Well, that's fixed with cross training's built in "Level 4 rule". Your caster level is 4.

Fair enough. Lets call it fear of creep and leave it out anyway .

Cool, but classes like the Crusader and certain straight Priest builds deserve easier access to the wraith of the pious, as it were.

I don't have the Crusader so I can't comment explicitly, but I'd imagine it'd be easier to just append Wrath feats to whatever bonus feat mechanic they have.

While I love Priests to death as much as anyone, they ain't combatants (and no, wildcard secondary doesn't count - they can get plenty of the fighty from their paths). This tree is not meant for them just because it has divine provenance. I'll cook up an actual Path of Wrath for those alignments that need their priest dishing this precise form of beatdown .

Outside of maybe the Paladin (& presumably the Crusader), there's no class I want to give easy access to these. Put them in Basic Combat for example and now the Avenger gets completely overawed in his own niche by Soldiers who get just as many Wrath feats and higher BAB.

[Special:]

1.) The Left Hand. This is just Bonus Feat. Why a cutesy name? Might you expand it so it rates getting a unique and cool name?

Renamed "Bonus Feat" to better fit conventions.

2.) Cross-Training. Judgment is coming, The Left Hand (AKA Bonus Feat), and Prowler I all seems fine, but An Unforgiving Path seems too juicy to allow for cross-training. I think it would drop out of the list of options, much like Circle of Power does. Thoughts?

While I'm not terribly worried about the power creep (snagging 2^nd level abilities is usually a strong approach for Cross-class abilities...) Its got some funky interactions when a character with no Casting Levels picks up steps that cast. AUP should be cut from the list.

3.) Wrath feats. Do these really need to be a unique tree of feats? As it is, it feels kinda like a base class that is coupled with a feat tree made just for it - which gives a kinda weak-sauce feel to the class... like it's being propped up by a tiny feat tree. If they were Covert feats, with a Special: This feat is a wrath feat.[/i] rider on them, then they become a preferred "sub feat" type for this class, but not feel so "bolted on" to the system with being a completely new feat category.

I'm expecting Wrath feats to draw on conversions of the 240ish Avenger powers now that I have a good understanding of what Avenger-y-ness is covered by the class abilities. There's a few other divine classes that might also kick in the occasion inspirations. Mostly I wanted to get those 3 up just to secure the posting space and to display the feat that is the root-stock for many of the others I've loosely adapted in my head. I'll try to rig up a few and post them soon to give the class more color. 4th ed D&D is pretty obsessive about combat, combat, and more combat but some powers manage to have charming secondary effects hidden under the 'Thog Smash!'

I'd point to National Treasure as plot written with an Explorer protagonist firmly in mind.

While the whole elaborate puzzle solving and giant live action Tomb Raider traps sort of plays to the Explorer's strengths in an obvious fashion, probably the single most important thing in making it work is.. the villain. Ian Howe is plainly a MUCH better combatant build that the entire band of good guys put together. 8 times out of 10 when there's a really heated disagreement between him and the hero, he reminds everyone, oh yes that little detail: he's the guy with the gun.

...And yet he doesn't kill anybody. I mean even when it might be advantageous in the short term to do so. He's a thug, but he's not a murderous thug. He resorts to just enough combat to have his way, and then stops. He even goes along with fairly questionable bargains simply because if he doesn't like where they go, he's pretty sure he can just beat the crap out anybody the reneges. As you say, its a gentlemanly environment where body count is subtracted from the score rather than the basis of it.

[WRATH FEATS]

WRATH FEATS
  This tree represents martial power granted less by skill and practice than by deep faith and the direct attention of divine powers/beings (i.e. Martial Artists and Soldiers are welcome to select them with Career Level-based feat choices but do not gain easy access via their class-based bonus feats). While not directly linked to or requiring the Miracles campaign quality, Wrath feats are unlikely to be included in settings that do not have that level of divine presence in the affairs of mortals.
  Special Note: These abilities are often an ideal fit for the themes of the Crusader base class. If this tree is present in a setting, Crusaders may select their Bonus Feats from the Wrath tree in addition to their official Basic Combat and Terrain feat tree options.

