Tactician

"Why should a general fight from the front lines? You can only see a small piece of the puzzle from up there, and you might also get hurt! Good luck leading anyone to victory charging headlong into the fray, although I suppose you could still brag about how noble your death was. I’m sure your men dying around you would love to hear it."
——Pierre Resade LeMonte the Polished Spear, Military Commander and Tactician

The Tactician takes a different approach to combat. Every single time. That is why they are among the most feared of war commanders. Whereas most warriors strike with their weapons, training and instinct, the Tactician uses their mind, preferring to let others benefit from their wisdom and do the manual labor while they move them around like pieces on a game board. The Tactician has existed in a number of cultures, usually under different titles, and mostly serving in the military. Still, a few Tacticians have found themselves in adventuring careers, their methodical approach to handling heated combat and unexpected, sudden crises becoming heavily relied upon by their party members.

The Tactician is a three stage Talent.

Tactician Feat
This Talent qualifies you for the Plan B feat.

Tactician I

The Tactician learns to plan out an effective strategy. Years of practice studying the history of war and learning to quickly assess a situation enables The Tactician to quickly pick out a winning strategy that will aid his allies in the most effective way possible. Even his attacks in combat are not focused on striking his enemies, but rather putting them in a position to better be dispatched by those he commands.

Prerequisites

Features

♦ Set-up
When you make an attack on a target, you may choose to take a -2 penalty to your Attack Roll. When you do, your allies gain a +2 bonus to Attack Rolls against that target for 1 round.
♦ Tactical Plan.
Gain the Tactical Plan ability.
Tactical Plan
Tactician Class Feature
Focus Action [FT 5, REC 0]
Cost: 1 Resolve
Limitation: You may only have one Tactical Plan active at a time.
Effect: You spend a few moments analyzing the battlefield, preparing to put your plans in motion. Once you have used this ability, you can enact your plan at any time as a Free Action (within 1 phase). At the time of preparation, you choose the effect your plan will have from the following options:
  • All allies gain a +2 bonus to Attacks for 10 segments.
  • All allies gain a +2 bonus to a single Defense of your choice (i.e. AC, Touch, Fortitude, Reflex, or Will) for 10 segments.
  • All allies gain a +1 WD bonus to damage for their next attack (if made within 10 segments).
  • Immediately reduce the Recovery Time of all allies (not you) by 1.
Master Augment, Master Plan
[Tactician II]
Cost: FT +1, 1 Resolve
Effect: Choose the effect your plan will have from the following additional options:
  • Allow one ally to reroll an Attack Roll.
  • Grant one ally an advantage to a single Attack Roll.
  • Allow all allies to immediately Shift 15ft.
  • Immediately reduce the Recovery Time of all allies (not you) by 2.
Master Augment, Grand Machination
[Tactician III]
Cost: FT +2, 2 Resolve
Effect: Choose the effect your plan will have from the following additional options:
  • Grant one ally a Melee Basic or Ranged Basic attack as a Free Action.
  • All allies may treat their next d20 roll as if they rolled a 15 (if made within 10 segments).
  • Allies gain a +1 WD bonus to damage for all attacks made within the next 10 segments.
  • Immediately reduce the Recovery Time of all allies (not you) by 3.
  • For the next 10 segments, allies may treat their Martial Rank as one rank higher.
  • For the next 10 segments, allies may treat their Divine Rank as one rank higher.
  • For the next 10 segments, allies may treat their Eldritch Rank as one rank higher.

Tactician II

The Tactician's plans grow more versatile, giving allies an even greater range of possibilities when carrying out orders. The Tactician also learns how to better manipulate the battlefield, increasing the speed with which the party acts and setting up opponents to be even more vulnerable to allies.

Prerequisites

  • Tactician I
  • Mental Rank 6
  • Skill Specialization Martial Practice and Martial Practice Rank 8
  • Cost: 2 Destiny Points

Features

♦ Ready for Anything
When you roll Starting Initiative, reduce the initiative of you and your allies by 1.
♦ Exceptional Flanker
When you are Flanking a target, increase the level of the flank by one.
♦ Quick Plan
Reduce the Focus Time of your Tactical Plan by 1.

Tactician III

The Plan becomes so versatile that it can even increase the prowess of allies directly, strengthening their attacks and spells. They Tactician can develop a winning strategy faster than most can even realize that combat has started in the first place. This ability can be extended to allies, allowing them to take more actions then they otherwise could.

Prerequisites

  • Tactician II
  • Mental Rank 7
  • Skill Specialization Martial Practice and Martial Practice Rank 9
  • Cost: 2 Destiny Points

Features

♦ Tactical Advantage
Choose one ally (not you) at the beginning of each round. That ally may use 2 Immediate Actions this round (instead of 1).
♦ Rapid Plan
Reduce the Focus Time of your Tactical Plan by an additional 1 (for a total Focus Time reduction of 2).