attack of opportunity.

Strike To The Heart: Beginning at 9th level, you can roll one additional weapon damage die when determining the extra damage for a critical hit with a melee attack. This increases to two additional dice at 13th level and three additional dice at 17th level.

Legendary Presence: At 15th level, the Imperial Warrior has become a local legend, with word of his exploits even reaching his home city. Your Legendary Presence, gives you a +2 bonus to hit and Fast Movement is now doubled (+20 feet).Does not stack with Heroic Presence.

The Champion of Gods: At 20th level, you embody the power of the Gods. Your Strength and Constitution scores increase by 4. Your maximum for those scores is now 22.