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View Full Version : Vault Breaker PrC (Please Comment)



Brom
2009-01-18, 03:09 PM
The Vault Breaker is my new PrC in response to not really feeling there was a dedicated ''mechanic'' class for Rogues who wanted to solely stick to Open Lock/Disable Device with a few more esoteric skills thrown in (Forgery, Disguise, Craft). I mean, for stealth, we have the Shadowdancer. For trap*making* we have the Combat Trapsmith. For underground exploration, we have the Dungeon Delver. For acrobatic infiltration, we have the Thief Acrobat. For piracy, we have the Dread Pirate. We have not one but a couple classes oriented around tracking.

So here is the Vault Breaker. Comments on balance and help establishing better wording would be nice. If someone could throw together a table for me, I'd be very, very thankful. My goal with the class was to turn it into the guy who sits with the team with his toolbox under one arm while the rest of the party leads the way; he'll contribute with ranged attacks, sneaking, flanking, if he's invested in stealth and movement skills, with reconnassiance, but his main redeeming feature will be that if the party wnts to gain entrance into a locale, the Vault Breaker can and will make it happen. In particular, I know the piece on trap sense and trap disabling is a little poorly worded with it's regards to magic, I was trying to get a similar mechanic to the Spymaster's anti-scrying but the gamut of spells I was thinking he could defuse (alarm, clairvoyance/clairaudience, explosive runes, Glyph of Warding, sepia snake sigil, fire trap) was a lot broader than just scrying.

Here it is.

Vault Breaker

“This isn’t a bad security setup. It’s chained, got a padlock, and has a key underneath that. Give me a minute or so: I can have this dealt with.” – Arbus Fint, Human Vault Breaker

Vault Breaker’s are the security and trap specialists of the world. Few and far between, their skills are in high demand in adventuring parties, and work is easy to find for these specialists, legitimate or otherwise. A Vault Breaker trains himself to be able to get into any place that someone isn’t smart enough to physically guard. Crypts, vaults, ancient abandoned temples, the warehouse holding the city’s contraband; all of these places are treasure troves for the Vault Breaker.
Prerequisites:

Skills: Open Lock 9 ranks, Disable Device 9 ranks, Search 9 Ranks, Use Magic Device 6 ranks
Feats: Nimble Fingers, Skill Focus (Open Lock)
Special: Trapfinding class feature
Special: Must have broken into an establishment that was locked and gotten out within an hour

HD: d6
Saves: As Rogue
Skills: As Rogue


1st Analyze Vaulted Area
2nd Methodic Approach
3rd Toolmaker
4th Vault Bypass
5th Do it Right
6th We Own the Vault

Analyze Vaulted Area

The Vault Breaker is an expert at analyzing the sort of defenses that are normally placed around a defended area. Whenever he passes through an area, he can make an Intelligence check and see if there appears to be any kind of magical or nonmagical defenses in the area; a sort of analysis of the target zone that he is in.

He adds his Vault Breaker level to this Intelligence check. The intelligence check DC is 22. Success will inform the Vault Breaker of the presence of any Illusion (Glamer) spells, Abjuration spells cast on an area or object, Divination spells, secret doors, traps, or spells that are activated by presence in the area. Doing this requires seven minutes of uninterrupted study. The Vault Breaker subtracts one minute from this time requirement per Vault Breaker level (meaning it only takes 2 full minutes at 6th level.)

Methodic Approach

The Vault Breaker knows the little intricacies and similarities in his line of work. He adds his Vault Breaker class level to all Disable Device, Craft, Open Lock, Search, Forgery, Sleight of Hand, Use Rope, Disguise, and Use Magic Device checks.

Toolmaker

The Vault Breaker is used to needing to assemble the things he needs on the fly sometimes. He no longer takes a penalty for using improvised tools for Open Lock or Disable Device.

Vault Bypass

When the Vault Breaker successfully identifies the presence of a magical trap, he can make a Dispel Magic check (as per targeted dispel, with his caster level as his character level) to disarm it.

Do It Right

The Vault Breaker isn’t interested in having to perform something twice. He can take 15 on any Craft, Disable Device, Disguise, Forgery, Open Lock, Search, Sleight of Hand, Use Magic Device, or Use Rope checks, even if pressure or distractions would normally prevent him.

We Own the Vault

When the Vault Breaker successfully makes an Disable Device or Open Lock check, he can re-assemble the lock or trap as a free action, setting it to revert to its previous state in five rounds or less. Furthermore, the Vault Breaker is extremely aware of the presence of traps, and gains a +6 circumstance modifier to notice traps when Searching an area. Finally, the Vault Breaker gains Blindsense out to 60 feet by stopping and allowing himself to perceive the area around him for five rounds, uninterrupted.

