Your choice of a class delineates some of the most important aspects of your D&D character. With a class comes a specific role in the party, essential mechanical attributes such as base attack bonus and base save bonuses, and a host of special abilities that define the character. It is possible, however, to alter a class slightly to provide a new playing experience.
This section provides alternative class feature options for the eleven classes from the Player’s Handbook, as well as some classes from supplements. Many of these alternative class features grant a minor arcane talent or twist to a character, while others provide some protection against the tactics commonly used by arcane spellcasters.
These abilities replace class features found in the original class description on a one-for-one basis. If you have already reached or passed the level at which you can take the ability, you can use the retraining option described in Players Handbook II to substitute the alternative class feature for the normal one gained at that level.
A general description of the ability and why you should consider it.
Class: The class or classes that can select this class feature.
Level: The alternative class feature can be selected only at this level. In some cases, different levels might be given for different classes.
Special Requirement: Any special requirements that you must meet before selecting the alternative class feature.
Many of the alternative class features described here require 1 or more ranks of a Knowledge skill. Since skill ranks are purchased before class features are selected, you can meet this requirement at the same level that you gain the alternative class feature.
Replaces: The ability that you must sacrifice to gain the alternative class feature.
Benefit: The mechanical effects of the new ability.
Rangers learn to track and hunt creatures of a certain type when choosing a favoured enemy. Some rangers concern themselves less with what a creature is, and more with what it does. These rangers learn to identify signs of the arcane and make it their business to combat those who use arcane magic in opposition to their goals.
Class: Ranger.
Level: 1st.
Special Requirement: Knowledge (Arcana) 1 rank.
Replaces: At 1st level, you do not select a favoured enemy from Table: Ranger Favoured Enemies. At 5th, 10th, 15th and 20th level, you can choose favoured enemies as normal.
Benefit: At 1st level, you gain favoured enemy (arcanists). This feature works just like the favoured enemy ability. The bonuses granted apply to any character capable of casting arcane spells or using invocations (but not other spell-like abilities).
Every swashbuckler relies on her agility and quick wit to get her out of scrapes. Some take this a step farther, learning magical tricks that boost their mobility or defence.
Class: Swashbuckler.
Level: 1st.
Special Requirement: Knowledge (Arcana) 1 rank.
Replaces: You lose the grace class feature and all later improvements to that ability.
Benefit: Choose one of the following spells: blur, expeditious retreat, feather fall, jump or spider climb. You can use that spell-like ability as a swift action (or, in the case of feather fall, as an immediate action); the duration of the spell is reduced to 1 round. Your caster level is equal to your swashbuckler level.
At 11th level, you can choose a second spell-like ability from the list above, and the benefit gained from both of these spell-like abilities lasts for 2 rounds.
At 20th level, you can choose a third spell-like ability, and the benefit of each one lasts for 3 rounds.
You can use this ability a number of times per day equal to 1 + your Int modifier (minimum 1/day). Regardless of the number of arcane stunts you possess, the same total daily limit applies to their use — that is, each day, an 11th-level swashbuckler with an Intelligence of 14 could use one of his spell-like abilities three times or one ability twice and the other once.
Rare is the fighter who hasn’t envied the wizard’s bag of magical tricks. Although even the most basic arcane spell remains beyond a fighter’s abilities, those who aspire to such talents can, with practice, learn to cast simple arcane spells while wearing light armour. On its own, this alternative feature grants little benefit to a single-classed fighter; only in conjunction with one or more levels of sorcerer, wizard or a similar arcane spellcasting class does this ability come into play.
Class: Fighter.
Level: 1st.
Special Requirement: Knowledge (Arcana) 1 rank.
Replaces: You lose proficiency with medium armour and heavy armour.
Benefit: Choose one arcane spellcasting class, such as sorcerer. You can avoid any chance of arcane spell failure for spells gained from this class as long as you restrict yourself to light armour and light shields. This training does not extend to any other form of armour or shields, nor does this ability apply to spells gained from other spellcasting classes. This benefit applies only to spells of a level equal to or lower than your fighter class level + 1.
Most paladins use their divinely granted powers to combat diseases that plague their allies. Paladins with an interest in the arcane — particularly those who battle necromancers — sometimes prefer to learn to counteract the effects of magical curses.
Class: Paladin.
Level: 6th.
Special Requirement: Knowledge (Arcana) 1 rank.
Replaces: You do not gain the remove disease spell-like ability or any later improvement of that ability.
Benefit: At 6th level, you can produce a remove curse effect, as the spell, once per week. You can use this ability one additional time per week for every three levels beyond 6th (twice per week at 9th, three times at 12th and so forth).
Beginning at 12th level, you can spend two of your weekly uses to produce a break enchantment effect, as the spell. These are spell-like abilities.
