Melee Specialist (3.5e Prestige Class)

Melee Specialist

“	Some people like to carry around a cart full of weapons for each occasion. I need only one.	”
—Unnamed melee specialist

A melee specialist is a front line combatant who focuses on the use of only a single type of weapon for his entire career. As a result he gains more insight than even a fighter who chooses to specialize with a weapon.

Becoming a Melee Specialist

Melee Specialists are almost exclusively fighters given the training required to become one. After learning a variety of new ways to be more effective with a single weapon some fighters realize that there is more to be learned and seek to become a melee specialist.

Strength is the most important ability score for a melee specialist as it is with many front line combatants. A close second is constitution as it allows him to take as well as he gives.

Entry Requirements

Weapon Proficiency:	Must be proficient with all martial weapons.
Base Attack Bonus:	+6.
Feats:	Weapon Focus, Weapon Specialization.
Special:	Fighter or ranger Level 6th.

Table: The Melee Specialist

Hit Die: d10

Level	Base Attack Bonus	Saving Throws			Special
		Fort	Ref	Will
1st	+1	+2	+0	+0	Chosen Weapon
2nd	+2	+3	+0	+0	Anti-Armor Strikes +1, Momentum x2
3rd	+3	+3	+1	+1	Shatterpoint 1/day, Versatile Weapon Handling
4th	+4	+4	+1	+1	Bonus Feat
5th	+5	+4	+1	+1	Anti-Armor Strikes +2, Improved Weapon Handling
6th	+6	+5	+2	+2	Iron Grip, Shatterpoint 2/day
7th	+7	+5	+2	+2	Greater Weapon Handling
8th	+8	+6	+2	+2	Anti-Armor Strikes +3, Bonus Feat, Momentum x3, Sunderguard
9th	+9	+6	+3	+3	Improved Shatterpoint, Shatterpoint 3/day
10th	+10	+7	+3	+3	Perfect Weapon Handling, Steel As Water
Class Skills (4 + Int modifier per level) The melee specialists class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Balance (Dex), Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Listen (Wis), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Sense Motive (Wis), Spot (Wis), Swim (Str), and Tumble (Dex).

Table: The Epic Melee Specialist

Level	Special
11th	Anti-Armor Strikes +4
12th	Bonus Feat, Shatterpoint 4/day
13th
14th	Anti-Armor Strikes +5, Momentum x4
15th	Shatterpoint 5/day
16th	Bonus Feat
17th	Anti-Armor Strikes +6
18th	Shatterpoint 6/day
19th
20th	Anti-Armor Strikes +7, Bonus Feat, Momentum x5

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the Melee Specialist.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A melee specialist is proficient with all simple and martial weapons, light armor, medium armor, and shields (except tower shields).

Chosen Weapon (Ex): At 1st level, the melee specialist picks a weapon which he has proficiency, weapon focus, weapon specialization, and greater weapon focus with (this choice may not be changed thereafter). He gains a +1 bonus on attack and damage rolls for that weapon and may treat it as a light weapon when beneficial (this does not allow him to use a two handed weapon for two weapon fighting however or to use it with only 1 hand). This weapon must be appropriately sized for him to be used as a chosen weapon. A melee specialists levels count as fighter levels for the purpose of minimum fighter level required in the case of certain feats (such as weapon specialization) but only for the purpose of his chosen weapon.

Anti-Armor Strikes (Ex): At 2nd level, a melee specialist gains a +1 bonus on attack rolls against opponents with natural armor, an armor bonus, a shield bonus, or any combination thereof to armor class while making an attack with his chosen weapon. This amount increases at 5rd level and every 3 levels thereafter.

Momentum (Ex): At 2nd level, while employing only his chosen weapon in combat and while not wearing heavier than medium armor a melee specialist may add twice his strength modifier to damage rolls with his chosen weapon (this overlaps the normal addition of strength modifier). At 8th level and every 6 levels after the amount of damage from the melee specialist's strength modifier added is increased by 1 multiple (x3 at 8th, x4 at 14th, etc.). A melee specialist cannot use this ability and rage (or any similar ability) and/or power attack at the same time and attacks gained from sources other than base attack bonus (such as haste, cleave, or two-weapon fighting) do not benefit from this ability. This ability does not function while charging.

