Saturday, August 13, 2016

Mathboxer: for when your fists must register on an emotional level.

Presenting the mathboxer, an archetype of the alchemist for the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, compatible with the 3rd edition of the world's most popular roleplaying game. Masters of the science sweetest, mathboxers possess a studied approach to fisticuffs and combat.

Ada Lovelace, early master of mathboxing.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A mathboxer is proficient with all monk weapons, including exotic monk weapons.  When wearing armor, using a shield, or carrying a medium or heavy load, a mathboxer loses her AC bonus and flurry of blows. This replaces the alchemist's weapon and armor proficiency.

AC Bonus (Ex): Calculations and probability guide a mathboxer to avoid harm. A mathboxer adds her  Intelligence modifier (minimum 0) to her AC and her CMD. In addition, a mathboxer gains a +1 dodge bonus to AC and CMD at 4th level. This bonus increases by 1 for every 4 levels thereafter (to a maximum of +5 at 20th level).

These bonuses to AC apply even against touch attacks or when the mathboxer is flat-footed. She loses these bonuses when she is immobilized or helpless, when she wears any armor, when she carries a shield, or when she carries a medium or heavy load.

Analytical Fighter: In combat, mathboxers use abstract formulas and probability to inform them. A mathboxer uses her Intelligence modifier to her melee attack rolls and damage rolls, instead of her Strength modifier.

At 14th level, as a free action, a mathboxer's unarmed strikes may count as touch attacks a number of rounds a day equal to her Intelligence modifier, ignoring a target's armor bonus, shield bonus, and natural armor bonus.

Blast Knuckles: Mathboxers do not hurl their bombs, and instead place small alchemical vials on their extremities, delivering bomb blasts through their unarmed strikes. A mathboxer's bombs do not deliver splash damage. This ability modifies bomb.

Unarmed Strike: At 1st level, a mathboxer gains Improved Unarmed Strike as a bonus feat. She also treats her alchemist levels as monk levels when determining the amount of damage of her unarmed strikes. This ability replaces throw anything.

Flurry of Blows (Ex): At 1st level, a mathboxer can make a flurry of blows attack as a full-attack action. This ability works like the monk ability of the same name. This ability replaces mutagen and persistent mutagen.


So this archetype comes from the savage action mathematician Ada Lovelace (as presented in Sydney Padua's wonderful comic) as well as that one scene from the Sherlock Holmes movie where Robert Downey Jr. beats up the dude in his mind and then beats him up IRL. I like the idea of geniuses seeing a graphic overlay of the Pythagorean theorem above a dude's head a split-second before they elbow that dude.

In the end, bomb gets kinda nerfed, (or rather, it becomes awesome but less practical) and mutagen is a huge loss, but you get the flurry, the AC bonus, and the touch attacks much later to help make up for it. But hey, enjoy the INT-based punches and kicks.

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