Adamant Oath
  You single out a foe and swear to destroy them.
  Prerequisites: Alignment
  Benefit: As a free action you may choose one opponent you can see to become the object of your wrath until the end of the scene. You roll twice on all attack checks against them, choosing which result to keep. If you keep the lower result and still hit you gain 1 Edge. If you re-roll this attack, you re-roll only 1 of these dice. Only one character may be the object of your wrath at any time; you cannot choose another until your current object of wrath is defeated or the scene ends.

Angelic Visage Basics
  Your dedication has put you on the path to becoming something... more.
  Prerequisites: Adamant Oath, your alignment must include the paths of Angels or Good or have a heavenly-based theme (GM’s discretion)
  Benefit: You may fly your base speed as a standard move if it will end with you adjacent to an adversary. You also gain a special action.
  Angel’s Gaze - full action; attack action: All opponents you can see within 30 ft. must make a Will save (DC 10 + your Wisdom Modifier + the number of Wrath feats you have). Those that fail suffer 2d6 divine damage. You may use this action once per scene.

Angelic Visage Mastery
  Hesitation is mortal, vigilance is divine.
  Prerequisites: Angelic Visage Basics
  Benefit: Characters with an opposing alignment cannot contribute to flanking you and cannot benefit from you being flanked. You may turn characters with opposing alignments once per scene.

Angelic Visage Supremacy
  The wings of light carry you swiftly in your course.
  Prerequisites: Angelic Visage Mastery
  Benefits: You may manifest wings at will, gaining winged flight 40 ft. If you have winged flight from another character option you instead gain a 1d6 divine damage aura (see page 198). You may use Angel’s Gaze a second time per scene if you have less than your maximum wounds.

Fortune’s Hand Basics
  Your god hears the prayer in every risk you take.
  Prerequisites: Adamant Oath, your alignment must include the paths of Chaos or Fortune or have a luck-based theme (GM’s discretion)
  Benefit: If the object of your wrath rolls a natural 1, 2, or 3 on a save, you gain 2 Edge. You also gain a trick.
  Gambler’s Flourish (attack trick): Spend 1 Edge. Your target must make a Reflex save (10 + your Dexterity modifier + the number of Wrath feats you have) or be stunned for 1 round. If you miss you become flat-footed at the end of your initiative count.

Fortune’s Hand Mastery
  There is no luck that could not be greater, good or bad.
  Prerequisites: Fortune’s Hand Basics
  Benefit: When you take a critical hit or the object of your wrath inflicts a critical hit, you may spend 2 action dice and roll a d20. If the result is even, the attack is no longer a critical hit and your action dice are returned. If the attacker spent action dice to confirm the critical hit, they are returned after the action is resolved. You also gain a trick.
  Luck, not Skill (wrath attack trick): You suffer a –4 to this attack check. You may roll damage twice, keeping the result you prefer. If you hit the object of your wrath, you may instead roll damage three times, keeping the result you prefer. If you miss you become flat-footed at the end of your initiative count. You may use this trick a number of times per scene equal to the number of Wrath feats you have.

Fortune’s Hand Supremacy
  It’s time to look - you’ve already leapt.
  Prerequisites: Fortune’s Hand Mastery
  Benefit: Your Chance feats are included in the number of Wrath feats you have. You also gain a stance.
  Signs of the Hand (wrath stance): Each time you attack the object of your wrath and hit, you recover vitality equal to the number of Wrath feats you have. Each time you attack the object of your wrath and miss, you take damage equal to the number of Wrath feats you have. This damage cannot be reduced, resisted, or redirected.

Imperishable Conviction
  Every breath you still draw is a prayer for your fallen brethren.
  Prerequisites: Alignment, 3 other Wrath feats.
  Benefit: Each time a character within 50 ft. of you that shares your alignment is killed by an opponent’s attack, you may Refresh as a free action.

