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Orc4ever
2006-10-11, 06:31 PM
Nodwick-inspired goodies.

Henchman
HD: d10
Alignment: Any

The henchman is a hireling who is paid to lug an adventurer's treasure around. They are often used as distractions and shields, and on occasion, bait. Their life is hard, but they quickly become resistant to the constant abuse, healing faster and shrugging off the damage that comes their way. Eventually, the icy grip of death loosens on them, and they become capable of hanging on when anyone else would die.

The henchman's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Climb (Str), Diplomacy (Cha), Jump (Str), Listen (Wis), Profession (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), Spot (Wis), and Swim (Str).
Skill Points at 1st Level: (4 + Int modifier) x 4.
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 4 + Int modifier.


Good Saves: All
BAB: As Wizard

The Henchman
Level Special
1st Harmless, Strong Back (+2)
2nd
3rd Quick Recovery (+50%), Trap Sense +1
4th Strong back (+4)
5th
6th Tenacious I, Trap Sense +2
7th
8th Strong Back (+6)
9th Trap Sense +3
10th Tenacious II
11th
12th Strong Back (+8 ), Trap Sense +4
13th Stoic Resolve
14th
15th Quick Recovery (+100%), Trap Sense +5
16th Strong Back (+10)
17th
18th Tenacious III, Trap Sense +6
19th
20th Strong Back (+12)

Class Features
All of the following are class features of the henchman.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A henchman is proficient with all simple weapons, light and medium armor, and shields (except tower shields).
Harmless: The henchman is usually passed over by enemies as long as his employers are around. He is permenantly under the effects of a Sanctuary spell (DC = 10 + henchman levels), provided his allies are within sight of the enemy. If the effect is ended by the henchman attacking, the effect only ceases for the remainder of that encounter.
Trap Sense: The henchman often gets sent ahead to disarm traps. Admittedly, he disarms them in much the same way that a stick disarms a bear trap. He gains a bonus to saves vs traps that increases with his level.
Strong Back: The henchman's primary job to to stoop and carry. His carrying capacity is treated as though his strength were increased. At level one, this bonus is a simulated +2 Str, which increased by two every fourth level, to a +12 at level 20.
Quick Recovery: At this point in his career, the henchman has probably been abused horribly by his employers, and has adapted to heal at an accellerated rate. Any healing he recieves, whether magical or natural, is increased by 50%. so, if a cleric was to cast a cure spell and heal 8 hit points, he would actually recieve 12 back. This increases to +100% at level 15.
Tenacious I: The henchman is remarkably durable, even to the point of death. He no longer dies permenantly at -10. He appears dead, but magical healing such as simple cure spells will still affect him until he reaches -15. At -15, he dies for good (or at least until his employers raise him). Affects that destroy the body, such as Disintegrate, still kill him outright.
Stoic Resolve: By now, the henchman has seen (and probably been eaten by) horrors capable of blasting away the sanity of any normal person. The henchman becomes fearless, and adds a permanent +2 to his Will Save.
Tenacious II: The henchman's ability to hold off death has progressed to the point where he can resist the effects of dying and being Raised. He may make a Fortitude save to prevent level loss, the DC being equal to the negative HP he was dropped to plus the number of days since he died. If he died by Con loss, the DC = 20 plus the days since he died.
Tenacious III: The henchman has practically conquered death. This ability increases the threshold for actual death to -(10 + Con Score). Before he reaches this point, normal healing magic affects him normally. In addition, as long as anything remains of his body (including ashes), Cure spells may still be cast on him.

Fredderf
2006-10-11, 06:55 PM
I like it. Could make a fun character, and amusing too. I could see using it.

ishi
2006-10-11, 07:21 PM
I don't know. I think that you created a good set of mechanics for the type of character you're going for, but who wants to play a character that has no purpose but to not die? If you don't give them some interesting offense or utility, I'd rather play a glass cannon. Sure, I'd die more often, but I'd have fun going down.

Unless they get more than "carry stuff and survive", this class would only be played by cohorts and followers, never by PC's.

Blade-Bearer_Ian
2006-10-11, 08:08 PM
Bride of the Portable Hole's Party Bitch base class was pretty sweet... Wish I remember where I downloaded that...

MagFlare
2006-10-11, 11:34 PM
I'd recommend adding Use Magic Device as a class skill. It'd give them a few more options in combat, and it seems to fit the concept pretty well - it makes sense for a character who's always hauling around 500 pounds of magical gear to be able to use of some of it.

Jack Mann
2006-10-11, 11:39 PM
Bride of the Portable Hole's Party Bitch base class was pretty sweet... Wish I remember where I downloaded that...

Bride of the Portable Hole can be downloaded here (http://www.rpgnow.com/product_info.php?products_id=148).

Latronis
2006-10-12, 10:48 AM
I think something like this might work better as a template.

HellFencer
2006-10-12, 02:20 PM
What if they also gain energy resistance, and trap sense, since they seem to be setting off all the traps (and getting hit by all of them). Perhaps also poison resistance and eventually immunity?

Also, give them an ability to not be slowed by being encumbered, as they have to learn to run for their life while still carrying all the "sw33t l00t". However, if they are wearing armor, they can still be slowed down by it.

fireinthedust
2006-10-12, 02:56 PM
How about this:

1) Increased capacity: they count as size large for the stuff they can carry, or one size larger. Also the dwarven carrying-thing works (no speed reduction until they're over their maximum).

2) They should have no permanent death threshold: they can be cured, by magic only, until they reach 0hp, then they heal normally. The point is to be like Nodwick, and the Party would save money by not using ressurrection spells. They wouldn't throw in cash to raise him, they'd hire a new henchman. This is why Nodwick/henchmen are so valuable: you can throw clw at them until they're better (which the party cleric can do essentially for free).

Telonius
2006-10-12, 04:08 PM
Hide, Survival, and Profession(Henchman) ought to be class skills. ;D

-4 on Escape Artist and Open Lock checks vs bindings done by allies.

How about at around level 12 or so ...
Stoic Resolve. By this point, the Henchman has seen (and been eaten by) far more horrors than most people could comprehend. Having become desensitized to his lot in life, the Henchman gains Immunity to all fear effects and a +2 to Will saves.

Orc4ever
2006-10-12, 07:19 PM
Good advice on many of those, but no combat options will be added. Have you ever seen Nodwick fight? I don't think he's even proficient with weapons, but I had to give the class at least the ability to poke their way out of the monster's gut with a dagger.

Anyways. It's intended mostly as an NPC class, or something you would have 1-2 levels in, to represent a henchman who finally went for professional adventurer.

ADDING: Profession as a class skill, Trap sense, and Stoic Resolve.