Thursday, September 21, 2017

Campaign Design - Base Classes: Bandit

Bandit
(from the Book of Roguish Luck)

Whether operating as scouts, burglars, or brigands, bandits are simply thieves who eschew the city for the easier pickings of the wide-open countryside. These woodland and rural rogues don't earn an honest living; instead, they smuggle, poach, rustle, and rob from the rich - because that's where the money is. What they lack in urban skills they more than make up for in scouting, ambush, and tracking expertise.

Abilities: Dexterity is crucial for a bandit to move quickly and stealthily when preparing ambushes, stalking deer, or evading pursuit. Wisdom is important when tracking, spotting, or hearing an ambush, judging others' intentions, and working with animals, such as when silencing dogs. Strength helps a bandit fight, climb, and swim away from trouble.
Race: Kell.
Alignment: Any nonlawful. A bandit who becomes lawful cannot gain new levels as a bandit, but retains all bandit abilities.
Hit Die: d6.
Luck Die: d6.

Class Skills
  • Skill List: The bandit's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Appraise (Int), Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Diplomacy (Cha), Disable Device (Int), Disguise (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Forgery (Int), Gather Information (Cha), Handle Animal (Cha), Hide (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Knowledge: Local (Int), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Profession: Any (Wis), Ride (Dex), Search (Int), Sense Motive (Wis), Spot (Wis), Survival (Wis), Swim (Str), Tumble (Dex),, and Use Rope (Dex).
  • Note: Because the Three Worlds campaign uses the Skills by Character house rule, the list of class skills given here is only included for the sake of completeness, and is not used by characters in the campaign setting.
  • Skill Points at 1st Level: (6 + Intelligence modifier) x 4.
  • Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 6 + Intelligence modifier.
Class Features
  • Base Attack Bonus: Average. A bandit gains +¾ base attack bonus per class level.

  • Base Fortitude Save Bonus: Poor. A bandit gains a +13 base Fortitude save bonus per class level.

  • Base Reflex Save Bonus: Good. A bandit gains a +2½ base Reflex save bonus at first level, and an additional +½ base Reflex save bonus per class level.

  • Base Will Save Bonus: Poor. A bandit gains a +13 base Will save bonus per class level.

  • Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Bandits are proficient with all simple and martial weapons, and with all light and medium armor, but not with shields.

  • Furtive Trail (Ex): A bandit is highly skilled at covering his tracks. The Difficulty Class of any Survival check made in an attempt to track a bandit increases by 10 rather than the usual 5. A bandit can use this ability to cover tracks while she is mounted and can cover the tracks of a number of mounts or companions equal to half her level.
    At 8th level, a bandit can more at full walking or riding speed while covering her own tracks, and at half speed while covering the tracks of others.

  • Quick Draw: At 2nd level, a bandit gains the feat Quick Draw as a bonus feat, even if she does not meet the prerequisites.

  • Special Ability: Starting at 2nd level and every fifth level thereafter (7th, 12th, and 17th), a bandit gains a special ability of his choice from among the following options:

    • Evasion (Ex): A bandit can avoid even magical and unusual attacks with great agility. If she makes a successful Reflex saving throw against an attack that normally deals half-damage on a successful save (such as a lightning bolt), she instead takes no damage. Evasion applies only if the bandit is wearing light armor or no armor. A helpless bandit (such as one who is tied up, unconscious, or held) does not gain the benefit of evasion.

