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[[Summary::A variant [[SRD:Fighter|fighter]] who gets half as many feats as normal, but more than makes up for it with powerful [[Surge Fighter (3.5e Class)#Combat Surge|combat surges ]] that enable him to be the direct martial equivalent of a [[SRD:Wizard|wizard]].]]
[[Length::20]]
[[Minimum Level::1]]
==Surge Fighter==
[[SRD:Fighter|Fighters]] are the epitome of physical combat, whose massive repertoire of feats enable them to meet any challenge. They don't need no stinkin' class features to be as good as any other base class. Well, at least, that's what the Player's Handbook proclaims. In practice, the feats are so weak, and spellcasting so powerful, that everyone but the [[SRD:Monk|monk]] (a.k.a. the personification of useless) leaves the fighter choking on their dust by 9th level. Enter the surge fighter. With just one core class feature - [[#Combat Surge Points|the combat surge]] - the surge fighter takes the concept of the fighter and makes it something that makes even a [[SRD:Wizard|wizard]] soil himself in fear at the prospect of confronting it.
===Making a Surge Fighter===
A surge fighter plays the same role in an adventuring party as [[SRD:Fighter|a regular fighter]]; he is the frontman, the guy who gets up in the enemy's face to dish out damage and keep them busy while his companions perform their own jobs (wizards nuke, clerics heal, rogues stab guys in the back, et cetera, et cetera). The surge fighter is simply really, really good at it as long as he still has [[#surge points|surge points]]. The surge fighter is flexible, though (albeit not quite as much as [[SRD:Fighter|a normal fighter]]), and can play almost any melee or ranged combat role with ease.
'''Abilities:''' Like a [[SRD:Fighter|regular fighter]], the surge fighter's most important ability scores are [[Strength]] and [[Constitution]], to help him deal and take lots of damage. (The surge fighter doesn't really ''need'' the boost to [[Fortitude]] saves, but since he wants lots of Constitution anyways for a lot of [[SRD:Hit Points|hit points]], it's something he should think about anyways.) [[Dexterity]] is also important for [[AC]] and [[Reflex]] saves (though the former benefit may, ironically, be limited by bulky armor), but is even more important if the surge fighter decides to be a ranged attacker or utilize [[SRD:Combat Weapon Finesse|Combat Weapon Finesse]] or [[SRD:Combat Reflexes|Combat Reflexes]]. [[Intelligence]] and [[Charisma]] are pretty much dump stats, and [[Wisdom]] is barely more important than the other two mental abilities ([[Will]] saves are the main reason to invest in Wisdom).
'''Races:''' Any race that can be a fighter can be a surge fighter. Any class whose favored class is fighter also favors surge fighter.
|-
|1st||class="left" | +1 || +2 || +0 || +0
| class="left" | [[#Combat Surge|Combat Surge]], [[#Fighter Equivalence|Fighter Equivalence]], [[#Surge of Accuracy|Surge of Accuracy(Insight)]], [[#Surge of Power|Surge of Power]], [[#Surge of Skill|Surge of Skill (Insight)]], [[#Saving Surge|Saving Surge (Insight, Resistance)]], [[#Surge of Armor|Surge of Armor]], [[#Surge of SkillEnergy|Surge of Energy]], [[#Surge of Force|Surge of SkillForce]], [[#Saving Surgeof Sleep|Saving Surgeof Sleep]], [[#Surge of ForceDetection|Surge of ForceDetection]], [[#Fighter Bonus Feat|Fighter Bonus Feat]]
|8
|-
|2nd||class="left" | +2 || +3 || +0 || +0
| class="left" | [[#Surge of Accuracy|Surge of Accuracy (Enhancement)]], [[#Surge of Skill|Surge of Skill (Enhancement)]], [[#Saving Surge|Saving Surge (Enhancement)]]
|16
|-
|3rd||class="left" | +3 || +3 || +1 || +1
