Elite Trooper

Elite Trooper

(Image By Veli Nyström – http://vablo.deviantart.com/)

The elite trooper represents in individual who has received advanced combat training.  More than a mere soldier, the elite trooper is highly trained and capable of taking on any number of combat-related missions, such as guarding an important location, assaulting an enemy base, or participating in a stealthy insertion into enemy territory. They’re a crack shot and, although trained in the use of armor, can easily operate without it if the situation warrants.  When the fighting gets particularly brutal, the elite trooper can dispatch foes hand-to-hand as easily as they do with a gun.

REQUIREMENTS


To qualify to become an elite trooper, a character must fulfill the following criteria.

  • Minimum Level: 7th
  • Base Attack Bonus: +7
  • Feats: Armor Proficiency (light), Armor Proficiency (medium), Martial Arts I, Flurry OR Point Blank Shot
  • Talents: At least one talent from the Armor Specialist, Commando, Mercenary, or Weapon Specialist talent trees (Soldier base class)

GAME RULE INFORMATION

Elite troopers have the following game statistics.

HIT POINTS

At each level, elite troopers gain 1d12 hit points + their Constitution modifier.

HERO POINTS

Elite troopers gain a number of Hero Points equal to 6 + one-half their character level, rounded down, every time they gain a new level in this class.

LEVEL BASE ATTACK BONUS CLASS FEATURES
1st +1 Defense bonuses, delay damage, talent
2nd +2 Damage reduction 1
3rd +3 Talent
4th +4 Damage reduction 2
5th +5 Talent
6th +6 Damage reduction 3
7th +7 Talent
8th +8 Damage reduction 4
9th +9 Talent
10th +10 Damage reduction 5

CLASS FEATURES

The following are features of the elite trooper prestige class.

DEFENSE BONUSES

At 1st level, you gain a +2 class bonus to your Reflex Defense and a +4 class bonus to your Fortitude Defense.

DELAY DAMAGE

Elite troopers are among the toughest individuals in the galaxy.  After being exposed to numerous threats, foes, and combat situations. you’ve developed the ability to delay effects that would drop lesser creatures.
Once per encounter as a reaction, you can choose to delay the effect of a single attack. ability, or effect used against you.  The damage or effect does not take hold until the end of your next turn.

TALENTS


At every odd-numbered level (1st, 3rd, 5th, and so on), you select a talent.  The talent can be selected from the Assault Training, Commando, Rocket Jumper, or Sniper talent trees from the Soldier base class, the Camouflage or Infiltrator talent trees from the Scout base class, or from the Critical Master, Master of Martial Arts, Melee Specialist, Protection, Squad Leader, Terran Marine, Terran SpecOps, or Weapon Master talent trees, below.  You must meet the prerequisites (if any) of the chosen talent. No talent can be selected more than once unless expressly indicated.

CRITICAL MASTER TALENT TREE

Some elite troopers know exactly where to strike their foes to deal maximum damage, potentially crippling their enemies in the process.

