Marshal (Class)

Marshals inspire trust in those they lead. They earn that trust by slogging through harsh landscapes, dangerous battlefields, and haunted catacombs along with those under their command. With a look, they can see where to best deploy their resources or come up with a sneaky ruse to fool their enemies. A marshal has a tactician's mind, a cartographer's overview of the disputed landscape (or dungeon warren), and a way with words that can inspire battle-hardened fighters to give it their all when the fight breaks out.

Game Information

Alignment

Marshals may be of any alignment. Good-aligned marshals are often crusading leaders who seek out and fight evil. Lawful-aligned marshals accept commissions from people who face invasion by foreign aggressors. Chaotic-aligned marshals lead mercenaries to wherever the pay is best. Evil-aligned marshals tend to lead forces of foreign aggressors set on invasion and plunder.

Hit Die

d10

Starting Gold

5d4×10 gp
250 gp (Sky Islands Campaign Setting)

Starting Age

Most of what a marshal knows is learned through rigorous training and studying the art of war. As a result, they tend to be older than other adventurers.

Skills

The marshal's class skills are Bluff, Cooking, Craft, Diplomacy, Handle Animal, Intimidate, Knowledge (all skills, taken individually), Listen, Perform, Profession, Ride, Sense Motive, Speak Language, Spot, Survival, Swim, and Use Mystic Device.

Skill Points at 1st Level: (6 + Int mod) x 4
Skill points at Each Additional Level: 6 + Int mod

Table: the Marshal

Class Features

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Marshals are proficient with all simple and martial weapons, with all types of armor, and shields (except tower shields).

Auras (Ex): The marshal exerts an effect on allies in his vicinity. He can learn to produce different effects, or auras, over the course of his career. The marshal may project one minor aura and (starting at 2nd level) one major aura at a time.

Projecting an aura is a swift action. The aura remains in effect until the marshal uses a free action to dismiss it or activates another aura of the same kind (major or minor). A marshal can have an aura active continually; thus, an aura can be in effect at the start of a combat encounter even before the marshal takes his first turn.
Activating an aura involves haranguing, ordering, directing, encouraging, cajoling, or calming allies. A marshal sizes up the enemy, allies, and the terrain, then gives allies the direction that they can use to do their best.
Unless otherwise noted, a marshal's aura affects all allies within 60 feet (including himself) who can hear the marshal. An ally must have an Intelligence score of 3 or higher and be able to understand the marshal's language to gain the bonus. A marshal's aura is dismissed if he is dazed, unconscious, stunned, paralyzed, or otherwise unable to be heard or understood by his allies.
A marshal begins play knowing one minor aura of his choice. As his marshal level increases, he gains access to new auras, as indicated on Table: The Marshal.
All bonuses granted by a marshal's auras are circumstance bonuses that do not stack with each other.

Minor Aura: A minor aura lets allies add the marshal's Charisma bonus (if any) to certain rolls.

Accurate Strike: Bonus on rolls made to confirm critical hits.
Art of War: Bonus on disarm, trip, bull rush, and sunder attempts.
Demand Fortitude: Bonus on Fortitude saves.
Determined Caster: Bonus on rolls to overcome spell resistance.
Force of Will: Bonus on Will saves.
Magic Empowerment: Bonus to damage with weapon-like spells.
Master of Opportunity: Bonus to Armor Class against attacks of opportunity.
Master of Tactics: Bonus on damage rolls when flanking.
Motivate Charisma: Bonus on Charisma checks and Charisma-based skill checks.
Motivate Constitution: Bonus on Constitution checks and Constitution-based skill checks.
Motivate Dexterity: Bonus on Dexterity checks, Dexterity-based skill checks, and initiative checks.
Motivate Intelligence: Bonus on Intelligence checks and Intelligence-based skill checks.
Motivate Strength: Bonus on Strength checks and Strength-based skill checks.
Motivate Wisdom: Bonus on Wisdom checks and Wisdom-based skill checks.
Over the Top: Bonus on damage rolls when charging.
Watchful Eye: Bonus on Reflex saves.