| class="left" | [[#Ability Surge|Ability Surge(Insight, Enhancement)]], [[#Surge of Range|Surge of Range]], [[#Surge of MotionFog|Surge of Obscurity]], [[#Surge of Clarity|Surge of MotionClarity]], [[#Surge of FogMotion|Surge of FogMotion]], [[#Surge of ClarityKnocking|Surge of ClarityKnocking]]
|24
|-
|-
|5th||class="left" | +5 || +4 || +1 || +1
| class="left" | [[#Surge of Accuracy|Surge of Accuracy (Morale)]], [[#Surge of Skill|Surge of Skill (Morale)]], [[#Saving Surge|Saving Surge (Morale)]], [[#Ability Surge|Ability Surge (Morale)]], [[#Dispelling Surge|Dispelling Surge]], [[#Stable Surge of Motion|Stable Surge of Motion]], [[#Surge of Speed|Surge of Speed]], [[#Surge of Slow Motion|Surge of Slow Motion]]
|40
|-
|-
|7th||class="left" | +7/+2 || +5 || +2 || +2
| class="left" | [[#Surge of Accuracy|Surge of Accuracy (Competence)]], [[#Surge of Skill|Surge of Skill (Competence)]], [[#Saving Surge|Saving Surge (Competence)]]
|56
|-
|-
|17th||class="left" | +17/+12/+7/+2 || +10 || +5 || +5
| class="left" | [[#Surge of Reality|Surge of Reality]], [[#Surge of Death|Surge of Death]]
|136
|-
|}
{{underbar|That's a lot of skills for someone only getting two skill points per level|I would have liked to just use [[SRD:Fighter|the normal fighter]]'s skill list and be done with it, but I found the absence of certain skills - namely [[SRD:Listen|Listen]] and [[SRD:Spot|Spot]] - to be rather jarring. It's like fighters are doddering idiots who are ''only'' good at fighting and need the rest of their party to care for them when doing everything else. I think ''every'' class should be at least theoretically capable of performing mundane tasks such as being aware of their surroundings or knowing when they're being swindled. (You'll notice that [[SRD:Bluff|Bluff]], [[SRD:Hide|Hide]], and [[SRD:Move Silently|Move Silently]] aren't on the list; just because somebody can notice cheats and sneaks doesn't mean they can be a cheat or a sneak themselves. Also, I envision the surge fighter as being just a ''little'' bit clumsier than [[SRD:Fighter|the regular fighter]], which is why [[SRD:Craft Skill|Craft]] isn't on the list even though the fighter has it. (Why the ''fighter'' of all classes has Craft, I'm not quite sure.))}}
====Class Features====
There is one exception to this imperfect fighter equivalence; only 10 levels of surge fighter, rather than eleven, are needed to become an [[Edgemaster (3.5e Prestige Class)|edgemaster]]. Edgemaster levels stack with surge fighter levels with respect to the development of bonus feats, but not for the development of surges or increasing the surge fighter's number of [[#surge points|surge points]].
'''{{Anchor|Surge of Accuracy}} {{Ex}}:''' A surge fighter may, as part of an attack action, elect to pay a number of [[#Surge Points|surge points]] no greater than his class level to increase his attack roll by +4 per spent [[#surge points|surge point]]. The increase is treated as a bonus of the surge fighter's choosing, though which bonus types are available is limited by his class level. These [[#Surge Points|surge points]] must be spent before the attack roll is actually made, and remain spent regardless of whether the attack hits or misses. <!--This surge is the answer to ''true strike'' and other spells that enhance attack rolls.--> At 1st level, the surge fighter may choose to make the ''surge of accuracy'' an insight bonus.At 2nd level, the surge fighter may choose to make the ''surge of accuracy'' an enhancement bonus.At 5th level, the surge fighter may choose to make the ''surge of accuracy'' a morale bonus.At 7th level, the surge fighter may choose to make the ''surge of accuracy'' a competence bonus.
