BuccaneerBass

Many men swear fealty to a lord or kingdom, intent on defending and bringing honour to both. Unfortunately, many men will buckle in the face of great danger, dying shallow deaths on the chaos of the battlefield as they flee in fear. As the skies turn black with smoke and the ground runs wet with the blood of the dying, even more will fail in their hopes of bringing honour to lord and land. When the tides of great battles begin to turn for the worst, it is the duty and honour of the Field Marshal to win the day. However, few men have the intellect, intent, and sheer will to accomplish this great task. Of those men that do, only a rare group of privileged men will excel enough to ever earn the title 'Field Marshal'.

The Field Marshal is both an officer and a gentleman, trained to command men in battle using expert tactics and a voice capable of speaking for the spirit of a kingdom. For the Field Marshal, there can be no greater honour then to valiantly serve his liege as a diplomat, carrying the very badge of his kingdom into the lands of his allies. During times of war, the Field Marshal can be expected to be seen leading men to the throats of his kingdom's enemies.

Trained to deliver encouragement that defies common explanation, the Field Marshal uses his stout voice and noble will to shake the fear from his men and rally them in the face of foes many would cower before. Many also excel in such areas as close-quarter fighting, duelling, and tactical patrols and manoeuvres.

Academy in Corvis. These "Field Marshals", as they call themselves, are the best of the best among War Bards and military officers alike. Trained rigorously while attending the University, these War Bards are given basic and extended training in such fields of study as battlefield tactics, patrol manoeuvres, and so on. Trained to assist field grade officers in their nation's military, these men are hardened for battle long before many men pick up a rifle.

The Field Marshal is almost exclusive to Cygnar, although some claim that Khador has a unique rank of War Bard exclusive to the Winterguard. Rumours persist that these men are so precise in their skills that they can bolster soldiers against even the very weather itself!

To qualify as a Field Marshal, a character must fulfil all the following criteria.

Alignment: Any non-chaotic, Cha 12, Int 12.

Base Attack Bonus: +4

Skills: Concentration 6 ranks, Diplomacy 6 ranks, Knowledge (Tactics) 8 ranks, Sense Motive 6 ranks, and Spot 6 ranks.

Feats: University Education, Leadership.

Special: Must have the Bardic Music Ability.

Spells: Ability to cast Arcane spells of 2^nd level or higher.

The Field Marshal's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Concentration (Con), Craft (gunsmithing, small arms) (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (all skills) (Int), Perform (Cha), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Sense Motive (Wis), Speak Language (Int), Spellcraft (Int), and Use Magic Device (Cha).

Skill Points at Each Level: 6+ Int modifier.

All the following are class features of the Field Marshal prestige class.

Weapon and Armour Proficiency: Field Marshals gain proficiency with all light and medium armours.

Spells per Day: At every other level, starting at 1^st level, the Field Marshal gains new spells per day as if he had gained a level in a spellcasting class to which he belonged to before entering this prestige class. He does not gain any other benefits as a member of that class except for increased spellcasting level. If the character had more than one spellcasting class before becoming a Field Marshal, he must decide which class he adds the new level to in order to determine spells per day. The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against a Field Marshal's spell is 10 + the spell level + the Field Marshal's Charisma modifier.

Rally the Troops (Ex): At first level, the Field Marshal can attempt to rally allied troops who are panicked due to Fear (or similar mind-affecting spell or ability). As a standard action, the Field Marshal can attempt to rally all of his allies within a 60' radius by making an Intimidation check opposed to the original Will Save DC. If his Intimidation check meets or exceeds the original Will Save DC (the failed save that panicked them in the first place), then each ally may elect to use the Field Marshal's Intimidate check as his or her new saving throw. Once the Field Marshal has rallied his troops, they remain immune to the original Fear effect for 24 hours. A Field Marshal can Rally the Troops once per day per point of Cha modifier.

Bonus Feat: At 2^nd level, 4^th level, 7^th level, and 9^th level the Field Marshal can choose a bonus feat from the Fighter Bonus Feats.

Battle Hymn (Su): At 3^rd level, a Field Marshal with 6 or more ranks in a Perform skill can use song or poetics to inspire valour in his allies, improving their combat abilities. To be affected, an ally must be within 60' and able to hear the Field Marshal's hymn. The effect lasts for as long as the ally hears the Field Marshal sing and for 5 rounds thereafter. An affected ally receives a +2 morale bonus on attack and weapon damage rolls. Battle Hymn is a mind-affecting ability.

Field Tactics 1 (Ex): At 5^th level, the Field Marshal gains the ability to order otherwise chaotic troops by giving quick and decisive instructions on the field of battle. Once per day, as a free action, the Field Marshal can make a Knowledge (Tactics) check, where the DC is equal to the total number of levels of allied troops under his direct command. If he succeeds, then all of his troops gain a +2 dodge bonus to AC and a +1 bonus to Reflex Saves for the remainder of the battle.

Crusader's Anthem (Su): At 6^th level, a Field Marshal with 6 or more ranks in a Perform skill can use song or poetics to inspire bravery in his allies, improving their resolve in combat. To be affected, an ally must be within 60' and able to hear the Field Marshal's Anthem. The effect lasts for as long as the ally hears the Field Marshal sing and for 5 rounds thereafter. An affected ally receives a +4 morale bonus on Will and Fortitude saves. Crusader's Anthem is a mind-affecting ability.

War Song (Su): At 8^h level, a Field Marshal with 9 or more ranks in a Perform skill can use song or poetics to inspire valour in his allies, improving their combat abilities. To be affected, an ally must be within 60' and able to hear the Field Marshal's Song. The effect lasts for as long as the ally hears the Field Marshal sing and for 5 rounds thereafter. An affected ally receives a +4 morale bonus on attack and weapon damage rolls. War Song is a mind-affecting ability.

Field Tactics 2 (Ex): At 10^th level, the Field Marshal gains the ability to order otherwise chaotic troops by giving quick and decisive instructions on the field of battle. Once per day, as a free action, the Field Marshall can make a Knowledge (Tactics) check, where the DC is equal to the total number of levels of allied troops under his direct command. If he succeeds, then all of his troops gain a +4 dodge bonus to AC and a +2 bonus to Reflex Saves for the remainder of the battle.

The following Prestige Class was created and distributed by Jason Sonia, free of charge and with no intent at generating profit by its release. All of the material above, with the exception of the section "In the Iron Kingdoms" is considered Open Game Content. The section "In the Iron Kingdoms" contains intellectual property owned and copyrighted by Privateer Press, Inc. Comments and questions can be e-mailed to the author at: jaye.sonia@gmail.com

By: Jason Sonia