Major Aura: Beginning at 2nd level, a marshal can project a major aura in addition to his minor aura. A major aura lets allies add +1 to certain rolls. This bonus improves by +1 at 7th, 14th, and 20th level.

Empowered Abilities: Bonus to spell-like and supernatural ability DCs
Hardy Soldiers: The marshal's allies gain damage reduction equal to the amount of bonus the aura provides. For example, if the marshal is 10th level, everyone affected gains DR 2/-.
Inspired Mages: The marshal's allies increase their caster level equal to the amount of bonus the aura provides. For example, if the marshal is 10th level, everyone affected gains +2 to their CL level.
Motivate Ardor: Bonus on damage rolls.
Motivate Attack: Bonus on melee attack rolls.
Motivate Care: Bonus to Armor Class.
Motivate Urgency: Allies' base land speed is increased by a number of feet equal to 5 x the amount of bonus the aura provides. For example, the allies of a 10th-level marshal (+2 major aura) add 10 feet to their base land speed.
Powerful Spells: Bonus to spell save DCs.
Resilient Troops: Bonus on all saves.
Steady Hand: Bonus on ranged attack rolls.

Skill Focus (Diplomacy): Because a marshal has a way with people, he gains this feat as a bonus feat. If the marshal already has the feat, he can choose a different one.

Drum Major (Ex): A marshal can motivate his allies to continue to march, even when they begin to get tired. This allows himself and his allies to walk for 12 hours before it becomes a forced march. This ability works on non-sentient creatures such as animals as well. This is a sound dependent Mind-Affecting ability.

Aura of Courage (Su): Beginning at 3rd level, a marshal is immune to fear (magical or otherwise). Each ally within 10 feet of her gains a +4 morale bonus on saving throws against fear effects. This ability functions while the marshal is conscious, but not if she is unconscious or dead.

Ability Boost: At 4th level, you may increase an ability score by +1. An ability score can not be raised past 20 using this class feature. At 8th, 12th, 16th, and 20th level you may increase another ability score. The ability score increased need not be different each time, as long as it is not raised past 20. The bonuses gained from this ability stack with those gained regularly by characters every 4 levels, and with similar class features.

Grant Move Action (Ex): Starting at 4th level, a marshal can direct and motivate his allies to act immediately. Once per day, as a standard action, he may grant an extra move action to any or all of his allies within 30 feet (but not to himself). Each of the affected allies takes this extra move action immediately, acting in their current initiative order. This extra action does not affect the allies' initiative count; the round continues normally after the marshal's turn is over. (This may mean, for example, that an ally whose initiative count immediately follows the marshal's may get an extra move action from the marshal, followed directly by a full round worth of actions on the ally's turn.)

At 8th level, a marshal gains the ability to grant an extra move action to his allies twice per day. The frequency increases to three times per day at 12th level, four times per day at 16th level, and five times per day at 20th level.

War Banner (Su): Starting at 5th level, the marshal begins to carry a standard emblazoned with a coat of arms or a symbol that will represent him in battle. While he carries the standard, he and all allies within 30 feet that can see the banner gain the benefit of the Diehard feat. He may also plant it in the ground as a standard action; doing so grants all allied creatures a +10 feet morale bonus to their movement speeds in addition to the normal effects of the banner.

Team Leader (Ex): The marshal is the quintessential team player, and makes it easier for his allies to benefit from teamwork. He may use the Aid Another action as a move action, instead of a standard action. Additionally when qualifying for teamwork benefits, team member skill requirements are reduced by 1 rank (min 1/2 rank) if the marshal is the team leader.

Rallying Cry (Ex): At 9th level, a marshal can expend a daily use of his grant move action ability to call his allies to his side. When using this ability, his allies may move up to 4 times their speed as an extra move action as long as they end the action within 10 feet of the marshal. Movement made as a part of a rallying cry does not provoke attacks of opportunity.