'''{{Anchor|Surge of Power}} {{Ex}}:''' A surge fighter may, as part of an attack action, elect to pay a number of [[#surge points|surge points]] no greater than his class level to add 1 die to his damage roll per spent [[#surge points|surge point]]. These damage die are the same type used by the weapon he made the attack with. (Thus, to provide a few examples for a Medium surge fighter, a ''surge of power'' could add 1d3 per spent [[#surge points|surge point]] to an [[SRD:Unarmed Strike|unarmed strike]] or attack with a [[SRD:Gauntlet|gauntlet]] or [[Jalzab (3.5e Equipment)|jalzab]], 1d6 damage per spent [[#surge points|surge point]] to an attack with a [[SRD:Sickle|sickle]], [[SRD:Shortspear|shortspear]], or [[SRD:Quarterstaff|quarterstaff]], 1d8 damage per spent [[#surge points|surge point]] to an attack with a [[SRD:Spear|spear]], [[SRD:Longsword|longsword]], or [[SRD:Longbow|longbow]], 1d10 damage per spent [[#surge points|surge point]] to an attack with a [[SRD:Glaive|glaive]], [[SRD:Heavy Crossbow|heavy crossbow]], or [[SRD:Bastard Sword|bastard sword]], or 1d12 damage per spent [[#surge points|surge point]] to an attack with a [[SRD:Greataxe|greataxe]]. For an extensive list of weapons and their damage values, see [[SRD:Weapons|the SRD Weapons page]].) Alternatively, if the attack's damage is a fixed value, the surge fighter may pay a number of [[#surge points|surge points]] no greater than his class level to add +3 to the damage per spent [[#surge points|surge point]]. If the attack's damage is variable but not influenced by a damage roll, the surge fighter may pay a number of [[#surge points|surge points]] no greater than his class level to increase the damage by one full dependent variable (such as number of [[SRD:Caster Level|caster level]](s)) per spent [[#Surge Points|surge point]]. <!--These latter two cases shouldn't apply unless you multiclass, but I should add it in just in case.-->
In any case, this ability only applies to the {{anchor|primary damage type}} inflicted by the attack, prioritized in this order: hit point damage > ability damage, burn, or drain > negative levels > penalties to skills or other checks > power point damage > damage to other limiting points > spell slot erasure > maneuver removal > negative condition duration > everything else. A weapon's physical damage takes precedence over any energy damage it may deal, unless the weapon only deals energy damage. For other types of attack, the attack usually designates which damage type is considered to be the primary damage type (if not, the decision is up to the DM, and should be kept consistent throughout the campaign). Generally, the damage that is inflicted in the greatest amount, has the most potential for being enhanced (by ability scores, critical hits, etc.), or mentioned first in the attack's descriptive text is the primary damage type. At the DM's discretion, you may pay additional [[#surge points|surge points]] to augment other types of damage separately, but your total [[#Surge Points|surge points]] spent on a single attack can never be greater than your class level. This surge cannot be used with an attack that does not actually attempt to inflict damage or inflict a finite-duration negative condition if successful (such as a [[SRD:Trip|trip]], [[SRD:Overrun|overrun]], [[SRD:Disarm|disarm]], non-damaging [[SRD:Spell Descriptions#Touch|touch]] [[SRD:Spell Descriptions#Touch Spells and Holding the Charge|spell]], or [[Time Walker (3.5e Class)#Delay|delaying strike]]). (It can be used with a damaging touch spell, but this is a non-factor unless you multiclass into a spellcasting class, and probably less efficient than having all your levels in said spellcasting class.) No matter what other factors apply, the [[#surge points|surge points]] are spent as the attack is declared - that is, before the attack roll is made. If the attack misses, the surge fails to do anything whatsoever (except maybe cause a highly localized atmospheric disruption — that's just a fancy way to describe displacing air, so don't expect it to actually do anything) and the [[#surge points|surge points]] are wasted. <!--This surge is the answer to pretty much every damage-dealing spell ever.-->
'''{{Anchor|Saving Surge of Force}} {{SuEx}}:''' As part of an attack action, a Whenever the surge fighter is required to make a saving throw, he may spend 4 a number of [[#Surge Pointssurge points|surge points]] to convert all of the damage no greater than his attack deals class level to force damage. This enables him to attack incorporeal creatures and bypass most forms of damage reduction and energy resistance. This surge must be declared before the attack roll is made; if the attack misses, increase the saving throw result by +1 per surge points are wastedpoint spent. {{sidebar|Wait, this This increase is usable at 1st level?!?