  • Deny Move: When you score a critical hit wit h a melee or ranged attack, your target cannot move on its next turn.
    • Prerequisite: Reduce Mobility.
  • Extended Critical Range (heavy weapons): When you are using a heavy weapon, you extend the weapon’s critical range by 1 (for example, 19-20 instead of 20).  However, anything other than a natural 20 is not considered an automatic hit; if you roll anything other than a natural 20 and still miss the target, you do not score a critical hit.
    • Prerequisites: Base attack bonus +10, Weapon Proficiency (heavy weapons) feat.
  • Extended Critical Range (rifles): When you are using a rifle, you extend the weapon’s critical range by 1 (for example, 19-20 instead of 20).  However, anything other than a natural 20 is not considered an automatic hit; if you roll anything other than a natural 20 and still miss the target, you do not score a critical hit.
    • Prerequisites: Base attack bonus +10, Weapon Proficiency (rifles) feat.
  • Extended Critical Range (simple weapons): When you attack with a simple weapon, you extend the weapon’s critical range by 1 (for example, a 19-20 instead of 20).  However, anything other than a natural 20 is not considered an automatic hit; if you roll anything other than a natural 20 and still miss the target, you do not score a critical hit.
    • Prerequisites: Weapon Proficiency (simple weapons), base attack bonus +10.
  • Flurry Attack: Choose a single weapon group or exotic weapon you are proficient with. When you score a critical hit with a weapon from that group, you can make one immediate extra attack (in addition to the other effects of a critical hit) against a single target within range.  You may only use this talent once per turn. You can select this talent multiple times. Its effects do not stack. Each time you take the talent, it applies to a new weapon group or exotic weapon.
    • Prerequisite: Weapon Proficiency feat for chosen weapon.
  • Knockback: When you score a critical hit against a target no more than two size categories larger than you are, you can choose to move that opponent 1 square in any direction as a free action. You cannot use this talent on an opponent that is being grabbed or grappled, and you cannot move your target into a solid object or another creature’s fighting space.
  • Reduce Defense: When you score a critical hit with a melee or ranged attack, your target takes a -2 penalty to Reflex Defense until it is fully healed (at maximum hit points).
  • Reduce Mobility: When you score a critical hit with a melee or ranged attack, you reduce the target’s speed by half until it is fully healed (at maximum hit points).

MASTER OF MARTIAL ARTS TALENT TREE

You have practiced the fine arts of unarmed and archaic combat, and laugh in the face of anyone who looks at you funny for preferring to fight empty-handed or with an ‘ancient weapon.’

  • Ignore Damage Reduction: When you make an unarmed against a target that has damage reduction, and you deal more damage than the target’s DR, you ignore the target’s DR completely.
    • Prerequisites: Martial Arts Basics, Martial Arts I.
  • Martial Arts Basics: You deal an additional die of damage with unarmed attacks.
    • Prerequisite: Martial Arts I.
  • Martial Arts Mastery: If you make only unarmed attacks during action, you can take the full attack action as a standard action instead of a full-round action.
    • Prerequisites: Martial Arts Basics, Martial Arts I, Martial Arts II, Martial Arts III.
  • Unarmed Counterstrike: When you successfully parry a melee with the Unarmed Parry talent, you can immediately make an unarmed attack as a reaction against that target.
    • Prerequisites: Martial Arts Basics, Unarmed Parry. Martial Arts I Martial Arts II.
  • Unarmed Parry: When you fight defensively, as a reaction you can negate a melee attack by making a successful unarmed attack roll.  If your attack roll equals or exceeds the attack roll of the incoming melee attack, the attack is negated. You must be aware of the attack and not flat-footed, and you take a cumulative -2 penalty to all attack rolls for reach attack roll made since the beginning of your last turn.
    • Prerequisites: Martial Arts Basics, Martial Arts I, Martial Arts II.

MELEE SPECIALIST TALENT TREE

Your skill with hand-to-hand combat is unmatched, and you can wield melee weapons with lethal accuracy and power.

  • Accurate Blow: Choose one exotic melee weapon or one of the following weapon groups in which you are proficient: advanced melee weapons, or simple weapons.  When you make a melee attack with a weapon from the chosen group and the attack roll exceeds the target’s Reflex Defense by 5 or more, you deal +1 die of damage with the attack.
  • Close-Quarters Fighter: Whenever you occupy the same square as your target or are adjacent to your target, you gain a +1 circumstance bonus to your melee attack rolls against that target.
  • Ignore Armor: Once per encounter, when you make a melee attack, you can ignore any armor or equipment bonuses granted by your target’s armor.
  • Improved Stunning Strike: When you damage an opponent with a melee attack that moves the target down the condition track, the target cannot take any action requiring a standard or full-round action on its next turn.
    • Prerequisite: Stunninsg Strike (Soldier Talent, Brawler Talent Tree).
  • Whirling Death: You twirl your weapon around you in a blur, creating a circle of death around you.  Any enemy target that begins its turn adjacent to you takes damage equal to your Strength bonus.  You must be wielding a melee weapon to use this talent.
    • Prerequisite: Melee Smash (Soldier Talent, Brawler Talent Tree), Unrelenting Assault (Soldier Talent, Brawler Talent Tree).