Oath of Shrouds Basics
  Your brand of divine retribution would look suspiciously like assassination - if anyone had ever survived seeing you work.
  Prerequisites: Adamant Oath
  Benefit: You may Feint using your Sneak (Dex) skill. When you make an attack check, you may spend 1 Edge to move up to 10 ft. immediately before or after the attack, ignoring the adjacency of all opponents.

Oath of Shrouds Mastery
  You slip passed guards to strike as if from thin air, an avenging shadow.
  Prerequisites: Oath of Shrouds Basics
  Benefit: Your attacks against the object of your wrath gain 1 die of sneak attack damage. As a free action you may spend 2 Edge and choose one character you can see: you are invisible to that character for 3 rounds.

Oath of Shrouds Supremacy
  There are secrets revealed in blood, and surprises.
  Prerequisites: Oath of Shrouds Mastery
  Benefit: When you inflict sneak attack damage on a character with an opposing alignment you gain 1 Edge. When you hit a character with an attack, before rolling damage you may spend 4 Edge: you always inflict sneak attack damage on that character when you hit them for 3 rounds (as if they were flanked).

[AVENGER]

Been meaning to do an adaptation of the D&D 4^th ed divine striker class for quite a while now. Couple final flashes of inspiration and...

AVENGER
  Some guardians of the faith work from the shadows, putting a sliver of icy fear in the hearts of those who think themselves above reprisal as they oppress the faithful.
  In your campaign, an Avenger could be…
• A holy slayer, safeguarding good folk against the creatures of the night
• The latest in a long line assassins, eternal enemies of tyrants and manipulators
• A ninja master from a forgotten and mystical sect
• An adherent of the Rascal, laying snares before the plans of the Crone
• A child of Raven, touched by spirits with no patience for fools

  Party Role: Combatant/Wildcard. The Avenger specializes in destroying especially tough foes one at a time.

  Class Features
  Requirements: Alignment, Miracles Campaign Quality
  Favored Attributes: Dexterity, Strength, Wisdom
  Caster: Each level in this class increases your Casting Level by 1.
  Class Skills: Acrobatics, Blend, Intimidate, Medicine, Notice, Resolve, Ride, and Sneak
  Skill Points: 4 + Int modifier
  Vitality: 12 + Con modifier per level
  Starting Weapon Proficiencies: 5

  Core Ability
  Stand Not in my Way: Before spending your skill points from Career level 1, you gain 2 ranks in each of your Alignment skills. You may spend an action die to turn characters that share a type with you (e.g. beast, construct, folk, fae, etc.). This turning does NOT affect the object of your wrath (see below).

  Class Abilities
  Judgment is Coming: At Level 1, you gain the Adamant Oath feat. You also gain a +2 gear bonus to defense.

  An Unforgiving Path: At Level 2 you take 1 Step each along two of your Alignment’s Paths.
  At Levels 11, and 19 you may advance a total of 2 Steps along any combination of your Alignment’s Paths.

  Bonus Feat: At Levels 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17, and 19, you gain an additional Covert or Wrath feat.

  Prowler I: At Level 4, you gain 1 Edge at the beginning of each scene and take 1 less die of damage from falling for each Edge you have.
  Prowler II: At Level 8, you gain an additional die of sneak attack damage.
  Prowler III: At Level 12, you may spend Edge points as if they were d6 action dice to boost checks and confirm critical successes with the Intimidate and Notice skills.
  Prowler IV: At Level 16, any opponent whose Dexterity is less than yours may not confirm ranged critical hits on you. You lose this benefit if you are held, helpless, pinned, sprawled, or unconscious.
  Prowler V: You gain 1 Edge at the beginning of each scene and an additional die of sneak attack damage (for a total of 2 Edge and 2 dice of sneak attack).

  Hard Blessings: At Levels 6, 9, 12, 15, and 18, choose one of the following abilities. You may choose each ability only once.

