The Leader of a community must oversee all the functions of the community, both peaceful and violent. The War Chief specializes in violence. Whether he’s called the chief of security, commander of armed forces, or just “the roughest fighter we’ve got”, the War Chief dedicates his life to preparing against the harm others might inflict on the community and to dishing out his own harm to those who threaten it.
REQUIREMENTS
Base Attack Bonus: +3.
Skills:
Intimidate 3 ranks,
Knowledge {tactics} 3 ranks.
CLASS INFORMATION
Hit Die: d12.
Action Points: 6 + half character level (rounded down) per level.
Class Skills: Acrobatics (Dex), Demolitions (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Disable Device (Int), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (history, tactics) (Int), Perception (Wis), Ride (Dex), Sense Motive (Wis), Stealth (Dex), Survival (Wis), Treat Injury (Wis).
Skill Ranks Per Level: 4 + Intelligence modifier.
Table: The War Chief
CLASS FEATURES
Crushing the Enemy: Whenever the War Chief inflicts enough damage to reach his opponent’s massive damage threshold, his victim must make a Will save against DC 15 + the War Chief’s class level to avoid becoming panicked for the War Chief’s class level in rounds (see d20 Modern Chapter Five: Combat, “Injury and Death”, Character Condition Summary for panicked and other adverse conditions).
Driving the Enemy: At 2nd level, the War Chief may unleash a special demoralization assault. With 1 act, he makes an Intimidate check (DC 15). If he succeeds, enemies within a radius of 5 feet per class level must make a Will save (DC 15) to avoid becoming panicked for the War Chief’s class level in rounds, or until they move out of the area of effect. Those who fail by 10 or more become stunned for one round for every two of the War Chief’s class levels, rounded down. The War Chief may use this feature a number of times per day equal to his Charisma modifier.
Bonus Feats: At 3rd, 6th, and 9th level, the War Chief gets a bonus feat. It must be selected from the following list, and the character must meet all the prerequisites of the feat to select it.
Advanced Firearms Proficiency,
Blind-Fight,
Brawl,
Cleave,
Exotic Firearms Proficiency,
Exotic Weapon Proficiency,
Improved Damage Threshold,
Improved Mutation Resistance,
Mutation Resistance,
Nanotech Attunement,
Psionic Potential.
Joy in Lamentation: At 4th level, the War Chief develops a knack for discerning the mental state of his opponents and using it to his advantage. Any time within 24 hours of fighting a particular enemy who has suffered significant injury (one-quarter or more of the fighting force lost one-half or more of their hit points), he may make an opposed Sense Motive check against an enemy leader. If he has some way of understanding the foes’ language and he wins the contest, he comes away with fresh insights into the losses they suffered. He may then inspire his own allies with a Diplomacy check against DC 15. Success on this roll grants his allies a bonus equal to half his class level (rounded down) on initiative and damage rolls the next time they fight those foes.
Depending on the circumstances, the War Chief may have to use Stealth and other skills to get close enough to the defeated foes to hear their lamentations. The GM should treat this as an opportunity for more cool, dramatic adventures, not as a chance to screw the War Chief’s player out of an advantage.
Strength in Pain: At 5th level, the War Chief may draw inspiration out of physical suffering for both himself and his allies. When he uses Treat Injury to restore hit points, each hit point healed gives the patient a +1 morale bonus she may apply on any single initiative, attack, or damage roll in her next fight. Each patient may have no more than her character level in bonuses stored up, and they are all lost after the next fight. This feature requires that the War Chief say a few inspiring words about overcoming adversity and getting back at those responsible for the patient’s suffering.
Force of Nature: At 7th level, the War Chief may cow others even more, with the help of nature. In any fight where he suffers damage from an environmental hazard like fire, acid, or electricity, and continues fighting in full view of his allies and enemies, he may make a Fortitude save against DC 15 + (6 – dice of damage suffered)—the Force of Nature effect becomes easier to invoke the more damage the War Chief takes! If it succeeds, he and his allies get a bonus attack rolls equal to half the War Chief’s level (rounded down) for the rest of the fight. This feature works once in any given fight, and it does apply to self-inflicted damage. If the War Chief sets himself on fire and charges into the fray, he can make the save just as he could if lightning struck him or he plunged off a high tower and got up to rejoin the battle.
Returning: At 8th level, the War Chief becomes very, very hard to kill. If reduced to disabled or dying status, he can spend an action point to return to immediate consciousness with his class level + Charisma modifier in hit points. At the GM’s discretion, enemies who see this feature in operation may need to make a Will save against DC 15 or more to avoid panicking.
Perfect Commander: At 10th level, the War Chief can effectively command the military activities of an entire community when he’s in charge. The community often occupies more space than he can visit personally while a siege or battle is in progress, but he can relay his encouragement and directions through messenger each time he succeeds at a Diplomacy check (DC 18). If the check succeeds, he can pass along one half of his ability modifiers (rounded down, minimum 1) as a bonus to the community’s abilities: his Strength bonus to its Force, and so on; if it succeeds by 10 or more, he can pass along his undivided ability modifiers as a bonus to the community’s abilities. Trusted couriers repeat the War Chief’s words and actions so vividly that it’s as if her were there beside his allies in the struggle.
