Strong

The Strong hero uses his Strength score to best advantage.   Taking a level in this class demonstrates physical training for overall strength and power. Strong heroes excel at hand-to-hand and melee combat. as well as at other activities that best utilize physical power.   A Strong hero might be a bodybuilder or an athlete who concentrates on the power aspect of sports. He might be quietly intimidating or robustly boisterous. He might be as gentle as he is big or a lout and a bully.   Examples of Strong Heroes: Boxers, martial artists, some types of soldiers, athletes who depend on raw physical power, blue-collar workers, and others who rely on pure brawn all fall within the scope of the Strong hero.     Game Rule Information Strong heroes have the following game statistics.   Ability Strength is the ability associated with this class. Strong heroes usually also have good scores in Constitution, Dexterity, and at least one of the nonphysical abilities.   Hit Die Strong heroes gain 1d8 hit points per level. The character's Constitution modifier applies. A 1st-level Strong hero receives hit points equal to 8 + his or her Constitution modifier.   Action Points Strong heroes gain a number of action points equal to 5 + one-half their character level, rounded down, at 1st level and every time they attain a new level in this class. Class Skills The Strong hero's class skills, and the key ability for each skill, are as follows (see Chapter Two for skill descriptions). Climb (Str), Craft (structural) (Int), Handle Animal (Cha), Jump (Str), Knowledge (current events, popular culture, streetwise, tactics) (Int), Profession (Wis), Read/Write Language (none), Repair (Int), Speak Language (none), and Swim (Str).   Also, the starting occupation you select can provide you with additional class skills to choose from. Skill Points at 1st Level: (3 + Int modifier) x 4. Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 3 + Int modifier. Startin9 Peats In addition to the two feats all characters get at 1st level (see Table 1-2), a Strong hero begins play with the Simple Weapons Proficiency feat.   Class features The following are class features of the Strong hero.   Talents At 1st, 3rd, 5th, 7th, and 9th level, the Strong hero selects a talent from the following talent trees. Some trees have a set order that must be followed, while others provide a list to choose from. As long as the hero qualifies, you can select freely from any and all talent trees. No talent can be selected more than once unless expressly indicated. Beginning Talents: A 1st-level Strong hero can choose from extreme effort, ignore hardness, and melee smash. EHtreme Effort Talent Tree A Strong hero can push himself to make an extreme effort. The effort must relate either to a Strength check or a Strength-based skill check. You must decide to use this ability before making the check. Extreme Effort: The effort requires a full-round action and provides a + 2 bonus on the check. Improved Extreme Effort: The effort requires a fullround action and provides a + 2 bonus that stacks with the bonus provided by extreme effort (+4 total). Prerequisite: Extreme effort. Advanced Extreme Effort: The effort requires a fullround action and provides a +2 bonus that stacks with the bonuses provided by extreme effort and improved extreme effort (+6 total). Prerequisites: Extreme effort, improved extreme effort. l9nore Hardness Talent Tree The Strong hero has an innate talent for finding weaknesses in objects. This allows a Strong hero to ignore some of an object's hardness when making a melee attack to break it. Ignore Hardness: The Strong hero ignores 1 point of an object's hardness. Improved Ignore Hardness: The Strong hero ignores 1 additional point of an object's hardness (for a total of 2). Prerequisite: Ignore hardness. Advanced Ignore Hardness: The Strong hero ignores 1 additional point of an object's hardness (for a total of 3). Prerequisites: Ignore hardness, improved ignore hardness.   Melee Smash Talent Tree The Strong hero has an innate talent that increases melee damage. Melee Smash: The Strong hero receives a +1 bonus on melee damage. Improved Melee Smash: The Strong hero receives an additional +1 bonus on melee damage (+2 total). Prerequisite: Melee smash. Advanced Melee Smash: The Strong hero receives an additional +l bonus on melee damage (+3 total). Prerequisites: Melee smash, improved melee smash. Bonus Peats At 2nd, 4th, 6th, 8th, and 10th level. the Strong hero gains a bonus feat. This feat must be selected from the following list, and the Strong hero must meet any prerequisites. Animal Affinity, Archaic Weapons Proficiency, Athletic, Blind-Fight, Brawl, Cleave, Combat Martial Arts, Combat Reflexes, Great Cleave, Improved Brawl, Improved Combat Martial Arts, Power Attack, Weapon Focus