Zeta Kai
2009-01-18, 03:21 PM
Well, you desperately need a table, for clarity's sake. You don't specify the attack bonus (which is an important point, BTW), but I'm assuming that this class has a rogue's BAB progression (although you might want to make this PrC statistically-distinct for the standard rogue). Here's a table for you:

Vault Breaker (d6)
{table=head]Level|BAB|Fort Save|Reflex Save|Will Save|Special
1st|+0|+0|+2|+0|Analyze Vaulted Area
2nd|+1|+0|+3|+0|Methodic Approach
3rd|+2|+1|+3|+1|Toolmaker
4th|+3|+1|+4|+1|Vault Bypass
5th|+3|+1|+4|+1|Do it Right
6th|+4|+2|+5|+2|We Own the Vault[/table]

Brom
2009-01-18, 03:25 PM
You assume correctly about the BAB. Thank you for the posted table.

lesser_minion
2009-01-18, 04:27 PM
OK, first impressions of all of this:

I like the idea, and it seems like a reasonable class in some respects. However:

Some abilities are currently lacking a few bits of important mechanical info - all of them need to be categorised as Ex, Su or Sp (I've put my suggestions into the individual comments)

Analyse Vaulted Area (Ex?): I like this ability - it seems about as powerful and limited as a spell to achieve the effect should be. You need to specify the size of the area that can be affected, or that the DM should adjudicate - otherwise you will get munchkins locating every single trap in the 'entire multiverse' within seven minutes. Even if I would probably rule that the character's head will explode if they tried to pull that trick.

Methodic Approach (Ex?): I'm not sure about this one, and I think it needs cutting back to a much smaller list of skills

Toolmaker (Ex?): This feels like filler, which I don't think really belongs in any PrC. I think I'd rather see the entire level being deleted.

Vault Bypass (Su?): I don't see much of a problem with this, but it needs a range and should be relegated to Immediate or Swift action - I can see some Analyse Vaulted Area + Vault Bypass cheese for dispelling every magical trap in your immediate vicinity.

Do It Right (Ex): This is too much. It affects too many skills and buffs them by too much. Combined with Methodic Approach, the class basically gets 20+ranks+ability bonus+custom magic item cheese on a very long list of skills. A rogue of the same level gets (must roll d20)+ranks+ability bonus+cheese.

This pretty much amounts to "You may Take 20 at no penalties and without the restrictions of Take 20 on any and all Craft, Disable Device, Disguise, Forgery, Open Lock, Search, Sleight of Hand, Use Magic Device, or Use Rope checks".

UMD is also written to strongly imply that 'Rule -1' is that You Cannot Make A UMD Check Without A Dice Roll, so I would be strongly in favour of Do It Right not applying to Use Magic Device.

We Own the Vault (Ex?): It might be easier to simply rule "Any success on a check to disarm a trap counts as a Greater Success, permitting the character to bypass it with his or her companions" - this adds fewer rules to the game and achieves much the same effect. I think the Blindsense option would be better split off and named an ability in its own right, and you could then add an ability to take the trap and set it elsewhere (possibly). This seems like one of the class' weaker abilities, so I'm not sure about giving it Capstone status.

Brom
2009-01-18, 04:57 PM
THank you. I will begin making edits to it.

Llama231
2009-01-18, 05:54 PM
Well, you desperately need a table, for clarity's sake. You don't specify the attack bonus (which is an important point, BTW), but I'm assuming that this class has a rogue's BAB progression (although you might want to make this PrC statistically-distinct for the standard rogue). Here's a table for you:

Vault Breaker (d6)
{table=head]Level|BAB|Fort Save|Reflex Save|Will Save|Special
1st|+0|+0|+2|+0|Analyze Vaulted Area
2nd|+1|+0|+3|+0|Methodic Approach
3rd|+2|+1|+3|+1|Toolmaker
4th|+3|+1|+4|+1|Vault Bypass
5th|+3|+1|+4|+1|Do it Right
6th|+4|+2|+5|+2|We Own the Vault[/table]

How do you make these tables?

Zeta Kai
2009-01-18, 06:12 PM
How do you make these tables?

Quote my post again, but this time, just read the table code instead of clicking Submit Reply. The code will look like this:

Vault Breaker (d6)
{table=head]Level|BAB|Fort Save|Reflex Save|Will Save|Special
1st|+0|+0|+2|+0|Analyze Vaulted Area
2nd|+1|+0|+3|+0|Methodic Approach
3rd|+2|+1|+3|+1|Toolmaker
4th|+3|+1|+4|+1|Vault Bypass
5th|+3|+1|+4|+1|Do it Right
6th|+4|+2|+5|+2|We Own the Vault[/table]

PinkysBrain
2009-01-18, 07:27 PM
So what is a vault breaker going to do for their party when there is no vault around?

DracoDei
2009-01-18, 07:46 PM
Much much less obviously... and that is as it should be. I believe shooting a crossbow from the back and/or doing a bit of sneak damage were mentioned.

Brom
2009-01-19, 02:18 AM
Although to be fair, the term ''Vault'' actually covers alot of things. Basically any lock or trap is going to get >>> by this guy, and any magical traps aren't going to fare much better. He's basically the guy who makes sure that the party doesn't slaughter its way through the most dangerous marauding horde in the universe only to be unable to resurrect their fallen party members, cleric included, because they couldn't get into the treasure..all because it was behind a locked door with a few wards around it :P