Myrmidon Legend

“Unleash the Fury: Become the Ultimate Disciplined Warrior with the Myrmidon Prestige Class – Master the Art of Combat and Command the Battlefield!”

The Myrmidons (or Myrmidones ) are an ancient nation, the Myrmidons are the soldiers commanded by Achilles. Their eponymous ancestor was Myrmidon, a king of Phthiotis who was a son of Zeus and “wide-ruling” Eurymedousa, a princess of Phthiotis. She was seduced by him in the form of an ant.

Originally Posted by TheOneRonin of the Wizards Community forums.

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The Myrmidon Legend is a warrior who specializes in speed. He learns to fight while moving quickly across the battlefield, giving his enemies little time to respond to his attacks. Myrmidon Legends learn agility as well, so they can weave between foes and around obstacles without slowing down. For a Myrmidon Legend, combat is an obstacle course, and he selects a path taking him through the field as quickly as possible, coming close enough to strike before moving away again. Myrmidon Legends are also excellent at fighting with shortsword and shield or shortspear and shield, and know how to use all three to decimate their enemies.

Hit Die: D10

Requirements:
BAB: +6
Dexterity: 13
Skills: Jump 8 Ranks
Feats: Dodge, Mobility, Run, Phalanx Fighting, Shield Proficiency, shortsword Proficiency, Spear Proficiency (Any)

Class Skills: (and the key ability for each skill) are Balance (Dexterity), Climb (Strength), Intimidate (Charisma), Jump (Strength), and Spot (Wisdom).
Skill Points at each level: 2 + Intelligence modifier

Myrmidon Legend Advancement
Level	BAB	Fort	Ref	Will	Abilities
1.	+1	+0	+3	+0	Classic Hoplite Style, Quick Steps
2.	+2	+0	+3	+0	Skilled Charge, Agile Runner
3.	+3	+1	+4	+1	Improved Mobility, Quick Steps
4.	+4	+1	+4	+1	Fast Entry
5.	+5	+1	+5	+1	Quick Defense
6.	+6	+2	+5	+2	Difficult Target, Quick Steps
7.	+7	+2	+6	+2	Unhindered Charge, Greater Mobility
8.	+8	+2	+6	+2	Lightning Strike, Improved Quick Defense
9.	+9	+3	+7	+3	Lethal Charge, Quick Steps
10.	+10	+3	+7	+3	Stroke of the Gods

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the paragon of Myrmidon Legend class.

Weapons and Armor Proficiency: A Myrmidon Legend is proficient with all simple weapons, the shortspear, and the shortsword. He is also proficient with light armor and shields. A Myrmidon Legend using any two-handed weapon (except a spear) is unable to use any of his Myrmidon Legend class abilities.

Quick Steps: At first level, the Myrmidon Legend’s base speed is faster than the norm for his race by +5 feet. The Myrmidon Legend gains an additional +5 feet to his base speed at 3rd, 6th, and 9th levels respectively. These bonuses apply when the Myrmidon Legend is wearing no armor, or light armor and not carrying a heavy load. Apply this bonus before modifying the Myrmidon Legend’s speed because of any load carried or armor worn. A Barbarian’s fast movement ability stacks with the Myrmidon Legend’s quick steps ability.

Classic Hoplite Style: The Myrmidon Legend is an expert in shield & spear and shield & shortsword combat and knows how to use the them in perfect concert. The Myrmidon Legend is able to use a standard Spear (Simple, 1D8, 20/x3) in one hand along with a light or heavy shield in the the other. Also, when fighting with a shield and spear or a shield and shortsword, the Myrmidon Legend treats the spear/shortsword as though he is using it with two hands, getting 1.5 times his normal Strength bonus to damage and also getting a two for one bonus on Power Attack.

Skilled Charge: Starting at 2nd level, a Myrmidon Legend adds one-half (round down) his class levels to his damage rolls with a shortsword, spear, or shield on a successful charge attack. If anything grants the Myrmidon Legend the ability to make a full attack at the end of a charge, this extra damage is only applied to his first attack. Also, a Myrmidon Legend no longer takes a penalty to his AC when making a normal charge attack. He still takes the -4 penalty when making a Lethal Charge (see below).

Agile runner: Beginning at 2nd level, a Myrmidon Legend may make a number of 90-degree turns during a charge attack equal to his Dexterity bonus. This ability allows the Myrmidon Legend to charge around corners, avoid combatants and other obstacles while building momentum for the inevitable clash of arms.

Improved Mobility: At 3rd level, a Myrmidon Legend can avoid most melee based attacks as long as he keeps moving. His AC bonus from the Mobility feat increases by two to +6. At 7th level, the Myrmidon Legend’s AC bonus from the Mobility feat increases by two more to +8.

Fast Entry: At 4th level, a Myrmidon Legend learns to enter combat so quickly his opponents cannot react. A Myrmidon Legend gains the Quick Reconnoiter feat even if he does not meet the prerequisites. This stacks with the Improved Initiative feat. In addition, when taking a Run action, he no longer provokes AoOs when moving through threatened squares.

Quick Defense: At 5th level the Myrmidon Legend is so fast he can Dodge blows before they hit him. A Myrmidon Legend gains a +2 Dodge bonus to his AC during any round in which he moves more than 5’. In addition, in any round in which the Myrmidon Legend moves twice his base speed or more, he also gains a +2 bonus to his reflex saves. This bonus lasts until the Myrmidon Legend’s next turn. At 8th level, the AC and Reflex save bonuses increase to +4.

