View source for Wordsman (3.5e Prestige Class)

==Wordsman==

{{quote
|They thought me a simple swordsman until I teleported up to them and lit them on fire.
|orig=Hurk Vristik, Human Wordsman
|src=The Complete Guide to Killing Everything
}}

The Wordsman sacrifices a large portion of her wordcasting power in order to become a more dangerous physical combatant.

===Becoming a Wordsman===

Characters pursue this class in order to wreak havoc in a more up close and personal manner. Words of Life, Words of Undeath, and Inanomancers get particular bonuses for entering this class.

{| class="dragon monstats" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"
|+ style="font-size: larger; white-space: nowrap;" | Entry Requirements
|-
! Base Attack Bonus:
| +3.
|-
! Proficiencies:
| Proficient with all martial weapons.
|-
! Feats:
| [[SRD:Combat Casting|Combat Casting]].
|-
! Spellcasting:
| Know either the Hand or Orb spell shape word, caster level 2 in a wordcasting class.
|} 

{| class="zebra d20"
|+ <div>{{Anchor|Table: The Wordsman}}</div>
<p>Hit Die: d8</p>
|-
! rowspan="2" | Level
! rowspan="2" | [[BAB|Base<br/>Attack Bonus]]
! colspan="3" | [[SRD:Saving Throw|Saving Throw]]s
! rowspan="2" | Special
! rowspan="2" | [[#Words|Words per Day/Words Known]]
|-
! [[SRD:Saving Throw#Fortitude|Fort]] || [[SRD:Saving Throw#Reflex|Ref]] || [[SRD:Saving Throw#Will|Will]]
|- 
| 1st || +1 || +2 || +0 || +0
| class="left" | [[#Smite|Smite]], [[#Stick to the Text|Stick to the Text]], [[#Editing Shot|Editing Shot]], [[#No Free Hands|No Free Hands]] || 
|- 
| 2nd || +2 || +3 || +0 || +0
| class="left" |  || +1 level of existing class
|- 
| 3rd || +3 || +3 || +1 || +1
| class="left" | [[#Swift Justice|Swift Justice]] || 
|- 
| 4th || +4 || +4 || +1 || +1
| class="left" |  || +1 level of existing class
|- 
| 5th || +5 || +4 || +1 || +1
| class="left" | [[#Blade of Hand, Bow of Orb|Blade of Hand, Bow of Orb]] || 
|- 
| 6th || +6/+1 || +5 || +2 || +2
| class="left" |  || +1 level of existing class
|- 
| 7th || +7/+2 || +5 || +2 || +2
| class="left" | Improved [[#Stick to the Text|Stick to the Text]], Improved [[#Editing Shot|Editing Shot]], [[#Armor of Realism|Armor of Realism]] || 
|- 
| 8th || +8/+3 || +6 || +2 || +2
| class="left" |  || +1 level of existing class
|- 
| 9th || +9/+4 || +6 || +3 || +3
| class="left" | [[#Words of Focus|Words of Focus]], [[#Heart of Literacy|Heart of Literacy]] || 
|- 
| 10th || +10/+5 || +7 || +3 || +3
| class="left" |  || +1 level of existing class
|- class="noalt"
| colspan="42" class="skill" |
'''Class Skills ([[Skill Points::2]] + [[SRD:Intelligence|Int]] modifier per level.'''<br/>
{{Property Link|Skill|SRD:Concentration Skill|Concentration}} ([[SRD:Constitution|Con]]), 
{{Property Link|Skill|SRD:Craft Skill|Craft}} (Any word-related) ([[SRD:Intelligence|Int]]), 
{{Property Link|Skill|SRD:Diplomacy Skill|Diplomacy}} ([[SRD:Charisma|Cha]]), 
{{Property Link|Skill|SRD:Listen Skill|Listen}} ([[SRD:Wisdom|Wis]])
{{Property Link|Skill|SRD:Speak Language Skill|Speak Language}} (none)
{{Property Link|Skill|SRD:Spellcraft Skill|Spellcraft}} ([[SRD:Intelligence|Int]]).
|}