• Blade Practice: Once per adventure, you may spend 1 hour practicing to gain 1 temporary Melee Combat feat of your choice until the end of the current adventure.
• “How Did You Get In Here?”: Once per adventure as a free action, you may gain a free Invitation Favor with a cost equal to your Class Level + 5. Unless used, this Favor is lost at the end of the scene.
• In Strange Ways: You gain 1 Casting Level per level from all classes, even if they do not normally provide Casting Levels. Further, your Base Attack Bonus rises by +1.
• Keeping Faith: the lowest of your Dexterity or Wisdom scores rises by 1.
• Pursuit of the Doomed (wrath stance): At the beginning of your initiative count if you can see the object of your wrath but are not adjacent to them, you may move up to half your speed rounded down as a free action. You must end this movement closer to the object of your wrath than you started. If the object of your wrath moves away from you, you gain a morale bonus to your next damage roll against them equal to the number of Wrath feats you have (maximum +10).
• Retribution is Mine (wrath stance): Each time an opponent other than the object of your wrath hits you with an attack roll, they take divine damage equal to the number of Wrath feats you have.
• Unity against the Condemned (wrath stance): At the beginning of your initiative count if you can see the object of your wrath but are not adjacent to them, you may force them to make a Will save (DC 10 + your wrath feats + your Wisdom modifier) or be immobilized for 1 round. You gain a +1 bonus to your attack and damage rolls against the object of your wrath for each of your teammates adjacent to them (maximum +5).

  Unshakable Conviction: You simply cannot be deterred. At Levels 10 and 20, once per adventure you may set the result of a single Resolve check you make to 50 (without rolling).

  The Grace of Higher Powers: At Level 14, you may cancel a number of hits scored against you per scene equal to half your class level round down - the attack never took place and the attacker loses that half or full action. You must decided if you are going to cancel a hit before damage is rolled. If the attacker spent action dice to boost the check or confirm a critical, those dice are returned.

Table 1.C: The Avenger
Lvl   BAB   Fort   Ref   Will   Def   Init   Ls   Lgnd   Abilities
 1     +0    +0     +2    +1     +1    +1    +0    +1   Judgment is Coming, stand not in my way
 2     +1    +0     +3    +2     +1    +1    +0    +2   An unforgiving path
 3     +2    +1     +3    +2     +2    +2    +1    +3   Bonus feat
 4     +3    +1     +4    +2     +2    +2    +1    +3   Prowler I
 5     +3    +1     +4    +3     +3    +3    +1    +4   Bonus feat
 6     +4    +2     +5    +3     +4    +4    +2    +5   Hard blessings
 7     +5    +2     +5    +4     +4    +4    +2    +6   Bonus feat
 8     +6    +2     +6    +4     +5    +5    +2    +6   Prowler II
 9     +6    +3     +6    +4     +5    +5    +3    +7   Bonus feat, hard blessings
10     +7    +3     +7    +5     +6    +6    +3    +8   Unshakable conviction 1/adventure
11     +8    +3     +7    +5     +7    +7    +3    +9   An unforgiving path, bonus feat
12     +9    +4     +8    +6     +7    +7    +4    +9   Hard blessings, prowler III
13     +9    +4     +8    +6     +8    +8    +4   +10   Bonus feat
14    +10    +4     +9    +6     +8    +8    +4   +11   The grace of higher powers
15    +11    +5     +9    +7     +9    +9    +5   +12   Bonus feat, hard blessings
16    +12    +5    +10    +7    +10   +10    +5   +12   Prowler IV
17    +12    +5    +10    +8    +10   +10    +5   +13   Bonus feat
18    +13    +6    +11    +8    +11   +11    +6   +14   Hard blessings
19    +14    +6    +11    +8    +11   +11    +6   +15   An unforgiving path, bonus feat
20    +15    +6    +12    +9    +12   +12    +6   +15   Prowler V, unshakable conviction 2/adventure


Cross-Training and the Avenger~

• Avenger : Judgment is Coming (must have an alignment); Bonus Feat; Prowler I

NPC qualities and the Avenger~

Judgment is Coming (special only): 3 XP
Prowler I (special only): 2 XP
Prowler III (special only): 3 XP
Prowler IV (special only): 4 XP
Pursuit of the Doomed (special only; must have Adamant Oath): 1 XP
Retribution is Mine (special only; must have Adamant Oath): 1 XP
The Grace of Higher Powers:: 10 XP
Unity against the Condemned (special only; must have Adamant Oath): 1 XP
Unshakable Conviction: 5 or 8 XP

I'll look at it, but as has been mentioned elsewhere recently I'm already out of the ragged edge of my web-fu (it is, in fact, pig dung )

Good use of toys on Timid - I figured there would be something that fit what is on the face of it a distinctly not heroic Origin name. Always Ready is a surprise, but a delightfully fitting choice in hindsight.