Motivate Attack Action (Ex): Starting at 10th level, a marshal can direct and motivate his allies to attack immediately. Once per day, as a standard action, he may grant an extra standard action to any or all of his allies within 30 feet (but not to himself). Each of the affected allies takes this extra standard action immediately, acting in their current initiative order. This extra action does not affect the allies' initiative count; the round continues normally after the marshal's turn is over. (This may mean, for example, that an ally whose initiative count immediately follows the marshal's may get an extra attack action from the marshal, followed directly by a full round worth of actions on the ally's turn.) This granted standard action must be used to make an attack with a weapon, cast an offensive spell, use an offensive spell-like or special ability or otherwise initiate an attack action.

At 15th level, a marshal gains the ability to grant an extra attack action to his allies twice per day.
A character can take only one extra standard action per round. (In other words, two marshals can't use this ability on the same ally in the same round.) If an ally chooses not to take the extra attack action, it is lost.

Field Master (Ex): An 11th level marshal can project up to two minor auras simultaneously.

Rally Point (Su): When a 13th level or higher marshal plants his war banner, he designates that square as the rally point. The area of the war banner increases to 60 feet, and allies within the area of the rally point gain an additional +10 feet morale bonus to speed (stacking with the war banner bonus for a total of +20 feet) and benefit from the marshal's other auras even if they are not otherwise within the radius of his auras. Allies who rest within the area of effect of the rally point recover twice as many hit points and ability damage as normal, and restorative effects with variable amounts (such as cure spells, healing potions, and similar effects) heal an additional amount equal to the marshal's Charisma bonus.

If the marshal uses his rallying cry ability, he may decide if he wants to rally his allies to his side or to the rally point.

Frenzy (Su): Allies affected by the marshal's war banner gain the following additional effects; their base attack becomes equal to their hit dice (which may give them multiple attacks), and when making a full attack action an ally may make one extra attack with any weapon they are holding. The attack is made using the ally’s full base attack bonus, plus any modifiers appropriate to the situation. (This extra attack is not cumulative with similar effects, such as that provided by a weapon of speed, nor does it actually grant an extra action, so you can’t use it to cast a second spell or otherwise take an extra action in the round.) This extra attack is considered a haste effect, and does not stack with similar effects.

Tight Formation (Ex): Allies within 60 feet of the marshal who can hear him (himself included) cannot be flanked and are immune to critical strikes. An ally must have an Intelligence score of 3 or higher and be able to understand the marshal's language to gain the bonus. A marshal's cannot forewarn his allies if he is dazed, unconscious, stunned, paralyzed, or otherwise unable to be heard or understood by his allies.

Brothers in Arms (Ex): A marshal inspires his allies to protect each other in the battlefield. While they are within the range of any aura the marshal creates, enemies who initiate an attack against another ally within the aura (potentially including the marshal) provoke attacks of opportunity from the marshal and his allies (excluding the targeted ally). If the targeted ally has been injured already in the encounter, the attack of opportunity made against the enemy automatically critically strikes (assuming the attack of opportunity successfully hit).

Legendary Field Master (Ex): A 20th level marshal can project up to 4 minor auras and 2 major auras at simultaneously, and the radii of his auras double.

Base Classes

Adept - Archaeologist - Archivist - Aristocrat - Barbarian - Bard - Battle Dancer - Beguiler - Cleric - Commoner - Dragon Shaman - Dread Necromancer - Druid - Duskblade - Expert - Favored Soul - Fighter - Healer - Hexblade - Incarnate - Knight - Marshal - Monk - Ninja - Paladin - Pistolero - Psion - Psychic Rogue - Psychic Warrior - Ranger - Rogue - Samurai - Scout - Shugenja - Sorcerer - Soulborn - Soulknife - Spellthief - Spirit Shaman - Swashbuckler - Totemist - Warlock - Warmage - Warrior - Wilder - Wizard - Wu Jen