|[[SRD:Magic Missile|''Magic missile'']], treated as a 1st-level spell, is usable by a 1st-level [[SRD:Wizard|wizard]]. [[#Surge of Force|''Surge bonus type of force'']] is meant to be the surge fighter's answer to [[SRD:Magic Missile|''magic missile'']]choosing, so, it is necessary for it to be usable at 1st level. At and the available bonus types are the same time, as those available for [[#Surge Pointsof Accuracy|''surge points]] are among the "cheaper" type of limiting points (a good list of which can be found over at my [[Enhance (3.5e Epic Spell Seed)''enhanceaccuracy'' seed]]'s page]]), about equivalent to [[SRD:Power Points|power points]]; 1 [[#Surge Points|surge point]] is far too cheap a cost to pay to convert a physical attack's damage to force, considering except that force resistance is very, very, ''very'' rare. Thus, I made the cost 4 [[#Surge Points|saving surge points]] and included a clause to allow the surge fighter to pay a reduced cost in exchange for doing less damage ([[SRD:Magic Missile|''magic missile'']]'s damage is kind of low for 1st level anyways, and −2 damage is also allowed to be a huge deal resistance bonus starting at lower levels, so it all balances out)level 1.}}
'''{{Anchor|Surge of Energy}} {{Su}}:''' As part of an attack action, a surge fighter may spend 1 [[#surge points|surge point]] to convert all of the damage his attack deals to fire, cold, electricity, acid, or sonic damage. This allows him to bypass most forms of [[SRD:Damage Reduction|damage reduction]], though he may have to pick his energy type carefully to avoid running afoul of resistances, immunities, or worst of all, absorption. The descriptor of this surge is the same as the energy type the attack is converted to. This surge must be declared before the attack roll is made; if the attack misses, the surge is wasted.
'''{{Anchor|Surge of MotionForce}} {{Su}}:''' A As part of an attack action, a surge fighter of 3rd level or higher may pay a number of spend 4 [[#surge points|surge points no greater than ]] to convert all of the damage his or her class level attack deals to force damage. This enables him to replicate the effects attack incorporeal creatures and bypass most forms of a single teleport performed via the ''[[Bamf (3.5e Spell)SRD:Damage Reduction|bamfdamage reduction]]and energy resistance. This surge has the [Force]'' spelldescriptor. This surge must be declared before the attack roll is not a teleportmade; if the attack misses, but rather a lightning-quick alteration of location performed in much the same way as a jump. However, a [[#surge fighter may perform a points|surge of motion in any directionpoints]] are wasted. {{sidebar|Wait, and he can even perform it in midair (effectively allowing him to flythis is usable at 1st level?!?|[[SRD:Magic Missile|''Magic missile'']], though at as a maneuverability 1st-level below even clumsy). If the surge fighter spell, is in midair after performing usable by a surge 1st-level [[SRD:Wizard|wizard]]. [[#Surge of motion, he falls at the beginning Force|''Surge of his next round unless he performs another surge of motion as his very first action in force'']] is meant to be the round (starting from his turn). The surge of motionfighter's effective caster level (answer to [[SRD:Magic Missile|''magic missile'']], so, it is necessary for variables such as jump distance) and available duration (for determining types of jump possible) are equal it to be usable at 1st level. At the number of same time, [[#surge points spent; as with any |surge-enhanced action, points]] are among the maximum number "cheaper" type of limiting points, about equivalent to [[SRD:Power Points|power points]]; 1 [[#surge points |surge point]] is far too cheap a surge fighter can spend on cost to pay to convert a single surge of motion physical attack's damage to force, considering that force resistance is equal to his class levelvery, very, ''very'' rare. <!-- Even though flyingThus, which is I made the function of this cost 4 [[#surge points|surge in points]] and included a very crude sense, is clause to allow the surge fighter to pay a 3rd-spell-level effect, reduced cost in exchange for doing less damage ([[SRD:Magic Missile|''bamfmagic missile'' ]]'s damage is a 2nd-kind of low for 1st level spell. Thusanyways, this surge and −2 damage is granted two a huge deal at lower levels "early". It gets an upgrade at class level 5 to make , so it more flight-likeall balances out). -->
This surge may be used even if the surge fighter isn''{{Anchort able to pay enough [[#surge points|surge points]] to fulfill its entire cost (whether this is due to insufficient class level or not enough remaining [[#surge points|<-subclass feature->}} <-"{{Ex}}"surge points]] for the day); that is, "{{Su}}"it can be performed for only 1, "{{Sp}}"2, or "{{Ps}}" if applicable3 [[#surge points|surge points]]. However, for every 1 [[#surge points|surge point]] not paid, the surge fighter incurs a −2 penalty on the damage roll or damage inflicted (which cannot reduce the damage below 1).->:As with the bonus provided by [[#Surge of Power|''surge of power'' <-subclass feature game rule information->]], this penalty only affects the [[#primary damage type|primary damage]] of the attack.