PROTECTION TALENT TREE

You are specially trained to protect those around you, either by taking the brunt of attacks that are aimed at them, or by defusing dangerous situations before they occur.

  • Armored Guard: When you use the Ward talent (see below), your ally’s cover bonus to Reflex Defense is increased by one-half the armor bonus of any natural armor you possess as well as any armor you are wearing.
    • Prerequisite: Ward.
  • Bodyguard’s Sacrifice: As a reaction, you can interfere with any successful attack against an adjacent ally.  You can choose to take any or all of that attack’s damage, and the remainder is dealt to the target as normal.  Once you use this talent you may not use it again until the end of your next turn.
  • Guard’s Endurance: Whenever you begin your turn adjacent to the target of your Ward talent (see below) you gain bonus hit points equal to your character level until the start of your next turn.  Damage is subtracted from the bonus hit points first, and any bonus hit points remaining at the end of the encounter go away.  Bonus hit points from different sources do not stack.
    • Prerequisite: Ward.
  • Lifesaver: Once per encounter as a reaction, when an ally takes damage that equals or exceeds its damage threshold or reduces it to 0 hit points you can move up to your speed provided you end your movement adjacent to that ally.  This movement provokes attacks of opportunity as normal, you take all of the damage that triggered this talent’s use, and your ally takes no damage.
    • Prerequisite: Bodyguard’s Sacrifice.
  • Out of Harm’s Way: As a move action, you allow one ally within 6 squares of you to move up to its speed, provided the ally ends its movement adjacent to you.  This movement does not provoke attacks of opportunity.
  • Roll With It: Whenever you take damage on behalf of an ally through the use of a talent (including Harm’s Way), you gain damage reduction equal to your class level until the end of your next turn.
    • Prerequisite: Bodyguard’s Sacrifice, Take the Hit.
  • Take the Hit: Whenever you take damage on behalf of an ally through the use of a talent (including Harm’s Way), your damage threshold is increased by 5.
    • Prerequisite: Bodyguard’s Sacrifice.
  • Ward: As a swift action, designate one adjacent ally.  Until the end of your next turn, as long as that ally remains adjacent to you, you are considered to be providing that ally with soft cover against all attacks.  You cannot be designated as the target of this talent (such as, when it is used by an ally) if you have used this talent since the start of your last turn, and you cannot use this talent if you are currently designated as another ally’s ward.

SQUAD LEADER TALENT TREE

You are an expert at small-unit tactics, leading a small group of allies into battle as a cohesive unit.
All talents in the Squad Leader talent tree apply to other characters in a squad you command. A squad includes yourself plus a number of characters equal to or less than the sum of your elite trooper class level plus your Charisma modifier (minimum of one other character). These characters must be on foot, must have line of sight to you, and must be able to communicate with you to gain the benefit of your Squad Leader talents. As a free action, you designate which characters are in your squad at the beginning of your first turn.
Each squad can benefit from the talents of only a single squad leader, designated when an encounter begins. A character without a squad leader can join an existing squad if both character and squad leader are willing and if the squad leader has not reached his or her maximum squad size.