Although the ability to turn undead is arguably a defining cleric characteristic, some clerics (and paladins) find that they can be even more effective crusaders by opposing evil spellcasters. The ability to negate an enemy spellcasters magic grants a character an unexpected edge.
Class: Cleric or Paladin.
Level: 1st (cleric) or 4th (paladin).
Special Requirement: Knowledge (Arcana) 1 rank.
Replaces: You do not gain the ability to turn or rebuke undead.
Benefit: You gain the supernatural ability to counter another spellcaster’s magic through pure force of will. This ability functions just as if you were using dispel magic to counter the spell, except that you add your cleric level (instead of your caster level) to the d20 roll. You don’t need to identify the spell the opposing spellcaster is casting to make the attempt.
If you don’t have a cleric level, use your effective cleric level for the purpose of turning undead. For example, a paladin would normally turn undead as a cleric of three levels lower; her effective cleric level for counterspelling is equal to her paladin level - 3.
You can attempt to counterspell a number of times per day equal to 1 + your Charisma modifier.
A character with 5 or more ranks in Knowledge (Arcana) gets a +2 bonus on counterspelling attempts when using this ability.
Deities influence the world through the divine spells they grant their worshippers. Some clerics, however, choose to explore magical powers beyond those commonly provided by the gods. By giving up some of their divine power, these clerics gain access to spells normally beyond their abilities.
This class feature can be chosen only once.
Class: Cleric.
Level: 1st.
Special Requirement: Knowledge (Arcana) 1 rank.
Replaces: You gain only one domain (including spells and granted power) at 1st level, rather than two.
Benefit: You can add one 1st-level abjuration, divination or necromancy wizard spell to your cleric spell list. Each time you gain the ability to cast a new level of cleric spells, you can add a single wizard spell of the same level from one of those schools to your cleric spell list.
Every druid reveres nature, but some pay more respect to the fundamental building blocks of the natural world than to its flora and fauna. By forgoing her bond with the animal kingdom, a druid can instead take on an elemental creature as her companion.
Class: Druid.
Level: 1st.
Special Requirement: Knowledge (The Planes) 1 rank, Speak Language (Auran, Terran, Ignan or Aquan).
Replaces: You do not gain an animal companion, nor do you gain wild empathy.
Benefit: You gain the companionship of a Small elemental (air, earth, fire or water; your choice). You must speak the language of your chosen elemental companion (Auran, Terran, Ignan or Aquan, respectively).
Your elemental companion has the normal statistics of an elemental of its kind. It does not gain any extra HD, natural armour adjustment, Strength or Dexterity adjustment, or extra tricks (it is intelligent enough to follow your spoken commands and thus needs no tricks). It gains all other special abilities normally granted to an animal companion, with the exception of Multiattack.
At 4th level, your elemental grows into a Medium elemental of the same kind. Its statistics change appropriately.
At 10th level, you can choose for your elemental companion to grow to a Large elemental of the same kind, with the appropriate changes to its statistics. If you choose for your elemental to remain Medium, it instead gains 2 HD, +2 Strength, +2 Constitution and damage reduction 5/—.
At 16th level, you can choose for your elemental companion to grow to a Huge elemental of the same kind, with the appropriate changes to its statistics. If you choose for your elemental to remain at its current size, it instead gains an additional +4 HD, +4 Strength, +4 Constitution, and damage reduction 5/—. All these benefits stack with existing statistics except for the damage reduction.
Every wizard who calls himself a specialist takes pride in wielding his preferred form of magic. Those who are exceptionally pure of purpose take this specialization to an entirely new level, disdaining breadth of skill in favour of even greater focus.
Class: Wizard.
Level: 1st.
Special Requirement: You must be a specialist wizard.
Replaces: You lose one spell slot from each level of wizard spells you can cast. If you later gain the ability to cast higher-level wizard spells, you lose one spell slot from each new level of spells you can cast.
You must also choose another prohibited school of magic, which can’t be divination.
Benefit: You can prepare two additional spells of your specialty school per spell level each day. These extra spells are in addition to those normally granted to a specialist wizard. This benefit doesn’t apply to spells gained from classes other than wizard.
The traditional monk seeks balance in body, mind and soul, and through this equilibrium gains various combat talents. A monk who learns the secret of the soulwarp strike masters an arcane talent of necromancy that infects her enemy’s ki, producing an effect akin to terrible sickness.
Class: Monk.
Level: 1st.
Special Requirement: Knowledge (Arcana) 1 rank.
Replaces: You do not gain the monk bonus feat normally acquired at 1st level.