<!-- Epic levels are generally unnecessary
{| class="zebra d20"
|+ {{Anchor|Table: The [[SRD:Epic Level Basics|Epic]] Wordsman}}
|-
! Level || Special
|- 
| 11th|| class="left" | <-any improvements to class features gained at this level, including any bonus feats->
|- 
| 12th|| class="left" | <-any improvements to class features gained at this level, including any bonus feats->
|- 
| 13th|| class="left" | <-any improvements to class features gained at this level, including any bonus feats->
|- 
| 14th|| class="left" | <-any improvements to class features gained at this level, including any bonus feats->
|- 
| 15th|| class="left" | <-any improvements to class features gained at this level, including any bonus feats->
|- 
| 16th|| class="left" | <-any improvements to class features gained at this level, including any bonus feats->
|- 
| 17th|| class="left" | <-any improvements to class features gained at this level, including any bonus feats->
|- 
| 18th|| class="left" | <-any improvements to class features gained at this level, including any bonus feats->
|- 
| 19th|| class="left" | <-any improvements to class features gained at this level, including any bonus feats->
|- 
| 20th|| class="left" | <-any improvements to class features gained at this level, including any bonus feats->
|}
-->

====Class Features====

All of the following are class features of the Wordsman.

'''{{Anchor|Words}}:''' At every even-numbered level, you gain new words per day, words known, and an increase in caster level as if you had also gained a level in a wordcasting class to which you belonged before adding the prestige class level. You do not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained. If you had more than one wordcasting class before becoming a Wordsman, you must decide to which class to add each level for the purpose of determining words per day, caster level, and words known.

'''{{Anchor|Smite}} ([[Su]]):''' At level 1, the Wordsman gains the ability to spend 5 words before making any melee or ranged attack. If she does so, that attack gets a +3 bonus to hit. If the Wordsman has any [[Word_of_Life_(3.5e_Prestige_Class)|Word of Life]] class levels, the attack deals an additional 1d6 damage to evil targets. If the Wordsman has any [[Word_of_Undeath_(3.5e_Prestige_Class)|Word of Undeath]] class levels, the attack deals an additional 1d6 damage to good targets. If the Wordsman has any [[Inanomancer_(3.5e_Prestige_Class)|Inanomancer]] class levels, the attack deals an additional 1d6 damage to lawful targets. If the Wordsman has any [[Word_of_Lies_(3.5e_Prestige_Class)|Word of Lies]] class levels, the attack deals an additional 1d6 damage to targets who believe they she has no magical powers.

'''{{Anchor|Stick to the Text}} ([[Su]]):''' At level 1, the Wordsman regains words whenever she successfully reduces an opponent to 0 or fewer hit points with a melee attack. She regains a number of words equal to the opponent's Hit Dice divided by 2. At level 7, she regains a number of words equal to the opponent's Hit Dice instead.

'''{{Anchor|Editing Shot}} ([[Su]]):''' At level 1, the Wordsman regains 1d6 words whenever she successfully gets a critical hit against an opponent with a ranged attack. At level 7, the Wordsman regains 2d6 + her Intelligence modifier words instead.

'''{{Anchor|No Free Hands}} ([[Ex]]):''' At level 1, word spells the Wordsman casts no longer have a somatic component. However, they are still affected by arcane spell failure.

'''{{Anchor|Swift Justice}} ([[Ex]]):''' At level 3, the Wordsman may use her attacks of opportunity to cast immediate action-length spells. If she does so, she must use a single-target spell shape that targets only the character provoking the attack of opportunity.

'''{{Anchor|Blade of Hand, Bow of Orb}} ([[Ex]]):''' At level 5, the Wordsman gains the ability to deliver melee touch attacks with a melee weapon and ranged touch attacks with a ranged weapon.