  • Fall Back: As a move action, you can enable each member of your squad to immediately move two squares.  This movement does not provoke an attack of opportunity.
    • Prerequisite: CHA 13+.
  • Form Up: As a move action, you give all squad members a +2 morale bonus to their Reflex Defense until the end of your next turn, as long as they are within 6 squares of another squad member.
    • Prerequisite: CHA 13+.
  • Full Advance: As a move action, you give all squad members a ÷2 morale bonus to damage rolls until the end of your next turn.
    • Prerequisite: CHA 13+.
  • Hold Steady: Once per encounter, as a standard action, you move all members of your squad +1 step on the condition track.
    • Prerequisite: CHA 13+.
  • Search and Destroy: As a move action, you give all squad members a +2 morale bonus to Perception checks until the end of your next turn.
    • Prerequisite: CHA 13+.

TERRAN MARINE TALENT TREE

Terran Marines are talented and powerful soldiers.  Their skillful training, top-of-the-line equipment, and advanced combat abilities make them formidable foes.

  • Armored Marine: Marines wear armor constantly and learn to adjust to taken an impact on the strongest section of their armor.  You add your armor’s Fortitude Defense as an equipment bonus to your elite trooper damage reduction (with a maximum bonus equal to your base elite trooper DR).
    • Prerequisites: DEX 13+, Marine Glory, Proficient in armor worn.
  • Marine Advance: Veteran Marines know how to move on the battlefield.  Once per encounter, on your turn, you can move up to your speed as a free action before any other action.
  • Marine Ferocity: Marines can be ferocious fighters.  Select one weapon group or exotic weapon you are proficient with.  Once per encounter, when making more than one attack in a round, you can add one damage die to each successful hit with the selected weapon group or exotic weapon.  You can take this talent more than once, selecting a different weapon group or exotic weapon each time.
    • Prerequisites: DEX 13+, Proficient in selected exotic weapon or weapon group.
  • Marine Glory: While Marines fight for the Terran Alliance, most will also admit that after a certain amount of time, they also begin to fight for glory in battle.  Once per encounter, when you reduce an opponent’s hit points to 0, you gain a +5 attack bonus with your next attack during the same encounter.

TERRAN SPECOPS TALENT TREE

You have demonstrated that you are a highly skilled and capable soldier for the Terran Alliance and work well in a commando squad.

  • Ambush: When you successfully hit an opponent that has not yet acted in combat, you deal +2 dice of damage with the attack.
  • Higher Yield: Once per encounter, you can choose to deal +1 die of damage with a single grenade or other explosive.
    • Prerequisite: Trained in the Mechanics skill.
  • Rapid Reload: You can retrieve a stored energy cell, power pack, or ammo clip/magazine and reload your weapon as a single swift action.
  • Shoulder to Shoulder: Whenever you begin your turn adjacent to an ally, you gain a number of bonus hit points equal to your heroic level.  Damage is subtracted from the bonus hit points first, and any bonus hit points remaining at the end of the encounter go away.  Bonus hit points from various sources do not stack.
  • Strength in Numbers: If you are within 10 squares of an ally, you can add +2 to your DR.
    Weapon Shift: If you use a ranged weapon as a melee weapon (as with the Gun Club talent), you gain a +2 bonus to melee attack rolls with that weapon.

    • Prerequisite: Gun Club (Soldier Talent, Brawler Talent Tree).

WEAPON MASTER TALENT TREE

You are skilled at wielding a variety of weapons and can wield choice weapons with deadly precision and force.