Benefit: You know how to channel necromantic energy into your unarmed strikes. You must declare that you are using this ability before you make your attack roll (thus, a failed attack roll ruins the attempt). In addition to dealing its normal damage, your unarmed strike renders any living creature nauseated for 1 round, or sickened for 1 round if it succeeds on a Fortitude save (DC 10 + ½ your character level + your Wisdom modifier).
You can use this ability a number of times per day equal to your monk level, and no more than once per round. Creatures immune to necromancy effects (such as constructs) are unaffected by this ability.
Many masters of stealth share the signature talent to avoid explosive blasts of magical energy. It takes only a little training, however, to twist this defensive flair into the ability to reflect magical attacks back upon their creator.
Class: Monk, Ranger, Rogue or Scout.
Level: 2nd (monk or rogue), 5th (scout) or 9th (ranger).
Special Requirement: Knowledge (Arcana) 1 rank.
Replaces: You do not gain evasion. (If you would later gain improved evasion as a special ability, you gain evasion instead.)
Benefit: You gain the supernatural ability to reflect magical attacks back on their caster. If an enemy misses with a spell or spell-like ability aimed at you, you can use an immediate action to redirect the effect back at its originator. The spell or ability attacks the original caster (who makes a new attack roll using the same modifier as the original attack). If it hits, the caster is subject to the normal effect of the spell or ability.
For example, if a 3rd-level wizard missed you with a scorching ray, you could use an immediate action to redirect the ray back to the wizard. The wizard would immediately make a new ranged attack roll (using the same modifier) against his own touch AC; if the attack succeeds, the scorching ray deals its normal damage to the wizard.
This effect applies only to spells and spell-like abilities that require an attack roll. Other spells and spell-like abilities that affect a target aren’t subject to this reflection.
If a single spell or ability misses you more than once at the same time (such as scorching ray cast by a high-level caster), you can redirect each portion of the spell that missed. Using the example above, if you were missed by two of the three rays from an 11th-level wizard’s scorching ray spell, you could redirect only those two rays (but not the one that hit).
You can use this ability a number of times per day equal to 1 + your Dexterity modifier (minimum 1/day).
Most barbarians and rogues have a preternatural awareness of danger, whether the threat of a nearby invisible attacker or the hidden peril of a spear trap. Some, however, fine-tune this ability to focus on magical attacks, granting them the ability to dodge the orbs, rays, and eldritch blasts of their enemies.
Class: Barbarian or Rogue.
Level: 3rd.
Special Requirement: Knowledge (Arcana) 1 rank.
Replaces: You do not gain the trap sense class feature (or any later improvements to that class feature).
Benefit: Beginning at 3rd level, you gain a +1 dodge bonus to your AC against spells and spell-like abilities. This bonus increases by 1 for every three barbarian or rogue levels thereafter (to +2 at 6th level, +3 at 9th level and so on to a maximum of +6 at 18th level).
This is an extraordinary ability.
Bards pride themselves on being masters of language and sound. A rare few learn to use their voices to interfere with enemy spellcasters, twisting word and sound to defeat spells before they are cast.
Class: Bard.
Level: 1st.
Special Requirement: Knowledge (Arcana) 1 rank, Perform (any) 3 ranks.
Replaces: You do not gain the countersong bardic music ability.
Benefit: You can use your music or poetics to interfere with spells that have verbal components. Doing this costs one daily use of your bardic music ability and requires a standard action to start. Enemy spellcasters within 30 feet of you take a 20% spell failure chance when casting any spell that has a verbal component (as if they were deafened). You can maintain your spellbreaker song for 3 rounds.
This ability follows all the other appropriate rules for bardic music.
Most sorcerers hide behind walls of steel, slinging spells at enemies safely distant. You have no patience for such cowards and prefer to be near the front line. Your breadth of magical knowledge might not compare with those craven weaklings, but you are proud to dive into the fray alongside the fighter.
If you play a sorcerer with this alternative class feature, consider taking at least one level of fighter and selecting the armoured mage alternative class feature.
Class: Sorcerer.
Level: 1st.
Special Requirement: Knowledge (Arcana) 1 rank.
Replaces: Reduce by one the number of sorcerer spells known for your highest spell level (to a minimum of one). As a 1st-level character, you have one 1st-level spell known rather than two.
When you would gain a second known spell from a higher level, apply this penalty to the new spell level but remove it from the lower level. For example, at 5th level, you reduce your 2nd-level spells known from two to one but you gain the previously unavailable 1st-level spell (increasing your 1st-level spells known from three to four).
Benefit: You gain extra hit points equal to two times your sorcerer class level. Every time you advance a level, you gain another 2 extra hit points. (So, at 1st level you have 2 extra hit points, at 2nd level you have 4 extra hit points, and so on.)
You also gain the Martial Weapon Proficiency feat for a melee weapon of your choice, as well as Weapon Focus with that weapon.
Source: Complete Mage (Page 31)