On the topic of Enlightened skills I'm going to tempt and shift back to a stacking model for skill cap benefits (check the doc for new text). I think I might have gotten carried away with stomping on them belt & suspenders style when their two main abuses have been pretty thoroughly reined in. I'm just not seeing a lot of take 10 shenanigans anymore, and to date feats have dumped escalating skill rank requirements as a way of setting the pace of acquisition.

The google docs have the irritating drawback that you can't cut & paste the text

??
I've been able to copy to clipboard from them in the Google viewer. Maybe its a permissions thing. Can you download the file (to open it with your word processor of choice rather than look at it through the Google viewer)?

I've updated the original document, adding a few more options and cleaned up some entry text

I've also appended a quick take on the FC 11 species as seen through the new tools.

I'z a luddite .

If its too much of a hassle, it may be best to just avoid threads that have [New Pie] in the title for a few moths/years/whatever until I acquire my first rank in Computers (DC 5 still looks a bit daunting from down here ). Doubtless I'll clutter up the place with yet another a post about it when/if I figure out how to do things like that .

Carry on as you are, I'll just keep ignoring it, but some kind of like... actual organisation to the mess might make it easier for people to digest.  I'm not talking about a total conversion rules document either - not everyone wants to totally overhaul the system.  Start your own website or something, with everything fully laid out and link to the relevant rules whenever you make a new post or something.

Just my opinion though, feel free to not actually give a shit about it - I won't be offended in any way.

Have you looked at the linked document? Fervor is there .

I don't think my skills are up to hyper linking individual terms every time I use them, but they're getting closer. Part of the project is a chance for me to try out more complex layout and some use of cloud storage. Sorry I'm not a paid professional at these things.

(Just checked: "Find" (Control + F) seems to work in Google Drive docs, so looking stuff up from the file is about as easy as doing so from the FantasyCraft pdf )

Not having a go, but why is discussion of one topic spread across, what, like 6 or 7 threads?  If nothing else, it makes it a pain in the ass to follow, especially when the "new posts" button doesn't always seem to show all the new posts (hell - you yourself just said you forgot one of your own rules, and I'd wager that has something to do with them being all over the place).

I tend to tackle separate tweaks in separate threads. Otherwise it'd be a 62 page sprawling mess nobody could parse . Plus people have specifically asked me to separate out the components so that they can pick and choose which parts they want to absorb for their own use.

If you want to just pull up the whole shebang to browse, I do keep a fairly current document with all the rules text (but not discussion, naturally) linked in my signature.

The Charging chain added to Snake Strike.
Draw-cut-move-cut-move.
Step away from the blood, reflect on the beauty of the way of the sword.

*Flicks blood from sword with a swift flourish before sheathing it*

Ayup. That's a fine way to roll.

I have an image of Mastery combining with light sleeper

I think it'd work even if you're asleep, light sleeper or not. If you are snoozing and have a sword strapped on, its readied. If its readied, you get the benefit.

(unconscious is usually reserved for being knocked out, not just taking a nap .)

Its another step towards speeding up Origin selection. No more gymnastics to unlock X number of Origin Skills to make your concept work, or to CYA if you'll potentially be multi-classing down the road.

Funny where this went with Mad Skills now in place . I had forgotten these core abilities actually affected everything on the list.

The basic idea of low skill point classes frequently (if not always) getting the "1 rank in each skill and a small action die effect" is pretty pleasing. The +8 ranks neatly closes the initial gap between low and medium skill point classes.