  • Controlled Burst: Your penalty when making an autofire attack or using the Burst Fire feat is reduced to -2.  In addition, if you brace an autofire-only weapon, you have no penalty on your attack roll.
  • Exotic Weapon Mastery: You are considered proficient with any exotic weapon, even if you don’t possess the appropriate Exotic Weapon Proficiency feat.
  • Extended Threat: When using a ranged weapon eligible to make attacks of opportunity, you threaten all squares within a 2-square radius.
    • Prerequisites: Weapon Focus and Weapon Proficiency with the weapon used.
  • Ferocious Assault: Once per encounter, when making an autofire attack, you can treat the attack as a 6-square cone. Making this attack consumes 20 shots from the weapon’s ammo capacity, and as such, it can only be used with a weapon that contains at least 20 shots.
    • Prerequisites: Base attack bonus +12, Controlled Burst.
  • Greater Devastating Attack: Choose a single exotic weapon or weapon group with which you’re proficient. Whenever you make a successful attack against a target using the chosen exotic weapon or a weapon from the chosen group, you treat your target’s damage threshold as if it were 10 points lower when determining the result of your attack This replaces the effects of the Devastating Attack talent.
    • Prerequisites: Greater Weapon Focus, Devastating Attack (Soldier, Weapon Specialist talent tree), and Weapon Focus feat with the chosen exotic weapon or weapon group.
  • Greater Penetrating Attack: Choose a single exotic weapon or weapon group with  which you’re proficient. Whenever you make a successful attack against a target using the chosen exotic weapon or a weapon from the chosen group, you treat your target’s damage reduction as if it were 10 points lower when determining the result of your attack. This replaces the effects of the Penetrating Attack talent.
    • Prerequisites: Greater Weapon Focus, Penetrating Attack (Soldier, Weapon Specialist talent tree), and Weapon Focus feat with the chosen exotic weapon or weapon group.
  • Greater Weapon Focus: Choose one exotic weapon or weapon group with which you’re proficient. You gain a +1 bonus on attack rolls with the chosen exotic weapon or a weapon from the chosen group. this bonus stacks with the bonus granted by the Weapon Focus feat.  You must be proficient with the weapon to gain this benefit.  You may select this talent multiple times. Each time you select this talent, it applies to a different weapon group.
    Prerequisites: Weapon Focus feat with chosen exotic weapon or weapon group.
  • Greater Weapon Specialization: Choose one exotic weapon or the following weapon groups: advanced melee weapons, heavy weapons, pistols, rifles, simple weapons. You gain a +2 bonus on damage rolls with the chosen exotic weapon or a weapon from the chosen group.  This bonus stacks with the bonus granted by the Weapon Specialization talent. You must be proficient with the weapon to gain this benefit.  You may select this talent multiple times.  Each time you select this talent, it apples to a different weapon group.
    • Prerequisites: Greater Weapon Focus, Weapon Focus, and Weapon Specialization (Soldier, Weapon Specialist talent tree) with the chosen weapon or weapon group.
  • Multiattack Proficiency (simple weapons): Whenever you make multiple attacks with simple weapons as a full attack action, you reduce the penalty on your attack rolls by 2.  You can take this talent multiple times; each time you take this talent, you reduce the penalty on your attack rolls by an additional 2.
  • Multiattack Proficiency (heavy weapons): Whenever you make multiple attacks with any type of heavy weapon as a full attack action, you reduce the penalty on your attack rolls by 2.  You can take this talent multiple times; each time you take this talent, you reduce the penalty on your attack rolls by an additional 2.
  • Multiattack Proficiency (rifles): Whenever you make multiple attacks with any type of rifle as a full attack action, you reduce the penalty on your attack rolls by 2.  You can take this talent multiple times; each time you take this talent, you reduce the penalty on your attack rolls by an additional 2.
  • Two-For-One Throw: As a standard action, you can throw two weapons simultaneously.  Both weapons target the same enemy or target square and are thrown with one hand.  Make separate attack rolls for each weapon, each at a -10 penalty.  The weapons must be similar, such as two grenadelike objects or two knives, and they must be no larger than one size category smaller than you.  The attack cannot exceed short range (typically 8 squares).
    • Prerequisites: Weapon Focus (simple weapons), Weapon Proficiency (simple weapons).

DAMAGE REDUCTION


At 2nd level, you gain damage reduction 1 (DR 1), which means that you reduce the damage you take from any attack by 1.  At every even-numbered level after 2nd, your damage reduction improves by 1 (DR 2 at 4th level, DR 3 at 6th level, and so on).