    • Eye Strike (Ex): A bandit who rolls a critical threat may try to blind an opponent instead of increasing his damage. To do so, the bandit replaces the roll to confirm the critical hit with an eye-strike attack roll against his foe, using the foe's normal Armor Class. If this attack fails, the bandit deals no damage on the attack.
      Should the eye strike attack succeed, the target is entitled to a Reflex save (DC 10 + half the bandit's class level). If the save succeeds, the target suffers the minimum damage for the attack, as if the bandit had rolled a 1 on all damage dice (including sneak attack damage).
      If the save fails, the bandit deals normal damage (no doubling or tripling from critical damage, and no sneak attack bonuses) and injures the eyes or eyelids of the her target enough to prevent normal vision temporarily. The opponent is blinded for 2d4 rounds, loses his Dexterity bonus to Armor Class, suffers a 50 percent miss chance on attack rolls, and cannot make attacks of opportunity. The loss of sight can be restored before its normal duration ends by regeneration, a cure spell, or natural healing sufficient to offset the damage from the attack.
      A bandit can make eye strike attacks only against living creatures with discernible eyes - undead, constructs, oozes, plants, and incorporeal creatures lack vital areas to attack. Any creature that is immune to critical hits is not vulnerable to eye strike attacks. The bandit must be able to see the target well enough to pick out its eyes, and must be able to reach them. Large creatures that are tall may be able to avoid an eye strike by a melee weapon due to their relative height. A bandit cannot make an eye strike against a creature with concealment or whose eyes are beyond reach.
      Creatures with multiple heads or more than two eyes, such as ettins and eye tyrants, can be blinded more than once, but each success only affects one head or eyestalk.

    • Feat: A bandit may gain a bonus feat in place of a special ability. She must meet all the prerequisites for the bonus feat.

    • Flying Charge (Ex): When a bandit makes a charge while mounted, from a jump, or from a swinging rope, she gains a +4 bonus on the attack roll rather than the usual +2 bonus. A bandit suffers only a -4 penalty to Armor Class from a flying charge. The charge, jump, or rope-swing may require a Ride, Jump, or Tumble check, depending on circumstances.

    • Knockout (Ex): This ability can be chosen only at 7th level or higher. A bandit can knock out an opponent faster and more reliably than anyone. Whenever a bandit chooses to make a melee attack for nonlethal damage, she gains her sneak attack damage as bonus damage on the attack if the opponent fails a Fortitude save (DC 10 + the bandit's class level). If the knockout attempt is already a sneak attack, the sneak attack damage increases by an additional 2d6 points. The knockout ability cannot be used with ranged weapons, and this ability does not stack with the use of a merciful weapon.
      These nonlethal strikes are more difficult to execute than normal strikes, since they involve striking at the head or spine of an opponent. If the strike fails, the bandit has gotten too close and opened herself up, and she immediately provokes an attack of opportunity from the target.

    • Low Blow (Ex): A bandit can use dirt, sticks, a kick, or other unexpected tactics to gain a sudden advantage during melee combat. a low blow attack can be made as a standard action whenever the bandit attacks a flat-footed foe (though not a flanked foe). The low blow attack is rolled as an unarmed attack; the bandit must declare the attack as a stunning attempt or a trip attempt before the die is rolled. If successful, the opponent suffers the minimum damage for the bandit's attack and is left either stunned for 1 round or prone. If the low blow attack fails, the bandit inflicts no damage.
      Attempting a low blow does not provoke an attack of opportunity.

    • Opportunist (Ex): Once per round, a bandit can make a melee attack of opportunity against an opponent who has just been struck for damage in melee by another character. This attack counts as the bandit's attack of opportunity for that round. Even a bandit with the Combat Reflexes feat can't use the opportunity more than once per round. The bandit must be threatening the opponent to use this ability.

  • Diehard: At 3rd level, a bandit's strength of will grants her the feat Diehard as a bonus feat, even if she does not meet the prerequisites.

  • Sneak Attack: If a bandit of 3nd level or higher can catch an opponent when he is unable to defend himself effectively from her attack, she can strike a vital spot for extra damage.
    The bandit’s attack deals extra damage any time her target would be denied a Dexterity bonus to Armor Class (whether the target actually has a Dexterity bonus or not), or when the bandit flanks her target. This extra damage is 1d6 at 3rd level, and it increases by 1d6 every two bandit levels thereafter. Should the bandit score a critical hit with a sneak attack, this extra damage is not multiplied.
    Ranged attacks can count as sneak attacks only if the target is within one range increment or 30 feet, whichever is shorter.
    With a sap (blackjack) or an unarmed strike, a bandit can make a sneak attack that deals nonlethal damage instead of lethal damage. She cannot use a weapon that deals lethal damage to deal nonlethal damage in a sneak attack, not even with the usual -4 penalty.
    A bandit can sneak attack only living creatures with discernible anatomies - undead, constructs, oozes, plants, and incorporeal creatures lack vital areas to attack. Any creature that is immune to critical hits is not vulnerable to sneak attacks. The bandit must be able to see the target well enough to pick out a vital spot and must be able to reach such a spot. A bandit cannot sneak attack while striking a creature with concealment or striking the limbs of a creature whose vitals are beyond reach.
    The sneak attack damage of a bandit stacks with sneak attack damage gained from other sources.