Difficult Target: At 6th level a Myrmidon Legend is harder to target with ranged attacks. In any round in which the Myrmidon Legend moves twice his base land speed or more, he gains a +4 Dodge bonus to AC versus all ranged attacks. This bonus stacks with the one from Quick Defense and Improved Quick Defense, and lasts until the Myrmidon Legend’s next turn.

Unhindered Charge: At 7th level, the charge of a Myrmidon Legend is almost unstoppable. At any point during a charge, the Myrmidon Legend can attempt to move through a square occupied by an opponent of equal size to the Myrmidon Legend or smaller. This ability does not work against any opponent one or more size categories larger than the Myrmidon Legend. This is treated as an overrun with the following differences. 1) It does not provoke an attack of opportunity, and 2) if the opponent attempts to block, the Myrmidon Legend adds his class level to the opposed Strength test.

Lightning Strike: At 8th level a Myrmidon Legend’s charge is so deadly and surprising that opponents have a hard time reacting to the attack. A Myrmidon Legend’s bonus to his attack rolls when making a normal (not Lethal) charge attack increases to +4 and he deals +1D6 points of damage on the attack.

Lethal Charge: At 9th level, the Myrmidon Legend may quickly strike down his foes. As a full round action, a Myrmidon Legend may make a special charge attack with a -4 penalty to his AC for one round. However, he gets to make a single melee attack at a -4 penalty against a number of foes he threatens along the path to his intended target equal to his class level. While performing a Lethal Charge, the Myrmidon Legend does NOT gain the benefits of his Lightning Strike or Undhindered Charge abilities.

A Lethal Charge MUST be a continuous straight line, so the Myrmidon Legend cannot make any turns and does not benefit from AGILE RUNNER or any other ability that allow turning during a charge. Also, during a Lethal Charge the Myrmidon Legend must move at least 10′ before he is able to attack any foes that he threatens.

Please note that a LETHAL CHARGE is a special charge-like action. Any ability that allows the Myrmidon Legend to make a full attack at the end of a charge cannot be used with Lethal Charge. Also, other abilities that grant extra attacks like Cleave cannot be used during a Lethal Charge.

Stroke of the Gods: At 10th level, a Myrmidon Legend has learned how to quickly deliver a killing blow to enemy champions and commanders. As a full round action, the Myrmidon Legend makes a special charge at an opponent and must be using a spear or shortsword. When he gets within reach, he makes a 5′ move to the side (or forward-diagonal). The Myrmidon Legend then makes a Jump check opposed by double the opponents BAB. If the opponent wins the opposed check, he gets an AoO on the Myrmidon Legend.

If that AoO hits, the Myrmidon Legend can still make a normal attack, but his Stroke of Gods attempt is foiled. If the Myrmidon Legend wins the opposed check he avoids the AoO and rolls to hit as normal. If the attack is successful, it counts as an automatic critical and the target must make a Fort or Ref save (whichever is higher) vs a DC of 10+1/2 the Myrmidon Legend’s Level+the Myrmidon Legend’s Strength bonus or be instantly reduced to 0 HP.

Like Lethal Charge, Stroke of the Gods is a special charge action and abilities that allow the Myrmidon Legend to make a full attack at the end of a charge cannot be used. Nor can the following abilites be used with a Stroke of the Gods attempt: Unhindered Charge, Lightning Strike, or Lethal Charge.

This ability is considered a precision-based attack (and thus does not function against undead, constructs, etc) and can only be used against enemies with a discernible anatomy who are no more than one size category larger than the Myrmidon Legend (if the enemy is one size category larger, the Myrmidon Legend takes a -5 penalty to the Jump check).

Other related Greek Combat Feats:

Power Shot: [General]
Prerequisites: Power Attack, Strength 15
Your skill with throwing the spear and javelin is unequalled.
Benefit: On your action, before making attack rolls for a round, you may, as a full round action, choose to subtract a number from your ranged attack roll with a spear or javelin and add the double that number to the ranged attack’s damage roll. This number may not exceed your base attack bonus. A spear thrown using this feat is impossible to catch or deflect.

Note: It is not possible to use this feat while throwing a spear caught in the same round.

Close Quarters Expertise: [fighter]
Prerequisites: Weapon Focus shortsword, Improved Shield Bash, BAB: +6
You are skilled in getting in close to an opponent and using your shield to keep him from bringing his weapon to bear.
Benefit: To use this feat, you must be using a shield and you must first enter your opponent’s square and incur an AoO from this movement. If the opponent’s AoO is successful, you immediately move back to your own square and cannot use this feat for the rest of the round.

If the opponent’s AoO fails, you immediately make an opposed attack roll. If you succeed, you have pinned your opponents weapon and they lose any Dexterity/Dodge/Fighting Defensively/Total Defence/Combat Expertise bonuses to AC until their next action. You can make a full attack against the opponent at their reduced AC. If you fail the opposed attack roll, the opponent maintains their full AC, but must move out of your square if they wish to use any large size or larger weapons.

This feat is ineffective against opponents with natural weapons or those fighting unarmed.

Shield Specialization [General]
Prerequisite: Shield Proficiency, BAB: +6
Benefit: Once per round, a shield bearer can make a single shield bash attack at his highest BAB and without incurring any penalties for Two weapon fighting, but still loses the shield’s AC bonus until his next turn (unless he also has Improved Shield Bash).

Shield Swing [General]
Prerequisite: Strength 13, Shield Proficiency
Benefit: You are adept at shield use and can pull a shield form your back, swing it around, slip your arms through the straps, grip the hand strap, and be ready to use the shield as a free action.
Normal: Readying a shield is a move action.