'''{{Anchor|Armor of Realism}} ([[Ex]]):''' At level 7, the Wordsman's word spells are no longer affected by arcane spell failure.

'''{{Anchor|Words of Focus}} ([[Ex]]):''' At level 9, the Wordsman may spend any multiple of 10 words as a standard action to get a +4 bonus to Deflection AC, attack rolls, Strength, Dexterity, saves, and skills for one round per 10 words spent. If the Wordsman has any [[Word_of_Life_(3.5e_Prestige_Class)|Word of Life]] class levels, she also gains fast healing 4. If the Wordsman has any [[Word_of_Undeath_(3.5e_Prestige_Class)|Word of Undeath]] class levels, she also gains Damage Reduction 4/Good. If the Wordsman has any [[Inanomancer_(3.5e_Prestige_Class)|Inanomancer]] class levels, she also gets a +10' bonus to her move speed. If the Wordsman has any [[Word_of_Lies_(3.5e_Prestige_Class)|Word of Lies]] class levels, she also gains total concealment and becomes completely noiseless.

'''{{Anchor|Heart of Literacy}} ([[Su]]):''' At level 9, the Wordsman may inflict any amount of damage upon herself to regain that many words. Damage dealt in this way cannot be healed for 24 hours.

===Campaign Information===

====Playing a Wordsman====

'''Combat:''' Wordsmen function much like Paladins.

'''Advancement:''' Wordsmen should probably gain levels in Inanomancer, Word of Life, and Word of Undeath, if they haven't already.

'''Resources:''' There are definitely forms of Wordsmen who organize.

====Wordsmen in the World====

{{quote|You know what's great? Beating people to within an inch of their lives, and then turning them into skeletons when they try to run away.
|orig=Az'ak'aris Urubul, Aquatic Gnome Wordsman}}

Characters of the Wordsmanly persuasion are likely to work as mercenaries, adventurers, brave heroes, and paragons of pure evil.

'''NPC Reactions:''' That really depends, now doesn't it?

====Wordsman Lore====

Characters with ranks in Knowledge (Arcana) can research Wordsmen to learn more about them.  When a character makes a skill check, read or paraphrase the following, including information from lower DCs.

{| class="zebra d20" {{#vardefine: odd | 0}}
|+ Knowledge (Arcana)
! DC || class="left" | Result
|- 
| 11 || class="left" | Wordsmen can effectively wield a greataxe while casting spells.
|- 
| 16 || class="left" | Wordsmen usually have levels in other wordcasting prestige classes.
|- 
| 21 || class="left" | Wordsmen can sometimes deliver spells with their weapons.
|- 
| 26 || class="left" | Truly powerful wordsmen can convert their health into word magic, and use that word magic to directly boost their combat capabilities.
|}

----
{{3.5e Prestige Classes Breadcrumb}}
[[Category:3.5e]]
[[Category:User]]
[[Category:Class]]
[[Category:Prestige Class]]
[[Category:Wordcasting]]

{{Navboxes}}
Allowed Alignments	Lawful Good +, Lawful Neutral +, Lawful Evil +, Neutral Good +, Neutral +, Neutral Evil +, Chaotic Good +, Chaotic Neutral + and Chaotic Evil +
Article Balance	High +
Author	Foxwarrior +
Base Attack Bonus Progression	Good +
Class Ability	Alternate Magic +
Class Ability Progression	Minor +
Fortitude Save Progression	Good +
Identifier	3.5e Prestige Class +
Length	10 +
Minimum Level	4 +
Rating	Undiscussed +
Reflex Save Progression	Poor +
Skill	Concentration +, Craft +, Diplomacy +, Listen +, Speak Language + and Spellcraft +
Skill Points	2 +
Summary	The Wordsman combines the power of words with the power of swords (or other weapons) +
Title	Wordsman +
Will Save Progression	Poor +