  • Pounce: (Ex) At 4th level and higher, a bandit can maximize her advantage when she catches others off guard. A bandit can take a full attack action when she charges an opponent who is surprised, flat-footed, or who would be denied his Dexterity bonus to Armor Class.

  • Bravado (Ex): At 6th level, a bandit can use a flurry of attacks to overwhelm an opponent who is caught off guard. The bandit gains a +2 bonus to all damage rolls made during a surprise round.
  • Improved Disarm: At 6th level, a bandit gains the feat Improved Disarm as a bonus feat, even if she does not meet the prerequisites.

  • Ride Like the Wind (Ex): At 8th level or higher, a bandit can outride most pursuit without difficulty. A bandit's mount gains a 10-foot bonus to its speed whenever the bandit rides it, even in unusual movement modes (such as flight). The bandit herself gains a +4 competence bonus on all Ride checks in combat. This ability can be used whether or not the bandit is being pursued.

  • Strike First: When she reaches 12th level, the bandit gains a +2 bonus to Initiative checks.

  • Woodland Stealth: (Ex) When a bandit reaches 14th level, she gains the ability to blend into natural terrain. This ability means that a bandit can normally or take two move actions while hiding and moving silently in natural terrain without suffering the usual -5 penalties for moving at full speed and hiding. A bandit cannot run while using this ability and cannot hide while being directly observed.
    If she is traveling on a mount through natural terrain that provides concealment, a bandit can apply her ranks in Hide or Move Silently to her mount's checks with these skills. She can move at normal speed when doing so, but cannot take a double move, run, or withdraw while using woodland stealth when mounted.
    Normally, a rider cannot attempt to hide while mounted.

  • Great Disarm:. At 16th level or higher, a bandit can disarm a flat-footed opponent as a free action. If successful, she removes a single held or sheathed weapon from the target creature and can make an immediate followup attack.
    The bandit can gain possession of the item if she chooses, or she may toss the item up to 10 feet away as part of the great disarm attempt.

  • Great Escape: (Ex) At 20th level, a bandit gains the ability to retreat from any fight unharmed. She gains a +4 bonus on Tumble checks when withdrawing from melee combat, and she can do so at full speed rather than half speed without penalty. With a successful Tumble check, she can leave combat at full running speed without provoking an attack of opportunity.
    If she must tumble through occupied squares or over the heads of foes, the Tumble check Difficulty Class increases by 5.
    This ability also helps bandits escape from magical constraints such as a hold person spell or supernatural paralysis; doing so requires a full-round action and an Escape Artist check. The Difficulty Class to escape from magical bonds is equal to the save DC of the spell +5.
    The bandit is always entitled to an Escape Artist check, even in situations that normally do not allow one.
Bandit
LevelSpecial
1thFurtive trail
2ndQuick Draw, special ability
3rdDiehard, sneak attack +1d6
4thPounce
5thSneak attack +2d6
6thBravado, Improved Disarm
7thSneak attack +3d6, special ability
8thRide like the wind, furtive trail (full speed)
9thSneak attack +4d6
10th-
11thSneak attack +5d6
12thStrike first, special ability
13thSneak attack +6d6
14thWoodland stealth
15thSneak attack +7d6
16thGreat disarm
17thSneak attack +8d6, special ability
18th-
19thSneak attack +9d6
20thGreat escape

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