*[[SRD:Detect Magic|''Detect Magic'']]: 1 surge point*[[SRD:Detect Poison|''Detect Poison'']]: 1 surge point*[[SRD:Detect Secret Doors|''Detect Secret Doors'']]: 1 surge point*[[SRD:Detect Undead|''Detect Undead'']]: 1 surge point '''{{Anchor|Ability Surge}} {{Ex}}:''' From 3rd level on, as a swift action, a surge fighter may pay a number of [[#surge points|surge points]] no greater than his surge fighter level to grant himself a +1 bonus to an ability score of his choice per [[#surge points|surge point]] spent. The bonus type may be any of those available to [[#Surge of Accuracy|''surge of accuracy'']], except for competence. The surge fighter may spend 2 additional surge points to, instead of improving the bonus, grant the bonus to an additional ability score, up to 12 [[#surge points|surge points]] to grant a bonus to all 6 ability scores (plus at least 1 surge point to actually grant a bonus). The effects of this surge last for 1 round. As with any surge, the total number of [[#surge points|surge points]] spent on one performance of this surge cannot exceed the surge fighter's class level. '''{{Anchor|Surge of Range}} {{Ex}}:''' From 3rd level on, as a swift action, a surge fighter may pay a number of [[#surge points|surge points]] no greater than his surge fighter level to multiply his melee attack range by the number of surge points spent for 1 round. (For instance, spending 2 surge points on this surge would make a 5-foot range a 10-foot range, or make a 10-foot range a 20-foot range; spending 3 surge points on this surge would make a 5-foot range a 15-foot range, or make a 10-foot range a 30-foot range; and so on and so forth. Spending 1 surge point on this surge doesn't do anything.) ''Surge of range'' does not stack with itself or with any other effect that extends melee reach. Alternatively, this surge can be used as part of a ranged attack action to ignore a number of range increments up to the number of surge points spent. This both extends maximum reach and allows a ranged attack to go further before beginning to take penalties due to distance. '''{{Anchor|Surge of Motion}} {{Su}}:''' A surge fighter of 3rd level or higher may pay a number of [[#surge points|surge points]] no greater than his or her class level to replicate the effects of a single teleport performed via the ''[[Bamf (3.5e Spell)|bamf]]'' spell. This is not a teleport, but rather a lightning-quick alteration of location performed in much the same way as a jump. (Heck, it might as well be called a jump, except the surge fighter moves much too quickly to be seen by the naked eye, much less provoke attacks of opportunity. Even if he's only moving 10 feet. And yet he can stop on a dime. Well, that's the sort of power you get when you perform a [[#Combat Surge|combat surge]].) However, a surge fighter may perform a surge of motion in any direction (including upwards or downwards - he can even move straight up or straight down, as long as he has line of sight to his destination (and he doesn't even need line of sight if he spends at least eight surge points). The surge fighter can even perform ''surge of motion'' in midair (effectively allowing him to fly, though at a maneuverability level below even clumsy). If the surge fighter is in midair after performing a surge of motion, he falls at the beginning of his next round unless he performs another ''surge of motion'' as his very first action in the round (starting from his turn). Distance covered by a ''surge of motion'' is not counted for falling damage calculations, so the surge fighter can ''surge of motion'' to the ground if he wants to land without hurting himself. The ''surge of motion''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s effective [[SRD:Caster Level|caster level]] (for variables such as jump distance) and available duration (for determining types of jump possible) are equal to the number of [[#surge points|surge points]] spent; as with any surge-enhanced action, the maximum number of [[#surge points|surge points]] a surge fighter can spend on a single [[#Surge of Motion|''surge of motion'']] is equal to his class level.