Shatterpoint (Ex): At 3rd level, a melee specialist can enter a focused state, known as shatterpoint, as a free action once per day which allows him to sense and exploit weaknesses in otherwise unassailable targets. If the melee specialist attacks a target, while using his chosen weapon, with damage reduction or hardness he ignores 1 point worth of hardness and damage reduction per melee specialist level (if the target somehow has both it applies to each separately). Shatterpoint lasts for a number of rounds equal to his melee specialist class levels and can only be used once per encounter. A melee specialist cannot use this ability and rage (or any similar ability) and/or power attack at the same time and attacks gained from sources other than base attack bonus (such as haste, cleave, or two-weapon fighting) do not benefit from this ability. This ability does not function while charging. At 6th level and every 3 levels thereafter the melee specialist gains an additional use of this ability per day.

Versatile Weapon Handling (Ex): At 3rd level, a melee specialist can use his chosen weapon to deal other types of damage than what it normally deals while still retaining it's effectiveness. As a swift action, the melee specialist may choose to deal bludgeoning, piercing, slashing, or some combination of these types of damage with his weapon.

Bonus Feats (Ex): At 4th level and every 4 levels thereafter the melee specialist may take a fighter bonus feat.

Improved Weapon Handling (Ex): At 5th level, a melee specialist can make nonlethal attacks and attacks while prone or grappling with his chosen weapon without taking a -4 penalty on the attack roll.

Iron Grip (Ex): At 6th level, a melee specialist becomes difficult to disarm of his chosen weapon. The melee specialist may make 2 rolls and take the higher result when resisting a disarming attempt with his chosen weapon. Furthermore, the opponent gains no benefit from differences in size and the melee specialist gains a bonus on resisting disarming attempts equal to his melee specialist class level.

Greater Weapon Handling (Ex): At 7th level, a melee specialist using his chosen weapon can make a opposed concentration check against an enemy attempting to tumble through an area that would provoke an attack of opportunity by him. If the melee specialist is successful he may take that attack of opportunity as normal. Furthermore, the melee specialist takes no penalties to attack and damage rolls while fighting underwater with his chosen weapon.

Sunderguard (Ex): At 8th level, a melee specialists chosen weapon becomes difficult to sunder or otherwise damage. The melee specialist may make 2 rolls and take the higher result against any sunder attempt or on any save to protect his chosen weapon and these rolls are made with an added bonus equal to his melee specialist class level. The melee specialists weapon also gains a bonus to armor class against being targeted by attacks that would affect it equal to his melee specialist class level.

Improved Shatterpoint (Su): At 9th level, while in shatterpoint a melee specialist wielding his chosen weapon may make a melee specialist class level check when attacking a creature with a special quality other than damage reduction (regeneration, swarm traits, incorporeal, etc.) that would negatively modify his attack with respect to hitting or dealing damage (the DM may adjudicate this ability to not be effective in rare cases such as the tarrasque). If the result of his check exceeds the targets CR he can attack and deal damage normally to the target. The result of this check lasts only for 1 round and only for the target the check was made for (thus he must make new checks in subsequent rounds or against new targets). This ability does not function while charging.

Perfect Weapon Handling (Ex): At 10th level, a melee specialist gains a mastery of his chosen weapon that most others cannot even understand. Iterative attacks with his chosen weapon are made at -2 increments rather than -5, he rerolls all natural 1's for attack rolls while using his chosen weapon (if the result of a reroll is a 1 he rerolls until he does not recieve a 1), he does not suffer penalties from the effects of fatigue or exhaustion with respect to his weapon attack and damage rolls, any miss chances he would suffer are reduced by 20% (to a minimum of 0%), and improved shatterpoint becomes an extraordinary ability. This ability does not function while charging.

Steel As Water (Ex): At 10th level, a melee specialist wielding his chosen weapon may strike his opponents as though their defenses (or steel) were no more effective at preventing his attacks than a thin layer of water. Once per day, while in shatterpoint, the melee specialist may resolves his attacks with his chosen weapon as touch attacks for one round.

The epic melee specialist gains a bonus feat (selected from the list of epic melee specialist feats) every 4 levels after 8th (this is a continuation of the bonus feat progression within the class).

Epic Melee Specialist Bonus Feat List: As fighter list plus Great Strength and Shattered Steel (New epic feat).

Shattered Steel [Epic]

Prerequisites: Steel As Water class feature, Shatterpoint class feature, Character level 24th, Weapon Focus, Weapon Specialization, Base Attack Bonus +20.

Benefit: You may sacrifice a use per day of your Shatterpoint ability to use Steel As Water an additional time per day for each use per day of Shatterpoint sacrificed. This sacrifice is made as a free action and lasts until the beginning of the next day.

Normal: You can only use Steel As Water once per day.

Special: You can only sacrifice uses of Shatterpoint that you gain from class levels and not from other sources.

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