<!-- Even though flying, which is the function of this surge in a very crude sense, is a 3rd-spell-level effect, ''bamf'' is a 2nd-level spell.Thus, this surge is granted two levels "early". repeat as necessaryIt gets an upgrade at class level 5 to make it more flight-like.--> *'''{{Anchor|Stable Surge of Motion}} {{Su}}:''' From 5th level onward, if the surge fighter ends up in midair at the end of a [[#Surge of Motion|''surge of motion'']], he instantly gains the effect of an [[SRD:Air Walk|''air walk'']] spell for 2 rounds, followed by a [[SRD:Feather Fall|''feather fall'']] spell for 4 rounds (this replaces the 1d6 rounds of slow spell failure that usually happens at the end of an ''air walk''). Both the ''air walk'' and ''feather fall'' effects extend not only to the surge fighter himself, but also to all of the gear on his person, anybody he was carrying with him during the ''surge of motion'', and all of the gear on ''their'' persons. The surge fighter can choose not to grant the ''air walk'' or ''feather fall'' effect to some or all of the creatures he brought with him, which basically means he can hurt people by grabbing them, surging up into the air, and dropping them from a great height. The surge fighter may also instantly end either the ''air walk'' or ''feather fall'' effect at any time as a free action, which helps him dive-bomb enemies. Every creature affected by the surge fighter's ''stable surge of motion'' can end its ''air walk'' or ''feather fall'' effect individually, assuming that the surge fighter allowed it to be granted to them. ''Stable surge of motion'' is otherwise identical to ''surge of motion''. While even clumsy fliers can still fly rings around the surge fighter (or at least easily beat him in "not looking like a spastic while staying airborne" competitions), he at least can stay in the air long enough to actually ''fight'' enemy fliers now, instead of simply harassing them. '''{{Anchor|Surge of Reality}} {{Su}}:''' From 17th level onward, a surge fighter can spend 10 surge points as an immediate action to instantly negate any ''wish'', ''miracle'', or ''limited wish'' just as it's being cast, preventing it from having any effect. Spent XP is not refunded; the spell is wasted to no effect. The surge fighter must succeed on a [[SRD:Spellcraft|Spellcraft]] check to detect the ''wish'', ''miracle'', or ''limited wish''; otherwise, by the time he realizes what the enemy spellcaster did, it's too late to undo the alterations to reality. Other than that minor hurdle, this is a great tool for making wizards cry.
====Epic Surge Fighter====
| 21st || class="left" | | 168
|-
| 22nd || class="left" | [[#Epic Ability Surge|Epic Ability Surge]] | 176
|-
| 23rd || class="left" | Bonus Feat | 184
|}
'''[[#Combat Surge Points|Combat Surge Points]]:''' The epic surge fighter continues to have eight [[#surge points |surge points]] per class level, and may spend one surge point per class level at any one time.
'''[[#Fighter Equivalence|Fighter Equivalence]]:''' The epic surge fighter's effective fighter level for the purpose of prerequisites (such as for feats and prestige classes) is equal to his surge fighter level − 1.
'''{{anchor|Epic Ability Surge}}:''' At 22nd level, the surge fighter gains another option for his [[#Ability Surge|Ability Surge]]. He may pay additional [[#surge points|surge points]] to extend the duration by 1 round per surge point (these surge points do not count towards determining the size of the bonus or how many ability scores it applies to). The number of [[#surge points|surge points]] spent on a single ''ability surge'' still cannot exceed the surge fighter's class level.
'''{{Anchor|Bonus Feats}}:''' The epic surge fighter gains a bonus feat (selected from the list of epic surge fighter bonus feats) every three levels after 20th.
